Full text of "Variety (August 1955)"

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VOL. 199 No. 9

Published Weekly *t 1$4 West 46th Street, New York 36, N. Y.» by Variety, Inc. Annual' subscription. 910. Single copies, 35 cents.
Entered .as second-class matter December 22. 1905. at the Post Office at New 'York. N. Y., under the act of March 3. 1879.

NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3,' 1955

PRICE 25 CENTS

„ Des Moines, Aug. 2.

«■ The delegation of Russian farmers visiting in Iowa (while Iowa
" farmers are visiting in Russia) have been spending the hot even-
I jngs relaxing in airconditioned film theatres'.

- While they wax enthusiastic over Iowa corn they are critical of
some of the Hollywood leading ladies. They have been interpreted
7 as opposed to hard faces, tinny voices, too much gesticulating with
; hands, slouch walks and “busty busts.”

Hollywood, Aug. 2. -

•The three major networks using
telepix from production outfits to
be struck by the Screen Actors
Gfyiild on Friday (5) aren't too ’
alarmed by impending cessation of
activity. All agreed the stockpile
of oldies could be rerun for
months, with the public advlsed of
the expediency.

The possibility of converting some
vidpix to live broadcast is being
considered as one expediency. A
CBS spokesman said stations buy-
ing syndicated pix would be harder
bit by a long strike than the net-
workSf since most of these are
dependent on film to stay on the
air the required hours. Fred Wile,
NBC-TV veepee in charge of Holly-
wood 0 programs, reported, “We're
far enough ahead on new shows
to keep us going for awhile. It’s
highly possible we may convert to
live some series. New shows com-
ing up on the networks are the
ones in trouble. They have no
stockpile to fall back on as with
our bther series.”

-Ken Craig, ABC’s program di-
rector, said most of their series are
far enough ahead on new product,
'but a long strike would force the
net into reruns. He indicated that
this time there’s little chance go-
ing live with such shows as Danny
Thomas and Ozzie & Harriet.

’Howard Meighan, CBS-TV vee-
jpee in charge of the -Western Divi-
(Continued on page 34)

Chi Columnist Barred
By Shuberts; Crusaded
' Against Ticket Scalping

Chicago, Aug. 2.
As expected, Sun-Times colum-
nist Irv Kupcinet, who campaigned
last spring against ticket scalping,
lias been removed from the open-
ing night press list for all of the
Chicago Sliubert houses.

Kupcinet, rated as Chicago’s
most influential Columnist, at least
in show biz , matters, learned he
had been blacklisted on orders
from the New York Shubert hoipe-
office with the arrival last week of
the advance pressagents for “Skin
of Our Teeth” and “Can-Can.” Is-
sue hadn't come up earlier because
there have been no legit openings
ever since the columnist’s crusade
for a “better boxofllce break for
(Continued on page 54)

Herbie, My Boy

San Francisco, Aug. 2.

After NBC made a docu-
mentary about the" Hoover lib-
rary at Stanford U., a young
NBC exec, mercifully uniden-
tified, rushed up to Herbert '
Hoover and told the former
President of the U. S., ** You’re
a doll!”

Cary Grant is to receive 10%
of the film’s world gros& for tak-°
ing a starring role s in . Stanley
Kramer’s indie production of “The
Pride find the Passion.” Picture is
to roll next April in Spain witi.
Grant portraying an English naval
officer (“Pride”) and Frank Sinatra
as a Spanish guerilla leader (“Pas-
sion”). Pic is based on C. S.
Forester’s novel, “The Gun.”

There are no guarantees, money-
wise, for Grant under the deal but
; $5,000,000 . in global, revenue for
an entry of this production caliber
is not uncommon>-meaning a half
million dollars to the actor for
work in a single picture. (Clark
Gable, Who.’s now also receiving
10% of the gross on his new films,
recently was quoted as complain-
ing he should have had such a deal
with “Gone With the Wind.” ' The
original release and the many re-
issues would have provided Gable
with over $4,000,000.)

‘Man Called Peter’ May
Get $5,000,000 in U.S.

“A Man Called Peter,” the' 20th-
Fox pic on the life of the late
Peter Marshall, chaplain of the
U.S, Senate, Is heading for a $5,-
000,000 domestic gross. Film i$ the
first one with an out-and-out Prot-
estant theme for some time from
a major company.

At the moment, “Peter,” which
was heavily supported by Protes-
tant groups when originally
launched, has grossed for 20th $3,-
300,000 in 6,000 bookings. It was
brought in at a $1,700,000 negative
cost,

By FRED HIFT

A new day seems to be a-dawnin’
in Russo-American relations and
show biz, always Sensitive 'to the
international barometer, is quick
to react to the change. ‘

At the moment, hypoed by Gen-
eva and encouraged by the
Soviets’ currently smiling mien,
America's entertainment industry
stands poised to crash through the
slowly parting Iron Curtain.

But it’s apparently not going to
be a one-way street. Moscow, now
in a cooperative mood, is actually
pushing the kind of cultural ex-
change between East and West
Which Americans have long felt
could and would be the most effec-
tive medium of understanding and
contact between the two worlds.

Latest to take note of the new
note sounded at Geneva is the U.S.
film industry.

Spokesman for the Motion Pic-
ture Export Assn, in N. Y. last
week acknowledged that the sub-
ject of film sales to Russia and the
satellites is alive once again and
has been discussed. He said that
a new policy may be shaped on the
return to the U. S. of Eric John-
ston, MPEA prexy, from his Mid-
dle Eastern tour on which he is I
due leave soon.

At me moment, the American
film companies are unwilling to en-
ter into any kind of trade relations
« (Continued on page 62)

Disneyland’s B.O.

$350,000 Weekly

Hollywood, Aug. 2.

Gross intake for first two weeks
of Disneyland has been running
around $350,000 a week for admis-
sions and rides, according to un-
official estimates. Spending per
person hit. an average of $2.10, or
10c a head beyond the figure fixed
as probable expenditure. Spending
for food and refreshments was not
available.

Rides showing biggest • daily
grosses are the Adventureland
boat ride and passenger train. Two
new rides which started operation
last weekend, the kid train and the
flying elephant, are expeoted to
swell ride grosses during succeed-
ing weeks.

B’ar to Bar

Does this conjure up kiddies
in coonskin caps leaning
against the bar, or does it ap-
ply to their elders, frustrated
latterday Daniel Boones?

• Anyway, Popper-Morson dis-
tillery has just merchandised
a Davy Crockett label of
straight bourbon, $4.59 a fifth.

No Double Trouble

Doubletalker Ai Kelly, who
has been the nitery partner
of comedian Joey Adams for -
the past few years, lias been
out of the Latin Quarter, N.Y.,
show because of pneumonia. 1
He’s on the mend.

Adams, telling about it, mar-
veled that during a siege of
delirium, Kelly talked lucidly,
and for the first time in his
life was understood by every-
body.

‘Pipe! To Extend
R&H at Drury

If, as’ tentatively planned, the
upcoming Rodgers - Hammerstein
show, “Pipe Dream,” is produced
in London next spring, it will be.
booked into the Drury Lane and
thereby extend the R & H tenancy
of that house, which has been con-
tinuous since the opening of “Ok-
lahoma” in 1947. It all depends
on how the musical goes over on
Broadway, where it premieres Nov.
30.

“Oklahoma” was followed at the
Drury Lane by “Carousel,” which
then made way for “South Pacific,”
which was in turn succeeded by
“King and I.” The latter is still
running there to profitable busi-
ness, but it probably won’t survive
beyond early next spring.

By that time, provided “Pipe
Dream” has been successfully re-
ceived on Broadway and appears
suitable for British audiences, it
will be presented at the Drury by

(Continued on page 62)

Evangelist Graham hiked
For CommT TV Series

London, Aug. 2.

: Evangelist Billy Graham, who
returned to London after a Con-
tinental tour, confirmed that he
has been inked for a commercial tv
series by Associated Broadcasting
Co. Because of present commit-
ments, the program "will be on a
monthly basis for September until
the new year and will then switch
to a weekly slot.

ABC-TV, which will operate the
London network on weekends and
the Birmingham station on week-
days, signed Graham for a total of
26 programs, which will be staged
under the general title of “Chris-
tianity.” They will rufi for 15 min-
utes apiece and will not be pre-
ceeded or followed by commer-
cials. Graham asserts that he is
receiving no renumerfition, salary
or honorarium. He sailed for the
U. S. July 28.

► Hollywood’s Production Code ir
the subject of another hassle new
brewing. The question: why one
picture can be denied a Code okay
whereas its pictorial and dialog,
content supposedly are actually
milder than the subject matter of
other films which do get Code
approval.

Fred J. Schwartz, president of
Distributors Corp. of America, is
raising the issue In behalf of •
DCA's new release of T Am A
Camera,” .adaptation of the John
van Druten play which has Julie
Harris, Shelley Winters and Laur-
ence Harvey in the leads.
Schwartz revealed on the weekend
he sent letters to major company
presidents’ taking appeal from.
Code Administrator Geoffrey Shur-
lock s rejection of the film. The
chief execs comprise the board of
directors of the Motion Picture
Assn, of America and serve as an
appeals board in matters pertain-
ing to the Code.

Schwartz, back in N.Y. at the
weekend following meetings with
Shurlock on the Coast, said he
asked the presidents to look at
Camera at the earliest possible

. me -give him an audience
immediately following.

Shurlock, related Schwartz, ob-
jected to the concept of the pic-
ture, to the dialog generally, its
discussion of abortion and the fact
(Continued on page 54 )

Jerry Wald Can Choose
(Before Prod.) Columbia .
Pix on Which He Gets %

Under Jerry Wald’s new per-
centage-sharing deal, whereby he
can have 50% of the net profits
from any. two Columbia pictures "
per annum, he is also privileged to
cut tlie percentages and snake it
on four pictures, or even a
121 / 2 % cut on eight pictures. This
new three-year pact is the payoff
on the deal Hollywood attorney
David Tannenbaum originally set
up for Wald when he first joined
Col three years ago,

the ' initial term’s click,
Wald would share for three years
on any pix he designated before
they go into work. Prime consid-
eration is that word “before." Nor
does it limit him to a cut on pix
which he produces; it embraces
the entire Col program for the next
three years.

He has already selected 25%
shares in Col’s future “Eddy Du-
chin Story," “Joseph and His
Brethren," “Picnic” and “The
Harder They Fall” (Bogart).
New termer is a straight three-
year pact, no options.

This is the deal Darryl F. Za-
nuck ha§ been hankering for and
which none of the other major stu-
dio toppers (Dore Schary, Don
Hartman, et. al.) have.

2 MISCKIXAXY Wednesday August 3, 1955

Via 250G Ellenville, N. Y., Music Fest

‘The Wally Cox Treatment’

“The Wally Cox treatment” may become a new show business
axiom and a threat to mutuality of relations between talent
and managers in future. Already, so far as Cox is concerned, it
certainly has put a great big spotlight on him in his future
nitery personals.

As has been accented in these columns last week, inept man*
agement is as much to blame as overpaid headliners who can’t
deliver the goods. Unfortunately, the anonymous managements
are not likely to suffer In the same degree as the act which is
cancelled preemptorily, with attendant fanfare that he or she
didn’t have the stuff to soothe the weary crapshooters’ nerves.

Las Vegas at the moment is in the midst of a crazy-mixed-up
situation that is none of the talent’s doings. What sounds sus-
piciously like managerial jitters has resulted in double-billing
headliners for the same dates and then hassling with their
agents about the overlapping engagements just because some
glorified dice-house’s booker “forgot.” Vegas has produced un-
orthodoxy along many lines, from astronomic salaries to gas-
tronomic bargains, just to lure the gamblers, but “forgetting”
what headliner is booked for which date borders on a Nevada
desert mirage.

But worse is that “Wally Cox treatment” which any disgrun-
tled management can send up as a smoke-screen if (1), their
judgment in paying fancy salaries does a brodie, or (2), the tal-
ent refuses to knuckle under to any last-minute booking whims
or salary compromises.

Whether the gambling potentates know it or not, or like it or
not, they’re, in show business. And how! They must respect
Guild -obligations and they must learn to live With the agents
who, in more than one instance, provide the life-blood of the ‘
gaming operation itself. On the talent’s side there Is an obliga-
tion, of course, of professional satisfaction. Sane judgment may
have to be substituted for greed. Including the agent’s. Abel.

Sandbags, Accidentally On Purpose I

H ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

By ARTHUR BRONSON

One of the most unusual, ambiti-
ous and comprehensive longhair
fests bows tonight (Wed.) in the
Catskills, at Ellenville, N.Y., with
the teeoff of the Empire State Mu-
sic Festival..

What its originators fondly hope
will be the “Tanglewood of New
York,” comprises an enterprising,
daring “invasion” of the so-called
Borscht Belt, known for sports and
light entertainment, by the forces
of longhair. Not only are the
forces strong and many in number,
but they encompass all the classi-
cal arts — symphony, opera, choral
WOrks, the dance — in a profusion
aiid variety unusual for major mu-
sic fests, like Bayreuth or Berk-
shire.

Fest teds off tonight with a con-
cert by the Symphony of the Air,
under the guest-baton of Eduard
van Beinum. Orch repeats Fri-
day (5). “La Boheme,” with a part-
Met Opera cast, under Emerson
Buckley, will be heard tomorrow
(Thurs.l and Saturday. Morton
Gould conducts a Gershwin pro-
gram Sunday.

The live- week fest will offer
more opera, under Buckley and Ti-
bor Kozma; orch concerts under
Alfred Wallenstein, Erich Leins-
dorf, Leroy Anderson, Thomas
Scherman, Hugh Ross, Izler Solo-
mon and Arthur Fiedler, with
Leonard Rose, Eugene List and
Oscar Shumsky among the soloists;
and the Jose Limon Co. Opera will
contain such Met leads as Eugene
Conley, Frank Guarrera, Virginia
MaeWatters, Mildred Miller, John
Brownlee, etc., with principals
from the N.Y. City Opera and Chi-
cago Lyric Theatre added.

$250,000 Venture

Spearheads of the $250,000 ven-
ture are John Brownlee, vet Met
Opera baritone; Jascha Rushkin,
Symphony of the Air violinist;
Frank Forest, onetime film and ra-
dio (“Camel Caravan”) tenor, now
a businessman, and Albert B. Gins,
N.Y. attorney with strong show biz
ties. Gins has been impresario

* (Continued on page 60)

Italian Film Wins 1st
At San Sebastian Fest;
U.S. Short Cops Award

San Sebastian, Aug. 2.
“Giorni d’Amore” (Minerva
Films), Italian pic in Ferraniacolor,
won the first- prize at the second
San Sebastian Film Festival which
wound up on July 26. Honorable
mention went to “La Picara Molin-
era” (Perojo Interproduction), in
Gevacolpr, a Spanish-French co-
production. Latter stars Carmen
Sevilla, Francisco Rabal and
Mischa Auer. Magazine Triunfo
gave a silver cup to Miss Secilla
for^top work in pix this year.

The short, “Zim-Zim-Boum-
Boum,” listed as a Walt Disney pro-
duction, won first place for. a film
short. Fest this year was held
under auspices of Spain’s Syndi-
cate de Espectaculos. . A film was
(Continued on page 54)

New Russian Films to Say,
‘Marx Nicer Than Czar 1

By ART SETTEL
Moscow’s peace-peddler^ who
L appeal* to have convinced just
about everybody that they are mis-
understood, and never really meant
any harm to anyone, will go all-out
in an internal Kultur crusade
aimed at showing Ivan Xvanovitch
the advantages of bolshevism.

Key to the campaign will be
films, mostly of the documentary
'variety, to be produced by the
USSR Ministry of Culture inside
the borders of the Soviet, but
many of them in East Germany,
with the aid of communist techni-
cians .drafted from Satellite lands.

A radio announcement nut of
Moscow reported that the Kultur
campaign will be conducted
through 2,200 new feature films
now on the boards, most of them*
scripted to show how much “bet-
ter” life is under Marxism than it*
was under Tsarism!

Radio Moscow broadcast cited
some of the titles already produced
as part of the crusade— “Daughter
of the Steppe,” by the Alma-Ata
New Kultur films will also sell
idea that more Russians should
pick themselves up and go out to
cultivate “the virgin lands” In re-
mote Siberia where the Kremlin
is anxiously trying to grow corn.
In line with this Alma-Ata Studios
is shooting a film at new State
farm set up in Kazakhstan a year
ago.

MCA Getting Into
Merchandising Biz
In a Real Big Way

The merchandising department
started by MCA at the beginning
of the year is gaining steam.. This
new arm for- the 'ever-expanding
agency has arranged for products
to be manufactured under the
names of three tele shows it pro-
duces and in all has similar
schemes underway in behalf of
about a dozen MCA personalities.

Company also reports that the*
first profits from merchandising
are now being realized. Frank Min-
colla, whom MCA prexy Lew Was-
serman hired six months ago, be-
gan by exploiting the ’’Dragnet”
tv filmer and its star Jack Webb.
From toy “Dragnet” guns, badges,
etc., and Webb kiddie clothes,
MCA’s merchandising has licensed
manufacture of two Ralph Edwards
parlor games, “This Is Your Life”
and "Truth or Consequences.”

Firm also has a hand in marketing
a toy tugboat, a replica of the
Cheryl Ann, boat in Preston Fos-
ter’s “Waterfront,” a syndicated
30-minute 'film skein. And the title
of another syndicated property,
“Lone Wolf,” 'appears in retail
(Continued on page 62)

ONE OF THE FAMOUS REASONS
(ZSA ZSA GABOR)

FOR THE 23.0 RATING ON

SAMMY KAYE’S

“So You Want to Lead
a Band" CBS-TV aerie*
Current Columbia record
“BANJO’S BACK IN TOWN"

Writers Income
Moving Upward

Hollywood, Aug. 2.

Screen and tv writers* income
will hit a record high this year
on the basis of current Writers
Guild of America figures which in-
dicate that pix writers will earn
close to $10,000,000 and tv writers
$3,000,000. Not counted in the
nine-months figures released by
WGA last week is income from
the new live tv pact. With .up-
beat in writer’s income, the Guild
expects its income from dues also
to hit a record peak this year.

Tv writers income tripled in last
nine months over the like 1954
period, with $2,400,000 earned till
last June 30 compared to $800,000
for the period ending June 30,
1954. Pix writer earnings are up
$500,000 in the same period, from
$6,400,000 to almost $7,000,000.
Radio writers earning $700,000 dur-
ing the same period, with no pre-
vious figures available for compari-
son.

London Legit Surviving
Something New: Summer
Slump Due to Heatwave

London, Aug. 2.

With the heatwave finally over,
West End managements hope legit
business will at last return to nor-
mal. This year, London has had a
taste of something Broadway has
been* complaining about her gen-
erations — a summer slump. What’s
made it particularly .tough is that
the boxoffice-shrinking hot weath-
er followed the successive and
costly press strike, rail strike and
dock strike.

London’s first experience with a
summer slump was particularly
rough, not only because it fol-
lowed the. string of crippling
strikes, but because this city isn’t
accustomed to the sort of hot
weather that’s usual in New York
at this time of year, and isn’t pre-
pared to stand it. With normal
summer temperatures in the 70's,
West, End theatres and restaurants
are not aircoriditioned' and are vir-
tually unbearable when the mer-
cury soars into the' 90’s. Morer
(Continued on page 63)

Gag Revivals

At the time of General
Douglas MacArthur’s classic
observation, “Old soldiers
never die, they just fade
away,” the Broadway bunch ad
libbed, “Old crapshooters
never die, they just, go like
that !”— business of Snapping
the fingers. The sudden death
of Tony Cdmero Strella, the
“admiral” of the gambling
ships, .in Las Vegas this past
weekend, will probably revive
that grim wheeze.

The razing of the 3d Ave.
“El” (elevated railroad), how-
ever, hasn’t revived* the mem-
orable Gimbel Bros, ad, at the
time of the razing of the 6th
Ave. elevated railroad — “Joy-
eux Noel” (No-“El”), a timely
and clever institutional for the
Herald Sq. department store.

Way back before World War I
Leo Carrillo, the actor, was politi-
i cal cartoonist for Variety. He did
sketches, to Slme’s order, satirizing
vaudeville business practices, and
especially, and always, those of the
Keith-Albee coterie. There was a
smugness about the latter gents
which made their self-serving seem
a little harder to take, and maybe
a little easier to burlesque, than
what their contemporaries thought
up. Suffice that Sime and^VARiETY
always went in for discrimination
among angle-shooters.

Carrillo who was to have a long
and profitable career as . a legit
and screen, star, billed himself in
his vaudeville days as “The Cali-
fornia Mimic” and/or “The Only
American Chinese on the Stage.”
He came of a pioneer Angeleno
(Spanish settler) family, ’of the
same clan asi Eugene W. Castle, the
home-movie king who sold out to
Universal Films in 1947. It was a
compliment to Carrillo when a re-
viewer (Chicot) for this sheet called
him “A real Chinaman.”

The Artists’ Forum was long a
readable and serviceable and oft-

Weekdays Big, But
Weekends OK, In
N.Y. Cafe Switch

A new phenomenon is occurring
in New York’s night life during the
summer. For many cafes and
lounges, the big days are now
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thurs-
day. Fridays and Saturdays are
now the minor events in the life
of a bohiface.

This turnabout has been espe-
cially evident during July, when
the mercury hovered around the
80-degree mark most of the time.
Anyone with loose change or a
bankroll startes moving out of
town early Friday afternoon and
returns Monday morning. Result
has been a desolate season for the
average nitery during the recent
tremendous heatwave.

It’s the first time in many years
that weekend business has hit these
low levels during the hot weather.
Generally, the tourist business has
been able to take up the slack
caused by the vacationing city folk.
The sole major cafe still getting
the provincials over the weekend
is the Latin Quarter. But bulk of
the other cafes -are getting their
best play during the weekdays.

This switch is expected' to be
over shortly after Labor Day. It’s
anticipated then that the usual
state of affairs, big business over
the weekend and lesser trade on
the other days, will again prevail.

times unwittingly funny depart-
ment in the early years.* Actors
and managers alike aired their
complaints, bared their souls,
promulgated intra-industry prob-
lems. In all seriousness, for ex*
ample, Banks Winter (“The Re-
tired Minstrel”) wrote the editor
of Variety, “Seeing an article to
the effect that an artist with a
gloved hand is considered ’out of .
style,’ would it not be a good sug- ,
gestion that a law be enacted
whereby it would be compulsory
to ‘remove gloves' in theatres the
Same as ‘hats off’ and educate the
public to the effect that the only
evidence the artist has of their :
approval is applause?”

| The Sound & The Fury (

The sound and the fury that
would steam from Artists’ Forums
in later years became a saga all its
own. Horace Goldin (“Sawing a
Woman in Half”) never believed
Houdini originated anything, and
vice versa; bike acts would accuse
each other of lifting routines, and
as to who did any gag first was
something else again.

(To digress a bit, the current
show biz problem of “lifted” lpate-
rial, especially with radio, tv and
the columnists giving such “fast
circulation” to any new gag, has
brought up requests from show
i biz vets for Variety to reinaugu-
rate its Protected Material Depart-
ment. This is unfeasible for rea-
sons that have been explained time
and again. Among the joke-or-rou-
tine policemen, in the heyday of
touring attractions, were the stage-
hands. They’d frequently tell so-
and-so that Jack Rose or Frank
Tinney or Jack Osterman created
that bit. Sometimes , a sandbag
would fall accidentally-on-purpoSe,
or props would get in the way of
heedless actors, because such was
the esprit of the circuits’ backstage
crews, that too flagrantly plagiar-
istic talent became unpopular. *
Stagehands also had their own
cryptic markings on wardrobe
trunks to key the next stand as to
whether the act was a stiff, a thief,
and the like). .

In a Variety ad, Palmer & Jol-
son bragged, “Booked solid for the
next season by William Morris’
Chicago office two hours after they
opened for business.” The same
team ?lso • advertised:. “Notice —
tried and convicted to one year’s
solid booking. Judges: J. J. Mur-
dock and William Morris. Jury:
Audiences at the Haymarket, Chi-
cago, this week.” Joe Palmer’s
junior partner was a kid called A1
Jolson.

While Palmer & Jolson were
fighting their way east from Cali-
fornia through the midwest, an ad
by Harry Jolson, his brother,
heralded himself as “The cleverest
comedian in ‘The Ghetto Sport/
special 10 weeks’ engagement on
the Pacific Coast, doing well.”

8/3

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PICTURES

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

3 .

Martin & Lewis Strictly a Twosome,

♦

•

Hollywood, Aug. 2.

Paramount has refused the re-
quest by Jerry Lewis for a dissolu-
tion of his working partnership
With Dean Martin in future “pro*
Auctions under the corporate setup
of York, the team's own company.
The proposition for ' the split-up
was placed last week before Bar-
ney Balaban, Par’s prexy, and N. Y,
homeoffice execs by studio head
Y. Frank Freeman.

The film company has taken the
position that its large investment
in York productions can best be
conserved by the joint perform-
ance of Martin arid Lewis, rather
than if they performed »apart in
pictures separately produced by
York.

* York’s next scheduled produc-
tion is "When Men Are Men,” due
to go before the cameras in Sep-
tember and designed as a joint
Martin and Lewis starring vehicle.

Paramount’s investment in' York
is around $2,000,000, paid to Mar-
‘ tin and Lewis for 50% of the com-
pany’s stock. Par also does the
1 principal financing of York’s film
output.

SPAIN COMPROMISES,

U.S. ACCEPTS ACCORD

One-year extension of the U. S.-
Spanish film accord of last year.,
only awaits an official exchange
of letters between the American

• Ambassador in Spain and the
Spanish government.

Letters were to have been ex-
changed, and the new agreement
formally approved by the Motion
Picture Export Assn, board in
N. Y. yesterday (Tues.).

While company execs don’t find
the new deal anything to brag
about, it’s recognized that its terms
constitute a compromise on the
part of .the Spaniards who origin-
ally came up with demands for a
very tough new pact.

James Harris Partners
With Kubrick for UA

Stanley Kubrick, who recently
sold his indie pic, "Killer’s Kiss,”
to United Artists, has formed a
partnership with James Harris,
distributor of telefilms, to produce
for UA. And UA is backing them
up with 100% financing, .which
amounts to about *$600,000, fori
their first film.

This first property is "Day of
Violence,” based on the Lionel
White novel,' "The Glean Break.”
It’s td be locationed in N. Y. in
September with Harris as producer
and Kubrick directing from his
own -script. • <

Harris formed Flamingo Films
five years ago to engage in the
—handling of pix for tv. The ini-
tia’ capitalization was $6,000. This
outfit now does nearly $3,000,000 a
year in gross business. 1

Despite this tv background, the
product to be turned out via UA
is to be strictly s for theatrical ac-
counts and there’s no video in-
volved, states Kubrick. ' i

Teakettle Sprays Actress
In Flukey WGAU Mishap

Philadelphia, Aug. 2.

Jayne Mansfield, film actress,
was burned about upper part of
body and face by hot water during
filming of a scene in "The Bur-
glar,” first sound film ever lensed
in entirety in this city.

Accident happened at WCAU-
TV studios, where indoor scenes
are being made, and resulted from
a stopper being placed in a tea-
kettle "to make it sing realis-
tically.” Miss Mansfield removed
stopper and pressure splattered
her with boiling water. Presence
of a dermatologist in the studio
saved actress

"The Burglar” is being produced
in this city and Atlantic City by
Samson Productions, first local pro-
duction outfit since early days of
century. Dan Duryea, Martha
Vickers and Miss Manfield are the
leads.

♦ - — :

I PALMER HOYT LOSES PITCH

I ten

'Guys fend Dplls’ Premiere Moved
From Denver to N.Y.

World premiere of Samuel Gold-
wyn’s "Guys and Dolls” is to be
In NJf. which,- it’s now beep de-
cided, was more of Dambn'* Run-
yon's hometown than Denver,
where he was born. Palmer Hoyt,
publisher of the Denver Post, had
been pressing hard to nab the pic’s
o r >en , *ug for the Colorado capital
and for a while it looked like he
had won out.

But now, Goldwyn and execs at
Metro, distributor of the film, have
come to the conclusion that Eun-
yon had become synonomous with
•Gotham. No decision yet on which
theatre will land the pic. ,

INSIDERS ACTIVELY BOY
REPUBLIC SECURITIES

The insiders are buying Repub-
lic stock. Associated Motion Pic-
ture Industries, investment opera-
tion controlled by Rep president
Herbert J. ; Yates, has purchased
2,300 shares of the' Rep ‘common
issue, bringing- its holdings to 190,-
084 shares. This outfit also owns

49.600 shares of Rep’s $1 cumula-
tive convertible preferred.

Douglas T. Yates, Rep board
member, reported that Tonrud,
Inc., Delaware corporation of
which he’s an associate, "bought
5,000 shares of -the Rep common,
increasing its ownership to 196,-
536" shares of the common and
maintaining its holdings of 12,200
shares of the preferred.

In other stock activity, Robert
J. O’Brien, v.p. of American Broad-
casting-Paramount Theatres, has
added his n a m e to the list of
AB-PT execs exercising stock op-
tions. He acquired 12,500 shares of
the AB-PT common issue via op-
tion, giving him total ownership of

12.600 shares.

Another Canada-Produced
Feature by Mel Turner

Ottawa, Aug. 2.

St. Lawrence Pictures Corp.,
Melburn Turner’s Kingston; Ont.,
outfit, which produced a feature,
"The Little Canadian” recently,
has bought a script from Alex
Barris, Toronto ' Globe and= Mail
entertainment columnist. Shooting
starts in August in the Thousand
Islands, with Robert Agar, lead in
Turner’s first one, cast. Film, whose
working title is "The River Run-
ners,” will be in color.

"The Little Canadian,” edited
and dubbed in Hollywood, had its
four-day premiere three weeks ago
at the Odeon Theatre in Kingston.
It has played and repeated in Gan- V
anoque and is booked into Odeon
houses in Belleville, Trenton and
Peterboro, all medium-sized On-
tario cities.

JOHN HORTON TO COAST

U’s Washington Rep Into
Studio as Exec Aide

Washington, Aug. 2.

/John Horton, Universal’s Wash-
ington rep for the past five years,
left last week for Hollywood to be-
come an executive production as-
sistant at the U studio.

Horton, husband of the former
Drucie Snyder, * daughter of Tru-
man’s Secretary of Treasury John
Snyder, was in picture promotion
work on the Coast before coming
to Washington.

Studio has replaced him in Wash-
ington with George Dorsey, Jr., an
NBC news film producer in Wash-
ington. Dorsey’s father heads War-
ner-Pathe newsreel in Washington
and has also been studio rep in
Government liaison matters.

Merger of Atlas Corp., invest-
ment trust headed by Floyd <Dd-
lum. and RKO. Pictures Corp,, the
corporate shell that remained in
1948 when Howard Hughes bought
out the film company assets, is^in
the offing. Hughes’ consent is re-
quired and he’s been alternately
"yes and no” on the proposed tieup
for some time. Much Wall Street
opinion at this point has it that
he’ll okay the deal.

Hughes owns 1,262,120 shares in
the RKO holding company and
Odium controls slightly under,
that number. About 400,000 shares
are held by the public. Odium* it’s
apparent, will go ahead with the
merger only on condition he’s
given assurance by Hughes of com-
plete management control. 1
•' The matter expectedly will be
brought out into the open today
(Wed,) when the RKO outfit’s
annual meeting of stockholders, to
elect directors, fakes place.

Important angle behind the
maneuvering is the substantial
tax benefit inherent in this "pa-
rent” RKO corporation. Having
lost money for years as the hold-
ing company that operated above
RKO Radio, the "shell” has about
$20,000,000 in capital loss carry-
forward tax advantages.

This means Odium, presuming
his Atlas Corp. absorbs RKO,
could have gross profit on, his in-
vestments up to that amount that
would be 'free from Internal
Revenue considerations.

According to financial sources,
the merger would have to be
okayed by Revenue and it’s a
cinch close scrutiny of the deal
will be forthcoming.

The "shell” now has about
$17,000,0(j0 in cash and no other
assets. This would go into Od-
ium’s investment, kitty. Atlas’
holdings now are Well diversified,
ranging from an uranium mine to
stock in Walt Disney Productions,

14-Year Figures

[20th Overseas]

Foreign billings of 20th-Fox
in the 14-year period from 1941
through 1955, will have grown
an estimated $36,354,000 or
better than . triple, a study
shows.

Back in 1941, at the start of
the war, 20th’s. earnings abroad
totalled $15,646,000. By 1946
—$34,098,000— the 'take had
doubled. In 1954— $41,336,000
—it was up by 258% from the
1941 base year. For 1955, a
record $52,000,000 is expected.

Following is the breakdown;

Year ‘ (000)

1941 .$15,646

1942 ....... 19,803

1943 ....... 25,247

.1944 30,554

1945 ....... 30,213

1046 ....... 34,098

1947 29,909

1948 30,044

1949 .... 31,724.

1950 31.392

1951 32,171

1952 . . 35.737

1953 38,352

1954 41,336

1955. ....... 52,000 (est.)

WALL STREET BUZZ
RE RKO THEATRES

Wall Street has .become rumor
happy. The latest buzz in N. Y.’s
financial district concerns RKO
Theatres. One highly-placed broker
said this week he "understands”
a stock deal is in the making, that
will send the circuit’s shares up
to $15 or $17, which would be a
sizeable jump over current levels.

That such a report is in circula-
(Continued on page 61) .

National

Reflecting the "delayed reac-
tion” of Cinemascope abroad,
20th-Fox’s fpreign billings during
the first six months of 1955 over-
shadowed domestic billings by
some $250, 000.

This is said to be the first time
in the history of the company that
the foreign market delivered rev-
enue higher than the domestic
market over such an extended
period of time. It is also indica-
tive of the rising importance of
the foreign market not only with
20th but also with other distribs.

20th’s foreign rentals for the
six months period ended June 25
were $25,800,000, compared with
26-week billings of $19,100,000 in
1954. That’s an increase this year
of $6,700;000, or over 34%.

Domestic hidings during the
first half of 1955 were $26,000,000
(inclusive of Canada), a drop of
about $3,000,000 from 1954.

While 20th’s foreign division is
seeking a record r $50,000,Q00 in
1955 billings, company execs con-
sider . it likely that the domestic
graph will shoot ahead during the
second half of the year to create
a more "traditional” ratio be-
tween foreign and U.S.-Canadian
earnings.

Industry overall gets about 42%
to 43% of its revenue from abroad.
A 50% ratio, as chalked up by the
20th foreign boys for the 26 weeks
of 1955, is extremely rare and, in
the view of some foreign depart-
ment execs, not even very desir-
able since the international mar-
ket is subject to unexpected fluc-
tuations and represents the added
problem of coin transfer.

Companies within the pastf; year
have been doing very well in their
continuous efforts to i thaw local
coin and get their N.Y. share out.
In the most important markets,
such as Britain, Germany, France
and Italy, the money is coming out
and practically none is frozen.

Severar reasons are being ad-
vanced for the unusually strong
showing of 20th’s foreign sales
force. One is the fact that, where-
(Continued on page 22)

Biz Hot Despite Heat; /Roberts’ Easily Cops 1st,
‘Stranger* 2d, ‘Lady* 3d, ‘Holiday* 4th

With most key cities undergo-
ing record heatwaves, the way in
which firstrun biz is holding up
currently is surprising vet exhibit-
tors. Air-conditioned theatres are
held responsible partly for con-
tinued big trade but a considerable
portion of the strength obviously
stems from unusually strong- sum-
mer screen fare. In fact, some film
crix have commented on the stal-
wart lineup of pix for the dog days.

"Mister Roberts” (WB) again is
No. 1 by a wide margin, Film adap-
tation of the legit hit gathered mo-
mentum and will show nearly $600,-
000 in current session from key
cities covered by Variety. "Not As
Stranger” (UA) is winding up sec-
ond, same as last week after many
stanzas in top spot.

Third money goes to "Lady and
Tramp” (BV). It also was third a
week ago. "Cinerama Holiday”
(Indie) is holding tight to fourth
place.

"Man From Laramie” (Col), a
newcomer, is taking fifth position
while "7 Little Foys” (Par) is fin-
ishing sixth. "You’re Never Too
Young,” also from Paramount, is
landing seventh spot, although out
in only seven locations.

"We’re No Angels” (Par) is cop-
ping eighth place. "How To Be

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR

1905-1955

Popular” (20th). is' "sliding from
eighth to ninth slot. "Cinerama”
(Indie) rounds out the top 10.
"Marty” (UA), "Cobweb” (M-G)
and "7 Year Itch” (20th) are the
runnerUp films. Last-named has
about rounded out its big key city
firstrun dates.

"Kentuckian” (UA), which con-
tinues okay in Chi in second week,
is great in Denver. "Private War
of Major Benson” (U) is rated
great in two Boston theatres.

"The Shrike” (U), continuing
nice in fourth N.Y. week, is terri-
fic opening session in Philly. "Sum-
mertime” (UA), still smash in
N.Y: and Chi, is rated fair in Seat-
tle On initial week there.

"House of Bamboo” (20th) looms
okay in Washington and Portland,
Ore. "Life in ..Balance,” from Same
company, is a big disappointment
this week in three spots. "Francis
in Navy” (U), good in Seattle, is
sturdy in Chi.

"Love Me Or Leave Me” (M-G),
still big in Chi, is stout in Detroit.
"Purple Mask” (U), great in Chi,
looks fine in Toronto.

"Larid of Pharaohs” (WB) shapes
big in N.Y. "Came From Beneath
Sea” (Col), nice in Providence,
looms hotsy in Cleveland and big
in Buffalo:

"Phenix City Story” (AA) con-
tinues boffo in Chi. “Wizard of
Oz” (M-G) (reissue), fast in Port-
land, shapes tall in Chi.

"Dam Busters” (WB) looks-'
robust in Toronto. "Magnificent
Matador” (20th) is fair in K.C. "In-
terrupted Melody” (M-G), hot in
Toronto, is nice in L.A., good in
Philly and okay in Balto.

"Pearl of South Pacific” (RKO)
shapes fair in Indianapolis. "Wich-
ita” (AA) looms fine in Denver.

(Complete Boxoffice Reports on j
Pages 8-9) |

. •

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Vol. 199 c^m^ 120 NO. 9

INDEX

Bills . ........ ... ... 54

Chatter . 62

Concert-Opera 60

Film Reviews .... . 6

House Reviews .......... 54

Inside Radio-TV 36

International 12

Legitimate 55

Literati .. ... 61

Music . . 40

New Acts 51

Night Club Reviews 53

^Obituaries 63

Pictures 3

Radio-Television 24

Radio-Reviews 34

Record Reviews ......... 40

Television Review's 28

TV Films 30

Vaudeville 49

DAILY VARIETY

(Published In Hollywood by
Daily Variety, Ltd.)

$15 a year. $20 Foreign

PICTURES

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

UA MIGHT SERVE

MODE

' Minneapolis* Aug. 2.

It was the last straw when Warner Bros, and United Artist? came
out with 50% must percentage for ^Mister Robert” and “Not as
a Stranger,” respectively, regardless of the situation, according -
to Bennie Berger, Allied States emergency defense committee u
chairman and North Central Allied president.

— And this demand without any evidence of a distributors' change
of heart regarding him rentals, despite expressions of sympathy
and a professed recognition of the small exhibitors' “dire” plight,
is causing Allied to proceed alone on the road to Federal inter*
vention, he’s informing North Central Allied directors at a meet-
ing here this week.

Answering TO A president E. O. Martin who in an official state-
ment deplored Allied States’ decision to break off the “friendly
negotiations” with the film companies, Berger declares “actions
soeak — not words.”

Rarely has any development in
the industry drawn so much at-
tention, and speculation, ‘ among
key trade executives as • Tbm
O’Neil’s takeover of RKO Radio
from Howard Hughes. The gist of
the thinking is that O’Neil is ca-
pable of revitalizing RKO if he so
chooses and any change must b6
an improvement over the static
production program of the recent
period under Hughes.

However, there’s much curiosity
over what kind of commitment
O’Neil made to Hughes, if any, on
keeping the company intact. O’Neil
himself has been vague on this
point, citing a letter of agreement
he sent to Hughes but professing
indefinite knowledge on to what
extent this is legalistically binding.

It has been established that
Hughes insisted that RKO be kept
in the picture business. His atti-
tude re this was a major factor in
delaying finalization of the buyout
deal. But the trade suspects that
O’Neil must have left some out
for himself— an escape hatch from
any firm picture business commit-
ment to reduce the risk in his $25,-
000,000 investment. It’s understood
he told Hughes he’d try in ear-
nest for at least 18 months to op-
erate the company as a continuing
theatrical enterprise. However, if
losses mount within that period
it’s suspected he’d be unrestrained
from turning to liquidation of. the
entire library to tv and perhaps a
tv operation to the extent that
theatrical film business would be
excluded.

In a move that drew applause in
the industry; .O’Neil this week ap-
pointed a new president — Daniel
T. O’Shea, who shifts' from exec
v.p. at CBS. O’Shea an attorney
has a substantial film, industry
background, primarily in associa-
tions with David O. Selznick.

O’Shea is regarded as important
manpower and this is no reflection
on James R. Grainger who’s exit-
ing the prexy’s post. The business
regards it as “one of those things”
— when a new owner steps in he
(Continued on page 81)

Combination of Titles
Reason for Newspaper
Refusal of Ad Copy!

Chicago, Aug. 2.

Ziegfeld Theatre, Chicago filme-
ry specializing in the sexy ap-
proach, was forced to cancel a
twin-bill booking recently when
local newspapers refused to run
ads on the combo of “Facts of
Love” and “Intimate Relations,”

The turn-down was based on the
combination of titles alone and not
on the ad copy or artwork. Both
pictures had previously played
Chicago separately and were
okayed by the Police Censor Board
with an “adults only” qualification.

COLONIAL, SO. PHILLY,
SUES MAJORS AND SW

Philadelphia, Aug. 2.

Colonial Amusement Co., which
has operated the Colonial Theatre
(South Philly nabe) for 35 years,
has filed suit in U.S. District Court
here charging monopoly, conspir-
acy and restraint of trade naming
as defendants eight film majors
and the Stanley Warner Manage-
ment Corp.

Asking for a jury trial, ihc plain-
tiff charges the competitive system
of bidding is employed “to take
unfair and discriminatory advan-
tage of the Colonial Co. with un-
conscionably excessive film rentals
to prevent the theatre from obtain-
ing first neighborhood runs.”

The Court was also asked for in-
junctive relief to end the alleged
conspiracy, and a aiseovery pro-
ceedings has been instituted to find
out how ‘much financial damage the
house has suffered. Edwin P.
Rome is counsel for Colonial
Amusement Co. Distributors
named as defendants were Colum-
bia, Loew’s, Paramount RKO,
20th Century-Fox, United Artists,
T ' r s and

the local management group.

'ANYTHING IO , DECLARE?'

Banned In 1940, French Pie
Now Passed In- N»; Y,

Reversing a 1940 ban, the N. Y.
State censor has okayed the
French “Have You Anything to
Declare?” for showing in theatres.
Comedy has dialog by Jean
Anouilh and is distributed in the
U. S. by Brandon Films.

Pic is now dbe for release in
September.

’White Christmas’ Already

/)VVVjVVV 1U 1111;

May Go Double That

First co-partnership returns on
Paramount's “White Christmas”
reveal a $10,500,000 gross to date
(oyer $9,000,000 of this domestic),
with profits split 30% each to star
Bing Crosby, songsmith Irving
Berlin, and producer . Par. The.
other 10% is Danny Kaye’s share
plus the $20Q,0Q0 which he got
when Donald O’Connor dropped
out because of illness.

The other fees include $250,000
to Berlin for the score and $150,-
000 to Crosby as star.-

“White Christmas” has actually
gone over $11,000,000 and is ex-
pected to hit $18, -$20,000, 000 world-
wide. Net yield to all concerned-
is predicated on a 25% domestic
distribution charge and 30% on
foreign, along with costs of the ad
campaigns etc. The picture came
in for $3,750,000.

Incidentally, “Xmas” tops Ber-
lin’s “This Is The Army” which
Warner Bros, distributed, turning
over almost $8,000,000 in net profit
to the Army Emergency Relief
Fund.

Frank Whitbeck Retires

Hollywood, Aug. 2.

As of Sept. 1, the veteran pub-
licist, Frank Whitbeck, goes into
retirement. He has been with
Metro Studio for past 22 years as
advertising trailer chief.

Whitbeck’s theatrical career is
a long and varied one including
stints with circuses and wild west
shows. He headed publicity-adver-
tising for Fox West Coast Theatres
when this headquartered at the
Warfield on Market Street in San
Francisco. I

Sidney Kauf man Sets -
Eight Dubbed Imports
For Canadian Release

Release-^for eight -dubbed for-
eign pix in Canada last week was
secured by Sidney Kaufman, Grand
Prize Films prexy, via a deal with
Columbia Pictures of . Canada Ltd.
Kaufman formed Grand Prize
Films of Canada Ltd. to consum-
mate the arrangement.

In reporting the deal in N. Y.
last week, Kaufman said Cana-
dians- — due to their English and
French language groups— are ac-
customed to dubbing and fully ac-
cept it. He expressed the hope that
successful distribution of the eight
pix in Canada would tend to have
its echo in the U. S.

He pointed out that the dubbed
films could be sold to U. S. tv,
but said he would attempt to seek
theatrical release on the strength
of the Canadian performance. “We
may set ah entirely new pattern
here,” he stated. Theatrical b. o.
of dubbed imports, with a few not-
able exceptions, has been poor in
the U. S. where it’s generally felt
that audiences don’t accept the lip-
sync treatment. Actually, many feel
that, even if these Same features
had been made abroad in English,
their b. o. values still might be
questionable.

Kaufman stated that, if he got a
block of pictures together, he
might dub them in Germany since,
under such circumstances, it would
‘pay to “import” the necessary
voices. German dubbing facilities
are good, but the voice catalog is
lacking.. Kaufman, who left yester-
day (Tues.) for Europe, said he
hadn’t picked the eight films yet.
While on the Continent, he’ll visit
•Yugoslavia and Germany.

N. Y. to Europe

John Beaufort
Tony Curtis
Betty Garrett
Thomas Gomez
Katy Jurado
Mary J. Lenihan
Allan J. Lerner
Pare Lorentz
Joseph Meyer
Dick Moore
Priscilla Morgan
Larry Parks
Carleton Smith
Stephen F. Temmer

U’s Offbeat Booking Puts
’Major Benson’ Into? laza
For East Side Premiere

In an unusual N. Y. launching
that is aimed as much at creating
a sustained word-of-mouth as at
getting away from the high Broad-
way ad costs, Universal has opened
its “The Private War of Major
Benson” at the east-side Plaza
Theatre.

House, which has been follow-
ing a semi-art policy but has
preemed several Hollywood pix, is
(Continued on page 22)

N. Y. to L. A.

Alec Alexander
Charles Boren
John P. Byrne
May Singhi Breen DeRosa
Howard Dietz.

Nanette Fabray
Y. Frank Freeman
Don Getz —

Harry E. Gould
James R. Grainger
David Haft
Edward Kook
Doreen Lang
Arthur M. Loew
Lydia Minevitch
Charles B. Moss
Ozzie Nelson
Tom O’Neil
Patti Page
Charles M. Reagan
Edward M. Saunders
Sol A. Schwartz
Warren Stevens
Joseph R. Vogel
Card Walker
Victor Young

Perhaps indicating one facet of
its operation of the future, Tom
O’Neil’s General Teleradio has
been involved in a strictly non-con-
ventional tieup of television sta-
tions and theatres whereby the sta-
tions participate in the theatres*
■gross. It’s been tried limitedly,
with. GenTel’s feature picture,
“Gangbusters,” in a few cities but
appears to have worked out well.

Plaii, developed by Terry Tur-
ner, who’s promoting “Gang-
buster” sales, provides for one tv
outlet in a given area to plug the
pic via .commentators’ mentions,
presentation of clips and trailers,
etc. The payoff to the tv station
is a cut on the theatre gross via a
simple formula arrangement. The
telecaster receives the same per-
centage of the distributor’s gross
as the distributor’s percentage of
the theatre gross. The distributor
say, operating on a 40% basis, col-
lects $4,000 on a $10,000 theatre
gross. The telecaster receives 40%
of the $4,000, or $1,600.

In its first week at Rube Shor’s
Cincinnati Drive - in Theatre,
“Gangbusters” grossed $13,815 and
about $10,000 the second. The lo-
cal franchised distributor collected
40% and the participating station,
which was WLW-TV, got 40% of
the distrib’s 40%.

Turner believes the plan will
work best wlien groups of up to 25
theatres join in one participation
setup. The telecaster, sharing in
the gross at all of them, would be
encouraged to plug the pic in-
volved more heavily because of
the more money involved.

Advantage of the producer, of
course, is that he doesn’t have to
shell out for tv promotion in ad-
vance.

L. A. to N. Y.

Edmund Cashman
Dane Clark
Jeanne Crain
Glorya Curran
Martin S. Davis
Roy Disney
Jeanne Dru
Ben' Elrod
Anne Francis
Ernest D. Glucksman
Farley 1 Granger
Leland Hayward
Bill Hendricks
Albert J. Kelley
Grace Kelly
Paul Klein
Mori Krushen
Max Liebman
Janet Leigh

William Cameron Menzies
Roger^Moore
Maureen O’Hara
Walter Pidgeo'n
Joe Reddy ,

Hillevi Rombin
Anna Russell
Dorothy Squires
Larry Stern
Barry Sullivan
David Tebet
Richard Todd
Bill Treadwell
Billy Wilder
Helen Winston
Max E. Youngstein

Europe to N. Y.

Sissa Bethea
Walter Branson
Max Bygraves
Melvyn Douglas
Lew Grade
Alan Hewitt
Sol Hurok
Felix King
Gregory Ratoff
Kim Swadis
Eleanor Tarshis

< Bruno Zirato

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4- * T

Skouras Clarifies Many Points

(SCHLESINGER— ZANUCK— OLD FILMS— H()ME-TOLL) ::

♦ '

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Spyros P. Skouras, 20th-Fox prez, made it plain
in N.Y. last week that his acquisition of Schlesinger
theatrical interests in South Africa was not part of
a general,- worldwide theatre .expansion program on.
the part of the company.

Returning from London, where he concluded final
negotiations and signed the deal (conditioned on
20th being able to purchase a minimum of 90% of
African Theatres Ltd, outstanding stock by Dec. 1,
1955), Skouras saifj the acquisition of the 140 thea-
tre Schlesinger chain and distribution setup was a
challenge. He had picked up the properties, he held,
“just because it was a good deal for us.”

Skouras also said that:

South African Dead

. ( 1) A South African /corporation’ was being
formed as a holding company to purchase African
Theatres Ltd. shares at £& ($14) per share. There
are 500,000 shares outstanding, including 100,000
held by John Schlesinger and his group. The entire
transaction, if it comes off, would cost 20th around
$28,000,000, most of it in pounds.

Zanuck’s Value

?2) He hoped Darryl F. Zanuck would stay on
as 20th studio head, he being the outstanding pro-
ducer In Hollywood. However, there were no plans
to offer Zanuck any participation deal. He “agreed
With everything” Zanuck had i said so far, i.e;
Zanuck’s contractual right to step out of the job and
go indie via 20th. He acknowledged that Zanuck
was not happy about his money deaL

Dough Scarce

(3) 20th’s library of old films is worth $150,000,000
“and some day I’ll get it if I’m not too nervous.”
He said he would gladly sell to tv “if someone of-
fered me the right price.”

Spread of Cinemascope

1 (4) Between 125 and 150 CinemaScope pictures

should be made worldwide in 1955. He’ll' go to the
Far East soon to hypo C’Scope production there.

Against Toll

(5) He was always against home-toll tv which,
if it should come about, would be detrimental to
both sponsored tv and the pix biz. “It won’t suc-‘

* ceed,” he declared. “The public will see better shows
for free than by paying for them.” 20th, of course,
is producing special shows for- video this fall.

Good Trend

(6) There has been a very optimistic upward 41
trend in film business during the past few weeks
even though the hot spell has hurt some. Generally,
1955 should be a better year for the industry than
1954. As for 20th’s 1955 net, due to a larger number
of films in release, it ought to beat 1954.

,In discussing the Schlesinger deal, Skouras em-
phasized that, unless he got at least 90% of the
stock by Dec. 1, 20th was in a position to pull out.
He explained that of the 500,000 shares outstanding,
490,000 shares were ordinaries and 10,000 were
“founder,” i.e. voting shares. All of these are held
by Schlesinger. Skouras again stressed he wasn’t
interested in acquiring the Schlesinger’s 50% in-
terest in J. Arthur Rank’s Odeon. outfit in Britain.
“It was never offered to us,” he said.

Rank also has a 25% interest in Consolidated
African Theatres Ltd., the Schlesinger circuit, and
if 20th takes control of the parent company, It’ll
presumably also control those shares.

Skouras said that, with the encouragement of the
South African government, he intended to expand
the native (Negro-only) theatres of which there are
now 40 or 50. In addition, he plans to continue the
African newsreel and the limited production of
African-language features. Edward F. Lomba, 20th
managing director in S. Africa, will take over for
20th there when the deal is finally consummated.
Lomba is due in N.Y. in October. *

Wednesday, August 3, 1953

PICTURES

o s

KEY

How The Exchanges Are Running

Following' is. the’ current standing of the U.S. exchanges "with five
major companies' as established by a study of the general sales man-
agers. Lineup is determined by the revenue-producing capacity of each
exchange for the individual distributor.

CITY

. FOX

UNIV.

COL. '

PAR,

New York

Philadelphia

Washington

8 .

Cincinnati

Cleveland

Indianapolis

Pittsburgh

i 18

Albany

Boston

Buffalo

New Haven

Chicago

Des Moines

Kansas City

Milwaukee

Minneapolis

Omaha

St. Louis

Atlanta

Charlotte

11* ,

Jacksonville

N- Orleans

Dallas & Houston

■5

Memphis

Okla. City

Denver

19 *

Los Angeles

Portland

Salt Lake City

San Francisco

* 4

Seattle

• 22 r

Ben Piazza, who died last week on the Coast, is recalled by old Broad-
way vaudeville folk as the man managed the very first vaud-film
house, the Palace, New Orleans, well before the State-Lake, Chicago,
Hill Street, L. A. and other combo houses . . . Neither vaiide nor film
men then liked the idea but when New Orleans netted $500,000 in a
year the “policy” spread though there were Keith Circuit guys who
continued to believe films were just a flash in the pan.

• French tradesheet Film Francaise, reporting the first pzoner near
the French capital being built by the Siritzkys — story is credited to
■Variety — translates drive-in. as “cinema en plein air pour spectateurs
en automobiles” (cinema in the open air for spectators in autos), which
is certainly a mouthful.

Mori Krushen, exploitation chief of United Artists, due back in.
N. Y., after Vancouver-to-Los Angeles odyssey.

June Havoc’s daughter, April Kent, signed a term player contract
With UI ... Metro added “Designing Woman,” story of a dress de-
signer, to Grace Kelly’s acting schedule . . . Irwin Allen, has completed
“The Animal World” for Warners release after 18 months of produc-
tion.

A sneak preview of Danny Kage’s “The Court Jester” was held at
the St. Francis, San Francisco last week . , . Don Hartman, writers
Norman Panama and Melvin Frank and a .dozen other Paramount
executives in from Hollywood.

With the razing of Manhattan’s Third Ave El getting the civic fare-
well treatment this week, it continues running on the screen of the
Fine Arts in the Carson Davidson-Helene Sand short, now in its fourth
month with “To Paris. With Love” . . . Zachary Scott and Brian Don-
levy will co-star in “The Man from Abilene,” first of six pictures to
be made by Associated Producers Distributing Corp., recently organ-
ized by Bernard Glasser , . . Jane Morgan shifts from radio-tv for War-
ners’ screen version of “Our Miss Brooks,” starring Eve Arden . . .
Mario- Lanza completed operatic recording sessions for “Serenade” at
Warners.

UA v.p. Max Youngstein, back in the States from Tokyo, has taken
up Coast residence for the summer . . . Esther Williams, who last week
signed a new Metro deal to do three pictures in five years, goes on
European tour with her own Aquacade show next April ... “Girl
Rush,” “How to Be Very, Very Popular” "and “My Sister Eileen” fell
into the Legion of Decency’s “B” category via “suggestive” content
. . . Machiko Kyo, prominent in Japanese pix (she’s the star of “Gate
of Hell”), set for her first visit to the U. S. in September. Matsutaro
Kawaguchi, managing director of the Daiei Co., will come with her
... Irene Castle got page one mentions across the country with Cell
Chapman’s introduction of the “Castle Walk” gown creation.

King Bros, switched the title of their newest pic from “The Boy
and the Bull” to “The Brave One,” meaning closer identity with
Robert Rossen’s “The BraVe Bulls” ... Ted Pratt sold his 1946 novel,
“Valley Boy,” to Universal . . , John Kerr heads west Friday (5) for
picture work at Metro . . . Charles Handel, formerly with United Art-
ists, now on his own as an indie press agent with the Gotham opening
of “I Am a Camera” as his first assignment . . . Ted Meyer, erstwhile
Columbia publicist, now with Endorsements, Inc. . . . Ealing Studios,
which is located in a West London suburb, and boss Sir Michael Balson
given hefty plugging in an article in the current Harper's . . . Sol C.
Siegel to produce a musicalized remake of “The Philadelphia. Story”
as his first pic for Metro.

Spyros P. Skouras, 20th-Fox prez, expected back in N. Y. from the
Coast over the weekend . . . His company’s “Love Is a Many Splen-
dored Thing” will have a sneak-preview at the Roxy, N. Y., Aug. 15
. , . Walter Lowendahl, exec v.p. of Transfilm Inc., negotiating a Euro-
pean coproduction deal for a theatrical pic. Transfilm made the screen
version of Menotti’s opera “The Medium” in Italy in 1951 . . . Hollis
Alpert, in the. Saturday Review, notes the growing maturity of the
screen and says the stage has less and less to offer the popular audi-
ence. “That audience is elsewhere, seeing theatre at popular prices,
with no wait for tickets, at the movies,” he writes . . . Burton E. Rob-
bins, National Screen Service sales v.p., to preside at four regional
sales meets. during August. New promotional aides will be discussed
by the NSS reps. First meeting is in N. Y. over the coming weekend
. . . Jose Ferrer, in London, giving transatlantic ^phone interviews to
Boston and Philadelphia critics.

Carmel Myers *,Schwalberg is “pouring” next Monday (8) for husband
Alfred W. Schwalberg, ex-Paramount distribution topper now an indie
producers’ rep, at his new offices on 57th street.

Despite an improved product
lineup and generally upped theatre
attendance, the drop in key city
film earnings is worrying distribu-
tion execs who have been follow-
ing and analyzing it for some time.

Revenue lag is being experienced
by virtually all the companies and
is being partly blamed on televi-
sion and partly on high admissions
and competition from other media.

Also a factor, although restricted
only to July, is the oppressive heat
wave that has hurt business all
over.

According to one distrib, the ex-
changes that have been the hardest
hit are New York, which is behind
by about 20% from last year; Chi-
cago, lagging by about 30% with
Loop business becomg increasingly
erratic; Boston, behind more than
30% Cleveland behind between
25% to 30%,. etf.

Pattern isn’t a steady one over
the country. Atlanta/ for instance,
is up between 12% and 15% and
Los Angeles, too, is up by around
15%. Active drive-in biz around
these cities may have something to
do with .the increase in biz.

Changes have created a realign-
ment in the earning lineup of the
Various exchanges. At 20th-Fox, for
instance, New York used to be the
most important exchange, followed
by Chicago in second place, Phil-
adelphia in third, Los Angeles
fourth and Boston fifth. Dallas was
seventh, ' >

Today, N.Y. is still first,’ but Los
Angeles has moved into place as
(Continued on page 54)

HUM

To 8 Frenchies

BUENA'S AD-PUB CHIEF

A1 Margolies Has Consulted Here-
tofore On Disney Releases

Albert Margolies has been
named, ad-rpub. director of Bueno
Vista, Walt Disney’s distribution |
subsidiary. , He . succeeds Charles
Levy, .who left the company last i
week to form his own promotion
outfit.

Margolies has been an indie pub-
licist for the past 14 . years and
has worked H>n many Disney films
as a special consultant. Befbm
setting up his own shop he was
associated with United Artists,
Gaumont-Britislv and 20th-Fox.

Gets New Terms

Negotiations for the distribution
of the French film package ac-
quired for the U.S. by the newly-
formed United Motion Picture
Organisation dre still gqing on
with Distributors Corp. of America.
However, it looks as if UMPO will
set up it’s oton indie distribution
organization since a snag has de-
veloped in the DC A talks.

New outfit, which already has
In its possession eight French films
and is negotiating for two more —
Sacha Guitry’s “Napoleon” and
Henri Deutschmeister’s “Le Rouge
Et Noir” — was formed by Richard
Davis and John G. McCarthy.
Davis operates the Fine Arts The-
atre, N. Y., and also is distributor
for two successful French imports,
“Mr. Hulot’s Holiday” and “Holiday
for Henrietta.”

McCarthy, formerly the Motion
Picture Export Assn’s foreign top-
per, heads up International Affi-
liates and is U.S. rep for George
(Continued on page 20)

Riding high with his current re-
lease of “Not As A Stranger,” in-
die producer Stanley Kramer has
been given a completely -new deal
by United Artists, which finances
and distributes his pictures. Pact
gives Kramer an additional Id%
of the profits.

When he switched from Colum-
■bia, the film-maker entered a ttoo-
pic agreement with UA under
which the distributor would pro-
vide the financing 100%, take 30%
of the gross as distribution fee,
and split the profits with. Kramer
on a 50-50 basis.

These terms obtain with
“Strahger,” ’ which was Kramer’s
first entry under the deal. Also
originally covered was “The Pride
and the Passion,” which is to be
locationed in Spain next April.

“Passion” now has-been brought
under the provisions of the new
contract and this gives Kramer
60% of the profits. UA’s cut is
reduced to 40%. Also covered are
two . unspecified other properties
which will be produced subse-
quent to “Passion.”

Kramer is now abroad at work
on the preliminaries for “Passion,”,
which he’ll both produce and
direct.

“Stranger” is shaping as the
biggest grosser in UA’s history. On
the basis of numerous first-run
dates, the . domestic distribution
revenue will hit a minimum of
$6,000,000. How much higher it
might go can involve only guess-
work.

Paris, July 26.

U.S. pic production will hit a
high level here during the sum-
mer, with three features to be made
in Parisian studios in their entirety
and two coming in for exteriors.
A long capacity of film plants
likely will be tested although studio
owners' maintain they can handle
over 12 U.S. productions per year.
This will take up the production
s)ack that usually develops' in the
summer. Besides technicians,
these films will utilize local thesps.
The French industry is now fully
cooperative, with the old cries of
encroachment not heard, any
longer. Currently rolling is one
film, with two to start in August
and two to begin exteriors, with
one recently winding up.

Hecht-Lancaster’s "Trapez e”
(UA) is skedded to start Aug. 1
with Gina Lollobrigida, Burt Lan-
caster and Tony Curtis starred.
Sir Carol Reed is directing. Loca-
tions will be primarily at the Cirque
D’Hiver, hired from the Boug-
lione Bros, until October, with in-
teriors at Billahcourt studios.
Story concerns an acrobat who is
forced out of work due to an acci-
dent. Film will be a C’Scoper.

Norman Krasna is due to be-
gin shooting his “Ambassador’s
Daughter” (UA) also In August
with Olivia De Havilland as the
U. S. Ambassador’s daughter who
is mistaken for a French girl by a
GI on the town. Sheldon Reynolds'
first full-length pic, “Foreign In-
trigue” (UA), has been in work
since July'l on the Riviera. It soon
heads for Epinay Studios here.
Starring Robert Mitchum, this con-
cerns a publicity man who has’
built a fak£ past for a client. This
(Continued on page 22)

Butterfly Next
Opera As 'Aida

U.S. Distribs Hope For Bigger Take-Out — -Boxoffice
Situation Generally Cheering .

Sydney, July 26.

The eight major U.S. distributors
operating in Aussie territory will
be given the greenlight to remit
$5,200,000 distrib -rental coin cover-
ing the 1954-55 financial year. This
is in line with the amount per-
mitted out of Australia in the
1953-54 period.

Although this is a substantial
amount for this territory, Yank
distribs are hopeful ,of having the
total raised considerably, especially
in view of increased cost of opera-
tions here. They also cite a rise
in total of gr.oss revenues at the
cinemas, which naturally would
make a higher amount available
for remittance to the U.S.

It’s understood that distributor’s
association is currently huddling
with government financial leaders
on the rental coin remittance
problem.

■While few of American major
distribs down here like to reveal
how their earnings are running, it
is no particular secret that U.S.
companies rate the current season
as one of the greatest boxoffice-
wise since the last world war when
troops swelled the gate at cinemas.

CinemasScope has placed 20th-
Fox in a strong position on earn-
ings Down Under. Metro also is
another U.S. major with a strong
setup here since it operates its
own chain of theatres.

IFE Releasing Corp. has acquired
the Italian film version of Puc-
cini’s “Madame Butterfly” and
hopes to release it toward the end
of the year.

IFE execs are frank in admitting
that they expect the screen opera
to be paced by their “Aida” re-
lease which, in only 100 U. S.
dates, has earned $300,000 in film
rental and, according to the Itali-
ans, looms as the largest foreign

r, rr rr< T j n t^jg f or . 1 9 5 5.

Being liquidated deliberately
slowly, “Aida” is seen heading for
a $1,000,000 take in a run of two
and a half years. Advantage of
such a film is that it has great re-
issue value. *

“Madame Butterfly,” in Techni-
color, was produced in Italy by
Rizzoli-Gallone and uses Japanese
players with the singing voices
(Italian) dubbed in much in the
same manner in which the voices
were dubbed in for “Aida.” It’s
explained that this isn't really
dubbing but post-sync recording
since the actors were mouthing
Italian dialog in the first place so
there is no difference in lip move-
ments.

With “Butterfly” in color and
one of the most popular operas,
observers are wondering whether
it might not be heading for a tv
preem a la “Richard III.” IFE
execs, when asked about such
prospects, kept determinedly mum.
It’s known, however, that the
thought has occurred both to them
and to the tv webs.

James Stewart returns to Metro
after an absence of four years to
co-star with Grace Kelly in “De-
signing Woman.”

6 . FILM REVIEWS

Wednesday, August 3, 1953

Trial

High-voltage courtroom dra-
ma, Offbeat angles, big word-
of-mouth likely and strong
boxofflce.

Metro release of Charles Schnee (James
E. Newcom) production. Stars Glenn
Ford and Dorothy McGuire. Directed by
Mark Robson. Screenplay, Don M. Man-
kiewicz, based on hi* novel: camera,
Robert Surtens; editor, Albert Akst.' Pre-
viewed at trade showing in N.Y., July
28, '55. Running time, 105 MINS.

David .Glenn Ford

.Abbe Dorothy McGuire

Barney .Castle Arthur Kennedy

Armstrong John Hodiak

Mrs. Chavez Katy Jurado

Angelo Chavez Rafael Campos

Judge Motley ......... , Juano Hernandez

Fats. Sanders Robert Middleton

If “Trial” were just a courtroom
drama it could be rated a good one.
If it were only another probing of
the lynching spirit at the commu-
nity .level, the impact would cer-
tainly be forceful. But the picture
is much more. Beyond the human
interest and immediacy of saving
the sympathetic Mexican hoy from
the gallows is the broader story
- — a theme never before developed
on the screen — of how the Com-
munist Party seizes upon an au-v
thentic; instance of local bigotry
and pumps it up into a national
cause celebre for the raising of
funds and the making, of a class
war martyr. With all this (1) story-
telling and (2) political insight
given strong scripting, directing
and acting the result is powerful
entertainment. “Trial” is bound to
move people and turnstiles.

It will be said, and properly,
that Dore Schary’s flair for offbeat
story values is again evidenced.
This is a word-of-mouth , and edi-
torial-getting kind of picture which
says a lot of fairly grim and un-
pretty things about human nature
and yet leaves the spectator feel-
ing the good guys beat the bad
guys.

. Primary credits probably be-
long to the forethought which
shines in Charles Schnee’s produc-
tion scheme, and the tight screen-
play provided by novelist Don
Mankiew 4 cz. plus, the' detailing and
pacing of Mark Robson’s 'direction.
At a guess this was one script that
got lots of advance executive skull
practice. There were (there are)
zones of community sensitivity im-
plicit in the story, with special ref-
erences to Dixie. But while daring
to be offbeat. Metro’s team has en-
cased. its case in so mtich profes-
sional- film-making know-how that
justice itself somehow emerges as
the hero and the quality of mercy,
unstrained, flows freely from the!
heart of the plot situation.

People are sure to be gripped
by the scenes In Neto York (pre-
sumably Madison Sq. Garden)
when the Commie lawyer and
transmission belt (Arthur Kenne-
dy) organizes his campaign for the
Angelo Chavez Defense Fund. The
phoney showmanship, the greedy
cut-ins of the participating com-
mittee chairmen, the cold cymci-m
of the publicity machine will hit
America like a .body-blow against
those who turn obscure victims of
local injustice into party pets.
There are states and towns which
have had their labor and race
prejudice cpses given this' blow-im
technique and they will nod the’r
heads appreciatively;- But against
that angle there’s the unflinching
focus cf the story upon the reality
and the ugliness of the local bigot-
ry which creates such cases in the
first place. That part of the picture
may be less to the taste of some
home town “boosters”.

There is one Clever emphasis
quite early in the footage; Metro
drives home the truism that no
town which has had’ a lynching
ever amounts to much “afterwards.
Neither business nor people want
to live in or move to such charged
communities. This threat of econ-
omic loss is shown as registering
even on/ the otherwise closed minds
of the local hatrioteers.

Perhaps the most offbeat angle
In “Trial”, on a par with the Gom-
mie party, stuff, is having the pre-
siding iud»?e a Negro. This role
will almost certainly go 'into the
books as the highlight of .Tur.no
Hernandez’s acting career. In the
careful, temperate, judicious rul-
ings which he is constantly making.
Hernandez proves himself, one of
the great rhetoricians among cur-
rent character players. But his per-
formance is deeper yet. It has
heart, dignity, anj the actor h«s
thought through and felt through
the implications to achieve an “in-
tegration” (to use actor language)
seldom encountered. While the
picture has many firstrate per-
formances, of which more in a
moment, this is peculiarly Hernan-
dez’s o.wh private coup de theatre.

If as some social scientists have
written, “Birth of A Nation” was
the Negro , race’s greatest screen
misfortune, there is fair grounds
to expect that “Trial” gives the
Negro race its greatest break in
terms of a fully-felt, many-sided,

warm, human being. Again the
point; the professional know-how,
of the Metro team found in-plot
ways to achieve this effect.

In the story, picking a Negro
judge to try tne Mexican boy is
supposed to be ’a slick trick to beat
the charge of an unfair trial. A
mere lad of 17 he stands indicted
of murder because a white girl, a
lifelong victim Of rheumatic fe-
ver, has died of a heart attack at
a picnic where the Mexican was
“out of bounds”. The story traces
the ' failure of a lynching attempt
and the gradual development of
the trial strategy by a university,
law instructor, in search of court-
room experience, who has. inno-
cently stumbled into the case, not
knowing he is a Communist cats-
paw. Along the way the young
lawyer (Glenn Ford) falls in love
with the legal secretary (Dorothy
McGuire) who is a disillusioned
party-liner but cannot bring her-
self to tip him off.

“Trial” is heavy with plot. And
with suspense. From beginning to
end the viewer’s emotions are en-
gaged. Here and there' an occa-
sional plot touch may seem a bit
too pat. It could, be wondered at
that the Commie-fronting lawyer
had not long since been spotted
in his own home city. But taking
the. author on his own terms, and
audiences on theirs; there . seems
small reason to think such touches
will bother most folks. Check off
the elements of a high-powered
screen drama and they, are all
present, and counting.

.The photography of Robert Sur-
tehs is everywhere imaginative,
keeping the courtroopi action fluid
and managing a fine sense of back-
stage at the New York rally.. Some
of the long and semi-long shots
are of exceptional technical in-
spiration, a bouquet that probably
saould be divided among Robson,
Surtens, the twu art directors,
Cedric Gibbons and Randall Duell
and the two set men, Edwin B, Wil-
lis and Fred MacLean, plus the
special effects credit of Warren
Newcombe.

There . is a great deal of acting
mosaic in the rally sequence and
in the courtroom during the chal-
lenging of jurors and the presen-
tation of justnesses. These perform-
ance^ are not screen-credited but
many sturdy old pros will be rec-
ognized, The editing of Albert Askt
carries the action Smoothly over
the many jumps.

In stepping from his recent pro-
totyping of an idealistic school-
teacher in “Blackboard Jungle” t<r
his prototyping of the idealistic
lawyer in “Trial”, Glenn- Ford
racks up another top credit as a
star. The demands of his role are
very arduous and call for much
shading. He is thoroughly convinc-
ing. So, too, as regards Dorothy
McGuire , although her role is
somewhat mute in the* writing. As
the arch-plotter in the Communist
camp Arthur Kennedy must range
from outward urbanity to conniv-
ing rascality and finally show cruel
arrogance. The actor catches hold
of plausibility and never lets go,
though a quibble could be regis-
tered that who he is, 'where he
pame from, how he got to be a
Red is glossed over. A believable
prosecutor, anxious to win but not
bloodthirsty about it, gets just the
right amount of aggressiveness in
the interpretation of John Hodiak.

As the Mexican symbols of local
“race prejudice”, Katy Jurado, the
mother, and Rafeal Campos, her
son, both give intelligent perform-
ances, a habit with Miss Jurado, a
new display on the part of the
young man. Much depends upon
the boy being believable, more
scared by than intent upon sex
experience — he didn’t haye seduc-
tion mind because he didn’t know
what it was!

The sheriff who is willing to go
along with the crowd against “the
dirty Mex” is so oily that Robert
Middleton’s performance ranks as
a little gem of detestability. Dan-
iele Amfitheatrof’s dramatic mood
music may be described as as off-
beat as the picture, tautly nervous
on occasion, jangly appropriate to
montage at other points.

The final comment on “Trial”
must concern, and respect, the
qualities of showmanship which
have gone exploring afield, with
the risk thereby entailed. This pic-
ture gives the public fresh infor-
mation on timeless social . prob-
lems, justice and tolerance, and
those who falsely pose as moral-
ity’s champions. It adds the touch
of the Negro judge interpreting
law for white attorneys and jury.
Add up the points and this is a
very strong, almost a great, mov-
ing picture. Land.

Frank Sinatra and, a party from
20th Century-Fox descends on
Boothbay Harbor, Me., Aug. 15, to
film location shots for “Carousel.”
Will be in the Maine village for
three weeks.

Pete Kelly’s Blues

(C’SCOFE-SONGS-COLOR)

Roaring Twenties metier with
a Dixieland beat. Television’s
Jack Webb top marquee name.
Beneficiary of big pre-opening
bally.

Hollywood, July 28.

Warner Bros, releaze of Mark VII Ltd.
production. ■ Stars Jack Webb* Janet
Leigh* Edmond O'Brien, Peggy Lee,
Andy Devine* Lee Marvin, -Ella Fitz-
gerald, Directed by Webb. Screenplay,
Richard L. Breen; camera (WarnerColor),
Hal Rosson; editor, Robert M. Leeds:
new songs, Ray Helndorf and Sammy
Cahn, Arthur Hamilton; arrangements
for Pete Kelly’s Big Seven by Matty Mat-
lock. Previewed July 26* '55. Running

Pete Kelly - .Jack Webb

Ivy Conrad Janet Leigh

Fran McCarg Edmond O'Brien

Rose Hopluris . Peggy Lee

George Tenell Andy Devine

AI Gannaway ; Lee Marvin

Maggie Jackson ......... .EUa Fitzgerald

Joey ..Martin Milner

Rudy Than Wyenn

BedidO ........... .Herb Ellis

Bettenhauser John. Dennis

A Cigarette Girl .Jayne Mansfield

Cootie .Mort MarshaU

Squat Henchman ........ Nesdon Booth

Dako ............... . .-.William Lazerus

The loud ballyhoo accompanying
the release of “Pete Kelly’s Blues”
makes it a contender for stout
openings. Thereafter, the second
theatrical film effort -by Jack
Webb’s Mark VII production outfit
has several factors to help keep
the wickets playing a satisfactory
b.o, tune.

Jazz addicts (usually highly opin-
ionated) may a special Inter-
est in the musical frame. Beyond
this special-interest factor is a
melodramatic story that catches
the mood of the Prohibition era
with sufficient entertainment to
rate the attention Of the general
filmgoer. With Webb’s prominence
via “Dragnet” as a main consider-
ation, biz ought to be okay. This
is a far cry, however, from Ser-
geant Joe Friday. Webb enacts a
cornet player in a 1927 Kansas
City speakeasy. Mostly it develops
as a gangster picture (without the
cops) with a Dixieland accompani-
ment.'

It has its faults. Perhaps not
ones with which the paying public
will quarrel too strenuously, be-
cause the majority of viewers will
have early gotten into the mood
and stayed with it. Critics may
center on the choppiness of the
footage (the result of editing,
mostly), the inhibited type of‘ per-
formance that has been Webb’s
forte on tv, and the failure to
spell out strong values. The latter
is rather welcome, dispensing with
prolonged ’ explanatory passages on
the assumption that what the mak-
ers are about, and what the ulti-
mate end will be, is clear , enough
to those likely to be looking at the.
picture.

The key to the atmosphere of
jazz is plainly set up in the before-
the-title sequence of a Negro fu-
neral in Louisiana. The picture
■catches this flavor often enough in
subsequent sequences so the mood
is. nevet lost. The opening scene,
in which the Israelite Spiritual
Church choir of New Orleans does
first, to a cornet solo played by
Ted Buckner, “Just A Closer Walk
With Thee” and then “O, Didn’t
He Ramble” while a river boat
sends its mournful whistle and
smoke echoing through the moss-
draped trees of the graveyard.

From this . 1917 prolog, the main
story takes a few skips to focus on
1927 and a 12th Street speak in
Kansas City where Pete Kelly and
his Big Seven combo are blowing
in a smoke-filled, frantic atmos-
phere of smalltime, wouldbe Ca-
pones and hasty-living people. This
feeling of live today-die tomorrow
hysteria is the . emphasis of the
screen story by Richard L. Breen,
and of Webb’s direction. Pin-
pointing it, too, is the authenticity
of Harper Goff’s production de-
sign, the are direction by Field
Gray, the John Sturtevant set dec-
orations, and, the costuming by
Howard Shoup; all of which are
strikingly put on film by Hal Bos-
ton’s Cinemascope photography in
WarnerColor. Technicolor did the
print. •

There are 14 songs, several new
like the title tune by Ray Heindorf
and Sammy Cahn, and “He Needs
Me” and “Sing A Rainbow” by
Arthur Hamilton. All are of, or
bespeak, the era depicted and are
tellingly used by the Big Seven
"combo of accomplished musicians,
or repeated in the full orchestra
background score under the un-
credited baton of Heindorf. When
Peggy Lee sings “Sugar” or
“Somebody Loves Me,” and Ella
Fitzgerald looses her voice and
feeling on “Hard-Hearted Hannah”
or the title tune, the songs are as
new as tomorrow. The. oldie, “I
Never Knew,” is . a romantic theme
running through, the footage to
sharpen the flavor of the hectic
^courtship of Webb and Janet
Leigh, a gaiety-seeking rich girl
with F. Scott Fitzgerald Overtones.
“Smiles,” “Breezing. Along With
the Breeze,” “Bye, Bye Blackbird”

and “After I Say I’m Sorry” are
among others nudging nostalgia.
Scoring high in the Big Seven im-
pact are the arrangements by Mat-
ty Matlock,

Plot around which the music is
woven has to do with the move-in
into the band field by Edmund
O’Brien, smalltime bootlegger-
racketeer, and the abortive efforts
at resistance made by Webb to
protect his small outfit. The cor-
net-playing leader knuckles under,
even when his drummer, strongly
portrayed by . Martin Milner, is
killed, and the racketeer beats into
insanity his singer girl-friend,
Peggy Lee, because she gets drunk
when he wants to show her . off.
The courage to fight back brings
the film to a gripping 'Climax when
Webb shoots it out in a deserted
•ballroom with O’Brien and his
hoods. Scene showing a gunman,
John Dennis, crashing through the
ceiling grillwork to come smash-
ing to the floor with the huge,
many-mirrored globe, of the type
so long synonymous wittf dance
halls, is a real thriller.

Webb’s understatement of his
character is good and Peggy Lee
score? a personal hit with her por-,
trayal of a fading singer taken to’
the bottle. O’Brien registers ex-
ceptionally well .as the wouldbe
big shot and Mtes Lee. prototypes
the era with" her joy-seeking flap-
per.- Lee Marvin, as the older
clarinetist with the combo; Andv
Devine, although in for short foot-
age as a .detective; Than Wyenn,
pinch-penny operator of the speak-
easy; John Dennis and others ac-
quit themselves ably in keeping
with the overall effect. Brog.

John and Julio

(BRITISH— COLOR)

Entertaining lightweight story
of two children’s adventures
while running off to London
to see the Coronation; should
appear to overseas audiences.

London, July 26.

British Lion (Herbert Mason) prodilc-
tion snd release. Features Moira Lister,
Noelle Middleton, Constance Cumnflngfl.
Wilfrid Hyde White. Directed bv William
lair child. Screenplay, William Fairchild;
camera, Arthur Grant; editor, Bernard
Gribble; music/ Philip Green. At Rialto,
London. Running time. 12 MINS.

J°lm Colin Gibson

JuJie v . . . , .«• i « * ••»«•*« ; Lesley Dudley

Miss Stokes Noelle Middleton

Dora Moira Lister

Sir J ames Wilfrid Hyde White

Jk’- Pritchett Sidney James

Mrs. Pritchett . Megs Jenkins

Mrs. Davidson Constance Cummings

Mr- IJavidson Joseph Tomelty

ir Webber . Patric Doonan

Uncle Ben ....... Andrew Cruickshank

Mr. Swayne Colin Gordon

Mrs. Swayne ... Winifred Shottcr

i* r e™y . • — Peter Jone$

P. C. Diamond ........... Peter Sellers

Vincent Ball

Captain Peter Coke

. With a firstclass aggregation of
legit players and two engaging
youngsters, this pic is emphatical-
ly aimed more for the overseas
than the home market. It deals
with the Coronation from the vis-
itors’ angle, Introducing authentic
camera shots, including the actual
crowning in Westminster Abbey.
Locally it will appeal more to the
femme patrons to whom the ex-
treme youth of the main charac-
ters will prove a major draw. "
Story, which is directed by Its.
author, tells with disarming sim-
plicity the adventures which befall
two children who run away to Lon-
don to see the Coronation. The
snags and setbacks encountered
on their 150 mile trek are amusing
and credible, with the girl stealing
away from her school and the boy
•on his father’s horse, which in turn-
they exchange for lifts by' train,
coach, stolen bicycle and private
auto. They are separated in the
crowds, but catch up with each
other, track 1 down the boy’s uncle
who is one of the mounted Life
Guards preceding the royal coach
and get a camera’s eye view of the
parade from the top of Marble
Arch. •

Some of the stars play quite
small roles, Moira Lister a soft-
hearted floosie who protects the
girl when she is lost; Constance
Cummings and Joseph Tomelty, as
a kindly American couple who
give the kids a .lift- Wilfrid Hyde-
White. as ,a VIP who smooths out
most of the tangles, and Sidney
James and Megs Jenkins, as the
boy’s harassed parents; Noelle
Middleton- as an anxious school-
teacher and Patric Doonan, owner
of the bicycle suggest a prospec-
tive love affair. There is all the
noise, bustle and confusion of
mixed nationalities running riot in
a normally staid city.

Most of the acting falls on the
tender shoulders of seven-year-old
Lesley Dudley and 13-year-old
Colin Gibson as’ her reluctant, but
faithful squire. Although hot new-
comers to the screen, this is their
first’ big opportunity, and they
have seized it with both hands. *
Camerawork is excellent, supe-
rior to- the real scenes interpolated
which lack clarity because o' rainy
I conditions. Clem,

Doctor At Sen
(BRITISH)
(V’Viuion— Color)

Britain’s first V.V. production,
sequel to “Doctor In House,”
set for hefty grosses in domes-
tic market* with bright hopes
overseas.

London, July 19.

J, Arthur Rank production (Betty E.
Box) and release. Stars Dirk Bogarde.
Brigitte Bardot. Brenda de Banzie and
Janies Robertson Justice, Directed by
Ralph Thomas. Screenplay by Nicholas
Phipps and Jack 'Davies; camera, Ernest
Steward; editor, Frederick Wilson; music*
Bruce Montgomery., At Odeon, Leicester
Square, London, July X2, '55. Running
time, 93 MINS.

Simon Dirk Bogards

Helene Colbert ■ Brigitte Bardot

Muriel Mallet Brenda de - Banzie

Captain Hogg. .. .James Robertson Justice

Easter Maurice Denham

Trail Michael Medwln.,

Archer Hubert Gregg

.Fellowes James Kenney

Captain Beamish Raymond. Huntley

Hornbeam Geoffrey Keen

Carpenter George Coulourls

Corbie Noel PUrceU

Jill Jill Adams

Wendy Joan Sims

As their first British venture in
VistaVision, the Rank studios play
safe with a sequel to “Doctor In
House*” one of the top grosser^
In the domestic market; last year.
Inevitably, the comparison must
be made, but “Doctor At Sea” does
not rise to the same laugh-provok?
ing heights as its predecessor. If
remains, however, a solid entry,
destined for hefty returns in the
domestic market, with healthy
prospects overseas.

Technically, the production qual-
ifies for a high rating. The Vista-
Vision lensing in Technicolor com-
pares favorably with Hollywood
standards. Ralph Thomas directs
with a confident, light touch, and
maintains a steady flow' of chuck*
les. But this time he has “failed to
get the uproarious bellyLaughs that
characterized the earlier effort. .

Two of the principal members
of “House” are in the new produc-
tion, but only Dirk Bogarde retains
continuity of character as the doc-
tor. James „ Robertson Justice
Changes Identity from a gruff sur-
geon to a gruff ship’s captain on
whose, freighter the! young medico
has his dr£t appointment at sea.
The ship normally does not carry
passengers * and has an all-male
crew. But they are obliged to take
on -board the daughter of the
chairman of the line and her
friend, a pert and attractive caba-
ret chanteuse.

Within this plot framework, the
co-scripters, Nicholas Phipps and
Jack Davies, have introduced a
series of comedy situations with
an occasional touch of pathos,
which mainly revolve around the
irascible skipper and which in-
volve the doctor.

By far the most dominating per-
formance of the cast is given hy
Justice. He towers -above the others
and is the focal point of every
scene in which he appears. Bo-
garde plays’ the ’medico with a
pleasing quiet restraint and Brig-
itte Bardot, a looker, from Paris;
has an acting talent to match her
charm. She’s a positive asset to
the production.

Brenda de Banzie is in good
I form as the other woman passen-
ger who makes a direct bid for
the captain. Maurice Denham has
never been better than as the med-
ical orderly and a string of British
feature players, including Michael
Medwin, Raymond Huntley, Hu-
bert Gregg and George Coulourls
top a firstrate supporting cast.

Myro.

A Los Cuatro Vlentos

(To the Four Winds)
(MEXICAN-SONGS)

Mexico City, July 26.

Columbia Pictures release of Interna-
tional Cinematrografica production. Stars
Rosita Quintana; features Joaquin Par-
dave. Miguel Acaverf Mejia. Written' rnd
directed by Alfonso Fernandez Busta-
mante. Camera, V. Herrera; music, Fran-
cisco Ruiz. At Cine Orfeon, Mexico City.
Running time, 94 MINS.

Music and songs of true Mexi-
can flavor bow via Miguel Aceves
Mejia, noted tenor, and Rosita
Quintana in this pic. Engaging
folk dancing and the fact that Al-
fonso F. Bustamante, chief of the
local city amusements department,
is credited as writer-director make
this offering unique.

One— can easily enjoy this one
because of the good music and
singing. Story is the all too famil-
iar one — -the luckless troupers get-
ting their big break by singing for
their supper, with the usual com-
plications of jealousies, sickness
until they get their big break. Miss
Quintana is adequate as an annoy-
ing temperamental songstress. S.*e
sings okay, but material supplied
her (brisk, rollicking ranch ditties)
don’t quite fit her contralto. x

A real natural in the pipes de-
partment is Miguel Afceves Mejia.
He also gives promise of becoming
a firstrate actor.- Comedy ’ and
pathos are well served, as usual,
by the veteran joaquin Pardave.
Lensing is good. The dances are.
sightly. Doug.

Wednesday, August 3, 1953

PICTURES

YANKS RAP

Exhibs Attack Proposal— -Cite ‘Dark* Taverns and
‘Foreign’ Films To Scare Moralists

ion in U.S.

Boston, Aug. 2.

The motion picture industry is
strongly opposing the showing of
motion pictures in Boston burs.
Some of this has apparently oe*
curfed without benefit of license
but became a public issue when
formal application from, the' Tri-
mount' Cafe was filed. Hearing
took place the other .day- at the
Boston Licensing Board.

. Bairs like the film idea Ostensi-
bly to attract husband and wife
trade arid because the films are
provided gratis. . Film exhibitors
have an apparent ally : in Police
Commissioner Thomas F. Sullivan
(vho opposes films because he be-
lieves they would make it* harder
to police bars and taverns,' He did
not amplify but . some propaganda
has already been made as to '‘dark-
ened” premises, although advo-
cates say a bar need not be as
dark as a film theatre.

The executive director of the
Allied Theatres Assn, of New Eng-
land, Frank C. Lyon, attended the
hearing loaded .for. be ar. He
charged the invasion of bars by
flickers would be at the expense
of - “wholesome entertainment” • in
theatres whose numbers in Boston,
he revealed, had. dwindled from
. 82 to 53. . He also declared that
the proposed barroom films (10m.)
would be foreign in .origin (a
deadly charge in Boston) and
(Continued on page 18)

THAT STORY PROBLEM

Llndy Flight Would Have Made
Ideal Cinerama 'Plot'

Minneapolis, Aug. 2.

Here for the local “Cinerama
Holiday” opening, producer-direc-
tor Louis de Rochemorit said that
while Cinerama, in his opinion, is
best adapted to travelog, stories
can and should be done in the
medium. ‘ 0

“These stories, however, .have to
be ‘right/ ” he said “ ‘The Spirit of
St. Louis' would have been good
for -‘Cinerama, ' but somebody else
grabbed that. I do have a coriple
of stories in mind that 1 think are
right and I believe that the third
'Cinerama' will be built around
one of them. At this time I'm not
privileged- to disclose their riar
tore.”

Anothei* record year for the film
industry abroad was ^forecast in

N. Y. last week by Eric Johnston,
Motion Picture Export Assn, presi-
dent, on the basis of foreign mar-
ket returns for the first half of
1955. r

Johnston estimated that remit-

tances from abroad this year
should be ' between 2% and 3%

over 1054. Including Canada,
which Johnston considers a foreign
market, this would bring the in-
dustry between $214,000,000 to-
$216,000,000 from abroad.'

Bras and Brunettes

* United Artists is hbpeful of
getting support from Exquisite
Form Brasierres in pointing up
“Gentlemen Marry-Brunettes.”
UA is tied up with the outfit
via a “shapeliest girl*' contest
that provides $75,000 in prizes
for winning contestants plus
$4,000 to theatrgmen who stage
the best local promotion.

Jeanne Crain of the “Bru-
nettes*' cast is to be one of the
fudges.

Determined entry -by Columbia
arid Universal into the foreign film
distribution field ' in the U. S. has
brought up the question of wheth-
er a foreign producer is better off
to deal with a major company or
an indie distributor in the United
States.

While there are no accurate sta-
tistics, it’s estimated that. dollar
transfers to N. Y. from abroad last
year — also a record . year — ran
to around $180,000,000 . (exluding
Canada).

Arguments * pro and con * are
taking on . added importance at this
time since; from all appearances,
foreign producers are currently
engaged in an almost unprecedent-
ed assault on the American mar-
ket. Competition for the top Eu-
ropean pix is going to be rough
this fall. ,

‘Robe’ in 16 m. To

“The Robe” in 16m Cinema-
- Scope goes into release via 20th-
• Fox -pext month on a “roadshow”
i.e. tipped admissions basis. It’ll be
the first 20th CineniaScoper to hit
the narrow-gauge field.

The Biblical widescreen h i t
heads up a slate of six Cinema-
Scope pix on which 20th has or-
dered 16m prints. Expansion into
the 'narrow-gauge coincides with
the current availability of < 16m
C’Scope projection lenses from
Bausch & Lomb. Bell Sc Howell
also are putting out such a lens.

Unlike other distribs— rsuch as
Metro— tfiat have been servicing
C ’Scope films in 16m and standard
version* 20th has never put out a
standard print of any of its wide-
screen films. . According to M-G,
the company Will make available
C’Scope prints in 16m in the for-
eign market in anticipation of
these situations equipping them-
selves for the medium.

“The Robe” in 16m C’Scope is
due for booking only into “ap-
proved,” i.e., non-competitive nar-.
row-gauge situations. In addition
to the lens, they will have Avail-
able to them a specially-developed,
curved, high-intensity screen.

-While none of the dlstribs wish
to get into the equipment business,
it’s known that, in. Canada, Gen-
eral Films Ltd. will rent 16m
C’Scope projection lenses to the-
atres which eventually will be al-
lowed to apply the coin to pur-
chase of the lens.

The 16m biz is quite a lucrative
one for 20th and, in the domestic
market alone, in past year has
run to around $1,300,000 annually.
Abroad the take Is a lot higher.
In the U. S., apart from offbeat
situations, 16m prints also go into
schools, vet hospitals, Army and
Navy, etc.

“The Robe,”' with close to 10,000
bookings in the U. S. and Canada,
so far has grossed $16,200,000 for
20 th. Worldwide rentals stand
around $25)000,000 on the pic which
carries a negative cost of around
$4,000,000.

One of the reasons why 20th
hasn’t given much thought to re-
leasing its CinemaScopers in 2-D—
16m , or otherwise — is the fact that
the pix originally were shot for
C’Scope only. Exception is “The
Robe” which had a protective 2-D
version.

Trueman Rembusch, former Al-
lied .States Assn, president and'how
national director of Allied of In-
diana, clashed with COMPO special
counsel Robert ,W* Coyne this week
oyer whether or .not COMPO has
•the proper authorization to proceed
with its dues collection campaign
now underway.

Johnston pointed out that,
whereas some years back the
prime problem of the industry
abroad was the lack of ‘dollars, the
biggest U. S. Obstacle today is the
various governments’ (1) philoso-
phy of protectionism and, related
(2) the local industries; “The pic-
ture has changed quite drastically,”
Johnston declared. “Whatever re-
strictions we face today, for the
most part aren’t economic but na-
tionalistic in nature. . . It’s very of-
ten a question of coddling a- fel-
low who might do a lot better by.
having to compete fair ana
square:"

More Dollars, But-^-

Reriibuscb says no, and neither
his unit nor National Allied has ap-
proved participation in the drive
for money, COMPO, he stated,
failed to follow precedent by in-
forming all interested parties be-
fore launching the campaign and
securing clearance ! from them.
(COMPO is so constituted that any
policy matter. must . be approved
by all members unanimously.)’

Rembusch also injected the
home toll tv issue, suggesting that
the ; all-industry organization has
stirred exhibitor resentment over,
its failure to “take on the public
relations fight entailed in the pay
tv fight/’

By Way of answering, Coyne
merely cited the minutes of. a
COMPO exec committee meeting
on Nov. 15, 1954. It was then
stated: “At the suggestion of True-
man Rembusch, chairman of the
finance committee, who Was un-
able to attend the meeting, it was
voted to defer collection of
COMPO subscriptions until next
May or June, when theatre earn-
ings are generally at : a higher
level. However, in . the event that
the Audience Poll, or some other
emergency, made an unusual drain
on the COMPO treasury, the Gov-
erning Committee was authorized
to set the collection date for an
earlier period.” v -

. Coyne Said a number of Allied
leaders attended the Nov. 15
meeting and a record of it was sent
to Rembusch. He added that the
Governing Committee, comprised
of reps of Allied, Theatre Owners
of America and the distributors,
voted for the collections at a N. Y.

(Continued on page 18)

While there's no question that
more dollars are today available
in the key foreign markets, and
the American film industry is man-
aging to temit a very large part
of its N. Y. share, it's also true that
the general gross level abroad has
risen. . In ' many . places , this has
also benefitted the local industries
which, in sueh places as Germany
and France,' for instance, consti-
tute. formidable competition for
the American imports.

Only exception to the rise in
gross is Japan where the admis-
sions take is actually down.

Washington, Aug. 2.

South Korea is about to limit the
import and showings of films, to.
promote a domestic motion picture
Industry and “theatrical culture.”

• , The step was recommended May
2 by an 84*0 vote of the National
Assembly. On May 7, Education
Minister Yi announced foreign pix

of a “dubious nature” would be
banned; provisional regulations
were announced May 20.

1 In the “dubious” category, re-
ports, the Korean Affairs, Institute
here, are films, considered insulting
to national, or constitutional pres-
tige or the dignity of the Chief Ex-
ecutive, those which might stir -up
anti-government sentiment, or in-
clude scenes of rebellion or mass
desertion, or might be harmful to
Korean customs or morality* '

In Addition to Col and U, which
is screening foreign films, Dis-
tributors Corp. < of America also
l looks likely to end Up with a batch
of top-grade French films from the
United Motion Picture Organiza-
tion created by Richa.rd Davis and
John G. McCarthy. Italian Films
Export is in the running, too, and
S 0 j of course, are a host of indies.
Latest to join their r^nks is A. W.
Schwalberg, former . Paramount
sales topper.

In discussing the foreign mar-
ket, Johnston said he didn’t have
too much sympathy for foreign
(Continued on page 22)

All U.S. Companies Give
Their Global Earnings
Data to Itaio Gov't

Anglo-Yank Talks
In September

Negotiations for a new, Anglo-
American film agreement are
skedded for the second or third
week in September in London, it’s
learned.

Current British pact runs out
Oct. 1. Motion Picture Export Assn,
prexy Eric Johnston, accompanied
by MPEA v.p. Griff Johnson, is ex-
pected to go to London for the
talks. For the past several years,
deals were negotiated in Washing-
ton.

All of the American companies
now have submitted their world-

wide earnings figures to the Italian
government to allow discussion of
the proposed new tax structure for
U.S. imports. -Talks are expected
to start in September.

Under the Vanoni law, which has
been on the books for some^ years,
the Italians propose to change the*
basic tax structure for American
pictures showing in Italy, with
each film given nothing mbre than
an 8,000,000 lire ($12,000) ■ exemp-
tion before Its revenue is taxed.

The Americans seek to show that
they should be allowed to write off
a much larger amount on each
picture against original negative
cost.

.Apparently some European pro-
ducers feel, that; by placing their
productions with a major company,
they are practically arrived on
easy-street;. that, via the major’s
farfldng distribution facilities, they
are assured of the kind of book-
ing volume an indie can’t rack up.

Indies counter with the argu-
ment that the majors are not now
— and never have been’ — geared to
handle foreign pictures; that it is
individual handling that puts
across a good import, Frank Kas-
sler, for instance, whose Continen-
tal Distributing handles J. Arthur
Rank’s “To Paris With Love,”* the
Alec Guinness starrer, said in N.y;
last week that he expects to gross
between $700, 000 and $800,000
with the picture; this by dint of
same -special sales reps and, in a
good many territories, sub-dis-
tributors.

UA’s Role

United Artists, Which also

handles foreign .pix as. part of its
lineup, grossed around $1,000,000
with another Guinness film,' “The
Captain’s Paradise.” However,

“Par&dise” buzzed off in N.Y. with
outstanding reviews whereas “To
Paris” got pans from the Tijmes
and Tribune. (The others liked it
better). It's Kassler’s contention
that the individualized approach,
devoid of a major’s concern over
(Continued on page 61)

From Italy Set

Distrib Already Has Counter-Claimed Breach In

15-Year Accord

No. California Assn. Elect

San Francisco, Aug. 2.

Officials of the Northern Califor-
nia Theatre Assn, elected at the
annual meeting are:

L. S. Hamm, president; Homer I.
Tegtmeier, first vice presient; Ben
Levin, second vice president, and
William Elder, treasurer.

The new board: Mark Ailing,
Abe Blumehfeld, David Bolton,
Robert Broadbent, Roy Cooper,
Gerald Hardy, Lamb Lloyd, Irving
Levin, Earl W. Long, Henry Nas-
ser, John Parsons, George Stamm,
C. Y. Taylor, Henry Weaverling
and the four officers.

Chesapeake Industries and its
subsidiary,. Pathe Laboratories, got
underway in the past week witn a
$2,000,000 suit against Universal,
charging breach of a 15-year
agreement that was signed in 1947,.

Action was instituted in N; Y.
Supreme Court but has been
transferred to Federal Court. U
already has filed a counter claim,
asking dismissal of the complaint
and assertirig Chesapeake failed to
comply with another pact under
which U was entitled to option
right on 15% of Chesapeake’s
stock.

Chesapeake-Pathe suit contends
the 1947 agreement put U under
compulsion to give Pathe ' all Its

film processing and lab service
work. U’s affiliates and indie pro-
ducers aligned with the film com-
pany were to do the same. Plain-
tiff states that U gave its work to
other labs in violation of 4he
agreement.

The Italian government has
cleared for transfer to the U. S.
$1,500,000 in official remittances
for the two quarters ended March
31, 1955. Coin hasn't actually been
received in N.Y. but is expected
momentarily.

Earlier, the Italians had author-
ized remittances of $1,600,000 for
the five months period ended Aug.
31, 1954. This is in addition to the
latest Finmeccanica compensation
deal which ran to $1,100,000.

Official transfers originally had
been held up in a dispute over a
“coiling” proviso in an earlier
Itaio film agreement.

Chesapeake’s 10th Subsld
Chesapeake Industries has
formed its 10th subsidiary opera-
tion, Pathecolor, Inc. New com-
pany has been licensed to develop
and print Eastman Sc Kodak ama-
teur color still film.

Plant and facilities, to cost $1,-
000,000, are being established at
the Pathe Laboratories studios in
upper Manhattan.

Composers Guild Ballot

Hollywood, Aug. 2.

National Labor Relations Board
mailed out ballots to film scorers
working at nine major film studios
to determine if they choose the
Composers Guild of America to act
as their bargaining agents. Guild
membership reputedly is repre-
sented by 99% of all composers
working here in radio, tv, pix and
recording fields.

Studios involved are Metro, 20th-
Fox, Columbia, Allied Artists,
Republic, UI, RKO and Paramount.
Deadline for the return of ballots
is Aug. 10.

8 PICTURE GROSSES

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

Longruns Lift LA.; Stewart Stout
25G, "Popular* Moderate 15G, life’
Lean 14G, 'Roberts Hotsy 53G, 2d

Los Angeles, Aug. 2*

Despite only four openers, cur-
rent week is holding to a respect-
able total, with the assistance of

sstill hearty extended-run. Of the
new bills, “Man From Laramie,” is
scoring best with stout $25,000 in
two theatres plus big added coin
in one nabe and seven ozoners.

Moderate $15,000 shapes for ini-
tial round of “How to Be Popular ,”

' showcasing at ] the Chisese. Other
openers are very light.

“Mister Roberts” looks hearty
$53,000 in three situations on sec-
ond week. “We’re No Angels
loom good $12,500 in second frame
at Egyptian. Holding firm although
well along on .their runs are “Not
As Stranger,” “Lady and Tramp,”
“7 Little Foys,” “Interrupted -Mel-
ody,” “Cinerama” and "Marty,”
Estimates for This Week

Chinese (FWC) <1,905; $1-$1.80)
—“How Be Popular” (20th). Mod-
erate $15,000. Last week, “Seven
Year Itch” (20th) (6th wk), $9,500.

Warner Downtown, Hollywood
(SW-FWC) (1,757; 756; 90-$1.50)—
“Man From Laramie” (Col) and
“Bring Your Smile Along” (Col).
Stout $25,000. Last week, “One
Desire" OJ) and “Purple Mask”
<U). $12,500, plus $45,800 in two
nabes and eight ozoners.

Los Angeles, New Fox, Uptown,
Loyola (FWC) (2,097; 965; 1,715;
1,248; 80-$1.^5)— “Life In Balance”
(20th) and “Living Swamp” (20th).
Small $14,000. Last week, “House
Bamboo” (20th) and “That Lady”
(20th) (2d wk), $23,000.

State, Iris (UATC-FWC) (2.404;
816; 80-$l. 25)— “Wizard Oz” (M-G)
(reissue) and “Scarlet Coat” (M-G).
Light $9,000. Last week, State.
“Cobweb” (M-G) and “Fear and
Desire” (Indie) (2d wk). $6,400. ■

Globe, Vogue, El Rey (FWC)
(782; 885; 861; 80-$1.25)-— “The

Bed” (Indie) and “Fuss Ayer
Feathers” (Indie). Thin $6,000. Last
week, secondary-runs.

Egyptian (UATC) (1,536; $1-

$1.50) — “We’re No Angels” (Par)
(2d wk). Good $12,500. Last week,
$16,200.

Downtown Paramount, Pantaces,
Wiltem (ABPT-RKO-SW) (3,200;
2,812; 2,344; $1-$1.50) — “Mister
Roberts” (WB) (2d wk)." Hearty,
$53,000. Last week, $70,400.

Four Star (UATC) (900; 90-$1.25)
— “Adventures Sadie” (Indie) (2d
wk). Slim $2, tf00. Last week,
$2,500. "

Orpheum, Hawaii (Metropolitan-
G&S) (2.213; 1.106; 80-$1.25) —
“You’re Never Too Young” (Par)
and “Robber’s Roost” (UA) (Or-
pheum only) (2d wk). Okay near
$11,000. Last week, $15,200 plus
$76,100 in one nabe, seven drive-
ins.

Hillstreet (RKO) (2.752; 80-$1.25)
—“Davy Crockett” (BV) and “Ab-
bott Costello Meet Mummy” (U)
(2d wk). Scant $4,000 on Disney
pic. Last week, with Vogue, $7,000:

Fine Arts (FWC) (631; $1-$1.50)
— “Marty” (UA) (3d wk). Fine
$10,000. Last week, $11,800.

Warner Beverly (SW) (1,612; $1-
$1.75) — “Not As Stranger” (UA)
(5th wk). Good $12,000. Last week,

Broadway Grosses

Estimated Total Gross
This Week . $515,900

(Based on 21 theatres )

Last Year .... .$607,800

( Based on 21 theatres )

Boston, Aug, 2.

Big upsurge at firstruns here this
as heat wave broke. “Game of
Love” testcasing at Beacon Hill
looks big, “Private War of Major
Benson” shapes terrific at Para-
mount and Fenway. Only, other
new arrival “King’s Thief” and
at the State looms okay. Holdov-
ers .are big, with “Mister Roberts”
smash in second stanza at the Met-
ropolitan. “Lady and Tramp” in
third frame at Memorial is good.
Astor wound up “Seven Year Itch”
after six great frames and opens
“The Shrike” tomorrow (Wed.).

Estimates for This Week

Astor (B&Q) (1,500; 75-$1.25)—
“Seven Year Itch” (20th) (6th wk).
Okay $5,000. Last week, $8,000.
“Shrike” (U) opens tomorrow.

Beacon Hill (Beacon Hill) (800;
75-$1.25)— “Game of Love” (Indie).
Hassle over showing and page one
publicity on attendance by Hub
police and censors at opening may
build this import to big $12,000
unless sloughed later. Last week,
“Svengali” (M-G) (2d wk), $3,500.

Boston (Cinerama Productions)
(1,354; $1.25-$2.85) — “Cinerama”
(Indie) (83d wk). Slick $14,000.
Last week, $13,000.

Exeter (Indie) (1,300; 60-$l)—
“Court Martial” (Indie) (3d wk).
Big $7,000. Last week, $8,000.

Fenway (NETA) (1,373; 60-$l)—
“Private War of Major Benson”
(U) and “House of Arrow” (Indie).
Great $9,000. Last week, “We’re
No Angels” (Par) and “Glass
Tomb" (Indie) <2d wk), $3,900.

Memorial (RKO) (3,000; 60-$l)—
“Lady and Tramp” (BV) (3d wk).
Hefty $14,000. Last week, $20,000.

Metropolitan (NET) (4,357; 75-
90-$1.25) — “Mister Roberts” (WB)
(2d wk).' Smash $25,000 or more.
Last week, $40,000.

Paramount (NET) (1,700); 60-$l)
— “Private War of Major Benson”
(U) and “House of the Arrov>”
(Indie). Socko $18,000. Last week,
“We’re No Angels” (Par) and
“Glass Tomb” (Indie) (2d wk),'
$ 10 , 000 .

Orpheum (Loew) (3,000; 75-90-
$1.25)— “Not As Stranger” (UA)
(5th wk). Big 12,000. Last week,
$15,000.

State (Loew) (3,500; 75-90-$l)—
“King's Thief” (M-G) and “Rob-
ber's Roost” (UA). Fine $10,000.
Last week, “Not As a Stranger”
(UA) (4th wk), $7,000.

$15,000.

Fox Rife (FWC) (1,363; $1-$1.50)
— “Interrupted Melody” (MG)
(5th wk). Nice $6,000. Last week,
$6,600.

FoxWilshire (FWC) (2,296; $1.50-
$2)— “Lady and Tramp” (BV) (6th
wk). Sturdy $14,000. Last week,
$16,500.

Hollywood Paramount (F&M)
(1,430; $1-$1.50) — “Seven Little
Foys” (Par) (6th wk). Good $9,000.
Last week, $10,000.

Warner Hollywood (SW) (1,364;
$1.20-$2.65) — “Cinerama” (Indie)
(118th wk). Started current frame
Sunday (31) after fancy $27,800 for
117th session.

’Roberts’ Leads St Loo,
25G; Toys’ Socko 27G

St. Louis, Aug. 2.

Biz continues fine at big cinemas
herd despite prolonged hot spell
with mercury near 100 over week-
end. “Mister Roberts” is standout
with huge take at the St. Louis.

“Seven Little Foys” also was
sock opening week at the Fox, and
has started a second round. “Gate
of Hell” still is lusty in second
Shady Oak week.

Estimates for Ths Week

Ambassador (Indie) (1,400; $1.20-
$2.40) — “Cinerama Holiday”
(Indie) <24th wk). Fancy $16,000.
Last week, $19,700.

Fox (F&M) (5,000; 51-90)—

(Continued on page 20)

Minneapolis, Aug. 2.
Recurrence of scorching heat is
considered an adverse ‘ tooxof flee
influence, buf> torrid weather ap-
pears to be sending some people
into air-conditioned theatres. Series
of 100 degree days have been
shattering weather records here.
However, this doesn’t seem to hurt
two important newcomers, “Mister
Roberts,” wow at Radio City, and
“Cinerama Holiday,” terrific on
initial holdover round at Century.
“Ain’t Misbehavin’” looks okay at
RKO-Pan. “Not As a Stranger”
still is great in third World week.
“Cobweb” is potent in second State
canto.

Estimates for This Week
Century (S-W) (1,140; $1.75-

$3.60) — “Cinerama Holiday” (Indie)
(2d wk). Raves on every hand.
Terrific $30,000. Last week, $20,-
000 in five days.

Gopher (Berger) (1,000; 85-$l) —
“Magnificent Matador” (20th). Mod-
erate $4,000. Last week, “Soldier
of Fortune” (20th) (3d wk), $4,500.

Lyric (Par) <1,000; 85-$l)— “How
To Be Popular” (20th) (m.o.). Good
$6,000. Last week, “Seven Year
Itch” (20th) (5th wk), $5,500.

‘Kentuckian’ Fat 19G,
Denver; Stewart 22G

Denver, Aug. 2.

“Man From Laramie” is getting
the most ’coin .here this week , with
a smash 'session at the Denver,
and holds. “Mister Roberts” is ac-
tually making a better showing
with . a terrific second stanza at
1, 247-seat Center. It continues.
“Kentuckian” also is going great
guns with a wow take at Para-
mount. It also is holding. “Wichi-
ta” looms fine in three ozoners,
and stays over.

Estimates for This Week

Aladdin (Fox) (1,400; 50-85) —
“Life in Balance” (20m) and “Liv-
ing Swamp” (20th). Poor $1,000.
Last week, on reissues.

Centennial Drive-In (Lee) (1,250
cars; 75) — “Wichita” (AA) and
“Spy Chasers” (AA). Fine $6,000,
Stays. Last week, on subsequents.

Centre (Fox) <1,247; 60-$l) —
“Mister Roberts” (WB) (2d wk)
Terrific $21,000; holding again.
Last week, $28,000.

Denham (Cockrill) (1,750; 60-$l)
— “Seven Little Foys” (Par) (3d
wk). Good $9,000 or near. Last
week, $11,000.

Denver (Fox) (2,525; 60-$l) —
“Man from Laramie” (Col). Great
$22,000 for James Stewart pic.
Holds. Last week, “Bamboo
House” (20th) and “Angela” (20th),
$13,000.

Esquire (Fox) (742; 75-$l)—

“Tiger and Flame” (UA) (2d wk.)
Okay $2,000. Last week, $2,500.

Monaco Drive-In (Lee) (800 cars;
75)— “Wichita” (A A) and “Spy
Chasers” (AA). Fine $7,000; Last
week, on subsequent runs. —

Orpheum (RKO (2,600; 60-$l)
—“Lady and Tramp” (BV) (2d wk)
big $17,000. Stays on. Last week,
$35,000.

Paramount (Wolf berg) (2,200;
60-$l) — “Kentuckian” (UA) and
“Break to Freedom” (UA). Wham
$19,000. Continued. . Last week,
“Not As Stranger” (UA) (4th wk),
$ 11 , 000 .

Wadsworth Drive-In (Lee) (1,000
cars; 502 walkins; 75) — “Wichita”
(AA) and “Spy Chasers” (AA).
Tall $6,000. Last week, on sub-
sequents.

‘Roberts’ Wham

in Geve.

Cleveland, Aug. 2.

Satellite headlines are rocketing
Hipp’s eerie dpo of “Came From
Beneath Sea” and “Creature With
Atom Brain’* to torrid round.
However, standout is “Mister Rob-
erts,” terrific at the Allen. “You’re
Never Too Young” at the State
shapes smart. Palace’s third frame
of “Lady and Tramp” still is good.
“Not as a Stranger” on fifth lap at
Stillman and Ohio’s fourth round
of “Seven Little Foys” are pleas-
ing.

Estimates for This Week .

Allen (S-W) 3,000; 70-$1.25) —
‘Mister Roberts” (WB), Hyge $36,-
000 or over, for summer record
here. Last week, “Land of Phar-
aohs’* (WB) (2d wk), $11,000.

Hipp (Telem’t) (3,700; 70-$l) —
“Came From Beneath Sea” (Col)
and “Creature With Atom Brain”
(Col). Torrid $28,000. Stays. Last
(Continued on page 20)

Radio City (Pat) (4,100; '85-$l)—
“Mister Roberts” (WB). A boXoffice
hurricane as expected in this home-
town of the late Tom Heggen, the
book’s author:' They even- inserted
a special midnight Saturday show
to help accomodate the . huge
crowds. Smash $25,000. Last week,
“How To Be Popular” (20th),
$ 12 , 000 .

RKO-Orpheum (RKO) (2,800; 85-
$1)— “Lady and Tramp” (BV) (3d
wk). Still healthy at $10,500. Last
week, $14,500.

RKO-Pan (RKO) (1,000; 65-85)—
“Ain’t Misbehavin’ ” (U) and “Land
of Fury” (U). Helped by. recent*
visit here of Mamie Van Doren,
star of “Misbehavin,” in connec-
tion with Aquatennial. Okay $5,000.
Last week, “City Across River”
<U) and “Girls in the Night” (Col)
(reissues) (2d wk), $4,500.

State (Par) (2,300; 85-$l)— “The
Cobweb” (M-G) (2d wk). Stout
$9,000. Last week, $13,000.

World (Mann) <400; 65-$1.20)--
“Not As Stranger” (UA) (3d wk).
Turns folks away nearly every
night. Great $10,500. Last week,
$ 11 , 000 .

‘Roberts’ Wow $24,000, Gncy; lady’
Lush 12G, 3d, ‘Holiday’ $30,700, 6th

Key City Grosses

Estimated Total Gross

T|iis Week $2,932,400

(Based on 2 ^ cities and 219
theatres, chiefly first runs, in-
cluding N. Y.)

Total Gross Same Week,

Last Year .... $2,836,500

( Based on 25 cities and 220

theatres . )

Balto; Fonda 13G

Baltimore, Aug. 2.

Holdovers continue to furnish
the major strength in film grosses
here this round. Third week Of
“Not As A Stranger” is especially
! solid at the Town. Second stanza
of “Seven Little Foys” is pleasing
at the New. “Mister Roberts” is
holding big in its third session at
the Stanley. “Moonfleet” — “Ma-
rauders” combo is probably the
weakest’ newcomer, being mild at
Keith’s.

Estimates for, This Week

Century (Loew’s-UA) (3,000; 25-.
65-95) — “Interrupted Melody”
(M-G) (2d wk). Okay $7,000 after
$9,500 opener.

Hippodrome (Rappaport) (2.100;
50-$l)— “Lady And Tramp” (BV) ;
(4th wk). Pleasing $8,500 follow-,
mg $11,500 in third.

'Keith’s (Fruchtman) (2,400; 25-]
$1)— “Moonfleet” (M-G) and “The
Marauders” (M-G). Fairish $7,800.
Last Week, “Tight. Spot” (Col), *
$5,000.

Mayfair (Hicks) (980; 20-70)—
“Bullet For Joey” (U). Starts to-
morrow (Wed.), Last week* “Pur-
ple Mask” (U), mild $4,000,

New (Fruchtman) (1,600; 25-
$1.25) — “Seven Little Foys” (Par)
(2d wk). Fancy $12,000 following
$15,000 opener. .

Playhouse (Schwaber) (320; 50-
$1)— “Marty” (UA) (7th wk). Nice
$4,000 after $4,500 in sixth.

Stanley (WB) (3,200; 35-80^1.25)
—“Mister Roberts” (WB) (3d Avk).
Big $13,000 for* Henry Fonda star-
rer. Last week, $16,500.-

Town (Rappaport) (1,400; 35-
$1.25)— “Not As Stranger” (UA) ]
(3d wk). Solid $14,000 after $17,-
500 in second.

Toys’ Fancy $27,000 In
Dei.; ’Laramie’ Boff 36G,
‘Angels’ Hangup at 18G

Detroit, Aug, 2.

Strong new product is stirring
biz to a faster pace, this stanza.
“Mail from Laramie” looks great
at the Palms. “Seven Little Foys”
shapes big at the Michigan. “We’re
No Angels” is potent at the United
Artists. ’ “Naked Amazon” is get-
ting plenty of attention at the
Broadway - Capitol. “Lady and
Tramp” looms strtmg in fifth at
the Madison. “Cinerama Holiday”
continues hot in its 25th week.

Estimates for This Week

Fox (Fox-Detroit) (5,000; $1-

$1.25)— “How To Be Popular”
(20th) and “Angela” (20th) (2d wk).
Mild $19,000. Last week, $23,000.

Michigan (United Detroit)' (4,-
000; $1-$1.25) — “Seven Little

Foys” (Par) and “Green Scarf”
(Indie). Lofty $27,000. Last week,
“Not As Stranger” (UA) (4th wk),
$17,000.

Palms (UD) (2,961; $1-$1.25)—
“Man from Laramie” (Col) and
“Las Vegas Shakedown” (AA).
Terrific $36,000. Last week, “One
Desire” (U) and “Mobs, Inc.” (AA),
$15,000.

Madison (UD) (1,900; $1-$1.25)—
“Lady and Tramp” BV) (5th wk).
Swell ,$1,4,000. Last week, $15,000.

Broadway-Capitol (UD) (3,500
$1-$1.25) — “Naked Amazon” (In-
die) and “Lonesome Trail” (Lip).
Trim $16,000. Last week, “Dam
Busters” (WB) and “Road to Den-
ver” (Rep), $13,000.

United Artists (UA) (1,939; $1-
$1.25) — “We’re No Angels” (Par).
Big $18,000. Last weel£ “Cobweb”
(M-G) (2d wk), $11,000.

Adams (Balaban) (1,700; $1-
$1.25) — “Love Me or Leave Me”
(M-G) (7th wk). Stout $7,000. Last
week, $7,700. .

Music Hall (Cinerama Produc-
tions) (1,194; $1.40-$2.65)— “Cine-
rama Holiday” (Indie) (25th wk). i
Nice $27,200. Last week, $29,400. 1

* Cincinnati, Aug. 2.

No dog days at downtown cine-
mas this week, even though the na-
tives are. sweltering under Cincy’s
longest hot spell in years. High on
the winning side is “Mister Rob-
erts,” lone new bill, anchoring a
heavy gross for flagship RKO Al-
bee. Holdovers continue above
par. They are “Lady and Tramp”
and “Seven Little Foys,” both in.
the third rounds and “Not As A
tranger,” finaling in fifth frame at
K e i t h ’s, “Cinerama Holiday”
shows no sign of a slowdown, be-
ing smash in sixth week at Capitol.
Estimates for This Week

Albee (RKO) (3,100; 75-$1.25)—
“Mister Roberts” (WB). Sailing at
a mighty $24,000 clip. Chartered
for second week. Last week, “Sev-
en Little Foys” (Par) (2nd wk), at
75-$1.10 scale, $15,000.'

Capitol (Ohio Cinema Carp.) (1,-
376; $1.20-$2.65)— “Cinerama Holi-
day” (Indie) (6th wk). Holding at
smash $30,700, same as last week.

Grand (RKO) (1,400; 75-$1.10)—
‘■Seven Little Foys” (Par) (m.o,).
Okay $7,009, for third - downtown
frame.' Last week, “Bengal Bri-
gade” (U) and “Abbott and Costello
Meet Mummy” <U), $7,500 at 90c
top.

Keith’s (Sftor) (1,500; 75-$1.25)
—“Not As Stranger” (UA) (5th
wk). Okay $6,000 style after fourth
round’s $10,200.

Palace .(RKO) (2,600; 75-$l)—
“Lady and Tramp” (BV) (3d wk).
Swell $12,000 trailing $16,000 of
second stanza.

' —4 *

Stewart Sturdy $16,000,
Pitt; ‘Popular’ OK W
‘Stranger’ Hep 21G, 2d

Pittsburgh, Aug, 2.

James Stewart’s “Man From
Laramie” at Harris looks seek
among the new entries currently.
Both “Not As a Stranger” at Penn
and “Lady and Tramp” at Stanley
in second stanzas are doing well
enough to rate third weeks. “How
To Re Venr Popular” is not up
to expectations at Fulton but may
be able to stick around another
session. “Innocents in Paris” at
Guild and “Adventures of Sadie”
at Squirrel Hill are more than get-
ting by in arty nabes, and certain
to hold.

Estimates, for This Week

i Fulton (Shea) <1,700; 65-$l)—
“How To Be Popular” (20th).
Looks like $10,000, not too had.
Last week, “Seven Year Itch”
(20th) (5th wk), $5,500.

Harris (Harris) <2,165; 65-$l>—
“Man From Laramie” Col). Got
away fast to land $16,000, big.
Good notices and success of title
song bn records helping. Last
week, “Purple Mask” (U), $6,000.

Guild (Green) (500; ’65-$l)— “In-
nocents in Paris”. (Indie). Shoot-
ing for nice ' $2,500. Last week,
“Intruder” (Indie) (3d wk), $1,800.

Penn (UA) <3,300; 75-$l,25>—
“Not As Stranger” (UA) (2d wk).
Slipping about but still bright
at $21,000; stays a third. Last
week, $35,500, with stifling heat
hurting some.

Squirrel Hill (SW) (900; 65-$l)—
“Adventures of Sadie” (20th). Sat-
isfactory $2,800 and stays on. Last
week, “Great Adventure” (Indie)
<3d wk), $2,100.

Stanley (SW) (3,800; 50-$1.25)—
“Lady and Tramp” (BV) (2d wk).
Smooth $16,000; stays. Last week,
$29,000.

Warner (SW) (1,365; $1.25-$2.40)
— “Cinerama Holiday” (Indie)
(24th wk). After six-months, still
holding up and running far ahead
of first “Cinerama” here. Hover-
ing around $13,000, okay. Last
week,* about same.

‘Popular’ NSH 17G,

Frisco; ‘Lady’ 23G, 2d

San Francisco, Aug. 2.

Not many newcomers this week,
with bulk of real coin still, coming
from holdovers. “Mister Roberts”
still is terrific in third St. Francis
session while “Lady and Tramp”
looms big in second at Golden
Gate. “How To Be Popular” is
rated mild on initial round at the
Fox.

Estimates for Tills Week

Golden Gate (RKO) (2,859; 80-
$1)— “Lady and Tramp” (BV) (2d
wk). Big $23,000. Last week,
$36,000.

Fox (FWC) (4,651: $1.25-$1.50)—
“How To Be Popular” (20th) and
“Angela” (20th). Mild $17,000 or
close. Last week, “House of Bam-
(Continued on page. 20)

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

PICTURE CROSSES

Fancy $210011, ‘Wizard’ Wham 14G,
‘Phenix Big 36G, ‘Summertime’ 25G

Chicago, Aug, 2.

Chi biz is .lusty this around, de-
spite lack o£new product, probably
because the heat wave, is driving
many to film theatres in search of
air-conditioned relief.

“Francis In' Navy" and “Stranger
on Horseback” combo shapes fast
$21,000 in first week at the Roose-
velt. “Wizard of Oz" on reissue is
smash $14,000. opening f rtf me at
Monroe. •

“The * Kentuckian,” with the
Eoiir Aces topping vaude at the
Chicago, is holding okay in the sec-
ond round. . “Phenix City Story"
continues smash In the second
stanza at the Woods. “Summer-
time," likewise, is boff also) in sec-
ond at the Loop. “Purple Mask"
and “Outlaw Stallion" 7 twin bill is
big in second at the Grand. ,

“Love Me Or Leave Me” is still
befty in fourth frame at McVick-
ers. “Not As A Stranger" con-
tinues solid in fifth frame at
United Artists while “Seven Year
itch” looms strong in sixth Ori-
ental round. “Cinerama Holiday"
■ stays hotsy in seventh at the Pal-
ace as “Lady and the -Tramp” holds
sturdily in same week at State-
Lake, ’ .

Estimates for -This W^ck /

Chicago (B&K) <3,00Q; 2U-$1.50)
—-“The ■* Kentuckian” (UA) with
Four Ace$ heading stage pill (2d
wk>. Okay, at $46,000. Last Week,
$69,000.

Grand (Nomikos) (1,200; 98-$l)
—“Purple Mask” (U) and “Outlaw
Stallion” (Col) (2d wk). Nifty $12,-
000 or close. Last week, $16,000.

Loop (Telem’t) (606; 90-$1.25>—
“Summertime” (UA) (2d wk). Hot-
ay $25,000, Last week, $21,000.

Monroe (Indie) (1,000; 80-$1.25)
—“Wizard of Oz” (M-G) - (reissue).
Smash $14,000. Last week, “Long
John Silver” (DCA) (2d wk), $4,000.

McVickers (JL&S). (2,200; 65-
$1.25)— “Love Me Or Leave Me”
(M-G) (4th wk). Big $21,000. Last
week, $27,000.

Oriental (Indie) (3,400; 98-$1.25)

; — “Seven Year Itch” (20th) (6th
wk). Solid $19,500 or near. Last
week, $20,000.

Palace (Eitel) (1,484; $1.25-$3, 40)
— “Cinerama .Holiday” (Indie) (7th
wfc). Smash. $50,000. Last week,
$50,000. .

Roosevelt (B&K) (1,400; 65-98)—
‘‘Francis in Navy" (U) and “Stran-

f er On Horseback” (UA>. Sturdy
21,000. -Last week, “Davy Crock-
ett” (BV) (2d wk), $13*500.

State-Lake (B&K) (2,400; 65-98)
—“Lady, and Tramp” (BV) (7th
wk).. Steady $24,000 or hear. Last
week, $28,000.

United Artists (B&K) (2400; 65-
98)—“Not As Stranger” (UA) (5th
wk). Strung $18,000. Last week,
$23,000.

* Woods (Essaness) (1,206; 98-

$1.25)— “Phenix City Story” (AA)
(2d wk). Boff $36,000. Last week,
$47,000.

World (Indie) (697; 98)— “Wages
©f Fear” (Indie)’ (4th wk). Fine
$3,400, ' Last week, $3,800.

Martin-Lewis Sockeroo
$12,000, L’ville; Topular’
Same, 'Stranger’ 9G, 2d

Louisville, Aug. 2,
Generally biz is fair to excellent
at the downtown firstruns, Cool
film emporiums are favorite cool-
ing-off spots for the natives, Jiar-
rassed by temperatures topping
the 00’s plus humidity. Leader is
the Kentucky, where “You’re Never
Too Young” is pulling a swell take,
and sure to hold. “How To Be
Very, Very Popular” at the Rialto
looks nice. Holdovers of “Mister
Roberts” and “Not As a Stranger”
at the Mary Anderson and State
both are continuing okay.
Estimates for This Week
Kentucky (Switow) (1,200; 65-85)
—“You’re Never Too Young” (Par).
Wow $12,000 for Martin-Lewis
comedy. Last week, “Seven Lit-
tle Foys” (Par) (3d wk), $5,000.

Mary Anderson (People’s) (1,200;
75-$l) — “Mister Roberts” (WB) (2d
wk). Slowing up but still okay at
$7,000. May stick around a couple
more weeks— ^ maybe mote. Last
week, $15,500.

Rialto (Fourth Avenue) (3,000;
30-75)- — “How To Be Popular"
(20th> and “Angela” (20th). Nice
$12,000 or under. Last week,
“Foxfire” (U) and “Case Red Mon-
key" (AA), $9,000.

State (United Artists) (3,000; 75-
$1)— “Not As Stranger” (UA) (2d
wk). Oke $9,000 after last week’s
$16,000.

^’Estimates Are Net

Film grpss estimates 4ts re-
ported herewith from the vari-
ous key pities, are net; te.,
without usual tax. Distrib-
utors share on net take, when
playing percentage, hence the
estimated figures prh net in-
come.

The parenthetic admission
prices, however, as indicated,
include the U. S. amusement
tax.

‘Shrike’ Smash

Philadelphia, Aug. 2.

Break in heat wave late last
week, even though followed by
more .hot weather early this stanza,
is boosting trade here. Teaser cam-
paign and heavy radio-tv, news-
paper ads 'gave “Man From Lara-
mie” a potent kickoff. “The
Shrike,” aided by stage play pres-
tige in press advance, .got off to a
boff debut, with a terrific total
likely opening round • at the, Mid-
town. “You’re Never Too Young,”
new Martin-Lewis pic, is rated big
at Stanley.

Estimates for This Week

Arcadia (S&S) (625; 99-$1.49)—
“We’re No Angels” (Par) (4th wk).
Pushed to fast $11,000. Last week,
$ 10 , 000 . >

Boyd (SW) (1,430; $1.25-$2.60)—
“Cinerama Holiday” (Indie) (24th
wk). GCod $13,500. Last week,
$ 15 , 000 .

Fox (20th) (2,250; 99-$1.49)—
“Life in Balance” (20th). Weak
$12,000. Last week, “Seven Year
Itch” (20th) (5th wk), $12,000.

Goldman (Goldman)) (1,200; 65-
$1.30) — “Man From Laramie” (Col).
Giant $25,000. Last week. “Night
Holds Terror” (Col), $13,000.

Mastbaum (SW) <4,370; 99-$1.49)
—“Mister Roberts” (WB) (3d wk).
Sturdy $22,000. Last week, $24,000.

Midtown (Goldman) (1,200; 65-
$1.49)— “Shrike” <U>. Terrific $24,-
000 or close. Last week, “Seven
Little Foys'’ (Par) (4th wk), $9,500.

Randolph (Goldman) (2,500; 75-
$1.40)— “How to Be Popular" (20th>
(2d wk). Sad $8,000. Last week,
$18,000.

(Stanley <SW) a (2,900; 74-$1.40)—
“You’re Never Too Young” (Par).
Big $17,000. Last week, “Cobweb”
(M-G) (2d wk), $11,000.

Stanton ; (SW) (1,483; 65-99)—
“Santa Fe Passage” (Rep) and
“Timber jack” (Rep). Neat $9,000 or
near. ' Last , week, “Came From.
Beneath Sea” (Col) and “Creature
With Atom Brain” (Col) (2d wk),
$11,500.

Studio (Goldberg) (400; 90-$L49)
—“Marty” (UA) (7th wk). Good
$6,500 or close. Last week, $7,500.

Trans-Lux (T-L) (500; 80-$1.50)—
“Interrupted Melody” (M-G) (8th-
final wk). Gbod $4,000 in 6 days.
Last week, $5,000.

Viking (Sley) (1,000; 74-$1.80)—
“Not As Stranger” (UA) (5th wk).
Solid $16,000. Last week, $18,000.

Trans-Lux World (T-L) (604; 99-
$1.50) — '“Lady and Tramp” (BV)
(5th wk). Tasty $10,000. Last week,
$ 12 , 000 .

‘Angels’ Robust 12 *40, v ,
Omaha; ‘Lady’ Loud 70

Omaha, Aug. 2.

“We’re No Angels,” only new
entry this, session at downtown
houses, is dominating the boxoffice
play with a fancy figure at the
Orpheum, “Seven Little Foys,”
moved from that house to the
Omaha for second week, Is solid.
“Lady and. Tramp” remains above
average in third session at Bran-
deis “How To Be Very Popular”
is still nice in second State round.

Estimates for This Week

Brandeis (RKO) (1,100; 75-$l)—
“Lady and Tramp” (BV) (3d wk).
Good $7,000. Last week, $10,000.

Omaha .(Tristates) (2,000; 70-90)
— “Seven Little Foys” (Par) (2d
wk). Fairish $7,000 in move from
Orpheum. Last week, “House of
•Bamboo” (30th) and -“That Lady”
(20th), $7,000 at 85c top.

Orpheum (Tristates) (2,890; 70-
90) — “We’re No Angels" (Par).
Nifty $12,500 or over. Last week,
“Seven. Little Foys" (Par), $14,500.

State (Goldberg) (875; 65-90) —
“How To Be Popular" (20th) (2d
vvk). Good $4,500. Last week,
$6,500.

‘POPULAR’ IMLY 21G,
TORONTO; ‘CHASE’ 18G

Toronto, Aug. 2.

Despite current heat wave, “How,
To Be Popular’ ^Is off to sock start.
“Sea Chase” also is big while .“Pur-
ple Mask” hefty. Such holdovers
as “Interrupted Melody” and “Dam
Busters” are both stout in second
frame. Reissue of Alec Guinness
duo, “Kind Hearts, and Coronets”
and “Man in the White Suit” like-
wise shapes strong.

Estimates for This Week ,
Christie, Bylftind (Rank) (848;
1,357; 60-90)-— “Kind Hearts, Coro-
nets” (Rank) and “Man White Suit”
(Rank) (reissues). Swell $8,000.
Last week, $10,500.

Downtown; • Glendale, Scarboro,
State, Westwood (Taylor) (1,059;
955; 696; 694; 40-75) — “Hell’s

Island" (Par) and “Finger Man”
(AA). Fine $15,000. Last week,
“Came From Beneath Sea” (Col)
and “Creature Atom Bomb” (Col),
$15,500.

Eglinton, University (FP) (1,088;
1,558; 60-$l)— “Dam Busters” (WB)
(2d wk).. Smooth $11,000. Last
week, $14,000,

Fairiawn, Odaon (Rank) (1,165;
2,58Q; 75-$D— “How to Be Popu-
lar” (20th). Wham. $21,000. Last
week, “Out of Clouds” (Rank),
$6,500.

Imperial (FP) <3,375; 60-$l)—
“Sea Chase” (WB). Big $18,000.
Last • week, “Seven Little Foys”
(Par) (4th wk), $8,000.

Loew’s (Loew) (2,090; 60-$l) —
“Interrupted Melody" (M-G) (2d
wk). Hep $14,000. Last week, $18,-
000 . .

Shea’s (FP) (2,366; 60-$l)

“Seven Year Itch” (20th) (5th wk).
Oke $6,000. .Last week, $8,500,
Towne (Taylor) (693; 75-$l) —
“Marty" (UA) (6th wk). Nice $5,000.
Last week, $5,500.

Uptown (Loew) (2,745; 60-$l) —
“Purple Mask" (U). Fine $12,000.
Last week, “Foxfire” (U), $8,000.^

‘Roberts’ Giant

in Prov.

Providence, Aug. 2.

With two third week films in
town, the first-weekers are doing
very well. “Mister Roberts’* is way
out ahead with* a giant session at
Majestic. Strand’s “Came From
Beneath The Sea" shapes fine. Still
hot in their third stands are' Al-
bee’s “Lady" and the Tramp” and
State's “Not As v A Stranger".

. Estimates for This Week

Albee (RKO)) (2,200; 65-90)—
“Lady and Tramp*’ (BV) (3d wk).
.Happy $7,500. Last week, $10,000.

Majestic (Fay) (2,200; 75-$U—
“Mister Roberts” (WB). Whopping
$26,000. Last week, “How To Be
Popular" (20th) and “Adventures of
Sadie" (20th), $13,000.

State (Loew) (3,200; 75-$l) —
“Not As Stranger" (UA) (3d wk).
Steady $10,000. Second* week,
$14,000.

Strand (Silverman) (2,200; 50-75)
— “Came From Beneath Sea” (Col)
and “Creature With Atom Brain”
(Col). Surprisingly nice $10,000.
Last week, “We’re No Angels”
(Par), $6,000.

‘Matador’ Fair $14,000,
K.C.; ‘Roberts’ Rich 15G,
‘Foys’ Hot 9G, Both 2d

Kansas City', Aug. 2.

Town has a bevy; of holdovers,
only new film being “Magnificent
Matador” fair in four Fox Midwest
firstruns. Big money is still riding
on the holdovers, “Mister Rob-
erts" • continuing its sock pace in
second round at the Paramount.
“Seven Foys” is holding excep-
tionally strong at Roxy;, also sec-
ond. Weather continues un-
abated with temperatures hover-
ing around 100 daily. This is fig-
ured as being a boost at air-con-
ditioned houses.

Estimates for This Week

Glen (Dickinson) (750; 85-$l)—
“Animal Farm” (Indie) (2d wk).
Okay $1,700. Last week, $1,900.

Kimo (Dickinson) (504; 85-$l) —
“Gate of Hell" (Indie) (2d wk).
Hearty $2,000. Stays on. Last week
$2,300.

Midland (Loew’s) (3,500; 75-$l)
— “Not As Sranger” (UA) (3d wk).
Holding strongly at $8,500. Last*
WG6k

Missouri (RKO) (2,585; 50-75-$l)
—“Lady and Tramp" (BV) (3d wk).
Continues to grab school child
play, hefty $8,000. Holds. Last
week, $12,000.

Orpheum (Fox .Midwest) (1,913;
75-$l) — “Seven Year Itch" (20lh)
(6th wk) Winding up run at okay
$5,000. Last week, $5,500.

Paramount (United Par) (1,900;
(Continued on page 20) i

Tharaohs Fine 33G, ‘Mad’ Tepid
12G, ‘Redheads’ 18G, ‘Roberts’ 172G 3d

Break in- prolonged heat wave,
with mercury staying under 00
degrees' for nearly four days,
helped Broadway firstrun film busi-
ness somewhat this stanza but not
as much as expected. Return of
torrid weather Monday (1) and
yesterday plus a surplus of ex-
tended longruns hurt.

“Land of Pharaohs” pushed a
sturdy $33,000 in first session at the
Mayfair, and, of course, is holding.
“Scarlet Coat" with vaudeville is
heading for a fine~$21,0Q0 at the
Palace, but “Son of Sinbad” is on
disappointing side with fair $12,-
000 at the Globe. This is regarded
as a letdown after the extensive
campaign given this pic;

“Man Who Loved Redheads” is
proving very big with $18,000 in
opening round at the Paris, where
it is staying on.

The Mnsic Hall got a sharp lift
from the cooler weather starting
late last Thursday, with the first
four days of the third week for
“Mister Roberts” and stageshow
running ahead . of the second
frame. Combo looks to hit a ter-
rific $172,000 in the third stanza
ending today (Wed.), or only
$1,000 behind the second week’s
$173,000.

“How To Be Popular” is off to
$40,000, fair, in second round at
the Roxy despite an all-day pre-
view of “Virgin Queen” on Thurs-
day ‘(4>. “Queen” opens on Friday
(5). “We’re No Angels” looks to
wind- its fourth (final) week' at the
Paramount with an okay $33,000 at
the Paramount. #

“Cinerama Holiday" climbed in
the 25th stanza to land a smash
$44,000 at the Warner and $3,000
better than the. 24th week.
“Shrike" looks like a fine $15,000
in the fourth frame at the Victoria.

“Summertime" shapes a top
longrunner, having concluded its
sixth round at the Astor with a
sockeroo $27,500. It stays on in-
definitely. “Not As a Stranger"
held at fine $30,000 in fifth session
at the Capitol where it is con-
tinuing. '

“Seven Little Foys" is heading
for a fast $15,000 in the fifth week
at the Criterion where it again
holds over. “Seven Year Itch”
looks like okay $12,000 or near in
lOth-final stanza- at the State.
“Cobweb” is listed to go in . Friday
(5). ■ .

Estimates for This Week

Astor (City Inv,) (1,300; 75-$1.75)

— “Summertime” CUA) (7th wk).
Sixth round ended last night
(Tues.) held at ••smash $27,500 after
$29,000 last week. Continues on
indefinitely.

Baronet (Reade) (430; 90-41.55)

— “Tales of Hoffman” (NTA)
(reissue) (4th wk). Third week
ended Saturday (30) was smooth
$3,400 after $4,200 in second frame.
Stays on. .

Capitol (Loew’s) (4,820; 85-$2.20)

— “Not' As Stranger” (UA) (6th
wk). Fifth session ended yesterday
(Tues.) was nice $30,000 or near
after $42,500 last week,

Criterion (Moss) (1,700; 75-$2.20)
— “Seven Little Foys” (Par) (5th.
wk). Present frame winding tomor-
row (Thurs.) looks to reach fast
$15,000 or a bit under, after $21,-
000 in fourth week. Stays.

Fine Arts (Davis) (468; 90-$1.80)

— “To Paris With Love” (Indie)
(19th-final wk). The 18th session
concluded Monday (1) was solid
$4,300 after $4,700 for 17th week.
“Sheep Has Five Legs” (Indie)
opens Aug. 9.

Globe (Brandt) (1,500; 70-$1.50)

— “Son of Sinbad" (RKO) (2d wk).
Initial week ended last night
(Tues.) was fair $12,000 or close.
Holding. In ahead, “Foxfire" (U)
(2d wk), $6,700. “Sinbad” was
rated very disappointing in view
of amount laid out for advance
campaign. “Ulysses" (Par) opens
next.

Guild (Guild) (450; $1-$1.75) —
“Gate of Hell" (Indie) (34th wk).
The 33d round ended Monday (1)
was smash $8,000. The 32d week
was $9,000. Keeps rolling along,
and, of course, is not hurt by long
lines for Music Hall.

Mayfair (Brandt) (1,736; 79-$1.80)

— “Land of Pharaohs” (WB) (2d
wk). Pushing up to great $33,000
in first stanza finished Monday (1).
In ahead, “House of— Bamboo"
(20th) (4th wk-4 days), $6,500 in
4 days.

Normandie (Trans-Lux) (592; 95-
$1.80) — “Divided Heart" (Rep).
Opened today (Wed.). In ahead,
“Wizard of Oz” (M-G) (reissue)
(7th wk-5 days), oke $2,700 for
short week after $3,300 in sixth.

Palace (RKO). (1,700; 50-$1.60)—

“Scarlet Coat” (M-G) and vaude-
ville, .Week ending tomorrow
(Thurs.) looks to hit fine $21,000
or close. Last week, “Life in Bal-
ance” (20th) with Vaude, $22,500,
over hopes.

Paramount (ABC-Par) (3,664; $1-
$2) — “We’re No Angels” (Par) (4th-
final wk). Present stanza ending
today (Wed.) is heading for okay
$33,000 on windup after $39,000 in
third. “To Catch a Thief" (Par)
opens Aug. 4.

Paris (Pathe Cinema) (568; 90-
$1.80)— “Man Who Lover Red-
heads" (UA) (2d wk). Initial ses-
sion ended Sunday (31) hit smash
£18,000. In ahead, "Great Adven-
ture" (Indie) (9th wk), $5,100, over
hopes.

Plaza (Brecker) (556; $1.50-$1.80)
—“Private War Major Benson”
(U), Opened big yesterday (Tues.).
Last week, “The Bed" (King) (8th
wk), okay $3,200 after $4,300 for
seventh week.

Radio City Music Hall (Rockefel-
lers) (6,200; 95-$2.75) — “Mister
Roberts" (WB) and stageshow (3d
wk).* Holding with terrific $172,000
as against $173,000 for second
stanza. Holds a fourth, natch!
End of run not yet in sight. Break
in very hot weather apparently
helping somewhat as getting more
outoftown visitors. First three
weeks hit $525,000, amazing for
season and weather. • “Always Fair
Weather” (M-G) set to follow, but
no opening date set.

Roxy (Nat’l. Th.) (5,717; 65-$2,40)
— “How To Be • Very Popular"
(20th) (2d-final wk>. Winding sec-
ond round tomorrow (Thurs.) with
•fair $40,000 even with al’day pre-
view of “Virgin Queen” (20th) to-
morrow. First week was $50,000.
“Queen” starts regular run on Fri-
day (5).

State (Loew’s) (3,450; 78-$1.75)—
“Seven Year Itch” (20th) (lOth-final
wk). Present frame finishing to-
morrow (Thurs.) looks to -land okay
$12,000 after $19,000 in eighth
week, over expectancy. “Cobweb”
(M-G) opens Friday (5).

Sutton (R&B) (561; $1-$1.80)—

| “Marty" (UA) (17th wk). The 16th
round ended Sunday (31) was $15,-
600 after $15,400 for 15th week.
Stays on. naturally.

Trans-Lux 52d St. (T-L) (540; $1-
$1.50)— “Court Martial” (King).
Opened Monday (1). In ahead.
Doctor in House" (Rep) (24th wk-
4 days), swell $2,300 after $3,700
for 23d full week. The 23 weeks
plus five days marks a remarkably
profitable longrun here.

Victoria CCity Inv.) (1,060; 50-
$1.75)— “The Shrike" (U) (4th wk).
Current session finishing today
(Wed.) looks like fine $15,000 or
Jiear after $17,500 for third week.
Stays on.

Warner (Cinerama Prod.) (1,600;
$1.20-$3.30) — “Cinerama Holiday"
Undie) (26th wk)’. The 25th stanza
ended Saturday (30) was great
$44,600, nice pickup from $41,600
of 24th week. Continues indef.

‘Roberts’ Rousing 22G,
Paces Indpls.; ‘Angels’
10G, ‘Stranger’ 9G, 3d

Indianapolis, Aug. 2,

Heat wave which placed a pre-
mium on air-conditioning plus
strong pix in most firstruns is giv-
ing biz a healthy boost here this
stanza. “Mister Roberts” is ter-
rific at Indiana to lead the city,
and looks set for a fun. “We're
No Angels” is stout at the Circle.
“Not As Stranger" is perking nice-
ly in third stanza at Loew’s. Can-
tor Circuit is playing “Lady and
Tramp" firstrun day-date at Shade-
land and Lafayette Road ozoners,
pic now being in second week at
both spots.

Estimates for This Week

Circle (Cockrill-Dolle) (2,800;
50-85) — “We’re No Angels" (Par)
and “Adventures of Sadie" (20th).
Nifty $10,000. Last week, “Seven
Little Foys" (Par), and “Angela"
(20th) (2d vvk), $8,500.

Indiana (C-D) (3,200; 50-85)—
“Mister Roberts” (WB). Smash
$22,000, biggest of season. Last
week, “How To Be Popular" (20th),
$ 11 , 000 .

Keith’s (C-D) (1,300; 50-75)—

“Pearl of South Pacific" (RKO)
and “City of Shadows" (Rep). Fair
$5,000. Last week. “Road to Den-
ver” (Rep) and “Fighting Ken-
tuckian" (Indie), $5,500.

Loew’s (Loew) (2,427 ; 75-95) —
“Not As Stranger" (UA) (3d wk).
Neat $9,000, and nearly $40,000 for
three weeks.

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

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FREDERICK BRISSON ™

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Rosalind Russell’s first film as
a song-and-dance girl, following
her brilliant success on the Broadway
stage in the musical, "Wonderful Town

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Mr. Peepers” show,

makes

her screen debut

. . .V

Eddie Albert

MARION LORNE -JAMES GLEASON • Produced by

(Courtesy of MR. PEEPERS TV CO.)

Screenplay by Robert Pirosh and Jerome Davis

Dances and Musical Numbers Staged by Robert Alton

Wednesday, August S, 1955

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Color by TECHNICOLOR

FERNANDO LAMAS

Gloria De Haven

Frederick Brisson . Directed by Robert Pirosh

Based on a Story by Phoebe and Henry Ephron
Songs by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane

A Paramount Picture

Singlng-est Star-Cast
of the year !

All four. principals sing
out these rousing hit tunes

IF YOU’LL ONLY TAKE
A CHANCE

AN OCCASIONAL MAN
AT LAST WE’RE ALONE
CHAMPAGNE
BIRMIN’HAM
OUT OF DOORS
HOMESICK HILLBILLY
THE GIRL RUSH

INTERN ATION AI«

7 Brides B. 0. Ace

Rome, July 26. 4-

The Yank's boxoffice slice of
Italo firstruns zoomed to an un-
precedented 80% in June up 5%,
over last year’s June figure. It
marks the strong U.S. predomi-
nance of the Italian market, field
up in addition by long-running
widescreen pix. The percentage of
Italian pix held at 11%, same as
last year, while France slipped
from 4% to 2% of the local first-
run take.

What localites call the U. S.
•‘saturation” of the local market
again has raised the usual cries for
.protectionisms via laws and re-
strictions. One of the facets of this
would be a law judging all pix
over six years old as necessitating
re-entry under quota. This appears
to be an attempt to keep U.S. old-

2 Yank, 2 British Pix
For ’55 Command Gala

London, July 26.

Entries for this year’s Royal.
Command film gala ai£ to be lim-
ited to two British and two
American pix. A request to this
effect has been made to the Mo-
tion Picture Assn. of America and
the British Film Producers Assn,
by the new viewing panel, headed
by Lord Radcliffe. The arrange-
ment apparently makes no provi-
sion’ for Continental entries.

To comply with the request, the
BFPA has set up a viewing panel
of its own to whittle down entries

to the require^ dumber. It is ex-

, x . ,, . pected that the MPAA will follow

ies off the market in the summer [ ^

when they frequently .garner
health coin (a “Hellzapoppin’ ” re-
issue is a case in point) in group
reissues, to the detriment of (fre-
quently Italian) fresher product.

Healthiest summer grosser ap-
pears to be “Seven Brides for
Seven Brothers” (M-G), which has
successfully bridged the spring-
summer gap and is continuing on
strongly in many primary situa-
tions. Estimated this will gross
$225,000 on its first trip through
‘ key cities.

Impact here of widescreen sys-
tems, especially C’Scope, is • evi-
denced by official estimates recent-
ly released by AGIS, the' local dis-
trib association. According to these
figures, over 80% of the C’Scepers
released so far in Italy have* gross-
ed over $75,000, placing 20th-Fox
anamorphs in the lead, with Metro-
scope, VistaVision and SuperScope
following.

Fair Warning

Vienna, July ,26.

Because local distribs do not
hand out passes for revival of
oldies, film critics have decid-
ed to hit back.

Henceforth all reviews in
newspapers of pix to which
newspapermen had not been
invited, will have the footnote
“x” — meaning that the writer
had to buy the tickets.

This is being done to inform
the .public that the critic is
good and sore, and his opinion
may not be a neutral one.

GROWTH OF GERMAN
THEATRES SURPRISES

Frankfurt, July 26.

The German theatre industry
has grown incredibly in the decade
since the War, Now, with a high of
5,’ 500 theatres and 2,300,000 seats
in West. Germany anfi Berlin, there
are more houses in this area alone
than in all of undivided East and
West Germany before the war.

The paring away of East Ger-
many and the destruction by
bombs left West Germany with
only 1,150 houses and under
500,000 seats back in 1945, Re-
growth began . slowly but speed-
ed up with the : monetary reform of
1948. Spurred on by the easy
money being offered by the credit
banks, the J houses mushroomed all
over the land to where in many
instances today there is over-'
crowding and resultant reduced
boxoffice returns.

Tightening up of credit controls
has meant that today it is more
difficult to obtain financing for
theatres. And instead of owner-
manager, it is more cpstomary for
the house owner to be the archi-
tect and builder. He leases the the-
atre to management for a rent plus
percentage arrangement. About
three-quarters of the new houses
operate in this manner.

The trend, too, is toward smaller
theatres, mostly under- 500 seats.
With 77% of the West German
theatres., now being houses of less
than 500 seats, the profits have
been cut sharply. Two-thirds now
have a yearly turnover of about
„ $25,000 and it becomes a profit-
able venture only when an owner
has several houses.

Berlin Cinemas Albeit
’Susan,’ ‘Eden’ Do Well

Berlin, July 26,

Second half of July sees most lo-
cal cinemas half-empty. Reason
is not inferior film fare but the
heat 'Which is the exhibitor’s great-
est enemy here this summer.
Nevertheless, U.S. pix keep playing
the dotfiinant role in the Kurfuer-
stendamm area, with eight of 14
houses ’showing Hollywood fea-
tures.

Some of the new releases found
a good press, especially “Susan”
Slept Here”, (RKO) at Filmtheatre
Berlin. Scribes lauded the per-
formances, of Debbie Reynolds and
Dick Pdwell.

Warner’s preemed “East of
Eden” at Filmbuehne Wien, with-
pros, and cons on the film’s merits.
Crix, however, praised the acting
Of James Dean and Julie Harris,
and the direction by Elia Kazan.
Krueger / wrote in “Der Abend”
that “Eden,” artistically speaking,
is the best Cinemascope pic so far.

Crix rapped' Metro’s “Student
Prince.” But the> pic may have
some commercial chances around
here, with. Metro cashing in on the
new popularity of Edmund Pur-
dom (he attended the^ recent Ber-
lin film fest)', Company Had the
whole film synchronized, including
the songs. Local crix had often
objected to synchronization.

Another American film here is
“Battle Cry” (WB), It got only
moderate reception.

“Gone With Wind” (M-G), now
in its 20th month at the Kurbel, is
running in its last weeks. Kurbel
has exclusive rights in Berlin.

Of the new German films, “The
Rats” (CCC/Gloria), which landed
first spot on the public poll at the
recent film fest here, was preemed
at Gloria.

JWT Peddles Ad Pix

To Mex Cinemas, TV

■ ^ Mexico City, July 26.

Don Widlund of J, Walter
Thompson, New York, is here for
the fourth time in the last year to
supervise production and distribu-
tion of film for spots for Latin
America and other foreign situa-
tions. Widlund is using R. K.
Tompkins, former general man-
ager of Churubusco Studios, as his
local producer.

U-I Tries Screenirig

For London Critics

London, July 26.

For the first time in about two-
and-a-half years, Universal-Inter-
national has screened pne of its
pictures for the - London ’ critics
The selected film was ^‘The Pri-
vate War of Major Benson,” which
was shown' prior to its West End
preem at the Gaumont Haymarket.
Screening was decided on by
Douglas Granville, U-I topper here,
who imposed the original press
show ban. He has done it as. an
experiment, which may be re-
peated from time to time on i
selective basis.

His decision, however, was j
voluntary one and had no connec
tion with representations made to
him by the .Critics Circle. The
original bar was imposed because
Granville objected to “smart-alec”
criticisms levelled against some U-I
product.

To Postwar Peak

Paris, Aug. 2.

The European Travel Commis-
sion, meeting in Brussels, in its
report on the Continent’s tourism,
this year has found it in . its most
robust state since the war. Main
highlight of report was last year’s
totals; on both visitors and money
spent in the ETC countries. These
consist of, among others, France,
Switzerland, Belgium, West Ger-
many, Finland/ Spain, Italy, Aus-
tria, Holland, Sweden, Norway,
Denmark, Luxembourg,. Portugal,
and Great Britain.

ETC report showed that Italy
was topper in 1953 with American
tourists or 581,248 while' France
was second with 450,000. Latter
was an increase of 10% over the
previous year. However, the France
upswing was on again last year.
Total tourists was able to make
up i,ts unfavorable balance of trade
3 Yz times over, with a* tourist take
of about $185,0C|0,000.

Switzerland also was able to
write off an unfavorable balance of
trade in 1954 on its solid tourist
influx. Western Germany and Fin-
land ditto benefited in this way too.

With Americans, besides France,
Italy and Britain, big gains were
made by Spain Austria and West
GerrAariy. Though there are the
usual statistical errors they show
that in spite of tourist grumbling
about high prices, France is- still
the mighty draw. Stays, however,
are shorter as the traveler tends to
go to lower price regions such as
Spain* and Austria,

Three U.S. Films Place
In Top 10 Grossers Of
Swiss for First Half

Zurich, July 26,

Three Yank pix figure impor-
tantly among the 10 top-grossers
here during the first half -of 1955.
They are <‘Desiree” (20th), “Sa-
brina” (Par) and “On Waterfront”
(CqI). Coin- wise, “Desiree” holds
the runnerup position, “Sabrina”
holds fourth spot and “Waterfront”
is sixth at the boxoffice. In terms
of playing-time, the last-named ran
17 weeks in Zurich, Basle, Berne,
Geneva and Lausanne, as against
22 weeks for “Sabrina” and only
16 for “Desiree”.

Champ by a wide margin is the
Swiss Praeseris production, “Heidi
and Peter,” sequel to the same
company’s “Heidi.” New pic is
first Swiss tinter. In the three
German-s peaking " keys Zu-
rich, Basle and Berne alone, this
picture played for a total of 27
weeks, racking up smash grosses
everywhere. Two French films
also ranked high- H, G. Clouzot’s
shocker, “Les Diaboliqiies” (17
weeks), . the Maurice Chevalier
starrer, “I Had Seven Daughters,”
ran 13 weeks.

The German pix,. “Fruehling
slied”Tind “Canaris,” and the two
Gina Lollobrigida starrers, “Pane
Amore e Gelosia” and “La Ro-
mans, ” also were in the top 10.

Mex TV Writers

Mexico City, July 26.

, , Juan Duran y Casahonda, head

ihe films, both in color for the- j of public relations of Telesistemas

atre use and black and white for i Mexicanas, is trying to unite the
’Y/ Products of various J. 1 tv play writers and adapters in a

Walter Thompson clients. Five re- 1 guild. It would strive for better
tion spots are being filmed at the i working conditions.

Churubusco studios and animated

European Film Pool

Talks Set For Sept.

Rome, July 26.

Eitel Monaco, Italo Motion Pic
ture Producers Assn, topper, has
just returned from Paris where he
repped Italy at Franco-Italian meet-
ings prelim to the European Film
Pool talks which are slated to be
held in Venice during the film
festival in Sept.

Venice meet, decided on at the
Berlin Fete, will bring together
reps of France, Germany and Italy

Writers cannot devote their full i on basic pool discussions oh an

films are being executed by Tomp- 1 time, it’s charged, to create good i industry level, designed to prep
kins’ animation 'studio, nihn inc ’ dnviflc cn harllv npnrlprl mi fj&lo ’ frirmaflnn nf a Win'orionn TPIlvn

animation
Animados.

i j > i

Dibujos ’ stories, so badly needed on tele ’ formation of a
> < <■ -*■ now. . o .< i c ( f j j i: ■, j Community, r* i

European Film

'VARIETY'* 1 LONDON OFFICI
I St. Martin’s Place, Trafalgar Square

— -—4'-

TV Programming Makes
Its Bow in Austria

Vienna, July 26.

Austrians will remember this
day for a long time since televi-
sion was introduced to the na-
tives for the first time. Kahlen-
berg station on the outskirts of
the city began sending patterns.
There are only about 100 sets in
Vienna as of now.

The day set for tv programs
plus cultural shorts and news
events coverage to start . is Aug.

1. Linda Fischer, former ice re-
vue star, was inked as first
speaker.

Relays to the cities of Graz,
Linz and Salzburg have been, set
up. It will be something new for
Graz in the' province. Styria while
the people of Linz and Salzbunk
already receive programs from
neighboring West Germany,

Germany to Turn Out
Seven C’Scopes Next
Year; Remakes Popular

Frankfurt, July 26.

Seven Cinemascope films, to be
made by German firms for release
here on the 1955^-56 film schedule,
have been announced to date.
Several competitors are claiming
the “first CinemaScope to be made
in Germany” as a prelude to what
may be a race for first-finishing-
date in German (C’Scope produc-
tion history.

Gloria, who came, out last year
with the biggest financial, success
since the war (“08/15”) is trying
to reach last year’s heights with a
pair of CinemaScop£rs that are
remakes of old top draws. One is
“Der Kongress Tanzt” (The Danc-
ing Congress), originally made by
Charrell in. 1931, and is up for
a remake, with Franz Antel di-
recting. The Other is “Krach urn
Jolanthe” (Crash ' Around Jolan-
the), first done in 1934, with the
new job to star Hannelore Boll-
marin and Gerhard Riedmann un-
der Rudolf Schuendler’s direction.

“Krach um Jolanthe” has been
announced by Gloria as the first
C’Scope all-German production.
But Carlton Films claims that it is
beginning “the first German
C’Scope” at end of the month. Its
film is “Wie Ein Wunder Kam
Liebe” (Love.. Came ^ As a Miracle).

Not- to be outdone, Neue Film
says it had the first in this class
with “Koenigswalzer” (King’s
Waltz), backgrounded with Johann
Strauss melodies and foregrounded
in Munich. It concerns the life of
the Bavarian king, Max II.

Neue Film has a second C’Scoper
starring O. E. Hasse. Constantin
on schedule, too, in “Albert Ballin,”
too will do “Ja, die Liebe in Tirol”
(Yes, Love in the Tyrol). Pro-
claimed as Germany’s first C’Scoper
production, it will have Arthur
Maria Rabenalt as director.

Scorcht. for its “first” is coming
out with “Das Bad auf der Tenne”
(The Bath on the Threshing-Floor),
a Flemish comedy to star Sonja
Ziemann, N^dja Tiller and Rudolf
Platte.

. • * .-*

Dunham Troupe Playing
3 Spots in Mex City

. Mexico City, July 19. *

Catharine Dunham troupe is do-
ing .progressively better here, now
playing a two-week stand at the
facelifted Teatro Lirico, historic
vaude-revue house. This is a move-
over from the 18-000-seat National
Auditorium where her grpup play-
ed a two-day extension over a
week’s booking. Miss Dunham
overcame a big obstacle — reluc-
tance of the city amusements su-
“ pervision department to grant a
permit to use the Lirico on the
grounds that its renovations bad
made it 100% .safe. Sbe proved
that the hall is okay. Opening day
virtually a sellout.

Troupe is playing two-a-day with
a price scale of 16c. to $1.20. The
Dunham group is skedded to open
a twoweek run July 27 . at the
swanky Versailles nitery in Hotel
Del Prado here after winding the
; Lirico run. ■ - » 1 j

Buenos Aires, July 26.
After a postponement caused by
the prevailing flu, last week the
American film distributors in Ar-
gentina had their first parley with
the new Press Minister Leon Bou*
che, who was understood to be
ready to lend a sympathetic ear
to their problems. The talk was
held in a friendly atmosphere and
the film men were to outline their
problems at once.

The most urgent of these, of
course, is the issue of release cer-
tificates, which, under Bouche’s
predecessor, Raul A. Apold, had

reached a deadlock, with no cer-
tificates issued in the last seven
months Distributors explained
they can no longer face up to busi-
ness if it must be conducted un-
der the system of certificates is-
sued by “medicine dropper.” They
felt they should have some’ idea
of how many certificates they could
be expected over a specified pe-
riod. Since Bouche had already
told local producers that he would
not insist on preferential release
of some native productions, as had
been the practice of his depart-
ment, it looks as though this point
will be taken care of satisfac-
torily. :

The next point was the one of
prices* particularly for Cinema-
scope or other new type product.
Bouche’s predecessor originally
promised to allow higher prices
for them, then failed to implement
the promise. This will have to be
discussed by the new press min-
ister with the Price Control Board,
but in view of the big grosses at
all firstruns, it seems obvious that
there is a public able and willing
to pay higher prices for entertain-
ment.

Obligatory Vaiide Headache

A third problem was that of
obligatory vaudeville which is a
headache to everyone, especially
small exhibitors. In some cases a
small theatre may gross 250 pesos
in an afternoon, but has. to shell
out 255 pesos to the Vaudeville
turn, which means that he is in
the red. The distributor, supply-
ing the main draw or film, gets
nothing for it either. 'Bouche is
understood to be milling an
amendment of the vaude law, ex-
empting nabe theatres from includ-
ing the turns except on Satur-
days and Sundays.

Bouche asked the distribs to
summarize their problems in a
memorandum, which was handed
to him shortly after the meeting.
Ernesto de Oliveira, former En-
tertainment Board chief, and cur-
rently United Artists ad manager,
had been helping the new press
minister- in an advisory capacity
oh entertainment matters since he
took over.

Bouche will mull over many dis-
trib problems with the finance and
labor ministries and the Price Con-
trol Board. However, his whole at-
titude is receptive and friendly.

The distributors are expecting
the long-awaited release certifi-
cates (four to each of 10 com-
panies) to be signed shortly.

The outstanding problem to be
discussed now ifc whether the
J ohnston-Cerei jo agreement,
signed in 1950, already has run
out. Technically, it should have
expired last June 30, but since it
was never actually implemented
until 1951, the moral interpreta-
tion is that it holds good until
June 30, > 1956. Bouche is believed
to favor this interpretation, but
differs in this from the Finance
Minister, who holds the purse
strings.

Britain Enters 19 Shorts

For Venice Film Fest

London, July 26.

Britain is entering 19 shorts for
the Venice Film Fest, opening on
Aug. 18. One -is a BBC-TV pro-
duction, “John Piper,” and an-
other is based on the Wolf Man*
kowitz short story, “The Bespoke
Overcoat.” .

In addition, there are three
British entries for the Venice
Children’s .Film Fest, plus two
shorts. All these were made by
the Children’s Film Foundation,
an outfit sponsored by the industry
and financed out of income from
the Eady Levy. • 5 - *

Wednesday, August 3, 1953

‘Game of Love

By GUY LIVINGSTON

Boston, Aug. 2.

Local censorship forces were
fighting a losing battle here this
week. Mayor John B. Hynes made
their defeat official when he ac-
knowledged that the French “Game
of Love,” a William .C. Shelton
release via Times “Film, could con-
tinue to show at the Beacon Hill
Theatre without cuts.

“Game*’ is the first film to play
locally on a Sunday without a
censor seal since the Supreme
Judicial Court handed down its
decision declaring the Massachu-,
setts blue law null and void.

After viewing “Game" Monday
(1), Hynes said it»might be sug-
gestive but wasn't obscene. He
asked distribs to voluntarily keep
submitting their release to local
censorship.

Shelton, Times sales v.p., in a
wire to Hynes flatly nixed the idea.
Congratulating the Mayor on his
decision “which has actually
strengthened justice/' he said that
Times ‘hnust ourselves refuse in
the future to submit our films to
the city censor since the' Supreme.
Judicial Court declared the cen-
sorship law regarding pictures un-
constitutional and void." Shelton
added that his company was “fully
aware" of its responsibilities to
the public.

/‘Game," according to Shelton, is
doing sock biz at the Beacon Hill.
When it opened last week (29),
Boston’s Police Commissioner and
his aides attended a showing. There
were repeated threats that, despite
the absence of a censorship law,
police action might be taken via
confiscation of the print, etc. How-
ever, nothing materialized and the
film now appears set for a peace-
ful run.

Times Film, headed up by Jean
Goldwurm, has been in the fore-
* front of several important anti-
censorship actions via attorney
Felix Bilgrey who also spearheaded
the Boston fight. Times is cur-
rently challenging the constitution-
ality of Chicago’s police censor.

In a Tuesday (today) editorial,
the Boston Herald said, “Boston
may look the same after what hap-
pened this week but it is a dif-
ferent city. The censor has been
dethroned. For the first time a
movie has been shown in public
without the censor getting a first
look. And apparently that is the
way it is going to be from here on
out. The distributors of the French
film “The Game Of Love" con-
tended that recent U.S. and Massa-
chusetts court decisions made ad-
vance censorship of movies illegal
and Mayor Hynes has agreed. He
has agreed, too, that distributors
may not be penalized for showing
pictures which are immoral or in
bad taste, only pictures which are
obscene. The Mayor and his aides
saw “The Game of Love" Monday
afternoon and didn’t like it. They
found it “suggestive" and “un-
wholesomely immoral." But they
did not take any action , to stop it.
The majority of the prefessional
critics found it neither suggestive
nor immoral but a thoughtful pic-
ture on a serious theme. The pub-
lic or those of the public who are
interested, will now have a chance
to decide between the two Views.
Surely this is the way it shquld
be. Boston has come of age."

. The eight major distributors in-
terviewed declared that city censor
Walter Milliken will continue to be
invited to trade screening of pic-
tures. This was seen as a matter
of courtesy.

Thugs Gun-Beat Manager,
Snatch Drive-In’s Take

Salisbury Beach, Mass., Aug. 2.

Albert D. Rudenstein, 53, re-
turning to his home in Malden,
Mass, from his drive-in theatre
here was attacked by two armed
bandits and robbed Of $1,500
which he carried in four burlap
bags early Saturday morning (30),

The drive-in theatre owner said
he was grabbed as he got out of
his car in front of his house. One
bandit seized his arms and the
other beat him over the head with
a gun butt. Rubenstein was found
on the sidewalk outside his house
by a passerby.

Malden City Hospital aides said
Rudenstein had suffered a possi-
ble skull fracture. , ,

Johnston’s Jordan River
Journey Postponed

Washington, Aug. 2.

Eric Johnston’s trip to the Mid-
dle East, which was scheduled for
the end of 'July; has been moved
back to • midi- August and may be
postponed still later. The MPA A
prexy has been President Eisen-
hower’s personal ambassador in an
effort to settle the troublesome
Jordan River water dispute be-
tween Israel and several of the
Arab countries.

It Would h_e Johnston's fourth
trip on. the issue which is. be-
lieved headed for a successful .con-
clusion.

Meanwhile, the . President re-
nominated Johnston last week to
be chairman .of the - International
Development Advisory .Board? for
a second term. Board advises the
Administration on technical as-
sistance to foreign countries.

Use ‘Returns As

Well as Reissues

Minneapolis, Aug. 2.

. Product situation is forcing lead-
ing de luxe uptown theatres here
to return engagements as well as
reissues this summer. Exhibitors
say they’re harder put for satis-
factory attractions than at any time
within recent memory. This is in
contrast to the current prevailing
condition downtown . where the
product again is averaging exceed-
ingly high in boxoifice and other
quality.

Reason for the present dearth
of b.o. pictures for the subsequent
runs is because a month ago and
during the period immediately
preceding distributors were not re-
leasing the usual number of out-
standing offerings. Also, it’s pointed
out, the neighborhoods eat up pic-
tures at a much faster rate than
downtown, even the leading earliest
subsequent run houses rarely play-
ing any picture for more than a
week.

Among the pictures being brought
back for return engagements as a
twin bill are “Three Coins in the
Fountain" and “Seven Brides for
Seven Brothers." For the first time
United Paramount’s leading Twin
Cities’ neighborhood house, the
Uptown here, went for a duel fea-
ture and returnees by booking this
combo. Both the Uptown and the
independent Terrace, regarded as
one of the nation’s finest subse-
quent-run outlying theatres and
having a suit pending in federal
court to obtain a firstrun playing
position, recently played oldies
“Hansel and Gretel" and “Bringing
Up Baby" as a dual feature.

Now in the midst of simultaneous
downtown long firstruns are box-
office smashes “The Lady and the
Tramp," * “The Seven Year Itch,"
“Not as a Stranger" arid “Soldier
of Fortune/’ These pictures, of
course, eventually will reach t|ie
neighborhoods, but even the earll
est 28-day .run subsequent will
have to Wait a long time for some
of them. That’s because in the case
Where . there’s no moveover — and
there will not be any for “Not As
a Stranger" and “Soldier of For-
tune” — there's no limit set on the
downtown firstrun’? length. If a
picture moves over, like “Seven
Year Itch," the outlying houses
benefit because the 28 days are
counted from the end of the run at
the first loop theatre played.

Court Hales Hale On
Child Support Renege

Houston, Aug. 2.

Monte Hale, a player in the film
“Giant," has ah urgent invitation
to show in Houston when shooting
of the film at Marfa, Tex., is com-
pleted.

His former wife, Mrs. Willie
Anita Anderson, wants the singing
cowpoke to explain to District |
Judge Ben F. Wilson why his $15!
a week child support payments are
$1,675 in. arrears. n jj'i.j

PICTURES • IS

Hot July 2 * Top 12

1. "Not As Stranger" (UA).

2. “Seven Year Itch" (20th)

3 . “Lady and Tramp" (BV).

4. “7 Little Foys" (20th).

5. “Cinerama Holiday" (Ind).

6. “Love, Leave Me” (M-G).

7. “Land of Pharaohs" (WB).

8. “We’re No Angels” (Par).

9. “House of Bamboo" (2Qth).

10. “Cinerama"’ (Indfe).

11. “Interrupted Melody" (M-G).

12. “Foxfire" (U).

Teddy Roosevelt’s Hoss
Days in South Dakota
Theme of Upcoming Film

A western . dealing jidth Theo-
dore Roosevelt’s early'yeai’S, when
he was ranching In South Dakota,
is in the offing. It’ll be produced
by Sidney Kaufman ^and scripter
Jack de Witt sometime' in the com-,
ing year and is aimed for release
during the Roosevelt birth- centen-
nial in 1958.

Pic, for which Kaufman and De
Witt are seeking. Marlon Brando,
is based on Hermann Hagedorn’s
“Roosevelt in the Badlands" and
is laid in the 1880s when Roose-
velt, then a widower, ranched
briefly in S. Dakota.

De Witt is doing the screenplay
and the Theodore Roosevelt Assn,
has expressed considerable inter-
est in the picture which is planned !
as a widescreen tinter. There have
been a number of pix made on
U. S. presidents, none outstand-
ingly successful. “Wilson/- for’ in-
stance, was a resounding flop
whereas the Lincoln pictures fared
better. Kaufman stressed in
N. Y. last week that his film wasn’t
meant as a biog but rather as a
western involving a famous per-
sonality.

Pair Charge Plagiarism

Los Angeles, Aug. 2.

Infringement of contract was
charged in a suit filed against
Paramount Pictures Corp., Hal
Wallis Productions and Hal Wallis
by screenwriters George Beck and
Samuel Locke. In 1952, the pair
wrote “Big Top/’ a story which
they submitted to the defendants,
as a possible Martin & Lewis ve-
hicle, Beck, and Locke charge.

The script was kept 20 days and
“substantial portions" of their
script were used in “Three Ring
Circus," a Martin & Lewis starrer
later produced, the pair charge.
Court was asked to enjoin further
distribution of the film, .to set an
accounting of the proceeds, and to
award $75,000 as a “reasonable"
value of the story, plus $35,000
damages for failure to give screen
credit.

[ By HY HOLLINGER

Rapid City, S. D., Aug. 2.

Little known aspect of Holly-
wood’s penchant for authentic lo-.
cations— what it means to the lo-
cal community both in prestige
and money — was dramatically re-
vealed in this city of 38,000 in the
foothills of the Black' Hills ‘of
South Dakota. Metro, which last
week completed the location film-
ing of “The Last Hunt" at Custer
State Park, 55 miles from this
frontier community, left an esti-
mated $300,000 in the city, spend-
ing an average of about $35,000
weekly. Studio expenditures
amounted to $250,000, with the
coin going to 25 different firms for
items ‘ ranging from food to lum-
ber. In addition, M-G’s crew,
headed by director Richard Books,
spent approximately $50,000 indi-
vidually for food, clothing, enter-
tainment, souvenirs, etc.

As a matter of . fact, film-making
has become So’uth Dakota’s third
largest industry, following behind
agriculture and tourism. The fron-
tier aspect of the area, the natural
beauty of the Black Hills, the pres-
ence of several Indian tribes on
Government reservations, and the’
flavor of the wild west in an area
made famous by such characters as
Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity
Jane make the territory a natural
for film companies seeking authen-
tic western locations for filming
in widescreen or CinemaSttope. i < >

Stronger than usual (for this
time of year) product, enabled key
city firstrun theatres to overcome
probably the hottest, most miser-
able July weather in years. Film
biz at the bigger theatres in prin-
cipal cities held eyen or "better
than 1954 despite this intense beat.
The middlewest andt Atlantic sea-
board keys were particularly handi-
capped by a series of heat waves
that were not halted until the last
few days of the month.

“Not As A Stranger" (tJA) swept
into first place in July, according
to Variety correspondents in some
23 representative key,, cities. The
medico pic held in top spot . two
weeks running and was second the
other two/winding the month with
a grbss of nearly $1*300,000.

“Seven Year Itch” (20th),. which
was fourth in June, lived up to Its
high, rating of the final two weeks
that month -and finished second.
“Lady and Tramp". -(BV) copped
third position - although never
finishing first all month. However,
it ran nearly neck-’n’-neck with
“Itch.” Had the night business for
this Walt Disney cartoon feature
held up close to matinee trade it
probably would have fared better.

“Seven Little Foys" (Par)-
finished fourth although never ris-
ing. above this place in national
weekly ratings. “Cinerama Holi-
day” (Indie) wound up fifth, same
spot that it held in June,

“Love Me Or Leave Me" (M-G),
which was second in June and only
a step out of first place, copped
sixth money. “Land of Pharaohs"
(WB) was seventh although not
holding 'up as well as expected on
holdover weeks.

“We’re No Angels"- (Par) man-
aged to land eighth position despite
the fact that it was just getting
under way as the month ended, It
was closely followed by “House of
Bamboo" (20th), which was ninth.

“Cinerama” (Indie) took 10th
spot. It was ninth *in June. “Inter-
rupted Melody" (M-G), slow in get-
ting started in the previous month,
pushed ahead via some more play-
dates to take 11th position in July.
“Foxfire" (U), a newie*. showed
enough to finish 12th.

“Marty" (UA), which was' 10th
in June, displayed sufficient stam-
ina to head the list of runner-up
pix. “Cobweb" (M-G),. a fairly new
entry, and “This Island Earth"
(U) were the other two runner-up
films. Last-named was seventh in
June.

Metro’s film is the biggest to
venture into the Black Hills area,
but Universal and Paramount have
preceded M-G with pictures deal-
ing with frontier days. The pres-
ence . of film stars is no longer a
novelty to the Black Hills natives.
While they may no longer accept
them with the all-out hero worship
of other cities, they are acutely
aware of their presence and realize
what they, mean to the region..

The teenage autograph fans are
no less starry eyed than their ’more
aggressive counterparts in other
regions. However, they show a de-
gree of decorum and politeness
that makes it easier for the. stars
to work and live in a relaxed man-
ner despite the ruggedness of the
location terrain.

Currently at the height of its
tourist season, Rapid City was able
to offer its visitors another attrac-
tion ih addition to the many that
already exist in the area. The
sight-seeing busses visiting Custer
State Park Were able to stop at a
Metro location at Sylvan Lake to
observe Brooks directing Robert
Taylor, Stewart Granger, Lloyd
Nolan, Anne Bancroft and Russ
Tamblyn in scenes from Milton
Lott’s prize-winning novel. They
also eyed the stars having lunch
at an outdoor picnic area. As an
added thrill, they saw Jean Sim-
mons (Mrs. Stewart Granger) who
had come up to join her husband
^t the location site. .•

“Mister Roberts” (WB # ) was not
included in the past month’s list-
ings because -the pic was only out
in release two weeks and the first
of them was for only a few scat-
tered dates. It was third the initial
week on release and first the final
session in July.

Another newcomer, “How To Be
Very, Very Popular" (20th), wound
up eighth the lone week it was in
distribution. It .was inclined to be
uneven this single stanza. “The
Shrike" (U), still doing solidly
in fourth week at the N.Y. Vic-
toria as the month wound- up, also
started put smash in Philly.

“Phenix City. Story” (AA) was
great on initial playdate in Chi.
“Man From Laramie" (Col), also
new, was rated sock in Washington.

“Private War of Major Benson"
(li), another newcomer, was doing
the best biz of any pic since the
first of the year at two Boston
houses as the month ended. It had
previously opened lofty .in K.C.
“You’re Never Too Young" (Par),
likewise a newie, was lusty in L.A.
ar.d great in Frisco.”

“Davy Crockett”. (BV), which
was eight in June* finished ninth
one week in July but obviously
had completed the bulk of big city
playdates early in the past month.
“Purple Mask" (U) showed enough
to take a 10th place another week;
iii, July.

“The Kentuckian" (UA) was a
smash on its initial engagement in
Chi where it opened with a stage-
show. “Svengali" (M-G) started out
with a stout week in Boston.

* “Came From Beneath Sea" (Col)
turned in some nifty to giant
grosses a couple of different weeks.
“Green Magic" (IFE) chipped in
with some big to good totals play-
ing in arty theatres. “Wizard of
Oz" (M-G) (reissue) had some neat
to sturdy playdates once it got
started out. in ranres^tative dates.

“Dam Busters" (WB) was in-
clined to spottiness* being light-
weight in some keys and hefty in
others. “One Desire" (U) varied
from good to modest. “Summer-
time" TUA), on its initial playdate
at the N.Y. Astor, continued in the
chips in its sixth round.

$1 ,000,000 Theatre (And
Bowling Arcade) Thought
1st in West Since 1951

Seattle Aug. 2.

John Danz, president of Sterling
Theatres Inc., has purchased a
large tract about eight miles south
of Seattle, and will soon build a
2,000 seat hardtop. It’s believed first
conventional theatre to be built on
the west coast in four years. Will
cost over $1,000,000 inclusive of a
bowling alley and a restaurant as
well and ample parking. It will be
known as the Lewis & Clark Cen-
ter.

Northgate, built by Danz in 1951,
is believed to be the last similar
investment in the Pacific coast
area. Sterling string currently
numbers 25 theatres in Washing-
ton and Oregon, most of them in
Seattle, six of them drive-ins. . In-
cluded are two drive-ins in the
Los Angeles area.

John Graham & Sons, Seattle,
are the architects. Design is by
A. B. Heinsbergen Co. of Holly-
wood. Will be geared for Cinema-
Scope, Todd-AO and VistaVision.

Clark Service Adds 2

“Detroit, Aug. 2.

Two drive-ins, the new 650-car
Bel Air. at Jackson, owned by Jay
and Jack Phillips, and the Dixie in
Monroe, owned by Jack Phillips and
Associates, have switched their ac-
counts from Cooperative Theatres
of Michigan to Clark Theatre Serv-
ice.

Clark also will handle buying
and booking for the State Theatre,
in the College town of Olivet, re-
cently purchased by Richard L.
Pier, new in the exhib field. Ten-
year-old theatre was acquired from
its builder, Earl London. Pier is
installing CinemaScope and refur-
bishing theatre. > > •

Location Party Spent $306,000

Metro’s ‘Last Hunt’ Enriched Local Suppliers And
Delighted Tourists on .Vacation

iECQE

V I

Warner Bros:

WORLD PREMIERE
AT THE FOX THEATRE
SAN FRANCISCO !

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mmmm wtmm

mmummai esnsxm JUtttMiMnr

WarnerColor

ALSO STARRING

JAMES WHITMORE • Screen Play by TED SHERDEMAN

Wednesday, August $, 1955

rJtit&MiL

Jr* ,

HE GIRL WITH THE

LAUGHING EYES AND THE GUY WHO

, • *
k •»

WROTE HISTQRY IN THE SKIES.

To the roar of the Sabre-Jets, the true and

♦. * «

tender story of Capt. Joe McConnell,
the ‘Sky-Tiger’ who became America’s
first Triple Jet Ace — and of ‘Butch,’
the beautiful bundle of courage

who became his wife.

«A.

n*. A ; .-'

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•: -•c*sw2N.

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ONLY
{LIFK ITSELF

COULD
WRITE IT
60 REAL- I

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ONLY WARNER BROS
MAKERS OF
*BATTLE CRYV
COULD MAKE IT
SO THRILLING I

/<■*• v;

Stereophonic sound

and. SAM ROLFE • Music by Max Steiner •' Produced by HENRY BLANKE • Directed by GORDON DOUGLAS

16 , PICTURES

9 ' *

Hollywood Production Pulse

ALLIED ARTISTS

Starts, This Y«ar. ........ 16

This Date, Last Year 16

"THE TOUGHEST MAN ALIVE"

Prod.— William F. Broidy
Dir.— Sidney Salkow ^ ■

Dane Clark.- LIta Milan. Myrna Dell.
Anthony Caruso. Richard * Karlin.
Laurie Mitchell
(Started July 19)

"WORLD WITHOUT END"

Prod.— Richard Hermance
Dir.-r-Edward Bernds
Hugh Marlowe, Nancy Gates. Lisa i Mon-
tell, Mickey ^lrapson, Shawn Smith,
Rod Taylor .

(Started July 21) .

"SHACK UP ON 101"

Exec. Prod.— William F. Broidy
Prod. — Mort Millman .

Dir. — Edward Deln

Terry Moore, Frank Lovejoy, Lee Mar-
vin, Keenan Wynn, Len Lesser
(Started Aug. 1)

COLUMBIA

Starts, This Year. .24
This Date, Lost Year .-. .... 18

"44 SOHO SQUARE"

(Film Locations. Ltd.)

(Columbia Release)

(Shooting in London)

Exec. Prod. — Mike Frankovich
Prod. — George Maynard
Dir. — Vernon Sewell
Faith Domergue, Lee Patterson^ Martin
Benson

(Started July 4)

"BATTLE STATIONS"

Prod. — Bryan Foy
Dir. — Lew "Seiler .

John Lund, William Bendix, Keefe Bras-
selle, Richard .Boone, William Leslie,
Eddie Foy 3d, Jame'6 Lydon, Chris
‘ RandaU
(Started July 6)

"TAMBOURINE"

Prods. — Howard Welsch, Harry Tatle-
man

Dir.— Nicholas Ray . .

Jane RusseU, Cornel Wilde, Luther
Adler, Joseph Calleia, James Russell,
Mikhail Rasumny, Wally RusseU, Nina
Koshetz

(Started July 18)

"GAMMA PEOPLE"

(Warwick Productions)

(Columbia' Release)

(Shooting in Austria)

Exec. Prods. — Irving Alleh, A. R. Broc-
coli

Prod.— rJohn' Gossage
Dir. — John Gilling
Paul Douglas, Eva Bartok
(Started July 25)

"LAW OF GUNSIGHT PASS"

Prod. — Wallace MacDonald
Dir. — Fred F, Sears '

David Brian, NeviUe 'Brand, Richard
Long, Lisa Davis, Frank Fenton,
Addison Richards, Joe Porte, Percy
Helton, Guy Teague
(Started July 28)

"JUBAL TROOP"

Prod. — William Fadiman
Dir. — Delmar Daves
Glenn Ford, Ernest Borgnine, Rod
Steiger, Valerie French, Felicia Farr,
Ba6U Ruysdael, Charles Bronson,
Noah Berry, Jr., Jack Elam, Robert
Knapp, John Dlerkes, Junie Ellis, Don
Harvey

(Started July 28)

METRO

Starts, This Year I ?

This Date,J.ast Year . ..... 70

"I'LL CRY TOMORROW"

Prod. — Lawrence Weingarten
Dir. — Daniel Mann

Susan Hayward, Richard Conte, Eddie
Albert, Jo Van Fleet, Don Taylor,
Ray Danton
(Started June 15)

"THE TENDER TRAP"

Prod. — Lawrence Weingarten
Dir. — Charles Walters
Frank Sinatra, Debbie Reynolds, David
Wayne, Celeste Holm, Carolyn Jones,
Jarma Lewis, Lola Albright, Willard
Sage, Howard St. John, Joey Fay
(Started June 24)

"THE LAST HUNT"

Dir. — Richard Brooks
Robert Taylor, Stewart Granger, Lloyd
Nolan* Russ Tamblyn, Anne Bancroft
(Started July 13)

PARAMOUNT

Starts, This Year . ....... . 8

This Date, Last Year . . ... .71

"the Ten commandments"

Prod.-Dlr.— Cecil B. DeMille
Assoc, Prod.— Henry Wilcoxon
Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Ann<
Baxter, Yvonne DeCarlo, Debra Paget
Judith Anderson, Edward G. Robin
son, Sir Cedric Hardwlcke, Vincen
Price, John Carradlnc, John Derek
Olive Deering, Martha Scott. Julia
Faye, Henry Wilcoxon, Douglas Dum
bnlle, Ian Keith, Frank DeKova
Peter Hanson, Donald Curtis, H. B
Warner, Joan Woodbury* John Mil
jan, Joyce Vanderveeh
• (Started Oct, 14)

"THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH"

Prori.-Dir. — Alfred Hitchcock
Assoc. Prod.— Herbert Coleman
James Stewart, Doris Day, Chris Olsen,
Bernard Miles, Ralph Truman, Brenda
De Banzie, Daniel Gelin, Reggie Nai-
ler* Betty Baskcomb, Alan Mowbray,
Mogens Wieth, Audelhak Chraibl, Pat
Aherne

(Started May 12)

"THE GEORGE GOBEL COMEDY"

(Gomalco Productions)

Prod. — Paul Jones
Dir. — Norman Taurog
George Gobel, Mitzl Gaynor, Davii
Niven, Fred Clark, Reginald Gardinei
Harry Bellaver, Torben Meyer, Pegg;
Moffitt, King Donovan
(Started July 11)

"THI PROUD AND PROFANE"

(Shooting in Virgin Islands)

Prod. — William Perlberg
Dir.— George Seaton • .

William Holden, Deborah Kerr, Dewey
Martin, Thelma Ritter, Marlon Ross,
Ann Morris*, Nancy Sinatra, Ross
Bugdasarlan, William Redfleld, Ger-
aldine HaU, Evelyn Cotton
(Started July 16)

RKO

Starts, This Year. M

This Date, Last Year . 4

"GLORY"

(David Butler Production)

(RKO Release)

Prod.-Dlr.— David Butler .

Margaret O’Brien, Charlotte Greenwood,
Walter Brennan, John Lupton, By-
ron Palmer, Lisa Davis, Gus Schilling,
Theron Jackson, Hugh Sanders, Wal-
ter Baldwin
(Started July 6)

"SLIGHTLY SCARLET"

(Ben' Bogeaus Productions)

Prod. — Ben Bogeaus
Assoc. Prod.— George Moskov
Dir. — Allan Dwan

John Payne, Rhonda Fleming* Arlene
Dahl, Kent Taylor, Lance Fuller, Ted
de. Corsla, Buddy Baer, George E.
Stone .

CRtnrtpd JulV 18)

REPUBLIC

Starts, This Year 9

This Date, Last Year . ..... 3

20th CENTURY-FOX

Starts, This Year ..72

This Date, Last Year 8

'GOOD MORNING, MISS DOVE"

Prod.— Samuel G. Engel
Dir, — Henry. Koster ,

Jennifer Jones, Robert Stack. Kipp
Hamilton, Robert . Douglas, _P eggy
Knudsort, Biff Elliott, Mary Wickes,
Chuck Connors. Ted.Marc, Jerry Paris
(Started July 13)

UNIVERSAL

Starts, This Year. 79

This Date, Last Year. ... .*. 17

'THE'BENNY GOODMAN STORY"

Prod. — Aaron Rosenberg
Dir. — Valentine Davies
Steve Allen, Donna Reed* Berta Ger-
sten, Barry Truex, Harry James, Ben
Pollack, Gene Krupa, Lionel Hamp-
ton, Teddy Wilson, Herbert Anderson,
Robert F. Simon, Sammy Davis Jr.,
Martha Tilton, Hy Averback
(Started July 1)

'RED SUNDOWN"

Prod.— rAlbcrt Zugsmith
Dir.— Jack Arnold

Rory Calhoun, Martha Hyer, Dean Jag-
ger, Robert. Middleton, James 1 Milli-
can, Lita Baron, Trevor Bardette, Da-
vid Kasday, Steve Darrell
(Started July 11)

«A DAY OF FURY"

Prod.— Robert Arthur
Dir. — Harmon Jones
Dale Robertson, Mara Corday, Jock
Mahoney, Carl Benton Reid, Jan
Merlin, Sheila Bramley. Dayton Lum-
mis

(Started July 22)

WARNER BROS.

Starts, This Year. 73

This Date, Last Year. .... .10

"GIANT"

Prods. — George Stevens, Henry Gins-
berg

Dir. — George Stevens
Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James
Dean, Jane Withers, Chill Wills. Mer-
cedes • McCambridge, Judith Evelyn,
Paul Fix, Carroll Baker, Dennis Hop-
per, Robert Nichols, Rodney Taylor
(Started May 19)

"THE COURT-MARTIAL OF BILLY
MITCHELL"

Prod. — Milton Sperling
Dir.— Otto Preminger
Gary Cooper, Ralph Bellamy, Charles
Bickford, Rod Steiger, Fred Clark,
Herbert Heyes, Elizabeth Montgom-
ery, Jack Lord
(Started June 18)

"OUR MISS BROOKS"

Prod, — David Weisbart
Dir. — A1 Lewis

Eve Arden, Robert Rockwell, Jane Mor-
gan, Gale Gordon, Gloria McMillan,
Richard Crenna, Leonard Smith, Dick
Adams

(Started July. 26)

INDEPENDENT

"1984"

(Holiday Productions)

(Columbia Release)

(Shooting In London)

Exec. Prod.— N.- Peter Rathvon
Prod. — John Croydon
Dir. — Michael Anderson
Edmond. O'Brien, Michael Redgrave,
Jan Sterling
(Started May 31)

"THE SEARCHERS"

(C. V. Whitney Pictures, Inc.)

(Warners Release)

Prod. — Merian C. Cooper
Dir. — John Ford

John Wayne, Jeff Hunter, Ward Bond,
Natalie Wood, Lana Lisa Wood, Ken
Curtis, John Qualen, Olive Carey,
Henry Brandon, Harry Carey Jr.,
Hank Warden, William Steele, Pippo
Scott, Robert Lyden*‘ Beulah Archu-
letta, Antonio Moreno, Cliff Lyons,
Vera Miles, Walter Coy
(Started June 18)

"FOREIGN INTRIGUE"

(Sheldon Reynolds Productions)

(UA .Release).

(Shooting In Stockholm)

Prod.-Dlr. — Sheldon Reynolds
Robert Mitchum, Genevieve Page
(Started July 1)

Kansas Ban of ‘Moon’

To U.S. Supreme Court

Kansas City, Aug. 2.

The continuing struggle over
censorship of “The Moon Is Blue”
has entered yet another phase with
the announcement by Holmby
Productions Inc., producer, that it
is asking the United States Su-
preme Court to order- the Kansas
Board of Review (state film censor
group) to permit showing of the
picture,

“Moon” has been kept off the
screens of theatres in Kansas while
the censor group, state legal
bodies, the legislature and film in-
dustry groups have haggled more
than a year over the board’s right
to ban the film. Thohgh both the
Wyandotte County District Court
and the state legislature attempted
to clip the board’s wings, it has
made the ban stick up to now.

Struggle took on a cliffhanger
aspect when a ruling by the State
Supreme Court late in June saved
the board from death at the hands
of the legislature. Before that the
three-woman board had been over-
ruled by the district court, only to
have that ruling set aside by the
State Supreme Court.

Current move is an appeal
against the recent ruling of the
Kansas court which stated the act
of the legislature In abandoning
the board was unconstitutional be-
cause it combined two unrelated
measures in a single act.

Hojmby is resorting to the' first
and 14th amendments to the Con-
stitution, alleging the censor board
action violated the rights of free-
dom of speech and due process of
law. Notice of an appeal to the
nation’s highest court has been
served on A. J. Stanley, Jr., attor-
ney for the board.

Council of Motion Picture Or-
ganizations is pushing for > new
financing, primarily to pay for the

Audience Awards poll upon which
the organization already is em-
barked and, secondly, to back a
new drive for totgl elimination of
the Federal admissions tax,

Trade execs figure on raising
about $250,000, half of which would
be in the form of dues from thea-
tres with the other half forthcom-
ing from member companies of the
Motion Picture Assn, of America.
Latter outfits in past have matched
exhib contributions ' dollar for
dollar and expectedly will do the
same this year. COMPO made no
money pitch last year, its treasury
accounts having been sufficient to
sustain the operation.

Drive for exhib dues is set for
next month, theatremen being
asked to donate on the basis of
seating capacity. Formula provides
for the payment of "$7.50 for each
hpuse seating up to 500; $11.25 for
up to 750 seats; $18.75 for up to
1,000 seats; $37.50 for up to 2,500
seats, and $75 for capacity over
.2,500. Drive-in dues is similarly
scaled, beginning at $7.50 for up
to 300-car capacity. Salesmen from
the picture companies Will canvass
theatremen for the dues checks.

Robert W. Coyne, COMPO
special counsel, explained the
Audience Awards setup at a meet-
ing of. the MPA A board in N. Y,
last week. Directorate took no
formal action concerning a pledge
of dues money but, it’s anticipated,
the COMPO coin will be forthcom-
ing from MPAA when the exhib
income rolls In. COMPO now has
about $78,000 in its treasury.

Drive for complete abolition of
the administrations levy is not
likely before near the end of this
year. Meanwhile, COMPO is en-
deavoring to maintain its legisla-
tive contacts.

(Pontl-de Laurcntiis Productions)
(Paramount Release)

(Shooting in Rome)

Prod. — Dino de Laurentlis <

Dir.— King Vidor
Audrey Hepburn* Henry Fonda,
Ferrer, Milly Vitale, Barry J
.Jeremy Brett, May Britt
(Started July 4)

"TRAPEZE" .

(Heeht-Lancaster Productions)

(UA Release)

(Shooting in Paris)

Prod — James Hill
Dir. — Sir Cjirol. Reed
B H rt „ Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Gina
Lollobngida, Katy Jurado, Thomas
Gomez, Johnny Puleo
(Started Aug, 1)

_ . t

Wednesday, A ttgugft 3, 1955

Attendance for the first time will be a factor in determining
the results of a circuit drive.

In launching its Jack P. Harris drive, Walter Reade Theatres
will rate its managers’ performance not only by attendance but
also on the basis of gross, exploitation and advertising, concession
sales and theatre operations. '

Circuit has allocated $4,000 as prize money for distribution
among its 40 managers. Attendance rates a high score due to the
realization on the part of circuit execs that the building of audi-
ences today is one of the most important aims of a manager.

Europe’s Got Magic Answers Yet?

Levy of TOA on Fact-Finding Prowl as Exhibs
Seek Rental Control Data

Thompson, 21-Man Crew,
Hit Texas for ‘7 Wonders’

Kilgore, Tex., Aug. 2.

Walter Thompson, a director for
the forthcoming Cinerama produc-
tion, “Seven Wpnders of the
World” arrived here on Friday (29)
heading a motorcade which includ-
ed a 21-man crew currently shoot-
ing the American sequences of the
attraction.

A sequence will be shot here of
the Kilgore Rangerettes and Band.
The group after completion of the
filming will continue on to Sault
Ste. Marie, Mich.

Warn 'Academy Award’
Covered By Copyright;
Not for Ladies’ Slips

Hollywood, Aug. 2.

Warning to desist from commer-
cial use of the “Oscar” statuette
or fhe term ''Academy Award” was
served to manufacturers and re-
tailers by Academy prexy George
Seaton last week. Seaton pointed
out that the “Oscar” is both copy-
righted and registered by the
Academy as its trademark, and
that manufacture, advertising or
sale of products bearing replicas
of the figure constitutes copyright
and trademark infringement and
is legally classed as unfair com-
petition.

The Academy prexy cited a re-
cent U. S. Court of Customs and
Patent Appeals decision in his
warning. The court held that a
manufacturer of- ladles’ and girls’
slips had wrongfully registered
“Academy Award” „as a trademark
and ruled that the manufacturer
could not use the term, thus con-
firming the Academy’s prior own-
ership.

Metro’s Promotional Brass
Seeing Next Year’s Films

Hollywood, Aug. 2.

Metro teed off its 1955-56 pro-
duction with Dore Schary playing
host to promotional execs and
sales chiefs for four days of con-
ferences.

Gathered for the confabs are Ar-
thur M. Loevv, Charles Reagan,
Howard Dietz, Si ‘ Seadler, E. M.

; Saunders, Hillis Cass, John Byrne,
Burtus Bishop, Jr., John Allen,
Rudolph Berger, John Maloney,
George Rickey and William
Schneider.

Visitors will be shown previews
of “It’s Always Fair Weather,”
“Trial,” “Quentin Durward,” “The
Bar Sinister” and “Kismet.” They
will also, view footage from ‘Til
Cry Tomorrow,” “The Last Hunt,”
“The Tender Trap” “Diane,” and
“Forever, Darling,” films still in
production.

JACKTER DUBIOUS

Arbitration of Rentals Too
Elusive For Set Principles

Minneapolis, Aug. 2.

While visiting here, Rube Jack-
ter, Columbia assistant sales man-
ager, expressed the view that
Allied -States’ proposal for arbi-
tration of film rentals in situa-
tions grossing $1,000 and less per
week is unlikely to eventuate.

Jackter believes it would be
impossible to devise a “workable”
arbitration plan satisfactory tq all
the parties concerned because too
many obstacles interpose. Each
situation Will have to be treated
Individually, as hitherto, in his
opinion.

His own company realizes the
small exhibitors’ plight and. is pre-
pared to render all possible as-
sistance, Jackter said.

American exhibitors, looking for
ways and means of curbing what
they consider “excessive”’ rental
demands by’ the distribs, seem
to be intrigued by the system of
rental ceilings (government en-
forced) prevailing in many Eu-
ropean countries.

Herman M. Levy, general coun-
sel of Theatre Owners of America,
leaving today (Wed.) for Europe
aboard the Queen Elizabeth, let
it be known that he planned to do
a complete survey of “the methods
and procedures now in effect in
the various European countries
pertaining to film rental ceilings
and trade practices.” *

The Allied’s bbard’s recent “De-
claration of Policy,” issued in
Washington, also did some heavy
pointing to Europe and restrictions
in force there, saying that condi-
tions prevailing on the Continent
could be expected to influence the
thinking and attitudes of Congress-
men.

Charging the film companies
with having “withheld” this in-
formation from exhibs, the Allied
statement pointed out that in “vir-
tually all European countries there
is some form of government-im-
posed ceiling on film rentals and
in some there is what amounts to
compulsory arbitration of film
rentals; under these regulations
• . . the foreign exhibitors are
prosperous and happy.”

May Affiliate

While in Europe, Levy also will
study possible TOA affiliation with
the Union Internationale de l’Ex-
ploitation Cinematographique and
will huddle with reps of the Cine-
matograph Exhibitors Assn, of Bri-
tain and Ireland. The TOA counsel
intends to have discussions with
the British Board .of Censors and
with -directors of the'ISady Fund,
presumably in line with TOA’s
production financing plans. “As a
means of alleviating the product
shortage,” Levy will survey facili-
ties and products of indie European
producers.

Observers are noting with in-
terest the fact 0 that American ex-
hibitors appearently are shedding
their almost traditional insularity
and are beginning— voluntarily or
by force of circumstances— to think
in global terms. Examples are the.
statements made* by Harry Brandt,
circuit operator, on his return from
Europe, when he urged his col-
leagues to play European product,
and the activities of Walter Reade
who is getting heavier into foreign
film distribution.

There's an intriguing angle— and
for foreign industryites undoubt-
edly a confusing one — in Allied
and TOA showing such positive
interest in restrictions imposed on
American films abroad by local
governments. Where the exhibs are
making it clear that they consider
such government action a fine
thing, the distribs are complaining
loudly that it’s just such obstacles
that impede free trade as advo-
cated by the U.S.

Two Caps for Jasen

Minneapolis, Aug. 2.

Philip R. Jasen, “Cinerama”
publicist here since March, 1954,

has been promoted given the added
assignment of managing director
of “Cinerama Holiday” at the Cen-
tury Theatre.

He’s the only man in the “Cine-
rama” 14-city circuit to hold the
dual managing director-public re-
lations director role.

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

wCV w *

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SO EXPLOSIVE Tokyo couldn’t hide-it.. Washington couldn’t hold

* ^ 1 p

it back! Authentically filmed where it happened with the cooperation of the
U. S. Army Far East, the Japanese Government and the Tokyo Metropoli-

tan Police!

SO DIFFERENT as it dares to reveal the gripping love story of an

■'-> t>

American soldier and a forbidden Kimono Girl. ..who helped crack the
terror of renegade ex-GIs in the Tokyo underworld that rivals the old
“Chicago” days!

i *

SO STARTLING in scenic beauty as CinemaScope plunges you into

the exotic . heart of Japan to surpass the thrill-filled sights of Rome in

» ‘ 0

“Three Coins in the Fountain” and the exciting vistas of Hong Kong in
“Soldier of Fortune”!

20tH Century-Fox presents A „0»»l |V| EM aSCOP^ Picture

HOUSE OF BAMBOO starring ROBERT RYAN • ROBERT STACK
SHIRLEY YAAAAGUCHI -CAMERON MITCHELL with Sessue Hayakawa
Sandro Giglio • Produced by BUDDY ADLER • Directed and Additional
Dialogue by SAMUEL FULLER • Written by HARRY KLEINER - COLOR by DELUXE

f “It** a
pleasure to
do business
with 20thl”

PICTURES

PTSSBSff

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

U.S. Fib Companies Sales Pool

Limited American distribution*
coalition in Yugoslavia, the last ac-
tive remnant of the old Motion
Picture Expart Assn, policy which
once operated in 12 countries, is
about to break up.

Foreign managers at the MPEA
in N.Y. yesterday (Tues.) discussed
the pros and cons of continuing in
Yugoslavia hi a body. Several dls-
tribs, including Universal, have
notified MPEA that, next year,
they’d prefer going it oh their own

in Yugoslavia. ■

Metro, Republic and United Art-
ists already have bolted ancW
weren’t included hi the last MPEA
deal with the Yugoslavs which in-
volved 60 pix at an average of $4,-
500 per pic. Metro sold Belgrade
25 films at, the same prices.

Yugoslav rep is expected ip N.Y.
soon and very likely will be- faced
by a company decision to make in-
dividual deals. It's believed Jikely
that, in such a case, the Yugoslavs
will establish a permanent pur-
chasing rep in N. Y. . .

Companies last year, when Met-
ro decided to do a solo in Yugo-
slavia, already had their suspicions
that the arrangement wouldttt
work. However, they went along.
Next year, it’s almost certain that
the distribs will make their deals
outside the MPEA frame. Nego-
tiations with the Yugoslavs sd far
have been carried on by the
MPEA’s Herbert Erlanger.

MPEA, as an active distributor
for all the American companies, at
one time was authorized to^oper-
ate in 13 countries, but it never
did get Into Russia. Areas in
which MPEA was active under Irv-
ing Maas, then its general mana-
ger, were confined to the occupied
- nations (Austria, Germany and
Japan) and to the Red satellites!

TORONTO’S FILM MUST:
ALL ADS CENSORED

Toronto, Aug. 2.

On squawks of women’s and
church groups on some current
amusement page film advertising
O. J. Silverthorne, Censorship
Board chairman, has sent exhibi-
tors a written warning that “in fu-
ture, the next exhibitor who makes
up his own advertisements and
doesn’t first submit them to the
Board, according to present regu-
lations, is going to be prosecuted
under the Theatres Act.

Serious view of the^' Censorship
Board is that some exhibitors have
not only been running uncensored
ads but have been cutting up and
altering censored ads. Motion Pic-
ture Theatres Ass’n has strongly
advised all theatre operators to
heed the warning.

ASKING AUDIENCES AUG. 15

3,600 Theatre Collecting Fund*
For Will Rogers Hospital

Over .3,600 theatres, including
numerous circuits around the
country will take Up audience
collections Aug. 15 for the benefit
of the Will Rogers Memorial
Hospital, Saranac, N. Y. t according
to S. H; (Si) Fabian, who’s chairing
the drive for funds. Additional
pledges to cooperate are coming in.
daily, he said.

The Saranac institution is fos-
tered by the film business for
victims of tuberculoisis in any
branch of the entertainment Biz.

WIDENING OF STREETS
FORCES FRONT LIFTS

Minneapolis, Aug. 2.

Because the street on . which
they’re located is being widened
and resurfaced, four Minneapolis
neighborhood theatres will have
to alter their exteriors and cano-
pies at an estimated total $100,000
cost so that they’ll not encroach
On the thoroughfare.

Aldermen rejected a United
Paramount Theatres’ request to al-
low the firm' to* continue to main-
tain the Rialto, one of the houses
involved, in its present location
until it can be remodeled or torn
down and theatre will be altered
to meet the city’s requirements.

Hollywood, Aug. 2 ,

■ Paramount gave Michael Curtiz,

direction of “Maverick” ... Re-
public renewed Anna 'Maria Al-
berghetti for another year . . .
Wayne Morris set for George Mis-
ter’s “The Dynamiters” in England
. » , Jay Robinson to appear in one
picture a year for seven years at
20th-Fox . . . Jack Palance bought
screen rights to “Gentleman Jack-
son,” a tale of early prize fighting
in England . . . Scott Douglaxdrew
a role in Benedict Bogeaus’ “Scar-
let Lady” at RKO . ^ . Robert Den-
nis writing an original 'Screenplay,!
“Little Big Shot,” for Republic . , .
George Axelrod- signed to script
the William Inge play, “Bus Stop,”
at 20th-Fox . . . Ruth Roman will
play one of the two femme star
roles opposite Robert Stack in Ed-
mund Grainger’s “Great Day In
the Morning” for RKO release.

. Bonita Granville plays the top
femme role in Warners’ screen
version of “The Lone Ranger” . . .
Columbia assigned Wallace Mac-
Donald to produce “The Mine
With the Iren Door,” based on the
old, old Harold Bell Wright novel
. . . Budd Boetticher will direct
“The Killer Is Loose” for Crown
Productions with Joseph Cotten,
Rhonda Fleming and Wendell
Corey in top roles . . . Ellis Carter
sighed a three-picture cinematog-
rapher contract at U . . . Peggy
Knudson will play a nurse in
“Good Morning, Miss Dove” at
20th-Fox, replacing Mary Castle,
who is ill . . . Irving Kaye drew a
featured part in the George Gobel
comedy at Paramount . . Frank
Krieg joined the cast of “I’ll Cry
Tomorrow” at Metro.

TAPE TO FOREIGN SALES

?Qth’s 1955 Drive O’Seal
To Exceed Goal

»♦♦♦♦+ »»»t »»»♦♦♦ tt ♦ ♦ »»♦♦ »♦♦♦♦♦+ ♦♦♦♦♦»♦« ♦♦♦♦»♦

Clips From Film Row

50 - Year House Quits

Pen Argyl, Pa., Aug. 2.

This town of 4,000 is without a
film parlor for the first time in
50 years as result of the Liberty
theatre* dated 1905, closing down.
Building is up sale.

Harold DeWalt, one of the thea-
tre’s owners, blamed competition
from television and drive-ins for
decision to quit.

Boston Bor Films

Continued from page 7

“made in the continental manner
with little regard for our way of
living.”

Attorney Leonard Paretsky who
appeared as advocate of the Tri-
mount license discounted competi-
tion with film theatres. The pic
tures would be very old to start
with and innocuous in content. He
said they had . been (again the
Boston propaganda angle) “shown
in schools, convents and at church
groups.”

Meanwhile, pending decision by
the Boston Licensing Board, Miss
Mary Driscoll, the chairman
warned all liquor establishments
not to exhib films without
license to do so. “Continuance
of this practice will endanger your
liquor franchise,” she said.

Commented one councilman
Edward J. McCormack, “If there
Is some way to control this film
activity, it might prove a sobering
influence on barroom customers
and in many cases discourage
heated discussions.”

CHICAGO

Universal publicist Ben Katz
back to his Chi exchange office
after eight-week absence drum-
beating in the Manhattan, Kan.,
area for the “Private War of Ma-
jor” preem there held on July 21.

Promotion schemes for nabe
showings of “Lady and the Tramp”
(BV) include a co-op promotion
with Pard dog food .

Last Sunday (31) Chi’s Esquire
Theatre, in conjunction with Coun-
cil of Church Women of Greater
Chicago and Chicago Committee
for American Indians, opened a
two-week, one man art exhibit of
the works of Walter Richard West,
an American Indian, in the thea-
tre’s art gallery. *

ALBANY

Kirk Douglas, who became a
member of Albany Variety Club at
a testimonial dinner in Sheraton-
Ten Eyck Hotel last March, sent
a check last week for $250 to the
Heart Fund. It was forwarded by
Charles Simonelli, Universal East-
ern publicity and exploitation di-
rector,

Douglas. was born in neighboring
Amsterdam.

Peter Papayanakos, operator of
the Rialto in Potsdam, opened the
400-car Route 56 Drive-in, be-
tween Potsdam and Massena. Built
at a cost of $75,000, it has :two-
story concession building and
booth. The projecting is from the
second floor to provide ah easier
throw and better vision. Don
Parisian, formerly of the Rialto
staff and a Clarkson Technology
student, is manager. Upstate The-
ates, Inc., buys and books the
AiifdoAr soot

Y ~About 60 drive-ins are now op-
erated in the exchange district.

MINNEAPOLIS

“Rock ’n Roll. Revue,” film fea-
ture with all-Negro cast, into RKO
Orpheum here for single midnight
showing July 28.

“Doctor in House” held fifth
week at local nabe World where
it’s having firstrun here.

North Central Allied board of
directors meeting this week to hear
"President Bennie Berger tell of
failure to obtain film rental relief
through Allied-TOA joint commit-
tee confabs with film company
executives and also about plans to
obtain government intervention.

New $750,000 Lucky Twin
drivein theatre, which has been
unsuccessfully seeking a firstrun
playing position day-date with
Minneapolis and St. Paul downtown
four-wall houses, now admitting
cars filled to capacity for $1 Mon-
days through Thursdays. Other
ozoners in this area have limited

such “buck nights” to one a week.

Maurice Katz, brother of the
late Harry Katz, who was Suburban
World manager here, has joined
the local Abe Fisher theatre circuit
in an executive capacity..

In raving over “Mister Roberts”
as “film of the week,” Bob Murphy,
Minneapolis Sunday Tribune film
critic, concluded: “Come to think
of it, with ‘Roberts’ and one thing
and another, I’ve never seen a
summer like this for films that
were loaded.”

Ward Bentley, United Artists’
exploiteer, in town to handle “Not
as a Stranger” campaign'

L. E. Goldhammer, Allied Art-
ists’ eastern sales manager, in from
New York to set up “Wichita” with
United Paramount circuit.

PITTSBURGH

Recorded messages to the field
from homeoffice and studio execs
and stars are being used by 20th-
Fox as a novel gimmick to spark
its foreign 1955 “$50,000,000

Drive."

Idea was inaugurated by drive
captain Leslie F„ WhqLm, 20th-
Intl. ad-pub topper. Messages are
recorded on tape and then trans-
ferred ta, records which are
shipped to 20th’s foreign super-
visors and managers.

According to Whelan, who’s
heading up his T3th consecutive
international drive, Murray Silver-
stone, .20th-Fox Inti, prexy, ex-
pects to wind the year with $52,-
000,000 in foreign billings. Sales
push ends Dec. 31, 1955.

1 > 1 ■ ■ ! *

FILMS VERY POPULAR
IN VENEZUELA REPORT

Washington, Aug. 2.
Motion pictures are overwhelm-
ingly the most popular entertain-
ment and recreation in Venezuela,
that nation’s Ministry of Develop-
ment reports.

Statistics gathered in a canvass
of' cities and towns of over 5,000
population, shows that in 1954
they had 205,511 recreational
shows, with total attendance of
42,424,306, says Nathan D. Golden,
chief of motion pictures for the
U.S. Department of Commerce.

No less than 98% of the shows
and 94% of the total attendance
were accounted for by motion pic-
ture theatres. In interior towns, it
was found, many families go to
picture shows every day.

The Cultural Dept, of the Ven
ezuelan Ministry pf Labor stated
there was also a demand for edu-
cational pictures of all kinds, if
promoted and bolstered with re-
creational films.

. The second independently oper-
ated theatre in El Salvador will be.
in. operation' within the next two
months, according to Golden! It is
tile Cine Regis, ’ with 1,260 seats
and a 65-foot wide screen for new
widescreen 'films. Total, -invest
ment will be nearly $200,000. It
will show U.S. films, aside from
the- small Cinelandia Theatre,
which doesn’t show American films.
Other theatres are all operated by
a government agency.

Baltimore, Aug. 2.

C. Morton Goldstein, recently
appointed chairman of Maryland’s
Board of Motion Picture Censors,

was the target of an editorial last
week in The Catholic Review, local
Weekly. This was the first criticism:
of the new board chairman since
he took over the post May 1 from
Sydney Traub, long a controversial
chairman whose decisions were
often overruled by the courts and
ridiculed by the lay dailies.

Three films were cited in the
editorial as examples of the board’s
new “anything goes” policy. They
were RKO’s “Son of Sinbad” and
two. foreign films depicting various
phases of prostitution, “Le Plaisir”
and “Companions of the Night.”

The editorial was in the form of
an open letter and urged Gold-
stein to resign “if you have no
sympathy for the cause of censor*
ship and no stomach for the fight
you must, wage against the secular
press if you do your job well.” It
pointed to the recent passage of
censorship legislation by the state
legislature as evidence of the de-
sire for censorship in Maryland.

Ignoring the fact that the new
legislation Calls for censorship for
only three reasons (obscenity, - ' in-
citement to crime and the corrup- .
tion of morals) the editorial broad-
ened. the scope of the censors by
stating; “Your job was created by
the people who demanded protec-
tion from Indecent, salacious, ob-
Tfcene, irreligious, immoral, in-
human and subversive motion pic-
tures.”

Censor’s Reply

Goldstein . released a statement
in answer to the editorial, describ-
ing the limits of censorship as in-
fluenced by recent U.S. Supremo
Court rulings. He pointed out the
danger of outlawing state censor-
ship completely if the state rulings
are ruled unconstitutional. Refer-
ring to the board under the former
chairman, he said “Our courts have
rendered decisions on many occa-
sions, by at least three sitting
judges, in reversing rejections of
motion pictures by the previous
board, ^operating under the old law.
These decisions are binding on us.
The new law, further limited, gives
us no greater powers.”

. Chris Lampros, son of owner -of
Hickory Drive-In near Sharon, Va-
cationing in Athens, Greece; with
members of the Lampros family.

Mrs.’ Mike Manos returned' tcf
the family residence at Greens,
burg, but her husband, the pioneer
circuit exhib, remained at their
Miami home, where he was strick-
en last winter.

David L. Thomas, Cinerama co-
ordinator at the Warner Theater
vacationed at Oyster Bay, Canada,
and visited at Lowell Thomas’ lab-
oratory, where given a preview of
next Cinerama picture, “Seven
Wonders of World.”

ST. LOUIS

Stanley R. Kent and his wife
purchased the ' Empire, Chrisman,
111., from George Barber, Tuscola,
111. Edna Calhoun, manager of
house for last three years, will
continue as manager.

The Amythist, a St. Louis nabe,
shuttered by owner Barney’ Dia-
mond.

Richard Fitzmaurice, former
manager of the Rivoli here, joined
the Javlonow-Komm Theatres as
manager of its ozoner, between
East . St. Louis and Collinsville, 111.

The DeSoto, DeSoto, Mo., shut-
tered for several years, being con-
verted into a store building, Own-
er, William Collins, still is operat-
ing the Collins there and an ozoner
near the community. .

Burglars have been raiding ozon-
ers in southern Illinois recently.
A vending machine and some cash
were stolen from an ozoner near
Belleville and three drive-ins in
Clinton Cpunty were visited by
thieves.

Harry J. Nash, owner of the
Ritz, California, Mo., celebrating
his 50th year as an exhib. He and
his father started in St. Louis.

John Mohrstadt sold his Joy and
Missouri in Hayti, Mo., and an
ozoner near th°re to Sam Becker,
Blytheville, Ark.

Bridgeport House Sold
As $35,000 Tabernacle

Bridgeport, Conn., Aug. 2.

Colonial,' 725-seater,‘ has been
purchased by Holy Tabernacle
Church of God in Christ for $35,-
000 .

• Meanwhile Bridgeport’s first
drive-in Pix, has opened on site
of former Candlelite Stadium.

Allied Aloof

Continued from page 7

meeting .last March 12 and. reaf-
firmed this at another meeting in
N. f Y. July 6. Wilbur Snaper, Al-
lied’s man on the Governing Com-
mittee, attended both meetings,
said Coyne.-

Coyne said nothing about home
toll in his reply to Rembusch, But
it’s known that COMPO is re
strained from entering the pay tv
arena because its members have
conflicting sentiments re the sub-
ject.

Denver Cooperative

Denver, Aug. 2.

Theatremen in this area are
joining in sponsorship of a contest
tied in with the upcoming Audi-
ence Awards poll being conducted
by COMPO. The loot goes to thea-
tre patrons whose selections of
best films and players, coincide
with winners of the national poll.

Top prize is a five-room house
with car in garage and clothes in
the closets for every member of
the family. Organizational work
on the contest moved underway
last week at a luncheon-meeting
of theatremen with Robert Selig
Fox Inter-Mountain Theatres exec
as chairman.

OHIO’S HORACE ADAMS
OPPOSES COMPO DUES

t -

Columbus, Aug. 2.

Horace Adams,' president of the
Independent Theatre Owners of
Ohio, has taken a strong stand
against exhibitors .giving any more
money to COMPO. “I recommend
that no exhibitor in Ohio give any
money whatsoever to COMPO,"
says Adams in the 1TO weekly
bulletin.

“At the time the collection was
made for the Toll TV campaign, I
assured the membership that un-
less COMPO entered this fight for
our interests that I would not rec-
ommend their paying any mof«
dues to COMPO. Furthermore,.
A. F. Myers, board chairman and
general counsel of National Allied,
say s that contrary to the statement
made by COMPO, Allied did not
agree to a dues collection,” Adams
points out.

Bulletin says COMPO should bo
able to run Audience Awards Poll
with the money.it has in its treas-
ury. If it can’t, 1TO advises, it
['should “quietly fold its tent and
steal away.”

Trade . paper stories indicating
COMPO may embark on a cam-
paign to repeal the remainder of
the admissions tax are a “fraud,”
claims exhib group. “There is no
plan now to seek elimination of
the tax.”

‘Stranger’ Hits London

London. Aug. 2.

Princess Alice led royal contin-
gent to premiere of Stanley
Kramer’s UA release, “Not As a
Stranger,” here last Wednesday,
Also on hand for English show-
casing were Gloria Grahame, Olivia
de Havilland, Robert Mitchum and
Broderick Crawford.

BBC-TV covered premiere, in-
cluding preceding panel discussion
with producer and stars.

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

•4,

>.w

This is Nos 2 of
a series of ads
about the Big
M-G-M attrac-
tions to come.
Watch for more
Top attractions
in this space
next week!

Last weak we fold you about
"It's Always Fair Weather "
"Quentin Durward" and "Trial,"

►/v,. tf&F - \

■xVtox

BEST-
SELLER l

: :<W<E«WWXi !S-< :

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TV FAME!

I’LL CRY

TOMORROW

The remarkable story of Lillian Roth as re*
vealed in Her book and on TV’s “This Is Your
Life” comes tp the screen as an inspiring
human document. *

★

M-G-M presents 'TIL CRY TOMORROW" starring Susan
Hayward •. Richard Conte • Eddie Albert • Jo VanFleet • Don
Taylor • Ray Danton • Screen Play by Jay Richard Kennedy
and Helen Deutsch • Based on the booh by Lillian Roth , Mike
Connolly t Gerold Frank • Directed by Daniel Mann • Produced by
Lawrence Weingarten ,

wmmsFTQ*

THE TENDER
TRAP

In CINEMASCOPE and COLOR

This riotous film from the Broadway stage hit
brings a company of top-flight funsters from
both Hollywood and New York to catch
every one of its thousand laughs!

M-G-M presents in CinemaScope • “ THE TENDER TRAP"
starring Frank Sinatra • Debbie Reynolds • David Wayne • Celeste
Holm • Jarma Lewis • Screen Play by Julius Epstein • Based on
the Play by Max Shulman and Robert Paul Smith • Photographed in
Eastman Color • Directed by Charles Walters • Produced by
Lawrence Weingarten

h *o *:

fae *a t

In CINEMASCOPE

and COLOR

For the millions who asked for something
new. Adventure, romance and humor in a
novel, fast-paced entertainment.

★

M-G-M presents in CinemaScope •Richard Harding Davis * “ THE
BAR SINISTER" starring Jeff Richards • Jarma Lewis • Edmund
Gwenn • Dean J agger • and Wildfire • with Richard Anderson
Willard Sage • Screen Play by John Michael Hayes • Photographed
in Eastman Color • Directed by Herman Hoffman • Produced by
Henry Bermdn

It's time to mail your Audience Awards nominations

PICTURES

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

CLEVELAND

(Continued from page 8)

week, “Tall Man Biding” (WB) and
“Hell's Island” (Par) $14,000.

Lower Mall (Community) (585;
70-90) — “Oh Amelia* (Indie) and
“Behind Closed Shutters” (Indie).
Mild $2,600. Last week, “Hon
Juan’s Night Love” (Indie) and
“Square Bing” (Indie, $1,500 in 4
days.

Palace (RKO) (3,28§; 70-$l) —
“Lady and Tramp” (BV) (3d wk).
Good $11,000 after $17,500 last
wc&k« *

Ohio (Loew) (1,244;' 70-90) —
“Seven Little Foys" (Par) (4th wk)
(m.o.) . Lively $7,000 following
$8,000 last week.

State (Loew) (3,500; 70-90)
“You’re Never Too Young” (Par).
Smart $17,000 or pear. Last week,
“Far Horizons” (Par),: $9,000.

Stillman (Loew) (2,700; 70-90)—
“Not As Stranger” (UA) (m.o.) (5th
wk). Fine $10,000 after $12,500
last week.

‘Cobweb’ Slick $18,000,
Buff.; M.&L. Smash 19G

Buffalo, Aug, 2.

Canadian holiday visitors lifted
weekend returns with the result
that current week’s biz shapes un-
usually big. .“Cobweb” at the .Buf-
falo and “You’re Never Too
Young” at Paramount are running
neck-’n’-neek, both smash. ‘ “It
Came From Beneath Sea” is lofty
at Lafayette. “Mister Roberts”
still is great in third week at the
Center.

Estimates for This Week

Buffalo (Loew) (3,000; 50-80)—
“The Cobweb” (MG); Sturdy $18,-
00Q or close. Last week, “Not As
Stranger” (UA) (4th wk), $12,400
at $1 top. *

Paramount (Par) (3,000; 50-80) —
“Never Too Young” (Par) and
“Lonesome Trail” (Indie).- Potent
$19,000 or close. Last, week,
“We’re No Angels” (Par) and
“Eight O’clock Walk” (Indie) (2d
wk), $8,700 in 4 days.

Center (Par) (2,000; 7()-$l) —
“Mister Roberts” (WB) (3d wk).
Smash $14,000. Last week, $17,-
000 .

Lafayette (Basil) (3,000; 50-80)—
“Came From Beneath Sea” (Col)
and “Creature Atom Brain” (Col).
Bullish $16,000. Last week, “Ain’t
Misbehavin’ ” (U) and “Man from
Bitter Ridge” (U), $9,000.

Century (Buhawk) (3,000; 70-$l)
—“Lady and Tramp” (BV) (2d Wk).
Stout $15,000. Last week, $29,500.

Teok (Cinema Products) (1,200;
$1.20-$2.40) — “Cinerama” (Indie)
(91th wk). Upped to big $10,000.
Last week, $9,000.

ST. LOUIS

(Continued from page 8)‘

“Seven. Little Foys” (Par)' and
“Annapolis Story” (AA) (2d wk).
Holdover week opened today
(Tues.) First week was socko
$27,000. . .

Loew’s (Loew) (3,172; 50-85)—
— “Not As Stranger” (UA) (2d wk).
Hot $18,000 following $31,000
opening stanza.

Orpheum (Loew) (1*400; 50-85)
—“Law vs. Bill Kid” (Col) and
“Wyoming Renegade” ''(Col). Fair
$6,500. Last week, “Scarlet Coat”
(M-G) “Marauders” (M-G), $8,000.

Richmond (St. L. Amus.) (400;
$1.10) — “Adventures of Sadie”
(20th) (3d wk). Big $2,000 after
$1,500 last week.

St. -Louis (St. L. Amus.V (4,000;
51-90) — “Mister Roberts” (WB).
Great $25,000, and - best at house
in months. Last week, “Land of
Pharaohs” (WB) (2d wk), $10,000.

Shady Oak (St. L. Amus.) (800:
$1.10)— “Gate of Hell” (Indie) (2d
wk). Loud $3,500 after $4,000
opener.

KANSAS CITY

(Continued from page 9)

75-$l)— “Mister Roberts” (WB) (2d
wk). Huge ' $15,000, and holds
again. Last week $20,000.

Roxy (Durwood) (879; 75-$l) —
“Seven Little Foys” (Par) (2nd
wk). Holding at fancy $9,000. Stays
on. Last week, $10,000.

Tower, Uptown, Fairway, Gran-
ada (Fox Midwest) (2,100; 2,043;
700; 1,217; 65-85) — “Magnificent
Matador” (20th) and “Cowboy and
Lady” (20th) (reissue) Fair $14,-
000. Last week, “Private War of
Major Benson” (U), big $18,000.

Vogue (Golden) (550; 75-$l) —
“Mr. Hulot’s Holiday” (Indie). Me
dium $1,700. Last week, “On Ap
proval” (Indie) (2nd wk), $1,000.

‘STRANGER’ HUGE 45G,
D.C.; ‘ROBERTS’ 31G, 2D

Washington, Aug. 2.
While Washington’s transit
^rike, now in its second month,
continues a drag on picture biz, it
has not slowed up two films. New-
comer “Not as a Stranger” is roar-
ing to a. tremendous first week at
the Palace while “Mister Roberts,”
day-dating in . two - houses, also
maintains a smash pace in its sec-
ond stanza. “Far Horizons” is so-
so in first round at Capitol. “Lady
and Tramp” is holding in great
shape on third Keith week.

Estimates for This Week

Ambassador (SW) (1,40; 90-$1.25)
“Mister Roberts” (WB) (2d wk).
Big $12,500 or near. Last week,
record-breaking $18,500.

Capitol (Loew) (3,434; 70-95)—
“Far Horizons’* (Par). Thin $13,-
000. Last week, “Seven Year Itch”
(20th) (4th wk), $13,000.

Columbia, (Loew) (1,174; 70 t 95)—
“House of Bamboo” (20th). Okay
$8,500 or near. Last week, “Island.
Earth” (U) (2d wk-4: days);;. $2,900.

Dupont (Lopert) (372; 75-$l)—
“Great Adventure” (Indie) (2d
wk). Good $4,500.. Last week,
$ 6 , 000 .

Keith’s (RKO) (1,939; 75-$1.25)—
“Lady and Tramp” (BV) (3d wk).
Nearly. $13,000 despite strike, fine.
Last week, $17,000.

Metropolitan (SW) <1,200; 90-
$1.25)— “Mister Roberts” (WB) (2d
wk). Huge $18,500. Last week,
record-breaking $25,000.

Palace (Loew) (2,360; 85r$1.25h—
“N5t As Stranger” (UA). £riant
$45,000 or near. Last week, “In-
terrupted Melody” (M-G) (2d wk),
$13,500. *;

Playhouse (Lopert) (435; 75-

$1.10) — “Seven Little Foys” (Par)
(5th wk). Solid $6,000. Last- week,
$7,000.

Trans-Lux (T-L) (600; 70-$l) —
“Man From Laramie” (Col) (2 wk).
Firm $9,000. Holds. Opener was
$14,000.

Warner (SW) (1,300; $1.20-$2.40)
— “Cinerama” (Indie) (90th wk).
Rebounding slightly to $13,500
after $13,200 in 89th week. Holds.

SAN FRANCISCO

(Continued from page 8)

bob” (20th) and “That Lady” (20th),
$16,000.

Warfield (Loew) (2,656; 65-90)—
“Cobweb” (M-G) (3d wk). Oke
$8,5Q0. Last week, $10,000;

Paramount (Par) (2,646; 90-$l) —
“You’re Never Too Young” (Par)
and “Treasury Ruby Hills” (Par)
(2d wk). Fine $13,000. Last week,
$ 20 , 000 .

St. Francis (Par) (1,400; $1-$1.25)
—“Mister Roberts” (WB) (3d wk).
Huge $20,000. Last, week, $25,000.

Orpheum (Cinerama Theatre
Calif.) (1,458; $1.75-$2.65)— “Cine-
rama Holiday” (Indie). Regular
run starts today (Wed.) after invi-
tational showing and benefit. Last
week, “Cinerama” (Indie) (83d wk),
$35,000.

United Artists (No. Coast) (1,207;
90-$1.25)— “Not. As Stranger” (UA)
(5th wk). Great $12,000. Last
week, $15,000.

Stagedoor (A-R) (400; $1-$1.25)
—“Marty” (UA) and “Kind Hearts,
Coronets” (reissue) (5th wk). Oke
$3,500. Last week, $4,600.

Larkin (Rosener) (400; $1)—
“Doctor In House” (Indie). Fancy
$2,600. Last week, “Green . Magic”
(Indie) (3d wk), $1,900.

Vogue (S.F, Theatres) (377; $1)—
“Innocents In Paris” (Indie) (3d
wk) and “Fallen Idol” (Indie).
Great $3,000. Last week,. “In-
nocents Paris” (Indie), $2,500.

Bridge (Reade-SchWarz) (396; $1-
$1.25) — “To Paris With Love”
(Indie) (8th wk). Fast $2,000. Last
week, $2,100.

Okay 444 Foreign Pix
For Formosa Next Year

Tokyo, July 26.

It has been learned here that
the Chinese Nationalist govern-
ment will allow, the import of 444
foreign films into Formosa during
the year beginning July 1, 1955.
The U. S. will be allotted permits
for 327. Japan is allotted 24 im-
port licenses.

France, Italy and the United
Kingdom have been allotted 63 im-
port licenses and the government
will reserve 10 permits for emer-
gency. Twenty other licenses have
been divided among other coun-
tries.

‘Roberts’ Great $20,000,
Port; ‘Foys’ Trim 13G

Portland, Ore., Aug. 2.

The terrific gross being racked
rip by “Mister Roberts” at the
Broadway this found is big news
currently. “One Desire”, looms fair
at Liberty while “Lady and
Tramp” is “rated lofty ip ^ third
Orpheum. stanza. “Seven Little
Foys” shapes hefty opening week
at Paramount, .

Estimates for This Week

Broadway (Parker) (1,890; 90-
$1.25) — “Mister Roberts” (WB).
Terrific $20,000. Last week, “Wich-
ita” (AA) and “Big Tip Off” (AA),
$7,800.

Fox (Evergreen) (1,536; $1-$1.25)
— “House of. Bamboo”- (20th) and
.“That Lady”/ (20th) (2d wk). Okay
$7,000; Last week, $10,200.
i Guild (Indie) (400; $1)— “Wizard
'Of Oz” (M-G) (reissue) (2d wk).
Fast $2,500. Last week, $3,800.

Liberty (Hamrick) (1,875; 75-$l)
—“One Desire” (U) and „“Mo6n-
fleet” (M-G). Fair $7,000. Last
week, “Marty” (UA) and “Know
What Sailors Are’’ (Indie) (9 Days),
$8,500.

Orpheum (Evergreen) (1,600; $1-
$1.25) — “Lady And Tramp” (BV)
(3d wk). Tall $10,000 or near. Last
week, $16,600.

Paramount (Port-Par( (3,400; 75-
$10— “Seven Little Foys” (Par)
and “Hell’s Outpost” (Indie). Hef-
ty $13,000 br close. Last week,
’’Not As Stranger” (UA) .(3d wk),
$9,200.

threatened Anew

The Allied-TOA honeymoon Is
over. Specifically, Theatre - Own-
ers of America is doing a burn
over decisions by the Allied States
Assn.’s hoard in Washington last
week to ask for Government inter-
vention in film rental matters and
abandon the joint TOA-Allied pro-
gram of dealing directly with the
distributors.

. Allied did away with its sub-
committee which had heen joining
with a TO A group in calls on dis-
tributor officials for purposes of
mutual understanding, and Im-
proved business relationships.

These jointly-made efforts to
conciliate differences between ex-
hibs and. distribs on rental terms
have been productive of good re-
sults and should be continued,
TOA contends.

“We feel that the (Allied-TOA)
committee made distributors cogni-
zant, for the first time, of the harsh
economic plight of exhibition and
that this committee had obtained
valid promises which we have
every reason to believe will- be im-
plemented and honored,” stated* E.
D. Martin, TOA president.

The falling out between Allied
and TOA' on the Goverment and
conciliation issues puts, an end to
all hopes of a merger of these two
organizations. Such an amalgama-
tion has had advocates on both
sides for years, but opposition by
some Allied leaders has prevented
it.

Actually, the new conflicts dra-
matically reflect the different, tra-
ditional policies of each outfit. Al-
lied always has been the louder of*
the two and its courses of action
have been the more • drastic. Its
people were among those who
prodded the Department of Justice
into the historical industry anti-
trust suit , that brought about di-
vorcement and numerous changes
in trade practices.

TOA has pursued less violent
parts, working for conciliation and
a formal system of arbitration and
eschewing Federal whistle-blow-
ing. “TOA has historically taken
a dim view of the value to exhibi-
tion of Governmental intervention,
and the results obtained in the
past certainly justify our pessism-
ism,” said Martin.

Hollywood, Aug. 2.

First nominations in COMPO’s Audiehce Awards Poll, disclosed last
week at an Industry luncheon saw Paramount and Warners tied with 10
each of the five categories coveted. ‘Among other studios, 20th-Fox
garnered nine, Columbia and Metro seven each and UA three.

Warners, Columbia and 20th-Fox led the “most promising young
personalities” classification, considered by COMPQ leaders to be ex-
tremely vital . to the industry’s continued prosperity. All other com-
panies except Paramount at least placed in' this group.

> Public polling on the exbib nominations is upcoming Nov. 17-25 in
theatre lobbies across the- country.

Meeting attended by personalities from all pix biz branches and
hailed_as first such in industry history, was highlighted by promise
of “the fullest measure of .cooperation and .support” from the Assn,
of Motion Picture Producers. .Pledge was given by B. B. Kahane for
AMPP, in absence of prexy . Y. Frank Freeman.

Elmer C. Rhoden, National Theatres prexy and national chairman
of the Audience Awards committee, recapped some of problems which
had to be overcome, chief of which was arousing industry enthusiasm.
♦With this target met, as shown by promise of full cooperation from
all fields in the industry, carrying out poll via quarterly nominations
by exhibs followed by public polls will not be difficult, Rhoden in-
dicated.

Results of the public vote will be announced Dec. 1, with present
plans to have the event telecast. Committee hopes to convince a net*
work, that the event is of sufficient public interest to be carried free,
Rhoden said. Barring this,, the NT chief said, the industry must pick
up its own tab and not allow the event to be sponsored by some outside
industry. , * *

Complete list of nominations follows:.

Best Pictures

“The Bridges at Toko-Rl,” Paramount.

“Battle Cry,” Warners.

“Blackboard Jungle,” Metro.

“Country Girl,” Paramount.

“The Long Gray Line,” Columbia.

“Rear Window?’ Paramount.

•“Sabrina,” Paramount. '

“A Star Is Born,” Warners.

“There’s No Business Like Show Business,” 20th-Fox.

“White Christmas,” Par'amount.

Best Femme Performance

June Allyson, “A Woman’s World,” 20th-Fox.

Dorothy Dandridge, “Carmen Jones,” 20th-Fox.

« Doris Day, “Young At Heart,” Warners.

Ava Gardner, “The Barefoot Contessa,” UA.

Judy Garland, “A Star Is Born,” Warners.

Susan Hayward, “Untamed,” 20th-Fox.

Audrey Hepburn, “Sabrina,” Paramount.

Grace Kelly, “Country Girl,” Paramount.

Elizabeth - Taylor, “Last Time I Saw Paris,” M-G-M.

Best Male Performance
- Marlon Brando, “Desiree,” 20th-Fox.

Gary Cooper, “Vera Cruz,” UA.

Bing Crosby, “Country Girl,” Paramount.

Glenn Ford, “Blackboard Jungle,” M-G-M,

William Holden, “The Bridges At- Toko-Ri,” Paramount.

Burt Lancaster* “V-era Cruz,” UA.

James Mason, “A Star Is Bom,” Warners.

• Tyrone Power, “The Long Gray Line,” Columbia.

Spencer Tracy, “Bad Day At Black Rock,” M-G-M.

Promising Toting Personalities

Annie Bancroft, Warners.
Dorothy Dandridge, 20th-Fox.
Anne. Francis, M-G-M.
Dorothy Malone, Warners.
Cleo Moore, U-I.

Rita Moreno, 20th-Fox.

Lori Nelson, RKO.

Kim Novak, Columbia.
Barbara Rush, U-I.

May Wynn, Columbia.

Harry Belafonte, 20th-Fox,
Richard Egan, 20th-Fox.
John Ericson, M-G-M.

Tab Hunter, Warners.

Brian Keith, Columbia.
Jack Lemmon, Columbia.
George Nader, U-I.

Jack Palance, Warners.
Russ Tamblyn, M-G-M.

Gig Young, Warners.

Brit Equity Wins Wage
Pact for Tele Actors

London, Aug. 2.

Following five months of nego-
tiations between British Actors
Equity and the Assn, of Specialized
Film Producers, plus the Institute
of Practioners in Advertising, an
agreement was signed in London
last week guaranteeing artists a
minimum of $20 a day for their
work in making tv film commer-
cials.

The pact does not cover live
commercial shows or tv program
pics.

8 Frenchies In Quest of a Home

Continued, from page 5

Lourau, one of the top French
producers and distribs. Davis is
president and McCarthy board
chairman of the new company,
each having a 50% interest in the
films they buy.

Among the films they acquired
for the U.S. and Canada are some
of the. top grossers in France, in-
cluding “French Can-Can,” “Les
DiaholiqUes,” “Marianne De Ma
Jeunesse” and “Riflfi Chez Les
Hommes.”

While huddles continue with
several . companies* .negotiations
with DCA are the moist advanced
to date, it’s indicated. Davis and
McCarthy .under such a setup
would deliver to the distributer six
features out of nine, with the
distrib obligated to take four.
UMFO would handle the N.Y. first-
run, with the distrib to share jn it.

Davis is leaving for Europe Aug.
17 and will be joined in Paris by
McCarthy. They'll negotiate for
more French and Italo product.
Duo also is discussing joint produc-
tion of a pic on the U. S. which
would be made by Italy’s Count
Leonardo Bonzi. Latter is 'pro-
ducer of the C’Scope tinter, “Lost
Continent,” in which Davis-Mc-
Carthy are interested.

It's the contention of UMPO’s
principals that, due to their con-
nections in Europe, they’re are in
a position to assure themselves of
a continuous flow of top product
from France, Britain and Ijtaly.
Trade has been impressed by the
titles of the French pix the com-

pany has Secured at a time when
French producers particularly seem
to feel that the sky’s the limit for
their demands. DavIS is going to
Europe in mid-August and at that
time expects to negotiate for Ital-
ian, additional French and possibly
German product.

UMPO's bid comes at a time
when Italian Films Export also is
trying hard to come up with top
Italian and French imports. .Sey-
mour Poe, IFE’s exec v.p., while
in Paris two months ago, contacted
various French producers, includ-
ing Lourau. Latter referred him
to McCarthy, who made it clear
that the UMPO. product wasn’t
available. At one time, McCarthy
came close to moving in on IFE
on a top echelon level when there
were discussions about “Wages of
Fear” going to the Italo agency.
Plans eventually went up in smoke,
and DCA now has “Wages” which
it is dubbing.

Davis said Monday (1) that one
of the reasons of his going into
distribution was his inability to
procure top < Italo product in N. Y,
for his Fine Arts Theatre.

Crockett Follow-Ups Due

Panorama pictures, an indie out*
fit, appears bent on a follow-up
to Walt Pisney's “Davy Crockett
— -King of the Wild Frontier.”

' Panorama registered the titles
“Davy Crockett’s Daughter,” “Sis-
ter of Davy Crockett” and “Polly
Crockett Goes West.”

Wednesday, August .3, 1955

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22 PicrrnEs

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

Practical Limit Is 125 — Number of Drive-In*

Will Carry Event

Nathan Halpern’s Theatre Net-
work Television has received 241
applications from theatres all over
the country for theatre-tv deals
iot the Marciano-Moore heavy-
weight championship fight skedded
to come off in N.Y. Sept. 20. Bout
will be carried on theatre-tv ex-
clusively.

Practical limit for the event , is
125 houses, of which 70 have per-
manent large-screen tv installations
and the rest could rent the 57
available mobile projection units.
However, due to the continuing AT
& T bottleneck in clearing the.
. necessary lines, the total potential
may not be reached.

The Marciano-Cockell fight some
months ago was shown in 83
houses. It originated in San Fran-
cisco.

According to TNT, interest in
the Marciano-Moore bout is at an
alltime high and Halpern said he
expected It to be one of the (jnost.
successful presentations in his out-
fits history.

As in the past when bouts origi-
nated in N.Y., the arpa will be
"blacked out” for a 50 mile radius,
eliminating some 30 or 40 thea-
tres. However, in New England,
the "blackout” will be less severe
than had originally been antici-
pated. It’ll . extend only to New
Haven, Brockton (Marciano’s home-
town), Providence and probably
Boston,

As in past fights,* TNT gets 50%
of. the theatres’ net receipts, ^ i.e,
after deduction of the admissions
tax. Line charges are borne by the
theatres and come otit of their
pockets. As in the past, a numb?r
of drive-ins will carry the bout via
the mobile installations.

CANADA'S FILM BOARD
TO MONTREAL BY OCT.

Ottawa, Aug. 2,

Passage of the National Film
Board’s current fiscal estimates of
$4,009,720 by the House of Com-
mons revealed that movement of
staff from Ottawa to Montreal will
start in October and is expected to
be completed by April, 1956. Only
staffers to stay in the Capital will
be film commissioner, Dr. A. W.
Trueman,, and a small administra-
tive group.

Board’s estimates . for this year
are the same as last except for an
added $665,290 for transfer pf the
board to Montreal and purchase of
some new equipment. To date, it
was stated, Board had made 78
films for television for a $122,800
revenue.

Paris Studio Hum

t— , Continued from pa£e 5 ^

is being made in color and wide-
screen.

Preston Sturges starts his adap-
tation of the Gallic bestseller, "Les
Carnets De Major Thompson,” too
next month. ' Although this is a
completely Gallic pic, with Gau-
mont producing it is being made
in English and French with the
Aijglo version slated for U.S. and
England. Sturges has fashioned a
story of a middle-aged Englishman
who finds a new lease on life when
he marries a beautiful French girl.
Pic stars Martine Carol, Jack
Buchanan and Gallic comic Noel-
Noel.

Max Ophuls is just winding his
C’Scope "Lola Montes,” made in
three lingos in France and Ger-
many. English version was made
with the U.S. market in mind and
has some name value via Martine
Carol and Anton Walbrook.

Other plans in the offing for
Paris located pix are exteriors of
Leland Hayward’s "The Spirit of
Saint Louis” and Metro’s "Quentin
Durwood.” In the future are such
items as a musical on the Hecht-
Lancaster agenda with Maurice
Chevalier and Zizl Jeanmaire, and
an Eddie Constantine pic, with
Doris Day, to be made in English.
Edward Dymytryk is also slated to
do, a pic for Paramount here next
season, based on a Henri Troyat
novel. Richard 1 Sale is also due
for another Paris pic stint after his
"Gentlemen Marry Brunettes.”
(UA).

Area C’Scoped 70%

St. Louis, Aug. 2.

-A recent survey of theatres, both
ozone and hardtop, in the St. Louis
trade area which includes Eastern
Missouri, Southern Illinois, North-
western Kentucky and Southeast-
ern Iowa reveals 70% have been
equipped with Cinemascope or
wide screen facilities.

Mqst recent installations, are in
the Trojan, Troy, Mo., owned by
State Senator Y. Long, Clarksville,
Mo.; Dillon, Morehouse,- Mo., owned
by W. Harry Dillon; State, Spring-
field, 111., a Frisina Amusement Co.
unit; Harlem, East St. Louis, 111.,
and the Lincoln, Lincoln Park,
Mo., owned by Charles Goldan and
Jules Leventhal,

St. Louis Amusement Go. is in-
stalling equipment in its four St.
Louis County' drive-ins.

Houston, .Aug. 2.

Twentieth Century - Fox has
opened a branch film exchange
office here to service 450 accounts
in . South' Texas and the Rio
Grande Valley, It becomes the
second major 'to open a Houston
branch, following Columbia Pic-,
tures in a trend that is expected
to bring all majors here within the
year. Companies in the past have
serviced all of. Texas out of Dallas
offices, but have found size of state,
and expanding theatre business j
called for a second office.

A delegation of executives from
20th-Fox home office in New York
attended the opening ceremonies.

Houston office will be -headed
by Henry Harrell, branch manager;
William Keith will be office man-
ager and director of city sales,
and Grover McDonnell and. John
Miller, territorial salesmen. Louise
Rapp will be cashier; Helen Har-
ris, head biller; Marvin Wycoff,
head shipper, and Helen Hedrick,
head inspector.

The $200, 000-plus - project in-
cludes -.an 84-seat viewing room.

Cosmo 'Yarg For Ladd

Hollywood, Aug. 2. ■
"All Through the Night,” su-
spense yarn by Wade Miller cur-
rently running In Cosmopolitan,
has been purchased by Alan Ladd
as his next Jaguar production for
Warners.

"Night” will be Ladd’s third
Jaguar pic for WB and the first in
which he will not appear person-
ally. Previous Jaguar pix for WB
were "Drum Beat” and recently-
completed "The Darkest Hour.”
George Bertholon will produce
"Night” for Ladd.

‘Benson’ To Plaza

Continued from page 4

definitely off the beaten track for
the U release. While serving the
company’s purposes for this par-
ticular picture, it also happened to
be one .of the few houses available
for an early opening.

U felt that "Private War,” a
light, summertime kind of picture,
should get on the screen in N. Y.
as soon as possible to cash in on
the large number of visitors, many
of whom have found lodgings in
that area. . .

Company felt that a run at the
500-seater would boost the pic and
provide it. with plenty of word-
of-mouth publicity. In addition, a
greatly upped’ ad budget at the
Blaza is likely to go a lot further
than double or even triple o the
same budget at a Broadway house
where word-of-mouth is practi-
cally nil,

Feeling is that the Plaza booking
Will attract botti types of patronage
— the regular . set of tourists and
those enjoying a good comedy,
and the east-siders 'looking for
something slightly' different in
screen entertainment. Ads for the
film consequently follow two dif-
ferent approaches, ,

Federal Tax Volume

Washington, Aug, 2.

* Federal admission tax for the
first 11 months of the U. S, fiscal
year ending June 30 last brought in
only $103,368,000, compared with
$271,997,000 for the same period of
the previous year. '

While the major part of the dif-
ference is reflected in lower rates.

which dropped the bite from 20%*;
to 10% and eliminated it for tick-
ets costing 50c. or less, some’
merely reflects the fact that returns
must now be made quarterly, in-
stead of monthly as used to be the
case. Only two months of the. ear-
lier year, were under the admissions
tax reduction..

Inside Stuff-Pictures

Jack Woods, a young sailor, is. the lead character of an~odd triple
twist. Before he enlisted, Woods did the ringing doorbells bit trying
to break into pictures with no results. After joining the Navy he used
his two years’ experience as staff announcer for Kine, Kingsville, Texas,
to land a billet with ComAirPac’s (Air Commander Pacific Fleet)
Public Information Office, radio-tv branch at San Diego. While on
duty there, Columbia Pictures director Lew Seiler, on location
aboard the carrier Princeton filming the Bryan Foy production "Battle
Stations” contacted Woods about using some of the Navy’s studio
facilities. Seiler took one look at the eager sailor and immediately
cast him in a bit. His role Is that of a sailor being discharged from
the service.

U. S. District Judge Stephen W. Brennan followed the decision of
New York District Judge Sylvester Ryan in Leonla Amusement Corp.
vs, Loew’s, that the statute of limitations runs six years, not three
for New York Btate In denying a motion by defendants in the $1,500,-
counsel for plaintiff. Judge Brennan rejected the specific plea of Uni-
versal Films Exchanges Inc. for a dismissal of the complaint as to it.
The corporation was not made a defendant until 1954, three years
after commencement of the action. Universal Pictures, Inc., was an
original defendant.

Current Time piece, under Italy, on "The Beach,” Rome’s Champs-
Elysees, yclept the Via Veneto, mentions in part: "Most international
is the Cafe Doney, where newsboys hawk the London Daily Telegraph,
France-Soir and Variety ... "Patrons include Egypt’s ex-king Farouk,
Hollywood’s ex-star Bruce Cabot (now a fixture of Rome’s colony of
movie expatriates), visiting U. S. executives, Turkish businessmen,
passing luminaries.,. . 1 s

Headlines writers and film reviewers are pulling a familiar blooper
In references to "Mister Roberts.” When "Mister” refers to a naval
person, it' cannot correctly be abbreviated. Leland Hayward, who pro-
duced the picture for Warner Bros., carefully observed the proper form
throughout all the legit engagements of the nautical hit. However,
since the play has become a film, even the proper N. Y. Times has
gone in for "Mr. Roberts.”

Minneapolis Morning Tribune columnist 1 Will Jones is angry with
Hollywood for latching "free rides” on tv with gratuitous plugs for
current and impeding theatre pictures to video’s detriment. Jones has
devoted several of his columns to the matter. By permitting the film
industry to take these rides, he has warned video that it’s inviting pay-
as-you-watch tv which it opposes.

New use of Panavision’s UltraPanatar variable anamorphic projection
attachment is being made by William and Edward Nassour for their
United Arists production, "The Beast of Hollow Mountain.” Attach-
ment, which previously has been utilized only for theatre projection,
was employed by producers for background process work, in those
sequences in which’ their Regiscope animation process was used.

Chicago’s heat wave," with several days of near 100 degree tempera-
tures here' last week, has meant trouble for air conditioning units in
several filmeries around town. Sizzling heat has resulted in water
shortage in the 'Loop, causing some cooling plants to develop bugs at
a time when biz depends heavily on air-conditioning as a draw.

. . . • * ! ■ ■ -

Chicago’s Arties

Chicago, Aug, 2. |

Chicago’s art houses are in the
midst of a summer product
drought, similar to the one ex-
perienced last" summer and' forced
to-re-runs of arty oldies as well
as recent Loop first-runs. Shortage
makes an exclusive, top-quality,
yeAr-roun^ select film policy al-
most unworkable.

Thus the pacemaker firstrun.
"arties,” such as the World Play-
house, the Carnegie and the Surf
have experienced doldrums i'n the
last few weeks while the Loop
firstrun houses are minting coin.
The World recently ran "Aida” for
the second time in three months;
the Carnegie is ’currently playing
"Marty” which just closed at the
Esquire, half a block away, a few
weeks ago; the Surf has "The
Beachcomber” which played the
downtown Monroe, a Loop first-
runner with a generally "no-art”
policy, just a few months ago.

Films suitable for showing iif
the art houses are occasionally
snatched by the Main Stem show-
cases, a sore point with the art
filmery ops. Their beef is that the.
more accessible and larger Loop
firstrun situations grab off any-
thing that looks like it might have
more than a limited appeal, thus
killing it for the art ops who have
no choice but to show the films on
a sub run basis after the cream
has already been skimmed off. A
notable example of this was book-"
ing of "Marty” into the Chicago
Theatre, the Balaban & Katz flag-
ship, Pic would probably have
run nine or 10 weeks at the Surf
or the Carnegie but as is ran two
at the Esquire after the Chicago
engagement and is now at the
Carnegie for one, maybe two
weeks.

Similar examples were showing
of "Romeo and Juliet” at the Mon-
roe, a Loop first-run; pic only got
to the Surf last week; playing of
"Camille” at the Loop Theatre on
the Main Stem was another in-
stance of creaming the art pix be-
fore they play the specialty houses.
Need for the big commerical film-
eries to raid art pix is also an in-
dication of a serious product
shortage in the mass audience
film. It is interesting to note that
only in the case of "Carhille” at
the Loop Tlieatre’ did an art pic
do smash biz for a house with a
predominantly mass' appeal policy.

Portland's Russ Brown To
Fox West Coast in L. A.

Portland, Ore., Aug. 2.

Evergreen’s Oregon District
manager, ,Russ Brown, has been
promoted to advertising and pub-
licity director, for some 150 Fox
West Coast theatres with head-
quarters in Los Angeles.' He Will
work under the Western general
manager,. Edwin F. IZabel.

With Brown’s move to the film
capital, Oscar Nyberg, manager of
the Fox theatre here, becomes
Oregon district manager with two
theatres in Eugene and two in
Vancouver in addition to the new
Fox, Orpheum and Hollywood in
Portland. Another 'house, the Ori-
ental, is temporarily dark.

Earlier this year Brown held a
six-week Los Augeles • assignment
as guest editor of the circuit’s
Showman publication while Ny-
bei’g replaced him here.

Coddling Natives

Continued from page 7 —a

producers who complained about
the predominance of American
films on their screens.

"When you listen to them talk,
you’d think they- had all the
trouble and we. had none/’
Johnston observed. "Actually,
when you come down tp it, we are
the ones who are being Testricted
and hemmed in at every ’possible
turn abroad. They (the foreign
producers) find our - gates wide
open. All they have to do is make
good pictures that American audi*
ences want to see, I just wish it
were as simple for us.”

In many countries,' almost in a
ratio to the popularity enjoyed by
Hollywood pix, American imports
are restricted by number or via
screen quotas. In France, only..
110 films a year are allowed In;
Brtiain has a screen quota; Italian
and German imports are restricted
via voluntary agreements on , the
part of the U. S. companies.

Continued from page 3

as CiriemaScope as. a b.o. attrac-
tion is on ttife wane in the' U.S.,'
the emphasis now. again being on
picture content, abroad the wider
screen system is just now hitting
its strjtde and is attracting the pub-
lic for is own sake. Thus pix re-
leased in the U.S. last year are
only now hitting the foreign mar-;
ket and leaving their mark.

Figure Foreign Tastes

Also part' of the picture is the
difference , between * U.S. and forr
eign film tastes. Whereas 20th in
the U.S, had a comparatively -poor
first and a sluggish second quar-
ter, the same pictures— -such as
"The Racers” and "Untamed” — are
big jb.o. 1 . abroad.

Advances of 20th rentals in the
various foreign territories are due
to a large part to. the spread df
C’Scope installations. In Britain,
for Instance, as of' July 23 of this
year, the company’s earnings ran
to $5,000,000, an increase of close
to 54% from the • $3,200,000 in
British billings for the seven
months period in 1954. South-
American biH‘n r; s run close to $1,-
000,000, a 17% boost over 1954,

Ezell Unloading,
Plans World Tour

m Dallas,* Aug. 2,

Claude C. Ezell & Associates has.
sold drive-ins . in Brownsville,
Houston, Fort Worth, San Antonio
and Waco theatres to E. L. Pack,
prexy of Bordertown Theatres Inc.,
with headquarters here. Undis-
closed sale price is believed to be
several millions.

Local ozoners Include the Buck*
ner.Blvd., Chalk Hill and Jefferson.
Fourth Ezell house here, Northwest
Highway, is to be dismantled for
commercial development. Two
Ezell drive-ins in Austin were sold
to Trans^Texas Theatres last week,
with the Gulf Drive-In, Corpus
Christi, sold to Ezell’s operating
partner, Rowley United Theatres,
of "Dallas. The Circle, Beaumont;
and the Surf, Port Arthur, _a part-
nership venture with Jefferson
Amusement Co. of Beaumont, will
continue under Ezell operation.
Sale to Pack also does not include
Ezell holdings outside of Texas and
in a few Texas towns.

Ezell said he lesseried’ his large
holdings to have more leisure time,
and plans a world cruise shortly.
This year he celebrated his 50th
anni in the film business.

Pack will take over the local
Ezell offices and keep the org
practically intact. However, Albert
H. Reynolds, general manager of
Ezell & Associates, will not stay
with the new owners. He’ll remain
long enough to assist in the opera-
tional changeover, but hasn’t an-
nounced future plans.

Local Referendum

Greensboro, N. C., Aug. 2.

Statesville, N. C., City Election
Board has officially called for &
special election Aug. 9 to deter-
mine whether or not Stateville citi-
zens want Sunday films, now for-
bidden by a 1947 city ordinance.'

The issue arose June 4, when a
local theatre advertised that a .film
would be shown the next day as a
test.

. The, Council, however, huddled
the same day the advertisement ap-
peared and told the. theatre opera-
tor an election would be called on
the issue - if he cancelled his plan.
He agreed-.

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

(1 ) CALL JIMMY STEWART

(2) TAKE THE SHRIKE TEST

Detroit, Aug. 2.

Two bally stunts are getting a good reception here. Two-inch
^newspaper ads have invited fans, to call a number and talk to
Jimmy Stewart. An average of li,000 persons daily have dialed'
the number which sets off an automatic recording device with a
message in Stewart’s voice about “The Man from Laramie.”

The second stunt involves advance bally for “The Shrike” . soon
to open at the Madison. Copies of the “Shrike Test,” reprinted
from a magazine article under June Allyson’s byline, are being
snatched up by femme patrons. Judging from their merry laughs,
they consider such questions as. “When ‘someone asks your hus-
bands question and he is slow to answer,*do you answer for him?”
and, “Do these questions make you mad?”* to -be great fun.

The questionnaire contains a warning:- “If you- answer ‘Yes’ to
any of these, take stock. A few ‘yes’ answers do not necessarily
mean you are a full-fledgpd shrike but you are probably enrolled
in the course. So just watch it!’’ The ladies get downright hilarious
at this point.

* An . action pending before a
Texas court* involving an exhibit-
tor’s suit to compel the distribu-
tors to use competitive bidding, is
-seen aS having profound impor-
tance in film industry history by
Herman M. Levy* general counsel
for Theatre Owners of America. -

Suit, in which the Adelman the-
-atre interests are seeking injunc-
- five relief compelling the distribs
to permit the theatre to bid com-
petitively for first-run product, is
.a followup to a recent jury victory
Obtained by the same theatre out-
fit.

In the initial victory, Adelman
claimed that it had an adequate
house, t a 1.239-$eater> for the show-
'ing of first-run pictures* but that it
.was denied the Opportunity to ne-
gotiate, for first - run . pictures
-against the downtown theatres.

At first glance, according to
Levy, the jury’s decision, awarding
'the Adelman interests $20,000
which under, the law will be
trebled, appears to be in conflict
with the Crest case of Maryland in
which the- U-. S. Supreme Court
refused to upset a lower court’s
verdict that a “suburban” theatre
was not entitled to negotiate for
first-run films. Although the
-Adelman theatre is some .distance
from the downtown area ,it is not
a “suburban” theatre in the same
nense, according to the explanation
of a , distribution attorney. Levy
points' out that the first-run of cer-
tain art and foreign films was
granted by distributors ttf*another
house near Adelman’s without af-
fording the firm an opportunity to
get the same product.

• The full meaning of the jury’s
decision, according to Levy, can-
not be set forth, since there is no
ftlgmorandum of decision of a
judge by which to be guided.
However, the TOA counsel notes
that the action now pending,
which will be determined ' by
a judge and not a jury, will have
far-reaching repercussions in dis-
trib-exhib relationships since it is
one of the few instances where an
exhibitor went to litigation to com-
pel the use of competitive bidding.

Albany’s Grand Continues
With Closed-Circuit Deal

Albany, Aug. 2. .

The 1,500-seat Grand, which has
carried all the Theatre Network
Television closed-circuits for sev-
eral years, will again be in the
hookup for the Rocky Marciano-
Archie Moore championship bout [
Sept. 20. Lessee-manager Paul V.
Wallen contracted last week to
take the orgination from the
Yankee Stadium.

A $3.30 admission Is usually in
force at the three-floor house for.
such events.

New York Theatre

-IUOIO CUT tSOSIC MU-

Rockefeller Center

"MISTER ROBERTS”

in CbnnuiScopo and WomorCotar sUrrinf

HENRY FONDA • JAMES CAGNEY
WILLIAM POWELL » JACK LEMMON

A WARNER BROS. PICTURE
aod SKCT1CIUI STMC PtESENUTM

Keith’s, Baltimore,

Into 13-Story Garage

. Baltimore, Aug. 2.

Keith’s Theatre, now controlled
by Jack Fruchtman, a Washington
exhib, will ’be razed to make way
for a 13-story garage within the
next two years. It is estimated that ;

it will take that amount of time
to clear the project with the City
Planning Commission, Dept, of
Traffic Engineering, Municipal Fire
Dept,, Off Street Parking Commis-
sion and the zoning, regulations of
the City Council. The new building
is budgeted for $1,352,400 and was
submitted to the municipal parking
commission by Charles B. Scri-
vener.

Keith’s was built in 1915 and*
originally named the Garden. It
was “acquired by the. Keith-Albee
circuit in 1927 as a vaude hoUse.
For a, brief -span, it was a combo
.house but began a films only policy
in- 1932. The t Schanberger family
took Over the operation in the late
,30’s and controlled it until last
year when Fruchtman bqught in.
Keith’s Roof was . used for name
dance bands until the war years.

Fruchtman has recently leased
the Parkway, a former Loew’s
house now sputtered, from Morris
Mechanic and will, apparently, shift
product from Keith’s td the Park-
! way -as soon as the demolition
crews movfe in on 1 the former.

. Philadelphia, Aug. 2.

Ted Schlanger, Stanley Warner
chief -in this area, is determined
to eliminate the “rubber stamp”
type of 'theatre manager and is
giving the theatremeh under his
jurisdiction wider scope in rufining .
their houses. Feeling that the
local manager Is best aware about
his own particular situation, the
SW Philly topper is urging the
managers to take a voice in book-
ings.

He deplores the fact that some
managers accept bookings from the
local office “even when they know
that, In some cases, suggestions
from them could mean improved
bookings with resultant increased
grosses from their theatres.” Act-
ing on the theory that the local
manager is best suited to judge
the tastes of his customers, Schlari-
ger suggests that the managers"
study the upcoming releases and
take an active part in guiding the
purchases of the company’s book-
ers.

The area chieftain maintains that
the same principle applies to ad-
vertising and exploitation — that
the local manager knows best
where and how the advertising
coin on each picture should be
spent.

Battle Over Drive-In

Detroit, Aug. 2.

Construction of a $ 1 , 000,000
drive-in by the Virginia Park
Apartments Co., Inc., in the north-
ern Detroit Metropolitan area may
be halted as a result of a suit
brought in Circuit Court.

Action is result of long political
fight over lifting of restrictions
against Qzohers In Warren Town-,
ship. After three unsuccessful
tries, the pro-drive-in township of-
ficials finally got a majority and
the theatre was begun on a 46-
| acre tract. The anti group now Is
seeking an injunction to halt con-
struction on the grounds that ap-
proval action was illegal.

P'RrIETy

3D CINERAMA TRAVEL
FILM DONE BY OCT.

Third film in the Cinerama
process, “Seven Wonders of the
World,” being produced by Lowell
Thomas, Is expected to be com-
pleted by October, It’s anticipated
that a rough cut of the film will
be available In August.

Thomas returned to New York
Monday (18) from Sah Francisco
after taking part In the completion
of aerial sequences with stunt pilot
Paul Mantz, The three-lensed Cine-
rama camera and seven-track sound
system was set up inside of Manta’s
converted B-25 and a scene was
shot showing Mantz at the con-
trols, with Thomas In the co-pilot’s
seats recording the commentary
on the spot.

Date for the release of “Won-
ders” depends on the business pull
of both “This Is Cinerama” and. its.
successor, “Cinerama Holiday.” V

First picture is still pulling in
a number of situations, particu-
larly in Los. Angeles where it’s
expected to beat the two and a. half
year run chalked up in New York.
Meanwhile, Stanley Warner, the
production-exhibition company, has
scheduled “Holiday” openings to
Minneapolis, July 26; San Fran-
cisco, Aug. 2; and Boston, Aug. 30.
Under the system being followed
by SW, “Holiday” is being brought
, In as soon as “This Is Cimerama”.
biz begins to fall off. The same pro-
cedure will be followed in the
Introduction • of “Wonders.”

Boston, Ang. 2.

: Raymond j. Lord* administrative
; assistant to the Commissioner of.
Public Safety, .this week asked the
Legislative Mercantile ; Affairs
•Committee ^,4o vote for two new
bills which would mean licenses
again being required -for Sunday
entertainment in Massachusetts.
The State Supreme Court recently
ruled . that the- statutes covering
the Sunday licensing were uncon-
stitutional.

Lord said the two measures
would clarify procedures and per-
mit "the Dept- of Public Safety to
, continue with administration of
the blue laws. He added that the
licenses bring $189,000 in annual
revenue to the state’s general
fundi

Sharp opposition to Lord’s bid
for the new legislation came from
Frank C. Lydon, executive secre-
tary of Allied Theatres of New
England. Speaking at a State
House public hearing* Lydon stated
the license were “a revenue raising
setup for the department for many
years” and there’s no need for
them.

INTERSTATE APPEALS
ADELMAN’S VICTORY

Houston, Aug. 2, ]

An appeal from the jury’s ver-
dict in the case of I. B. Adelman,
owner and operator of the Delman j
Theatre, against Interstate Thea- !
tre Circuit and the major film com-
panies will be made, according to
defense attorneys.

A hearing was ordered In Beau-
mont on Aug. 22 by Federal Judge
Lamar Cecil who presided over
the month long trial, on the ex-
hibitor’s plea for an injunction
against current film distribution
practices.

Wanna Make Sumpin’?

Chicago, Aug. 2.

Five teenagers were jailed and
an usher was hospitalized last week
when a fight started in the balcony
of the Southtown Theatre here
during a showing of the contro-
versial Metro pic, “Blackboard
Jungle.” The fight started when
one of the teensters left his seat
to go to the washroom; on the way
he was brushed by another boy
who then attacked him.

The fight spread and brought
five police squads to the theatre
to control it. The 18-year-old usher
got his lumps in the melee and
was treated for a possible con-
cussion. *

PICTURES 23

on First Runs

•1 i ■ l i ■ ■ ■ . »i . i ■■ i ■ mi

Don’t Blame the Booth,
Projectionists Can Only
Handle What’s Given ’Em

Bar ^Harbor, Me,
Editor, Variety:

Complaints of poor focus in
present-day movies — several , of
which have been voiced in Variety
— are entirely justified. Not justi-
fied, howeyer,. is the abuse your
correspondents have hurled at the'
projection craft. Conscientious
projectionists resent getting
blamed for a bad condition* which
,is no.t their fault.

Projectionists, by and large, are
cpmpetent craftsmen Who are every
bit as. perturbed by. blurry Cine-
mascope and widescreen pictures
as is Edward. Connor (Variety,

; July , 13, • p, 24): . What the non-
technical moviegoer does not re-
alize, apparently, is that the pic-
ture on the screen can be . no
clearer than the picture on. the
film. And the photographic images
printed on the release positive are
very frequently at fault.

Experienced projectionists will
tell you that the average release
print of 30, or even 40, years ago
possessed higher pictorial quality,
as regards image detail* than the
average modern print. ;

All of the image-definition faults
of standard prints are more highly
magnified.. On the screen than they
Used to be in the days of conven-
tional v. 3:4-proportioned screens.
Moreover,- the short-focUs lenSe&
required for widescreen presenta-
tion in all but the long, narrow
type " of ■ auditorium exaggerate
focus drift, film flutter, and
“breezing” — .projection defects
which, went practically unnoticed
before the mammoth screen in-
vaded the theatre.

CinemaScope poses Special prob-
lems on account of the andmorphic
lenses employed. These lenses,
used on both the camera and the
projector, frequently introduce
slight geometrical distortions and
blur the vertical edges of objects.

Old hands at projection— skilled
craftsmen in * every sense of the
word — deplore the poor images so
often encountered in release prints.
Defective prints handicap the pro-
jectionist in the practice of his art
and inspire the unwarranted brick-
bats which Come crashing through
the projection-room window. The
non-technical critic. ought to real-
ize that the projectionist has noth-'
ing to do with photographing,
printing, and processing the film.
The man in the booth screens, to
the best of his ability, the goop
which is handed to him.

'Color prints are a case in point.
[With prints made on Ansco Color
and Eastman Color printing film,
marvellously clear pictures may be
; expected. But most color prints for
[theatre .use are made by the im-
bibition dye-transfer process, a
method which is incapable of suffi-
cient photographic resolution to
•withstand the acid test of terrific
magnification upon modern wide
screens.

Patrons annoyed by poor projec-
tion (and who isn’t? \ should com-
plain, not to indifferent ushers,
but to the manager of the theatre.
The manager, like the projection-
ist, is intensely interested. An ex-
planation of the trouble will then
be demanded of the projectionist,
and the projectionist, the only
trained technician in the average
theatre , will gladly supply It. If
the quality of the picture on the
screen does not then improve, and
chances are that it won’t, it may
safely be concluded that the pro-
jectionist is confronted with a
hopeless defect — a fault indelibly
imprinted on the film, and hence
irremediable. In such cases the
projectionist always suffers more
than the complaining patron.

Robert A. Mitchell.

Contributing Editor
International Projectionist

Church Films, Inc., has been
chartered to conduct a religious
films business in New York. Direc-
tors are. Walter B. Lundman,
Evelyn Lundman, Harry G. Fischer,

Rise of the drive-ins, coupled
with their increasing eagerness fo£
first-run films, are putting the
squeeze on the ■’ distribs who, by
court order, are bound to consider
the ozoners on a par. with hardtop
situations.

Distribution execs say the ozon-
ers, which not so long ago used to
be content with last-run position,
now are frequently bidding , for
first-tuns and, in some instances,
are .getting them* playing day-and- .
date with the downtown house.

Trouble is that, in the larger,
cities, the subsequents will refuse
to play a film that’s. had its first-
run at a drive-in. In the smaller
situations this problem isn’t, as
acute but other difficulties arise.
Here’s how one sales topper ex-
plains it:

' “Take one of the key towns, like
Baltimore or Philadelphia. We
used to play first-run downtown
and the subsequents were on a 28-
day availability. However, we
would play off a lot of small situ-
ations in the vicinity on a 14-day x
availability “to get them out of
our hair,” so to speak. Now along
come to the drive-ins, located on
the outer fringes, between the
small houses and the subsequents.

"The next thing we know, the
drive-in wants the same 14-day
availability as the small situation.
Under the court decision, the out-
door situation has the same rights
as the regular theatre. So we have
to give it the film. But, it isn’t the
same, because it' drAw^ its patron-’
age; from the; area of the subse-
querits that won’t have the picture
for another two weeks.’’ *

What one .distnb had done in’
the Pittsburgh area to alleviate
this situation is to put. the entire
.area on, the* same (21-day } Clear-
ance. That meant moving the sub-
sequents up a week and the out-
lying houses hack ope week. So
far, it has worked out' well.

Distribution execs generally
feel it’s a mistake, to let. the drive-
'ins have . first-run pix in the key
cities where the revenue from the
ozoner can’t possibly ecjual the
take from the subsequents. They
don’t feel quite as strongly about
it in the smaller towns.! In ope of
the latter, 'the drive-in would con-
sistently outbid the indoor com-
petition. Exhibs finally agreed to
split the product among . them-
selves, including the ozoner in
.the" partition. This ended the bid-
ding.

Injury Suit SaysT Theatre
‘Permitted’ Firecrackers

Beaumont, Aug. 2.

The Jefferson Amusement Co;
is defendent in a damage suit seek-
ing $219,000 in 60th District Court
here.

Plaintiffs in the suit are Myrtle
J. Stephens, a minor; her mother*
Nannie Mae Stephens, and Edward
E. Dillard. All plaintiffs, according
to the suit, are residents of South
Houston in Harris County.

The suit alleges that Myrtle J.
Stephens, then aged 12, received
painful and “Certain other per-
manent injuries” when she was
injured in a theatre in Kilgore
owned by Jefferson on Dec. 31.
1953.

The suit also states the injuries
resulted when some persons in the
.audience began throwing and ex-
ploding firecrackers, torpedoes*
bombs and other fireworks while
the motion picture was being shown
and that the defendant and its
agents “permitted the continuance
of such acts.”

Am honored that some of tho
groat* of show business have be-
come my clients In the matter of
stocks and bonds. You, too, are
welcome to write of call me — NO
obligation.

JESSE BLOCK

Registered Representative

IRA HAUPT A CO.
Invtffmcnf Brokers

501 7th Ave.. New York IS, N .Y.
LOngacre 5-6262 |

24 RADIO-TELEVISION

Pfi&WFr

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

NBC VS. CBS CLAIMS OF SUPREMACY
IN RADIO

A first-class controversy ap-+
peared to be developing this week
between NBC and CBS on claims
of supremacy in radio. NBC said
last week that it had gone ahead
of its rival in weekly sponsored
hours for the first time in eight
years, though Columbia was still
well in command on billings. Cred-
ited for the switch was NBC's
“Monitor/' with the network stat-
ing that its commercial count for
the first week in July was 35 hours
and 29 minutes, against CBS’ 31
hours and 15 minutes,

CBS immediately came through
with its own figures and branded
as “not true” that NBC had passed
CBS in July business sold “even
if ‘Monitor’s’ paid-plus-free time is
included.’’ For the typical July
week, based on various research
.findings, CBS said it had a total of
37 hours and 55 minutes of sold
time/consisting of 27:45 daytime
and 10:10 evening. It was willing
to concede that NBC had picked
up 11 hours and 59 minutes in
“Monitor” sales, as claimed, for
the first Week in July, but gave it
21 hours and 45 minutes (14:35
daytime, 7:10 evening) elsewhere
for a total of 33 hours and 44 min-
utes, or four hours and 11 minutes
behind CBS, “Thus,” said the
web, “CBS Radio in July still
maintained a lead of more than 16
hours in regular week-in- week-out
business, and a-leSd of over four
hours a week even when business
at one-third free -and tworthirds
paid iS included.”

NBC has" an “Introductory Divi-
dend” on “Monitor” under Which
a minimum of 20 spots bought

rates 10 - spots free. Its formula,
which includes the cuffo time,
counts one minute sold (for $1,000)
as one minute, commercial time;
30 seconds (for $750) as three-
fourths of a minute; and six sec-
onds (for $300) as 15 -seconds. In
short, the basis for commercial
time counted is the money factor.
A “Monitor” hour is 55 minutes,'
since five minutes are given to lo-
cal cutaways. Within that* segment,
nine or more minutes sold are
counted as a sold hour even if
more than that amount of com-
mercial time happens to fall with-
in the hour; with eight minutes
sold figured at eight-ninths of 55
minutes and so on down the line.

CBS* ‘Standard Patterns’

CBS also bristled at the state-?
ment that its network “by sticking
to The standard patterns of broad-
casting keeps losing sponsors with-
( Continued on page 36)

"Color Spread’ At

Scott’s ‘Omnibus’ Buy

Scott Paper Co. this week be-
came the second sponsor- to renew
on CBS-TV's “Omnibus’’ for next
season. Other was Aluminium
Ltd., in for its second season, with
Scott marking its fourth semester
to . match the age of the show it-
self. Both bankrollers are repped
by J. Walter Thompson. There are
two sponsor berths open with a
chemical outfit understood to be
in line for one. Four sponsors di-
vide a $72,000 tab.

“Omnibus” will return Oct. 9 in
the same Sunday time, 5 to 6:30,
with Alistair Cooke as emcee.

NBC-TV’s daytime sked is cur-
rently riding at a gait of 50% sold,
against a mark of 22% at this point
a year ago. Swelling the coffers
are the >$750,000 in business from
Standard Brands (latter also
latching on to the web’s “Color
Spread” as well for nighttime ex-
posure) and $275,000 from John-
son &’ Johnson. Standard Brands’
buy of 26 segments of alternate-
week quarter-hours, spanning a
full year, is an extension of its 39-
week rotation. Shows involved
are “Howdy Doody” and “Tennes-
see Ernfe,” starting in September,

CBS-TV Shifts Jim Kane
To Coast Press Berth;
Wick bn Special Projects

Hollywood, Aug. 2.

Jim Kane, who has been han-
dling trade press out of N. Y. un-
der Charles Oppenheim’s press
division at CBS-TV is being shifted
to the Coast to take over the ad-
ministrative press reins in Holly-
wood.

Kane will succeed Ted Wick,
who has been transferred to the
I, post of manager on special projects
to work on the specs, under Harry
Ackerman, Oppenheim is currently
on the Coast finalizing the new
setup.

Move is the latest in a succes-
sion which finds homeoffice
(N. Y.) CBS personalities moving
into the Coast setup.

N.Y Dept. Stores
In 10-Wk TV Test

WRCA-TV, the NBC flagship in
New York, has broken the ice be-
tweerf tv and department stores by
signing Macy’s and Abraham &
Straus to 10-week test campaigns
to start on the station Aug. 15.
Campaigns will include 10 and 20-
second spots plus one-minute par-
ticipations in WRCA-TV shows and
Will cover .every aspect of mer-

Y &R’s 15 Shows in the Lead

According to the schedules as they are presently known, there
will be “57 Varieties” of telepix series of all manners and modes
programmed on the three .networks next season. Of the 57, CBS
leads the pack with 27, or .nearly half, followed by NBC’s 17 and
ABC’s 13.

On the agency representation count— film and live shows—
Young and Rubicam heads up the “Big Five in TV” with 15 shows
fronted, followed by J. Walter Thompson’s 13, BBDO’s 12, Kenyon.
& Eckhardt’s seven and SSCB’s seven, Here’s the division by
networks:

ABC CBS NBC

Y & R .... — 12 ' 3

JWT 3 3 7

BBDO 1 6 5

SSCB 2 2 3

K & E 1 1 5

— —f — 1 ■■■ ■ ■ — —

Freeze on Food Plan Advertisers

Go.ody-Goody

Bob Brown, WAAT, New-
ark, deej ay, has picked up a
new softdrink sponsor. Prdd-
uCt is called Awful-Awful.

He mentioned on the . air
that he’d seen an Awful-Awful
delivery- truck, and mostly for
offbeat purposes, he'd like the
drink maker as - a sponsor. *
Awful-Awful started on
Brown's show this week.

SaTed°Ba 1 tes DeSSertS PW, " e H chamMstag &om specific iteni on

. J&J, through Young & Rubicam,
takes a threesome of quarter-
hours per week for seven weeks
starting this month. Sponsor will
ride with “Tennessee Ernie,” Ted
Mack’s “Matinee” and “World of
Mr. Sweeney” on Tuesdays and
has taken eight participations on
the “Home” show to be spread over
a like number of weeks, also start-
ing in August.

CBS-TV daytime has been SRO
for several seasons.

Color Spread went past $4,-
600,000 in sales last week to give
the NBC-TV Sunday night specolas
virtual sellout status for the 1955-
56 semester. - Money potential of
the tinted formation is $5,300,000.
Kraft Cheese cut itself in for seven
slices of the monthly biggies in
a $500,000 -stakeout starting Jan.
26.

A newcomer- to the 90-minuters
is U. S. Savings & Loan Assn.,
which will also be marking its net-
work tv debut. Outfit is down for
three representations, Jan. 1,
March 25 and June 17, with an Op-
tion for another single in Septem-
ber, 1956. Sunbeam, already con-
tracted for a dozen shares of stock,
has* added a couple for the April
and' May specs, with Glidden Paint
optioning the April show.

CRONYN & TANDY
IN ‘DISCIPLE’ TEAMUP

Hume Crony n and Jessica Tandy
have been signed by NBC-TV to
star in “The Devil’s Disciple.” The
G. B. Sh'aw work will be the Nov.
20 entry on Maurice Evans’ series
of eight 90-minute Sunday after-
noon shows.

The duo's tv stock rose sharply
last week via their “Fourposter”

‘Opry’ Bows Oct. 15

RalSton-Purina this week ex-
ercised its option on “Grand Ole
Opry” for television, and the NBC
radio segment will preem in its
live tv version via ABC-TV on Oct.
15. Show, originating in Ryman
Auditorium in Nashville, will air
Saturday nights from 8 to 9 on
a once-every-four-weeks basis.

Other three weeks will be filled
by “Ozark Jubilee,” out of Spring-
field, Mo., with “Ozark” running
7:30 to 9.

sale to departmental promotions.

Station is assigning a special
“task force”. headed by ad-promo-
tion - merchandising chief Max
Buck and retail merchandising
manager Pegeen Fitzgerald to the
campaigns to iron out> specific de-
tails on the type of items to be
pushed, copy approach, institu-
tional messages, etc. Stores, in re-
turn, will, provide the station with
sales records before, during and
after the various promotions so the
outlet can work up case histories
on the success of tv in moving de-
partment store goods.

Deal was set by WRCA-TV'g.m.
Ham Sheg with Mrs. Frances
Corey, senior v.p. of sales promo-
tion ~at Macy’s, and ,Ed Berman,
A Sc S ad manager.’ Shea esti-
mates that each campaign will tote
up some 17,000,000 impressions at
a cost-per-thousand of 38c over the
10-week periods. Period following
Aug. 15 -was chosen because of its
testing possibilities in closing sum-
mertime goods, measuring back-to-
school business and checking fall
fashion promotions.

Radio Corp. of America net profit
and sales soared to the highest
level in the history of the company
in the first six months ended last
June 30, David Sarnoff, board
chairman, announced last Thursday
(28). Products and services sales
for RCA "and subsids totalled
$488,510,000 -in the first half or
$44,141,000 (10%) ahead of the
previous record made in the 1954
first jhalf.

Net profit for. the six-month
period increased 14% over the
similar period of 1954 or $22,-
290,000. After dividend payments
on the preferred stock, this is equal
to $1.46 per common share as
against $1.26 for the first half last
year. There were 14,031,016 com-
mon shares outstanding at the end
of June.

Sales and earnings did not run
as high in the second quarter as
in fifst quarter this year. However,
the sales rose 7% to $232,205,000
in the second quarter as compared
with $217,760,000 in the second
quarter a year ago. Common shares
earnings amounted to 62c against
60c last year'

By ART^WOODSTONE

When RKO Radio Pictures
•changed hands recently, wide at-
tention had already begun focus-
ing on the . company’s new owner,
Thomas , F. O’Neil. As O’Neil’s
$25,000,000 purchase was official-
ized making him potentially one
of the most influential men in radio
and television, the trade brought
into play its Unerring hindsight ih
tracing the “pattern” of O'Neil’s
show biz rise.

While many could uncover much
of the man’s history as a business
executive and had a line on his
stalwart personal appearance, oth-
ers realized that beyond what
O’Neil chose to publicize — or had
to publicize, like the RKO' trans-
fer, because it involved parties
outside his own General Teleradio
— little was known about how he
administrates his burgeoning em-
pire. These administrations, how-
ever, are taken as a reflection of
his further aspirations by those
who know of them.

O'Neil, one of the sons of Wil-
liam O’Neil, founder of General
Tire (of which RKO, as well as
General Teleradio, is a subsidiary
hereafter), ascended to bis present
. . - status through a succession of

outing on ‘Producers Showcase/’ events, leading from the purchases

of the Don Lee, Yankee and Mu-
tual radio networks and several
radio and video stations to the es-
tablishment of a film syndication
diyision, making them in various
ways part of or responsible to Gen-
eral Teleradio. Now there’s RKO,
of course. It wasn’t so very long
ago, when there was more time to
worry about the future, if any, of
the. Mutual radio network — a time
when the broader GT picture
seemed confused — that any num-
ber of industryites were inclined
to think of Tom O’Neil, the man
who Was and still looks like an ex-
college football player, as making
radio and tv a “plaything” before
his father dragged Jjtim back to
Ohio and the protective fold of the
parent company.

‘Free Wheeling Financier*

The feeling today however,
might, be. summed up by seeing
O’Neil as a “free wheeling finan-
cier,” a phrase one tradester used
recently in describing him. To
O’Neil or any of the execs who
surround him, ,show biz— rwhether
radio, tv, tv film or motion pix— is
strictly big biz. It suddenly come$
out now that O’Neil has consum-
mated the RKO deal (which indus-
tryites believe will- net him a new
fortune) that he purportedly made

all his radio-tv station purchases
by cleverly playing on the formid-
able financial state of General
Tire to borrow the necessary cash
from various banks. Little of the
General Tire money, it’$ said, was
used in the show biz buys. Wheth-
er that’s actually the case or not
(or whether the succession of radio
and tv acquisitions was part of a
“master plan” instead of being a
series of steps through each of
which the next step- first became
apparent), such alleged financial
manipulations will more than like-
ly take a place beside the more
verifiable facts, as the kind of
thing that made O’Neil such a
“shrewd businessman.”

The one thing that emerges with
come conviction among those close
to the internal functioning of Gen-
eral Teleradio is that, like Howard
Hughes who sold him RKO Radio,
O’Neil is more a businessman,
disregarding the degree, than he is
a showman. He wants to continue
expanding. It’s evidenced in the
way he set up his executive eche-
lons, or, better yet, in the way he
hasn’t set them up.

Uses ‘Utility Infielders’

O’Neil, in order, to maintain a
high degree of administrative elas-

(Continued on page 39)

What , may prove the most defini-
tive step in the curtailment of
“bait” advertising so far in N. Y,
was taken Monday (1) by the State
Attorney General Jacob K. Javits.
Under the threat of legal action,
12 advertisers described as “ma-
jor food plan operators” signed
consent injunctions agreeing to
regulate their advertising accord-
ing to specific instructions or face
almost certain conviction in the
courts. Javits, a spokesman from
his office declared, now Intends ex-
tending the " injunction to other
"bait” advertisers, first ones being
storm window and sewing machine
bankrollers. ■

The immediate trade reaction
was that the Javits ’ demands on
food plan advertisers would ulti-
mately drive -some of them from
business, since it has frequently
been alleged that some of them can.
only make; a profit by their adver-
tising trickery. The consent in-
junctions, recording to the Javits.
spokesman, permit the Attorney
General to take to court, with al-
most certain guarantee of convic-
tion, any advertiser who doesn’t
comply with the rules.

There are 22 specific practices
demanded of the food plan adver-
tisers. One of the points is that
the “savings” promised by the ad-
vertiser must be mentioned ex-
actly. • N Javits pointed out that cus?
tomers have been promised the
"finest cuts *of meat but actually
have been getting soup, bone and
stew meat.” Javits clamps down
on all price guarantees that are
“meaningless or incapable of .ful-
fillment/’

The Javits spokesman said that
“nothing substantial was accom-
plished by the N. Y. radio and tel-
evision station self-imposed multi-
point plan earlier this year to
stifle ‘bait* advertising.” The plan
he was .talking about followed* a
threat of action by the Brooklyn.
D. A. against “bait”, advertisers.
The D, A. has since made isolated
conviction’s. Javits, however,
doesn’t blame “bait” on media
since they take such advertising in
“good faith.”

Javits says he recommended an
anti-bait” bill in the last session
of the State Legislature, but it
' failed to pass the Senate before
adjournment. Current steps fol-
lowed a year-long investigation
into food plan advertising.

Davidson Named

Bill Davidson has been posted as
assistant general ‘ manager of
WRCA (radio and tv), the NBC

owned & operated in New York,
under v.p.-general manager Ham-
ilton Shea. He was recruited from
WTAM and WNBK, Cleveland/the
ex-NBC stations where Shea for-
merly worked. He’ll join the
Gotham operation next month.

Davidson was with; NBC as far
back as 1938 and in the interim
had beeit with. Free & Peters, Ben-
ton Sc Bowles, J. Walter Thompson
and ABC station relations. Be-
fore his Cleveland berth, which
started In 1954, he was national
manager of NBC Radio Spot Sales.

'Wednesday, August S, 1955

RADIO-TELEVISION*

-TV’S $64,000

Minneapolis," Aug. 2.

Cedric Adams, WCCO tv and radio ace here, says he has refused
the CBS offer to take over as emcee of the tv network “Morning
Show,” -although it would V have meant considerably greater earn-
ings. Adams; who revealed the offer 'in his Minneapolis Star
column, says he prefers to remain in Minneapolis where, incident-
ally, his annual income from audio and video and newspaper work
is in the six figures.

“I told them I Wasn’t at all interested in going to New York
permanently no matter what the deal, but if I could go down there
lor a month and become oriented to the show and then come back
here and do a ‘split screen’ deal— that is, run my phase of it from
here — I’d be happy to have them consider it. The consideration
was short and sweet A tiny bit of investigation revealed that the
line charges on such a setup would run to $1,200 a day and that
too rich for anybody's blood. So another upper midwesterner bit
the dust. It was nice to know they still remembered the name,
anyway.”

116 Hours of Live Tint Show* on Tap for Last

Quarter of *55 Alone

In the October-December last
quarter of this year alone, NBC
will go tint on 116 hours of live
studio programming, against less
than 25 hours for the correspond-
ing period of 1954. Thus, 37 hours
this October compares with seven
last year; 41 hours in November
vs.-, eight and one-half, and 38
hours in December vs. nine.

Altogether, according to a sched-
ule set forth by Robert W. Sarnoff,
exec v.p. of the network, the 1955-
56 season will display nearly five
times as many hours of color as
last season.. Shows to be colorcast
on a regular basis, in addition to'
the specs, are Milton Berle ( 13 ) ,
“Howdy Doody” (cross the board),
the new daytime “Matinee” half-
hour dramas ( cross the board ) , the
Maurice Evans Sunday afternoon
series (8), plus inserts on a num-
ber of ? regular shows supli as
“Home,”

In .the sports field, ithe hues will
be ! applied on the baseball 'World
Series (if played in New York),
.four of the NCAA football games,
the Davis Cup tennis matches;
opera, “The Magic Flute” next
J anuary.

Ga. Tech-Miamis
Tinted Grid Tilt

Atlanta, Aug. 2.

NBC television technicians, head-
ed by NBC director Harry Coile,
are due to arrive here this week
to lay the groundwork for the first
color telecast of a football game.

Contest selected for tint treat-
ment . will be dash between
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and
U. .of Miami Hurficane at Grant
Field here Sept. 17.

WSB-TV, NBC affiliate here, will
transmit the game, which will be
season openers for both these grid
power houses.

Lindsey 'Nelson, who will work
the game along with Red Grange,
said the Tech-Miami game would
be the first of four tinters on the
1955 schedule for NBC. Other
games to get color treatment, Nel-
son said, would be l\|fchigan State
vs. Notre Dame, Michigan vs. Iowa,
and Army vs. Navy.

Dicker Laurel & Hardy
For 90-Miu. ‘Specials’

Hollywood, Aug. 2.

Entry of., comedy team of Stan
Laurel and Oliver Hardy into tv
was imminent last week following
discussions between Frank Cleav-
er, NBC-TV Production exec,; and
Hal Roach Jr.

Present plans call for comics to J
appear in two 90-minute color
films, to be billed as “specials.”
Format will try to recapture the
comedy style which won world
favor for the team two decades
ago. . Old L&H shorts, have heen
around on tv foy years. * • ••

Esther Williams Set
ForJerle’s 1st Tinter

Hollywood, Aug. 2.

First of guestars set to appear
with Milton Berle on his new all-
color NBC-TV series next fall is
Esther Williams.

On the £ept. 27 teeoitf of “Open-
ing Night Event,” the swim star
will be featured in a song-and-
dance specialty and dramatic skit
(all on dry land).

Barnes Gets CBS
Nod as Program

Howard G. Barnes, has ’been in-
stalled as CBS Radio’s program
veepee- in succession to Lester
Gottlieb, with latter moving over
to the tv side as daytime program
chief.

Barnes is a veteran at the web.
During 1938-42 he served as pro-
ducer-director riding herd on a
number of shows including the
N.Y, Philharmonic-Symphony, “We
the People,” “Duffy’s Tavern” and
the Columbia Workshop series.
After a hitch in the ' Navy, he
joined- the Dorland ad agency as
radio-tv v.p. and returned to CBS
to mastermind “On a Sunday
Afternoon,” two years ago, the new
“Woolworth Hour’’ and the day-
time “Second Mrs. Burton.” Un-
der Gottlieb’s aegis he ‘produced
the “Stage Struck” skein. His sta-
tion background Includes WJR,
Detroit, and WOR, N. Y., and as a
youth he worked for Music Corp.
of America.

Guy della Cloppa, the radio web’s
program veep on the Coast who’s
been visiting New York, retains
his capacity.

Art Linkletter Pacted
For 11 ‘Color Spread’
Specs as Actor & Host

Hollywood, Aug. 2.

Art Linkletter, vet emcee and
stuntmaster on radio-tv, turns ac-
tor for two color specs on NBC-TV.
Under a deal closed with Fred
Wile, the net’s program veepee in

Hollywood, he’s -committed to 11
shows in ;the “Color Spread” series
on Sundays, thesping in a pair,
and hosting the others.

Majority of programs will be
Hollywood-produced, although the
first two, "Skin of Our Teeth” and
"The Constant Husband” (film)
will come from N. Y. Linkletter
continues his "House Party? on
CBS-TV, "People Are Funny.” on
NBC-TV.

IN STAFF HYPOES

By GEORGE ROSEN

Lou Cowan, who happens to be
just about the hottest tv packager
around by virtue of the No. 1 jack-
pot status of his “$64,000 Ques-
tion,” has negotiated a deal where-
by he joins CBS-TV. He’ll still
retain a hoM on his various radio-
tv enterprises ("Down You Go,”
“Stop the Music,” etc.) but under
his new contractual commitment
he’ll devote all of his time to
network endeavors in creating pro-
gram ideas on behalf of program
chieftain Hubbell Robinson Jr.
with his aides running the package
operation.

The- designation of Cowan fol-
lows several weeks’ reports that
Robinson was bringing in someone
from the creative end as an overall
troubleshooter on programming - in
the web’s determined bid to make
a splash next season commensurate
with the kind° of noise that’s been
emanating, from the rival NBC-TV
precincts. Under the plan whereby
Robinson would spend considerably
more, time on the Coast (which has
been growing in stature as a major
tv production centre), it would be
necessary to fortify veepee Harry
Ommerle with additional creative
elements. Cowan, as such, would
move into this operational, sphere.

It’s not exactly a trade secret
that the audience payoff (and news-
paper attention) accufing to CBS^
TV from Cowan’s “$64,000 Ques-
tion” is almost without parallel jn
tv, far exceeding the attention
lavished on Cowan’s "Stop the
Music” when the latter’s Sunday
night showcasing on ABC Radio
threw Fred Allen out of the Sab-
bath 8 to 9 box on NBC and
sparked, for better or for worse,
the giveaway craze in broadcasting.

Appointment of Cowan spotlights
the personnel reshufflings, up-
heavals and additions that’ve been
going on at Columbia- as part of
Bill Paley 3c Co.’s "let’s get roll-
ing” campaign. Without any con-
siderable fanfare, the network has
been effecting a major overhaul
(both east and west) to solidify
its program structure. A1 Scalpone
was recently brought in from Mc-
Cann-Erickson agency as successor
to, Harry Ackerman, on West Coast
programming with the latter mov-
ing into a creative programming
niche; Lester Gottlieb was shifted
over from CBS Radio program
veepee to oversee the web’s day-
time tv rosters; ex-packager Bern-
ard Prockter recently joined the
tv network as an executive pro- ]
ducer; a few months back Gil
Ralston was brought into the net-
work, also with an exec producer
status. Harry Ommerle, key aide
to Robinson, was vested with vee-
pee stripes.

‘Clean Sweep on Coast*

However, this has only been part
of the CBS story. Perhaps of even
greater import has been the gradual
“clean sweep” that’s rocked the
network’s West Coast operation
from top to bottom, with the Scal-
pone-Ackerman shifts only part of
the story. Only; a couple weeks
back Howard Meighan, who has
been operating on a veepee level
within the CBS Ijicr framework,
was designated to head up the
Coast operation following the exit-
ing of Charles Glett, who has
moved into the new Tom O’Neil-
RKO setup. On top of that Grant
Theis, Who was manager of the
Film Services Dept, of CBS-TV,
was shifted to the Coast as Director
of Operations. And only this week,
press boss Charles Oppenhpim

(Continued on page 36)

Help Wanted: Part 2

Addenda to Help Wanted
column:

Those free-wheeling veepees
who operate on a 20th floor
corporate level at CBS* 485
Madison Ave. in Manhattan as
overall troubleshooters for Bill
Paley and Frank Stanton are
becoming scarcer and scarcer.
Unusually in years past there
have been six or seven around,
but with the checkout last
week of Dan O’Shea to become
prexy of RKO Pictures within
two weeks after the shifting of
Howard Meighan to Hollywood
to heaid up the CBS West
4 Coast operation, it leaves a
grand total of three.

These are Larry Lowman,
Dick Salant and Lou Hausman.

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR

1905 - 1955

For 1st TV Spec;

A 2!

Judy Garland has signed for
her first tv spectacular — and CBS-
TV gets her. She’ll do a 90-min-
ute color spec the night of Sept.
24 as the first of the Saturday
night Ford series of eight in the
9:30 to 11 p.m. segments. Program
will emanate from CBS-TV City in
Hollywood. 8 Show -has been pack-
aged at $250,000 with Miss Gar-
land getting $100,000 for herself.

Program will be somewhat along
the lines of the one-woman show
Miss Garland did at the Palace,
N. Y., a few seasons back, though
with, all new material and, as in
the case of her vaude presenta-
tion, with preceding supplemen-
tary acts. The latter have not yet
been chosen. Sid Luft, Miss Gar-
land’s husband-manager, will pro-
duce the show.

Both NBC and CBS had been
trying for a couple of years to
persuade Miss Garland to "go tv”
but until now she firmly resisted
any such overtures.

Meanwhile, both Mary Martin
and Noel Coward go into rehearsal
in Jamaica, BWL in September,
for* their 90-minute spec, which
will show up as the second in Octo-
ber of the Ford series on Columbia.

Eva Marie Saint’s 20G
For Musical ‘Our Town’
Spec as Award Payoff

Eva Marie Saint is still cleaning
lip on the prestige of being an
award-winning actress. For a guest
appearance Sept. 19 on the “Pro-
ducers’ Showcase” tele series,
she’ll receive $20,000, including
approximately $17,500 fee and the
balance transportation and living
expenses on the Coast for herself,
her director-husband Jeffrey Hay-
den, their baby and a nurse. Her
former top price for ty shots was
$1,250.

For the "Producers Showcase”
date, Miss Saint will play Emily,
(Continued on page 38)

The complexion of some adver-
tisers lured over to television of
late is indicative of a “going
.steady” move toward eventual mar-
riage. Since several sponsors are
new— or nearly new — to the medi-
um, they give every evidence that
they've hoarded money under the
mattress or in the appropriate cup-
board against the day when they’d
be forced to show their wares iq
the open amid the bitter competi-
tion for joeblow’s dollar. That' day
appears to be now.

A?couple of the underwriters are;
opening their purses’ like, as they
say, the currency within is about to
go out of style and be classed with
Confederate paper.

Consider the recent activity of
U.S; Rubber. It hasn’t been rep-
resented . With a program since
“Royal Showcase” expired several
season’s back. But it comes in with
a rush, blueprinting $3,000,000 on
NBC for* the "Color Spread” series
of 90-minute- Sunday specolas and
even spilling over into the 1956-57
season.

Consider also United Motors, a
division of General Motors. The
parent company has put the okay
on UM's taking a third of "Wide
Wide World” (with a report, too,
that GM itself may grab the other
two-thirds to make ‘WWW’ an all-
General Motors party)', at an outlay
of approximately $1,000,000.

Then there’s the U.S. Savings &
Loan Assn., which has never been
aboard a tv program on a, national
basis. Only last 'week this outfit
came through with a pact for three
participations on "Color Spread”
and has even optioned its share of
one show for the following season.

NBC-TV's “magazine , concept”
gimmick started the parade of
“guys you never heard of” board-
ing the video ship, -with a fat per-
centage of them lured over as
program bankrollers for the kind
of,, coin that they thought would"
bankrupt their operations not too
long ago. The competition has
squeezed them into that state of
luxuriation— the kind of competi-
tion that ups sales all around td
produce a sponsorlal snowball and
with the “end of the spend” not
clearly sighted.

Ike & Co. may be dazzling the
populace with their "basketball
spaceships,” but to tv’s johnny-
comelately spenders, 200 to 300
miles up in the stratosphere at a
gait of 18,000 mph is not so spec-
tacular to them In terms of what
they’re laying Out to plug them-
selves on the homescreens. Matter
of relativity.

‘$64,000 QUESTION’

AS RADIO SHOW, TOO

Radio version of "$64,000 Ques-
tion” appears to be on tap, with
both CBS (which has the tv ver-
sion) and NBC dickering for it.

AM edition would be a taped
playback of the video stanza on
the same night. In view of pack-
ager Lou Cowan’s deal to join CBS-
TV, they’re laying odds that Co-
lumbia gets first crack, at the radio
version, when and if it goes.

Merman, NBC-TV

Although Ethel Merman has
long since been pencilled in to
head up NBC-TV’s Nov. 6 spectac-
ular, the singer was reported hold-
ing out for more money than the
web is currently willing to offer.
Miss Merman’s Sunday outing was
to be pegged around her 25th anni
in show biz, accenting Irving Ber-
lin and Cole Porter tunes and with
possibility of both songwriters put-
ting in an appearance on the show.

The can-you-ask-for-anything-
more performer was reputed to
have been paid $50,000 per for her
CBS-TV appearances last season
and is askin'? a similar amount
from NBC. The latter, however,
reasons that Miss Merman's previ-
ous tv excursions have made her
services "less valuable” — and the
network has grooved her in the
. $35,000-$40,000 class, take it or
h leave it. ' 1 '

RADIO-TELEVISION

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

DEFUNCT ALLENTOWN, PA., UHF STATION I From the Production Centres

ASKS FCC FOR 3-YEAR TOLL TV TEST

Washington,. Aug. 2. 4-

A specific proposal by a tv sta-
tion to test the feasibility of sub-
scription video and to determine
whether the service , can be the
solution' to the UHF problem is
expected to get serious consider-
ation by the FCC when the com-
missioners return next month from
their vacations.

The proposal, filed last week
by WFMZ-TV, is the first com-
prehensive plan outlining in de-
tail just how a station would
schedule toll tv programs. The
Commission, it is known, is inter-
ested in obtaining information
based on actual experience in toll
tv operations before deciding
whether to authorize the service.
The proposition submitted by
WFMZ-TV may well be what it is
looking for.

If the authorization requested
is granted, toll tv would be sub-
jected to a pilot test for three
years in Allentown, Pa., and
WFMZ-TV, which suspended
operations last April, would re-
turn to the air with 56% of its
format devoted to subscription
programs.

Situated 50 miles from Phila-
delphia and 80 miles from New
York, Aljentown may be consid-
ered a highly desirable spot for
determining whether viewers in
an average-size community want
toll tv. Since New York and Philly
would supply the major live sub-
scription programs, the distance
• factor, minimizing line costs for
a test operation, will undoubted-
ly be of importance.

Furthermore, the agency ...would
be disposed to try out subscrip
tion in an area where ultra high
stations have been frozen out,
or may soon be, by competition
of outside VHF outlets. Station
WFMZ offered its proposal as “an
acid test of the projected, theory
that subscription tv will enable
many more tv stations to survive
and prosper, thus expanding the
desirable goal of utilization of a
tv system on a nationwide com-
petitive basis/’ —

‘Objective . Appraisal*

. Pointing to the confusion over
toll tv as a result of “conjecture,
wishful thinking. for fearful think-
ing,” WFMZ told the Commission
its purpose , in requesting 'the au-
thorization is to obtain an objec-
tive appraisal of toll tv to aid the
agency in determining whether
and how subscription tv should be
authorized.

/ *As a further inducement to ac
ceptance of its proposal, WFMZ
said its planned pilot operation
would not deprive the viewing
public in Allentown of any existing
•“free” programs as there are no*
local stations in operation. On the
contrary, it pointed out, the pro-
jected operation would provide
five hours daily of non-subscrip-
tion programs to over 50,000
homes equipped with UHF receiv-
ers in the Allentown-Bethlehem-
Easton area.

Under a time schedule accom-
panying the proposal, WFMZ
would install 25,000 decbder units
(Continued on page 38)

N6C Too. Wants

Zeaith’s $71,455,702

Sales; 26 % Increase

Chicago, Aug. 2.
With tv set sales the highest in
its history. Zenith Radio’s six-
month sales totaled $71,455,702,
a 26% increase over the $56,681,-
409 reported for the same period
last year. First-half profits were
$3,126,061, or $6.35 a share, repre-
senting a 142% jump over the
$1,288,246, or $2.62 a share, regis-
tered last year.

Profits for the second quarter
ended June 30 were $1,051,101,
equal to $2.14 a share, on sales of
$31,083,890. Net for the period
represents a 128% . increase over
the $460,725, or 95c a share, earned
last year on sales of $27,346,219.

FALSTAFF BEER IN
MAJOR FRISCO BUY

IN NEW YORK CITY . . .

Pianist Sidney Foster will be the initial guest when^WQXR’s “Studio
Series” finishes its hotspell hiatus Saturday (6) ... Femme gabber Lee
Graham bows Aug. 15 on Mutual from 1:30 to 2 across-the-board . . .
Victor Diehm has pencilled his four radio stations into the Khdio Ad
Bureau lineup. Roster includes WVDA, Boston; WIDE, Biddleford,
Me.; WAZL, Hazleton, Pa., and WHLM, Bloomsburg, Pa. . . . WQXR

Th* ’ locif live I String' Quartet vacations from its Saturday berth during August

Coast tv history was made last
weekend by Falstaff Brewing Corp.
with the purchase of a half-hour,
cro^s the board, of KGO-TV’s “San
Francisco Tonight.” Deal was
finalized by ABC veepee James H.
Connolly and veepee Charles L.
Hotchkiss of Dancer-Fitzgerald-
Saniple.

Falstaff gets for its money— the
sum’s unreported— the 10:30 to 11
p.m. spot, Monday through Friday,
on the ABC outlet’s variety show'.
Contract is for 12 consecutive 13-
week cycles.

Personality acquired by the
brewers is Don Sherwood, who
switched from radio disk jockeying
to tv only last spring.

Bob Neal and Earl Gillespie to handle verbalizing for Mutual’s All-
Star Football Game Aug. 12 . . . Femme violinist Yoko Matsuo was fea-
tured soloist on final “Evenings-by-the-River” concert last night (Tues.)
aired via WNYC.

Milestones at WCBS: 20th wedding anni of the.Lanny Rosses, cele-
brated at “Damn Yankees” in which Shannon Bolin, wife of Milton
Kaye, Ross’ accompanist-arranger, is featured.. 46th birthdays of pro-
gram chief Sam Slate and Galen Drake . . . Dan Sobol pf WRCA sales
and Marv Camp of neWs and special events vacationing in Panama,
With Kit Tucker off to California and. Mary O’Connor relieving her
Don Bishop, publicity chief of WRCA-plus-tv, sojourning at Shelter
Island on L.I. Sound . . * Bob Haynes’ wife, Eunice, off to France for
six weeks,. With her husband to join her there after he winds up his
WCBS chores late this month . . . Marilyn Rosenberg, WRCA press
secr’y, engaged to nonprp Dave Roth with a December marriage
planned.

show.

Chicago, Aug, 2.

Swift & Co. has .finally concluded
hot to renew Horace Heidt’s
“Show Wagon” when the pact ex-
pires Oct. *2 . Although NBC-TV
had told the meat packer the Heidt
package would have to exit its
present Saturday night 6:30 (CDT)
berth come fall, bahkroller had
strongly considered putting it into
another slot on either NBC or
ABC-TV because of the merchan-
dising advantages of the junketing
show. '

Keeping the Heidt show would
have required a supplementary ad
appropriation since coin for the
bundle has been' coming from a
special Centennial fund and the
new fiscal year budget doesn’t take
effect until December.

NBC-TV, meanwhile, has given
Swift until next Monday (8) to
come up with a “mutually satis-
factory” replacement for the Sat-
urday 'night period. It’s under-
stood William Morris reps this
week will screen for network execs
in New York as a possibility the
“White Mane” telepix series lo-
cated in France and written and
produced by Ed Gruskin.

Swift’s hopes of getting into
ABC-TV’s “Mickey Mouse Club”
are apparently stymied by rival
Armour’s early buy into the forth-
coming strip. Wholly separate
Derby Foods adjunct returns .to
that web’s “Disneyland” in the fall
in the period being occupied this
summer by Swift itself.

Account is shared by J. Walter
Thompson and McCann-Erickson.

IN CHICAGO

George Diefenderfer Jr. (his pop is NBC’S Chi radio network sales
Falstaff irnnoked off a miarter- manager) has exited the Paul Raymer station rep firm to take over
hour newscast on another tv outlet as radio-tv sales manager at WISH-AM-TV, Indianapolis _. . Weiss : &
here to concentrate on the KGO Geller veep Don Nathanson co-chairman for the sixth year for the

Heart Fund drive . , ■. Paul Ray new manager of the John Blair Chi-
office vice Charley Dilcher who’s heading up the rep’s new Atlanta
office. Cliff Barborkais the new Chi sales manager and Jim Bowden,
ex- John Pearson, has been added to the sales staff here . . . Mutual’a
central division veepee Carroll Marts vacationing' witn rod' and reel
in northern Wisconsin . . . Frank Toler signed as Kling Films southern
sales rep . . ; Norman Bankart awarded veepee chevrons at N. W. Ayer
agency. . . Actor-announcer Ed Prentiss back from Gotham for a quickie
visit with Windy City friends . . , Most recent Electric Assn, survey shows
the Chi-aTea tv set count at 1,963,725, an increase of 19,746 during
June . . . ABC-TV “fcuper Circus” cast members made a round of
This fall WPIX, the N.Y. Daily personal' appearances at the National Confectioners Assn, convention
News video station, is lopping a here over the weekend as a goodwill gesture to the Chunky Chocolate
half-hour daily off its weekday Co., which joins the Sunday afternoon show in the fall . . . Joe Galllc-
Idd block and adding a Sabbath chio and his 35-man NBC orch taking their two-week vacation en masse
juve roster .where there is none . . . Chalmers Marquis, currently a WBBM-TV director, joins the staff
now. Key step in revamping the of WTTW, Chi’s educational station, next week . . . Jim Troy, NBC?
juve viewing time on the outlet TV biz manager, recovering from an emergency appendectomy at Wes-
will be seven-day reliance on In- ley Memorial hospital , . . Chicago Title & Trust will again sponosr
terstate’s “Little Rascals,” billed Chicago Symphony telecasts on WGN-TV starting Oct. 12.
as the “Clubhouse Gang Comedies’

by the station. I IN SAN FRANCISCO

The Ford Foundation’s bid for
Irving Berlin to participate in a
CBS spectacular, based On. the
soldier shows of World War I
and II, respectively “Yip Yip
Yaphank” and “This Is The
Army,” has also snowballed in-
terest in the NBC camp for a
Berlin spec. The songsmith, . at the
moment, is taking it easy and if
it weren’t for the “God Bless
America” Fund, which gets all
his revenue from Ford, he says
he wouldn’t concern himself either
with CBS or NBC, at least as of
now.

However, when he meets with
the prospective sponsor it is un-
derstood that Berlin will not en-
tertain a fee under $100,000 be-
cause, In effect, the tv link-up of
both soldier shows becomes, per-
force, part of hi§ (the songsmith’s)
biography. And there has been
some pretty fancy interest in a
Berlin biopic, whiclj he has spurij^d
(Continued on '#age 30)

Builders Parlay WCAU
Into a Dream House
In Saturation Payoff

Philadelphia, Aug. 2.

Spearheaded by a saturation
schedule Which Sold 329 homes
and set a oneday volume record
of $3,290,000 for the 1 Georgetown
Homes development, real estate
builders have turned to WCAU
radio in recent months to introduce
new homes to prospects in the
Philadelphia market.

In every case, builders and de-
velopers, which have long been
using other forms of exploitation,
report unusually high response to
their WCAU radio campaigns.

F. A. Collins, builder and direc-
tor of the National Assn, of Home
Builders, stated: “The thousands
brought , out on June 26, 1955, by
the Georgetown Homes exploita-
tion, is ample proof that radio is a
‘must’ in. our advertising cam-
(paigns for future developments.
More traffic was created on one
day due to this campaign than
ever before in the history of Mt,
Laaurel Township, N. J., and the
cost compared to results was most
inexpensive.”

Volume of real estate business
on WCAU Radio has seen as many
as 50 announcements on a single
weekend. Levitt and Sons, ’for
Levittown, Just ^igned, t^ejr ,third
‘concurrent schedule oh station.

Its Juve Schedule

‘Clubhouse” is first being moved

by the station on Sept. 5 from its . Stejnhart Aquarium’s Earl I S. Herald, featured In "Science in

current 5:30 p.m. slot to a 6 p.m. Act SS’™ fl Z *° « uest «•“**; Aug. 2 - »>. and .

Start ‘during the week And in «d on NBC’s “Home”— he’s giving the lowdown on bugs, from termites

dition to the packafe’s Saturday . . . David E. Dundy-: is new assfetant sales manager aj

exposure at 6:30, the new Sunday v,a ^^ ormer ^ ***** IP' • A n 6 e * e ®j an “

slot will he added at fi tpa’c KROY, Sacramento . . . San Francisco Advertising Club heard Oliver

“Ramar of the Tnnede ” wpty’c E. Treyz, president of the Television Bureau of Auditing, last Wed.
other highly rated kidfilm is being (27) * • • KPIX has stolen away a top KQED hand, Tom.Lantos, for a
moved from 6 to 6-3U on Sent &eW Sunday afternoon show, “Perspective” . . . Km)N station mana-
W and incidentally the ouSet has Har °' d 1 P ;„ See ,T ke > ‘ he ® ast Bafersfield Hotary Cltfb Frida*
Inked for the latest 26 in the series. 29 .,•/ • T»1 Avery interviewed act.ors and .actresses for speaking parts

hmipc” ^ Lme-Up” . . . Muriel Landers subbing for the junketing Marporie

A third show, “Cartoon Comics
which for several weeks has been
unsponsored in the 5 to 5:30 time
will be moved to 12:30 p.m. on
Sept. 12. The time it now fills will
be taken over .by non-juve program-
ming, so after the changes the
weekday lineup for kids will be
only aii hour-long,.

The Sunday . shed will read “Hans
Christain Andersen” returning for
its second season at

Trumbull ... Janet Nickelsburg moves aver to KQED for “Stop, Look
and- Listen.”

IN BOSTON ... .,

WORL, located for five years at 92 State St. In the heart of the
Hub’s financial district, moved its studios 'uptown, to bigger, more
modern quarters this week at 705 Beacon St. in Boston’s Kehmore
Square ... WBZ-WBZA and the Bay State Raceway at Foxboro saluted
the new NBC radio feature “Monitor” with the Monitor Pace for a
$5,000 purse Sat. (30) with Leo Egan, WBZ-WBZA sports director.

whose program is heard from the raceway • nightly at 10:30, broad-
thereafter be supported by Abbott casting the feature over the NBC radio network. A special trophy

«■?» /fi was presented in the name of “Monitor” to the winning owner. Nelson-

day^oster'wiu'be ImiU jiround the WBZ radi ° and tv Penality, presents the "Nelson Bragg

.» ^ Trophy” to the winning owner in a special match race between Adios

that Mars Harry, holder of the world’s record for the fastest pacer, and Adios
S wot?c m?y nn mi. ng u Ver Boy on Sat. (6) and Egan will be heard again-on “Monitor” . . . WNAC’s

from rival WCBS-TV. The hoss
opera is at 6 p.m., and before it on
Saturday, will be “Cartoon Comics”
at 5 and A&C at 5:30. Following
“Bill” at 6:30 will be “Clubhouse”
and at 7 “Ramar.”

The . 5 p.m. Mon.-thru-Fri. slot

soon to be ankled by “Cartoon

Comics” was held last spring by | subbing,
a teenage program, “Dance Time,
though it ? s not likely that same
Show will return this fall.

new policy of featuring “easy listening” music and cutting rock’n roll,
a & b, and the 10 top tune bits is winning big aud reaction. Station,
says “teenei'S have passed their crazy phase of rocking and rolling
in the Hub.” Representing the new trend is the Gus Saunders show,
from 2 to 3 Monday through Friday. New policy has Bill Hahn fea-
turing bright, modern tunes on his 6 to 9 a.m. show, and Fred Lang
following the new format on his 3 to 5 p.m. show . . . John Scott,
WEEI disk jock, on vacash With Art Smith, regular staff announcer,

No. Dakota Factions
In Educ’l TV Hassle;
Univ/s $l-a-yr. Offer

Minneapolis, Aug. 2.

North Dakota Broadcasting Co.,
Minot, N. D., has launched a fight
to prevent KNOX, Grand Forks,
N. D., from taking over tv educa-
tional Channel 2 from the U. of
North Dakota for its own tv use
in place of Channel 10.

In order to prevent what it calls
the university’s sacrifice Of the

IN PHILADELPHIA ...

Fred Walker, WPTZ publicity director, recipient of the WTTM (Tren-
ton) Community Program Award. fOr Public Service.” Walker was for-
me^ director of public affairs at the Trenton Station . . . WCAU to
carry Penn football schedule for 20th consecutive year . ... . Bob Law-
rence WiP’s “On the Town” late night reporter, taped only radio in-
terview given by Noel Coward during U. S. visit. Cffward was in Lam-
bertvilte clinching his “After the Ball” with St. John Terrell ... Ted
Rosenberg, former Ziv rep, has joined Television Programs of America
as local account exec, succeeding Vincent Melzao. Melzac upped to
spot supervisor for Eastern area ... KYW Publicity Manager Bill
Smith spending vacation sailing off Maine Coast . . . James W. Gbntzw
KYW News editor, retiring tfter 14 years with Westinghouse station.
. . i Dick Clark, WFIL deejay, on three-week European jaunt . . . Mabel
Bennett, starting two-week tour of southeastern states (1) interviewing
Tyro inventors for husband Donn Bennett’s CBS-TV network’s “Big
Idea.”

IN PITTSBURGH ...

__ __ . Charles Cassell and John T. Caldwell have left WQED to go with
channel NDBC has announced another educational station, WKAR-TV, 'Michigan State, - Lansing,
through its president, J. W. Boler, former as chief announcer and latter as a director ... Bill Murray,
as. a step in the battle, that it son of Jimmy Murray, KQV manager, has changed his college plans
would be willing to construct a and will join his brother, Jim, Jr., at St. Vincent in the fall . . . Mar-
modern educational tv station at lene Dolsey shifting from KDKA-TV sates department to film sector,
Grand Forks, the school’s locale, where she’ll be secretary to Dick Dreyfus, replacing Gerry Hughes . . .
at its own expense and lease the Pittsburgh Steelers got $150,000 for the radio and tv rights to their
operation to the university for, $1 National League pro, football schedule , t Newscaster * Carl Ide lias
k year. * (Continued on page 39)

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

f^RlETf

RADIO-TELEVISION 27

Not How Far’ But ‘How Many’

A big-power radio station isn't sold any more on the basis of
area coverage, a station rep said last week. He explained that his
salesmen have instructions to talk to prospective bahkrollers for
the 50 and 10 kw statidhs on his roster only on the nuftiber of
listeners to be found a specific area — usually limited by the bound-
aries of the city in which' the transmitter is located.

He asserted that “sponsors don’t care how far you go anymore,
just how many, people you get.” And he added: “Pretty soon sta-
tions’ll be operating just in the places they were allocated to by
the FCC.” *

Tdhnat’

By WILLIAM STEIF

San Francisco, Aug. 2.

KSAN-TV here was $5,000 in
black last month. And the month
before that. And In May, too.

This may — or may not — be a lot
of money for a’ VHF station to
make in one month. But for KSAN-
TV it’s fine, because this outlet,
channel 32, is UHF and has ho
network ties at all.

Thus, when KSAN-TV’s owner,
S. H. Patterson, says “we've done
exceedingly well in some regards,”
he knows the money’s in the bahk.

It’s been a rough go,- says Pat-
terson, since the station opened up
in April, 1954, and there are still
months when he thinks he’ll ^have
to keep his books in red ink*, but
* the toughest part is over, he feels.

“We’re gonna crack it,” Patter-
son says, “the only place in the
U. S. that’s done it without a net-
work.”

In order to “crack it” Patterson
and his son* Norwood, have tail-
ored the station’s programming.

“We’re doing only a local job,”
says Patterson, “that’s the reason
for our success. We’re concentrat-
ing on local sports, college and
high school football and basketball,
the San Francisco Seals and Oak-
land Oaks baseball games, boxing
and wrestling, a dally feature
horse race and, lately, the roller
derby.”

The college football is all on
on film but KSAN-TV does a lot
of remote pickups, especially on
high school sports (“very impor-
tant,” says Patterson).

In addition, the UHF station is
going to take the plunge into
“class” programming this month
when “Jumping George,” a Negro
disk jockey from Patterson’s radio
outlet, KSAN, moves into tv. Pat-
terson also hopes to close a deal
with a Portuguese language deejay
shortly. N

Patterson, a Colorado preacher
who bought a radio station on a
shoestring in 1933, claims his sta-
tion accounts for the large per-
centage of UHF potential in North-
ern California. Of 1,000,000 tv
sets in the area, some 250,000 are
either equipped .with the convert-
ers or are all-channel.

KSAN-TV is the most powerful
UHF outlet west of the Mississippi

(Continued on page 39)

WRCA-TV Gets the ‘Fax’

WRCA-TV has taken a year’s ride
on International News Photos’ fac-
simile service, supplying hi-speed
transmission to its 67th St. studio
of pictures and captions. Bill
Berns, director of news and spe-
cial events of the NBC o&o’s in
New York (including WRCAV said
station would have the only INP
“fax” in town.

Contract is for 16 hours daily,
8 a.m. to midnight, from Monday
through Saturday, with servicing
of all news programs as well as
special shows. Service will be in-
augurated Friday (5).

Washington, 'Aug. 2.

The U. S. Court of Appeals,
D. C. Circuit, slapped down the
FCC last week for denying Gor-
don Brown, owner of WSAY, a
hearing on his protest against the
1953 share-time grants to the Gan-
nett Newspapers (WHEC-TV) and
WVET-TV .. for channel 10 in
Rochester, N. Y.

The Court held that Brown
raised at least one issue that re-
quired a hearing, namely, the
threatened control of the media of
mass communications by Gannett
in view of its monopoly of the only
dailies in Rochester, its AM opera?
tion there, and its other broadcast
and newspaper interests.

While exonerating the Commis-
sion of Brown’s charge that it acted
with undue haste in issuing the
(Continued on page 34)

What’s Cookin’ With Storer & Ami

Aluminum Co. ( of America^ will
pull a one day saturation promo-
tion on Dec. 6 over NBC-TV that
■Will encompass* eight shows from
“Today” to “Tonight.” Alcoa has
earmarked $140,000 for this
“Christmas Gifts of Aluminum”
pitch aimed at 60 £v markets that
will tie in major department stores
and include local cut-ins With the
company’s identification. Em-
braced in the campaign are 18
categories of aluminum end-prod-
ucts made by over 300 manufac-
turers.

Pairs of participations are ear-
marked for “Today,” “Home,”
“Matinee” (Albert McCleery’s new
daytime dramatic showcaser from
3 to 4) and the Steve Allen late-
nighter. Quarter-hour segments
have been bought on “Ding Dong
School,” “Tennessee Ernie Ford
Show,” “Feather Your Nest” and
'“World of Mr. ‘Sweeney.” Alcoa
a&epcy is Fuller & Smiths Ross,. *i

Pond’s as Alternate
Campbell’s Sponsor
On Anthology Series

Pond’s Extract, which cancelled
out of its ABC-1? V Thursday night
“Pond’s Theatre” dramatic hour
last spring, will <be back on tele in
the fall, but on NBC-TV as alter-
nate-week backer of Campbell
Soups’ new half-hour dramatic an-
thology series. New series, which
begins at the end of September, is
being packaged as a 26-week live,
13-week film and 13-week film re-
peats presentation by MCA, which
established the same pattern on
the Sunday night “General Elec-
tric Theatre” on CBS-TV.

Pond’s will move in as a replace-
ment for General Electric appli-
ances division, which has been
sharing the tab with Campbell on
“Dear Phoebe,” which the anthol-
ogy series replaces Fridays at
9:30. J. Walter Thompson set the
deal for Pond’s.

21 New AM Grants

Washington, Aug. 2.
Cleaning ufr an accumulation of
applications before taking off for
August vacations, FCC commis-
sioners last week issued authoriza-
tions for 21 radio stations, includ-
ing -.two* F-M’-ers.

M 9 an i i la n Id )

* ' *

The nation’s 50,000-watters, once
the kingpins of the broadcasting
industry, appear to be bn a seri-
ous decline. They’ve found them-
selves on the horns of a double-
pronged dilemma: their big “re-
gional” status is no longer impor-
tant now that network radio has
declined in importance and smaller
rural outlets are eVer-increasing
in numbers, and their revenue
mainstays have declined While
they’ve been unable to compete
for the local advertising dollar.

Some of the big 50 kw boys, key
station reps aver, would just as
soon trade in their 50 kw shingle
for a 5,000-watt transmitter at this
point. Many would, it's said, were
it not for the high cost of conver-
sion. For in today’s era of “local”
radio, a “regional” signal has little
meaning or importance except . a
high operating cost to the station.
The function of a “regional” signal
is all. but gone. New stations have
moved into its rural coverage area,
destroying what once was a form
of monopoly; network affiliation is
often more of a burden thani an
advantage; and high rate cards
based on high operating costs
can’t compete for the local busi-
nessman’s ad budget when the
business is aiming only at that “A”
county business.

Reversal in the fortunes of the
50 kw outlets is keyed to two
other factors; the decline in net-
work revenues and the recent dip
in national spot * business. The
powerhouses made their big money
on network compensation and on
national spot and- regional adver-
tisers. Network compensation is a
ghost of what it once was; national
spot is down. Equally important,
though, is the increase in the
number of new smalltown radio
operations which* have destroyed
the 50 kws’ “big sell” as a regional
power. For the regional advertis-
er, once confined in many in-
stances to the 50 kw outlet, now
can line up a regional network of
small stations. Similarly, the na-
tional spot advertiser can bypass
the 50,000-watter in favor of a
similar lineup.

The ’New Sell’

Proof of the pudding lies in the
fact that station reps are no
longer selling the 50 kw’s on their
powerful regional signals. The
sell now is “saturation” within
the “A” county. The stress
among the station reps now is
“we’ll get you perfect coverage
within the market, any peripheral
benefits are yours for free.”
Trouble is, with high operating
costs, the 50 kw stations can’t
match the lower rate cards of the
5,000 and 1,000-watters who can
offer equally good coverage of the
“A” county. And that national
business is being shared all
around.

More important, however, is the
local business angle. With network
business down, national spot in a
decline since the end of last year,
it’s the local business, consistently
on the increase, that’s proved the
mainstay of the station operation.
The powerhouses are at a double
disadvantage: the small business-
(Continued on page 38)

Sullivan vs, Sullivan

Ed Sullivan, (the “Toast of the
Town”-N.Y. Daily News Sullivan)
has gone to court to prevent an-
other Ed Sullivan (of Buffalo) from
using his name in conjunction with
a radio-tv business, Sullivan (col-
umnist-emcee) filed for an injunc-
tion in N. Y. Supreme Court last
week asking that Buffalo’s Sulli-
van amend the certificate of incor-
poration and delete the Sullivan
moniker from Ed Sullivan Radio
& TV, Inc., which does business
in Buffalo.

Motion will be heard next
month.

OKU Jan. 17

Washington, Aug. 2.

Open hearings of the Senate
Commerce CoVnmittee study into
radio-tv begin Jan. 17, 1956, it was
announced here by Sen, Warren
G. Magnuspn (D., Wash.), Commit-
tee Chairman. Committee will
also consider a number of bills af-
fecting broadcasting, including the
Bricker Bill authorizing the FCC
to regulate the networks,

The probe will cover both the
networks and the VHF-UHF prob-
lem in television. Former U. S.
Senator Clarence Dill, father of
the original communications act,
will serve as committee consultant
in preparing for the hearings, now
that Sidney Davis has resigned as
majority counsel. Investigation is
to proceed- as follows, said Mag-
nuson;

1. Engineering committee, un-
der Prof. Edward Bowles, of MIT,
and including leading radio and
television engineers, who are ad-
vising the committee about that
aspect, making definite progress
.with respect to the television al-
locations and certain UHF-VHF
problems.

2. The FCC has started its study
into radio -and television broad-
casting under commissioners
George C. McConnaughey, Rosel
Hyde, Robert Bartley and John
Doerfer.

3. Senate committee staff is de-
veloping data about networks and
other phases of tv and will con-
tinue during the recess of congress.

+ The Avco high command is still
denying it, but reliable sources in
the trade are equally vehement
that “something’s cookin’” in rela-
tion to sale of Avco’s Crosley Divi-
sion (including its radio-tv broad-
casting empire and manufacturing
arm). Price most frequently men-
tioned for the whole Crosley
kaboodle is $100,000,900.

^ The story most prevalent is that
George B. Storer is interested in
its acquisition, which doesn’t come
as a surprise to many in view of
the discussions previously held
between Avco-Crosley officials and
Storer in attempting to maneuver
a swap of stations which would get
both factions off the “overlap”
hook. In the case of Storer, it was
a matter of resolving an overlap in
his Detroit-Toledo tv operations.
As for Crosley, the overlap lay
between the Cincinnati and Dayton
stations. However, nothing came
of those talks.,

Now it’s *tinclerstood that Storer
is interested in acquiring the
Crosley broadcasting chain — and
disposing piecemeal of those ele-
ments that he’s not particularly
interested in. For example, he has
no inclination to become a manu-
facturer, so the Crosley set division
would be sold in turn by Storer
(General Dynamics has been men-
tioned as a prospective purchaser).

Since Storer already/bas a sta-
tion in Atlanta, he would dispose
of WLW-A in that city. The Co-
lumbus (WLW-C) market doesn’t
particularly interest him, so that
would go, too. His major interest,
goes the word, lies in the acquisi-
tion of WLW, Cincy, which is the
big Crosley noise, and moving the
transmitter to maneuver a blanket
coverage of the Cincinnati-Dayton
area (which would then become a
market comparable to St. Louis).

At least, that’s what -they’re
saying.

NBC Dickers Unpreduced
Vernon Duke Musicals
For Slotting as Specs

NBC-TV is having talks with
composer Vernon Duke for the
rights to three of his unproduced
musicals as possible spec slottings.
Web’s interest centers in part on
“Casey. Jones,” but the tunesmith
would have to resolve a difficulty
which has arisen in the case of the
legendary engineer’s widow, who
objects to the ending.

Duke is in New York in connec-
tion with production plans for two
new Broadway tuners, one of them
titled “Dilly,” with book by
Lawrence & Lee, and an untagged
work by the team of Samuel & j
jBella Spowa'ck; • • j

ACID’s Tes’ or W
On Pressure Charges;
Hardy Burt’s Big Gripe

The American Civil Liberties
Union on Friday (July 29) rejeased
the findings of its detailed inves-
tigation into claims by radio-tv
producer Hardy Burt that Facts
Forum shows were victims of dis-
crimination. By Monday (Aug. 1) j
Burt had issued a statement, • in j
the form of a letter to Patrick |
Malin, ACLU chieftain, taking ex- i
cep tion to many points in the ■
group’s report. |

ACLU agreed with Burt in its |
lengthy statement that the now
disbanded National Issues Com-
mittee in 1954 “did pressure the
Mutual Broadcasting System. ' to
eliminate the Facts Forum-spon-
sored ‘Reporters Roundup' by
promising to press for a FCC in-
vestigation of MBS’ programming
policy.” The* Union did not sup-
port Burt’s allegations that the
American Committee for Cultural
Freedom “pressured” NBC into
aborting a proposed FF stanza, nor
did the investigation prove that the
refusal of an Americans For Demo-
cratic Action member to partici-

That “basic disagreement on
policy matters” which WLW, Cros-
s's radio station in Cincinnati,
gave as reason for breaking a long
affiliation with Mutual is under-
stood to be a difference over the
amount demanded by the station as
its sharp for carrying network
shows. It’s said that the station,
an NBC basic as well, which has
always commanded a much higher
price (through both rate card and
percentage of network billings)
from both webs than other affili-
ates receive, could no longer get.
Mutual to come across at the old
price.

The 50,000-watt Cincy station
and Mutual have been renegotiat-
ing their contract for a year. It
was last week that they no longer
saw the need for further dicker-
ing. The two will split officially
on Sept. 3.

WLW and NBC continue their
affiliation, and Mutual is reported
turning fulltime to WCPO. Mu-
tual has long had a “working
agreement” with WCPO, but
whether the web continues per-
manently with the station or is
searching around for a possible
new affiliation is not known.

A spokesman for Crosley said
the WLW radio station still car-
ries NBC’s afternoon program-
ming as well as the weekend
“Monitor” sked.

(Continued on page 34)

, I ) ) ; e ( d \ ‘ C) r Jl )

1. ■ I'

Bill Ad lei* to WABD

Bill Adler leaves VRCA and
WRCA-TV, N. Y. y to become over-
seer of publicity and special
events for DuMont’s N. Y. outlet,
WABD. Gerry Lyons, who was
handling those duties for WABD,
continues as director - of public-
ity for the DuMont broadcasting
division, the part of the company
responsible for the Electronicam.

WRCA has upped A1 Perlmutt-er
from the promotion department to
Adler's- .old job, r

■ -3 ; ;i. r > » i i i i .< :

TELEVISION REVIEWS

PfifelETY

Wednesday, August - 3, 1955

SVENGALI AND THE BLONDE
With Ethel Barrymore, Carol Chan-
ning, Basil Rathbone, Russel
Arms, Franklin Pangborn, Wil-
liam Meigs, Hal Smith, Mitad Mc-
Coll, Nancy Kulp, Edith Angold,
Charlotte Knight, Harry Carper-
estan

Producer-Director: Alan Handley
Writers: Handley, Charles Gaynor
Music Director: Vic Sch^en
Words and Muster Gaynor
Choreography: Tony Charmoli
90 Mins., Sat. (30), 9 p.m,
OLDSMOBILE
NBC-TV, from Hollywood
( D . P. Brother )-'

For about an act or so, Alan
Handley’s production of “Svengali
and the Blonde,” which was pre-
sented as last Saturday night’s (30)
Oldsmobile spec on NBC-TV, ap-
proached the status of a refreshing
musical melodrama fashioned from
George DuMaurier’s “Trilby.” As
produced - directed by Handley,
adapted by Handley and Charles
Gaynor and enacted by Carol
Channing, Basil Rathbone and
Russel Arms, with Ethel Barry-
more doing the commentary, the
early portion of it was given a
tongue-in-cheek treatment that
made any resemblance to what
DuMaurier originally had in mind
purely coincidental. In those mo-
ments this presentation of “Sven-

{ ;ali” was well on its way to becom-
ng one of the most satisfying mu-
sicals written for tv.

Thus it’s unfortunate that, hav-
ing captured this bouyant spirit
and sophisticated buffoonery
through the first act, somebody
must have remembered there was
a story to “Trilbj” and that, come
what may, it had to be told. From
then on it went to pieces (save for
an occasional reverting back to its
original fun). If it hadn’t tried
too desperately to complete the
story, and had utilized the charm-
ing and original commentary of
Miss' Barrymore instead of some
of the duller scenes, “Svengali”
might well have created a . new
style in. tv musicals.

The simplicity of this method,
that of a stylized narrator to co-
ordinate the highlights, proved a
unique pattern, doubly enhanced
by Miss Barrymore’s capturing of
the spirit and the spoofing.’ For
that matter, Rathbone as Svengali
sometimes followed her lead, and
when the adaptation was. right,
Miss Channing, too, fell in step
and at such times was a delight.
But it seemed as though Handley
(in his triple capacity) and Gaynor
lacked the courage of their con-
victions and got production-happy.
As an hour show it might have
turned the trick more successfully;
certainly it would have been less
difficult to sustain the mood.

Not that the production numbers
and the choreography didn’t 1 in
themselves have merit. The origi-
nal song numbers and the interest-
ing dances were perhaps on a par
with some of the best produced in
tv, but unfortunately not within
the satiric, mocking framework.

Whenever Handley and Gaynor
let themselves go, as in the “cliff-
hanger” technique of reintroduc-
tions at the second act and repris-
ing the synopsis for latecomers; in
the hilarious close when Miss Bar-
rymore was mesmerized by Sven-
gali into giving an operatic solo;
or again in the credit tag (settings
by Refioir, Degas, Seraut and Ed
Stephenson”), then the play was
fun.

It could be that Coast-originat-
ing live shows still lack the know-
how of the east, or that the Bur-
bank stafee is too small, for the
major production numbers had a
tendency to crowd the cameras and
thereby lose their effectiveness.
Nor was the lighting any too satis-
factory. Rose,

SPORTSCOPE

With Bob Bender,, others

30 Mins.; Sat., 7 p.m.

ROBERT BURNS CIGARS
WRGB-TV, Schenectady

(Young & Ruhicam )

Half-hou^ is divided between
Telenews sports highlights, nar-
rated by Harry Wismer, and com-
mentary-interviews conducted by
Bob Bender, sports director of
WRGB and sister WGY. Film
fare for the most part is quite in-
teresting, but the sound track at
times becomes monotonously noisy
— accented by Wismer’s high tone
and driving delivery. Idea is to
create a sense of excitement.

Bender, calm, slow and clear of
speech, ranges for the field for
interviews. One with Ben Becker,
Albany schoolman and AAU dis-
trict chairman, proved exception-
ally good. Becker spoke of boxers,
including ‘the headliners, with
acumen and authority. Bender’s
exchange with Ed Wachter, o"f
Troy, alltime professional basket-
ball great, former college coach
and rowing official, dealt primarily
With the water end — Bender ex-
plained -he had been on Rutgers’
junior. ^ • Jago, *

A CONVERSATION WITH PABLO

CASALS

With Casals, Madeline Foley
Producer: "Robert Graff
Director: Jacques Baratier
30 Mins.» Sun. (31), 5 p.m.

NBC-TV, N.Y.

NBC-TV added a noteworthy
interview with cellist Pablo ;Casals
Sunday (31) to its series of filmed
conservations with “elder wise
men.” Both musicians and liberals
must have taken heart. For here,
in the presence of a modest, little,
bald man of 79 (he looks much
younger), is one of the very few
great men of our time — great not
• only in music but in spirit — the
spirit of indomitable opposition to
fascism, tyranny and compromise.-

The powerful message, the plain-
spoken thoughts, the beautifully-
played selections (at 79, Casals is
still a top musician), the simplicity
of the question-and-answer session
between the master and his young
friend and former pppil, Madeline
Foley, the masterful play of the
camera as it studied the master,
pupil and surroundings of his
simple home in self-imposed exile
in Prades — all made for an ab-
sorbing half-hour that was tv at
its best.

The spirit and charm of the man
came through completely, despite
the touchy subject of politics, and
somewhat obvious pattern of the
program. Casals speaks in some-
what broken English, a little halt-
ingly, but clearly. He ha^s a sense
of humor, and amusing* un-self-
conscious gestures. Relaxed with
his pipe (when not ^playing), jhe
would hold up hand to face, with
finger over temple, when he talked.

When he played .one of his old
disks, the camera picked up his
expression as he admired his own
performance, while a finger ges-
tured or the head nodded approv-
ingly. When the maestro played,
the camera caught the absorbed
expression, the closed eyes under
the old-fashioned Spectacles, the
set jaw, the occasional hum or
moan that accompanied, a rapt
passage. Cameraman Raymond
Clunie rates a kudos here.

Casals opened with a Bach
bouree, then went into his talk,
discussing music and performers,
and then into his life. The humble
start in Catalonia, how he became
a cellist, then a conductor, and how
he fled Barcelona when Franco
marched ih. Then his attempts to
arouse the democracies to the
dangers of the dictatorship, and his
retirement when this failed. He
gave his credo:

“Politics is based on that word
'a la mode’ — well, realistic. And
this is wlijr Spain is so unhappy.
Because this word has been taken
as a refuge by the politicians. Now
for me and, I think, for every man
of conscience, these words mean
the exclusion of moral courage.
Yes, the exclusion of justice, the
exclusion of pity. And this is why
I don’t accept it; and it is why I
have retired from my career and
from this world. So sad.”

Windup had Casals playing the
beautiful, sad Catalonian folksong,
‘Song of the Birds”; then going
off for a walk down the road with
his dogs and 'his umbrella, for a
touching finale. Bron,

POC SPORTS CLUB
With Jim Graner, Jackie Davis
Producer: Herman Spero
Director: Ernie Sindelar
.60 Mins.; Saturday, 10 p.m.
r Pilsener Brewing Co.

WEWS, Cleveland

The POC Sports Club, spon-
sored by Pilsener Brew, brings an
hour of professional boxing to
viewers from.the studios of WEWS.
The show has been picketed by
the Cleveland local of the Inter-
national Boxing Guild on grounds
signing of fighters for “free stu-
dio” audience of 100 and tv tends
to lower fighters’ purses and put
pro fighters on same basis as “acts
being booked for show.”

Apparently, -the -wrong group is
picketing station as AFTRA is a
more logical unit in view of en-
tertainment put forth by the many
young professional. boxers both on
a vertical and horizontal canvas
position. There is no question that
on many instances two pugilists
monopolizing screen attention
have been putting on a good show;
occasionally, too, , producer Her-
man Spero also comes up with a
duo who can provide four' good
boxing rounds.

There is no mistake, though, in
the offerings of Jim Graner, who
does the blow-by-blow announcing,
and Jackie Davis, who provides
background and color. Graner is
one of the better sportscasters in
the area; Davis, sporting a long
background in boxing, comes
through with keen insight and
commentary. Production-wise, use
of cameras only along one side of
the ring has drawbacks, although
overall handling and sharp inter-
change of shots keep apace of ac- ■
tion. Commercials ale short arid
4*palaUible# Mark** >J

IT’S MAGIC .

With Paul Tripp; Gall Galt, Doli-
noff & Raya Sisters, Dominique,
guests; Hank Sylvern, music di-
fcotor

Producer: Milton Douglas
Director: Rai Purdy
30 Mins.; Sun., 7 p.m.

CBS-TV, from N.Y. • . . .

The protean Paul Tnpp is back
on a network -basis and in . the Sun-
day v 7 p.m. slot occupied by his
late^and memorable “Mr. I. Magi-
riation.” Meanwhile, he’s been
showcased on WCBS-TV, the CBS
flagship in New York, as headman
of “On the Carousel” Saturday
mornings. . As emcee of “It’s
Magic,” he’s in for a summer run
as areplacement for the suddenly
ousted kid show* “Let’s Take a
Trip,” in a Tripprfor-“Trip” ex-
change, though the moppet stanza
is due back in the fall when the
go at magic will itself give way to
the returning “Lassie” series.

The trouble with “Magic” is that
the N deft art is difficult to translate
to tv. The sense of bafflement is
all but missing and the camera is
usually hard put to follow the
action with the split-second preci-
sion that’s necessary to create ex-
citement and wonder. Thus, for
video at least, the patter and bits
of business must come to the fore.
Not that .the preem didn’t offer
turns that have proved themselves
in other show biz fields, but as far
as prestidigitation (etc.) • is con-
cerned, a small screen is no sub-
stitute for the living stage. ’

Gali Gali came forth with his
frisky chicks, Dolinoff and the
Raya Sisters with their black light
dancing illusion (with the gimmick
not exposed as per their cafe and
theatre performances) and Domin-
que fronted liis w.k. pickpocket
and “hot chair” shenanigans. In
the latter, the camera muffed the
en masse rise from the hot seats
because it was busy giving the play
to Dominque's chatter boxing, yet it
was a fairly pleasant, session, gently
presided over by Tripp. An eye-
browTaiser for a network show was
Tripp’s pitching of a magic trick
for 25c, as if they were trying to
make hay out of a sustainer.

Trau,

LIFE BEGINS AT 80

With Jack Barry, emcee; Geor-

giana Carhart, Fred Stein, others
Producer: Mike Oppenheimer
Director: David Lowe
30 Mins., Sun., 9:30 p.m.
PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
ABC-TV, from New York
(Edw. Kletter )

Barry, Enright & Friendly’s
“Life Begins at 80” is sitting pretty
in its new ABC-TV Sunday slot.
It remains a fairly witty octoge-
nerian encounter, and at 9:30 it
comes between two other okay
stanzas, “Chance of a Lifetime”
(another recent DuMont departee)
and “Break the Bank,” If it sur-
vives its present berth beyond riext
October when ABC plans to bring
in Ted Mack instead, it could get
an, added rating boost from ABC’s
planned Sabbath 7:30 to 9 feature
film show.

“Life” remains a zesty paneler.
As with another Barry, Enright
package called “Juvenile Jury,”
the old-folk program uses audience
and write-in queries merely as a
springboard for some laughs. The
initialer via ABC last Sunday (July
31) began with a man of 75 asking
advice on whether he’s too old to
marry. Show veterans Georgianna
Carhart and Fred Stein and guests
Thomas and Helen Clark disposed
of this one with ( a jest or two, and
went on to more fertile territory
by tossing jibes at each other.
Some of the stuff was acid, more
of it sentimental, but it was always
surprising to note how sharp-
witted panelists were. Instead of
the w.k. guest perform :rs who
popped up on the half-hour when
it was on DuMont, the producers
began their new run by introing
(by name, age and occupation)
about 50 people over the age of
80. Emcee Jack Barry held the
show together neatly, and mostly
he let the oldster panelists carry
the ball.

Only, objection on' the first ABC
performance was the equivocal
commercial for Pharmaceuticals
new product Zarumin. Copy got
oily by saying the product relieved
“rheumatic and arthritic - like

pains.’

Art,

LUNCHEON WITH BILLY
With Billy Leach, Bette Chapel,
Jean Williams, Hal Kartun Orch
Exec Producer: Les Weinrott
Producer: . Chuck Storthers
Director: Phil Bondelli
30 Mins.; Mon.-thru-Fri., 12 (Noon)
Sustaining
WBBM-TV, Chicago
Even though the parent net-
work is filling this nooner half-
hour with the Jack Parr cross-
bOarder, the Chi CBS outlet is
providing its own local entry un-
der the helm of Billy Leach, long
. ^ j>«4Cnntuuied.Qn <page«33)« - a ,m <

The massiveness of Shakespeare
doesn’t permit very readily of ab-
breviation, and “S t u d i o One,”
Summer Theatre in cutting “Julius
Caesar” to an hour’s length Mon-
day night (1), suffered because 4 of
this. Leo Penn’s adaptation, curi-
ously enough, maintained the nar-
rative and the grqat passages with
consistence and smoothness, but
the cast was forced to indulge .in
declamation instead of character-
ization. The ‘flatness of the per-
formance can be traced more to
the lack of time for development
than to any other factor.

A good-on-paper cast was uneven
and inconsistent in its delivery.
Philip Bourneuf’s Brutus Was per-
haps the best try — he tried, not
without some success — ■ to get
across an honest picture of the
emotional struggles of the con-
spirator. Shepperd Strudwick was
too hot-tempered and straightfor-
ward as Cassius and didn't give
the necessary impression of crafti-
ness. Alfred Ryder wavered as
Antony, excellent . in the funeral
oration but too studied elsewhere.
Theodore Bikel was impressive in
his brief appearance as Caesar and
James d’Rear effective in a brief
bit as Decius.

Dan Petrie’s direction seemed
concentrated on getting across the
abbreviated story -in the allotted
span of time, and apparently the
fact that most of the cast was
speech-making instead of acting
most Of the time passed him by.
Sumup Of the direction and per-
formance could be dubbed ‘.‘No
Time for Subtleties.” Eugene
Cines’ original score was' ant but
unobtrusive. Chan.

What’s the strange compulsion
on the part of “Colgate Variety
Hour” to get in at least one free
plug (be it 10 minutes or the en-
tire hour) for a Hollywood feature?
It was understandable last Sunday
(31), since the plug was for Martin
& Lewis’ new “You’re Never Too
Young,” and M & L-Parainount’s
York Pictures produces the Col-
gate show. But overall, what’s the
compulsion?

Question is raised for two rea-
sons— first, the inclusion of the
plugs has downgraded the show
all summer; second, even the brief
M & L plugs on the Sunday show
detracted' from what would have
been — without them ' — the best
“Colgate” segment in several
months. For 45 minutes, the Alber-
ghetti family did it up brown in
as pleasant a musical session * as
has been telecast in some timn,
with Edgar Bergen and Charlie
McCarthy spelling them nicely
with comic relief. Then came the
plugolas, consisting of two clips
from the picture sandwiching a
panto of a Lewis record by' Mitzi
McCall, who’s in the film. This seg-
ment destroyed both the continu-
ity and the afterglow of the Alber-
ghetti performances.

Up to that point, the entire
family of five got into the act,
with Anna Marie, the best-known
doing most of the numbers and
acting as head of the household in
a musical melange that ranged
from Victor Herbert to Puccini.
Anna Marie sang a couple of arias
and operetta excerpts in fine col-
oratura style; younger sister Carla,
in her teledebut, did a highly cred-
itable job on “One Fine Day” and
later duetted with Anna Marie in
a Herbert song; mother Dittoria
played “Boogie Woogie” on piano
in solid fashion; father Daniele
conducted in a. couple of instru-
mentals and backstopped the girls;
and 10-year-Old Paulo did a rous-
ing conducting stint on part of
“William Tell Overture” and a
“Davy Crockett” arrangement.

Despite a couple of questionable
bits (Anna Marie hoking up “Your
Cheatin’ Heart” and the question-
able place of the boogie number
in the show), it Was a fastpaced
and frothy offering and certainly
the most entertaining in recent
Colgate history. Bergen, who’ll be
around riext week as emcee, got
off some good quickies with Mc-
Carthy and Mortimer Snerd, but
his emceeing at times was a little
oil the rough side. Possibly he
couldn’t see how the pic plug fitted
in either. Chan.

It would be interesting to know
what prompted “Climax” on CBS-
Tv last week (28) to devote a full
hour to as antiquated and inade-
quate a .vehicle as Robert L. Stev-
enson’s “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”
Not even the presence of two Brit-
ish actors of stature — Sir Cedric
Hardwicke and Michael Rennie —
could save the show from being an
unconscionable bore.

• « The. ..classic, .thrillor* -has. »boen.

done on the screen t>n several occa-
sions. But Hollywood has at its
command a bag of tricks that tv
can’t equal when doing a show
“live.” The transformations that
Dr. Jekyll underwent to become
the ugly, . murderous Mr. Hyde
were painfully clumsy and un-
realistic and, poor Rennie just
wasn’t the fellow for the part. One
could almfist sense how uncom-
fortable he was.

Apart from a few knowing looks,
Sir Cedric contributes precious
little to the. proceedings, nor was
he given a chance to do much else*
Mary Sinclair had some good mo-
ments as the frightened girl whose
boyfriend is murdered by Mr.
Hyde.

Rennie, whether as the anguished
Dr. Jekyll or as the brutal Hyde,
registered all the proper emotions
and made all the proper sounds,
but it was mediocre playacting and
his performance always just tee-
tered on the brink of comedy. This
whole deplorable opus might, have
been okay for some .obscure sum-*
mer theatre where nothing much is
expected; it was a wasted hour for
a major tv web, even in the sum-
mer,

•Gore Vidal did the adaptation
for tv. If the antique character* of
the story was a strike against him,
he didn’t exactly exert himself to
overcome this handicap. As a
matter of fact it must be suspected
that Vidal tossed off this one with
his left hand and on the assump-
tion that no one would look in.
Those who did must have wondered
whether he read the book. Hift.

Paddy Chayefsky’s competition
is catching up with -him! Jerome
Ross’ “The Prize Winner” on the
NBC-TV “Goodyear • Playhouse”
Sunday (31) had all the dialog
characteristics of a Chayefsky play
and even the theme— quiet, slice-
out-of-life sort of stuff; — could
have been hatched in Chayefsky’*
mind.

Anyway, “The Prize Winner”
also was a tv winner and Ross’
authoritative, realistic treatment
deserves a lot of the credit. It Was
the stOry of a plain, old-maidish
secretary who wins a free cruise
and takes it, asking one of the
most popular girls in the office to
come along. The not-so-surprising
ending— Miss Plainface has a ter-
rible time but at least gets a nib-
ble. Miss Popular has a helluva
time but in the long run seems the
loser.

Under Jack Smight’s capable
and careful direction, “The Prize
Winner” boosted some fine per-
formances. Joan Loring, as the
painfully shy strikingly unattrac-
tive wall-tower, etched a knowing
and sensitive portrayal that in its
insight and perception at times
bordered on the embarrassing. ‘She
squeezed every ounce of dramatic
juice out of the part, perhaps
overplaying it at times in its grim-
ness. . Opposite her, Betsy Palmer
had fun, and revealed some very
real talent, as the blonde bomb-
shell who always manages to be
surrounded by men but can’t get
anyone to be serious about her.
Final scene, when she dialoged
that point with Miss -Loring, had a
choking effectiveness.

Supports all were just fine, par-
ticularly Lamont Johnston. His
troubled casualness and loneliness
came across with a bang and he
left quite an impression. Mark
O’Daniels was in character as Harry
who talked big but didn’t mCan it,
and James Maloney did fine as the
harassed boss:

Ross’ whole point, cleverly , made
in both dialog and atmosphere—
about the real reasons why people
go on boat cruises — rang 'true, and
convincing and brought to tv some
much-needed summer fare that had
value and distinction. Gordon Duff
produced. Hift.

Robt. Shaw Doubling
From Gab to Scripting

Increasing , Interest in tv as a
subject for the gab circuit is evi-
denced anew in the pacting by Co-
lumbia Lecture Bureau of tv
scriptqr Robert J. Shaw who is
booked for 51 appearances in 33
states for the ’55-’56 season. He’ll
talk on “The Monster in Your. Liv-
ing Room.” It’s Shaw’s sixth sea-
son on the cliinfest circuit, but
this will be his biggest spread thus
far.

Shaw has an oi'iginal on the
“Robert Montgomery Presents”
hour show Oct. 3 called “Paper
Town” starring Lee J. Cobb. To-
morrow’s (4) “Star Time” On ABC-
TV features Shaw’s "“Edge of
JUight>.« »**»»«*»•«. o t» » ■

Wednesday, August 3, 1953

Xt"

Each week since the start of 1955 a special
article has appeared on Page 2 of this
publication. These pieces, some short,
some long, have collectively been rich in
nostalgid of the business there is none
like,* and of the part played in that busi-
ness by VARIETY . Colorful, factual, fas-
cinating, the Page 2 articles have provided
a foretaste of the banquet of editorial
values which the editors have been pre-
paring for the GOLDEN JUBILEE EDITION
at year's end.

In the treasure and lore being assembled
to celebrate half-a-century of publishing^
there lies already, unmistakably, the out-
line and the certainty of a true "Collector's
Item"— a keep-worthy record full of both
usefulness and excitement.

To the advertiser the moral cannot be ob-
scure: space in such a Number is a Plus,
A Premium, A Pleasure. This, is Being
Counted with the Great and as one of the
Great; this is Royal Command, Cum Lqude,
Phi Beta Kappaphis is being with it.

VARIETY'S Advertising Department will
help you prepare copy, if you wish. In
any event, Reserve Your Space. ' Make
sure to be included in

That COLLECTOR'S ITEM,
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NOW - At

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CHICAGO 11
612 No. Michigan Ava.

8 St. Martin's PI
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LONDON

TV-nUMS

PfotlEfY

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

ARB City-By-City Syndicated and National Spot Film Chart

VARIETY’S weekly chart of city-by-city ratings . of syndicated and na-
tional spot film covers 40 to 60 cities reported by American Research Bureau
on a monthly basis • Cities will be rotated each week , with the 10 top-rated
film shows listed in each case , and their competition shown opposite . AU
ratings are furnished by ARB, based on the latest reports.

This VARIETY chart represents a gathering of all pertinent informa-
tion about film in each market, which can be used by distributors, agencies,
stations and clients as an aid in determining the effectiveness of a filmed
show in the specific market * Attention should be paid to time— —day and

time factors, since sets-imuse and audience composition vary according to
time slot, i.e,, a Saturday afternoon children 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 * 9 s show, with a low rating , may
have & large share and an audience composed largely of children , with ’ cor-
responding results for the sponsor aiming at the children’s market . Abbre-
viations and symbols are as follows: (Adv), adventure; (Ch), children’s;
(Co), comedy; (Dr),: drama; (Doc), documentary; (Mus), musical;
(Myst), mystery; (Q), -quia; (Sp ), sports; (W ), western; (Worn),
women’s . Numbered symbols next to. station call letters represent the sta-
tion’s channel; alt channels above 13 are VHF, Those ad agencies listed as
distributors rep the national spot sponsor for whom the film is aired .

TOP 10 PROGRAMS

AND TYPE

STATION DISTRtt.

DAY AND

time

JUNE SHARE SETS IN 1 TOP COMPETING PROGRAM

RATING (%) USE | 'PROGRAM STA. RATING

• -f

SYRACUSE

Approx* Set Count —

. • *

Stations— W SYR (3), WHEN (8)

1. I Led 3 Lives (Dr) ...... , ; . . .

.WSYR

. . . . Ziv

Sat. 7:00-7:30,

.29.4. ..... . . .

38.5

Halls of Ivy

. . . WHEN

Q 1

2, City Detective (Myst) ........

WSYR.

. . . . MCA

Tues. 10:30-11:00 ......

.23.9 .’.

38.1

See It Now.

. » . WHEN

14.2

3. Liberace (Mus)

,WSYR. .....

; . . Guild

.... .Wed. 7:00-7:30

• 19.3

27.7

Make Room for Daddy . . .

...WSYR .

8.4

4. Eddie Cantor (Com)

WSYR

. . . Ziv

.... .Wed. 10:30-11:00

• 13*2

50. ..

30.2

Front Row Center.

. . . WHEN

4. Wild Bill Hickok (W) ....... .

.WHEN

. . . .Flamingo

17.0

Continuous Perf

...WSYR

...... 1.8

What’s Your Quest ....

...WSYR .

4. Passport to Danger (Adv) ....

.WSYR.

. . . ABC

• 15>2 •••••#•••

34...

44.1

Studio One

. . . WHEN

7. Buffalo Bill Jr. (W)

.When......

. ,. .CBS

.... .Sat. 5:30-6:00 .........

14 H

18.3

Wrestling Workouts

. . . WSYR

3.9

8. Science Fiction Theatre (Adv)

WSYR......

. . . . Ziv.

. 13.2 •»••»«•••

63........ .

20.8

Soldiers of Fortune

. . . WHEN

...... 7.6

8. Meet Corliss Archer (Com) . . .

WSYR......

... Ziv

. 13.2

27.9

Pride of the Family, . . . .

. . . WHEN

10. Stories of the Century (W) . .

.WSYR

. . . . HTS

Thurs. 7:00-7:30

• 8i9 ••*•*••«*

14.0

Pepsi Cola Playhouse ....

. . . WHEN

5*1

JACKSONVILLE Approx, Set Count-— 340,000

Stations— WMBR (4), WJHP (36)

1. Buffalo Bill Jr. (W) .......

. .WMBR. .

. . .CBS

Sat. 10:00-10:30

100

. . . . 26.1

No Competition

2. Death Valley Days (W). ....

..WMBR..

. . .McCann-Erickson . .

.Fri. 10:30-11:00 .......

-.24.3 •«•••••»•

• • 34*5

Wrestling

..WJHP ...

... 9.8

3. Wild Bill Hickok (W) ...... .

..WMBR..

. . .Flamingo

Wed. 5:30-6:00

91 .... .

t l t T 2fi. 8

Bandstand Matinee

..WJHP ...

... 2.4

Sports & Scores

..WJHP ...

... 2.4

4. I Led 3 Lives (Dr)

. . WMBR . .

. . .Ziv

.Tues. 10:30-11:00

.21.7

. . . , 26.3

Summer Theatre

. . WJHP . . .

... 4.3

5. Cisco Kid (W)

..WMBR..

. . .Ziv .

.Tues. 5:30-6:00

. . , i, 22.6

Bandstand Matinee

..WJHP ...

... 1.4

Sports & Scores ........

..WJHP ...

... 1.4

6. Hopalong Cassidy (W)

. . WMBR. .

. . NBC . .

.Fri. 5:30-6:00 y .........

. 20.7

88 .... .

. . . . 22.8

Bandstand Matinee. ......

..WJHP ...

. . . 2.2

Sports & Scores. . . . . . . .

..WJHP ...

4 4 4 2.2

7. Ramar, of the Jungle (Adv) . .

. . WMBR . .

. . .TPA

.Sun. 4:30-5:00

. 20.1

97 .... .

. . . « 20.6

Bis Picture .

..WJHP ...

. . , 0.5

8. Superman (Adv)

..WMBR..

. . .Flamingo

. Mon. 5:30-6:00

.19.0..,.,....

.. . 20.6

Snorts & Scores

..WJHP .. .

... 1.6

Bandstand Matinee

..WJHP ...

.4. 1.6

9. Ames Bros. (Mus)

..WMBR. .

'ii

. . .MCA.

. Sun. 10:15-10:45

I#? n

4 4 4 4 24.4

Summer Theatre

..WJHP ...

... 7.6

10. Amos V Andy (Com)

. , WJHP. . .

..CBS.....

.Wed. 8:30-9:00

* 9*5 ••••••**•

15.....

4 4 . . 62.8

I’ve Got a Secret

..WMBR ..

. . . 53.3

10. Badge 714 (Myst)

..WMBR..

.. NBC

Thurs. 10:30-11:00 .....

« 9*5 » • « * 4 • • • #

58 » » » • •

.... 16.3

Summer Theatre

, . WJHP ...

... 6.8

10. Ellery Queen (Myst)

..WJHP...

. , TPA

Mon. 10:00-10:30 ' ......

• 9*5 • ••*•*••••

.... 19.6

Red Parham

..WMBR ..

...10.1

TV Digest

..WMBR ...

...10.1

SAN DIEGO Approx, Set Count — 285,000

XETV (6), KNXT (2), KFMB (8),
Stations — 'KRCA (4), KFSD (10), KTLA (5)

1. Badge 714 (Myst) KFMB NBC Sat. 9:30-10:00 24.9 .' 44

2. Waterfront (Adv).... XETV. .. ; ...... MCA. . Tues. 7:30-8:00 23.0;.. ... 48

8. Superman (Adv) KFMB . . . . ; Flamingo Mon. 7:00-7:30 17.2 35

4. Annie Oakley (W) XETV CBS Tues. 7:00-7:30 16.7 39

5. Eddie Cantor (Com) KFMB Ziv .... . .Wed. 9:30-10:00 14.6 28

6. Cisco Kid (W) XETV Ziv Mon. 7:30-8:00 13.9 27

7. Science Fiction Theatre (Adv). XETV. Ziv Tues. 8:00-8:30 12.0. 20

7. Liberace (Mus) ......KFMB Guild ... Thurs. 7;00-7:30 ........12,0 .30

8. Wild Bill Hickok (W) ........ . KFMB ...... Flamingo Tues. 8:00-8:30 11.7 20

9. Ramar of the Jungle (Adv) . . . ; XETV .......... TPA Mon. 7:00-7:30 11.3 23

56.2
47.5

48.3

42.0

51.3

50.1

58.0

39.7

58.0

48.3

Championship Bowling. . . .

. . XETV

8.3

People in the News. . . , . .

. . KFMB

Local Newsreel News. . .

. . KFMB

Studio One. ....,«

. . KNXT

Red Skelton .............

, . KFMB

... 16.4

Kraft TV Theatre.

. . KFSD

People in the News

. . KFMB

Local Newsreel News . . .

. . KFMB

17.2

Wild Bill Hickok

. . KFMB

11.7

Search for Adventure. . . . .

. . XETV

16.4

Science Fiction Theatre . . .

. . XETV

12.0

Supermann ^ . . .

. . KFMB

17.2

OMAHA

Approx, Set Count - — 285,000

Stations— KMT\r (3), WOW (6)

1. Waterfront (Adv) ...........

. ,WOW; .

MCA

. Sat. 9:00-9:30

39 2

]

44.0

Jane Froman .

. . . KMTV . .

4.8

Sports for the Family.

. . . KMTV . .

. . . . . 4.8

2. I Led 3 Lives (Dr)

. . WOW. .

Tues. 8:30-9:00 ........

fifi

55.1

See It Now

...KMTV ..

. . . . .18.7

3. Life of Riley (Com) ........

. .WOW. .

. Sat. 9:30-10:00

. 35.5

90.........

39,2

Paul Killiam.

...KMTV ..

.. . . . 3.2

4. Lone Wolf (Myst)

..WOW. .

. « . • MCA...

, Fri:9:30-10:00

.33.0.

78....

42.0

Soldier Parade. . . . . ... . . ;

, . . KMTV . .

..... 9,0

5. Life of Riley (Com)

.:wow. .

NBC

Mon. 9:30-10:00 .......

.30.7

70.........

43.6

Halls of Ivy.

. . . KMTV , .

12.9

6. Racket Squad (Myst)

. .wow. .

ABC

. Fri. 9:00-9:30 .........

• 90 1

< 41 J«1 • « ( I I 1 » « •

55..

50.5

Mr. Citizen

. . . KMTV -. .

.. .. .22.4

7. Soldiers of Fortune (Adv) . ...

, . KMTV,

MCA

.Mon. 9:00-9:30

.27.9

44.0

China Smith . ...........

...WOW > i .

. . . ..16.1

8. Lone Wolf (Myst)

. . WOW. .

....MCA. ........

. Wed. 8:30-9:00

. 26. 1^.. ......

61..

42.6

Wed. Night Fights

...KMTV ..

.',...16.6

9. Championship Bowling (Sp),

. . WOW . .

. Tues. fi'OO-fliSO

. 23.7 .••••>•«»

47 .

49.8

Life With Father. .

...KMTV ..

Meet Millie. . ;

...KMTV ..

10. Hopalong Cassidy (W)

. .wow. .

NBC

Sat. 4:30-5:00 .........

17 1

20.1

Film Shorts

. . . KMTV . .

2.0

Fight for Freedom....

. . . KMTV . .

EVANSVILLE Approx. Set Count— 80,000 Stations— WFIE (62), WEHT (50), WAVE (3)

1. Badge 714 (Myst)

2. Amos V Andy (Com). , ... . .

3. Man Behind the 'Badge (Myst)

4. Waterfront (Adv) . , ....

5. Kit CarSon (W)

6. Eddie Cantor (Com) .........

7. Inspector Mark Saber (Adv) . .

84 Buffalo Bill Jr. (W)

9. Life With Elizabeth (Com). . . .

10 * Wg?- (W) . . . .

WFIE .

WEHT.

WFIE.

WEHT.

NBC. .

»*•«•»* . 5l,2

66.6

Professional Father . . . .

.... WEHT

CBS. .

*••••« • 1 44*9 * « » i * t .

64 **»•«'•'•••

69.6

Elgin Hour

....WFIE .

.......24.1

MCA.

• 30*0 *.« •••*•*•

51.4

Texas Rasslin’ .........

.... WEHT

MCA.

29.3

46.7

Climax

. ... WEHT

....... 17.0

MCA.

25.3

32.2

Brother Van

.... WEHT

Ziv. . .

Wed. 8:00-8:30 .

. 24.9

47.6

The Millionaire :

. WEHT

...... .22.7

D-F-S.

........ 24.3

51.&

Circle Theatre

....WFIE .

26,1

CBS. .

.23.7

100

•23.7

Farm . . . J

.....WAVE

Guild.

«>#•••*«•*••» .Sat. 8:30-9:00 . .

**•»«*•• 2t>*l *•■»*-•»•»•

33..

69.0.

Dollar a Second

.... WFIE

..... . .43.9

HST. .

. . . .

49. ... . . . ,. A

Assignment.

• • -..iW®,

‘"i.it • u.<u.»JZA*7

Wednesday, August 3, 1953

TV-FILMS

JOHN BULLISH ON INT’L VIDPIX

♦

Assignment of 15 J. Arthur Rank features by ABC to its ABC
Film Syndication subsid raises some pregnant possibilities in light
of the NBC predeliction toward features as spectacular material.
It’s not beyond the realm of possibility that one of the Rank pix
could wind up on NBC or CBS as a specola; in fact, one farsighted
tradester pointed out that it’s entirely possible that a Rank pic
purchased from ABC Syndication could wind up opposite the
ABC-network Sunday night lineup of Rank films.

ABC Syndication, which in the past has sold to all comers (it
currently has four summer rerun packages on CBS and NBC), re-
portedly is far from cool about the idea of selling one or more
of the features to an opposing network for a one-shot spectacu-
lar. There are several possibilities, according to ABC Syndication
execs, such as “Quartet,” “Brief Encounter,” “Great Expectations,”
“Kind Hearts and Coronets,” or the Frederic March-Florence Eld-
ridge “Christopher Columbus,” the latter in color.

'Twould be .interesting to see ABC-network’s reaction, if, for
example, Syndication came up with a deal for an NBC specola on
Sunday night, 7:30 to 9, opposite ABC’s own Rank showcaser.

United Productions of America-!
has signed a longterm exclusive
deal with CBS under which it will
produce a series of half-hour and
at least one feature-length cartoon
in color for the network. Though-
UPA, whose theatrical cartoons
have copped a pair of Oscars, has
been active in production of tv
commercials, the deal marks the
first time it will enter television ort !
the program side.

UPA series and feature won’t be
ready until next year, but a format
for the series has been worked out.
Each show will contain three- or
four elements selected from seven
or more “acts” or variety situa-
tions; these include the story -of a
little boy who manages a circus,
musical folklore segments, sketch-
es of famous American authors,
satires on suburban life and
sketches with switch endings. Oc-
casionally the show will toe themed
to one central idea. It’s not known
whether the Gerald McBoing-
Boing and Mr." Magoo characters
Will be used.

Production on the series and the
feature will be handled both in
New York and on the Coast, with
Stephen Bosustow, UPA prez,
heading up the worksr It’s antici-
pated, incidentally, that CBS will
slot the series in the late after-
noon as a competitive threat to
Walt Disney’s “Mickey Mouse
Club” on ABC-TV.

WABD To Slice Up
Half-Hour Telefilms
For Daytime Strips

WABD, N. Y., tv station, has de-
cided to take four separate half-
hour film reruns and cut them into
15-minute segments for daytime
stripping. Under the plan each
series will get daily exposure
within a 60-minute period.

Under the plan "to play 15-min-
ute slices of the regular half-hour
telefilms, station will take the first
quarter-hour of each one and play
it on Monday and the second quar-
ter-hour on Tuesday. WABD
will play out another half-hour in
similar style on Wednesday and
Thursday, and then start a third
half-hour on Friday and conclude
it on Monday, beginning the week-
ly cycle over again the following
day.

As explained by WABD, the
Original idea was to take 10 sep-
arate half-hour telefilm series and
play two different 30 minute seg-
ments back-to-back every day for
a week. But the scheme wasn’t
feasible because the outlet couldn't
find 10 satisfactory shows.

Plan calls for a daytime anchor-
age of an hour’s length, with 11
a.m. tentatively set as the time for
starting. So far WABD has inked
with Flamingo for “Beulah” from
11 to 11:15 and with Advertiser’s
Television Program Service for
“Mr. and Mrs. North” from 11:15
to 11:30. Station is in process of
lining up two other stanzas to fill
from 11:30 on, “My Little Margie”
being one of them. <> < * * i .cr .

SG’s 15 & Record

Hollywood, Aug, 2.
Production at Screen Gems
Inc., Columbia’s tv subsid, was
at alltime high last week, with
15 telefilms before the cam-
eras. Move was regarded as
effort to get as many telefilms
completed before Screen Ac-
tors Guild strike against vid-
pix producers. •

In contrast to Screen Gems’
speedup, other telefilm outfits
have slackened production in
anticipation of strike, appar-
ently worried about getting
caught in‘ the middle of
shooting.

Ballantine Rides

Ziv Television Programs wrapped
up its second major regional deal
with Ballatine’s Beer, signing the
brewery to a 30-market deal on its
new “Highway Patrol” series while
retaining the “Eddie Cantor Com-
edy Theatre” in its original 28
markets. Ballantine’s, of course,
is dropping “Foreign Intrigue” in
the 10 markets in which it had re-
tained the show last season (“In-
trigue” producer Sheldon Rey-
nolds, Incidentally, isn’t making
any new ones).

Deal points Up the new pattern
emerging in . brewery television
buys, wherein the major sudsers
are going to two programs per mar-
ket instead of holding down with
one show. Rheingold uses the
same pattern with “Douglas Fair-
banks Presents” and “Star and the
Story.” In this case, Ballantirte’s
started slowly with “Cantor” and
what it retained of “Intrigue.” In
the “Highway” buy, it’s expanding
to its full distribution area with
two shows. “Highway” starts in
October in such markets as N.Y.,
Philadelphia, Boston, Buffalo, Port-
land, Providence, Lancaster, New
Haven, Norfolk, Miami, Washing-
ton, Schenectady and Syracuse.

Ziv meanwhile has been piling
up other sales on the Broderick
Cranford starrer, signing Kroger
Grocery & Baking for St. Louis,
Huntington-Charleston, Roanoke,
Greensburg and. Winston-Salem;
Pheiffer Brewing for Detroit,
Toledo, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Lans-
ing, Bay City, Grand.Rapids, Cadil-
lac, Rochester (Minn.), Austin and
Fargo.; and Carnation Milk for al-
ternate weeks in Seattle and Ta-
coma. Market total on the show
is now 75.

DesihiY ‘Black Arrow’

Hollywood, Aug, 2.

Desilu Productions will produce
a new telefilm series, “Black Ar-
row,” created and written by
Ralph Rose and Charles Smith.

“Arrow” is an adult adventure
action show, and Rose and Smith
are now finishing the initial
script. Negotiations are under way
ta set performers. >■

Official Films, all of whose new
firstrun properties are being filmed
in England, has evolved a world-
wide production-distribution ar-
rangement with Britain’s top show-
men Which gives it an immediate
price edge in the American tele-
film market. The Official pattern,
worked out over the past two years
by Official prez Hal Hackett with
such British showfolk as Prince
Littler, Val Parnell, Lew & Leslie
Grade and Harry Alan Towers,
gives the American vidfilmery dis*-
tribution rights, studio rentals and
part ownership in films being pro-
duced by the Britons both for their
own home consumption (via the
commercial network) and for the
world market.

Britons involved have formed
International Television Pro-
gramme Co. Ltd. as their financ-
ing-production organization. Same
interests control the ABC, which
programs weekends on the Lon-
don-Manchester lineup of the new
commercial tv setup. Consequently,
the vidfilms (“Robin Hood” and
“Scarlet Pimpernel” are already in
production, and upcoming are “Mr.
Pastry,” “Tangiers,” “Sir Henry
Morgan” and “Slade of the Bengal
Lancers”) have been turned out
for home consumption. But to get
their money out, the Britons must
also play off the films in the world
market, which basically means the
U. S. and Canada; hence the deal
with Official. Meanwhile, they’ve
written off about $3,500 as the
London-Manchester price-per-film,
so Official need .only recoup $16,-
500, say, on a $20,000 per-film se-
ries. This gives, it an immediate
and powerful price edge on its
telefilm rivals selling Hollywood-
: made pictures.

The Official setup in England
goes beyond that, too. Official has
purchased majority control of the
Nettlefold Studios outside London,
and rents the studio to ITP, the
British production group. Thus,
Official profits from the setup in
two ways, studio rentals and Amer-
ican distribution rights. Its only
cash distribution is American end-
money where needed, and this
rarely exceeds $5,000 per pic and
is recoupable out of gross business.

Under the arrangement, Official
has Western Hemisphere rights,
while the British group will even-
tually go into distribution itself,
having retained rights to the East-
ern Hemisphere (which includes
all the Dominions but Canada).
ITP comprises Littler (Moss Em-
pire Theatres) as chairman, Par-
nell (Palladium) as managing di-
rector, the Grades, Towers (Towers
of London), producer Hugh Beau-
mont, theatreman J. S. Schlesinger,
Philip and Sidney Hyams, publicist
Suzanne Warner and othe'rs.

MORE TOP DIRECTORS
INTO EASTMAN SERIES

Hollywood, Aug. 2.

Five more directors have- been
set for the upcoming Eastman
sponsored “Screen Directors Play-
house” film series.

George Marshall, Frank Borzage,
H. C. Potter, Norman Z. McLeod
and Tay Garnett have been asr
signed. Besides the initial episode,
“Meet the Governor,” director Leo
McCarey will helm a second seg-
ment, “Tom and Jerry.” As with
“Governor,” screenplay of “Tom”
Is by the director’s daughter, Mary
McCarey, a mag fiction writer.

. i j i >

Sammy Levine Bowling
Vidpix Rolling in Clere.

Cleveland, Aug. 2.

First major tv film project
opened today (Tues.) with Dis-
covery Productions doing hour-
long bowling show with Sammy
Levine emceeing stanza based on
his live “Bowlers’ Jackpot.”

American Machinery & Foundry
Co. is picking up the 13 films- di-
rected by David Epstein. Stanza
features series of nationwide bowl-
ers competing for prize money.

Mohr or Less

This year's booby prize for
syndication goes to Sheldon
Reynolds, whose latest . “For-
eign Intrigue” cycle (the Ger-
ald Mohr starrers) was syndi-
cated in the; v unbelievably low
total of 12 markets. Extent of
the damage done by Ballan-
tine’s cutback last fall (when
it bought JZiv’s “Eddie Cantor
Comedy Theatre”) is revealed
in the fact that Ballantine had
“Intrigue" in 10 markets and
Reynolds (via the William
Morris office) sold it in two
others locally.

Information became avail-
able last week when the 39
“Intrigues” were acquired by
Official Films, which now has
possession of all 156 “In-
trigue” telepix, though selling
them in four separate groups.
Official gleefully points out
that it can sell the latest
group, which it has “retitled
“Cross Current,” on a fistrun
basis in all but 12 markets.

65-City Total on
‘Gildersleeve’ Pix

NBC Film Division racked up
still another regional deal on its
new “Great Gildersleeve’ I series,
signing Colonial Stores to sponsor
the comedy in 11 southern mar-
kets. Colonial deal, set via the
Liller, Neal & Battle agency of
Atlanta, Brings the “Gildersleeve”
total to 65 markets in less than a
month since the show was put up
for sale.

Previous deals were for nine
western states and Hawaii and
Alaska to Lucky Lager Brewing
and to Hekman Biscuits for 10 mid-
west markets. Market-by-market
sales have been keeping pace with
the regionals on the show, account-
ing for the 65-city total.

‘SO THIS IS H’WOOD’
VIDPIX FOR THEATRES

Hollywood, Aug. 2.

Three 'episodes of the. “So This
Is Hollywood” vidpix series are be-
ing telescoped by producer Ed-
mund Beloin, who plans to release
them theatrically under the tag,
“It Happened in Hollywood.”

His agent, Lester Linsk, is nego-
tiating for a release of the film, to
go out under the banner of Beloin’s
Brentwood Productions. Comedy
series was seen on NBC-TV last
season, and stars Mitzi Green, Vir-
ginia Gibson, Gordon Jones and
Jimmy Lydon. Dubbing and main
title processing is now in the
works.

‘Long John Silver’s’

Big Regional Spread

CBS Television Film Sales
grabbed off a couple of fat regional
deals last week on its “Long John
Silver” series, signing Lay’s Po-
tato. Chips for 22 southern markets
and Dean's Milk to four^ mid west-
ern cities. CBS originally was to
have aimed “Silver,” which stars
Robert Newton and was produced
in Australia (in color) by Joseph
Kaufman, for a national deal, but
the regional deals changed CBS’
mind’ and the series is being sold
syndicated.

Lay’s is one of the heaviest syn-
dication spenders in the southeast,
and previous to buying “Silver”
had Television Programs of Amer-
ica’s “Ramar of the Jungle” in as
many markets for more than a

f The arithmetic-happy execs at
ABC-TV have got out their slide
rules and are hopefully coming to
the conclusion that the network
can wind up with a net profit on
its J. Arthur Rank Sunday night
feature film project of more than
$1,500,000 for the first-year span.
Figure is based on the total time-
and-program take on an SRO 90-
minutes, less Station compensation
and the complete cost of the pack-
age of 20 films.

Figuring goes this way: Mini-
mum time-and-talent charge per
announcement is $9,450.- Multiply
this by nine per show and it comes
lo just over $85,000. Figure the
90 minutes of time at $75,000 and
station compensation at a third
of that at $25,000. Balance is
$60,000 from which some $10,000
is deducted for cable charges, pro-
duction costs, etc- Multiply the
remaining $50,000 by 52 weeks for
a total of $2,600,000 and then de-
duct the entire cost of the 20 pic-
tures to be used over the 52-week
span, about $1,000,000. (Balance
of the pix in the $1,600,000 deal,
15 of them, go over to ABC Film
Syndication for market-by-market
sale.)

All this, of course, presupposes
a sellout, but even if the “Toast of
the Towrt”-“CoIgate Variety Hour”
competition puts a wet blanket on
sales and the show comes put only
half-sponsored, the network stands
to make out oh the project. An-
other sales objection may be
brought forward against the repeat
pattern — 20 firstruns, 20 repeats
and 12 second repeats — but this
may work itself out into, a Hear-
SRO during the winter and falloff
in summer when the repeats are
on. Participating sponsors can or-
der their spots under any pattern.
Even if the sales picture is disap-
pointing, though, the web can
come out via the fact that the 20
films being used on network will
eventually find their way to the
syndication subsid, 'and over a
five-year perod to which the web
has rights, the syndication opera-
tion can recoup the coin.

Network made some last-minute
changes' in signing the deal last
week. Several pictures were
dropped, and substituted were
“Quartet^ (Basil Radford, Cecil
Parker), “The Mikado” (Kenny
Baker', Martyn Green), “Brief En-
counter” (Trevor Howard, Celia
Johnson), “Prelude to Fame” and
“The Magnet.” Of the five new
films, only one, “Mikado,” will be
used on network, with the remaind-
er going to syndication. “Quartet,”
“Brief Encounter” and “Man in the
White Suit,” the latter another
syndication property, won’t be
available for telecasting till about
Nov. 1, when theatrical commit-
ments run out. “Caesar and Cleo-
patra,” originally earmarked for
syndication, has been shifted over
to the network package.

National Sales Spark
Ziv’s Major Reshuffle

Creation of Ziv Television Pro-
grams’ new national sales organi-
zation has caused some reshuffling
of personnel on the syndication
side, with Ja:k Gregory, formerly
spot sales manager on the Coast,
named as the new western division
manager of the syndication opera-
tion to succeed Walter Kingsley,
who is to head up the national
sales setup. Allen Johnson, Ziv's
San Francisco rep who’ll head up
the Coast national sales setup, will
be replaced by Paul Scheiner, also
out of the Ziv staff. Other moves
include Allen Martini replacing
Gregory in spot sales, and the ap-
pointments of Jack Martin, ex-
KOPO in Tucson, an account exec
in the southwest; Terry Hatch, for-
merly with KOMO in Seattle, to
the Coast sales setup; Paul Kemp-
ner, ex-Richard Ulljman Co. in Buf-
falo to cep Ziz there, and Ralph
J. Baron, former g.m. of WAMS,
(Continued on page 34)

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

sell Ayds Reducing Candy during their

a 59. 7% increase in sales. And
what counts most is a healthy sales

Wednesday, August 3, 1955 f^GSlEfT

thing about network radio . .. .
selling. Of all the ways to advertise,
the CBS Radio Network exclusively to
slimmest selling season. Result:
no matter how you measure media,

Morning segments of CBS Radio's Arthur Godfrey Time tipped the scales for Ayds. And of the
resultant sales gain Campana wrote, “All in all, we feel that you have paved the way to
give us our biggest year for Ayds through 1955 To assure this end, Campana has wisely
elected to continue on the CBS Radio Network through the heat of summer competition . .><

RADIO-TELEVISION

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

Radio Reviews

INSIDE SHOW BUSINESS
With Steve Schickle, guests
Producer-Writer: Schickle
55 Mins.; Sun., 1:05 p.m.
Participating
WGN, Chicago

Ex-trade reporter Steve Schickle
brings a solid background to this
show big disa &. data interspersed
by records. Without playing too
heavily on the insider angles, he
wove together a couple of inter-
views, some hither and yon com-
ments oh the passing entertainment
scene and a clutch, of properly
blended discs into a fast-passing
lunk of listening the day (31)
eard.

Big slice of the session was spent
with the Four Aces and the chin-
chin was considerably meatier
than the usual plug appearance.
Schickle 'dug out some interesting
background info on how the quar-
tet manages its professional af-
fairs that was a good “inside" peek
for the boys’ fans. The visit witjt
singer Pat Morrisey got a bit out
of hand in. the mutual back-scratch-
ing department, although they
played it tongue-in-cheek for a few
laughs. (Disclosure during the in-
terview that he handles her Chi
flacking made it all the more icky).

Host’s comments on the show biz
parade had the ring of -authencity
and likely were good chatter fod-
der for the lay dialers. For the
trade dialers he might have identi-
fie his source of the Willie Hapi-
merstein analogy in his comments
on the Wally ^Cox Las Vegas fiasco.

Dave.

NALLE

at the

Piano • Organ • Celeste

I REMEMBER
MAMA
CBS -TV

* Radio Registry • ■

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at JU 6-7430

CINCINNATI BASEBALL
With Waite Hoyt, Jack Moran
BURGER BEER
WCPO-TV, Cincinnati

( Midland )

Burger network, ^baseball's origi-
nal, and now also the biggest, for
the . first time in 14 years of coverr
age of Cincy Redlegs’ National
League campaigning dropped
WCPO as its AMer this season,
switching to WSAI. ■ However,
WCPO’s tv station continues in
that department for weekday home
games. A video addition recently
initiated brought in Redlegs’ games
at the Polo Grounds and Ebbets
Field.

Waite Hoyt, .ex-hurling great, who
has become a fixture with rooters
Of the Reds during his play-by-
play chores here since 1941, has
a new assistant. He’s Jack Moran,
who got into radio with a back-
ground of GI experience in sports
miking. Selection of him was via
tape recordings from many appli-
cants.

Moran, who takes oy6r in the
third and seventh innings, is expert
On color and detail and in pleasing
voice. His accounting is a change
of pace from Hoyt’s easy delivery.
Makes a bigtime battery mate.

Hoyt is under contract to Jack
Koons, an executive and advertis-
ing director for Burger, Currently
the suds-sponsored network has 38
radio and. six tv stations in Ohio,
Indiana, Kentucky and West Vir-
ginia.

Burger contract on exclusive
rights with Cincinnati Baseball
Club has three years to run on
radio, with video on a year-to-year
optional basis.

For the televised games Lou
Smith, Cincy Enquirer sports edi-
tor and baseball scribe, is on in
advance for 15 minutes of “Dugout
Dope’’ players interviews for Ford
dealers. Dick Baker, WSAI sports-
caster, fills a pre-game quarter
hour on that station Koll.

Radio Followup

Shor Suing Billingsley
For ‘Stork Club’ TV Libel

New York restaurateur Bernard
(Toots) Shor has filed a $1,100,000
libel action in N.Y. Supreme Court
against Sherman Billingsley, Amer-
ican Broadcasting-Paramount The-
atres Inc., the Stork Club and
Mayfair Productions Inc., latter
the packager of Billingsley’s
Stork Club show over ABC-TV. He
charges the alleged libel occurred
bn Billingsley’s show in the form
of dialog between the Stork Club
owner and singer Carl Brisson,
with particular reference to Bil-
lingsley’s alleged remark about
Shor, “I wish I had as much money
as he owes.”

Shor said in his complaint about
this and other remarks that the
inferences were that he was “in-
solvent and financiaUy embar-
rassed, unabler or unwilling to pay
his just debts and obligations; un-
worthy of credit, irresponsible, and
•reckless in obtaining merchandise
on credit, and reckless or dishonest
in his business dealings.*’

Shor seeks $1,000,000 in damages
plus the extra $100,000 for Bil-
lingsley’s use of Shor’s photo on
the tv show which he claimed thus
enhanced the value of the broad-
cast. Show in question was on
May 8.

dividual program in a radio series,
or even in the series itself, because
of (1) our belief that criticism of
program content is not the func-
tion of a civil liberties group de-
voted to the extension of free
speech, and (2) our belief that the
real test of a radio-tv station’s or
network’s fairness lies in its over-
all program schedule.”

SAG Strike

Continued from page 1

ACLU

Continued from page 27

If WRCA or any other a.m.
AM’er is still looking for a sunup
disk jockey they can catch Henry
Morgan, subbing for Bob & Ray,
over WINS, N. Y., and get a pretty
good sampling. This is the second
of a fortnight’s vacation replace-
ment stanza, Preceding this, Mor-
gan dittoed for Barry Gray over
WMCA, N, Y., for the midnight-
until-2 a.m. semester (spelled by
Lou Quinn), and it’s apparent
there are few glibber gabbers .than
the versatile Morgan. He’s as re-
freshing for the shaving chatter
as for the off-to-insomniacs
palaver.

He’s now a decidedly calmed
down Morgan, quiet, per usual lit-
erate, and above all replete with
rare wit and humor which, how-
ever, doen’t completely bypass his
tongue-in-cheek approach to the
passing scene. He’ll curve a caustic
crack and bobble a barb, as occa-
sion warrants, but he’s not the
completely bitter batter-upper at
the mike as when . he originated
regularly from Hutton’s some sea-
sons back.

His session with the anonymous
Dick Condon — for some reason
this equally skillful and glib mike
chatterer preferred anonymity —
was one of the better sessions over
anybody’s informally Open micro-
phone. Publicist Condon got paid
off his with “subway junket
to Brooklyn” story,, with a shill
for the Jed Harrls-Michael Myer-
berg indie pic, “Patterns”.

Abel.

pate in another FF show consti-
tuted “blacklisting.”

In answer to Burt’s charges, the
ACLU also found that ABC’s ax-
ing of “Answers for Americans”
wasn’t “out of harmony with civil
liberties,” but was a “routine ac-
tion taken with the advent of the
summer season.” As for another
Burt complaint, that WEAN, Prov-
idence, dropped conservative com-
mentators retaining only liberals
after its purchase by the Provi-
dence Journal, the Union declared
that the paper also owned WPJB
and in merging it with WEAN
some programs had to be dropped.

One of the chief points made by.
Burt in answer to the ACLU inves-
tigation results was that Socialist
leader Norman Thomas “not only
pressured NBC into rejecting a
Facts Forum show but publicly
gloated about it in a press hand-
out.” The producer also com-
plained about the WEAN results,
and on most all points where he
and £CLU differed.. The excep-
tions seemed many in light of
Burt’s opener in the letter to
Malin which said: “By and large,
it strikes me as a fair report.’’

When contacted shortly after
Burt released his Malin letter, a
spokesman for ACLU said unof-
ficially that he didn’t think that
the Unidn would make an issue of
it. Speaking strictly for himself,
he observed that “Burt is probably
complaining because he didn’t get
a bigger portion of the pie.” The
ACLU rep said of alleged pressure
by Thomas that the Union was not
in any position to know what went
on behind closed doors between
the politician and Gen. David Sar-
noff, RCA board chairman, ACLU
said that “the difference between
persuasion-argument and pressure
is frequently .so fine that the one
may be mistaken for the other.” .

ACLU said that its investigation
report served also as a jumping-off
place for a discussion of its beliefs
about radio-tv program monopoly:
“With respect to charges of biased
programs and -monopoly of air
time by a single organization or
point of view, the Union has re-
frained from commenting on an in-

sion, took a lighter view. He com-
pared reruns with the ASCAP
strike against the nets when “Jean-
nie With the Light Brown Hair”
was played over and over because
it was in the public domain.

That the SAG strike would prove
a boon to sale of old theatricals was
seen as a solution to the new prod-
uct famine.

O’Neil Pix May Help

Hope was also expressed by Tom
O’Neil, who now controls over 700
RKO pix, he would make available
to stations blocks of these vintage
film to tide over the strike period.

Strike vote was overwhelming,
4,848 against 184. Chief issue at
stake in the strike, which 96,3% of
the membership authorized in the
vote, is actor demands for residual
payments for second-run of tv film,
with producers remaining adamant
their refusal to make any conces-
sions on this point. In a formal
strike call notice . mailed to all
SAG members, the directorate
stressed the walkout doesn’t apply
to theatrical film producers, or
filmed tv commercials, non-tv in-
dustrial or educational pix.

Guild membership voted strike
at July 24 meeting, with July 31
midnight set as the deadline for
ballots to be returned from 10,000
guilders. SAG-telepix producers
pact expired July 2.

Deane F. Johnson, legal rep for.
Alliance of Television Film Produc-
ers, had no comment to make on
the walkout, refusing to state
whether or not producers would
call another meeting in an effort
to reopen negotiations with in-
dividual members. However, Mor-
ton W. Scott, prez of Republic’s
Studio City Television Produc-
tions, a ipember of the negotiation
committee, declared any meeting
would be fruitless unless the
union was willing to back down.

All talent unions, AFTRA,
Equity, Chorus Equity, AGMA,
AGVA and SEG, have pledged full
cooperation on the strike, notice
having been sent members.

Left hanging w ; as the question
What stand AFTRA w ould take on
tele series which have been on
film suddenly switching to live
shows to get around strike. .

and remanded the case to the
agency “for further proceedings
consistent with this opinion.”'

Brown took the case to Court
after the Commission reversed an
order granting him a hearing on
ground he was not “a party in in-
terest.” Brbwn contended that the
speed ' with which the agency
granted the share-time applica-
tions, which had previously been
filed as competitive applications,
prevented him from carrying out
his plans for filing for the channel,
He subsequently put in his appli-
cation six days after the grants
were made.

Ziv

Continued from page 31

Wilmington and WITH, Baltimore,
for southern New England.

Appointments to the ^syndicated
side serve to point up Ziv’s con-
tention that the creation of its new
national setup will not change its
emphasis on syndicated sales, its
longtime moneymaker. Ziv main-
tains that in spite of the tough* .
ness of the syndication market, it’s
turning in a profit on local and
regional sales and has no intention
of deemphasizing syndication in
favor of national sales. Ziv points
out that the national sales setup
didn’t become feasible until its
acquisition of the American Na-
tional Studios on the Coast, and
with the studio purchase, it was
enabled to begin servicing national
clients without hurting its produc-
tion effort for syndication. While
other syndicators maintain they
can’t exist without the national
business, Ziv states that syndica-
tion is still its basic business and
that the national setup is merely
an extension of its business, a
.“diversification.” National setup
will work completely independent-
ly of the syndicated force.

Share-Time Case

Continued from pace 27

authorizations, the Court declared
that “the speed with which it made
its grant . . . seems to us to re-
quire that it now act with particu-
lar care in its reexamination of
the matter.”

The court directed the agency to
appraise the arrangement for
share-time operations by WHEC
and WVEC “with reference not
only to its effect on programming
but also to the circumstances sur-
rounding the amendment of the
original applications and the initia-
tion of the joint project.’’

Asserting that “a broad reopen-
ing of the case is called for,” the
tribunal reversed the’ Commission
action in denying Brown a hearing

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The TOPNOTCHERS

"Three Mad Men of Distinction"
Want to Say

• THANKS •

ARTHUR GODFREY

For Our Fourth Week on Your C.B.S. Morning

Show

Exclusive Management — ART WHITING
13860 Milbank Street, Sherman Oaks, California

State 4-4772

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

•S

A MESSAGE FROM THE

ALL

Yoii have recently received a referendum ballot to
vote on a resolution which affects only those AFTRA
members who refuse to say Whether they are or have
been Communist Party members when asked that ques-
tion by a duly authorized Congressional Committee.

A thoroughly misleading ad, urging the defeat of this

resolution, was carried, in last week’s Variety. Like

many worthless statements, it was anonymous.

^ \

The ad erroneously stated that the resolution pro-
posed to discipline any AFTRA member who fails to
“cooperate” with the House Un American Activities
Committee; further; 'that the resolution is concerned
“with the manner in which any actor chooses to testify.”
THE TRUTH is the resolution is concerned solely with
the REFUSAL of AFTRA members to answer ques-
tions as to their Communist Party membership— and
with nothing else. In addition, the resolution gives the
member every opportunity, before his Local Board and
bn appeal before the membership and convention, to
give his reasons for refusing to testify.

Strangely, the ad fails to mention the Communist
Party at all, although that is the ONLY subject the
resolution covers, The ad tries to give the impression
that this resolution is somehow the work of AWARE,
INC., and tries to create the impression that a vote for
the resolution- is a vote for AWARE, INC. This is.. ut-
terly false. The true origin and history of the resolution
are as follows:

1952: (1) AFTRA’s constitution does not permit
Communist Party members to JOIN, or REMAIN IN,
AFTRA.

Fraternally,

(2) The House Un American Activities Com-
mittee conducted hearings in California, and a number
of AFTRA members refused to answe-r when the Com-
mittee asked them whether they were MEMBERS OF
THE COMMUNIST PARTY.

(3) Their silence on Communist Party mem-
bership, without any action by AFTRA, reflected on the
standing and prestige of the Los Angeles Local of
AFTRA thus impairing its ability to carry out its collec-
tive bargaining functions.

1953: The Los Angeles Local, in order to make its
cpnstitution meaningful, adopted a resolution authoriz-
ing local disciplinary action against members who re-
fused to answer the Committee's questions as to Com-
munist Party membership. This resolution was con-
firmed by a vote of 93% of the Los Angeles membership,
and by the National Board.

1955 : ( 1 ) Shortly before the ^Seattle convention, the
press reported that the House Un American Activities
Committee intended to conduct further hearings con-
cerning Communist activities in the entertainment in-
dustry.

(2) It wanted to avoid any new clouds on
AFTRA, and I wanted National AFTRA to benefit by
our experience in Los - Angeles, so I proposed that
AFTRA adopt, on a national scale, a resolution similar
to the one in effect in Los Angeles. Thereafter, the Na-
tional-Board unanimously adopted the resolution now
before you.

These are the FACTS. I believe that knowing the
truth, you will make the right decision. I urge you to
VOTE FOR the resolution.

President.

AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TELEVISION AND RADIO ARTISTS

RADIO-TELEVISION

Television

New York

Polly (Mrs. Lou) Cowan taking
over production reins, on “Down
You Go” tv'er. She created the
package . . . June Graham subbing
for Betty Furness on “Studio One
Summer Theatre” while latter va-
cations on the Coast ... Tony
Charmoli, who’s branched out into
freelance choreographing - staging
status after five years with “Your
Hit Parade,” back from the Coast,
where he did the choreography for
^“Svengali and the Blond,” and
readying the dance numbers on
the upcoming “The King and Mrs.
Candle” for the Aug. 22 ■ “Produc-
ers’ Showcase” . . . Packager Ed
Wolf back from the Coast after
visits on^'Penny to a Million” and
some new program plans . . . Te'd
Rosenberg, ex-Ziv, joined sales
staff of Television Programs of
■ America, along with James P. Bon-
fils, former sales manager of KTVI
in St. Louis, and George W. Clark,
ex-WLS, Chicago. Eleanor. Gardner
also joined TPA in the homeoffice
as promotion coordinator . . .
Screen Gems road flack Don Gar-
rett off for a 35-city, 10-week tour
timed to the fall preems of the
various SG properties : 1 . “Studio
One” producer Felix Jackson back
from vacation and readying the
show’s fall properties . . , Jerome
Greenberg into the top merchan-
dising post for WAAT and WATV,
Newark . . . John Tilley has been
named to fill as MCA-TV*s super-
visor of audience promotion, the
job ankled by Heyward Ehrlich a
few weeks ago . . . Fremantle Ov-
erseas Radio and TV has sold
Radio Tokyo TV the vidfilm cov-
erage on the Anzac- Japanese In-
terzone tennis play coming off in
New York, starting Friday (5) . . .

Mort Lindsey, leader of trio on
WCBS-TV’s George Skinner show,
off to Miami and Cuba for two-
week vacation, with Bill Harring-
ton; WNEW dee jay, replacing him.
Lindsey’s wife, Judy Johnson, has
singing dates at Miami’s Saxony
Hotel and on tv. In Havana . . .
Doreen Lang in Robert J. Shaw’s
“Edge of Light” on ABC-TV’s

“Star Tonight” tomorrow (Thurs.)
... WCBS-TV vacationeers: Ned
Cramer to Montauk Point. “Cam-
era Three” moderator James Mac-
andrew to be away for three pro-
grams, returning Aug. 28. NYU’s
Wm. Bush Baer (“Our Goodly
Heritage”) hiatuses all this month,
with his pindhhitters to be profs
Richard D. Mallory and John W.
Knedler, Jr. . . . Ned Cramer’s
Aug. 6 and 13 spots on Saturday
segment of “Six O’clock Report”
to be taken by Ron Cochran,
doubling over from “Late News”
as Well as from Monday-thru-Fri-
day pinchhitting on “Report” for
vacationing Robert Trout . . . Ac-
tor Jay Barney working in Kafka’s
“The Trial" at Provinetown Play-
house! on display in Jose Ferrer’s
“Shrike” pic and daily* on NBC-
TV’s “First Love” . . . The “CBS
Television Cigaret Lighter” scored
so well at the station managers’
meeting that they’re “being made
available at cost” — $1.0,7 — to all
staffers.

1 Veronica Lake guesting on CBS-
TV “Pantomime Quiz” Friday (5)

I . . . Audrey Meadows returned to
her panel slot on “Name’s the
Same” ... Don McNeill subbing
on “I’ve Got a Secret” for vaca-
tioning Garry Moore.

Patrioia . Barry, who plays the
wife in NBC-TV’s “First Love”
appearing with Shirley Booth in
“My Sister Eileen” at Dennis,
Mass., this week.

Donald Buka planed to the Coast
for a role in tomorrow’s (Thurs.)
“Climax” ^ on CBS-TV. . .Todd
Russell got ah honorary member-
ship in the Cosmopolitan Club, a
N. Y. club composed of war
brides. . .Lee Jahncke, ABC sta-
tion relatiohs veep, and Ned Hul-
linger, regional manager of the
station relations department, tour-
ing the northwest. . .ABC national
program director Bob Lewine va-
cationing on the Coast after five,
weeks of studio huddles there. . .
ABC’s new exploitation unit ready-
ing pushes on several of the web’s
new shows, with the wraps coming
off in mid-August.

-An Omitted Credit

New York.

Editor Variety:

In this week’s Variety you
printed a letter from Max Wein-
berg complaining bitterly that
the writer of the tv drama, “Dark
Tribute,” which wag presented on
Lux Video Theatre, was not identi-
fied. For his information, at the
opening of the program Ken Car-
penter said, “James Mason Jold
me, that of all the stories he'* has
acquired none has excited him
quite as> much as the script of
“Dark Tribute.”- The play was
originally written for the British
Broadcasting Co., by Robert
Strevens, and was produced with
such success that it was immedi-
atelv brought to Mr.. Mason’s at-
tention by his agent . . As soon
as he read the script— James says
he thought it (to p.ut it in his
own words) “a 'most fascinating
thriller” . . . Our television play of
“Dark Tribute” was adapted by
Benjamin Simcoe who has a long
list of screen hits to his credit
and this fall he will have the satis-
faction of seeing his latest play
“Yankee Cousin,” produced on
Broadway.

I do not know how much more
information Mr. Weinberg requires
about the authorship of the play,
but I would suggest that in the
future he tune in on time.

. Cordially,

George J. Zachary.
(Radio & TV Program Manager) •

CBS-TV’s Answer?

Continued from pace 25

shifted Jim Kane oiit of trade press
in N.Y. and installed him as his
No. 1 press aide on the Coast
following the shifting of Ted Wicks
into a special projects assignment
to work on specs.

All the shifts have one thing in
common — all the new replacements
are out of N.Y., men with an aware-
ness of homeoffice requirements,
suggesting that, no matter how big
the Coast expansion, it’s “ still a
branch office of 485 Madison Ave.
in Manhattan.

c Wednesday, August 3, 1935

Inside Stuff— Radio-TV

American Heritage, which sub-bills itself “The Magazine of History,”
will have 30,000 words in its Aug. 15 issue: on the crystal set days of
early radio. H. V. Kaltenborn, Orestes Caldwell, Dorothy Gordon, E. L.
Bragdon, Bill Hedges, Herbert Hoover, Chester Lang and Lyman Bry-
son make with the nostalgia.

Perhaps the most arresting piece is by Arthur Judson who recalls-
the anguish of promoters. George Coats and Major J. Andrew White
in trying to get the Columbia Broadcasting System off the 1 ground and
how the disgust of a Philadelphia financier, Jerome Louchheim, with
pouring money down a rathole led to the deal with a Philadelphia
advertising manager, himself a radio sponsor (La Palina' Cigars) to
take over CBS, to the subsequent Midas enrichment of William' -S."
Paley.

Articles are interesting but tend to be superficial repetition of
favorite anecdota.

John Drainie, the actor who scored on Canadian radio in “The In-
vestigator” (prototype of Senator McCarthy) and in the subsequent
bootlegged disk version which sold into the thousands in the U.S.,
will do a one-man performance of Dostoievski's short story, “The
Dream of a. Ridiculous Man,” on WCBS-TV’s (N.Y.) “Camera Three”
next Sunday (7). Story is of a psycopath who decides to commit suicide,
changes his mind, dreams that he did take his life, and then spends
the rest of his years preaching that “evil is not the normal condition
of mankind.”

Solo workout on “Camera Three” is similar to Michael Kane’s en-
actment of Poe’s “The Telltale Heart.”

Desilu Productions has rkised an objection to the terminology used
last week in the report that “$64,000 Question” had taken first place in
the American Research Bureau’s July Top 10. Story reported that
“Question” had “toppled” “I Love Lucy,” which had been No. 1 in
June, from first place. Actually, “Lucy” went off- the air June 27 for '
the summer and consequently wasn’t included in the ARB ratings.
Point of the story, however, was the fact that “Question” took over
the No. 1 position previously held by “Lucy.”

Bill Berns, news and special events chief of WRCA-TV, N.Y., is plan-
ing out for Europe Friday (.5) on a combined one-month business and
vacation junket to scout a “kihe exchange” of programs with England,
France and Italy. He’ll also look into “Traveleade” themes, a pet project
of. the NBC o&o. Accompanying him will be his wife, Toni, artist and
fashion illustrator.

Circle Film Laboratories is preparing a pocketsized directory of all
film industry services currently available in New York for free distribu-
tion to agencies, sponsors, industrial fimfc, producers, telefilm dis-
tributors and tv stations. Services will be listed by* category, such as
labs, film editors, sound stages, sound studios etc, Circle has circulated
some 2,200 questionnaires among film industry companies in the N.Y.
area to update the information. Directory is due out in a few weeks.

NBC vs. CBS Radio

Continued from page TA

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out regaining them.” The web

stated that from the point of view
of the researcher, it is not clear
what is meant by “sticking to the
standard patterns of broadcasting.”
It said that “whatever the implied
meaning is, however, the research
facts from Nielsen on audience
reach and top ranking programs
indicate that the CBS Radio ‘pat-
tern’ maintains a long lead over
the majbr competition; and Pulse
data in the nation’s major single
market (New York) confirm the
fact. Recent sales to such adver-
tisers as Corn Products, Stude-
baker, American Oil and Chevro-
let are illustrative here. One, too
recent to have been included, is
the sale to General Foods 7<>f an
eight-week saturation eAmpaign
with shared sponsorships* in seven
daytime dramas on less-than-com-
plete facilities.

“What is perhaps more to the
point is the fact that we have not
lost sponsors without regaining
them. We have lost some old
sponsors, of course, but within re-
cent weeks have attracted extra
business from old sponsors and
new business from new sponsors.
Here are some of these new or
additional time buyers: American
Oil, American Tobacco, Campana
Sales, Corn Products, Dow Chemi-
cal, F. W. Woolworth, General
Foods, Gulf Oil, Harrison Prod-
ucts, Hazel Bishop, McKesson &
Robbins, Miller Products, Murine.

CBS gives the laugh to “Moni-
tor” on the commercial time count
calling it “screwy” to include the

KID RIDES ON IN HOUSTON!

free spots. It insists that the bill-
ings tell the story and will con-
tinue to do so after “Monitor’s”
introductory summer discount plan
goes into its second phase after
Oct. 1.

Columbia’s estimated gross bill-
ings for the period June 12-30
(with first two weeks of “Monitor”
included) -are $382,847, against
$193,647 for NBC, or 98% ahead.
(“Monitor’s” end of the pie was
estimated at $136,684.) Publishers
Information Bureau billing figures
for the first six months of 1955
show CBS retaining a lead of 47%
over NBC and a lead of 36% in.
June with two weekends of “Moni-
tor” included. In June, CBS drew
$3,603,602 and a six-month total of
$23,888,528; NBC, $2,652,765 in
June and $16,212,306 for the half-
year.

NBC says, however, that it is the
only radio network which shows an
improvement in billings over May,
1955, and over June, 1954, this
being credited largely to the gross
brought in by “Monitor.” It was
$205 ahead over May of this year
and $34,151 over June of a year ago;
whereas CBS * dropped $320,194,
compared to May of l£)55, and
$578,075, compared to -June of
1954. In billings, CBS was nearly
$1,000,000 ahead of NBC for June
of 1955, however.

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real tax advantages.

Box V-72855. Variety
154 W. 46th St., New York 36.

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Wednesday, August 3, ,1955 ,

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RADIO-TELEVISION

Wednesday, August 3, ,1955

Memphis* Aug. 2.

Henry (Hank) Slavick, general
manager of WMC and WMCT, NBC
outlets here, charged Mayor Frank
Tobey and a group of lawyers with
“restricting freedom of the press,’*
in the banning of his camera crew
at a public hearing.

The hassle developed when
WMCT, which is o. & o. by the
Scripps-Howard news chain, moved
its cameras into the City Commis-
sion rooms to pick up the proceed-
ings of suspended Park chief John
Vesey over alleged corrupt deals in
the department. '*

The ousting of the WMCT cam-
eras was an 0 aftermath of opposing
barristers getting into a beef
Whether it was okay to have a tv
running of the hearing as well as
news flash photogg on the scene.
After listening to both barristers
unleash their pet peeves against
the tv pickup. Mayor Tobey ordered
the WMCT crew out of the hearing
room. However, the Memphis
Mayor said it was -okay to have the
hearing picked up by radio and
WMC radio remained on the scene.

WMCT and WMC skipper Sla-
vick said; “It is the position of
WMCT, the NARTB and Radio
and Television News Directors
Assn, that any hearing which the
public is permitted to view should
be available for television if the
placement of television cameras
and microphones does not disrupt
proceedings, WMCT’s cameras at
the morning hearing in no way in-
terrupted or interf erred with the
hearing. No additional light was
required for telecasting.” \

Slavick told Variety “I don’t
blame the Mayor and the City

Westchester County

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Commissioners for this action -but
the blame is placed on the attor-
neys in the matter.” The WMCT
skipper also told Variety ‘that in a
“volunteer survey of Memphis bar#
risters here the majority disagreed
with the hearing attorney’s actions
in arguing over the acceptance of
television pickup of the hearing.”

Russ Van Dyke, prexy of the
RTNDA, flooded the town with
wires objecting to the attorney’s
stand and backing up. fellow broad-
caster and telecaster Slavick. Van
Dyke, Des Moines, tv news chief
said in part “No credo of any self-
governed body should transcend
the right of the public to see and
know actual government matters
as they happen.”

Slavick said he will continue to
defend his stand until, his tv cam-
eras are greenlighted again. The
hearing here will probably con-
tinue for two weeks.

Irving Berlin Spec

Continued from page 26

with the simple statement . that
“whatever my estate does would be
beyond my control,” but he cer-
ftainly wants no bio treatment in
a film. *

Ford, of course, recognizes that
Berlin’s fee would go directly to
the “God Bless America” Fund
which is now over $250,000, sparked
by Berlin’s anthem of the same
name. It’s for benefit of the Girl
and Boy Scouts of America. When
Warner Bros, liquidated its film-
ization of “This Is The Army” —
some $8,000,000 was realized for
Army Emergency Relief, which was
the initial beneficiary of the GI
show of World War II— Berlin then
ceded all residual property rights
in “Army” to the Scouts- Fund.

Berlin’s attitude about the fancy
100G fee — “or more,” says he
frankly, “considering the purpose,
because, obviously it has nothing
to do with me”— is that regardless
it means he “must write a new
script to, tie together both shows,
and also create a continuity for
whomever they select to play me.”
(Berlin himself would only sing
“Hate To Get Up In The Morning”
from “Yip” and “God Bless Amer-
ica” for the finale of “Army”).

Cincinnati — David G. Taft be-
comes general manager of WRKC-
TV, here, replacing U. A. (Jake)
Latham who retired after 20 years
with the station owner, Radio Cin-
cinnati. Taft will contimie as exec
v.p. of Radio Cincinnati in addi-
tion to his video past. Roger Read
has been upped to WKRC-TV local
sales manager from the assistant
sales manager job,- and Robert
Schlinkert, general sa’“s chief, as-
sumes the additional duties of as-
sistant to Taft.

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LANCASTER, PA. Clair McCollough, Pres.

Representatives ■, MEEKER TV, INC.

New York • Chicago • Los Angeles • San Francisco

TV Reviews

Continued from page 28

San Francisco

a WBBM radio standby. Although
rather lightweight in its overall
impact, this lunchtime musical
divertissement "certainly won’t
scare anyone away. And with the
other three stations shooting at
the kids during this period, it has
a clear track for the grownups.

There’s no strain evident in
Leach’s pleasantly adept emcee-
ing and he’s more than adequate-
ly supported by femme warblers
Bette Chapel and Jean Williams.
Miss Chapel is the same pert pack-
age that was an important element
in NBC-TV’s “Garroway At Large”
when it was Chi’s proudest tv date-
liner and Miss Williams nicely
does double duty helping out with
the guest interviews. Latter
chinned with the male visitors on
session Seen (14) and Leach chat-
ted with the distaffers.

Interviews, which included an
oiit-an-out plug for a commercial
line of reproduction china, were
wisely kept fairly short and merely
used as pace changer interludes.
Most of the show was devoted to
musical contributions expertly
backed by Hal Kartun’s instru-
mental . group*. Leach’s best tune
was his closer, “I’ve Got One To
Love,” worked from the piano
with the banjoist proyiding ac-
comp trimmings. Miss Chapel
came across in fine style with “My
One Sin” and Miss Williams de-
delivered “Heart” with plenty of
same. „ „

Whole affair was tastefully
dressed productionwise as further
evidence that even WBBM-TV siis-
tainers have a pipeline into the
treasury. Dave .

LA RONDINE

With Jane YVoodside, Elizabeth

Unis, Norene Martin, Jjaura En-

goglia, Robert Nagy and William

Martin; Betty Sidoti, pianist;

YVard Davenny, narrator
Director: Joe Taski, Jr.

30 Mins.;. Sunday, (24) 4 p.nu
WNBK, Cleveland

This half-hour featured several
of the top arias of Giaocmo Puc-
cini’s “La Rondine” by members
of the Cleveland Institute of Mu-
sic’s English Workshop. It was a
pleasant Sunday afternoon offer-
ing that ’ ’helped listeners forget
the heat. .. Jane Woodside and Eliz-
abeth Unis portrayed Magda; Nor-
ene Martin and Laura Engoglia
were Lisette; William Martin,
Prunier, and Robert Nagy, Rog-
gero.

The youthful talent, including
chorus, all showed promise, al-
though Robert Nagy held most
notice of going ahead in the musi-
cal field. Not only does he show
stage- ease, but his ability to pro-
ject songwise makes him “most
likely to succeed.” Narration of
the opera’s story by Ward Daven-
ny kept the stanza moving, al-
though closing interview with
Samuel Morganstern, Institute’s
Opera Workshop director, was
stilted. Betty Sidoti did well as
the accompanying pianist, while
direction by Joe Tanski showed
deft and ‘ careful planning. Sets
and costumes ■ did much to help
stanza score its success. Mark.

UHF Test

Continued from page 26

in tv homes over a period of one
year. The station expects that if
the public accepts the concept of
pay tv the costs of the test will be
self-amortizing even oil the basis
of a low-estimate income potential
from subscription programs.

Estimated profits from the oper-
ation over the three year test pe-
riod range from $426,000 to $842,-
000, depending on whether the de-
coders cost $50, $75 or $100, allow-
ing for amortization. These fig j
ures are; based on low-estimate in-
come potential.

The high-estimate income poten-
tial frotn the proposed test opera-
tion would range from $2,300,000
to '$3,551,000 per year, including
amortization, depending on the
cost of decoders.

The station proposes a weekday
subscription schedule which would
include two hours of educational
subjects, a two-hour “matinee fea-
ture” and two feature films in the
evening. The fall schedule would
provide a college football game on
Saturdays. The Sunday format
would include Broadway plays,
Metropolitan opera and symphony
concerts, .

Viewers Would be charged 50c
for educational programs and mat-
inee films, $1 for evening films,
$1 for football games, $1 for con-
certs and $2 fpr the Met,

The station estimates that Broad-
way plays would pull the largest
toll tv, audience. Its low-estimate
income potential from this type of

program is based on receipts from
20% of the homes equipped with
decoders. Its average-estimate is
based on 30% and its high-esti-
mate on 40%.

It estimates the highest income
potential from an evening feature
film program would draw 30% of
the decoder - equipped audience
and the lowest wodld draw 10%.
The late feature film (beginning at
10:45 p.m.) boxoffice would pull
from 5% to a 15% of the audience.

The average take from a Sunday
performance of a Broadway play,
based on a 30% toll tv rating,
would be $15,000. An evening fea-
ture film on Sunday, based on the
same rating, would pull in $5,000
and a late feature $2,500. On the
basis of a 10% rating, a perform-
ance of the Met would bring in
$5,000.

WFMZ, which operates an FM
station in Allentown, is headed by
Raymond F. Kohn. Largest stock-
holder in the licensee company
(Penn-Allen Broadcasting Co.) is
Ben Strouse, general manager of
WWDC in Washington.

Mighty Have Fallen

Mag Publishers Set
23-City AM Saturation

Johnson Publications, the maga-
zine publishers who turn out
Ebony, Jet and several other mags
in the Negro field, have moved into
radio on a monthly saturation
basis. Publishers, who are placing
their business direct with stations
in 23 cities, will run saturation one-
minute spot campaigns starting
three days before publication date
of Ebony and running through the
date it hits the stands. Johnson’s
picking up a trend used by Life,
Look and other major mags, with
the difference of course that Ebony
is after the specialized Negro mar-
ket.

Publishers have tapped WLIB as
their exclusive New York outlet.

Eva Marie Saint

Continued from page 27

man who comprises the bulk of
local advertisers has always done
business with the smaller station,
whose rates he could afford, and
the 50 kw outlets now can’t com-
pete for the local businessman be-
cause of their higher rates, based
on their high operating costs.
Since both types of stations are
offering the same coverage area
(a dry cleaner doesn’t care about
reaching a town 60 miles away),
the smaller outlets are getting the
business.

Consistent with the decrease in
network revenues has come the de-
cline of network programming as
a moving force and the concur-
rent upswing of independently pro-
grammed music and news. Radio
drama, chatter and other program-
ming emanating from the networks
are bypassed in favor of music
and news with a “local listen,” and
In this respect a network affiliation
becomes a burden rather than an
advantage. Moreover, it’s said that
many of the larger stations have
fallen into a lethargy, program-
ming-wise, after years of leaning
on the networks, while the smaller
and more aggressive operations
have vigorously framed new “local”
programming patterns which have
won over the local advertising
coin.

On the subject of rate cards, it’s
pointed out that the high operat-
ing costs obtain beyond the matter
of the engineer^ and power neces-
sary to maintain the strong signal.
Many of the powerhouse stations
just can’t seem to learn how to
operate without the outsized pro-
gram-administrative staffs which
were permissible only in a more
lucrative era. Too many of the
50 kw- outlets, it’s maintained,
continue to think in caviar terms
in an era when bread and po-
tatoes is the standard diet.

Continued from page 25

the ingenue lead opposite Frank
Sinatra, in a musical version of
Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize
play, “Our Town,” with songs by
James Van Heusen and Sammy
Cahn, It will be her first singing
role. f

As reported in last week’s issue.
Miss Saint Will be paid $50,000 as
featured femme lead, opposite Bob
Hope, in Paramount’s forthcoming
screen edition of "King of Hearts.”
For her last picture, “On the
Waterfront,” the actress won an
Oscar for best supporting per-
formance of the year. Previously,
she was voted the most promising
actress of the legit season of 1953-
54 In Variety’s annual poll of the
N. Y. drama critics. That was for
a small part in Horton Foote’s
“Trip to Bountiful.”

Cincinnati — Advancements In ef-
fect at WSAI brought a vice presi-
dency for Charles A. Black
and his replacement as sta-
tion manager by Paul Jones, who
was staff director and chief an-
nouncer.

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Wednesday, August 3, 195S

RADIO-TELEVISION

O’Neil: Tommy-Come -Lately

Continued from page 24

tieity, it would seem, has not given 1
at ’ least ^hree-quarters of the men
close to him on a decision making

level any easily definable jobs.
They’re all. “utility infielders,”
Whom he moves from spot to spot
as he sees fit. It appears that many
of . the execs without titles are of
the same non-show biz background
as O’Neil. One of them was bor-
rowed from General Tire; others
grew /up as salesmen in the tire
company right alongside O’Neil.
Based on his past record of shift-
ing execs at will, there’s some
wondering going on about just
who’ll look after RKO for O’Neil,
besides Charles L. Glett, who last
week was merely announced as hav-
ing “joined General Teleradio’s ex-
ecutive, staff” on the Coast. (Glett’s
background, it so happens, liberally
mixes radio and tv experience with
some in motion pictures.)

O’Neil has such sidekicks as
Arnold Kaufman, whom he’s said
to have known for some time with
the* tire company. When O’Neil
bought some short subjects for
juve tv from a British producer
about a year ago, Kaufman was
put in command of them temporari-
ly, ^but if he were asked exactly
what he was in charge of, he just
couldn’t say. Another example of
a “free wheeling” executive in a
“free wheeling” show biz empire
is Bob Mamby, who is said to have
filled many a breach in the vidfilm
division of GT. He was found
overseeing production on- the half-
hour series, “Gangbusters” one
minute and the next he was re-
ported in the Pacific Northwest
placating ah ex-criminal who was
going to sue because the series
infringed on his privacy.

Something that happened yes-
terday (Tues.) makes Mamby per-
haps the best sample of O’Neil’s
policy.' The GT boss made him a
v.p. of the firm, and with it gave
Mamby the most explicit job de-
scription he’s ever had. He will
bed'ome “liaison” between RKO
and" GT. Someone jokingly re-
marked that that’s better than be-
ing listed only as a “member of

the GT “executive staff for two
years.” “Mamby’U headquarter in
N. Y.)

There’s J. Glen Taylor, older than
the other first line O’Neil execs
and originally thought of as a
“watchdog”* for O’Neil’s father,
whom insiders can only describe
these days as “the man who han-
dles top level liaison and who
keeps things nice and, friendly
around here.” His “exec v.p. in
charge of policy” title seems broad
enough to permit him certain free-
dom.

Perfect example of a man in a
do-every thing capacity for O’Neil
is Jack Poor, who has a title too,
although it seems highly unde-
scriptive of his actual functions.
He’s exec v.p. in charge of the
radio network, but he’s been
known to act as second-in-com-
mand in telefilm buys and- in sta-
tion sales, and first in legal as
well as radio web matters.

Although the following . execs
aren’t O’Neil-trained, they help
typify what O’Neil seems to want
in his execs. Herb Rice was pro-
gram veep of the network until*
he was replaced by another veep,
Burt Hauser, who moved over
from co-op sales and has since
moved into a new job that is
cryptically revealed as “merchan-
dising head,” • though so far
there’s . little merchandising. Al-
though neither Rice nor anyone
else will make a definitive .state-
ment about it, he seems mostly to
be workiiig on program develop-
ment for GT’s o&o stations, an
area which O’Neil* is felt to hold
more highly than Che network,
since it can bring more profit.
Aside from Rice and Hauser,
there’s /Harry Trenner, former
partner in an ad agency,' whom
O’Neil and Poor made v.p. in
charge of Mutual network sales.
Trenner’s experience and the very
way in which he joined Mutual
(hence GT) obviously portends to
the trade his corporate utilitarian-
ism. He sold an outfit called Sta-
tion Library to GT when he joined
up. Station Library was telefilm
plan dreamed up by Trenner and

having nothing to. do with network
radio.

The list includes at least triple
the number of men talked of here.

Though it’s debatable ‘in some
quarters that O’Neil knows exactly
where he’ll step next, it’s almost
certain that he expects there will
be other steps leading to. GT’s
growth in show biz. Hence, his
continual “training program for
factotums,”

KSAN-TV

Continued from page 27

With 450,000 watts ERP and cov-
age over 100-mile radius.

Despite his station’s relatively
strong position, Patterson thinks
the FCC should do plenty to help
all UHF outlets, including his own.

He is a fiery advocate of “dein-
termixture Whereby given com-
munities are served either by all
VHF or all UHF stations.

He’s also in favor of the FCC
licensing the networks, “just like
the stations are licensed, so that
there’ll be an equitable distribu-
tion of quality programs as a pub-
lic service.”

. • • »

The ex-preacher built and sold
a small radio chain with stations,
in Colorado Springs, Colo., Chey-
enne, Wyd., Atchison, Kan., and
Topeka; Kan. He came here short-
ly before World War II and ac-
quired control of KSAN after
managing it for two years. During
and after the war* he converted it
into a “class” outlet with programs
in Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese,
Greek and several other languages.

A heavy wartime Influx of Ne-
groes convinced Patterson to aim
sfor this segment of the city’s pop-
ulation, too, and KSAN now de-
votes five hours daily to programs
conducted by Negro dee jays.

“The result,” says Patterson, “is
that we’ve been able to more than
double our rates. We expect the
same pattern to work on the tv
station.”

'St. Louis— Radio station KXOK,
the local ABC outlet, has purchased
a 2^-acre tract in the west end
of the city for the site of its new
studios and offices. The location
will be known as “Radio Park.” /

From The Production Centres

Continued from page 2S —

taken his family to Madison-on-the-Lake, O., for two weeks . . . “Let’s
Visit” goes off Channel 2 for three weeks beginning Aug. 15 when
Harold V. - Cohen, drama editor of Post-Gazette and Variety mugg here,
leaves to join his actress-wife, Stephanie Diamond, in Provincetown,
Mass. Cohen has been doing the program alone since end of June
in Miss Diamond’s absence. They’ll both resume the show biz-inter-
view show on Sept. 6 . . . Lucille Travis has gone with KDKA radio
as weekend hello girl and hostess.

IN CLEVELAND ...

Dick Reynolds and Frank Jay do a double-deejay mike pitch on
the WHK night stanza . , . WNBK will do the Dr. Benjamin Spock
series when the NBC “Baby and Child Care” Sunday series starts . . .
WJMO’s Burt Mannis planning to resume college studies in the fall
. . . WDOK rejected two out-of-city sales’ bids of over $100,000 each
. . . Henry Pildner, back from vacation, revives his evening WGAR
classical music disking ... WNBK's Maggi Byrne in new 52-week con-
tract with station . . . Jimmy Dudley elected president of newly estab-
lished sports gabbers association, with other officers, dedicated to . bring
more and better sports to this area, being Bill McColgan, Ken Coleman,
Joe Valicenti, John Fitzgerald and Van Lane . . . Nelson Olmstead in
town to £ilm : 13 stanzas of upcoming Ohio Story for Ohio Bell.

IN MINNEAPOLIS . . .

KSTP-TV staffer Don Rock has moved from tv production to
the tv photographic department as newsreel photographer , . . Local
newspaper tv editors receiving letters from Tom D’Andrea and Hal
March regarding inability of their tv show “The Soldiers” to snag
sponsors despite it? high, listener rating . . . Arthur Godfrey held over
songstress Mary Davis, WCCO staffer and “Talent Scout” show win-
ner, for a second week on his morning tv and radio shows . . . Jerome
Wasley a new KSTP-TV floorman . ,. . Merle Edwards, veteran radio
and tv personality, promoted by WMIN from disk pockey-announcer
to assistant sales manager, but also will continue with several of his
shows ... Blackhawk Broadcasting Co., operating the Waterloo, la.,
tv station, received FCC permission- to withdraw its application for
permission to buy KMMT, Austin, Minn,,, video station, but may re-
apply later . . . Bill Diehl, St. Paul . Dispatch-Pioneer Press movie edi-
tor-critic, who's also a WMIN disk jockey, introduced three of num-
bers at a St. Paul Auditorium pop. concert . . , Ken Paterson, 'former
general sales manager of Upper Mississippi Radio Associates, a three
station group, joined KSTP Radio sales staff.

IN OMAHA ...

Walt KaVanagh and Ken Headrick working “Ken’s Place,” new d. j.
and prize contest show on KFAB from 11 a.m. to noon Mondays through
Fridays . . . Jim O’Neill of KOWH served as emcee for City Barber
Shop . Quartet contest staged by Ralph Goldberg's chain of theatres
. , ,KBON carrying jukebox program from Bob Hoff's Airpost DriVe-
in Theatre Friday nights on half-hour basis (7:30 7 8) . . . Marjorie
Shanafelt has begun a puppet workshop program on KUON-TV, Lin-
coln . . . Dick Charles and Steve Shepard doing play-by-play announc-
ing for Omaha Cardinal baseball games on KMTV . . . Harold Hamil-
ton, manager of KHOL-TV, Holdrege, announced .that satellite tv tower
planned for Hayes- Center, Neb., probably will be under construction
by September- . . . Mrs. Denise Norden handling “Fun With French”
half-hour program on KUON-TV, Lincoln.

Wmm

donald woods

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Television:

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DAMON RUNYON TV THEATRE
CBS-TV Saturdays 10:30-1 1 PM DST

Radio:

HOST-

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CBS-Radip 1 PM DST Sundays

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Bucks County Playhouse
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Port Washington Playhouse

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Exclusive Representative: MARTIN GOODMAN, 65 West 54 Street, New York

Press Relations:

SOLTERS-O'ROU RKE and ASSOC.

MUSIC

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

Jocks, Jukes and Disks

By MIKE GROSS

Dickie Valentine: “No Such
Luck”-“I Wonder'* {London). Al-
though “No Such Luck” won only
mild play with Dolores Hawkins’
Epic slice, Dickie Valentine gives
it a hit-bracket chance with his
sock rhythmic workover. Platter
highlights the neat beat and slick
lyric and Valentine brings it in in
fine style. The jocks should go for
it in a big way* On the reverse,
Valentine shows that he knows
how to. belt a big ballad* but it
still remains a routine side.

Ralph Young: “A Room in
Paris”-“Do You Know” (Decca).
“A Room In Paris” has a lot of
things going for it. Tune and disk-
er will be spotlighted on the
"Philco TV . . Playhouse” via NBC
in a couple of weeks. It’s a lilting
melodic theme and has a singer
who knows how to give a song a
solid ride. After the tele showcase
Ing the side should take off for big
returns. “Do You Know,” on the
bottom deck, is a pleasant item
which Young delivers for strong
spinning values.

Dori Anne Gray: “Tears For

son” pic, is a catching piece which
Baxter develops into a highly lis-
tenable wax production, “The
Shrike,” on the other hand, has a
more intriguing- melodic line and
should win most of the play.

* Joan Weber: "Don’t Throve
Away My Love”-" Anything, Every-
thing For Love” (Columbia). Joan
Weber throws a lot of piping emo-
tion into this coupling, but the
tunes don’t rate the effort. Don’t
Throw Away My Love” is in the
blues idiom but it remains a syn-
thetic item. "Anything, Everything
For Love” never gets to mean any-
thing.

Bill. Gallus: “A Tree Full Of
Owls”-"There Is No Love” (MGM).
There’s enough bounce and gaiety
in Bill Gallus’ slicing of “A Tree
Full Of Owls” to move the side
out of left field and onto the dee jay
turntables. It’s a cute and whole-
some effort that'll offend nobody
and please many. "There is No
Love” is just a routine ballad con-
coction that never gets off the
ground.

Sammy Davis Jr.-Carmen McRae:

Best Bets

DICKIE VALENTINE NO SUCH LUCK

(London) .1 Wonder

RALPH YOUNG A ROOM IN PARIS

(Decca) Jpo You .Knott

Me”-"I’m Playing Second Fiddle
To A Slide Trombone” (Mercury).
Newcomer Dori Anne Gray makes
an okay showing with her first disk
effort. On “Tears For Me,” she
displays a sharp dramatic quality
and on “I’m Playing Second Fid-
dle To A Slide Trombone,” she
gets a chance to whip up some
neat rhythmic licks, “Tears” is a
wailing item that could attract
some deejay attention, while
“Trombone” looks like a good bet
for the boxes. ->

The Ames Bros: "My Bonnie
Lassie”-“So Will I” (RCA Victor).
The marching song avalanche is
on. ' Mitch Miller kicked it off a
few Weeks ago with “The Yellow
Rose of Texas” on the Columbia
label and now the Ames boys, have
Come up with a zesty highland
march that packs punch. The boys
sell it with the kind of spirit that
wins spins, especially on the coin
level. "So Will I” is in the r&b
groove, noisy and not too effective.

Les Baxter Orch: “The Shrike"-
"The Toy Tiger” (Capitol). Cou-
pling of pic themes from “The
Shrike” and “The Private War of
Major Benson” gives Les Baxter
another big-return potential. "The
Toy Tiger,” from the "Major Ben-

"I Go For You”-" A Fine Romance”
(Decca). Teaming of Sammy Davis
jr. and Carmen McRae has solid
wax showmanship values. Both
arc slick song belters on their own
and complement each other neatly
on this duet coupling. "I Go For
You” is a bright item headed for
strong spins. It’ll have trouble,
though, stealing the play from the
fine Jerome Kem-Dorothy Fields
oldie, “A Fine Romance.”

The BOn Bons: “Pass It Along”-
"Momma Llama, Poppa Llama”
(London). “Pass It Along” gives
The Bon Bons a chance to show off
their harmony technique. Song has
a fair beat and the. combo’s treat-
ment will attract deejay attention.
Bottom deck is a novelty item that
doesn’t carry much' weight.

Perez Prado Orch: “Monitor
Mambo”-“Crazy. ► .Crazy” (RCA
Victor!. "Monitor ’ Mambo,” writ-
ten for the NBC Radio marathon,
"Monitor,” by Perez Prado, is an
okay slicing for the mambonicks,
but its overall commercial appeal
is limited. "Crazy. . .Crazy,” an-
other Prado original, is a frenzied,
swinging effort that’ll also appeal
to the mambo buffs.

Richard Hayman Orch: "Tears
of Satin”-“Gina” (Mercury). The
harmonica work of Richard Hay-

■■ ' * " S

' . '■•V/ Xv. •

Ssss

LAWRENCE WELK

and his

CHAMPAGNE MUSIC

206th Consecutive Week
Aragon Ballroom — : Ocean Park, Cal.
ABC-TV— Sat. 9-10 P. M. EDT
Sponsored by '

Dodge Dealers of America,

man gets one of its best showcas-
ings in some time on "Tears of
Satin.” It’s a rich instrumental
and Hayman’s harmonica gives it
the color that’ll appeal to the
jocks. "Gina” is an Italo. flavored,
piece which Hayman delivers for
ear-arresting results.

The Four- Knights: "Believing
You”-"Don’t Sit Under The Apple
Tree” (Capitol). The steady
•rhythmic beat* of “Believing You”
and the topdrawer. rendition given
by The Four Knights should win
this side hefty spinning time on all
levels. They give the oldie, on the
flip side, a fresh and buoyant ap-
proach. _ ■

Sandy Solo: "Nothing Has
Chahged”-“My Love Came Back”
(Jubilee). Sandy Solo, young singer
who has been trying for the big
one for the past couple of years,
has a fine entry in "Nothing Has
Changed,” a torch ballad which he
handles with sensitivity. Reverse
is another good ballad which Solo
does neatly. On one side-, the girl
goes away? on the other side she
comes back. It’s a well-planned
coupling.

Gloria Wood: "I Keep Telling
Myself ’-"Hey Mister” (Coral). The
platter spinners will' take notice
of Gloria Wood because of her
solid workover of "I Keep Telling
Myself,” She’s got a wax savvy and
she delivers the tune, a neatly con-
structed ballad, with a style that
blends rhythm and warmth for
strong impact. There’s not mhch
that can be done with the flip.

Charles A. Wallf Broadcast Music
Inc, veepee and prexy of Associated
Music Publishers, currently is serv-
ing at Fort Dix for two weeks with
the Army Reserve. He’s a colonel.

, 10 Best Sellers on Coin-Machines ** * ***

| 1. LEARNIN’ THE BLUES (9) Frank ' Sinatra . . -.Capitol « I

(Alan Dale Coral

* * \ Georgia Gibbs Mercury ’’

J .3. ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK (10) Bill Haley’s Comets Decca ^

j Roy Hamilton Epic * *

..,v{Al Hibbler ... ..Decca <►

l Les Baxter .- Capitol ♦

± 5. HARD TO GET (7) ..... Gisele MacKenzie .... .Label X $

( Pat Boone .. Dot

' * | Fats Domino Imperial

7. IT’S A SIN TO TELL A LIE (6) Somethin’ Smith ......... Epic

8. CHERRY PINK AND APPLE BLOSSOM WHITE (19) { Alan^Dale d ° . .Vxorat

»* SOMETfflNG’S GOTTA; GIVE (5) , iShjt. D«c“a +

3. SWEET AND GENTLE (4)

I 4. UNCHAINED MELODY (16)

6. AIN’T THAT A SHAME (2)

.MGM

10. HONEY BABE (10) Art Mooney ........

Second Croup

A BLOSSOM FELL C ° Ie *■’•••• |

’ . (Dickie Valentine ......London <►

THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC ....... .‘ Sammy Davis Jr. ....

POPCORN SONG .............. Cliffie Stone

. .Decca
Capitol ♦

A STORY UNTOLD

....... Crew-Cuts Mercury * '

MAN IN A RAINCOAT ‘ : . 5 Marion Cadence "

nOM a Mr { Julius . LaRosa ........ Cadence l ►

* ............ | Tony Martin ........... .Victor * >

YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS . .. smond Coral ;;

( Mitch Miller Columbia

LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME . . { Sammy Davis Jr.

{ Lena Horne ....

IF I MAY Nat "King" Cole ...... .Capitol

HUMMINGBIRD Les Paul-Mary Ford Capitol ^

1 Figures in Parentheses indicate number of weeks song has been in the Top 101

♦ > ♦♦♦♦»»♦♦ » >M ♦ MM +++-+++++T++4 ♦ *? ♦ * ++»+•»♦ ■ ♦■ » » ♦ » M ♦ » » » ♦ ♦ 4 » M »

. . Decca
....... . Victor

Gordon MacRae-Shirley Jones:
"Oklahoma” (Capitol). A little
more than 10 years ago Decca Rec-
ords issued the original Broadway
cast album, of "Oklahoma” and set
the' disk business on its ear by
racking up more than 1,000,000 al-
bum sales. Now Capitol has come
to bat with the soundtrack set
from the soon-to-be-released Todd-
AO filmization of the musical and
it, too, is a cinch for a hefty sales
rackup. The tunes are oldhat by
now, of course, but they stand up
well under the topflight treatments
by Gordon MacRae (Curly) and
Shirley Jones (Laurey). The old
familiars such as "People Will Say
We’re In Love,” "Surrey With The
Fringe On Top” and "Oh What A

Beautiful Mornin’ ” become fresh
and enchanting in the hands of vet
MacRae and newcomer Miss Jones.
Gloria Grahame comes across in
top form with “I Cain’t Say No”
and in a duet with Gene Nelson
on "All Er Nothin’.” Latter hits
home, too, with "Kansas City,” Ar-
rangements are by Robert Russell
Bennett and Jay Blaqkton con-
ducted the orch.

Pcffcy Lee - Ella Fitzgerald:
"Songs From *Pete Kelly’s Blues’
(Decca). Several disk companies
have already brought out "Pete
Kelly’s Blues” albums, but Decca
has Peggy Lee and Ella Fitzgerald
and that’s what’ll Count in the long
run. Both warblers are in the
Jack Web pic, so the sales should
naturally .'swing to the Decca pack-
age. The album virtually belongs
to Miss Lee, . since she’s grooved
on nine of the dozen songs in the
set, but when Miss Fitzgerald

comes on, 'she comes on strong.
Latter gets a fry at the title song
and does a standout job on "Hard
Hearted Hannah.” Among -Miss
Lee’s best efforts are "Oh Didn’t
He Ramble,” "Somebody Loves
Me” and "Bye Bye Blackbird.”

Louis Armstrong: “'"Satch Plays
Fats” (Columbia). Putting Louis
Armstrong into the groove with
Fats Waller melodies shows top
wax production savvy on the part
of George Avakian, Columbia pop
album chief. It’s a Solid idea that
comes off with standout effect. Arm-
strong and his combo seem to real-
ly dig the Waller compositions and
their enjoyment in working ’em
over projects through the wax.
There are nine tunes in the set,
including such - f ayes as "Honey-
suckle’ Rose,” "Ain’t Misbehavin’”"
and "I’ve Got A Feeling I’m Fall-
ing.” Armstrong shares some of
the vocals with Velma Middleton.
Avakian has also supplied a set
of lively liner notes.

Django Reinhart: (RCA Victor).
Great thing about new recording
techniques is that very little gets
lost, no matter how long ago it was
recorded. Some of the tunes in
this Django Reinhardt set were
cut originally as far back as 1935,
but via Victor’s recording mechan-
ics the sound has been enhanced
to such an extent that the tunes
could have been put into the
groove yesterday, package gives
an excellent sampling of Rein-
hardt’s guitar magic as well as of
the tootlers who accomped him, on
the dates. Among them are Ste-
phan Grapelly, violin; Coleman
Hawkins, sax; Barney Bigard, clari-
net, and Billy Taylor, bass. There
are a dozen tunes in the set, rang-
ing from "Avalon,” cut in 1935, to
"Finesse,” cut in 1939.

The top 30 songs of week ( more in case of ties), based on
copyrighted Audience Coverage Index k Audience Trend Index .
Published by Office of Research , Inc.. Dr. John Gray Peatman,
Director. Alphabetically listed. * Legit musical. ‘ t Film.

Survey Week of July 33-28, 1955

A Blossom Fell Shapiro-B

Bible Tells Me So. Paramount

Blue Star . Chappell

Cherry Pink, Apple Blossom White— t"Underwa ter’’. Chappell

Don’t Stay Away Too Long .Bourne

Fooled ............. Harms

Hard to Get s. Witmark

Heart — *“Damn Yankees” ....... . . .............. Frank

Hey, Mister Banjo Mills

Honey Babe— t "Battle Cry” Witmark

Hummingbird ■ ... Jungnickel

I’ll Never Stop Loving You — i "Love Me, Leave Me” Feist

Kentuckian Song — t“Kentuckiart” Frank

Land of the Pharaohs — t“Land of the Pharaohs” .. Remick /

Learnin’ the Blues Barton

Longest Walk Advanced

Love Me or Leave tf Me — f "Love Me or Leave Me” . . BVC

Man in a Raincoat BMI

May I Never Love Again Broadcast

Pete Kelly's Blues — i "Pete Kelly’s Blues” Mark VII

Piddily Fatter Patter Marks

Rock Around -the Clock — t"Blackboard Jungle” .... Myers

Sailor Boys Have Talk to Me in English 7. Morris

Something's Gotta Give — *“Daddy Long, Legs’* ... . Robbins

Sweet and Gentle Peer

That Old Black Magic Famous

Tina Marie x Roncom

Unchained Melody— t "Unchained” Frank

Wake the Town and Tell the People Joy

Yellow Rose of Texas Planetary

Top 30 Songs on TV

(More In Case of Ties)

Banjo’s Back in Town. World

Chee Chee-oo Chee ; . . . . . . H&R

Domani Montauk

Every Day Golden State

Fooled ...Harms

Good and Lonesome Porgie

Hard to Get Witmark

Heart — *“Damn Yankees” Frank

He Needs Me— t**Pete Kelly’s Blues” Mark VII

Honey Babe— t“Battle Cry” ... . Witmark

How to Be Very Popular — i “How to Be Popular” Miller
I’ll Never Stop Loving You— “tLove Me, LeCve Me”Feist

It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie BVC

Kelly Hop— t “Pete Kelly’s Blues” r. . Mark VII

Kentuckian Song — i* “Kentuckian” ..Frame

Love Is Mahy-Splendored — t“Love Is Splendored” . Miller
Love Me or Leave Me — f “Love Me or Leave Me” . . BVC

Man in Raincoat BMI

Mobile Ardmore

My Little One Glenwbod

Oh Yeah Jungnickel

Pete Kelly’s Blues— t“Pete Kelly’s Blues”. ...... ..Mark VII

Rock Around the Clock— t “Blackboard Jungle” .... Myers

Sailor Boys Have Talk to Me in English Morris

Something’s Gotta Give — t “Daddy Long Legs” , . . . Robbins

Sweet and Gentle . ; Peer

That Sugar Baby of Mine Artists

TSveedle Dee . . . : Progressive

Unchained Melody — ^“Unchained” Frank

Whatever Lola Wants — *“Damn Yankees” Frank

Yellow Rose of Texas j. • — ... . . Planetaty

! • " % i •/ > * ■ ' . ) a , ; . f

Mi i .. -i ■ , r ■»■■■■■ -

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

MUSIC

c •

Carboning Its 20th anni driye-^-

last year, Decca Records has set
Bing Crosby as the headliner for
its 1955 fall program. The Crosby
set is another deluxer (last year’s
Crosby package, simply tagged
“Bing,” peddled for $27.50), which
will be priced at $17.50. The Cros-
by package, called “Old Masters/’
heads up an array of 43 new al-
bums, 13 more than Decca threw
into the ring 'last fall.

To get the new album releases
rolling, diskery is pitching a spe-
cial fall discount plan, which will
carry a sliding scale and an ex-
tended dating program on all the
new products, plus all of the pack-
ages in the Decca catalog. Dealers
will get a crack at a one-shot order
until Sept. 15 with the following
scale applied: Orders between
$100 and $999 rate an additional
5% discount. Orders betweerf $1,-
000 and $2,500 rate an additional
7% discount. Orders of $2,500 rate
an additional 10% discount.

At a series of dealer confabs,
which Decca is. holding around the
this week, diskery’s new phono-
graph line will be showcased. The
phono line includes 11 models
ranging from $19.95 to a new hi-fi
model priced at $119.95.

Till Home’ Theme

■ Theme for. Dacca’s fall promo-
tion will be “Fill Your Home With
Music.” The campaign will include
dealer window displays, merchan-
disers and hangers* A special dee-
jay kit is being prepared which
* will include samplings frojn the
top albums as well as interviews
with the Decca artists.

The Crosby package will con-
tain 36 tunes that have not been
available for some time. Among
the orchs which recorded with
Crosby are John Scott Trotter,
Georgie Stoll, Victor Young, Car-
men Cavallaro, Woody Herman
and Jimmy Dorsey. The set will
come boxed with a special book-
let. '

Other top names included in
the album push are Ethel Merman
(with a set called “Memories —
From The Gay Nineties to the
Roaring Twenties”), Sammy Davis
Jr., Carmen Cavallaro, Gordon
Jenkins, Alfred Newman, Wayne
King, Jack Pleis and Florian Za-
bach. There will also be five hew
dance sets, . seven new gold label
classical sets and seven conver-
sions to 12-inch LPs of the top
^selling 10-inch LPs in the Decca
catalog.

Label has also reclassified its
original cast album line to the
DL series and pushed the price
up to $4.98. The show albums went
down to $3.98 with the rest of the
Decca LP line when the prices
were cut around the first of the
year. '

Van Heusen-Cahn Make
Gotham Disk Co. Rounds
On ’Our Town’ Tune Push

Cleffers Jimmy Van Heusen and
Sammy Cahn abandoned their
Coast base last week to make the
rounds of the New York disk com-
panies, auditioning their score for
the upcoming NBC-TV spectacular,
“Our Town.”"The network and ad
agency brass converged on the RCA
Victor offices Monday (1) for their
first hearing of the tunes.

In a tieup between the net and
the disk division, Victor will give
the “Our Town” tunes hefty wax
coverage. Perry Como, t Eddie
Fisher and the Ames Bros, are vir-
tually set to put some of the songs
Into the groove. Frank Sinatra,
who’ll star in the spec set for Sept.
19,. will cut an album of the score
for Capitol/

Cahn and Van Heusen also audi-
tioned the title song from the up-
coming Metro pic, “The Tender
Trap.” Film will star Sinatra and
Debbie Reynolds. Latter song and
the “Our Town” score is being pub-
lished by Ben Barton, who re-
turned to his Gotham base from
the Coast with the writers.

Prophetic Parley

Coral Records was prophetic
last year when it teamed Don
Cornell, Alan Dale and Johnny
Desmond bn “Heart of My
Heart,” which clicked. Trio
currently is setting a hot pace
for the diskery via Cornell
with “The Bible Tells Me So,”
Dale with “Sweet and Gentle”
and Desmond with “Yellow
Rose of Texas.”

At the time of the teaming,
only Cornell was making noise
in the market.

Dick Linke is ankling his. na-
tional promotional manager’s post
at Capitol Records for a sales man-
ager’s berth* at Columbia. Spot at
Col will be a newly-created post of
national sales manager for. pop
and EP platters. Linke will report
to Hal Cook, director of national
sales. He takes over Sept. 1.

Linke had been with Cap’s pub-
licity division for more than five
years and was upped to the na-
tional promotion manager’s, slot
only a few months ago. He had
been working closely with Cook
for the past several years when
latter was v.p.-national sales man-
ager at Cap. Cook shifted to Col
sales early in the spring and has
been 'bolstering his staff with Cap
personnel since- then. Col prexy
James B. Conkling, incidentally,
is an ex-fc!ap man, too.

20% Cafe Tax Repeal
Now Full AFM Project;
Research Firm Hired

Repeal of the 20% cabaret tax
is now a fullfledged project of the
American Federation of Musicians.
Union, prexied by James C. Pe-
trillo, has retained the* Research
Co. of America to make a presen-
tation to the union and to legisla-
tors. Research outfit is now lining
lip statistics from Various theatrical
unions and organizations and is ex-
pected to interview execs in vir-
tually every phase of show biz
before compiling its findings.

In its recent convention, the
AFM voted $300,000 to either
eliminate the cabaret tax or cut it
down to 10%, on the par achieved
by . the other sectors of the amuse-
ment biz. It’s believed by the
AFM, as well as other unions, in-
cluding the American Guild of
Variety Artists, that the discrimi-
natory bite has cut into earnings
of its members. It’s held that many
niteries have been forced to shutter
because of the added costs.

Naturally, musicians have lost a
lot of work because of the cut in
nitery attendance. As a conse-
quence. the recent AFM powwow
made the appropriation to survey
the results of the impost and to
devise measures to lower the tax.

Col Propping New Weill
Album With Lotte Lenya

Seldom-heard songs from the
late Kurt Weill’s German operas
and operettas have been put into
the groove by Columbia Records
with Lotte Lenya, the composer's
widow. The tunes, which will make
up a 12-inch LP package, were
cut by Miss Lenya in Hamburg
recently. Many of the songs were
written especially for her by
Weill.

The set, as yet untitled, is being
prepped for fall release. Miss Len-
ya’s last 'disk showcasing was in
the original cast album of “The
Three Penny Opera” on the MGM"
label.

By MIKE GROSS
14 The disk jockey stranglehold on
the record biz is tightening. Here-
tofore, the deejay power of making
or breaking a platter was confined
to the airlanes and the trade jour-
nals, but it’s now spreading to the
hinterland dailies which are be-
ginning to give the spinners space
to list their platter preferences.

Disk-happy dailies have already
cropped up in Detroit and Pitts-
burgh and industryites who’ve been
trekking around the country report
that other newspapers are consid-
ering similar space fillers. The
Detroit Times began the deejay
listings a couple of. months ago and
the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph
started its deejay display about two
Wedks. The Detroit pattern, -which
the other dailies* especially in the
midwest, are studying, is simply to
list the 10 best platters selected
by six different dee jays every week.
There are about 30 platter spinners
now operating in Dl?troit,*so the
Times shuttles ’em around every
week to give each one a crack at
the space.

Record companies, local distribu-
tors. and publishers are taking a
dim view of this newest d.j. outlet.

(Continued on page 48)

Caps Eastern

Andy Wiswell has now been set
to move into Capitol Records as
head of pop artists & repertoire in
the east. Wiswell came through as
the leading candidate for the post
after Alan Livingston, Cap’s v.p.
and a&r chief,, had screened a
flock of applicants during his re-
cent stay in New York.

A former exec at Muzak, Wis-
well has been heading up record-
ing sessions for several labels dur-
ing the past couple of years. He’s
cut dates for Dot and Prom among
others.

Cap’s eastern a&r post has been
vacant for the past two years.
Diskery has been shuttling its a&r
staffers from the Coast h.q. to
Gotham for, short stays but in the
past few months it was decided
that a permament man was needed
in the east. Diskery’s last perma-
nent a&r chief in the east was Sid
Feller, who is now heading the
a&r division at Am-Par Records,
diskery recently launched by
American Broadcasting-Paramount
Theatres.

PHILIPS EXECS HUDDLE
IN N.Y. WITH COL BRASS

Execs from the Philips Co., Co-
lumbia Records overseas affiliate,
converged on New York last week
for huddles with the Col brass
here. In for the confabs are Philips
director E. B. W. Schuitema, pop
artists & repertoire director John
Franz and national sales manager
Kun Solleveld.

During the stay here the trio
also has been attending the Col
and Epic distributor meets on up-
coming fall product.

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR

1905-1955

For some time Capitol Records and Mickey Katz have per-
petrated fractured Yiddish perversions of pop hits, and for some
time many in and out of the trade have wondered about this
complete lack of judgment and good taste. Chiefly it went by
the board oh the theory they’re limited sellers and, at best,
“confidential” hits.

Which, in truth, Is but an ostrich approach. Whether one or
one . million, anything malodorous isn’t diminished or ag-
gravated by lack of numbers or otherwise.

N oyr comes Cap’s package of four— count ’em— four such
ghetto treatments of “The Ballad of Davy Crockett,” here called
“Duvid Crockett”; “C’est Si Bon,” here called “Ces-Tzi Ron”;
“Shrimp Boats,” perverted into “Herring Boats”; and “Tweedle
Dee,” just parodied in the same bad taste which has distin-
guished the Katzenjammerings of this concept -of “funny” or
“novelty” recording.

In another era — and there are samplings galore to substan-
tiate this as the o Variety editors now are pouring through the.
archives, in connection with the upcoming Golden Jubilee Edi-
tion, and come across such uninhibited show biz terms as “coon-
shbuters,” “wop”'' comic", “Jew.^omic,” Dutch, “tad” (Irish),
“Swedish squarehead comic,” and the like— there didn’t exist the
sensitivities of today. In actuality, these terms were kept within
the confines of the trade much as some of the racial wisecracks

are still limited to the tables at Lindy’s or the Stork.

Even when a simonpure Irisher like Jimmy Hussey did “Hebe”
comedy and Walter C. Kelly told his “darky” jokes, not to men-
tion the authentic dialectics of a Lou Holtz, Weber. & Fields or
Roger Imhof, it was done before a live variety audience, in an
atmosphere more conducive -to this brand of wit and humor.

But somehow Capitol and Mickey Katz, recording their ghetto
brand of Yiddish-English “hiimor”(?), are doings disservice to
many, not the least of it to themselves. It’s one thing for Homer
.& Jethro to parody a pop hit in their brand of hillbilly humor,
but Mickey Katz’s linguistic asides, with their “Inside” double-
meanings no doubt, are offensive. From the- perspective of both
Capitol and Katz, it smacks of a '“fast buck” proposition which
the former doesn’t need and the performer shouldn't." In many
respects' he is wittingly or stupidly a tool in projecting a brand
of dialectic “comedy” to which undoubtedly he’d be the first to
take offense if projected in his direction.

The parody and the topical song were once an important
brand of variety humor which called for considerable skill in
the art of paraphrasing, ofttimes with a value beyond the orig-
inal basic material. But the fundamental was good taste and a
concept of comedy that was advanced in its satirical or topical
values— and never conceived to offend. Katz’s “Crockett” pack-
age— a four-number EP job— does. Abel

Marks Wins Suit on Joe Howard Song
Renewals; Figures 100G Damages

Dick Gilbert Sez There’s
Enough Good Platters
To Program DJ Shows

Phoenix, Aug. 2.

Dick Gilbert, local KTYL disk
jockey and prez of the American
Society of Disk Jockeys, takes is-
sue with Martin Block’s recent
statement in Variety, regarding
the paucity of good new tunes and
their effect on programming. Like
Block, ABC deejay, Gilbert re-
ceives around 140 new platters a
week from the pubs, but doesn’t
find cause for alarm if many of
them fall into the category that
Block calls “abysmal.”

“Sure,” he says, “there’s a lot
of weak material around, but why
not play the best of the neW plat-
ters and supplement them with
the backlog of good standards that
every station carries in its library.

“In 1941, when I became a dee-
jay, I used to get about 50 records
a week, but it was still possible to
put on a good show. Today, with
so many more record companies
putting out disks, it’s a lot easier
to program.”

EMI To Distribute MGM
Longhair Disks O’Seas

MGM Records classical albums
will hit the overseas market this
fall via EMI (Electric & Musical
Industries). Deal, which was final-
ized last week, gives EMI rights to
peddle the MGM classical LP line
in England under the Parlophone
banner.

In other parts of the globe han-
dled by EMI, the MGM tag will
be retained. ,

Last week an important decision
was filed by Judge Sylvester J.
Ryan in N. Y. Federal Court in
favor of Edward B. Marks Music
Corp. against Chas. K. Harris, a
Southern Music (Ralph Peerrsub-
sid. The action concerned the own-
ership of the interest, through Jo-
seph E/ Howard, in the renewal
copyrights of 152 of the better
known songs of which Howard was
either the writer or • co-writer, in-
cluding “I Wonder Who’s Kissing
Her Now,” “What’s The Use of
Dreaming?,” “Honeymoon,” “Be
Sweet To Me Kid,” “Blow The
Smoke Away,” “The Umpire Is A
Most Unhappy Man” and “I Don’t
Like Your Family.”

This litigation, which had been
pending for 11 years, involved nu-
merous preliminary proceedings
and called for the determination
of a number of complex questions
of law, which may be determina-
tive of innumerable pending con-
troversies concerning like claims
of ownership of renewal rights to
musical compositions.

All of the litigated compositions
had been originally acquired and
published by Charles K. Harris,
between 1904 and 1914. Subse-
quently, in December 1916, How-
ard executed an agreement, pur-
suant to which he “bargained and L
sold to Harris his executors, ad«^
min istra tors and assigns, all the
right, title and interest by way of
copyrights or otherwise” of How-
ard “in and to all my musical com-
positions published by Chas. K.
Harris.” This agreement was not
recorded. Subsequently, in April,
1936, Howard executed and deliv-
ered to Cora L. Harris, widow of
Charles K. Hands, a number of
separate instruments, for record-
ing in the Copyright Office, pur-
(Continued on page 46)

MUSIC

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

Epic to Be No ‘Farm Team’ (or Col;

Epic Records is kicking off a*
five-year plan to get itself on the
same footing as its parent com-
pany, Columbia. Label's distribu-
tors were given the buildup brief-
ing at a confab held in New York
last week. Working tag for the
push will be “Operation Long-
range/’

Paul Wexler, Col v.p. and head
of the electronics division of which
Epic is a part, stressed that the
label will be no “farm team” for
Columbia. He promised the dis-
tribs that no artists developed by
Epic will be shuttled over to Co-
xluinbia and that Epic will never
take on the mantle of Col's low-
priced line.

As part of the buildup campaign,
Epic will start a hefty promotion
and exploitation drive in the fall.
Diskery will triple its advertising
budget and is increasing its share
in the co-op advertising deals be-
tween the local dealers and the
company, piattery also is plan-
ning to buy time on radio stations
around the company and has as-
signed Edward Tatnall Canby to
pen a script that station dee jays
can work from when spinning Epic
etchings, primarily in the classi-
cal division.

For the fall drive, diskery is
prepping a flock of album releases
in the classical, pop and jazz, fields.
The classical albums come mainly
from its tieup *with Philips, En-
glish firm; while the jazz sets are
culled from the Col vaults. In the
pop field, 1 2-inch LP sets by Roy
Hamilton and Spmethin' Smith are
being Set for a big drive.

Fantasy, Coast Diskery,
Inks Lawrence, Combos

San Francisco, Aug. 2.

Fantasy, local indie label pre-
viously specializing in jazz and folk
music, has signed Elliot Lawrence,
the Honey Dreamers and the San-
dole Bros, in a move to expand the
label’s catalog. Lawrence, whose
last disks were made' for Columbia;

signed a contract calling for a min-
imum of two LPs a year. Lawrence
will record with a big band and
a sextet. The Honey Dreamers, who
previously cut for Capitol; have
also been signed for. two -LPs a
year.

The Sandole Bros., a Philly jazz
group, will be presented in an al-
bum, “Modern Music From Phila-
delphia,” first of a series of pro-
jected Fantasy. LPs offering mod-
ern jazz front various parts of the
country. Under its expanded sched-
ule and with its lengthened roster
of artists, Fantasy expects to issue,
at least 20 LPs in the coming year.

Ed Wolpin Back East

After Par Powwows

Eddie Wolpin, general ‘ profes-
sional manager of the Paramount-
Famous music firms, returned to
his New York desk last week after
three weeks on the Coast huddling
with studio brass on upcoming pic
musical product.

The music firms are now getting
set to work on the scores, from the
George Gobel film, tentatively
titled “The Birds and the Bees,”
by Harry Warren and Mack David,
“Artists and Models,” by Harry
Warren and Mack David, /’Artists
and Models,” by Harry Warren and
Jack Brook and “The Vagabond
King,” with new Songs by Johnny
Burton and Rudolph Friml. Wolpin
also wrapped, up a deal to publish
the love theme from the backr
ground score for Allied Artists’ pic
“Storm Fear.” Time, which was
penned by Eltner Bernstein (music)
and Jack Brooks (lyrics), will be
tagged “Why Try Again.”

WECHT ANKLES WAROCK

Buddy Wecht dropped. his music
publishing affiliation with Warock
Music last week to join Audibsonic
Studios, record manufacturing firm.
He’ll run the operation with Bob
Guy. . ' .

W e c h t had been professional
manager of Warock for close to a
year. Latter firm is owned by legal-
ite Lee V. Eastman.

Columbia Records got the first
jump in the record companies’
scramble for the 1955-56 season’s
Broadway tuners by latching onto
the original cast album rights to
“Pygmalion.” It’s understood Col
got the nod when it moved in on
the .financing of the Herman Levin
production.

Score for the tuner was penned
by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick
Loewe. It will star Rex Harrison
and c Julie Andrews. Broadway
preem, however, is still indefinite
because of Harrison’s commitment
to the LOndon production of “Bell,
Book and Candle.”

Diskery’s only original cast set
last season was “House of Flow-
. ers.”

ROCK ’N’ ROLL TROUPE
SET FOR B’KLYN PAR

The lineup of Alan Freed’s sec-
ond rock ’]£ roll show at the
Brooklyn Paramount with Tony
Bennett headlining has been com-
pleted by Patricia-Kahl Music,
music firm packaging the show.
The bash is set for the Brooklyn
Paramount for' a week’s run be-
ginning Sept. 2.

The talent lineup Includes
Chuck Bevry, Lavern Baker, Sam
Taylor, Red Prysock, AI Sears,
The Four Voices and The Rhythm-
ettes.

Marek Back At N. Y. Desk
After Rome 'Aida' Chore

George R. Marek, RCA Victor
a&r chief, returned to his New
York desk Monday (1) after foUr
weeks in Rome where he put
“Aida” into the groove at the
Opera House there. Marek plans
to release the three 12-inch LP
package in the late fall.

It’s still undetermined whether
Marek will accompany the Victor
contingent, headed up by Manie
Sacks, RCA veepee and general
manager of the disk division, when
they sail for Europe late next
week. Accompanying Sacks will
be the disk division’s operation
manager Howard Letts, v.p. and’
operations manager of the interna-
tional division Albert F. Waters,
and Alan Kayes, a&r head of the
Red Seal division*

In these days when 100,000 copies constitutes a song sheet best-.
Seller, the 305,250 copies, which Uncle Sam is printing up, at Gov-
ernment expense, of Irving Caesar’s patriotic musical setting to,
“The Pledge of Allegiance” is ap automatic “bestseller.”

Seriously, a House resolution in praise of the songsmith’s musi-
cal setting saw it published in ^the Congressional Record which
means that 266,000 of the 305,250 print order goes to the House
of Representatives: 30,000 to the Senate; 6,000 copies to the
House's Documentary Room; 3,000 to the Senate’s DR.

Tyro Hillbillies Set

For Va. Competition

Washington, Aug. 2.

Fifth annual country music con-
test will be held in Warrenton,
Va., Aug. 6-7. Purpose is to select
the outstanding hillbilly music en-
tertainers in five categories-— fid-
dle, banjo, vocal, band and miscel-
laneous. .

Affair is sponsored by the Junior
Chambers of Commerce in all parts
of the nation, who select local win-
ners to compete in the finals under
the suspices of the Warrenton-
Farquier . County Jaycees. Winners
generally receive contracts With
country ' music shows on network
radio and tv shows, and nitery
bookings in sections of the country
where country music is especially
popular.

CAVALIER PACTS FRISCO
EATERY OP-BARITONE

Mario Alioto, concert-opera bari-
tone, has been pacted to Cavalier
Records, an Indie diskery operat-
ing on the Coast. The singer is
w.k. in San Francisco as Owner of
the fish joint on the wharf tagged
Alioto’s.

His first sides for the label will
include workovers of “Toselli’s
Serenade” and • “The Lord's
Prayer.”

Myers Sets N.Y. Office

Myers Music, Philadelphia pub-
lishing firm operated by James E*
Myers, has opened a New York
office headed by Joe Saunders and
Joey Sasso. Meantime, Jack How-
ard joined the Philly staff.

Myers has been active in the
rhythm & blues. field. .

RETAIL DISK BEST SELLERS

n — (Super Enterprise)

•

‘ 8 /

8
fs
: 0

•*9- .

ii.

■1

e— 4

Detroit — (Grinnell Bros. Music)

*44

0 JL

•4

■ ^ •

4*H •

•H

VARIETY

Survey of retail disk best
sellers based on; reports ob- ■'
tained from, leading storep in
21 cities and showing com • .
paratipe sales rating jot this
and last week .

i * *

■

M '

Boston — (Mosher Music Co.

o
. o

•0

•d

1 -

O -
o

. m

‘S'.

0 )

0
p '

. o

1
•3

■Y-M

. >3*
a

■a-.

National
Rating
This Last
wk. wk.

Artist, Label, Title

-a*

€>

■8

•a

■a

S )

in /

!■

1 j

BILL HALEY’S COMETS (Decca)
“Rock Around the Clock” .

* •

• • •

• 4

4 a

2 155

GISELE MacKENZIE (Label X) -
“Hard to Get”

4 .

0 0

« 4

4 t

* »

a a

PAT BOONE (Dot)

“Ain’t That a Shame (Capitol)

• ♦

0 0 '

. t ♦.

« ■ «

4 #

a •

4 4

a •

• a

FRANK SINATRA (Capitol)
“Learuin’ the Blues”

a •

• •

0 0

• •

* 4

4 4

• 4

4 4

• 4

NAT (KING) COLE (Capitol)

“A Blossom; Fell” . ... .... . .

• 0

• ♦

0 0

♦

• 4

4 4 -

4 4

4. 4

4 •

4 4

• .4

4 4

LES BAXTER (Capitol)
“Unchained Melody” . .

0 0

• 0

0 0

• •

4 4

■0 %

4 4

4 0

• 0

4 4

4 f 4

McGUIRE SISTERS (Coral)
“Something's Gotta Give”

• . .

« •

0 0 .

• 0

4 4

4 '

4 4

4 • ‘

4 0

0 4

4 4

- 4 4

4 4

a a

8 A

PEREZ PRADO .(Victor)

“Cherry Pink Mambo”

4 *

• •

0 0

4 4

0 0

4 4'

4 4

a 4

8 B

CHUCK MILLER (Mercury)

“House of Blue Lights”

• •

• a

• *

• •

t *

* 4

4 4

0 4

4 4

0 0

4 4

4 ' •

4 4

MITCH MILLER (Columbia)
“Yellow Rose of Texas” ..i

•

_6_

4 a »

• •

• 4

4 4

4 4 *

4 4

4 *

« 4

■4

4 4 ■

4 4

a 4

SOMETHIN* SMITH (Epic)

“It's a Sin to Tell a Lie” .

• »

• •

P •

4 4

-0- 0

4 4

0 0

4 4

# a

12A

BOYD BENNETT (King)
“Seventeen”

• • ■

•

• ♦

• •

0 •

4 '4

• • 4

4 4

0 0

4 ♦

• 4-

a 4

12B

25 .

JULIUS LaROSA (Cadence)
“Domani” % : . ... .

• a

a »

M 0

• 0

• 4

* 4

4 4

• 4

4 4

4 #

0 a

a 4

4 4

DORIS DAY (Columbia)

_“F11 Never Stop Loving You”. ....

'• a

• »

. * "

0 •

0 4

4 4 ‘

4 4

4 ’4 •

4 •

4 4

• 4

4 »

a 4

• 4 4

15A

ART MOONEY (MGM)
“Honey Babe”.. V

• •

•

• •

• «

• a

0 0

' • 4

4 4

4 4 .

4 4

• 4

4 4

15B

AL HIBBLER (Decca)
“Unchained Melody”. .

• •

I •

0 0

• •

• 4

7 .

4 4

4 4 •

4 4

'4 4

4 4

a, a

4 •

4 4

4 a

ROGER WILLIAMS (Kapp)
“Autumn Leaves”

• •

0 0

♦ ♦

• « •

•

» 0

0 4

4 4

4- 4

4 4

• #

4 4

a a -

a «

18A

ALAN DALE (Coral)
“Sweet and Gentle” . .

0 0

•' 4

4 4

» 4

4 4

4 *

4 4

• 4

# 4-

4 4

4 -

a a

_ a a

18B

• •

LALO GUERRERO (Real)

“Pancho Lopez”

• •

• a •

0 0

• •

a *

0 0

* 0

4 4

'4 4

• 4'

4 4

• 4

4 0

4 4

• 4

* #

• a •

• 0

CHUCK BERRY (Chess)
“Maybelline”

* • •

W 0

4 •

• t

• '•

0 0

» 4

4 4

4 •

4 4

4 a

t •

a a

•

LES BAXTER (Capitol) .

“Wake the Town and Tell People”.

a •

0 •

• •

0 0

4 .4

0 4

1 4

4 4

¥ 4

»• a

SAMMY DAVIS JR. (Decca)
“Something’s Gotta Give”........

« •

• •

• «

0 0.

0 0

4 4

4 '4

4 4

.a *

0 4

.4 0

•M ■

0 0

HILLTOPPERS (Dot)
“Kentuckian Song”. . .

0 0

r a

• 4

• •

0 0

4 4

4 9

4 4

a •

a a

4 4

_ 11

24A

BILL HALEY’S (COMETS (Deccfi)
“Razzle-Dazzle”

0 •

• a

¥ 4

0 0

* •

0 4

4 4

• 4

4 4

• 4 «

. 4 *

9 . ,

4 4

a a

a ■

• •

24B

PRISCILLA WRIGHT (Unique)
“Man In a Raincoat”. . .

« •

4 •

• a

• ♦

• 4

0 #

• ♦'

4 4

4 •

• 4

• •

4 a

• a

• •

• *

• •

SIX TOP
ALBUMS

LOVE Me OR
LEAVE MB
Doris Day

Columbia
CL 710
B 2090

IN THE WEE,
SMALL HOURS
Frank Sinatra

Capitol
W 581

EBF 1, 2-581

STARRING '■
SAMMY DAVIS JR.
Sammy Davit Jr.

Decca
DL 8118
ED 2214-5-8

LONESOME ECHO
Jackio Gloaoon

Capitol
W 627

EBF 1, 2-627

damn Yankees

Original Cart

Victor
LOC 1021
EOC 1021

CRAZY OTTO
Craxy Otto

Decca
DL 8113
ED 2201

’ C 8 9.

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

Inside Stuff — Music

Columbia Records' transcription division is expanding its name tie-
ups’ with non-show biz companies. The division has rinade, deals with
the McCann-Ericksoh ad agency for its Pepsodent toothpaste account
and with Guild Films for the banks which sponsor its Llberace show.
For McCann-Erickson, Col. has whipped up a 45 rpm platter with
Arthur Godfrey; The disk is an extract of an “Arthur Godfrey & His
Friends" airer and features Godfrey on “Lazy Bones,” Jeannette Davis
“You Made. Me Love You” and Frank Parker on “Liza,” the platter
is being peddled for 30c plus an empty carton' of Pepsodent.

in the tieup. with Guild Films, Col has put Liberace into the groove
on a special 7-inch 78 rpm platter and a 10-inch LP. disk which Guild
gitfes to* its sponsor banks. The banks, in turn, use the platters as a
bonus for new accounts.

The Stage Coach Inn, So. Hackensack, N. J., nitery, departed from
its usual practice of booking record names . when it 'brought in* thrush
Carole^ Bennett for a run that started last week (Tues.)

Singer won out over the diskers when the nitery’s customers re-
quested the ops to bring her in after seeing her on “The Chance of a
Lifetime” tv show. She was a seven-times winner and Miss Bennett
is now being dickered by several labels.- .

Latest motion pic title theme to get a wax push is “The Shrike,”
which was penned by Jose Ferrer, who directed and stars in the film.
Ferrer is also publishing it via his BMI firm Jose Ferrer Music. Tune
was originally put into the groove /by Pete Rugolo more than a year
ago for his Columbia set, “Adventure in Rhythm,” under the title of
“Conversation*” Col is releasing the Rugolo etching this week as a
single using the .pic title. Capitol issued the iune last week via a Les
Baxter cut.

“In The Wee Small Hours,” title song of the new Frank Sinatra
.album for Capitol Records, is beginning to act like a . pop single. Tune
is racking up hefty sheet orders and foreign pubs are putting in bids
for the overseas rights. As yet, song’s publisher Redd Evans has set
no deals. Tune was penned by Dave Mann and Bob Hilliard and is the
only new song in the Sinatra set.

Best British Sheet Sellers

{Week ending July 23)

London, July 26.

Unchained Melody . * . . Frank

Evermore Rogers

Dreamboat Leeds

I Wonder Macmelodies

Stranger in Paradise . „ . Frank

Cherry Pink Maddox

Where Dimple Be . Cinephonic

Stowaway . . . Morris

■ Don’t Worry : .Wright

Softly . . ......... Cavendish

You, My Love ......... .Dash

Bridges of Paris Southern

f- '

Second 12

Every Day ......... Robbins

Earth Angel Chappell .

Sincerely .Dash

Everywhere Bron

Unsuspecting Heart. . . . .Berry

Tomorrow Cavendish

Melody of Love . . . .Connelly
Ready, Willing, Able . . . Berry
Love Song ...... i . .Chappell

Crazy Otto Rag .... .Kassner

Mama Macmelodies

Take Me Back F.D. & H.

Epic Pacts Curtis

Epic Records has .'.dried com-
poser-crooner Eddie Curtis to its
roster. Curtis penned “Song Of
The Dreamer,” which is currently
making some noise via Johnnie
Ray (Columbia) and Eddie Fisher
(RCA Victor).

He’ll , record his own material as
well as outside stuff for the label.

ZfaWTY Scoreboard

TOP TALENT AND TUNES

Compiled from Statistical Reports of Distribution
Encompassing the * Three Major Outlets

Coin Machines Retail Disks Retail Sheet' Music

. ^

as Published in the Current Issue

NOTE: The current comparative sales strength of the Artists and Tunes listed hereunder is
arrived at under a statistical system comprising each of the three major sales outlets enu-
merated above. These findings are correlated with 'data from wider sources , which are exclusive
with Variety. The positions resulting from these findings denote the OVERALL IMPACT de-
veloped from the ratio of points scored, two ways in the case of talent {coin machines, retail
disks ) and three ways in the case of tunes ( coin machines, retail disks and retail sheet music).

POSITIONS
This Last

Week Week

1 1

2 2

3 3

4 5

5 4

6 6

7 9

8 7

9 8
10

POSITIONS
This Last

Week Week

1 1

2 2

3 5

4 3

5 4

6 8

7 6

8 7

9 10

10 9

TALENT

ARTIST AND LABEL

TUNE

BILL HALEY’S COMETS (Decca)

FRANK SINATRA (Capitol)

GISELE Mackenzie (Label X)

PAT BOONE (Dot)

(Rock Around the Clock
) Razzle-Dazzle

(Learnin’ the Blues
| Not as a Stranger

Hard to Get

Ain’t That a Shame

NAT (KING) COLE (Capitol)

PEREZ PRADO (Victor) . . .
SOMETHIN’ SMITH (Epic).

'A Blossom Fell

..-If I May

My One Sin

........ Cherry Pink Mambo

(It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie
* ’ ‘ / Ace in the Hole

SAMMY DAVIS JR. <Decca)

McGUIRE SISTERS (Coral)
LES BAXTER (Capitol) ....

That Old Black Magic
, . .... .... ... . . .-{Something’s Gotta Give

Love .Me or Leave Me

............. Something’s Gotta Give

(Unchained Melody
* * * ’ * ’ ) Wake the Town

TUNES

(JASCAP. fBMI)

TONE PUBLISHER

♦ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK .. Myers

♦UNCHAINED A1EL0D¥ Frank

♦HARD TO GET.. Witmark

♦LEARNIN' THE BLUES Barton

♦CHERRY PINK AND APPLE BLOSSOM WHITE Chappell

f AIN'T THAT A SHAME. , . Commodore

♦SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE Robbins

♦A BLOSSOM FELL . . , Shapiro-Bernstein

♦IT’S A SIN TO TELti A LIE BVC

♦HONEY BABE Witmark

MUSIC 43

New Decca Hillbilly

Sammy Barnhart, country singer,
has been added to Decfca’s hillbilly
roster.

Paul Cohen, diskery’s country &
western chief, handled the pacting.

The Music Publishers Holding
Corp. is accenting video tunes
these days. MPHC, the Warner
Bros, music publishing division,
has nabbed the rights to the score
for the Aug. 22 NBC-TV “Produ-
cers Showcase” stanza, “The King
and Mrs. Uandle.” Firm is now
gearing for an allout push on the
tunes penned by Moose Charlop
arid Chuck Sweeney,

In the past few months, MPHC
has come up with such tele tunes
as “Play Me Hearts and Flbwers,”
showcased on NBC-TV’s “Phllco
Playhouse” and “Hard To Get,”
which was displayed on NBC-TV’s
“Justice-’ series. Both tunes click-
ed in the wax market. “Hearts and
Flowers” scored with a Johnny
Desmond cut for Coral arid “Hard
To Get” broke through via Gisele
MacKenzie’s slice on Label X.
Both artists did the songs on their
respective video dramas.

RCA Victor an NBC affiliate
is plugging the “King and Mrs.
Candle” score in advance of the
telecast. Tony Martin „cut two
tunes from the score, “Young
Ideas” and “The Secret of Your
Success” while Label X, an RCA
Subsid, also released “Young
Ideas” with Gordon Jenkins orch
and Stuart Foster on vocal..

Another tune set for a tele
showcasing and a wax push is “A
Room Ift Paris,” title song of NBC-
TV’s Philco Playhouse stanza Aug.
7. Decca has cut it with Ralph
Young and plans to ship the plat-
ter out to the disk jocks around
the- country later this week. Tune,
which incidentally, is being pub-
lished ,by Decca’s Northern Music
subsid, was written 'by Peggy
Mann, Joan Whitney and Alex
Kramer. .

. Hill & Range scored the highest
rackup via the tele plug route with
the “Studio •One” display of “Let
Me Go, Lover.” Joan Weber’s Co-
lumbia slicing, which was show-
cased bn the show, passed, the 1,-
000,000 sales mark. Song was orig-
inally tagged “Let Me Go, Devil”
but was changed for the tele shot.

Marks Adds ‘Soldier’

In Its New R&B Kick

E. B. Marks Music is on a
rhythm & blues kick. Only a few
weeks ago the firm bought “Piddly
Patter Patter” from Herman Lu-
binsky (who kicked it off on his
indie Savoy label) and last week
Marks acquired “Soldier Boy”
from Bryden Music.

Tune, which was written by
David Jones and Theodore Wil-
liams Jr., will be given a pop push
by Marks’ general professional
manager Arnold Shaw. R&b slic-
ings of the song are already on the
market by MGM, Essex, King and
Glory labels.

Jackson Quartet Added ♦
To Col’s Jazz; Roster

The buildup of Columbia Rec-
ords’ jazz roster continued last
week with the paCting of the Cal-
vin Jackson Quartet. George Ava-
kian, who heads up Col’s pop al-
bum division, plans to issue the
j first Jackson album late in the*
fall.

Jackson previously recorded . a
piano concerto by Phil Moore,
j which was released on the Nor-
! gran label. Combo is currently
I playing at Basin Street, New York
j jazz nitery.

Gelatt’s ‘Phonograph’ Book
Roland Gelatt has authored “The
Fabulous Phonograph: From Tin
Foil to High Fidelity,” which Lip-
pincott will publish Aug. 24.

, It is said to be the first complete
story of one of America’s great
inventions.

The packaged end of the disk
biz, which came into its own with
the advent of the 33 and 45 rpm
speeds several years ago, has now
emerged as the solid foundation for
the -industry. Whereas it was once
only a relatively small part of the
disk biz* albums now account, for
about 40% of the total sales of
the industry. With . a $200,000,00(1
gross expected to be hit this ya#r,
that will mean $80,000,000 for
album turnover on the retailei
level.

With the advent of the new
speeds album biz spurted because
of the sharp price differential be-
tween the old, cumbersome 78 rpm
sets and the LPs. The other advan-
tages of non-breakability, portabil-
ity and better fidelity were equally
important in . building up set sales.
In recent years, the major diskers
have given prime accent to this
facet of the biz via fancy packages,
special covers, art work and other
merchandising lures. .

In the past year, the majors have
come up with a new sales device in
the album “sampler.” Latter are
usually 12-inch LPs, containing a
flock of selections illustrating other
albums in the catalog, The “sam-
plers” are sold at nominal prices
and have shown ,ari independently
high sales potential. Columbia’s “I
Like Jazz” • disk, a* 9Bc item, has
proved to be a standout click with
a sale- of well over 100,000 copies
to date. It’s understood that RCA
Victor is now planning “samplers”
in both the pop arid longhair .fields,
'probably in -time to kick off its
fall-winter sales program. :

While the single pop phase is
-subject to sharp variations, both
seasonal and depending on which
companies have the hits, the album
biz is comparatively steady. Duririg
the past few months when several
of the major companies were find-
ing it tough to come up with a hit,
the packaged biz bailed -them out.

Another big hypo for the pack-
aged biz this year was the price
reductions initiated by RCA Victor
with virtually the rest of the in-
dustry following suit, Victor's sales
have shot up as a^result of the re-
ductions and their packaged biz
sales during the last three weeks
have been at a peak. Compared to
the same- period last year, Victor’s
pop set sales during the first three
weeks in July zoomed 101% while
classics went up 90%. Single biz
maintained about an even pace.

6 ■ ■ ■ .. i. — ■■■■

CADENCE CUTS EIGHT BY
DANISH SINGER & BAND

Copenhagen, July 25.

Archie Bleyer has been here su-
pervising four sides each for Ca-
dence Records by trumpeter Ernie
Englund and his hand and four
solos by Chris. Dane. Letter is a
barytone who won an Arthur God-
frey “Talent Scouts” contest last
May.

Englund is also no stranger to
the U.S. About two years ago he
was with Les Brown’s orchestra
but has been touring his native
Scandinavian countries since,
chiefly in theatres.

Heflin ‘Cavalcade’ Hits
$14,960 in Coast Bash

Hollywood, Aug, 2.

Leon Heflin’s annual “Cavalcade
of Jazz” bash at Wrigley Field
July 31, grossed $14,960: About
11,000 admissions were clocked at
the hallpark at prices scaled up to
$ 2 .

Lionel Hampton headlined the
bill, which included James Moody,
Big Jay McNeely and the Medal-
lions Hampton broke a record for
a jazz recording session, by cutting
30 sides in a three-day period for
Norman Granz’ “Jazz at the* Phil-
harmonic” scries. Art Tatum and
Jftan Getz backed Hampton on
some of the sides.

MILLS NABS 'HABANERA'

Mills Music has picked up the
U.S. rights to “Habanera” from
Editions S.I.D.E.M., Geneva pub-
lishing firm. Tune was penned by
Henri Contet and Paul Durand. The
title, Incidentally, has been used
many times before and even Mills
has four other “Habaneras” in its
catalog.

Deal was Initiated during Jack
Mills recent swing through Europe.

MUSIC

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

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OH! MY LOVE*-

your dreams just for me)

with Hugo Winterhalter and his Orchestra 20/47-621®

A “New Orthophmic” High Fidelity Recording

RCAVlCTOR

Wednesday, August 8, 1955

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from II.. PRODUCERS SHOWCASE
TV PRODUCTION—

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"THE KING AND MRS. CANDLE"

August 22nd

9§

A Double Sided Smash

recorded by...

|S\

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^CA Victor

20 ) 47 - 6209

recorded by,*»

GOME

CORAL 61481

<o:-^

v£*<;\

/•

S, INC

22, N. V.

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

■ ■ i i i n ■

* "New York

Lys Assia, London Records
thrush, left for her Zurich base
via a London stopover Sunday (31)
after a week of visiting the local
deejays . . . Claire Hogan back
from Cleveland where she was
pushing her first MGM etching , . .
The Chordettes set to headline a 1
special bill in Batavia, N. Y., Aug.
7 to help raise funds for a local
swimming pool , . . Don Elliott
currently at the Rouge Lounge,
Detroit. He’s set for a guest shot
on Stan Kenton’s CBS-TV show
Aug. 23 . . .. Jack Janoff, Columbia
Records staffer, engaged to Esther
Metz . . . Neil Keating joined the
staff of Columbia Records’ legal
department , ■. . Pianist Paul Rick*
enbacker added tb the entertain-
ment roster at Herb McCarthy’s
Bowden Square, Southhampton. .

Woodrow (Woody) Larson named
sales manager for Columbia Mid-
west, Col’s Minneapolis distrib . . .
Chris Connor opens at the Copa,
Pittsburgh, Aug. 15 for one week
* . . Alan Dean held over at the
Henry Grady Hotel, Atlanta .
Dick Gersh handling national pro-
motion for the indie Wen Dee la-
bel . . .Gene Krupa set for a guest
shot on the Frankie Lainc CBS-TV
show Aug. 24.

Dick Lyons, former aide to Har-
ry Meyerson, MGM Records a&r
topper, named assistant story edi-
tor at Universal-International on
the Coast . . Harriet Wasser

joined the newly formed Jazz Art-
ists Management . . . Abe Holtz-
man, who emcees “Mamborama” at
Roseland, marking his 32d year at
the ballroom.

Trombonists Jay & Kal (J. J.
Johnson and Kai Winding) pacted
to Columbia Records . . . Thrush
Lucy Reed inked to the indie
Fantasy label . . . Crooner Don
Heller jfllned the Epic roster . . .
Teddy Charles Quartet pacted to
Shaw Artists. Combo opened at the

Town Tavern, Toronto, Monday (1)

. . . Len Wolf’s promotion-publicity
firm gets going around Aug. 10
. . Joey Sasso and Joe Saunders

handling disk promotion, for the
Stan Kenton orch.

Ann Ronell penning the title
.song for the upcoming pic, “The
Great Adventure” , . . Jerry Vale
set for guest shots on CBS Radio’s
“The Woolworth Hour” and “Kraft
Music Hall” Aug. 7 . . . Maestro
Nat Brooks cleffed the original
mambo tunes for the Fred Astaire
Mambo Instruction Book . . .
George Brackman set to arrange
the songs for Shanon Bolin’s in-
itial Vanguard album. . , . Shaw
Artists Wrapped’ up pacts last .week
•with Muddy Waters, The Hearts,
Earl Gaines, Benny Green and
Gene Ammons . . . Songwriter
Jack Zero at Brooklyn Jewish Hos-
pital for observation . * , Guy
Mitchell and manager Eddie Joy
to England last week for a
vaude tour , . . Vaughn Monroe
played Virginia Beach July 29-31
. . . Eydie Gorme set at Chicago
Theatre for two weeks starting
Aug. 7.

^ - —

Hollywood

Bobby Troup Trio opens stand
at the Huntington Hotel, Pasadena,
Aug. 12. . .Hi-Lo’s topline UI’s
Will Cowan musical short which
started shooting Friday (29). Vocal
group also opens two-week stand
at the Chicago Theatre, Aug. 19. . .
Maurice Jara has recorded the old
Mexican song, “Alabado,” for War-
mers’ “Giant.”. . .Bregman, Vocce
and ‘Conn, Inc., will publish the
background music and title tune
“Apache Woman” for the pic of
; the same name. Ronald Stein j
i penned the score. . .Singer Ray
Stapelton in town following his
two-week deejay tour. . .Joanne 1
Gilbert sliced her initial sides for
Decca under supervision of Milt
Gabler, diskeries A&R chief. . . .
Paul Corrigan sliced four sides at
Capitol Records, backed by Dick
Stabile’s orch. ^

Songstress Ann Weldon’s initial
sides, for RCA Victor backed by
Henri - Rene go into national re-
lease Aug. 18. Chirp also has been
pacted by the William Morros of-
fice. . .Eddie Fisher, Lawrence
Welk, Jimmy Dorsey, Jesse Kaye,
Jimmy McHugh and Alex Cooper
were honored guests Monday (1) of
coast • Music Men’s luncheon aft
Mike Lyman's Restaurant. . .The
Milt Deutsch agency has set ,Jthe
Cal Tjader Quintet to play Holly-
wood Bowl, Aug. 19, and The Lan-
cers to open at* the Commercial
Hotel, Elko, tVv. Aug. 29. . .Song-
stress Joy Lane currently on a

ASSOCIATED BOOKING CORPORATION

JOE GLASER, Pres.

New York Chicago Hollywood

7-15 Ofii Ave.' PL. 9-4600 203 No. Wabash 8619 Sunset Blvd.

RETAIL SHEET BEST SELLERS

-PhKlEfY ~ — ~

Survey of retail sheet music
best sellers based on reports
obtained from leading stores in
.13 cities and showing com*
pa rative sales rating for this
and last, week.

* ASCAP t BMI

National

Rating

This -Last

wk. wk. Title and Publisher

Cft

ett

ctt

+»

0
Q

•M

]

1 l *TJnchalned Melody (Frank).. 1 3 11 1 4 .. 2

2 3 *Rock Around Clock (Myers) . 2 10 3 2 3 3 . . 1

3~ 2. ^Cherry Pink (Chappell) . . 8 8 5. 3~ 4 5 T TT

4 4 *Hard to Get (Witmark) . . . . . 4 9 7 4 .. 9 1 8

5 8 *Gotta Give (Robbins)...... . 10 .. .. 7 2 .. 6 ..

6 5 *Bliie Star (Young) > 3 1 2 .. .. 2 4

7 6 *Learnin’ the Blues (Barton). .. .. 8 6 6 8 7

~8 9 *A Blossom Fell (Shapiro-B). .. .. 8 6 7 1 .. 9

9 (P *Honey Babe (Witmark) ... . -• • •• 5 8 .. . 5~

10 13 *Ncver Stop Loving You (Feist) 7 .. .. 9

11 II »It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie (BVC) 5 6 6 lfr 5 .. .. ..

12 .. tMan in a.Raincoat (BMI) . . .. 9 .. 9 3

13 14 *Love Me or Leave Me (BVC) ~ 2 T! . . 10 ~ 3 77

14 14 *Heart (Frank) ......... , .. 4 .. .. .. ..

15~ 11 ’“Melody of Love (Shapiro-B) . . . ~7 . . . . 7 7 7 TT

0
u

1
a
l

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0
be

- v>

1
8
2
3
6 *

.CO

10 7 8 . 1

5 ..' 5 ..

2 8 7 ..

3 . . 5 4

*.*•.. .* ■. 10
.. .. .... 4

9 9 7

10 7

*112

deejay tour. . .Sammy Davis Jr,
completed a 'disking session at
Decca Monday (1) under Sonny
Burke’s supervision. . .Chirp Glo-
ria Woods dubbing voices for Walt
Disney’s “Mickey Mouse Club” tel-
eseries. . .Harry James and wife
Betty Grable in Del Mar for the
racing season.

Pittsburgh

Australian Jazz Quartet into the
Midway for a limited stay* . . ,
Gabe D’Amico, clarinetist, has
given up his own combo to join
Howdy Baum’s hand at the White
Elephant. Ditto Patsy Oliver,
trumpet man . . i Frances Gill, or-
ganist, opened an indefinite run at
the Statler Hotel in Buffalo Mon-
day (1) . . . Julia Miller Melman,
violinist with A1 DiLcrnia Trio,
has taken her mother on a cross-
country motor vacation while the
combo is vacationing for the sum-
mer from the William Penn Hotel

. . Mary Martha Briney and 'Bob
Carter return to the Ankara on
Aug. 15 for two weeks, following
Jack Duraht . . . Tiny Wolfe, band-
leader at Copa, vacationing in the
mountains and his outfit’s working
without him for a fortnight . . .
Larry. Faith may have the house
band at new Holiday House that
John Bertera is building on Route

22, in which case Hal Curtis would
replace Faith at the Horizon Room
. . . Lynn Carter and the Cartiers
go back into the Carnival Lounge
for a stay on Friday (5) . . . Del
Monaco Quartet has resumed at
the Blue Moon indefinitely . . .
Herman Middleman’s option re-
newed at the Club 30 near Chester,
W. Va. . . . The' Franks opened
Monday (1) at the Park Casino in
Monessen.

Chicago

Max Roach & Clifford Brown
pacted for the Bee-Hive, Chi, Sept.
30, for six weeks. . .Jack Teagar-
den into the Gold Front, Sheboy-
gan, Aug. 12-21. . .Blue Barron
currently on one-niters in the Mid-
west. . .David Carroll, now touring
the midwest, set for the Roosevelt
Hotel, New Orleans, Sept. 15-Oct.
12. . .Art Mooney , opens at the
Chicago Theatre, Chi, Friday (5)
in a two-rounder. . .Mike Curry in
town plugging Rio label disking of
“Pancho Lopez”. . .Red Norvo will
play Chi’s newest jazzery, London
House, for four weeks next winter
. . .Chuck Foster ibooked into the
Peabody Hotel, Memphis, Aug. 29-
Oct. 9. . .Eddie Howard currently
at Chi’s Aragon Ballroom till
Sept. 11.

Omaha

Violinist Florian Dorsey in at
the Union Station’s Hayden House,
with Irvin Jones at piano . . . Mar-
jorie (Slightam) holds as organist
at White Horse Inn of the Regis
Hotel . . . Eric Lawrnce duo opened
at the Cottonwood Room of the
Blackstone Hotel * . . Orch leader
Eddy Haddad opened his own mu-
sic store at Countryside Village in
Omaha.

(We're Gonna)

“ROCK AROUND
THE CLOCK”

Theme of MGM Picture

"BLACKBOARD JUNGLE"
Recorded by BILL HALEY

and his COMETS — Decca
Still Going Strong

“MAMBO ROCK”

MYERS MUSIC. Inc.

122 N. 12th St., Philadelphia 7, Pa.

Stranglehold

Continued from page. 41

They figure that now the jocks can
influence the fate of a song with
potential disk customers who don’t
even listen to their shows. It also
means that the disk pluggers, from
the recording and publishing end,
will have to give the jocks a bigger
“romance” to assure a spot on their
listing.

The diskers and publishers have
learned to live with the trade
charts, realizing that it’s an in-
dustry affair, but they feel that the
listings in the dailies can do noth-
ing but harm the industry. Many
of them .believe that once the dee-
jay listings in the dailies start
rolling on a national scale, the
hypo and payola will mushrdom to
new. proportions.

THANKS D. J/s EVERYWHERE

For Spinning Chuck Miller's ^

“HOUSE-OF-BLUE -LIGHTS”

CHUCK MILLER

MERCURY RECORDS

Thanks Again Exclusive Management — ART WHITING

ED. McKENZIE 13860^Milbank St, Sherman Oaks, Calif. AVAILABLE

WXYZ r Detroit State 4-4772 FROM AUGUST 20th

Wednesday, August 9, 1959

VAITDEVELLE

AGENCIES STILL THE KINGPIN

♦

Stance From Start; Stardust Stalled

Members, of Nevada’s new three-
man State Gaming Control Board
give every indication that control
of the state’s legalized gambling
industry will become mighty tough
in the 'future. The board held its
first formal meeting last Wednes-
day (27), taking over the bulk of
gambling control activity from the
seven-member State Tax Commis-
sion. '

Under the new procedure, passed
into law at the last Carson City
legislature sessions, all gambling
license applications will be inves-
tigated and reviewed by the Gam-
bling Control Board. Board’s rec-
ommendations are then passed on
to the Tax Commission, which has
last word on license approvals.

Members of the new agency are
Robbins Cahill, who doubles as
executive secretary of the Tax
Commission and chairman df the
Gaming Board; Newell Hancock, a
Reno accountant, and William Sin-
nott, an FBI agent for nihe years.
Last-named demonstrated his abil-
ity to question applicants shrewdly
during Wednesday’s session.

It was Sinnott &ho set the tem-
po of the board's policy during
questioning of various applicants.
At Sinnott's instigation, the board
agreed to inform the Tax Commis-
sion that’ its request for a list, of
the stockholders in the Stardust
\had not been met and that no li-
cense should Jbe granted until it is.
The Stardust had planned to open
Aug. 1,

The Stardust was under the helm
of the late Tony Camero Stralla,
given the go-ahead by the . Tax
Commission earlier this month’ fol-
lowing his leasing of the gambling
concession in the new inn to eight
men at a reported $6,000,000 an-
nually. Until this maneuver, the
-> (Continued on page 52)

For Names Looms

London, Aug. 2.

There’s going to be a big fight
for cabaret attractions In London’s
West End.

For the last five years the Cafe
de Paris booked American topline
attractions, with the Savoy Hotel
and most of the other spots rely-
ing on two or three acts, some us-
ing a line of femmes. The Savoy
management finally decided to im-
port big . names, using solo attrac-
tions on the style of the Cafe.

The Cafe’s first big attraction
when it resumes in September
after the summer holidays will, be
Hermione Gingold, and it’s dicker-
ing with Harry Belaf onte and Carl
Brisson. The Savoy starts its pol-
icy with Lena Horne and is clos-
ing deals with Frank Sinatra,
among others.

Burns & Allen’s $50,000
Friars Dinner to Hosp

Holly wbod, Aug. 2.

Friars Club is turning over $50,-;
000 to the City of Hope Sanitari-
um at Duarte, Cal., for the pur-
pose of setting up a Chair of Rad-
iology. This is part of show biz's
contribution in the fight against;
cancer.

Coin was raised at the Burns &
Allen dinner here several months
ago. Unveiling of a bronze plaque
noting the donation takes place
Friday (5) with George Jessel em-
ceeing and many industryit,es at-
tending.

Pia’que reader 'Chair of Radiol-
ogy donated by Members of the
Friars Club of California to per-
petuate the memory Of Lew Coop-
er.” Latter was Jess'el’s longtime
personal manager and of the orig-
inal Empire City Quartet, yester-

Paulette Trio To Get I
BosWelliaa Touch

Singer Connee Boswell has taken
on some added chores. She’s be-
come the arranger for the Paulette
Sisters (3) which her husband-man-
ager, Harry Leedy, is handling.
General Artists Corp is doing the
booking.

Miss Boswell is no stranger to
arrangements for girl trios. She
used to be in the trio business her-
self with her sisters, Martha and
Vet. Group disbanded some years
ago and Miss Boswell continued as
a single. Paulette trio is pacted
to Capitol Records.

Piafs 40G Payoff

Las Vegas, Aug. 2.

The Riviera Hotel scratched off
one of its many headaches last
Thursday (28)— Edith Piaf. French
chantoosey, who stood her AGVA-
supported ground of “pay or play”
after being bumped from the mar-
quee when Kathryn Grayson was
booked to open oh her date, ac-
cepted a settlement from the inn’s
ops. .A hotel spokesman said that
Miss Piaf “agreed to a payoff well
under the $40,000 she was to get
for a one month appearance.”

For a moment it looked as
though the Riviera would be able
to get out from under the settle-
ment by playing Miss Piaf the con-
tracted one-month turn slated to
open Aug. 3. This, because Miss
Grayson was. forced to bow out
10 days before opening when af-
flicted with a severe case of pneu-
monia that bedded her at Santa
Monica hospital. But, execs said
they decided the hotel would’ fare
better business-wise if they payed
Miss Piaf off, and hired someone
they feel would be stronger in the
spa’s big supper room.

Booked in for the four-frame
stand is Spike Jones, who brings
in his “Musical Insanities of 1956,”
starring frau Helen Greyco and
cast of 70, including City Slickers.
Miss Grayson's engagement has
been set aside until October.

$1,200,000 Being Spent
In 100-Room Hilton
To Caribe Hilton

A 100-room addition to the Caribe
Hilton Hotel, San Juan, P.R., will
be opened in December, 1956. Ad-
dition, a severt-story airconditioned
building to be separated from the
main edifice, will cost around
$1,200,000. Carlos M. Passalaqu^,
president of the Puerto Rico In-
dustrial Development Co., and
Conrad Hilton, prexy of the Hilton
! chaih, announced the new project.
Original hotel was built in 1949
by the group at a cost of $7,300,000
and then leased to the Hilton sys-
tem as part 1)f the island’s tourism
development plan,

Toro & Ferrer Will' architect the
edifice, which will be connected
to’ the main building by a covered
walk bordered by shops. The Caribe
Hilton is generally credited with
increasing the number of tourists
to the island from 65,000 to
140,000 annually.

Outside the continental U.S., the
Hilton chain operates inns in Istan-
bul and Madrid,' Under construc-
tion are the Continental, Mexico
City; Acapulco Hilton, Acapulco;
Havana Hilton, Havana, and the
Nile Hilton, Cairo. Under contract
to be constructed are the Albergo
de Cavalieri, Rome, and a new»spot
still unnamed in West Berlin.

By JOE COHEN

The lessons being derived from
the Wally Cox incident in Las
Vegas isn’t being lost by the talent
agencies. The datediggers now
feel that no matter what assets the
casino capital of the world has,' it
still has to come to the agencies
for its major attraction— name
talent. The hotelmen as much as
admit that they are lost without
the top talent under contract to
the major offices.

As it stands today, the talent
agencies can make or break the
majority of the Las Vegas hotels.
Sure, the lush strip hotels have
gambling, terrific accommodations
t at the lowest prices extant, but
without, the names, people just
stay away in droves. What’s more,
without names that can offer en-
tertainment, there just isn’t any
business in the payoff part of the
innsj the greenfelt areas.

Also, it’s almost certified mow
that names have to be in a certain
category to be of any value to the
Las Vegas hostelries. The, agen-
cies point out that even if Cox had
a* good act and fine rewrite of his
material and was getting a lot of
applause, who would he pull in—
the old ladies and retired gents
who went for this little unassum-
ing guy in his “Mr. Peepers” char-
acterizations? Even if he pulled
SRO houses of these wholesome
characters, it’s doubtful that any
of them would have as jnuch as
played the nickel slot machines.
This kind of crowd wouldn’t spend
much time, let alone money, on
the major enticements of this
Sodom-in-the-Sand.

Object Lesson

Object lesson, according to the
agencies, must be the reliance
upon a special kind of talent with a
strong „ nitery projection. The
comics and singers who are fav-
ored on the nitery circuits are the
premium merchandise for this
market. Spenders go for the Sina-
tras, Joe E. Lewises, Danny
Thomases and the well-established
nightclub names. These are pre-
sumably the safe buys in the. area,
but unfortunately there aren’t
enough of them to go around on a
year-round basis.

The position of the agencies Is
strengthened by the prevailing be-
lief that girl-shows aren’t for Las
Vegas either. Naturally, the
chorines selected for this spot are
among the highest paid and the
most beautiful in the country. How-
ever, many of them complain that
they are lucky if they get a mu-
sician or a bartender to escort
them home after the show. Dames,
per se, just aren’t enough to tear
the guys away from the crap-tables.

This is an unheard of kind of
Gomorroh, but it’s one that is
working out for the benefit of the
percenteries with a roster of the
right kind of names. Their posi-
tion, as far as Las Vegas is con-
cerned, is more solid than ever,
they believe.

Razing Buff. Vienna

Buffalo, Aug. 2.

Old Vienna Theatre (formerly
the Gayety) has been sold and will
be razed to make room for a park-
ing lot. Theatre, originally built
by the late Mike Shea, was devoted
to burlesque for many years until
the early 1930s.

Since then it has* been used va-
riously for vaude, pictures and,
until shuttering two years ago, for
Bingo games.

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR

1905-1955

Colony, NJ. Burleyeue,
Aligns With Chi Ops

The Colony Theatre, Union City,
which attempted a burlesque policy
last season as an indie house, has
lined up with Chiqdgo burley ops
in an effort to obtain circuit shows.
Colony’s opposition, the Hudson,
Union City, and the Empire, New-
ark, are allied with the Hirst
wheel. The Adams, Newark, is
operated by Harold Minsky as an
indie operation.

Harry W. Doniger, operator of
the Colony, is planning to open
Sept. 9.

Headliners are the major talent
export of the U.S., while England
is capable of shipping out a lot of
acts who haven’t been seen here
as yet, according to agent Mark
Leddy, who .returned this week
from a jaunt in Europe.

Leddy, who cases acts for the*
Ed Sullivan tv show, declared that
there’s a lot of performers in
Europe that can do well in this
country. But the major need in
Britain is headliners, says Leddy.
The standard names in England
have been around the circuits quite
frequently, and consequently, the
draw isn’t what it used to be.

On the other hand, says Leddy,
there are a loir of newcomers mak-
ing their way. But the bulk, of
them are trying to emulate the
U.S. disk names and carbons rarely
make out.

British vaude has been hit by
the shortage of headliners, he
stated. Television, thus far, hasn’t
cut into vaude attendance to any
extent. Real test will come with
the advent of commercial tele
which starts in September, Leddy
stated.

Leddy/ who went over to gander
talent for the Sullivan show, saw
quite a few turns in England and
France that can booitilized. Berlin,
however, was short on good avail-
abilities.

’Emotionally Disturbed’

Cop Costs Nitery Dancer
Five Pays In Mont’I Jail

Montreal, Aug, 2.

A nightclub, dancer whose per-
formance caused a cop to testify
in court that he was “emotionally
disturbed” by it, was fined $100
and given five days in jail here
last week. She’d already served
most of it while held without bail.

Blonde Ann Sobol, arrested a
few weeks ago (she didn't turn up
for trial before) for a performance
at the Blue Sky Club, brought her
costume to court and offered to do
her dance for Judge Lachappelle,
but he refused to watch it.

A Blue Sky waiter swore there
was nothing immoral in the show,
but the “emotionally disturbed”
cop’s partner said he found it ob-
scene, The waiter added that none
of the 125 customers had raised
any objections. ; ;

Lili St. Cyr was arrested hepe
about four years ago while playing
the Gayety vaude house (noW a
double-feature grind named Radio
City Music Hall), opposite the Blue
Sky, She didn’t appear for trial
for nearly three weeks .(her coun-
sel represented her at a prelim-
inary hearing), during which she
played to packed houses, and was
then acquitted for lack of evidence.
The, head of the Police Juvenile
Clubs testified in her defense, al-
though stating that he didn’t rec-
ommend the performance for
youths of 16 and under.

Las Vegas, Aug. 2.

Mickey Rooney Will presumably
keep things a little livelier biz wise
at the Dunes Hotel during this
fortnight as replacement (with
Joey Forman) of Wally Cox, who
is out of a job again here. Although
only absent from the Vegas scene
three weeks (he closed at the
Riviera) July 5), Rooney* and his
capable aide seem to have the stuff
that the devotees of this bistro
circuit go for. Act remains un-
touched from the Riviera stand
and is effective in the theatre r like
room of Dunes.

Rooney and Forman opened at
the Dunes last Wednesday (27),
after hotel prexy A1 Gottesman
served notice on Mr, Peepers the
night before. Actually, that made
the third time Cox had been or-*
dered to. withdraw; on opening
night (13), hotel reconsidering
when the comic balked,’ firing him
the following evo the dinner
performance, reinstating him a
week later (20), only to bounce
him again this past Wednesday.

Gottesman said, after firing Cox
for the last time, that his beef is
not with the comic, describing him
as “a lovable guy who was put in
a very unfortunate situation.” He
further indicated that the hotel will
readily pay Cox the contractual
$11,000 per during this idle fort-,
night, “as long 'as he (Cox) keeps
showing up for work twice nightly,
as he did when he was idle after
the initial dismisal.” 0

Going Through With Suit

The Dunes chief said, however,
that the hotel is going through with
its $250,000 suit against the Wil- —
llam Morris'Agericy and- percenter ;
Hershey Martin, who designed the
Dunes-Cox contract. -Suit is in two
parts: (l)Jt seeks damages of $250,-
000 for business lost, and (2) reci-
sion of contract. / Ng monetary
damage is sought from Cox, who
also is named a defendant. Action
alleges that the agency misrepre-.
(Continued on page 52)

Aftermath of the difficulties of
the American Guild of Variety
Artists during the inception of its
insurance program, is being kicked
up again in the $150,000 suit
brought by insurance broker David
Cohen against a group of defend-
ants. These comprise Vic Connors,
formerly top organizer in AGVA;
Henry Dunn, former national ad-
ministrative secretary; Frederick
H. Kothe, who represented the late
Matthew M. Adler, an insurance
broker, and the Insurance Co. of
North America, which during the
early days handled the AGVA in-
surance program. An examination
before trial is slated to start to-
morrow (Thurs.) in the offices of
Davidson & Davidson, attorneys
representing Conen.

Cohen claims that he set up the
entire insurance program and was
promised the business by AGVA
officials. At the last minute, the
union gave the business to Adler
and the Insurance Co. of North
America.

Trial is tentatively slated in
October in the N.Y. Supreme
Court,

Moss Shifts to Coast MCA
For TV; Bloom in From N.Y.

Chicago, Aug. 2

Marvin Moss exits the Music
Corp. of America Chi office acts
department Friday (5) and heads
for the Coast, where he will func-
tion in MCA’s Hollywood office,
?n the live tv section. Moss has
been with MCA for eight years in
the Chicago branch of the per-
centery.

Harry Bloom will replace Moss
in Chicago. Bloom Comes from
MCA’s New York acts department
and had previously been with the
company’s Paris office.

VAUDEVILLE

'Wednesday, August 3, 195$

New York

Frank Libuse, set for the Dunes,
Las Vegas,* in the show being
produced by Lou Walters, will play
the Latin Quarter, N.Y,, Oct. 16 . . .
Charllvels have a Latin Quarter,
Miami Beach, date on Feb. 16 and
thence to the N.Y. branch March
22 . . . Dorothy Shay goes into the
Elmwood Casino, Windsor, Ont„
Aug. 8 . . . Eartha Kitt signed for
the Latin Casino, Philadelphia,
Feb. 2 . . . Lew Grade, head of the
Lew & Leslie Grade Agency, arriv-
ing from London Monday (1) to
confer with Eddie Elkort . . . Bob
McFadden into the Statler, Los
Angeles, Aug. 8.

Charles Manna a replacement
fbr George De Witt at the Ver-
sailles, N. Y. , . . Bobby Winters
signed for the Starlight Roof, Wal-
dorf-Astoria, Sept. 2. . .Joan Bran-
don inked for., the. Cambridge Fair,
Greenwich, N. Y., Aug. 22, and the
East Texas Fair, Tyler, Sept. 12.* . .
Smith & Dale into the Elmwood
Casino, Windsor, Ont., Sept. 26. . .
Marguerite Piazza slated for the
Sands, Las Vegas, Nov. 26. . .Bud-
dy Lester set for the Beachcomber,
Miami Beach, starting Friday (5)
. . . Lillian Cavell goes into Mon-
tauk Manor, Montauk, N. Y., Sun-
day (7).

Chicago

Jack Webb will do a p.a. at the
Chicago Theatre Friday (5) for the
opening of hisv “Pete Kelly's
Blues." Stageshow will feature
Somethin' Smith "& his Bedheads,
the Art Mooney Orck and Edye
Gorme . . . Olga James,. managed
by Abe $aperstein of the Harlem
Globetrotters, held over, for r an-
other three frames at Rio de
Janeiro’s Copacabana Palace: sepia

DON

TANNEN

Held Over
5th WEEK

THUNDERBIRD

LAS VEGAS

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WHEN IN BOSTON

It's the

HOTEL AVERY

The Home of Show Folk

Avery & Washington Sts*
Radio In Every Room

thrush segues to a Sao. Paolo en-
gagement . . . Dorothy Collins
opens at Chez Paree Friday (5)
with the Miami Beach Combers on
the 'Same bill in a two-week stint
> . . Ted Miller & Smiley start a
12-week tour with the Barnes &
Carruthers No.. 1 Fair Revue Mon-
day (8).

Four Joes * set for the Chase
Hotel, St. Louis, Aug. 4 for two
frames . . . Wally Griffin opened at
Eddys', Kansas City, Friday (29) in
a two-rounder . . . Nelson Eddy
bows at the Lake Club, Spring-
field, 111;, Aug. 13, With the Miriam
Sage Dancers returning there the
same date for indefinite stint and
the Claire Perrault orch providing
the showbacking . . . Larry Logan
pacted for the< Palmer House, Chi,
Aug, 4 for four stanzas ... Day,
Dawn & Dusk currently at Chi's
Black Orchid in a two-weeker with
Phil Gordon on the same bill,

Atlanta

AI Morgan, pianist, will head
the new show which opens Thurs-
day (5) at the Henry. Grady Hotel’s
Paradise Room. Allen Dean, Brit-
ish-born singer, held over two
weeks in this spot, will make way
for Morgan . . . Joe Cotton’s Steak
Ranch opened Monday (1) with
singer-comedienne Phyllis Miller
in a return engagement, plus
Elaine Deming, former Miss Miami,
who has launched a new career as
a dancer. Music is by West Baxter
and orch.

Another returnee is Kalantan,
billed as “The, Heavenly Body,"
who tops the show at the Imperial
Hotel’s Domino Lounge, She
opened Monday (1) with Marvin.
Boone, coniic emcee, and music by
the Tokyo Trio . . . Tana* “The
Persian Princess;” opened Monday
(1) at the Gypsy. Room on a bill
that features Mike Caldwell, comic
juggler - magician, and Melody*
terper.

In Honolulu, Blimps, '
Outlawed

Honolulu, Aug.- 2,.

Bumps and grinds must go,
Honolulu niteries are told by city
liquor commission. Board, which
has authority: to censor floor
shows, has ordered inspectors to
crack down on stripteases, too-
brief costumes as well as bumps
and grinds. But the Hawaiian
hula, which can be just as sug-
gestive as the occasion demands
and the performer feels like, es-
capes. Hula’s not “vulgar or ob-
scene because it’s part of the lo-
cal culture and history,” board
spokesman said. .

Gals will have to wear “full”
braisSieres and keep navels cov-
ered,” nitery owners were told.
But the board faltered while try-
ing to define indecency. One
commissioner asked: “Are danc-
ers’ costumes any worse than
bikinis on the beach?"

Censorship order came several
days after an overly enthusiastic
nautch dancer stripped down to
nothing one night when nitery
owner was away. Her “act” got
considerable word-of-mouth.

Dr. Jive Sets R&B Unit
For Week at Apollo, N. Y.

WWRL, N.Y., disk jockey Tommy
Smalls (Dr. Jive) will return a
rock ’n’ roll troupe to the Apollo
Theatre, N.Y., for week of Aug.*
19. Among those pacted for the
date with the platter spinner are
Joe Turner, Charley Sc Ray, Dolo-
res Ware, Five Keys, The Hearts,
Bo Diddley and the Griff en Bros,
band.

Small’s previous appearance at
this house produced one of the top
takes for the season.

American MANAGER WANTED IMMEDIATELY to promote

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oltting
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rt i l ' 1 *

‘Holiday’ to Thai

The U.S. State Dept, is again go-
ing in for show business methods as
a propaganda medium. Latest to
be utilized to combat the Soviet
cultural .program in Thailand is
“Holiday on Ice,” which has been
booked for a four- week stand in
Bangkok, starting Dec. 7. State
Dept, has approved the booking.

“Holiday” has been touring the
Far East, being currently in Singa-
pore, having already . toured in
Europe.

Dancer Sues Sumac For

Beating, Pact Breach

• San Francisco, Aug. 2.

A choreographer last week (27)
sued Yma Sumac .for $150,000,
charging his experiences on tour
with her included breach of con-
tract and a “violent” beating."

The suit was filed in Superior
Court by Victor Dextre, 60, and
named, in addition to Miss Sumac,
her husband, Moises Vivanco; Em-
mett J. Shea, an employee; Inca
Concerts, and Yma Sumac Enter-
prises.

Dextre complained that as a
choreographer he’d agreed with
Vivanco verbally on July 8, 1954,
to form a dance group that would
serve as a background for Miss
Sumac’s singing on a concert tour.
For this, the suit said, he was to
be tour, manager at $150 a week
and was also supposed to get a
percentage, of earnings.

Instead, claimed the choreog?
rapher, he was made assistant
manager at $85 weekly. He was
still promised a percentage. Oh
Nov. 15, 1954, Dextre continued, a
dispute arose between Miss Sumac
and the dancing girls. It was re-
solved, he said,' by Vivanco and
Shea beating and firing him.

Illness Bops L. A. Date

Hollywood, Aug. 2.

Yma Sumac on Friday (29)
dropped out of the Cocoanut
Groye of the Hotel Ambassador,
Los Angeles, because of illness.
Steve Allen replaced the first
night. (Sat.).

Collapse followed by a day the
filing of a suit by Maureen Shea,
naming Moises Vivianco, Miss
Sumac’s husband-manager and
composer-accompanist, in a pater-?
nity suit, declaring him to be the
father of her twin daughters. She
was formerly Miss Sumac’s social
secretary. Miss Shea Is asking
$500 monthly support. Miss Shea’s
father also acted as Miss Sumac’s
company manager for a time. It’s
believed that the family was hired
by Miss Sumac and her husband
because of their claim to relation-
ship with the late Sen. Pat Mc-
Carran of Nevada. It was believed
that such procedure would aid
Vivianco in his quest for U. S.
citizenship, which he got some sea-
sons ago.

HILDEGARDE TO PLAY
TO MASSES IN BOSTON

Hildegarde, who has been stay-
ing fairly close to class hotel and
intime rooms, is now readying for
the largeseaters. Chantoosey has
been signed for Blinstrub’s, Bos-
ton, for. week of Nov. 21. Nitery
seats about 1,200.

Previous stops in the Hub were
restricted to spots such as the Oval
Room of the Copley Sheraton and
similar cafes generally frequented
by the Back Bay set.

Joe E. Back on Vegas Job
After Bout of Fatigue

Las Vegas, Aug. 2.

Joe E. Lewis returned to the
star slot at El Rancho Vegas Fri-
day (29) after laughing off a sud-
den illness which hospitalized him
for three days. Comic complained
of ailment between shows Sunday
(24) and was rushed to Rose de
Lima hospital in Henderson, a few
miles from Vegas.

Under doctor’s care for three
days, he returned to hotel quarters,
where he laid plans to continue
romping the boards at El Rancho
until Labor Day weekend. He also
will open the Copa in N.Y. Sept. 8
as originally scheduled. Attend-
ing. physician, Dr. Ruben Lockltch
of Las Vegas, said illness was

f&#r, (94 .frm Mint*.

Willow Grove Park Snarl
Over Chordettes Date

American Guild of Variety Art-
ists is awaiting receipt of an $1,800
check from Joseph A. Helprin,. op-
erator of the Willow Grove (Pa.)
Amusement Park, before setting a
date for an arbitration between
Helprin and the Chordettes. Oper-
ator charges that^ Jack Bertell, man-
ager of the group, knowingly de-
frauded him in sending a sub-
stitute singer for Janet Ertel (Mrs.
Archie Bleyet), who was in Europe
and couldn’t appear. Helprin had
already given AGVA a check for
$1,800 but union asked for another
made out to AGVA, so that it could
take care of monetary awards
afterward.

Bertell, in a letter to AGVA,
claimed that Virginia Osborne, who
replaced Miss Ertel, was one ox
the original Chordettes, and fact
that Miss Ertel would be away was
common knowledge to everyone in
show business. He also claims
that Jolly Joyce, Willow Grove
booker, knew about the substitu-
tion.

In re: Las Vegas Acts
Who Shouldn’t Insult
Audiences’ Intelligence

San Antonio.

Editor * Variety:

Just returned from Las Vegas,
and 'feel that while 1 cannot claim
to be an expert in criticizing a
'show, the fact that I saw 12 shows
in 7 days, in company with some
12 others* makes my comments
more conclusive as they also rep-
resented the views of the others.

We saw the Wally Cox show and
felt that show business in Las
Vegas was set hack quite some
years. Never in my life did I ever
see an actor make a bigger fool
out of himself. . Mr. Cox must have
had two indications that he was
as unpopular as any actor could
possibly be: the first was that less
than 5 % of the diningroom seats
were occupied; secondly, his allu-
sion to the fact that he laid an
egg. by having a huge white one.
on a pillow held by a pretty chorus
girl. Mr. Cox was mouthing ,hls
sayings for five minutes and left
the audience cold. We felt that
we, the audience* were insulted
and as a showman, he should have
left when the leaving was good.

We wish to criticize the fact that
too many shows are booked revolv-
ing around some form of dance
or other. An audience can be worn
out by one dance act following an-
other.. Dancing in moderation is
acceptable, but some hooking
agents can bore an audience with
monotonous dance acts. Another
irritable actor is Mr. Mimo. Plac-
ing of his hand in front of his nose
to straighten out his tie is pretty
good for about four successive
times. Afterwards, milking the au-
dience for laughs is strictly pain-
ful. We counted repeated hand/
nose placement to be 45; we would
haye loved to handcuff his hand as
we felt he was out of routine and
just milking the audience. It is
odd that mimics, comics and fun-
sters rely on one silly routine to
aggravate the audience.

The greatest service your paper
can do is to notify the men and
women in the trade that audiences
have a certain degree of intelli-
gence and. that applause can mean
different things, from appreciation
to polite disgust; The biggest trib-
ute 1 can pay, and this is being
said with , the full knowledge of
those who were with me, is that
the Dennis. Day show received the
loudest applause in many a week.

Yours for better and smarter
performers.

Ely I. Bergriiann
(Bergmann Enterprises, Ltd.

Julie Wilson signed for preem
bill at the Copacabana, N. Y., Sept.
8* on show topped by Joe E.
Lewis.

MITCHELL BOFF AGAIN
IN PALLADIUM RETURN

London, Aug. 2.

Guy : Mitchell repeated his
previous success at (he Palladium
here in his return Monday (1), and
went over to a boff reception. .Mit-
chell relied mainly on his hit
disks. Other bill topper,’ Billy De
Wolfe, went over to a smash re-
sponse with hilarious comedy im-
pressions. Billls in for two weeks
and will be succeeded by the Nor-
man Wisdom musical, “Painting
the Town."

Others on the bill are the Radio
Revellers, a local singing quartet
who made their reputation on the
wireless and disks; Jimmy Wheel-
er, cockney comic; Gaston Palmer,
French juggler; Wilson, Keppel Sc
Betty, with their burlesque rou-
tine; Medlock Sc Marlowe, dancers;
Ravic & Babs, aero roller skaters,
and the resident George Carden
dancers, along with the Skyrockets
orch.

Riley’s, Saratoga Spot,
May Reopen As Eatery

Saratoga, N.Y., July 26.

Plans for the reopening, as *
restaurant, of Riley’s Lakehouse,
famed night spot in Saratoga’s lush
gambling days, were revealed last
week by Louis D’Andrea, the new
owner. The purchase reportedly
is contingent upon the granting of
a restaurant liquor license, for
which D’Andrea is said to have
filed an application.

Riley’s, dark for four years, was
sold. to-D'Andrea by Mrs. Margaret
Farone. Workmen are cleaning up
the, establishment, located on Lake
Lonely (Saratoga Lake),

TED MILLER

and

SMILEY

"LAUGH PROVOKERS"
BOOKED SEPTEMBER

. OCTOBER

BARNES-CARRUTHERS
Number One Fair Revee
Available

Nav. 1st, Club Dates
Contact Larry Lux
PAUL MARR AGENCY
203 N. Wabash Avo.r Chicago.

FRANKIE SCOTT

America ? Unclr r'-ourishcii Comedian

Opening August 8
GLEN
CASINO

Wflllamsvtlle
N. Y.

U'-eidon PETER J IODIC E
Fox Theatre Pldfj Dp’rc*!

CAB CALLOWAY

Continuing

INTERNATIONAL

THEATRE

TOUR

lift. HU MITfUR. U» SnaAray. N*w Y«*

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

VAUDEVILLE

DIAHANN CARROLL

Songs

25 Mins.

La Vie, N.Y.

Diahann Carroll is introduced
in her nitery debut as “Monte
Proser’s newest singing discovery.”
'Taint quite true, since she car-
ried the ingenue role in “House of
Flowers” on Broadway, but Proser
does deserve credit for his. perspi-
cacity in booking her, still* a com-
parative unknown, into his La Vie.
For Miss Carroll isn’t likely to re-
main an unknown for long — she’s
got the voice, the looks and the
manner to move up quickly."

. Miss Carroll is a petite colored
songstress with one of the best nat
ural voices to come up in some
time. She's got power, range, tim-
ing and the ability to stylize. She
can handle a rhythm -number with
authority, and she can hush an au-
dience with a slow ballad sung
in a sweet and throaty manner. At
this point, she lacks two basics—
the savvy to routine her stint prop-
erly, and as a corrollary, to show
proper selectivity in her’ numbers,
and the ability to establish an im-
mediate rapport with her audience,
be it via s.a. or any other attribute
commanding attention. Both of
these will come with time and ex-
perience.

For most of her stint, Miss Car-
roll mixes standards with an oc-
casional current pop, ringing out
such items as “Why Was I Born?”,
“I Didn’t Know What Time It Was,”
“Learnin’ the Blues” and “Will
You Still Be Mine.” It wasn’t
till her sixth number, though, that
she sang her first* effective individ-
ualized ballad, a folk song which
might have been properly . placed
as her second or third number.
After reprising “A Sleepin’ Bee M
from “Flowers,” she bowed off
with “Don’t Like Goodbyes” also
from, “Flowers.” Latter, while ap-
propriate in title, was hardly the
type Of song for a sock finale, and,
that could have been eliminated.

Despite the relatively minor fail-
ings, the singer at this point is
ready for top nitery bookings, as
well as virtually every other me-
dium. She’s goodlooking, dresses
neatly and effectively, and has the
warmth but especially the ability to
win an audience over and hold onto
it. Chart,

Eileen BARTON

Currently

DUNES HOTEL

La, V.,a»

CORAL RECORDS

D/r.j- WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY

HARRIET ANDERSON
Songs,

10 Mins.

One Fifth Ave., N. Y.

Harriet Anderson is a win-
ner in the periodic talent contests
run by Bob Downey at One Fifth
Avenue which has resulted in un-
covering a lot of acts now staples
in the entertainment sector.. On
her first reward booking, Miss An-
derson impresses as having possi-
bilities, but her potential is hard
to discern at this point.

This well-groomed Negro singer
has a well grounded voice of good
range and timbre. She’s of the
polite school who is still applying
lessons learned from vocal teach-
ers, ,She impresses as being too
shy to reveal anything about her-
self at this time. She dishes out
words and melodies without pro-
jecting too much about her own
personality. She needs the things
that vocal teachers and coaches
can’t give her and she has to learn
’em by herself. Then she can use
the excellent basics to good advan-
tage. Jose.

REWARD

Urgent Information
for Whereabouts of

ANDRE VILLON

Formerly worked for Great North-
ern Hotel In New York and -In
Hollywood, Calif., at a night dub
entertainer.

Contact BE 3-8130

REWARD

JACK POWELL

' end his Educated Drum Sticks
Under the Personal Management of

Mark leddy and leon newman
48 West. 48th St., New York 19, N. Y.
Phone— JUdson 8-2760

WANTED—
Personal Manager

for coniedy record pantomlmo artist.
Ten years of show biz experlanco.
Oblacflve, to play tha United King-
dom. FOII particulars upon raquost.
Contact Box I3S5, Variety, 612. ..N.
Michigan Ave., Chicago 11, III.

RICKI DUNN
Pickpocket-Magician
10 Mins.

Palace, N.Y,

Ricki Dunn has shaped himself
a funny and plenty, of intriguing
turn here, an act that takes some
mighty quick work to put across.
Billed as “Mr. Pickpocket Him-
self,” he works with a couple , of
volunteers from the audience and
robs them of everything from their
watches to their belts and ties.
It’s all done with such speed and
skill that neither his victims nor
his audience are aware of what’s
happening.

Dunn keeps up a steady stream
of patter while working and man-
ages to mix amazement with good
yocks. He’ll take each customer
separately, producing, baby chicks
from the pocket of one and red
wine from the ears of another.
Routine, which also sees him free-
ing himself of a tightly knotted
rope around his hands and legs,
possibly could stand a less breath-
less pitch, but nevertheless comes
across a a sock turn. Natural for
nightclubs, tv, etc. Hift. ■

SHIRLEY EATON

Songs

12 Mins.

Empire, Glasgow

Still in her teens, this blonde
and good-looking English girl
shapes up as possessing potential
for star billing. A discovery of
London tv, she has a confidence
and personality that belies her
youth, and makes much use of
twinkling orbs which almost talk
her words.

Nordic-style gal fresh and youth-
ful, opens with “Do I Want You?”,
then into new tune “That’s How A
Love Song Is Born.” Also clicks
with her happy rendition of “The
Pendulum Songs.” Her closing
medley comprises “Stowaway,”
“Bridges of Paris” and “Papa
Loves Mambo,” and she winds to
solid palming from stubholders at-
tracted by her youth and sparkle.
Use of different shades of spot-
lighting on her white dress is good.

She Jias assets of looks and sim-
plicity, and will doubtless sharpen
act with experience. As is, she’s
a bet for tv and cabaret. Gord.

BAKER SISTERS (2)

Song & Dance
35 Mins.

Bradford Roof, Boston

These two real sisters, who have
been out solo, have combined un-
der guidance of Betty and Jane
Kean and boniface A1 Taxier of
the Bradford Roof, and have at-
tained a glowing polish that may
sometime spell real competish
for the Keans. Thelma Baker,
chirp, who is a preseiitday ap-
proach to Sophie Tucker in her
heyday, and sister,, Bobbi, impish
singing • comedienne, sing, dance,
mimic and gag for 35 minutes of
pleasant entertainment.

. Four months of breaking in the
act, first suggested by Taxier and
encouraged by the Keans when
they appeared In the Hub on a
road tryout of “Ankles Aweigh,”
has paid off and the sisters, attrac-
tively gowned In white . beaded
sheaths, work very smoothly and
professionally.

From walk-on, the two get good
aud reaction. “Hello, and How Are
You?” w&rmup piece is okay. After
clowning with good comic and
sidelights, they harmonize on
“Smiles,” followed by “Butcher
Boy” with gags a la Rose-Marie.
Their “Private Secretary” laugh
routine could stand, a fe*y new
pieces of biz, but the customers
went for it big, asking for more.
For a satiric stanza o f impres-

VEGAS HASSLES CUES
CLOSER AGVA CHECK

As a result of the recent difficul-
ties in Las Vegas over the Wally
Cox and Edith Piaf bookings,
Jackie Bright, national administra-
tive secretary of the American
Guild of Variety Artists, has sent
a letter to all franchised agents
asking them to inform the union
on all bookings in the casino belt.

Purpose of the new order is to
permit the union to check whether
the hotels have sufficient bonds to
cover the entire engagement of
headliner in the event of a cancel-
lation. Bright hopes that the in-
formation will help prevent oc-
currences of the Cox and Piaf
incidents.

New Admission Structure Lets Parents Enjoy

Children’s Rate

Minneapolis, Aug. 2.

Here ahead of the Twin Cities*
engagements which include one St.
Paul and two Minneapolis days this
week, Henry Ringling North, Ring-
ling Bros. Barnum & Bailey vice-
president and assistant general
manager, revealed that a new ad-
mission price structure will be In-
augurated in an effort to stimulate
patronage for the show, which has
been doing spotty business along
the road this year, .

Children’s general admission
price is being raised from 75c. to
$1, but parents who attend with
their children will be able to get
in at the new children’s rate in-
stead of the previous $1.50 mini-
mum for adults. Also, . 3,500 end,
seats will be sold for $1 each, in-
stead of the usual $1.50. .

Idea is to make the circus less
expensive for the average family
attending* in a group, North ex-
plained.

* * jr/m

MR. JACKIE KANNON

is 7 pleased to announce
an exceedingly pleasant engagement at the
FLAMINGO HOTEL, Las Vegas

HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

“Top man in the laugh department i*
Jackie Kannon. He’s that good . . •
The audience loved him so much,
they wouldn’t let him off.”

Les Devor,

VARIETY

“Jackie Kannon’s spiral continues to
rise with this Flamingo month and
In a rooip that’s notoriously tough on
certain funny men. From neat open-
ing bleat, ‘That’s Entertainment?’,
through rapid firing of fresh material
for this gag ridden nitery community,
and brace of ribticking paradise into
his surefire ‘India’ hoke-magico-niys-
, terioso capper. Kannon is rewarded
with constant yoks.” Will.

BILLBOARD

“Jackie Kannon, one of the top com-
ics to play Vegas consistently, pleases
more than some headliners with more
name and less genuine humor.”

Oncken.

BARRY GRAY
New York Post

“Tony Martin, star of the Flamingo
show, flanked by Hal Bourne, his con-
ductor, was superb. Not to omit
Jackie Kannon, whose comedy is in
the school of Danny Thomas and
Harry Ritz.

“It Is one of the smoothest shows I’ve
t ever seen, from the silken delivery
arid occasional caucous tones of Kan-
non, to the pure singing of Martin.

. . . This was the r first time I’d
watched Jackie work.

“He’s overdue for the biggest New
York nightclub engagement and a
flock of national television stuff. In.
shoriSAhtfs

■ ■•?■■■>$

Currently
BAL TABARIN

LAKE TAHOE, NEV.

Thanks TONY MARTIN

52 VA1TIWVI1XE

Wednesday* August 1955

Sid Luf t, husband-manager of
Judy Garland, may try to promote
several dates In the east for the

Judy and Harry James tour. Music
Gorp. of America, which is book-
ing the jaunt, has been inquiring
for playing time and arena rentals
in several eastern cities, but so far
no contracts have definitely been
signed.

MCA still has hopes of lining
up some promoters to take on the
Garland tour and it’s reported that
they have dropped the $10,000 ask-
ing price to $7,500 or even less
where several successive nights
were concerned.

Following the windup of Miss
Garland's tour in the northwest,
which was successful only on a
few dates, arena operators as well {
as promoters have been trying to
eliminate guarantees on this prop-;
osition. It's believed that rather ,
than accede to the operators, they'll
try to promote a few choice cities
and if tjhe dates make money, pro-
moters will then lose their fear of
the $7,500 or even a $10,000 guar-
antee.

It’s doubtful, however,, that sev-
eral operators of top arenas in the
east will offer dates to Miss Gar-
land unless an arrangement, is
made that in the event of a can-

AMBASSADOR'S S.A. BRANCH

The newly organized Ambassa-
dor International Corp., a subsidi-
ary of + he Ambassador Hotel of
New ,rk Inc., has been formed
recent; •"Uh L. Boyd Hatch as
chairman ox the board, Col. Serge
Obolensky as vice-chairman, and
Robert K. Christenberry as presi-
dent.

El Embajador, the first hotel of
the Ambassador International
group is being buij.t under its su-
pervision in Ciudad Trujillo of the
Dominican Republic. Negotiations
are in process for building and
managing other luxury hotels
throughout Europe and. the Near
East.

celled performance, some remun-
expenses such as ticket selling,
advertising, and arena rental. Luft
eration will be made of advance
has previously stated that there
will be no indemnification.

There have beeft several self-
promoted. arena one-nighters in the
past. Among them, the top gross
was scored by Liberace at Madison
Square Garden, N.Y., last summer.
Gross was approximately $65,000
for one performance, a record for
any such event. . •

■■■ . i i- i i ■

New Acts

Continued from page SI
sions, they give a- doubled Ethel
Merman that rocks the house and
alternate on Tucker, Pitff, Pearl
Bailey, Sarah Vaughan, Kitt, Dur-
ante and Traubel. Bowoff piece
finds gals in strawhats and canes
with “Me and My Shadow” doing
nostalgic bits of oldtime vaude,
softshoe, harmony and gags for
sock finish. Guyl.

HELEN DIMAGGIO

Songs

14 Mins.

Chateau Madrid, N.Y.

Helen DiMaggio, reputedly re-
lated to the baseball star of the
same name, is a looker who has a
lot of good basic training in song
stylization. Miss DiMaggio"" has
a top song selection that keeps
with the current mode and a
method of delivery that rates at-
tention. At this point, she's okay
for the intimeries, but with proper
development of her pipes could
conceivably expand her sphere of
operations.

Miss DiMaggio has an excellent
catalog which includes “Learnin’
the Blues,” "I Love to Love,”
"Lola” and a couple of others that
i gets the crowd with her. Arrange-
ments are well-tailored, but some
of them seem to restrain her un-
necessarily.- It would be to her ad-
vantage to let out at more inter-
vals for the benefit of customers in.
the outlying sections of the room.

Jose.

Ballpark Arena

Gloversville, N« Y., Aug. 2,

The former Hloversville Canadi-
an-American league club ball park,
purchased by Schtne Theatres a
few years ago, has been remodeled"
by the circuit into an amusement
and sports arena. Following reno-
vations to the grandstand, dressing
rooms and grounds, the -plant Was
renamed Glovers Park.

The opening attraction was an
all-star wrestling show. Amateur
boxing bouts have also been lined
up. For stage entertainment,
Schine has thus far booked a Grand
Ole Opry unit with Bill Monroe;
also. Tommy Sternfelds’ Teen Age
Barn (WRGJjp-TV) unit.

Greenbaum Riviera Mgr.
Pending Leasing Deal

Las Vegas, Aug. 2.

Gus Greenbaum, former Flamin-
go baron, takes over the Riviera
Hotel as managing director, pend-
ing his efforts to work out a deal
to lease the hotel from the present
ops for $1,250,000 ,a year. Step-in
under these conditions was ap-
proved last Wednesday (27) by the
new State Gambling Control
Broad.

For the interim period, Green-
baum has loaned the hotel $500,-
000. If he and his syndicate are
subsequently licensed by the state,
they can keep any gambling profit
won during the escrow period. If
not licensed, the profit goes to the
present ops. Other members of
Greenbaum’s group include Elias
Atol, Dave Berman and Joe Rosen-
berg, all former Flamingo men
during Greenbaum's reign.

Bev Hilton Imports
Beverly Hills, Cal., Aug. 2.

Bernard Hilda, European band-
leader, will front the prch at open-
ing of Beverly Hilton's Bali Room
Aug. 12. Another import, Gilbert
Becaud, French singer, has also
been booked. Set for a satirical re-
vue, “Boast of the Town,” is the
terp team of Augie & Margo.

New $17,000,000 hostelry in
Bevhills gets a tv sendoff Aug. 7
on “Colgate Variety Hour,” which
originates there with Edgar Ber-
gen and Hedda Hopper as alternat-
ing emcees.

Upbeat In Stageshows
On Paramount Circuit

Spot stageshows are hitting ah
upbeat on the Paramount circuit. "
Par booker Harry Levine has set
a second show at the Brooklyn

Paramount. He’s signed Norman
Granz and his “Jazz at the Phil-
harmonic” unit at that house for
a one-riighter on Sept. 19. Levine
booked a rock ‘n’ roll show with
Tony Bennett there for the week
of Sept. 2.

In other situations, Levine has
pacted a stager topped by Bill
Haley and his Comets at the Broad-
way-Capitol. Detroit, for three days
starting Monday (8), and has set
a rock ‘n’ roll unit at the Regal,
Chicago, on Sept. 2, with Betty
Johnson and Laverne Baker.

Rodney Subs

Continued from page 49

sented Cox's act during negotia-
tions with the hotel.

Observing Cox’s third trip out
the Dunes doors, a well-known
comedian exclaimed: “This is ri-
diculous. Where else but in Las
Vegas can a ^nationally known
television figure be tossed around
like a set of dice and At the same
time be subjected to. public ridicule
such as -Cox was?” With regards
to the latter portion of the state-
ment, the speaker was referring, to
the huge . plastic egg that was
carried onstage each night during
Cox's last try, to which “Mr.

| Peepers” would point and meekly
quip: “I laid that.”

Ih firing Cox and hiring Rooney,
hotel also settled with the Spanish
Fantasy troupe which had been
; paged to bolster the show behind
Cox. Gottesman said there was no
complaint anent Latin terpers, but
{ retaining them made the show just
a bit topheavy. Back in next to
closing slot once again is Eileen
Barton, who is able to really show
off to best advantage now. For
onener, hotel has pulled Page
Sisters from the lounge, and gals
don't do badly in an upbeat har-
mony turn.

Now Gaming Bd.

^ Continued from pace if — j

Commission, backed up by Gov.
Charles Russell, had declared It
would never give Stralla permis-
sion to operate In the state because
of his connection with a gambling
boat off the California coast sev?
real years ago. But under this set--
up, Stralla appeared On the hotel's
license only as the : general man-
ager, with no ties ih the casino,

Stralla died this week of a heart
attack at the Desert Inn. He col-
lapsed on a dice table. -Status of
his holding in the Stardust is Still
up’ in the air.

Moulin Reorg

A financial reorganization of the
Moulin Rouge was revealed to the
board by hospice’s attorney Tom
Foley the same day. Under re-
vamp, inn will borrow $900,000 on
a first mortgage. Foley also in-
fofmed the board the hotel has al-
ready borrowed $180,000 from Jack
Silverman, a Los Angeles super-
mart operator who intends to seek
a license. Meantime, the board
recommended that the Tax Com-
mission grant minor-interest li-
censes to Marvin Rubin, Louise K.
Carson, Harriet Palter and BUrton
Palter, all of . Los Angeles.

In other gambling business taken
up at its first meeting, the indus-
try's new- control board recom-
mended a 3% license, meaning, an
'investment of $144, 00Q, in the
Dunes for Kirk Kerkorian, Los An-
geles airplane dealer. Board again
deferred Benjamin Lassoff, former
Cincinnati* commission bookie,
pending further investigation of
his past associates.

Panel recommended licenses for
Murray Rothman, Sydney Broder,
Louis EllensQn, Melvin Miller, A.
J. Gordon and Morris Roseman, all
Angelenos seeking a piece of "the
New Frontier. However, the board
ordered that an estimated $1,000,-
000 belonging to some 31 other per**
sons be taken out of the inn oper-
ating fund and put into* escrow
until licenses are granted. It also
ordered T. W, “Rich” Richardson,
who has been under fire from the
C^ark County Licensing Board, to
appear for an interview.

Currently:

“THE VINCE CARSON SHOW”

WDEL-TV, Wilmington

Tuesday and Thursday, 7 PM for PLYMOUTH DEALERS

\»

WPTZ-TV, Philadelphia
Saturday, 6:30 PM for
CHRYSLER-PLYMOUTH DEALERS

“LABEL X RECORDING STAR”

Latest Release
"I LONG FOR YOU"

b/w "QUEEN OF MY LONESOME HEART"

vince carson

Opening August 5th

500 CLUB, Atlantic City

with SOPHIE TUCKER

Direction

Personal Manager:

HAROLD B. ROBINSON

6600 N. BROAD STREET
Philadelphia, Penna.

io;i Ji ' i 'i i ' i ; ' I "f 1

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

NIGHT CLUB REVIEWS

, , f

500 Club, Atlantic City

Atlantic City, July 31*
Eartha Kitt, Myron Cohen, Black-
hum Twins, “Boots ’ * McKenna
Girls (8), Jack Curtiss , Pete Miller
Orch (14) with Joe Frasetto; $5
min . Saturdays; $3 weekdays.

La Vic, N. Y.

Jackie Miles, Diahann Carroll,
Van Smith & Jovita Orchs; $5
minimum.

Monte Proser’s new La Vie is
fashioned, both physically and
bookingwise, in a flexible manner,
so that he can present a bill that
has appeal to the Copa-Latin Quar-
ter crowd as well as the habitues
of the more sophisticated east*
sideries. Current booking is such
an instance, With Jackie Miles as
headliner pulling in* the . Fla.-to-
N.Y.-and-back regulars and “Dia-
hann Carroll, fresh out of the
ingenue role in “House of Flow-
ers,” as the draw for the- sophis-
ticates and self-made talent pur-
veyors. Business looked .good
opening night (28).

This is Miss Carroll’s first nitery
appearance, and it certainly won’t
be her last. She's reviewed under
New Acts, but she’s diie to be
around for a long time. Miles, of
course, is a Gotham regular, and
one of the more consistently effec-
tive of the comics around today.
Basically a storyteller, he’s also a
master dialectician endowed with
a fine sense of . timing and a sure
feel of his audience. All but his
Closing routine, the one about the
filmgoer who watches somebody’s
seat, is ‘fresh material, though it’s
themed around the familiar Flor-
ida-Catskill-Las Vegas mores and
characters.

Despite all this, Miles wasn’t as
effective ,as he might have been on
opening night. Part of the blame
can be chalked up to a cold— some
more- to several ringside greetings
and well-wishes (exclude the one
to his young son, 'in a nightclub for
the first time on his birthday and
drawing the remark from Miles,
“See, I told you it wasn’t so bad”).
Mainly, though,- Miles neglected to
mix his material properly, leaning
too heavily on the long punch-line
stories which,/ though all of them
good, left too many long quiet
spells in the telling.- As a matter
of comparison, the closing filmgoer
bit has running gags throughout,
and more of this type could have
been used throughout the stint. A
-few quickies might also achieve
the same effect.

Van Smith Orch . did a good
showbacking job (particularly in
•that Miles bowed off with the an-
nouncement that they - backed him
without his music, which he had
forgotten). And both the Smith
combo: and the- Jovita unit filled
the- small floor nicely for the dan-
sapations. " Chan .

Stateline, Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe, July 27.
Nat (King) Cole, Allen .& De-
Wood, Stateline Girls, Sterling
Young Orch; $2 minimum.

There Was a little' doubt at the
beginning Of the summer 4 session
that Stateline could fill its new
300-seat restaurant for every show.
But they’re bringing in extra
tables for the Nat (King) Cole en-
gagement.

The program, steeped as usual
In disclicks, is familiar. It includes
all the newest things, such as "My
One Sin,” "Darling Je Vous Aime
Beaucoup” and "Sand and the
Sea.” But the most highly appre-
ciated numbers aren’t necessarily
record faves. "But Not For Me”
is a delightful entry, as is "Pick
Yourself Up.” In fact, in show
caught, biggest mitts of all were
paid for "Tea for Two,” strictly a
piano exhibit.

1 Naturally, each hit record gets
its acclaim, but for high interest,
diners listened most intently to
melodies new to the Cole treat-
ment.

Comics Marty Alien & Mitch De-
Wood bring back essentially the
same act they’ve been doing for
several seasons. With Allen robot-
ing the commands of DeWood, to
spell out "Mother,” as a bullfight-
er, and in the parts of several
characters in a detective sequence,
the team is identified. .•

. The Stateline Girls barefoot
through Hindustan to start this
trip, Mark,

El Morocco, Montreal

Montreal, July 20.
Norm Dygon, Lynn Roberts,
Maury Kaye Trio; no cover or mini-
mum.

Despite recent heat and usual
summer doldrums, Peter Van Der
North’s El Morocco continues to
draw a steady clientele and pres-
ent showcase is up to par for this
handsome boite.

Headliner Norm Dygon and his
puppet, Mr. Chips, combine to
present one of the most novel acts
ever to play Montreal, Dygon, a
former cafe pianist arid bandsinger,
intros with a song and then un-
covers his partner who is revealed
as a puppet sitting at a miniature
Stekmty* « -Working* with* a* series*

of foot pedals that .create the an-
imation and a cleverly synchron-
ized tape recording, Dygon dou-
ble# up on his ‘ pianistics and sing-
ing to create a socko illusion. Tim-
ing throughout is excellent and
tempo is kept at top pitch during
session.

Blonde Lynn Robert (ex-Dorsey)
opens show to plaudits and the
Maury Kaye trio backs songstress
and plays interlude music, /The
Kaye trio is best Combo to be heard
in this room since itmpened. Long
faves around Montreal, Kaye at the
piano is backed by the bass playing
of Hal Gaylord and Bobby Malloy
on dituns. When this room is en-
larged work starts within the
month), Kaye will baton the seven-
piece orch planned for the new
setup. - „■ Newt.

Hotel lladisson* Mpls.

Minneapolis, July 30.

Hildegarde (2), Don McGrane
Orch. (8); $2.50 minimum.

Pleasantly renewing its acquaint-
ance with Hildegarde after a four-
year . absence, cafe society here is
finding her the same sparkling en-
tertainer. And packed tables at
the Flame Room are emphatically
putting approval on her perform-
ances, which suffer nary an iota
from the fact that she didn’t bring
along her own instrumental group
this time.

An eye-filling blue-beaded mo-
diste’s creation and a becoming
hairdo help to add glamor to her
dramatic entrance, as she goes
pretty much into her familiar type
of chantoosy routine to establish
immediate rapport with the cus-
tomers. Via spoken and sung lyr-
ics she devotes much time to phil-
osophizing and advising on roman-
tic subjects and living generally,
and there’s much humor packed
into the observations.

Performer wittily kids some of
her songs as well as the tablesit-
ters and brings up a male patron
to join her in floor shenanigans
that stir merriment. In accustomed
fashion,- too, she also mentions by
name certain of the tablesitters.

New and old nunibers receive
the Hildegarde treatment and, as
to be expected, she varies the pro-
cedure by accompanying herself
briefly on the piano and indulging
in a dance caper or two. One Of
the oldips, "Wunderbar,” is espe-
cially solid. Several excursions
into French also evoked loud mitt-
pounding. After 54 minutes they
don’t want her to quit. Rees.

Black Orchid, Clil

Chicago, July 26.

Josephine Premice, Phil Gordon,
Day, Daion & Dusk, Rudy Kerpays
Duo; $4 minimum.

This is not the strongest card
ever assembled at this North Side
intimery, but for the summer dol-
drums it will suffice.

Josephine Premice tops the bill
for this three-rourtder with a live-
ly turn, seasoned with a slightly
expatriate flavor. Take one tal-
ented Negro entertainer* place in
the Parisian /jkiliet, add a dash of
Montmartre and the boulevards,
and you may get a pretty hot dish.
But sometimes it’s a little too rich,
and it is in this case. Gal opens
with "Under Paris Skies,” sung in
French, fhe effect here is over-
done and pretentious and the ac-
cent leaves something to be de-
sired. However, when Miss Prem-
ice gets down to earth and does
rather lively, salty numbers with-
out dragging the Eiffel Tower
across the floor, she rings the bell.
She is at her best when doing
"Don’t Bother Me,” “Pull. Down
Your Shades, Marie” and "Fancy
Living.” Her efforts with the se-
rious Gallic and Latino tunes don’t
come off quite as well. Miss Prem-
ice even does a calypso number
for good returns. Femme should
stick to her mugging, sexy delivery
of the lustier selections, for these
are the ones that really go over
with the crowd, prompting big
palins and two encores.

Phil Gordon sings to his own
keyboard accompaniment in the
second slot here, with an unin-
spired turn. Gordon sings special
material almost exclusively; the
tunes are lusterless, the lyrics un-
imaginative and ill-fitting, and the
delivery is cold and offkey.

Day, Dawn & Dusk open the
show with a fast, peppy singing
turn. With one on the piano, and
two fronting, trio does a hangup
job of warming up the house. The
rep is varied, and each member
has his turn in the spotlight. They
do pops like "Unchained Melody,”
special numbers with good comedy
yield like "Lo, Hear The Gentle
Lark,” a dixieland number, “When
The Saints Go Marching In,” and
wrap up with a revival-type spirit-
ual in which the audience joins in,
clapping and beating the tam-
bourines passed out to them.

The Rudy Kerpays Duo provides
the usual excellent showback.

Flamingo, La9 Vegas

Las Vegas, July 28.
Gisele MacKenzie, Alan King,
Goofers (5), Flamingo Starlets
(12), Teddy Phillips Orch (12 >;
$2 minimum.

With all Strip palaces showing
their big. nam'e trump- cards for
August to grab the tourist trade
at its peak, the Flamingo gambles
with chantoosie Gisele MacKenzie,
never before allotted a headline
throne in Vegas. Her popularity
as Hit Parade thrush, plus overall
layout, including comic Alan King
and the galvanic Goofers, might-
turn the trick to keep this spa up
with the rest of' the Joneses on the
greenfelt belt.

In her debut here us topliner,
and showing obvious expensive
preparation, *Miss MacKenzie does
an admirable job. ; Although her
thrashing is pert and she succeeds
in putting over most of her song
display, there remains the slicing
down of ‘extra gatflbetween num-
bers to "maintain the hot pace set
by the Goofers and Alan King.

In the song department Miss
MacKenzie has the knowhow and
savvy to sell a pleasing variety oi
tunes. A light, airy special, "Look
What Happened to Me,” launches
the songspiel, followed by "Un-
chained Melody,” to head into an-
other special, “Gotta Have the
Right Singer for the Right Song.”
In this she trills “Doggie in the
Window” as a MOzartean aria;
Marilyn Monroe bleating "I Saw
Mommy, Etc.,” and a hillbilly
twanging of "Auf Wiedersehn”— ■
all good for a few twitter# and fair
salvo.

She rides out of this by socking
over her current disclick, “Hard
To Get,” and moves into a song
definitely in her metier, the lively
"Le Fiacre.” Her command of
Gallic nuances is flawless. Iml
"Vaya con Dios,” she displays still
another facet by performing a
czardas on the violin. Resounding
applause for this feat cues. Hit
Parade tunes, winding up with "So
Long for a While,” solid puncher.

King is home in this room. No
longer pressing in the effort to sell
his material, he confidently eases
into his batch of funny routines,
including Vegas jabs. His yock-
makers on parents and kids, tv and
general off-the-cuff cuties earn
kingsie returns.

Goofers rev up the decibel count
quickly with their mad tootling
and acro-antics. Prime spot is
loaded with tumult, led by diminu-
tive trombonist Jimmy Dell, with
cohorts Jack Holliday, piano and
trumpet; Tommy Terry, bass;
Jimmy Vincent, drums, and Frank
Nichols, trumpet.

Dell and Terry have the flash
aero assignments climaxed by a
wild swinging on trapeze while,
blowing their horns. Quint cap-
tures terrif mitting all the way and
begoff is a ridiculous ,softshoe rib.

Ron Fletcher’s Flamingo Star-
lets are on a bolero kick with cur-
tain-upper in that tempo, with
Latino .beats emphasized by Mau-
reen Sullivan and warbler Don Mc-
Kay fronting the chicks and guys.
Finale features Miss MacKenzie in
"Silk & Satin” chirping plus her
divestiture through Colonial cos-
tume, period* pantaloons, ahd the
torso-gam windup in flimsy leotard
— quite unnecessary in view of the
impression left via her songs a few
moments before. Teddy Phil-
lips orch hits the cues competently.

Will.

Nautilus* Miami Beach

Miami Beach, July 29.
Rudy Vallee, Antone & Ina , Syd
Stanley Orch; $2.50-$3.50 minimum.

n # * • « a •> <

Rudy Vallee hasn't been seen in
these parts for several years; his
last showcasings hereabouts were
along the nightclub circuit. With
this stand at one of the more pop-
ular hotel-cafe locations, he is
marking up the happy-cash-regls-
ter score that means return en-
gagement offers from the plentiful
assortment of hostels featuring
acts throughout the year.

The durable ex-megaphoner,
looking as youthful as in his de-
pression years heyday, works in
assured, *asy manner to hold the
tablers in a room which has fea-
tured many of the present day
song-belters. The tonal quality is
still soft, with no striving for the
upper reaches, applied to the run-
down-through-the-years ‘ of his ca-
reer, via limning of the songs he
introed during the varied phases
of his long career in show biz.

The older generation finds them
nostalgic; the younger set takes to
his straight, simple delivery for an
overall plus for the hour-long stint
he purveys. New is the blending
in of a plentiful group of stories,
most of them pitched on the Irish-
Jewish dialect. They’re sometimes
blue-sometimes familiar, but ' jell,
thanks to ease of style and tim-
ing. Vallee credits local favorite
Charlie Farrell for much of the
t materials - tv tee* •move; * FarrelFs’

collection of yarns are, by now,
trademarked along the hotel cir-
cuit here. Overall, it’s a pleasant
hour of entertainment, low pres-
sured but earning satisfying re-
turns from the tabpayers. ,

Antone & Ina, house dancers,
spin out a neat group of ballroom
patterns in the teeoff spot. Syd
Stanley and his orch rate bows
for their ace accomps on the Val-
lee arrangements. Lary.

' *

Bal Tabarin, Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe, July 27.
Lena Horne, Dave Barry, Helene
Hughes Dancers, Dick Foy Orch;
$2 minimum.

Spotlight is on the Bal for this
mid-season booking. The reserva-
tions are backed up to the door.
Bosses wish Lena Horne were
available for the rest of the sum-
mer. ■ -

Hobbled in her. tight gowns, she
is- unrestricted in her intimate lyr-
ics. Teeth clenched and eyes nar-
rowed, fists clenched and body
bouncing, she puts up an irrefuta-
ble argument for such subjects as
"I Love to Love” and "Love is the
Thing.”

In a new era (for Miss Horne at
least) where payees insist on ac-
knowledging disclicks in the first
few bars, this appears to be a lit-
tle disconcerting to her.. Record
artists usually respond to the
quick mitts with a smile and a
nod, but on "Love Me or Leave
Me,,” Miss Horne, already deep in
the mood, probably wishes the aud
would contain itself jto the end.

Comic Dave Barry has a "re-
laxed” but hilarious time of it. In
a sort of close beLween-the~two-of-
us delivery, he clicks steadily with
his stuff. His “salute” to the wom-
en in the audience is a splendid
cjfimax to his stint.

The Bal gals are encumbered in
two routines by their large num-
ber on the small stage, but mostly
by too many frills. Mark.

E«ld.ys’,n. r.

Kansrs City, July 22.

June Valli, Paul Sydell, Les
Harding Orch (8); $1 cover. ,

Pop songstress June Valli heads
up: the current session at Eddys’
Restaurant, coupled with Paul Sy-
dell and his trained pups for a
good parlay. It’s the first club date
for Miss Valli in K. C. and she
makes out okay.

Handling the m.c. chores, Les
Harding has Sydell on first, with
his three mutts, <■ two fox terriers
and a Chihuahua, running through
some acrobatic and comedy antics.
Sydell’s is an accomplished turn,
gets a big hand in a brief 10 min-
utes.

For : her share Miss Valli has
nearly 30 minutes to warble eight
songs, including her Victor disks
and current hits. Her new waxing,
"A Kiss Like Yours,” earns a hefty
response from the house, as does
her version of “Something’s Gotto
Give” and "Sweet and Gentle.”
She keeps it lively all the way,
with Jack Elliott handling the key-
board, and closes to generous hand
from the house. .. Quin.

Shoreham Hoiel, Wash.

Washington, July 26.

“Circus Time ” revue, with Betty
Barnes, Connie Thomas, Carl Marx,
Los Romerjos & Lolita (3), Bob
Davis, Douglas Rinshaw and Ian
Bruce, Shoreham Ballerinas (6),
Singing Strings (12 ), Bar nee Orch;
cover $2. .

Eartha Kitt, in her first appear-
ance in Paul D’Amato’s 500 Club,
is packing them in. Sultry singer
gets underway with "I Wanna Be
Bad,” with background music by
her own trio, piano, guitar and
drums, plus bistro band. Moves
into sophisticated "Aprez Mol;”
and is off after challenging "Come
by Sunday and Spend Some Time
With Me.” ^

Brought back by continued mitt-
ing, she wows . with oldies "Lets
Fall in Love,” "I’m Yours, All
Yours” and "What is This Thing
Called Love.” Popular "C’est Si
Bon,” offered in French, is her
final offering, and with a third
evening show coming up she re-
fuses repeated calls for more.

Singer follows Myron ‘ Cohen,
teller of, dialect stories who seems
to improve with age. Caught many
times as he appeared at this club
or at other spots during season,
Cohen was never better. Each
yarn wins more yocks and as he
begs, off, Cohen has payees yelling
for more.

Blackburn. Twins score with vo-
cals, patter and hoofing with mir-
ror number featured. . Identical
twins, pair have nice routine with
one playing mirror for other in
neat skit.

Well-knit show is completed
with two numbers by the Boots
McKenna dancers, with Jack Cur-
tiss do’ng the vocals as well as
emcee > i the entire show. Walk .

Hotel Muelilehaeh 9 K. €.

Kansas City, July 20.
George Arnold's (, Rhythm on
Ice” with George Arnold, June &
Bob Ballard, Larry Ellis , Claudia
Shaw, Phyllis Hurst, Eloise Dunn,
Elvira Arnold; Tommy Reed Orch
(8)'; $1 cover.

This is by all odds the most
imaginative of the series of revues
which have played the Shoreham
Terrace and the hotel's Blue Room
in the past 15 months. It sustains
the mood of its title with few ex-
ceptions, from the moment the
entire cast marches among the
terrace tables to the stage, to the
prancing tune of calliope played
by maestro Barnee. During- the
show, before it and after, Carl
Marx in clown costume with a
bulbous nose which lights up,
meanders through the big outdoor
room, joking with the guests;

An unusual feature, "Leopards
and Lions,” has Bob Davis, Douglas
Rinshaw and Ian Bruce, dressed
as lions, dance with Alice Moreno,
Pat McDonald and Sally Edwards*]
of the ballet unit, as the leopards.

Betty Barnes, a newcomer to the
Shoreham, plays the part of a
lonely girl at the circus and does
a deep-voiced rendition of "Some-
one Meant for Me” which is effec-
tive. As animal trainei’s are the
fine Spanish dance trio, Los Ro-
meros & Lolita; Connie Thomas; a
flashy platinum blonde, thumps out
a piano solo. .

The Shoreham Ballerinas also
score in a dance imitating the
prancing act of a troupe of circus
ponies, while the Singing Strings
— the Shoreham’s unit of 12 violins
-—and Barnee’s orch cut loose as
hthe- circus’ band.* ‘Lowe -. • *»

Ice shows have had a pleasant
success in the past in the fancy
Terrace GriU of the Muehlebach,
and this entry is living up to all
expectations. Arnold presented his
ice productions in this room for
nine months a few years back, and
again is off to a healthy start. Biz
is good in the room.

The Arnold formula calls for an
ice show irt capsule form, a flash
of girls and costumes, figure skat-
ing, ballet and adagio. It’s all in
this package presented in a fast-
moving 35 minutes with orch
leader Tommy Reed lending his
m.c. talents and leading his crew
in apt support.

Arnold leads his own troupe with
a. trio of specialties interlaced in
the route. Four cover girls in lavish
black costumes set the. pace and
make way for Bob & June Arnold
an.d their adagio lifts and spins.
Claudia Shaw has a session for
figure skating, and Arnold follows
with his own whizzing around the
miniature rink, 15 by 18 feet.

Ballards combine with Arnold
for a terp-adagio routine, and June
Ballard takes a solo stint. Midway,
singer Larry Ellis is on for a trio
of vocals, changing the pace and
providing a breathing spell for the
skating members. They return to
a second half with an entry by the
cover girls, new bits by the Bal-
lards and Arnold and a windup
with the entire company on the'
rink. Show is well supported by
the customers throughout. Quin.

Chateau Madrid, Y.

Helen DiMaggio, Estrellita &
Raul, Chiquita Sisters (2), Oscar
Calvet Orch; minimums $3.50, $5.

Angel Lopez has lined up a
fairly attractive act twosome to
tide him over during the hot spell.
In Helen DiMaggio, who comes
from the same town as the noted
baseballers (more of her under
New Acts), and Estrellita & Raul,
are elements that should hit home
to most of the mambo aficionados
who haunt, that spot. The regulars
in the show remain the Chiquita
Sisters, formerly a trio now down
to two, who act as a line in opening
and closing the show. They come
an en point to a ballet adaptation
of a foils dance, and close with the
peppery terps of the Latin set.

• Estrellita & Raul are good
flamencoists. They work with
vigor and imagination and have
a series of good, authentic routines.
The duo is similarly good as
soloists, knocking off a single-o
each to show individual talents.
Their top numbers are a bulerias
and a jota, each showing fine
peasant flavor and working up to
maximum mittings.

The Oscar Calvet band backs the
show excellently and provides an
incentive to the mambonicks.

Jose.

PfiSilEfY

.Wednesday, August 3, 1955

WEEK OF AUGUST I

Numerals in co.nnacNon-wIth bill* below indicate opening day of show
whether full or spilt week

Letter ip parentheses Indicates circuit. (I) Independent; <L> LOew; <M) Moss;
4 P) Paramount; <R> RKO> (S) Sfoll; (T) Tivoli; (W) Warner ,

MfAMI-MIAMI BEACH

Clover crub Empress Hotel

NEW YORK CITY
Music Hall (1) 4

Tessa Sraallpage
Marquis Ac Family
Manor 8t Mignon
Rockettes
Corps de Ballet
6ym Ore

Palace <R) 5
George Wong Tp
Tanya . _ •

R Wyse Jr & J
Mann

Nancy McDonald
Chris Cross

Marflelds
M Rosenbloom Ac H
McMahon
La Flotte 2
CHICAGO
. Chicago (P) S
Art Mooney Band
Somethin' Smith Ac
: Redheads
Elsa Ac Waldo
Edyle Gorme
DETROIT
B'way-Capltol
S-10

Bill Haley Comets

<P>

AUSTRALIA

MELBOURNE A
Tivoli (T) Ada, I
Winifred Atwell
Eddie Vitch
Canfield Smith
Joe Church
4 Hellos .
Romaine A Claire
Los Caballeros
Robert O'Donnell

Fay Agnew
Maureen Hudson
Wendy Layton

2 Nudes

3 Dancing Boys
12 Ballet Girls

SYDNEY
, Tivoli <T) •
Hohner Sym
Accordian Ore

BRITAIN

ASTON >
Hippodrome (I) 1

lack Lewis
>onny Dawkes
Sarry Webb
Vlelo-Mass
iazel Lewis Girls
BIRMINGHAM
Hippodrome (M) 1
VI Read
I Buffoons
5 St F Kay? . -
Ulan Kemble Ac C
i'rank Cook .

Vilen Ac Albee Sis
treaty Tp,

V & B Black „
Opera House (I) 1
ewel & Warrisa
Vlma Cogan
, Hurricanes
)dette Crystal
i Flying De Pauls
ohn Tiller Girls
i Singing Debs
layfair Melody
Makers
^red Kitchen
>orothy Dampier
larbara Evans
latalie Raine
palace (D 1
,ittle Cedric
Yacker

;nuffy Hargraves
»ercy Perkins
Skyliners % «

danger Bros
'ommy Reilly
ensational Skylons
tayne ,

•ih-Boult

rower Circus Cl) 1
!. Cairoll Ac Paul
(arry Bell Lons
iuglas Rosemayer
luerres Sea Lions
cipllnl Chimps
Inies 6 Baby E
ramp Tampo
Amandis
hies Horses
Uban Boys
Darty Dorrept
ot Pourri
ilcetty-
Orfatis

ranees • Duncan
ower Circusettes
immy Scott
ittle Jimmy

/Inter Gardens (I) 1

avid Whitfield

nheln Girl
iers

Waddington
lie 8c Gordon
l Irvin
Belles
ta Lowdon
de Haven
lOSCOMBE
jodrome (M) 1
Haig

i Cordeau
: Hart

ny Ashworth
r Seaforth
Brooks
mony 3
nan Fisher
is

BRADFORD
lambra (M) 1
Locke
V Shelley
•y Wainer
har ■ 2

;rs 8c Fielding
S Sherry
Moreno
BRIGHTON
odrome (M) 1
! Secombe
Z Marvl
Milligan -
;tt 8c Del Rio
Brown
or Bros
Geldray
Martell

s Gordon 8c N
BRISTOL
>odrome (S) 1
Cotton
8c Ladd
ans Collies
ai Bros
nan 8c Jackson
iirs

BRIXTON
npress (1) 1
e Vane
Montague
o Mzelles
CHELSEA
'alace (I) 1
r Lesters

i 3

jrecambe

Daughters

SWICK
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Lotis

Jui’don 8c
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Melita
SRBY
rome (S) 1
'erguson
Sc Marina
shie

nnard *
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:r Bar

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Qualnq

Connor & Drake
Rey Overbury 8c S
Dickie Dawson
Sonny Roy
SOUTHAMPTON
„ Grand (I) l
Jack Anton
Ross 8c Ranaya
Desmond Lane
Ranori Bros
Ken Roland

Jane Shore Co
Silver Della Girls
SUNDERLAND
Empire (M) 1
Ray Burns
Les TraverSbs
Billy McGuffle
J 3c S Lamonte
Roy Lester
Margerltc 8c Charles
Dowler 8c Rogers
K 8c J Stuthard

Cabaret Bills

NEW YORK CITY

Roy Mack
Jackson Bow 8c D
EAST HAM
Grenada (I) 1
M 8c B West
Billy Baxter
Rogers At Doves
Tommy Burke Co
Windy Blow
Metropolitan
Cliff Gay
Ivy Barrie
Ben Dudley
4 Step Bros
Llsbet

Ronnie Marshall
Keith Leggett
Jay McGrath
Roy Adrian
8 Lovelies

Palace (t) 1
Joe Poynton
T 8c M Deleste
Melody Maids
Frankie Paige
Louise

Michael Skinner
Valeria Glunne
Les Sullivan
Pamelia Rods
FINSBURY PARK
Empire (M) i
A1 Martino
Teddy Foster Bd
Renee Dymott
George Martin
Theda Sis
Iris Sadler

GLASGOW
Empire (M) 1 *
Ronnie. Hilton
Valdettes
Devine 8c King
2 Pirates
Eddie Arnold
E 8c H Sixe
Sallci Puppets
Benson Dulay Co

HACKNEY
Empire <S) \
Dorothy Squires
Max Bacon
Johnny Lackwood
Johnny Franks 8
Joan Hinde’

2 Phillys
Dancettes

LEEDS
Empire (M) 1
Shane Ac Lamar
David Hughes
Marvellos
Jackie

Chic Murray Ac M
Harry Worth
Jerry Allen 3
Jack Francois
Alan Rowe

LIVERPOOL
Empire .(M) 1 ■
Norman Wisdom
Jerry Desmondc
Holger Ac Dolores
Cristianis'

Arnaiit 3

LONDON
Palladium (M) 1
Guy Mitchell
Ravlc Ac Babs
Billy De Wolfe
Medlocke Ac
Marlowe
Radio Revellers
Jimmy Wheeler
Gaston Palmer
George Carden
Dancers

Wilson Kepoel Ac B
NEWCASTLE
Emolre (M) 1
Issy Donn
Lita Roza
Jimmy Jeff 8c June
Morris Ac Cowley

3 Menares
Roger Carnes

3 Nissens .

Arnold Ac Warren
Patsy Silva

NORTHAMPfON
New (I) 1
Tommy Godfrey
Dee

Carol Gay .

Lyndons

Lotus Ac Toiya Kee
Jackson Ac Collins
Don Nichols
Mont Lomas Lovlies
NORWICH
Hippodrome (I) 1
Harry Rowson
Phil RiyerS
Maureen Comfort
John Kenwood
Dickie Bird
Grayson Cousins
NOTTINGHAM -
Empire (M) ,

Don Peters ....
Bobby Collins
G H Eilldtt
L Gordon Girls

4 Ramblers
Walthon Ac Dorralne
Hackford Ac Doyle
Bunty St Clair
Authors Ac Swlnson

PORTSMOUTH
Royal’ CM) 1
Diana Decker
Cooper Twins
Jones Ac Arnold
Archie Elray
Tommy Fields
Allen Bros Ac J
David Bergals
Eddie Lynn
SHEFFIELD
Empire CM) 1
Danny Purehes
McAndrews Ac Mills

ViCj jPlprrXj r j, , *

( •'ill? •»•(■' i ) t :>»

Basin si
Calvin Jackson
Blrdland
Count Basie
Bon Sale
Jimmy Komack
Portia Nelson
Gerald Cook
Mae Barnes
3 Flames
Jimmy Daniels
Chateau Madrid
Estrellita Ac Raul
Chiqulta Sia
Oscar Calyet
Composer
Cy Coleman
Ralph Sharon \
Embers
Geo Shearing
No. • Fifth .Ave
Donn Gordon
Cook Ac Corey
Bob Downey
Harold Fonvilld
Hazel Webster
Hotel Roosevelt
Alan Holmes Oro-
Hotel Teft
Vlnrent Lopez’ Ore
Latin Quarter
Joey Adams
A1 Kelly
Tony Ac Eddie
Luclenne Ac Ashour
Bill Bailey
Patti Ross
Betty George
Roger Steffan
Alan Conroy
John Bartls
John Delaney
B Harlowi- Ore
La Vie
Jackie Miles
Diahann Carroll
Van Smith Ore
Belmbnte Ore

Le Cuplden
Nancy Steele
. Old Roumanten
Sadie Banks
Joe Laporte Ore
D’Aquila Ore
Park Sheraton
Milt Herth Trio
Tina Prescott
Patio

Ann Moray
Rosalinda

Versailles

■‘Come As You Are'
Connie Sawyer
Charles Mannu
Dick Smart
Paul Lynde
Joan Carroll
Bill Mullikin
Jimmie Russell
Betty Logue
Inga Swenson
Johnny Lavcrty
Franca Baldwin
Salvatore Gioe Ore
Panchlto Ore
Viennese Lentern
Sandra Kiraly
Bela Bizony Ore
Ernest Schoen Ore
Vllleqe Barn
Danny Davis
Marilyn Murphy
Rachel Ellen
Sizzlers

Morty Reid Ore
Waldorf-Astoria
Xavier Cugat Ore
Abbe Lane
Peiro Bros
Garcias
Mischa Borr
Village Vanguard.
Ada Moore
Enid Mosier
Steel Trio
C Williams Trio

CHICAGO

.Black Orchid

Josephine Premise
Phil Gordon
Day, Dawn Ac Dusk
. Blue Angel
"Voodoo Calypso"
Obu'ba „

Shango Dancers
Venita

Vivi Velasco
Joe

Blue Note

Erroll Garner Trio
Chet Baker Quintet
Chez Paree
Dorothy Collins
Miami Beach
Combers

Brian Farnon Oro
Cloister Inn
Jo Ann Miller
Lurlene Hunter

Roy Bartram
Dick Marx
Johnny. Frigo
Conrad Hilton
“Carnival On Ice”
Fred Hirschfeld
Le Due Bros
LoU . Folds
Johnny Lee
The Ogelvies
Victor Charles
Dave Parks
Robert Lenn
The Tattlers
Boulevar-Dears Ac
Boulevar-Dons
F Masters Ore
Palmer House
Lisa Kirk
Dominique
Larry Logan
Charlie Fisk Ora

lOS ANGELES

Ambassador Hotel

Yma Sumac
Freddy Martin Ore
Band Box
Billy Gray
Leo Diamond
Vivianne Lloyd
Voluptua

Bar of Music
Dave Apollon
Ruthie James
Mack Twins
Blltmore Hotel
Morey Amsterdam
Helen O’Connell
The Houcs
Hal Derwin Oro
Ciro's

Kay Brown
Dupree Trio
Clark Bros.

The Happy Jesters
B Ramos Rhumba B
Dick Stabile Oft
Crescendo
Billy Daniels

Jackie Farrell
Stan Meyers Ore
Mocambo
Edith Piaf
Paul Hebert Ore.
Joe Castro Ore

Moulin Rouge

Frank Llbuse
Margot Brandcr
.Miss Malta Ac Co
Doubledaters (4)
Mazzone-Abbott
Jerry LaZarre
Ffollidt Charlton
Tony Gentry
Gaby Wooldridge
Luis Urbina
Frank Libuse-
Margot Brandcr
Statler Hotel
Profes'r Backwards
Eugenie Baird
Rollo Ac Creasy
A1 Donahue Ore
Belay.'e Trio

LAS VEGAS

Dunes

Magic Carpet RVe
Mickey Rooney >
Eileen Barton
Joey Foreman
Zerbys

Helene Stanley
Jose D.uval
Jaye Rubanoff ore
Flamingo

Giselle MacKcnzle
Alan King
Goofers

Ron Fletcher Dncrs
Teddy Phillips Ore.

, Sands
Rob’t. Merrill
Louis Armstrong
A Morrelli Ore
. Desert Inn
’Ted Lewis
Doriri -AYdAh Dncrs
Carlton Hayes Ore
New Frontier
Ann Sothern
Escorts
Bob Williams
Dassis

Venus Vamps
Robert Alton Dncrs
Garwood Van Ore
Thunderblrd
Dorothy Collins
Don Tannen
Los Gatos-
Barney Rawlings
Tliunderbird Dncrs
A1 Jahrts Ore
Royal Nevada
Ben Blue
Denise Darccl
Sid Fields
Sammy Wolfe
Coronet Dancers
Jerry f

G Tapps Dncrs
El Rancho Vegas
Joe E. Lewis
Nejla Ates
Marti Stevens
Billy Daniel
Ted Flo Rito Oro
SChara
Dennis Day
T Ac P Rodriguez
WonderbOy John
Cee Davidson Ore
Riviere
Spike Jones
Hal Bclfer
Ray Sinatra Ore
Sherman Hayes Ore
i Showboat
Joe Cappo
Patti Waggin
Showboat Girls
Woody Woodbury
Golden Nugget
Nat Young
Bob Braman 3
Joyce Collins 3
Moulin Rouge
Stump Ac Stumpy
Geo Kirby
Toni Harper
Hines Bros
Flamingos
Rosita Davis
B. Carter Ore
Silver Slipper
Hank Henry
Haller Girls
Appletons
Sparky Kaye
George Redman Ore
. El Cortez
Harmonlcats
Lenny Gale
Lucky Girls

$«pes [Or?

Herb Lynn
Novelaires
Vera Roberts
Nino Nazarro .
Tony Lopez Ore
Sans Souel Hotel
Lenny Kent
Freddy Calo Ore
Ann Herman Dors

Bombay Hotel

Phil Brito
Ava Williams
Peter. Mack .

Fontainebleau
June Valli
Gil Lamb
R Ac E Reyes
Sacasas Ore
Balmoral Hotel
Enrica Ac Novello
Sonny Kendis Ore
Wayne Carmichael
Nautilus Hotel
Antone Ac Ina
Jayne Manners
Eddie Schaefer
Syd Stanley ’ Ore
5 O'Clock
Tommy Raft
H. S. Gump
Parisian Rev

Stuart Ac Samara
Mandy Carapo Ore
Jack Kerr

Club Calvert
Laverne Baker
Pat- Ross
Goldfield Ore
Saxony Hotel
Alan Dean
Fay DeWitt
Ayne Barnett "Ore
Johnny Silvers Ore
Sea Isle Hotel
S Hoffman Ore
Patsy Abbott
500 Club
Preacher Rollo 5
Sid Kamen

Vanity Fair
Linda Bishop
'Sapinly Walsh
.-Mandy Vizoso Ore
Vince Neist 3
Sorrento Hotel
Alan Kole Ore
Johnine Hotel
Bill Harris Quintet
Bob Savage Trio
Roney Plaza
Juan Ac Jose Cortez
Ore

Beachcomber
Billy .Daniels

-Warner, Atantie City

Atlantic City, July 31‘.
Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians
<50) present u Hear! Hear!,” fea
turing Glee Club , orch and soloists ;
$3.*40, $2.40, $1,35/

Troplcana

Rosita Fornes
Armando Bianchl
Henry Boyer
Leonela Gonzalez
Raul Diaz
Gladys Robau
Troplcana Ballet
S de Espana Orq

RENO

Mapes Skyroom

Chico, Harpo Marx
Lois Ray
Ann Weldon
Skylets

Eddie Fitzpatrick
New Golden
Royal Guards

LAKE

Bal Tabarln
Dick Contino
Jackie Kannon
Kirby Stone
Helene Hughes ders
Dick Foy ore
Biftmora

Dorothy Dandrldgo
Billy . Williams 4
Donn Ardon Dcrs
Del Courtney Ore

Cal-Nova

Robert Lamouret
Sonny Howard
Holly Warren
Wonder Ac Banks .

Don Deltair

HAVANA

S Suarez Orq
A Romeu Ora
Montmartre
Los Chavales
Trinl Reyes
Juliette & Sandor
Ivette dela Fuente
Casino Playa Orq
Fajardo Orq

Jay Lawrence
D. Kramer Dcrs. .
Will Osborne Oro
' Riverside -
Marguerite Piazza
Gloria' Ac Jaro York
Starlets (8)

BU) Clifford Ore

TAHOE

Cal Nevettes
Matty Malneck Ore
Colonial
Halfbacks

Harrahs Club
Three Suns
Russ Byrd
Alvina Rey
Statellne
Jack Carson
Wilder Bros .
Allen Ac DeWood
Statellne Girls
Sterling Young Ore
Wagon Wheal
Ink Spots
Eastman Trio

‘Camera’

Continued from, page 1

tliat there’s promiscuity without
punishment.”

The PC A prez said he has a de*
tailed answer ready for the MPAA
board. He states: “I’m firmly con-
vinced we are entitled to Code ap j
proval because we have a very mild
picture. I firitily endorse the prin-
ciple of the Code but it must be
administered properly.”

Schwartz made these points in
a private conversation with a re-
porter-—

(1) There was' promiscuity in
“ From Here to Eternity ” ( involv-
ing a married woman, whereas the
loose femme in " Camera ” is un-
earned) and Warners * u Battle
Cry”

(2) There was extensive discus-
sion of abortion in Paramount *s

People Will Talk” and it’s barely
touched upon in “ Camera ”

(3) The dialog in 20 th-Fox’s
" Seven Year Itch” has fur more
“shock” than " Camera ”

(4) As for the concept, now
quoting Schwartz , “ You cannot re-
duce sin by pretending it doesn’t
exist. It’s bitter to show why it
exists and this we do by showing
how it happened in Berlin”

“Camera’s focal point is Miss
Harris, who has no qualms about
engaging in free love with a num-
ber of characters, the one exce-
tion being her more or less
steady” boyfriend. Pic preems at
Walter Reade’s Mayfair Theatre,
Asbury Park, tomorrow (Thurs.).
The N. Y. bow is set for next Mon-,
day at the Little Carnegie and this
is to be followed by numerous
other spots around the . country.

Continued-, fi‘Om page 3

r v»:

the number two exchange. Chicago
is third, San .Francisco is fourth,
Philadelphia is in fifth place. Bos-
ton now is 10th with 20th, but Dal-
las is sixth.

With the exception of Universal,
a study undertaken by the general
sales managers committee of the
companies shows that New York
is the prime revenue-producing ex-
change in the entire country. In
U’s case, Dallas taken precedence
over N.Y, Los Angeles rates second
with 20th, Warner Bros, and Col,
and third with U and Paramount.
In Par's case, Chicago takes second
place and with U it’s N.Y. for the
number two spot.

Not a single branch is uniform
with all distribs. Charlotte comes
closest to it. It’s in 11th place wjth
every distrib except Paramount
which rates Jacksonville 11th and
Charlotte 14th.

a ti i r S'S ui;i' !V u a » ■ a

Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians
are . offering the premiere of
“Hear! Hear!” in this ' mammoth
4,200-seater Warner (28-<2) as
George 1 Hamid and son launch into
the second and final phase of a
test which will show whether their
newly-acquired house will do bet-
ter with live shows of this calibre
or motion pictures during the sea-
son. Show is scheduled for New
York’s Ziegfeld Theatre itt the fall.

Waring takes favorites • from
categories which range- through
folk, sacred numbers, old songs,
college pieces, love songs, some
longhair and skillfully blends them
into a 150-minute musical' extrava-
ganza which is simply music in the
Waring mood at its best.

To tv viewers it is a familiar
pattern, plus the beautiful light-
ing effects made possible by skill
fully maneuvered spots, and the
colorful costumes of the perform
ers, particularly the vocalists. War-
ing is on stage for the full 2 Vz
hours and introduces all numbers
and, artists.

Waring’s familiar theme song,
“Sleep,” opens with audience par-
ticipating in “Where in the World
but in America” ‘which quickly
follows.

Outstanding a n d real show-
stopper is Frank Davis, familiar
Negro tenor on Waring programs,
in an original version of “God’s
Trombone.” a musical setting for
several Negro sermons by the
Rev. James Weldon Johnson.
Davis dramatically narrates the
story of the Creation, assisted by
the Glee Club, using his fine tenor
voice to conclude the number.

Beautifully done, too, is a set-
ting of songs of the great religions,
including a. Mormoh hymn, -a He-
brew chant, a sample of the 11th
Century Georgian, a Salvation
Army hymn, with the stirring
“Faith of Our Fathers” concluding.

Most of the Waring favorites ap-
pear in solo spots, with Leoiiarcl
Kranendonk and his son Bob,
Waring’s son Fred Jr., : Gordon
Goodman, Lou and Jean Eley,
George Geyer, Preshie Stone, Car*
ol Kelsey, Bob Sands, Ruth Best,
Rosalie Randall,' Poley McClintock,
Dee , Harless, “Uncly Lumpy”
Brannum, Jack Best, Patti Beems,
Rau Sax and Fred Culley again
proving their talents to the live
audience.

Outstanding also Is the oldtime
Minstrel circle with Frank Davis
as the interlocutor and the effec-
tive use of strob during the black-
out.

Parts of the “Nutcracker Suite”
waxed for Decca by the Waring
organization are outstandng too.
Norma Douglas, pianist-comedi-
enne. offers “Darktown Strudders’
Ball,”- in a swift change of pace.

-The instrumentalists and vocal-
ists offer scores of old and new
sons skillfully and artistically ar-
ranged and sung by the Waring
organization, which makes for a
show that towards the end seems
a bit too much of a good thing.
There is little in the field of music
Which is not touched, the simplic-
ity of the sacred songs at die time
bringing on folk tunes or takeoffs
on longhair at another.

At one time the Glee club uses
the rising musicians’ platform at
the Warner as they offer songs un-
der—the college category. Other-
wise the vast Warner stage is filled
with strings on one side, brass on
the other, with vocalists centered.

Music lovers who for years have
made the Waring name a house-
hold word as they watched his
shows over the tv networks, or
caught . the show live on one its
many tours, will not be disappoint-
ed in this one. It has everything
the others had, with new twists
to give that needed versatility,
and, above , all, talented artists
whose worth has long been ac-
knowledged, and who show no
sign of slipping. Walk.

Palace, N. V*

James & Jardine Williams, Gene
Jimae, Ricki Dunn, Billy Fields,
Rex Ramer & Eilene, Roberto &
Alicia, Wally Brown, Alfredo Lan-
don & Midgets (4), Jo Lombardi
Orch; “ Scarlet Coat ” {Metro), re-
viewed in Variety June 22, *55.

Tidy package of well-balanced
acts gives the Palace Theatre a
hot-weather treat in the current
stanza and should represent a:
better-than-average draw. There
are no great stars on the bill, but
eajC{i{.<>4 $hq e^tyt^pas contribute?

to keep customers happy. Of the
eight, one — Ricki Dunn — is re-
viewed under New Acts.

James 5? Jardine Williams are a
terp team with a lot of style and
their “Tea for Two” softshoe
routine is an applause^getter. Their
Apache dance shows ’em off to
good advantage. ,Gene Jimae man-
ages to tnake his harmonica sound
like an orch and shapes as poten-
tial competish to Larry Adler. His
“Ghost Riders in the Sky” and
“Rhapsody in Blue” are virtuoso
naturals and earn the youngster"
plenty mitting.

Billy Fields’ crooning is helped
by a big voice but could stand a
more personalized approach, pos-
sibly a better line of patter. His
selections aren't outstanding, hut
he does a nice job with “Gonna
Live Till I Die.” Rex Ramer &
Eilene bring the English variety
stage touch to the Palace boards
with Ramer offering a standout act
via his various voice imitations. His
bagpipe exit with Eilene has ’em
begging for more.

Roberto & Alicia somehow make
their flamenco numbers seem tame.
Wally Brown, a vet comic with a
smooth line of patter and some
moderately off-color jokes, gets
plenty of yocks after a slow start.
He’s a performer who grows on his
audience as he goes along in a
deceptively casual, almost ad lib
style. Alfredo Landon & His
Midgets comprise a good tumbling
and comedy acrobatic act that goes
over well as a winder. ■- Hift.

San Sebastian Fete

Continued from pace 2

shown every afternoon and every
night, during the seven-day of
fete.

Exhibited but not in the compe-
tition were Disney’s “20,000
Leagues Under the Sea” and Uni-
versal’s “Private War ot Major
Benson.” England’s entry was
Doctor in House.”

The thespian department was
represented by France’s Jacque-
line Plessis and Elizabeth Manet;
Portugal’s Antonio Vilar and
Virgilio Texeira; Mexico’s Ruben
and Gustavo Rojo; Brazil’s Alberto
Ruchel; the U. §.’s Ramsay Ames;
and Spain’s Paquita Rico, Carmen
Sevilla, Francisco Rabal, Emma
Pennella, Alberto Closas, Fer-
nando Rey, Julita Martinez, Ma-
ruja Asquerino, Silvia Morgan, Laly
del Amo and Isa Ferreiro.

Spain’s cinema directors Juan de
Orduna, Luis Romero Marchant
and Leon Klimovsky, and produc-
ers Cesareo. Gonzales, Vicente. Sal-
gado, Benito Perrojo, Miguel de
Miguel and Alfredo Talaveritz also
attended. Italy was repped by
Unitalia’s Giovanni Piergiili, Lux
Films’ Totti Lombardozzi; Interna-
tional Federation of Producers’
prexy Renato Gualino and
UNESCO chief Enricb Fulchig-
noni. The U. S. had Universal's
John B. Spires.

The Federation of Motion Pic-
ture Producers decided to meet
again in Washington, D. C'., this
fall.

Chi Columnist

fi / I 6 3 l t i .< ll ) V / l

ss Continued from page 1

Chicago theatre patrons” hit its
peak last April.

Columnist laid off the ticket
broker subject in his regular news-
paper niche and on his nightly
WBBM-TV show the past couple of
months because it was a pretty
academic beef with no plays in
town. However, the Shuberts’ ex-
clusion. action sparked him to re-
vive the campaign last Friday (29)
in his column and tele program.

Kupcinet referred to the Shu-
berts as “Theatre^ Tentacles, Inc.”
but he brushed off as unimportant
his removal from the opening night
pasa list. He did point out that the
theatrical firm had made a “tiny
beginning” in improving the ticket
situation by ordering the brokers
o return all unsold ducats by the
morning of the performance rather
than bringing them back just be-
fore curtaintime.

Kupcinet says he’s not satisfied,
however. “There is something
radically and fundamentally wrong
when 150 or 200 choice tickets are
siphoned off nightly from a main
floor that seats approximately 700,
or the benefit of the ticket
agencies, part of whose fat profits
allegedly find their way back into
the hands of the theatre and/or
tg rqpfeseA^tlvQS,” he says, A ; , . ,

< 5 J ] J

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

LEGITIMATE 55

♦

<•

Perhaps just to liven things up a bit in the currently drowsy
drama critical racket, N. Y. Journal-American aisle-sitter John
McClain wrote a column from the Coast recently suggesting that
opening-night curtains should ring up at 6:30 instead of 8 o'clock.
That’s practically certain to ignite a controversy, although- the
reaction may be delayed because most of the New' York first-?
stringers are vacationing, in several cases abroad.

John Chapman, of the N. Y. Daily News, is likely to oppose
the idea, possibly in a column or so, as he’s done in the past.
Richard Watts Jr., of the Post, has generally favored early first-
night ciirtains, and engaged in a column-swapping controversy
about it with Chapman a couple of seasons back. Brooks Atkin-
son, of the Times, and Walter F. Kerr, ,of the Herald Tribune,
favor early openings and, although ' they haven’t gone into print,
about it, that’s been enough to persuade Broadway manage-
ments to continue the practice. ' * \

McClain’s column, relating a recent dinner table conversation
on the Coast with the Frederick Brissons (Rosalind Russell) and
the Joshua Logans . (Nedda Harrigan) on the subject of late-
arriving and early-leaving critics, declared, “We all agreed that
nothing would be lost if opening nights began at 6:30. Any open-
ing night audience is comprised of professionals or people of
sufficient means that they could make the earlier date and dine
leisurely after the show.

“Critics could eat before or later, according to taste and dead-
line, but there would be' no reason ever to raise the curtain be-
fore everyone*' was seated and relaxed, and there would be no
excuse to flee before the show was over.

“This would of course, apply only, to the opening night, and if '
the producers and critics like the idea, what are we waiting for?”

By JESSE GROSS

Strawhat activity is booming. A
total of .154 barns and tents have
been franchised by Actors Equity
thus far this season. That’s a hike
of 10 over last year.

Particularly outstanding this
semester is a rash of new opera-
tions. At least six canvastops and
18 barns are in' their inaugural
season. Presumably, the opening
of several of these locations was
spurred by the generally smash
business done on the silo circuit
in 1954.

Reports on biz for the first few
weeks of the 1955 stanza haven’t
been, particularly bullish, although
a number of recent Broadway hits
are. making their initial stock de-
buts. .One of these, “South Pa-
cific,’* Is setting new records, how-
ever. The Rodgers Sc Hammer-
stein tuner has been a bonanza
grosser, establishing new highs at
such -places as the State Fair Mu-
sicals, Dallas, and the Civic Light
Opera, Pittsburgh. In two weeks
at the Sta te Fair the musical took
in $140,000, with the gross for the
second frame tallying $78,000 for
seven performances. The show
also set a new CLO high of $78,642
for six performances.

The six additional tents raise the
total number of such professional
showcases to 17, with one or two
Offering straight plays, while the
remainder confine their produc-
tions to musicals. Those teepees
currently in the first season are
the North Shore Music Circus,
Beverly, Mass.;' Cincinnati (O.)

- (Continued on page 59)

Inherit’ Needed $31,186
To Recoup on July 2;
Repaid $24,000 Capital

“Inherit the Wind” had $31,186
to recoup on its $92,000 invest-
ment as of last July 2, the windup
of its 11th week on Broadway. For
the four weeks ending on that
date, the Paul Muni starrer made
$19,536 operating profit. Business
during that period was over capac-
ity on each stanza.

Since then, however, the show
has been hit by the traditional

July b. o. slump, with receipts
falling below the capacity mark
but still maintaining a healthy

level. Backers of Jerome Law-
rence-Robert E. Lee drama have
thus fay been repaid 15% on their
original $80,000 investment, plus
the 15% overcall, which brought

the total Capitalization to $92,QQ0.

The show was presented last
April 21 at the National Theatre,
N. Y„ by Herman Shumlin in asso-
ciation with the late Margo Jones,
who originally produced it last
winter at her * Theatre -’55 in
Dallas, i

Actor Injured in Fall

Plays Crash Survivor

Gilford, N. H., Aug. 2.

Recovered^ from a five-story fall
onto a concrete pavement in New
York City last January, actor
Richard Everhart played a leading
role last week in “Caine Mutiny.
Court Martial,” at the Lakes Re-
gion Playhouse here.

Everhart, who underwent nine
operations involving 132 stitches,
was cast as Barney Greenwald, the
defense attorney and Navy flyer
who survived a plane crash. The
actor became a favorite with local
audiences last summer.

Total net profit on “Fanny” had
reached $293,059 as of July 2. Dis-
tributed profit to date was $220,-
000. On the basis of the usual 50-
50 split between management and
backers, that gave the latter an
80% profit thus far on their $275,-
000 investment.

' For the four-week period ended
July 2, the S. N. Behrman- Joshua
Logan-Harold Rome musical ver-
sion of three Marcel Pagnol plays
earned $59,629 operating profit.
That was a substantially lower
rate than the $19,000 weekly net
the show formerly earned and re-
flects the receding business recent-
ly. In an effort to counteract the
attendance decline, the manage-
ment some weeks ago reduced the
price of certain orchestra loca-
tions. -

Grosses for the period covered
by the latest accounting were as
follows (respective weeks are in-
dicated in parentheses): $63,018
(June 11), $62,784 (June 18), $60,-
705 (June 25), $52,955 (July 2).
Since then business has continued
to sag, with the gross reaching
$38,000 for the week ended July
23. That’s only $4,000 over the
stop-limit in the theatre contract
and indicates that “Fanny” is a
questionable prospect to continue
beyond next mid-winter at the
Majestic, N. Y.

Rodgers & Hammerstein have a
provisional option on the house
for “Pipe Dream” in case “Fanny”
falls below the stop clause. If it
doesn’t, “Pipe Dream” will go into
the Shubert, as announced*

After profit distribution, the
assets of the David Merrick &
Logan production included $40,439
in bonds, $24,172 cash reserve and
$8,449 available for distribution. ;
The * show ds ^currently ih : its - 40th 1
week on Broadway. i

By GENE MOSKOTVITZ

Paris, Aug. 2.

The Second International Fes-
tival of Dramatic Arts, sponsored
by the City .of Paris, ended here
with the presentations of Sopho-
cles’ “Oedipus Rex” and Euri-
pides’ “Hecube” by the Greek Na-
tional Theatre of Athens. During
its 10-week tenure from May 15,
the Festival’s 21 participating
countries presented 35 plays by
28 troupes. Budget for handling
the theatre facilities of all these
I groups came to 40,000,000 francs
[ ($120,000), and boxoffice receipts
were handed over intact to the
companies to defray travel and,
housing expenses, In the cases of
some smaller countries and pro-,
vincial French troupes additional
guaranties were given to enable
them to make the trek. Clearly
this theatrical Olympiad was a tri-
umph with both critics and public,
and overall, attendance, at .two
theatres, was over 150,000 whereas
the first festival drew but 40,000.

Credit is now given A. M. Jiilien,
who went ahead with this project
though many tried to discourage
him and felt it would be a fiasco
with spectators not interested in
foreign language plays.. Resultant-
ly the International . Institute of
Theatre, under UNESCO, has
voted to set up an International
Theatre in Paris under the aegis
of Julien in 1956. It will be a
showcase for the best in world
theatrical troups, with a full month
devoted to successive different
countries.

Boxoffice hits of this summer,
were (1) Red China’s Opera from
Peking, followed by a tie between
(2) the U. S. ANTA presentation
of Thornton Wilder’s “The Skin of
(Continued on page 59)

B’ way Producer Makes
Stock Actor 'Comeback,’
But May Cast Himself

Howard Erskine, who was a
summer theatre actor before be-
coming a Broadway producer, has
returned to stock. He appeared two
weeks ago as the fortune-hunting
"male lead in “The Heiress,” at the'
Playhouse, in the Park, Philadel-
phia, and is currently playing a
featured role in “Edward, My
Son,” at the Berkshire Playhouse,
Stockbridge, Mass.

'The current stint is in the
nature of a “comeback,” since it
Was at Stockbridge that Erskine
made his professional bow in 1949
in “Three Men on a Horse,” with
Buster Keaton. Willianf Miles, who
operated the strawhat and staged
that revival, still has the spot and
directed “Edward, My Son.”

For Erskine, at least, circum-
stances have drastically changed
in the six years since that initial
pro acting attempt. Instead of be-
ing just a couple of days out of
Williams College, he’s the co-
producer of a highly-praised Broad-
way show, “The Desperate Hours,”
but for this engagement he’s ap-
pearing with his actress-wife, Lucy
Prentis. It’s their first stage ap-
pearance together.

Having .failed to make it last
time from stock to Broadway as an
actor, Erskine kiddingly says he’s
a cinch to do so now. “After all,”
he explains, “I can give myself a
job in one of the next shows I pro-
duce.” He’s partnered with au-
thor Joseph Hayes in the presenta-
tion of “Hours,” and the two have
several future productions on the
fire.

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR

1905-1955

4 -

Oh Yeah?

That old chestnut about get-
ting a blackeye by walking into
a door can. now be revised.
Maybe no one will believe him,
but Ivan L. Wiles,, president
of the Buick Corp., can tell
people he got his shiner at-
tending “Guys and Dolls.” The
incident occurred at a recent
performance of the show at
the Flint (Mich. ) Musical Tent.

Wiles was hit in the face
by a cocoanut that had fallen
on stage during the Havana
terp number. It was accident-
ally booted into the audience,
by orie of the dancers rushing
to get offstage during the
blacked-out scene change.

| UIIUUVI |

J. J. Shubert is now trying to
evict the League of N. Y. Theatres
from its ‘offices in the Shubert.

[ Building, in West 44th Street, N.Y.
The organization of producers and
theatre . owners is opposing the
attempt.

Although the League’s lease on
the premises expired some years
ago, it has continued occupancy
without previous incident: How-
ever, Shubert recently served
formal notification that the organi-
zation Would have to vacate. The
Shuberts now need the space for
their, own theatrical business in-
terests, the letter of notification
stated.

J. J., who assumed' full .charge
of the Shubert interests in Decem-
ber, 1953, upon the death of his
older brother and partner Lee, has
recently charged the League with
not being representative of the
professional theatre. He resigned
from the organization last year,
taking with him the 18 Broadway
legit theatres he operates. That
left the League representing the
remaining 14 independently-con-
trolled houses.

Shubert’s resignation from the
group followed its refusal to drop
Milton R. Weir as its attorney. As
a member of the firm of Klein &
Weir at the time, the lawyer active-
ly represented the Shubert firm
and was closely associated with
Lee, with whom J. J. carried on
a long and bitter feud. J. J.’s
dejnand that the League fire Weir
was generally regarded as an ex-
pression of his enmity toward the
attorney. He refused to give any
reason for dropping the lawyer.

According to League board mem-
bers, Shubert’s* eviction attempt
will be contested on the ground
that the explanation of needing
the space is a subterfuge. The
ouster bid is merely another bid
to “get” Weir, board members
believe.

NEW PLAY COMPLETED
BY MAXWELL ANDERSON

Maxwell Anderson reportedly
has completed a new drama which
will be ready for Playwrights Co.
production on Broadway in Sep-
tember. Subject matter and cast-
ing requirements of the play
haven’t been revealed. In fact,
fellow-members of the author-
producer firm haven’t even read
the script.

The author, incidentally, is now
living at Stamford, Conn., having
recently purchased a home on the
shore of Long Island Sound. He
had been living at Stony Point,
N. Y., since returning from the
Coast about a year ago. He for-
merly ’hfad a 'home f6f many years'
at New City, N. Y. ,

4* Something new has been added
to the = theatre, booking . jam. The
extra complication Is the dispute
between - the Shuberts and the
Philadelphia and Boston locals of
the American Federation of Musi-
cians. The situation appears se-
rious for touring musical shows,
particularly tryouts, and may also
affect certain straight plays.

Philly is already closed tight to
musicals, since matters are hope-:
lessly deadlocked between the mu-
sic union and the Shuberts, who
controll all the local legit houses.
In Boston, where the Shuberts also
operate all the theatres, negotia-
tions with the tooterschave broken
down.

That leaves the independently-
operated Shubert Theatre, New
Haven, and the indie National,
Washington, as suitable tryout
spots for musicals or straight plays
with incidental musical back-,
ground, or leaves producers 'the
alternative of paying the increased
Costs of going to such comparative-
ly distant towns as Pittsburgh, De-
troit and Cleveland. As an added
complication, it’s felt that theatre-
goers in the latter places are rela-
tively unused to tryouts and their
reaction to new shows may thereby
be less reliable. - ,

There was already a booking,
jam-up of prospective musical try-
outs as a result of the Philly stale-
mate. Managements of song-and-
■ dance shows were stampeding to
get the Shubert or even the small-
er-capacity Colonial in Boston; the
Shubert, New Haven, and the Na-
tional, Washington, and a few new
entries were being booked into
(Continued on page 59)

ATPAM Seeks to Erase
‘New Blood’ Clause; Asks
Wage Hike, Pension Plan

The battle for the elimination of
the “new blood” clause in the
basic agreement between the Assn,
of Theatrical Press Agents & Man-
agers and the League of N. Y.
Theatres is on again.- The union
and the producer-theatre owner
organization are Currently negotiat-
ing a new contract and, as in the
past, one of union’s major demands
is that the clause be scratched.
The manager-p.a. group is also
demanding a wage raise and a
pension-benefit fund setup.

ATPAM wants to substitute an
apprentice plan for the “new
blood” stipulation, which permits
producers to propose a set number
of managers for membership in
the union during a given period.
The present contract, which expires
next Labor Day, provides for the
admittance of 10 managerial ap-
plicants during the period covered
by the pact. Since the agreement
went into effect in 1952, the union,
which has the privilege of refusing
any specific applicants, has taken
in eight new manager members.

Prior to 1952, when the present
pact was signed, the union’s setup
called for the admission of six
managerial applicants a year.
ATPAM argues its apprentice plan
for managers is similar to the
procedure used in admitting new
pressagents into the union. Six
drumbeater apprentices are per?-
mitted to register and two are
admitted each season. The period
of apprenticeship runs for a mini-
mum of threp years and and calls
for minimum number of working
weeks.

The initial contract meeting be-
tween ATPAM and the League
was held last week. ATPAM rep-
resentatives present included presi-
dent Abel Enklewitz, secretary-
treasurer Milton Weintraub and
negotiating committee . members
Victor Samro.ck, Richard Horner,
William Fields, . Oliver M. Sayler,
Sam Weller and Nathan Parnes.
The League Was represented by
president Herman Levin, exec di-
rector James F. Reilly, general
manager Monty Shaff and producer
Max Gordon.

Another meet' is, skeddCd * for
tomorrow (Thurs.)“

56 LEGITIMATE

Wednesday, August 3, 1965

Conn. 22G on 3d Week; Other Stocks

Stratford, Ont., Aug. 2. 4
The nine-week Shakespearean
Festival here, which runs until
Aug. 27, racked up a $189,000 gross
in 31 performances ending July
■* 23. As of that date, the Festival’s
three productions, "Julius Caesar/’
"Merchant of Venice" and "Oedi-
pus Rex" had played to approxi-
mately 55,000 patrons since preem-
ing June 27. The attendance figure
represents 92.5% of capacity for
the l,927s-eat tent.

The hottest ticket has been
"Merchant," with the other two
following closely.

Seek Thelma Ritter For
Broadway ‘Sailor’ Lead

London, Aug. 2.

Thelma Ritter is being sought
for the feme lead in “Sailor Be-
ware," which Gilbert Miller will
present on Broadway . in the fall,
in partnership with Jack Waller,
producer of the original West
End edition.

She would play the part origin-
ated here by Peggy Mount in the
Philip King and Falkland Carey
play.

‘Nina/ With Edith Evans
111, Shapes Dubious

London, Aug. 2.

Only new production of the week
i is "Nina," the French farce by
Andre Roussin (translated by Ar-
thur Macrae), presented by Ten-
nent Productions Ltd. at the Hay-
market Theatre last Wednesday
(27). Coral Browne- replaces'
Edith Evans, who had to relinquish
the lead through illness. Firstrate
support is provided by James Hay-
ter as her conventionally wronged
husband and Michael Hordern as a
Casanova who rounds out the do-
mestic triangle.

Play is flimsy, but superbly di-
rected by Rex Harrison. But minus
the pull of the Evans name, it will ;
have tough job to survive in. the
current heatwave.

Stratford, Conn., Aug. 22.

American Shakespeare Festival
Theatre grossed $22,000 in its sec-
ond eight - performance week,
through last Saturday (30). That
was about. $1,000 over the seven-
performance first week and $5,000
ahead of the second stanza.

"Julius Caesar" made way last
Tuesday (26) for "The Tempest."
After the addition Aug. 15 of
‘‘Much Ado About Nothing," the
three renewals will be done on a
repertory schedule.

'Paris' Return Set
Kennebunkport, Me., Aug. 2.

A return engagement of "Pans"
has been set for the week of Aug.
29 at the Kennebunkport Play-
house. The production, which
played the barn the week of July
11, grossed a sock $7,500 for seven
performances. Jane Morgan and
Russell Nype; who starred in the
Playhouse production, will return
for the August stand and are also
contemplating touring in the show
next year.

“Paris," by Martin Brown with
a musical score by Cole Porter,
was originally presented in New
York in 1928.

‘Season' $16,030, Philly Record
- Philadelphia, Aug. 2.
The Playhouse in the Park,
Philly’s municipally-operated tent
theatre, broke its attendance rec-
oil last week with "Fifth Season,"
starring Menasha Skulnik. Gross
was $16,030, topping the previous
mark of $15,100 set by "Oh Men,
Oh Women" the week of July 11/
Indications are that the Play-
house* may have its biggest season.
Attendance has mounted steadily
and progressively each year. Last
week’s figure represented' virtual
capacity at all evening perform-
ances, with extra chairs installed
several nights and even the mat-
inees getting good business. Cur-
rent show is “Gigi," with Cathy
O’Donnell.

Fry’s ‘Ring' $4,500, Olney

Olney, Md., Aug. 2/
First week of “Ring Around the
Moon" at the. Olney Theatre drew
a fair $4,500. The Christopher Fry
adaptation of Jean Anouilh
brought Violet Heming back to the
stage. The show is currently in its
second week.

Margaret Phillips, who appeared
here earlier in the season, returns
next week for a fortnight of
Shakespeare’s "As You Like It."

llagen-Berghof $5,000 at Spa
Saratoga, N. Y., Aug. 2.
John Huntington’s Spa Summer
Theatre, after a fine $8,500 .the
previous stanza with. Charles Co-
burn in "You Can't Take It With
You," drew only $5,000 last week
with Uta Hagen and Herbert Berg-
hof in “Cyprienne.”

Top at the 587-seater was $3.30.
House has gone musical this
week with "Wonderful Town."

‘Figure' $5,300, Stockbridge
Stockbridge, Mass., Aug. 2.

After a heat-dented gross of
$4,800 the previous starfza with
"Old Maid," by Zoe Akins, the
Berkshire Playhouse bounced, back
last week with a $5,300 take on
"Reclining Figure," Harry Kurnitz
comedy spoofing the art racket.

This week Gage. Clarke is guest-
ing in "Edward, My Son." This is
his lone appearance this season at
this house where he has beep a
resident and guest player for 20
years.

Shelley Winters $8,900, Clinton
Clinton, Conn., Aug. 2.
Shelley Winters proved an okay
b.o. draw last week a't the Clinton
Playhouse, snaring $8,900 m
,, Q ^^m^akW; with Week-

Freelancer Free .

Thelma Ritter, currently on lo-
cation in the Virgin Islands with
Paramount’s "Proud and Pro-
fane," is now a freelance film
player and is therefore available
for legit.

She has been approached by
several Broadway managements
in recent months, but has no film
or stage commitments beyond the
current "Proud and Profane*"

'Ankles’. Running in Red/
Tuner Now Represents
About $275,000 Deficit

"Ankles Aweigh’/ ran up an
operating loss of $27,253 for the
four weeks ending July 16. That
brought the total defiict .on the
Anthony Brady Farrell production
to approximately $275,000.

During the four^veek period,
Farrell sank an additional $19,600
into' the production, making a total
of $59,859 advanced by him "above
the show’s original $240,000 cap-
italization, in which be also has a
$10,000 slice. He also previously
put up $20,000 for bonds, that coin
being subject to priority of repay-
ment.

All royalties on the Guy Bolton-
Eddie Davis-Dan Shapiro-Sammy
Fain musical were waived for the
four weeks ending July 16, During
that period the show made a $2,208
profit on _a $31,215 gross for the
stanza ending June 25, hut had
losses the ensuing three weeks as
follows, with grosses listed par-
enthetically: $7,905 ($20,899), $12,-
638 ($15,065) and $8,919 ($13,280).

The loss on the frame ending
June 16 was reduced ‘by various
salary cuts. Coin paid to principals
was sliced from $5,850 to $1,850.
The chorus payroll, however, only
took a slight drop from around
$3,000 to about $2,600, while the
tab for. musicians was reduced from
$327 to $256.

The company manager and press-
agent pay was cut from $650 to
$365, while coin paid the Stage
fhanagers dropped from $485 to
$335. Ad-pub expenses for the
week ending July 16 totalled $855,
representing about half ’of what
was spent on that item each of the
previous two weeks. Office ex-
penses, regularly $350 a week, were
also waived for the frame ending
July 16.

However, Farrell, who also owns
the Mark Hellinger Theatre, where
“Ankles" is currently in its. 15th
week, collected the regular house
share on all* .of the four weeks end-
ing July 16. For the frame ending
July 9 the theatre’s share under its
guarantee was $8,500, compared to
$6,565 as the show’s end.

A $3,000 payment was made to
Jane Kean the week ending July
16. That represented two Weeks
salary covering the termination of
her contract. Miss Kean was one
of three leads who refused to go
along with the salary cut okayed
by Actors Equity. The other two
were Mark Dawson and Thelma
Carpenter. All three left the cast
and were replaced.

end . top prices prevailing for en-
tire rub. ’

Since the show was reportedly
packaged for $5,125, it was a happy
week for all concerned.

Laguna Beach May Fold
Laguna Beach, Cal., Aug, 2.

Scheduled eight-week season of
Laguna Summer Theatre was cut
to four last week, as Theatre man-
agement posted two-weeks notice.
Move marks first time in com-
pany’s history that less than eight
plays have been presented in any
one season,

^Business has been poor.

'Cal’ Has Earned
$250, 000 Profit

“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof/’ cur-
rently in its 19th week on Broad-
way, is already ini the big money.
The Playwrights Co. production
had made an approximate $250,000
profit on its $102,000 investment
as of July 23. That includes forth-
coming coin from the sale of the
film rights to Metro for $560,000,
plus a percentage of the picture
gross.

A sellout since its. preem last
March 24 at the Morosco, N. Y., j
the Tennessee Williams, Pulitzer j
and Critics Circle prize winner has }
been netting an average $7,000
weekly profit. The total invest-
ment on the production was re-
couped in only 11 weeks, ending
last June 4.

As of last' June 25, the Barbara
Bel Geddes-Burl Ives starrer had
made a $22,317 profit. It’s figured
that amount was hiked around
$28,000 during the ensuing four
weeks ending last Saturday, with
the total jumping to about $50,000.
On the film sale, the production
gets approximately $200,000, prior
to deductions of fees and expenses.
That’s based bn the regular 60-40
author-management split on in-
come from film sales.

The only Broadway entry be-
sides “Da mm Yankees" to main-
tain a sellout pace during the cur-
rent slump period, "Cat" made a
$27,931 operating profit for the
four weeks ending June 25. How-
ever, that take was reduced by
$3,365 for various expenses, in-
cluding $2,167 as the Playwrights
share of a special three-way pro-
motion campaign on "Cat," "Bad
Seed” and "Bus Stop."

As of J\uie 25, the total N, Y.
operating profit on the show was
•886,713. Adjusted costs of .open-
ing on Broadway totalled $64,396,
leaving a $22,317 profit. The $102,-
000 capitalization on the produc-
tion included 20% overcall. The
original $85,000 put up by the
backers has already been returned,
with $5,727 available for future
distribution as of June 25.

NEW MIAMI STOCK CO.
SET TO RING UP IN NOV.

Miami, Aug. 2.

Edward R. Downs, producer-di-
rector of the- Coeoanut Grove Play-
house here, is back in town to start
final preparations for the initial
season of the new legit house, af-
ter a visit to New York for pre-
liminary booking of plays and
stars. The stock company is due
to ring up about Nov. 1.

Set thus far for the production
staff are Frank Brownlow, designer
and lighting technician, and
George Campbell* pressagent. The
venture, Occupying a completely
remodeled theatre, will be capi-
talized at $40,000 (including paying
for production cost) and will be
able to break even at $6,000-$7,000
weekly gross. Capacity will be just
over $13,000. Shows will run two
or three weeks.

Downs will offer principally re-
vivals of Broadway hits, with em-
phasis on comedies, but also hopes
to book occasional pre-Broadway
tryouts, for which he figures he’ll
be able to offer, unusually advan-
tageous terms. ’

(The following "Man About Manhattan " column by John
McClain, drama critic of the N, Y. Journal- American, appeared in
last Monday's (1) issue of that paper.)

There’s a small hassle in progress up Connecticut way where
Lawrence Langner, big wheel in the American Shakespeare Fes-
tival at Stratford-on-Housatonic, asked drama critics to lay off re-
viewing his production of "The Tempest" until the show completed
a week’s shakedown run. It opened last Monday, but the review-
ers were not urged to show up until tonight.

This stirred up « storm in the vicinity of the Hartford Courant,
a bladder with a distinguished campaigning record. A few years
ago* when their drama critic; T. Hi Parker, was banned by the
management from entering the Parsons Theatre because he had
taken a dismal view of the try-out proceedings then being offered,
the newspaper succeeded in pushing a hill through the State legis-
lature forbidding the- forbidding of critics from theatres.

Langner’s latest request seems clearly not to infringe the statute,
but it came close enough to arouse some familiar rumblings in the
breast of T. H. Parker, who forthwith reviewed the show opening
night. He led off his report with the statement that there were
a potential 8,000 persons who might be expected to see the show
during the first week; they would be paying the same prices as the
people who saw the later performances and were hence entitled
to peek in the paper and see whether it was worth the money*
In that regard he said the company, in his opinion, "would have
far to go in this week between preview and attainment."

I thoroughly agree with Parker and the attitude of his paper.
On Langner’s side of the ledger is the fact that because the same
company will be doingoboth "Julius Caesar’’ and “The Tempest"
in repertory for the rest of the month, it was impossible to re-
hearse the players properly in the new sets. This is perfectly
valid, I’m sure, but why should the public be required to pay for
what is advertised to be a finished production when, by the virtual
admission of the management, it is actually a dry runt

• This same principle could^ destroy the entire obligation of a
newspaper to its public. I can see the day when Casey Stengel
sends a notice to the sports desks asking them to keep the base-
ball writers out of the Yankee Stadium until he’s got his team
tuned up to the proper pitch. . There would be no coverage in
the papers for a. Week or two and the citizens of our town would
be going around whispering to one another, "Don’t quote me, but ■
1 hear the Yanks blew one to the Sox last night."

I won’t know until tonight whether or not Langner has blown
one with "The Tempest/’ but ‘ I do think he is guilty of- poefir
logistics. He knew the problems confronting him long in advance
aqd he should haver contrived, somehow, to present a finished
production the night he began charging admission.

•- n ii

The Pajama Game

(ST. JAMES THEATRE, N. Y.

Not even important, cast changes
seem to hurt this musical comedy
smash. After nearly 16 months on
Broadway/ the show has inevitably
lost sqme of its spontaneity and
crispness, and the recasting is un-
even. But the George Abbott/
Richard Bissell, Richard Adler and
Jerry Ross song-and-dancer re-
mains solid entertainment,

The principal^ cast changes are
Pat Marshall’ for 'Janis Paige,. Helen .
Gallagher for Carol Haney and
Ruth Gillette for Reta Shaw. The
effect is generally much better
than might be expected. Miss Mar-
shall, who left the stage for do-
mesticity several years ago after
a lead part in “Day Before Spring/’
is attractive as the union grievance
committee*-chairman. But although
she is an agreeable singer,* she’s
apparently limited by having to do
the numbers in a key set for her
predecessor. Also, she lacks the
sexy impact and the emotional
intensity that made Miss Paige a
standout in what is basically a
thankless role,

Miss Gallagher is an excellent
(successor to Miss Haney as the
slightly daffy, bookkeeper, Gladys.
Not only as a dancer and singer,
but also in the off-beat comic qual-
ity the character .requires, she
seems right. The part is a natural,
of course, and everyone who has
played it, both on Broadway and
the road, has scored, but that
doesn’t detract from the most im-
pressive performance Miss Gal-
lagher.has given in several seasons.

Miss Gillette is acceptable in the
secondary part of the pajama fac-
tory clerk, Mabel, an assignment
for which Miss Shaw seemed virt-
utal perfection. John Raitt, top-
starred, remains almost ideal as
the factory superintendent,, al-
though at the performance caught
last week he apparently had a
minor throat ailment and was lack-
ing his usually effortless vocal pow-
er. Eddie Foy Jr. second-starred as
the goofy timekeeper, still gives a
hilarious performance, although
he’s . apparently become a trifle
bored and is now kidding it a little.

Among the supporting players,
Stanley Prager seems to have
acquired more confidence and
authority as the union prez, Ralph
. Dunn is still knockout as the ir-
rascible factory owner, Thelma
Pelish is convincing as an amiable
factory hand and Jack Waldron is
effective as. a harassed salesman.
The staging by Abbott and Jerome
Robbins remains a vital element in
the show, and Bob Fosse’s chore-
ography still registers. Physically,
the show looks in fine condition..

4 - r. I- M i > fiobe» J a

Tbe Teahouse of ■ the
August Moon
(MARTIN BECK THEATRE, N. Y.)

If Robert Lewis cares about his
director royalties, he’d better hus-
tle around and do some restaging
of this original production of "Tea-
ouse.” As caught last week, the
performance is very spotty, even .
for a longrun show. In its present
state the John Patrick-Vem Sneid-
er comedy would hardly have re-
ceived the rave reviews, enthusi-
astic audience response, prize-
awards or continued boxoffice sup-
port it has enjoyed.

The trouble doesn’t appear to be
so much a’ matter of replacement
casting as of management, as rep-
resented by stager Lewis and on
the scene by the stage managers,
allowing a great show to deteri-
orate into merely a; pretty good
one. Although some of the cast
replacements do seem inferior to
their predecessors, the telltale fac-
tor is that a couple of the original
players., are giving careless, un-
thinking performances, and the
show as a whole tends to be rattled
off without pacing, depth or tex-
ture.

Curiously, a relatively Inexperi-
enced actress, at least on the occi-
dental stage, Japanese-born Mariko
Niki, as Lotus Blossom, the geisha
girl, now gives virtually the only
fully belie v a b 1 e performance
among all the principals. Her play-
ing retains apparently all its orig-
inal spontaneity, subtlety' and
charm. She alone listens to the
other actors and gives the- illusion
of thinking about what she’s doing
and saying.

In contrast, the others, almost
without exception give the impres-
sion of paying only slight atten-
tion to the actors with whom
they’re supposed to be playing
scenes, and no thought to the
meaning of the action or lines.
They appear merely to wait for a
line to be recited, then rattle qff
their own without thought and
with little expression or even in-
telligibility.

That goes for Ell Wallach who
is supposed to have been so per-
suasive in the London production
and who has been praised in the
trade since following David Wayne
and then Burgess Meredith as the
Okinawan interpreter Sakini in the
Broadway edition. It applies equal-
ly to John Beal as Capt. Fishby, a
part in which John Forsythe origi-
nally gave a deceptively casual and
ingratiating performance, as well
as to Paul Ford, whose believab’e
original portrayal of the explosive-
ly dimwitted Col. Purdy has now
degenerated to unvarying over-
statement.

Harry Jackson is at leapt, accepi-
(Continped pn page 59)

Wednesday, August 3, 1953

LEGITIMATE 57

LA Up With Strike End, 0£ Weather;

Los Angeles, Aug. 2.

Legit trade took a brisk upturn
last week, helped by. the end of
the transit strike and favorable
weather.

“Kismet,” in its first week at the
Philharmonic led the list. “Tea-
house” bettered its first two weeks
at. the Bfiltmore and “Fifth Season”
showed new strength at. the Car-
thay Circler

Estimates for Last Week

Kismet, Philharmonic aud (1st
wk) (2,670; $4.90) (William John-
son, Elaine Malbin, Julie Wilson).
Stout $63,000,

Teahouse of August Moon, Bilt-
more (3d wk) (1,636; $4.40) (Bur-
gess Meredith, Scott McKay). Up
sliehtly to $31,200. '

Fifth Season,' Carthay Circle (4th
wk) (1,518; $3.30) (Gene Raymond,
Joseph Buloff). Not so bad $19,200.

'Can-Can' Neat $37^00;
Det. Uses Suburban BA;
tikes Early Sun. Nights

Detroit, Aug. 2.

“Can-Can” got a nice away pres-
ent, a $37,300 gross for the final
iriping of a two-and-a-half weeks’
stay at the 1,482-seat Cass at $5.50
top. Theatre is now dark for' rest
of the summer.

Harry C. McKee, Cass manager,
said the -use of a boxoffice in
Northland, a huge suburban shop-
ping center, had been such a tre-
mendous success during “Can-Can”
r-un that it probably would be re-
tained on a permanent basis; The
Center Music Shop at the spot sold
$6,100 worth of tickets in 18 days,
with many of the suburbanites
commenting they wouldn’t have
traveled to downtown Detroit to
get ducats.

McKee also said that -a poll of
Sunday night audiences showed
that 95% wanted a 7;30i p.m, cur-
tain. instead of usual 8:30 p.m.
start. The majority of these were
suburbanites who said an earlier
curtain helped in baby-sitting and
early-to-bed problems.

‘Carousel’ Fast $48,500
On 2d Week at Dallas

Dallas, Aug. 2.

As the State Fair Musicals’
fourth indoor production of the
season, “Carousel” continued the
hefty bo. with a big $48,500 in
seven performances through last
Sunday (31) matinee. First week
drew $49,500.

Revival, with . Gordon MacRae,
Paula Stewart, Rosemary Kuhl-
mann, Reid Shelton and Andrew
Gainey, was the second Rodgers &
Hammerstein piece to hit pay dirt
in the current 12-week season.
“South Pacific,” June 20-July 3,
drew a record $140,400 for 14 per-
formances, Continued weather
break aided attendance for “Carou-
sel,” temperature hovering at 100
degrees, but no rainouts.

Season’s penultimate staging,
“One Touch ,of Venus," opened
last night (M6n.),, with Janet Blair
and Russell -'Nype starred in the
Kurt Weill musical. Supporting
are 1 Laurel Shelby, George Gaynes,
Mort Marshall, Iggie Wolfington,
Adnia Rice and Mildred Trares.

‘Town’ Lively 25G, L’ville;
‘Desert Song’ Is Current

Louisville, Aug. 2.

“Wonderful Town,” the Fourth
Production at the Iroquois Amphi-
theatre, took in" $25,000 last week

Musical’s opening last Mon-
day (25) was rained out, and a cou-
ple other performances had threat-
ening weather. Leads were Audrey
Christie, Jack Whiting, Jordan
Bentley, Michael Kermoyan, B. J.
Keating, Ted Benaides, Betty Gil-
lett, Lucile Benson, Don Barton,
Nat Bums, Robert Fischer and
Larry Bockius.

“Desert Song” opened last night
(Mon.) with a cast headed by Ed-
ward Roecker, Jean Fenn, Benny
Baker, Kermoyan, Marie Foster,
Don Blackey and Lidija Franklin.

Legit Bits

Whatever became of the Pro-
ducers League, that group of
younger manager - members that
. planned to revitalize the League
of N. Y. Theatres? . . .' Maybe it
got lost trying to find out what
. happened to the- Committee of
Theatrical Producers. . . . AI Hil-
dreth, general (unquote) treasurer
of the National Theatre, N. Y., in-
forms associates that he plans to
retire at the end . of August to
go to the Coast and open a ham-
burger stand . . . Carl Fisher, gen-
eral manager of “Pajama Game”
and '‘Damn Yankees,” back on the'
job after a gallstone operation.

Milton Stern will be the produc-
tion stage manager and Robert
Feyti and Philip Johnson the 'as-
sistant stage managers for the
touring company of “Plain and
Fancy,’ opening’ Aug. 29 at the
Philharmonic Auditorium, L. A.

. . .Production staff .for the Hunt-
ington Hartford-Stephen Mitchell
presentation of “Day By the Sea,”
scheduled to bow Sept. 19 at the
ANTA Theatre, N. Y., includes
Paul Vroom, general manager; Ed-
gar Runkle, company manager,
and Paul Foley, stage manager.

Harold S. Prince, co-producer
of “Pajama Game,” among the
N. Y.-L, A. contingent last week to
o.o. the national company of the
musical at the. Philharmonic Audi-
torium. Enroute he stopped off in
Dubuque, la., to confer with Rich-
ard Bissell, who adapted the tuner
with George Abbott from his
novel, u 7Yz Cents.’’ Prince and
Bissell will collaborate on the film
version to be made by Warner
Bros. •

Clifford Hayman resigned as
company manager of the touring
“Solid Gold Cadillac” and was suc-
ceeded last Monday (1) by Morale
Efron, recently house manager of
the Longacre, N. Y. . . , Robert E.
Shenvood, whose “Small War on
Murray Hill” is due for early fall
production by the Playwrights Co.,
is due back next weekend from
vacation at Sun Valley, Ida., and
then will undergo a gall bladder
operation,

Charles Mooney, associate pro-
ducer at the Cape Playhouse, Den-
nis, Mass., and Henry Weinstein,
operator of the Falmouth Play-
house, Coonamessett, Mass., have
formed a production partner-
ship. .Al Jones, general manager
of “Plain and Fancy,” heads for

the Coast next Sunday (7) for re-
hearsals of the road edition of the
musical.

“We Happy Few,” a new comedy
by . Rachel Crothers, is scheduled
for Broadway production this sea-
son by Albert Lewis and L B. Jose-
low . . . Jimmy McHugh and Har-
old Adamson will write the music
and lyrics for the musical version
of "Strip for Action,” planned for
Broadway production by . Howard
Hoyt and William G. Costin . . .
Special matinee performances of
“Much Ado About Nothing,” begin-
ning next Aug, 15, will augment
the regular repertory showings' of
“Julius Caesar” and "The Tem-
pest” at the American Shakespeare
Festival Theatre, Stratford, Conn.

Pressagent Mary Ward due back
in N.Y. Aug. 13 after a European
vacation . . . Proscenium Produc-
tions, which has renewed its lease
on the off-Broadway Cherry Lane
Theatre for another year, has
skedded Sir Arthur Pinero’s "Dandy
Dick” for fall prdduction . . .
The Lenthell Players, under the
direction of Frank Lenthall, will
run a summer play season at the
Church of St. Paul & St. Andrews,
N.Y., beginning tomorrow (4).

Karl Malden withdraws Aug. 13 ;
from the cast of "Desperate Hours”

. . . Mildred Dunnock takes a two-
week vacation from "Cat on a Hot '
Tin Roof” beginning Aug. 12, with
Nancy Cushman, -her undrestudy,
subbing . . . Staff for the upcoming
Robert Fryer-Lawrence Carr pro-
duction of "Desk Set” includes
Jack Small, general manager; Rob- j
ert Linden, stage manager, and
Ben Stein, company manager. The
sets for the production will be de-
signed *by George Jenkins, while
John Cromwell will direct.

Current Road Shows

( August 1-13)

Can-Can — Shubert, Chi. (2-13).

D’Oyly Cart* — Geary, S.F. (2-13).

Kin* an* I (Patricia Morison) —
National. Wath. '(1-13).

Klsmat (William Johnson, Elaine Mat-
bin)— Philharmonic Aud., L. A. (1-13).

Pa lama Gama (Fran Warren, Larry
Douglas, Duster West) — Curran, S. F.
(1-13).

Skin at Our Teeth (Helen Hayes, Mary
Martin, George Abbott, Florence Reed)— ■
Blackstone, Chi (1-13).

Solid Gold Cadillac — Temple. Tacoma
(2-3); Aud., Portland, Ore, (4-0); Moore,
Seattle (8-13).

Teahouse at the August Moon (Burgess
Meredith, Scott McKay) — Blltmore, L. A.
( 1 - 11 ).

‘Skin,’ ‘Can-Can’ Reopen
Rarely-Dark Chicago

Chicago, Aug. 2.

After four dark weeks, the first
such period in many years, Chicago
legit is making a comeback with
two arrivals this week, "Skin of
Our Teeth” looks to be a virtual
sellout during its two weeks at the
Blackstone. “Can-Can” has fair
prospects at the Shubert.

Opening This Week

Can-Can, Shubert’ ($5.95; 2,100).
Opens tonight (Tues.) for an in-
definite run, with a moderate ad-
vance.

Skin of Our Teeth, Blackstone
($5.50; 1,38.5) (Helen Hayes, Mary
Martin, George Abbott, Florence
Reed). Opened last night (Mon.)
to about 80% sellout for the two-
week stand. Received unanimous-
ly favorable reviews,* coupled with
unanimous blasts at lack of air-
conditioning.

‘Game 49^G, S.F.

San Francisco, Aug. 2.

First week of the Civic Light
Opera's third subscription offering
of the season, “Pajama Game,” did
near-sellout business at the Cur-
ran, while the sixth and final
frame of "Solid Gold. Cadillac”
was satisfactory at the Geary.

D’Oyly Carte opens a three-week
stand at the Geary tonight (Tues.).

Estimates for Last Week

Pajama Game, Curran (1st wk)
($4.40; \ 1,758) (Fran Warren, Larry
Douglas, Buster West). Smash
$49,500.

Solid Gold Cadillac, Geary (6th
wk) ($4.40; 1,550). Fell off to
$14,400:

‘Kate’ a Letdown $25,500

‘Teahouse $23,100, ‘Witness $19,300,
‘Ankles $13,900, ‘Lunatics $10,110

‘Carousel’ $40,000, St. Loo;
R&H ‘Allegro’ Current

St. Louis, Aug. 2.

With steaming weather all week,
"Carousel” the second Rodgers-
Hammerstein show of the season in
the alfresco Forest Park playhouse,
pulled a juicy $40,000 gross at a
$3 top in the 11,937 seater. Leads
were Chris Robinson, Christine
Mathews, Mario de Laval, Elsie
Rhodes, Lewis Bolyai'd and Mary
Kreste.

Another R&H .musical, "Al-
legro,” opened last night (Mon.)
with a company headed by Bob
Shaver, Peter Turgeon, Ruth Law-
rence, Terry. Sauders, ''Christine
Mathews, Edwin. Steffe and Eugene
Dorian.

Washington, Aug. 2.
Second and final week of “Skin
of Our Teeth” grossed slightly
"over $43,000 at the National Thea-
tre, just a shade under the first
week. The Thornton Wilder re-
vival stars Helen Hayes, Mary
Martin, George Abbott and Flor-
ence Reed. Top was $4.80 in the
1,680-seat house. •

“King and I” dpened last night
(Mon.) for a four-week run, with
an advance sale of $42,300.

Business improved a bit at most
Broadway shows last week, with a
few others taking moderate drops.
Receipts were meager during the
early part of the frame, but picked
up over the weekend, when there
was a break in the heat wave.

Grosses are still mostly at a
summer slump level, however,
with a number of shows doing
marginal business or going below
the break-even mark. There were
no closings last week.

Estimates for Last Week
Keys: C (Comedy), D (Drama),
CD ( Comedy-Drama) , R ( Revue ) ,
MC (Musical-Comedy) , MD (Musi-
cal-Drama), O (Opera), OP (Op-
eretta).

Other parenthetic designations
refer, respectively, to weeks played,
number of performances through-
last Saturday, top prices, number
of seats, capacity gross and stars.
Price includes 10% Federal and
5% City tax? but grosses are net;
i.e., exclusive of tax. '*

AnkJes Aweigh, Hellinger (MC)
(15th wk; 120;, $6.90; 1,513; $55,-
900). Almost $13,900 (previous
week, $14,200). \

Anniversary Waltz, Booth (C)
(69th wk; 547; $4.60; 766; $20,000).
Nearly $8,900 on twofers (previ-
ous week, $5,200 on twofers).

Bad Seed, Coronet (D) (34th wk;
269; $5.75-$4,60; 998; $27,700). Al-
most $14,000 oh twofers (previous
week, $10,600 on twofers); Nancy
Kelly resumes as star next Mon-
day (8) after a four-week vacation;
Alice Frost has been subbing.

Boy Friend, Royale (MC) (44th
wk; 347; $0.90; 1,050; $38,200).
Over $10,100 (previous week,
$17,100).

In Pitt Stadium Week

Pittsburgh Aug, 2.

“Kiss Me, Kate,” next to closing
show of the outdoor summer opera
season; was a big disappointment
with a $25,500 gross last week at
the Pitt Stadium. Musical had
been counted on to do much more,
since its last time here in 1950, it
drew $66,000 for the third highest
take in the 10-year history of the
alfresco project. In addition, an
audience poll last year indicated
this was the musical of the patrons
most wanted to see again.

• Season winds up with the cur-
rent “Song of Norway,” also a re-
peat. Webb Tilton, Irra Petina and
Robert Rounsevffle are the leads.

Current British Shows

LONDON

i Figures denote premiere dates*

Bad Seed, Aldwych (4-14-55).

Bell, Book, Candle, Phqenix (J.0-3-54),
Boy Frl*nd, Wyndham’s (12-1-53).
Can*Can, Coliseum *(10-14-54).

Crazy Gang, Vic. Pal. (12-16-54).
.Desperafo Hours, Hlpp. (4-19-55).

Dry Rot, Whitehall (8-31-54).

Emlyn Williams, Globe (5-31-55).

Follies Bergeres, Wales (4-9-55).

From Hero A There, Royal Ct. (6-29).
Happy Returns, Now Water (5-19-55).
Homo A Away, Garrick (7-19-55).
Intimacy At 1:30, Criterion (4-29-54).
King and I, Drury Lane (10-B-53).
Kismet, StoU (4-20-55).

Mr. PennypacKer, New (5-18-55).
Mousetrap, Ambas. (11-25-52).

My 3 Angels, Lyric (5-12-55).

Nina, Haymarket (7-27-55).

Reluctant Deb, Cambridge (5-24-55).
Sailor Beware, Strand (2-16-55).

Salad Days, Vaudeville (8-5-54).
Separate Tables, St. James’s (9-22-54).
Shadow of Doubt, Saville (7-7-55).
Shakespeare Rep., Palace (7-21-55).
Spider’s Web, Savoy (12-14-54).

Talk of Town, Adelphi (11-17-54).
Teahouse Aug, Moon, Her Maj. (4-22-54)
Tiger At Gates, Apollo (8-2-55).

20 Mins. South, St. Mart. (7-13-55).

Wild Thyme, York’s (7-14-55).

Wonderful Town, Princes (2-23-55).

SCHEDULED OPENINGS
Welting For Godot, Arts (8-3-55).

CLOSED LAST WEEK
Jazz Train, Piccadilly (4-26-55).

Mourning Electra, Arts (6-9-55).

TOURING

Appointment With Death
Book of the Month
Brazilians '

Clerembard
Delegate
Double. Crossing
Figure of Fun
First Night
Florodora
Guys and Dolls
Jazz Train
Joy of Living
Kinloch Player*

Lilac Time
Love From Judy
Manor of Northstead
Men end Woman
Moon Is Blue
Mrs. Willie
Not So Dusty
Pardon My Clawe
Patience
Seagulls Over Sorrento
South Pacific
Three Times a Day
Time Remembered
Wafer Gipsies
Wedding In Paris-
Women of twilight

‘KING’ 27G, TORONTO;
1-WEEK TOTAL $111,500

Toronto, Aug. 2.

Against a heat wave, “King and-
I” grossed a fair $27,000 last week,
its fourth and final, at the 1,525-
seat Royal Alexandra Theatre, at
$5.50 top. Total for the engage-
ment was $111,500, not up to ex-
pectations. Patricia MorisOn was
out of the cast for five consecutive
performances in the third week
because of throat virus, with Holly
Harris taking over.

Royal Alexandra is dark for the
next five weeks, but reopens Sept.
5 with “Solid Gold Cadillac.”

‘Finian’ Good $49,000, K.C
Porter Fest This Week

Kansas City, Aug. 2.

Starlight Theatre grossed a profit-
able $49,000 with “Tinian’s Rain-
bow,” last week, sixth stanza of the
season. Take \vas under expecta-
tions, but above' average. Show
drew favorable reviews. Cast in-
cluded Don BeddotfrUonn Driver,
Jo Sullivan, Stanley Brooks and
Dolores Martin.

Seventh production of the out-
door musical season in Swope Park
is something of a switch, with the
“Cole Porter Festival” opening last
night (Mon.). Show is a roundup
of the composer’s hit tunes. Cast
includes Dean Murphy as m.c.,
with Hal Leroy, Victoria Sherry
and Betty O.’Neill.

Stock Tryouts

(July 25 -August 7)

After the Ball, by Noel Coward, based
on Oscar Wilde’K/'Lady Windermere’s
Fan”— -Music Circus^tambertvillc,. N. J.
(2-7) (Original London production re-
viewed in VARIETY, June 23, ’54).

All in Favor, musical by Alison and
Alvah SUlloway — White Barn Theatre,
Westport, Conn. (6-7).

Cold Christmas, by Anna Marie Barlow
and S. Brooke White— Margo Jones Thea-
tre ’55, Dallas (1-6).

Daisy Miller, adaptation from novel by j
Henry James— Robin Hood Theatre, Ard-
den, Del. (1-6).

Farewell, Farewell, by John Varl—
Margo Jones Theatre *55, Dallas (8-13). ,
Green Snowman, by Fred Cai’mlchael —
Boothbay (Me.) Playhouse (2-6).

Hear No Evil, by George Griffin, Lake-
side Theatre, Lake Hopatcong, N. J. (1-6).

Heaven Corn** Wednesday,! by Reginald.
Lawrence— Playhousc-on-tlie-Wharf, FirpV-.
incetown, Mass. (8-13) (Original play on
which Gorden Jenkins based musical of
same title, which was reviewed .in
VARIETY, Sept. 12, *51).

Mother Was a Bachelor, by Irving W.
Phillips (Billie Burke) — Cape Playhouse,

: Dennis, Mass. (8-13) (Reviewed in VAltl-
, ETY, June 29, ’55).

l Nice Place to Visit, by Robert and
I Chauncey Skilling — Starlight Theatre,

Pawling, N.Y. (9-14),

I Palm Tree In a Rose Garden, by Meade
. Roberts — Westport (Conn.) Country Play-
house (8-13) (Reviewed in VARIETY, July
• 20, ’55).

Two Flngort of Pride, by Vincent
Longhi (Gary Merrill) — Ogunqult (Me.)

■ Playhouse (8-13).

Untitled Comedy, by Scott Peyton —
Orleans (Mass.) Arena Theatre (9-13), 1

Bus Stop, Music Box (CD) <22d
wk; 174; $5.75-$4,60; 1,010; $27,-
811), Just under $24,000 (previous
week, $25,800).

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Morosco
(D) (19th wkr 148; $6.90-$5.75; 946;
$31,000) (Barbara Bel Geddes, Burl
Ives). Over capacity again, nearly
$31,600. ...

Damn Yankees, 46th St. (MC)
(13th wk; 10,0; $8.05-$7.50; 1,297;
$50,573) (Gwen Verdon). Over ca-
pacity again, topped $50,800.

1 Desperate Hours, Barrymore (D)
(25th wk; 196; $5.75-$4.60; 994;
$27,200). Nearly $9,200 on .twofers
(previous week, 9,500 on twofers).

Fanny, Majestic (MD) (39th wk;
308; $7.50; 1,655; $62,968) (Ezio
Pinza, Walter Slezak). Around
$36,000 (previous week was bver-
quoted; gross was actually $38,-
000); Pinza currently on a week’s
vacation.

Inherit the Wind, National (D)
(15th wk; 116; $5.75-$4.60; 1,162;
$31,300) (Paul Muni). About $26,-
500 (previous week, $25,500),

Lunatics & Lovers, Broadhurst
(C) (33d wk; 264; $5.75-$4.60; 1,182;
$29,5(/u). Almost $10,300 on two-
fers (previous week, $9,300 on two-
fers).

Pajama Game, St. James (MC)
(64th wk; 508; $6.90; 1,615; $52,-
118) (John Raitt, Eddie Foy, Jr.,
Helen Gallagher). Almost $47,000
(previous week, $46,500).

“ Plain and Fancy, Winter Garden
(MC) '27th wk; 212; $6.90; 1,494;
$55,672), Nearly $29,500 (previous
week, $30,100).

Seven Year Itch, Fulton (C)
(141st wk: 1,125; $5.75-$4.60; 987;
$24,000) (Eddie Bracken). Almost
$8,000 on twofers (previous week,
$7,800 on twofers); may close Sept.
10 to tour Boston and Canada.

Silk Stockings, Imperial (MC)
(23d wk; 180; $7.50; 1,427; $57,800)
(Hildegarde Neff, Don Ameche).
Almost $40,500 (previous week,
$42,000),

Teahouse of the August Moon,
Beqk (C) (94th wk; 757: $6.22-
$4.60; 1,214; $33,608) (Eli Wallach,
John Beal). Over $23,100 (previous
week. $21,200).

Witness for the Prosecution,
Miller (D) (33d wk; 260; $5.75-
$4.60; 946; $23,248). Nearly $19,-
300 (previous week, $18,000).

OFFrRROADWAY
(Figures denote opening dates)

La Ronde, Circle in Square (2-
27-55). ‘

Mornings At Seven, Cherry
Lane (6-22-55).

Trial, Provincetown (6-14-55).

Typewriter, Tempo (7-27-55).

British ‘S.P.’ Ending Tour

London, Aug, 2.

“South Pacific,” which has been
touring the provinces for nearly
two years, is scheduled to fold Oct.
29 in Dublin.

The show had a long run in Lon-
don before going touring.

LEGITIMATE

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

Stock Reviews

The Tempest

Stratford, Conn., July 28.

American Shakespeare Festival Pro-
duction of fantasy In two acts by William
Shakespeare. Stars Raymond Massey*
Jack Palance, Hurd Hatfield* Joan
Chandler, Christopher ?\umr- . - ;

Weaver, Roddy McDowall, Staged by
penis Carey; scenery, Horace Armistead;

' costumes, Robert Fletcher; lighting, Jean
Rosenthal; music, Ernst Bacon; choreog-
raphy, George, Balanchine. At American
Shakespeare Festival Theatre, Stratford,
Conn., July 3ft, '55; $4.80 top.

Alonso ■! Robert Hacha

Sebastian • Alan Shayne

Prospero ......... Raymond Massey

Antonio - . • - * Fritz Weaver

Ferdinand ........ Christopher Plummer

Gonzalo Hurd Hatfield

Adrian .Roger Hamilton

Frahclsco. Gerald Metcalfe

Caliban Jack Palance

Trlnculo .Jer«; v- Stiller

Stephana Rex Eyerhart

Ship-Master Robert Geirlnger

Boatswain Earle Hyman

Miranda Joan Chandler

Ariel Roddy McDowaU

frls Dorothy Whitney

Ceres .. , Leora Dana

Juno .Virginia Baker

Shapes, Nymphs, 'Reapers, etc.: — Polly
Welch, Joseph Zeigler. Ben Andrews,
Helen McGraU, Helen Roach. Mary Per-
rlne, Rebecca Lombard, Susan Ketcham,
Tom Daniels, Michael Learned, Eleanor
Brown, Jacqui Blauner, Paul Rennedt,
Edmund Kean, Louis D* Almeida, Ed
6imonian.

“The Tempest,” second produc-
tion. of the American Shakespeare
Festival’s inaugural season, is more
like what the critics and the pay-
ing customers came for. It should
do much to overcome the- generally
negative reception of its predeces-
sor, “Julius Caesar.”

This treatment of Shake.speare s
esteemed “testament" play is a
- 'Hid demonstration of the new
i. atre’s resources. There are
spirited performances by most of
the repertory principals, impres-
sive - application Of the plant’s
physicial facilities and light-
ing, and effective complemen-
tary music. On the whole, Denis
Carey has staged v a performance
that does to the Festival credit.

The playing of the. sprite Ariel
by Roddy McDowall, unlike any-
thing this actor has done, is an Im-
portant boon to the fantasy. Jack
Palance’s transformation to the de-
formed Caliban has' some' Holly-
wood-ogre about it, but he captures
the - poignancy of the half -human
and Is helpful in the rollicking
episodes

Christopher Plummer is an im-
pressive romantic Ferdinand to
Joan' Chandler’s restrained Mi-
randa. Jerry Stiller’s jester Trin-.
culo is stickout low comedy; Rex
Everhart’s butler Stephano is more
fitsmddtd

Hurd Hatfield projects the good-
ness of the old councilor Gonzalo
and Fritz Weaver makes the most
of the scheming usurper Antonio.
Raymond. Massey’s Prospero misses
the mastery of the sorcerer-ruler
of the magic island.'

Ernst Bacon's music for the sev-
eral songs and the Ariel-piped
melodies add to the glow of the
fantasy. George Balanchine’s
masque-ballet seems hardly worth
the bother. The enchanted isle
conceived by Horace Armistead is
conducive to mood and- action.
Robert Fletcher’s costuming of
Ariel, Caliban . and the assorted
shapes of the ballet contrasts ef-
. f ectively with the court garb of

the shipwrecked party. Jean Ros-
enthal’s lighting is an applause-
kindler.

“Tempest” and “Caesar” will
now alternate to Sept. 3. Junior
troupers at Festival ' school are
readying a series of “Much Ado
About Nothing” matinees. Elem.

The River line

Westport, Conn., July 24.

Lucille Lortel production of drama in
three acts, by Charles /Morgan, based on
his novel of the same name. - Staged by
Clarke Gordon; production supervised by
Curt Conway; sets by Francis Cugat. At
the White Barn Theatre, Westport, Conn.,
July 1.

Philip Sturgess Paul Shyre

Comar. Julian Wyburton. Frederick Rolf

Mrs. Wyburton Margaret Feury

Mrs. Murlven ........ .Nancy R. Pollock

Valerie Barton . . . . . Zohra Alton

Mai. John’ Lang ......... .James Lipton

Dick Frewer ....John Leighton

Pierre Chassaigne ...Martin Brandt

“The River Line,’! by noted
British novelist-playwright Charles
Morgan, l$ a thtee-act drama with
one (brilliant act. A problem play
with a provocative and engrossing
theme, it was a lohgrun hit in Lon-
don several seasons. Rgo, but seems
a doubtful prpspect for . Broadway
success, but might be a strong en-
try for off-Broadway. • -

The locale is England in 1947. A
group of people are extremely re-
luctant to talk about a young man
known as Heron, but that doesn’t
stop them from talking around
him, and the action moves to the
second, act flashing back to 1943.

Holed up in the loft of a barn
in France are four men, an Ameri-
can and three Englishmen, es-
capees from the Germans, waiting
for “the river line,” an under-
ground Organization, to pass them
back home via Spain. Marie Chas-
saigne, the daughter of the house
and a member of the Resistance,
is in charge. They suspect a; spy
in their midst; * all the evidence
points to the charming and intel-
ligent Heron,, and they kill him.

In the third act, back in Eng-
land, three of the survivors suspect
that they have killed an innocent
man : and the author, delves into
philosophy. Although the first two
acts contain original and provoca-
tive ideas, they do not match the
theatrical excitement the enthrall-
ing third, which builds to a shat-
tering climax. Although betrayed
sometimes by his novelistic talents,
Morgan’s theatre writing is dis-
tinguished.

Despite its flaws, “River Line”
is the best new play that Lucille
Lortel has presented at her White
Barn Theatre, and she has given it
an . excellent production, with act-
ing on a high level. James Lipton
is standout as Heron, and Freder-
ick Rolf first rate as the British
Naval officer who kills him. John
Leighton, as an R.A.F. officer and
Paul Shyre, as the American, give
well-defined performances as the
other escapees, while Zohra Alton,
a real looker, is nicely controlled
as Heron’s half-sister.

Nancy R- Pollock and Martin
Brandt both contribute expert
character bits, but Tyhile Margaret
Feury, in the role of the French
Resistance member, IS effective in
the second act, she gives the im-
pression elsewhere that although

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booking from September 6 on l

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ZACHARY A. CHARLES

THE FIRSfi ' "IN THE ROUND"

Luther Bill is

— In —

"SOUTH PACIFIC"

”, . * For laugks In So. Pacific the prize clown was
Zachary A. Charles. Charles, a Broadway veteran,
. got off his lines with perfect timing. He Is the
fannlest comedian ever fa perform at the Melody
Circle.” -Irown, Allentown Call.

fully acquainted with the problems
of her part, she Is unable to solve
them.

Clark Gordon’s direction is ex-
cellently taut in the second act
but less good in the others. Fran-
cis Cugat's settings are among the
best that have appeared at the
White Barn. Grif.

The Belter Mousetrap

New Hope Pa., July 19..

Michael Ellis production of comedy in
three acts (five scenes), by John D; Hess.
Stars Henry Jones, Neva Patterson, Rus-
sell Collins, E'’mon Ryan; features Walter
Wolf King, Efrem zimball3t Jr. Staged I
by Johu CromweU; "scenery, W. Brod-
erick Habkett; lighting. Belaud H. Wat-
son. At Bucks County Playhouse, New
Hope, Pa., July J8-23, '55; *3.75 top.

Charles Kincaid Henry Jobes

Jessica Kincaid...... . Neva Patterson

Zacharlah Smith . . ; .Walter Woolf King

E. Sanford Regal RusSeU CoUlns

Alfred Marks Milton Selzer

Fenley F> Fenwick ....... Edmon Ryan

Gregory Brandt f . . , . . Alan Bergmann

Mason McLain. ... ..Efrem Zimbalist Jf.

Beek ... .Bert Bertram

This, new comedy by John D.
Hess retells for the umpteenth
time the little ‘man’s battle against
a heartless higher order. This be-
ing a comedy, it is told humorous-
ly and (as per formula) the hero
prevails. Thematically, it is akin, to
uncounted numbers of other light
comedies, a sort of minor league
“Harvey.” .

Specifically, the play involves
the misadventures of a giant com-
pany’s obscure employee who, hav-
ing built a better mousetrap, de-
serts Ft. Worth to peddle his
“gadget” in Wall Street. After be-
ing rebuffed by “big money” —
which is “jittery, frustrated and in
hiding” — Charles returns home
only to find “big money” eager to
pursue him.

As the adventurous hero, Henry
Jones gives a performance which,
with more time, could be down-
right inspired. He is a deft come-
dian and a throughly accomplished
actor. As his financial antagonists,
he receives tpp support from Mil-
ton Selzei*, whose second act scene
is the- high point of the Show, and-
Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Edmon Ryan,
Walter Woolf King, Alan Berg-
mann and Bert Bertram.

Russell Collins; as the father-in-
law who finally goads the timorous
inventor into effective action gives
Jones a strong assist. Neva Patter-
son gives a competent perform-
ance but is too. chic and sophisti-
cated to portray the kind of woman
who would marry the minor key
hero.

The interesting if unspectacular
jacknife setting was designed and
executed by Bill Hackett while the
lighting was handled by Leland H.
Watson. John Cromwell's direction
is good enough f or the Bucks pro-
duction - but would require higher
sheen for New York.

For the summer holiday trade
“Mousetrap" is sufficient for a
pleasant evening. As it stands it’s
too light for Broadway but might
make the grade if producers Albert
W. Seldon and Morton Gottlieb,
who have it under option, could
work a minor miracle of revision.

Heny .

All for Mary

Port Washington, N.Y., July 19.

Long Island Theatre ' Foundation pro-
duction of farce in three acts . (four
scenes) by Howard Brooke and Kay Ban-
nerman. Directed by Arthur J.- Beckhard;
scenery Elaine Reder. At Port Washing-
ton Playhouse, July 18, '53; $3 top.

Alphonse C A. J. Pocock

Humphrey Miller Felix Dee Bank

Mary MiUer Margaret Gould

Victor Montenay Woodrow Parfrey

Clive Norton Winston Ross

Nannie Cartwright Viola Roache

Billed as two-year London suc-
cess, this fumbling farce is scarcely
fit fare for the American hinter-
land, much less a sophisticated
Broadway.

The antic Involves an attractive
young wife who brings her stodgy
British spouse to a French Alpine
winter resort, scene of her honey-
moon. with her firsst mate — a dash-
ing young bounder. Hubby, quaran-
tined in an 'upper garret of the
hotel with chicken pox, is soon
joined by a second “poxer” , who
turns out to bo the previous
spouse.

With both men under the care of
current hubby’s childhood “nan-
nie,” wifey skip off on a mountain
climbing trek with the romantic
hotel proprietor, leaving hubby
and ex, alternately scratching and
watching her antics via telescope
from the garret. It all comes to a
traditional and trite “happy” cur-
tain.

Felix Dee Bank, who took over
the husband role originally slated
fot* Edward Everett Horton, does
yeoman service and gets as many
Yankee yocks as the script con-
tains. (Horton exited *Mary” the
previous week during his run In
“Black Sheep of the Family,” at
the same theatre.)

Margaret Gould is attractive,
though somewhat uncertain, as the
femme arouhd whom the action re-
volves. Woodrow Parfrey limns a
neat characterization as the amour-
(Contintied on page 59)

inside Stuff-Legit

Ticket Club Inc., which is being set up as a theatre ticket affiliate
of Diners’ Club, will also have its own list of subscribers and will book
preview performances and probably full and part-house theatre parties.
Diners’ Club, a charge account eating setup, is reportedly not financing
Ticket Club, Inc., but will get a commission (understood to be 7%) on
tickets purchased on charge by its members.

Rose Goldstein, former office manager of the now-defunct Show-of-
the-Month Club and subsequently general manager for producer Jule
Styne, will be executive director of TCI, with Sylvia Siegler, former
SOMC president, “in an executive capacity.” Miss Siegler, who is
said to have’ received between $20,000 and $30,000 recently for drop-
ping her monopoly suit against the Shiiberts, is understood to be put-
ting $10,000 of the coin into TCI. She will receive a salary from the
operation. • !

As part of settlement of the lawsuit, Miss Siegler paid a $7,500 claim
by the Shuberts in connection with her flop production several seasons
ago, “Let’s Make An Opera.” She’s understood using other of the
settlement coin to pay legal fees In connection with the suit and addi-
tional obligations. TCI reportedly has a deal to obtain ticket allot-
ments for shows playing Shubert theatres, with emphasis' on previews*

Recent obit in Variety was of Rose Alger who was prominent a
generation and more back for her success as Rose Stahl in “The
Chorus Lady.” Earlier in her career Miss Stahl was married to and
managed by William BonelU in a play in which they both appeared on
old Stair &; Havlin legit circuit. Bonelli was supposed to be the
perfect specimen of American he-man when they appeared together
in “The American Gentleman.” He always managed one scene
where he would appear shirtless and that was long before Marlon
Brando or “Picnic.” Later Miss Stahl married Oliver Alger a theatre
manager whose .last post Was managing the Henry Miller Theatre. “The
Chorus Lady” was made into a legit play from an earlier vaudeville
sketch.

Mention of the Shubert and International Boxing antitrust cases are
included by Assistant Attorney General Stanley N. Barnes, in semi-
annual report on activities of the Antitrust Division for the first half
of 1959. Other important developments in the antitrust field during
the last six months, said the report, “include two significant decisions
hapded down by the Supreme Court which have been hailed a$ vic-
tories for the Antitrust Division. In the International Boxing and Lee
Shubert opinions, the court held that professional boxing and theatrical
businesses, unlike baseball, ‘ are subject to , the antitrust laws. These
decisions will have a substantial effect bn businesses based on profes-
sional sports or theatrical products.” '

The management of “Fanny,” which has been releasing exaggerated
boxoffice gross figures recently, issued to the show’s backers last week
a 1 financial .statement omitting the customary breakdown of weekly
operation, including gross. The accounting by Bernard Reis & Co,
gave merely the general financial status of the production, listing pro-
fits, for the four-week period ended July 2, total profits to date, total
distribution, etc. However, Variety obtained accurate gross figures
from other sources, .and they are included in a story on the show’s
finances, appearing elsewhere in this issue.

Patricia Bbsworth played the femme lead in “Blue Denim,” recent
tryout at the Westport' (Conn.) Country Playhouse!. In the Variety, re-
view of the show, the actress was correctedly listed in the cast credits,
but was erroneously referred to in the text as Janet Willard, the name
of the character.

John Huntington, operator of the
Spa Summer Theatre, Saratoga,
N. Y., sponsored a contest to se-
lect a better title for “Cyprlenne
the play in which Uta Hagen and
Herbert Berghof are touring the
barn circuit * , . Bill Whiting will
design the sets for the remainder
of the season at the Jonathan
Dwight’s Gateway Playhouse, So-
mers Point, N. J.

. Tony Geiss, on leave as associate
to Broadway pressagent Ben Korn-
sweig, has. taken over as location
p.a. for the Stratford ‘ (Conn.)
Shakespeare festival, succeeding
John Toohey, .who withdrew to
handle Jule Styne’s upcoming
Broadway production of George
Axelrod’s comedy, “Will Success
Spoil Bock Hunter?” . . . Talent
agent Alan Brock has joined the
Kenley Players at Bristol, Pa., as
general assistant - to producer John
Kenley and occasional actor. Leslie
Cutler has joined the group as
resident stager.

Barney Owen is director for the
nine-week season at the Cherry
County Playhouse. Traverse City,
Mich . . . Booked by the Daniel
Hollywood office, Peggy Lobbin is
playing the femme lead in “Picnic”
this week at the Myrtle Beach
(SC.) Playhouse . . . Dick Button,
the world’s Olympic skating cham-
pion, making his stock debut this
'summer as a resident company

member, at the . Starlight Theatre,
Pawling, N.Y. ... Jim Bernard has
a featured role in “King of Hearts”
at the Southbury (Conn.) Playhouse
this week.

She’ll do the same , role Aug. 30-
Sept. 4 at the Oakdale Music Thea-
tre, Wallingford, Conn. Her Hus-
band* Jerry Austen, is playing in
“Wonderful Town” this week and
“Girl Crazy” next week at Oak-
dale . . . Joanna Albus, former
managing director of the Houston
Playhouse, is on a six-week scout-
ing tbur of the southwest, with
stops scheduled for Houston, Dal-
las, Mexico City and Hollywood.

FOR SALE

BRAE MANOR PLAYHOUSE, KNOWt-
TON, PROVINCE OF QUEBEC, CANADA
Successful Summer Theatre now In
20th season under one management.
Centrally located In lovely village.
Completely equipped theatre. Gift
Shop and large residence for company
and staff. Substantial season ticket
audience 1 coming from wide area.
Satisfactory reasons for disposal.
Serious Inquirers may view ■ property
and current productions during Au-
gust on communicating With:

MRS. FILMORE SADLER
BRAE MANOR PLAYHOUSE
KNOWLTON, P. CANADA

STEPHEN DOUGLASS

“DAMN YANKEES”

46th STREET THEATRE
New York City

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

ml € *

PtiutSIETY

% ?

LEGITIMATE

Good Ole Summertime
When Author Gets Hot

It's the good old summertime for
playwright Greer Johnson. Since
last May 31 the author has had a
play-a-month preem either on tv
or in stock, with another skedded
for August. He also has a show
due for Broadway production in
the fall. ‘ /

• The upcoming production is “I
Hear You Singing,” slated for a
..week's tryout run at John Hunting-
ton's Spa Summer Theatre, Sara-
toga, N. Y., beginning Aug. 15 and
slated for Mein Stem fall presen-
tation. He was represented May
J31 on television by "The Hallelu-
jah Corner,” presented by the
Armstrong Circle Theatre. The fol-
lowing month, "Whisper to Me,”
his adaptation of a short story by
William Goyen, was done by Mar-
.go Jones at her Theatre '55, Dal-
las, Tex., where it had a two-week
run. .

-ohnson again got video show-
casing with his “My KOwpie Doll,”
presented July 21 on Star Tonight.
Incidentally, “Singing,” which
Huntington has under option for
Broadway, is based in part on two
Of Johnson’s past tv originals, “The
Worried Songbirds” and “The Al-
mighty Dollar.” “Whisper” was
also planned for Broadway produc-
tion by Miss Jones, with Jonas Sil-
verstone her attorney, as co-spon-
sor, But with the producer’s death
last week, that project is . now up
in the air.

Johnson was represented on
Broadway, last season as co-author
of “Mrs. Patterson.”

Jean Bayless to Take
Lead in B’way ‘Friend’

London, Aug. 2.

Jean Bayless, has been signed
to take over, the femme lead in
the Broadway production Of “The
Boy Friend” in . September.

She’ll succeed Julie -Andrews,
who’s withdrawing to play the
title part opposite Rex Harrison
in a Broadway musical version of
“Pygmalion,” adapted by Alan
Jay Lerner and Frederick Leowe,
and produced by Herman Levin.

Music Union

Continued from page 55

THEATRE LEAGUE BIDS
FOR TOURIST JUNKETS

Now the League of N. Y. Thea-
tres is getting into the show train
act. Through its Council of the
Living Theatre affiliate, the pro-
ducer-theatre owner organization
has set up a committee to work
with local theatregoer groups, rail-
roads, airlines, hotels and Broad-
way managements in arranging
transportation, living accomoda-
tions and meals in New York, and
in obtaining tickets for shows.

Producer Herman 'Shumlin is
chairman of the committee, which
includes theatre operator Louis
A- Lotito, producers Alexander. H.
Cohen and David Merrick and gen-
eral manager Carl Fisher. The new
project will not supersede Cohen’s
somewhat similar operation, Thea-
tre Tours, a subsid of his Theatre
Subsidiaries Inc., or Theatre Trains
& Planes Inc., the agency recently
formed by producer-theatre opera-
tor-investor Roger L. Stevens.

Jacobi Back to Canada
Prior to ‘Diary of Girl’

London, Aug. 2. .

After almost four years in Great
Britain, Lou Jacobi returned to
Canada last week prior to taking
up a featured role in the upcom-
ing Garson Kanin-directed “The
Diary * of a Young Girl.” He
will make personal appearances in
Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa, in
connection with his last British pic,
“A Kid For Two Farthings,” be-
fore starting rehearsals.

The play, which will be pre-
sented by Kermit Bloomgarten, has
its tryout in Philadelphia Sept. 17,
and moves to the Cort Theatre,
Broadway,: Oct. 5. Jacobi’s last
West End appearance was' “into
Thin Air,” also directed by Garson
Kanin.

’Can-Can’ Exiting London

London, Aug. 2.

“Can-Can,” which closes Sept.
24 at the Coliseum to make way
for the incoming “Pajama Game,”
will embark on a provincial tour,
probably with about half of the
present casUbeing replaced.

“Pajama Game” opens Oct. 13.

SCHEDULED N Y, OPENINGS

(Theatres indicated if set)

Skin of Our Tooth, ANTA (8-17).

Catch a Star. Plymouth . (9-C).

Day By tho Soa, ANTA (wk 0-18).

View From Bridge, Coronet (0-25).
Tiger at Gates (9-26).

D'Oyly Carte, Shuhert (9-27).

Maurice Chevalier, Lyceum (9-28).
Young and Beautiful, Ldngacro (9-30).
Diary of Youhg Girl, Cort (1 Qt5).
V/ooden Dish, Booth (10-6).

Red Roses For Me (10-12). .

Rock Huntor, Bclasco (10-12).

Desk Set, BroadhUrst (IQ-13).

Heavenly Twins (10-19),

No Time For SgtL, Alvin (10-20).

Chalk. Garden, Barrymore (10-26),
Reuben,’ Reuben, ANTA (11-8).

Child of Fortune (11-9).

Hatful of Rain, Lyceum (11-9).

Lark, Longacre (\vk. 11-14).

Janus, Plymouth (11-24),

Detroit, Pittsburgh and other near-
er midwestern cities;

With prospects of Boston also
being blacked out, the tryout book-
ing situation shows signs of reach-
ing hysteria proportions.

Boston, Aug. 2.

Negotiations between Local 9,
American Federation of Musicians
and the Shubert theatre manage-
ment here, have been suspended
after four weeks of getting no-
where. Michael Kavanaugh Is local
representative of the Shubert in-
terests, which control five of the
Hub’s houses, Shubert, Opera
House, Wilbur, * Plymouth and
Majestic, and book the sixth, the
Colonial.

Kavanaugh, who says that last
season was “one of the worst we
had here,” reported that $80,000
was paid out to local musicians,
although Boston is considerably
smaller than Chicago or Philadel-
phia. In the Hub, the five regular
men hired by the theatres receive
$97 .- apiece weekly. Extra men,
hired when a big musical or ballet
comes in, recive $107 each per
week.

Union officials reportedly want
the scale raised to that of Philadel-
pria and Chicago; $120 a week for
all musicians. Shubert manage-
ment has offered $117 a week- for
all musicians, regular or extra, for
one year, and then $120 the second
year.

. -The dispute is thus far stymying
tentative return engagements of
“Fanny,” “Silk Stockings,” “Paja-
ma Game” and “King and I,” along
with tryout stands of “Reuben,
Reuben,” “Pipe Dream,” “Boy
Friend,” “Pygmalion” and a D’Oyly
Carte Opera, as well as a tour date
of “Can-Can.”

. “We cannot book any musicals
into Boston until the dispute is
settled,” Kavanaugh declares. “We
cannot consider a comparison be-
tween the Boston scale and that at
Philadelphia, Chicago and New
York. A Boston run will take in
25 to 50% less than runs in the
other cities,”

San Marcus, Local No. 9 presi-
dent, said that Boston musicians
are not asking a scale as high as
New York. “We. haven’t had a raise
here in four years and New York
musicians have made more than
$120 a week through the entire
period” he stated. -

“The situation here is not as
bitter as it might appear. We
always have found Shubert fair and
expect to make a settlement. We
have musicians Tiere equal to any
m the country. As we see it, we’re
only about $30 a week apart Since
usually only eight to- 12 musicians
are added to the show’s own or-
chestra.”

Ken Later Sues Hylton

Talent , agent Kenneth Later has
filed suit against British producer
Jack Hylton, seeking an account-
ing in connection with the LondoA
production of “Pal Joey.” He
claims that he was to haye re-
ceived 1% of the gross as his com-
mission for negotiating the British
rights to the Rodgers-Hart musical.

Rubinstein & Nash? London at-
torneys, are representing Later.

Continued from pace 56

. Teahouse

able as the bland Sgt, Gregovich
and Peter Hobbs, understudying
the vacationing Jonathon Harris,
appears to be at least aware of his
assignment as the horticulture-
hipped psychiatrist officer, Capt.
McLean. But profiSply the key tip-
off of the routine nature of the
overall performance is that the
goat, which used to get a laugh by
licking its lips after tasting the
“brandy,” now also does so be-
forehand, presumably in anticipa-
tion. •

One _jpartly redeeming thing
about “Teahouse,” however — it’s
at the Martin Beck one of the best-
run and most comfortable theatres
in town. Hobe.

Tlic Bad Seed

(Coronet, N. Y.)

Alice Frost, pinch-hitting for the
vacationing Nancy 'Kelly in “The
Bad Seed,” is convincing in /her
portrayal of the anguished mother
tom between love of her daughter
and horror over the child's mur-
derous bent. It’s a lush role that
permits her to run the emotional
gamut from happiness to mounting
dread and finally despair. The
actress doesn’t impress too strongly
during the bland early stages, but
as the situation becomes progres-
sively sinister and finally horrify-
ing, her playing becomes more
forceful. However, she’s believable
throughout, if not dynamic, and
her final scenes are her best

There’s been only one major
change in this Maxwell Anderson]
adaptation of the William March
novel. Pert Kelton is now portray-
ing* the role of the pathetically
drunken mother of the murdered
boy, played originally by Eileen
Heckart, Miss Kelton’s essaying of
the role is effective, with some
especially strong moments.

Patty McCormick is still prop-
erly deceitful as the moppet , men-
ace, while Henry Jones continues
to turn in an excellent perform-
ances the canny but moronic jani-
tor. Evelyn Varden also remains
standout via her portrayal of a
friendly, and outspoken neighbor.
John O’Hare, Joseph Holland, Joan
Croydon, Lloyd Gough, Wells Rich-
ardson and Thomas Chalmers are
others still providing competent
support. Jess.

Chi Area Barn May Fold
■ ~ v. Chicago, Aug. 2.

Combination of difficulties with
tne American Federation of Musi-
cians local and the month-long
heat wave that’s been murdering
local business has forced straw-
hat operator Marshall Migatz to
post closing notices at his Fox Val-
ley Playhouse in suburban St.
Charles. Although he hopes to
raise additional backing, the pro-
ducer said yesterday (Mon.) that
^ know until later this week
whether he’ll open with a new
musical next semester.

Migatz has been feuding with
the ‘music union over its demands
that he use tooters at his newly-

HS, e - n J d u BeachwaJ k Playhouse,
which has a straight play policy.
He agreed to take on four Chi
local men at the Beach walk last i
week after the Elgin, local staged ’
a one-night walkout at Fox Valley. ’
Migatz says that union reps told,
him that unless he hired musicians^
at; the Beachwalk tent, which is
within city limits, the summer on-
eratfon would be “unfair competi-
tion” to Shubert theatres in the
Loop.

Stock Reviews

i •

m ^ mm Continued from page 58 .

All lor Mary

laden boniface, and A. J. Pocock
is effective in several bits as a
hotel bellhop. Winston Ross lacks
the proper dash for (or apparent
interest in) his part o£ m the ex-
hubby. Viola Roache, as ‘the min-
istering “nannie,” rouses the risi-
bilities when she applies her nur-
sery techniques to tlie battling
‘poxers’ and then finally moves
this less than divine comedy to a
halt.

Arthur J, Beckhard’s direction
does what little can be done with
the book, and Elaine Reder’s single
set is effective and workable. The
Port Playhouse, operating in the
Paul Schreiber High School (one
of the newest on Long Island), has
auditorium and production facili-
ties comparable to those of Main
Stem houses. Hank.

At Last ! Equity-Chorus
Merger Is Finally Set

The merger of Actors Equity
and Chorus Equity finally became
effective last Monday (1). The
clincher in the consolidation was
a referendum of the Equity mem-
bership on amending the union’s
constitution to cover the merger.
The necessary constitutional revi-
sion had been approved by the
membership at Equity’s recent an-
nual meet, but more than 100 dis-
senters claimed it was ineffective
on the technicality that there were
less than 750 members present
when the voting took place.

The result of the referendum
was 780 for the merger and 553
against. There were 1,458 ballots
cast, of which 125 were declared
void. Equity, has 6,800 members,
while Chorus has 3,000.

1956 Legit Olympiad

Continued from page 55

Our Teeth” and (13) East Ger-
many’s Berliner Ensemble The-
atre presentation of Bertolt
Brecht’s “The Caucasian Circle of
Chalk.”

Other presentations irfcluded
Aleksander Fredro’s “The Ven- !
geance” and Iwaszekiewicz’s “A
Summer in Nohant,” from Poland;
Maxime Gorki’s “Yegor Boulitch-
ov” from Yugoslavia; Sean
O’Casey’s “The Plough and the
Stars” from Ireland; August
Strindberg’s “The Father” and
“Miss Julie” from Sweden and
the London Theatre Workshop
with "Arden of t’aversham” and
Ben. Jonson’s “Volpone.” Other
offerings: Eduardo De Filippo's
“Those Phantoms,” from Italy; Ar-
thur Schnitzler’s “Leibelei” and
“Comtesse " Mizzi” from Austria;
“West Germany with Schiller's
■“Marie Stuart”; Spain -with Bena-
vente’s “La Malguerida” and the
Greeks with their two tragedies.

Three ‘Medeas’

The Festival was marked by the
presentation of thrde riffereht pro-
ductions of “Medea” and Paris
divided as to their merits. Nor-
way’s leading actress, Tore Se-
gelicke, appeared in Jean Anouilh’s
adaptation. Austria’s “Medea”
(Grillparzer) starred Liselotte
Schreiner. The version of Robin-
son Jeffers was used by the Amer-
ican actress, . Judith Anderson.
Austria probably won the honors,
her mounting frenzy and hatred
being deemed locally to be perfect-
ly styled by European criteria. Al-
though the role was considered odd
for the star from Norway she, too,
was accorded some kudos on the
ground of telling effect and dig-
nity. The critics were not pre-
pared for the American poet’s ver-
sion of the Greek classic and they
complained ' that Judith Anderson
was “too calculated” in her tech-
nique and missed the true heights'
of tragedy.

Americans . were divided, about
“Skin of Our Teeth” with George
Abbott, the Broadway musical
cemedy producer, reverting to act-
ing for the first time in over 20
years. His. personal “lark’’ was
thought by many, to be seriously
at the cost of the play, throwing
the original emphasis away from
his role to that of the wife played
with the naturally far greater au-1
thority of Helen Hayes. The
French critics and people gener-
ally were fairly polite but some
Yankees felt ANTA had allowed
social angles to influence casting,
to the detriment of U. S. prestige.
“Naive” was the much-worked
word applied by the Paris review-
ers. Nonetheless Miss Hayes and
Mary Martin had enough name and
Thornton Wilder’s script enough
appeal to rate a fair success.

The mustering of so many dif-
ferent theories of drama, styles of
acting and representations of
varied national cultures was heady
cultural wine for one city. Table
talk atfout masks, choruses, music,
ingenious lighting, novel scenery
centered on the disciplines of
Chinese opera of Bertold Brecht's
company from East Germany, of
the folksy stuff from Ireland, the
psychological insights of the
Swedes, etc.

Belgium offered a rather faded
“Elckerlijk” (Everyman) by Jeder-
niann with this morality play reg-
istering as old hat, but had a more
fecund entry with Michael De
Swaen’s “De Gecroonde Leerse”
(The Crowned Boot) which had
some of the early Flemish lilt and
lustiness to make for a good eve-
ning. Finland and Holland brought
Moliere and “Oedipus Rex” to the
fest, and, though interestingly
staged, lacked the proper bearing.

Canada Scored

Canada, with its Fernch lingo
theatre, Theatre Du Nouveau
Monde, gave a good account of it-
self with three Moliere farces
wherein their dynamism and
healthy rhythms helped make
these early farces risible theatrp.

two clean, cool classics in “Oedi-
pus Rex” and “Hecube.” They
rightly showed how a Greek
tragedy should be done, with its
lyrical emphasis and plastic, dra-
matic use of the choir. • In Oedi-
pus” Alex Minotis reached heights
| of pity and terror and the whole
thing taking ensemble playing got.
a rousing welcome from the audi-
ence. In "Hecube” the perfection
was underlined, and it was the
thespic turn of Katina Paxinou to
show her authority ‘and technique.

The French were content to play
hosts and their entries were most-,
ly provincial troupes. Though -
some were of interest most showed
a certain lack of discipline and
versatility. .Theatres utilized were,,
the main headquarters at the 1,500
seater Sarah Bernhardt with the
900 seater Hebertot taking the
overflow.

Praise is due the Gallic tech-
nicians who were able to fedapt to
themselves to the various methods
of staging and lighting in quick
time, for Secretary General Claude
Planson whose brilliant logistics
got the troupes in and out with nary*,
a hitch and Of course, to Julien,
whose conception and faith in the
Festival is now vindicated. Next,
year Russia will send its Maly
Theatre and Japan a Kpbuki group.
South American and Mexican
troupes may also be represented.

For this second summer the Fes-
tival was helped no little by plot
synopses printed in the programs.
The flood of tourists undoubtedly
responded - better and the pregs
support was infinitely improved.

Summer Stock

Continued from page 55

genie Auf Tauris (Iphigehie -in
Tauris) with a German speaking
cast. Slightly stilted this had its
main trump in the restrained but
moving interpretation of tragedi-
enne Maria Becker. Portugal
fared well with a vital, naturalistic
piece "Ta Mar” (The Sea) by Al-
fredo Cortez. This lowlife study
of fisheffolk, whose grim lot is
tempered with flashes of spirit and
lust, made for a sweeping entry
with adroit mounting and feverish’
acting, making this meaty fare.

The Greeks really came bearing
dramatic gifts to end this fest with

Summer Playhouse; Melody Cir-,
cus, Detroit; Flint (Mich.) Musical.
Tent; Valley Forge Music Fair,
New Centerville, Pa - , .and the War-
wick (R. I.) Musical Theatre.

Of the 137 bams bonded by
Equity, the new Ones include the
Capri Theatre, Atlantic Beach,
L. X; Gateway Theatre, Bellport,
L. I.; Kenley Players, Bristol, Pa.;
Stephens College Playhouse, Co-
lumbia, Mo.; Amoury Players,
Ephrata, Pa.; *Long Beach (L. I.)
Playhouse; American Shakespeare
Festival Theatre, Stratford, Conn.;.
Cherry County Playhouse, Tra-
verse City, Mich.; Garden Centre
Theatre, Vineland. Ont., and the
Playhouse-on-the-Green, Worthing-
ton, O.

Also, Spring House, Block Island,
R. I.; Beach Walk Playhouse, Chi-
cago; Clinton (N. J.) Mus’c Hall;
Montclair (N. J.) Summer Theatre;
Eastern Slope Theatre. North Con-
way, N. H.; Seaside Theatre, Or-
mond Beach, Fla.; and the Port
Washington (N. Y.) Playhouse. An-
other new Equity operation is the.
Actors Resort Theatre, which has
two companies, in North Branch,
N. Y., and Woodburne, N. Y.

So far this summer there have
been two bam closings, the Cape
Theatre, Cape May, N. J., and the
Warren County Summer Theatre,
Lake George, N. Y. Another re-
cent casualty was the Sacandagd
Summer Theatre, Sacandaga Park,
N. Y., destroyed by fire. Not in-
cluded as a warm-weather folder
is the Arena Stage Washington,
D. C.r which shuttered recently af-
ter several years, as % year-round
stock operation.

Joanne Dru and Ireland
Will Costar in ‘Deadfall*

. Hollywood, Aug. 2.
Joanne Dru and her husband,
John Ireland, have been signed by
producer Martin Goodman to co-
star on Broadway in Leonard Lee’s
melodrama "Deadfall.” slated to
open late in October. Michael Gor-
don will direct.

Both previously appeared indi-
vidually on Broadway, Miss Dru in
part in the A1 Jolson musical,
SMS 1 « G ^L P ^|feoia. On To Your. Hats,” and Ire-

land in a supporting role in the
straight play flop, "Highland
Fling.”

Eddie Kook to Coast

Edward Kook, president of Cen-
tury. Lighting, left Monday (1) for
the Coast, to be gone about four
weeks. It’s his semi-annual visit
to the firm’s plant in Hollywood.

He’ll supervise new lighting set-
ups in Las Vegas cafes as welJ as
picture vidfilm studios in Holly-
wood.

CONCERT - OPERA

Pfasmrr

Wednesday, August 3, 1955

An unusual, Colorful background,*
going all the way back to the
N. Y. World’s Fair of 1939, has
been disclosed as a result of ef-
forts to bring Russia’s top concert
artists to this country.

Columbia Artists Mgt. is nego-
tiating to present Emil Gilels, ace
Russ pianist, in America this fall.
He’s agree to come, and the bureau
is now settling the terms, subject
to the’ approval of the State and
Immigration Depts. Columbia also
expects to bring David ''Oistrakh,
famed Soviet violinist, to the U. S.
next spring.

Gilels would give 20 concerts
here in 10 weeks, starting in Sep-
tember, with his first date at N. Y.’s
Carnegie Hall. Oistrakh would
also play here for 10 weeks next
spring. Columbia was after him
first, for the fall, but Oistrakh’s
Russ and European dates pre-
vented.

Negotiations, which" may be
successfully finalized this week,
have been carried on by Colum-
bia prez Frederick C. Sphang per-
sonally. He's been working on it
for the past year, he disclosed, or
ever since Russia joined UNESCO.
“U. S. papers missed *a bet here
then," said Schahg. “When the
Russians joined UNESCO, they
agreed to open up their country to
cultural exchange. It meant rolling
up the Iron Curtain."

Schang’s connection with the
Russ artists happens to be of long-
er duration than one year, how-
ever to add spice to this story.
Back in N. Y. in ’39, a Georgi N,
..Zaroubin was Soviet Commissioner
to the World’s Fair. After some
negotiations, Sehang contracted
with Zaroubin for the appearance
qf seven young Soviet artists.
They would give concerts sepa-
rately, or in pairs, in N.Y. and
elsewhere, starting that fall, to be
billed as being presented by the
Soviet Pavilion of the .World’s
Fair,

The seven artists included the
same David Oistrakh and Emil
Gilels; Gilels 1 sister Lisa, a violin-
ist; Yakov Flier, Lev Oborin, Dan-
ya Shafran and Marina Kozolu-
pova. Three N. Y. dates were al-
ready set, for September and Octo-
ber. Then came the Hitler-Stalin
pact, and the project was ruined.

Soon after Russia joined
UNESCO, some 15 years later,
Sehang went to work again. First
getting assurances from the State
Dept, about visas for artists,
Sehang went back to negotiating
with the onetime Pavilion commis-
sione-* Zaronb’n — ”ow Soviet am-
bassador to the U.S.

Yehudi Menuhin will make three
concert appearances in Moscow
next May. Violinist revealed last
weekend that he had been instru-
mental in facilitating the appear-
ances of Russ artists Emil Gilels
and David Oistrakh in this country
the coming season, by suggesting
the interchange of players.

BALLET RUSSE $64,000
FOR 14 IN WASHINGTON

Washington, Aug. 2.

Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo
drew a strong $64,000 for 14 nights
at Carter Barron Amphitheatre.
While only three shows were com-
pletely sold out in the 4,000-seat
bowl, attendance ran high for
every performance. Not a single
show was washed out by rain.

The San Carlo Opera Co., is
winding up a five-opera stand in
the stadium, with “Phoenix ’55,"
direct from New York, opening to-
morrow (Wed.) for 12 nights.

‘Nutcracker 98G For 11
Los Angeles, Aug. 2.
The New York City Ballet, in its
second week at the Greek Theatre
here, presenting “Nutcracker-/’
grossed $98,000 in 11 performmiceS,'
The 4,400-seat amphi was scaled:
to $4.

McClain Chorale Bow

The McClain Chorale, Negro en-
semble of 16 voices, will make its
debut next Monday (7) at the
White Barn Theatre, Westport,
Conn. George McClain is conduc-
tor. Margaret Bonds is accom-
panist.

Louis Johnson, dancer from the
"House of Flowers" legitef, will
also appear with his company.

Gee’s 1st Nat’l Booking
Setup With Sack Tour

Winnipeg, Aug. 2.

Ema Sack, European coloratura
soprano, will tour the U. S. this
fall under aegis of A. K. Gee, Win-
nipeg impresario, who books con-
certs, shows, etc., in 10 western
Canadian cities. Percentage dates
have been set by Gee with local
managers on the*Coast and through
the west to Washington, New York
and Philadelphia. This is the
Canadian manager’s first essay into
national booking.

Artist is currently on a tour of
Europe. She sang in N. Y.’s Car-
negie Hall last October.

Indpls. Symph’s Sacking
Of Fabien Sevitzky May
Cue Long Longhair Row

Indianapolis, Aug. 2.

Prolonged hassle is looming here
over firing of Fabien Sevitzky
from his $2Q,000-a-year job as con-,
ductor of Indianapolis Symphony
Orchestra by directors last week.
Sevitzky, now in South America,
has indicated he will sue. Con-,
ductor’s five-year contract still has
two years to run. He’s expected
back from Argentine, where he
conducted this summer, early in
August. Meanwhile, committee
named by directors is considering
list of guest conductors to fill
breach next season, with view to
selecting one -as permanent con-
ductor for 1956-57. Idea is to let
each guest handle two :or more
pairs.

Split between Sevitzky (nephew
of late Serge Koussevitzky, con-
ductor of Boston Symphony) and
board came to head in spring af-
ter his wife sued him for divorcb.
Fund raisers reported difficulty
with contributors. Claim also was
made that Sevitzky’s actions had
lowered orchestra’s morale. Board’s
action charged breach of clause in
contract requiring conductor to “ex-
ert himself for the interest, profit,
harmony, benefit and advantage"
of orchestra.

Board delayed action several
weeks in effort to reach settle-
ment with Sevitzky, on podium
here since 1937.

yt ■

Gillis Quits Orch Head
With Friction Claims

Don Gillis, composer and for-
mer NBC staffer, has resigned as
prez of the Symphony Foundation
of America, org set up a year ago
to sponsor the Symphony qf the
Air (onetime NBC Symphony).
Herbert Fuchs, veepee and an orch
member, is acting prez pro tem.

. Gillis has been the sparkplug in
keeping the symph going last sea-
son (its first one) after NBC
dropped it, but it’s known there
has been some dissatisfaction
among the directorate and some
charges of “autocratic/ manage-
ment. Gillis’ big achievement was
getting Kirsten Flagstad to sing
(cuffo) with the orch, which
bjrqjight iu $30,000 to keep the
office going. <

There’s been agitation for some
time to get a businessman to head
and run the Foundation/ and this
may eventuate. Meantime, the
orch has set six concerts for next
season in N. Y„ with Leonard Bern-
stein as the orch’s conductor* Orch
returned recently from ai tour of
the Orient, and is playing this
month at Ellenville, N. Y.

Vienna Philharmonic
;•* ; : > ^ May Trek to Japan

‘ Tokyo, July 26.

Negotiations are underway to.
bring the Vienna Philharmonic
Orchestra to Japan in the spring
of 1956. Project reportedly will
be backed by Austrian government

Meantime, the Berlin Philhar-
monic Orchestra has extended an
invitation to Prof. Klaus Pring-
sheim, longtime resident of Japan ,
and conductor-teacher-composer .at
the Musashino Academy here, to
conduct a special performance of
his teacher Gustav Mahler’s Sixth
Symphony in Berlin in May, 1956.

Houston Ballet Gets

Texas State Charter

Houston, Aug. .2.

A proposed resident ballet
company here came nearer to real-
ity last week as the Houston
Foundation for the Ballet, non-
profit, educational corporation, was
granted a charter by the State of
Texas. First aim of the founda-
tion is to establish a ballet acad-
emy, with a company to- evolve out
of this training.

Mme. Tatiana Semonova, foun-
der of Baton Rouge’s American
Youth Ballet Co., has been asked
to head the academy and, eventu-
ally, the company.

Chicago, Aug. 2.

Lyric Theatre, Chicago’s resident
opera company whose second sea-
son bows Oct. 31, has been quietly
surveying the' possibilities of
branching out on television, either
on a live or a closed-circuit basis.
Stressing the nebulous nature of
the plans at this stage, Lyric man-
aging director Lawrence V. Kelly
. confirmed that preliminary talks
have been held with the networks
and various closed-circuit firms on
the prospects . of televising some of
the performances into other cities.

It’s understood there’s a video
clause in Lyric’s contracts with its
performers, including soprano
Maria Callas, who has. been re-
signed after her smash success last
fall. Kelly refused to, speculate on
whether the tv arrangements could
be completed in time for the ex-
panded 1955 schedule, which will
span five weeks.

Calla9-*‘Lucia" on TV?

Young N. Y. manager Joseph H.
Conlin Jr., who made a splash last
.season in his impresario bow with
his Renata Tebaldi and Beniamino
Gigli recitals, reportedly is work-
ing on a closed-circuit teeveeing of
a Lyric production of “Lucia,”
with Marini Callas starred.

Conlin went abroad last spring,
and is believed to have signed
Mme. Callas to an exclusive for
closed-circuit tv in the U. S.

FRISCO PQP CONCERTS
GROSS BIG $29,000

San Francisco, Aug. 2.

The first five of nine scheduled
pops concerts in the Civic Audi-
torium here have grossed $29,000,
according to Joseph Dyer, secre-
tary of the sponsoring San Fran-
cisco Art Commission.

The pops, with Arthur Fiedler
leading the San Francisco Sym-
phony . and featuring both name
and local artists, is scaled from 30c.
to $2.30. The auditorium seats 5,406
for these concerts.

Three of the first five have been
sellouts, while the other two con-
certs have drawn about 4,000
apiece.

Heifetz Nixes Recital
Dates Due To Illness

Jascha Heifetz, who took ill last
spring at tail-end of his five-week
South American tour and can-
celled out of his last four dates
there, is still not over the effects
of the trip. As result, the violin-
ist has -asked Columbia Artists
Mgt.’ to cancel his fail recitals
(seven U. S. dates, including one at
Carnegie Hall, N. Y.). He will,
however, play the four fall dates
he has with orchestras, and in-
tends keeping to his winter music
sked.

Exhaustion followed the illness
and Heifetz has been resting at
his Coast home. He wants to pick
up his schedule gradually, espe-
cially as he has committed him-
self to a more strenuous sked this
season than usual*

Other top artists who’ve had to
cancel seasons in recent years due
to illness have been pianist Vladi-
mir Horowitz and cellist Gregor
Piatigorsky.

Columbia will honor, the memory
of Bela Bartok with a concert of
his works on Sept. 26, the 10th
anniversary of the composer’s
death. Concert will present the
Symphony of the Air, with Tibor
Serly as guest conductor; Robert
Shaw Chorale, with Shaw conducts
ing’ and Joseph Szlgeti, violinist.

Bruno Zirato, co-manager of the N.Y. Philharmonic, sailed for Italy
yesterday (Tues,), going ahead of the orch a full month to. check on
all the details of its forthcoming European fall tour. Orch, opening
its tour in Edinburgh Sept. 5, will play 26 concerts in 31 days in 15
cities,- in a tour arranged under Zirato’s personal direction. Tour,
which goes as far as Athens, is unusual in that the Philharmonic didn’t
employ any agencies or managements abroad to book the trip, all of it
being done from 'N.Y. Zirato will check on details of stages, publicity,
buses, trucks, etc.

* V .

Though Prades was crawling with cameramen from every part of
Western Europe during the recent Prades Festival, lensers all missed
the photo of the season and a sure bet for any pic magazine— Her
Majesty, Dowager Queen. Elizabeth of Belgium, playing Beethoven trios
with Mieczeslaw Horszowski and Pablo Casals at the latter's home.
Grandmother of King Baudouin has always been a most talented
violinist and frequently performs with chamber music groups. To en-
courage fiddle talent annually, she sponsors the Brussels Violin Prize
contest, worth 400J)00 Belgian francs ($5,000) to the winner. This is
just about the Nobel Prize for scrape- and-saw boys. Burl Senofsky,
this year’s winner, is the only American ever to hit the jackpot.

“The Rope,", one-act opera by Louis Mennini, commissioned for pro-
duction by the opera department of the Berkshire Music Center, will
be preemed by students of Boris Goldovsky’s opera department at
Tanglewood, in Lenox, Mass., next Monday and Tuesday (8-9). On the
same program will be “Zaide"* (K. 344), an unfinished two-act. opera
by Mozart which, it’s believed, will be getting its first U.S. perform-
ances.

The Metropolitan Opera has signed a new three-year contract with
the Theatrical Protective Union, Local No. 1. Pact includes the ex-
tension for the first time of the Metropolitan’s severance pay plan
to stagehands with 20 or more years of service at the Opera House.

250G Borscht Belt Invasion’

Continued from pace 2 J

the past two seasons of a Puerto
Rico Opera Festival, and Brownlee
has been" a director and associate.
Brownlee and Rushkin are co-
directors of the Ellenville fest;
Forest the treasurer, and Gins the
business manager. The Empire
State Music Festival is a non-profit
corporation, and tax exempt.

Quartet has been assisted in the
new venture by Catskill hotel-
keepers, businessmen, etc., With
Harry . Resnick, tv antenna manu-
facturer, and Jerome Hershon,
both from Ellenville, as spark-
plugs. The Catskill Mts. Civic
Corp., headed by Resnick, has
pledged to buy $100,000 in seats for
this season.

Forest, the money man, is cre-
dited with raising the initial coin
to get the project moving. The
Empire Fest bought a 110-acre
farm in Ellenville (which is 85
miles from New York City), and
laid out an initial $100,000 for tue
purchase, for improvements (lev sl-
ing the ground, making roadways),
for a 120x160 tent, new stage, seats,
etc. The tent seats 2,000, and there
are 1,800 more seats just outside.
In addition, more patrons can sit I
on the grass, to give the fest a
7,000 to 8,000 capacity.

$375,000 Potential

Prices are $5 and $4 under the
tent; $3 and $2 for the seats out-i
side, and $1.50 general admission.
Potential intake for the five weeks
is $375,000. Stage budget (talent)
is $25,000 a week, and ground crew
costs another $5,000, for a 30G
weekly operating nut, or $150,000
on the season. About $100,000 has
gone on permanent improvements,
advertising etc., with execs hoping
to amortize the equipment cost the
first season. The four administra-
tors will wait until end of the sea-
son before discussing their fee with
the board of directors.

Fest execs hit a 10-strike, in get-
ting the Symphony of the Air, re-
cently returned from a widely-
publicized Far East tour, as their
orch. Another feather is van
Beinum, famed Amsterdam Con-
certgebouw conductor, as teeoff
maestro. Variety and quality of
the programming is considered an-
other draw.

It was thought that there w'ould
be opposition or lack, of support
from Catskill hotel ops to this ven-
ture, on grounds that it would Con-
flict or .detract from their nightly
organized entertainment. But with
August a slackening-off month,
hotel owners have been interested,
some of them enough to become
backers. Businessmen see the fest
bringing up to 25,000 visitors to
the area each week* Expected na-
tional publicity will bring coin as
well as a tonier air to the region,
they believe.

Jack Heller, violinist, has been
appointed / concertmaster of the
Toledo Orchestra for the 1955-56
season. From 1950 to 1952 he
made' Several transcontinental
tours with the 4 me ri can Chamber
Orchestra directed by Robert
Scholz. Heller just recently was
discharged from the Army.

Sock Down Under Tour

Concert comedienne Anna Rus-
sell returned to N. Y, last weekend

after a sock five-month tour of
Australia, New Zealand and Tas-
mania, during which she gave 74
concerts. Femme set an attendance
record for the Australian Broad-
casting Commission by playing 42
concerts to sellouts in Sydney,
Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth,
averaging over 3,000 payees a date.
This was her Down Under debut,
and she’s already been re-engaged
for two seasons hence by the ABC
and the New Zealand Broadcasting
Commission. Giesen & Boomer,
N. Y., manages her.

Miss Russell appears Friday
(5) on the Jack Paar CBS-TV show,
while her' fourth album for Colum-
bia, “A Square Talk," is out this
week. She’ll 'make two Town Hall,
N. Y., appearances this fall, on
Nov. 27 and Dec. 17, and has a
North* American tour of over 70
dates set through next Palm Sun-
day, Then she goes to England.

Bahiboschek To Head
New Philly Opera Co.

Philadelphia, Aug. 2.

Giuseppe Bamboschek has been
engaged as artistic and musical
director of the Philadelphia Grand
Opera Co., new organization formed
through the merger of two compet-
ing Philly opera troupes, the Phil-
adelphia Civic Grand and the Phil-
adelphia LaScala.

Bamboschek has been at the
helm for both groups, as was Wil-
liam Sena, the new company’s bal-
let director and choreographer.
Vernon Hammond is assistant con-
ductor, and John Lawler is as-
sociate manager. William E. Smith
is the publicity director. General
manager Anthony Terraciano has
scheduled a. series of eight sub-
scription performances in the Aca-
demy of Music, starting Oct. JS.

Concert Bits

Albert B. Gins is now practicing
law on his own, after dissolution
of the Gins & Massler partnership
in N. Y. He’s personal manager
for concert artists and is also an
opera impresario in Puerto Rico.

Columbia Artists Mgt. Veepee
Bill Judd to Stockbridge, Mass.,
this weekend for a month’s vaca-
tion.

One bass to another: Nicola
Moscona, Met Opera basso, is re-
placing ex-Met Opera basso Ezio
Pinza in the Broadway musical,
“Fanny,” this week, while the lat-
ter vacations.

Nils Bondo, leading baritone Of
the Royal Danish Opera, got leave
this summer, and came to the U.S.
with a Royal Danish Ballet group,
acting as their company manager,
in order to be with his wife, Inge
Sand, one of the troupe’s lead
i ballerinas.

Wednesday* August 3* 1955

LITERATI

Man-Bites-Dog

Publisher of Confidential Robert
Harrison calls it man-bites-dog in
referring to the $9,000,000 libel ac-
tion he and his editors have in-
stituted against the N, Y. World-
Telegram & Sun, columnist Inez
Robb, Roy W. Howard, Lee B.
Wood, Richard Starnes and United
Feature Syndicate Inc. Litigation
is based on columnist Robb’s dia-
tribe against the plaintiff’s maga-
zine, in connection with Doris
Duke’s $3,000,000 libel suit against
Confidential.

Harrison, editor Howard Rush-
more and associate eds Jay Breen
and Albert Govoni, through Beck-
er, Ross & Stone, have filed in
N. Y. Supreme Court for punitive
and compensatory damages, al-
legedly because of injuries to the
integrity, credit and reputation of
Confidential’s management. Mean-
time, the bi-monthly, says Harri-
son, has a 2,500,000 print order for
its November issue, out Sept. 8.

Miss Robb’s article made refer-
ence that Miss Duke needs an-
other $3,000,000 like a hole in the
head, and then went on to endorse
her cause for complaint. Miss
Duke’s action is being handled by
Jerry Geisler, Los Angeles attor-
ney, who is also acting on behalf
of Robert Mitchum, Errol Flynn
and Lizabeth Scott in similar libel
suits’.

giving a detailed description of
the houses and villages as Well as
the events that took place* in their
vicinity. Tome, filled with photo
illustrations, also serves as a Bae-
decker for all those who enjoy
prowling around historic sites.

It’s the first and fullest direc-
tory, as well as a readable book, of
the historic preservations of the
U.S.

Mike Stern Recalled

Reopening by the U.S. Govt, of
the now notorious Major Holohah'
investigation— the OSS officer who
was killed behind Italian lines
during World War II, in line of
duty — may bring European cor-
respondent' Michael. Stern back to
the States ahead of schedule. He
first broke the scandal in Faw-
cetts* True mag, which snowballed
into a fullscale U.S, probe, but
since then Stern, who makes, his
home in Rome, has become a star
staffer bn Argosy which lured him
•way, along with other True
staffers.

Latter have since left Argosy,
Stem alone making a specially
lucrative deal with the mag which
affords him liesurely writing on
the Continent and frequent trips
back to the U.S. at the monthly’s
expense.

Knight’s 7 New Directors

Seven new directors of Knight
Newspapers Inc. named recently
are en Maidenburg, executive edi-
tor of the Akron Beacon- Journal;
Basil L. Walters, executive editor'
Of Knight Newspapers Inc.; Lee
Hills, executive editor of Detroit
Free Press and Miami Herald;
John Watters, assistant general
manager of Miami Herald; Arthur
J. Gucker, business manager of
‘’Miami Herald; Arthur Hall, gm. of
Chicago Daily News; and Henry
Weedier, business manager Detroit
Free Press.

‘The New Right*

Daniel Bell, associate editor of
Fortune and lecturer on sociology
at Columbia U„ has edited “The
New American Right” (McCarthy-
ism etc.) for publication by Crite-
rion in November.

Essays on “the new right” by
historians ahd sociologists included
in the book are by Pulitzer prize-
winner Peter Viereck; Talcott Par-
sons, chairman of the sociology
deRt. at Harvard; S. M, Lipset, as-
sociate prof, at Columbia; Richard
Hofstadter, Nathan Glazer, David
Reisman, and others.

. Dave Karp’s 3d Novel
David Karp’s third novel, yet un-
titled, is skedded for fall publica-
tion by Knopf. His first novel,
“One” (four editions in less than
a month) also has a second novel,
“The Day of the Monkey”, ready
for British ^publication this month
by Victor Gollancz Ltd.

Between hovel chores, Karp
writes the new weekly Kaithy God-
frey show for CBS-Radio.

Skolsky’s Hollywood
Sidney Skolsky,- for Pines Publi-
cations, is breaking with the sec-
ond (semi-annual) issue of “This
Was Hollywood”, a photographic
rehash of Coast life in the ’20s and
*30s. Meanwhile, a hew Holly-
wood fan magazine appears this
week for Hillman Periodicals;
called “Love In Movieland.”

Both Skolsky’s memorabilia mag
•nd the “Love” edition go for 25c
each.

Cancer Book OK*d ,

A fight to issue a book dealing
with a cancer drug has been won
by Beacon Press, Boston. The
Krebiozen Research Foundation of
Chicago has sought a permanent
restraining order blocking publica-
tion of the book, but Judge Joseph
L. Hurley in Superior. Court up-
held Beacon’s petition for dismissal
of the suit. . ,

Beacon, following the court rul-
ing, set Aug. 15 as the publication
date for “Krebiozen: The Great
Cancer Mystery.” Counsel for the
publishers argued that a prepub-
lication injunction wpuld violate,
freedom of the, press.

Sterlings* ‘Polio Pioneers*

Phil Sterling, CBS Radio pub-
licity staffer, and wife Dorothy, au-
thor of a dozen jfiveniles, have
written “Polio Pioneers,” for Dou-
bleday. issuance next fall.

Book traces the centuries-old
fight against the disease with em-
phasis on the children - Of the na-
tion who’ve contributed, to the
March of Dimes and cooperated in
the nationwide field tests of the
Salk vaccine, with 50-year leadup
of scientific research.

McCall’s Big Print Job'
McCall Corp. Dayton is printing
the entire domestic qffition of
Reader’s Digest, about 12,000,000,
beginning with the July issue.
Heretofore, the Dayton plant print-
ed about half of the domestic edi-
tion. New equipment has been in-
stalled in the bindery department,
to handle binding of the Digest,
which has grown from a 168-page
to a 216-page magazine with ad-
vertising.

French’s ‘Dragnet’ For Tyros
Samuel French this fall is pub-
lishing a three-act play based on
the “Dragnet” vidfilm series. Deal,
firmed through MCA’s merchandis-
ing department, is strictly for ama-
teur productions.

Scribe James Reach adapted the
NBC-TV detective stanza intd stage
j form. MCA has also concluded a
pact , with Pocketbooks Inc. to pub-
lish several “Dragnet” novels, and
the initialer by Richard Prather is
marked for fall release via paper-
back

CHATTER

Beautiful Living Pictorial Maga-
zine Inc. has changed its name to
Art-O-Rama Inc.

Former Hollywood producer B.
P. Schulberg still working on. his
autobiography in Florida.

Jean Gordon, associate publisher
of Dance magazine, flew to Europe
this week for a holiday.

NBC-TV producer William
Hodapp has authored “Our Future
in the Sea” for Rinehart publica-
tion next January.

Lawyer-author Morris L, Ernst’s
“Utopia 1976” is slated for fall
publication by Rinehart which will
also bring out ‘'Acting Is Believ-
ing” toy Charles J. McGaw, drama
prof at Ohio State U. and other
colleges.

• Negro poet-author-lyricist Lang-
ston Hughes’ part 2 of his auto-
biography, “i Wonder As I Wan-
der,” will be published next spring
under the Rinehart imprint. “The
Big Seat” (Knopf) covered the ear-
lier years of his memoirs.

course, has shown the way despite
Its humble beginnings^ Humble,
money-wise, for UA had estab-
lished a fund of* only $2,000,000
via the Walter Heller factoring
outfit of Chicago.

If this is the path O’Neil elects
to- pursue, he’ll still not be without
problems. UA already has lassoed
many of the important indies who
are obtaining 100% financing and
about a 50-50 split^on the profits.
Warners has lured others through
deals with “outside” film-makers
which some" regard as even better
than the break at UA — WB put-
ting up the production money but
taking no distribution *.fee after
the first $2,000,000 or so, depend-
ing on each production. The ad-
vantages claimed at UA, though,
also include— honest-to-goodness
autonomy for the outsiders and no
studio overhead obligations. All
other companies have indies un-
der contract. . s

The point, of course, is that
O’Neil will have to go on asking-
size producer talent scouting oper-
ation if this^is to be his mode of
operation and he’s to make it work.

Grainger, meanwhile, is to work
out his contract, which runs to
next February. He had a three
year deal with Hughes, at about
$90,000 annually, which O’Neil has
taken over. Grainger sent a memo
to RKO personnel Monday (1) say-
ing he’d continue to supervise the
distribution end of the business in
association with Walter Branson,
global sales manager, and Herbert
Greenbiatt, domestic sales head.

SCULLY’S SCRAPBOOK

+♦♦♦♦♦♦» + ♦»♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ By Frank Scully +♦+-»♦»♦♦ ♦♦♦♦♦

Vanderbilt’s Amerieana
■ The American past as seen
through its landmarks of historic
houses and villages that have been
preserved is presented vividly by
Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr. in “The
Living Past of America” (Crown;
$5.95). Vanderbilt covers the
shrines from Maine to California.

O’Neil-O’Shea

Continued from page 4

RKO Theatres

Continued from page 3

tion is seen reflected in N. Y,
Stock Exchange trading of the
issue which has sent it to. $12 a
share.

However, official sources have
denied any kind of maneuver that
would attract more than the usual
amount of interest.

There’s no new stock tender in
mind, no diversification plotted, no
deal of any kind, it’s said.

RKO Theatres earnings, mean-
while, have fallen off, the net in-
come for the first six months of
1955/ being reported at $599,757,
compared with $904,025 for the
first half of 1954. The profit for the
new period took Into account spe-
cial non-recurring loss items of
$500,000 stemming from cancella-
tion of a lease (unrelated to theatre
operations) and $86,093 on disposal
of a theatre property.

Indies Vs. Majors

Continued from, page 7

usually brings his own people with
him. As of yesterday (TueS.)
afternoon, other execs at RKO
simply just didn’t know where
they stood.

Apart from the personnel, the key
question now centers on a course
of operation to be chartered by
O’Neil, O’Shea and- Charles
Glett, the latter being head of stu-
dio operations. If there’s a deci-
sion to embark on a production
program of any scope at all, it will
take money substantially over the
amount of that coming in from
current releases. '’(Sustaining the
domestic distribution organization
alone is a big item, running to
around $150,000 Weekly).

As an alternate, there’s the pos-
sibility of providing the financing
for independent producers. The
revitalized United Artists, of

the rest of the product, must pay
off In peddling an import.

It’s noted that, when Columbia
set up its “foreign distribution de-
partment, it stressed that the sell-
ing would be done by a special
force and not by the regular sales-
men.

The majors* attitude in taking
on foreign films isn’t always,, mo-,
tivated by a pure desire to see
such pix succeed in the U. S. Quite
often it’s a matter of pleasing the
loeal producer abroad since some
of the distributors would have a
tough tiihe locally unless they had
native pix available for distribu-
tion.

There are execs at the major
companies who feel, quite frankly,
that it's a mistake to bother with
foreign films in the U.S. Story is
told of an ad-pub topper who was
discussing a British picture with
an indie rep. The company was
supposed to take on the film for
distribution, “How much do you
think, this picture could gross
here?” the ad-pub exec asked. The
answer was around $300,000.

“And for $300,000 we are sup-
posed to put into a picture the
same time and effort that would go
into selling a potential $3,000,000
or $5^)00,000 grosser,” complained
the ad man. “It just doesn’t fig-
ure.” 0

Still, many in the trade feel that
a major handling ah import does
offer certain advantages, not the
least of which are the distribution
facilities and lower distribution
costs. Indies maintain that, in sell-
ing foreign product, a major com-
pany’s salesmen will automatical-
ly— and not illogiCally — favor his
own films. Very much depends, of
cotirse, on the quality of the pic-
ture. On a very good film, with
wide popular appeal, a major dis-
trib can do a lot better than the
j indie. It’s exactly the other way
’round on the offbeat, nroduet

Desert Springs, Cal.

If you want to make money on # a play (and who doesn’t?) and are
willing to wait till the hand of time shakes its -radioactive dust on his-
tory, you may do as twell, say, with Hank Greenspun versus Sen. Mc-
Carthy as the Messrs. Lawrence and Lee have done with the fight
between Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan, as presented
in “Inherit The Wind,” now at the National, N. Y. It’s merely a matter
of filing and not forgetting till the issue of the invasion of personal
privacy is as dead as the principals.

A whole generation of playgoers have been spawned, matured and
many cases maimed in combat since 1925 when the issue of evolution
was fought out in tfie courts of the sovereign state of Tennessee. Darrow,
as portrayed So beautifully by Paul Muni, has been dead many years.
Bryan conked out, as the play shows, within a few days of the trial’s
termination. Scopes, I believe, is still alive, working" at another trade
than teaching in Florida. H. L. Mencken is still alive too, but very
still, due to a. couple of strokes which have silenced the saucy sage
6f Baltimore for some time.

But Scopes, at the time he was clinked for teaching the Darwinian
theory in defiance of the laws of Tennessee, was merely the wienie in
the plot. A nice kid teaching what he had been taught, Scopes was
the battlefield on which Darrow and Bryan fought, with most of the
working press rigged against the Commoner, It was after Bryan had
run three times for President <and had quit Woodrow Wilson in a hufif-
when he -was Wilson’s Secretary of State. Mencken, with high Intel-
lectual humor led. the pack. He is played by Karl Light, who played the
school-teaching friend of Mr. Peepers on television.

Drummond Before the Bulldog

The playwrights are smart enough to faintly fictionize all the real
characters. This way they can dip into history and change it here and
there to fit the frame of good theatre. Mencken is called Bertram Cates,
Bryan is called Matthew Harrison Brady and Darrow is called Henry
Drummond. Muni as Drummond is made up to. look like Darrow, even
to his, mauve galluses. Ed Begley as Bpady looks more like the Bryan
he is portraying than one could have believed possible.

Outside of these masques, the attempt to conceal the sources of the
story are practically nil. At the time of the actual trial Darrow was
nearing 70 and Bryan was 65. Darrow had recently gained international
notice as the attorney who saved Leopold and Loeb, two juvenile
delinquents who had murdered a kid for fun.

With plenty of Leopold and Loeb family coin in his pocket Darrow
felt he could well afford to pitch for the right to think, for nothing.
The trial was held in a hick town of about 10,000 near Chattanooga
called Dayton. The town was transformed as the play shows into a
circus sideshow. Pitchmen sold toy monkeys, lemonade and hot dogs.

These were thriving industries as biz was as hot as the Sahara and the
weather hotter 7 than Bryan’s indignation. It was in July and the days
were blistering. Everybody sweltered and: stripped down to essentials.
The judge I suspect wore shorts under his black robe to keep some
sense of decorum to the bizarre proceedings and Bryan fanned himself
most of the time when he was not sounding off-.

In Days Before Screening

Though he was looked upon as a Galahad to most of the peasants, In
the main staunch Fundamentalists who believed that even adding a
clarifying comma to the Old Testament was practically blasphemic, the
outlanders who swarmed over the town treated him as the heavy of
the piece. This the playwrights have faithfully portrayed. They give
him plenty of rope and they let Darrow hang him on his cross of gold.

Despite, the fact that John T. Scopes, the young, biology teacher,
was convicted, the forensics of Darrow stopped cold the march of legal
restraints against teaching the theory of evolution. Fifteen states were
ready to move in behind Tennessee had the trial not received such
wide publicity, just as they have moved in against organized labor
today with a gimmick called the Right to Work.

Western Union took over a grocery store and installed 22 telephone
operators to rush developments of the trial from day-to-day to city
desks. The Chicago Tribune improvised a radio hookup through WGN,
their main station— a novelty in 1925. Every character who believed
that the world was as old as Holy Writ and Bryan said it was, and not
' a day older, was scooped up and immortalized for at least a day.

Blocked from introducing scholars from afar as experts, Darrow
resorted to calling Bryan to the stand and making a chump out of him
through contradictions in, the Bible. However gross the contradiction,
Bryan would not accept any interpretation other than the literal text.
That the old prophets may have indulged in poetic license here and
there was denied by Bryan. It was all or nothing at all, as far as he
was concerned.

In the play this produces a lot of drama and a lot of guffaws. Bryan
would have done better to have allowed Darrow to call his experts and
then riddled their logic, for the theory is full of holes and in the main
is old hat by now. But he chose to play the great defender and found
himself being chumped into a patsy. He may not have believed that
even a monkey was descended from a monkey but Darrow surely made
a monkey out of him.

How to Examine Yourself

This is. not as difficult as it would seem to a smart trial lawyer. One
way it could have been avoided with Bryan on the stand would have
been for him to examine himself, thereby limiting Darrow on cross
examination to the direct testimony. I have seen this done by lawyers.
It’s quite a dramatic operation. One lawyer who was cited for contempt
88 times and beat every rap was a master at this sort of legal hilarity,

The big Issue of the trial is still the big issue in teaching — the right
to think. With colleges being cut off more and more from big endow-
ments, the state has been stepping in and when the state steps in of
course liberal thinkihg gets the old heave-ho. Even organized teachers
cannot fight legislatures which supply the coin of the realm,

It's not . a pretty picture and the trend is all in the direction of con-
forming to what the most mediocre believe the rest should know and
think.

Myself a dissenter from this trend has got me portrayed as a rebel,
when actually I am a radical flnerely because I choose not to tear up
roots which have been with this Republic long before 'the Bryans,
Darwins and Darrows Were born. Actually I am a staunch conservative
trying to conserve old ideas of liberty which practically reduce one
these days to a minority opinion. ’

The Scopes thing was never carried to the Supreme Court as I
recall, so it never had a chance to be officially reversed or upheld as
have many of the issues involving segregation and such. But “Inherit
the Wind,” which comes from the Proverbs, is good theatre. My only
hope is that it does not run into a cross current that has been atomized
and . become radioactive.

There’s an old Genevan psalter that goes; .

“Turn back, O Man, foreswear thy. foolish ways,

Old now is the earth and none may count her days”

There’s a line in it about, “Yet thou, her child, whose head is cr.owned
with flame.”

Try that on your Geiger counter for size. Especially around Yucca.
Flat

62 CHATTER

Wednesday, August 3, 1935

Broadway

Songwriter Joseph Meyer and
wife sail for Europe on the Liberte
today (Wed,).

Pressagent Betty Lee Hunt in
Doctors Hospital, last week, for
minor surgery.

Jerry Thorpe, BCA Victor pub-
licity chief, jn'o N. V. Eye & Ear*
.Hospital for surgery.

When Loew’s exec Oscar A. Doob
retires to write in Palm Beach, he
will also serve as . Variety cor-
respondent in that territory.

Sol Hurok returned to N. Y.
Monday (1) after a summer in
Europe, having completed details
■ on import of five major music and
. legit groups for the coming season.

Sol A. Schwartz, president of
RKO Theatres, left yesterday
(Tues.) for a week’s Coast stay to
onceover .new pictures and look in
on the ciiain’s operations in L. A,
and San Francisco.

Edmund C, Grainger Jr. has re'
turned to private law practice with
O’Brien, Driscoll & Raftery, having
resigned as special assistant to the
Attorney General of the U.S* in
the Tax Division of the Dept, of
Justice.

Sissa Bethea, ex-Copa dancer,
back in the U.S. after eight-month
tour with Rascel’s variety show
throughout Italy. She nixed a next
season’s repeat in order to visit
her father, John Bethea, an Or-
lando (Fla.) fruit grower:

Armand John Veqsey Jr., asst.

& m. of Standard Vacuum Oil of
. Y., and son of the late com-

S oser-director at the now defunct
itz - Carlton Hotel, married
Jeanne-Marie Kranich, ex-Argosy
mag associate editor, last week.

Singer and Coca-Cola executive
Morton Downey, along with attor-
ney Edwin L. Weisl (Paramount
Pictures board member), named to
the board of the reorganized Amer-
ican News Co. by Henry Gatfinkle,
who became ANC prexy a month
ago.

Joe. Cornbleth, onetime agent,
booker and arena and nitery pro-
ducer who was with the William
Morris office in N. Y. for several
years, now a departmental sales
manager for English &' Douglas,
San Fernando Valley realtors on
the Coast.

Harmonicaist Larry Adler, now
touring Down Under, has asked
. that he not N be confused with the
Larry Adler of the Brooklyn Eagle,
who was described as a Commu-
nist in the 1930s during June 29
testimony before the Senate Inter-
nal Security subcommittee given by
CBS announcer Winston Burdett.

Walter Pidgeon, , Maureen
O’Hara, Merle Oberon, Barbara
Rush, Anne Francis, Jeanne Crain
and Col. Serge Obolensky making
the inaugural flight via Brazil’s
own Varig Airlines to Rio de
Janeiro. Obolensky’s syndicate is
building a new El Ebajador (Am-
bassador) Hotel in Ciudad Trujillo,
Dominican Republic, which is now
the first stop (5Vfc hours away) from
N.Y. to Rio.

The Warren Stevenses (Lydia
Minevitch) cut their N.Y. honey-
moon short because of a Universal
film commitment. Actor, while
east and awaiting the return from
Paris of his bride-to-be, who had
flown over for the services of
Borrah Minevitch, her father, did
a Philco Playhouse guester. Deems
Taylor, who was best man for
Stevens, hosted at a small recep-
tion following their marriage last
Thursday (27) at the First Presby-
terian Church here.

Norman Reader, public info chief
of the French Government Tourist
Office in. North America, awarded
France’s Tourist Medal, becoming
Chevalier de l'Ordre du Merite
Touristique. Award started in '49.
for non-Frenchmen; Reader is a
native American.

Pittsburgh

By Hal V. Cohen
George Elias staging Sesque-
centennial pageant in Canton, O.

Twin Coaches goes 'back to full-
week operation again with Sophie
Tucker booking on Sept. 9.

Mrs. Lincoln Maazel flew to
Rome to spend some time with her
son, Lorin Maazel, the Symphony
conductor.

Karl Krug, drama editor of Sun-
Telegraph, vacationing for three
weeks, with Leonard MendlowRr
pinch-hitting. I/r

Terry Wayne has broken awa£ l
from Miriam Sage organization and
now has the line herself at the
White Elephant.

Atlantic City

By Joe W. Walker

Atlantic City Race track opens
Aug. 9 and runs until Oct, 5.

Three Galanes at President
Hotel Round-the-World-Room.

Joe Hogan purchased Escort
Bar, mid-city spot, from Tony Bar-
atta.

Shelburne Hotel formally

opened Its new convention room
last week.

Dolores Wilson featured Tues-
day (2) in Ventnor Summer Musi-
cal festival in suburban Ventnor.

Cuffo Sunday night (band con-
certs on Garden Pier out as amuse-
ment interests protested. Concerts
now staged on Monday nights.

Paradise night club dropped
plan of using name bands during
season aftejf early trial resulted in
poor - business.' Negro Spot fea-
tured Larry . Steele last summer.

Kay Martin, Bamboo Club sing-
er, in police court for appearing
on boardwalk in Bikini bathing
suit. Released with warning as
news services used yarns and pix
of stunt.

Paris

By Gene Moskowitz
(28 Rue Huchette;: Odeon 49-44)

Elissa Lotti off to Munich on a
contract to appear in three Ger-
man pix.

“Seven Brides For Seven Bcotli-
*ers” (M-G) in for heat crix; looks
to do biz, a rarity for musicals
hefe.

Beldon Katelman, owner of El
Rancho in Las Vegas, in to ogle
talent; so far Interested in Alicia
Marquez, carioca wigglOr at the
Folies-Bergere^

Ilya Lopert to receive high gov-
ernmental honor decoration from
Italy, with the Grande Officiale,
for his fine work /for Italy via his
“Summertime” (UA).

Joe Warfield, U. S. tihiesp, into
French pic, “Le Madelon/’ as
American Army colonek Warfield
was strictly a . private during his
real U. S. Army stint. .

Gina Lollbrigida is the third
Continental star to work on a tra-
peze this year and she now goes
into practice for one of the star
roles in the Hecht-Lancaster “Tra-
peze” (UA) which rolls , Aug. 1.
Michele Morgan did trapeze work
in the recent “Obsession” while
Martine Carol is still doing her
aerial work in Germany in Max
Ophuls’ pic, “Lola Montes.”

In spite of governmental rulings
here on pix that are to be shown
in the whole territory of “France,
the mayor of Nice has banned foUr
pix by special municipal decree.
This is being contested by distribs.
Pix are “Avant Le Deluge” on
juvenile delinquency; “La Rage
Au Corps,” on nymphomania;” “Le
Feu Dans Le Peau” (Fire in the
Flesh), about lust, and “La Neige
Etait Sale,” about a degenerate
during the occupation^

Fire Island

By Mike Gross

Le*e Wiley warbled to Harold
Rome’s piano accomp at Ted Fine’s
bash.

Big Three topper Abe Olman
weekending with tunesmith Lou
Alter. *

Jir* LOnghi off to Ogonquit, Me.,
for opening of his play, “Two Fin-
gers Of Pride.”

Beth Hollinger cut her summer
vacaah short to take on Scripting
chores for Bess Myerson’s new ra-
dio show. S T

Brill Building refugees on/' the
beach: Marvin Caine, Artie Mogull,
Wally Schuster, Marvin Fisher and
Ivan Mogull.

Bill Kayland, NBC-TV producer
on the Coast, guesting with Lloyd
Leipzig between huddles on “Wide,
Wide World.”

Albert Hague and Arnold Hor-
witt, “Plain and Fancy” cleffers,
mapping out plans over weekend
for a new tuner.

Rome

By Robert F. Hawkins

( Archimede 145; tel 800 211)

Gloria Swanson is back in town
after trip to Paris.

Franchise Arnoul here briefly
from Paris to discuss film matters.

Florence may be next Italo cen-
ter after Milan and Rome to get
Cinerama.

Patachou booked for two-night
stand at. out-of-town Casina delle
Rose nitery.

Shirley Jones leaves “Oklahoma”
company at end of Rome stand and
wings to Hollywood to work in
/'Carousel.”

Venice Film Festival prelims
open Aug. 15 because of heavy pre-
booking of documentary and kid
pix; Feature fete opens Aug. 25.

Current Casina delle Rose nitery
show includes topliner Geo Dorlis,
Johnson & Madill, Homer and Holt,
Lana Rita and Walton’s Mario-
nettes.

Caby Andre and husband Ely
Smith off to Paris after lengthy
local stay. Smith may produce pix
locally in a deal possibly involving
Broderick Crawford.

Raoul Levy, French producer, in
from Paris to look for Italo talent
for his next pic, “The Witch;”
which rolls in Sweden soon with
Marina Vlady in the lead.

. London

. Frank Lawton recuperating from
abdominal operation.

Stephen Boyd, popular tv star,
inked longterm contract with Lon-
don Films.

( ! Guy Mitchell threw a novelty in
the way of a reception, prior to
his Palladium opening, serving
steaks in his hotel suite. ;

Palladium patrons sustained in-
juries when part of ceiling plaster,
fell on audience last week, caus-
ing closing of some seats, and
money refunds.

Bob Hope flew in from Paris to
make a personal at the Plaza and
meet folks bearing the .name of
Foy. This tied up with current
showing of his pic, “The Seven
Little Foys.’V , ^

Max Adrian, star of “Airs On a
Shoestring” which ran over a year
at the Royal Court Theatre, joined
cast of “From Here To There”
last week. This current revue was
sagging for lack of a- strong male
personality. „

Janet Leigh and Victor Mature
getting innoculated against all the
African ills before they set off at
the end of the month for Kenya,
for location shooting on Metros
latest pic “Safari”. Local shots
are now under way at Elstree Stu-
dios megged by Terence Young. .

“Braziliana”, a musical from Rio
de Janeiro, opens a fom>week run
at the 'Piccadilly Theatre Aug. 9,
under the direction of Mieco As-
kanasy. Show was unique when
staged in Rio, being the first na-
tive theatre production with an
all-Brazilian cast.

Barcelona

By Joaqulna C. Vidal-Gomls
(Tel, 24-00-18; Angli, 43)

Edmund Purdom, who’s in town,
assisting at bull fights here.

Rafael de Cordoba’ and the
Puppet Parade . at Emporium
nitery.

The Talia Theatre’s “Menta y
Canela ,” musical show, stars Rosita

Ferrer. • . ^

Mexican Ana Maria Gonzalez,
who is a favorite here, now at
Casablanca nitery.

Agatha Christie’s “The Mouse-
trap” at the Comedia Theatre,
presented by Arturo Serrano.

-The Rigat nitery has a typical
Spanish show, besides Harry
Brampton, Los Turina and Ugolini.

Argentine tango singer Alberto
Castillo at the Calderon. Theatre
sold out during his two-week stay.

American pix on Barcelona
screens are; “Witness To Murder”
(UA), “Great Houdini” (Par.)
“Mask of Avenger” (Col), “Uncle
Willie” (Col), “Song of South”
(RKO) and “Golden Blade” <U).

Frankfurt

St. Olaf’s Choir one-nighted at
Drei Konigs Kirche here Aug. 1.

Eddie Constantine, American
singer-actor who’s one of the top
stars in France, due here for open-
ing .of “Serenade Fuer 2 Pistolen.”

Singer Caterina Valente leaves
Germany in December for three-
month tour of the U.S.; including
tv shows and a guesting at a Las
V6gas hotel.

. Stuart Schulberg of Trans-Rhein
! Films producing ‘‘Fliegende Gue-
terwagen” (Flying Truck) for U. S.
Fairchild Engine and Airplane
Corp.

Wolfgang Staudte, barred from
working in West Germany because
of his work with DEFA in East
Berlin, now making “Ein Kind
Braucht Nur'Liebe” (Every Child
Needs Love), with a German and
Dutch cast, at the Cineton studios
in Amsterdam.

Gustav Machaty, who directed
“Ecstasy,” set to make “Wie ein
Sturm wind” (Like a Hurricane).

O. W. Fischer, actor turned di-
rector, just finished first directorial'
job “Hanussen,” for Royal Films.

Helmut Kaeutner, one of top
German directors, plans three new
productions filmization of Carl
Zuckmayer novel, “Das Engele von
Loewen”; “Himmel ohne Sterne”
(Heaven Without Stars); and re-
make of “Der Hauptmann von
Koepenick.”

' By Jerry Gaghan

Jackie Davis pacted by Capitol
Records.

, Iz Kamens, Shubert' theatres
program man, recuperating after
siege in hospital.

Jackie Lee, local pianist, at
Johnson’s Cafe, Wildwood, for
seventh consecutive summer.

Grace Kelly starrer “To Catch
A Thief,” will have world preem
at Trans-Lux Theatre this week.

Stripper Julie Gibson makes
stage debut as Tondelaya in -Ken-
ley Players' “White Cargo”, Bris-
tol, Pa.

Steve Strohman, Capitol Records,
moved to Coast as assistant opera-

tions manager for company’s Holly-
wood branch.

Patricia Jenkins, daughter of
Evening Bulletin drama reviewer
Dudley Jenkins, had principal role
in “Fifth Season” at the Park
Playhouse.

Theodore Viniello, known pro-
fessionally as Teddy Walters, for-
mer Tommy Dorsey and . Artie
Shaw vocalist, in Philadelphia
General Hospital suffering from
blood disease.

San Francisco

By Bill . Steif

Leonard Silliman signed T. C.
Jones for “New Faces of’ ’56.”

Hal Prinz, a native, up from Hol-
lywood to catch- his own “Pajama
Game.”

Bob Scobey’s Dixieland Band
moving across the Bay to Oak-
land’s Jack London Square.

"Albert Marre heading for Paris
and a few days of confabs with
Anouilh before assuming 4i rec *o-
rial duties for The Playwrights.:

Louis de Rochemont welcomed
to San Francisco with a cocktail
party . aboard Western Pacific’s
California Zephyr ~ all part of;
preparation for opening of “Cine- j
rama Holiday.”

Iron. Curtain ‘Time’

Continued from' page 1

with Moscow hnd while there are
individuals in some of the com-
panies who think this is the time
to pierce the Iron Curtain with
American films, none of the dis-
tribs will 'move until and unless/
Johnston and the association give
the go-ahead. Latter, in turn, have
some heavy thinking to do before
pulling down their self-erected bar-
rier against trading with the Reds.

Oddly enough, the Soviets them-
selves want American features and
have said so. The U. S. State
Dept., too, has indicated it
wouldn’t be opposed to Hollywood
pix going into Russia. But ap-
parently that hasn’t been sufficient
for Johnston and the company
prexies who would rather act on a
direct request from the govern-
ment. That way, if there are any
kickbacks, no blame could be at-
tached to the industry.

Shifting Attitudes

It’s acknowledged at the MPEA
that the entire climate has changed
to the point where it would make
sense to make a film deal with the.
Russians. . In other cultural areas
■ — such as music— there has been
an obvious tendency to initiate ex-
changes with Moscow In the wake
of the. favorable atmosphere cre-
ated at the Geneva four-power
talks.

Yehtidi Menuhin, the violinist,
said last week he was going to the
USSR next ye-ar and that two
Soviet musicians — violinist DavicL
Oistrakh and pianist Emil Gilels — -
would visit the U. S. Also, Russia
apparently wants, to send over its
top ballerinas and singers and
wants American counterparts to
visit in turn. “Porgyand Bess,”
U. S, version, also is poised to
pierce the Iron Curtain.

With films, the exchange — if one
comes about — would be a one-
sided .one since Russian pix are
freely imported into this coqnt/*y.
There haven’t been any new Amer-
ican films shipped to the ; Soviet
Union since soon after the war %
The Russians have shown some*
Hollywood pix, declaring them
“war booty” captured in Berlin.
The State Dept, protested these
unlicensed exhibitions at the be-
hest of the U. S. distribs.

Move was on in 1947 for the
JMPEA to sell a batch of films to
Russia for $1,000,000. However, at <
that time, the local commissars
couldn’t, mack up their minds on
what films they wanted, and the
deal fell through. A year ago,
when another Red request for pix
came through, it was flatly nixed
by the MPEA. ^That was at the
time Senator McCarthy rode high
and mentioning the Russians was |
tantamount to treason.

One of the major problems of
selling pix to Russia is the one of
supervision since the suspicion re-
mains that the Soviets might edit
the films to suit their own propa-
ganda purposes. Selection of the
films is a comparatively minor
problem since there are plenty of
“neutral” type features that should
be acceptable to both sides as rep-
resenting “pure” entertainment.
There have been repeated reports
out of Russia stating that Ameri-
can films are very’ popular with
audiences despite official govern-
ment discouragement. The Russian
papers have on occasions riled
against the western “trash” which
filmgoers appear to enjoy.

Hollywood

/ Yul Brynner bought a home in
the Hollywood hills.

Muriel Roberta hospitalized with
bronchial pneumonia. ^

Milton R. Rackmil in from N.-Y.
for. Universal huddles.

Grade Alien and Mary Living-
stone returned from N. Y.

Norman Taurog will direct the
Deb Star. Ball at Hollywood Pal-
ladium Sept. 30.

Joan Crawford and bridegroom,
Alfred Steele, returned from their
honeymoon abroad.

Mary Castle collapsed on 20th-
Fox lot and withdrew from the
cast of “GodE Morning, Miss
Dove.“

Protestant Motion Picture Coun-
cil picked Metro’s “Interrupted
Melody” as Picture of the Month,

George Stevens tossed a lunch-
eon for Edna Ferber,

Suit was filed here by producer
J. K. McEldowney and publicist
Malvina McEldowney, his wife,
against Commonwealth Pictures
Corp. for back salaries allegedy
owed them.

Manila

Roy Hamilton is top hit in radio
and jukes.

“Prisoner of Parma,” an Italian
import, banned by local censor
board.

Columbia release, “Objective
Central Luzon,” made by BOnifer,
enjoyed successful nationwide ex-
hibition,

Alfonso B. Garcia, top exec of
Deegar Cinema, due from New
York, where he was reported to
have closed a co-production deal.

FAMAS, local counterpart of
Hollywood’s film academy, ready-
ing annual awards ceremony for
September. New officers elected.

George Stevens’ “Penny Sere-
nade” in first-run revival at Lyric.
“Man Without A- Star” (U-I) moved
over to first-run Times from Uni-
vcrsdl

“Strange Lady In Town” (Co-
lumbia) to run simultaneously at
Lyric and Avenue. “A Prize Of
Gold” lri twin engagement at State
and Capitol.

Banning of “Martin Luther” by
censor board .drew unfavorable
press reaction. Censors say film
attacked Catholicism, dominant
religion here. „

New deal between Chapman Ho
and producer Manuel Vistan Jr., of
Premiere Productions, calls for
three pics to be made in Hongkong*
for release throughout Southeast
Asia.

MGA’s Merchandising

Continued from pace 2 saa

stores these days on drinking
glasses, • lighters, wallets and cuff-
links, according to MCA.

Direct revenue returns aren’t
the only object of the Mincolla
operation, He’s been told to ar-
range various premium deals as a
plus to attract sponsors to any
of the several telefilms produced
under MCA aegis. For example,,
a giveaway has been fixed for the
Bill Williams starrer, “Kit Karson,"
as a boost for bankroller Coca
Cola.

In addition to the performers,
such as Edwards, presently receiv-
ing merchandising attention front
MCA, Mincolla says that there are
also MCA-repped writers on the
list, Mincolla says that MCA mer-
chandising has begun hiring its \
own staff, headed by an attorney
to handle licenses and other con-
tracts with manufacturers and
talent. It’s also got its own ad
agency, Paris & Peart,

s i

R&H ‘Pipe’

, Continued from pace 1

Williamson Music (R & H), in part-
nership with Prince Littler. That
is the regular production setup in
England for R & H shows, or other
U. S. shows acquired by R & H for
Britain.

Assuming that “Pipe Dream” is
done in London successfully next
spring, it would probably extend
the R&H tenancy of the Drury
beyond the 10-year mark. It would
thus top the decade record set dur-
ing the 1920s and 1930s by Oscar
Hammerstein 2d with various
shows done in collaboration with
various composers, before he
formed his current co-author and
co-producer partnership with Rich-
ard Rodgers,

Among the outstanding Hammer-
stein hits at the Drury during that
previous. 10 -year string were
“Show Boat,” “Rose Marie,” “Des-
ert Song” and “New Moon.”

willy pogany

Willy Pogany, 73, artist and de-
signer, died July 30 in N. Y. He
was a scenic and costume designer,
muralist, book and magazine illus-
trator, caricaturist, architect, etch-
er, sculptor and portrait painter.
Among the murals created by him
is a forest and floral motif cover-
ing both walls of the Ziegfeld The-
atre, N. Y.

Born in Szeged, Hungary, Po-
gany worked in Europe before
settling in the U. S. in 1014. In
this country, he designed \ the
scenes, sets and costumes at' the
Metropolitan Opera House for the
. operas “Le Coq D’Or, “L’ltaliana
in Algeri” and “The Polish Jew.”
He also designed the sets and cos-
tumes for the Fokine and Adolph
Bloom ballets, besides doing simi-
lar work on numerous Broadwcy
productions.

His Main Stem credits include
“Sumurun,” “Queen High,” “Mer-
ry Wives of Windsor," “Magic Mel-
ody,” “Lassie,” “Liliom,” “Holy
Terror,". “Madame Pompadour,"
“House Boat on the Styx,” “Hitqhy
KoO,” “The Jeweled Tree," “Words
and Music," “Century Girl Ballet,"
“Alimonies," “Hawk Island,” “Car-
nival in Venice” and “Thunder
Bird."

Pogany also Worked in Holly-

lit Memory of a Good
Friend and Great
Musk Man

LARRY

NORRETT

August 1st, 1955

MARKS MUSIC
and Its Staff*

wood where he was art director
for United Artists, Warner Bros.,
20th-Fox, Universal add the
Charles Chaplin studios. At one
time he designed animated car-
toons for Universal. From 1940-
SI, he did cover illustrations for
numerous mags, including all the
cover designs for The American
Weekly. Pogany was also the author
of several books on art and art in-
struction and was considered an
authority on color effects by light-
ing.

Wife, two sons and a sister sur-
vive.

ELMER WALTMAN
Elmer Waltman, 60, the burnt-
cork “Rainbow Jackson” of KDKA’s
long-running “Musical Clock” pro-
gram with Ed Schaughency, died
in Pittsburgh July 27 after a long

C-: I

In Remembrance

BARRETT H. CLARK

August 5, 1953

His Staff at P.P.S.

illness. Waltman, as Rainbow, and
Schaughency started their show in
1939 and it ran until 1954 When
the latter, began his own afternoon
platter-spinning marathons on the
Westinghouse station and Waltman
went into semi-retirement in fail-
ing health.

Waltman was born in Kane, Pa.,
of a vaudeville family and got his
start with Hal Hoyt & Co. on the
old Keith circuit. He next teamed
up with Joe Clark and for years
they toured the Keith, Pantages
and Indie circuits as Davis & Clark.
Waltman settled in Pittsburgh
shortly before World War I and
after a stretch in the Army broke
into radio in its early days as
“Uncle Elmer'’ on a Pitt children’s
program. He went with KDKA in
” 1936 as “Leroy” in the old “Strol-
lers Matinee” program and played
character parts in studio produc-
tions before finally partnering with
Schaughency in the association
that was to last 15 years. A wid-
ower, Waltifian leaves a sister and
a brother.

TONY CORNERO STRALLA
Tony Cornero Stralla, 55, a better
known as Tony Cornero, who was
in the process of building the new
1,500-room Stardust Hotel, Las
Vegas, died July 31 of a ‘heart at-
tack in Las Vegas* He was strick-
en at a dice table and died short-
ly afterward in his suite at the
Desert Inn.

Stralla was about -to open the
Stardust after having won a legal
battle for a gambling license. Ap-

I lication was approved by The Ne-
vada State Tax Commission fol-
lowing his leasing of the casino to
others for $6,000,000 annually. He
was to have run the hotel part of
the structure.

Stralla achieved fame in the
late 1930s for his operation of two
gambling boats off the California
coast. “The Admiral of the Roll-
ing Bones," as he was called, was
engaged in a .running legal battle
with authorities' before he was put
out of business. He also figured
in a 1948 gun battle in which he
was wounded. *

EDWARD H. ROBINS

Edward H. Robins. 74, a legit
actor for more than 50 years, died
July 27 in Paramus, N. J., after a
long illness. He made his acting
debut in 1900 in Philadelphia in a
production Of “Hamlet" and made
his last Broadway appearance in
1946 in a revival of “Front Page.”

Robins made his N. Y. bow in
1909 after being signed by David
Belasco to appear opposite Frances
Starr in “The Easiest Way.” He
later worked under the direction
of Sam H. Harris and A. L. Er-
langer and in 1911 appeared in
“Ben, Hur.” Other productions in
which he was cast included “Erst-
while Susan," “So This Is Lon-
don," “Bluffing Bluffers," “Puppy
Love," “Easy Come, Easy Go,”
“Paradise/* “Oh Promise Me” and
“Just to. Remind You."

Robins was on the executive
staff of Actors Equity from 1928
to 1930. He also directed Broad-
way plays, and managed a stock
company in Toronto.

FRANK A. STAUFFACHER

Frank A. Stauffacher, 38, an au-
thority on experimental films knd
a film producer himself, died at
Fort Miley Hospital, San Francisco,
July 26. A native San Franciscan,
he became a commercial artist and
in the last war produced training
films for the Air Force.

After -.the war, he returned to
San Francisco and pioneered a San
Francisco Museum of Art series
titled, “Art in Cinema," one of the
first such programs presented in
the U. S. In 1952, he produced a
film, “Notes on the Port of St.
Francis,” which won the Robert
Flaherty Award as the year’s best
American documentary.

New York Museum of Modern
Art and the San Francisco Museum
of Art are now completing' a film
Stauffacher did on Reg Butler, the
British artist.

Survived by his widow, a daugh-
ter and 'two brothers.

CLAYTON E. BOND

Clayton E. Bond, yet film sales-
man and buyer, died July 31 at
his home in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.,
of a heart-attack. He was in retire-
ment but was operating a real es-
tate business.

Bond entered the industry in
Chicago in 1912 as a booker, later
went on the road for Triangle Film
Co. From 1925 to 1927 he was buy-
er for the B & K Midwest Thea-
tres. In 1931 he became chief buy-
er for Warner Bros. Theatres, a
position he held for close to 20
years. In 1950 he switched to be-
come chief buyer for Skouras
Theatres, N. Y., retiring in Feb; of
1952: He was a member of Motion
Picture Pioneers.

Surviving are his wife, a sor.
and two daughters.

WILLIAM MEENAM
William T. Meenam, 68, former
supervisor of radio and tv shows
for the General Electric Co., died
July 27 in Schenectady, N. Y. He
was a pioneer in radio broadcast-
ing and was active in arranging
the broadcasts to Rear Admiral
Richard E. Byrd on his first Ant-
artic expedition.

Meenam had worked with The
Amsterdam R e c o r d e r , Albany
Times-UniOn and Schenectady Un-
ion-Star before joing GE in 1919.
He was a member of the news staff
of the company radio station,
WGY, when it went on the air in
1922 and ran its “Scissors and
Paste" program for 17 years.

He retired as GE radio and tv
supervisor in 1952.

JOSEPH FRANZI
Joseph Franzi, 73, placer and
teacher of the French horn, died
July 23 in N. Y. Born in Czecho-
slovakia, he came to the U. S. as
a young man and made his debut
as a solpist with the Pittsurgh
Symphony Orch,.

He was soloist with the N. Y.
Symphony under Walter Dam-
rosch for many years and also with
the N. Y. Chamber Music Society,
and other groups. For the last 11
years, Franzi was head of the horn
department of the Dalcroze School
of Music in N. Y., and until five

year* ago was a member of the
orch for operas presented at the
N. Y. City Center,

Surviving are a daughter, son,
sister and brother.

I. DUNAYEVSKY
Isaak Dunayevsky, 55, Soviet
composer, died July 25 in Moscow.
He was one of the vfirst Russian
composers to employ jazz rhythms
in his work. Dunayevsky, who was
president of the Union of Soviet
Composers, wrote pop tunes, comic
operas, ballets and picture scores.

He was the composer of the
“Song of the Motherland,” which
became Moscow Radio’s signature
tune. He also wrote the comic
operas, “The Bridegroom,” “Arctic
Passions,” and “The Golden Val-
ley.” Ballets composed by him in-
cluded “Fawn’s® Repose" and
“Moursilka,” while his film credits
included “Merry Fellows,” “The
Circus” and “Volga, Volga."

. LLOYD W. MADDOCK
Lloyd W. (Speed) Haddock, for-
mer Oakland, Calif., sports editor
and KROW sportscaster, died July
28 at his Oakland home after suf-
fering a cerebral hemorrhage as a
result of a fall. He was 55.

Maddock was a piteher for the
Seattle baseball club in the Pacific
Coast League before getting into
sportswriting. He was sports editor
for The Oakland Post-Enquirer
and after the Hearst paper folded
in 1948 he went into publicity
work. "

He leaves his wife, Wilhelmina,
a son and a daughter.

JAMES W. CROCKER

James W. Crocker, 54, assistant
manager of KRLD, Dallas, since
1945, died July 25 in that city. In
radio 25 years, he directed radio
publicity for the 1936 Texas Cen-
tennial, working With Art Link-
letter, Rudy Vallee and other AM
vets airing from the expo. In 1937
Crocker was radio director for the
followup Pan-American Exposition
in Dallas.

He joined KRLD as chief an-
nouncer in 1938 and was , original
quizmaster of “Quiz of Two Cities”
and the “Dr. I. Q.” shows.

Survived by a sister. .

- ROBERT FRANCIS

Robert Charles Francis, 25, a
film actor, and Audrey Ann Dosch,
24, a film bit player known as Ann
Russell, were killed July 31 along
with another man, in the crash of
a private plane which was taking
off from an unused parking lot in
Burbank, Calif. The plane was
owned by actor Joe Kirkwood, who
was not aboard at the time. His
pilot George Meyers was identified
as the other victim.

Francis, who was a newcomer to
filmdom, recently portrayed the
role of Willie Keith in “The Caine
Mutiny.”

FRANK G. HUNTRESS
Frank Granger Huntress, 85,
chairman, of 'the board of The Ex-
press Publishing Co. and founder
of the Sunshine Broadcasting Co.,
died July 30 in San Antonio. With
the Southwest publishing firm for
71 years, he established the broad-
casting company in 1949 ‘to oper-
ate radio station KTSA, which was
sold by Express in 1954 to buy sta-
tions KENS and KENS-TV.

Surviving are his wife, a daugh-
ter and. a son, Frank Granger
Huntress Jr., who is president of
Express.

MIRE MARKELS
Michael Markels, 69, vet orch
leader and pianist, died July 27
following a . heart attack in New
York. A native of Russia, he
studied piano in N. Y. ' and Paris.

Since 1913, he had conducted
Markels orchestra, which played at
society events, on the radio and at
the former Pennsylvania Hotel in
New York. For the last three
years, he had been a member of
the Ray Bloch Orchestra. His wid-
ow and son survive.

MRS. HUME DIXON
. Mrs. Hume Dixon, 49, radio'
script writer and producer, di?d
July 29 in Hollywood. At one time
she appeared on Broadway in “Bad
Habits of 1926" with Robert Mont-
gomery. Mrs. Dixon wrote the
Robert L. Ripley radio program
and more recently produced her
own program, “The Voice of Rock-
land County."

Surviving is a son.

AL GREENSTONE
Ellison (Al) Greenstone, 65,
theatre program publisher and
show backer, died July 29 in New.
York. At the start of his career,
Greenstone was a dresser for the
late George M. Cohan and later
became one of his principal assist-
ants.

Surviving are his wife and two
sons.

AVRAM M. MANN
Avrarn M. Goffman, 61, who
used the surname Mann in the

advertising business and as an
emcee -on several Yiddish-language
programs over WEVD, N, Y., was
among the passengers on an Is-
raeli airliner shot down in Bul-
garia July 27. All-aboard died
when the plane crashed in flames
near the Greek border.

Wife survives.

CHARLES ROYAL

Charles E. Royal, 66, former
vaudeville and legit player, died
July 26 in San Diego. After his
acting career he managed stock
companies in California, and in
recent years functioned as infor-
mation clerk , at the Los Angeles
City Hall.

His widow, son and daughter
survive.

JOHN ZICKOS

John Zickos, . 62, onetime .film
theatreowner In St. Louis, died of
a heart attack there July 2. A na-
tive of Albania, Zickos and his
brother William purchased the
Gem theatre there in 1919 and
operated it,, until 1934.

In later years he operated a con-
fectionery in Fulton, Mo.

HARRY WATSON
Harry Watson, clarinetist, died
recently at Bradford, Eng. He
played with the Northern Philhar-
monic Orch and Scottish .Sym-
phony Orch. For many years he
was principal clarinet player with
the Bradford Philharmonic Orch
and Leeds Symphony Orch.

LARRY (POPS) NORRETT
Larry (Pops) Norrett, 67, vet
songplugger, died Aug. 1 in Pitts-
burgh. He had been midwest plug-
ger for E. B. Marks Music since
1939.

Surviving are a sister and two
brothers.

Hans Theyer, 71, cameraman,
died in Vienna July 23. He was
one of the first in the film field,
being hired back in 1906 by Pathe,
Paris. He returned to his ^native
Vienna and started working for
Count Sascha Kolowrat, pioneer of
the Austrian film industry.

Ormond B. Ruthven, 45, vet
writer-film, editor, died Aug. 1,
in Santa Monica, of cancer. With
Metro 19 years before leaving five
years ago, he was slated to be as-
sociate producer on the John Nes-
bitt teleseries at Roach Studios.

Ben Pitti, 62, former circus and
wild west show performer, died
of a heart attack July 26 at his
ranch home near Culver City, Cal.
He was a charter member of both
the Screen Actors Guild and the
Screen Extras Guild.

Charles Cohen, 61, manager of
the Center. Theatre, Philly, died
July 25. Cohen had been associated
with the Stanley Warner Corp. for
13 years.

Surviving are Wife, son, daugh-
ter and three sisters.

Mrs. Billie Louise Sadler, for-
med actress, was found shot to
death on July 29 in Austin. Tex.
She was the wife of Harley Sadler,
former West Texas tent showman,
and was leading lady in the pro-
ductions.

Mrs. Blanche E. Petersen, 56,
organist at the Pineboard, down-
town Omaha nitery for 15 years,
died July 21 at her residence in an
Omaha, Nebr., hotel. Survived by
two daughters, sister and father.

David Pelton, 23, of Greensboro,
N. C., a member of the Thousand
Islands Playhouse summer stock
company at Clayton, N. Y., was
drowned July 22 while swimming
in the St. Lawrence River.

Father, 74, of Dick Fortune, for-
mer KDKA-TV publicity director
in Pittsburgh and now in his own
pub-ad agency in Pitt, died at his
home in Watertown, N. Y., July
24 after a long illness.

Mrs. Helena Phillips Evans, 80,
former stage and screen actress,
died of a heart ' attack July 24 in
Santa Monica, Cal. She was the
widow of "the late Charles E.
Evans, vaudeville actor. v. ■>

— — — • : ■ >; <
Daughter of Sid' Newman, of
Stanley-Wamer Theatres staff in
Pittsburgh, died at . her home in
Bergenfield, N. J., July 24, of com-
plications following the birth of a
son two weeks before.

Daughter 19, of Dudley W.
Faust, CBS radio network sales
manager, died July 31 in Westport,
Conn. Surviving also are her
mother and a sister.

George Stichka, 41, Seneca, Neb.,
prominent rodeo promoter, was
killed instantly recently near Rav-

enna, Neb./ In an auto Crash. Sur-
vived by widow and four children.

Leo A. Stahr, 72, stage art di-
rector for the Balaban & Katz
theatre chain, died July 30 in Chi-
cago. Three daughters and two
sisters survive.

Maurice Felt, 49, vice president
of the Felt Amusement Co. died
July 26, in Philadelphia.

Survived by wife, son and
daughter.

Wife, 47, of Jack C. Sharrard,
treasurer-comptroller, director Of
United Artists Theatres in L. A.,
died July 31 in North Hollywood.

D. W. McLatchie, 57, assistant
head of UI grip dept., died July
31, in Hollywood of a heart attack.

London’s Slump

'SiS Continued from page 2

over, lightweight clothing is al-
most unknown among Britishers,
and those tweeds and heavy wool-
ens become extremely uncomfort-
able, even , for the placid, patient
English, when the weather turns
torrid.

Another factor in the boxoffice
slump during the hot spell was
the absence of heavy advance sales
for West End shows. On Broad-
way, where a major hit is likely
to be almost solidly sold out sev-
eral weeks ahead, adverse condi-
tions such as weather ’or strikes
tend to have relatively minor ef-
fect on attendance. 'But here, with
only a small advance sale, any-
thing that curtails window trade or
library call is apt to reduce at-
tendance sharply.

As a result, even the top West
End hits took drop of ‘up to 50%
in gross. ‘ But with the worst hot
spell since 1947 now over, the la-
bor situation apparently calm and
the tourist influx at full tide, man-
agements figure legit should reg-
ister the normal summer upbeat.

MARRIAGES

Georgine D’Arcy to Jack Dono-
hue, Acapulco, Mex., July 26.
Bride is an actress; he’s a tv pro-
ducer-director.

Dolly Robbins to Carter Gibson,
Las Vegas, July 24. Bride is a
screen actress; he’s an assistant
director.

Mary Lou Misarelle to Raymond
Young, Pittsburgh, July 30. Bride
is former vocalist with Joey Sims
band.

Ursula Justin to Geza von Czif-
fra, Hamburg, Germany, July 16.
Bride- is an actress; he’s a film di-
rector.

Lydia Minevitch to Warren Ste-
vens, July 28, N. Y. She is the
daughter of the late Borra’h Mine-
vitch; groom is a film and televi-
sion actor.

Peggy Lipow to Mervin Kerner,
Santa Monica, Cal., July 31. He’s
a sound editor at Metro.

Sheila Barker to Jackie Wilson,
Hayward’s Heath, Eng., July 16.
She’s chorine; he’s comedian.

Louisa Craig to Dr. Leon Ger-
ber, N. Y., July 31. Bride, a former
actress, is theatre party promotion
manager for the “off Broadway"
Phoenix Theatre/

BIRTHS

Mr. and Mrs. Martin Feinstein,
son, N.Y., July 28. Father is pub-
licity head for Sol Hurok; mother
(Bernice Richman) was formerly
his assistant.

Mr. and Mrs. Harry Horner, son,
Santa Monica, July 24. Father is
.a director-designer in pictures arid
television.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Rinehart
Jr M son, Pittsburgh, July 22. Moth-
er is the daughter of Dave Tyson,
WCAE deejay.

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Stein-
bruch, son, Mahwah, N.J., July 27.
Father is son of Herman Stein-
bruch, of Variety biz staff.

Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Weiner,
son, Hollywood, July 27. Child is
the grandson of Morris Weiner, in
charge of industrial relations for
Universal-International.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Fish
daughter, Philadelphia, July 23.
Father is with WPFH sales staff.

Mr. and Mrs. Dean M. Jennings,
son, San Francisco, June 9. Father
is . new head of A GVA’s Dallas
office.

Mr. and Mrs. Elias Schwartz,
twins, a son and daughter, New
York, July 30. Father is with Sar-
goy & Stein; film copyright at-
torneys.

Mr. and Mrs. Bernie Serlin,
daughter, Aug. 1, N. Y. Father is
homeoffice field exploiteer for
Warners. .

Mr. and Mrs. Eli Walladti, daugh-
ter, Aug. 2, N. Y. Father is star of
the Broadway Company of “Tea-
house of the August Moon”; moth-
er is legit actress Anne Jackson,

Wednesday, August 3, 1953

PublliRod Weekly at 154' We*t 46th Street/ New York 39, N. Y„ by Variety. Inc. Annual subscription, $10. Single copies. 35 cents.
Entered as second-class matter December 22, 1905, at the Post Office at New York, N. Y„ under tbe act of March 3, 1879.

199 No. 10

NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1955

PRICE 25 CENTS

- , , Minneapolis, Aug. 9.

Strangely, perhaps, New York City/ which has the cream of the
nation’s entertainment and much more of it than any other com-
- Snunity and can be discriminating and choosy in regards to. its
amusements arid which also is inclined to hold up its nose at the
'hinterland's entertainment tastes, is by far the country’s "best
circus city" and contains the^ red-hottest circus fans.

This was pointed out by Michael Burke, the new Ringling Bros.
&V Barnum & Bailey circus executive director, during the big
Show's two-day engagement here.

New Yprk goes for the three-ring tanbark affair the hardest of'
any town. Communities in the '‘sticks” have become less summer
circus-minded, what with tv's spread and the winter indoor cir-
cuses, On a single Saturday at Madison Sq. this season the circus
grossed $100,000 for the one day, he points out*

Iii French Original Cad Breaks Leg — For Code He’s
Crippled for Life — For Legion He Meets Death

> 4- — :

Morality has been described as a
matter Of geography. But film
Censorship (various varieties)
adds pew 20th Century nuances
per the Franco^American copro-
duction, "Lovers, Happy. Lovers,”
made by Paul Graetz. It's about a
modem Don Juan, a fellow on the
brink - of divorce,, who played the
Held without finding happiness
with his various .amours. Even-
tually, trying to show off for one
gal, he fell off a roof and broke
his leg. His wife, thinking he had
done this for her, took him back
and at the fadeout sh^ was con-
tentedly wheeling him in a wheel-
chair while he was already making
eyes at another girl.

Obviously, neither Code nor
Legion of Decency could coun-
terianpe such goings-on. The film
got no. seal and ended up in the
Legion’s "condemned” list.

But Graetz felt the film had pos-
sibilities. (It did play the Little
Carnegie, N. Y., in the original
version). So ht* compromised with:
. the Code. . To get a seal, he had
to make it clear that* OUr herb
didn't only hove * broken leg. He
was crippled for life; condemned
never to walk again. Since this
Was considered the proper moral
(Continued on page 52)

New $15,000,000 Vegas
Hostelry to Have Own
Airline, Big Theatre

Las Vegas, Aug. 9.

Hotel Fabulous, costing $15,000,-
000, is the latest luxury hostelry
for the Strip. Construction is to
Start in November. It will be the
only resort to have its own airline,
With service to L.A., Frisco and
other cities.

Features of the 10-story struc-
ture will be a 650-seat theatre, with
revolving stage; individual swim
pools for luxury suites, eight sepa-
rate bars, and . casino encased in
Waterfalls setting.

Do-It- Your self

WMGM (N. Y.) deejay Ted
Brown's definition:

"A nudist colony: do-it-your-
self burlesque.”

Film companies are critical of
the spiralling costs of literary
properties, both plays and novels.
Story department heads feel .that
literary agents are .taking ad-
vantage of the picture' industry's
desire to film : pre-sold yarns' arid
are demanding astronomical fig-
ures for any work that arouses a
film company’s interest. ,

It's :-a "far cry from the 1047 to
1951 period, the film industry's
downbeat era. At that time, the
picture companies' interest in
literary works lagged and books
could be picked up for $5,000 to
$50,000, with the latter figure re-
garded as extraordinary, In td-

(Continued on page 16)

CASHIERS, AHOY!

Columbus, Aug. 9.

Chap walked into the Bexley art
house the other day with a pass
good for four people and demand-
ed cash refund amounting to three
admissions.

"Waddya mean, refund for three
admissions?” queried manager
Bob Little.

"Well,” said the customer in-
dignantly, "the pass is good for
four and there’s just me going in.”

Chap stormed off when Little
tried to explain the facts of life
about comps.

By GEORGE ROSEN

The dearth of. script writers for
television has provoke l a curious
and unparalleled turn of events.
It's already being reflected in the
number of old pix properties be-
ing resurrected and adapted for
major tv dramatic showcases. But
what- makes the situation even
more interesting is tlie "trouble
ahead” pattern that’s evolving
from aft apparently obvious desire
to. get these live properties on the
air before the films are released
for television.

Last week’s "U. S. Steel Hour”
presentation of "The - Seventh
Veil” is but one case in point. The
Jaines Mason pic happens to be
one' of the coming attractions in
the ABC-TV acquisition of J. Ar-
thur Rank properties for sale by
the web’s syndication subsid.

Then there’s the case of "Robert'
Montgomery Presents” in terms of
next season’s roster. The opening
show (Sept. 12) . will be an adapta-
tion of the RKO-released "Woman
In the Window,” in which Edward
G. Robinson and Joan Bennett
starred. This is one of the headed-
for-tv films in, the bundle of 700
acquired By 'Tom O’Neil in his re-
cent purchase Of RKO‘.

But that isn’t all. Montgomery
and his co-packager, John Gibbs,
have a number of other ex-pic
properties on the adaptation agen-
da for next season, including
"Along. Came Jones.” in which
(Continued on pfege 18)

Part of the feature films which
Tom O’Neil bought along with the;
studios from Howard Hughes will
be released for television "within
the next few months,” according
to an official spokesman for Gen-
eral Teleradio, O’Neil’s dbmpany.
However, the GT exec clammed
up as to who would distribute the
pix for homescreen consumption.

‘ There has been doubt in certain
industry quarters that O’Neil
Would release any of the pictures
for several months. But GT feels
that the two-month period before
releasing some pix is a. conserva-
tive estimate and that they’ll prob-
ably be on the video rental block
in several days less time than that.'
GT is working out now which pic-
tures it can convert to video with-
out facing union or other legal en-
tanglements. Assurances were once
more given that the pictures will
be meted out in relatively small
doses so as not to saturate the

(Continued on page 52)

The Power of TV

The rewards of $64,000
Question” apparently aren’t
restricted to contestants only.
Ben Felt, ;the Manufacturers
Trust Co. asst, veepee and vet-
eran of the bank for 24 years
who Is introduced weekly on
the show as the "keeper of the
vaults” protecting the more
cushy questions, was notified/'
last week that he has been
made a fullfledged veepee.

Those two cops flanking
Feit, incidentally, aren’t
AFTRA decoys. They’re mc-
coy guards at the bank.

Mutual s Sun. Nite

Mutual Is' known to be close to
firming With Walter Winchell for a
Sunday night slot beginning Sept
11. Present plans i, at the radio net-
work indicate that the ex-ABC
commentator will head an "all-
Hearst”'block between 6 and 7 p.m.

Negotiations With Tom O’Neil,
Mutual’s chief, have been off and
on again during the. several weeks
since Winchell severed his long-
time tie With ABC In a Sabbath-at-
9 stanza. Though the exact time
of • WincheU’s new quarter-hour
stanza has not been made definite,
the web favors a 6 p.m. hour be-
cause it’ll give his show the benefit
of a largo "captive” outpmobile
Jlstenership.

• Whether by design or not, O'Neil
(Continued on Pag# 35)

Hunt Is on for apiew personality
to play Stephen Fermoyle in the
Louis de Rochemont picturization
of "The Cardinal,” based on the
Henry Morton Robinson, bestseller.
Film is to roll this year in color
and standard widescreen versioh as
an indie de Rocheiriont venture,

\rhe de Rochemont office last
week denied reports that "The
Cardinal” would be one of several
pix to be financed -by the Columbia
Broadcasting System, While dis-
citesions have been going on re de
Rochemont production for CBS,
they never did involve "The Cardi-
nal” and they haven't gone beyond
exploratory stages, with de Roche-
mont talking to various other nets.

Interesting angle of "The Cardi-
nal,” tracing the rise of a young
Boston priest from parish to red
hat, is the degree of cooperation de
Rochemont can expect from Cath-
olic quarters in the U.S. since it's
understood that some friends of
Francis Cardinal Spellman of N.Y.
see some resemblance to him in
the book's character, even ar-
guing the initials of Stephen
Fermoyle, read backwards, spell
F.'S. Actually few facts in the novel
coincide with the Cardinal’s own '
life and rise in the Church. Some
close to the Cardinal nevertheless

(Continued on page 16)

‘Abe’s-Like-a-Father/ Says
Marilyn Monroe Hitting
Lincoln Land Festival

Bement, 111., Aug. 9.

This prairie town of 1,466 per-
sons was recuperating this week
from the. biggest hangover in its
100-year history after playing host
to film star and Lincoln lover
Marilyn "Abe’s-like-a-f ather-to-
me” Monroe.

The buxom blonde 20th Century-
(Continued on page 16)

PALACE THEATRE

NEW YORK

Currently Presents

The flour of Charm

All Girl Orchestra and Choir
Featuring EVEEinJT and her Magic Violin

under the direction of

PHIL SP1TALNY

MISCELLANY

As Prop Men Walk Out in St Paul

By LBS REES

Minneapolis, Aug; 9.

The circus' "show must go on”
tradition, unbroken but for nat-
ural disaster and periodic labor
strife, was violated for the first
time during a performance last
week, when amid charges of "rack-
eteering” and internal troubles,
the Singling Bros.-Bamum & Bail-
ey show had to shut down midway
through its Thursday night (4) per-
formance in St. Paul. Show’s 30-odd
prop men refused to keep the show,
rolling after seven key men were
fired or quit after a squall with the
management. While the major cir-
cuses have been forced to lay off
because of labor trouble in the
past, this was the first time in
modern circus history that a show
• had been stopped itt mid-perform-
ance.

Circus resumed operations here
Friday and Saturday (5-6) after an
Internal row which resulted in
stoppage Of the Thursday night (4)
performance in St. Paul shortly af-
ter its. start. .

Incident necessitated dismissal
of an audience of approximately
6,000 people who had the alterna-
tive of receiving their admission
refunded or obtaining tickets for
the local performances.

Trouble started when John Ring-
ling North, circus president, claims
to have “fired” three key men—
general manager Frank McClosky,
manager Willis Lawson and as-
sistant manager Walter Kiernan.
When this trio received the gate,
. or “resigned,” Robert Reynolds,
the property boss, and his four as-
sistants walked out in sympathy.

Animal acts had opened the cir-
cus in all three rings as Usual. Af-
ter their completion, however, the
30-odd property men, sans their
bosses* direction, appeared unable
or unwilling to remove the equip*
ment. That ^halted the perfor-
mance cold.

North asserted he “fired” the trio
because “they had more of an-in-
terest in the ‘take* from the circus
dice game than in the show itself.”
He also accused them “of more
than a casual interest in the whisky
(Continued on page 61)

Really Offbeat

No one can say that Holly-
wood isn't interested in the
offbeat these days. Example
is “Hold; Back Tomorrow,”
which' Universal has bought
outright from Hugo Haas, who
produced. Pic stars Cleo Moore
and John Agar. Here’s the
synposis (as per a U release) :

“The story , which takes
place almost entirely in a pri-
son cell, deals with a man in
'condemned row ’ whose last re-
quest is Jot the companionship
of a woman . When prison au-
thorities bring him a girl who
has just attempted suicide,
they fall in love, and are -mar-
ried by the prison chaplain
before the man is taken to the
gallows . ”

Bi Stem Hurt in Crash

Sportscastey Rill Stem was in-
jured in an auto accident early
yesterday (Tues.) morning, but. his
condition was described as “better
than fair” by Jewish Memorial
Hospital, N. Y., where he was tSken
after crashing into an abuttment on
Henry Hudson parkway in upper
Manhattan. Exact extent of his in-
juries wasn’t known, but . he was
described as “considerably banged
up.”

ABC execs assumed he was driv-
ing to his home in Purchase, N.Y.,
after completing' some" night work
at the network. Stem was alone in
his car,

Barbara Scott to Marry
Ice-Show P. A. Then Stage
And Star in Her Own Prod

Toronto, Aug. 9.
Barbara Ann Scott, star of “The
Hollywood Ice Revue,” will be
married here shortly to Tom King,
pressagent for the Arthur Wirtz
venture. Miss Scott is then to
produce and star in her own ice
show for an initial trans-Canada
break-in tour, according to the
figure-skater’s mother, Mrs. Clyde
Scott, who said here; “It is Bar-
bara Ann’s longtime dream of pro
during her own show.”

Associated with the former
Olympics and world champion as
choreographer will be Osborn Col-
son, who did her first Canadian*
show five years ago. Ditto John
Tory, Toronto financier and legal
mentor, who is manager of the
Barbara Ann Scott Foundation.

CROONER DAVIS MAY TRY
AGAIN FOR GOV. OF LA.

New Orleans, Aug.. 9.

The up-and-down boom Of Jimmy
Davis for governor is - bn the up-
swing again. Reports from all over
Louisiana are that the former
governor and singer will seek the
top spot again in January — this
time with the endorsement of Gov.
Robert Kehnon.

It’s been no secret that Davis has
been agreeable to running. Friends
say it’s just that he’s wanted a com-
plete slate of financial backers in
advance.

Political observers say that Davis’
chance of raising campaign funds
may have been hurt by his veto
of the right-to-work bill when he
was "governor. The bill was even-
tually passed by the 1954 Louisiana
Legislature and is now in force.

Wednesday,. Attgust 10, 1955

4 4 H 4 4 444 4444 M 44 ♦ ♦♦ ♦ ♦+ 4 ♦♦+♦♦♦♦♦♦♦+ ♦ ♦ »4 4 ♦♦ 4 4 M 1 4 4

$16,000,000 Well

By JOE SCHOENFELD

Hollywood, Aug. 9.

The man who gave more mean-
ing to , luxury in gracious living
than Arthur Godfrey did to humil-
ity in ungracious severance opens
Friday (12) what he personally
calls “the most luxurious hotel in
the world.” To those who know
Conrad Hilton, the apogee' of
splendor must have been reached
in his $16,000,000 Beverly Hilton
Hotel rising eight stories in mid-
Beverly Hills. Put through a “dry
run” of the hostelry’s richly-ap-
pointed refinements, dining rooms
ranging in capacity frojn L’escof-

(Continued on. page 51)

Constantine Signed To

State Dept Will Fight
Robeson Passport Bid

Washington, Aug. 9.

Following consultation with the
Justice Dept., the State- Dept, an-
nounced last weekend it will fight
Paul Robeson’s efforts to obtain
a passport. The singer’s passport
was lifted In 1950, oh the ground
that his travel overseas would be
prejudicial to the best interests of
the United States.

In mid-July, Robeson made the
latest of several attempts to ob-
I tain a new passport for a singing
"tour of European and Middle' East
countries, including Russia. He
demanded a passport after a Fed-
eral District Court ruled that pass-
port is the right of any citizen, and
not a privilege which the Govern-
ment may deny without a hearing
and full reasons. State Dept,
must reply to Robeson’s action in
the District Court, by Aug. 15.

Rapid Rise in 3 Years

Paris, Aug, 9.

Eddie Constantine, U. S. singer
who became a film star here, was
inked by American producer Jules
Buck to a $1,000,000 contract. It
stipulates that Constantine will
make one film a year, for six years,
in two versions (English and
French). Company is Franco-
American, with Columbia Films
acting as distributors and. copro-
ducers of both versions for the
world market. All the pix will be
made here using both French and
American filmmakers, depending
on the stories and needed treat
ment. Buck is also a foreign film
distributor for U. S. pix, and has
(Continued on page 16)

In his time Sime Silverman, the
founder of Variety, fired a fair
number of men. He also hired
quite a few of them back. As in-
dicated previously his relations
with his reporters, usually his fa-
vorite social companions, was an
odd one. If they were out the
night before at some joint, they
Were equals. But in the morning
everybody knew without any
spoken word on the subject that
Sime was the .boss. It was also a
shock for those who showed late
with a hangover to discover Sime
had been at his desk for hours.

Uniquely aware of each reporter’s
expenditure of energy, Sime always
commented that the copy turned
in. at the end of a .newsgathering
day was an infallible index.
There’s no faking real news and
Sime could spot a “pipe” from
afar. He didn’t object to “ere-,
ative journalism,” but there had
to be solid grain. He was very
unorthodox in head-writing and
would sometimes write a streamer
on a story . only two. paragraphs
long. He was alert to hard work,
equally alert — and allergic —
to stall.

Always unpredictable Sime would
go round the office seeking work
for himself. He might lift another
editor's whole pile of copy and
read it himself. He was also
known, to frighten younger staff-
ers by bringing them stories he
had written and telling the em-
ployee to edit the boss! This was
one way he had of testing judg-
ment.

Never “literary,” Sime still
noted any staffer who expressed
himself differently, and encour-
aged this. He was a cinch for a
novel angle, a review with a news
slant. He .was forever appointing
Variety columnists. His own wife,
Hattie, was long “The Skirt.” Very
early he enlisted , his son, about
whom we wrote. here recently un-
der the caption, “Skigie, the Boy
Critic.”

open Locomobile complete with
chauffeur. Seldom have ink-stained
wretches gone to their labors in
such class.

As part of his liking to switch
things around, Sime began moving
around his employes from city to
oity. He dispatched Abel Green,
the present editor, to Europe to or-
ganize an international news sys-
tem. He sent his son, the late Sid
Silverman, to manage the Holly-
wood office, and Robert J. Landry,
the present managing editor, to
manage the Chicago office with Hal
Halperin brought to 'New York,
Roy Chartier, Walter Collins,
Danny Bachman and Irma Lerna
were sent east or west as the case
was. No telling where- Sime ’s love
of stirring things up might have,
led Variety if Wall Street had not
laid that famous egg. Like nearly
everybody else, Sime saw the
gathering depression postpone
many a plan.

Just before he left for Los An-
geles in the spring of 1933
went from desk to deisk \Vith a
ceremony rather unusual for him
and made a point of shaking hands
with, saying farewell to each
man. There are oldtimers who feel
he had a premonition of his death,
which occured in the Ambassador
Hotel on Sept. 22, 1933.

Femme Byliners

JOLSON RETROSPECTIVE

Columbia Short Marks Fifth Year
Of Singer’s Death

8/10

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR

1905-1955

Subscription Order Form

Enclosed find check for $

Please send VARIETY for years

(Pleas* Print Nun*>

Street

City

Zone .... State

Regulbr Subscription Ratos
One Year— $10.00 Two Ytars— $18.00

Canada and Foreign — $1 Additional Per Year

PftRIEfr Inc.

IS* Wet 46th Street New York 36. N. Y.

Hollywood, Aug. 9.

Columbia will release Ralph
Staub’s “Screen Snapshot” sub-
ject, “The Great A1 Jolson,” in
the fall, coincident with the fifth
anniversary of late mammy-sing-
er’s death. ^

Staub, who has been turning
out “Snapshots” for the past 23
years, called in seven writers who
cleffed many of JolsOn’s top songs
to appear in short, planned as a
film memorial to the entertainer.
Septet include L. Wolfe Gilbert,
Jimmy . McHugh, Sammy Fain,
Isham Jones, Jean Schwartz, Benny
Davis and Harry Ruby.

Edited into film will he a clip
which* Staub lensed years ago of
Jolson impressing his knee-prints
in forecourt of Grauman’s Chinese
Theatre.

Rt. Rev. Peejay

Boston, Aug. 9.

Nineteen nuns and oiie
brother from the Boston arch-
diocese are being taught disk
jockey .techniques, operation
of tv cameras and production
of tv programs at a tv work-
shop in the Archdiocesan
Television Centre here this
week.

The workshop opened yes-
terday (8) and continues
through Friday ( 12 ) . A
panel of expects from local tv
stations are assisting the staff
members of the centre in in-
structing the teaching sisters.
The Right Rev. Msgr. Timothy
F. O’Leary, archdiocesan su-
perintendent of schools, is in
charge.

A surprising number of women
did their stuff for the paper.
The Old Boy, as the reporters
called him; was always seeking
to . interest the women members
of the theatrical’ profession. In
the course, of time Alice Lloyd’s
daughter, Alice MacNaughton, un-
der the notn-de-V ariety of Alice
Mac had a column. So did Ruth
Morris, daughter of the talent
agency owner, and Molly Gray,
sister of Tommy Gray. Other
Variety gal columnists included
Nellie Revell, Cecelia Ager, Marie
Saxon, Grace Green and Courtenay
Allison.

Sime could get very peeved. He
would call a meeting and growl
that the gang was not turning in
enough news. He would demand
that everybody give him a list of
their news contacts, something a
reporter hates to reveal, even for
a Sime. On one occasion a brand-
new and shy reporter had ex-
actly Iwo news sources on his list
Sime made the. kid a cbpyreader.
His name was Claude Binyon and
he’s been a writer-director in Hol-
lywood for the past 20 years^

From' Bad To Verse

Once the. vaudeville reviewers
got on a whimsical kick. It was
tedious catching Proctor’s 5th
Avenue, or the Academy of Music,
or the Grand Opera House aH the
time. So everybody tried to drdam
up offbeat angles. One guy re-
viewed the ushers, another the
popcorn stand, a third expatiated
on the cost and care of spangles.
Abel Green, a frustrated lyricist
(the only mugg with an ASCAP
membership) wrote ’em in free-
wheeling iambic pentameter,
meaning that a lousy show at the
Jefferson went from bad to verse.
For a few weeks, Sime went along,
even played up the novelty copy.
Then he had enough. Up on the
bulletin board went a notice, “Stop
Hamming Up Your Reviews.” That
was the end of whimsy,

Sime liked to switch assignments.
A reporter who considered pictures
his beat might find himself down
to get burlesque news, about which
he knew nothing. Ed Barry was
intermittently told to cover “Green-
wich Village.” An old police court
man, Barry would come up with
plenty of quixotic stuff.

To take the staff from the West
46th St. office down to press on
Pearl St., off the Bowery, once a
week Sime for years assigned his

THELMA RITTER’S SON
BREAKS INTO FILMS

Tony Moran, 18-year-old soil of
Thelma Ritter, is making his
screen debut in “The ;Proud and
Profane,” Paramount’s adaptation
of the best seller about the U. S.
Marines, titled “The Magnificent
Bastards,” currently being shot in
the Virgin Islands with Deborah
Kerr and William Holdeh costarred
and Miss Ritter featured.

The young man got the <part
When director George Seaton came
to see Miss Ritter at her home
in Forest Hills, N. Y. On meeting
the youth, Seaton offered him a
part as an 18-year*oid Marine.
The director explained that he’d
interviewed several dozen appli-
cants for the role,' but they all
turned up in dungerees and T-
shirts, apparently trying to look
like Marlon Brando. “They all
scratched,” he said.

Young Moran told the director
that his only previous acting ex-
perience was in a bit part and a
silent walkon in a couple of tele-
vision shows, and agreed to come
to New York the following day to
read for the Marine role. “Is there
anything 'I should do?” he won-
dered. “There certainly is,” Sea-
ton replied. “Just don’t scratch.”

During location shooting last
week. Miss Ritter was arrested by
local police for driving ..a jeep
without a Virgin Island driver’s li-
cense. When her son heard about
it he promised, “Mother, I’ve got-
ten to be pretty friendly with the
Marines. If they put you in the
pokey, we’ll come around and push
it over.”

Moore Wants To Fight
It Out In Show Biz

Light heavyweight champ Ar-
chie Moore, who meets Rocky Mar-
ciano for the heavyweight title at
the Yankee Stadium, N. Y„ Sept.
20, is trying to break into a thespic
career. The champ is variously es-
timated to be as much as 40 years
old, and is apparently looking
ahead to the days when fisticuffing
will be over.

He inserted a want ad on the
tele show, “Masquerade Party,”
when he declared that he’d like to
be an actor.

BRAZIL HONORS MIRANDA

Sends Plane To Bring Homd Body
Of Star

Rio de Janeiro, Aug. 9.

The Brazilian. Government is dis-
patching a plane to Hollywood to
bring home for burial the body of
Carmen Miranda. Upon arrival
the nation will observe a day of
mourning. A fleet of planes with
Brazilian show folk will meet the
body at Belem and continue to Rio.

Widower, mother iand five musi-
cians who accompanied singer will
travel with the body.

Details of the sudden death of
Miss Miranda at 41 will be found
in the Obit dept, of this issuer— Ed.

Wednesday, August 10, ; 1955

PICTURES

Brains-and-Talent, Arise!

A Missouri Republican* Thomas B. Curtis (may liis days be ;
long and happy!) introduced into the U. S. House of Eepresen-
, tatives, just before recess, a bill which would give long-delayed
justice, if adopted, to all who do enjoy, or might one day enjoy*
a big break in any one. taxable year. For- the “joy” of a windfall
to a writer, producer, actor, or any other prof essional person
or freelancer has 1 been seriously marred by the unsympathetic
provision of existing revenue statutes which allow no time-
spread but tax the full income at peak rates (up to 72 or 82%).

The tax law is written at present to favor capital, in terms of
money alone. Capital, in terms of brains or talent, has no
standing. Intellectual property is disregarded while oil, timber,
cattle, citrus groves and so on enjoy liberal “depletion allow-
ances’” and permit the money-capitalist all sorts of turnaround
rigorously denied the brains-capitalist or talent-capitalist. Re-
form of the law is long overdue. ^

— — \

But professionals, and their organizations, lobbies and polemic
cists, must certainly not content themselves with pious “attay-
boys” for Congressman Curtis. His law hasn’t a chance to pass
unless there is a mighty mustering of support. The money-
capitalist boys are nervous because they fear (with some plausi-
bility) that their nice soft thing in real estate equities and so on.
may fee ended or modified and capital gain profits (now taxed
at only 20%) may not prevail forever. Hence, there may be
powerful behind-scenes enemies opposing any move to extend
tax relief to brains-capitallsts or talent -capitalists.

What price bestseller after years of famine? What price the
big smash play or picture or television series?

, All the talent unions, east and west, the Authors League, the
music publishers, et. al., should start organizing to push this
Curtis bill over. January will roll around fast. Time is short.’'
The opportunity is great.

Time indeed for tax justice for talent! Land.

20th Recoups Its British Billings
Dented by Severance From Rank

Now apparently completely re- 4- — - — : — ; —

covered from its loss of the Rank n « > j v • C l

circuit playing time, 20th-Fqx's DOStOR S JOC LtCYlDC ij6CKS

eS Pr®dllCt In HollyWOOl!

by tlie company in any foreign ter- For Terry Turner tactics

ritory during that period. Boston, Aug. 9.

Britain, on the 20th books, out- Joe Levine, president of Em-
paced Continental Europe which, bassy Pictures Corp. here, is on
was 45% ahead of 1954 for the way to the Coast to negotiate with
seven months. Where British bill- independent producers. This is the
ings ran to $5,025,000 (up $1,759,- Hub firm’s prexy’s second trip to
000 from ’54), Continental Europe Hollywood within two weeks,
rentals were $12,357,000 (up $3,- New product to be viewed will
829,000 from ’54).^ be eyed by the Hub distrib for the

Overall increased in 20th’s world- same type saturation bookings
wide business for the 30 week per- given “Sins of Pompeii” and
iod this year was 35% over last “Gangbusters,” .with Terry Turner
year, or $29,341,000 as against $21,- doing the exploitation.

727,000. This reflects the impact • “Sins of Pompeii,” which got the
of Cinemascope which only this Turner treatment, had day and
year has been htting its stride in date bookings in 175 theatres and
foreign market with some 8,735 in- is now playing in 350 nabe houses,
stallations recorded worldwide as. “Gangbusters” is still playing in
of July 15 along with 11,074 orders, the stix.

European installations as of that ■

date, not including Britain, were *

4,569. Britain accounted for an- U I1TAAA Munivna .

other 2, 047. 11 WOOfl MUKS

With 20th-International pressing
its “$50,000,000” drive 4 virtually « rn .

none of the territories where 20th H ATRIRII I OCTD

operates failed to show a gain dur- JL UI CXXfll A tfulC

ing the first 30 weeks of '55. South

America was the least productive ' « • p

With ai 4,81% gain. However, Cen- KqITAY 1 111 Vf ATI7

tral America rentals were boosted 1 QvlUI 111 iJlUI V

39.59%. In the Far East, billings *

(Continued on page 18) Now that the foreign market is

Forep Taste

Gotta Be a Gob

‘Robe’

There are 10m 2-D prints of
20fh-Fox’s “The -Robe” — and the
Navy's got ’em!

But the sailors are the only, ones’
to see “The Robe” in that version.
The Army and all other 16m instal-
lations will have to equip for Cine-
mascope.

“Robe” was the first — and only— *
20th CinemaScoper to be shot in
C’Scope as well aS 2-D. Rest were
lensed in C'Scope only and 20th
won’t “unsqueeze” them for any-
one, I

Washington, Aug. 9., '

When Congress returns in Janu-
ary, it will consider tax legislation
to help writers, actors and ..others
whose earnings are' subject to sharp
fluctuations from year to year.

Bill for a “tax averaging plan”
was introduced at the very end of
the last session by Rep. Thomas B.
Curtis (R., Mo.), member of the
House Ways and Means Committee
which originates all tax legislation.

The Curtis bill would allow a
-taxpayer whose taxable .income for
any one year exceeds 150% of his
average taxable income for the past
five years to spread the excess over
the. six-year period.

“Individuals who experience a
concentration, or bunching of in-
come in one year are taxed much,
more heavily than those who re-
ceive the same income over a
period of years,” explains Curtis.
“The farmer who struggles along
ort a small income for many years
arid then has one big crop is taxed
in the good year as it he had been
earning that level of income con-
sistently. The same is true of the
professional man, the performing
artist, the writer . . ; The bill which
I have submitted, and which is in-
tended primarily as a basis for
study and analysis, provides a very
simple form of averaging.”

Ail-Day Previews

Always oh the lookout* for
new ways to; plug the' product,
distribs are bearing down hard . .
on a new twist of an: old
technique — all-day previews.

In N. Y„ 20th-Fox last week
gave Roxy Theatre audiences
such ■ an extended gander at ■
^“The. Virgil) • Queen” and
Metro dittoed with “Cobweb” :
at ILoew’s State. Same proce-
dure is .being followed in
other keys.

Distribs say it’s very suc-
cessful, the reason partly ly- '
ing in the two-for-the-price-
o£-one psychology, particularly
in the single-bill territories.
It’s expected, that the' all-day
preview idea Will help become
standard practice if for no
other reason than that it helps
to spread the word-of-mouth. •

See Test of

O’RKO?

Coast wags have it that since
the now Tom O’Neil-Dan
O’Shea ■ dynasty, RKO has a
new theme song — “When Irish
Eyes Are Smiling’—apd that
the Morse code dots-and-
f lashes Oyer the main titles
may be replaced by shamrocks.

' (If RKO Theatres had re-
mained in the setup, would it
become Sol O’Schwartz?).

RKO' Radio Pictures hpmeoffice
employees:: who* 'have considered
themselves . part of a rudderless
ship since the Howard ’ Hughe.s

regime feel considerably more se-
cure now with the, consummation
of the’ deal with Thomas. O’Neil,;
president of General Teleradio. At '
the conclusion of the -O’Neil deal,
the , old fears* cropped , up again.
Many .staffers remember the whole-
sale changes that took place during
the shortlived Ralph Stolkih;
regime and feared that something
similar would occur >yith the O’Neil
takeover. However, : assurance?
given .the employees by O’Neil have*
done much to allay the : tensions.

. However, a njiajority of :the New
York employees still feel they are
working in a vacuum. O'Neir and
his new prexy, Daniel T.‘ O'Shea,’
haven’t stepped in as yet and have
not issued any orders to indicate
policy new management - will take.
Many expect a dynamic changeover
similar, to the excitement that fol-
lowed the takeover of United Art-
ists by Arthur Krim and his group..
It was a hectic period" for UA, filled 1
. (Continued on page 16) ‘ • ;

: , Fate of “I Am a Camera,”
should the company presidents up-
hold the refusal of the Hollywood
Code administration to grant the
imported feature a seal, will be
Watched with unusual interest by
industry observers since it’s likely
to provide some significant clues
to the strength of both the Code
and the Catholic Legion of De-
cency.

Presidents and Motion Picture
Assn, of America topper Eric
Johnston Will see “I Am a Cam-
era/’ a Distributors Corp. of
America release, Aug. 15 in N. Y.
Screening is on appeal from DCA
prexy Fred Schwartz who’s , con-
testing nixing o& the film by Code
Administrator Geoffrey Shurlock.

Schwartz has let it be known
that he won’t cut “Camera” to fit
Code specifications. He’s also
argued that what the Code objects
to in the film has appeared in a
number of other American produc-
tions that did get the Code nod.

Without being very specific
about it, '.DCA has been dropping
periodic hints that, if the Code
persists in its refusal to grant a

(Continued on page 16)

Is Samuel Goldwyn’s “Guys and
Dolls” headed for the Criterion on
Broadway?', Charles B. Moss, thea-
tre's executive director, returned
,fb New York over the weekend from
a Coast gander of the highly-touted
picture and is said to have put in
the top bid.

Moss anxidfes to close the
deal since in a previous associa-
tion with Goldwyn he emerged
(Continued on page 16)

Now that the foreign market is
figuring increasingly in the eco-
nomic thinking of 'the film com-
panies, story selection also is be-
ing guided to a much greater de-
gree by considerations, of audience
tastes and preferences abroad.

Studios today ate shying away
from purely American themes,
preferring to focus on stories that
also have the maximum potential
b.o. appeal overseas. One outfit,
for instance, nixed “Pajama Game”
on the theory that it would lack
a market abroad since It deals with
a strictly local situation. Event-
ually, Warner Bros, did buy the
musical.

There is, of course, no strict rule
that governs story selection. If
there were, Hollywood wouldn’t
be making many musicals. Latter
are b.o, poison in many areas of
the foreign market, particularly in

(Continued on page 16)

National Boxof f ice Survey

Torrid Heat Tapers Trade; ‘Roberts’ 1st for Third
Time; ‘Holiday’ 2d, ‘Stranger/ ‘Laramie’ Next

S >

Current session found a major- position while “Lady and Tramp”
ity of the big key spots suffering (BV) is finishing fifth,
through new heat waves, with sev- “Cobweb” (M-G), with a batch
eral getting relief over weekend 0 f new bookings, is pushing up to
but too late to be much help at sixth place while “We're No An-
the wicket$. It’s only the strong ge i S ” <p ar ) will land seventh,
array of screen fare that has en- “Never Too Young” (Par) is cop-
abled most exhibitors to make con- ping eighth. “Seven Little Foys,”
sistently fine to smash showings, another Par pic, is winding ninth.'

“Mister Roberts” (WB) is land- “Francis in Navy” (U), “Cinerama”
ing first place nationally for the (Indie) and “Came From Beneath
third week in succession, again Sea” (Col) round out the top 12
showing nearly $500,000 total gross in that order,
in some 24 key cities covered by “How To Be Popular” (20th) is
Variety “Cinerama Holiday’” (In- proving so disappointing currently
die) is pushing up to second spot, it is even missing runner-up rat-
benefitting from the fact ‘that it is ing. “Summertime” (UA) ranges
in eight keys and doing better rel- from fair to nice and big this week,
atively than some opposition pix “The Shrike” (U), also compara-
during the hot spell. tively new, is big in Boston, socko

/‘Not As Stranger” (UA) is a in Balto, fine in N. Y. and smash
close third, making more than six in Philly.

weeks it has been in the top “To Catch A Thief” (Par) shapes
brackets. Pic was champ, national- a s standout newcomer this round,
ly in month of July ratings. ? ‘Man it is terrific in N. Y, at the Para-
From Laramie” (Col), a newcomer, mount, mighty in Philly and sock
is showing enough to land fourth l n L. A. “Pete Kelly’s Blue” (WB)

. ■ ■ ■ ■ . - is huge In Chi and socko in Indi-

anapolis.

“Private War of Major Benson”

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAH ' u \, hef j y ,i n Omaha and okay in

Portland, Ore., is smash in N. Y,

+ “Phenix City Story” (AA) shapes

great in Chi. “Kentuckian” iUA)
MrjEgm&I is ,big in Denver. “Purple Mask”
^ M M (U) looms okay In Minneapolis.

“One Desire” (U) is rated happy
1*05*1955 in Providence. “Bullet For Joey”

(UA)- is slow In L. A.

( Complete Boxoffice Reports on
a I Pages 8-9)

1905*1955

Trad* Mark Registered
FOUNDED BY SIME SILVERMAN

Published Weekly by VARIETY, INC

Harold Erichs, President
154 West 46th St. New York 30, N. Y
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SUBSCRIPTION

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Single Copies.. 25 Cents

ABEL GREEN, Editor

Vol. 199

No. 10

index

Bills 52

Chatter .... . . ........... 62

Concert-Ballet .60

Films Reviews .......... 6

House Reviews ......... 52

Inside Legit 54

Inside Radio-TV ........ 34

International 11

Legitimate 54

Literati 61

Music 39

New Acts 50

Night Club Reviews ..... 53

Obituaries 63

Pictures 3

Radio-Television 21

Radio Reviews 38

Record Reviews 40

Frank Scully 61

Television Reviews ...... 25

TV Films 30

Unit Reviews 50

Vaudeville 47

DAILY VARIETY

(Published in Hollywood by
Daily Variety, Ltd.)

$15 a y*ar. $20 Foreign

NCTCBES

PftfUEff

Prints Cost 20th $250*000 More Per

MISHAPS PLAGUE 'TRIBUTE'

Prospects of 20th-Fox solving its+-
print bottleneck created by. the
unequal distribution of optical and
stereophonic Cinemascope installa-
tions in the theatres were called
dim in N.Y. Monday (8) by A1
Lichtman, 20th’s director of dis- N
tribution.

Lichtman, who said that 20th
today was spending $250,000 more
per picture on prints than it did in
the pre-C’Scope era, frankly ac-
knowledged he didn’t hold much
hope that exhibs would purchase
the equipment necessary to allow
a, house with optical sound to use
a magnetic stereophonic print.

Cost of the added gadget is put
at $1,0Q0 to $1,200. “I don’t have
much faith in selling exhibitors the
idea of single-track picjkups,” Licht-
man observed. “I dori’t think we’ll
get very far with single-track mag-
netic sound.” However, interjected
William C. Gehring, 20th assistant j
exec sales head, the company is
still trying to get the price down, j

20th’s problems arise with the
fact that, of the equipped U.S. and
Canadian houses, only 3,593 have
stereophonic sogind pickup gear
whereas 10,312 elected to buy
C’Scope with optical sound. This
forces 20th to' go in for a much,
greater print volume per feature
(over 500) without getting full use
but of its stereo copies.

Lichtman said* that, at one time,
he had hoped 20th’s engineers
could come up with a Combination
magnetic-optical track, but that he
now knew it couldn’t be done. In
citing the $250,000 per picture fig-
ure, Lichtman pointed out that this
was in part attributable to the use.
of Eastman Color. In the past, be-
fore C’Scope, 20th had fewer tint-
ers and used the cheaper Techni-
color .process.

Dayis-McCarthys

United Motion Picture Organiza-
tions, formed by Richard Davis and
John G. McCarthy as an importing
outfit for European films, will un-
dertake its own distribution in the
U.S. and is currently assembling a
sales staff.

UMPO, which has some of the
top French product, including
“French Can-Can,” will serve as
an outlet for quality imports. pri-
marily from France*and Italy. Davis
and McCarthy are leaving N.Y. for
Europe Aug. 17 to make additional
deals, particularly with Italo pro-
ducers.

This serves to .emphasize the cur-
rent competition for the top Euro-
pean films for which, it’s felt, there
now is a market in the U.S.* pro-
vided they are properly presented,
Feeling is growing, too, that dub-
bed product may yet have its day
here.

Number of companies and indies
interested in grabbing" off Eu-
rope's cream output is probably
unprecedented. Exhibits are in the
running, too, and one important
outfit is due to announce soon that
it’s also ready to play the foreign
film game. Significantly, the parties
now in the running for the imports
are no longer indies anxious to grab
off a picture here or there, but for
the most part outfits with solid fi-
nancial backing. To a degree this
is an adjustment to the very high
guarantees being demanded by
producers on the Continent.

UMPO, shortly after its forma-
tion huddled with Distributors
Corp. of America as a possible re-
lease channel for its films.’ How-
ever, these negotiations have fal-
len through and Davis and McCar-
thy. have come to the conclusion
that they’d be better off doing the
job themselves. Aim is to establish
UMPO as the U.S. outlet for the
best European pix. However, some
of the other distribs have similar
ideas.

Trouble is that, on the whole,
the quality of European production
has dropped since the war. Italians,
for instance, who had some re*
bounding successes in this coun-
try, of late have sent across only
few films that have excited much
comment. “The Lost Continent,”
is one (it’s a Cinemascope tinter
and a documentary) and the re~
cent “La Strada” is another.

Speedy Star-Making

Hollywood, .Aug. 9.
Demand for new faces on
the screen has caused Para- .
mount to alter its pattern of
buildups for young players.
According to production chief
Don Hartman, the studio will
continue fche new process
which launched .Carol Ohmart
as a star before the release of
her first picture, “The Scarlet
Hour.” '

“We used to allow five years
to build a star,” Hartman ex-
plained, “but instead of tak-
ing that long, we hope to
prove in Miss Ohmart’s in-
stance that she is a great ac-
tress in her first picture.

“This type of build-up can
be accomplished if we choose
the new personality, the ve-
hicle and the director with
equal care, as we did in this
case by assigning Miss Oh-
mart’s debut to the capable
talents of Michael Curtiz.” ’

Bank of America’s Geiger
Packages 26 Foreclosed
Pix for Cuba, Puerto Rico

Bank of America is continuing
to rake in coin on a group of fore-
closed feature ^pictures. In deals
set this week, Circuito GMQ will
distribute over its ' television
facilities in Cuba and Puerto Rico
a . group of 26 pictures and' Post
Pictures Corp. has obtained the
16m non-theatrical rights for the
U. S. and Canada to 15 films owned
by the bank.

The Circuito package includes
such films as ’“Arch of Triumph,”
“Body and Saul, “Casbah,” “One
Touch of Venus,” “Dark Mirror,”
“The Other Love” and Miracle of
the Rells.” U. S. and Canadian
television distribution of these
films is being handled by General
Teleradio.

Included in the non-theatrical
package . are a number of films
n^er before available for this
market, including “Body and Soul,”
“Caught,” “The Other Love,”
“Ramrod,” “Four Faces West,” and
“So This Is- New York.”

Deals were set by Peter W.
Geiger, head of the bank’s N. Y.
motion picture department.

Antics of juve audiences has
forced many theatres in the N.Y.
metropolitan area to employ spe-
cial guards to help ushers in keep-
ing the teenagers iff line. The ex-
tra help is not only confined to
houses in the slum areas but is also
required in theatres in many of the
so-called “good neighborhoods.”

Former New York City Police
* Dept. Inspector Lester J. Meneilly,
who heads operations of Interstate
Industrial Protective Co., firm
which provides the guards for the
theatres, notes that the boisterous
and destructive juves are not nec-
essarily members of the well-pub-
licized gangs involved in street
battles and knifings. He points out
that many of the youngsters ap-
parently come from good homes,
“but seem to forget it when they
visit the neighborhood theatre.”

According to Meneilly, former
captain of Manhattan’s 30th Prec- j
int, the teenagers rip up seats,
deliberately destroy the washroom
plumbing, rifle the vending ma-
chines, disturb other patrons with
their rowdyism, and indulge in
necking sessions that go beyond
anything that is permitted on the
screen.

This has been a common com-
plaint of theatremen throughout
the country who have had to con-
tend with juvenile delinquents in
recent years. It's difficult to esti-
mate the damage, but the cost for
repairs and in business lost is tough
to. take during a period of a box-
office decline. Theatremen have
fried many methods to combat the
menace. Some have achieved re-
sults via work with Parent-Teach-
er and church groups, but for the
most part the danger still exists in

First Tracy’s Operation— Now Bob
Francis' Death Hits Budget

Hollywood, Aug. 9,

Costs on Metro’s “Tribute to a
Bad Man” continue to rise, follow-
ing the death last week of Robert
Francis, who had been playing the
second male lead in what had start-
ed "out to be a Spencer Tracy star-
rer. Actor had already appeared in
approximately two weeks of filming
while .troupe was on location in
Colorado, all of which must now be
refilmed with his replacement.

Tracy previously had been forced
to bow out of ’ p i c t u r p due to
incoming surgery, after having
worked for about a week, and was
replaced by James Cagney, who
will start work in about a week
when film resumes. None of Fran-
cis’ scenes, however, had been with
Tracy, which would have saved
shooting time had studio been able
to pair Cagney with whoever suc-
ceeds Francis.

Warner Bros, racked up a net
profit of $3,312,000 for the nine-
month stanza ending May 28,
equivalent to $1.33. per share on the
2,274,275 shares outstanding. Net
profit- for the same period of the
previous year amounted to $2,-
536,000, equal to $1.02 per share on
the 2,474,337 shares then outstand-
ing.

Most recent net was arrived at
after provision of $3,500,000 for
federal income taxes apd $400,000
for contingent .liabilities as com-
pared with $2,250,000 for federal
taxes and $300,000 for contingent
liabijties for similar period of 1954.'

Included in thq. profit for the
nine months ending May, 1955 is
a profit of $15,000 from the sale of
capital assets as compared with a
profit of $772,000 for the same
period of 1954.

Film rentals and sales amounted
to $53,080,000 as compared v^ith
$49,506,000 for the corresponding
period last year. Consolidated
balance sheet reveals advances to
independent producers totalling
$15,527,485, with $3,872,339 for
released productions less, estimated
amounts recoverable, $4,753,990 for
completed productions not re-
leased, and $6,901,156 for pro-
ductions in work.

The hiring of special guards adds
to the cost of general theatre
operation, but with conditions as
they are, " theatreowners say they
have no ohoice. Throwing of miss-
ies and dropping them from the
balcony to the orchestra is one of
the dangerous practices that has
guards hopping. Competition of
adolescent wolves for the atten-
tion of unescorted girls leads to
dangerous situations. It is some-
times necessary for the manage-
ment to call in the police when a
juve resists the special guard’s sug-
gestion that he leave the theatre.
Generally, however, the. very pres-
ence of a guard tends to temper
the youngsters’ behavior.

Meneilly feels that most of the
kids are not really criminally de-
linquent. “But their behavior can
sometimes lead to a dangerous sit-
uation in a crowded theatre.”
Guards are instructed to treat the
kids carefully. They single ou^ the
ringleader and attempt to appeal
to his better nature. Sometimes, it
works, but not always on a per-
manent basis. Constant offenders
are barred from the theatres.

Censored ’Blackboard’
Accepted in Australia

Sydney, Aug. 9.

Metro’s “Blackboard Jangle”
was given the censor’s okay here
after a tone down of several oi
the more brutal scenes. Censor
Jack Alexander, regarded as lib-
eral-minded, put the “adult only”
label* on pic.

“Jungle” is currently a wham
hit in four of Metro’s own houses
here.

By HY HOLUNGER*+***+** f ♦ ♦ *

Wednesday, August 10, 1955
! ♦♦♦ % + » > + ♦ ♦♦ > ♦♦♦♦ », ♦♦ ♦ » »»+*+»»♦ * »+ ■ »» ♦> M ♦ ♦ * M

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: ♦ t ♦♦ ♦ ♦ t ♦ ♦ ♦♦ M »*♦+■»♦♦♦»♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ » ♦ »+ »♦ ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦»+ 44 ♦ 1 4 o ’

AP London item quoting Noel Coward on his “first role in almost
20 years in an American movie is the part of Roland Smythe-Piggot
ip Jules Verne’s ‘80 Days Around The World’; it should be very
tremendously interesting, for there’s no such role in the book,”

It was footnoted by the press service, “There’s no such book,
for that matter. Verne called his work ’Around the World in 80 Days’.”
(This is Michael Todd's indie in Todd- AO process.)

Jake Wilk, back from a- month’s European holiday, -devoted part of
the trip to presenting to the Lloyds of London Museum an original
piece from the pioneer (1904) Wright Bros, plane in behalf of author
Fred C. Kelly, who wrote “Kitty Hawk.” This is the saga of Orville
and Wilbur Wright. When Wilk was WB eastern story editor he
acquired the property but Mel Shavelson & Jack Rose, in effecting
their release from the Burhank plant, took over the pioneer plane
inventors' story which they will now make for Par. Also while abroad
Wilk quickied to Munich to o.o. “White Horse Irin,” which an English
group wanted to film, but advised that, apart from the durable Ralph
Benatzky score, the libretto was too dated. Erik and Ludwig Charrel
(former produced it originally) are now in Virtual retirement in Paris.

Ilya Ropert arrived from Paris yesterday (Tues.) for talks with
United Artists officials on the handling of “Summertime,” “Man Who
Loved Redheads,” “Lucky Kid,” and "Richard III.” He returns to
Europe Aug. '25 for the Venice Film Festival . . . James Cagney, vaca-
tioning at his home in Martha’s Vineyard, heads for Montrose; Colo-
rado, next week to begin work in Metro’s “Tribute to a Bad Man.”

Domestic billings of 20th-Fox for the first half of 1955 ran to $25, •
500,000 as against foreign billings for the same period of $25,800,000.
Last week’s issue of Variety mistakenly put the domestic figure at
$26,000,000. Point of the story was that, for the first time in its
history, 20th’s foreign revenue over-shadowed domestic returns for
such an extended period of time. •

Batjac Productions (John Wayne and Robert Fellows) has in mind
a biopic on Sarah Bernhardt ... Edmund Grainger borrowed Virginia
Mayo from Warners to co-star with Robert Stack and Ruth Roman in
“Great Day In the Morning” at RKQ.. , . “The Steel Jungle” is the
new tag on Warners’ “I Died A Thousand Times.” . . . Universal will
make “The Creature Walks Among Us” as a Sequel to “The Creature
From the Black Lagoon” and “Revenge of the .Creature.” . . . Lena
Horne returns to Metro as a guest star in “Viva Las Vegas.”

United Artists execs on a travel binge; prexy Arthur Krim back
from Europe via Rome; ad mgr. Roger Lewis back from Coast talks
with indie’ producers, and - A1 Tamarin, assistant pub-ad chief, at his
desk after Caribbean vacation cruise . . . Liberate is resuming his
concert engagements following a trip to Paris foi* "Sincerely Yours,”
first of a multiple picture deal with Warner Bros . * . Kal Ross-
Universal Company, personal management firm headed by former
sportscaster-commentator Kal Ross, named casting consultants for
indie film firm of Harris-Kubrick which is filming “Clean Break” for
United Artists release . . Matsutaro Kawaguchi, managing director

of the Daiei Motion Picture Co. of Tokyo, will attend the Venice and
Edinburgh Film Festivals before coming to New York in September.
At Edinburgh, he’ll accept Golden Laurel Medals for “Gate of Hell’'
and “Ugetsu” , . . Columbia has closed a 21-year lease with Lederer
de Paris to continue to maintain space in the building at 711 Fifth
Ave. Film company recently Acquired the 15-story building and after
a complete reconditioning will consolidate all its New York operations
under one roof ... Metro studio executive Ben Thau sailed over the
weekend for a honeymoon in Europe ... Susan Hayward arrives from
the Coast this week for New York sequences of “i’ll Cry Tomorrow”
. . . John Kerr off to the Coast for a role in Metro’s “Gaby” . ..
Metro studio publicity chief Howard Strlckltug will visit the homeoffice
following a vacation at Hudson Bay, Canada.

Closing session of the. U. S. Senate was embellished by Sen. Alex*
, ander Wiley (Wis.), a former member of the Senate Crime Investigat-
ing Committee, kudosing Allied Artists’ “The Phenix City Story,” and
his remarks published in the Congressional Record.

From Bob Krauss’ “Night Side” column in the Honolulu Advertiser;
“Tats Yoshiyama, manager of the Palace Theatre, is Honolulu’s walk-
ing Variety. Started subscribing in 1936. Saved every issue until
recently when his wife put her foot down. Closest hle’s ever come to
being a performer was a bit part he had in ’Hell’s Half Acre'.”

L. A. to N. Y.

Jean Bartel
John P. Byrne
Carol Channing
Wayne Clark
Ben Cole
Alfred E. Daff
Laraine Day
Don DeFore
Howard Dietz —
Margaret Ettinger
Nina Foch
•Benny Goodman
SUsan Hayward
Herbert Jacoby
Nancy Kelly
John Kerr
Gene Krupa
Jerry Lawrence
'Monica Lewis i
Roger H. Lewis
A1 Lichtman
Barry Macollurn
Kay Malone
Mary Markham
Joel McCrea
John Miljan
Elizabeth Montgomery
Charles B. Moss
Patti Page
Charles M. Reagan
Allen Reisner
Jack Rose
Rosalind Russell
Edward M. Saunders
Melville Shavelson
Alfred Wallenstein
David Wayne
Martin Werner
Richard Whorf
Victor Young
Harry Zevin

Gertrude Astor returns to the
screen in C. V. Whitney’s “The
Searchers.”

N. Y.to L. A.

Richard ArmbrUster
John Conte
Morton DaCosta
Bill Doll
Caren Doll
Sam Fuller
Ernest D. Glucksma*
Ruth Harris
Herman Hoffman
Paul Kaufman
Aaron Katz
Joe Levine
Diana Lynn
Bordon Mace
Philip . Nasta
Sy Samuels
Vincent Sardi Jr*

Milton Stem
Helen Tamiris
Max Youngstein

N. Y. to Europe

Cab Calloway
. Clara Friedman
George Jessel
Alan Kayes
Howard Letts
Manie Sacks
Hazel Scott
Spyros P, Skouras
Marina Svetlova
Ben Thau
% Richard Todd
' A1 Watters

Europe to N. Y.

Archie Bleyer
Paddy Chayefsky
Jose Ferrer
John Gutman
Arthur Jacobs
Buster Keaton
Arthur B. Krim
Juliana Larson
Liberace
Ilya Lopert
Luba Malina
Pamela May
Mildred Shagal
Jake Wilk

Wednesday, Auguat 10, 1953

PICTURES g

Comments in N.Y* on His Healthy Arbitration,
Production Costs, Allied’* COMPO Walkout

With “The King and I" and pos-
sibly also “Carousel” set for lens-
ing in its 55m widegauge process,
20tb-Fox intends to control the
roadshowing of these . productions
by leasing out its own projection
equipment, A1 Lichtman, 20th di-
rector of distribution, disclosed in
N. Y. Monday (8).

He acknowledged that 20th plans
to eventually make available all po-
tentially roadshowable films in 55m
for such special engagements.
There is' no problem in reducing
such pictures later to 35m for regu-
lar distribution. “King" is skedded
to go into production in November.
Lensing on “Carousel” starts this
month. However, the order of
their release hasn’t been deter-
mined. Lichtman also said:

(1) He would carry on as 20th’s
sales topper to the end of his con-
tract next March and would de-
cide then on the basis of his health
whether to continue or to step
down. “L can’t give full service to
the company even now,” he stated.
Lichtman has been ill for some
time and has been recouping on the
Oodst

(2) goth's* “The Tall Men,” a
Clark Gable starrer, will go out
On a pre-release basis in late Sep-
tember.

(3) Arbitration is all agreed upon
and the various principals are now
studying the completed draft pre-
pared by the lawyers. No further
meeting of the arbitration commit-
tee is necessary. If approval is
forthcoming from all, the draft
will be submitted to the Justice
Dept, in Washington.

(4) 20th won’t take on any more
“little,” I.ei, 2-D outside pix “be-
cause there’s no money in them,”
However, the company would be in
the market for “important” non-
C’Scope productions. It has no
intention of establishing a foreign
film section a la Columbia Pic-

(Continued on page 52)

Script and Director
Approval Alone Bars
Marilyn Monroe Return

• Only her insistence on script and
director’s approval is holding up
Marilyn Monroe’s return to 20th-
Pox where a number of parts await
her. Money matters that once
figured in the star’s differences
with the studio apparently have
been solved.

Darryl F. Zanuck, 20th produc-
tion head, is said to be firmly op-
posed to giving any star the kind of
privileges demanded by Miss Mon-
roe, even though the studio report-
edly has agreed to her own choice
of dance director, hairdresser, etc.
She had those privileges when
making “There’s No Business Like
Showbusiness.” Yet, She was very
unhappy with the results in that
particular pic.

Spurring 20th’s interest in hav-
ing Miss Monroe return to the fold
is the b.o. showing of “The Seven
Year Itch” which stands to roll up
a domestic take of around $6,-
000,000 to $7,000,000 on the basis
of its performance to date.

It’s understood that while 20th
Is in a mood to make concessions,
Zanuck is convinced that script and
director’s approval goes beyond the
point of necessity, He's quoted as
saying that making such allowances
to Miss Monroe would be equivalent
to “handing her the keys to the
atudio.”

40 IN NEXT TWO YEARS
LINED IIP AT METRO

Hollywood, Aug. 9.

At dose of the high echelon
conclave on future product, pro-
duction chief ' Dore Schary re-
vealed that Metro will make 40
features in next two years.

Others making talks Were Ed
Mannix, J. J, Cohn and Howard
Dietz.

Allied Makes State, N.Y

Allied Artists’ “The Phoenix
Story” has been booked into
Ldew’s State, N.Y., to follow
“Cobweb.’'

Pic had a double preem in
Chicago and Columbus, Ga.,
It’s now in its fourth week in
Chicago.

Exhihs in Box

Circuits with problem situations
should consider converting them
to a foreign film policy particularly
with a view to the now product
coming out of Germany, Munio
Podhorzer, Casino Film Exchange
prexy, said in N. Y. Monday (8)
following his return from a week-
long swing that took him to Cleve-
land, Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit
and Toronto.

Podhorzer, vet distributor of
German films, said that with the
mediocre run. of French and Italo
pix, exhibs were showing consider-
able interest in what the German
industry has to offer. “There is no
question that, today, there is an
increasing awareness of the poten-
tial of the German film,” Pod-
horzer stated.

While in Canada, Podhorzer — as
head of United German Film En-
terprises — arranged for the dis-
tribution of 15 subtitled German
pix via All Nations Book & Film
Service which also operates houses
in Toronto, Montreal and has be-
gun to show German features at a
Windsor, Ont.’, situation.

On his trip,. Podhorzer signed
contract* with several of the Ger-
man language houses, selling 42
features in Milwaukee and 39 each
in Detroit and Cleveland. It’s es-
timated that between 12 and 15
German language houses are cur-
rently operating throughout the
country. Latest house to make the
switch is in Akron where the the-
atre has begun to play German
features for several days out of the
week.

SULLIVAN TO SALUTE
PAR’S ‘GIRL RUSH’

Continuing a pattern which he
started, Ed Sullivan on Aug. 21
will devote his entire “Toast of the
Town” show on CBSrTV to Para-
mount’* “The Girl Rush.”

Among those appearing on the
hourlong program will be Rosalind
Russell, star of the film; Gloria de
Haven, Eddie Albert, Marion
Lome, a trio of featured dancers
and a chorus line from the pic.

Boston, Aug. 9.

The Hub is high with ballyhoo-
ligans. Cary Grant was in Saturday
(6) for his next picture, “To Catch
a Thief,” opening at the Astor The-
atre the end of the month. Joel
McCrea comes 'in today in behalf
of “Wichita,” opening at the Para-
mount and Fenway Theatres to-
morrow (10). Jack Webb planes in
promoting “Pete Kelley’s Bluest
Monday 15). The picture is book-
ed to play the Paramount and Fen-
way Theatres Wed. (17).

Audie Murphy arrives in Boston
on the 28th, and a special welcome
will be staged by the Ar jny as Mur-
phy’s visit coincides with the Na-
tional Encampment of the V.F.W.
He will take part in % special pro-
gram on the stage of the Keith Me-
morial Theatre in advance of the
local preem of “To Hell and Back.”

Un Release fermits ror Ua Distnbs

London, Aug. 9.

The negotiations' for the renewal
of the Anglo-American film agree-
ment are due to take place in
London next month, but prospects
of achieving full convertibility,
never rated as • high, were com-
pletely dashed when the British
Treasury announced last week that
the sterling area . gold and dollar
reserves had fallen by $136,000,000
In July.

Date for the talks is dependent
on Eric Johnston’s commitments.
He’s due in the near East negotia-
tions for the Eisenhower adminis-
tration and will come to London as
soon as these have been concluded.
If the proposed date is convenient:,
Ellis Arnall is expected here to
represent SIMPP. Sir Frank Lee,
permanent secretary to the Board
of Trade, will lead the initial nego-
tiators.

This will be the first time for
three years that the renewal talks
have been held in London. For 4he
past two years, British negotiators
have gone to Washington and the
pacts concluded there have; with
minor modifications, retained the
status quo. It’$ anticipated that any
new agreement will still call for a
basic annual remittance to Holly-
wood of $17,000,000 plus bonuses
for production and distribution, as
well as a special concession in re-
gard to the Eady Levy.

Even if the drop' in gold and
dollar reserves had not taken place,
industry insiders had little hope of
achieving full vend free convertibil-
ity. It’s argued that many Ameri-
can imports are still severely re-
stricted arid to introduce free trad-
ing for motion pictures would leave
the door open for stronger repre-
sentations by other industries,
notably by automobile manufac-
turers.

The financial state of. the nation,
although considerably improved
since the first agreement was. nego-
tiated in 1948, is not in a position
to finance a flood of dollar im-
ports. It is pointed out, for ex-
ample, that dollar allowances for
British tourists are still on the
banned list. Only business execs
are granted dollar checks and they
have to prove their mission at time
of application.

Seek 1 5,000 Playdates
For A-BIast Reeler

Civilian Defense Administration
is throwing its wholehearted sup-
port behind 20th-Fox’s one-reeler,
“Survival City,” which shows the
building and destruction of a typi-
cal town by an atom blast set off
on Yucca Flats near Las Vegas

earlier this year. Subject is in
color and Cinemascope.

According to Lem Jones, 20th
short subject and newsreel sales
manager, 20th is seeking a record
15,000 dates for the short and, in
line with this expectation, has or-
dered 300 prints for it. The usual
print volume for a short is 160.

J Ones said 20th’s salesmen were '
being told to ignore the limitations
imposed by the “possibilities”
count, the importance of the reeler
in the atomic age being such that it
could be shown even in competitive
theatres. One-sheet has been pre-
pared for the short.

Peremptory. Censorships

Des Moines, Aug. 9.

“Naughty New Orleans” was
canceled after its first night
run at the Skylark Drive-In,
Creston, Iowa.

The county attorney ordered
Cecil Johnson, manager, to
cancel the picture after the
sheriff and (police chief had
seen the picture and filed a
complaint.

Divorced Loews

Washington, Aug. 9.

Loew’s Theatres has applied to
the Dept, of Justice and the Fed-
eral Court for permission to ac-
quire another theatre under the
consent decree. . House is a con-
ventional hardtop, currently under
construction in Coral Gables, Fla.,
and is located four miles southwest
of the downtown section. It’s 1,300-
seater. It’s understood Loew’s.
plans to operate the theatre as a
first-run house if it receives Fed-
eral approval.

A hearing on the application be-
fore a Federal Court is scheduled"
for the week of Aug. 22. Represen-
tatives of the antitrust division of
the D. of J. will appear in court,
but so far have given no indication
of the position the Federal. agency
will take.

Loew’s recently received the
greenlight from the Federal Court
to acquire drive-ins near Chicago
and riear Jacksonville, Fla. This
is the - theatre chain’s first effort .
to acquire a new conventional the-
atre sirice the consent decree Was
handed down. *

On one previous occasion, the
Federal Court permitted a theatre
chain subject' to corisent decree
regulation to acquire a conven-
tional house. It allowed National
Theatres to take over a house in
Trona, Cal., a small desert com-
munity without competing theatres
and where no other exhibitor ap-
parently wanted to erect a theatre.

Kinsey Makes Venice

Two short subjects — “Report on
Love” and “Herman Melville’s
Moby Dick”— -have been accepted
as U.S. entries at the Venice film
festival which launches Aug. 25.

“Report” is an animated short on
the findings of the Kinsey Report
and is distributed in the U.S. by
Edward L. Kingsley. “Melville,”
distributed by Joseph Burstyn Inc„
was produced by Jerry Winters and
uses over 200 paintings by the
American artist. Gilbert Wilson.
Both shorts are in color.

Meanwhile, it’s reported from
Venice that, for the first time, the
Russians will participate in the
competition in most of its cate-
gories. They have entered three

Buenos Aires, Aug.| 2.

The new broom in Argentina's
Presidential Press Secretariat is
sweeping clean. The changed at-
mosphere is blowing a fresh breeze
through the entertainment fields,
and the film industry in particular
has cause to congratulate itself.
Foreign film distributors (includ-
ing U. S.) find that they now have
a ^ court of appeal where their
problems can be discussed, and
action, if possible, taken.

Early this week the American
distributors started receiving the
release certificates they have been
promised fdr all of nine. v months.
By. today all 10 companies had re-
ceived the allotted four certifi-
cates apiece.

Exhibitors are also pleased be-
cause Bouche, new head of the
setup, has faced up squarely to
their, problems .by re-aligning
the neighborhood situations into
two “A” arid “B” lineups of 14
houses each, over which firstrun
pix are to be released in a satura-
tion. This has insured a quicker
release, turnover. As the nabe
houses will be assured of more im-
portant product, , they can hope for
better grosses.

Taxpayers are pleased because
Bouche has suspended the Interna-
tional Film Festival, scheduled for
next November, a fact which he
announced about a week ago.

Some local producers may not
feel so happy Since they are now
aware there will be no more fa-
voritism in the industry, and they
will- have to earn every privilege
on their own merits. Bouche called
a first meeting of the Motion. Pic-
ture Council recently, where, un-
der prodding the members found
they could talk freely about their
problems. Also that all their in-
terests would be considered.

Forthcoming meetings are bound
to bring hot debates, and a good
deal of washing of dirty linen Will
be necessary before Bouche is able
to get down to brass tack*. But
his determination to rationalize
everything Is evident and is making
those who are competent to work
in the industry happy.

Floyd Odium’s Atlas Corp.
Reveals Net Asset Value
At New High of $44.83

Atlas Corp., which owns about
one-third of the stock of RKO
Pictures Corp., the corporate shell,
revealed total assets as of June 30
of $90,441,828, of which $45,226,000
was in majority-owned subsidiaries,
$26,965,202 in market securities,
and $16,772,575 in cash and govern-
ment bonds. Net asset value of the
company rose to a new high of
$44.83 per share during the six
months ended June 30. This was
after provision for possible taxes
on unrealized appreciation and
compares with $38.82 a year
earlier.

According to prexy Floyd B.
Odium, discussions are continuing
with respect to plans for the ac-
tivation of RKO Pictures Corp.
He pointed out„that RKO Pictures
Corp. 'is a company with cash as
its principal asset and should not
be confused with RKO Radio Pic-
tures Inc., the motion picture com-
pany recently acquired by General
Teleradio from Howard Hughes.

At RKO Pictures Corp. stock-
holders meetirig in Dover, Dela-
ware last* week, it was confirmed
that Atlas was working toward
some sort of reorganization of RKO
Pictures Corp., having in mind the
continuance of the company in
some- business venture. It was
noted that Atlas hoped to submit a
proposal in the near future for
consideration of the directors and
stockholders. The meeting- elected
the following directors for the
ensuing year: Howard R. Hughes,
Noah Dietrich, J. Miller Walker,
William H. Clark, Garrett Van
Wagner, A, Dee Simpson, and Ed-
ward L. Walton.

features.

Washington, Aug. 9.

. Film Industry, dividends continue to mount this year, with pub-
licly reported payments to stockholders hitting $15,127,000 for
the first six months, compared with $11,741,000 for the same period
of 1954.

June melon for stockholders was $3,899,000, bettering the
$3,506,000 of 1954.

Loew’s paid $1,286,000 this June, compared with $1,029,000 a
year earlier. Paramount Pictures disbursed $1,170,000 both years.
20th passed out $1,108,000, which was slightly ahead of the $1,069,-
000 for June 1954.

Universal paid $299,000 each year, and Allied Artists paid
$21,000 both times. The Roxy Theatre paid $6,000 each year,
while United Artists Theatres gave stockholders $9,000 each year.-
Filmack, Which paid $3,000 in 1954 declared no dividend this June,

REVIEWS

Love 14 a Many
Splendored Thing

(C’SCOPE— COLOR)

William Bolden and Jennifer
Jones brine depth, beauty and
emotion to* a fine love story. .
Bright b,o. outlook.

twentieth Century-Fox releaieof a
Buddy Adler production. Stare William
Holden, Jennifer Jones; features Totin
Thatcher, Jsobel Elsom, Murray Matheson,
Virginia Gregg, Richard Loo.Soo Yong.
Philip Ahn, Jorla Curtrlght. Dqnna^ Mar-
tell, Candace Lee, Karo tong, James

x natcnot) aauurt pguun

Virginia Gregg, Richard Loo. Soo Yong.
Philip Ahn, Jorla Curtrlght. Dpnna_ Mar-
tell, Candace Lee, Kam tong, James
Hong. Herbert Heyes, -Angela Loo. Marie
Tslen. Eleanor Moore, Barbara Jean
Wong, - Hazel Shon, Kei ChUng; directed
by Henry King; screenplay, John Patrick,
from the Han Suyin novel, "A* Many
Splendored Thing’*; camera (color by De
Luxe), Leon Shamroy; music, .Alfred
Newman, with Sammy Faln-Paul Francis
Webster tune, "Love's a Many-Splendored
Thing." Previewed In N.Y. Aug. 5, 55.
Running time, 102 MINS.

Mark Elliott ........... William Holden

Han Suyin .............. Jennifer Jones

Mr. Paltner-Jones Torln Thatcher

A deline Palmer-Jones Isobel Elsom

r. Tam Murray Matheson

Ann Richards Virginia Gregg

Robert Hung .............. Richard Loo

Nora Hung Soo Yong

Third Uncle Philip Ahn

■i Suzanne JOrja Curtright

Suchen Donna Martell

)h-No Candace Lee

)r. Sen ........... Kam Tong

■ifth Brother ......... James Hong

father Low Herbert Heyes

del Loo Angela Loo

losie Wu Marie tslen

English Secretary ...... Eleanor Moore .

Curses. .Barbara Jean Wong, Hazel Shon
nterne* Kei Chung

Love, as portrayed hud drama-
tized in this fine and sensitive
Buddy Adler production based on
the Han Suyin bestseller, is indeed
a many-splendored thing and, un-
less audiences have lost their ro-
mantic inclination, it ought to
make, for a plenty strong b.o. It’s
an unusual picture in many ways,
shot against authentic Honk Kong
backgrounds and . offbeat in . its
treatment, yet as simple and mov-
ing a love story as has come along
In many a moon.

To start with, William Holden as
the American correspondent, and
Jennifer Jones as the Eurasian
doctor, make a romantic team of
great appeal. Between them, each
contributing a thoroughly believ-
able and valid performance, they
carry the picture and make It the
gentle and frequently emotional
thing that it is. This is something
of a tear-jerker, to be sure, but an
awfully well-made one. Nobody is
likely tp object on that score. On
the contrary, “Love Is a Many
Splendored Thing’* has a special
quality that makes it top effort in
many respects.

Han Suyin, who wrote the book,
was less concerned with drama
than with tracing the mating of
two kindred souls in a world
strange to both. Her story didn’t
revolve as much around the stand-
ard theme of the Chinese Reds as
the awakening of love, and its
realization, between people worlds
apart in background, culture and
upbringing. She also dramatized
the social problem of the American
linked with the Eurasian in the
small and petty world , of British
colonialism.

A lot of this — some to the good
and the rest not so — has been in-
corporated into the generally ex-
cellent screenplay fashioned by
John Patrick. It’s all here — the
hesitant process of getting to know
one-another, the welling of love,
the delight of the lovers in find-
ing themselves and ' the problems
of race and custom (Holden is mar-
ried, she’s a widow) — but not all
of if is fully explored and follow-
ing the pattern of the book, there
is a good deal of dialog. Some of
it is quite beautiful. Certainly this
is one of the most erudite ro-
mances ever brought to the screen.

But it must also be said that, up
to the middle .of the film, things
go rather slowly. Director Henry
King, with a great; many thought-
ful and sensitive touches, has made
this into a love story that allows
little else to intrude. Both he and
Patrick apparently thought the ro-
mantic theme, with its heartbreak-
ing. ending, should be enough.
Since Elliott is married and his
wife won’t give him a divorce,
marriage is impossible. Although
compromised, and without a job at
the end, Han holds fast to her love.
Then she learns that Elliott has
been killed covering the Korean
war.

King and. lenser Leon Shamroy/
have done a magnificent job in'
utilizing the Hong Kong back-
grounds. There is a great feeling of
authenticity and strangeness in
these reels, whether it is in the
opening shots panning down on the
■teeming city or in the charming
little scene when Han returns to.
her Chungking . home and is fol-
lowed there Dy Elliott. Perhaps
some will feel that King has wasted,
too much footage on ‘ meaningless
patter, but it does fill out the-
framework of the story and brings
it into its proper perspective.

Holden as the correspondent de-.
livers a great job of acting. He's

g ean, yet feels strongly Chinese,
[er transformation from efficient
doctor to passionate woman has the
proper hesitancy and never for one
moment hints a wrong note. Miss
Jones* accomplishment in a very
difficult part is quite remarkable
and contributes greatly to the
film's success. Her love scenes with
Holden sizzle without ever being
cheap or awkward. In her, the
spirit of the book is caught coin*
pletely.

Since “Love Is a Many Splen-
dored Thing**— title is part of a
quotation from “The Kingdom of
God” by religious poet Francis
Thompson — shapes up as *a sock
women’s picture, it’s just as well
to point out that Miss Jones’ Chi-
nese gowns (and she wears a multi-
tude of them) are the smartest
thing any dress designer ever
dreamed up. In the very good color
by De Luxe, the costuming is a dis-
tinct ace tip the pic’s sleeve. Color
and Cinemascope also are a boon
to the lensing of the background
scenes.

Supporting cast Is/ fine, with
Isobel Elsom properly superficial
as the British matron who resents
Miss Jones. Torin Thatcher as the
righteous British businessman and
director of the hospital (on the side
he takes trips with another Eura-
sian girl), is good. Candace Lee as
the nine-year-old refugee girl who’s
been in an accident is a charmer
and her scene, when she sings for
the doctor, tears at the heart-
strings. Kam Tong as the Commie
doctor, who urges Miss Jones to re-
turn to . Red China and “her peo-
ple,” is sinister yet wisely refrains
from playing. the heavy. Philip Ahn
portrays Third Uncle with dignity.
Richard Loo and Soo Yong, as Miss
Jones* friends, turn in a pleasant
performance.

Sets are smart and Alfred New-
man’s musical backgrounds fit per-
fectly. $ong “Xove’s a Many-Splen-
dored Thing-” (Sammy Fain & Paul
Francis Webster) carries strong
“Madame Butterfly” resemblance
but has the quality that should
help it sell the picture.

Most of those who will see “Love
Is a Many Splendored Thing” will
think it a thing of beauty and Will
love it. A few may consider it
much ado about nothing, but they
should be decidedly in the minor-
ity. It’s a film that, in its delib-
erate restraint and intelligent — at
times almost poetic — dialog draws a
tender and quite lovely picture of
a different kind of romance. Being
so different, and yet so warm and
sincere, it should wow ’em. Hift.

I An a Camera

Dialog flippancies and a few
Blot unoonventlonalities deny
this impart a code seal. Actu-
ally not very shocking. Best
playoff chances In selected
g

Wednesday,' August 10, 1955

City of Shadows

Okay crime melo for tlie pro-
gram market.

Hollywood, Aug. 3.

Republic release o£ « . William J. O’Sul-
livan production. Stars . Victor McLaglen,
John Baer, Kathleen Crowley. Directed
by William Witney. Screenplay, Houston
Branch ' camera, Reggie Lannlng; editor,
Tony Martinelli; music, R. Dale Butts.
Reviewed Aug 3* *55. Running time, 70
MINS.

Big Tim Channlng. .... .Victor McLaglen

Dan Mason John Baer

Fern Fellows Kathleen Crowley

Toni Flhetti Anthony Caruso

Linda Falraday June Vincent

Angelo Di Bruno Richard Reeyes

Davis Paul Maxey

District Attorney Hunt.. Frank Ferguson

Phil Jerglns Richard Travis

Kink . Kay Kuter

Roy FelloVvs Nicolas Coster

Waitress Gloria PaU

Miss Hall . . Fern HaU

This crime- melo fits handily into
the program market, where the
| name of Victor McLaglen still may
be a draw. After a slow opening,
although the plot is fairly routine,
there’s enough action -to maintain
the 70-minute running time for
average interest.

McLaglen enacts a punchy old
racketeer who rises to a power in
a big city's underworld. He gains
this estate through a young law
student whom he picked up as a
boy and educated, who ferrets out
loopholes in the law to help him in
his upward climb. Legal-beagle
turns honest when , he meets a gal,
successful him but lethally for
the racketeer* Houston Branch’s
screenplay is fairly well developed,
directed with an eye to best val-
ues by William Witney.

John Baer as the lawyer delivers
strongly and shows promise for
future 1 castings. McLaglen is okay
in his customary hardboiled-softie
role, and Kathleen Crowley fares
well as the femme. Anthony Caruso
and Richard Reeves punch over
their gangster roles effectively,
Paul Maxey is good as a disbarred
attorney and Frank Ferguson is
believable as the harrassed district
attorney, whose undercover man,
Richard Travis, is public relations
man for Baer in a racket

Technical credits are standards,
headed by Reggie Lannlng on the
c&mCras. Whit,

ner; music, Malcolm Arnold. Previewed
July 21. '55. Running time, 95 MINS.

SaUy Julie Harris

Chris * Laurence Harvey

Natalia Shelley Winters

Clive Ron Randell

Frauleln Schneider Lea Seidl

Fritz Antoit Diffrlng

Herr Landauer ......... Ina pe La Haye

Pierre Jean Gargoet

American Editor Stanley Maxted

Proprietor (Troika) Alexis Bobrinskoy

Head Waiter (Troika). . . . Andre Mikhelson

The boxoffice effectiveness ; of
censorial frowns seems likely to
be tried once again with the re-
lease of “I Am a Camera,” Rom-
olus Films production Of the stage
comedy which Distributors Cotp.
of America is handling in the
Western Hemisphere. The Produc-
tion Code has nixed the dialog and
unconventional bedroom antics so
its playoff in select, showcase
bookings could be to the accom-
paniment of -much pro and con talk
and more wicket attention than
the quality of the entertainment
actually deserves.

John van Druten's hit play,
based on “The Berlin Stories" by
Christopher Isherwood, is an epi-
sodic affair dealing with a young
author, who gets himself involved,
innocently, with a. crackpot girl in
pre-World War II Berlin. In trans-
ferring the piny to the screen,
scripter John ^Collier hewed close
to the original in dialog and situa-
tions and the effect is always more
that of a filmed stage play than a
motion picture. The -direction by
Henry Cornelius follows the stage
line, too, and the 1 camera handling
by Guy Greene does not have the
flowing freedom usual to most mo-
tion picture*

While not an all-together satis-
factory film offering, “Camera”
does have its moments. Most of
them will probably be. more appre-
ciated by distaff viewers than male
stub-holders. The femmes will find
more identification . in the antics,
even though most unconventional,
of the wacky character so broadly
projected by Julie Harris, than the
men will have with the Isherwood
role played by Laurence Harvey.
Too, while the play’s prime theme
is sex, it actually offers little along
this line that will prove attractive
to male viewers.

. The already much-quoted shocker
line quipped by Miss Harris when
she moves in on Harvey, about
which to do. first, go to bed or have
a drink, is an innocent piece of
dialog, but the circumstances under
which it is spoken make it a fore-
gone conclusion it will' be heard
with a double meaning. Less inno-
cent, however, is the abortion sit-
uation arid why Miss Harris be-
lieves she needs one.

Quite amusing is the sequence
in which Miss Harris gorges on
caviar and champagne to the hor-
ror of purse-poor Harvey. Another
chuckler is the wild party tossed
by Ron Randell, the American
playboy with whom the femme
screwball has taken up, and the
odd characters that drift in and
out as the bacchanalian celebration
hits its peak. Randell does a con-
vincing job of the character. Less
frequently Involved in the story is
Shelley Winters, seen as a subdued
German girl who, with her fiance,
Anton Diffring, is beginning to feel
the., first anti- Jewish pressure of
the Hitler regime. The top players,
and others, are competent in an-
swering the rather light demands
of Story and direction.

The filming was done in Lon-
don and, while the technical sup-
ports are adequate, the picture
lacks the production polish accom-
plished on practically all domestic
features. Brog.

Continence Perdiito

(Lost Continent)

(ITALIAN-COLOR-C’SCOPE)
Rome, Aug. 2.

Astra Clnematograflca release of an A ar-
tra-Leonardo Bonzi production. Directed
by Leonardo Bonzi. Enrico Gras, Giorgia
Moser; music, Francesco Lavagnino; cam-
era (Ferraniaeolor), Mario Craveri, Gian-
ni Rafaldi, Franco Bernettl; editor, Mario
Serandrei; text, Orlo Vergani; at Cinema
Fiammo, Rome. Running time, 95 MIN*

This feature-length documen-
tary, filmed by an Italian expedi-
tion to the. Indonesian islands^ is an
impressive item in its field, with
sock audio-visual appeal, as well
for general audiences in all coun-
tries. Already outstanding in mere
material collected, impact is
greatly heightened via great use of
sound and Cinemascope, perhaps
the best use ever made of the

anamorphs. With “Green Magic/*
made by iam% director-cameraman
team (Bonzi end Craveri), setting
the pace, this item should go well
at the b.o. Though the pic doesn’t
need it* it contains exploitable
footage Involving some lightly
garbed native women. Trimming
would help general pacing.

First Italian picture made In
C'Scope, “Lost Continent” won a
special jury prize at the last Can-
nes Filrii Fete. Pic was lensed by
an obviously cooperating team un-
der extremely difficult conditions,
with sound and image receiving
amazing technical handling. Start-
ing off with a Cantonese .wedding
|n a junk-filled harbor, film pro-
gresses through various Indonesian
island settings illustrating various
religious customs as well, as un-
usual aspects and ways of life.
Thus the Balinese dancers, harvest-
time in wheat and rice fields, an
island wedding ceremony, the
“feeding” of a stirring volcano
with animals and food to ^prevent
an eruption, as- well as the most
impressive feature, a ceremonial
chariot race (with teams of wild
bulls), caught in movement with
telling effect, tops anything ^the
Roman spectacles have had to of-,
fer. Lensing in Ferraniaeolor and
Cinemascope by Mario Craveri
and his team i? expert teaming of
the widescreen and the subject
matter. With color hues all top-

drawer. _ . , .

Musical score by Lavagnino, who
accompanied the expedition
throughout, is likewise strikingly
effective. Editing doesn’t always
avoid a certain episodic structure
but is generally expert. Hawk.

The Girl Rush

(V’VISION— MUSICAL — COLOR)

Rosalind Russell in lightweight

musicomedy. Routine enter-
tainment for routine bookings.

• %

Hollywood, Aug. 8.

Paramount release of Fi-ederiek Brlsspn
production. Stars, Rosalind RusseU. Fer-
nando Lamafii Eddie Albert# Gloria De
Haven; features Marlon Lorne.

Gleason. Directed by Robert Pk'osb-
Screenplay, PlrosH and Jerome Davis,
based on a story by Phoebe “d Henry
Ephron; camera (Technicolor). William
Daniels; editor. William flornbeck; score.
M. S. I. Spencer-Hagen; songs. Hu«b Mar-
tin. Ralph Blane; prices ^“pre-
numbers staged by Robert Alton. Pre
vewed Aug. 1, '55. Runnng tine, 54 MINS.

Kim HaUiday S 0BaU “.?

Victor Monte Fe ™ando Lamas

Elliott Atterbury ■ • Eddie Albert

Taffy Tteiuaine Gloria De Haven

Aunt Clara . • • Marlon Lorhe

Ether Ferguson

Pete Tremaine ..... . . .... Robert Fortier

Lightweight musicomedy film-
fare is served up in “The Girl
Rush.” . Picture will get a booking
push and some coin by being the
lead film in the upcoming Para-
mount Week drive.

Rosalind Russell and her pro-
ducer husband, Frederick BriSson,
didn’t pick a particularly good
vehicle for her screen return after
B’way success in “Wonderful
Town.” Picture is light in virtually
every department and the giddy
air With which it goes about ’ its
business isn't sufficiently enter-
taining to cloak the weak plot and
scripting. (Las Vegas interests
should like it, since it's a film ad
for that gambling spa, giving plush
viewing to Strip hotels, . especially
the Flamingo, via Technicolor tints
and Vista-Vision.)

Eight tunes, plus the title num-
ber, are heard, either as straight
songs or as production pieces.
Likely for the best play is “Occa-
sional Man,” a saucy bongo-beat
tune that backstops for the most
attractive of the several production
numbers staged by Robert Alton.
Gloria De Haven, who ably carries
the pulchritude load for the film,
displays voice and curves in the
piece advantageously. She also has
another production bit . titled
“Champagne,” working with Rob-
ert Fortier and two other male
partners. Miss Russell’s special pro-

tagged “My Hillbilly Heart” which
starts amusingly enough but wears
out its . Welcome by running too.
long. Also she dances and sings
with Eddie Albert to “Birmin’hara”;
with three male partners to
“Choose Your Partner’’; sings “Out
of Doors” with Albert; as well as
“Take a Chance,” theme song. Fer-
nando Lamas does the ballad,
“We’re Alone.” Hugh Martin and
Ralph Blane did the cleffing for all
the tunes, with M. S. I. Spencer-
Hagen doing the score and con-
ducting;

Plot scripted by director Robert
Pirosh and Jerome Davis from a
story by Phoebe and Henry Ephron
has Miss Russell and her aunt,
Marion Lorne, coming to Las Vegas
to enter the gambling hotel busi-
ness with James Gleason, who had
partnered with her late crap-shoot-
ing dad in the venture some years
. back. By the time the two femmes
arrive, Gleason has ‘ hocked the
hotel to back losses suffered at the
crap tables Of Lamas’ . Flamingo.
What takes place after . that is
never quite clear in the writing.
Miss Russell and Lamas run

through some romantic misadvan*
tures before the finale clinch, and
Albert Winds up with Miss De .
De Haven, Gleason and Miss Lorne
make the third pairing. While
there’s quite a bit of broad slap-
stick action, the pacing given the
footage under Plrosh’s direction
seems slow and the acting just
adequate. 5

Femmes will, like several of the
Edith Head costumes displayed on
Miss Russell and the males will
like the brief production outfits
Miss De Haven wears for her song-
dance chores. -The area in and
around Las 'Vegas has visual value
as lensed by William Daniels.

. Brog .

H ■ ' ■ p

The African Mon

(COLOR)

Good documentary, but doesn’t
have the fascinating qualities
of other Disney “True-Life Ad-
ventures.” Moderate b.o.

Buena Vista release Of Walt . Disney pro-
duction. Photographed (Technicolor) by
Alfred G. and Elma Milotte. Associate

P roducer. Ben Sharpstecn; directed by
ames Algar; written by Algar, Winston
Hlbbler, Ted Sears, Jack Moffittj narra-
: tion, Hlbbler; .music, Paul Smith; editor*
Norman Palmer; . special process, UH
Iwerks; animation effects, Joshua Meador* '
Art Riley. Tradeshown in New York, Aug,

3* *55. Running time, 75 MINS.

I Walt Disney has rung up a string
of critical arid b.o. successes in his
.“True-Life Adventure” series from.
i the start, but his latest effort, “The
African Lion,” . is bound to have
less stimulatirig results. The fault
lies not so much in the production
as in the choice of subject matter.
In the past, the documentaries have
dealt with, little-known facts of
animal life* In the present case,
so much footage has been shot and
shown on African wildlife that
even the best of the Alfred G. and
Elma Milotte color footage has an
all-too-familiar ring to it, rubbing
off much of the fascination and
consequently the b.o. draw. Teamed
with a M-minute reprise of “Peter
and the Wolf,” out of Disney’s
“Make Mine Music,” the “Lion”
segment seems . due for only a
moderate chance at the b.o.

More’s the pity, too, for the
Milottes have gotten some of the
best wildlife footage ever to come 1
out of Africa. Their 30-fnonth‘ stint-
in the plateau regions were re-
warded with sjuch unusual shots
as a leopard pouncing out of a. tree
into a milling herd of wild beasts,
a pride of lionesses stalking a herd
of impalas, a cheetah overtaking an
antelope at *75 m.p.h., a flock of
vultures and groups of hyenas and 1
jackals fighting a lioness for a
share in a half-devoured carcass,-
and a locust swarm descending on
the. grasslands. Measured with the
dramatic shots are the usual quota
of Disney’s more amusing pictorial
commentaries on animal existence,.

Star of the pic, of course, is the.
photography, bjit spectacular as it
is, it’s not enough to compensate
for the “I’ve seen this before” feel-
ing the subject matter engenders.
Winston Hibbler, who wrote the
script around the footage with di-
rector James Algar, Ted Sears and
Jack Moffitt, does a fine narrating
job. And the script itself leaves
little to be desired. Paul Smith’s
score, as orchestrated by Joseph
Dubin, fits the mood of the photo-
graphy without undue intrusion,
and Norinan Palmer’s editing of
some 100,000 feet of 16m color-
footage is sharp and smooth. Color
at times is inconsistent, but this
is due largely to use of telephoto
lenses and is hardly a disturbing
factor. Chan.

Desert Sands

Routine Foreign Legion action
film stencilled off ?n <*!H uat-
tern. Average b.o. possibilities.

United Artists release of a Bel-Air pro-
duction. Stars 'Ralph Meeker. Marla Eng-
. lish, J. Carrol Naish features John-Carra-
dine. Ron Randell. John Smith, Keith
Lar'sen. Directed by Lesley Selander.

- Screenplay, George W. George, George F.
siavin, Danny Arnold. Producer, Howard
W. Koch; exec producer, Aubrey Schenck;
camera, Gordon Avil; editor, John F.

Schreyer; music, Paul Dunlr.o. Previewed

In N.Y. Aug. 3; *55. Running time, 89
MINS.

David Malcom Ralph Meeker

Zara Marla English

Diepel J. Carrol Naish

Rex Tyle John Smith

Pete Havers Ron Randell

Jala John Carradine

El Zanal ... ICe'th Larsen

Gina . . ; arl victor.

Gabin Otto Waldis

Lucia Peter Ma malms

Ducco Albert Carrier

Wdlopk ?. T ort Mills

Sartdy Philip Tongs

Kramer .Terence deMarney

Gerard Nico Minadros

Alita, Llta Milan

Weems Peter Bourns

Dr. Kleiner i Peter Norman

Dyl&k Spokesman Joseph Waring

Tamal Aaron Saxon

Panton Bela Kovacs

With the screen so intent these
days on dramas of juvenile delin-
quency and the more literate crea-
: tions of the Broadway stage,
"Desert Sands,” fashioned after
the formula action pix of yester-
• (Continued’ on page 15)

Wednesday, August 10, 1953

PICTURES 7

By WILLIAM $TPIF

San Francisco, Aug, 9.

The delicate relationship ' be-
tween Louis do Rochemont and
Cinerama went askew here last
week. Resultantly, the producer
o e . “Cinerama Holiday” told asso-
ciates he was signing a partner-
ship agreement- with Cinerama’s
newest rival, Elmer C. Rhoden’s
Cine-Miracle, in New York next
Thursday (11).

De Rochemont- and Cinerama’s
national exhibition chief, Lester
Isaacs, were among & half-dozen
Cinerama bigwigs who came here
for the Coast opening of "Cinerama
Holiday’’ at the Grpheum last
Tuesday (2). *

The opening was sponsored by
San Francisco’s Press Union
League Club with the proceeds go-
ing to. the club's scholarship fund.
To plug the benefit, the club in-
vited de Rochemont and Isaacs to
make brief, off-the-record talks at
dinner before the ppening. It was
at this dinner, apparently, that
trouble started.

Isaacs says he put himself on
the record with these words:
"There’s nothing like Cinerama.
Other processes may— or may not
—be able to match it.” Others at
the dinner, claim Isaacs used
stronger language to run down’
Cine-Miracle. .

At any rate/de Rochemont, with
• verbal agreement already made
with Rhoden, felt impelled to de-
fend Cine-Miracle, to disassociate
himself from Isaacs* stand and
show his good faith to the National
Theatres’ president

Several days later, he went out
of his way to praise Cine-Miracle,
saying:

"It’s a great advance over Cine-
rama because it diminishes distor-
tion and diminishes the match
lines.”

- He pointed out, further, that
Cine-Miracle’s three projectors can
all be placed in one booth, thus
avoiding expensive theatre remod-
eling and giving the new process
the advantage of great mobility.
"It can play in a dark tent, if
necessary,” he said.

Crux of the matter, apparently,
Is that de Rochemont is not
pleased with Cinerama’s financial
arrangements. Stanley Warner’s
50% override particularly nettles
him, it seems.

De Rochemont also hinted that
Cineramas' elaborate corporate
structure — five separate companies
are involved — has' hurt the' poten-
tial of the process. He pointed
out that in August, 1953, Cinerama
could have bought for $3,500 the
distortion and matchline improve-
ments that the optical firm of
Smith-Dieterich has incorported
into Cine-Miracle.

De Rochemont said Cinerama
had originally asked the optical
engineers to make these improve-
ments but that two years ago it
couldn’t or wouldn’t pay the $3,500
fee so the engineers kept their
Work.

National Theatres developed the
one-booth projection technique and
this added to the Smith-Dieterich
improvements resulted in Cine-
Miracle.

De Rochemont said producing
"Cinerama Holiday” Was pretty
much an experiment from scene
to scene in the new medium and
that he expects he’ll still have a
lot to learn in producing Cine-
Miracle films.

Bald Actor As LaGuardia

Hollywood, Aug* 9.

Phil Arnold, vet stage and
screen actor and currently
character comic at Billy Gray’s
Band JBox.here, has been cast
to portray the late Fiorello
La Guardia in Warners’ “The-
Court-Martial of Billy’ Mitch-
ell.” '

Thesp„ bald and ' with shin-
ing dome, will don a black wig
to resemble “The • Little
Flower” when he was mayor of
New York City.

’GUYS ft DOLLS’ BREAK:
$9,000,000 GROSS

Hollywood, Aug. 9.

Samuel Goldwyn’s "Guys &
Dolls” is definitely set for first
week in November premiere in
N. Y.,. followed by openings in Chi-
cago, Boston, L. A. before end ot
year.

In order to break even, take
must be at least $9,060,000, with
Metro certain to ask top terms.

Despite the closing of some 900
houses in the U.S. during the first
half of „ 1955, the total number of
"active” theatres in the country as
of July 1 was 19,108, a net gain
of seven since the end of 1954 and
of 1,644 since March of the same
year. The 19,108— largest number
of theatres reported since 1946-
breaks down into 14,724 regular
houses and 4,384 drive-ins.

Figures were contained in a
Sindlinger & Co., survey for
COMPO, released in N.Y. Monday
(8). The term "active” includes sea-
sonal operations and theatres oper-
ating only, for several days each
week. Total of season operations
runs to 594.

Lost & Found

Sindlinger survey for
COMPO, showing 19,108 the-
atres as of July 1, 1955, re-
vives an . argument of long
standing over the accuracy of
these counts. Several of the f
distributors have maintained
for some time that the total
count of the domestic market,
which includes Canada, runs to
dose to 23,000 theatres.

The latest 20th-Fox count,
for instance, establishes that —
as of Aug. 4, 1955— there were
23,150 theatres operating._part
or full time in the ’U.S. and
Canada.

The Sindlinger poll concerns
itself only with the U.S. mar-
ket. However, even the most
optimistic estimates .don’t
credit Canada with more than
2,000 theatres. Thus, if these
are added to the 19,000 found
by Sindlinger, where — . ask
sales execs — are the remain-
ing 2,000 situations?

U.S. Films Might

According to Sindlinger, while
900 houses closed between Jan-
uary and July 1955, another 585
new and reopened theatres entered
upon the scene. That’s in addition
to 322 drive-ins which thus more
than offset the loss of 315 indoor
situations. Actually, 387 ooners
were constructed and 65 were
closed or permanently . abandoned.
About 20 of the hew openairers re-
placed drive-ins that were closed.

According to Sindlinger, more
than 6,000 theatres closed between
Jan. 1, 1946 and March 31, 1954.
Shutterings Were attributed to the
20% Federal admissions tax which
was finally reduced to 10%. Low-
point came in March, 1954, when
Sindlinger counted 13,553 four-
wallers and 3,911 drive-ins, a total
of 17,464 situations.

The 19,108 count on July 1 is
above the 19,106 count at the nd
of 1950 and the 19,019 total at the
end of 1946. It’s noted that, where
drive-ins in 1950 totaled 2,202, they
had almost doubled by July 1 of
this year when the ozoner count
stood at 4,384.

Sjtate-wise, Texas leads in the
number . of active theatres, with
1,427, including 465 ozoners. Next
comes New York with 1,166 the-
atres, including 143 drive-ins, 'and
it is followed by California, with
1,089 theatres, including 195 drive-
ins. Nevada is at the bottom of the
list with 32 theatres, including
eight drive-ins.

Consistent with its "get tough’'
policy. Motion Picture Export
Assn. Is mulling a possible, with-
drawal from Indonesia. . .

Hit by demands for heavy new
taxes,- the companies feel that they
may have reached a point in that
area where continued operation
under such circumstances is no
longer profitable. Under the man-
date_jjfven him by the company
presidents, MPEA prexy Eric
Johnston could order the" distribs
to pull out from Indonesia when-
ever he deems it necessary.

There’s considerable precedent.
Companies are still refusing to im-
port or book films in Denmark and,
prior to reaching a Spanish accord,
they also stopped imports there.
Yet another trouble area is Greece
where taxes are such that the local
distribs claim they can no longer
fulfill their obligations to the
American companies without los-
ing their shirt. MPEA is in sym-
pathy with their plight but, not be-
ing directly affected, appears un-
able to effectively intervene at the
moment. Greece' was discussed at
an MPEA meet in N. Y. yesterday
(Tues.).

Johnston" feels strongly that,
with the economic situation in
most countries greatly improved,
the restrictions they impose are no
longer warranted and Should be
opposed with greater vigor than
heretofore. As detailed in last
week’s issue of Variety, Johnston
believes that the filih industry’s
greatest obstacle abroad no longer
is a lack of dollars but protection-
ism motivated by nationalism.

BILL O’DWYER ROLE
IN FILMS CLARIFIED

Mexico City, Aug. 9. .

William O’Dwyer, formerly may-
or of New York and U. S. ambas-
sador to Mexico, has become a
sort of film producer and glorified
agent for Holly woodians who pro-
duce down here. He finally disclosed
this himself confirming story pub-
lished in June about which he was
then evasive. Confirmation was
made. in the law office here that
O’Dwyer heads.

Setup, O’Dwyer explained, is a
partnership with Gen. Juan Az-
carate, ex-head of the Mexican
army air force and last Mexican
minister to Germany, who since
1945 has headed EMA, producer of
a newsreels and documentaries.
The O’Dwyer-AzCarate firm Will
serve Hollywoodians by arranging
government, labor union terms
and studio facilities' for them.

Start will be made with two
features. First/ "Daniel Boone”, in
English only, is skedded to go in
work Aug. 15. Its cast includes
Bruce Bennett, Lon Chaney Jr.>
Feeron Young and Irasema Dillan,
Polish dramatic actress who . is a
big name in Mexican pictures. The
other, “The Man Eater” will have
an English version, A1 Conway
directing, ahd a Spanish one, di-
rected by Ismael Rodriguez. Pro-
duction will be jointly by Gana-
way Productions and the Rodriguez
Bros. O’Dwyer stated.

— ,3; , ,

Adam & Eve Kick

Hollywood, Aug. 9.

Garden of’ Eden, from an old
bestseller, the Bible, is in for
a busy. season with three sepa-
rate and distinct pictures
slated for production there.

Charitas Pictures is ready-
ing "The Story of Adam and
Eve” for filming at Kling
Studios, starting Aug, 22.

Heritage Pictures Inc., has
scheduled "Adam and Eve”
to start Sept. 15, starring Va-
nessa BroWn for 20th-Fox re-
lease.

Meanwhile, Leo McCarey
has another "Adam and Eve”
film on his production pro-
gram.

London, A tig. 9.

A Soviet film week in London,
to. coincide with the visit next
spring of Marshall Bulganin and
other Red leaders, is on the agenda.
Kenneth Rive, head of Gale Film
Distribs, who has had the Russian
import-export concession for the
past two and a half years, has been
invited to”" Moscow to. discuss that
project and a reciprocal British
film week in the Soviet capital.

Before he goes to Moscow, how-
ever, Rive is seeking the support
and cooperation of the British Film
Producers Assn. He has already had,
a sympathetic hearing; from Robert
Clark,’ the ex BFPA prez and is
awaiting a date with John Davis,
the new prexy. He has also re-
quested that the item be placed on
the agenda for the session’s next
council meeting.

Since he was given the conces-
sion to import Soviet productions,
Rive has brought in $7 Russian
films to Britain, but only a brace
have made the grade. “The Big
Top” , and "Life In the Artie” re-
ceived second feature circuit book-
ings via the Rank group. The others
only succeeded in obtaining scat-
tered playdates- throughout the
country.

On reverse, Rive sold one British
indie production to Russia, "Pick 1
wick Papers.”

N0H COWARD SIGNS
FOR MIKE TODD FILM

London, Aug. 9.

Before he left for Spain on
Saturday. (6), Mike Todd confirmed
the signing of Noel Coward to
play the . role of Roland Smythe-
Piggott in his second ToddrAO ven-
ture, "Around the World in 80
Days.”

Coward will start lensing at the
Metro-British Studios later this
month after the unit returns from
location and his part will be com-
pleted before he leaves for his
American tv commitments next
month.

Coward agreed to play the part
after he saw the first reels of
"Oklahoma!” in Hollywood recent-
ly on the conclusion of his Las
Vegas cabaret engagement. Con-
tract terms were not disclosed
either by Todd or the British
actor.

Cinerama Productions Corp., the
company which transferred its
production and exhibition rights
to Stanley Warner, plans to reac-
tivate its production unit. Deci-
sion was made following the return
from Europe of board chairman
Louis B; Mayer. The former Metro
production chief presented an idea
deemed suitable for a Cinerama
‘poqjoouoo oaoivv sped aq; jo suoj;
picture. Although the exact na-
ture of Mayer’s idea was not dis-
closed, dt was described as a "semi-
Story.” »

Theodore Kupferman, Cinerama
Productions veepee and general
counsel, will head up the new pro-
duction unit. He leaves for Eu-
rope Aug. 19, Visiting England,
France, Italy and Spain for dis-
cussions of a co-production deal
with European producers. Picture
will be filmed abroad, with the
financing, coming from European
sources. It was stressed that the
project would not be financed by
Cinerama Productions.

Cinerama Productions’ decision
to return to production is based on
SW’s failure to meet the tends of
the contract signed in Aug., 1953.
It called for the theatre chain to
come up with three pictures in two
years. S1Y completed “Cinerama
Holiday” and will shortly finish
"Seven Wonders of the World,”
being produced by Lowell Thomas,
former prexy of Cinerama Produc-
tions.

Cinerama Inc., the equipment
manufacturing and installation
firm headed by Hazard Reeves, is
also weighing a move into produc-
tion now that SW has failed to
meet its three-picture quota.
Reeves is currently attempting to
arrange financing for a Cinerama
production venture.

[FOR BROADWAY OPENING]

Total cost for the opening of "Oklahoma!” in the Todd-AO
process at the Rivoli Theatre on Broadway will hit $400,000, it’s
estimated. Sum includes extensive renovation of the theatre, in-
volving rebuilding of the balcony, installation of the special screen
and projection equipment, plus the advertising and publicity costs.

It’s figured that the weekly operating cost will be about $25,000.
Total weekly gross for the house On a roadshow basis is seen
hitting $50,000. On this basis, provided the house runs to capacity
business, it’s estimated that it’ll take at least five months before
the opening costs are recouped.

Although touted as a less expensive operation than Cinerama,
the $400,000 figure tops the $250,000 required to open' Cinerama
on Broadway. Equipment, installation, and theatre renovating
costs for Cinerama ran to about $150,000, with advertising and
publicity costs accounting for another $100,000.

"Oklahoma!” is scheduled to bow at the Rivoli late in September*

'Oasis’ (Franco-German)
First CinemaScope Dub
Offered U.S. Exhibitors

"Oasis,” Franco-German Cinema-
Scope production set for U.S. re-
lease by 20th-Fox, shapes as the
first dubbed C’Scope film to be
offered American exhlbs.

Pic was shot . in German ahd
French Versions and stars Michele
Morgan, Pierre Brasseur, Cornell
Borgers and Carl Raddatz. It’s due
to reach theatres in early October.

According to 20th sales execs,
the C'Scoper will definitely be
dubbed rather than, subtitled even
t h o u g h no English version was
originally lensed. However, close-
ups were shot with eventual lip-
sync in mind. This puts “Oasis” in
the same category as a number of
foreign productions cuirently being
fitted with an English track. Dub-
bed pix still pose something of a
question mark in the U.S. and
"Oasis,” if accepted by exhibs and
public, may well serve to remove
some of the barriers.

Physical dubbing process on
"Oasis” will be done in France, but
is being delayed due to the sum-
mer closing of French dubbing
plants. Film was directed by Yves
Allegret and has opened in Europe.

TODD BUYS KORDA %

IN 'AROUND THE WORLD’

Mike Todd has bought out Al-
exander Korda’s remaining inter-
est in "Around The World In 80
Days,” currently shooting in
Chinchon, Spain. Korda, originally
owning film rights of Jules Verne “
book, sold out to Todd but retained
small interest, which also gave
him distribution rights in eventual
print down to 35m in Germany,
Austria, Saar.

For sellout to Todd price is be-
lieved around $100,000. Korda also
relinquished sectional distrib priv-
ileges.

Todd, who flew in from Europe
Monday, returns to London, then
Spain today (Wed). Film’s present
budget is $3,800,000.

PICTURE GROSSES

Wednesday, August 10, 1955

Heatwave Hits L.A. Biz, But Thief *
Smash $26,000, 'Queen Modest 23G,
'Joey Dull 35G in 14, 'Roberts’ 40G

Los Angeles, Aug. 9. -

Current heatwave is no aid to
the first run box office here but
several extended-runs and two
newcomers are rating strong coin.
Leading the openers is “To Catch
A Thief,” showcasing at Holly-
wood Paramount, with a socko
$26,000 likely in first week.

“Virgin Queen” opened slow,
with a light $23,000 viewed for
first week in four theatres. “7

Little Foys, " after six-week show-
case run, shapes medium $15,000
in two houses plus strong $76,000
in two nabes and six drive-ins,
playing in two houses . at regular
ficulc

“Bullet For Joey” is mild $12,-
000 in two sites plus $23'000 from
five ozoners and sevten nabes.
Third week of “Mister Roberts”
shapes bright $40,000 in - three
spots. Also fancy are “Marty,”
“Lady and Tramp/’ “Not As
; Stranger” and “Cinerama.” Last-
named still is sturdy for 118th
week.

Estimates For This Week

Hollywood Paramount (F&M)
(1,430; $1-$1.50)— “To Catch Thief”
(Par). Socko $26,000 or over. Last
week, “Seven Little Foys” (Par)
(6th wk-5 days), $8,000.

Los Angeles, Vogue, Uptown,
Loyola (FWC) (2,097; 885; 1,715;
1,248; 90-$l. 50)—*“ Virgin Queen”
(20th) and “City Shadows” (Rep)J
Slow $23,000. Last week, with New
Fox, excluding Vogue, “Life In
Balance” (20tli), $13,400.

HiUstreet, New Fox (RKO-FWC)
(2,752; 965; 80-$1.25>— “Seven Little
Foys” (Par). Medium $15,000. Last
week, HiUstreet, “Davy Crockett”
(BV) and “Abbott, Costello ' Meet
Mummy” (U) (2d wk), $3,600.

State, Iris (UATC-FWC (2,404;
816; 80-$1.25)— “Bullet For Joey”
(UA) and “Top. of World” (UA).
Mild $12,000. Last week, “Wizard
. Oz” (M-G) (reissue) and “Scarlet
Coat” (M-G), $9,200. *

Chinese FWC) (1,905; $1-$1.80)
— “How Be Popular” (20th) (2d
«wk). Fair $11,000. Last week,
$15,200.

Warner Downtown, Hollywood
(SW-FWC) (1,757; 756; 90-$1.50—
“Man From Laramie” (Col) and
“Bring Your Smile Along” (Col)
(2d wk). Neat $13,500. Last week,
$25,500.

El Rey (FWC) (861; 80-$1.25)— •
“The Bed” (Indie) and “Fuss Over
Feathers” (Indie) (2d wk). Okay
$2,500. Last week, with Globe,
Vogue, $6,000.

Egyptian (UATC) (1,536; $1-

$1.50)— “We’re No Angels” (Par)
(3d wk). Good $10,000. Last
week, $12,400.

Downtown Paramount, Pantages,
Wiltern (APT-RKO-SW) (3,200;
2,812; 2,344; $1-$1 .80)— “Mister

Roberts” (WB) (3d wk). Bright
$40,000: Last week, $52,000.

Four Star (UATC) (900; 90-$1.25)
— “Adventures Sadie” (20th) (3d
wk). Slight $1,500. Last week,

S2 000

Hawaii (G&S) (1,106; 80-$1.25)—
“Never Too Young” (Par) (3d wk).
Mild $3,000. Last week, with

Orpheum, $9,900, plus $43,400 in
one nabe, seven ozoners.

Fine Arts (FWC), (631; $1-$1.50)
—“Marty” (UA) (4th wk). Nifty
$9,000. Last week, $10,100.

Warner Beverly (SW) (1,612; $1-
$1.75) — “Not As Stranger” (UA)
(6th Wk). Good $9,500. Last week,
$ 12 , 000 .

Fox Ritz (FWC) (1.363; $1-$1. 50)
—“Interrupted Melody” (M-G) (6th
wk). Okay $4,000. Last week,

$5,700.

Fox Wilshire (FWC) (2,296;
)1.50-$2> — “Lady and Tramp”
(BV) (7th wk). Brisk $9,000. Last
week, $12,700.

Warner Hollywood (SW) (1,364;
$1.20-$2,65) — “Cinerama” (Indie)
(1 19th wk). Started current week
(7) after stout $26,700 last week.

US’ BOFF $15,000,
INDPLS.; ‘COBWEB’ 8G

Indianapolis, Aug. 9.
Air-conditioned theatres are
helping biz perk at firstruns here
again this stanza. “Pete Kelly’s
Blues,” hypoed by Jack Webb!s
personals opening day, is leading
town with a sock figure at Circle.
“Mister Roberts” continues big in
second stanza at the Indiana. “The
Cobweb” is moderate at Loew’s.
Estimates for This Week
Circle (Cockrill-Do)le) (2,800; SO-
BS) — “Pete Kelly’s Blues” (WB).
Sock $15,000. Last week. “We’re
(Continued on page 18)

Broadway Grosses

Estimated Total Gross
This Week $584,700

• ( Based on ' 20 theatres )
Last Year .... ........ $654,200

(Based on 22 theatres.)

San Francisco, Aug. 9,

.With bulk of strength currently
coming from holdovers, biz shapes
sturdy here this stanza. “Man
From Laramie” looms as top new
entry with socko takings at Para-
mounf. “How to Be Popular” is
fading with a lean figure after five
days in second round at the Fox.
“Cinerama Holiday,” -now just
starting its second stanza, hit a
smash figure in its first nine
shows. “Mister Roberts” held at
great figure in fourth session at
the St. Francis.

Estimates for This Week

Golden Gate (RKO) (2,859; 80-
$1)— “Lady and Tramp” (BV) (3d
wk). Big $18,000. Last week,
$23,000.

Fox (FWC) (4,651; $1.25-31.50)
— “How to Be Popular” (20th) and
“Angela” (20th) (2d wk). Lean
$9, 500 in 5 days. Last week,
$16,500.

Warfield (Loew) (2,656; 65-90)—
“Wizard of Oz” (M-G) (reissue).
Loud ’ $12,000. Last week, “Cob-
web” (M-G) (3d wk), $8,500.

Paramount (Par) (2,646; 90-$l) —
“Man From Laramie” (Col) and
“Bring Smile Along” (Col). Sock
$22,000. Last week, “You’re Never
Too Young” (Par) and “Treasury
Ruby Hills” (Par) (2d wk), $13,000.

St. Francis (Par) (1,400; $1-$1.25)
—“Mister Roberts” (WB) (4th wk). !
Great $18,000. Last week, $20,000.

Orpheum (Cinerama Theatre
Calif.) (1,458; $1.75-$2.65)— “Cine-
rama Holiday” (Indie) (2d wk).
Holdover week just started. Last
week, great $23,000 in 9 shows.

United Artists (No. Coast) (lr
207; 9Q-$1.25) — “Not As Stranger”
(UA) (6th wk). Sturdy $11,000
after $11,800 last week.

Stage door (A-R) (400; $1-$1.25)
—"Marty” (tJA) and “Kind Hearts,
Coronets” (reissue) (6th wk). Big
$4,000. Last week, $3,500.

Larkin (Rosener) (400; $T)—

“Doctor in House” (Rep) (2d wk).
Good $2,100. Last week, $2,600.

Clay (Rosener) (400; $1) — “Front
Page Story” (Indie). Good $2,60Q.
Last week. “The Intruder” (Indife)
(4th wk), $1,900.

Vogue (S. F. Theatres) (377; $1)
—“Innocents In Paris” (Indie) (4th
wk) and “Fallen Idol” (Indie) (2d.
wk). Solid $2,400. Last week,
$3,000.

Bridge (Reade-Schwarz) (396;
$l-$1.25)— “To Paris With Love”
(Indie) (9th wk).. Big $1,800. Last
week, $2,000.

Rio (Schwarz) (397; $1) — “Sven-
gali” (M-G) (2d wk). Fast $2,000.
Last week, $3,500.

‘Benson’ Top New Pic,-
Port., $7,500; Fonda 17G

Portland, Ore., Aug. 9.

Too many holdovers and continu-
ance of the severe heat will put a
crimp in biz at many houses cur-
rently. Top newcomer appears to
be "Private War of Major Benson,”
but it is only okay at Liberty.
“How To Be Popular” is rated
modest at the Fox. “Mister Rob-
erts” still is great in second Broad-
way stanza.

Estimates for This Week

Broadway (Parker) (1,890; 90-
$1.25)— “Mister Roberts” (WB) (2d
wk). Great $17,000 for Henry
Fonda pic. Last week, $19,800.

Fox (Evergreen) (1,536; $1-$1.25)
—“How To Be Popular” (20th)
and “Angela” ^Oth). Modest
$7,000 or near. Last week, “House
of Bamboo” (20th) and “That
Lady” (20th wk), $7,000.

Quild (Indie) (400; $1)— “Victory
At Sea” (Indie) and "Kind Hearts,
Coronets” (Indie) (reissues). Slim
$1,500. Last week, “Wizard of
Oz” (M-G) (reissue) (2d wk), $2,200;

Liberty (Hamrick) (1,875; ,90-
$1.25)— “Private War of Major
Benson” (U) and “Bedevilled”
(M-G). Okay $7,500 or close. Last
week, “One Desire” (U) and
“Moonfleet” (M-G), $7,000.

Orpheum (Evergreen) (1,600;. $1-
$1.25) — “Lady and Tramp” (BV)
(4th wk). Tall $6,000. Last week,
$10,500.

Paramount (Port-Par) (3.400; 75-
$1) — “Seven Little Foys” (Par) and
“Hell’s' Outpost” (Indie) (2d wk).
Okay $8,000. Last week, $10,600.

‘Brain’ Boffo 16G,
St L.: ‘Roberts’ 18G

St. Louis, Aug. 9.

Break in hot' spell Sunday (7) is
credited with boosting turnstile
at big cinemas here, with biz good.
“Creature with Atom Brain” is
surprising with socko take at Or-
pheum where paired with “It.”
“Mister Roberts” continues smash
in second week at the St. Louis
while “Not As Stranger” Is rated
solid in third week at Loew’s.

Estimates for This Week

Ambassador (Indie) (1,400; $1.20-
$2.40) ■ — “Cinerama Holiday”- (In-
die) (25th wk). Fancy $16,000.
Last week, $18,300.

Fox (F&M) (5,000; 51-90)— “Pete
Kelly’s Blues” (WB). Opened
Mqnday (18). Last week, “Seven
Little Foys” (Par) and “Annapolis
Story” (A A) (2d wk), fine $15,500.

Loew’s (Loew) (3,172; 51-85) —
“Not As Stranger” (UA) (3d wk).
Solid $13,000 after $17,000 second
stanza.

Orpheum (Loew) (1,400; 50-85)—
“It” (Col) and “Creature With
Atom. Brain” (Col). Socko $16,000
or over. Last week, “Law Vs.
Billy Kid” (Col) and “Wyoming
Renegade” (Col), $6,500,

Pageant (St. L. Amus.) (1,000;
90) — ‘“Long John Silver” (DCA).
Okay $3,000. Last week, “Wuther-
ing Heights” (Indie) and “Fallen
Idol” (Indie) (reissues), $3,500.

Richmond (St. L. Amus.) (400;
$1.10) — “Adventures of Sadie”
(20th) (4th wk). Neat $1,500. Last
.week, $2,000.

St. Louis (St. L. Amus.) (4,000;
51_90) — “Mister Roberts” (WB)
(2d wk). TaU $18,000, after $26,-
500 opener.

Shady Oak (St. L. Amus.) (800;
$1.10) — “Dam Busters” (WB).
Fair $3,000. Last week, “Gate of
Hell” (Indie) (2d wk), $2,500.

H.0.s Help Balto; ‘Shrike’ Sock $8,500,
'Roberts’ 15G, ‘Stranger’ 13^G, 4th

Baltimore, Aug. 9.

Holdovers still are the big item
here this round. Fourth week of
“Mister Roberts” is showing boff
strength at the Stanley. “Not As a
Stranger” is also potent in its
fourth round at the Town. “The
Shrike” opened big at the Film
Centre, with a sock session loom-
ing. “Wizard of Oz” is stout at Cenr
tiiry. “Bullet for Joey” is only fair-
ish at Mayfair.

Estimates Tor This Week
.Century (Loew’s-UA) (3,000 25-
65-95)— “Wizard of Oz” (M-G) (re-
issue). Strong $9,000. Last week,
“Interrupted Melody” (M-G) (2d
wk), $7,000.

Film Centre (Rappaport) (960;
50-$D— “The Shrike” (U). Socko
$8,500 or over. Last week, “Cob-
web” (M-G) (4th wk), $3,000. .

Hippodrome (Rappaport) (2,100;
50-$l) — “Lady and Tramp” (BV)
(5th* wk). Nice $7,500 following
$8,800 in fourth. ,

Keith’s (Fruchtman) (2,400; 25-$l)
—“Woman” (Indie) and “Shamed”
(Indie). Modest $6,500. Last week,
“Moonfleet” (M-G) and “Maraud-
ers” (M-G), $7,500.

Mayfair (Hicks) (980; 20-70)—
“Bullet for Joey” (UA). Fairish
$3,800. Last week, “Purple Mask”
(U), $4,000.

New (Fruchtman) (1,600; 25-
$1.25) — “Seven Little Foys” (Par)
(3d wk). Okay $8,000 following $11,-
000 in second.

Playhouse (Schwaber) (320; 50-
$1)— “Marty” (UA) (8th wk). Still
good at $3,800 after $4,000 for sev-
enth.

Stanley (WB) (3,200; 35-80-$1.25)
— “Mister Roberts” (WB) (4th wk).
Staunch $15,000 following $17,500
in third.

Town (Rappaport) (1,400; 35-
$1.25) — “Not As Stranger” (UA)
(4th wk). Holding firmly at $13,-
500 after $15,500 for third.

“Shrike’ Kgl2G, Popular’ Fair 17G

Key City Grosses

Estimated. Total Gross
This Week ....... .$2,880,300

( Based on 23 cities' and 226
theatres, chiefly first runs, in-
cluding N. Y .)

Total Gross Same Week
Last Year $3,045,000 „

(Based on 24 cities and 218
theatres . )

‘Lady Terrific

Louisville, Aug. 9.

Firstruns and downtown stores
in a two-day “Downtown Shopping
Days” promotion Friday-Saturday
(5-6), hypoed by promotion of
Courier-Journal and Louisville
Times. Louisville Transit Co. was
in on the deal, offering free bus
fares to downtown district during
certain hours. One pic helped
especially was “Lady and Tramp”
at Rialto where a mighty take
lboms “You’re Never .Too Young”
in second Kentucky session still is
big. “Creature With Atomic
Brain” and “Came From Beneath
Sea” at State is fairish.

Estimates for This Week

Kentucky (Switow) (1,200; 65-85)
— “You’re Never Too Young” (Par)
(2d wk). Continuing big at $8,000
after first week's $12,000.

Mary Anderson (People’s) (1,200;
75-$ 1) — “Mister Roberts” (WB)
(4th wk). Still has town talking;
fine $5,500 after last week’s $7,000.

Rialto (Fourth Avenue) (3,000;
75-$l) — “Lady and Tramp” (BV),

► ’Boston* Au&, 9,

Heat is sloughing picture biz
here this frame' despite much new
product Alltima^ record of 100
degrees on Friday (4) topped week
which, saw the city emptied. Best
of newcomer is “Cobweb” at State
and Orpheum, “The Shrike” at
the Astor is .doing comparatively
as well in view of theatres. “How
To Be Very Popular” at Paramount
and Fenway shapes fair* "Francis
In Navy” also is fair at the Me-
morial. “Game of Love” is big in
. second frame at Beacon Hill.

Best holdover is “Mister Rob-
erts” at the Metropolitan still nice
in third stanza. Two other new
entries, “Marty” at Kenmore and
“Cocktails in Kitchen” at Exeter,

I shape okay.

Estimates for This Week x

Astor (B&Q) (1,500; 75-31.25)—
“The Shrike” (U). Big $12,000.
Last ..week, “Seven Year Itch”
(20tU) (6th wk), $6,000.

Beaeon Hilt (Beacon Hill) (678;
74-90-$1.25) — “Game of Love’*
(Indie) (2d wk). Enid of censorship
b^lly still pulling for nearly sock
$12,000. Last week, record $14,-
800.

Boston (Cinerama Productions)
(1,354; $1.25-$2.85) — “Cinerama”
(Indie) (84th wk). Nice $13,500.
Last week, $14,300.

Exeter (Indie) (1,300; 60-$l>—
“Cocktails in Kitchen” (Indie).
Oke $5,000. ,Last week, “Court
Martial” (Indie) (3d wk), $3,000.

Fenway (NETA) (1,373; 60-$D—
“How To Be Popular” (20th) and
“City of Shadows” (Rep.) . Fairish
$4,500. Last week, “Private War
of Major Benson” (U) and “House
of Arrow” (Indie), $7,000.

Kenmore (Indie) (700; 85-$1.25)
— “Marty” (UA). Returns house to
first runs for okay $7,000.

Memorial (RKO) (3,000; 60-$l)—
“Francis in Navy” (U) and “Case
of the Red Monkey” (AA). Fair
$10,000. Last week, “Lady and

Whopping $28,000. Last week. Tramp” (BV) (3d wk), $12,500.

How To Be Popular (20th) and Metropolitan (NET) (4,357; 75-

A £ g *^TT (20 * th J’ AlH°wo nnn 90-$ 1.25)— “Mister Roberts” (WB)

State United Artists) (3,000; 50- (3d wk). Sock $18,000. Last week,
75) — “Creature With Atomic $25 000

R ra * n ’’ JS®?'' Paramount (NET) (1,700; 60-$l)

Beneath Sea (Col). Fairish $8,000. — “How To Be Popular” (20th) and
week, ‘Not As Stranger’ “City of Shadows” (Rep)._ Okay
(UA) (2d wk), $9,000. $12,500^ Last week, “Private War

• — : — — Major Benson” (U) and “House of

‘Horseback’-Comets Hep th pilgrtm V (ATC) ie) (i,900; 50 5°()-60-$l)

nr /i n . i i * r» — "Came From Beneath Sea” (Col)

Z5G, Det.; Melody Fancy ^ ( ? ol l

(2d wk). Sturdy $12,000, Last

1 4(1 I aramiA 1 9J week, $ 22 , 500 .

1TO, LaldllUG IOU, Lu Orpheum (Loew) (3,000; 60-75-

Detroit, Aug. 9. ~ Co 5 web ’! %“ T G) ' . H ® ts y $ 18 ;7

4 Biz is fair to middlin’ in down- feth SOO g *

town house this week. Bill Haley’s

Cauitol are^um/nt? 1 “St^ncei^o^n —“Cobweb” (M-G). Fine $12,000.
Horseback” to a fall Last week ’ “King’s Thief” (M-G)

^ri^p^ed^Melody’^ope^d^big ai and “R obber’s Roost” (UA), $8,000.
the Adams. “Night Holds Terror” j n .1 fi > « i
at the Fox looks only fair. “Seven KADHSlih NfS NflCKHnifl
Little Foys” at the Michigan and »HIUH5IUU

are holding*^ t r on g in e second $16,000, Cincy; ‘Laramie’
Estimates foe This Week 15G, ‘Angels’ Lofty 12G

Fox (Fox-Detroit) (5,000; $1- Cincinnati, Aug. 9.

$1.25) — “Night Holds Terror” (Col) Overall trade at major houses

and “King Dinosaur” (Lip). Mild this round is outpointing the
$23,000. Last week, “How To Be marathon heat wave, which is shat-
Popular” (20th) and “Angela” (2d tering local weather bureau rec-
wk) $19,000. ords. Good product Is as much a

Michigan (United Detroit) (4,- lure as the refrigerated cinemas.
000; $1-$1.25)— “Seven Little Foys” Of three new bills, “Came Frbm
(Par) and “Green Scarf” (Indie) Beneath Sea” is splashing ahead of
(2d wk). Good 18,000. Last week, “Man From Laramie” for front
$25,000. money. “We’re No Angels” looms

$16,000, Cincy; ‘Laramie’
15G, ‘Angels’ Lofty 12G

Fox (Fox-Detroit) (5,000; $1- Cincinnati, Aug. 9.

.25) — “Night Holds Terror” (Col) Overall trade at major houses
d “King Dinosaur” (Lip). Mild this round is outpointing the

3.000. Last week, “How To Be marathon heat wave, which is shat-

•pular” (20th) and “Angela” (2d tering local weather bureau rec-
t) $19,000. ords. Good product Is as much a

Michigan (United Detroit) (4,- lure as the refrigerated cinemas.
0; $1-$1.25)— “Seven Little Foys” Of three new bills, “Came Frbm
ar) and “Green Scarf” (Indie) Beneath Sea” is splashing ahead of
I wk). Good 18,000. Last week, “Man From Laramie” for front

5.000. money. “We’re No Angels” looms

Palms (UD) (2,961; $1-$1.25)—

“Man From Larame” (Col) and

“Las Vegas Shakedown” rA A ' /0#1 ®nd week is Mister Roberts at

(Col) and
n” (AA) (2d
Last week,

wk). Fine $18,000. Last week,
$36,000.

Madison (UD) (1,900; $1-$1.25)—
“Daddy and Tramp” (BV) (6th
wk). Strong $12,000. Last week,
$14,000.

Broadway-Capitol (UD) (3,500;
$1-$1.25) — “Stranger on Horse-
back” (UA) and “Kentucky Hiflle”
(Lip) with Bill Haley’s Comets on-
stage three days only. Tall $25,-
000. Last week, “Naked Amazon”
(Indie) and “Lonesome Trail”
(Lip), $16,000.

United Artists (UA) (1,939; $1-
$1.25)' — “We’re No Angels” (Par)
(2d wk). Fine $10,000. Last week,
$ 1 , 000 .

Adams (Balaban) (1,700; ($1-

$1.25) — “Interrupted Melody”
(M-Gf). Big $14,000. Last week,
“Love Me or Leave Me” (M-G)
(7th wk), $6,800.

Music Hall (Cinerama Produc-
tions) (1,194; $1.0-$2.65) — “Cin-
erama Holiday” (Indie) (26th wk).
Strong $26,900. List week, same.

ond week is "Mister Roberts” at
Albee. “Cinerama Holiday” re-
mains lofty at Capitol.

Estimates for This Week

Albee (RKO) (3,100: 75-$1.25)—
“Mister Roberts” (WB) (2d wk).
Still plenty rich at $19,000 after
$27,500 takeoff, highest here this
year.

Capitol (Ohio Cinema Corp.)
(1,376; $1.20-$2.65) — “Cinerama
Holiday” (Indie) (7th wk). Hug-
ging tall $31,000, same as last
week. Sale of $3,300 parcel of
tickets for night shows this week
to NuTone Chimes set industrial
group record.

Grand (RKO) (1,400; 75-$l)—
“Came From Beneath Sea” (Col)
and “Creature With Atom Brain”
(Col). Lofty $16,000. Last week,
“Seven Little Foys” (Par) (m.O.)
third main line stanza, at 75-$1.10,
$7,500.

Keith’s (Shor) (1,500; 75-31.25)
— “We’re No Angels” (Par). Hotsy
$12,000. Holds. Last week, “Not
as a Stranger” (UA) (5th wk),
$6,900.

Palace (RKO) (2,600; 75-31)—

d.OOO; $1.25) — “Man From Laramie” (Col). Great
“Wizard of Oz” (M-G) (reissue). 315,000, Last week, “Lady and
Nice $6,000. Last week, $6,500. Tramp” (BV) (3d wk), $11,000.

1 si

.. I

Wednesday, August 10 , 1955 . /jfelKTY PICXUHE GROSSES 9

Chicago, Aug. 9. ■
Windy City first-runs are hold-
ing' well this round, with # cooler
weekend temperatures helping biz.
Much stronger product is bringing
many patrons downtown.

“Pete Kelly's Blues'* shapes
great $75,000 in first frame at the
Chicago, with Somethin* Smith and
the Redheads heading the stage-
show and Jack .Webb's opening
day p.a. a big attendance hypo.
“House of Bamboo" looms swell
$28,000 in first at, the Oriental.

“City Across River" and “Girls
in Night,” reissue combo, looks
sock $14,000 in same session at
the Grand, “Great Adventure" is
headed for great $6,000 in Surf
opener, - v

“Francis in Navy" and "Stranger
on Horseback" combo is good in
second round at Roosevelt. “Wizard
of Oz" is solid in second frame at
Monroe.

. “Phenix City Story" is still sock
in third week at the Woods. “Sum-
mertime” continues big in third at
Loop. “Love Me or Leave Me" is
holding well in the fifth stanza at
the McVickers. “Not as a
Stranger" continues hefty in sixth
United Artists week.

Estimates for This Week
Chicago (B&K) (3,900; 98-$1.50)
— “Pete Kelly's Blues" (WB) with
Somethin' Smith & the Redheads
topping vaude. Smash $75,000.
Last week, “Kentuckian" (UA)

. with Four Aces heading stageshow
(2d wk), $46,000,

Grand (Nomikos) (1,200; 98-$l)
— “City Across River" (U) and
“Girls in Night” (U) (reissues).
Sock $14,000. Last week, “Purple
Mask” (U) and “Outlaw Stallion"
(Col) (2d Wk), $10,500.

Loop (Telem’t) (606; 90-$1.25) —
•‘Summertime” (UA) (3d Wk). Tor-
rid $21,000. Last week, ,$23,500.

Monroe (Indie) (1,000; 80-$1.25)
—“Wizard of Oz" (M-G) (reissue)
(2d wk). Tall $11,000. Last week,
$15,500. '

McVickers (JL&S) (2,200; 65-
$1.25) — “Love Me qr Leave. Me"
(M-G) (5th wk). Great- $21,000.
Last week, $27,000.

Oriental (Indie) (3,400; 98-$ 1.2 5)
— “House of Bamboo" (20th). Big
$28,000. Last week, “Seven Year
Itch" (20th) (6th wk), $19,500.

Palace (Eitel) (1,484; $1.25-$3.40)
— “Cinerama Holiday" (Indie) (8th
wk). Hefty $49,000. Last Week,
$50,000.

Roosevelt (B&K) (1,400; 65-98)—
“Francis in Navy" (U) and
“Stranger on Horseback" (UA) (2d
• wk). Nice $13,000, Last week,
$ 21 , 000 .

State-Lake (B&K) (2,400; 65-98)
—“Lady and Tramp" (BV) (8th
wk). Sturdy $18,000. Last week,
$24,000.

Surf (H&E Balaban) (685; 95)—
•‘Great Adventure" (Indie). Nifty
$6,000. Last week, subsequent-
run.

United Artists (B&K) (2,400; 65-
98) — “Not as Stranger" (UA) (6th
wk). Solid $23,000. Last week,
$26,700.

Woods (Essaness) (1,206; 98-

$1.25)— “Phenix City Story" (AA)
(3d wk). Lofty $29,000. Last week,
$36,000.

World (Indie) (697; 98)— “Wages
of Fear" (Indie) (5th wk). Swell
$4,000. Last week, $3,400,

‘Young’ Torrid $12,000,
Prov.; ‘Desire’ Oke 8G,
‘Roberts' Hot 15G, 2d

Providence, Aug. 9.
Martin and Lewis ‘ still are big
here so its no wonder this team’s
new pic, “You're Never Too
Young,” is top grosser at flrstruns
here currently. “Mister Roberts”
continues great in second Majestic
week. “One Desire" looms happy
at Albee.

Estimates for This Week
Albee (RKO) (2,200; 50-75)—
“One Desire” (U) and “Ain't Mis-
behaving” (U). Happy $8,000,
Last week, “Lady and Tramp”
(BV) (3d wk), $7,000.

Majestic (Fay) (2,200; 75-$l) —
“Mister Roberts" (WB) (2d wk).
Still hot at $15,000. First week,
$24,000.

State (Loew) (3,200; 50-75)—
“Wizard ‘of Oz" (M-G) (reissue)
and “Moonfleet" (M-G); -Fair $10,-
000. Last week, “Not As Stranger”
(UA) (3d wk), $11,009.

Strand (Silverman) (2,200; 65-80)
—“You’re Never Too Young” (Par).
Torrid $12,000. Last week, “Came
From Beneath Sea” (Col) and
“Creature with Atom Brain" (Col),
$ 11 , 000 .

Estimates Are Net

Film gro§s estimates as re-
ported herewith from the vari-
ous key cities, are net; i.e„
without usual tax. • Distrib-
utors share on net take, when
i playing percentage, hence the
estimated figures are net in-
come.

The parenthetic admission
prices, however, as indicated,
include the U. S. amusement
tax.

■ Pittsburgh, Aug. 9.

The loud explosion at the Stan-
ley is “Mister Roberts," blasting
through with top take of the year.
Picture should be around for some
time. ^ Holdovers everywhere else
and just as well since nothing
would stand much chance against
the Henry Fonda starrer. “Man
From Laramie" in second session
at Harris may possibly rate a third.
"Not as a Stranger" is dipping in
finale at Penn, and coming out
Friday (12) for “You're Never Too*
Young.” Not much for “How to
Be Very Popular” in second at
Fulton.

Estimates for. This .Week

Fulton (Shea) (1,700; 65-SI)—
“How to Be Popular” (20th) (2d
wkL Off to slim $.5,000 and out
tomorrow (Wed.) ^ for “Private War
Major Behson” (U). Last week,
$8,500.

Guild (Green) (500; 65-$!)— “In-
nocents of Paris" (Indie) (2d wk).
Okay $2,000, not very much under
last week's $2,200.

Harris (Harris) (2,165; 65-$l) —
“Man From Laramie” (Col) (2d
wk). Second weekend not too hot
but expected tb get okay $11,000,
and will probably hold again. Last
week, $17,500. ✓

Penn (UA) (3,300; 75-$1.25>—
“Not as a Stranger" (UA) (3d wk).
Good $13,000. Last week, $20,000.

Stanley (SW> (3,800; 65-$1.25)—
“Mister Roberts" (WB). A real
sizzler In face of everything. Big-
gest thing all yqpr at wow $31,000.
Last week, “Lady and Tramp"
(BV) (2d wk), $16,000.

Warner (SW) (1.365; $1.25-$2.40)
— “Cinerama Holiday" (Indie) (25th
wk). Not much change from week
to week last couple of months.
Holding firm on big weekend trade
from out-of-town at around $13,-
000 this* week. Last week, $13,300.

‘Cobweb’ Slick $15,000,
K.C.; ‘Francis’ Fast 17G,
‘Roberts’ Great 13G, 3d

Kansas City, Aug. 9.

Healthy tone prevails among
flrstruns here currently, with
strong newcomers and sturdy hold-
overs both helping. Hot, "sticky
weather is also adding to the
cause. Big money is being gar-
nered by l ‘The Cobweb” at Mid-
land. “Francis In Navy” is getting
handsome play in four Fox Mid-
west houses, way ahead of most
“Frapcis” -pix. “Mister Roberts"
in third week 'continues sock pace
at Paramount. After a couple
weeks of torrid temperatures,
weather returned nearer to normal
for season over the weekend.

Estimates for This Week
. Glen (Dickinson) (750; 85-$l)—
“Too- Young for Love” (Indie).
Okay $2,000. Last week, “Animal
Farm” (Indie) (2d wk). $1,200.

Kimo (Dickinson) (504; 85-$l) —
•'Gate of Hell” (Indie) (3d wk).
Sturdy $1,700 and holds. Last
week, $1,800.

Midland (Loew) (3,500; 60-80)—
“Cobweb" (M-G) and “The Ma-
rauders" (M-G). Big $15,000;
holds. Last week, “Not as Stran-
ger" (UA) (3d wk), $9,000.

Missouri (RKO) (2,585; 50-75-$l)
— “Lady and Tramp" (BV) (4th
wk). Hefty $6,500, and closes run
among top films to play house.
Last week) $10,000.

Orpheum (Fox Midwest) (1.913:
75-$l) Closed currently. Last
week, “Seven Year Itch" (20th)
(6th wk), oke $5,000.

Paramount (United Par) (1.900;
75-$l) — “Mister Roberts" (WB) (3d

(Continued on page 18)

‘POPULAR’ LIVELY 19G,
WASH.; ‘ROBERTS’ 24G

Washington, Aug. 9.

With weary managers learning
to make the best of S-’Week-old
transit strike, main stem biz is
holding its own. Lone newcomer,
“How to Be Popular" at Loew’s
Capitol, though below recent sock
entries, is above average. “Not
as Stranger" continues sock in sec-
ond Palace sjtanza.

“Mister Roberts" still is big in
third round in two spots. “Lady
and Tramp" in fourth at RKO
Keith's looms fine.

Estimates for This Week

Ambassador (SW) (1,490; 90-

$1.25)— “Mister Roberts” (WB) (3d
wk). Fine $10,000 after $13,000 in
second.

Capitol (LoeW) (3,434; 70-95)—
“How to Be Popular" (20th).
Bright $19,000.' Holding. Last
week, “Far Horizons”,, (Par),
$13,000.

Columbia (Loew) (1,174; 70-95.)
— “House of Bamboo" (20th) (2d
wk). Sluggish $4,000 in final 5
days after $9,000 last week.

Dupont (Lopert) (372; 75-$lV —
“Great Adventure" . (Indie) ($d wk).
Good $3,500 after $3,800 last week.

Keith's (RKO) (1,939; 75-$1.25)
—“Lady and Tramp" (BV) (4th
wk). , Fine $11,000 after $13,000
last week. Strike hurting kid biz.

Metropolitan (SW) (1,200; 90-
$1.25)— “Mister Roberts" (WB) (3d
wk). Big $14,000 after $18,700 in
second.

Palace (Loew) (2,360; 85-$1.25)—
“Not as Stranger” (UA) (2d wk).
Hefty $27,000. after boff $45,000
opener. Stays on.

Playhouse (Lopert) (435; 75-

$1.10) — “Seven Little Foys" (Par)
(6th wk). Steady $4,500 after
| $5,000 last week. Continues. '

Trans-Lux (T-L) (600; 70-$l) —
“Man From Laramie" (Col) (3d
wk), . . Steady. _,$7*0_0Q . after ..$9,000
last week. Holds over.

Warner (SW) (1,300; $1.20-$2.40)
— “Cinerama" (Indie) (91st wk).
Still good $12,000 after $13,000 last
week. Stays again,

'Thief Alltime

If* 1 Al/1 Y>1 •

Philadelphia, Aug. 9. I
Biz is generally off here this
round because of heat wave fol-
lowed by weekend storm. Despite
this, “To Catch Thief" broke, all
records at 500-seat Trans-Lux. |
Overflow is helping the adjacent
Arcadia currently where “We’re No
Angels" is building to a. big total
in fifth week. “Summertime" at
Randolph and “Virgin Queen" at
the Fox are okay but more was
expected. “Shrike" still is great in
second week at Midtown.

Estimates for This Week

. Arcadia (S&S) (625; 99-$1.49) —
“We’re No Angels" (Par) (5th wk).
Strong $12,000. Last week, $11,000.
. Boyd (SW) (1,430; $1.25-$2.60)—
“Cinerama Holiday” (Indie) (25th
wk) Holding at fancy $13,000 same
as last week.

Fox (20th) (2,250; 99-$1.49). —
“Virgin Queen" (20th). Tidy $20,-
000 or near. Last week, “Life in
Balance" (20th), $12,000.

Goldman (Goldman) (1,200; 65-
$1.30) — “Man from Laramie" (Col)
(2d wk). Lively $12,000. Last week,
$25,000.

Mastbaum (SW) (4,370; 99-$1.49)
—“Mister Roberts," (WB) (4th wk).
Stout $17,000. Last week, $22,000.

Midtown (Goldman) (1,200; r4S5r>
$r.49)— “Shrike” (U)-(2d wk). Eig
$14,000. Last week, $24,000.

Randolph (Goldman) (2,500; 75-
$1.49) — “Summertime" (UA). Fine
'$24,000. Last week, “How To Be
Popular" (20th) (2d Wk), $8,000.

Stanley (SW) (2,900; 74-$1.40)—
“You’re Never Too Young" (Par)
(2d wk). Slipping to okay $12,000.
Last week, $17,000.

Stanton (SW) (1,483; 65-99) —
“Life at Stake" (Indie) and “Naked
Amazon" (Indie). Mild $7,000. Last
week, “Santa Fe Passage" (Rep)
and “Timber jack" (Rep), $9,000.

Studio (Goldberg)' (400; 90-$1.49)
—“Marty" (UA) (8th wkl. Steady
$6,000. Last week, $6,500.

Trans-Lux (T-L) (500; 80-$1.80)
— “To Catch Thief” (Par). Mighty
$24,000, new high here. Last week,
“Interrupted Melody" (M-G) (8th
wk), $4,000 In 6 days.

Viking (Sley) (1,000; 74-$1.80)—
“Not As Stranger" (UA) (6th wk).
Sturdy $13,000. Last week, $16,000.

Trans-Lux World (T-L) (604; 99-
$1,50) — “Lady and Tramp” (BV)
(6th wk). Good $10,000 or close
after $11,300 last week.

New Pix Boost B way; 'Thief Wham
108G, 'Cobweb 1 Cool 36G, 'Benson 1 Boff
14G 'Queen 1 48G 'Court Martial 1 12G

Break in the record hot weather,
which came with the tdrrential
rainstorm Sunday (7), is helping
many Broadway firstrun theatres
this round but the relief cartie too
late for some houses. This is espe-
cially true of cinemas -which have
weeks ending Sunday, Monday or
yesterday (TueS.) since the real
pickup at the wickets did not start
until Monday night. It 'was partic-
ularly felt yesterday. Whole string
of new pix also is adding some
cheer.

Outstanding is “To Catch A
Thief,” which is soaring to a wow
$100,000 opening week at the Para-
mount. Pic drew rave reviews, and
has had lines ever since opening
day. ’This is the best for the Par
flagship since “Strategic Air Com-
mand” played the house.

“Cobweb” also is. faring nicely
with around $36,000 likely on
initial stanza at the State. “Virgin
Queen” is quite a disappointment
with fairish $48,000 at the Roxy.

“Private War of Major Benson”
is doing remarkably well at the
arty Plaza with a smash $14,000
opening frame at this 556-seat^
house. “Divided Heart” is just"
passably good $8,000 at the Nor-
mandie.

“Court Martial” climbed to a,
smash $12,000 opening stanza at
the Trans-Lux 52d Street. “Francis
in Navy” with vaude is heading for
a big $23,000 or better at the
Palace.

“Mister Roberts” with stage-
show continues the longrun champ
-although obviously sloughed by
the unusually long heat wave and
the heavy rainfall on Sunday
(coming shortly after 5 p.m.).
Despite this, this combo looks to
hit a socko $154,000 in fourth ses-
sion at the Music Hall, with three
or four weeks more , in sight.

“Man Who Loved Redheads"
still is fancy $13,600 for second
week at the Paris. “Land of
Pharaohs" continued sturdy in
initial holdover round at the May-
fair with $24,000.

“Cinerama Holiday" also was
hurt by the heat , wave, winding
its 26th stanza at the Warner with
a great $41,700 albeit off from
previous week. “Marty" held' with
sockeroo $13,400 in 17th frame at
Sutton.

“Not As Stranger" continues
solid at $35,000 for sixth wCek at
the Capitol. “Seven Little Foys”
looks like fine $19,000 in sixth
Criterion round. “Summertime”
held with great $26,000 in seventh
Astor week.

Estimates for This Week

Astor (City Inv;Ml,300; 75-$1.75)
— “Summertime” (UA) (8th wk).
Seventh week concluded last night
(Tues.) was big $26,000 after $27,-
000 in sixth. Stays on indef.

Baronet (Reade) (430; 90-$1.55)—
“Tales of Hoffman” (NT A) (re-
issue) (5th-final wk). The fourth
round finished Saturday (6) was
okay $3,000 after $3,400 for third.
“Cry Beloved Country” (NTA)
(reissue) opens Sunday (14).

Capitol (Loew’s) (4.820; 85-$2.20)
—“Not As Stranger” (U A) (7th wk).
Sixth stanza ended yesterday
(Tues.) was solid $35,000 after $42,-
000, way over estimate, for fifth.
“Man From Laramie” (Col) is next
in here.

Criterion (Moss) (1,700; 75-$2.20)
— “Seven Little Foys" (Par) (6th
wk). This round finishing tomorrow
(ThUTs.) looks like fancy $19,000
after $17,000 in fifth week. “Never
Too Young" (Par) is due in next.

Fine Arts (Davis) (468; 90-$1.80)
— “Sheep Has Five Legs" (Indie).
Opened yesterday (Tues ), In ahead,
“To Paris With Love" (Indie) (19th
wk), was fine $4,000 after $4,300 for
18th Week. Pic enjoyed a highly
successful run here.

Globe (Brandt) (1,500; 70-$1.50)
—“Son of Sinbad” (RKO) (3d wk).
First holdover round ended last
night (Tues.) was okay $8,500 after
$13,500 opener.

Guild (Guild) (450; $1-$1.75)—
“Gate of Hell" (Indie) (35th wk).
The 34th session finished Monday
(8) was dandy $7,5Q0 after $8,000
in 33d week. May stay until , end
of year. ;

Mayfair (Brandt) (1,736; 79-$1.80)
— “Land of Pharaohs” (WB) (3d‘
wk). Initial holdover frame ended
Monday (8) was sturdy $24,000.
First week was $33,500.

Normandie (Trans-Lux) (592; 95-
$1.80)— “Divided Heart” (Rep) (2d
wk). First round concluded last
night (Tues.) was good $8,000 or
near but disappointing, in view of
fine crix appraisal. In ahead, I

“Wizard of Oz” (M-G) (reissue)
(7th wk-5 days), $2,700..

Pajace (RKO) (1,700; 50-$1.60)—
“Francis in Navy” (U) with vaude-
ville. Pushing to solid $23,000 or
near in week ending tomorrow
(Thurs.). In ahead. “Scarlet Coat”
(M-G) and vaude, $21,500.

Paramount (ABC-Par) (3,664; $1-
$2)— “To Catch a Thief” (Par). •
Soaring to terrific $100,000 or
close in initial stanza ending today
(Wed,). Holding, natch! Pic helped
by rave reviews from nearly all
crix. In ahead, “We’re No Angels”
(Par) (4th wk), $33,000, to finish
a nice run here.

Paris (Pathe Cinema) (568; 90-
$1.80) — “Man Who Loved Red-
heads” (UA) (3d wk). First hold-
over round finished Sunday (7)
held with fast $13,600 after $18,000
opener. Stays on.

Radio City Music Hall (Rocke-
fellers) (6.200; 95-$2.75)— ' “Mister
Roberts” (WB) and stageshow (4th
wk). Current session winding up
today (Wed.) was hurt by torrid
weather, naturally, and rainstorm'
Sunday night. Looks like $154,000,
still socko. Third week was $170,-
000, almost as big as second week.
Now looks to stay on at least three
or four weeks longer.

Plaza (Brecker) (556; $1.50-$1.80)
— “Private War of Major Benson"
(U) (2d wk).. Soared to smash $14,-
000 in first round ended Monday
(8). and looks in for a longrun.'

Roxy (Nat'l. Th.) (5,717: 65-$2.40)
— “Virgin Queen" (20th). First
round ending tomorrow (Thurs.)
looks to hit only fairish $48,000,
albeit disappointing for- ooener.
Holding. In, ahead, “How To Be
Popular” (20th) (2d wk), $40,000,
aided by preview of; “Queen,"
which stays only two weeks.

State (Loew’s) (3,450; 78-$1.75)—
“Cobweb” (M-G). Initial session
finishing tomorrow (Thurs.) is
heading for big $36,000. Stays
ovm\ Last week, “Seven Year
Itch" (20th) (9th wk), surprised by
pushing to big $23,500, with all-day
preview of ‘.‘Cobweb" swelling
final day’s take. Made a great
longrun. “Phenix City Story” (AA)
set to follow “Cobweb.”

' Sutton (R&B) (561; $1-$1.80) —
“Marty” (U A) (18th wk). The 17th
frame ended Sunday (7) held with
rousing $13,400 after $15,600 for
16th week.

Trans-Lux 52nd St. (T-L) (540;
$1-$1.50) — “Court- Martial” (King)
(2d wk). Climbed to smash $12,000
in first round ended Sunday (7).
In ahead, “Doctor in House” (Rep)
(24fli wk-4 days), $2,300 but strong
to socle until last three or four
weeks, to make it a great longrun.

Victoria (City Inv.) (1,060; 50-
$1.75)— “The Shrike" (U) (5th wk).
Present round ending today (Wed.)
looks to reach good $12,000 after
$15,000. for fourth week. “Pete
Kelly’s Blues" (WB) is due in
Aug. 18.

Warner (Cinerama Prod.) (1,600;
$1.20-$3.30) — “Cinerama Holiday"
(Indie) (27th wk). The 26th session
ended Saturday (6) was a great
$41,700. The 25th week was $44,-
600. Stays indefinitely.

‘Laramie’ Great $16,000,
Mpls.; ‘Mask’ Okay 8G,
‘Roberts' Wow 16G, 2d

Minneapolis, Aug. 9.

With holdovers continuing to
demonstrate exceptional strength,
boxoffice here still is as hot as the
weather has been. A slight moder-
ation in temperatures actually
seems to have little effect. Still tre-
mendously potent are “Not as a
Stranger" in fourth week, “Cine-
rama Holiday" in third stanza and
the champ, “Mister Roberts,” still
enjoying a huge second canto.
There is only room for a trio of
newcomers— “Man From Laramie,"
which is off to a sock start, “Purple
Mask", and “Man From Bitter
Ridge."

Estimates for This Week

• Century (S-W) (1,150; $1.75-

$2.65) “Cinerama Holiday" (Indie)
(3d wk). Settling down to a long
run. Smash $21,000. Last week,
$ 20 , 000 .

Gopher (Berger) (1,000; 85-$l)
“Magnificent Matador” (20th) (2d
wk). Slow $2,500. Last week,

$4,000;

Lyric (Par) (1,000; 65-85) “Man
From Bitter Ridge" (U) and “Cult
of the Cobra” (U). Light $3,500.
Last week, “How To Be Popular”
(20th) (2d wk) $5,500 at 85-$l.

Radio City (Par) (4.100: 85-$l)
(Continued on page 18)

VfintEfY

Wednesday, August 10, 1955

INTERNATIONAL WORLD PREMIERE AUG. 17th

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and face the world in modern-day Hong. Kong ~ mahes this
one of. the screen s unforgettable experiences*

20tk Century -Fox captures alt the beauty and rapture of
Han Suyin f s true best- seller/

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PRODUCED BY DIRECTED BY SCREEN PLA.Y BY

BUDDY' ADLER • HENRY KING • JOHN PATRICK

PjORIETY

international

*VARIITY'S* LONDON OFFICtf
• Mirtln'*' Pl*c«, Tr*falo«r Squar*

French Film Prodncdon Perks
With Expanded Foreign Biz in View

Paris, Aug. 9.
There is calm on the French film

mere is cairn on me j? reiicti mm «* . I « n .

front as figures denote that Gallic teOSOrSlliP O&lUD

pix and. coproductions were the r *

year’s b.o. toppers. The first half qC
1955 shows a fine production lineup
of 52 pix finished or in the work,
with 41 being completely French
and 11 being modeas coproduc-
tions. Though the French goal is
still for greater foreign markets
for needed quick amortization, the
domestic aspect also is geing looked
into.

For Chile After 30 Years

Santiago,. Aug. 2.

New censorship setup to replace
the existing system, in effect since
1925, is tfeing considered by the
Chilean minister of education. New
alignment would prohibit attend-
ance of minors below seven years
of age at all film performances. It

French are making a try for the j establish three categories of blue

■ ' pencilling minors, from 7 to 14
years of ago; for adolescents, 14 to
18; and for those above 18.

Censors would be empowered to
reject a pic in toto if it is con-
sidered immoral* demoralizing or
damaging to mental health. A
group of non-salaried inspectors
consisting of professors, social
workers, head of household, etc.,
would be. recruited to make sure
the. censorship board’s, decisions, are
observed.

qualjty which was once associated
with the French entries abroad.’
The recent gangster cycle is slow-
ing down. It is realized by most
film people here that the bromide
of “the more national a pic the
more international it is” has some
truth in it. This is already" bemg
seen in coproduction trends. Be-
sides cutting down on dual film-
making, the tendency is more
towards quality coproductions by
leaving the main creative aspect
primarily up to one of the partici-
pants. Three examples of this
trend bear out the wisdom of the
new alignment. In Italy, Federico
Fellini was able to make his latest
film, “II Bidone’’ (The Swindlers),
as a coproduction without any in-
terference from the French coun-
terpart. Rene Clair has wound his
“Les Girandes Manoeuvres,” which
remains intrinsically French while
Claude Autant-Lara is now finish-

. Mischa Elman To Japan

, Tokyo, Aug. 2.

Violinist Mischa Elman is sched-
uled to visit Japan at the end of
this September for a series of 14
concerts in Tokyo *nd other Japa-
nese cities. This will be the vir-
tuoso’s third visit to Japan but his
first postwar tour.

He was’ here in 1921 and again
in 1937. This visit is under the
joint invitation of the World
Brotherhood Japan Chapter and
the Tohp Entertainment Distribut-
ing Co. *

U.S. Pix Roster

Vienna, Aug. 2.

With the exception ' of Josefstadt
ing his version of the Faust legend, i Theatre s ,^ ear Fanuly” mid the
“Marguerite De La Nuit.”

More Topical Offbeaters ,

Present production shows a
greater range of subjects .with the
gangster films giving way to more
topical offbeaters, comedies'" and
historical opuses. On the coproduc-
tion side is the Gina Lollobrigida
Starrer, “Most Beautiful Girl In
World,” made In. Italy by U,S.
director Robert Z. Leonard, and
“Red Robe,” madefy an Italo di-
rector but. with American players
Patricia Medina and Bruce Cabot.

All Gallic- pix include some re-
makes of famed novels such as
D. H, Lawrence's “Lady Chatterly’s
Lover” (Col), with Leo^Genn and
Danielle Darrieux, and Emile Zola’s
“Gervaise.” Jazz gets its due in
“Blues,” with Viviane Romance and
Sidney Bechet. • There is also a

comedy of manMere, **L.es

crates,” with Pierre Fresnay. An- I ons - ^ or are .going on. now
other is a looksee into the occupa-
tion forces in Italy 'during Napo-

leonic times, contained in • the
adaption of P. A. Breal’s hit play,
“Les Hussards.” Eddie Constantine
lays aside his gangster togs to play
a reporter in John Berry’s "Je Suis
TJn Sentimental.” Line Renaud
gets star billing in a story of a
French girl who becomes the
Allied symbol during the- first
World War. It’s called “Le Made-
Ion.”

Pic On Human Solidarity

Christian-Jaque is set to do a
story on human solidarity with “Si
Tous Les Gars” (If All the Guys
in the World), telling about radio
hams who save a ship in distress.

Preston Stiirges has started his
English-French, “Les Carnets De
Major Thompson/’ while Jean
Delannoy winds his story on juve-
nile delinquents, “ChienS PerduS
Sans Colliers” (Lost. Dogs Without
Collars). <.

Liberia is an offbeat locale for
Yves Ciampi’s adventure opus,
“Les Heros Sont Fatigues” (Heros
Are Tired), and Africa also speaks
in such current films such as “Tam-
Tam,” » r “Nagana” and “Les Meil-
leurs Des Vies” (The Best of Lives).

C’Seope Moves Up Production

Among the pix in preparation,
C’Seope is moving up with such
films as ‘Juanita,” “La Fille Des
Sables” (Girl of the Sands), “Le
Foyer S’Eteint” (The Home Dis-
appears), “Le Chevalier D’Eon.”
Tinters include the remakes of
“Hunchback of Notre-Dame,” with
Gina Lollobrigida and Anthony
Quinn,- Julien Duviyler’s, “The
Brothers Karamazov,” and Rene
Clement's • “Resurrection, also to
star Miss Lollobrigida. In the
offing is a' Jean Anouilh script
called, “Mademoiselle Moliere,”
night life pix in “Mademoiselle
Pigalle” and “Paris- Canaille”;
Sacha Guitry’s spec “Paris Mon
Bien Aime” (Paris. My Beloved),
depicting the History of the city,
and such costumers as “L’Affaire
Des Poisons/* “Milord L’Arsouille/'
“Marie Antoinette” and “Don
Juan.”

Raimund’s “Love on Lark Street,
all legits have shuttered here for
the hot summer season. Volks
theatre was last to close after the
successful run. of “Born - Yester-
day.”

Theatre patrons here have for
the first time a chance to see
classical plays,' produced by Scala
Theatre (left-winged outfit in Rus-
sian occupied zone) in the Car-
nuntum Amphi Theatre, half way
between the capital and -the Hun-
garian border! This place was up
to now only used for foreign Vis-
itors attraction. Since the Scala
has an excellent ensemble, biz is
good.

Because of the repertory system
and all-year contracts with actors,
stagehands, etc., saying for thea-
tres are negligible . when ‘ houses

but few changes loom.

Privately-run theatres since 1945
have received . considerable coin
out of the “culture money,” a tax
collected on cinema tickets. This
means that no theatre manager
needs go bankrupt. Contrary to
the belief that this might lead ..to
carelessness, results indicate that
management and production are
becoming better each year.

For Their Exteriors

Salzburg, Aug. 2.

The busiest location for shooting
exteriors "in all Central Europe
appears to be the region near Salz-
burg called* the' Salzkammergut.
One of nature’-s real masterpieces*
this consists of a number of lakes,
each i surrounded by ! high Snow-
capped mountains. The ^houses,
which all have to be government-
approved as to architectural style,
are of the quaint Austrian type
which blends into the remainder of
the scenery. Naturally, this is a
paradise for filmmakers, who flock
here in the summer to shoot their
exteriors.

Of all films made in Austria each
year by German and Austrian pro-
ducers, fully one' quarter are done
with exteriors shot in the Salz-
kammergut. This is not counting
the foreign companies.

Right now there are five produc-
tions under way in the Salzburg
area. *Donau Film’s' “Thr Erstes
Rendezvous” (Her First Date, a
remake of the old French Danielle
Darrieux starrer), is being pro-
duced by Eduard Hosch and- di-
rected by Axel von Ambesser. Its
stars are Adrian Hoven and Nicole
Heesters.

Bergland-Suddeutsch is shooting
“Die Lleben Verwandten” (Be-
loved Relatives), with Dr. Hammer
producing and Joe Stockl directing.
Producer W. Tjaden is doing
“Helmatland” for Sascha-FUm Dis-
tributors, with Franz Antel di-
recting.

Still Uncertain

Rome, Aug. 2.

Yank roster at the upcoming
(Aug. , 25) Venice Film Festival is
currently still in the uncertain
stage, except foir'the two official
entries selected by MPA A for pres-
entation, “The Kentuckian” (UA),
and “Tq Catch A Thief” (Par),
with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly.

< Under the festival rules, the U.S.
would be allowed two more pix -on
an “invitational” basis and Metro
and Universal queried on offerings,
at first suggested, respectively, “In-
terrupted Melody” and “Last Com-
mand.” These pix, due to the “in-
vitational” tag are subject to festi-
val screening and approval, unlike
the , MPAA setup, and prints are
currently being prepped for a test
screening for the Venice officials.

Recent reports, however, have it
that both Metro and U-I want to
change their suggestions, with
Metro coming forth with “Black-
board Jungle” and Universal offer-
ing “Naked Dawn.” Situation thus-
remains a bit uncertain.

MPAA this year ‘will operate in
Venice on.a budget decreased about
a third from' last year’s moderate
figure, thus cutting into Yank par-
tying and giveaway possibilities.

Sending Biggest Group
To Venice Film Fest

London, August 9.

To support the permitted maxi-
mum of two British entries for the
Venice Film Festival-, the local film
production industry is sending its
biggest contingent Of execs and
stars. John Davis, president of
the- British Film Producers Assn,
and J. Arthur Rank’s principal
aide, Robert Clark, immediate past
prez and Elstree Studio boss, and
Sir Henry L. French, the director
general, will lead the executive
delegation.

Already 18 British stars have
been lined up to fly to the Italian
fest including Richard Todd,
Claire Bloom, Dirk Bogarde, Ali-
stair Sim, Jack Hawkins and Diana
Dors. Producers and directors also
going will include Michael Ander-
son, William Fairchild, Mario
Zampi, Frank Launder and Sidney
Gilliat.

The two British competitors are
“Dodtor At Sea” (Rank) and “John
and Julie”- (Group 3). “Geordie”
(Gilliat and Launder) may be
screened by 'invitation. Although
Sir Alexander Korda is no longer
a member of the BFPA, he has
agreed to cooperate with the as-
sociation in obtaining maximum
publicity for British, pix. A British
information centre will Be main-
tained in the festival theatre.

‘Delegate’ Pre-West End
Run Halted in Glasgow

London, Aug. 9.

Roger Macdougall has run into
trouble with his latest play, “The
Delegate,” which was on' a pre-
London Provincial tour. After its
debut in Liverpool, It was skedded
for complete revision and was
terminated after its week in Glas-
gow. The booking for Edinburgh
was. cancelled, resulting, in the re-
fund of advance sale.

This makes the„ second shaky
production for Eva Bartok whose
last appearance Was in “The Lov-
ers,” which ran for less than four
weeks after a preliminary tryout.
She has planed to Austria to fulfill
* film contract.

Edinburgh Film Fest Preems Aug. 21;

.-t-

Union Now Wants More
Par from Mex Indies

Mexico City, Aug. 9.

Apparently whetted by its recent
victory oyer the nine-major Ameri-
can and three top Mexican pic dis-
tributors from whom it won a 17%
pay hike, the National Cinemato-
graphic Industry Workers Union
(STIC) has ultimatumed the small,
indie distribs. It has demanded a
similar wage bo.ost by Avg. 18* or
else it will call a strike against
the indies.

Guaranteed Pictures, distributor
of French, German and Russian
pix, Francia Films, Emilio C.
Tello, Vives Films, Cinematografic
Coloso, Rod Intefnacional, Distrlb-
uidora Central, Acapulco Films and
Distribuidora Reinoso ar*e the indie
distribs.

These distribs told the Federal
Board of Conciliation and Arbitra-
tion, which is seeking to avert the
strike, that they can’t afford to
hike salaries at all and still stay in
business. STIC argues that if the
big distributors could pay 17%
more,’ the little fellows certainly
can.

W. Berlin Fights
For UFA Studios

Berlin, Aug. 2.

The West Berlin Parliament
urged the local Senate recently to
give the still uncertain UFA mat-
ters top priority 'on "its current
agenda. Parliament also urged
West Berlin’s mayor to do every-
thing possible to place these mat-
ters, which are of vital economical
importance to the cty,' on highest
political leyel.

Members of the Parliament ex-
pressed fear that the current UFA
negotiations in West Germany are
nqt sufficiently in line with the
wishes of West Berlin. The local
senate has ordered several high-
rank officials to represent Berlin's
interests before the Federal Gov-
ernment.

West Berlin’s big fight is against
the intended separation of the
UFA studios of Wiesaden from
Berlin (these were transferred
from Berlin to Wiesbaden during
the Russian Blockade). Berlin
demands that these studios can be
bought by a Berlin purchaser so
that the Berlin and the Wiesbaden
studios remain as a joint enter-
prise. Fear, however, is that the
Ufi law (liquidation and decen-
tralization of the former Reich-
owned property) doesn’t allow a
joint sale of the Berlin and Wies-
baden studios and that both have
to be sold separativelyi Neverthe-
less, there is justified hope that
that there may be a loophole for
the sake of Berlin.

The Bonn government has previ-
ously emphasized that everything
will be done to help the economy
of handicapped Berlin in this re-
spect.

RANK ADDS 3 CINEMAS

2 Blitzed Houses, Plus New Theatre
Open in London

London, Aug. 2.

By reopening two blitzed picture
houses and the completion of a
new theatre, on which building was
stopped on the outbreak of war,
the Rank group has added three
more cinemas in the London area.

Last night, (Mon.) the Gauniont,
Shepherds Bush, blitzed more than
10 years ago, reopened with the
screening of “Escapade.” On the
previous Monday (18) the Rank in-
terests reopened the Streatham
Gaumont with “Doctor At Sea.” At
the end ,of August, a new Odeon in
Westbourne Grove, West London,
which was started before the war,
but never completed* will have its
gala preem.

Outside London, the Rank group
is rebuilding in Bootle (Lancashire)
and Barnsley (Yorkshire) and other
projects are being developed in
various parts of the country. All
the new theatres are being
equipped with multi-purpose
screens tq suit every type of pro-
duction.

Edinburgh, . Aug. 2.

Upcoming Edinburgh Film Fes-
tival here, teeing .off Aug, 21,
shapes as the liveliest yet. Vittorio
de Sica, Italian director and actor,
is named as honorary prexy for
the fest. Major event is set for
Sunday, Sept. 4, when Douglas
Fairbanks Jr. will present the
Selznick 1955 Golden Laurel
Award .for jthe film voted as hav-
ing made the’ greatest contribution
tq international goodwill and un-
derstanding.

Tne Golden Laurels this year
have been broadened in scope to
include films produced anywhere
in the world excepting only the
U.S. and pix produced by Ameri-
cans abroad. Fairbanks will pre-
sent the medals to, finalists select-
ed for consideration by an Ameri-
can jury. After a short excerpt
from each medal winner has been
screened, a sealed envelope from
the N. Y. auditors will be opened
and the winner of the 1955 Golden
Laurel Award announced.

New award at this year’s festival
will be the Richard Winnington
Award, created to perpetuate the
high standards set in film criticism
by the late Winnington of the Lon-
don News Chronicle. It will be
made each year to the director
whose film is reckoned as of the
highest social and artistic merit.

- Feature films will be considered
for the award from every country
m the world, but they must have
been shown in the United King-
dom during the previous 12
months. Documentary pix, reis-
sues and experimental productions
will be considered. Although the
award will <be made annually at
Edinburgh, it is independent of
the Fest Committee and the films
entered In the festival.

Int’l Children’s Film Centre

Significant business, item down
for confab at the upcoming junket
a proposal to set up an Inter-
national Children's Film Centre.
Idea will be .discussed at an inter-
national confab of experts. Con-
vened by UNESCO, the meeting
will be held from Sept, 7-13 at St.
Andrew's House, headquarters of
the Scot government.

The meeting Js result of a deci-
sion taken at the eighth UNESCO
general conference at Montevideo
earlier this year when the okay
was given for an exploratory con-
ference on subject of children’s
films. The experts will talk over
the possibilities of setting up a dis-
tribution center for children’s
films, the development of film dis-
tribution, pix exhibition in com-
mercial and non-commercial cine-
mas and the development of pro-
duction.

UNESCO will send a report and
the recommendations of the meet-
ing to all its member states, so that
each country may determine what
help It might get from setting up
of such an international center.

French Exhibs to Seek
Govt. Help in Cinema
Facelifting; Aid to Biz

Paris, Aug. 2.

The 10th Congress of the Na-
tional Federation of French
Cinemas (Gallic Film Exhibitors)
held here at the Maison De Chimie
was attended by 700 exhibs.

Main items on the agenda were
demands for a more equitable
sharing of Film Aid Funds for
renovation of theatres and lower
taxes. One' big idea tossed into the
talks was creation of a foreign ex-
hib org to insure proper exploita-
tion and exhibition of French films
abroad.

French film houses total 5,182,
with 10% of them in Paris and
the seven key cities of Marseilles,
Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Metz,
Lille and Strasbourg. These ac-
count for about 42% of the re-
ceipts or about $153,000,000 per
year. Over 380,000,000 patrons
went to the cinema last year which
was a hike over the previous years
since the war.

Exhibs’ claim that various taxes,
both national and municipal, cost
them up to $45,000,000 annually,
was one of the main topics at the
huddles.

Government reps, feel that main
industry problem is- the moderni-
zation of the many outmoded
houses around France which may
be leading to a decline in film-
going.

Wednesday, August 10, 1955

FIRST , N
FILMLAND!

V '

r '

k~v > /

The industry is
electrified with
the news of won-
derful shows to
come* More on
the way.

Previously we told you about
*‘lt*$ Always Fair Weather/ 9
9 * Trial/* " Quentin Durward /*
"1*11 Cry Tomorrow/* " The Bar
Sinister** and 1 1 The Tender Trap* *

MAGIC!

KISMET'

In CINEMASCOPE and COLOR

M-G-M has made a NEW screen production
of the long-run stage hit, rich with love
and laughter, sights to see, and music to
dream to.

M-G-M presents in CinemaScope • “KISMET” starring Howard
Keel • Ann Blyth • Dolores Gray • Vic Damone • with Monty
Woolley • Sebastian Cabot • Screen Play by Charles Lederer and
Luther Davis • Adapted from the Musical Play “Kismet” * Book
by Charles Lederer and Luther Daois • Founded on “Kismet” by
Edward Knoblock * Music and Lyrics by Robert Wright and George
Forrest • Music adapted from themes of Alexander Borodin • Photo -
graphed in Eastman Color • Directed by Vincente Minnelli
Produced by Arthur Freed

THE ROMANTIC STORY
COMES TO LIFE!

'DIANE'

In CINEMASCOPE and COLOR

Dramatic love conflict of a beautiful, bril-
liant woman and the world's most feared
Queen for the heart of the same man. Thrills
and pageantry.

★

M-G-M presents in CinemaScope * Lana Turner in “DIANE”
co-starring Pedro Armendariz • Roger Moore • Marisa Pavan
Sir Cedric Hardwicke • with Torin Thatcher • Taina Elg • Screen
Story and Screen Play by Christopher I sherwood • Based on the story
- “Diane De Poitieres” by John Erskine • Photographed in Eastman
Color • Directed by David Miller • Produced by Edwin H. Knopf

GREATNESS ON YOUR SCREEN!

THE LAST HUNT

In CINEMASCOPE and COLOR

The largest existing herd of buffalo was
rounded up for this adventure-packed Big
One. Flaming drama actually filmed in the
Badlands of South Dakota.,

M-G-M presents in CinemaScope : '• “THE LAST HUNT”
starring Robert Taylor • Stewart Granger • Lloyd Nolan • Anne
Bancroft * Russ Tamblyn • Written by Richard Brooks • Based
on the Houghton ' Mifflin Literary Fellowship Award Novel
by Milton Lott » Photographed in Eastman Color • Directed by

Richard Brooks,

. 1 •

MCTURKS

Wednesday, August 10, 1953

HELP FEDERAL CASE-MAKERS

Amusemeiit Stock Quotations

(N.Y. Stock Exchange)

For Week Ending Tuesday (9)

'10% 7

11 % 8 %
10% 5%

15% 13%
22% 18%
31% 25%

RKO Picts. . 283 9 8% 8%

RKO Thea. . ... 208 11% 11% 11%

Republic .... 288 10% 9% 10%

Rep., pfd. . . . 11 15% 15% » 15%

Stanley War. 98 19% 18% 19%

20th-Fox ....105 29% 28% 28%

Net

1955

Weekly Vol.Weekly Weekly

Tueg.

Change

High

Low

In 100s

High

Low

for week

32%

22%

Am-Br-Par Th 205

30%

29%

*— %

CBS "A" ... 80

27%,..

• —-2%

26%

CBS "B” , 37

26%

,25%

25%

—1%

39%

Col. Pix .... 29

25%

24%

.— %

18%

14%

Decca ...... 93

16%

— Vs

82%

Eastman Kdk 79

79%

76%

—2%

EMI 218

3%'

334

— %

23%

17%

Loew’s . * . . . 291

24%

23%

— %

12%

Nat. Thea, . . 138

10%

— %

44%

Paramount . . 54

41%.

39%

40%

43%

35%

Philco ..... 125

36%

35%

55%

36%

RCA 378

49% '

45%

46%

— 2 % '

%
— %
— %

+ %
— %

263^

Univ. Pix . , .

29%

28%

— %

82%

Univ M pfd;. . .

*92

83%

— %

21%

18%

Warner Bros.

20%

— %

134

Zenith'......

118%

11534

116%

—1%

American Stock Exchange

Allied Artists 122

■ ’5%

— %

17%

13%

* Du Mont ....

138

1434

13%

— %

Skiatron ....

3%'

— %

16%

1334

Technicolor .

1434

14%

+ %

Trans-Lux . .

334

Over-the-Counter Securities

Bid

Ask

Chesapeake Industries ........

— %

Cinerama Inc. . . ; . . . . . . ,

23%

+ %

Cinerama

prod*

Official Films

—

Polaroid

—1

U. A.

Theatres

18%

—

Walt Disney

42>

—2

♦ Actual Volume.

t Quotations furnished by Dreyfus A Co.)

After a little more than a year
and a half of Cinemascope in the
U. S., installations are on the
verge of equalling U. S. and Cana*
dian "possibilities/* i. e., theatres
any one picture can play.

Latest installations count by
20th, covering the period up to
July 30, shows 14.882 installations
against 15,717 U. j>. and Canadian
possibilities. That’s only 835
houses less than the total possibili-
ties as established by 20th out of
more than 22,000 situations. Per-
centage-wise, it means that 88%
of all possibilities are equip ped .

New installations are falling off
as C’Scope is reaching the bot-
tom of the exhibition barrel. For
the week ended July 30, new units
totalled only 87. All of these are
small situations.

Abroad; where C’Scope got a
much later start, installations on
the whole equal about 50% o f pos-
sibilities. However, there are
sharp differences in various areas,
with Europe in the lead. In Brit-
ain, installations almost equate to-
tal possibilities. In Germany,
where there are more than 1,000
houses equipped, the ratio to pos-
sibilities is almost exactly 50%. In
France and. Italy it's closer to 85%
and 90%.

U. S. breakdown shows 11,636
Indoor houses and 2,863’ drive-ins
equipped along with 344 service
installations and 39 non-theatrical
situations. Of the total 14,882 in-
stallations, 10,312 are geared for
optical sound only and 3,593 are
set for stereophonic magnetic
sound. Some 777 mixers are in
use, mostly in drive-ins.

’Lion’ on Streets Oct 10

"The African Lion," latest of
the Walt Disney’s True-Life Ad-
venture films, will be nationally
released on Oct, 10. It's the third
in the series of feature-length na-
ture films that started in 1953 with
"The Living Desert” and was con-
tinued in 1954 with "The Vanish-
ing Prairie.”

Buena Vista, Disney’s releasing
company, will handle the distribu-
tion of the film. •

10 ($2.50) Hours Weekly
For Stagehands Imposed
On 400-Seat Downtowner

Minneapolis, Aug. 9.
After battling for the past nine
years, the stagehands union, AFL,
finally has succeeded in getting the
400-seat Would, loop first-run
house, to employ one stage hand
on a part-time basis.

Victory came following picket-
ing of the theatre by the stage-
hands union and * a sympathetic
walkout by the booth operators at
5 p.ip. last Thursday (4), necessitat-
ing shuttering of the house for the
night.

Deal was made the next morning,
with the theatre agreeing to take
on the one stage hand for 10 hours
per week at $2.50 an hour, a $25
weekly cost. Doors immediately
were reopened and the house
missed out only on one night.

Other downtown first-run houses
have at least one stagehand, but
all such theatres are of much larg-
er capacity than the World,

$5,000,000 METRO SUIT
ON /KNIGHTS' FILM

Washington, Aug. 9.

A $5,000,000 suit has been filed
against Metro in U. S. District
Court here, charging infringement
of copyright in the studio's pro-
duction of "Knights of the Bound
Table.”

Action was brought by Dona B*
Costello, of Washington, who says
she wrote a play, "The Sangreal”
which was copyrighted in April
1934. She says copies were sent to
the studio that year and again the
following year, and that she has
correspondence acknowledging re-
ceipt of the material.

The petition alleges that the
studio used "so much of the set-
ting and atmosphere, action, orig-
inal treatment and expression of
ideas, as well as selection, novel
associations and groupings of char-
acters, original characterizations,
episodes, sequences, incidents, dia-
logues and other copyrihted fea-
tures and details to the end that
the major part of the defendant’s
motion picture simulates and con-
veys the same impressions” as Miss
Costello’s play.

Conservative elements in Allied'
States Assn. — those that oppose
Government intervention in the in-

dustry— blame the distribution
companies for giving the organi-
zation's radical group the upper,
hand and forcing Allied to seek
relief from Federal sources*' Dis-
tribs’ failure to commit themselves
on specific items to allieviate the
problems \of many theatres or to
take any action to give exhibitors
relief from alleged harsh sales
terms is cited as th£ reason for
putting the radical forces in com-
mand/ ■*’

There's acknowledgment that the
distribs gave in on some points
during the recent Allied-Theatre
Owners of America joint meetings,
but it’s indicated thqt they didn't
go far enough. While concessions
for theatres grossing $1,000 or un-
der a week were promised, com-
pletely disregarded, it’s argued,
were the middle group of theatres
— those 'that' are neither small
houses nor large key eity theatres.
It is members of this group that
forced Allied's decision, with Min-
neapolis’ Bennie Berger and Ohio’s
Horace- Adams 'reportedly joining
with boar d chairman Abram F.
Myers in pushing for government
action.

- The conservative element could
no longer stave off the move, it’s
pointed out, since they could offer
no alternative when asked for a.
suggestion. As a result, they were
forced to go along with the call-
in-the-Feds move and agreed to
support whatever action (he organ-
ization as a whole took. The radical
gtoup was also . instrumental in
bringing an end to (he joint efforts
with TOA. It wag felt that while
some TOA leaders were issuing
strong proclamations, there were
no indications that TOA would be
willing to stage an all-out fight
against the so-called distrib abuses*
As a result, Allied disbanded its
section of the joint committee and
decided to continue its efforts
through its own Emergency De-
fense Committee. What Allied feels
is necessary Is direct action. It be-
lieves that nothing can be gained
in talks with the distribs. As one
spokesman described it, the meet-
ings are a lot of conversation with
no action resulting from it.-

To Exit COMPO

Indications are that Allied States
Assn, will withdraw from the Coun-
cil of Motion Picture Organiza-
tions. Action is expected to be
taken by the exhibitor organiza-
tion’s board at the nationl conven-
tion in Chicago this October.

A majority of the board mem-
bers, it’s reported, favtor exiting the
all-industry group.- The opposition
to COMPO stems mainly from the
outfit's failure to support the ex-
hibitors’ fight against toll-tv. Beefs
on this score have already come
from several Allied regional units,
i.the local governing bodies Of which
have instructed their members not
support COMPO 's current dues col-
lection campaign.

While the toll-tv issue is being
spotlighted as the reason for the
contemplated ankling, there are
Ailiedites who are pushing the
withdrawal move because of opposi-
tion to the tactics of the distribu-
tion companies. This group feels
that it cannot work in harmony
with the film companies in an all-
industry group while the distribs
"squeeze” exhibitors via their pric-
ing and sales policies.

Although Allied as a national
organization may halt its support
of COMPO, it’s stressed that in-
dividual theatremen may go along
with COMPO activities if they so
desire. This especially includes the
Audience Participation Poll,

tf'

HERSHOLT'S 18TH TERM

Fund Pays Sentimental Honor To
Ailing Ralph Morgan

Hollywood, Aug, 9.

Jean Hersholt for his 18th con-
secutive term has been reelected
prexy of the Motion Picture Re-
lief 'Fund. At annual election, other
officers set included George Bag-
nail, Mitchell Lewis, A. B. Hilton,
Otto Kruger, 1st, 2d, 3d, 4th vee-
pees, respectively; E. L. DePatie,
treasurer; Wilma Bashor, executive
director.

Ralph Morgan, now residing at
the New Jersey home of his daugh-
ter, Claudia, since a severe illness
a year ago, was elected first veepee
emeritus in recognition of his more
than 18 years' service to the Fund.

Walks, Par, NBC

Hollywood, Aug. 9.

It now appears certain that Dean
Martin and Jerry Lewis will con-
tinue in tandem, at least ‘for the
duration of their present film and
television contracts, In view of
the fact that Paramount Pictures,
which is partnered with the team
in York Productions, refused to
grant permission to the performers
to work apart in .films until their
York commitments are completed
—with the same decisions coming
from Hal Wallis, who holds the
basic contract for their motion
picture services, and from NBC,
which has . them for television —
Martin and Lewis have agreed to
continue working together.

Lewis will meet with Y.’ Frank
Freeman, Paramount studio head,
possibly today, to tell him that he’s
ready, willing and able to work
with Martin in the future. Martin
has already sent a letter’ containing
similar assurances to Paramount,
Wallis and NBC.

Freeman recently presented to
Paramount’s board of directors in
N.Y. a request by Lewis for per-
mission to .dissolve his partnership
with Martin ill the upcoming York
Production, "Where Men Are
Men?” scheduled to go before the
cameras in September. Par, which
has a $2,000,000 investment in
York, nixed this proposal.

Meeting in office of Y. Frank
Freeman patched up the busi-
ness, if not the personal, side
of the well-aired feud. Pair
will be on the Colgate NBC-
TVer Sept. 19 and start their
next pic, "Where Men Are
Men," in October.,

Don’t Take ‘No’ Reply To
COMPO Dues Plea, 20th
Albany Salesmen Told

Albany, Aug. 9,

Film salesmen were advised
against taking "No” for an answer
from exhibitors in the COMPO
dues collection campaign, at a
meeting in the 20th Century-Fox
screening room last week. Co-
chairman Harry Lamont said that
every theatre, regardless of size or
potentials, should make a contri-
bution — for, most situations, it
would be only $7.50 or $1Q— be-
cause COMPO was "solely respon-
sible” for the, federal admission
tax relief of last year.

"It kept a lot of us in business
and kept a lot more theatres from
going out,” declared Lamont.

Distributor Chairman Ray Smith,
in revealing that $1,732 had been
collected during the 1953 drive
and that the quota potential for
the district this year is $5,230,
urged united effort to reach it. j

Refusal of some Allied units to
go along with COMPO’s dues col-
lection drive is seen having very
little effect on the overall results
of the campaign since, according
to the best available estimates,
Allied doesn't contribute more than
between 1Q% and 15% of the exhib
coin taken In by the pj*. outfit.

Film companies’ contribution,
matching the exhib coin up to a
limit of $150,000, is virtually as-
sured even though at the last Mo-
tion Picture * Assn, of America
board meet, .where COMPO's Rob-
ert Coyne outlined his org’s needs
and plans, Metro v.p, and treas-
urer Charles Moskowitz said he
Couldn’t vote aye until he was
given more detailed info on COM-
PO’s projected Audience Awards
poll.

At that same MPAA meet, too,
the question was raised whether,
when the distribs originally agreed
to the financing, formula for COM-
PO, this agreement carried an auto-
matic ’renewal clause assuring the
Council such an annual contribu-
tion.

One of the distrib spokesmen
said in N.Y. last week that, what-
ever the disagreement, there was
no question that the distribs would .
come through with their edin since
the preparations for the -awards
had gone so far. COMPO kitty at
the moment is understood to be
quite low. Dues collections in the
field via the salesmen is currently
going on.

Meanwhile, the final form of the
December presentation of the
awards on tv remains undeter-
mined as does the tv web which is
to carry them. Coyne said last
week that he expected a Hollywood
committee to be appointed soon to
work out a format for the show,
but added that there had been no
final agreement on whether it
should be a half hour or an hour-
long program, and whether it
should be - sponsored or be pre-
sented on a public service basis.

Coyne himself indicated he would
favor the industry itself, or some
allied industry, doing the spon-
soring. Elmer Rhoden, who heads
up the Audience Awards project,
feels it should be a public serv-
ice show.

As to length, Coyne believed that
it would be difficult to build a
good half-hour entertainment show
in view of the number of awards
to be presented. He’s shooting for
an hour’s show.

Also still up In the air is the
form the awards will actually take.
Art directors’ committee has sub-
mitted 57 sketches, most of them
statuettes, of which seven have
now been picked for final choice.
Coyne, declaring himself very sat-
isfied with the awards' progress to
date, said he had discussed the
COMPO project with Academy of
Motion Picture Arts & Sciences of-
ficials on several occasions and that
they were in full agreement that
the awards would not conflict with
the Academy’s own Oscar event in
March.

Okays Awards — Not Dues
Minneapolis, Aug. 9.

While declaring that COMPO’s
audience awards project deserves
the "wholehearted support of all
exhibitors if for no other reasons
than purely selfish ones,” current
North Central Allied bulletin in-
forms members that its board voted
to refuse authorization of collec-
tion of dues from theatreowners to
help defray the project's cost.

Refusal of authorization at this
time was for many reasons, accord-
ing to the bulletin.

"National Allied States’ board
has not yet approved this new
COMPO dues drive,” the bulletin
explains. "It will consider the mat-
ter at its November meeting in
Chicago and at . that time we will
advise you further as to what to
do as far as COMPO dues are con-
cerned. But at this time the board
does not recommend your paying
them.”

Wednesday, August 10 , 1955

NOW IN PRODUCTION-
THE PICTURE BASED ON

THIS
OF ALL
NOVELSI

FOR PARAMOUNT

with famous stars like

il 0

Audrey Hepburn, Henry 1

Fonda, Mel Ferrer heading

•iV.V.VASV ’ '.V.V.V.W.V.V S

**« : ,

a cast of thousands. {

■■

VistaVision a,nd Technicolor j

for panoramic scope! Size, 1

spectacle and excitement

•i «

beyond anything your
boxoffice has seen.

King Vidor directing this
vast Ponti-De Laurentiis
Production^in the grandeur
of European locales!

<ts

" VV. A

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SCREENED FIRST RUSHES. SCENES ARE WONDERFULLY MOVING .

AND EFFECTIVE. EXCELLENT ACTING BY ALL PLAYERS NOTABLY
AUDREY HEPBURN. SCENES BETWEEN HER AND. HENRY FONDA REALLY
MAGNIFICENT FOR' FEELING AND EMOTIONAL POWER. WAS
GREATLY IMPRESSED BY FERRER'S PERFORMANCE .AND KING
VIDOR'S DIRECTION. TECHNICOLOR AND V I STAV I S I ON TERRIFIC.

THESE FIRST RUSHES CERTAINLY SHOW PROMISE OF GREAT
PICTURE-

RUSSELL HOLMAN

?• , V;

H«nry Fonda
09 Pierre

Audrey Hepburn
as Nataoha

Mel Ferrer
as Prince Andrew

PICTURES

Wednesday, Angnal 10, 1955 /jfelflSFjl

Film Reviews

Continued ( froin p*ge t

Resort Sands

year, probably will rate a welcome
reception with a segment of the
audience that has begun to miss
these films, ...

„ Howard . W* Koch and Aubrey
Schenck hcHre present one of those
improbable, fast-paced little items
—in Superscope and Technicolor—
that certainly should find • its
proper niche and probably will
make money for a lot of the smaller
situations that have been asking for
blood-and-guts action entries. Who
cares about story or performances
as long as there’s plenty of rough-
housing, the intermittent chatter
of guns, plenty of daredevil acro-
batics and a spark of a love story.

What is amazing is that it should
have - takeh three scribes — George
W. George, George F. Slavin and
Danny Arnold — ‘to concoct this
most routine and unimaginative of
screenplays. It’s the kind of.
thing one would suspect any one of
them should be able to t6ss off in
their sleep. However, they didn’t
and the results are unimpressive,
to say the least. They’ve used every
cliche in the book, not even bother-
ing to cast around for a novel twist,

Eesult, “Desert Sands” is mostly
visual. Director Selander, again
without much imagination, does
create a sense of drama and excite-
ment in his handling of the mass:
action scenes, when the Arabs ;
storm the fort. Color helps and so :
does Gordon Avil’s lensing which
at least shows occasional attempts
to reach for unusual angles.

Story has Ralph Meeker as a
Foreign Legion captain, taking over
at Fort Valeau, somewhere in the
hot Sahara. (He arrives via heli-
copter). The. relief column is anni-
hilated by the Arabs who eventu-
ally capture the fort. Trickery and
romance combine to cause the
eventual destruction of the Arab
marauders,' but not after a / good
many of them— and an equal num-
ber of Legionnaires — have bitten
the dust * ..

Meeker, in the role of the tough
desert fighter,, does what he has
to do: without great, distinction but
at least he can’t be accused of
etching his character tongue-in-
cheek. * As * the Arab 'princess who
falls for him, and saves him, Marla
English cuts a Very pretty figure,
which makes up for some of the
absurd lines put into . her mouth.
The colorful legionnaires’ crew 'is
headed by J. Carrol Naish as the
sergeant and . includes Bon Rondell
as— believe it or not— the English-
man addicted to the bottle, who
when the fighting starts, exone-
rates himself.. His performance
has a certain merit.

Zanal, the Arab leader, is played
by Keith Larsen in several re-
splendant outfits. He’s assisted by
John Carradine as Jala, his advisor,
who turns out to be quite a treach-
erous fellow. Rest of the cast
keeps active most* of the time.

“Desert Sands” isn’t going to
win any Academy Awards, but it’s
an actioner that doesn’t pretend
to be anything else. For that rea-
son alone, it should hold its own,

Hift.

Apache Ambush

Standard Western with after-
math of Civil War tossed in to
give it a different angle.
Names of Tex Ritter and Bill
Williams okay for marquee.

Columbia release of Wallace MacDonald

S roduction. Features Bill Williams, Tex
itter. Richard Jaeckel, Movlta, Alex
Montaya, Ray Corrigan, Adelle Augilst;
Directed by Fred F, Sears. Story and
screenplay, David Lang; camera, Fred
Jackman, Jr.; editor, Jerome Thoms; mu-
sic conducted by Mischa Bakalelnikoff.
Tradeshown in N. Y„ Aug. 4, *55. Run*
ning time,. is MINS,

James Kingston ........ ..B1U Williams

Lee Parker ........... ...Richard Jaeckel

Joaquin Jironza Alex Montoya

Roslta ..Movlta

Ann Adelle August

Trager . Tex Ritter

Mark Calvin Ray “Crash** Corrigan

Sgt. O'Roarke Ray Teal

Major McGuire .......... Don C. Harvey

Mr. Lincoln James Griffith

Colonel MarshaU James Flavin

Chandler George Chandler

Silas • Parker Forrest Lewis

Tweedy' .. ... George Keymas

Manoel ...... Victor MlUan

Bailey . . . . Harry Lauder

Bob Jennings Bill 1 Hale

Red Jennings .....Robert Foulk

“Apache Ambush” follows the
accepted formula for outdoor ad-
venture features, with an attempt
/.to get away from the pat western
pattern via the Civil War after-
math. The effort to depict how the
federal s and defeated rebs contin-
ued bitter out in the wide open
spaces soon is lost in the general:
shuffle of stampeding cattle, a wild
hunt for the latest repeating rifles
and the triumph of justice over the
Mexicano outlaws and outlaw red-
skins. It often is confusing but gen-
erally exciting, and will do where :
western pix are appreciated.

David Lang, original story con- 1

cocter and screenplay scrivener,
gives this a grandiose beginning —
showing Lincoln striving (just be-
fore his assassination) to rush cattle
from Texas to the markets up
north. Plot has the president feel-:
ing that this would help southern
cattlemen at the same time supply-
ing the demand for meat up north.

The three designated by Lincoln,
Ray Teal, cattle driver; Bill Wilt
liams, expert Indian scout (from
the Union side); and Don Harvey,
a major from the Confederate
Army, find their task much more
difficult than outlined when they
reach the Texas territory. There is
much to do about a box of Henry
Repeating Rifles, with a war
profiteer intent on selling them to
former confed renegades and a
fantastic Mexican, Alex Montoya,
trying to. grab them for his fight
to win Texas back for Mexico., All
of this brings the familiar gun bat-
tle, with some baddle Apaches
aligned with the Mexican bandits
for any loot they can grab. —

Richard Jaeckel, depicting an
embittered confederate soldier who
1 has lost an arm in the war, finally
snags the coveted rifles, sells out v
i to the Mexicans — all building to a
cattle stampede, killing on all sides
and final routing of. the Mexican
forces and injuns. One thing about
this pic; it won’t make the dis-
tributor very popular in Mexico or
with the Indians. Both are shown
up in the worst possible light.

Williams, Harvey, Teal and.
Jaeckel carry the acting bur.den in
acceptable fashion. Movita is in for
a secondary role as the Mexican
gal sweetheart of the Mex outlaw,
Montoya. 'Latter emotes with fer-
vor in the villainous role. Adelle
August suffices as Williams’ girl
friend. Forrest Lewis, Ray Corri-
gan and Tex Ritter are okay in sup-
porting roles. Ritter has been rela-
gated to a bit character although
given featured billing.

Fred Jackman has done a yeo-
man job as cameraman, his photo-,
graphy beirig unusually higbclass:
for a western. Fred F> Sears di-
rected with action as keynote to
his Work. Jerome Thoms’ editing is
unusually sharp. Wear .

Escanade

(BRITISH)

Screen adaptation of. London
legit hit. Sturdy b.o. ‘ chances
In home market with likely at-
traction for art house circuit.,

London, Aug. 5.

Eros production and release. Stars Joint
Mills. Yvonne Mitchell and Alastair Sim;
features Jer«my_ Spenser, Andrew Ray,
Marie Lohr, and Colin Gordon. Produced
by Daniel M. Angel; directed by Philip
Leacock; screenplay by Gilbert HoUand
* r °ni play by Roger McDougall; camera
by. Eric Cross; editor, John Trumper;
music, Bruce Montgomery. At Odeon
Marble Arch, London. Aug. 4, *55. Run-
ning time. 88 MINS.

John Hampden .
Stelle Hampden ,
Dr. Sklllingworth
Mrs. Hampden

Deeson

Daventry

Max Hampden . . ,
Johnny Hampden

Paton

Potter

Warren

Miss Betts

Sykes

Smith

Young Skilly ....

Parsons

Miss Lunt

Curly , , ,

John Mills

....... Yvonne MltcheU

Alastair Sim

i Marie Lohr

Colin Gordon

....... Jeremy Spenser

Andrew Ray

Peter Asher

Nicky Edmett

Christopher Ridley

Sean Barrett

Sonia Williams ,

Mark' Dlgnam

Kit Terrington

Colin Freear

Stephen Abbott

Anne Alien

• John Rae

In Its original stage form “Esca-
pade” was a major hit in the West
End a couple of seasons back, al-
though a Broadway version Hopped
dismally after a run of only a few
nights. The filmization of Roger
McDougall’s legiter should get a
more universal reaction, although
it loses much of its appeal in
transition. In the home market it
should qualify for sturdy b.o, re-
sults, with the arties as the main
outlet in the U.S.

Oddly enough, the wider canvas
of the screen, which allows the in-
troduction of additional key char-
acters and gives scope for more
action, does not improve the story.
The suspense achieved in the origi-
nal is replaced by lashings of sen-
timent, particularly in the closing
sequences. Nor does it add to con-
viction.

Basically the plot remains the
same, focusing on the three young
sons of a pacifist author, who put
his preachings to practical pur-
poses by stealing an airplane and
flying off to Vienna with a peti-
tion, signed by the other boys, for
the four occupying powers. In the
play, none of the trio appeared on
stage; the screen version introduces
the two younger brothers, only
keeping out of the picture the guid-
ing genius of the plot, the appro-
priately named Icarus. The emo-
tional conflict between the parents
and the intrusion of a snooping

newsman are neatly dovetailed into
the main story outline.

Gilbert Holland’s screenplay
crams too/ much talk into the
earlier sequences and misses .the
comedy impact achieved by the
bickerings among writers to agree
on a peace manifesto. Direction by
Fhilip Leacock is positive and au-
thoritative and his sequences with
Alaistair Sim • as the • headmaster
are among the best things in the
production. John Mills appears too
stolid, lacking much Of the tem-
perament needed for the role of the
author-father, but Yvonne Mitchell
does a worthwhile job as his wife.
Colin Gordon gives a quality per-
formance as the newspaperman
and Jeremy Spenser and Andrew
Ray play a couple of schoolboys
with absolute integrity. Marie
Lohr’s performance as the author’s
mother is a plus feature. Other
parts are more than adequately
filled 1 . Myro.

Der Dunkle Stern

(The ,Dark Star).

(GERMAN)

Frankfurt, Aug. 2.

Constantin release of Wega Film pro-
duction. Stars Toxi. Directed by Hermann
Kugelstadt. Screenplay, Marla Osten
Sacken and Hermann Kugelstadt after an
Idea by Peter Francke and Georg Hur-
dalek; camera, Heinz Pehlke;. music, Bern-
hard Eichnorn. At Alemannia Theatre,
Frankfurt. Running time, 94 MINS.

Richard Martin’s recently front-paged stunts landing him in the
steamship Queen Mary’s : brig after being caught as a stowaway in
England, didn’t surprise Cleveland Film Row execs who bemusingly
called him “the wackiest kid pressagent in the business.” When the
27-year-old Clevelander worked for Loew’s in Cleveland during 1950-
51, as assistant publicist, his wacky exploitation ideas often had circuit
officials standing on their choleric heads. Martin’s recent feat in div-
ing off the Queen Mary and swimming into Southampton’s port was
mild stuff compared to his pranks during Debbie Reynolds* visit here.

Zany became ‘ so romantically hopped up over the actress that ho
proposed to her — seven times during her appearances at Loew’s State.
After rushing her with promoted flowers and gifts, he tried to plant a
news- story with Associated Press that she had consented to marry
him. That alarmed MGM as well as Debbie’s mother, who threatened
to whistle for cops When Martin quit his job to wolfishly pursue hejrtd
Buffalo.

Before this , episode, while working for Ted Barker, Loew’s publicity
director here, the imaginative ballyhooligan came up with a fantastic
gag to ballyhoo “Greatest Show on Earth.” He wanted to turn Loew’s
State into a circus, with huge tents on the marquee and in the lobby
to accommodate caged animals- borrowed from zoo. His startled boss
quickly v squelched him by saying screwball stunt would cost nearly as
much as the DeMille picture.

Number of top eastern exhibitors were flown to Coast by Samuel
Goldwyn to view the first rough cut of his latest production, “Guys
and Dolls,” as the first step in mapping a sales policy for film that
reportedly carries a $5,500,000 budget. James- A. Mulvey and Robert
Mochrie, prexy and general sales manager, respectively, of Samuel
Goldwyn Productions, also made hop to meet with James M. Reagan,
general sales manager for Metro, which will release film.

Moni Toxi

Manuel Juergen Micksch

Frl. Rieger Use Steppat

Linda Irjgeborg Schoener

Christian Siegfried Breuer Jr.

Casseno Viktor Staal

This begins as an interesting
problem film with a realistic, basis,
since there are hundreds of illegit-
imate. Negro babies .in Germany,

and the .country has. as yet no solu-
tion to the problem of making a
place in the world for them- Partly j
based on an actual story, '.this does
hot: make a good pic. Chances in j
U.S: seem limited/ ;

In the picture, nine-year-old
Toxi is a half-NegrQ orphan being
brought up by a foster mother in
a small German village. The girl
yearns to become -a farmer’s wife
when she grows up, but the villag-
ers and the children realize that
she is different from them, and |
refuse to accept her.

The;- -friendly' schoolteacher ar-
ranges for Moni to be adopted by
a circus family, Truth is. stranger
than fiction (this is based on an
actual story) but 'this does not
always necessarily make a good
screen vehicle as the Outcome of
this one proves.

Once in the circus, the plot falls
apart, into the usual big top cliches.
There’s the girl who . is afraid to
go on the trapeze since seeing her
mother fall from it; the hard-
hearted circus owner; the dying
old clown; the nasty circus brat'
and the excitement of knife r throw-
ing rehearsal. Toxi eventually
finds a home^n the circus, where
she is no longer considered an
outcast. She wins the love of every-
body and goes on to glory on the
high trapeze.

For addicts of films with a circus
background, the brightest moments
are provided by the Krone Circus,
one of Europe’s finest. Interesting
for Americans is little dark-faced
Toxi singing “Swanee River” in
German. The plot oozes sentiment
and could well be classed as a
four-handkerchief film. However,
it still remains a trite if true story.

I Guil.

Dfevojka I Hrast

(The Girl and the Oak)
(YUGOSLAVIAN)

„ .. Berlin, Aug. 2.

Jadran Film (Zagreb-Dubrawa) produc-
tion and release.. Stars Tariiara Mrko-
vie, Miodrag Popovic and Ljubivoje Tadic.
Directed by Kreso Golic. Screenplay,
Mirko jBozic; camera, Frano Vodopivec;
music, Branimir Sakac. At Berlin Film
Festival. Running time, 97 MINS;

Sm.ilJa Tamara Markovic

Bojan Miodrag Popovic

Josip Ljubivoje Tadic

Ivan , Andrej Kurent

Roko Josip Petticic

Marko Viktor Brek

Little Smllja .......... Violeta Prose vska

That the still young Yugoslavian
film industry remarkably has im-
proved in recent years is evidenced
by this film which was entered at
the recent Berlin Festival. Pic,
which includes love, jealousy, pas-
sion and murder, will hardly ap-
peal to average western audiences,
but it may prove an interesting
item for some arty houses.

Beautiful Tamara Markovic por-
trays a poor orphan girl who is
courted by three men. One of
them eventually kills his strongest
rival and the latter's brothers pur-
sue the murderer high into the
mountains where he has hidden
himself. The oak, incidentally, is
the girl’s only true friend, so the
story goes. This oak tree is her
bigge.it inspiration.

Best thing about this production
Is the camerawork by Frano Vodo-
pivec. ’Hiere are a number of im-
pressive shots. Hans.

Quartet of theatremen came in rrom N. Y., two from Chicago, New
Yorkers includes Sol Schwartz, prexy RKO Theatres; Joe Vogel, veepee
in charge of Loew’s Theatres; Harry Kalmine, veepee-general manager
of Stanley Warner; and Charles Moss, of Criterion Theatre. From Chi:
Dave Wallerstein, Balaban & Katz, and Eddie Silverman, Essaness
Theatres.

In a “message” to North Central Allied members in the body’s
current bulletin, President' Bennie Berger expresses the belief that
“some good” has come out of the film rentals meetings between the
joint Allied States-TOA committee and film companies’ heads and
that the distributors “will live up to their word” and afford relief to
small exhibitors,.

At the same time, however, Berger, in his “message,” blasts Warner
Bros, and United Artists for their 50% must percentage terms for
“Mister Roberts” and “Not as a Stranger,” respectively, pointing out
that the action, coming immediately on the heels of film companies'
heads’ words of sympathy and relief promises, is especially repre-
hensible.

Whenever Irving Berlin tells friends “I’m getting jittery” that
means he’s starting to itch to work, and that’s just what is happening.
Songsmith has “Miss’ Liberty” (with Robert E. Sherwood-Moss Hart
a coproduction in legit originally) sewed up for pictures, and he
always has his pet dream of an “ultramodern revue for the Music
Box Theatre” (which Broadway playhouse he owns personally). Then,
too, while he’s cooled off on the CBS-Ford Foundation bid for tele-
casting “Yip Yip Yaphank” and. “This Is The Army” (telescoped and
condensed), RCA’s Manie Sacks has reminded him of a previous com-
mitment Berlin made to that network; i.e., when and if the songsmith
gets video-minded, NBC has first dibs.

Special series of Thursday evening screenings for benefit of its Film
Preservation Fund is being organized by -the Film Library of the
N. Y. Museum of Modern Art; Museum is planning to hold six per-
formances, starting Oct. 6 and ending Dec. 16. Admission will be by
subscription only, membership for the series of six being $10:

Coin realized from the series will be used to transfer the ; Museum's
important films from the old and perishable nitrate stock to the new
triacetate, said to last 400 years. Series will include films which
Museum cannot show publicly at this time, including , pix which pro-
ducers are willing to lend for one performance only. Richard Griffith
is the curator.

Tabloid size newspaper has been devised by Metro for the produc-
tion information, cast and credits on “Trial,” the film based oh Don
Mankiewicz’s. novel. Titled the San Juno Chronicle, after the city
where the action takes place, the front page contains a typical tabloid
headline — “I’m Going to Hang — But I’m Innocent” — Angel Chavez.
The synopsis of the film is written up in regular newspaper style.
The four-page issue also contains facts on the author, director, pro-
ducer and cast members and is illustrated with newspaper-type action
photos.

Those that scoff at film company contest prizes as mere stunts have
an answer from M-G-M of Great Britain. Three years ago, the Metro
subsidiary put on a singing contest as part of its promotion for “The
Great Caruso.” First prize was a one-year scholarship to study at
LaScala in Milan with all expenses paid. It was won by a 21-year-old
tenor named Forbes Robinson. Robinson just celebrated his 100th
appearance at Covent Garden with the Royal Opera House Company
in London. He joined the company immediately upon completing his
studies at LaScala.

Cary Grant, in Boston to ballyhoo “To Catch a Thief,” taking a
look around cracked “It's a shame to see that the theatres I played
in as Archie Leach are all closed this summer.” Grant, out on his
first sellebrity tour, played in “The Street Singer” here 25 years ago.
He reminisced that in those days he was proud of his raccoon coat**
and his Packard phaeton with a hinged windshield. “This is the first
time I’ve ever been out on a drumbeating tour for a picture in my
life, but it looks as if I had chosen the right production.”

Frank Whitbeek, who heads Metro’s studio advertising and trailer
dept, (but is soon to retire) is new Honorary Prexy of Boys Town
Alumni.. Whitbeek has taken an active interest in the Father Flanagan
school in Nebraska since Metro made “Boys Town,” starring Spencer
Tracy, in 1938. Induction ceremonies will be held at BT late in Sep-
tember. Whitbeek also has established an emergency Southern Cali-
fornia fund, known as the Laura Whitbeek Fund, in honor of his wife,
for alumni to draw upon in time of need.

Carl Stockstrom of Imperial, Mo., sold his 29-year old Curtiss
Fledgling airplane for use in making Warners’, “The Spirit of St.
Louis,” based on Col. Charles A. Lindbergh’s 1927 flight from New
York to Paris. The plane is the type that Col. Lindbergh used in carry-
ing mail between St. Louis and Chicago and cruises at 70 m.p.h. In
recent years it has seen service in the U. S. Navy, launched from a
dirigible, and later towed advertising' banners and gliders. It is mak-
ing its flight to New York under its own power.

“This Is Cinerama," which closed at the Orpheum, San Francisco,
after an 64-week run, played to 1,025,943 persons and grossed $1,976,-
778.98.

16 PICTURES

Chesapeake Industries, Inc., par-
ent company of Pathe Laboratories,
has completed arrangements for a
new $6,000,000 five-year loan at
4V£% from A group of three
banks. Proceeds from the loan
will be used as follows: $4,000,000
to refund present bank loans and
$2,000;000 to be added to the work-
ing capital.

~ Banks participating in the loan
were the First National Bank of
Boston, Fidelity-Philadelphia Trust
Co., and the Marine Midland Trust
Co. of New York.

Chesapeake Industries’ net in-
come for the 28 weeks ending
July 16 was $405,884, compared to
$400,987 for the similar period last
year.

PATHE LAB EXPANDS
ITS WESTERN FACILITIES

Pathe Laboratories, a subsidiary
of Chesapeake Industries, is em-
barking a $250,000 expansion pro-
gram of its Coast processing facili-
ties. New program is expected to
doub’e its 35m Eastman cfllor
processing and provide additional
high speed equipment for develop-
ing and printing 16m commercial
and tv film.

This is Pathe’s second expansion
move within a month. Late in July,
it formed a subsidiary, Pathecolor
Inc., to enter the processing of
color still film under license from
the Eastman Kodak Co. First pro-
cessing of still film will be in
Pathe’s New York laboratory, with
the expansion of the still film print-
ing line expected on the Coast
within two years.

The new $256,000 Coast installa-
tion is planned for completion
within six months. It will consist
of color developing machines for
both 35m and 16m. film. Additional
printing facilities to keep pace
witfi developing expansion will also
be added, according to the com-
pany.

Sue on Sousa March In
German ‘Carnival’ Version

Hollywood, Aug. 9.

King Bros. Productions Inc. and
RKO Radio Pictures were made de-
fendants in Superior Court action
filed yesterday (Mon.), asking $40,-
000 dajnages for asserted infringe-
ment of foreign copyright of
John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and
Stripes Forever.’*

Plaintiffs are Joachim Jean
Aberbach, of N. Y., John Church
Co. and Theodore Presser of
Philly, claiming ownership of all
rights to number.

Charge Kings used part of num-
ber three times for German-lan-
guage version of “Carniyal Story,’’
an RKO release.

‘Patterns’ Shot in 41 Days
At Old Vitagraph Plant

Producers Jed Harris and Mi-
chael Myerberg wound up the
filming of “Patterns” at the -Old.
Vitagraph Studio in Brooklyn af-
ter a 41-day shooting schedule.
Film, based on Rod Serling’s tele-
play with the screenplay by the
author, will be released by United
Artists.

Van Heflin, star of the film, com-
pleted his stint the week before
and immediately went into re-
hearsals of the new Arthur Miller
play, "A View From the Bridge.”
Everett Sloane, Ed Begley, Bea-
trice Straight and the supporting
cast were on hand for subsequent
shooting. Fielder Cook, director
of the tv play, also directed the
picture.

Options Crime Reporter

San Francisco, Aug. 9.

Producer Louis de Rochemont
took an option last week on news
stories of The San Francisco Ex-
aminer’s reported Ed Montgomery,
a Pulitzer Winner.

Montgomery, a crime specialist,
only a fortnight ago broke the
Stephanie Bryan disappearance
when he found the missing 14-
year-old’s body in a crude grave in
the Trinity Alps.

De Rochemont believes Mont-
gomery’s stories were “worth
more than just a TV series ... I
think they can be made into a
full-length film.”

Wednesday, August 10, 1955 .

Constantine Signed

i Continued from page 2. ^

formed a French production com-
pany here in conjunction with his
uncle, Dave Goetz.

Constantine came here in 1948
and did a lead opposite Edith Fiaf
in a Marcel Achard musical, “La
P’tit’ Lili,” After that he lan-
guished in Paris, singing in boities.
It was by chance /that he became
a film player in 1952. When U.S.
director Victor Stoloff was looking
for an American gangster type for
a pic, Constantine was recom-
mended.

He got the job and it was on the
strength of this ' that Bernard
Broderie gave him the role of the
scotch-drinking, skirt-chasing G-
Man Lemmy Caution in the Gallic
pic, “La Mome Vert De Gris” (The
Moll Poison Ivy). Constantine’s
insouciance caught on, and so did
the gangster cycle. He made vari-
ous films and soon, became one of
the important stars here. He also
went back to singing to become
one of the top chanters.

Constantine became • his own
producer and among this year's

n moneymakers were two of
is, “Ca Va Barder” (Things
Will Pop) and “V o t r e DeVoue
Blake” (Your Devoted Blake). His
first film under the new setup will
be “Folies-Bergere.” Paul Derval,
Folies prexy, would like to have
him head one of his Folies produc-
tions.

Buck, who was an associate pro-
ducer in v Hollywood, distributed
linany foreign pix including the
Jacques Tati hit, “Mr; Hulot’s Hol-
iday.” He now has Tati under
contract and is producing his next
pic, “Mon Oncle.” Besides produc-
tion, Ruck will continue in distrib.
having the top German grosser
‘"‘08 '15,” ready for release in the
U. S. next season.. ,

Marilyn Monroe

^ Continued from page 1 sss

Fox belle helped the town cele-
brate its 19th century beginning.
Her appearance, albeit three
hours late, drew some 20,000 spec-
tators to the closing affair of the
seven-day centennial fete.

Marilyn’s role was to judge a
beard-growing contest. After pick-
ing 70-year-old W. G. Porter as
whisker king she planted a* kiss
which the elderly gent described
as “different from those I used to
get as a boy.” ^

La Monroe, who arrived and left
as quickly as a summer tornado,
told newsmen her real interest in
the country centennial was. to
“commune with Lincoln and the
arts.”.

Clutching a picture history of
Lincoln’s .life to her decollete,
scholar Monroe, confessed she
sleeps (both in Hollywood and
New York) below a picture of
Honest Abe.

That’s when she sighed, “He’s
like a father to me.”

Given a highway police escort
out of Bement to catch a New
York bound plane she vowed to
return to Lincoln.., land, and spe-
cifically Springfield where Ahe’s
home and tomb are located.

‘Cardinal’

■mmmmmm Continued from page 1 s— ^

are said to consider any picturiza-
tion of the book as an invasion of..;
privacy.

There’s also the book’s love an-
gle which might not be palatable
to the U. S. hierarchy.

While de Rochemont execs won’t
comment on this reported attitude,
they nevertheless expect Catholic
cooperation and advice in the mak-
ing of the film which is to roll on

location in Boston, Rome and pos-
sibly Germany. De Rochemont
originally paid $100,000 for the
rights to the book which has en-
joyed a phenomenal worldwide
sale.

Meanwhile, Lothar Wolff of the
de Rochemont staff has completed
the treatment of a picture on the
life of Johann Christian Bach for
Lutheran Church Productions and
expects to submit it to the Luther-
ans next week. They will then de-
cide whether or not to commission
de Rochemont to make the film.
Wolff produced the very success-
ful "Martin Luther” under the de
Rochemont banner for the Luther-
an churches.

BELGIUM ORDER OF
LEOPOLD TO ZUKOR

The Belgian government, by or-
der of King Baudouin, has hon-
ored Adolph Zukor, Paramount
Pictures hoard chairman) with the
Chevalier of the Order of Leopold.

Presentation of the decoration
was made to Zukor in N. Y, Mon-
day (8) at the Belgian Consulate-
General by Baron SilvercrUys, the
Belgian Ambassador to the United
States.

Belgian honor came to Zukor
“in recognition of the services he
has rendered to international un-
derstanding and the high quality
of the motion picture productions
of his company,” Several ranking
Belgian diplomats witnessed the
ceremony.

Accompanying Zukor were Mrs,
Zukor and their daughter, Mrs.
Mildred Z. Loew; George Weltner,
Par’s worldwide sales topper, and
James E. Perkins, Par Internation-
al exec v.p.

Hit Plays, Novels

Continued from page 1 —

day’s market, the minimum price
is usually $25,000, with a $500,000
demand not beyond reach. Metro’s
$350,000 for Robert Ruark’s “Some-
thing of Value” is the top recent
price paid for a novel, but -there
are indications that publishers and
agents are prepared to top that
price if . the right property comes
along. As an example of the high-
priced literary market, story, buy-
ers cite the $250,000 asking price
for “Man in the Gray Flannel
Suit,” a first novel by Sloan Wilson.

The same situation applies to
plays. Metro’s $500, 000 plus 10%
if the picture grosses over $4,000,-
000 for “Cat On a Hot Tin Roof” is
a recent high for a straight play.
Sam Goldwyn’s $1,000,000 plus a
percentage for “Guys and Dolls”
also points up the trend and is
serving as the mark at which pro-
ducers of Broadway musicals are
shooting for in sales to pix firms.
The stiff demands for a number of
current Broadway attractions are
delaying the closing of some deals.

Foreign Tastes

Continued from page 3 mlmmiZ

South America. Domestic market,
which is the . one that delivers the
biggest returns in the shortest
time, still is the primary consid-
erations. Yet, the international ap-
peal pays off, particularly if a film
isn’t doing so well in the U. S.

Example would be 20th-Fox’s
“The Racers.” It’s doing disap-
pointing business domestically.
Abroad, where ' car racing is far
more popular than in this country,
it is expected to clean 'up. If
“Racers” shows a profit, it’ll be
primarily as the result of the for-
eign income.

Studios generally have in-
structed their N. Y. story depart-
ments to be on the lookout for
yarns with universal appeal and
this pitch is due for intensifica-
tion in the 3 'ear ahead. “The for-
eign market is no longer some-
thing we can afford to take or
leave,” noted one story dept. exec.
“We are today more aware than
ever that a film must earn its way
abroad.' ^.Rd that eliminates some
pV. 9 P£&ti e s, |tUtqjnatically,”

• .** .. . , 'V ; . -

O’Shea

Continued from page 3

with daily announcements and
press conferences.

O’Shea, former CBS veepee,
hasn’t move into his office as yet.
He is scheduled to meet with
O’Neil on the Coast later this week.
On his ‘return, it’s hoped that
RKO’s new direction will be clari-
fied. The sales staff has been push-
ing two pictures in the field — “Son
of "Sinbad” and “Pearl of the South
Pacific.” It is anxiously awaiting
O’Shea’s word on new product,

O’Neil’s message to “all person-
nel,” dated July 28 but issued Aug.
3, said in answer, to “speculation
as to what our plans are alleged to
be” that “actually, we have formu-
lated only preliminary attitudes, all
of which contemplate a ‘business
as usual* atmosphere in all divi-
sions of both organizations, with-
out personal dislocations or in-
convenience.”

‘Guys and Dolls’

ymiiSm Continued from page *3 SSSS

with a solid profit despite the pro-
ducer’s stiff terms. Deal involved
Qoldwyn’s “Hans Christian Ander-
sen” in Nov. 1952, a deal which
Goldwyn at that time termed “the
best I ever made.’* Under the ar-
rangement, Goldwyn received the
first $200,000 from the Broadway
stand. Thereafter Moss recouped
his operating expenses for the
time period it took for Goldwyn to
garner the first 200G intake. The
theatre’s profit resulted from a
10% cut of the next money that
came in after overhead and there-
after the house and Goldwyn split
90-10 on the net profits.

It’s believed that Goldwyn’s de-
mands for “Guys ahd Dolls” will
exceed those for “Andersen” since
this is his mostly costly undertak-
ing. For “Andersen,” the deal
hinged on a day-and-datq arrange-
ment, with the picture simultane-
ously playing at the east side Paris
Theatre under similar terms. ,

‘9

At the moment, Moss is report-
ed to have the inside track on
“Guys and Dolls,” although there’s
still .a chance that Loew’s Theatres
may make a pitch for the film for
the Capitol Theatre. However,
Goldwyn is said to have expressed
surprise that Joseph Vogel, Loew’s
Theatres topper, had not put in a
preliminary bid for the picture.
This was before V^gel and Moss as
well as a number of other circuit
chiefs came put to the Coast at
Goldwyn’s invitation to see a rough
cut of the film last week. (To
many, the Capitol is regarded as
the natural site for the Broadway
i bow since it is next door to Lindy’s,
the inspiration of Damon Runyon’s
fictional Mindy’s and the hangout
of Runyon's characters):

Although Metro is handling the
distribution of “Guys and Dolls,”
Goldwyn has the final say on all
exhibition deals. He’s the only in-
die in M-G’s stable who has the
right. When the joint Allied
States-Theatre Owners of America
committee recently sought clarifi-
cation of distribut'ors’ freedom in
making deals for their indie pro-
ducers, Metro sales chief Charles
M. Regan told the group that the
film company had the last word on
all pictures excepting “Guys and
Dolls.” w ■.

’ In addition to Moss and Vogel,
circuit toppers at the Coast show-
ing included RKO’s Sol Schwartz,
Stanley Warner’s Harry Kalmine,
Balaban & Katz’s Dave Waller-
stein, Essaness Theatres’ Eddie
Silverman, National Theatres’ Ed-
die Zabel, Paramount Theatres’
Jerry- Zigmond, and Southside
Theatres’ Roy and Marco Wolff.
Sitting in with the circuit execu-
tives were Reagan and other Metro
sales-distribution toppers.

Reagan, Goldwyn, James A. Mul-
vey, prexy of Samuel Goldwyn
Productions, and Robert Mochrie,
general sales manager, huddled to
finalize a sales policy' for the film,
which- will run two hours and 45
minutes.

COLUMBIA PICTURES’

N. Y. SALES POWWOW

Columbia begins a two-and-a-haif-
day sales session, in New York
today (Wed), under the supervi-
sion of distribution chief Abe Mont-
ague. Attending the meetings will
be the company’s domestic divi-
sion manager's and key hofiieoffice
sales execs.

Under discussion will be the
handling and continued selling of
“The Man From Laramie” and
plans for the fall release of “My
Sister Eileen.” Pub-ad toppers will
also outline promotional and ad-
vertising plans for upcoming re-
leases. “

Col’s release schedule for Sep-
tember lists five pictures, largest
monthly total of the year. Pix in-
clude “Footsteps in the Fog,” “The
Night Holds Terror,” “Special De-
livery,” “The Gun That Won the
West,” and “Apache Ambush.”

Screen Actors’ Edifice

Hollywood, Aug. 9.

Screen Actors Guild has signed
a contract for construction of a
new two-and-one-half story build-
ing, to cost about $225,000, It’ll
be on the southwest corner of Sun-
set Blvd. and Genesee St. Ready
date is next Feb. ’10.

Building, of contemporary de-
sign, will contain 16,300 square
feet and will have parking for 44
cars.

In Its largest closed-circuit deal
to date, RKO Theatres has com-
pleted arrangements with Theatre
Network Television for the presen-
tation of the Itycky Marciano-Ar-
chie Moore heavyweight cham-
pionship fight on Sept. 20 in eight
theatres.

The RKO houses in Washington,
D.C., Dayton and Cincinnati have
permanent closed-circuit installa-
tions. For theatres in Columbus,
Kansas City, Rochester, N. Y.,
Hollywood, and San Francisco, the
theatre chain has leased mobile
units from TNT.

PARAMOUNT PICTURES’
6-MO. NET: $5,165,000

• Paramount Pictures last week
estimated earnings of $5,165,000
for the six months period ended
July 2. Net is equivalent to $2.36
per share on the outstanding
stock. Comparable period in ’54
netted Par $3,962,000, or $1.79 per
share.

Second quarter earnings in 1955
were estimated at $2,307,000, or
$1.05 per share on the 2,188,916
shares outstanding on July 2. By
comparison, the second quarter in
1954 earned Par $1,726,000, or 78e.
per share.

In the second quarter of ’54, an
additional $832,000, or S38c. per
share,, was earned on the sale and
adjustment of investments In sub-
sidiary and - affiliated companies.
No such non-recurring profit was
realized in 1955.

Par board last Week voted a 50c.
quarterly dividend per share on
the common stock payable Sept.
15, 1955, to holders of record Aug.
26, ’55.

‘I Am A Camera’

Continued from pace 3

seal, it might take the issue to
court on a restraint of trade
charge. Industry lawyers gener-
ally feel that, with divorcement,
such* a charge, probably couldn’t
stand up, the business having a
right to police itself.

As for the Legion of Decency,
Father Thomas F. Little, its ex-
ecutive director, has seen “Cam-
era” but the Catholic group hasn’t
yet rated the film and isn’t likely
to do so before Schwartz huddles
with Father Little on the subject.

‘Camera’ Eyes ‘Moon’

Meanwhile, industry observers
see a clear parallel between “I Am
a Camera” and. “The Moon Is
Blue,” the Otto Preminger pro-
duction which United Artists re-
leased and which, without Code
seal and with a “C” or condemned
rating from the Legion, managed
to rack up a healthy 6,000 bookings
and a $3,000,000 gross.

“Moon” never did get the Code
okay, but an MPAA exec admitted
that the Code’s handling of the
comedy constituted “a blooper.”
It became obvious at .that time
that, provided a film had suffi-
cient b.o. ingredients, exhibs
would play it, seal or no seal.
Legion’s frown also didn’t appear
to hurt “Moon” to any great ex-
tent, raising a question as to the
gating body’s actual influence on
the audience.

It’s, now felt that “I Am a Cam-
era,” which DCA plans to release
without a seal if . the Code won’t
budge— and which is unlikely to
get Legion approval in its present
form— may constitute afurther
test of the strength of the Code
and may serve to determine the
extent to which the Legion’s power
at the b.o is real.

There is no question that, in
some areas, the Legion rating is
important and, if unfavorable, can
severely handicap certain types of
pix. On the other hand, there
are those in Hqllywood and also
in distribution in N. Y. who feel
that the Legion’s ability to “kill”
a film has been vastly overrated,
particularly when a picture has
quality.

Latter, of course, is the key to
any realistic test and the question
of whether “Camera” equals
"Moon" in that respect remains to
be answered by crix and public.
N. Y. reviews were mixed.

“Camera” 1 opened to standout
biz in Asbury Park, N. J. last week
and preemed at the Little Cor-
negie, N. Y. Monday (8).

Wednesday, ■ August 10, 1955

Sensational main, credit and end title treatment pro*
dueed by National Screen Service for the great SOth
Century-Fox Cinemascope hit In De Luxe Color brings

these unusual* first time trade comments!

^ *

National Screen expresses 'its admiration to Saul Bass , distinguished artist*
designer who created the original idea tor the titles tor “THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH"
and also for "CARMEN JONES", another. NSS title production. ,

.Qctom

SERVICE 9

ifMUMtr or ntctftDusmv

PICTURES

Wednesday, August 10, 1955

Hollywood Production Pulse

ALLIED ARTISTS

Starts, This Year . ..16

this Date, Last Year. .... .16

"WORLD WITHOUT END"

Prod. — Richard Henxlfcnct
Dir.— Edward Beirnds
Hugh Marlowe. Nancy Gates, Lisa Mon-
tell, Mickey Simpson, Shawn Smith,
Rod Taylor
(Started July 21)

"SHACK UP ON 101"

Exec. Prod. — William F. Broldy
Prod.— Mort Mlllman
Dir. — Edward Dein

Terry Mpore, Frank Lovejoy, Lee Mar-
vin, Keenan Wynn, Len Lesser, Whit
Bissell.

(Started Aug. 1)

COLUMBIA

Starts, This Year . .

This Date, Last Year . . .

Harry Believer. Torben Meyer, Peggy
Moffltt, Ring Donovan
(Started July 11) '•

"THE PROUD AND PROFANE"

(Shooting in Virgin Islands)

Prod.— William Perlberg
Dir.— George Seaton
William Holden, Deborah Kerr* Dewey
Martin, Thelma Ritter, Marion Ross,
Ann Monies, Nancy Sinatra, Ross
Bagdasarian, William .Redfield, Ger-
aldine Hall, Evelyn Cotton
(Started July 16)

RKO

Starts, ~This Year ...11

This Date, Last Year. ..... 4

"44 SOHO SQUARE"

.(Film Locations, Ltd.)

(Columbia Release)

(Shooting' in London!

Exec. Prod. — Mike Frankovich
Prod. — George Maynard
Dir. — Vernon Sewell
Faith Domergue, Lee Patterson, Martin
Benson

(Started July 4)

"TAMBOURINE"

Prods. — Howard Welsch, Hairy Tatle-
man

Dir. — Nicholas Ray

Jane Russell, Cornel Wilde, Luther
Adler, Joseph Callela, James Russell,
Mikhail Rasumny,. Wally Russell, Nina.
Koshetz

(Started July 18)

"GAMMA PEOPLE"

(Warwick Productions)

(Columbia Release)

(Shooting in Austria)

Exec. Prods. — Irving Allen, A, R. Broc-
coli

Prod. — John Gossage
Dir.— John Gilling
Paul Douglas, Eva Bartok
(Started July 35)

"JUBAly TROOP"

Prod.— William Fadiman r
Dir. — Delmat Daves *

Glenn Ford, Ernest Borgnine, Rod
Steiger, Valerie French, Felicia Farr,
Basil Ruysdael, Charles . .Bronson,’
Noah Berry Jr., Jack Elam, Robert
Knapp, John Dlerkes, Juney Ellis, Don
Harvey

(Started July 28)

"SAFARI"

(Warwick Productions)

(Shodtlng in London)

Exec. Prod.— Irving Allen, A. R. Broc-
coli

Prod. — Adrian D.. Worker
Dir. — Terrence Young
Victor Mature. Janet Leigh, Roland Cpl-
ver, Orlando Martins
(Started' Aug- 2)

"THE- EbDY DUCMInVsTORY"

(Shooting In New York)

Prod. — Jeriy Wald
Dir. — George Sidney
Tyrone Power, Kim Novak, James Wftit-
mone. Rex Thompson, Jerry Antes,
Nat Brandwynne
(Started Aug. S)

METRO

Starts, This Year .....
This Date, Last Year. .

...13
... 10

"I'LL CRY TOMORROW"

Prod. — Lawrence Welngarten ,

Dir. — Daftlel Mann

Susan Haywards Richard Conte, Eddie .
Albert, Jo Van Fleet. Don Taylor,
Ray Danton
(Started June 15)

"the Cast hunt"

Dir. — Richard Brooks
Robert Taylor, Stewart Granger, Lloyd
Nolan, Russ Tamblyn, Anne Bancroft
(Started July 13)

"LUST FOR LIFE" *

(Shooting in France)

Prod.- — John Houseman
Dir. — Vincent Minnelli
Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, Niall
MacGinnis, Pamela Brown, Roger
Libesey

(Started Aug. 2)

"VIVA LAS VEGAS"

Prod. — Joseph Pasternak
Dir.— Ray Rowland

Dan Dailey, Cyd Charisse, Oscar* Karl-
wels, Lily Darvas, Jim Backus, Cara
Williams, Liliane Montevecchi, Lena*
Horne, Frankie Laine
(Started Aug. 2)

"THE TEN COMMANDMENTS"
Prod.-Dir.— Cecil B. DeMUle
Assoc. -Prod.— Henry Wilcoxon
Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne
Baxter, Yvonne DeCarlo, Debra Paget,
Judith Anderson, Edward G. Robin-
son, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Vincent
Price, John Carradine, John Derek.
Olive Deering, Martha Scott, Julia
Faye, Henry Wilcoxon, Douglas Dum*
brille, Ian Keith, • Frank DeKova,
Peter Hanson, Donald Curtis, H. B.
Warner, Joan Woodbury, John Mil-
jan, Joyce Vanderveen
(Started Oct. 14)

"THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH"
Prod.-Dir. — Alfred Hitchcock
Assoc. Prod. — Herbert Coleman
James Stewart, Doris Day, Chris Olsen,
Bernard Miles, Ralph Truman, Brenda
De Banzie, DanieT Gelln, Reggie Nab
der, Betty Baskcomb, Alan Mowbray.
Mogens Wieth. Audelhak Chralbl, Pat
Aherne

(Started May 12)

"THE GEORGE GOBEL COMEDY"

(Gomalco Productions)

Prod. — Paul Jones
Dir. — Norman Taurog
George Gobel, Mitzl Gaynor, David
Niven, Fred Clark, Reginald Gardiner, <

REPUBLIC *

Starts, This Year. 9

This Date, Last Year 3

20th CENTURY-FOX

Starts, This Year .12

This Date, Last Year . 9

"GOOD MORNING, MISS DOVE"

Prod. — Samuel G; Engel
Dir. — Henry Koster

Jennifer Jones, Robert Stack, Kipp
Hamilton, Robert Douglas, Peggy
Knudson, Biff Elliott, Mary Wickes,
Chuck Connors, Ted Marc. Jerry Paris
(Started July 13)

UNIVERSAL

Starts, This Year .... .19

This Date, Last Year .17

"THE BENNY GOODMAN STORY"

Prod. — Aaron Rosenberg
Dir.— Valentine Davies
Steve Allen, Donna Reed, Berta Ger-
sten, Barry Truex, Harry James, Ben
Pollack, Gene Krupa, Lionel Hamp-
ton, Teddy Wilson, Herbert Anderson,
Robert F. Simon, Sammy Davis Jr.,
Martha Tilton, Hy Averback
(Started July 1)

"A DAY OF FURY"

Prod— Robert Arthur
Dir. — Harmoij Jones
Dale Robertson, Mara Corday, Jock
Mahoney. Carl Benton Reid, Jan
Merlin, Sheila Bramley, John Dehner.
Howard Wright, Dani Crayne, Jane
Howard

(Started July 22)

WARNER BROS. .

Starts, This Year . ....... .14

This. Date, Last Year 11

"GIANT" ....

Prods-- 1 — George Stevens, Henry Gins-
berg

Dir.— ^Getirge . Stevens'

Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, -'James
Dean, Jane Withers, Chill Wills, Mer-
cedes McCambridge, Judith Evelyn.
Paul Fix, Carroll Baker, Dennis Hop-
per, Robert Nichols, Rodney Taylor
(Started May 16)

"THE COURT-MARTIAL OF BILLY
MITCHELL"

Prod— Milton Sperling
Dir. — Qtto Preminger
Gary Cooper, Ralph Bellamy, Charles
Bickford, Rod Steiger, Fred Clark,
Herbert Heyes, Elizabeth Montgom-
ery, Jack Lord
(Started June 18)

"OUR MISS BROOKS"

Prod. — David Weisbart
Dir. — A1 Lewis

Eve Arden, Robert Rockwell, Jane Mor-
gan, Gale Gordon, Gloria McMillan,
Richard Crenna, Leonard Smith, Dick
Adams

(Started July 26)

"THE LONE RANGER"

Prod. — Willis Goldbeck v.

• Dir. — Stuart Heisler
Clayton Moore, Jay Silverheels, Bonita
Granville, Lyle Bettger, Robert Wilke,
Perry Lopez
(Started Aug. 1)

INDEPENDENT

"1984"

(Holiday .Productions)’ *

(Columbia Release) . ,

(Shooting hr London)

Exee. Prod. — N. Peter Rathvon
Prod. — Jdhn Croydon
J)lr. — Michael Anderson’

Edmond O'Brien, Michael Redgrave,
Jan Sterling
(Started May 31)

"THE SEARCHERS"

Prod. — Merian C. Cooper
Dir. — -John Ford -

John Wayne, Jeff Hunter, Ward Bond,
Natalie Wood, Lana Lisa Wood, Ken
Curtis. John Qualen, Olive Carey,
Henry Brandon, Harry Carey Jr.,
Hank Warden< William Steele, Plppa
Scott, Robert Lyden, Beulah Archu-
letta, Antonio Moreno, Cliff Lyons,
Vera Miles, Walter Coy
(Started June 18)

"FOREIGN INTRIGUE"

(Sheldon R$ynplds Productions) ’

(UA Release)

(Shooting In Stockholm)

Prod'.-Dlr. — Sheldon Reynolds
Robert Mitchum, Genevieve Pag*
(Started July 1)

"WAR AND PEACE"

(Pontl-de Laurentlis Productions)
(Paramount Release)

(Shooting in Rome)

Prod. — Dino de Laurentlis
Dir. — King Vidor

Audrey Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Mel
Ferrer, Milly Vitale, Barry Jones,
Jeremy Brett, May Britt .
(Started July 4)

"TRAPEZE"

fHecht-Lancaster Productions)

(UA Release)

(Shooting In Paris)

Prod — James Hill
Dir. — Sir Carol Reed
Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Gina
Lollobrigida, Katy Ju rad o^ 'Jhgm a

‘Angels' High $20,000,
Denver; Fonda 18G, 2d

Denver, Aug. 9.

“We’re No Angels” looks stand-
out here this session, with top coin
total at Denham and sock all-round
stanza. “Mister Roberts” still is
great in second frame at the Cen-
tre while “Kentuckian” also is very
big in initial holdover round at
Paramount. “Man From Laramie”
is Tate fine at Denver also in sec-
ond. -..“Lady- and Tramp” still is
good in third week. All these
holdovers are staying on additional
W66ks*

Estimates for This Week

Centennial Drive-In (Lee). (625
cars; 75) — ■ “Wichita” (AA) and
“Spy Chasers” (AA) (2d wk). Fair
$4,009. Last week, $6,000.

Centre (Fox) (.1,247; 60-$l)—
“Mister Roberts” (WB) (2d wk).
Smash $18,000 for Henry Fonda
starrer. Holds again. Last week,
$ 21 , 000 .

Denham (Cockrill) (1,750; 50-85)
— “We’re No Angels” (Par). Great
$20,000. Stays pm Last week,
“Seven Little Foys” (Par) (3d wk),
$8,500.

Denver (Fox) (2,525; 60-$l) —
“Man from Laramie” (Col) (2d wk).
Fine $12,000. Stays over again.
Last week, $22,000.

Orpheum (RKO) (2,600; '60-$l)—
“Lady and Tramp” (BV) (3d wk).
Good $9,500. Holds. Last week,
$17,500.

Paramount (Wolfberg) (2,200;
60-$l) — “Kentuckian” (UA) (2d
wk). Very big $15,000 or near.
Holds again. Last week, $19,000.

Tabor (Fox) (1,500; 50-85)— “Mad
at World” (FM) and stage show.
Fair $4,000. Last week, subse-
quent-run.

TV ‘Spoiling’

Continued from page 1 sss

Gary Cooper starred, plus two
Claudette Colbert vehicles,
“Stranger” and “Tomorrow Is
Forever.” All these films are
slated for tv release, either through
O’Neil’s RKO bundle or his other
pix acquisition.* ••

Because of the approximate day-
&-date status pf the live vs. pix
offerings, O’Neil doesn’t like it a
bit and, it’s "been learned, he’s
threatening sdit to prevent Mont-
gomery from doing the live stanzas.
Montgomery-Gibbs purchases of
the stories, from all accounts', were
made , independently, of the pix
with 'no encroachment on rights
and they-don’t intend to yield the
properties. .

- Accenting the plight of the tv
drama producers in their, quest
for original script- material, the
“Climax” presentation of “Dr,
Jeykll & Mr. Hyde” a couple weeks
back on CBS-TV, and even the
trotting out of ‘fTrilby” eamou-|
flaged in a musical treatment. for
the recent Oldsmpbile • spec on
NBC-TV are- more of- the same.

. Already the NBC-TV cross-rthe-
board “Matinee” full-hour dramas
on tap for the fall is encountering
writer problems, with exec pro-
ducer Albert McCleerv turning to
warmed-over scripts to meet the
emergency.

McCleery has. alerted; producers
and packagers of other major
drama entries that he’s willing to
pay up to $1,100 for the twice-told
tales, if the scripts fit into the day-
time pattern. Thus far he’s been
in negotiation with “Robert Mont-
gomery Presents,” “Studio One,”
“Kraft TV Theatre” among other
hour-long showcases, and has
wrapped up. about 30 re-runs. At
tjhe rate of $ve ? dramas a week,
however* .he's still got a problem/

20th Offsels'Rank

Continued from page 3 — ;

were up 20%, In Australia 11%
and in South Africa 19.53%.

20th’s British revenue figures are
significant in that the company
originally suffered a considerable
setback^, and lost revenue, when it
battled the J. Arthur Rank chains
over stereophonic sound and book-
ing policy. (Rank pulls each picr-
ture after a week's run regardless
of gross. 20th couldn’t see it that
way). Eventually, 20th formed its
own “circuit” of indie houses will-
ing to install Cinemascope. Its pix
haven’t played the Rank chain
since.

Gomez, Johnny Puleo
(Started Aug. 1)

"TWO GUN LADY"

(Lyon and Bartlett Productions)

Exec. Prod. — Earle. Lyon
Prod.-Dir. — Richard Bartlett
Assoc. Prod.— -Ian McDonald '

Peggy Castle, William Talman, Marie
Windsor, Bob Lowrey, Ian McDonald

Picture Grosses

KANSAS CITY

(Continued from page 9)
wk). Great $13,000. Last week,
$15,000.

Roxy (Durwood) (879; 75-$l) —
“Seven Little Foys” (Par) (3d wk).
Pleasant $5,500; holds again. Last
■weeks, $7,000.

Tower, Uptown, Fairway, Gra-
nada (Fox Midwest) (2,100; 2,043;
700; 1,217; 65-85)— “Francis in

Navy” (U) and “Road to Denver”
(Rep). Nifty $17,000, ahead of.
other “Francis” films here. Last
week, “Magnificent Matador” |
(20th) and “Cowboy and Lady”
(2pth) (reissue), $18,000.

‘LARAMIE’ LUSH 24G,
CLEVE.; ‘ROBERTS’ 27G

Cleveland, Aug. 9.

Strong holdovers' are proving
heat-proof here this session. Lone
important newcomer, “Man Fromi
Laramie,” is giving the Palace a
lively round. “Mister Roberts” at
the Allen is pacing the city al-
though in its second stanza with 1
another potent take after a terrific
opeqer. “Never Too Young”
shapes" smooth in second State
week.

Estimates for This Week

Allen (S-W> (3,000; 70-$1.25)—
“Mister Roberts” (WB) (2d wk).
Potent $27,000 after $36,000 op-
erier.

Hipp (Telem’t) (3,700; 70-$l)—
“Came From Beneath Sea” (Col)
and “Creature Atom Brain” (Col)
(2d wk). Off to fair $7,500 in 5
days. Last week, $25,000.

Lower Mall (Community) (585;
70-90) — “Wayward Wife” (IFE)
(2d run). Average $2,200. Last
week, “Oh Amelia” (Indie) and
“Behind Closed Shutters” (Indie),
$ 2 , 000 .

Palace (RKO) (3,286; 70-$l)—
“Man From Laramie" (Col). Hotsy
$24,000. Last week, “Lady and
Tramp” (BV) (3d wk), $11,000.

Ohio (Loew) (1,244; 70-90)—

“Seven Little Foys” (Par) (m.o.)
(5t*h wk). Steady $5,000. Last
week, $6,000.

State (Loew) (3,500; 70-90) —
“Never Too Young” (Par) (2d wk).
Smooth $15,000 after $18,000 op-
ener.

Stillman (Loew) (2,700; 70-90)—
“Not as a Stranger” (UA) (m.o.)
(6th wk). Perky $10,000. Last
week, $12,000.

‘Stranger’ Record 50G,
Omaha; ‘Benson’ Hot 12G

Omaha, Aug. 9.

“Not. as Stranger” is racking up
an all-time Omaha gross this ses-
sion, thanks to the unique booking
of playing full string of six Ralph
Goldberg houses. - Goldberg has
employed a 60c bus to take over-
flow from bis downtown State to
nabe houses. “Private War of
Major Benson” is stout at the- Or-
pheum, especially on matinee biz.
Of holdovers, “We’re No Angels”
is nice at the Omaha in moveover
while “Lady and Tramp” is okay
*in fourth week at Brandeis.

Estimates for This Week

Brandeis (RKO) (1,100; 75-$l)—
“Lady and Tramp” (BV) (4th wk).
Respectable $5>000. Last week,
$8,500.

Omaha (Tristates) (2,000; 70-90)

, — “We’re No Angels” (Par)’ (2d
wk). Nice $7,000 in move from
Orpheum. Last week, “Seven Lit-
tle FoyS” (Par) (2d Wk), $8,500.

Orpheum (Tristates) (2,890; 70-
90): — “Private War of Major Ben-
son” (U). Hearty $12,000. Last
week, “We’re No Angels” (Par),
$14,000.

State, Dundee, Avenue, Military,
Ames, Council . Bluffs Broadway
(Goldberg) (860; 750; 850; 900; 750;
1,250; 80-$l) — “Not as Stranger”
(UA). All-time city record of $50,-
000 or near. Last week, “How to
Be Popular” (20th) (2d wk), $4,800.

INDIANAPOLIS

(Continued from page 8)

No Angels” (Par) and “Adventures
of Sadie” (20th), $10,000.

Indiana (C-D) <3,200; 75-95)—
“Mister Roberts” (WB) (2d wk).
Strong $14,000 after $21,000 op-
ener.

Keith's (C-D) (1,300; 50-75)—
“Dam Busters” (WB) and “Jump
Into Hell” (WB). Oke $5,000.
Last week, “Pearl South Pacific”
(RKO) and “City of Shadows”
(Rep), ditto.

Loew's (Loew) (2,427; 50r80) —
“Cobweb” (M-G) and “Moonfleet”
(M-G). Modest $8,000. Last week,
“Not- As Stranger” (UA) (3d wk),
$7,500, making run total nearly
$32,000, at 75c-95c scale. ,

‘COBWEB’ BRISK 14G,
TORONTO; ‘CHASE’ 12G

Toronto, Aug.. 9.

Only important newcomer is
“Cobweb,” to big returns, with
bulk of biz going to holdovers. In
latter category, “Sea Chase” and
“How To Be Popular” are > both
fine in second stanzas. “Interrupted
Melody” and “Dam Busters” both
are hep in third sessions.'

Estimates for This Week

Christie, Hyland (Rank) (848;
1,357; 60-90) — “Kind Hearts,

Coronets” (Rank) and “Man White
Suit” (Rank) (reissues). Good $6,-
500. Last week, $8,000.

Downtown, Glendale, Scarboro,
State, Westwood Taylor) (1,059;
955; 696; 694: 975; 40-75)— “Rage
at Dawn” (RKO) and “Bowery
Boys, Sky Chasers” (AA). Big $15,-
000. Last week, “Hell’ Island”
(Par) and “Finger Man” (AA),
same.

Esrlinton, University (FP) (1,088;
1.558; 60-$l)— “Dam Busters” (WB)
(3d wk). Big $10,500. Last week,
$13,000.

Fairlawn, Odeon (Rank) (1,165;
2,580; 75-$l) — “How To Be Pop-
ular” (20th) (2d wk). Hefty $12,000.
Last week, $15,000.

Imperial (FP) (3,373; 60-$l) —
“Sea Chase” (WB) (2d wk). Fine
$12,000. Last week, $18,000.

Loew’s (Loew) (2,090; 60-$l) —
“Interrupted Melody” (M-G) (3d
wk). Neat $10,500. Last week,
$14,000.

Shea’s (FP) (2,386; 60-$l) —

“Seven Year Itch” (20th) (6th wk),
Nice $8,000. Last week, $9,500.

Uptown (Loew) (2,745; 60-$l) —
“Cobweb” (M-G). Big $14,000. Last
week, “Purple Mask” (U), $10,000.

Seattle Sags; ‘Young’

9G, ‘Roberts’ Big 14G

Seattle, Aug. 9.

The Seafair is getting fair
weather and drawing many to
town. This counter-attraction means
firstruns are not doing so well.
City is 100% holdover outside of
twin bill at Blue Mouse. Both
“Never Too Young” at- Coliseum
and “Mister Roberts” at Music
Hall standout among the second-
weekers. “Roberts” is especially
Smash.

Estimate for This Week;

Blue Mouse (Hamrick) (800; 90-
$1.25)— “Young Sinners” (Indie)
and “Dangerous Cargo” (Indie).
Big $6,000. LastvWeek, “Francis in
Navy” (U) and “City of Shadows’*
(Rep) (2d wk), $2,800.

Coliseum (Evergreen) (l,a70; $1-
$1.25) — “Never Too Young” (Par)
and “Silver Star” (Rep) (2d wk).
Socko $9,000. Last week, $15,400.

Fifth Avenue (Evergreen) (2,500;
$1-$1.25) — “Summertime” (UA)
and “Top of World” (UA) (2d wk-
5 days). Fair $4,500. Last week.
$7,600.

Music Box (Hamrick) (850; 90-
$1.25) — “Not- As Stranger” (UA)
(6th wk). Good $5,000. Last week,
$6,900.

Music Hall (Hamrick) (2,300; 90-
$1.25)— “Mister Roberts” (WB)-(2d
wk. Smash $14,000 or close. Last
week, $21,700.

Orpheum (Hamrick) (2,700; 90-
$1.25) — “Cobweb” (M-G) and
“King’s Thief” (M-G) (2d wk). Oke
$6,000. Last week, $11,200.

. Palomar (Sterling) (1,500; 75)—
“Wizard of Qz” (M-G) (reissue) (2d
wk). Fine $4,000. Last week, $6,000.

Paramount (Evergreen) (3,039;
$1-$1.25)— “Lady and Tramp" (BV)
(4th wk). Good $6,500. Last week,
$11,300.

MINNEAPOLIS

(Continued from page 9)

“Mister Roberts” (WB) (2d wk).
Still flying high, after one of big-
gest first weeks at this house in
some time. Gigantic $16,000. Last
week, $27,000.

RKO - Orpheum (RKO) (2,800;
85-$l) “Man From Laramie” (Col).
Big $16,000. Last week, “Lady and
Tramp” (BV) (3d wk), $11,000.

BKO-Pan (RKO) (85-$l) “Lady
and Tramp” (BV) (m.o.). Fourth
week downtown, sock $7,000. Last
week, “Ain’t Misbehavin’ ” (U) and
“Land of Fury” (U) $5,000 at 65-
85c.

State (Par) (2,300; 85-$l) “Pur-
pie Mask” (U). Okay $8,000. Last
week, “The Cobweb” (M-G) (2d
wk), $8,000.

World (Mann) (400; 75-$1.20)

“Not as Stranger” (UA) (4th wk).
They’re still fighting to get in
, here, Socko $9,000. Last week, $8,-
200 for six nights being closed one
night by strike.

LIFE'S

great

SPECIAL TO PRODUCERS AND EXHIBITORS

Here art a few example* of LIFE'* tremendous

audience

can..

build

your

Impact in city aftor city across tho country:

U. W Lurf. 1 .*

Market Area

No. of
Theaters*

Seating

Capacity*

L1FI

Audience f

Fargo, N. D.

6,170

11,620

Pooria, III.

11,410

38,920

Hartford, Conn.

ft, 522

168,690

Macon, Ga.

6,168

12,910

« Reckef.llwFleie, New York 20, N.Y.

WEEK BY WEEK,

MORE PEOPLE READ LIFE
THAN ANY OTHER MAGAZINE

pictures

♦Source: Film Daily Year Book. fSource: A supplement to
A Study of the Accumulative Audience of LIFE (1950), by
Alfred Politz Research, Ino.

PICTURES

Wednesday, August 10, 1955

Selves On

Boston. Aug. 9.

Although Sunday censorship in
Massachusetts has been dealt a
knockout blow by the Supreme
Court and the city of Boston's right
to censor a picture before it is
shown publicly has been, success-
fully challenged by the Beacon Hill
4 theatre with “Game of Love,” cen-
sorship dies hard here and efforts
to reimpose censorship are already
underway.

Despite a warning from Rep.
Harold Putnam (Rep.) that “it is
not in the best interest of the state
to return to censorship which has
made this state a laughing stocky
for years,” a hew bill to curb Sun*
* day films won its first House test
Wednesday (3>. *

Rep. Putpam added: “We have
freedom of the press, freedom of
books and the same freedom should
now be extended to pictures.”

The House; overturned an ad-
verse committee report on tne
measure and then sent the bill to
the House Ways and Means com-
mittee. Sunday entertainment
could be judged lewd or obscene
and be banned by. the State De-
partment of Public Safety under
the new bill.

The measure was filed by the
State 'Public Safety Commissioner
Otis M. Whitney, and resulted from
the recent Supreme Court decision
which ruled in the Brattle Theatre,
Cambridge, ca^e that the Sunday
ban on films was unconstitutional.

The bill was filed just at the
time the picture industry here was
hailing the end of censorship and
warning itself that the end of- cen-
sorship heightens their own respon-
sibility. Newspapers hailed the ap-
parent end of censorship loudly
and hoped for the end of the oft
'quoted “banned in Boston” tag.

However, Whether or not cen-
sorship is' really ended or not is
questionable. First, the bill, already
okayed by the House, appears
“more unconstitutional” than the
law killed by the Supreme Court,
according to Frank C. Lydon execu-
tive secretary. Allied Theatres of
New England, representing over
200 theatres in the six state region,
who has been busily engaged in
protecting the picture industry in
hearing after hearing this summer.

Subtler Pressures

Secondly, censorship of the sub-
tler sort is - still exercised in com-
munities by special interest groups.
These, groups protest to the city
officials, or to the board of select-
men in towns, and either the thea-
ter bows to the pressure or hear-
ings are held and the theatre usu-
ally* withdraws the . picture. .

The Hub’s power of censorship
‘Jha$ always been a vague opera-
tion. State censors and the city
censor usually saw films before
public showings. Until the Supreme
Court declared the law uncon-
stitutional on July 9, the pictures
were censored for Sunday showing.
The city censor would “express an
' opinion” to the theatre operators
if parts or all of the film was objec-
tionable to him. Usually, if the state
censor okayed the picture for Sun-
day showing, the Hub censor went
along with it.

Boston is now no longer unique
or different. The censors say that
no "picture cah be banned unless
it is obscene. Both the Massachu-
setts Supreme Court and the U.S.
Supreme Court ruled that prior
censorship is unconstitutional be-
cause it violates the First and Four-
teenth amendments of the United
States Constitution.

With the end of the Puritan.,
paradox of oneday (Sabbatarian)
censorship, which in practice cen-
sored the entire -week, a rash of

New York Theatre

n— RADIO CITY KUSIC HALL —

. Rockefeller Center

“.MISTER ROBERTS'*

in ChtMiaScnp* and WamarCotor stirrinfi

HENRY FONDA • JAMES CAGNEY
WILLIAM POWELL - JACK LEMMON

A WARNER BROS. PICTURE
•mf VfCHCMM STUE NBEMTATHN

foreign films was foreseen in some
quarters for the Hub. Interest in
foreign films in this “Athens of
America” has always been high,
but the literate and arty set have
had to jourrtey to New Yorl^to see
many of the top imports.

Already “Game of Love,” which
won- the hurdle of Hub censorship
at the Beacon - Theatre last week
and is doing sock biz, hypoed by
the extensive censorship hassle
publicity, has drawn a • number of
letters to the .editor in Boston
newspapers in defense of foreign
pictures.-

Three theatres in the Hub area
have been showing foreign and art
films, the Beacon, the Exeter, and
the Kenmore. In Cambridge, the
Brattle Theatre> now playing a legit
Shakespeare revival for the sum-
mer and returning to foreign films
in the fall, brought the case in
which the State. Supreme Court
ruled • that Sunday censorship of
pictures was unconstitutional..

Question of how censors would
go about banning a film if it was
found obscene has not been made
public. It is indicated that they
would proceed through a court of
law.

COST OF CENSORSHIP

Boston, Aug. 9.

Hub film distribs are . enjoying
a holiday from an average $37.50
fee for screening each feature for
the State Public Safety Dept's
Sunday censorship. With the
knocking out of the law as uncon-
stitutional by the Supreme Court,
the little known facts on the cost
of the screenings to the distribs
came to light.

Each time a film was presented,
cost was $3.50 per thousand foot
reel with $1 per reel for the 1 oper-
ators, and $3.50 to the New Eng-
land Film Board of Trade, Aver-
age for a 10-reel subject was thus
$37,50.

While this is now* eliminated, it
may prove to he just a* holiday^ as
a nbw bill has already won House
approval which ‘ seeks to restore
most of the rights formerly held
by the safety department in cen-
soring films;

King Bros, bought “The Ameri-
can Jubilee,” story of an all-girl
orchestra authored by Clarence
Marks.

Hakim’s N.Y. Conferences
On Italian ‘Continent’

Hollywood, Aug. ~9i
Huddles with major companies
for U. - S. and Canadian distribu-
tion of “Lost Continenta,” Italian
motion picture .feature, will be
held in N. Y, by Raymond Hakim
during his stay in Gotham.

Former Hollywood, producer,
who holds .world rights to film,
turned . out by Count Leonardo
Bonzi, first sessioned with a num-
ber of American ‘distributors in
H.- Y. several weeks ago en route
to Coast to visit his sister.

60c: Popcorn Boom

Minneapolis, Aug. 0.

Parkway offered six features for the regular single 60c admis-
sion on Sunday, advertising in newspapers “a mammoth movie
marathon.” Patrons could enter the theatre for 6Qc in time to
catch the start at 2 p.m. arid were privileged to sit through the
six different features until 11:30 p.m., nine and a half hours.

Pictures were “The Scoutmaster,” “The Son of Paleface,” “The
African Queen,” “Casanova Brown,” “The Four Poster” and
“Snows_ of Kilimanjaro,” presented in that order. All were “A”
product in their timp.

With 97 degree heat, theatre did better than average business
for the day and the valiant viewers gave the concession stand a
boomlet.

'Hell hath rio' fury like a woman
scorned or show biz like an actor
who doesn’t get his proper billing.

Problem of getting exhibs to live
up to the studios’ contractual bill-
ing arrangements with performers
in ads and on the marquees is a
vexing one for the distribs who are
-trying to do right by the stars in
their pix.

As a matter of fact, several of the
ad-publicity offices in N.Y. say
they’re more or less giving up
trying to police exhibs and enforc-
ing the proper credit lineup except
when they’re with the theatres in
coop ad campaigns. Then, of
course, the companies see to it that
billings are honored as per players’
contracts.

of Pending

[is 84th Congress Recesses ]

* Washington, Aug, 9.

_■ Few important bills affecting amusements were
passed in the first session of the 84th Congress, but
a substantial number were introduced. Since the
same Congress returns in January for its second
session, all pending bills remain alive, with a chance
of some becoming law next year.’.

A larger-than-usual number of investigations of
motion pictures, radio arid tv were launched some
of which may result in legislation next year- or the
year after. .. .

Here are the facts as they stand:

Motion Pictures

Most important bill to become law set' a uniform,
four-year statute of limitations for private antitrust*,
suits. The motion picture studios and distributors,
harder hit by the treble damage actions 'than any
other industry, were strongly behind it. *•

add prospects seem no better, than in other years.
It is a blunt truth that the jukebox lobby In Wash-
ington is stronger than that of ASCAP.

. Identical bills to incorporate a National Music
Council under Federal charter have been introduced
in both the House and Senate and should pass in
1956. There appears to be no controversy.

Rep. Frank Thompson Jr. . of New- Jersey, intro-
duced a bill to repeal the 10% admissions tax on
legit, concerts and lectures to aid “development of
musical and theatrical activities in this country.”
Bill is backed principally by the League of New
York Theatres.

Congress voted a law for a Committee to “plan”
a National Theatre and Cultural Center in Wash-
ington,. and to report back in 1956. This objective
has been sought- for a number of years. It got
through, because the bill anticipates that the cost
of the project will be raised by public subscription,
rather than by tax money.

Again bills are in the House and Senate to restore

Radio-TV

Wedged in a house judiciary sub-committee is a
companion measure, givirig Federal judges discre- Ford's Theatre, where Lincoln was assassinated, as
tionary power to fix compensation in private anti- it was at the time the 'president was slain there,
trust suits at less than . the . now mandatory treble
damages. This was supported by the distributors and
Justice Dept: antitrust division, but was* Strongly op-
posed by Allied States Assjv and other exhibitor
groups. Recently, identical House and Senate bills
were introduced to exempt the punitive damage por-
tion of treble damages from Federal income taxes.

This portion of the a wards, had always been consi-
dered' tax. exempt until the U.S. Supreme Court
recently upheld a lower court decision that the award
was taxable. *

One bill which passed was important to the in-
dustry 'more for what was eliminated from it than
for what became the law. This was the measure

The Federal Communications Commission was
Voted authority and $80,000 ip expense money for a
•widescale study of network broadcasting. This might
.be a basis for giving the FCC authority to regulate
the networks as well as Individual stations. Senator
Warren G. Magnuson, Chairman of the Senate Com-
merce .Committee, obtained $200,000 for an investiga-
tion of the webs and the UHF-VHF situash. This got
started under the direction of Sidney Davis as
majority counsel. However, because of ill-health and
other reasons, Davis submitted his resignation and
the probe has slowed down. Its first hearings will
which increased minimum wages from 75c per hour probably not be held until early next year and- its

to $1. In its earlier stages, it carried language mak- scope will be much narrower than originally antici-

ing all Saturday and Sunday work subject to over-
time pay, no matter hoW little was worked during
the remainder of the week. This would have hurt
the theatres, bulk of whose business is done week-
ends, at which time . extra help is added. However,
the section was killed. The industry generally had
no objection to the $1 minimum rate.

A bill was approved in the house ways and means
committee providing a 14%. tax credit on the over-
seas earnings of American film companies. The in-
dustry, seeks to add it to a larger administration bill
covering manufacturing abroad by American com-
panies, but excluding motion picture operations.
Treasury Dept, favoring the bill, opposes the benefit
for films. However this objection does not appear
as strong as it was in the 83d Congress.

There is talk of a Senate small business sub-
committee conducting hearings on the film rentals,
such a. probe may get under way eayly in 1956. It
has been fostered by the Allied States Assn., which
is also demanding that film rentals be made subject
to control by the Federal Trade Committee. No
responsible member of Congress has stated he Is
willing to go so far. Indirectly, the. film industry
has. been helped by the level of prosperity of busi*
ness overseas, since foreign earnings are increasingly
important for Hollywood. Hence, the industry was
pleased when Congress voted substantial economic
aid for foreign nations.

Legislation to make juke boxes subject to the
copyright laws was introduced, as it has been in
every recent Congress but showed no signs of life

pated.

Congress voted to eliminate the 10% manufactur-
ers’ excise on radio, television and phonographs Used
for business rather than entertainment. This will
apply largely to purchases by states and municipali-
ties for equipment for fire, police, forestry, civilian
defense and other essential services.

Senate twice extended the life of Senator Estes
Kefauver’s subcommittee investigating juvenile de-
linquency. This committee has conducted intensive
hearings on the possible effects of television and
motion pictures in stirring up youngsters, and has
rapped both media. It has recommended stronger
self-policing, and has particularly suggested that
motion pictures made especially for tv should be
placed under a code to protect young audiences.

Several ; bills in congress would prohibit broad-
casting of gambling information, and would limit the
right of equal time to reply to political speeches to
candidates of . major parties. This last restriction
has beeii largely upheld by the Supreme Court.
Again, there are a number of bills to bar advertising
of alcoholic beverages.

A bill: by Rep. Carl Hinshaw, of California, would
settle the home-toll television issue by making toll-
tv and closed-circuit tv USe wired service, and bar
the air channels to both.

A few bills would set regulations for televising
Congressional hearings and would bar any commer-
cial sponsorship Of such telecasts. Some bills would
prevent FCC from discriminating against newspapers
in making station grants.

For the rest, exhibs do pretty
much as they wish, it’s acknowl-
edged at the Companies. “We try
to impress them with the. impor-
tance of proper billings,, but it’s ai
.big country and we cari!t watch
everyone,” was one resigned com-
ment.

Exhibs, while sympathetic with
the problem faced by the com-
panies, nevertheless afe far more
concerned with what appeals to
their audiences than with, dotted
lines on a star’s contract. For in-
stance, if star X is popular in the
keys and is supposed to get top
billing, chances are he’ll get it.
However, if he doesn’t mean any-
thing to the folks in the sticks, who
are likely to be more interested in
the female lead, theatres will blow
up her name without much regard
to prescribed billings.

Latter frequently are a headache
to the companies in the makeup
of ads since the top stars are apt to
jealously guard their prerogatives
as to prominence. One company re-
cently had an instance where the
two female stars of a film were
pictured in a pose that seemed to
give the lead player a slightly in-
ferior position.

Player's attorneys promptly Com-
plained. The art department boys,
after doing some heavy thinking,
came up with an acceptable solu-
tion: They just switched the heads
in the ad. ,

Boston, Aug. 9.

There will be no showing of pic-
tures in barrooms in Boston, The
Licensing Board has rejected the
application of die Trimount Cafe
to show 16mm. sound films for the
entertainment of its customers and
Miss Mary Driscoll, chairman of
the board, warned all cafe and
tavern operators presently showing
such films to cease the practice.

Theatre operators and Police
Commissioner Thomas F. Sullivan
opposed the petition at a publia
hearing. He said cafes are trio dif-
ficult, to patrol and .that, the films
might entice yourigsters Into the
spots. Juveniles are not prohibited
from entering these places and
purchasing soft drinks, he pointed
out.

At the hearing, Atty. Leonard
Poretsky; representing Wholesome
Films, distributors, said the films
were rentals, not sold or given
away, and released for nonttyeatri-
cal use. He pointed out that his
interest was in “defending the type
of product.”

■ Frank C. Lydon, executive sec-
retary, Allied Theatres of New
England, opposed the petition. A
similar attempt to show pictures in
bars and cafes had been stopped
two years ago.

Nixing was seen as the end of
the road for those places now show-
ing old films without benefit of
license.

Jto-Light Inglewood House

Los Angeles, Aug. 9.

The 1,200-seater Imperial Thea-
tre In Inglewood has been leased
by Helm -‘Hoffman Enterprises
from Sduthside Theatres, and will
be Operated on a 21-day break at
50c,

House has been denk for nearly
a year.

Wednesday, August 10, 1958

RADIO-TELE VISION 21

■ 9 -

Anybody Got a Good Script?

As the thre6 major video networks move into a dranja-Mppy
status with the opening of the new fail season next month (add,
for example, the Armstrong-Pontiac full hour weekly dramatics on
NBC-TV, not: to mention the multiplying number of half-hour net-
work and . syndicated shows), the producers are presently on a
frantic prowl for suitable script material.

They’ll settle for a lot less than a Paddy Chayefsky or a Reginald.
Rose (the best of the crop, incidentally, including the aforemen-
tioned two, are now toiling in the pix studio vineyards with adapta-
tions of their video vehicles). All they want are some solid, pro
guys with^a. feeling for the medium. ••

But from all indications there aren't enough of them to go
around for the ’55-’56 schedules. ■

Pearl Bailey’s $50,000 for Six ‘Toast’ Appearances

Accents New Trend

Contract negotiated by Pearl
Bailey for six tv appearances on
“Toast of the Town" next season,
for which she'll receive $50,000 (a
far cry from her onetime $20 a
week hoofer-singer assignments)
points up the newest trend on ma-
jor tv showcases toward extract-
ing promissory notes from per-
formers to play it the “exclusive”
way.

Emcee Ed Sullivan, for one,
is willing to shell out top coin (in
this case one of the highest guar-
antees thus far) to keep a star oft
all other- tv entries throughout the
season.. Usuaji practice' for
VToast” and other shows is to set
a time limit, usually three to six
weeks, in which guests must re-
frain from going on for others, but
the “Pearl of good price” exclusiv-
ity is something of an Innovation.

However, the Sullivan deal
doern’t preclude Miss Bailey from
fulfilling non-tv assignments. Thus
she’s set .for eight weeks at the
Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas for
$150,000. She’s also been signed
by Paramount for a role in “King
of Hearts”- with Bob Hope and
George Sanders. Deals were ne-
gotiated by Miss Bailey's lawyer,
manager, Chauncey Olman.

LoueDa Parsons'

Hollywood, Aug. 9.

Deal was finalized, - this week
for Louella Parsons to telecast a
half-hour filmed show next season
for Toni and Viceroy cigarets. Ac-
cording to Issadore Lindenbaum,
prexy of Filmcraft, which con-
trols the package, only a few minor
details remain to be settled.

Series of 30-minute programs, of
gossip, film clips, interviews and
live dramatizations will air over
NBC-TV on Sundays at 10:30 p.m.,
cast and west, Tagged “See Hol-
lywood with Louella Parsons,” pro-
gram is slated to tee off in early
October.

'$64,000 QUESTION’

ON AM FOR REVLON

Revlon, which sponsors the Tues-
day night “$64,000 Question” on
CBS-TV, lost no time in negotiating
deal for the show’s, radio version
when it learned that an aural ver-
sion was up for grabs.

As result the show becomes a
simulcast in the 10-10:30 period
starting in October. NBC was ip
there along with Columbia pitching
for the radio segment.

Dicker ’Leonora’ Series
For Marie Wilson on TV

Hollywood, Aug. 9.

CBS is negotiating for the
Dwight Taylor property, “Loves of
Leonora,” as a possible tv series
for .Marie Wilson, under contract
to network.

Format deals with the fancied
and. factual love affairs of a former
actress, slanted for the use of
guest stars. Taylor would have
partial ownership of package and
write some of the scripts.

monitor’s’ Ship-to-Shore

NBC’s “Monitor” is planning
the first shortwave pickup of a
musical segment off a boat, a pair
of remotes from the Wilson Line’s
Hudson River (N. Y.) excursion
Sunday night (14). Both re-
motes, scheduled at 15 minutes
each at 9:30 and 10:30, will fea-
ture PeeWee Russell & His All
Stars in a jam session commemor-
ating the 50th anni of riverboat
jazz. Customary practice on ship-
to-shore pickups is to run' cable,
but since the boat will be cruising,
a shortwave setup will be used.

Sessions will be emceed by Bob
Sylvester, N. Y. Daily News colum-
nist.

Standard Brands last week came
through with an order, for 80 15-
minute participations in the Ten-
nessee Ernie show, swelling NBC-
TV’s daytime coffers to the ..tune
of $1,700,000. Coupled with a
Johnson & Johnson order for
seven quarter-hour participations
in Ernie, the . Ted Mack show and
“World of Mr. Sweeney,” plus the
Alcoa one-day (Dec. 7) saturation
participations in VToday,” “Home”
ahd the upcoming “Matinee” dra-
matic series, the daytime billings
overall get a $2,000,000 hypo
within a 10-day span.

Standard Brands buy, coupled
with some orders placed by the
company the previous week, now
stands at 106 quarter-hour com-
mercial insertions extending from
Aug. 15 to Sept. 23.

GIANT GIVEAWAY
ON MUTUAL AGENDA

Mutual is planning a telephone
quiz show with a top prize of $250,-
000. It’s been marked for an Octo-
ber start, with cross-the-board
treatment slated during three dif-
ferent times of the radio network
sked.

Tentative setup calls for a half-
hour at noon five days a week. Dif-
ferent contestants will be caught
in a 3:30 p.m. strip and ; still others
in a 10 to ll p.m. strip. In all,
there’ll be eight 'contestants daily
and 40 per week.

In each quarter-hour of the two-
hour daily lineup of “Quarter Mil-
lion Quiz,” as it. will be called, two
contestants will be phoned. They’ll
qualify for calls on the basis of let-
ters written in, and in order to win
the $250,000 top prize, they must
answer seven tough queries. For
contestants who’d rather shy from
this difficult “all or nothing” top
cash category, mechanics of the
show will provide alternate query
categories paying off in prizes rang-
ing from $100 up. "

The daily two-hour quiz will be
sold in quarter-hour strips, follow-
ing the old time standard for radio
sales. 4

II ILL

Perhaps the most revolutionary
move in recent radio annals, call-
ing for the elimination of soap
operas and a drastic realignment of
day tiibe programming ..in which the
present weekend “Monitor” pattern
would be applied every day 10
a.m to 5 p.m. for a total of 75
hours a week, is now being studied
on a top NBC level.

There’s nothing definite as yet,
and the ultimate answer will lie
with the network affiliates in terms
of station acceptance of a seveh-
days-a-week “Monitor.” but if the
plan does hurdle the affiliates, NBC
hopes to get it rolling by the last
quarter df this year.

A committee of NBC execs is
now thoroughly exploring the
“Monitor” picture. Two alterna-
tives are presently being weighed;
to start it off on a two-hour a day,
Monday-through-Friday schedule,
and otherwise cling to the current
afternoon soap schedules or, as the
other faction puts it, “why not go
whole hog and shootrthe works with
a seven-hdur-a-day schedule, in
addition to 40 hours of weekend
‘Monitor’.” Once that decision is
reached, NBC execs will sit down
with the key affiliate advisory com-
mittee, headed by Robert D.
Swezey, of WDSU, New Orleans, to
sound put affiliate reaction.

The latter remains a big ques-
tion mark. NBC realizes it wasn’t
easy getting the weekend show off
the ground; si lot of stations are
still reluctant to embrace, it full-
fold and are taking it in dribs and
drabs while still clinging to their
local schedules.

However, “Monitor” has an im-
pressive sales record and is “in”
so far as its future status is con-
cerned. As with the weekend “Mon-
itor,” plan would be .to sell the
weekday show on the same, minute
or less participation basis.

Both Colgate and Procter &
Gamble, mainstays of the daytime
soap operas in radio, are easing out
of the medium in favor of the
swing' to tv. Passing of the soaps
would end one of the longest runs
on thp sound mediuha of any type
program. Ijbr a long time they’ve
been losing their pull as the serials
on tv have been outdrawing by
two to one the tear jerkers on
radio.

Menotti’s ‘Amahl’ Up
For Sponsor Grabs;
106G Time-Talent Tag

Gian-Carlo Menotti’s “Amahl
and the Night Visitors” is slated
for its customary Christmas day
showing this year by NBC-TV, but
for the first time in several years
the opera is up for sponsor grabs.
Sponsor for the past couple of
seasons, Hallmark Cards, is . all
wrapped UP in its Sunday Maurice
Evans specola deal on the web,
and isn’t taking it this year.

Opera is slated for a black-and-
white showing by the NBC Opera
unit in a one-hour version some-
time between 4 and 5:30 p.m.
Christmas Day. Network has
tagged the package at $106,700 net
for time and talent. Program cost
itself runs about $38,000.

Roger Bower to WROW

Albany, Oct. 9.

Roger Bower, producer-director
at WOR for 20 years and later as-
sociated with NBC in the same ca-
pacity, has been appointed pro-
gram director of WROW.

GOLDEN JUB/LEE YEAR

1905-1955

9 9

Status With $15,000,080 Gross

Actors-Turned-Directbrs

Along with the dearth of
competent script writers for
television, producers are be-
ing hard-pressed these days in
finding directors as well. As
result actors with a flair for
directing are being recruited
to step into the breach.

For example Robert Mont-
gomery who produces the
Monday night hour series on
NBC-TV, has negotiated a
deal with actor John Newland
(who has appeared on many
of the Montgomery stanzas) to
work full time next season in
a directorial capacity. He’ll
open the season with . the
Sept; 12 production of “Wo-
man in the Window.”

Montgomery has also signed
another actor to serve as di-
rector on the series. He’s Rob-
ert Eilenstein, who played the
title role last season in Mont-
gomery’s two-part version of
“Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

Gen. Motors Wins;

When Alcoa ’ last week relin-
quished its option on the Tuesday
night 10:30 to 11 period on CBS-
TV (the period following “$64,000
Question” ) , prospective clients
practically formed a line to the
right in putting in their bid for
the period. General Motors was
given the nod, via the Kudner
agency, a gesture • that doesn’t
come as a particular surprise in
view of the fact that- Kudner’s*
radio-tv veep Mike Kirk had
tossed over NBC and Milton Berle •
to pour the Buick millions into
CBS-TV’s Jackie Gleason show,

Nod to GM came as a .disap-
pointment to Speidel, which had
asked CBS to “make for us like
$64,000 Question” with a com-
paniate-type show. The watch
band company has had a long and
impressive track record with give-
aways, 0 its sponsorship of “Stop
the Music” having put Speidel in
the bigtime.

GM is undecided as yet what
show' it will put into the Tuesday
night segment. It's considered a
cinch that it will fall heir to a
big audience spillover from $64,-
000 Question.” There will be oc-
casional preemptions of the GM
time to permit for expanded ver-
sions of Ed Murrow’s “See It
Now.”

All TV Networks
Romancing O’Neil
For RK0 Stockpile

Industry ears have perked at the
fact that NBC-TV and CBS-TV in
making bids to. Tom O’Neil for
pix out of his RKO stockpile. Spe-
cial signifigance is attached to NBC
and CBS plans for doing a network
feature pix show, particularly since
sources at GT don’t consider any
of the network bids as an effort
to stave off the effects of a strike
by the Screen Actors Guild (It's
said they came before the union
strike was a serious factor.)

The slight probability of O’Neil
letting them pick and choose the
best features (due to theatrical re-
run potentials) is felt to have been
evident to the networks when they
made their bids. Therefore, con-‘
sensus is that webs’ aren’t pri-
marily interested in buying the pix
for geewhizzer treatment. Follow-
ing ABC’s lead, they will be used
rather for a regular weekly coaxial
slotting. That’s if they can get ’em,
of course.

Los Angeles, Aug. 9.

While it's become fashionable to
proclaim that radio isn’t dead, no
where is the fact more noticeable
than ip Southern California,
where, against the competition of
seven tv stations, local broadcast-
ers have so far racked up their
most profitable year. The coin
keeps rolling in, despite a round
of station rate increases already
in effect or coming shortly. Even
so, in many cases the advertiser
has to wait, money in hand, for
good availabilities.

An educated guess from one
competent source, based on 1 852
FCC station revenue figures, sets
the current annual total station
gross in the L.A. market alone at
$15,000,000. And that’s a con-
servative estimate, the informant
adds. Of course, several factors
•have to be weighed in this pic-
ture.. For one thing, Southern
California has enjoyed a terrific
population boom SlnceN 1950. For
instance, suburban West Covina
has grown 536% since 1950, and
ill Anaheim, where Disneyland is
located* the increase is 106.5%.

Also, .the general U.S. biz pic-
ture has been bullish, with llA. a
leading .market. It is now con-
sidered the third largest U.S. re-
tail market and should be second
in five years if the present rate of
growth continues. Last figures
show that 4,8% ’of the nation’s to-
tal retail business is done here.

Southern California broadcast-
ing has rolled along with the trend,
with one station’s gross rising to-
a whopping 124% for this year’s
first six months, compared to the
same 1954 p e r i o d. Generally,
though, the dollar volume of
metropolitan L'.A. area stations
has climbed about 30 to 40% dur-
ing this period, with 'the more
spectacular, gains registered in
outlying fringe areas.

SCBA’s Aggressive Fight

While general population and
business rises figure in the in-
crease in station biz, the stations
haven’t contented themselves with
merely drifting along with the tide.
Through their trade org, the
Southern California Broadcasters
Assn., they’ve been waging an ag-
gressive fight for both the » adver-
tising buck and for more listeners.

Part of this has been a series of

(Continued on page 24)

Bing’s High Tor
CBS-TV Nov. Spec

Apparently all differences be-
between CBS-TV and Bing Crosby
as regards his upcoming brace of
specs for the network have now
been resolved (one of the reasons
behind program chieftain Hubbell
Robinson’s recent protracted stay
on the Coast), and the first Crosby
90-minute spectacular hits the air
in color in November. It goes into
the Saturday night 9:30 to 11 seg-
ment as one of the eight Ford-
sponsored presentations.

Crosby will do a musical version
of Maxwell Anderson's “High Tor,”
with Anderson and composer Ar-
thur Schwartz now in the throes
of whipping it into shape.

CBS series tees off next month
with a Judy Garland spec to. be
presented from the Coast by her
husband-manager, -Sid Luft. Second
spec, in October, will be a Mary
Martin-Noel Coward musical.

Britain’s TV Soaner

. London, Aug. 9.

Britain’s first daily tv serial is to
be launched on the hew commer-
cial web, the day after it starts
operating. Associated-Rediffusion,
which will run the London station
on weekdays, is to start telecast-
ing on Sept. 23 a family feature
entitled “Sixpenny Corner,” writ-
ten by Jonquil Antony and Hazel
.Adair.

• First program will be aired Sept.
23

RADIO-TELEVISION

Wednesdays August 10, 195$.

OF MOWS IN FIRST TV REPORT

NBC’s recently-organized Chil-
dren’s Program Review Committee

liaflded down its first report this
weeit, and the network is talcing
the unusual step of making the
frankly critical report public, be-
sides giving it wide distribution
among its kidshow producers. The
report, while commending NBC on
many of its methods and steps in
handling children’s programs, is
highly critical of practices and
omissions in the kiddie shows and
hands down several recommenda-
tions for change in program con-
tent, techniques and overall pro-
gramming. 4

Report was made public by NBC
Veep Richard A. R. Pinkham, who
also asked all producers to ‘’give
this memorandum your most care-
ful consideration ^and then let me
have your frank comments.” Pink-
ham said the report “is so thought-
ful and approaches the problem' in
so constructive a manner that I
feel it should receive the widest
possible circulation among the op-
erating people directly responsible
for our children’s programs.” Com-
mittee comprises Dr. Frances Hor-
wich, educator and f emcee of the
web’s “Ding Dong School”; Mrs,
Douglas Horton, a member of the
NBC board, former president of
Wellesley College, and wartime di-
rector of the WACS; and Dr. Rob-
ert M. Goldenson, psychologist
and family relations expert.

Critical elements of the report,
©f which there are 13 specific
points, Cover (1) effect on parent-
child relationships of suggested or
demonstrated action which w r ould
be forbidden at home (destroying
public property, shooting seltzer
water and throwing things at each
other); (2) over-expitement of a
solid hour or more of disjointed,
sometimes frenetic action; ( 3 ) bad
grammar, . poqr pronunciation,
name calling except for strictly
character parts clearly identified;
(4) overdone, destructive and too
frequent slapstick of questionable
taste; (5) crudeness,

(6) Action, camera shots and
admonition tending to frighten
children; (7) exploitation by pro-
gram builders of children on shows
(use of . youngsters merely .to
amuse an adult audience, simulated
or forced endorsement of com-
mercial products); (8) overem-
phasis on money; (9) misuse of
commercials; (10) misguided en-
lightenment (inaccurate informa-
tion or information couched in
terms which children cannot under-
stand); (11) insufficient enlight-
enment (“NBC’s excellent policy
of integrated enlightenment has
not yet been as effectively realized
on programs designed for children
as on those designed for the
family as a whole”); (12) group
relations (a need for more posi-
tive help to children in under-
standing people unlike them-
selves); and (13) stereotypes in
(Continued on page 28)

Oops

Couple of the recommenda-
tions in the first report of
NBC’s Children’s Program Re-
view Committee must have
been particularly embarrassing
to the network. Among its
recommendations citing the
need for ,. “balance” in pro-
gramming, the committee sug-
gested several program for-
mats, among , them two to this
effect: “field trips to interest-
ing, instructive places sucli
as tunnels under construction,
factories, the Post Office” and
“child-animal series using sit-
uations and conveying ideas
that can be readily transferred
by the child-viewer to his own
life.”

Format descriptions are
dead ringers for two current
shows,. ’''Let’s Take a Trip”
and “Lassie.” Trouble is, both
shows are on CBS,

Ruth Crane Third

Washington, Aug. 9.

Ruth Crane, veteran femmecas-
ter with a background of 27 years
in broadcasting, has bowed out of
WMAL, where she held dual post
of director of women’s activities
and top telecaster on distaff side.
Miss Crane a multiple award win-
ner, has had her own show, “Mod-
ern Woman,” 1 since coming to
WMAL in ’44, expanding to tv in
’47. _ During Past year, show was
confined ‘ to video.

Miss Crane began her broadcast-
ing .career with WJR, Detroit, in
1928, becoming known almost im-
mediately as an expert in home
economics. She garnered national
recognition for her trailblazing ef-
forts with “Shop by TV,” which she
emceed for over three years, set-
ting the pattern for similar shows
throughout the country. She’s the
third top femmecaster to exit the
local station scene in past year.
Nancy Osgood, WRC-NBC, and
Elinor Lee, WTOP-CBS, ankled
their jobs sans explanation.

QUAKER OATS’ MUTUAL
BUY; ALSO GRID SALE

Burbank TV Expansion

Los Angeles, Aug. 9.

NBC-T V will immediately under-
take the third phase of construc-
tion on its 48-acre Burbank site
with the erection of a three-story
office building tp cost -in excess of
$1,500,000. John K., West, net’s
western division vp, was given the
green light at monthly board ses-
sion in N. ; Y; • ■

. Fourth phase will be a height-
limit administration building still
remote from the blueprint stage.
Initial construction was two studios
for black-and-white followed by
the color studio.

Bobby Sanford, Official’s
Extra-Curricular Status
As Writers Exclusive Rep

Fast-developing but little-known
facet of Official Films’ operations
is its agency business being con-
ducted in association with indie
agent Bobby Sanford. Within the
past couple of months, Sanford,
who is an officer of Official and

shares his quasi- independent
agency receipts witli the telefilm-
ery, has signed exclusive deals for
representation of Paddy Chayef-
sky and Delbert Mann, two of the
hottest tv-to-Broadway shuttlers.

It was Sanford that set the sale
of Chayefsky’s latest, “The Catered
Affair,” to Metro for a pic ver-
sion, and Sanford’s also dickering
a ' fall Broadway production of
Chayefsky’s “Middle of the Night.”
He’s set Mann to direct Tyrone
Power's new Broadway entry, "A
Quiet Place,” slated for produc-
tion under the Roger Stevehs-Play-
wrights Co. aegis and has set Mann
for three Hecht-Lancaster pix. Lat-
est Sanford project is a motion
picture package'* that would tie in
a script by Chayefsky, direction
by Mann and star roles for a roster
of Sanford clients that include
Fredric March, JBurgess Meredith,
Basil Rathbone arid Walter Abel.

Sanford joined Official more
than two years ago, shortly after
Hal Hackett left MCA to become
prez of the telefilm outfit. His
duties were never completely de-
fined, but the intention of the
firm at the time was to enter the
live packaging field plus radio
transcriptions, with Sanford head-
ing up the talent end. Mean

4 444 4 4444444 4 4 44 44 4444-4 4 4 4-4-4-44»4444 4 4 4 » M »»444 444*

■44444444 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 444 4 44 4 44444 ♦ 4 4 4 4 4^4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 44-

IN NEW YORK CITY ...

Whitehall Pharmacal Co, has handed over the account on a new
product, as yet unnamed, to Scheideler, Beck & Werner, agency
which handles Whitehall’s Hill’s Cold Tablets , . . Maggie Ettinger,
prez of the flackery, arrived from. the Coast over the weekend for a
month of business huddles, accompanied by Wayne Clark of the firm’s
Coast office . . . Eugene Htt, ex-ForjoC Sc Co. account exec, Joined
CBS Spot Sales in same capacity . , . Walter Cronklte subbing for
Doug Edwards on latter’s CBS newscasts , . . Cass Franklin, director
of Lou Walters Enterprises, signed singer Jerome Courtlandto a
personal management pact . . . Mike Boscia, CBS Radio publicity, ill
at New York’s Memorial Hospital and welcoming mail . . . ABC
expanded its- publicity department still further, adding Christie Barter,
formerly with Musical America mag, as assistant photo editor under
Tony Leighton; Joe Weston, ex-Time-Life and Warners, as an ex-
ploitation staffer; and Stan Morris, ex-Len’ Simpson flackery on the
Coast, as a Coast publicity staffer,- Barter and Weston will operate .
in N. Y. . . . E, Power Biggs, CBS organist, off on a concert tour of 26
towns and cities in Germany and Austria . . . Ted Koop, director of
CBS news and public affairs in Washington, to speak at the ninth
annual convention of ' Air Force Assn, in Sari Francisco Friday (12)

. . , Earl Wrlghtson continuing his singing chores on Robert Q. Lewis*
radio-tv segments despite two broken ribs suffered in a boating acci-
dent . . . NBC press veep Syd Elges off to Easthampton for three
weeks . . / Jack Sterling takes two weeks off in Florida starting Aug.
22, but will commute weekends to Philly for his “Big Top” tv’er, with
Pete Thomas spelling him on his WCBS waker-upper . , . Boh Haymes,
already well-stocked in the travel department With a 27-ft. power
boat, a Swift two-seater plane and a ’29 Model A Ford, has added a
Jag to the collection . . .Bill Randle, WCBS dee jay, entered in several
state tennis tourneys and is also set as an entrant in three auto speed
races in the midwest . . . Jerry Sharpe has ankled his promotion post
at WFKY in Frankfort, Ky. f to enter the^ personal management field
in N. Y. and has inked Richard Lynn and Judy Jordan as his first
clients . . . WCBS general manager Carl Ward vacationing in Bermuda
till the end of the month . . . Hildegarde Neff exchanged Frenchisms
last night (Tues.) with Jacques Fray on latter’s WQXR cast . . . Big
Joe Rosenfield’s “Happiness Exchange” began its second year via
WMGM last week ... Vince Scully, Dodger- WMGM ballcaster, gets
a spread in current Sport Magazine . . * Tonight (Wed.) Joan Leslie
hosts Mutual’s “Family Theatre” show.

IN CHICAGO ...

After 24 years with the Chi CBS plant, including a hitch as WBBM
program director and more as recently its “Patrick O’Riley,” Val
Sherman moves to Colorado as a cattle rancher . . . Chet Roble now
a regular fixture on Studs Terkel’s “Briefcase” Sunday nights via
WBKB . . . Tom Montgomery, ex-Minneapolls-Honeywell, added to
the WBBM sales staff . , . Bill Anson helming, an afternoon WAIT
airer from the Lariat Room . . . WNBQ-WMAQ program manager
George: Heinemann and NBC-T V public affairs director Ben Park to
take part in the TJ of Missouri’s agricultural tele clinic Sept. 2-4 . . .
WBBM is joining forces with the Illinois Institute of Technology on a
weekly documentary report on the hometown, tagged “Ear on Chi-
cago.” IIT radio-tv director Kirk Logie will handle the production
with Fahey Flynn narrating ... Clown Nicky Francis next week will
double from ABC-TV’s “Super Circus” cast into the Barnes-Carruthefs
grandstand show at the Sandusky, Mich., county fair . . . Chi’s educa-
tional station WTTW to start test programming next month , , . Sun- .
Times editorial writer Bob Kennedy subbing for the sheet’s city editor
Karin Walsh while he vacations this week from WMAQ’s “Night Desk’*

. . . Peter Hand Brewing took an eight-week renewal on the “Mayor
of the Town” teleplx series on WNBQ . . . NBC continuity acceptance
chief Harry Ward has laid aside his blue pencil for a Wyoming fishing
trip.

IN BOSTON. ...

The third annual “Ted Williams Trophy” will be presented by
WBZ-WBZA Radio to the outstanding player on the hot 1955 Red Sox
team by Leo Egan, WBZ sportscaster, who originated the award in
1953. Jimmy Piersall was the recipient in that year, Jackie Jensen in

Two regular and two one-shot

bankrollers have been lined up by | mg up tne uuent euu. mean- [ * 54 ... John Scott, WEEI deejay, back after a week’s vacash sporting
Harry Trenner since he took over while, Sanford continued his lu- * a Mitch Miller type goatee . . . Wally O’Hara assigned to the Food
as sales v.p. of Mutual. Quaker crative representation biz, and .it ■ — * - •-« — ■ • « — ■ - - -•

ABC-TV whipped up a couple
of new clients for its Mickey
Mouse daytime* this week, pacting
SOS Magic Cleansers and Mattel
Inc., toymakers, to share one-quar-
ter-hour segment weekly. Two
bankrollers will alternate; in the
V ec r.esday 5:30-5:45 period. Buy
is Mattel’s first in network televi-
sion, though SOS is an old hand.

Sale brings the Walt Disney
cross-the-boarder up to 14 com-
mercial segments, with six still
open. Deal is the first in which a
segment is being shared by two
sponsors, and reflects a change in
tho network’s basic policy toward
the show. Originally, web wou’d
take 52-weeks-only orders. SOS-
' Mattel, which runs 52 weeks, with
each sponsor taking 26 is suc^ a
deal but represents the first com-
promise on that policy. Another
an'.'lc on the sale is that t?’e SOS
buy represents the first “adult”
sponsor, with the remaining bank-
rollers on the show dealing in
p-Hucts aimed directly at the kid-
dies.

Oats has bought heavily into the
radio net lineup, followed by Wil-
lard Storage Batteries. The single-
time deals were made by Miller
Brewing and Atlantic Refining for
Friday (12) AU-Star grid cover-
age.

Quaker has bought participation
in “Here’s Hollywood,” Martin
Starr’s 12:05 to 12:10 p.m. strip,
and also into three multi-message
. spots weekly, . Willard is taking
three multi-message announce-
ments beginning Aug. 29. Quaker’s
last buy Was in the morning “com-
panionate radio” show called
“Keepiri’ Company,” which may
shortly be shifted from its 11 to.
11:25 anchorage. Reason for the
shift, has not been learned;

CBS Radio Firms Up
, 4 Participating Deals

CBS Radio wrapped up four par-
ticipating sponsorship deals this
week, two of them centering about
Arthur Godfrey’s morning show
and one involving tv billing as
well. Web signed American Home
Foods (Chef Boyardee Spaghetti) -
for one and. a quarter days per
week on an alternating basis on
radio and tv for the Godfrey show,
effective Aug. 31. Other Godfrey
client is the George Hartman Co.
for Hartz Mountain Pet Foods, buy-
ing in on a once- weekly segment,

I starting Sept. 22.
j American Home Foods, In addi-
i tion to the Godfrey buy, purchased
! Galen Drake’s cross-the-board 4-4:05
j chatter series ’starting Oct. 3. Final
■ sale was to Dromedary Division of
Nabisco, which picked up a oncc-
week’y segment • of the "Ariios ’n’
Andy Music Hdll” effective Aug. 17.

was finally decided that he’d con-
tinue and expand liis agency busi-
ness, with Official sharing in the
receipts.

BETTY HUTTON INTO
TUES. ‘CHEWY SHOW’

Hollywood, Aug. 9.

Betty Hutton's deal to star in an
hour variety show on NBC-TV for
Chevrolet next season has been
finalized.

She will appear in “The Chewy
Show’s” Tuesday night slot, which
will , be shared by Bob Hope and
Dinah Shore for the season’s 17
telecasts alternating with Milton
Berle' and Martha Raye. Hope is
slated for eight shows, Miss Shore
two and the remainder to be
topped by stage and film stafs.

Novik’s WOY Prexy Status,
Weil, Hartley Reelected

Top echelon setup has been kept
the same at radio station WOV,
N. Y., since Morris S. Novik
bought out controlling interest
from Richard E. O’Dea. Novik re-
places (TDea as prexy of the out-
let, with Ralph N, Weil retaining
post of exec. v.p. and general man-
ager and Arnold Hartley sticking
as y.p. in charge of programming.

WOV does heavy Italo language
programming and other specialized
market airings.

Novik was elected prexy at board
of • directors’ meeting Monday 18):

Fair program on WEEI to work with Helolse Parker Broeg (Mother
Parker). She heads for a week in the sun bn Aug. 14 and Leslie Gal*
bralth subs . . . Joe Cullinane, publicity director of WB2-TV, busy
setting up the press conference for Jack Webb at the Sheraton Plaza
Hotel for next Tues. (16) ... A series of six weekly programs, “Class*
room Crisis,” preemed over WBZ this frame in cooperation with the
Mass. State Department of Education,

IN CLEVELAND ...

WNBK’s Jay Miltner started teenage Saturday studio dance party
with couples from local schools . . . Pat Rowe taking over WEWS
femme spiel on “Bandstand” when Barbara Paige leaves for matri-
monial pastures . . . Charlie Hinkle and Gail Eagan doing nightly
WGAR pickup from Grandview track . . . Dick Lurie, former WEWS
Old Dutch Band leader moved into Luccioni’s . . . Bess Rossman*
Shaker Heights elementary teacher is new WNBK weather spieler on
five-minute daily stint . . . Anne Huston of Rabbit Run Theatre pacted
for commercials ; on WNBK Sunday hight late film . . . Wally King
fills for Carl Reese on WERE all-night disk spot While Reese takes
over for vacationing Phil McLean on earlier trick . . . WJW deejay
Joe Finan walking around handcuffed for week to hypo policeman’s
circus . . . Bandsmen Ted Weeins, Les Elgart and Ralph Flanagan
skedded for Lorain County Fair. * ’

IN SAN FRANCISCO ...

Harry Y. Maynard was named manager of KNTV, new San Jose
channel scheduled to begin operation Sept. 1 . . . . Les Malloy -sold
KJR, Seattle, to Link Dollar of, Sacramento . . . S. -F. Television Set
Sales Committee estimated 1,145,540 black-and-white tv sets were in
operation in Northern California as of June 1 . . . Willard Waterman
spent couple of days in S. F. preparing way for “Great Gildersleeve’*
kickoff . . . Deejay Don Pitts played the role of a juvenile killer in
one “Line-Up” sequence , . . Arlett-Keating snagged the S; account
for Nilsen’s Australian radio-tv net . , . KRON doing special Air
Force Association telecast . . . Gross and Roberts were retained by
KQED to help plan, educational outlet’s longrange financing . . . In
from Australia on the Oronsay were radio actor Lou Vernon and New
Zealand chief announcer (IYA-Auckland) Rex Sayers.

IN PHILADELPHIA ...

Stan Le« Broza, WPTZ program manager, vacationing in Connecticut
. E. Preston Stover, WPTZ operations manager, will make “pool”
pickup of the American Bar Association’s meeting, Aug. 24. Arrange-
ments were completed with Dari Shields, of NARTB, on recent visit
here . . . Bob Lawrence; WIP’s “On the Town” night beat reporter,
taping interviews with stars and staff at Shakespearean Festival, at

(Continued on page 35)

RAMrf-TELK VISION

UP & UP & UP

♦

$64,000 Question

Toast of the Town

I’vje Got a Secret

Two for the Money .. .

The Best of Groucho ** «*

What’s My Line

Lux Video Theatre

Ford Theatre

Climax

Robert Montgomery Presents

G. E. Theatre

N Disneyland

Dragnet

The Millionaire

The Medic ,

Spotlight Playhouse

Dollar a Second

Four Star Playhouse

U. S. Steel Hour

Godfrey’s Talent Scouts .......

Godfrey and His Friends

Wednesday Night Fights

This Is Your Life

Privater Secretary ;

Meet Millie <

CBS . 52.3
CBS 37.1
CBS 33.0
CBS 29.6
NBC 29.1
CBS 28.6
NBC 28.0
NBC 27.2
CBS 26.9
NBC 26.9'
CBS 26.8
ABC Z6.3
NBC 25.7
CBS 25.6
NBC 25.4
CBS 24.2
NBC 24.1
CBS 23.7
CBS 236
• CBS 22.8
CBS 22.7
ABC 22.2
NBC 21.0
CBS 20.9
CBS 20.2

on Grid Airings

Chicago, Aug. 9.

.Sports directors at the major
Chi radio stations are beginning
to raise questions about the fees
they’re being charged to air col-
lege football games this fall. First,
they figure the colleges should re-
appraise their AM rights charges
In the light of the tv coin the
schools will harvest this season.
Secondly, there is the fear <the. grid
broadcasts may be pricing them-
selves out of the going radio mar-
ket.

It has been reported the Big
10 conference, from which most of
the Windy City stations select
their schedules, stands to earn
over $600,000 for its participation
in the eight-game. NBC-TV na-
tional telecasts and the five-game
CBS-TV regional hookup. Al-
though the radio boys don’t like to
stress this point, this means they’ll
be bucking more home section tv
gridcasts than ever before. Big
10 teams plus Notre Dame are
slated to be showcased nationally
by NBC-TV on four Saturdays
while the CBS-TV Big 10 package
will be direct competish on five
other weekends.

Despite the additional tele
dough coming in under the newly-
incepted regional deals, there has
been no move on the part of the
midwest schools to adjust their
booth charges for the AM sports-
casters. (WBBM sports chief John
Harrington has received a letter
from Lester Jordan, athletic busi-
ness manager at Southern Metho-
dist, asking for his ideas on what
would be a “fair deal financially
for radio because of the television
changes”).

The rights range from one and
a half to two and a half times the
station’s highest hour daytime rate.
This means that for the c -50 kw’s
the tap, to bring the lines in can
run as high as $1,500. On top of
this must go the station's own
time charges, the cable fees, ari-
(Continued on page 38)

An “elephant boy’* at “Arabian
Nights” in Jones Beach, N.Y., par-
layed a guest shot on Sunday
night’s (7) -“What’s My Line” show
on CBS-TV into a. $50 prize (ex-
perts guessed his job at, the $50
mark), but it may cost him, a prison
rap plus a $5,000 fine.

Quiz contestant, who gave his
name as Jimmy Mitchell, turned
out to be James Marshall Showers,
27 years old, who, according to the
FBI, has been wanted for inter-
state transportation of a car stolen
in Royal Oak, Mich., last year. Two
Royal Oak tv viewers spotted him
and notified FBI. He was picked up
Monday (8).

convicted he faces up to a
five-year term plus $5,000 fine.

Antell’s TV Quickie

Charles Antell, ordinarily a tv
spot and radio Spender, has moved
into network video for a quickie
six-week campaign for its Liquid
Makeup line. Cosmetic outfit has
bought the Sunday 7:30-8 p.m. slot
on ABC-TV and installed makeup
artist Era Westmore in “Hollywood
Backstage,” in which Westmore will
make up one film star and several
women from the audience. Show
runs through Sept. 11, with the net-
work bringing in its 90-minute J.
Arthur Rank pictures the following
week.

Product, Services is the agency
and also the packager of the show.

TCC on the KOB’
Station Stalemate
Into Its 15th Yeat

Washington, Aug. 9.

The Federal Communications
Commission has sparred another
indecisive round in its oldest and
longest drawn out unsettled case
-—where to put radio station KOB
so as to cause the least amount of
grief.

The fight has been going on
since 1941 and, although a U. S. Cir-
cuit Court of Appeals ordered ex-
peditious action by the FCC in
1952, the Commission is only now
getting ready to holding additional
hearings next October.

Meantime, its latest order is
more status quo:— -KOB 1 b to con-
tinue using the .770 kilocycle fre-
quency, with 50 kw power daytime
and 25 kw nights, pending the
eventual final decision no matter
how it may affect station WABC,
the American Broadcasting-Para-
mount Theatres flagship in New
York,

FCC Commissioners have come
and gone and lawyers have, grown
old and gray in' the service, fight-
(Continued On page 38)

‘Colpr Spread’ SRO Status

NBC-TV is close to a deal that
would hang up the SRO shingle for
the entire ’55-’56 season on its Sun-
day night “Color Spread” specola
series. With only six participa-
tions in the series still available,
the network is dickering with Com-
ing Glass to take on all six, thus
creating a complete sellout; Deal
isn’t firm yet, but looks likely.

Sale of the six participations
would net the web $426,000, bring-
ing the total for the entire “Color
Spread” series (80 participations)
up to $5,302,000.

Harry Alan Towers, the one-man
British program “industry”, whose
radio packages reach around the
world (and now he appears to be
on the way to dittoing in tv) has
been in N.Y. these past few days
firming up .deals for release of
U.S. vidpix properties on the new
commercial tv setup preeming in
September, and to finalize U.S,
distribution deals for his British
product. Accompanying Towers
here is : Lew Grade,- the British
talent agent who, like) Towers, is-
prominently identified with the
new commercial tv setup in Britain.

As a member of the board of
directors 1 and program chief- of
Associated Rediffusion on the com-
mercial London-Birmingham line-
up, he has (1) completed negotia-
tions with CBS Films for : British
release of “I Love Lucy”} with
Guild Films for release of the
Liberace series; with Screen Gems
for the “Ford theatre” series
(though without * the Ford tag,
since only announcements ate
sold); has finalized a deal with
Television Programs ,of America
for British telecasting of “Lassie,”

At the same time Towers com-
pleted plans for CBS-TV Film Sales
for American distribution of a new
telepix series, “African Rifles,”
starring Michael Rennie, to be
filmed in London with background ;
shooting in Africa starting Sept. 1.
Through his Associated status, he’s
involved in distribution and fin-
ancing of the “Robin Hood” series
being filmed : in London and which
goes on CBS-TV under joint Wild-
root-Johnson & Johnson sponsor-
ship auspices; his “Adventures of
Scarlet Pimpernel” carries the.' Of-
ficial Films distribution tag in this
country (it’s been in shooting for
10 weeks); his new Lilli Palmer
“Theatre” series has a ' 20-irt-the-
can status, with NTA holding the
U.S. distribution franchise. ‘

While in this country Towers is
also huddling with NBC prexy Pat
Weaver on his new half-hour “Capt.
Horatio Hornblower” adventure
series being done in color, with
NBC eying the series as a network
showcase for next season.

.Meanwhile, newest Towers pro-
ject is a full-hour drama, series
being filmed at the Highbury
studios in England using the 1, 000-
line high definition closed-circuit
kinescope system — Britain’s answer
to DuMont’s Electronicam. Towers
has an exclusivity on its use in
Britain and under the system he’s
turning out 120 minutes of screen
time in a fiVe-day shooting sched-
ule. As a production tool, Towers
says “America will be hearing a
lot about this later.” ,

Associated was originally frozen
out of the new British commercial
tv operation by virtue of being a
“monopoly” (what with its Val
Parnell, Lew and Leslie Grade, etc.,
directorate setup) but regained a
foothold as an independent pro-
grammer by acquiring a third of
the stock of Norman Collins’ In-
corporated Television Program Co.
Ltd., which ran into financial trou-
bles. Towers automatically took
charge of programming and pro-
duction-facilities.

Towers immediately negotiated
a three-year lend-lease deal on
TelePrompters for the Indepen-
dent TV -News Co. (representing
all the program contractors' on the
commercial tv operation). The
move was inspired in part by
criticism over the sad State of BBC
shows, particularly in. the area of
news. Ironically, . no sooner had
the deal been completed than BBC
moved in with its own TeleP deal
to jump the gun on the commercial
boys, who can’t use the facilities
until the Sept. bow.

HARTIGAN TO WPIX

Albert Hartigah assumes the
program managerial job at WPIX,
N, Y., which has been vacant since
Robert:' Rich moved over to head
sales at Associated Artists, the vid-
film distribbery, several weeks ago.

Hartiean was formerly a director
and later assistant program man-
ager of the N. Y, Daily News-
owned station.

KVTV Looks Ahead

Sioux City, la., Aug. 9.

Arthur J. Smith, resident
manager of the local Cowles
television station KVTV here,
is roundrobbining key sho v-
men, newspapermen and oth-
ers on a “21st Century Guessti-
mate” of what life will be like
in 2,000 A.D.

It is keyed to Smith moving
KVTV into new studios this
fall, and the ballots— in appro-
priately s; e a 1 e d envelopes,
oversize and special format for
Teady identification — will be-
come a permanent display
item.

Naturally, these predictions
Will be, placed in a time cap-
sule, not . to be opened until
2,000 A.D.

Chicago, Aug. 9.

The question of whether or not
baseball players Will demand
“talent” {fees for in-the-park radio-
tv news interviews is expected to
be resolved at the World Series
players’ meeting. American League
player rep Bob Feller and Robin
Roberts, his National league coun-
terpart, have informed Chi CBS
sports director John Harrington,
who. has been blasting the diamond
heroes’ interview price tags, that
the issue will be brought up for a
vote.

The CBS sports and news de-
partments just completed a survey
of all major league ball clubs
which found that seven teams are.
willing to be /talked to by radio-tv
news hawks/for free, while eight
adhere to a $50 per-session tap.
(Washington Senators will gab for
$25). The CBS newsmen encoun-
tered the talk-fpr-pay setup early
in the season when they attempted
to get taped and filmed baseball
tidbits for the various news and
sports shows on the WBBM aud
WBBM-TV schedule.

WBBM special events director
Hugh Hill during the past several
weeks has checked with the player
reps of each team as it came into
Comiskey Park or Wrlgley Field.
He found that in the National
League, players from the St. Louis
Cardinals, Brooklyn Dodgers,
Pittsburgh Pirates and the Phila-
delphia Phillies were willing to
make cuffo appearances in the
ballyards. The Chicago Cubs, Mil-
waukee Braves, New York Giants
and the Cincinnati Reds demand
$5Q or its equivalent.

The Chicago White Sox, Balti-
more Orioles and the Cleveland
Indians of the American League
told Hill they would talk for free.
It was a blanket “no” from the
other teams in the league.

Checking the managers. Hill
found the majority of them willing
to yak-yak for free. Big exception
was the N. Y. Giants’ Leo Du-
(Continued on page 35)

Allyn Edwards to Host
ABC-TV Feature Filins

ABC-TV this week signed Allyn
Edwards to emcee-host its series
of Sunday night feature films,
which the web has titled “Famous 1
Film Festival.” Edwards, onetime
staffer on WNEW and WRCA in
New York, went freelance last
spring when he assumed emcee
chores on “Mr. Citizen” on ABC-
TV, since dropped by Liggett St
Myers,

Series, which employs 20 J. Ar-
thur Rank features and occupies
the Sunday 7:30 to 9 post, starts
Sept. 18,

NRC-TV is going info the trans-
portation business. It wants 600
actors— boys ? and . gals— who will
make the N.Y, to L.A, transition
in order toi help the network get
off the ground on its projected
cross-the-board full hour tinted
“Matinee” dramas which tee pff in
the fall. Since live drama in such
large doses 1 is comparatively new
in terms ,of. Coast-originations,
there appears to be a scarcity of
thesps with a tv know-how in Hol-
lywood, hence NBC’s bid for Goth-
am performers. In all NBC says
it can use 4,000 actors per season.

Albert McCleery, who heads up
the overall: ^’Matinee” operation,
has named Winston O’Keefe as
head of talent for the ambitious
five-times-a^week undertaking.

If the casting problem gets too
tough, there’s a strong possibility
some of the shows may originate
in NeW York. Marget Truman
and Sarah Churchill, incidentally,
are among those already pacted
for some of the daytimers.

Larry Menkin is the first pro-
ducer-director named for the
series under the plan to divide the
"Matinee” operation into five dis-
tinct units for each day of the
week. Menkin shifts to the Coast
Aug. 22.

GE as Co-Sponsor
Of ‘Medic Series

General . Electric- this week
bought • into alternate-week spon-
sorship of “Medic” on NBC-TV,
with GE primed for a Sept. 12 start
on the Monday night segment.
GE’s buy came as a surprise, since
it was believed that Dow Chemi-
cal, sponsor of the show since the
start, was averse to sharing the seg-
ment with : anyone. Apparently
Dow, which is spreading its billings
thinner these days (it bought into
NBC’s football “Game of the
Week” pre-game warmups) wants
to diversify its sponsorship pattern
still further.

Young St Rubicam handles the
GE billings on the show.

‘Show Biz’ (Book) Basis
Of NBC Spec Oct. 19;
Berle Probable Emcee

Milton Berle is expected to be
the emcee for the NBC television
spectacular of Oct. 9 to be based
upon the book, “Show Biz: VaUde
to Video,” written by Abel Green,
editor of Variety, and the late Joe
Laurie Jr. Program will originate,
in Hollywood under the producer-
ship of Ernest Glucksman, longtime
Martin St Lewis producer.

Original NBC idea, was to pro-
duce a salute to the memory of
Laurie but present intention is a
broad cavalcade of theatrical his-
tory. NBC has not yet assigned the
script nor set the roster of stars,
a number of the latter being in
prospect. It is not probable that
the spectacular will directly drama-
tize the text of the book (which
has also been the germ of a RCA
Victor Album).

The book, “Show Biz,” and an-
other volume, the Julius Mattfeld-
edited “Variety Music Cavalcade”
have both been extensively used
as source material for many local
radio and video programs around
the country.

Kirk, Dene Upped

Myron P. Kirk, v.p. and director
of tv and radio, and Shafto H.
Dene, v.p. and copy chief, have
been elected senior vice presidents
of Kudner Agency, it was an-
nounced by J. H. S. Ellis, president.

Kirk, a veteran advertising man,
pioneered many of the present-day
radio and tv formats. He joined
Kudner in 1941.

.. ^7 ' -

nABIO-TEUfe VISION

PStSErr

Wednesday, August 10,. 1955

209 VHF Stations
Stffl Available,

Washington, Aug. 9.

Upwards of 200 additional tele-
vision stations can be fitted into
the present VHF band (Ch. 2 to 13
inclusive) without disturbing the
present stations, it is claimed by
authors of an allocations plan sub-
mitted to the FCC.

The new availabilities, states the
proposal, would be for stations
from as little as 100 watts to over
300 kilowatts, with at least 100
slots usable for 5kw and higher
power.

The plan, prepared by John H.
Mullaney, consulting radio-tv en-
gineer, and the radio law firm of
Welsh, Mott and Morgan, says at
least four VHF channels would t>e
made • available in every major
market.

Basically, the proposal consists
of three factors: "a relaxation of
the rules on mileage separation,”
increase of broadcast tower height,
and -the introduction of low-pow-
ered, directional antenna stations
in smaller markets.

It would, says Mullaney, provide
a place for UHF stations — now in
the red— to move to, so that they
would have a fighting chance to
compete with existing VHF out-
lets. He said it could be done with-
out either moving, or changing the
power of, any existing VHF’s.
Study was made for a client who
has been unable tb make a go of
UHF and seeks a VHF channel in
his vicinity.

The plan does not contemplate
adding additional VHF channels to'
the commercial tv spectrum, and
figures that the surrendered UHF
spectrum could be turned over to
non-commercial broadcast services.

While it contends that existing
VHF stations would not be adverse-
ly affected, and so would not fight
it, this is regarded as dubious. The
plan is based upon the FCC’s
“Final Television Allocation Re-
port, otherwise known as the Sixth
Report and Order, issued April
14, 1952.

The proposal claims it would fit
the FCC requirement of providing
at least one station for every com-
munity and one service available
everywhere, to be followed by two
stations for every community and
two services everywhere.

Pitt Educ’l TV Station’s
’Children’s Corner’ Hits
Bigthne; Subs Winchell

Pittsburgh, Aug. 9.

Pittsburgh television’s biggest
■success story and local educational
tv’s only one will go network for
a showcase on Aug. 20 when Josie
Carey, Fred Rogers and their
“Children’s Corner” replace the
vacationing Paul Winchell for
four weeks.

Miss Carey and Rogers started
their combination of live-puppet
fun, music and instruction on
WQED right after educational sta-
tion went into operation year and
a half ago. “Children’s Corner’*
was ah immediate click in its daily
hour strip and often drew as many
as 4,000 letters weekly on a chan-
nel rated far down in viewing au-
dience. Few months ago word got
around of the success of the Carey-
Rogers venture and they were ask-
ed to make kinescopes for every
educational channel in the coun-
try.

Couple of these eventually came
to NBC’s attention,. and Miss Carey
and Rogers were called, to New
York for network conferences.
Opening four- week deal was the
result but it’s understood NBC
figures to hang on permanently to
the show. Miss Carey’s only pre-
vious experience in tv before start-
ing her own show was as secretary
and co-producer to Florence Sando
ind then Katherine Copeland
when they were doing the “Ask
the Girls” panel program on
WDTV, later KDKA-TV.

NETWORK 1955-56 NIGHTTIME TV SCHEDULE

Agency Abbreviations: JWT — J. Walter Thompson; W&L — Warwick & Legler; BBDO
— Batton, Barton* Durstine & Osborn; K&E — Kenyon & Eckhardt; Y&R — Young &Bubi-
can; DFS— Dancer, Fitzgerald & Sample; B&B— Benton & Bowles; McE— McCann*
Erickson; BB&T— Biow, Beirn & Toigo; SSCB— Sullivan, Stauffer, Colwell & Bayles;
NL&B — Needham, Louis & Brorby; FOB— Foote, Cone & Belding; L&M — Lennen &
Mitchell; L&N — Lennen & Newell; C&W— Cunningham & Walsh; R&B — Ruthrauff &
Ryan; BSF&D— Brooke, Smith, French & Dorr ance.

NOTE : Where more than one sponsor is listed for a show, it’s on alternating basis un-
less otherwise indicated . "

t Indicates Film,

Time

'5:00

6:00-7:00

7:00

7:30-9:00
9:00 .

9:30 •
10:00

7:00

7:15

7:30

8:00

8:30

9:00

9:30

10:00

7:00

7:15

7:30

8:30

9:00

9:30

10:00

7:00

7:15

7:30

8:30

9:00

9:30

10:00

10:45

7:00

7:15

7:30

8:00

8:30

9:00

9:30

10:00

7:00

7:15

7:30

8:00

8:30

9:00

9:30

10:00

7:00

7:30-9:00

8:00-9:00

9:00-10:00

Schenectady — Donn M. Chown,
formerly assistant program man-
ager for WJR, and radio adviser as
well as writer-producer for Detroit
Symphony Orchestra broadcasts
via that station, has been appointed
manager of programs for WGY.

Program
Super Circus

AMERICAN BROADCASTING COMPANY

SUNDAY
Sponsor

No Network Service
You Asked for It.

» • • •

Famous Film Festival;?-
Chance of a Lifetime

Agency

Kellogg (wkly) . .Leo Burnett

Dixie Cup .Hicks & Greist

Chunky Chocolate .Hilton - & Riggio

.Skippy Peanut Butter Guild, Bascomb &

Bonfigli

f Bromo-Seltzer r*. . . . . L&N

* 1 Firestone C&W

Amateur Hour .Pharmaceuticals . . . .Edw. Kletter

Break the Bank. . .Dodge . ..Grant Adv.

MONDAY

Kukla, Fran & Ollie Co-op

John Daly News. .Miles Labs .Geoffrey Wade

Topper! .... .Standard Brands. .Ted Bates

TV Reader’s Digestt , . .Studebaker-Packard .R&R

Voice of Firestone .......... ..Firestone ..... .Sweeney & James

Open m

Medical Horizons .Ciba Pharmaceutical , i JWT

Open ”

TUESDAY

Kukla, Fran & Ollie., Co-op }

John Daly News ......Tide Water Oil .Buchanan

Warner Bros. Presents - ?- .Liggett & Myers (wkly) ...... . . .C&W

Monsanto Chem .NL&B

Gen. Electric .Maxon, Y&R

Wyatt Earpt , Gen. Mills D-F-S

Parker- Pen Tatham-Laird

Make . Room for Daddyf Dodge Grant Adv.

American Tob. SSCB

duPoqt Cavalcade Theatref E. I. duPont . . . . . .BBDO

Name’s the ‘Same. ...... Ralston-Purina Guild, Bascomb &

Bonfigli

WEDNESDAY

Kukla, Fran & Ollie ... .Co-op

John Daly News Miles Labs Geoffrey Wade

Disneylahdt . . , . American Motors Geyer; BSF&D

(wkly)

American Dairy ...... Campbell-Mithun «

Derby Foods .McE

MGM Parade t .American Tobacco ............. .SSCB

Pen. Food * .B&B

Masquerade Party Knomark Mfg. .Emil Mogul

Serutan Edw. W. Kletter

Penny to a Million .Brown & Williamson. ........... .Ted Bates •

Sheaffer Pen Russell M. Seeds,

Boxing Bouts .Pabst W&L

Mennen ....McE

(Co-sponsors)

Rocky Graziano Show .Co-op

THURSDAY

Kukla, Fran & Ollie Co-op

John Daly News.. Tide Water Oil Buchahan

Lone Rangert Gen, Mills ...DFS

American Dairy Campbell-Mithun

Bishop Sheen .Admiral Erwin, Wasey

Stop the Music Quality Goods Grey Adv.

Nccclii Grey Adv.

Star Tonight . .Brillo „ JWT

Open

FRIDAY

Kukla, Fran & Ollie.. Co-op

John Daly News. . . . Miles Labs Geoffrey Wade-"

Rin Tin Tin* Nabisco . .... .K&E

Ozz ; e & Harriett .Hotpoint (alt. wk.) Maxon

Quaker Oats (every 4th wk) ..... .JWT

Men in Black* Chevrolet Campbell-Ewald

Dollar a Second Mogen David Weiss & Geller

The Vise* Sterling Drug . .DFS* '

Down You Go Western Union Albert Erank-Guenther

\ (alt. wksJ Law

SATURDAY

Open

Ozark Jubilee (3 out of 4 weeks). . .Co-op

Grand Ole Onvir (*very 4 weeks). . . Ralston-Purina . Gardner

Lawrence Welk Show . . . . ... . .Dodge . . . Grant

COLUMBIA BROADCASTING SYSTEM

Ottawa, Aug. 9.

. Implementing a recommendation
made, in 1951 by a royal commis-
sion (headed by Bt. Hon. Vincent
Massey, now Canada’s Governor
General), the federal government
will , appoint a special body to
“study and revise” Canada’s radio
and television broadcasting setup.
Announcement of the impending
appointment was made jn the last
hours of the recent, session of
parliament during a five -hour
House of Commons debate on es-
timates of $34,614,000 in loans
and grants to the Canadian Broad-
casting Corp.

In 1951, the royal commission
on arts, letters and sciences, said
the whole question of television
broadcasting should be reconsid-
ered by an independent Investigat-
ing group not later than three
years after the start of tv in Can-
ada. Video airing preemed in Can-
ada in the autumn of 1952.

It is expected the probe will
clear, particularly, the parliamen-
tary air of a flood of criticisms of
Canadian Broadcasting Corp, video
i and radio operations which have
l been pouring 'into parliament and
government commitees for some
years. Special concern has been
mentioned over the growing costs
of television broadcasting, a mat-
ter of public concern since CBC
is responsible to parliament and is
financed chiefly through govern-
ment moneys: loans, grants* spe-
cial taxes. Other matters destined
to. come Into the probe include
CBC’s policy of allowing only one
video Station to each major popu-
lation area, as well as the whole
matter of CBC’s control of both
radio and television broadcasting
while itself operating both radio
and video stations.

LA. Radio

Continued from page 21

SUNDAY

Time

5:00

6:30

7:00

7:30

8:00
9:00
9:30
10:00
1 10:30

11:00-11:15

7:15

7:30

8:00

8:30

Agency

.JWT

JWT

Program Sponsor

Omnibus .Aluminium, Ltd.

Scott Paper . . .

(2 Open)

You Are There t .Electric Companies ........... > .N. W. Ayer

Prudential Ins. Calkins & Holden

Lassiet Campbell Soup .BBDO

Private Sec.’ryt .American Tob .BBDO

alt. with Jack Benny

Ed Sullivan Show . . .Lincoln-Mercury .K&E

GE Theatref Gen. Electric .BBDO

Alf. Hitchcock Seriesf . .Bristol-Myers v .. . .Y&R

Appt. With Adventure .P. Lorillard .Y&R

What’s My Line .Jules Montcnier Earle Ludgin

Remington Rand .Y&R

Sun. News Special. .............. .Norwich Pharmacal B&B

MONDAY

Doug Edwards News.. Amer. Home Prod. BB&T

Robin Hoodf .Wildroot ......BBDO

Johnson & Johnson Y&R

Burns & Allenf....* Goodrich BBDO

Carnation Edwin, Wasey

Talent Scouts .Lipton Y&R ^

CBS-Colunibia .Ted Bates

(Continued on page 28)

elaborate presentations to pros-
pective sponsors and ad agencies
all over the country, with the re-
sult that national advertising place-
ments here have upped. These
presentations are prepared and
given by Frank W. Crane, SCBA
managing director, and Stan Spero,
sales manager of ' KMPC and
chairman of the SCBA sales com-
mittee.

Also successful has been the
Assn, promotion of radio set sales,
through its “Buy a Radio, Listen
to - Radio” campaign. With the
largest automobile population in
the world, much of Southern Cali-
fornia practically lives on wheels.
Car dealers report that of the 30,-
000 new cars delivered here month-
ly, about 98% have car radios in-
stalled.

In the seven-county L.A.- radio
signal area, 25,000 other radios are
sold monthly and nearly 10,000 of
these are portables. In all, over
340,000 radios of one sort or an-
other have been sold during the
first six months of 1955, a three-
to-one ratio, over tv set sales,
SCBA points out.

. Pioneer KFI, a 50-k\v clear
clianneller, has “realistically” cut
back its night .spot rates approxi-
mately 15%, effective Aug. 1. At
the same time, confirming this day-
timp trend, the station is raising
daytime programming rates 15%,
minute spots , 20%, and station
bre.aks 25%.

Other stations have or will fol-
low the time rate increase route,
including KMPC, with an an-
nounced average 10% hike start-
ing Sept. 1; KLAC, with a . July 1
hike of about 15%; and KWKW
Pasadena, with a 18 to 20% hike
since last April.

Still others admitted that they
are contemplating increases
“shortly.”

Albany— An Albany area chapter
of American Women in Radio and
Television has been formed. Mem-
bers are voting by mail on a slate
of officers. It has Jane Barton, of
the State Radio-Television Bureau,
nominated for president; Elaine
Drooze, of WPTR, for v.p., and
Jeanette Eddy, Of WSPN, Saratoga,
for secretary-treasurer.

Wednesday, August 10, 1955

FIFTH ARMY SHOW
With Stan Dale, John Borneman,

M . .

Jazz Quintet, Bob Trendler orch
Exec Producer: Jay Faraghan

^Urhach 8, L * BUd LC " I Bob Crosby is a fine bandleader, and sprightliness— she sang it al- home and get a job and his insist- .Jones

Writer: Claire Tribble fair country singer and a success- most like a ballad. Haley’s Comets ence upon goldbricking on the GI 30 Mins., Sat. (6) 8 p.m.

Director: Lfee Tredanari — ful emcee, but he's no great shakes did one rock ’n’ roll number and bill pretending to be an artist. NBC-TV, from various places

80 Mins,; Fri., 7 p.m. as an actor. At the risk of unduly weren’t heard from again. Chan. (Inferentially the script was a criti- NBC-TV went about as far as it

Sustaining fingerpointing Crosby as the vil- . cism of artists who can t draw or could go in “The First Step Into

WGN-TV, Chicago lain of the piece, his performance Occasionally television comes an ythmg recognizable by Space,” a onetime news-in-deptli

WGN-TV and the Chi-headquar- on “Climax's” presentation last U d with the tw e of Original ^av ° the . rs > cal I ix ? g themselves abstrac- show about that satellite the U.S.

have joined week of ' who^e structure^ mood 1 ^^ story are 1 philistfnes) I> ^ in ^ ^ ou ^ ers ?£k£ 0s ® t s «■ launch by 1957 Or

forces on this alternate Friday one -of the key flaws endows it with enduring- values. and Kathleen w % time available it

night showcase of musical-variety sloppy P rod . uct ^ n * al ^ thesp- Case in point is -The P £ nce and M -uh-e S S pc * ed mto the probable scientific

» talent drawn from the army’s ing inexperience caused him to up- tb Punnet” a warm and aimnle « 4 -® ulle ,maae an ,, and political affects the zippy (18,-

ranks in the midwest sector. Off set the pace of the* drama, step all story a hout’a youngster whose un- H'Tu 8 ’ A sh ® ^ lth ^ practicality 000 mph) “basketball” might have,
the sample seen (5) the show hits over other cast members lines and h £ relationship with his mother 2f the American girl against which jt eyed the mechanics of the outta-

the target from three angles. As generally detract from the credibil- is pp £ ar -g bt b * * n understanding waSSdl^thSSS t cr his “ world ™ rvel } 00 - 1 he pro-
entertainment it’s above part as ity of the play. . puppet-master. As presented on 5?® no l®* ^*1 p ^ c gram, concisely written by prod-

TELE VISION REVIEWS

THE FIRST STEP INTO SPACE
With Hugh Downs, Herbert K«p-
low, Athelstan F* Spilhaus, others
Producer: Reuven Frank
Editor: John Lynch
Writers: Paul Cunningham, Frank
Directors: John Goetz, Charles
Jones

fingerpointing Crosby as the vil-
lain of the piece, his performance

WGN-TV and the Chi-headquar- on -Climax’#" presentation last

tered Fifth * Army w'jofned Week of mood^Ts^ that floubters \ *»■*>». »

endows it with’ enduring- values. I ^jnhn^rS.favptpe f> n d TCafhlP^n

‘amateur”

It’s above part as ity oi xne piay. . , puppet-master As presented on "T I «T v gra m, concisely wriiien oy proa-

offering and com- As,, a writer, “Stifdio One’ Summer Theatre” -French y eirlT Wok fi^vou u ? ei \ Reuvt ? n Fran 5 and Paul f Cun ;

with the local com- wasnt bad, for Bernard Gerards Monday n ight (8) with Bil and * lre - „ !,• i. i , yo ^> nin Sh am , squeezed in a lot ano

ih the same idiom, adaptation of ^collaboration c Baird 8 and Van Dvke Parks while it didn't proffer any final

pares favorably with the local com- wasn t bad, foi
snercial entries ih the same idiom, adaptation of
It’s ah attractive public service with his mana
bundle from WGN-TV's standpoint, this episode in
And from the Army’s end it’s a Joe- Sullivan,
neat way to wrap up and deliver genuine pathos
those recruiting messages. ' Crosby made tl

r genuine painos «uu wuM-«, problem> cWith a universal appeal, to-ioce habe A1 Markim as BUzz of the satellite designers, started

Crosby made the The Shirley Peterson play is cer- jennv Eean asaneurotic th « stanza with a- recap of the

gC ,L fenHpr? to he tainly worthy of a_ repeat (particu- mi lJL s y i?J?v d.irklin^ hotel Principle objective of the project.

Much of the credit for the gen- ioii cnrint tended to be tainly worthy of a repeat (pa
v eral polish of the operation must -?™™! 1 ’ Sf r fn2?tive however 6 larl y sincc it had that low sum- m'a'id’Sso’ stood out Same man closed the show as well,
go to host Pfc. Stan Dale, who is un ^y®" K ai l d to re- mertime viewership level), but This was a steadilv eniovable bit with a moderately-phrased declara-

temporarily detoured from his pro- tl JS2S k n?his ^risinal Bob- moreover, would be an ideal pic- of drama with an emotionally tion of hovv the instrument might

fessional deejay duties via the unite c fS!S2j show with ture property, combining its fairy- Ja lid aw/keXg at^th e ?nd wheS help international solidarity, and

draft, and produ'cers Jay Faraghan S ts S Sullivan Rodin tale qualities with the offbeat set- the bov admitted he was a fake therein he seemed to be answering

and Les Urbach for the station and the key - r ol®s ^f Sulbvan h t puppet shop . S tory con- Stist Ld tt Bohemian only b? the objections of a badly Identified

Lt. Bud Light for the Army who Bob Zurke ^handled by Jonn cerng the unha ppy son of a ^ e u oaver AU U s - Senator (Henrv Jackson, who

have trimmed the half-hour with f Fg'sgbe, widowed career woman who meets Tthe^

topflight production values. _ rn or i s Leachman. Forsythe did a the puppeteer, his wife and his j n g with the novelist’s own tight

On this go there were no par- ma sterful job in portraying Sul- woodcarver when adaption, exhibited the sureness

ticularly standout guest turns but ^ van during the period when, perform at h!s birthday party. wb i c h marks the best (but not
the overall quality was satisfactory, s triken with TB, he refuses to go Puppeteer gets the boy s sympathy mos t) tv drama. Land.

For the modern jazz fans there was to a sa nitbrium for a cure. Miss fnd finally succeeds in straighten- — ; —

the Progressive Jazz Quintet up T, pa chman was given little to ^io h*g things out hy. staging a have" When Conrad Hilton opens a

querulous, ugly duckling hotel 1
" a 1 («a nf j\ni> oame

nr proaucuon values. _ ^ "fp’ hman Forsvthe did a xne puppereer, nis wiie ana nis inff w ifh the novelist’s own tieht 10 reunquisiung me satellite nna-
this go there were no par- SerM job in por^Iytog Sul- woodcarver when they’re hired to IfapHon, %ibUed the Irenes! tags to the Soviet before the Com-

Uvai durtog the P period when. ^ ^ «^..^ ,e L5SSS. , !!E

ost> tv drama. Land. i{«d . ^ America in trust. Spilhaus said

, . that it is likely that nations as

When Conrad Hilton opens a ° { eo ^: aild ?®®^ aS £l e

trioutea two ai joison maciuace verv good, that some of that Dixie- aimpiuieaiiui^, uuu « u MC ucu uy party at his ^16,000,000 Beverly 7 mi Tj

carbons that were fairly accurate lan d couldn’t have been properly Seymour Robbie and ^enacted by Hilton Hotel in .Beverly Hills, J 10n * hat the speedy satellite had

. . «« ^11 a a . - .a _ ! J Aallu „ L s_ ^ 4 La m ^7,4 i4> ^viaah a* / " _ 7 tn Affnt* nliAiir enonn it urAii 1 H hn

they

trice of duets. Comic elements gSd?” ^ “Hu n ky Tonk Train to the touching climax. The ^VrdoaTsoiSe-viS teliviSin in ComniJ ® terri ^‘
were supplied by Pvt. John Borne- sluts, “Big Noise fromWinetka” Ra ^ ds /.' v ^ ™ H P V P f n et vS J l asdy The Hilton shindig was given tv This was ceitainly not all. NBC
man who wove a daffy professor “Gin Mill Blues” and “Whats have the potential to become es- showcasing? over NBC’s “Colgate caster Hugh Downs did a neat job

routine through th^ half-hour for N e W .” In - virtually every case, ^ a bl ishe d as fine .thesps too each Variet h oiuV > whkh originated on how- the satellite might be

mild impact. Nick Noble, came in there was a fadeout right in the of them 1 contributing deft and frQm the hotel » s Bali Room where launched This was a leadin to a

as the pro guest to. warble his middle 0 f the number. Nor were set le the party was being held. It was more profound question raised by

Wing release “The Bible Told Me the talents of such sidemen as a thoroughly convincing and sym- held dav for video viewers in- other networker Herbert Kaplow.

So,” for an added filip. B Hi y Butterfield, Matty Matlock pathetic 30b as the devil-may-9are, terested m orbing Hollywood ce- who guided the half-hour telecast

Dale handles the visitors grace- 0 r Bobby Haggart, to mention just almost-childlike PUPPeteer, ere- j b but for those desiring meaty through a stilted but ^revealing

fully .and they all seemed to enjoy three, properly displayed ating jn offbeat mood and char- entel . tainmenti it was ^ nother discussion with a^clentlst from the

ating an offbeat' mood and char

their duty.

Dave.

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING
With Marty Glickman
Producer: James* Dolan
Director: James Saunders
120 Mins.: Thurs., 0 p.m.
WARD, N.Y. ■ _

Straining ^

s&&sn jmsms

several months to come. Chan. the business, and he delivered a »dgM _ Bergen handled the lemecee 0 t he ,. s involving human beings. A

performance that was remarkable ™“ l ,f . ™ 1S L /S, per , pilot and a second scientist addec.

EA Sullivan mowed his ^ a °g®^ a ^ ‘Sch* 5 . yo^ngsfe” HTrelu? was ?«t “ m ' ^,efty £ quota®^ T ^nd^arSg small bits to this portion

the Town” segment up to Strat sucii a youn^ter. He reauy was , fi an(J cona V»liments Her part- After the senator made his bid

ford, Conn., Sunday (71 for a look- the unhappy boy, and he m de h fierg j • conversation, however, for attention, one of the more in-

SomaN.^ video studio where an -W » dSns.^The* tZ- rela\irsWp. , 'Toseph S^eenTyas tertainment vaiue in this aspect explain** that ,

sandwiched I^egularS shot “gjf o'^^d 'o^thl oCr S

signs. But this might change when p t re n s g the “Tempest” topflight technical contributions — fP nx lr ng contingent, compnsed of thataway. Think of what it can dc
♦hA nrndi-am sets that cigar SDon- olme ! lt d® W a®. r 5_?±^” 3 fin#* workshon set. good* lighting the Vagabonds, the Dorman Bros., I down eie.

mae tne no-smoxing signs, jocsiuca, Audience - more man maae up xor some oi us

the sponsor will then take charge mighthavebeen in order, dull entries this season with “The ly, though.

of the cuffo tix, and because his than picKg up a couple Prince and the Puppet.” Chan. . Both the Vagabonds a vocal-

discrimination will probably de- ^ tH ®l3 a £ ^ p1 ®^ Ia 6 instrumental quartet, and the Dor-

oi hope.

discrimination will probably de- f unrelated and out-of-context

11““ 2SwwS IWlSrss™

have taken over and the good old C ould have just as easily showed adaptor of that novel for the Phil- | 00 ^ e ^ P 11 ,? ^ uncomfortable.

arena days are irretrievably ost, shots in the show’s oWn co-week turn of “Television Play- Miss Desjardims did an okay vocal- A quiz show with a sports for-

the camerawork seemed a little N Y . f bGa f re w a8 this trip house” on NBC Astutelv aware Rng in her native tongue, mula has been maugurated or
better. Of course, there were some ^; c J sar 5 eatrC ’ WM ’ P that ^ television^ ^’is * medfurn fo? while the performance by the terp WDAF-TV’s Sunday evening sched-

faults engendered by studio wres- ^here’s not' much point in ex- one-storv-at-a-time. Miss Mann line was satisfactory. . ule, and for the moment is putting

tling which ^ balancedthe dumb- cerp ^ n g Shakespeare, particularly peeled away all sub-plots and most As^usual, there .was a plug for the finger on baseball. Jay Bar-
bells, so to speak. Nevertheless, the j * 5 ^ of ‘a play like “The of the Parisian vignettes which a Hollywood pic via the ; spotlight- rington, sports director of the sta-

tfi» : d tM5sBe.Pg»o«g»». TemplstS RaymonS Malllly, Jack tH^SsSoTZ ** umpire-referee-m.c..

hadn t changed, only proving that Palance and Roddy McDowell per- liven) the novel. What emerged mounts To Catch a Thief, the putting the quiz to two teams o,

a_wrestler is a whestler, regardless f orme( j unfalteringly, but" taking was straight boy-meets-girl, but Colgate show, incidentally,, is pro- contestants.

of the backdrop. ** • the scenes as they were made as done with much tenderness, depth duced by York Pictures, a Martin Questions are received from

” : much sense as showing a two-min- qf characteriaztion and believ- & Lewis-Paramount subsid. The listeners, each of whom gets a fret-

THEY’RE OFF AT SARATOGA ute fli m c n p 0 f a new picture— ability. “Thief” trailer, however, was a wash job and lube for his car a

"With Fred Capossela very little. The closing scenes Of course the Verbotens of tv neat come-on selection. The Col- the sponsor’s establishment. Bes

man freres leaned heavily on low PLAY BALL

of the backdrop. Art.

THEY’RE OFF AT SARATOGA
With Fred Capossela

f.” the putting the quiz to two teams o ,
is pro- contestants.

Mariin Questions are received from

15 Mins.; Tues-thru-Frl.* 7:30 p.m. f rom “Caesar” were better, or at required that “A Room in Paris” gate cameras also focused on the question of the week receives u
FITZGERALD BREWING CO. i eas t more self-sufficient, compris- be two rooms. The nice girl with exterior and Interior layout of the radio. Varied values are ascribec.

WRGB-TV, Schenectady ing the assassination scene and a job on the right bank did not Hilton hotel, adding up to a pow- to questions, and correct answer 1

( George R. Nelson) Marc Antony’s funeral oration, move in with the artist on the left erhouse plug for the operation. move runners around the diamond

Program leaves the WRGB gate Hurd Hatfield seemed a little over- bank but rented a room directly Jess. to pile ifp scores.

four nights a week for a 15-minute dramatic in his death scene, but above his with the same view. — = — Contestants are selected at ran-

run down the Video racing strip, Christopher Plummer’s oration Similarly the boy’s ex-sweetie was nAiyp A imm'D IVIV dom, such as employes of two com -

under the sure guidance of Fred had sense and spirit, described as a former occupant of KlIKI II I V fcK HI I netine airlines members of elub<

Capossela, official . announcer at As to the variety elements, they the hotel only, not that particular V * » “ 1111 . ■ pi aV ei S from variouT athletic team :

New York tracks and in Florida, as consisted of Mindy Carson, Bill room. All of which is an “of DV 9 T AWI«f I ATIHM^ here etc. Thev score bv Dushin 1

well as caller of top turf events on Haley’s Comets and Britisher Max course” in professional terms. D I 4 LiU"LELLjrlIlvilu tbe ’ runn ’ ers around the y bases b--

network radio and television webs. Bygraves. Latter, who has played Equally too - hot - to - handle-on-tv CBS-TV’s “Robert Q Lewis answering auestions correct] v anl^
He is working alone this season: the States in the past, should have was the novel’s snapshot of the daytimer got hit’ with two the winning team is property re-

live, on recaps of the day’s card at come better prepared. His routine Negro artist, Jud, who was m- Gfln/ .pii a tinn«! thi<; week that de- warded

Saratoga; via sound track, on with Priscilla the Goose was more capable of returning the budding JL ives the secm ent of three spon- Show i<? the nrnnertv of th,.
pictures, of the races, shot by whimsy than comedies, and as such love of a white girl. ™ ±

BY 2 CANCELLATIONS

Saratoga; via sound iracx, on with Friscma tne uoose was more capaoie ot returning the Duaamg Drive _ thG SGffmGn t n f three spon- Show the nronortv of th,.
pictures of the races, shot by whimsy than comedies, and as such love of a white girl. „„ 3J rS Miiiq in incS £ h i°

Thoroughbred Films, Inc. was disappointing. Done in a dif- Paul Lammeris directed the tale Hron^^o^fof'th^w^dneS'iv and fn^rhetw ho^ e TJilS ac -*

Four of the eight events are ferent mood and setting, it might against a few artful sets which £?? p ® d 9 ?^ Sf,A h ®_2I^ilftc da whn2
usually projected — three, on the have gone over, but here it was in- nicely suggested without bothering Friday 2.15-2.30 segment^ while p ke f ep ^_? n i» ea ^i?^„ nd ; s ^i tc Il! n i
flat, and one through the field, terrupted by long intervals of to show Paris. As is characteristic Helene Curtis^ ankled the Tuesday x! 10 *!?k S !ww « n°

“Call” is the one done by Capossela silence, Miss Carson did nicely of this series, the finished product P e JV 10 d, same time. fA^ocIson 0 ^ and ? ac ‘

over Spa. track’s p.a. system, a de- with her first number, “Wake the moved with" steady engrossment. Mills ankles as of the to naseball. Show represents

scription of stretch run being Town and Tell the People,” but The story focussed on the boy, Aug. 26 show, while Curtis axmg Iocal P roduc :

added. He handles the latter with her interpretation of “My Heart since he was the one with the becomes effective the following t <ms anu looks to be a permanent

(Continued on page 35) Belongs to Daddy” lacked humor problem, his refusal to go back week (30). WDAt-lv entry, Quin.

Vtdnndar, August • 10, ■ 1955

MONITOR, NBC’s new radio pattern, showed such tremendous potential that advertisers invested
over $1,500,000 before its premiere.

Now, after 6 weeks of broadcasting, the MONITOR story can be told- in hard facts,

. v

MONITOR programming attracts a big cumulative audience., .fast! With 15 participations spaced
over a weekend, an advertiser reaches 3,670,000 different homes . . . reaches them at the rate
of 367 unduplicated homes per dollar.*

MONITOR gives its sponsors more homes per dollar than any weekend sponsor on the second

network. If weekend radio advertisers sponsoring conventional -type programs on the next net-

.•

work were to invest comparable sums in MONITOR, here’s what they would get:

Wednesday* August 10,1955

PS&mfY

Same Money Invested in MONITOR

60 Min. $22,800
30 Min. 11,300
15 Min. 7,600

15 Min.

917,000

1.055.000

1.192.000

DIFF. HOMES REACHED

4.130.000

3.670.000

3.120.000

350%

248%

165%

This is without counting MONITOR’S huge bonus audience listening to car radios and portables.

A special Advertest survey of car-riders during'the last July weekend showed that more listeners
Were tuned to NBC than to all other networks combined.

Reach greater audiences with your advertising dollar by switching to radio's future pattern.
MONITOR is virtually sold out for the coming Labor Day weekend, but other choice weekend
time is still available. Call your NBC Representative today.

mvi

Exciting things are happening on the

RADIO NETWORK

$ service of

*Nloleon Speoial Report, covering 2 week# ending June 23^

28 BAPIO>»TELEVISIOy . f Wednesday, Augttst 10, 1955

Gimbels, DuMont in Tie
To Plug Merchandise
Via Closed-Circuit Color

Gimbel’s, N. Y, department
Store, is tieing in with DuMont, in
order to do a two-week tint stint
Via closed-circuit video starting
next Monday (15). Store will use
DuMont’s new “Vitascah,” the
spotlight system that replaces
need for regular tele cameras, to
push merchandise.

In addition to showing new and
sale merchandise to customers
from seven points where color
monitors will be located, outfit
plans to use the “Vitascah” spot (a
la RCA Exhibition Hall) to per-
mit the public to see itself on tv.

DuMont’s stake in the depart-
ment store setup is that the 14-day
showing of its new no camera de-
vice runs concurrently with show-
ing of its new line of video re-
ceivers at Gimbel’s.

‘BREAK THE BANK’ IN
‘SHOW PLANE’ STUNT

Grant Advertising publicity crew
has taken a leaf out of the Eroad-
.way show train book for a unique
“show plane” stunt in* connection
with next Sunday’s (T4) “Break the
Bank” show on ARC-TY- Agency
has made a deal with United
Airlines under which the car-
rier’s regular Chicago-De troi t-'Phil-
adelphia-New York flight on Friday
(12) will be tagged the “Brer.k the
Bank Showplane” and passagers
and crew will be giyen tickets to
a reserved section at the Ritz Th^a^
tre where 'the show originates Suli-'
day night.

Stunt isn’t a show plane in tile
drthodox sense, since the plane’s
passengers are regular passengers
of the airline, and no attempt is
being made to contact them in ad-
vance of the flight. Once on the
plane, however,* they will be told
about the show, given tickets and
finally met at Newark Airport by
“Bank” emcee Bert Parks, who’ll
conduct them into Manhattan.
Plane will bear the “showplane”
banner. Idea was worked out by
Tom Johnston, Lucy Villarosa and
Bob Gurvitz of Grant’s Dodge News
Bureau for Dpdge, which sponsors
the show. Though the flight orig-
inates in Chicago, it's being tagged
as a Detroit-to-N.Y. show plane to
focus attention on the home of the
automaker.

Leo Burnett as Board
Chairman; Heath Prexy

Chicago, Aug. 9.

Simultaneously with his agency’s
20th anni, Leo Burnett has upped
himself to chairman of the board
status with Richard Heath taking
Over the president’s chair. Bur-
nett, who founded the ad shop.back
in 1935 and personally helmed its
skyrocketing growth into the top
10, will continue to devote full-
time to its affairs.

Heath has been with Burnett for
19 of the 20 years, during which
time the agency’s billings have
grown to the current annual level
of $65,000,000. Burnett launched
the business with a seven-man staff
and tlir^e clients whose first-year
billings totalled less than $1,000,-
000; Today the agency has 625
staffers in its Chi homeoffice and
Its New York, Hollywood and
Toronto branches servicing a ros-
ter of 26 advertisers.

Pittsburgh, Aug. 9.

Wayne Griffin, longtime Chi
radio and tv personality and vet-
eran announcer for network wrest-
ling telecasts, is switching to Pitts-
burgh for his future base of oper-
ations on two counts. Griffin
recently went into the travel agen-
cy business with a local outfit and
he has also just been signed by
KDKA-TV to head up a new hour-
long morning show.

Program begins Aug. 29 and will
run from 9 to 10 Monday through
Friday. It’ll be an audience par-
ticipation hodge-podge anrl will be
called “The Nine O’C’ock Show”
until a contest among vietf u’s picks
a permanent tag.

Columbus — Stanley Morris, re-
cently of WSPD-TV, Toledo, has
joined WLW-C’s product 'on staff
here. He’ll handle “Meet hi’ Time
at Moore’s,” oldest tv show in Co-
lumbus.

NETWORK 1955-56 NIGHTTIME TV SdEDULE

9:00

9:30

10:00

7:15

7:30

9:00

8:30

9:00

9:30

10:00

10:30

7:15

7:30

8:00

9:00

fl:30

10:00

7:15

7:30

8:00

8:30.

,9:30

10:00 *

10:30

7:15

7:30

8:00

8:30

9:00

9:30

10:00

10:30

7:00

7:30

8:00

.8:30

9:00

9:30-11

9:30

10:00

10:30

Time

4:00-5:30

5:30

6:00

6:30

7:00

7:30

7:30-9:00

I Love Lucyt.

Dec. Bride t
Studio One ,

Doug Edwards News
Name That Tune
Navy LCTgt

You’ll Never Get Richt,
(Phil Silvers)

Joe & Mabelt

Red Skelton ......

$64,000 Question
To be announced.

Doug Edwards News.

Cochiset

Arth. Godfrey Friends .

• 4 » • 4

The Millionaire t
I’ve Got Secret .

Front Row Center. .

Alt. with U. S. Steel Hour

9 ••

Doug Edwards News. . . .
‘Sgt. 'Preston, of Yukon! .

. Bob Cummings Showt . .
Climax-Shower 'of Stars .
Four Star' Playhouse t . ,

Johnny Carson Show.
.Wanted

Doug Edwards News . .

Continued from page 24

... PftG . .BB&T *

Gen. Foods ,Y&R

. . . .Gen. Foods B&B

. . . . Westinghouse McE

TUESDAY

.... American Tob SSCB

. . . Whitehall Pharm, . , .BB&T

.... Sheaffer Pen Seeds

Maytag McE

. ...R. J. Reynolds Esty *

'Amana* ..... . . . v Maury, Lee & Marshall]

Carter . . ... .............. SSCB

Ceritol Edw. Kletter*

. . . .S. C, Johnson .NL&B

Pet Milk Gardner

. . . .Revlon, < Norman, Craig &

Kummel

. . . Gen. Motors .Kudner

WEDNESDAY

. . . .Ronson .Norman, Craig &

Kummel

......Toni (V6 hr, wkly). . . . v. . . * ..... .Weiss & Geller

Pillsbury . ...................... Burnett.

Gen. Motors i ..... . . , . . ... . ,FCB

. — , . Colgate ................. . .... .Ted Bates

•R, J. Reyrio’dS Esty

Gen. Electric .Y&R *

U. S. Steel......... .BBDO

• P 9 9

* M l 4

« « » •

THURSDAY
American Tob.

. .Quaker Oats
. ;• , . . . R. J. Reynolds,. . . . .

. .Chrysler ‘ .
■ - • .' ... Singer Sewihg . . . . .

" : ’ Bristol-Myers

. .. .... Gen. Foods .......

Revlon

• « « « i i

. .SSCB

..Wherry Baker &Tilden
. .Esty
. .McE
. .Y&R /

..Y&R
. .Y&R

..Norman, Craig &
Kummel

&■

FRIDAY

Ronson .Norman, Craig &

Kummel

My Friend Flickat * '

Mama Gen. Foods .B&B

Our Miss Brooks'! . .Gen. Foods. . ... . f. . . . . ...'.Y&R

Crusader! R. J. Reynolds.... ...Esty

Schlitz Playhouse! ............... Schlitz . L&M

The Lineup ! Brown & Williamson Ted Bates

Procter & Gamble Y&R

Person to Person Elgin Watch . Y&R

Amoco .Jos. Katz

Hamm Brewing Campbell-Mithun

SATURDAY

Gene Autry t • ..Wrigley ... R&R

Beat , the Clock Sylvania JWT

Stage Show or. Nestle Bryan Houston

The Honeymoonerst Buick .Kudner

Mackie Gleason)

(See above)

2 for Money P. Lorfllard L&N

Star Jubilee Ford JWT

(once a month)

It’s Always Jan!.... .P&G .BB&T

(Janis Paige)

Gunsmoket .Liggett & MyerS C&W

Damon Runyon Thea /! Anheuser-Busch . .... 4 ^ . .D’Arcy

NATIONAL BROADCASTING COMPANY

SUNDAY

Program Sponsor Agency

Maurice Evans Specs (8) Hallmark ,FCB

Wide Wide World (20) United Motors Campbell-Ewald

of series) ^

Capt. Gallantt Heinz . Maxon

Meet the Press . . , I .* Pan American ......... JWT

Johns-Manville • JWT

Roy Rogers! Gen. Foods i .B&B

It’s a"Great Life ! Chrysler .-.Mel

Frontier! .Reynolds Metals ........... .Clinton E. Frank

Color Spread (monthly) Sunbeam (12) . , .Perrin-Paiis

(Sponsor references to the right F 0 r? 0 2-^ S ^

are for first four shows only. ■2S be yo/ 2 ’ F. D. Richards

Numerjjs indicate number of Bui e k \i) M . . . . 1 1 1 | : i i ! ; ^ aet

p J Goodyear (1) ; .Y&R

Canadian Slows Beamed -
Into U.S., Despite Beefs

Washington, Aug. fl.

.The FCC has nq authority to
tangle with Canada over .tv pro-
grams which originate in the other
nation and are received in this
country, it has notified a complain-
ant in Detroit.

Neither the issue nor the Com-
mission's authority have changed
in the years since FCC found itself
unable to halt the advertising of
cancer cures, rejuvenation opera-
tions and the like, originated in-
powerful Mexican radio stations
near the U. S. border.

Recent beef came from Gregory .
M. Pillion, of Detroit, who pro-
tested the video program, “Meet,
the UAW-CIO” originating at sta-
tion CKLW-TV, just across the
border from Detroit, in Windsor,
Canada.

Pillion said he expects to be a
candidate for Congress next year
and asked if the Commission
couldn’t get him equal time to re-
ply to the “GIO, since the telecasts >
are received ifl the Detroit area. On
'top. of that, he requested appoint-
ment of an International Commis-
sion to “iron out the injustices that
may arise Dfrom the program. which
has been shifted from WJBK-TV,
•Detroit.”

The FCC replied there was no
statute or . .treaty which gave the
agency control of ’ program content
of foreign stations, but suggested
that it might be able to step in “if
the material broadcast is in wholfe
or in part transmitted to one Ca-
nadian station ‘live’ by wire - or
radio from a location in the United
States,”

• Regarding an international com-
mission, FCC referred Pillion to
the State Dept.

8:00

9:00

10:00

10:30

Colgate Variety Hour.....
TV Playhouse ........ . . .

Loretta Youngt .........

0 Louella Parsons Showt.';.

Goodyear .

. . . . . . . ; Toni; Brown & Williamson. ... , . . .

MONDAY

7:30

Tony Martin

7:45

News Caravan

Webcor

R. J. Reynolds . . t T

8:00

% Caesar’s Hour

8:00-9:30

9:00^

9:30

i 10:30
11:30-1:00

7:30

7:45.

8:00

American Chicle , , .DFS

co-sponsors)

Producers Showcase RCA

(every 4th wk.)

K&E

..K&E

Ford .........

< co-sponsors)

Medicf Dow tlhem.-Gen. Electric MacManus, J & A; '

, Y&R

Robt. Montgomery Presents. Schick K&E

■ . Johnson's Wax- !nl&B

No network service ’

Tonight (Steve Allen) Participating

TUESDAY

Dinah Shore .Chevrolet Campbell-Ewald

News Caravan .R. J. Reynolds Esty

Martha Raye -. . . .Sunbdam Perrin-Paus

(every 3 wks.) RCA .K&E

. T ... w , . Whirlpool K&E

Milton Boric Same sponsors

icvevy 3 wks,).

(Continued on page 34)

’56 Sked on TV Ballcasts

•Cincinnati, Aug. 9.

Gabe Paul, Cincinnati Baseball
Club president, is negotiating for
extension of next year’s tv sched-
ule. He wants to add all of the
away-from-home games to tele-
casts of 20 weekday afternoon en-
counters at Crosley Field, the pat-
tern for several years.

Mort Watters, head of WCPO-
TV, said he would ’ like to go along
with the extension. His station
is doing the telecasts this season
and broadcasts by WSAI, a switch
for the first time from WCPO.

Burger beer is the tagger.

NBC Kidshow Study

Continued from page 22

plot and character, particularly in
old westerns.

On the plus side, the Committee
commended NBC for. its code over
children’s programming; for the
efforts in interpreting and apply-
ing the code, both by continuity
acceptance and by producers and
performers; the policy of integrated
enlightenment, doubled in a year
and a half’s time; and the recent
appointment of a supervisor of
children’s programs (Dr. Hor-
wich ) .

Dozen recommendations list im-
provements in the code to make it
a little more positive and to in-
clude specifications of “possible
educational value such as fostering
proper language, correct grammar
and a better understanding of the
world in which we live”; increas-
ing teenage ’programs; consolidat-
ing 5-6 p.m. weekdays as the 6-12
year age classifications and 9-1 X
a.m. for nursery age; specific in-
structions on avoiding exploitation
of children; cutting down time de-
voted to westerns and including
more nature-folklore in them; giv-
ing more “balance” to program*
ming with accent on hobbies, how*
to-do-it, storytelling, etc.; desirable
standards for commercials/ avoid-
ing overuse of specific features or,
characters; seeking expert advice
oil specialized" fields; distribution
of the report throughout the net-
work; and additional research.

Bridgeport — After three years’
sustaining and on-and:Off participa-
tions, WICG’s “Dick’s Den/’ only
stay-up show in Southern New
England, has landed a sponsor,
Miller’s High Life, which will pay-
roll the disk-and-chatter- session
"rom midnight to 6 a.m. five nights
a week. Dick Alexander mans the
late grind.

Wednesday, August 10 f ,1955

little motto we adopted at the start to sort of
... symbolize what our company is all about .
When you reach for the stars , you may hot
quite get one, but you won*t come up with a
handful of mud ,. either •

We started out on August 5, 1935,
with eight people, three clients
spending less than a million dollars
a year, and a bowl of ripe red apples
in our small reception room.

Today, 20 years later, we have
625 people, 28 clients, a little over
65 times the billing we started with,
and a bowl of ripe red apples in each
of 12 reception rooms.

WE WORK FOR THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES: American Mineral Spirits Co. ★ Atchison,

’ r

Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co. ★ Brown Shoe Company ★ Campbell Soup Company ★ Commonwealth Edison Company and

* #

Public Service Company ★ Comstock Foods, Inc. ★ Converted Rice, Inc. ★ Crane Co. ★ The Electric Association (Chicago)
★ The Englander Company, Inc. ★ Green Giant Company ★ Harris Trust and Savings Bank ★ G. Heileman Brewing Co. ★
The Hoover Company’^ Kellogg Company ★ The Kendall Company ★ Mars, Incorporated ★ The Maytag Company ★ Philip
Morris Inc. ★ Motorola, Inc. ★ Chas. Pfizer & Co., Lsra ★ Pillsbury Mills, Inc. ★ The Procter & Gamble Company ★ The Pure
Oil Company ★ The Pure Fuel Oil Company ★ Sugar Information, Inc. ★ Tea Council of the Tj.S.A., Inc. ★ The Toni Company

Of course, many of the products of these companies
were available 20 years ago, and there isn't one of them
that isn't a whole lot better today than it was in 1935.

But the surprising thing is to see how many of their
products just didn't exist 20 years ago. For instance:
television sets . . . baking mixes . . . antibiotics . . . auto-
matic washers and dryers . . . dome railroad cars . . •

plastic bandages . . . frozen soups . . . steam-or-dry irons
. . . home permanents . . . ready-sweetened cereals . . .
home freezers . . . filter-tip cigarettes . . . high-octane gas-
olines ... tubeless tires . . . foam latex mattresses . . •
transistors . , . liquid detergents . . : titanium . * .hi-fi.
When you live with truths like these every day, you
know the American System is real and it works.

Leo Burnett Company, Inc.

CHICAGO 1, ILLINOIS

NEW YORK • HOLLYWOOD • TORONTO

TV4FIUMS

t^BSIE ff

WediMH^a^'August 10, 1955

ARB City-By-Gity Syndicated and National Spot Film Chart

VARIETY’S weekly chart of city-by-cily rating* of syndicated and na-
tional spot film covers 40 to 60 cities reported by American Research Bureau
on a monthly basis . Cities will be rotated each week, with the 10 top-rated
film shows listed in each case, , and their competition shown opposite . AU
ratings are furnished by A RB, based on the latest reports ,

This VARIETY chart represents a gathering of all pertinent informa •.
tian about film in each market, which can be used by distributors , agencies ,
stations and clients as an aid in determining the effectiveness of a filmed
show in the specific market . Attention should be paid to time — day and

time factors, since sets-in-use and audience composition vary according to
time Slot, l.e,, a Saturday afternoon children’s show, with a low ratings may
have a large share and an audience composed largely of children# with cor-
responding results for the sponsor aimiqg at the children’s market . Abbre-
viations and symbols are as follows: (Adv), adventure ; (Ch), children’s;
(Co), comedy ; (Dr), drama; (Doc), documentary; (Mus), musical;
(Myst), mystery; (Q), qui%; (Sp), sports; (W), western; (Worn),
women’s . Numbered symbols next to station call letters represent the sta-
tion’s channel; all channels above 13 are VHF . Those ad agencies listed as
distributors rep the national spot sponsor for whom the film is aired •

D .

TOP 10 PROGRAMS

AND TVP1

STATION DISTRII.

DAY AND

TIME

JUNE

RATING

«%1

SETS INI
USE |

TOP COMPETING PROGRAM
PROGRAM STA.

RATING

LOUISVnXE

•

Approx. Set Count - — 4:15,000

Stations — WAVE (3),

WHAS (11)

1. Ramar of the Jungle (Adv) . .

. WHAS .

TPA

Sun. 5:30-6:00

57 Q

88. . ,

...... 42.9

Soldier Parade

.WAVE .

5.0

2. Superman (Adv)

.WHAS.

. Sun. 6:00-6:30 ....... „

85 . . .

...... 44.0

Super Circus

.WAVE ..

6.4

3. City Detective (Myst)*

.WAVE.

. Tues. 9:30-10:00 ......

72...

51.0

See It Now.

.WHAS ..

4. Badre 714 (Mvst)

.WHAS.

....... ..NBC... ,

.Fri. 9:30-10:00 .......

9ft 9

■ 87 .

...... 41.8

Snorts: Theatre. ..........

.WAVE , .

13.6

Damon Runyon Theatre.

WAVE ..

5. Liberace (Mus)

.WAVE.

Guild

Wed. 9:30-10:00 ......

9.7 R

58 ..• .

...... 47.3

Front Row Center.

WHAS ..

.....19.8

5. Mr. District Attorney (MySt).

.WHAS .

Ziv

.Fri, 10:00-10:30 ......

97 R

81 . . .

. . . . .. -33.9

St.arTierht Theatre

WAVE ..

6.5

Night Edition; Scoreboard . WAVE . .

..... 6.5

7. Waterfront (Adv)

.WAVE.

. Sat. 9:30-10:00 .......

..23.3 ...

47...

49.0

Hollywood Theatre

WHAS ..

, . . . .25.7

8. I Led $ Lives (Dr)...

.WHAS.

.Ziv

.Tues. 8:00-8:30 . . . . . . .

9.5 1

;41 , . ,

53.8

Fireside Theatre ..........

WAVE ..

32.7

9, Kit. Carson (W)

.WAVE:

MCA

. Sun. 5:00r5:30 ........

• • 22»3 .* • • • • • • • «

so:..

Sunday. Lucy Show. .......

WHAS ..

. . .22.1

10. Meet Corliss Archer (Com). .

WHAS.

Mon. 7:30-8:00 .......

91 5

'46. . i

; .. * . . . . 45.8

Caefear’s Hour

WAVE”. .

24.5

DAVENP’T-ROCK ISLAND

Approx . Set Count- — 300,000

Stations— VTOC-TV (6)

, WHBF (4)

1. Racket Squad (Myst)

.woe..

ABC

Tues. 8:30-9:00 ;

54 R

68 . . .

50.7

See It tjow • * .rs<T^ .......

WHBF ..

16.3

2. Waterfront (Adv)

. woe. .

....MCA.,'. .

. Sat. 9:00-9:30

. , 33.2 .

67 .....

...... ‘49.5

fife With Father

WHBF ..

.....15,0

3. Death Valley Days (W)......

.woe..

McCann-Erickson . .

Wed. 8:30-l):Q0

• «^2^9 « • • • • • •

60...

. ..... . 48.3

Front Row Center

WHBF ..

4. I Led 3 Lives (Dr)

. WHBF .

.Wed. 9:00-9:30 .......

• * 29.6 •••••#•*•

63;..

46.7

Penny to a Million.

woe ...

5.i Soldiers of Fortune (Adv) . . . .

.WHBF.

. Fri. 9:00-9:30 ........

• /29.0

61...

Masquerade Party. ........

woe ...

8. Badge 714 (Myst). ^ .

.woe..

Wed. 9:30-10:00

• . 27.1 * % • s i • • •

76...

Ray Bolger.

WHBF . .

7. Biff Baker, USA (Adv)

.woe..

. Sat. 9:30-10:00 .......

. ,23.2 .........

57. . .

...... 40.9

You Asked for 'it..

WHBF ..

.....17.7

8. Life of Riley (Com)

.woe. .

........ .NBC..

Sat. 10:00-10:30 ......

. . 22.9 . .

64. . .

35.7

WHBF ..

Texas Hasslin'. .........

WilBF ..

12.9

9. Inner Sanctum (Myst) ... . . . .

. woe . .

NBC......

'Thurs. 9:30-10:00

91 5

55 . . .

. . 38.4

Break the Bunk

WHBF' . .

.....17.1

10. Meet Carliss. Archer (Com) . . .

.WHBF.

Ziv

Thurs 8‘30-9*00 ......

» • 18.1 ».*«•>••»

■45, . .

. . T . T . 39.7

Trin the Tfln

woe . . .

21.6

■ «

SAN ANTONIO

Approx. Set Count— ^ 225,000

•

Stations — WOAI (4), KENS (5)

1. Mr. District Attorney (Myst).

. WOAI.

Ziv.

.Thurs. 9:30-10:00

. .28.8

52 . . .

Mission Baseball Game ....

.KENS ..

. . . . .,24.7

1. Secret File, USA (Adv)

, WOAI.

Official

.Fri. 9:30-10:00 .......

. .28.8

68. . .

42.1

Eddie Cantor

KENS ..

11.5

3. Waterfront (Adv)

.WOAI.

Wed. 9:30-10:00 ......

• • 25*3 ••*•*••••

45..,

Godfrey and Friends

KENS ..

4. Passport to Danger (Adv) ....

.WOAI.

Tues. 9:30-10:00 ......

• • 25*0 1 * •••(«, «

61...

Meet Mr. McNulty..

KENS ..

..... 14.7

5. Favorite Story (Dr)

.KENS.

.Tues. 8:30-9:00

99 ±

46. . .

...... 48.fi

Martha Rave

WOAI ..

25.3

6. Soldiers of Fortune (Adv) ....

.WOAI.

.Sun. 8:30-9:00

* • 20*6

37...

...... 54.8

What's My Line .

KENS ..

33.0

7. Superman (Adv)

.KENS.

. Thurs. 6:00-6:30

• , 20*3 «••••»•••

72...

6 -O’clock News

WOAI ..

’*■

Weather; Sports News...

WOAI ..

8. Racket Squad (Myst)

.KENS.

ABC

Wed. 10:00-10:30

.,20.0.........

60...

Request Performance

WOAI ..

12,4

10 O’clock News

WOAI ..

. . . , . 12.4

8. I Led 3 Lives (Dr)

.WOAI.

.Mon. 9:30-10:00

9fi A

50 . .

40 0

RtaHiPht. Theatre

KENS . .

..... 18.8

10. Guy Lombardo (Mus)

.WOAI.

........ .MCA

.Tues. 6:30-7:00

. . 19.4 .

62. ..

...... 31.2

Halls of Ivy. ...

KENS ..

.....11.8

HARRISBURG Approx . Set Count- — 200,000

WCMB (27), WHP (55), WTPA (71),
Stations’— WHUM (61), WGAL (8)

1. I Led 3 Lives (Dr). WGAL.

' 2. Waterfront (Adv) . WHP . . .

3. Mr. District Attorney (Myst). . WGAL.

4. Death Valley Days (W) WGAL.

5. Superman (Adv). WGAL.

6. The Whistler (Myst) WHP. .

7. Science Fiction Theatre (Adv). WHP. . .

8, Liberace (Mus) . . . WGAL .

.Ziv.

......MCA

.Ziv. ...... . . ......

........ .McCann-Erickson .

. y ..... .Flamingo

..CBS...

........ Ziv

...Guild............

. Sat. 7:00-7:30 , .
.. Sat. 9:30-10:00 i
. Wed. 10:30-11:00
. .Sun. 6:30-7:00 . .
. Mon. 6:00-6:30 .
. .Fri. 10:00-10:30
, .Mon. 8:30-9:00 ,
. .Wed. 7:00-7:30 .

. .25.9
.. 21.6
. .19.4
..18.3

18.0

14.9

13.1

10.6

9. Eddie Cantor (Com) .......... WGAL Ziv .Thurs. 8:30-9:00 ;

10. Eddie Cantor (Com) . . . ....... WHP Ziv .Tues. 9:00-9:30 . . ... . .

9.7

■ • i i

9.0

• * . •

t %

35,3

Saturday Theatre . .

. . WHP .

61.7

Play of the Week. .......

..WGAL

42..,.

46.3

Wed. Night Fights;

. .WTPA

27.6

You Are There . .........

..WHP .

50.

35.7

Six Gun Playhouse

..WHP .

9*0

30 ...... . . .

49.9

Cavalcade of Soorts. . . . . .

. . WGAL

...... .24.4

70.0

Godfrey’s Talent Scouts. ...

..WGAL

60.

17.7

7 O’clock News....

. ,WHP .

...3.0

Film Short......

..WHP .

....... 3.0

36.3

Climax

..WHP .

14. ...... ..

64.3

Fireside Theatre

, , WGAL

...... .44.2

t ' : ■ !

WICHITA Approx . Set Count— 125,000 Stations — KAKE (10), KEDD (16), K.TVH (12)

1. Man Behind the Badge (Myst)

. KTVH.

.MCA

. Fri. 9:00-9:30

53.3

Colonel March

.... KEDD . . ,

^ > 8.7

2. Badge 714 (Myst)

.KEDD

.NBC

. Thurs. 9:30-10:00

• .31.8. •

50.6

Stage 10.

....KAKE ...

....12.4

3. Waterfront (Adv)

.KAKE

• MCA.

.Wed. 9:00-9:30 .......

. .30.8 . ........

fiO ,

51 5

TV/Ttr H’oun

KTVH

, . . 15.3

4. I Led 3 Lives (Dr)

.KAKE.;

.Ziv.

.Thurs. 8:30-9:00

. 28 5

4ft . .

59 3

1 1 • i IkA V Jilt • « «

17 6

5. Soldiers of Fortune (Adv) . . . .

.KTVH

.MCA.

.Tues. 9:00-9:30

• » 28,3 < * i • * * » * •

51.3

Dusty’s Jamboree

• JLvAjjJ-sU • i *

....KAKE ...

l • • i Al «v

..,.17.4

6. Life of Riley (Com)

.KTVH

.NBC

. Mon. 9:00-9:30

. .25.8

4ft ...... f . .

53 9

TC AKE

. 24 8

7. Buffalo BUI Jr. (W) .........

.KTVH

. CBS . .V

.Sat. 10:00-10:30

100

25.6

A V XVvoUva D JJlgCSt > i i H

Nq Competition

«iii IVAiVJj • • •

8. Annie Oakley (W)

.KTVH....

. CBS

.Tues. 9:30-10:00 ......

. .25.0

Kfi . .

44 8

V ATfF

15 7

9. Star & the Story (Dr) .....

.KEDD

. Official.

.Sat. 9:00-9:30

SI _

46 0

XlUiiyWOUU UllUcdv* • i 1 1

.mi JVAiVI!i « • •

V AVI'

• ill AU* <

17 6

10. Scotland Yard (Myst)

.KEDD.........

.Amer.-Brit. TV

Sun. 9:30-10:00

i . 20*7 < * *•»••• i

38.7

Big Picture

• iii ivAJCvlj * • »

....KAKE ...

...13.2

Vedhe^ajr^ August lO, 1951

7IV IN

RADIO-TELEVISION : SI • ■

■ ■ ■ 1 11 ' ■ V '» ' " ' " . 11 1 I

£>

Cantor Wants Out

Hollywood, Aug. 0.

Eddie Cantor has asked Zlv Television Programs to settle his
contract which commits him to 30 more half-hour telepix.

Cantor has a 50% ownership in the vidpix and radio shows he
produces and stars in for Ziv syndication.

Pact also ties him to 110 more half-hour radio programs, which
he plans to fulfill. He has already completed 39 telepix, which
have been sold in 220 markets but wants out on the remaining
block because of the drain on his health.

Jos. Kaufman Plans 104 Tintpix
Spec’s Based on French Classics

Veteran indie motion picture pro-*f-r — — — — ?r

ducer Joseph Kaufman, whose
initial telefilm entry, “Long John
Silver,” has just gone into syndica-
tion, is now mapping one of the
most ambitious telefilm projects to
date, a series of 104 60-minute and
90-minute color 'films based on
works controlled by the French.
Societe des Auteuvs et Composi-
teurs Dramatiques. Kaufman signed
a deal with the Societe this week
for world television rights to 104
plays to be produced over the next
four years.

Authors to be represented in the
series include Musset, Hugo, Dumas,
Fils, Seribe, Sardou, Courtellne,
and Rostand along with contem-
poraries like Paul Claudel, Jean
Giraudoux and Henri Bernstein.
Societe, founded . in 1791 by
Beaumarchais, controls the rights
to some 3,000 plays. Contract with
Kaufman was signed Monday (8)
in a ceremony at the Hotel Pierre,
N.Y., by Mme. Ninon Tallon, U.S.
rep of the Societe. Mme. Tallon
Will act as a member of the Artistic
Advisory Committee on the series.

Kaufman plans to produce at
least 26 shows per year, with the
telefilms varying from 60 to 90
xniniites in length. Be will shoot
them in color in Paris, N.Y. and
the Coast. Production starts this
fall, and Kaufman expects to have
the first films ready for distribu-
tion by winter. Kaufman, whose
production activities up to a year
ago were restricted to theatrical
features, produced his first telefilm
entry in connection with his “Long
John JSilver” feature distributed
last winter through: Distributors
Corp. of America. He handed dis-
tribution of the series over to CBS
"Television Film Sales a few weeks
ago, and it was launched into syn-
dication a couple of weeks back.

ABC Film Syndication got off the
hook $100,000 worth on its newly
acquired package of J. Arthur Rank
features, landing a sale of the 15
films to WCBS-TV in New York less
than two weeks after it got rights
to the films. Deal with WCBS-
TV, the CBS flagship, is an unusual
one, since it gives the station rights
to the package for three years on
an unlimited run basis. Ordinarily,
feature deals run for 18 months to
two years with a specified number
of runs outlined in the contract.

WCBS-TV, already stocked with
26 Rank pictures acquired a couple
of months ago from National Tele-
film Associates, is understood to
have outbid WOR-TV and WPIX for
the New York rights to the ABC
package, which incidentally has
been tabbed the Anniversary Pack-
age. Station is planning a Novem-
ber start on the pix, firstrunning
them on its “Late Show" and “Early
Show.” November starting date is
convenient for ABC Syndication as
well, since it’s reluctant to allow
three o fr its films to hit the air
until theatrical distribution pacts
on the films currently in effect ex-
pire at that time. Three films being
withheld until Nov. 1 because of
the theatrical arrangements are
“Man in the White Suit,-* “Quar-
tet” and “Brief Encounter.”

Other films in the package are
“Black Narcissus” (Deborah Kerr,
David Farrar; 1947), “The Seventh
Veil” (James Mason, Ann Todd;

(Continued on page 35)

Chewy's men In Black’

Los Angeles, Aug; 9.

Chevrolet has picked up Buster
Collier-Harry Joe Brown’s “Men
in Black” anthology teleseries, fol-
lowing a quick look at the pilot
starring Don Taylor.

Actor will direct some of the
segments, plus appearing in them.
Shooting starts Aug. 22 at Samuel
Goldwyn studios, provided SAG
strike is settled.

Again a Major

Telepix Problem

Major telefilm tr^de problem of
overlap markets has come up
again, this time in a reportedly
klngslzed hassle involving the sale
of a series in both Philadelphia
and Wilmington. Series is “Sher-
lock .Holmes,” which was sold by
UM&M, its distrib, both to WCAU-
TV in Philly and to WDEL-TV in
Wilmington. Causing the row, of
course, is the fact that the Wil-
mington signal gets right into ‘the
heart of Philly, thus in effect de-
stroying WCAU-TV’s exclusivity on
the show.

Though WCAU-TV is said to be
doing a burn, apparently its hands
are tied on the matter contractual-
ly. Charles Amory, UM&M prez,
though preferring not to talk about
the matter, said the contracts read
to the effect that the purchaser
shall have exclusivity in his “met-
ropolitan area,” and under the FCC
definitions, both pacts are perfectly
legal. He did say, however, that in
the future Philly stations will prob-
ably write a clause into all tele-
film contracts to the effect that a
sale to Wilmington shall be deemed
to infringe on Philly exclusivity,
indicating that there has been a
good deal of friction over the
matter.

Problem of overlap has plagued
syndicators since the lifting of the
FCC freeze. It occurs where the
signal of a smaller market gets
into the central coverage area of
a larger one. Since virtually all
vidpix are sold on an excluslve-
in-the-market basis, a conflict is
created. The syndicator of course
prefers to sell to the larger mar-
ket, where the price is higher, bqt
in so doing eliminates the possi-
bility of a sale to the smaller mar-
ket because the second sale would
destroy the first’s exclusivity. In
cases where the syndicator can’t
sell the large market, he’ll some-
times sell the smaller, but this is
not always done because the pros-
pects of a sale in the large market
are ruined.

UM&M sale of “Holmes” to both
markets is the first case of a dual
sale to Philadelphia-Wllmington
since the latter station came on the
air several months ago, and is
probably the first case of such a
dual sale in any situation by any
syndicator in a couple of years.

CHESTER ERSKINE'S 'FACT'

Hollywood, Aug. 9.

Chester Erskine, who produces
the “Reader’s Digest” series of tele-
films, will add a new vidpix series
to his program, tagged “Fact.”

Series will be based on real
events, past and present, and cover
every variety of subject matter.

SEES NO REAL

Major motion picture studios
were the object of a bitter attack
this week by Frederic W. Ziv, who
declared their potential contribu-
tions to the telefilm industry are
few. and their detractions from
television many. The attack came
in the form of a statement to the
press, one of the Ziv Television
Programs board chairman’s few
public pronouncements.

ZiV’s attack on the majors made
the following points: (1) that
their telefilms would only be a
“by-product” of their theatrical
ventures and therefore the top
theatrical stars, writers, directors
and producers would not be used
for tv,, nor would their main plant
facilities; (2) that the majors are
unaccustomed to tv techniques,
and that,. all the budgets at their
disposal Won’t necessarily make
for quality; and (3) that this by-
product will' be “loaded with free
advertising for their movies at
the expense of sponsors, tv. stations
and the television audience.”

“I would like to feel that we
could look to them I the majors),”
Ziv arid, “for a real contribution
to quality programming which
would enhance our medium and in-
crease audience enjoyment and
enlightenment, but I see no evi-
dence of such forward looking
steps. Who are these men who
now talk of embracing this excit-
ing new medium, which has al-
ready learned to make m’ost effec-
tive use of their basic product —
film— without thdir help? They
are the men who a few short years
ago were consumed with fear and
confusion as they sought to meet
the competitive challenge when
tv’s home audience impact began to
be felt at their theatre boxoffices.
What new ideas emerged from
their crisis? Meet the decreasing
boxoffice grosses with lower and
lower budgets. Depreciate quality
to get costs down. Reduce staff.”

It wasn’t until the studios
“wisely turned their backs away
from their concern over what was
happening in the home and ad-'
dressed themselves to what was
happening in their own theatres”
that they made their recovery,
Ziv said. Meanwhile, many of the
top technicians, writers, directors
and production men became “thor-
oughly integrated” Into the new
tv-film field in the first staff cuts
by the majors, Ziv added. But
the recovery of the majors was
made with “budgets running into
the millions; with boxoffice star
names, writers and directors. Yet
these are not the stars, writers and
directors they plan to use in their
new television programs. These
people must be reserved for. fea-
ture picture production.”

Trailer-Happy

“By-product film,” which Ziv
terms the majors’ telefilm ven-
tures, “cannot justifiably be given
right-of-way. through these huge
production plants whose first ob-
jective must be the production of
better, bigger boxoffice, theatrical
features for which there is a great
public and a great profit through-
out the world. Their customers
(the exhibitors) will not permit
any substantial diversion of plant,
technical skill, executive leader-
( Continued on page 38)

MCA-TV Seeks Alternate
Bankrolier for < fli. Henry’

Chicago, Aug. 9.

MCA-TV is looking for an al-
ternate bankrolier to join Grey-
hound Corp. for a spot-booked ride
on the “O. Henry” vidpix series.
Bus company is thinking in terms
of some 50 markets as a starter
with the possibility of expanding
the string to 100 after the first of
the year, if a suitable alternate
cab be found.

The Gross-Krasne produced
series stars Thomas Mitchell who,
incidentally, headlines the “Mayor
of the Town” telepix bundle also
distributed by MCA-TV.

Beaumont & Hohman agency
reps Greyhound.

OF Isn’t Worried

Telefilm company in the
best situation under the
Screen Actors Guild strike is
Official Films, all of whose
upcoming product is unaffect-
ed by the walkout. Reason
for this is that all Official’s
new properties are being
filmed in Great Britain with
British producers, financing
and most important, English
actors. On the Official slate
are “Robin Hood,” “The Scar-
let . Pimpernel,” “Sir Henry
Morgan,” “Mr. Pastry” and
“Tangiers.”

Matter of fact, Official
stands to gain by the strike,
since it’s in a position to de-
liver new product while pack-
agers of Hollywood product
can’t. Moreover, Official has
stocked up on several rerun
series such as “My Little Mar-
gie.” “Willy” arid “Foreign
Intrigue,” and is in a position
to deliver relatively “virgin-
to-syndication” properties on
a local and regional basis.

ABC-TV’s Poser:
'What Do We Do
After Rank Pix?’

ARC-TV has a “$64,000 Question”
of its own. but unhappily for the

network, it’s a literal one and has
nothing to do with television’s top-
rated program. The kingsized poser
facing the ABC toppers is, “What
do ,we do for top features after we
run off our Rank films this year?”

Network’s acquisition of the 35
J. Arthur Rank pictures, though
set under a five-year deal, was so
constructed as to permit only, one
year’s worth of network exposure.
Web sold off 15 of the 35 pix to
its ABC Film Syndication subsid
and plotted the other 20 for Sun-
day night exposure on a 52-week
basis, figuring 20 firstruns, 20 re-
peats and 12 second repeats. Ob-
viously, after sucli'h major stretch,
the network won’t be able to use
the same 20 next year (films will
probably be turned over to the
subsid for syndication). Nor can it
use the 15 currently being, sold by
the syndication arm for network,
since each station deal is an ex-
clusive one.

Question, then, is what the net-
work is going to use for product
come September, 1956. In a sensp,
the problem is based on the' a*s-
sumption that the network feature
showcasing will prove successful,
but even if the web achieves a
half-sold status, it stands to come
out ahead and figures continuing
the project. That the problem, is
one of immediate concern is indi-
cated ih the fact that John H.
Mitchell, v.p. in Charge of the tv
network, who finalized the Rank
deal, has been talking to Tom
O’Neil with an eye fixed on some
of those RKO features for ’56-’57
showcasing. Understood O’Neil
listened politely but didn't express
himself one way or the other.

While planning a year ahead of
time may appear to be jumping the
gun, this isn’t the case. Network
dickered for fully three months be-
fore it tied up the Rank package,
and if it should have to angle for
an American package rather than
a British, the negotiations might
take even longer.

Ziv’s Upped Budget

Ziv Television Programs has
upped its budget for advertising,
promotion, research and merchan-
dising to $650,000 for the coming
year, ah increase of 37% over last
year. Coin will be shared by syn-
dication and national sales de-
partments.

An area of agreement has been
reached between the Screen Actors
Guild and the Alliance of TV Film
Producers in the current Guild
strike against vidpix producers. It
is likely after bargaining they will
settle for between 35 and 40% on
the controversial second run issue.
Indications point to an end to the
walkout by the end of week.

Guild is expected to come down
in demands from the present 75%
interim agreement signed with
seven Hollywood, and three out-of-
town companies, ‘with the produ-
cers coming up in their offers. The
solid producer front has slowly
been breaking from the outset of
the strike. A trio of production
companies dominated by stars—
Jimmy Durante, Loretta Young,
and Jane Wyman took a stand
against striking against themselves
and signed an interim pact calling
for 75% second run coin.

Others decided it was too costly
to be unable to go ahead with com-
mitted teleseries and inked the
same terms. Alliance at first held
firm, but bargaining has been con-
tinuing, which leads to an expect-
ed settlement. John A. Phau, Fed-
eral Conciliation Commissioner,
offered his assistance to help the
groups get together in settlement
*of negotiations, but neither side di-
rectly sought such mediation aid.

Re-evaluation what constitutes
a second run was felt necessary by"
producers, among whom opinion
is strong that a suitable compro-
mise would be to pay second-run
residuals after a- film shown in
five major markets and perhaps in
five additional secondary markets.
Then, only then, should the resid-
ual scale, become effective, some
producers declare. The Guild is
standing “prepared and ready” to
throW pickets around any produ-
cers who attempt to resume pro-
duction without agreeing to a new
contract, according to Guild
spokesman. Both TV Alliance and
the Assn, of Motion Picture Pro-
ducers have assured SAG, how-
ever, that they would pot attempt
to resume such production until
settlement.

’Only Five N. Y. Shows
Screen Actors Guild has affect-
ed only five shows in New York,
since that’s the current extent of
Gotham telefilm production. Three
companies are involved, CBS-TV,
Guild Films and Screen Gems. Phil
Silvers unit, which has 17 CBS
(Continued on page 35)

SAG in Gangup

Hollywood, Aug. 9.

Screen Actors Guild is taking
steps that may result in a national
inter-union boycott of Sterling
Drug. It’s in retaliation for the
.manufacturer taking the produc-
tion of tv film commercials out of
the U.S.

While a SAG condemnation ac-
tion against Sterling isn’t calculated
to stop the company from con-
tinuing with its production plans
in England, it’s hoped by the union
that it will prevent other advertise
ers from taking commercial pro-
duction out of the country to escape
union fees arid regulations. More
important, it’s felt that SAG’s
anti-Sterling measures might be
meant as a warning against telefilm
producers who are considering
foreign production to avoid current
union demands for pay increases.
Successful stoppage of Sterling
sales might influence other national
bankrollers not to underwrite
series which were produced abroad
to escape SAG demands.

„ Late last week in N.Y., SAG got
the support of the N.Y. State Fed-
eration of Labor in resolving the
“injustice” of Sterling in selling its
product to American consumers
while simultaneously depriving this
(Continued on page 35)

Wednesday, August 10, 1955

ROM MCA-TV FILM SYNDICATION

Wednesday, . August 10, 195$

HOUR-LONG FEATURES

Hand-picked, top budget Republic Pictures
Corporation feature films (53 min., 20 sec.)
starring Gene Autry and a cast of top supporting
players. Immediately available for local or
regional sponsorship.

HOUR-LONG FEATURES

Republic Pictures Corporation high budget
productions (53 min., 20 sec.) starring Roy Rogers
and featuring a well-known supporting cast.
Immediately available for local or regional '
sponsorship.

HALF-HOUR FILMS

• ' t" . *

A brilliant new serjes of dramas taken from th?
best seller by Lloyd C. Douglas, internationally
famed author of “Magnificent Obsession” and
“The Robe." Immediately available for local
or regional sponsorship.

HALF-HOUR FILMS

First-run in over 100 markets. Hilarious comedies
featuring Ray MillandTone of America's most
popular actors. Sponsored for two straight years
by General Electric. Immediately available for
local or regional sponsorship.

A SHOW FOR EVERY PRODUCT . . .EVERY MARKET v • . EVERY BUDGET!

AMERICA’S

PROGRAMS

Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians • Mayor of the Town • Man Behind the Badge •

Waterfront • The Lone Wolf • Abbott and Costello • Where Were You? • Famous Playhouse |

• Pride of the Family * Space Ranger • City Detective • Heart of the City • Biff Baker, U.S.A. • Curtain Call • Follow That Man • Hollywood
Off-Beat • I’m The Law • Playhouse 1 5 • Royal Playhouse t and Counterpoint • Soldiers of Fortune • Telesports Digest • Touchdown +

'( J

RAttlO-TfiLE VISION

Wednesday, August 10, 1955

On ‘MGM Parade’

Hollywood, Aug. 9.

Ira Heymann, for 14 years film
editor for Metro’s trailers under

Frank Whitbeck, and AlSamo, his
assistant, have been assigned to
Metro’s tv department which will
create the company’s weekly half-
hour ABC-TV “MGM Parade.’’

Others joining MGM tv depart-
ment, headed by exec producer
Les Peterson, are writer Ray
Wander and associate producer
Jack Atlas, also formerly of the
trailer department.

NETWORK 1955-56 NIGHTTIME TV SCHEDULE

Prep Web Syndication
For ’Mr. President’

Hollywood, Aug. 9.

"Mr. President,’’ upcoming vld-
plx series based on lives of U. S.
Presidents, is being prepped for
network syndication by producer
Stuart Reynolds, The series will
have same format of former radio
program starring Edward Arnold,
but win have different star for
each episode,

NALLE

at the

Piano • Organ Celeste

WAY OF
THE WORLD
NBC-TV

Radio Registry

Am honored that some . of tho
groats of show business have be-
come my clients In the matter of
stocks and bonds. You, too, aro
welcome to write or call me— -NO
obligation.

JESSE BLOCK

Registered Representative

IRA HAUPT & CO.
Investment Brokers

SOI 7th Ave., New York 18, N ,Y.
LOngacre 5-6262

9:00

9:30

10:30-11:00

11:30-1:00

7:30

7:45

8:00

8:30

9:00

10:00

10:30-11:00

11:30-1:00

7:30

7:45

8:00

8:30

9:00

9:30

10 : 00 - 11:00

11:30-1:00

7:30

7:45

8:00

8:30

9:00

9:30

10:00

10:45-11:00

11:30-1:00

7:30

8:00

9:00

9:00-10:30

9:30

10:00

10:30

.Campbell-Ewald

t ‘

.Compton

Bob Hope .Chevrolet

(Rotating with other stars
every 3 wks.)

Fireside Theatret .Procter & Gamble ,

(Jane Wyman)

Pontiac. Hour ............ ...... .Pontiac . .«, * . • «.«»»«««. «».«..«« . IMacManus, J 8c A;

(alt. with)

Armstrong Circle Thea. ........ ..Armstrong Cork .BBDO

Big Townt ...Lever ....... , ................ ;McE

A. C. Spark Plug . . ............. .D. P. Brother

Tonight Participating

WEDNESDAY

Eddie Fisher i... ....... Coca-Cola ..D’Arcy

News Caravan .R. J. Reynolds .Esty

Screen Directors Playhouset . .... .Eastman Kodak *■/.., .JWT

Father Knows Bestt. .Scott Paper .JWT

Kraft TV Theatre .Kraft .JWT

This Is Your Life .Hazel Bishop ..Raymond Spector

Procter & Gamble .B&B

To be announced

Tonight Participating

THURSDAY

Dinah Shore .Chevrolet

. Chevrolet ......

.R. J. Reynolds..

.DeSoto-Plymouth

.Borden . . . ;

.Liggett & Myers.

.Ford

.Lever"*

JWT

(Groucho Marx)

People’s Chdicet ............... .Borden

(Jackie Cooper)

Dragnett

Fordx Theatret Ford

Lux Video. Thea. .Lever

Tonight .Participating

FRIDAY

Eddie Fisher Coca-Cola D’Arcy

News Caravan .Plymouth . . 7. N. W. Ayer

Truth or Consequencest P. Lorillard .L&N

Life of Rileyt .Gulf OR Y&R

Big Story American Tob. SSCB

Simoniz SSCB

Drama Series — Campbell. Soup BBDO

Pond’s Extract .....JWT

Cavalcade of Sports...... Gillette ...Maxon

Red Barber’s Corner State Farm Ins. . . ; .NL&B

Tonight Participating

SATURDAY

TO be announced

Perry Como . Gold" Seal . Campbeii-Mithun

Kleenex FC&B

Dormeyer .John W. Shaw

Noxzema ....SSCB

People Are Funnyt .Toni . . .Leo Burnett

Paper-Mate FCB

Max Liebman Presents Oldsmobile D. P, Brother

(every 4th wk.)

Texaco Star Thea ..Texaco .Kudner

(Jimmy Durante)

George Gobel .". Armour FCB

Pet Milk .Gardner

HitParade American Tob *...BBDO

• Warner-Hudnut .K&E

Guild’s Filmed Com’ls

Guild Films is Invading the
filmed commercial field. Firm last
week hired Joel Spector and Wally
Gould, who have been in commer-
cial production on their own, to
head up a new commercials de-
partment Guild thus becomes the
second program distributor to en-
ter the general commercials field,
the first having been Screen Gems.

WGAL-TV

LANCASTER, PA. • NBC** CBS • DUMONT

STEINMAN STATION, 4Ctalr McCollougH, fret.

316,000

WATTS

k>pr< :'v j

MEEKER TV, INC.

« • ' 'j ' . • «. • , A r\ ,*• ,

H •/ S' 1 ' & r (1 r r s ' O

Inside Stuff— Radio-TV

New York World-Telegram & Sun took up the question of television
blacklists in a four-part series by its specialist on Communism, Fred-
erick Woltman, which started yesterday .(Tues.) with ftont-page, eight-
column-wide exposure. Series is timed with the results of the AFTRA
vote on banning thesps ’"who plead the Fifth Amendment from mem-
bership, and also the upcoming House Un-American Activities Com-
mittee hearings on Communist infiltration of radio-tv and the stage
in N. Y.

First of the series detailed the state of blacklisting as it presently
exists, pointing out that “tv has no formal, widespread or airtight
blacklist for Communist activity, much less for political opinion,” but
that “the ^v networks and advertising agencies do keep separate,
individual files on past Red-front records of prospective artists: and
have special departments to handle them.” Headline on the kickoff
article was “Networks Try to Keep ‘Pink’ Files Fair.”

Woltman cited the case of Hume Cronyn, whom he described as
“one artist who had a direct, personal encounter with so-called black-
listing— and is willing to talk about it publicly.” He quoted Cronyn as
relating how he had found himself blacklisted and ’finally got one net-
work exec to give him a bill of particulars. Cronyn then did some
research on his own, disproving the charges and coming up with some
evidence to show that he had contributed to anti-Communlst causes
and had volunteered for the Canadian Air Force during the Hitler-
Stalin alliance. His evidence, he said, cleared him with most of the
industry, but a few. agencies will still’ automatically blacklist him, he
said. Cronyn was quoted as saying that most of the tv executives
“bent over backward to help me.” ,

Paul Levitan, producer at the CBS Public Affairs Department, has
been selected to handle radio and television affairs in connection with
the eighth annual World Boy Scout Jamboree to be held Aug. 18
through Aug. 28 at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, by the Boy Scouts
of America and of Canada.

Levitan, who served in the same capacity at the third annual jam-
boree held by the Boy Scouts of America in Santa Ana, Calif., two
years ago, will be working out of Boy Scout headquarters in Canada
coordinating all tv coverage of the jamboree.

Jamboree will be televised by CBS on “Let’s Take a Trip” Sunday,
Aug. 21, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the program's first and only full
hour of coverage of the events.

Television Programs of America,
Whose international sales efforts up
to now . have been confined to
Canada, is moving into the world
market in a big way. Having al-
ready sold its “Lassie” series last
week to British commercial tv, the
firm is in the process of setting up
offices in London and Rome, and
has leased three properties for
Australian tv.

British deal is with Associated

Re-Diffusion and Associated Broad-
casting, and will bring in some
$650,000 a year, according to TPA
prez Milton Gordon, who just re-,
turned from Britain last- week and
is planning another trip* late this
month. Upcoming trip will be for
the purpose of setting up the Don-
don office and an Italian subsid in
Rome. On the Australian end, TPA
has leased rights to Artransa Ltd.
for Down Under tv (starts next
year) for “La&ie,” “Halls of Ivy”
and “Ellery Queen.”

Final development In the interna-
tional field is the sale of “Ramar
of the Jungle” to Audivision Beige
for the Brussels outlet.

Gino Prato, the Italian shoemaker from the Bronx who hit Page
One of the dailies throughout the country via* his “$64,000 Question”
successes, got to talk to. his 92-year-old father in. Italy last 'week With
the help of WOV, the N. Y. radio indie. Station, which carries taped
programs from Italy and acts as a sort of communications ambassador
between Italian-Americans in N. Y. and their relatives and hometowns
in Italy, taped Prato’s father in Statale, Italy, and aired the tapes
yesterday (Tues.). ;

Prato had said that one of the reasons he wanted, to win the “$64,000”
coin was to visit his father, whom he hasn’t seen in 32 years. J

woman

PEGEEN FITZQERAM> is back on
the air. She’s just joined Jinx Fal-
kenburg, Mary Margaret McBride,
Sydney Smith and the host of other
‘ great women personalities who are
making WRCA-radio ladies’ choice
in New York,

Pegeen knows women, and- what
they want to hear. And on her new
show, strictly pegeen, Mon-
day through Friday, 9:35 to 10:00
A.M., she chats about books, cooking,
pet9, celebrities' and anything that
pops into her head.

And she knows how to sell women.
When Pegeen recommends a prod*
uct, her listeners buy it. They’ve been
doing it for 15 years.

Join the list of advertisers' who’ve
found that New York women respond
to woman talk — the kind they get so
interestingly from Pegeen Fitzgerald.

WRCA « 660

NBC

RADIO IN NEW YORK

R.,r«>.llt«4 byNBC SPOT SALES

Wednettlay, August 10, 1955 • P^RIEfY • . ■ ■ KADIO-TELEVISION 35

*5T

c=== 3 =a ^_Lifly^a^i^it Continued from pas* Zfc sssssssssssss^ssss^ss^

Stratford, Coon. ... Herb Cameal, KYW Bports director, wilt an-
nounce exclusive WPTZ telecast of the Rational A.,AU* Women's,
swimming championship meet here. . . . WCAU-TV has slanted early
morning linfeup (7:55-10 a.m.) towards family appeals with "Mr. and
Mrs." team, (Gene and Joan Crane); Jack Valentine, cowboy crooner;
sportcaster Bill Campbell, Chef Albert and ^puppet show . . . Joe Mfc-
Cauley, emcee on WIP’s "Kitchen Kapers,” vacationing. Subbing are.
Johnny; Wilcox, regular on show, and Bob Powell, late night deejay. «.

W DETROIT.,. ,

"Nature Trails,” filmed by Tom and Arlene Hadley, who live in
Michigan and who collaborated with Walt Disney' in the filming of
"Nature’s Half Acre,” returns to WWJ-TV this week in the 9:30 p.m.
Sunday time slot. The half-hour show will be seen, in color as soon
as WWJ-TV colorcasts begin . . . WJR is tossing the football around
and catching plenty of sponsors. Goebel Brewing Co, and the Speed-
way Petroleum^ Corp. will co-sponsor the complete exhibition and
regular games of the Detroit Lions. Detroit Plymouth dealers are
picking up the tab for U. of Michigan and Michigan State U. (formerly
College) games. Standard Oil Co. will sponsor "Pigskin Preview” for
10 minutes preceding college games. "Football Flashes” a 13-minute
program following college games, will be sponsored by Continental
Motors and National Casualty Co., who also have bought "The Lions’
Press Box” to precede the professional games . . . WWJ and WWJ-TV
have appointed Free & Peters as exclusive national sales rep, effective
Sept. 1.

IN WASHINGTON ...

William Grayson has been named program manager for WRC-NBC,
replacing George Dorsey, who left to head local "office of Universal-
International Pictures . . . Ben Strouse, V.p. and general manager of
WWDC-MBS, named publicity chairman, for the Community Chest > . .
Weather expert Louis Allen, ex of WTQP-CBS, has joined staff of
WM Air ABC, with, two weather shows daily . . . Spanky Mac Farland,
former Hollywood moppet star, of the "Our Gang” series, so encouraged
by public reaction' to his personal .appearance stint at WRC-NBC, oh
which "The Little Rascals," tv version of the old Hal Roach pix ere
featured, thet he plans a nationwide tour in a'' comeback effort . . ,
CBS news correspondent Bill Costello pinchhitting for'the vacationing
Claude Mahoney oh latter’s web farm shows ... WWDC personality
Art Brown emceeing an Ad Club program this week to introduce nine
"MiSs Washington” finalists, a contest sponsored by station . WMAL-
TV will 1 telecast fiye pre-season and league grid games of the Balti-
more Colts starting Sept. 6.

IN PITTSBURGH , . t ,

Sun Drug CO. has bought "Dr, Hudson’s . Secret Journal” on KDKA-
TV , , , Johnny Leban, production manager' of WCAE, and his wife
celebrated their 15th wedding annt . , . Art Pallan, WWSW deejay,.
bag taken Ms family to North East, Pa., for two weeks . , . William
Wood, generaf manager of WQED, and his wife sailed for Europe;
They’ll, be gone a month . . . Katherine Copeland, who used to have
her own tv show here, flew, in from New York to cut some radio
commercials' for a Pittsburgh fur house . , . Jim Westover and his
wife drdve $<* Indianapolis for first week of their vacation, then tori
Capdt Cod for the last two , . . Jim Thompson and Otto Krenn doing
Jack Henry’s paorning newscasts on KQV while he’s away for three
weeks-, v • '

1 00G Rank TV Buy

■SBS Continued from, page 31

1946), "Kind Hearts and Coronets”
(Alec Guinness, Dennis Price, Va-
lerie Hobson; 1950), "Great Expec-
tations” (John Mills, Valerie Hob-
son, Jean Simmons; 1947), ’"The
Browning Version” (Michael Red-
grave, Jean Kent;, 1951), "Prelude
to Fame” (Guy Rolfe, Kathleen
Byron; 1950); "The Magnet" . (Wil-
liam Fox, Kay Walsh; 1951), "Crash
of Silence” (Terence Morgan, Jack
Hawkins, Phyllis Calvert; 4 1953);
"Christopher Columbus” (Fredric
March, Florence Eldridge; 1949),
"Jassy” (Margaret Lockwood, Basil
Sydney; 1948)* "Green for Danger” ,
(Sally Grey, Trevor Howard, Ala-
stair Sim; 1947), "So Long Fair”
(Jean Simmons, Dick Bogarde;
1951). Three of the films, ‘“Narcis-
sus,” "Jassy” and "Christopher Co-
lumbus,” are in color.

Tele

Continued from page 25 • ammm ^

an authoritative sense of the dra-
matic; photo finishes oh several
programs Viewed were thrillers.

Occasional unevenness— possibly
inherent in the format and with
the time factor— is noted. Capos-
sela might profit from a better
makeup job. Bob Cragin and Bob
Stone, agency staffers, work with
WRGB crew in setting up the
August program. Jaco.

REDDY’S ROOST
Producer; Gene Milner
60 Mins., Sat. 8:30 p.m,

WIP, Philadelphia

Onetime emcee of "Fitch Band-
wagon”, Tom Reddy has made the
long trek to progessive jazz in his
new "Roost”. A jazz enthusiast,
Reddy during the interim assisted
in the writing and producing of the
Stan Kenton and Woody Herman
summer series at Balboa Beach,
Calif., and had ^hand in the 1952
Benny Goodman bash at Carnegie
Hall.

Self-termed "a sketchy chro-
nology,” preem showed a compre-
hensive selection considering the
limitations of the .time period.
Reddy dug away back for some in-
teresting, if beaten-up and scratchy
collectors Items. Platters ranged
from the warm beat of New Or-

Reviews

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For Solo. Seisin Organization, P. O.
Bok 178, Confrnacfe, l. I. New York
telephone: FOrest 8-8522.

leansandKapsas City to the cold
stressed arrangements of Kenton
and cool relaxed style of Shearing.
Artists, presented included Duke
Ellington, Benny Goodman Sextet,
Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Arm-
strong, Bix. Beiderbecke, Count
Basle; Les Brown, Charlie Barnet,
Dizzy Gillespie, Felonius Monk
and Jimmy Lunceford.

Judging by this informative in-
troduction; ; ayant garde listeners
and students can expect a solid
survey of’ new jazz trend in
"Roost’s” future sessions. ' Gagin..

SAG Strike

Continued from page 31

"You’ll Never Get Rich” vidfilms
already in the can, closed down its
operation at the DuMont Televi-
sion Centre early last week in an-
ticipation of the strike, while "Joe
and Mabel,” with only a few in the
can, stopped operations at Bedford
Park Studios in the Bronx.

Both Guild shows, earmarked for
syndication, closed down at the
Biltmore ■ Studios in downtown.
Manhattan. Shows are "The Gold-
bergs” and "I Spy,” which \ were
shooting at the Biltmore on alter-
nate weeks. "Patti Page .Show,” j
which Screen Gems is filming for
Oldsmobile at Fox-Movietone, also
closed down. Commercial business,
which is N. Y.’s heaviest film ac-
tivity, is unaffected by the strike.

Walkout hit at least one foreign
production and will probably .affect
another series not yet in produc-
tion in N. Y. • Foreign segment is
"Crunch and Des,” being shot in
Bermuda by an RKO Pathe crew
for; NBC Film Division. Forrest
Tucker heads an American cast,
and NBC said it "assumed” a. walk-
out had been staged. Upcoming
series is Jackie Gleason’s . "The
Honeymooners” slated to. begin
shooting Aug. 15 . at the Adelphi
Theatre (DuMont) in N. Y, i If the
strike lasts until, that date, Gleason
probably Won’t be. able to film; the
series, but there’s nothing to pre-
vent him from. doing it live, as lie
has in the past. : '

Yak-FoH>a,

Continued from page 23 'ss

rocher, who flipped: the old "See
my agent” show biz standby.

"Other competitive recreations
are grasping for the; sports dollars
as never before. It is axiomatic,
therefore, that baseball needs all
the favorable publicity it can pos-
sibly get. Oldtihiers never over-
looked a chance to promote the
sport and to spread goodwill. Why
should modern player§, be any dif-
ferent? They certainly do not pos-
sess greater talent,” Harrington
argues.

Sterling Drug

Continued from page 31

country of film biz. Sterling is
producing a great many film tv
commercials under the aegis of
Peter Elgar who’s working jointly
With British production interests.

The union now expects the sup-
port . of the California State Fed-
eration of Labor, and is encourag-
ing joint CIO-AFL support in con-
demning Sterling. This condemna-
tion is construed for all practical
purposes as a boycott against the
drug company’s products.

Also, SAG is said to have held
talks with British unions, prin-
cipally with the National Assn, of
Theatrical and Kine Employees,
whose spokesman in Parliament is
Tom O'Brien. In this case; SAG’S
apparent intentions is to stop Elgar
at the production source.

Mutual's Hears! Strip

m Continued from page 1

is said to be readying an hour line-
up around Winchell that contains
only Hearst Corp. men. He’s got in
mind at 6:15, just after Winchell,
a hews and views session by John.
Randolph Hearst and Edwin Lee.
(That team ’ is presently in at 9,
since Fultoh Lewis' Jr, lost his net-
work sponsor in that time.) And
Mutual has for some time had Bob
Considine at 6:30 and Harry Wis-
mer at 6:45. Both men scribble for
Hearst, as does Winchell.

Winchell’s last ABC show was
on June 26. He announced that he
was splitting with the web several
weeks earlier because he discov-
ered that he was not being afforded
enough protection against libel

suits.

New York

Hilderarde, before doing an-
other tv giiester on the “Arthur
Murray Party” Aug. 23, plays a
concert with the Connecticut Sym-
phony at Fairfield Aug. 19 . , ,
Georgiana Carhart, panelist" on
Barry, Enright & Friendly’s ‘Xife
Begins at -80,” also did a bit part
in BEfcF’s pilot film of "Conflict,”
a series on mental health . . . Ruth
Altman, featured on Broadway in
"The Boy Friend,” signed for a
lead in one of the "I Spy” episodes
by Guild Films . . , William J.
.Carpenter, formerly with WHYN-
TV in Springfield, Mass., and
WTRI-TV, Albany, joined NBC
Film Division’s sales staff . . .
MPTV veep Ed Madden to Montauk
Point for vacation . . . Publicist
Sam Blake in Detroit to line up
remotes for the NBC-TV Dun-
ninger show and also to set
personal appearances for Willie
Bryant jn connection with the
deejay ’5 "Rock ’n’ Roll” theatrical
feature. Blake repping Studio
Films in both chores . . . The Tom
Loeb’s (he’s national program man-
ager for NBC-TV) parents of a baby
girl, Melissa ... Martin Stone set
his newest merchandising deal,
repping MPTV on ah exclusive
basis on the "Sherlock Holmes”
series . . . Alan Reisner, "Climax!”
director, in New York for six
weeks on combined business-vaca- J
tiqh trip, returning to the Coast to |
resume directorial chores Sept. 15,

. . . Bernice J. Kerman now script-
ing NBC-TV’s "The World of Mr.
Sweeney” . . . Comedienne Fay De
Witt, currently at the Saxony,
Miami, set for the Frankie Laine
Show Aug. .17.

, David Winters in "Valiant Lady”
today. (W«d.) , . . Chris Sehenkel is
doing the ABC All-Star football
game, Friday ,<12) . . DuMont’s

WTTG, in Washington, has inked
Anita Summers as the first woman
on its regular announcing staff.
Gal .was -formerly with: TV Guide.

* ... Kay Jewelry, into a new WABD
casing! this fall in behalf of Finlay
S.trauss stores . . . "Telepix News,”
narrated by John Tillman, re-inked
by Con-Ed for sixth' straight year.

Jane Pickens, who stepped in via
WRCA-TV during Jinx Falken-
berg’s month vacation, guests
Xavier Cugat and Abbe Lane to-

morrow (Thm-s.), and devotes th8
Friday (12) afternoon stanza to
Mitch Miller taking the anti and
Alan Freed taking the pro in a
rhythm and -blues debate.

Kajar booked a£ featured ma-
gician. on the Paul Tripp "It’s
Magic” segment next ‘'Sunday (14)
. Donald Woods, host on "Dam-
on Runyon Theatre” and radio’s
"The Woolworth Hour,” plays the
lead "The Moon Is Blue” at Bris-

tol, Pa., week pf Aug. 15-20 . . ,
Gabe Dell, out of "Ankles Away,”
subbed for Hans Conreid on "Pan-
tomime Quiz” last week when Con-
reid was forced to remain on the
Coast due to change? in Para-
mount’s shooting schedule on its
new George Gobel pic, in which
Conreid is featured.

Bill Wendell into CBS-TV "Morn-
ing Show” for next, two weeks . . .
Willard Waterman, who stars in
the NBC-syndicated. "Gf eat Gilder-
sleeve,” guests on "It Pays to Be
Married” Aug. 17 . . ♦ Selma Dia-
mond, head writer on Sid Caesar’s
summer replacement show, p*anes
to Europe Aug. 16. . , . Alf Jack-
son, manager of technical opera-
tions for WRCA and WRCA-TV,
is leaving for London to serve as
consultant to Associated Broad-
casting Co. Ltd. . He leaves next
Monday (15) and returns in three
months . . . The Topnotchers, vocal
group, finished a four-week stint
on Arthur Godfrey’s morning show
and are being dickered as regulars
for next season . . . John Conte,
planed to the Coast for a role in
next week's (18) "Climax!”

Telenews has finished six half-
hour telefilms in a series about
political hotspots abound the
World. It’s the first activity by the
company in quite some time.

^Company has the six all ready
for syndication, but has as yet in-
dicated no firm commitments on
doing other films to round out the
cycle. First films cover the North
African situation via studies on its.
people, governments and the polit-
ical ferment in ' Morocco and
Tunisia.

t U

PIKE • NEW HAMPSHIRE
CRACKER RAllREL,, Americana
Encores «f the WHITE MOUNTAINS’
FESTIVAL of the 7 Arts . . .

Aug . 12 th to 20th

This is our CRACKER BARREL, Americana
— a reprise of our famous Festival . . .
entertaining, provocative, festive . days for
Tarleton’s guests and their friends . . . and
Tarleton’s neighbors . . . Prominent men
and women of the 7 arts will appear daily
at convenient hours, on the spacious lawns
of Lake Tarleton Club, in entertaining pres-
entations and out-of-doors discussions con-
cerning their art's rewards and problems.

Those o I ilie Encores

THEODORE BERNSTEIN, Asst. Managing Editor, N. Y. Times

RAY BROCK, Author of "Blood, Oil and Sarid'* fc

DR. EWEN CAMERON, Prof; of Psychiatry, McGUl University

CHAMBER STRING ENSEMBLE of th«

AMERICAN BROADCASTING CO.

NORMAN COUSINS, Author, Editor "Saturday Review"

DR. JOHNSON FAIRCHILD, Director of Cooper Union Forums

BEN GROSS, TV and Radio Editor, N. Y. Daily News

HAL Q. MASUR, Author of Mystery Novels

„ ARNOLD MOSS, Noted American Actor

NEW HAMPSHIRE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

38 Artistt froth America's Leading Orchestras

MAURICE BONNEY, Conductor

NEW YORK CITY OPERA CO. In OPERA CAMEOS
"MaPrlag* of Figaro" and "La Bohemt"

DR. GEORGE N. SHUSTER, Pres., Hunter College

DR. MARSHALL STEARNS, Director, Institute of Jazz Studies

DR. SAMUEL STEINBERG, Historian and Author

= 3

C 2

3 a

EDMUND OWEN STILLMAN, -Director, "Radio Free Europe" § |

EZRA STONE, TV Director and Producer ||

GERALD WILLEM VAN LOON/ Author and Dramatist ||

MAURICE ZOLOTOW, Drama Editor, "Theatre Arts" ||

Directors: 1 1

JACK GOLBERT ii

MRS. GORDON MARBLE II

CLARENCE DERWENT, Pres. ANTA II

HERBERT W. HILL, Dartmouth College ||

YOUE HOSTS. THE FAMILY JACOBS fl

Information: FL 7-7632 ||

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iiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiMiiiiUiiiHMiinyiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiMtiiiiiiii)iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiuiiiiiiii(fiiiiiiirtiiniiiiiii(iMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii(iiiMMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiHiiiiiiiii(MiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimMUmiiHi

Wednesday, August 10, 1955

OFFICIAL FILMS, Inc.

25 WEST 4.5th ST., NEW YORK 36, N. Y. PL 7-0100

Los Angeles — 121 S. Lapeer Drive
San Francisco — 150 Font Blvd.
Boston — 419 Boylston Street
St. Louis — 415 North 12th Blvd.
Dallas— Second Unit Santa Fe Bldg.

Chicago — 360 No. Michigan Ave.
Minneapolis — 3100 Raleigh Ave.
Atlanta — 333 Candler Bldg.
Philadelphia — 1420 Walnut Street
Memphis — 2254 Madison Ave.

WC; "S, '

RADIO-TELEVISION

Wednesday, August 10? 1955

4 ♦ » ♦ » f+ 4+ ♦ » » ♦ ♦»»♦»»♦ »»♦+» + »♦»♦» ♦ » ♦

AGE OF THE ATOM
' with Pallas Townsend, narrator
Producer: J. McMullen ’ t *

25 Mins.; Mon., 10:05 p.m.

CBS, from N.Y.

ThisNWas the first- of a series of
broadcasts arranged by CBS News
and Public Affairs to coincide with
the Geneva conference on the
peaceful uses of atomic energy. It
proved the extent* to which radio
as a medium for documentaries has
outlived its usefulness in the tv era.

But, if “Age of the Atom” turned
out to be a pretty dull sort Of show,
it wasn’t all because the visual
element wasn’t there.* It could still
have been a stirring introduction
to a new age, when men are trying
to harness the power of the atom
for peace instead of war. True,
there is more excitement in the
terror of an atomic bomb, but
there Is a romance and a tingling
promise, too, In the new world that
atoms-for-peace could create.

If the CBS show Monday (8) was
an indication of what the rest of
the series will be like, only the
hardiest' of our idealists will stick
with it There was a time when
radio documentaries were pretty
big productions in their own right,
with musical bridges and drama
and a lot of oral hokus-pokus. The
noise may have been extraneous,
but it had one important effect: It
frequently succeeded in turning a
basically dry subject into some-
thing to hold the interest of the
listener.

Monday’s curtain-raiser started
with the whine of a generator and,
if you listened closely, it was spiked
with a lot of pertinent facts and
figures to illustrate and dramatize
the march of the peaceful atom
and its— still limited — effects on
the industrial U.S. and its citizens.
There were interviews galore, with
a bartender serving .atomic qpck J
tails, with a salesman for atomic
reactors, with Gordon Dean, former
chairman of the Atomic Energy
Commission, with citizens of Bals-
ton-Spa whose town is the first one.
to benefit from atomic power.

As a research thesis, nothing
was overlooked. As a radio pro-
gram, it lacked only entertainment
values. As a clincher, Alexander
Kendrick reported briefly from
Geneva where, it appears, scientists
from all over the world are rubbing
elbows and engaging in ultra-
scientific talk. If any of it was
down-to-earth, as we may have a
right to suspect,- Kendrick didn’t
feel like communicating it to his
audience. Considering that “Age
of the Atom” was cued to the
Geneva happenings in the first
place, the local report seemed

tiiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiriHHiihiiHttitMthMiHmMmttitMnnmmnfiiiHitwiHHHiimmiHiuiKiHiiiHa

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e Danco Instruction 4
e Photographic or Art Studio
e Or living quarters

24-heur clev* ter and twltehboard lervlit

Inspection Invite cf. By oppf.
Call Harry Epstein, Cl 7-1900

f rather hasty and poorly prepared.

It is undoubtedly true that it’s
difficult to put together a program
on the peaceful uses of the atom
when it’s barely got beyond the
bomb stage. But ingenuity might
have made up for the amount of
trivial information in the show.
And while some of the short and
pungent recorded ^comments had
definite merit, others— ^such as the
“dramatic” scene of a woman being
given radioactive isotopes to drink
for a medical test — just were a
waste of time.

How more interesting would it
have been for most listeners had
it been explained why it’s easy to
drive a ship with atomic energy
whilp it’s such a problem to make
a plant run on atomic fuel. A docu-
mentary on radio mbst have drama,
“Age of the Atom,” a naturally
dramatic subject, fizzled for the
lack of it. Hift.

THE DUCHESS

With Virginia Mannaduke
Producer: Herb Lateau
Writer: Miss Marmaduke
15 Mins.; Mon.-Wed.-Fri., 1:30 p.m.

WMAQ, Chicago

Vet newshien Virginia Marma-
duke is the newest addition to
WMAQ’s “reporting” staff, dishing
Up the femme slanted features on
this thrice weekly early afternoon
edition. A general assignment Sun-
Times staffer for a dozen years
and currently a feature writer for
the Chicago Trib’s Sunday mag,
Miss Marmaduke makes the switch
to radio with ease and should
prove an asset in the hardslugging
competition for the hausfrau audi-
ence.

The format, however, doesn’t
bring out the full values of her
newspaper experience. As on the
show heard (3) she digs up people
to interview around the city,
bringing the story back for an off-
the-copy reading. That Miss Mar-
maduke knows the angles and Is
not afraid to interject a personal
^opinion was shown in her report
of an interview With motion pic-
ture actress Kathy Grant. Natch,
the $64 query related to the ru-
mors playing the gossip column cir-
cuit re Miss Grant’s romance with
Bing Crosby.

Miss M. obviously wasn’t satis-
fied with Miss G.’s answers, espe-
cially . those related to the possi-
bility the. whole thing might be
tied in with the actress’ current
tour in behalf of the “Phenix City
Story” pic. Anyway, It showed the
news gal knows how to probe and
that’s she not going to let her
WMAQ airtime become another
automatic outlet for pressagentry.

But because she was merely de-
scribing the’ Interviews, much of
the punch was lost in the second-
hand routing. Her chat with Miss
Grant and the visit with Lana Kay
Roberts, the 10-year-old golfer of
growing fame, would have been
naturals via the tapes, recorder. The
Chi NBC station has signed on a
pro. Why not give her the tools
to work with? One of the station’s
best “conversation pieces” is Len
O’Connors’ early evening taped
q&a sessions. Why not one slanted
at the gals finishing up the lunch
dishes?' Dave.

(VERY DAY
ON EVERY CHANNEL

BROOKS

COSTUMES

• s wm n.y.c.-w. n. r.jtoo

enc« among licenses issued by tht
different countries.

Mexico got the 1180 kc band;
the Dearest the .XT. S. was permit-
ted to use it was ,at Buffalo, N. Y.
This was a blow, for station KOB,
in AlbuqUerque, N. M., one Of the,
oldest in the U. S., founded in 1922.
From 1928, KOB Was on 1180 kc.
It finally obtained the band as- a
clear channel, getting 50 kilowatt
power in May, 1940, ,

NARBA ruled- out KOB, and
the FCC had to find another band
where it could deliver a major sig-
nal. The 'first effort was to put
KOB on the 1030 band, a clear
channel assigned to WBZ, in Bos-
ton. WBZ complained bitterly of
interference. The FCC looked
around and decided there would
be less interference if KOB were as-
signed to 770 kc, a clear channel
frequency being used by WJZ, New
York (whose call letters were
changed t* WABC in March, 1953).

WJZ let out a loud howl of in-
terference but the FCG stood pat.
It couldn’t find any other place to
assign KOB, without loss of con-
siderable service to its area of New
Mexico. KOB received a special
service authorization. The pushing
arid hauling continued until 1944
when .KOB applied for a regular
license to use the 770 channel on
an unlimited basis with 50 kw
power.

Hearings got under way in Janu-
ary. 1945,’ but the FCC suddenly de-
cided rin a fullscale survey of the
clear channels. Meanwhile it post-
poned any decision on the KOB^
WJZ hassle; despite a petition by
WJZ for action. A year later, WJZ
asked dismissal of KOB’s petition
for a regular license to use 770.
The clear channel bearings ran
until the end of October, 1947, but
there was.no immediate decision.

Meantime, KOB continued to re-
ceive extensions of its “temporary”
special service authorization. Fi-
nally,, in 1949, WJZ filed a strong
^complaint, opposing any further
^extension. Getting nowhere with
the Commission, WJZ; appealed its
case to the Federal courts.

The U. S. Circuit Court for *the
District of Columbia ruled that
theJFCC could not indefinitely con-
tinue the “temporary” status quo
of KOB on the 770 channel, but
added that continuance would not
be inconsistent, “pending expedi-
tious action by the Commission
looking towards a final solution of
the problem.” That was- in 1952. .

On May 27, 1955, the FCC an-
nounced it Was going to reopen the
case and conduct further hearings
in October. Meantime, it had be-
fore it an -application by KOB for
another extension of its special
service authorization. This is what
has just been ordered by FCC.

The end is hot in sight.

‘FCG on the KOB’

Continued from page 23

ing this case which was. bom when
the North American Regional
Broadcasting Agreement of 1941
was sighed by the United States,
Canada, Mexico, etc. .

The agreement divided the use
of available radio frequencies, so
that there should be ho interfer-

College Grid Fees

Continued from page 23

nouncer and spotter fees and their
traveling expenses. And to bring
the price down -within reason for
the local bahkroller the station’s
frequently have to absorb most of
these costs to the* point where the
only money made on the deal Is
from the adjacencies sold around
the games.

It takes a local bankroller with
the resources of a Chi Ford deal-
ers’ association, which i$ laying
out some $30,000 for WBBM’s 11-
game schedule, to pick up the tab
on a major outlet. WCFL, the
only other 50,000-watter with its
grid bundle' sold, has its Notre
Dame airers going out under its
year-arourid sports package for
Oklahoma Oil, General Cigar, Co-
ca-Cola and General Finance. Lat-
ter two clients are also . aboard
WIND'S^ Northwestern slate.

WMAQ has assembled a nlne-

Radio around the metropolitan New York markets, the richest*
in the world, Is acting in the poorest taste and flirting with certain

Federal Cfepimu.riicatlons Commission Are arid Immeasurable ill
will. The near-Jersey and. greater Gotham -sector independents
had a sampling of the “bait §nd switch” criticism,, and soon there-
after came the “food clubs;” and now they are encouraging &
segment of what is perhaps the most heinous scavenger business
-—the loan ^jhark. “ . . • /

They are not called that, but it smacks strongly of that. People
with piled-up debts are wooed -with flossy silken spiels by an-
nouncers who, themselves, must ha^e tf guilt complex every time
they utter- the double-talk language, to “put all your debts in one
pot; we’ll take care of it for you; organize your credit program,”
etc. , ,

Even the lowliest .of indie time-spot radio commercials cost
money. This kind of -let tis do all the financial worrying for you”
outfit isn’t a benevolent' organization by any r jeans. It’s so obvious
that the small, debtor): the poor man who apparently is over ex-
tended over his ears with installment buying, will have to pay a
still greater premium for his economic foolhardiness.

N. Y. State Attorney-General Jacob K. Javits has cracked down
on the switch & baiters and the 'food clubs, and has also expressed
himself on these 'phoney moneylending . outfits, but the radio sta-
tions continue selling them time. - For much less the FCC has
frowned upon and cracked down on certain independents. Maybe
summer biz ain’t good but if, they want to stay in business they
should absolutely refuse to sell time to these double-talking
“credit” associations. In actuality, why the NARTB hasn’t exer-
cised some positive action is in itself surprising;

The National Assn, of Radio '& Television Broadcasters regularly
goes in for lofty, discussions on brand approaches— this is an
earthy, material, on the customer-level, down-to-the-ground type
of ad commercial they shouldn’t blind themselves to. The money-
hungry independent station who looks upon this as another spot
sale must share the guilt of the repercussions that are bound to
come. The N. Y. Daily News recognized that recently with its
own affirmative “expose,” pointing up that (1), the creditors would
... rather deal with delinquent debtors and work out a possible in-
stallment solution directly, rather than do business with these
. pseudo-henevolerit credit agents; and (2), the latter just as often
do not stagger the payments in a manner .to assuage the manifold
creditors; because. (3), they, the let-us-worry-for-you kiddies, mean-
time are trying to get it from two ends- — one* a chiseling on what
Is owed on the one side, while collecting in full (plus surcharges)
from the poor debtor. Abel.

game lineup which is up for sale.
If there are no takers, station will
probably cut in on NBC’s games
via the “Monitor” spread. WGN,
which last year took the Mutual
grid feed rather than package its
own, is mulling a tieup with. WILL,
the U of Illinois station, whereby
the Tribune station will serve as
the Chi outlet for the downstater.

_ i

Ziv

(Continued from page 31)

ship or know-how to a new medium
that is so directly competitive to
the basic interests of the motion
picture industry. Financial in-
stitutions aind others who have a
major stake in this field will Join
the powerful exhibitor interests to.
see that by-product does not be-
come major product. Audiences
will not welcome tv programming
that turns out to be half-hour or.
hour-long trailers designed • to
glorify a given movie and tease the
viewer into a motion picture the-
atre at boxoffice prices for the real
dramatic meat.” .

Ziv pointed out that the busi-
ness of producing film for tv is an
“exacting business in itself;” which
has few direct counterparts
in the production of theatrical fea-
tures. “The ability of a DeMille
'or a . Selznick to produce great
extravaganzas and historical pano-
ramas Is* no guarantee of ability to
serve the home television audi-
ence and the advertisers who sup-
port the American television sys-
tem.” ' Moreover, Ziv said, the
majors have had no experience
With the advertiser-supported sys-
tem of entertainment.

Burlington, Vt. — Charles W.
Grinnell of Montpelier has been
named to succeed John D. Swan as
manager of radio station WCAX
here. He will assume* his new
duties on Sept. 15,

CISC! KID CORRALS RICHMOND I

To corral Jng&er fol oVist art;
oudlciKct • . . get ifttbucb with

It*^ round-up .Unit In Richmond when CISCO KID
rides into town. CISCO played by Duncan Renaldo
consistently drawn ratings like 34.0 reported’in * Tele* .
pulse March Ifc April 1955 »

CINCINNATI, HEW YORK, HOLLYWOOD.

RAB’S NEW STATIONS
TO BALANCE LOSSES

Though the Radio Advertising
Bureau has lost a batch of member
stations over the past 'several,
weeks, it’s nevertheless managing
to hold its over-800 membership
mark. In the past two months, 47
stations have joined RAB to coun-
terbalance. losses,.

Meanwhile, the organization
seeks to up its annual budget to
$1,000,900 from the present $720,-,
000. In another direction, RAB
has- outlined its fall series of sales
clinics. The Jan.-through-Juno
clinics were held in 67 cities, with
the new one going into 37 markets
beginning Aug. 22 in L. A. New
cycle will be called “Sound Sell-
ing in Selling Sound.”

A. L. ALEXANDER

Float# Phono Mo

SIDNEY FRlEDBERG

BEAUTIFUL
INCOME PROPERTY

Wrltors Paradise. Ilg Colonial
Newly Remodeled 7 Apartments,
Nott $5200— lO % Bast Offer.

Write: Blake-Brookside Apts.
Ballston Spa, N.Y. Phono 1114, A-7

STONY POINT, N. Y.

Beautiful old home, original structure
built 1720. Recently reconditioned, 10
acres, swimming pool. By appointment
only. $35,000.

COYLE A COYLE, Realtors
New City, N. Y. Tel. 4-4300

DREAM HOUSE

Bell Island, Conn., waterfront villa'.
Private beach, private dock. Terrace,
Overlooking Sound, 4 bedrooms, *3
baths. Commute 5$ minutes 'to N. Y<
Call Volunteer (Conn.) 4»S04$.

MIL ALEUT PACKAGER
MI. ALIVE IIOGIAMMEI

LOO
that 41
He vo .It,
WANT

tor the ' outs pont* with j
rent fermott STOP. .-I

want o OR
cMMIenot •»
thrill# of «M

mo thW combine# tho
-o OVt* *Hew with The

P. o.

. . nr with
naot - run i« fr.

■ex ofl, Heritor# 1, Conn.

Wednesday, August 10, 1955

MUSIC

OLD SONG’

The romance between the dailiesf
and the record business is getting
hotter. The press around the na-
tion has awakened to the juve in-
terest in wax and is beginning to
slot more stories about recording
people oil its .teenage pages.

The Hearst press, for example,
has tagged New York deejay Bill
Silbert to pen a platter chatter
pillar for its papers. He kicks it
Off in the third week of Septem-
ber in the Detroit Times,: and King
Features will take it from there to
peddle it around the country.

Publicity and promotion depart-
ments of the major labels have
been alerted to the dailies’ - inter-
est and are now propping special
mat services angled towards the
teenage pages. The diskeries have;
steadily serviced the press around
the country with new platter re-
leases for reviewers, but now
they’re angling for some of that
tough free space.

Many industryites believe that
the dailies won’t give the record-
ing industry the same space treat-
ment it now gives pix' and tv.
There’s the matter of advertising
Involved and the disk companies
apply their ad coin to their pack-
aged goods, and it goes mostly to
the mags. They figure that audio,
not ads, sell pop platters and
they’ll continue to ride with the
disk jockey for a commercial at
the price of a cuffo disk. They’re
not turning their backs to the dail-
ies* interest, however, and they
figure that any space they get is
all gravy.

Col Setting ‘Meet Kosty’

Those 98c 12-inch LP samplers
are getting to be a habit With Co-
lumbia Records. Having, wound up
a six-week drive on. its . “I Dike
Jazz” set, Col is propping, a. “Meet
Andre Kostclanetz” package, for
release next month.

The Kosty album, will contain
selections from a dozen of his al-
bums that range from lush mood
music to longhair extractions. La-
bel is also planning a hefty ad
campaign to make the consumer
Kosty conscious.

Label shut off its “I Like Jazz”
campaign last week after the execs
figured it had served its purpose
in promoting the - diskery’s jazz
line. In its six weeks on the mar-
ket, the package racked up Close
to 24Q,0Q0 sales.

COL FALL SALES DRIVE
35% AHEAD OF 1954

The dealers are going along for
Columbia Records’ “Hit A Day”
fall sales drive. The push, which
was kicked off only two weeks ago,
is already running 35% ahead of
last year's fall orders. Diskery
has wound up close to 75% of its
national dealer meets and expects
to wrap it all up within the next
week.

Package leaders in the sales
spurt are Michel LeGrand, “Great
Moments in Sports” and the Phila-
delphia Orch's LP coupling of “Pe-
trouchka” and “Rite of Spring.”

Infringe Suit on Coast
Over ‘Durango’ Tune

Los Angeles, Aug. 9.

Federal Court suit for asserted
copyright infringement of his song,
“Durango,” has been filed by Ken*
neth L. Hanna against Clef Rec*
ords, Mercury Records Distributors
Inc. and Indigo Music Inc.

Tunesmitb claims that the song
he wrote and copyrighted in 1949
was released by the. defendants in
1953., with Eddy Safranskl credited
as . the composer. Hanna requests
an accounting And impoundment of
record.' :

Lesser-Known Gershwins
For New LP Package

Walden Records is currently
digging into the George Gershwin'
catalog in preparation for a three
12-inch LP . package tentatively
tagged “The Gershwin Years.” The
set will feature many of the com-
poser’s lesser-known works.

Diskery’s recently-released Har-
old Arlen album is now in its third
pressing apd three new Arlen
packages are now being planned.

Tune, Talent Hunt

With an dye to an October kick-
off for Am-Par’s pop line, label’s
artists & repertoire head Sid- Fel-
ler is stepping up his tune and
talent prowl. Although no pacts
have yet been consummated, Feller
has been dickering during the past
few weeks with more than a dozen
singers.

Feller is putting the stress on
new talent and is giving all comers
a hearing. Starting this week, he’s
Opening his doors to publishers to
audition new material. No special
publisher day has been designated
but Feller figures he’ll have to
establish one once the pop line
starts rolling.

Meantime, Si Paul, label’s na-
tional promotion chief, is on the
Coast lining UP distribs for the
launching of the “Mickey Mouse
Club” line which will launch Am-
Par’s activities early next month.
Sam Clark, label’s prexy, , is tour-
ing the cast on a similar mission.
The “Mickey Mouse Club” disks
will be tied' in with the Walt Dis-
ney ABC-TV show of the same
name.

MERCURY’S PACKAGED
DISKS FALL LINEUP

Mercury. Records has lined up a
barrage of pop, classical and jazz
packages for its fall - sales cam-
paign. Due for release within the
next two months are 18 pop 12-
inch LPs, 32 jazz 12-inch LPs and
20 classical 12-inch LPs.

Included in the list of LPs to be
released are newly recorded items
as well as recoupled sets taken-
from the 10-inch catalog closed out
by the label early this summer.

; Merc is also prepping a push on
its kidisk line. Its Childcraft and
Playcraft disks will add new Patti
Page and Rusty Draper song and
Story sets and there’ll also be a
drive on new 10-inch singles.

Brief Distribs on Pgm.

RCA Victor execs hit the road
Monday (8) to brief distributors
around the country on its “Best
Buy” program for 1955. Nine ex-
ecs, with the aid of field men
who’ll be picked up along the way,
will wrap up the confabs with the
diskery’s 52 distribs by the end of
the week.

On “Operation Road” are Larry
Kanaga, George Marek, Bill Bul-
lock, Bill Alexander, Jack Burgess,
Harry Jenkins, Irvin Tarr, Ed
Welker and Bob Yorke.

RCA Up* ‘Roily’ Coffin

Ralston H, Coffin has been
named veepee of advertising and
sales promotion at RCA. He had
been director of ad sales there for
the past 18 months.

Coffin Joined RCA in 1949 as
director of advertising of the Vic-
tor division.

Before joining RCA Coffin had
been account exec at McCann-
Erickson. He’ll report to Orrin E.
Dunlap Jr., v.p. of press, relations
and institutional advertising.

By MIKE GROSS

“God bless the standards.”
That’s one record company exec’s
summation of the° current aval-
anche of oldies on the pop single
market,.

In recent weeks, at least 15 cat-
alog tunes have been dusted off for
a fresh wax workover. And With
some of them breaking for hit&,
it’s expected that the artists &
repertoire boys will be spending
more time looking into the files of
the old line • publishing houses. -

Reasons behind the sudden
splurge of standards on the pop
market are varied. Some a&r men
attribute the resurgence to the
summer doldrums when publishers
hold back new material for the fall
to cash in on the disk sales pickup
“We still have to release new rec-
ords,” an " a&r topper said, “so
we’re forced to go after the oldies.”

Other explanations had more
longrange aspects. By putting a
standard on one side of a new
platter, many diskers figure they
can avoid having two publishers
slugging it out for the top. side,
(Continued on page 44)

To Longhair

Hollywood, Aug. 9.

Norman ; Granz, who for yearis
has. been the leader in both. disk,
and concert dates among the indie
jazz ' labels, is making plans to
branch oUt from his jazz strong-
hold with an eye towards the
classical market.

As yet, no production plans
have been lined up other than
Granz currently seeking a tie-in
with some agency that books long-
hair artists.

Granz claims he’s entering the
field because he feels that if given
the proper exploitation via lots
of selling, classics could once
again take their place among the
top biz factors in the entertain-
ment field.

“The only reason longhair music
is dying, is that it’s sold on. a dead
basis,” said Granz.

Granz, although not entering
the classics as a paragon to his
jazz labels, does intend to pro-
mote it just as strongly as he does
his jazz concert dates. '

Granz, who produces the “Jazz
at the Philharmonic” series, re-
leases through his' Clef and Nor-
gran labels.

Incidentally, Granz disclosed
that he has been approached by
reps from the William Morris and
Music Corp. of America offices
anent prepping a tv jazz series,
which he declined. “They only ap-
proached me because they are in
dire /need for tv shows. I don’t
think they would really appreci-
ate jazz.”

Col Inks Barbara Ruick

Thrush Barbara Ruick has been
tagged to a longterm palct by Co-
lumbia Records. She formerly re-
corded for MGM Records.

She’ll cut her first session next
week when Mitch Miller, Col’s
a&r chief, hits the Coast for two
weeks of recording- sessions.

GOLDEfy JUBILEE YEAR

HOS-ltSI

Cap

’$ Wiswell on Coast
On A&R Setup Briefing

Andy Wiswell, Capitol Records’
newly-appointed artists & reper-
toire chief in the east, headed for
the label’s Coast h.q. for a two-
week briefing on diskery’s .a&r
setup.:

While he’s away, Cap’s L. A. to
N. Y. a&r shuttling system pre-
vails. Dave Cavanaugh is now on
the Gotham beat

A special rakeoff plan on its ex-,
tended play platters and a delayed
dating program on its complete
album line will, highlight London
Records fall sales program, which
kicks off today (Wed.).

For the EP push, diskery is of-
fering a 25% discount plan which
will be effective, from Aug. 10
through Sept. 15. The dating pro-
gram gives dealers opportunity to
pay on this month’s orders' in Oc-r
tober, November and December.
There’ll be a dozen , new pop and
classical albums issued for the fall
drive. Highlight of the pop LP
releases will be MantoVarti’s Ger-
shwin set.

The diskery is also planning a
fall campaign for the London In-
ternational division. Special dis-
count deals will bring the dealer
cost on a. $4,88 12-inch LP down
to $2.22 and Oil a $2.98 1,0-inch
LP down to .$1,50. The discount
plan covers tile 135 LPs in the In-
ternational line!. , London • Inter-
national was kicked off early in.
February and now includes , such
overseas labels as .Telefunken,
L’Oisea-Lyre and Durium. *

Diskery has added 12 new dis-
tributor agents around the coun-
try to handle the line. Another
highlight of the fall sales push is
the 100% return privilege given
retailers on London International
platters.

DOUBLEDAY SHOPS INTO
DISK BIZ; DOLPHIN TAG

The Doubleday; Book Shops are-
stepping .into. the. disk biz. . .Under
the monicker of Dolphin Records,
Doubleday is planning to release a
series of longplay albums.

The first package; which •will hit
the market Aug. 15, features Cyril
Ritchard singing .eight .songs .and.
reciting a poem. The set is tagged
“Odd Songs and A Poem.” Tune-
smiths repped . in . the . album . are
Dick Adler & Jerry Ross, Nancy
Hamilton & Morgan Lewis, Michael
Brown, IV6r Novello, David ■ Climie,
Peter Nolan & Joseph Titzell, and
Sumner ’LO'ckfe Ellibtt ' & Susan
Reed. The poem is “The Duet,”
by Ella Wheeler Wilcox. . .

Dolphin will be headed up by
Georges Prince. The first album
will be a 10 : irtch LP to be peddled
at $4.

More Distrib Revamps
Set Up By Columbia

Columbia Records continues to
revamp . its distributor lineup
around the country. Last, week
shifts were made in Buffaloj Pitts-
burgh and Erie, Pa.

In , Buffalo,. CBS-Columbia of
Western New York, took over the
record line from Faysan Distribu-
tors. . Latter, ho.wcver,. will, con-
tinue to ^handle Col’s phono line.
Top-Line. Distributors, was. added
to the Col setup in the Pittsburgh
area to handle the - phono line. The
Danforth Corp. will continue as
GoPs disk and' phono ilistrlb in
that area but its phono push will
be concentrated on record dealers.
Bard Distributing will now handle
the Col line in Erie.

A hassle with far-reaching im-
plications for the tape industry
was touched off last week when
Thomas A. Edison Inc. filed suit
against the Webster-Chicago Corp.,
charging infringement of basic
tape recorder patents.

In the pleading, filed in - U. S.
District Court for Southern Dis-
trict of N. Y., Edison claimed that
Webcor had violated patent rights
involving electronic and mechan-
ical devices . related to .the trans-
port mechanisms of magnetic tape
recorders.

Edison .stated that it had ac-
quired : the rights to the patents
And the right to: grant licenses to
other manufacturers in an agrees
|.ment • with • the International Elec-
tronic Co. of Philadelphia consum-
mated in late 1953. At that time
Henry G., Riter 3d, Company’s
prexy, stated that Edison planned
to retain exclusive use of patents
directly related ^to dictating equip-
ment.

In April of this year, Webcor
initiated a declaratory suit vs. Edi-
son, requesting the courts to. in-
validate the patents in question.

It’s estimated that the tape re-
cording industry . has now passed
the $100,000,000 mark at the re-
tail level with some 50 manufac-
tures currently in the field.

MGM Longhair Division
Steps Up Release Sked
For Fall Sales Drive

MGM .Records’ .classical division
is stepping Up its release schedule
for the fall sales campaign. Here-
tofore, label. : had been issuing
three releases at the rate of six
LPs a -month for the three-month
period beginning in September.
The new plans call for five re-
leases containing six* LP sets.

: Highlight ; of MGM’s classical
drive will be the. first recording
of Kurt Weill’s - two-act opera,
“Der Jasager.” It’s set for a late
September release. This will mark
the fourth- set of Weill's “serious”
music released by the diskery. The
others include the original cast
album of “The Threepenny Opera,”
an orchestral suite from the same
score by, Izler S.olomon. and the
recently released “Concerto for
Violin, and Wind Orchestra.’*

The newly organized Beaux Arts
Trio has been added' to the classi-
cal roster and their LPs will be
included in the upcoming . drive.
The trio consists of Menahem
Pressler, piano; Daniel Gullet, vio-
lin, and Bernard Greenhouse,
cello.

BOSTON SYMPH, RCA IN
NEW LONGTERM PACT

The Boston Symphony Orches-
tra and RCA Victor are continuing
their longtime affiliation. A new
longterm pact will be inked to-
morrow (Thurs.) at a special cock-
tailery at Tangle wood in Lenox,
Mass. The Boston Symph, which
is celebrating its 75th anni this
coming year, has been with the
Victor label since 1917.

RCA execs, including prexy
Frank M. Folsom, veepee and
operations manager of the Victor
division Larry Kanaga, a&r top-
per George R. Marek, and a&r
manager of the Red Seal depart-
ment Alan Kayes, will converge
on Tanglewood for the pacting cer-
emonies. .

Baker May Get By In

Britain As a Singer

London, Aug. 2.

Chet, Baker, American trumpet*
star who is to- play in Europe with
his Quartet, opening at Amsterdam
Sept. 17, is likely to appear in
Britain, in a solo singing capacity.

Musicians Union restrictions will
not allow him to play trumpet but
as a singer he has been heard on
various records and might be a
big draw here on his name value.

MUSIC

Wednesday, August 10, 1955

By MIKE GROSS

Jim Lowe: "Maybellene”-"Rene
La ftue” (Dot). "Maybellene” is of
r&b origin (Chuck Berry on Chess)
hut it looks like its biggest score
will be in the pop field, especially
via Jim Lowe's rowdy and free-
* wheeling interpretation. It’£ an
up-tempo slice that’s high-spirited
and infectious. A natural for big
play on all levels. Ralph Marterie
gives the tune an okay beat on
Mercury and Johnny Long offers
a pleasant shuffle rhythm, but it’ll
be hard to take the play away from
Lowet "Rene La Rue/’ on the
reverse, has a bright western
flavor but it’ll . be buried under
the weight of its mate.

Sunny Gale; “Soldier Boy”-
"Certainly Baby” (RCA Victor).
The r&b beat is back in the pop
groove in full force with Sunny

Faith’s version of "Tropieal Me-
rengue” that gives it a takeoff
chance. Orch delivers in a brisk
and colorful style. It’s a hip-swing-
ing side. The ballad on the flip is
pleasant enough but its stepout
chances are pretty slim. A vocal
chorus handles the lyric neatly.

Connee Boswell: “Mind If I Tag
Along”-‘*Don't Believe Everyone's
Your Friend” (Decca). Connee
Boswell shows that she’s still a
top song-seller on her cut of ‘Mind
If I Tag Along.” Given the proper
dpejay exposure, the side could
turn into a neisemaker. It’s a
quality ballad entry and Miss
Boswell gives it added stature. She
switches to a swinging gospel style
on the bottom deck. Not too much
commercial potential, however.

Georgia Gibbs: “i Want You To

JIM LOWE ..... MAYBELLENE

(Dot) Rene La Rue

SUNNY GALE SOLDIER BOY

( RCA Victor) Certainly Baby

FOUR COINS .SONG THAT BROUGHT US' TOGETHER -

(Fpic) ........ ... Need You .

FOUR TOPHATTERS. . . .FORTY-FIVE MEN T’L’PHONE BOOTH
( Cadence ) . .Wild Rosie

Gale’s hangup workover of "Soldier
Boy.” Tune is perfect for her
powerhouse delivery and she
brings it in a winner. Side should
head for a quick takeoff on the
jock ahd juke levels. She gives
"Certainly Baby” a lot of punch
but the tune doesn't hold up.

The Four Coins: "The Song
That Brought Us Together”-"Need
You” (Epic). The Fqur Coins get
a strong crack at the bestseller
bracket with "The Song That
Brought Us Together.” It’s a slick
ballad item with an infectious beat
and the boys give It a topdrawer
rendition. The jocks will help this
one to the top. "Need You” is a
minor league novelty item that
gets its bounce from The Coins’
nifty harmonizing.

The Four Tophatters: "Forty-
Five Men In A Telephone Booth”-
"Wild Rosie” (Cadence). A jump-
ing novelty item with a driving
vocal is hard to stop. Such a slice
is The Tophatters’ "Forty-Five
Men In A Telephone Booth/’ It’s
the kind of cut that moves With
the gaiety and abandon that at-
tracts big deejay spins and coinbox
play. "Wild Rosie,” on the bottom
deck, is given some of the same
spirit but it doesn’t quite come off.

Percy Faith Orch: "Tropical
Merengue”-‘*We Won’t Say Good-
bye” (Columbia). There’s an ex-
citing Latino tempo to Percy

Be My Baby”-"Come Rain or Come
Shine” (Mercury). If a hot rhyth-
mic pace and some highpowered
warbling were all that were nec-
essary for a payoff platter, then
"I Want You To Be My Baby”
would be a shoo-in. Georgia Gibbs
belts with unusual fervor and the
orch and chorus do a workmanlike
job in keeping up with her, but it
doesn’t seem to jell. Shft stands a
better chance with the oldie,
“Come Rain or Come Shine,”
which is solid in all departments.

Art Mooney Orch: "Twenty Tiny
Fingers”-“Happy Song” (MGM).
This is a breezy, lighthearted coupl-
ing that should hold its own in the
summer platter competition.
"Twenty Tiny Fingers” is a cute
novelty side while “A Happy Song”
is a lively offering that will appeal
to the deejay programmers. Art
Mooney’s orch gives ’em both a
flavorsome ride, accenting the
banjo on the latter.

Henri Rene Orch: "The Toy
Tiger” > "C-O-N-S-T-A^N-T-I-N-O-
P-LrE” (Victor). "The Toy Tiger”
gives. Henri Rene a frivolous item
to play around with and it comes
across as a delightful instrumental
that will attract deejay attention.
Tune has a catchy melodic theme
and Rene highlights it With his
slick orch workover. ' He gets a
vocal chorus assist on the' reverse
but it’s doubtful if anything could

LAWRENCE WELK

«nd his

CHAMPAGNE MUSIC

207th Consecutive Week
Aragon Ballroom — Ocean Pai'k, Cal.
ABC-TV— Sat. 9--10 P. M, EDT
Sponsored by
Podge Dealers of America

help pull it off the ground.

Ella Mae Morse: "An Occasional
Man”-“Birmin’ham”’ (Capitol). Al-
though Ella Mae Morse has been
out of action for some time, this
coupling shows that she hasnt’ lost
her touch. Both tunes from the
upcoming pic score of "The Girl
Rush” gives her ample opportu-
nity to display her wax savvy, "Oc-
casional Man,” a light calypso
flavored entry, should get her
back on the deejay turntables in a
hurry. She’s also effective on
"Birmin’ham,” a neatly constructed
rhythm item.

Eydie Gorme: "Wffafc Is The Se-
cret of Your Success”-" Soldier
Boy” (Coral). • "What is the Se-
cret of Your Success,” has an okay
rhythmic riff and a fair lyric, but
it’s the kind of song that needs
plenty of exposure before it can
grab hold, Eydie Gorme gives it
another of her solid warbling jobs.
She misses the boat, however, with
an overly sweet rendition of the”
r&b “Soldier Boy.”

Lola Dee: "Only You (and You
Alone)”-‘‘Paper Roses” (Wing).
Lola Dee has just average material
to work with on this coupling hut
she does her job well. On "Only
You,” a big ballad, she belts in
strong style and on "Paper Roses,”
a pop item with western overtones,
she delivers with a warm flavor.

Don Cherry: “Fifty Million Salty
Kisses”-"What Am I Trying To
Forget” (Columbia). Don Cherry
gets in a frisky mood on "Fifty
Million Salty Kisses” and belts
home a highly listenable wax en-
try. It’s a gay item with the kind
of rhythmic punch that attracts
spins. Reverse is a routine ballad
effort. «

10 Best Sellers on Coin-Machines

4. AIN’T THAT A SHAME (3)

5. SWEET AND GENTLE (5)

I 6. UNCHAINED MELODY (17)

1 .

2 .

LEARNIN* THE BLUES (10) Frank Sinatra Capitol

HARD TO GET (8) Gisele MacKenzie Label X

ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK (11) Bill Haley’s Comets Decca

{ Pat Boonfi Dot

\ Fats Domino * . . . . Imperial

( Alan Dale ... Coral

l Georgia Gibbs . .Mercury

j Roy Hamilton Epic

Al Hibbler ... .......... Decca

IXes Baxter ...Capitol

7. IT’S A SIN TO TELL A LIE (7) Somethin * Smith Epic < ;

SOMETHINGS GOTTA GIVE (6) ............. ... .{sSv dSSjV. V.V.V.'AdS H

O A nTftccftM OT¥¥ ( Nat (King) Cole Capitol

I 9 . a jiijUssum rCiLiLt U/5j * • ♦ • • {Dickie Valentine ... . . . London t

* «•' YELLOW BOSE OF TEXAS (1) [j^y^mond W'.'.' ^‘cora®

Second Group

1 HONEY BABE Art Mooney . MGM I

\ Perez Prado ...... .Victor %

CHERRY PINK AND APPLE BLOSSOM WHITE

POPCORN SO^G

DOMANI

SEVENTEEN

\ Alan Dale Coral

Cliff ie Stone Capitol

{ Julius LaRosa Cadence * ►

\ Tony Martin Victor *

( Boyd Bennett .King

-j Fontane Sisters . Dot

\ Rusty Draper ......... Mercury

MAN IN A RAINCOAT { .I” |

THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC * Sammy Davis Jr. ....... t . Decca « <■

^ TINA MARIE Perry Como * .Victor

t WAKE THE TOWN AND TELL THE FEOPLE { midy’f arson ! ! IcSumbil *

IF I MAY .... .. Nat (King) Cole Capitol ^

tFiaures in varentheses indicate number o 1 weeks tovq has been in the Top 101

Matt Dennis: "Dennis Anyone”
(RCA Victor). Recorded during a
performance at a Coast bistro, this
set has the intimacy and warmth
that’s identified with Matt Dennis.
He’s got a winning way with a tune
and he creates a soft 'and ear-
caressing mood with ah easy piping
and keyboard style. The .12 com-
positions in the package are Dennis
originals and they all hit home.
Heading the list are "Wh ere -Do
We Go From Here,” "Show Me The
Way To Get Out Of This World,”
"Too Late For Love” and "Uncle
Fud.” Laying down the rhythm
beat for Dennis’ ivory work are
Ray Leatherwood, bass; Bill Pit-
man, guitar, and Alvin Stoller,
drums.

Percy Faith Orch: "Music For
Her” (Columbia). When Percy
Faith gets, in a romantic mood, his
arrangements and orch handling
are sure to be lush and colorful.
In "Music For Her,” Faith has 12
romantic ballads to work, over and
he gives ’em all A-l treatment.
"The Nearness Of You,” "The Way,
You Look Tonight” and "I’ll Be
Seeing You” set the tone for every-
thing else in the package.

John Raitt: "Highlights of Broad-
way” (Capitol). John Raitt has been
on the musical boards for some
time and his knowhow with a show-
tune comes through on wax, too.
He goes through a flock of tunes
from recent-year legituners in fine
style. George Bassman’s arrange-
ments give him a valuable assist.
Among the top items in the set are
"Soliloquy,” "Almost Like Being
In Love,” "I Got The Sun In The
Morning” and "How Are Things
In Glocca Morra.”

Pete Jolly: "Jolly Jumps In"
(RCA Victor). Pete Jolly will be

a* name that’ll soon be making the
rounds of the jazz circles. Ho
makes an impressive wax debut in
this set with a topdrawer display
of his piano, technique and jazz
improvisation* style. * He works
over 10 tunes, standards and orig-
inals, with a trio and sextet, Some
of his sidemen are such standout
Coast jazzsters as Shelly Manne,
drums; Curtis Counce, bass; How-
ard Roberts, guitar, and Shorty
Rogers, trumpet.

Dean Martin; "Swingin’ Down
Yonder’* (Capitol). Dixie, songs in
Neapolitan styling seems like a far-
fetched idea but Dean Martin puts
the Confederacy at ease with some
easygoing treatments of several top
songs from below the Mason-Dixon
line. Among the 12 tunes are such
faves as "Is It True What They
Say About Dixie/’ "Waitin’ For The
Robert *E. Lee,” "Georgia On My,
Find" and '"Sleepy Time Down
South.” Arrangements are by Dave
Cavanaugh. Orch is conducted by
Dick Stabile*

Mane, Martin Wooed By
MGM for Song Album

MGM Records is huddling with
Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin to
cut a special album of their songs.
If the deal is wrapped up, the
cleffing team will put into the
groove the top tunes from their
Broadway tuners and filmusicals.

It’s expected that the set will also
include songs from the score of
"The Girl Rush,” upcoming pie
musical starring Rosallhd Russell.
RCA Victor has already latched on
to the soundtrack rights.

The top 30 songs of week (more in case of ties), based on
copyrighted Audience Coverage Index^ & Audience Trend Index,
Published by Office of Research, Inc., Dr. John Gray Peatman,
Director. Alphabetically listed. • Legit musical. t Film,
Survey Week of July 29- Aug. 4, 1955

A Blossom Fell Shapiro-B •

Ain’t That A Shame Commodore

Ballad of Davy Crockett— (•“Davy Crockett” , . . . Wonderland

Bible Tells Me So. . . . Paramount

Blue Star ...... . Young

Cherry Pink, Apple Blossom White— 1 "Underwater” . Chappell

Domani .Montauk

Fooled Harms

Hard to Get Witmark

Heart — *"Damn Yankees” . k Frank

Honey Babe— t “Battle Cry” .'Witmark

Hummingbird . , Jung nickel

I’ll Never Stop Loving You — i“Love Me, Leave Me” Feist

Kentuckian Song; — t"Kentuckian” Frank

Learnin’ the Blues Barton

Longest Walk * Advanced

Love Is Many-Splendored — i “Love Is Splendored*’ . Miller
Love Me or Leave Me — i “Love Me or Leave Me” . . BVC

Man in a Raincoat BMI

May I Never Love Again Broadcast

' My Love Came Back To Me Southern

Pete Kelly’s Blues — t“Pete Kelly’s Blues” Mark VII

Piddily Patter Patter. Marks

Seventeen Lois

Something’s Gotta Give — f"Daddy Long Legs” ...Robbins

Sweet and Gentle Peer

That Old Black Magic Famous

Tina Marie Roncom

Unchained Melody — 1“Unchained” Frank

Wake the Town and Tell the People ... Joy

Yellow Rose of Texas . . . , . — Planetary

Young Ideas Harms .

Top 30 Songs on TV

(More In Case of Ties)

Ain’t That A Shame ....... ................ . Commodore

Alabama Jubilee Remick

All of You — *"Silk Stockings” ................. . Chappell

Ballad of Davy Crockett — t“Davy Crockett” .... . .Wonderland

Banjo's Back in Town World

Blue Star Young

Chee Chee-oo Chee H&R

Disenchanted Blues Cromwell

Hard to Get Witmark

Honey Babe— t "Battle Cry” Witmark

Hummingbird Juhgnickei

I Know Your Mother Loves You Leeds

I Looked At You - ; ■ . Cromwell

I’ll Never Stop Loving You — " i*Love Me, Leave Me”Feist

Italian Lullabye r Paxton

Japanese Rhumba .Peer

Learnin’ the Blues Barton

Love Me or Leave Me — i“Love Me or Leave Me”. .BVC

My One Sin Mellin

Piddily Patter Patter Marks

Play Me Hearts and Flowers Advanced

Rock Around the Clock— ^ f "Blackboard Jungle”. .. .Myers

Sailor Boys Have Talk to Me in English Morris

Something’s Gotta Give — t"Daddy Long Legs” .... Robbins

Sweet and Gentle Peer

Touch of the Blues Rogers

Two Lost Souls — *“Damn Yankees” ............. .Frank

Unchained Melody— ("Unchained” Frank

Where Too, My' Love Meadowbr’k

Yellow Rose of Texas ...Planetary

Wednesday, August 10, 195$

PSrWSty

MUSIC

Banner Season Due for Jazz Units;

Jazz units are finding unexpected
strength in various parts of the
country. The hot combos are hit-
ting: big grosses and frequently
get in on percentages in spots
where the usual name bands are
just about getting by.' Louis Arm-
strong and Dave Brubeck are
among those that have been taking
out earnings higher than the orig-
inal guarantee. This coming fall
and. winter is expected to be a
banner year for the name jazzists.

Ope of the reasons' for the antic-
ipated higher boxoffice^value lies
in the fact that the units have
been getting big publicity as a
result of the various festivals and
longhair dates. For example, the
units and soloists that worked at
the Newport Jazz • Festival gained
in stature. Brubeck has also es-
sayed a series Of longhair stands
that bring npt too much money,
but a lot of prestige. These include
stands with the Buffalo Symphony
Orch; Ravinia, ill., dates in a long-
hair* atmosphere; Lenox, Mass.,
and a stand at the Hollywood Bowl
with.* Benny Goodman, and .Carmen
MacRae, which is. slated for Aug.
19. :

In addition, the jazzists will also

be getting much prestige with the
filmbiog of Benny Goodman, ^ow
in production at Universal. The
tunes and atmosphere of circa 1936,
when the swing era reached its
apex, will get a lot of additional
glamor. Revival of this era can only
do good for the band business and
jazz units, according to agency
men, inasmuch as there Was a lot
of good music and excellent jazz-
men in circulation at that time.
Giving the public a ' taste of *the
best is likely to perk up appetites.-
for more of the* same.

Meanwhile, the jazz units are
showing unexpected strength and
prosperity around the country.
Units such as Woody Herman’s
Third Herd, Gerry Mulligan apd
Count Basie are getting along well
financially. At the same time spots
such as New York’s Basin Street,
Birdland and the Metropole do very
well when there’s good jazz attrac-
tions on tap. There are sundry
spots around the country that also
use the swingsters as change of
pace or as regulars. In most in-
stances, the operators have found
jazz to be a paying policy.

Best British Sheet Sellers

(Week ending July 30)

London, Aug. 2.
Unchained Melody ....Frank

Dreamboat Leeds ’•

Evermore Rogers

I Wonder ..... .Maemelodies

Stranger in Paradise. ...Frank

Cherry Pink . ..... .Maddox

Where Dimple Be . Cinephopic

Stowaway .Morris

Don’t Worry Wright

Everywhere Bron

Softly . . ......... Cavendish

Bridges of Paris. . . .Southern

Second 12

Every Day ..Robbins

Y6u, My Jjove Dash

Sincerely ; — ........... Dash

Earth Angel Chappell

Tomorrow Cavendish

Melody of Love. . . . .Connelly
Unsuspecting Heart. .-. . .Berry

Mama MacmelodiOs

Crazy Otto Rag ..... Kassner
Ready, Willing, Able ...Berry
That’s How Love
Song Born ChappeJ

John and Julie .Toff

Bleyer Back in Gotham
After 6-Wk. O’Seas Tour

Archie Bleyer, Cadence Records
prez, returned to his New York
h.q. yesterday (Tues.) after a six-
week European tour.

During his overseas „ junket,
Bleyer huddled In London with
E. R. (TedV Lewis, head of British
Decca which distributes the- Ca-
dence line abroad. Bleyer also
headed up several recording ses-
sions in Copenhagen, cutting
crooner Chris Dane.

Leathernecks^ To Victor

The Leathernecks, harmonica 1 *
trio, have joined' the RCA Victor

roster. Combo* was recently dis-
charged from the U, S. Marines.

The boys cut their first session
for the label recently. Initial plat-
ter is set for release this week, * .

Coral Gets Kittens

Hollywood, Aug. 9.

On the basis of a record that
Paula Kelly, Carol Richards and
Joanie O’Brien waxed while ap-
pearing as a. trio on CBS-TV’s “Bob
Cyosby Show,” the three have been
signed to a two-year contract as
The Three Kittens by Coral Rec-
ords.

Hal Dickenson, regular member
of The Modernaires; produced the
initial session for The Kittens.

HETAU DISK BEST SELLERS

P / Rriety~

Survey of retail disk best
sellers based on reports ob-
tained from leading stores in
22 cities and showing com -
p arative sales rating for this
and last week.

National
Rating
Thin Last
wk, wk.

Artist, Label, Title

*fi

■1

■s

3 -

€

*•

•0

Ob .

■0

0
8

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0
©

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ft.

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2
id

0
T
A

HALEY’S COMETS (Decca)
“Rock Around the Clock” . . . .

• »

• 4

. • 4

157

PAT BOONE (Dot)

“Ain’t That a Shame”

* •

• •

« •

» •

4 •

. ■ #•

• •

103

MITCH MILLER (Columbia)
“Yellow Rose of Texas”

4 •

• #’

• 4

4 •

• 4

102

GISELE MacKENZIE (Label X)
“Hard to Get”

• •

• *

4 4

(

• • ■

• 4

NAT (KING) COLE (Capitol)

“A Blossom Fell”.

• •

* •

4 •

• •

• *.

4 4

4 •

* V

• 4

• .

6 .

. FRANK SINATRA (Capitol)
“Learnin’ the Blues” . .........

• »

• •

• ‘ •

• •

4 •

4. 4

• «

• 4

4 •

8 .

4 •

DORIS DAY (Columbia)

“I’ll Never Stop Loving You”. .

• •

• «

• •

• «.

4 •

4 4

• •

CHUCK BERRY (Chess)
“Maybelline”

• t

• •

« «

• *

* •

• *

• •

4 ©

4 4

4 4*

4T*

• 4

• •

4 4

CHUCK MILLER (Mercury)
“House of Blue Lights”

• •

% •

• •

« r

• •

,v"

4 •

• 4

4 •

• 4

* 4

4 *

4 4

• .*

PAUL-FORD (Capitol)
<r Hummingbird’u’

« •

• t

• •

« »

• •

• 4

4 4

4 •

. 6

4 4

' LES BAXTER (Capitol)
“Unchained Melody”

• m

4 •

« •

• 4 >

• •

• 4

4 •

4 4

4 •

4- 4

4 4

4 •

12A

JULIUS LaROSA (Cadence)
“Domani” .**. .

• •

• »

• 4

4 4

4 •

• •

4 4.

4 4

b 4 .

4 4

12B

McGUIRE SISTERS (Coral)
“Something’s Gotta Give”...!

• •

• 4

• •

• ■ *

, • 9

• 4

• '«

4 4

- 4 4

4 4

• •

• 4

4 4

PEREZ PRADO (Victor)
“Cherry Pink Mambo”

« •

■ 4

• •

a •

• •

4 4

« *

4 •

4 4

.4 •

LES BAXTER (Capitol)

“Wake the Town”.

• • •

» •

• .4

• 4

• «

4 4

4 • ‘

4 4

4 •

4 »

4 •

• 4 «

16A

BOYD BENNETT (King)
VSeventeen’V , . ... ... , .

• • •

4 .t

■4 » .

«r •

• • ■

4. 4

• 4

4 •

• *

• 4

• •• •

4 #

b 4

16B

SAMMY DAVIS JR (Decca) .
“Something’s Gotta Give”

• •

4 4

• •

• 4

»■ •

4 4

• 4

« •

4 «

• •

4 4 .

4 4

18A

SOMETHIN’ SMITH (Epic)

“It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie” . .....

• •

• 4

4 4 ,

4 4

• «

• •

» 4

4 4

18B

HILLTOFPERS (Dot)
“Kentuckian Song”

• « *

• - •

9 *

• •

4 4

• •

* 4

4 .4

• •

• 4

4 4

18C

NICK NOBLE (Wing)

“Bible Tells Me So”..

• •

« •

» «

• *

• «

• 4

4 4

• S

4 4

4 ' 4

9 4

• •

PRISCILLA WRIGHT (Unique)
“Man In a Raincoat”

» •

• *

• •

• 4

• •

4 4 ‘

4 4

■ •

• t

• •

4 4

22 A

4 *

TERESA BREWER (Coral)
“Banjo’s Back in Town”

« •

• •

4 4

• 4

• m

4 4

* 4

4 •

• 4

4 4

22B

• •

JOHNNY DESMOND (Coral)
“Yellow Rose of Texas”. .....

• •

♦ •

9 •

4 •

• •

4 •

4 4

4 *

4 4

4' •

4 4

4 •

4 *

4 4

22C_

ROGER WILLIAMS (Kapp)
“Autumn Leaves” ...

• «

« «-

4 *

« 4

• •

• 4

4 •

• 4

4 4

• •

• «

» •

1 4

4 4

# 4

-NAT (KING) COLE (Capitol)
“My One Sin”

• •

• «

• •

• 4

4 •

• •

4 •

i 4

• 4

• #

4 4

4 •

4 4

SIX TOP
ALBUMS

LOVt ME OR

STARRING

IN THE WEE,

LONESOME ECHO '

damn Yankees .

PETE KELLY'S

LEAVE Ml

Doris Day

SAMMY DAVIS JR.
tommy Davit . Jr.

-Jack!* Gltoion

Original Catt

BLUES

Iw-Filxgirtld

Columbia

Decca

Capitol

Victor

Decca

CL 710 „

DL 8118

W 581 |

W 627

LOC 1021

DL 8166

B 2090

ED 2214-5-6

EBF 1, 2-581

EBF 1, 2-627

EOC 1021

ED 756

The cha-cha-cha is In a state of
transition. Although the latest
Latino dance craze is, not more
than six months old in the U.S., a
move is already on to take away
its gringo overtones and give it the
more authentic Cuban beat,

Johnnie Comacho, head of artists
repertoire for RCA Victor’s Inter-
national division, is spearheading
the drive with his -upcoming Tito
Rodriguez etching's. Acc.ording to
Comacho, the cha-cha-cha . as it’s
been played here is just a' modifi-
cation on the mambo, whereas the
authentic style is much softer and
more refined. To get this effect,
Rodriguez has replaced his brass
instrumentation with violins, cello,
viola* and flute.

The softer sound, Comacho fig-
ures, will op4h new markets in the
U.S., because it’s easier to dance
and listen to. He also believes that
the subdued Latino tempo will now
be able to find a spot on the pop
deejay turntables leading. to wider
exposure. He expects that sales in
the Latin-American countries will
pick up, too, because the new style
is a replica of the. homemade prod-
uct,

* The new cha-cha-cha *beat hits
the market this Week With Rodri-
guez’s coupling of “Nosotros” and
“De Noce.” The International divi-
sion is geared for a strong sales
push on the platter. The sales end
is now headed up by John David-
son, who took over when Frank
Amaru shifted to Label X. David-
son previously hacr been with Vic-
tor’s Chicago branch.

Decca 6-Mo. Net
Up to $1,610,691

Decca Records* net earnings for
the six month period mded June
30 of this year jumped to $1,610-
691 from the -$1,204, 288 take for a
similar period last year. This year's
melon, which includes the com-
pany’s share of undistributed earn-
ings of its sutirid, Universal Pic-
tures, is equal to $1 per share on.
1,602,501 outstanding shares of
capital stock, On June 30 Deer a
owped 718,585 shares of U, repre-
senting approximately 71% .Of the
pic company’s outstanding com-
mon stock.

In the corresponding period of
'54. Decca’s take was enuaj to 75c
per share on the same number of
shares of capital stock outstanding.

. • — — >■

Frontiersmen Sne Coast

Diskery for Wrong Use Of

Name on ‘Crockett’ Disk

Los Angeles, Aug. 9.

Wonderland’s recording of “The
Ballad of Davy Crockett” is under
fire by The Frontiersmen, oldtime
singing combo (E. A. Bosse, Hal
Sothern, Wayne West), who
slapped a $250,000 suit in L.A. Su-
perior Court against, the diskery
for asserted “unfair and unlawful”
use of their name in connection
with the platter.

Plaintiffs charge that on the face
of the recording is the wording,
“Recorded by The Frontiersmen,”
but it’s not theirs. Complaint
states that the plaintiffs have been
known as The Frontiersmen since
1938, and as a result of the wax,
many radio and tv dee jays,, as well
as the public, believed they did
the recording.

Court is. asked to restrain Won-
derland from Uf.ing the name, The
Frontiersmen, on any recording
not made by them, and order the
defendants to turn over to the
bench’ for destruction ali advertis-
ing matter using the name. An ac-
counting of profits realized from
recording also is asked by plain-
tiffs on the basis of unfair com-
petition.

Decca Adds Malagons

The Malagon Sisters, trio from
the- San Dominican Republic, have
been added to the Decca Records
roster. Milt Gabler, Decca's a&r
chief, recently recorded the group
on the Coast.

Initial release is due in a few
weeks.

Top Record Talent and Tunes

MUSIC

'Wednesday, August 10, 1955

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MUSIC

Wednesday, August Id, 1955

Hollywood, Aug, 9.

"Colgate Variety Hour" will
kudose Capitol Records* new Hol-
lywood building, and the label’s
recording stars, with an hour’s
salute late in January at the dedi-
cation ceremonies. ' Story of the
company from the .first recording
will be narrated and dramatized,’
with Cap’s artists participating in
the musical portion.

"Variety Hour” is projecting
other programs Jashioped pcoutid
outstanding show biz' fgiures simi-
lar to the biographical pattern on
"Toast of the Town” in past sea-
sons.

MANTOVANITO BATON
42 U.S.-CANADA DATES

London, Aug. 2.

Mantovani is to conduct 42 con-
certs in seven weeks in Canada
and the United States this fall; He
will conduct American orchestras,
with two . British sidemen added,
in a series of concert dates open-
ing in Toronto on Sept. 1 and ter-
minating at Carnegie Hall, N. Y.,

. on Nov. 6.

During his tour he will be fea-
tured on the Ed Sullivan "Toast of
the . Town” show Oct. 2. :

In Canada he will conduct local
orchestras air ; To r on tor: Montre al?
Quebec and Ottawa, while in the
States he is scheduled to visit Bal-
timore, Boston, Cleveland, Detroit,
St. Louis,. Des Moines, Omaha,
Minneapolis, Chicago and Phila-
delphia.

Aussie Disk Biz Bright;
U.S. Tunes in Ready Sale

Sydney, Aug. 2.

U.S. tunes are finding h ready
sale with platter payees here. Local
diskers report business very brisk
as teenagers go in for sock rhythm
fare.

Tunes currently on local Hit
Parades are "Cherry Pink,” "High
& Mighty,” "Rock Around the
Clock,” "Melody of Love,” "Blue
Mirage,” "Where Will the Dimple
Be,” "Sincerely,” "Je Vous Aime
Beaucoup,” "How Important Can It
Be,” "Dance With Me, Henry.”

New Coast Indie

Hollywood, Aug. 9.

Jack Vangerov, Abraham Erlich,
Larry Meed and Tek Thomas have
formed' an indie label, Mambo Rec-
ords. Initial release will be "Money
for My Honey,” featuring Riff Ruf-
fin’s orch. On the flip is "The
Darkest Hour,”

Both tunes are being published
by Spark Music Company^ a BMI
outfit.

FOR YOUR PROGRAM
MONDAY THRU SUNDAY

Styne and Cahn's

"SATURDAY NIGHT
IS THE

LONLIEST NIGHT
IN THE WEEK"

CAHN MUSIC, Inc.

RETAIL SHEET REST SELLERS

■P&RrEfr

Survey of. retail sheet music
best sellers based on reports
obtained from leading stores in
13 cities and showing com-
parative sales rating for this
and last week.

• ASCAP t BMI

National
Rating
Thin Last,
wk. wk.

Title and Publish cv

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♦Unchained Melody (Frank)..

♦Rock Around Clock (Myers) .

• •

4 *

♦Hard to Get (Witmark) .....

. .

4 4

• .

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4 ;

♦Something’s Gotta (Robbins)

. 4

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♦Cherry pink (Chappell) .....

. .

• •

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♦Never Stop Loving (Feist).. t)

* * •

•

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• *

♦Blue Star (Young)

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*A Blossom Fell (Shapiro-B).

. . ’

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t'Man in a Raincoat (BMI) ....

- *

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. .

- *

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♦Honey Babe (Witmark). ....

• -

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♦Bible Tells Me (Paramount).

• •

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- 7

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fYellow Rose (Planetary) .... 1

[Whitman Disk Surprise
As Top British Seller

London, Aug. 2.

Big surprise in recording circles
is the success of the Siim Whitman
record (London) of his yodelling
“Rose Marie.”

Against serious competition it
has topped the best-selling pop
record list in Britain, last week,
having jumped up three places
since the previous week.

Whitman is virtually unknown
here and his record has been made
by the public, who requested it
for such programs as "Housewives’
Choice” and “Family Favorites.”
That the British are taking to
country and western music is also
proved by the fact that Whitman’s
record of "Indian Love Call” also
entered the best-selling record list
last week, and already agencies
are bidding for his services in
variety here.

Chi Eatery to Book

Modern Jazz Names

Chicago, Aug. 9.

One of Chi’s top restaurants,
London House, will feature mod-
ern jazz attractions come, the fall.
The restaurant will be remodeled
to provide for listening as well as
eating. Oscar and George Merien-
thal, owners of London House and
Mr. Kelly’s, the latter a Rush St.
eatery showcasing jazz talent, have
decided to parlay steaks and jazz
at London House because of the
success obtained with their food-
music policy at Mr. Kelly’s.

The Barbara Carroll Trio will
inaugurate the new room Sept. 4
with a four week engagement, fol-
lowed by the Don Shirley Duo
Oct. 12, also for four weeks.

Harold Dittenhoefer has been
Upped to product manager of the
phonograph department, at Co-
lumbia Records. He’ll continue to
supervise Col’s service and repair
department.

THE JERRY MULLIGAN
SEXTET

Aug, 29— Loop Loungo, Clevo., Ohio
Sopt. 7— Storyville, Boston (12 Days)
Soph 23-24 — Basin St., Now York
Sopt. 26— Showboat, Philadelphia
Oct. 3— Patio Loungo, Wash,, D. C.
Mercury Records

ASSOCIATED BOOKING CORPORATION

JOE GLASER Pres.

New York I . Chicoqo § Hollywood

7 35 5th Avc- PL. 'N-UOO

20'i No Wab . Oi 5 ;junn f fj'vd.

‘No Song’

Continued from pa ge 39

Causing .divided play on the deejay
shows. 'It also gives the disk com-
pany a chance to concentrate on
the plug side since the publisher
of the standard seldom goes all out
to pufch his catalog item.

Pressure Factor

The pressure of getting a tune
to fill out a session that’s been put
together hurriedly to "cover” a
song that has broken through on
another label, is also a factor in
the standards’ new prominence.
The recording men have found
that it’s easier to pick up an oldie
than to sift through the reams of
new and untested material to com-
plete the date. It’s not a wasted
side either, the recording men re-
veal, because after a number of
standards have been cut, they’re
put. together for an album release
and everybody gqfs an extra ride
at no additional cost.

Some diskers say that "oldie” is
a misnomer for a standard. The
majority of the pop disk-buying
market is made up of teenagers
who’ve never heard these songs
before. And when a standard is cut
by ope of their fave disk artists,
it has the same impact as a 1955
creation. The standards have also
given the a&r men who haven’t
fallen into the rhythm & blues
groove a chance to apply the beat
to solid material, The heat is good,
they explain; it’s the r&b song it-
self that’s bad.

Banjo Craze

Among the standards that have
been given a new life on wax are
"Swanee’ by Jaye P. Morgan on
Victor; "Two Sleepy People” by
Dean Martin and Line Renaud on
Capitol; "Come Rain or Come
Shine” by Georgia Gibbs on Mer-
cury; "A Fine Romance” by
Sammy Davis Jr. and Carmen
McRae on Decca; "Don’t Sit Under
The App 1 e Tree” by The Four
Knights on Capitol; "If I Could
Be With You” by The Fontane
Sisters on Dot; "Nobody” by Perry
Como oh RCA Victor; "Shine on
Harvest Moon” by The Four Aces
on Decca; "St. Louis Blues” by Jo
Stafford on Columbia; "Danny
Boy” by A1 Hibbler on Decca, and
"Autumn Leaves” by Roger Wil-
liams on Kapp.

The banjo craze has also helped
put a flock of standards on the
map again. Among them are "You
Are My Sunshine,*’ "Ma, He*s
Making Eyes At M$” and "Ala-
bama Jubilee” by The Ferko
String Band on Media and "It’s A
Sin To T611 A Lie” and "Aec in
the Hole” by Somethin’ Smith on
Epic.

Among the oldies that have
broken into the hit lists are "That
Old Black Magic” and "Lpve Me
Or Leave Me,” both by Sammy
.Davis Jr. for Decca.

The Peppermints, 'femme trio
from- Fargo, N. D.,‘ . have been
added to the ’ Met O il ry Records
roateii

Quickie Strikes Annoy
2 British Pix Studios

London, Aug. 9.

Lightning strikes 4)y electricians
halted production at two British
studios last Wednesday (3). They
stopped work in protest at the “in-
adequacy” of the claim by their
union for a wage hike. These
stopped production "for a whole
day at Shepperton Studios and for
an hour at the Nettlefold Studios,
Walton-on-Thames.

The British Film Producers
Assn, has convened an emergency
session this afternoon (Tues.) to
consider new wage claims sub-
mitted by the Electrical Trades
Union and also by the National
Assn, of Theatrical and Kine Em-
ployees.

Clay Boland-Jerry Leng
Pub; Johnny Green Mgr*

Dr. Clay Boland and Jerry Leng
have opened a music publishing
biz, with Johnny Green as general
prof. mgr. Hq. In N. Y.

Dr. Boland — an ex Philadelphia
dentist — composed, arranged, pro-
duced and directed 16 annual
Mask & Wig shows for • the Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania. For his
contribution of song hits to these
campus productions he was pre-
sented with the Award of Merit
and the Guggenheim Award.

Leng also contributed to the
Mask & Wig shows of the U. of P.
and is currently working on the
first songs to be -issued by the new
firm.

Strength to Cap

Hollywood, Aug. 9.

Capitol has pacted Texas Bill
Strength as an addition to the
diskery’s country and western art-
ists.

Strength’s Initial recording ses-
sion last week was tinder supervi-
sion of Ken Nelson, label’s country
and western A&R chief.

Cap Inks Haymes

Hollywood, Aug. 9.

Singer Hick Haymes has been
signed by Capitol Records to a
longterm contract.

Alan Livingston, diskery’s A&R
veepee, handled the pacting.

With the addition of Dick Linke
to the Columbia sales force, label’s
director of sales Hal Cook wraps
up what he tags his "front line
forces.” Since his moveover to Col
from Capitol in early spring, Cook
has been reshaping the Col sales
setup in the image of the one he
headed up at Cap when he was
veepee-national sales manage*.

Linke, who moves in to the Col
orbit Sept. 1, will head up sales
on pop singles and EPs. Stan Ka-
Van will oversee the packaged
goods division and Jack Loets will
head up the distributor sales de-
partment while Milt Selkowitz will
be in charge of syndicate sales.
Also on thq "front" line” team is
Bill Gallagher, who’s director of
sales training.

DEXTER, KREBS TO NEW
INT’LDEPTS. CAP POSTS

Hollywood, Aug. 9.

Two new staff appointments for
the International Dept, of Capitol
Records have been disclosed by
prexy Glenn E. Wallichs.

Dave Dexter will occupy the
newly - created post of a&r pro-
ducer in that department. Dexter
previously acted in same capacity
for labels pop singles.

Ernest Krebs, formerly Euro-
pean rep for Cap, becomes staff as-
sistant to Sandor A. Porges, direc-
tor of the International Dept., with
quarters in N. Y.

Atlantic Spawning

More Subsid Labels

Atlantic Records is prepping a
new subsid label for an early Au-
gust kickoff. The diskery, which
will be tagged Atco Records, will
release for the pop and rhythm &
blues fields. Atlantic also parents
the Cat label, a strictly r&b line.

Artists already pacted to Atco
are Pauline Rogers, The Royal
Jokers, Billy Nightingale and Joe
(Mr. Plano) Henderson. Latter’s
disks were picked up by Atlantic
from masters cut in England. The
Atlantic execs (Miriam Abramson,
Herb Abramson, Jerry Wexler and
Ahmed Ertegun) will helm the
Atco operation.

F r«m lh« 20th Ctnlury Fox Cln«maScop« Plctur*
"HOW TO II VEIY. VEIY POPULAR

Hour jo Be-

VeAfyVe/tu

*R>£ujCaA_

MILLtR MUSIC CORPORATION

THE HIT OF THE WEEK

ROSALIND PAIGE

Frankie and

Johnnie
Cha Cha

MOM 12042

Reverie

K 12042

Wednesday, August 10, 1955

EreTigMgj

DOT 15377

THE 1

KENTUCKIAN SONG !

DOT 1 5375

1 AIN’T THAT A SHAME

B B AAT 1C37

PAT

BOONE

THE

HILLTOPPERS

SEVENTEEN

IF I COULD BE WITH YOU

- — ; M FOHTANE
YOU ! SISTERS

WHY DON'T YOU WRITE ME
LAST MINUTE LOVE -

MAYBE LLINE

DOT 15407

iTlTl

RECORDS • •

GALLA^H TtNNEIjtE

PMCNE ’s:?

Wednesday, Angus! 10, 1955

New York

Jerry Flato, in town from Bos-
ton for a looksee . . . Don FJIiott
shuttling from his stand at the
Midway, Pittsburgh, to a one-
nighfer at McCarthy's Bowden
Square, Southampton (L.I.), Aug.
15 . . . Eddie Hey wood's Trio shar-
ing the podium with. the Cy Cole-
man Trio- at The Composer ...
Roy Hamilton and the Buddy
Johnson Orch open, at Basin treet
tomorrow (Thurs.) ... Earl Bost-
' ic’s Septet into Scaler’s House of
Jazz, Milwaukee, for one week,
beginning Aug. 15 . . , Deejay Ira
Cook switching from KABC to
KMPC in Hollywood . Burt
Goldblatt’s jazz album covers on
exhibit at the Cafe Bohemia in.
Greenwich Village ... Deejays
Don Evans (WOHO,* Toledo) and
Ed Foriand, (WHEC Rochester) in
town last week . . . Art Mooney
currently at the Chicago Theatre,
Chi . .... Cab Calloway kicks off a
British Isles tour Aug. 22 . . . Loir
Krefetz returned to Atlantic Rec-
ords as sales manager.

Crooner Barry Frank begins a
three-day engagement at the Sans
Souci, Mineola (L.I), Friday (12)

. . . Hal Schaefer, winding up a
six-week engagement at the Em-
bers, set for his first RCA Victor
album , . . Betty Madigan current-
ly at the Fontainebleu, Miami
Beach . . . Benjamin Viner, Ban-
gor, Mo., record dealer, copped first
prize of ,6,000 cuffo travel miles,
in Columbia’s > "All Points” con-
test , , , BMI played host last week
for a special preview of Decca’s
upcoming LP release, Larry El-
girt’s " "Music for Barefoot Bal-
lerinas.” The original- tunes in the
set were penned by Charles Al-
- bertine and are published /by
Cherlo Music . MGM Records
Is shipping out 3,000 pairs of socks
to key deejays to plug Bobbin
Hood’s, slicing of "Dancing In My
Socks.” ■ i

Claude Gordon orch pacted by i
Accent Records . . . Harry Bela-
fonte guesting on NBC-TV’s M Col-
gate Variety Hour” Aug. 21- ... .
The Mariners currently at the
Steel Pier, Atlantic City 1 '. .
Crponer Bob Anthony set for a
date at the London Palladium . . .
The Ames Bros, to sing title song
on soundtrack of upcoming Metro
pic, "Forever Darling.”

Hollywood

Deejays > Dick Haynes, Sonny
Burke, Orrin Tucker and Jimmy
McHugh were honored guests
Monday (8) of Coast Mhsic Men’s
luncheon at Mike Lyman’s Restau-
rant' . . . Louis. Armstrong and
Gary Crosby have been set for
another recording session at Decca
Records Aug. 26, when Arm-
strong's combo will he playing the
1 Crescendo here . . . Frankie Laine I
opens a three-day stand at the '
Manor Hotel, Wildwood, N. J.,
Aug. 25, then plays concerts in
Indianapolis . . . Roberta Linn
opens a three-week stand Nov. 14
at the New Frontier, Las Vegas
Sauter-Finegan Orch played a

PROGRAM TO-DAY

YESTERDAY'S

JUST YOU, JUST ME

Music by

JESSE GREER

ROBBINS MUSIC CO.
799 7th Av*. New York

two-day stand Aug. 6-7, .Patio;
Gardens Ballroom, Salt Lake.

Songstress Beverly Hudson was
r inked to a personal management
pact by Frank Sennes, who also
booked her for his Moulin Rouge
nitery . . . Billie Holliday has been
signed by Chuck Landis and Gene
Norman for' a two-week stand at
the Crescendo opening Aug. 12.
Also on the bill will be the Four
Freshmen . . . Bernard Hilda, Eu-
ropean orch leader, set for the
opening of the Beverly Hilton Ho-
pei’s Bali Room,* Aug, 12, planed
in from Paris over 'the weekend to
: prep opening , . . Chirp . Gloria
Wood making the deejay rounds
plugging her latest Coral release,
"Hey Mister.” . . . Nelson Biddle
has -been set to back Nat (King)
Cole at. the Hollywood Bbwl, Aug.
.13 . . . Marian McPartland, Capitol
jazz album artist, planed in over
the weekend for local tv and raftio
appearances.

H. R. Music Corp,. will release the
sheet music on "Heart of Gold.”
tune penned by Lou Forbes and
Dave Franklin for the Benedict
Bogeaus production, "Tennessee’s
Partner” . . Joe Burton Trio open
a two-week stand today (Wed.) at
the Castle Restaurant . . .Arranger
Phil Moore has been inked to or-
chestrate three special numbers
for UP A cartoons . . * Leo Dia-
mond guests-conducts the Holly-
pop* concert at the BOwl, Aug. 27
. . . Bobby Short Trio holding over
at Court & Leo’s nitery ... Raj*
Randall, formerly with the Paul
Whiteman band, has formed his
own dance orch. •,

Jack Smothers joined the staff
of Capitol Records as an editorial
assistant to Robert J. Willheim,
head of the department. Smothers
formerly^ was a' writer-editor for.
the U. S. Government in Germany.

Chicago

Russ Carlyle set for Chi’s Oh
Henry Ballroom Sept. ; 7 for four
... Dukes of Dixieland extended
at Chi’s Preview Lounge until Oct.
16 . . v Jack: Teagarden, appearing
pn the Frahkie Laine tv show this
month, into the Purple Crackle,
Wisconsin Dells, Aug.. 23-26 . . ..
Tony Pastor pacted. for a single
frame at Coney Island, Cincinnati,
opening Friday (12) . . . Ernie
Rudy inked, for Chi's Aragon Ball-
room Sept. 11-Oct; 16 ; . . Les
Elgart into the Melody Mill, Chi,
Aug. Id . .. . Modem -Jazz Quartet
opens at the Bee-Hive, Chi, Friday
(12) I . . Illinois. Tacquet opens at
the. Crown .Propeller Lounge, Chi,
tonight (10).

Dallas

Pierson Thai orch. a 60-day hold-
over at the Baker Hotel . . . Cell
Block. Seven; local dixielanders,
went from the Riviera, Las Veghs,
to Wildwood Lakes Club, Kansas !
City, Mo. . . . Jack Starr’s Fun
Bar, adding live combo policy with
floor shows, brought in Finney Mo
and His Cool Goofers . . . Joe
Reichman crew into Lakeside Park
Denver, i for four weeks . *

Kansas City

Kay Benson has moved into the
Cabana of the. Hotel Phillips han-
dling piano-organ ohor.es . . ,
Charles Drake crew spelling the
Bob White Trio in the Drum Room
of Hotel President . . . UeCastro
Sisters held over at 'Wildwood
Lakes playing with Reggie Ryjnal
and Doris Stockton.

Scotland

Jack Parnell orch into Locarno,
Glasgow. . .Carl Baniteau band
set for stint at Playhouse, Glas-
gow, from Aug, 22. . .Cab Calloway
due at Empire, Glasgow, Aug. 22

TOP TALENT AND TUNES

_ , * • T , .

* *

Compiled from Statistical Reports of Distribution

% -

Encompassing the Three Major Outlets

Coin Machines Retail Disks Retail Sheet Music

✓

as Published in the Current Issue'

NOTE: The current comparative sales strength of the Artists and Tunes listed hereunder is
arrived at under a statistical system comprising each of the three major sales outlets enu-
merated above. These findings are correlated witty data from wider sources, which are exclusive
with Variety .The positions resulting from these findings denote the OVERALL IMPACT de-
veloped from the ratio of points scored, two ways inf the case of talent. ( coin machines, retail
disks J -and three ways in the case of tunes (coin machines, retail disks and retail sheet music).

TALENT

POSITIONS
This Last
Week Week

ARTIST AND LABEL TUNE

BILL HALEY^S COMETS (Decca)

PAT BOONE (Dot) Ain’t That a Shame

GISELE MacKENZIET (Label X) .... ... ... Hard to (jet

FRANK SINATRA' (Capitol) ........... . /. . jwofas^ Stranger®

' , (A Blossom Fell

NAT (KING).COLE (Capitol) JMy One Sin

[if I May

MITCH MILLER (Columbia) Yellow Rose of Texas

LES BAXTER (Capitol) (Unchained Melody

• • • /Wake the Town

SOMETHIN’ SMITH (Epic) i**’ 8 a . Sf** 0 .™ 1 a Lie

■ r ' ) Ace in the Hole

„ M . : ( Something’s Grotta Give

SAMMY DAVIS JR. (Decca) -jThat Old Black Magic

I Love Me or Leave Me

« '

McGUIRE SISTERS (Coral). Something’s Gotta Give

> - .

TUNES

. (*ASCAP. fBMI)

* ✓

TUNE PUBLISHER

•ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK Myers

*HARD;TO GET. Witmark

•UNCHAINED MELODY Frank

t AIN’T .WAT a SHAME. Commodore

•LEARNIN’ THE BLUES V.-..1... •....( Barton

fYELLoW ROSE OF TEXAS . i Planetary

•SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE Robbins

•A BLOSSOM FELL Shapiro-Bernstein

•CHERRY PINK AND APPLE BLOSSOM WHITE Chappell

•I’LL NEVER STOP LOVING YOU Feist

7 10

POSITIONS
This Last
Week Week

PUBLISHER

Another BMI ‘Pin I/p " Hit

seventeen

rusty wafer 1

THE FONTANE SISTPRC ‘ * Mercury

BOY D BENNETT * - Dot

EUA MAE morse:::;;::;:;;;;; 7c$3.

Published by

IOIS MUSIC PUB LISHItyO Co,

week. . .Jimmy Phillips took over
baton at Bobby Jones' Berkeley
Ballroom, Glasgow, in succession
to Charlie Young, who left for
Canada. , .AI Hibbler’s version of
"Unchained Melody,” on ^Bruns-
wick label, topping local bestsell-
ing list, with the McGuire Sisters
in second position with "Sincere-
ly” on Vogue Coral.

Take-AU-of-Me Stance
Nixes Brubeck Showing
At U. of Cal. Jazz Concert

San Francisco, AUg. 9.

Dave Brubeck was turned down
for a jazz concert, at the U. of
California because he wouldn’t
share the stage with any other lo-
cal jazz artists and still wanted
50% of the gross.

Fantasy Records, local indie jazz
and folkrmusic label, is sponsoring
a Jazz: San Francisco concert
Aug. 28 at the U. of California
Berkeley campus in order to get a
live audience for an LP. . It is
underwriting the entire affair,
guaranteeing the university’s ex-
penses plus a percentage for the
student fund.

The original idea was to present
Btubeck as the star local attraction,
in half the concert, with the other
half devoted to other local artists.
After Brubeck’s decision to make
, it all-Brubeck or nothing, Fantasy

A&R man Max Weiss decided to
go ahead anyway with a line up
that included Cal Tjader, the
Vince Guaraldi Trio, Barry Till-
son, Brew Moore, Bob Collins, and
other local , musicians, and to hypo
the affair by importing Joe
Mooney and Stan Getz from out
of town.

Skyrockets Bow Out Of
Palladium for New Orch

London, Aug. 2.

The resident Skyrockets' Orches-
tra will be leaving the London
Palladium Aug. 13 after a nine-
year stay.

They will be replaced by an
entirely new ! orchestra being
formed by managing director Eric
Rogers, and the new band will
make its first appearance at the
opening of the Norman' WijSdom
show, "Painting the Town,” which
opens Aug. 18.

Rtt #20/474112

iSSfADVANOD MUSIC COUP.

WILL OSBORNE

AND HIS ORCH.

Now 73rd W««k
Now Gbldon Hotel, Rono
Mgl.: MILTON DEUTSCH

America's Fastest
f Selling - Records!

Las Vegas, Aug. 9. 4-

Negotiations are expected to get
underway to settle the labor dis-
pute which brought construction on
the Stardust Hotel to a standstill
in the wake of the sudden death,
a week ago Sunday (31), of the new
spa’s prexy, Tony Cornero Stralla.

When a total of 672 workers
were laid off the Tuesday following
Stralla’s death, the shutdwon ap-
peared to be i in the_nature' of a
memorial to the deceased hotel
promoter. But it, was quickly re-
vealed actually to be the climax
of a bitter dispute between labor
unions represented on the job.'

‘The action is strictly because of
union activity,” general contractor
Donald Patterson said as he paid
off the 672 men employed in the
various crafts of construction. “The
job is closed down until the Star-
dust can have assurance from all
the unions involved that as long
as it abides by the rule§ the unions
write, there will be no further il-
legal shutdowns,” he added. The
shutdown meant a weekly payroll
loss to the workers of between
$75,000 and $65,000.

Down to a Crawl

The unions are keeping mum on
exactly what the difficulty is, but
one source ' indicated that the dis-
pute stems from overlapping jobs.
Because of " several meaningless
arguments”, between' the unions,
PattStiExin' said,' construction had
been slowed down to a crawl.
Opening of the 1,500-room resort,
located in the heart of the Vegas
Strip, was originally slated for.
Aug. 1. Just prior to the shut-
down, the opening date had been
backed up a month.

Meanwhile, the hotel’s board of
directors installed Louis Cornero
Stralla to succeed his late brother
as president and general manager.
Louis Stralla took over the day af-
ter his brother died from a heart
attack while watching a dice game
in the Desert Inn .casino.

The new president says the Star-
dust will operate as his brother
had planned it “There will be no
changes at all,” he said, Louis
Cornero was with his brother when
the latter came ot Las Vegas in
1931 tq build The Meadows Club.

It was the initial night spot to of-
fer entertainment and gambling as
a co-attraction: The Meadows was
a bit premature, however, and fold-
ed a year after its opening.

Claire Quits As Pitt
Booker To Join MCA

Pittsburgh, Aug. 9.
George Claire, vet Pittsburgh
booker, is giving up his business
here to join Music Corp. of Ameri-
ca as head of its Cleveland office.
He replaces Bill Buetel, who is
being transferred elsewhere. Claire
takes over the post Sept. 1 and
deal consummates two* years of
dickering between him and. MCA.

Couple of years ago Claire 1
closed shop here to open up in
Miami Beach and also handle The
Vagabonds and their club, But he
returned to Pittsburgh last sum-
mer when the arrangement proved
unsatisfactory, His local agency is
being turned over to a couple of
longtime associates, Billy Wayne
and Zeke.Nickelos.

‘Now You’d Better Pay

• >

On L.A.

Long String of Vaude
Names in Palladium’s
Newest Musical Revue

London, Aug. 9.

Specialty acts will play a major
role in the new Palladium revue,
•‘Painting the Town,” which opens
Thursday (18) following the vaude
season there. The new show, di-
rected by Dick Hurran, again stars
Norman Wisdom, who headed the
cast of last year’s Palladium pro-
duction. Ruby Murray, a 20-year
old thrush from Belfast, who has
come into prominence in the last
year following a tv spot, also gets
star billing in her first West End
engagement.

The specialty acts will be led by
Darvas & Julia, the adagio team,
who played a London season be-
fore they went to the U.S.; Nanci
Crompton, who . will star in a new
ballet; the Five Christianis, Con 4
tinental comedy' acrobats; , Gau-
tier’s “Excess Baggage;” and the
Two Skylons, trapezists.

Also, featured in the production
will be the Four Heart Strings, a
quartet' of femme harpists and
Ormonde Douglas, Australian, bari-
tone, who was in the original Lon-
don production of “Paint Your
Wagon.” •

Hollywood, Aug. 9.

Irvin Mazzei, Coast AGVA chief,
has ordered Sammy Davis Jr, to
appear before a trial board hear-
ing of the union tomorrow (Wed.)
to face charges of working gratis,
without AGVA consent, at the out-
door vaude show put on at Wrigley
Field last Tuesday (2), prior to
the baseball game between the L.A.
Angels and the Frisco Seals. ■»

According to Mazzei, Dayis is
subject to “disciplinary action” for
violation of an AGVA bylaw.

Other AGVA members who en-
tertained along with Davis at the
ballpark, but with jAGVA okay, in-
cluded Wilder Bros., Jones Boys,
Patricia Manville, the Hi-Hatters
and Jill Adams. All Were paid,
Davis was not; he merely volun*
teered.

The show was staged to hypo
baseball attendance at the park,
and as such was successful, draw-
ing over 7,000 fans, about 3,000
more than have been attending
average Tuesday night tilts.

Whereas. -Davis is in the AGVA
doghouse, he also drew some minor
criticism from the L.A. Angels
execs who were grateful for his un-
expected appearance and the man-
ner in which he entertained the
crowd, but they remarked they
wished they had known he was
coming, so they could have baked
a cake of advance publicity.

Davis is current at Clro’s.

Philadelphia, Aug. 9,

Dorothy Worthington, 29, exdtic
dancer known professionally as
Tangerine, was held in $500 bail
for the Grand Jury for allegedly
beating and kicking another dan-
cer, Margo Hayes, 28, in a dispute
at the Lehigh Casino, North Philly
cdfc*

Miss Washington admitted strik-
ing Margo, but denied kicking her.
The defendant told Magistrate Clar-
ence Friedel that she left the
stage in the middle of her act and
hit Margo because the latter was
seated at the bar and making a dis-
turbance which distracted patrons.

Miss Hayes .had been kicked in
the stomach and needed hospital
treatment, according tq police testi-
mony.

Tisch Hotel Set

From U. S. Ice This Fall

It’s unlikely that Sonja Henie
will make any arena appearances
in the XT. S. this fall. Probably her
only American dates • will be on
television, since she’ll be taken up
with European appearances with
“Holiday on Ice” until late April.

Miss Henie opened recently at
Gothenburg; Sweden, and .will
then go to Oslo and Helsinki be-
fore winding up on the Scandina-
vian peninsula. She follows with a
Continental tour. She’s slated for
appearances in Paris, Nantes,
Lyon, Lausaunne, Dortmund, Rot-
terdam, Brussels, Frankfurt, Ber-
lin and Hamburg. Skater is sched-
uled to top the shows in most of
these cities, although she may step
out of a few dates in some of the
smaller stops. She’ll wind Up April
29 on the Continent, and is expect-
ed to return to the U. S. after-
ward.

Gertrude Bayne, former partner
in the flack firm of Bayne & Zuss-
mafi, has formed her own public
relations and promotion- firm,
Gertrude Bayne Associates. Miss
Bayne has been handling the pub-
licity of the Latin Quarter, N. Y.,
but relinquishes that post in Sep-
tember when JZussman takes over
for a three-month period,

-Latin* Quarter operator Lou
Walters has divided that* account,
so each , of the former partners
handle the cafe for three months
each.

HEAT AFFECTS GATE,
BETTING AT SARATOGA

Saratoga, N. Y., Aug. 9.

•Attendance- and betting were
sharply affected by the intense
heat during the first week of the
Saratoga racing meet — as they had
been at the Saratoga-in-Jamaica
session. Turnouts each of the
first six days were down from last
year: 1,600 Friday (5) and 4,500
Saturday (6),

Prolonged dryness kept the his-
toric Union Ave. track lightning
fast.

Atlantic City, Aug. 9.

Plans for the Tisch Bros.’ newest
hotel, the 15-story Americana in
the exclusive Bal Harbour section
of Miami Beach, and costing $12,-
000,000, were unveiled here at Ho-
tel Traymore, beachfront house and
one of their chain, this past week-
end. A full-scale six-foot model of
the vacation palace is on display in
the Traymore’s lobby.

The Americana will be the eighth
in the Tisch chain of resort hos-
telries, and the first they have
built themselves. In addition to
the Traymore and the Ambassador
here, they operate the Belmont
Plaza and McAlpin in New York;
Laurel-in-the-Pines in Lakewood;
Grand Hotel in Highmquht, N. Y.,
and Sand and Surf in West End,
N. J.

The main tower of the Miami
Beach house will contain 380
double rooms each with a large
bedroom and dressing room arr
ranged in suite"fashion. In addi-
tion; there will be 32 terrace suites
facing v the gardens, outdoor swim-
ming pool and ocean. Forty rooms
will open directly onto the pool
deck. The pool, 150 feet long, will
be bordered by a single-tiered row
of 100 .cabanas. Ilians call for four
restaurants, two night clubs and a
motion picture theatre, with four
orchestras to provide music.

Larry Tisch, president of the
firm, said the theme of the hotel
would be “relaxed luxury in a
tropical setting.” . To this end, a
huge glass-enclosed tropical garden
will extend from the floor of the
lower lobby through both main
floors and through both main floors
and through the ceiling of the up-
per lobby.

Sixteen shops will be located in
the hotel. Tisch said the hotel is
expected to be opened in Novem-
ber, 1956. It was designed by
Morris Lapidus, of New York and
Miami, who also plamjed the Fon-
tainebleau, Eden Rock and San
Souci Hotels in the Florida resort.

Becaud, Celeste, Hilda
Into Bev-Hiltoa-Hotel

Hollywood* Aug. 9.

The Bali Room, new Bdverly-
Hilton’s nitery which tees off Fri-
day (12), will open ■with French
singer Gilbert. Becaud headlining.
In support will be Will Jordan,
Augie & Margo and Bernard Hilda
orch (16), with Mischa Novy orch
(8) alternating band. Celeste Holm
is due to follow.

Joseph Pacey and His Basque
Ensemble (3) will play in the
Escoffier Room of hostelry. ;

SARATOGA RILEY'S BACK

Saratoga, N. Y., Aug. 9.

Riley’s on Saratoga. Lake was
reopened Friday (5) with a revue,
“Tropical January.” Music is by
Francis Murphy’s orchestra. Sched-
ule is two shows nightly.

Louis D’Andrea recently pur-
chased. the well-known (but closed
in recent seasons),, nightspot from
Mrs. Margaret Farone.

Moreno, Campbell Ankle
MCA for New Percentery

Chicago, Aug. 9.

Music Corp. of America lost a
band and a orte-nite band hooker
to Orchestras Inc. last week when
the Buddy Moreno orch and booker
Clay Campbell ankled MCA to join
the bands-only percentery. Orches-
tras Inc. was started a year ago by
Bill Black, formerly an agent with
McConkey Artists Corp. and MCA.

The Orchestras Inc. stable now
handles six bands with the addition
of Moreno’s group. Moreno has
been booked into the Peabody
Hotel, Memphis, for a November
stint and opens at Chi’s Oh Henry
Ballroom Dec. 28.

Las Vegas,’ Aug. 9.

In addition to laying a more solid
financial structure beneath the
shaky walls of the Riviera Hotel, the
spa’s new ops have found another
monetary thorn which stems from
over-anxious booking. Hotel’s new
management_.paid off Edith Piaf
after cancelling the French chan-
toosey, only to discover that an-
other act, Bobby Van, was also
booked, then sliced off the same
bill.

Van, reporting backstage twice
nightly to fullfill his contract, says
he will file next week with AGVA
for arbitration. Comic charges he
was pacted to come in with Miss
Piaf, and wasn’t even given the
courtesy of a phone call advising
him of his cancellation.

Hotel’s new managing director,
Gus Greenbaum, who just stepped
into the resort, disclaims any know-
ledge of Van’s booking, adding that
any deal the comic made is respon-
sibility of the old regime as far as
he is. concerned.

Atlantic City, Aug. 9.

Resorts permitting legalized gam-
bling, and now reached hr a, matter
of hours in comfortable planes,
make it Imperative that Atlantic
City secure legislation tb permit
casinos here to meet this increased
competition, Arthur A, Handler,
whose stores here do a $2, 000, 000-
a-year business, told a .civic group
this past week.

Handler, just returned from a
tour of the U, S. and some nine
European countries, said he found
spots permitting legalized gambling
booming, particularly mentioning
the Nevada resorts and stressing
also those In South ^America and
Europe.

“We are a resort town,” he said,
and some of the people coming
here would like to do a little gam-
bling. If they can’t get it here,
they will go somewhere else where
they can.”

Only legalized gambling now is
the Atlantic City Race track, which
onened a 50-day meet today
(Tues.). Track has made an appli-
cation for permission to operate
harness racing in 1956 from May
18 through July 14, a total of 50
days, which would mean 100 days
of legalized horse racing. Take on
harness racing doesn’t compare to
that of the jockey events.

Years ago resort officials would
wink an eye at gambling and most
big night spots ran their games
more or less openly in a nearby
roflm, reserved for the hone
players during the afternoon and
early evening being shifted into
a casiiio with wheels, crap table
and card tables, not to mention the
rows of slot machines. Gradually
the heat has been turned , on, and
today operators of the big night
spots, depend on the legitimate
business, leaving the unlegitimate
strictly alone.

Only a legislative act could help
the resort, and barring some, mir-
acle. it is - doubted if this now or
in the space of several years would
be made possible, with the big
cities upstate plus church organiza-
tions plugging against it.

igh In

NEW ORLEANS NIGHT
CLUR OPS ORGANIZE

New Orleans, Aug. 9.

A new organization of night club
operators, was former here Thurs-
day (4) under name of the Cres-
cent City Night Club Assn. Larry
LaMarca was elected president.
Other officers are Hyp Guinle,
vice president and Elmo Badon,
secretary-treasurer.

LaMarca said the members of
the group have bound themselves
to “give to the people of New Or-
leans ahd the millions who come
herb to see Bourbon St, and other
entertainment spots the best in en-
tertainment and to cooperate to
the fullest extent with all authori-
ties and with all laws in connec-
tion with their business.”

Newman Takes To Air For
Talent Gander Jaunt

Indie agent Leon Newman de-
parted on a cross-country talent
gandering and booking jaunt oh
Sunday (7) in his own plane. Pilot-
ing his Cessna 185, Newman will
visit Cincinnati, New Orleans, Las
Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco,
Reno, Denver, St. Lpuis and Chi-
cago, and thence to his homebase
in New York.

. Newman, a pilot for several
years, has taken sevferal jaunts .to
case talent and book performers.
However, this is the longest hop
he’s ever blueprinted.

Columbu*’ New House

Columbus, Aug. 9.

This city's new $6,000,000 Vet-
eran’s Memorial Building, contain-
ing a 4,000-seat auditorium and an
800 -seat assembly hall, bo.i;h
equipped with stages and projec-
tion booths, is 85% completed.

“ It will • open wT schedule in Oc-
tober.

Vegas, Play or Not; 62G
Paid Out for Piaf, Cox

Las Vegas niteries not only shell
out top. coin to working acts but
they also pay heavily for Idle tal-
ent. At least, that’s the situation as
affects Edith Piaf and Wally Cox.
They’re being paid a total of $62,-
000 for Vegas dates they aren’t fill-
ing. *

In the case of Cox, he was
bounced from his job at the Dunes
Hotel for the third and final time
July 27, the windup, of his second
week on a four-week contract. The
comedian, however, is getting $11,-
000 per for A he entire four-week
period as stipulated in his pact
with the hotel. That’s a total of
$22,000 for the idle fortnight end-
ing tonight (Wed.).

Miss Piaf is getting $40,000 from
the Riviera Hotel where she was
skedded to appear for four ‘weeks,
at $10,000 per, beginning last Wed-
nesday (3). The .chariteuse, how-
ever, isn’t playing the spot. Miss
Piaf and AGVA claimed the man-
agement had breached its contract
with her by booking Kathryn Gray-
son to open on the date originally
set for the French, songstress. Al-
though Miss Grayson was forced to
bow out 10 days before the open-
ing because of ' sickness, the 'man-
agement, nevertheless, decided not
to play Miss Piaf and brought in
Spike Jones* “Musical Insanities of
1950,” which they felt would be a
stronger attraction in the hotel’s
big supper room.

Monti Group Sprucing
’ Up Miami Beach Hotel

f Montreal, Aug. 9.

A group of six Montrealers who
have purchased the Fleetwood
Hotel in Miami Beach are cur-
rently looking for someone to
operate— -on a short or longterm
deal with options— their topfloor
Panorama Room as a nitery. Syn-
dicate is spending $500,000 in ren-
ovations on the hotel proper.

Initial transactions in the new
setup. are being handled by Bruce
Taylor of Associated ifews Services
here in I^lontreal.

48.

VAUDEVILLE

Wednesday, August JO, 1955

Abramson Swaps 170G in 61 Tours

Nat Abramson says he’s taking
$176,000 out of his own jeans over
the next five or six months to pay
300 American performers for en-
tertaining GI’s in Europe. But it
ain’t charity, since Abramson, who
heads the WOR (N.Y.) Entertain-
ment Bureau, has talked the De-
fense Department’s Professional
Entertainment Bureau into paying
transAtlantic travelling and per
diem expenses for the acts, and
after they’ve finished their gratis
military commitments he’s going
to convert them to commercial
gain by booking them a series of
European pay dates.

With the USO-Camp Show setup
out of fulfils, and for the moment
inactive for all intents and pur-
poses, as Abramson explains it,
the Government accepted his offer
to supply acts, and in return is
willing to underwrite living and
travel for the entertainers, pro-
vided Abramson pays their salaries
for the 21-day periods they are
o b 1 i g a t e d to the military. The
shows, broken down into troupes of
about 13 each, have already started
going out in fortnightly junkets.
Abramson hopes to pick up the
junket pace so that all. 300* per-
formers get overseas in the next
half year. ,

After acts have finished the 21-
days demanded by the Professional
Entertainment Bureau in return
for* the living gratuities, Abramson
intends booking each troupe into
a series of short stands at officer
and noncom clubs at the military
bases in Europe. Unlike the reg-
ular Camp Show route, the officer
and noncom clubs pay for enter-
tainment out of their own pockets,
and in that lies Abramson’s chances
for profit. „ ■

To facilitate return passage, for
the actors, Abramson will take

Eileen BARTON

ON TOUR

CORAL RECORDS

Oir.i WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY

advantage of a 90-day travel option
supplied by the Government. He
feels that if 9.0-days aren’t enough
for him to make a profit with the
acts, he can probably get as much
as a sixmonth extension on return
travel.

For each froupe, approximated
at 10 artists and three musicians,
Abramson reports he’s been able
to get the same lowered wage rates
from AGVA and' AFM that the
unions gave the USO predecessors.

Abramson has formed several
circuits for the acts after they
finish the camp shows. In addition
to the off*cer and noncom dates,
there’s a likelihood that some of
them will be booked at niteries on
the Continent and- in England- The
WOR entertainment chief (who
also heads his own outfit, Bram-
son attractions) recently returned
from a tour of Germany, France,
the Netherlands and England, in
many places, he claims, local agents
are set to book dates for the Amer-
ican artists.

He explains that if the Govern-
ment runs out of calh for travel
and the like, he has possible alter-
native. Abramson says he has long
set up entertainment for ship
cruises, which he can utilize to
send his troupes . overseas. In this
instance, there, wouldn’t be any
need for gratuitous camp shows,
but, the whole trip can instead be
geared to add to the profit column.

Atlantic City, Aug/ 9.

The hot, humid weather of the
past five weeks has taken, its toll
here, where oceancooled breezes
usually keep temperatures well un-
der what they are in metropolitan
areas.

Spots attracting the largest
crowds — the “Ice Capades” play-
ing .in Convention Hall, and the
Steel Pier, with its many attrac-
tions — are reported playing to
crowds from 10 to 20% off. “They
simply won’t hit the boardwalk
until late in the evening,” is the
complaint of most amusement men.

The summer legit spots, Gate-
way Playhouse and Quarterdeck,
the latter airconditioned, the
former aircooled, also have felt the
effects of. the very hot weather.
Country, clubs in the area find
only a few of the hardiest playing
golf in the tropical sun. Even the
fishing fraternity protests the heat
by not renting, boats as of yore.

Weekend influx gives all respite,
for the vacationist then is deter-
mined to get out, heat or no.

"THE RUSSIAN DISC JOCKEY"

A new lomedy bit by A. fluy VUk, werld-
fantoui- cejneoy writer. It'* eatlre it It*
but. Thl* act; far ilngle cemloc and MC’i,
can be uted anywhere. Price $10.

A. GUYVISK

Writing Enlerpriaaa

"Creators of Special Comedy Material"
1W Hill Street ( Troy, M. Y.

BEACH MIDWAY RAIDED

Batt Calls Police Action a ‘Wild
West Raid’

New Orleans, Aug. 9.

Police, intensifying their cam-
paign -against gambling here, on
Friday, night . (5) raided several con-
cessions . oh the midway of Pon-
chartrain Beach, lakeshore resort.

Patrons at the beach were start-
led when /police converged on the
concessions in several teams. Supt.
of Police Provosty • Dayries de-
clared, “we have been working on
this for about a month.” ; He de-
scribed the concessions . raided as
“games of chance in that they
were giving money as prizes.”

Harry J. Batt, managing-director
of Playland Amusements, Inc.,-
operators of the beach, expressed
surprise at what he called “this
wild west raid.” He said earlier in
the year he had invited city au-
thorities to inspect the games and
that all but four had been okayed.

JO THOMPSON

HELD OVER STORK ROOM— LONDON

Confirming: Wincholl

"Ebony Piano thrush a Delight"

Rau— Miami News— "Sensational Entertainer”

AVAILABLE IN SEPTEMBER

Booked Exclusively by
GLOBE ARTISTS AGENCY
350 Lincoln Rood, Miami Beach 39, Florida
Tel: JEfferion 1-3473

New Supper Club Being:
Readied for Houston

Houston, Aug. 9.

A new supper club l employing
quality variety acts tyas been slated
here by a partnership that involves
Art Leonard, former casting direc-
tor for Warner Bros.,, who has
moved to Houston. Tony Vallone,
owner of Sorrento Italian food
restaurant in downtown Houston,
announced recently that he had
formed a partnership with Leon-
ard in a proposed $50,000 remod-
eling of the .restaurant.

Plans call for opening of the
new spot in September under ban-
ner of "“Art Leonard’s.” Negotia-
tions are underway to get Henny
Ypungman for the grand opening,
Vallone said. Entertaining at Sor-
rento now is pianist A1 Garcia.

Cleveland, Aug. 9.

Traditional Wire-walkers, high-
divers and other carnival acts are
giving way to heftier-drawihg tv
and recording names in Ohio’s
county fairs this season. Promoters
of annual farm-products exposi-
tions here, aiming for more family
trade, hope to lure in younger gen-
eration through a bunch of juke-,
box names booked for midway
shows.

Cuyahoga County Fair, held in
nearby college town of Berea, will
have Four Aces as drawing cards
Aug. 19-21. Local MCA office is
wrapping up a seven-act hill, in-
cluding Paul Neighbor’s orch,
around’ the quartet.*

Backers of Lorain County Fair,
another three-day event opening
Aug. 23 at Wellington, O,, have
lined up Les Elgart’s orch, Marco
Sisters and Step Bros, for first
day’s festivities. Ralph Flanagan’s
band plus acts is the Aug. 24 at-
traction, with Hill-Toppers team-
ing up with Ted Weems’ orch on
final day.

Ohio State Fair, which draws
slews of Clevelanders to Colum-
bus, will get an MCA package,
show topped by Gisele MacKen-
zie, Eddie Peabody and Weems’
crew Aug. 26 and 27. The high-
diving Madame Hippolatas and the
wire-walking Great Antoines may
be missed <by old country fair vet-
erans at the Ohiq events, but ex-
position impresarios are betting
that the jukebox and °television
names will draw bigger crowds
than the carny-circus styled shows.

Coin Raised for St Louis
’56 Jubilee; Riverfront
Site Gets Official Okay

St. Louis, Aug. 9.

Coin, for the launching of the
Mid-America Jubilee on the local
front duripg September, 1956, has
been raised and the National Park
Service has given the greenlight
for the. use of the Site, which is
owned by Service and Which Will
eventually be the scene of the Na-
tional Expansion Memorial. Stan-
| ley M, Richman, exec v;p. of the
City-County Cavalcade Inc.; pro-
moter, of the annual 30-day under-
taking said that 50% of the $400,-
000 necessary fo underwrite an-
ticipated first-year losses has been
paid in and the balance pledged.

It’s been estimated that the ini-
tial losses will be approximately
$167,000. A dramatic and musical
spectacle will be presented by a
cast, of from 800 to 1,000 persons
with Broadway stars, augmented by
local talent, in the' 4,500-seat am-
phitheatre. Richman said the spec-,
taele will “pay as much attention
to the future of the area and its
aspirations as *to its intriguing
past.” Industrial and agricultural
features will aim to drAw people
into St. Louis from the surround-
ing territory.

Permission has been obtained
from Archbishop Joseph E. Ritter
for use of the Old Cathedral, with
its Imposing columns, as a back-
ground for the spectacle. The 29-
man committee now working out
various details of the exposition
must complete its work by Dec. 1,
at which time a* full-time profes-
sional managing director and his
staff will take over.

AGVA, IATSE Apply for Strike

♦ Hollywood, Aug. 9.

Polly Bergen to Head
Up Omaha Food Show

Omah§, Aug. 9.

Polly Bergen, who branched
from ,pix, tv and band singing to
star in the ill-fated “Champagne
Complex” legiter last season, last
week was signed to headline the,
first Omaha Retail Food Dealers
show since 1940. The food show
will be staged in the City Aud.
from Sept. 24 to Oct. 1.

Also 'bn the entertainment list
are Johnny Maddox and Randy
Brown. Latter will double as
emcee.

New City Aud. has proved a
gamble for shows of this type to
date. Auto Show, featuring Mills
Bros, and Monica Lewis, Went over
big in February, but Mobile Homes
Revue and the Sports Show
flopped.

Boston, Aug. 9.

Outlook for the Coming nitery
season looks . good, with heavy
activity now going on in prepara-
tion by the various bonifaces.

Stanley Blinstrub has been
burning up the wires arranging for
talent and has already come up
with Hildegarde, the Four Aces,
Tony Bennett and Kitty Kallen.
Hildegarde’s booking is unique in
the big boite, which is capable of
packing in some. 1,600. Blinstrub
is trying to get Katrina Valente,
new German recording star who 1
did a guest shot on the “Colgate
Comedy Hour” with Gordon Mac-
Rae, but hasn’t inked her yet.

The entire front of Blinstrub’s
is being remodeled for the coming
season.

At the Moulin Rouge in the Hotel
Vendome, Mort Casway, who oper-
ates the Celebrity Club in Phila-
delphia, is planning on top talent
shows for the intimate room, with
which he has been experimenting
since last winter.

A new club is reported readying
in the former Ada Bullock upstairs
restaurant on Tremont St. Steu-
ben’s Vienna Room is remodeling
for .its opening at which Don Den-
nis, perennial emcee, will be wel-
comed back. But the big question
is, who is going to reopen the shut-
tered Latin Quarter? Negotia-
tions have been made, but nothing
definite has been forthcoming.

The. Bradford Roof, only nitery
to sail through the hot summer,
continues with A1 Taxier’s policy
of a big name each week. Policy
here is heavy on comeback names
and this season saw three appear-
ances for Lillian Roth, opening of
Gilda Gray’s nitery act, and inking
Of Belle Baker for an upcoming
spot.

NO WRESTLING ON RAFT

Stuilt Promoters Draw A Nix From
Wirth Pool

, Minneapolis, Aug. 9.

Entertainment seekers here*
abouts were, denied something new
and novel locally in the way of a
show when the suburban Golden
Valley council banned a wrestling
‘card scheduled to be held on a raft
at Wirth Pool. Wrestlers tossed
off the floating ring would have
larided in 15 feet of water and a
fall would have counted against
them if they didn’t get back on
the raft within a specified time.

Wirth Pool use has been re-
stricted to the once-a-year “Aqua
Follies,” one of the main attrac-
tions of the local annual summer
festival Aquatennial.

Both the local offices of the
American Guild of Variety Artists
and IATSE Stagehands Local 33
have filed applications for strike
sanctions with the L.A. Central
Labor Council against the new
Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Unions have placed the ne.w
hostelry, which opens formally
Friday (12), on their nnfair lists
for refusing to sign a basic , agree*
ment. This agreement stipulates
that all AGVA entertainers and
stagehands working the hotel’s
fioQrshows will receive such bene-
fits as hotel contributions to the
union’s welfare-and-health funds.

The Council now will attempt to
mediate a setlement between the
unions and the Beverly Hilton to
avert a strike call. If no agreement
is reached, the Labor .Council will
grant the- strike request called for
by AGVA -and the stagehands local.

AGVA, in the event it cannot
come to terms with the Beverly
Hilton, plans to put the downtown
Statler Hotel also on its blacklist,
which automatically would puli'
AGVA acts frorti that spot. Hotels,
of course, under the same cha* f
management. To' date, the local
office of AGVA is acting only in
this territory and has not taken
the dispute to national AGVA
headquarters in N.Y, Such a move
could involve the Hilton^jJtatler
chain all across the country.

The Beverly Hilton already has
booked a nitery bill to open at its
Bali Room on Friday (12), toplined
by French singer Gilbert Becaiid,
an AGVA member.

Peggy King. 2G, Asbury

Asbuiy Park, JN.J., Aug 0 .

Peggy King, singer with the
George Gobel tv show, was the
magnet which drew a big house
Saturday (6) night to Convention
Hall. Backed by the Eddie Grady
Commanders dance band, Miss
King grossed $2,000 for the single
night.

COMEDY MATERIAL .

For All Branch#* of Theatrical * .

FUN-MASTER

THE ORIGINAL SHOW-BIZ GAG Fll$
<Th# Service off tha STARS)

First 13 Filss $7.00-All 35 isauss $25
Singly; $1.01 par script.

• 3 Bits. PARODIES, p#r book $10 : 'e
a MINSTREL BUDGET .. .... $25 •

• 4 BLACKOUT BKS., #s. bk. $35 e

• BLUE BOOK (Os» ffor Stags) $50 •
HOW .TO MASTER THE CEREMONIES

$3.00

GIANT CLASSIFIED ENCYCLOPEDIA
OF GAOS, $300. Worth ov#r a thousand
No C.O.D.'s

BILLY GLASON

300 W. 54th St., New York 1»— Dept. V
Clrclt 7-1130

TROTTER BROS.

ffaiturlng ■
Fabulous Puppets

Opened Aug. •
COPACABANA

Booked Solid Til
Sept. 1 B

Permanent Maltlns:
2301 8. Main 8t.
Wlehltn, Kantae

WHEN IN BOSTON

It's the

HOTEL AVERY

The Home of Show Folk

Avery A Washington Sts.
Radio In Every Room

CAB CALLOWAY

Continuing

INTERNATIONAL
THEATRE ,
TOUR

Mgt. BILL MITTLER, 1619 Broadway, New York

v r- ""

Wednesday, Augut 10, 1955

Still in the first Ten for 20 Weeks

IT’S A SIN TO TELL A LIE

B/W MY BABY JUST CARES FOR ME • Epic 9093

AV.V,*

SOMETHIN

RECORDS

RELEASE

THE HOLE

B/W CHARLEY MY BOY • Epic 9106

♦

CURRENTLY HEADLINING

CHICAGO THEATRE, CHICAGO

MAJOR

SAUL

Business Management DON SEAT Direction GAC

VAtTDEVIIXE

Vaude, Cafe Dates

Hollywood

Edith Piaf holds over at the
Mocambo for a fourth week . . .
Slate Bros, go into Beverly Hills
Coiintry Club, Cincinnati, Sept. 30,
for two frames, as teeoff date on
tour including Chez Paree, Chi-
cago . . . Howard Keel opens four
stanzas at The Dunes, . Las Vegas,
Oct. 9 . . , Blackburn Twins opened
with Herb Shriner and Jaye P.
Morgan Monday (8) at New Fron-
tier, Vegas , . . Don McGuire will
write, direct and stage a spec-type
show for The Thalians as charity
benefit at Ciro’s Aug. 29 . . . George
Gobel does headline stint at
Duquoin State Fair, Duquoin, 111.,
Sept. 5.

Chicago

Patti Page pacted for. two frames
at the Chicago Theatre, Chi, open-
ing Sept. 2 . . , Page Cavanaugh
Trio into the Congress Hotel, St.
Louis, Sept. 2 for. two rounds . . .
Nat <King) Cole will play one ses-
sion at the Riverside Theatre,
Milwaukee, Sept. 9, prior to open-
ing at Chi's Chicago Theatre Sept.
16 for two . . . Novelites Trio set
for Taylor’s Supper Club, Denver,
Oct 20, for two stanzas plus two
days . . . The Howard Miller pack-
age opening at the Chicago Thea*
the, Chi, Aug. 19 for two frames,
includes Felicia Sanders* Yonely,
Leniiie Dee, Della Reese, Pat
Boone and the Hi-Lo’s. I

Dallas

Johnny Bachemin at the Colony
Club for two frames, with The
Commodores due Aug. 26 . . .

ROBERT MAXWELL

Currently

STATLER HOTEL
LOS ANGELES
• MGM RECORDS
Direction: GENERAL ARTISTS CORP.

Organist Hugh Waddill back at the
Press Club for a lengthy stay . . .
Vagabond Club has Sharle Lee . . .
George Summers, pianist-vocalist,
into Cipango Club . , . John R.
Thomas, doubling on organ and
piano, set for long South Room
stand . . . Ted Howard headlining
at the University Club’. . . Lucille
& Eddie Roberts currently in the
Baker Hotel’s Mural Room, with
Walton & O’Rourke due Aug. 15,
Bob McFaddeq on Aug. 25, Leo De
Lyon Sept. 5 and Jane Morgan
returning Sept. 15.

Scotland

The Vic Ash Quartet set to ac-
company Cab Calloway at Glasgow
Empire week of Aug. 22 . . . A1
Martino headlined in vaude at
Empire Theatre, Edinburgh, with
the Teddy Foster orch , . . Ronnie
Hilton, English recording singer,
featured at Empire, Glasgow . . .
BBC’s Scottish Variety Orch, un-
der the Michael Collins baton,
back in harness after annual sum-
mer vacation ... Dr. Crock and
his Crackpots orch into Playhouse,
Glasgow, over holiday period . . .
David Hughes, British singer, re-
cently in from U. S., doing vaude
week at Glasgow.

JACK PQWELL

and his Educated Drum Sticks
Under tha Personal Management of
MARK LEDDY and LEON NEWMAN
48 West 48th St., Naw York- If, N. Y.
Phone— JUdson 6-2740

Madison Square Garden, N. Y-.,
has its quota of ice shows lined up
for the season. First into that
house will be “Ice Capades,” which
goes in Sept. 14 to 25, with Arthur
Wirtz’s “Hollywood Ice Revue’’ set
for Jan. 12.

“Ice Capades” will he topped by
Donna Atwood, who’ll stay an-
other semester with the show 'be-
fore retiring. Romayne & Brent,
Eric Waite and the Maxwells are
the major new faces.

The Wirtz show goes into re-
hearsal in Chicago, Sept.' 26 and
will open in St. Louis, Nov. 4.
New stops this season, for this
frappe include Winnipeg, Raleigh
and Charlotte. Already signed for
the show are Gundi Busch, Fred-
die Trenkler, Andra McLaughlin
and Three Bruises. Choreography
will be by Donn Arden, with Raoul
Pene du Bois doing the costumes.

Dallas Nitery Folds

Dallas, Aug. 9.

The Rainbow Gardens, local
night spot, under fire from the
District Attorney’s office, went out
of biz when the operators surren-
dered their beer licenses to the
County Judge.

Mr. and Mrs. M. T. Mauzey Jr,
stated They had decided to shutter
because operating the club had be-
come more trouble than it was
worth.

What A Comedown!

Execs of “Arabian Nights”
at the Marine Theatre, Jones
Beach, N. Y., thought it was
getting the publicity break of
the year When RCA wanted to
use part of the show for a
commercial on one of the up*
coming Max Liebman spectac-
ulars, There was a lot of spec-
ulation whether it would be
the lushly costumed girls, the
minaretted sets, Lauritz Mel-
chior or one of the other leads.

RCA chose the two ele-
phants.

AGVA, KUDNER TIE

The American Guild of Variety
Artists has worked out : an agree-
ment with the Kudner ad agency
to cover the General Motors
Powerama Show, which runs from
Aug. 30 to Sept. 25 in Chicago.
The industrial show will use 69
dancers, plus acts. The ad outfit
has already posted a bond on de-
posit with the performer union.

The majority of the dancers will
be hired in. Chicago.

Billie Holiday to Tour
Britain & Continent

London, Aug, 9.

Singer Billie Holiday is making
a tour of Britain-Starting, nt Shef-
field Sept. 3, when she will be
accompanied by the Humphrey
Lyttelton hand. She has several
Continental engagements in Monte
Carlo, Belgium and France and
then stars at a London concert in
October.

Chet Baker, the modernist trum-
peter who has now: switched over
to singing, is also due in Europe
about that time and there’s possi-
bility he will be co-featured as a
singer at the Holiday London
concert.

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:-

Particularly LOU WALTERS

Our Orchestra Has been at the

LAKE TARLETON CLUB
New Hampshire
for the past eight years.

We are awfully anxious to see them in a good
New York spot* They're eight fine musicians
who play a total of 17 instruments, can cut a
show and play for dance. Young and per-
sonable,

A GOOD BET, A GOOD BUY!

Watte* fjacohb

Lake Tarleton Club
Now Hampshire

Seeing the Stars

London, Aug. 3.

The Olneys (by arrangement
with Theatre Managers Ltd.) pres-
entation of- comedy revue in two
acts. Stars Arthur Blake. Staged by
Irving Cohen. At Duchess Theatre ,
London, Aug, 2, ’55, $2.20 top.

There is. no gainsaying Arthur
Blake’s skill at mimicry and he
has proved himself in London both
in vaudeville and cabaret. With
this new presentation, however; he
presents with uncanny skill a “gal-
lery of greats.” This is virtually a
replica of the show which has had
a brief tryout in California and
which is due for a coast-to-coast
tour after its current West End
run.

Quite clearly, “Seeing the Stars”
was planned primarily for- Amer-
ican consumption and -that is its
prime failing so far as London is
concerned. The screen personal-
ities frequently portrayed with un-
erring accuracy are, of course,
familiar enough, but some of the
stage and tv celebrities are little
more than names here. In this
category, particularly, are Flor-
ence Reed, Walter Hampden, and
even Hedda Hopper and Louella
Parsons. The characteriations of
David Wayne might also be in-
cluded, although there is sufficient
familiarity with the . excerpt from
“Teahouse of the August Moon.”

By far the best items in the
Blake portrait gallery are his im-
pressions of Noel Coward and Bea
Lillie, which combine shrewd ob-
servation and biting script. The
impersonations of Gloria Swanson
and Mrs. Roosevelt have previously
been seen here, but stand up
strongly to repetition. Other per-
sonalities effectively done are Or-
son Welles, Jimmy Stewart,
Charles Chaplin and Mary Pick-
ford. A longer episode of Henry’
VIII, as it might have been writ-
ten by Mickey Spillaiie, allows the
star to present the monarch, (as
played by Charles Laughton) and
four of the wives as they might
have been interpretated by Bar-
bara Stanwyck, Judy Holliday, Tal-
lulah Bankhead’ and Sophie Tucker.
This is a good try, but a near-miss.

Although the presentation called
for about 30 costumes changes,
there is, thanks to a cunning taped
narrative device, no time lag be-
tween the sketches. The costumes
themselves are the last word in
magnificence. Lighting effects are
imaginative, although a few cues
went awry on opening night.

Myro.

Wednesday, August 10, 1955

NANCY MCDONALD

Songs

19 Mins.

Palace, N.Y.

Nancy McDonald -is a nifty look*
ing blond with an ingenuous man-
ner, who specializes in show tunes
and the like. She has a nice .soprano
that carries well in all things ex-
cept in real fancy high notes. '

In her Palace bow, she had only
time for a threesome partly aimed
at vaudeville aficionados. The
catalog,, except for the middle
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow,”
seems scripted just for her in this
stand. The opener is pleasant but
nothing of sufficiently lyrical
quality to stick with the stub-
holder. Her closer isn’t very
tuneful either, but that’s because
Miss McDonald does one of those
tributes to the “good old days” of
show biz.

Even so, the thrush has a voice
and a sock personality. She should
be able to switch to any kind of a
slotting with comparative ease,
though the intimate bistro is prob-
ably her forte. •*■ Art .

THE MARFIELDS (2)

Dancing
11 Mins.

Palace; N.Y.

The Marfields, husband - wife
ballroom team, show little out of
the ordinary in their first two num-
bers which are a regular foxtrot
and a tango. But their big number
is the dramatized closer to the
strains of “Slaughter on 10th Ave.”
Pace has picked up considerably
by this point, and it looks as
though act will hold strong through
to end, but illusion is dispelled
When they go in for hack cap pis-
tol-Jimmy Cagney finish.

Gal is a looker. Male makes nice
appearance also, but tends toward
too much posturing. Art,

MARTHA & ALEXANDER

Dancing

14 Mins.

Gatineau, Ottawa

Martha & Alexander, a Cuban
pair who dance with a unique show
of sincerity and confidence, have a
series of routines that keep the
customers on their chair-edges.
Standout is a voodoo fire dance
kept on a high level of tern while
packed solid with sex. Femme
partner is small, wiry and lithe
while male is tall, an expert dancer
with a Yul Brynner haircut, both,
with all the required physical
equipment, and the knowledge of
-exactly what to do with it for
strongest audience impact.

This act is capable of filling
spots in reVues, tv, films and niter-
ies to solid returns.

added billing strength. Blond and
a looker,- she has sbeko pipes and
good staging savvy,

Currently Miss Andrian is fea-
tured on a CBC tv musical (French
web) “Tzigane”, is doing tv guest-
ers and will sing with Ed Sullivan
at the Canadian National Exhibi-
tion in Toronto. Her ability in
warbling and presentation makes
her a natural for niteries, Video
and films. Corn.

SUZANNE BERNARD

Songs

25 Mins.

Ruby Foo’s, Montreal

Suzanne Bernard, 22-year-old
Parisian chanteuse, opened cold in
Ruby Foo’s Starlight Room on a
one-Week trial and the immediate,
click of this youngster prompted
owner Henry Manilla to keep her
two extra weeks. This is Miss
Bernard’s first Montreal engage-
ment and follows a brief appear-
ance in a Quebec City spot earlier
this season. Trained originally as
a. hoofer, this is her first chirp as-
signment In this country and with
experience and a more specialized
songalog, this attractive songstress
should be a cinch in any of the ■
Continental type rooms on this
side of the Atlantic.

Despite her youth. Miss Bernard
evidences plenty of show savvy
and she is using present date to
develop her English material
which at the moment is pretty
limited. A vibrant personality, her
brisk Singing manner makes up for
any vocal shortcomings and patter
between numbers is refreshing
and limited. . Newt.

HARBERS

IRENE ANDRIAN
Songs
25 Mins.

Gatineau, Ottawa
Irene Andrian sang in European
niteries before coming to Canada
nearly four years ago, and has ap-
peared in Canadian' clubs, but it
wasn’t until she took the top award
in the Canadian Broadcasting
Corp.’s television airer, “Pick The
Stars”, that her name took on

2nd WEEK

CASINA DELLE ROSE

Rome, Italy -

and DALE

TITOCORAL

#, The Golden Voice of Latin America "
Leading Man on the Ma* West Show

Latest Dacca Records Roloaso:

“fieeado" (Song of Sin) “In Havana for a Nlte"

* Featured In the Newest Mao WmI Album — Decca

Currently: THE PATIO, Marott Hotel, Indpls., Ind.

Recently Concluded Engagement at: CHASE HOTEL, St, Louis;
CIRO’S, Hollywood and BILTMORE HOTEL. Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
*’Hls personality and volco art definitely sock cafo fare"— VARIETY.
Opening Broadway in October— As Leading Man in the New Mae West Pla/

Personal Management: ROSS W. CHRISTENA ASSOCIATES
Marott Hotel, Indianapolis

House Reviews

Palace, IV. ¥•

George Wong Troupe (6), Tanya,
Burton & Janet, Nancy McDonald,
Chris Cross, Marfields (2), Maxie
Rosenbloom <fe Horace McMahon,
La Plotte Duo (2); ** Francis in the
Navy ” ( U-l ), reviewed in Variety
June 29, ’55.

It’s a smart ‘card at the Palace.
Some of the turns are socko and
even the lesser talents have some-
thing to offer payees.

Ninety-minute show launches
with the George Wong four boy-
two girl aero troupe. Gymnastics
and contortionism come fast and
are surprisingly varied, with al-
most every, bit worthy of heavy re-
sponse. In two spot, fiddling of
Tanya offers a nice contrast to the
frenzy of the initial turn. Gal her-,
6elf needs to stray more often from
string standards like “Fiddle Fad-
dle” and “Roumanian Rhapsody’’
for durable appeal.

Burton & Janet thereafter do a
series of quick-costume changes
arid impressions; i.e., Winchell,
Durante, Chaplin, Groucho Marx
as Burtons donation while good-
looking femme runs through
Garbo, Kate Hepburn and Mae
West with appropriate costumery.
Visually act is tops, but neither
of the vets captures sounds of the
stars. Midway, ingenuous Nancy
McDonald pours out some show
melodies (see New Acts).

Then Chris Cross runs his 10
minutes into solid highpower en-
tertainment. Ventriloquist does a
lot of straight singing through his
various dummies (from hand pup-
pet to a life-sized Mae West), and
the pewsters sit back and take it
all with intense interest. He winds
with some satisfying comedies via
the West mannequin. The Mar-
fields, a ballroom duo, are also in
New Acts. ^

Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom Is
teamed in a quickie booking, with
Horace McMahon while the' latter
is in town on a personal appearance
stint for the .“My Sister Eileen’’
pic. That it is a spur-of-the-mo-
ment pairing is evident from the
turn itself, which- is replete with
old gags, poor timing and a some-
what too heavy reliance on the
quickie insult gags. Rosenbloom,
with his malaprops, is an accom-
plished comic, and McMahon is no
slouch at playing straightman and
tossing off a sarcastic line, but this
type of offhand routining, sans
proper preparation or rehearsal,
does neither of their reps much
good.

Show closes with a .rapid bicy-
cle brace. La Flotte Duo. It’s
better than most Palace winders.
Male half does some nifty tricks —
for instance, riding his two-wheeler
as though it were a unicycle in-
stead. Art

Chicago, Chi

Chicago; Aug. 5.

Somethin 0 Smith. & Redheads
(3), Art Mooney Orch (15), Eydie
Gortne, Elsa & Waldo ; “ Pete

Kelly's Blues ” (WB).

As is most often the case at this
B&K flagship, the stageshow is
booked right off the disk charts,
for a pitch at the biscuit aficio-
nados. With, the Jack Webbr
plugged pic showing here, the
combo should do hefty biz.

Somethin’ Smith and the Red-
heads top the bill in this fort-
nighter, garnering solid response
from the customers with their in-
strumentalizing and vocals. Guys
do a lively, varied turn, refresh-
ingly bereft of too many disk
plugs. Group bows with a tailor-
made opener, asking for the ap-
plause they get anyway; they go
on to their Epic waxing of “Old
Man River,” and a sheaf of mu-
sical carbons of the . Crew Cuts,
Homer- & Jethro, et al. for a big
mitt. Trio is pleasantly showwise
and audience-winning. Trio is
backed by the Art Mooney orch,
which is handling the house band
chores during the regulars’ vaca-
tion. Group does well with its
selections and manages to clown
it up a little too, for a big audi-
ence reaction.

The Art Mooney orch takes the
spotlight between the acts here, in
addition to its backing chores, to
provide' some' not-so-unusual band-
work. Mooney emcees the show
in passable fashion, but there were
a few bumbles .at show caught,
such as introducing the piano-
movers for an act’s encore. Some
of the bandsmen get solo billing to
round out the performance, but
none brings the house down.
Nappy Lamare does an okay banjo
version of “The World Is Waiting
for the Sunrise” and Alan Foster

does ah unimpressiv# job of vo-
calizing ‘^Learning the Blues,”

Eydie Gorme handles the distaff
warbling, garnering good response.
Gal has a pure, unaffected style
and pleasant pipes. °

Comic relief is delivered at the
hands of Elsa & Waldo* in a
chuckle-yielding comic terp rou-
tine blending slapstick, contor-
tions and slow-motion with the
hoofing. Hamming it up like this
calls for mastery of the straight
brand of terping and duo displays
it over and over again. They gar-
ner solid reaction from the audi-
ience and go off to a big mitt.

- - ' Gabe.

Palladium, London

London, Aug. 2.

Guy Mitchell, Billy de Wolfe,
Radio Revellers . (4),.. Jimmy
Wheeler, Wilson, Keppel & Betty,
Gaston Palmer, Medlock & Mar-
lowe, Ravic & Babs, George Carden
Dancers (16) r Eric Rogers Sky-
rockets Orch.

This, the final vaude bill of the
season, is a solid, reliable lineup
of 'international talent, headed by
two American names. It’s the third
time round for Guy Mitchell and
he has' learned to fashion a safe
formula, largely based on his es-
tablished disclicks with a substan-
tial smattering of earlier hits to
satisfy the record enthusiasts.

In his current stint, he’s once
more backed by a mixed vocal
group and relies on their support
for most of his numbers. He has
also improved his own brand of
showmanship, which is peculiarly
friendly and intimate and at times
necessarily a little naive. The rou-
tine opens with one of his earlier
recording hits, “Truly Fair,” which
gives the audience a fair sample
of the next half-hour’s entertain-
ment, and other perennials are in-
cluded.

Contrasting Style is achieved
with “My Heart Cries For You”
and an updated version of “Let Us
Be Sweethearts’' is a pleasing en-
try, but doesn’t come off as a
participationer.J'Jenny Kissed Me”
is an effective ballad and the pre-
sentation winds with a vigorous
version of “I Don’t Want No More
a Bachelor Life.” •

Billy de Wolfe’s engagement
marks his first solo appearance at
the Palladium, although he played
that -theatre in 1933 as a member
of a triple act. It’s also his first
London theatrical engagement
since he copped top honors for his
brief stint in the Royal Command
film performance stageshow.

His is an offbeat comedy routine,
distinguished by its shrewd and
acute character observations. The
brief impressions of Lon Chaney
and Boris Karloff, effective in
themselves, are almost throwaways
and lead in to the main items, his
one-man floor show and the noted
Mrs. Murgatroyd sketch. Both are
major clicko items and receive top
response.

The Radio Revellers, ari all-male
quartet, have a lively vocal style
and a strictly pop routine, which
includes a bright version of
“Boomerang,” a balancing entry
in “Grandfather’s Clock” and a
dramatized interpretation of “Rain,
Rain, Rain.” A takeOff of the Crew
Cuts is strictly for laughs.

Jimmy Wheeler has a forceful
and topical gab spiel, loaded with
political and up-to-the-minute al-
lusions which always registers big.
This time is no exception, Wilson, -
Keppel . & Betty have brought in
some new bits of business for their
Eastern dances, but basically the
act remains the same. And that,
apparently, is how Palladiunutes
seem to like it.

Gaston Palmer scores a person-
al hit with his standard juggling
act. The routine hardly varies;
ditto the enthusiastic audience re-
sponse. Medlock & Marlowe, how-
ever, have introduced several new
personalities in their arrSy of cele-
brities. Their masks have a vivid
and almost lifelike appearance and
the act moves with a zing. Ravic &
Babs again impress with their high-
speed rollerskate acrobatics on a
miniature circular rink. New rou-
tines for the George Carden Dan-
cers set the atmosphere for each
half of the presentation* and en-
tire program is ably backgrounded
by Eric Rogers' resident aggrega-
tion. Myro.

EXTEND MARTINO BRIT. TOUR

V London, Aug. 9.

Singer Al Martino's British tour
has been so good that it’s , to be
extended by several weeks.

He’lb probably stay in Britain
until December.

RKO Fix to TV

Continued from pace 1 -

market and stifle chances for good
tv prices.

Even if GT itself should not
handle tv distribution ' of the fea-
tures, the five video stations be-
longing to the firm will be afforded
the pix. That point, tdo, has been
in doubt. GT o&o list includes
WOR-TV, N. Y.; WNAC-TV, Boston;
KHJ-TV, L.A.; WHBQ-TV, Mem-
phis, and WEAT-TV, recently ac-
quired in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Since O’Neil closed with Hughes
three weeks ago, GT has received
bids for the features alone from
several different companies. The
O’Neil, spokesman would not say
which, if any, of the bids are
being^entertained. . . . >

Three outfits geared to handle
both video and theatrical rerelease
of whatever*' features O’Neil re-
linquishes have put in bids to
handle pix in lieu of a GT setup.
A number of industryites feel cer-
tain that Eliot Hyman is among
thp three bidders. Hyman, who was
associated with the RKO negotia-
tions for some weeks, is now said
to be delaying naming a new 56-
pic tv package because of a very
possible GT deal. (Part of the
current package is known to con-
sist of Pine-Thomas features, some
of which might be dumped or put
elsewhere if Hyman gets. O’Neil
to come through).

Additionally, four advertising
agencies have made offers for part
of the 6-700 features contained in
the RKO library. And the three tv
networks have made their bids too.

Al Lichtman

a — m Continued from page 5

tures, at least not in the foresee-
able future.

(5) Rising production costs in
Hollywood are “a terrific concern”
even though 20th realizes that
those costs are largely a matter of
supply and demand.

(6) The refusal of some Allied
groups to Support COMPO is “a
disgrace” considering all COMPO
has done for them. “If it hadn’t
been for the successful tax fight,
COMPO would be dead long ago,”
Lichtman said. He warned that,
unless exhibs support the Council,
they can’t have an organization.
And he traced friction back to the
time when COMPO, for a variety
of reasons, refused to. join the anti-
toll-tv fight. He explained that
the outfit couldn’t have acted, if
for no other reason than that Para-
mount Pictures and the Society of
Independent Motion Picture Pro-
ducers were plainly committed in
favor of a toll system.

(7) Hollywood is up against a
tough casting 'problem with tv’s
hunger for actors a contributing
factor. “It would be healthy for
the industry to use more new
faces,” he said. “After all, no one
was born on Stage 1.” .

(8) 20th “has no differences”
with exhibs and; a statement of
sales policy is therefore unneces-
sary. “There is no change in our
policy here,” said Lichtman. “As
far as I know there are no out-
standing beefs against this- com-
pany. Anyway, we don’t need to
make statements. Our actions
speak for themselves.”

Rake’s Progress

Continued front page 1

retribution for a life of seduction,
the seal was herewith affixed.

Next step— -“Lovers, Happy Lov-
ers” was sold to 20th-Fox with the
understanding that it would be
cut to allow it to get something
more market-worthy than a Legion
“C” rating. Various scenes were
edited out to anticipate Legion
objections, but there was still that
ending. After all, our hero, while
he hadn’t killed anyone, had- —
among other things — consorted
with a prostitute (who fed and
housed him when he was down-
and-out) and this plus his various
affairs deserved something strong-
er than just permanent banish-
ment to a wheelchair.

The film now has a new and
very dramatic f adeout. It ends
where our boy, trying to show off,
falls off the roof, his body
hurtling to the street. The im-
plication left with the viewer is
that he has broken his neck (which
everyone must agree is only as
it should be after a fellow has
proved himself a cad with no con-
science). Film also has a new
title — “Lover Boy.”

, Wedne>day« Aiigtift 10, 195S

VARIETY BILLS

WEEK OF AUGUST It

Numerals in connection with bill# below Indict to opening day of show
whether full or split week

Letter in parentheses Indicates circuit. <l> Independent) <L> Lpaw# (M) Messi
<P> Paramount; <R) RKO; <S) Stoll; (T> Tivoli; (Wl Warner

NEW YORK CITY
Music Hall (1)11
Tessa Smallpage
Marquis A Family
Manor Sc Mignon
Rockettes
Corps de Ballet
Sym Ore

Palace (R) 12
Phil Spitalny
Hour of Charm

Evelyn
Rosemarie
Singers & Dancers

CHICAGO
Chicago (PM 2
Art Mooney Band
Somethin' Smith St
Redheads
Elsa St Waldo
Edyie Gorme

AUSTRALIA

MELBOURNE
Rlvoll (T) AU9. IS
Winifred Atwell
Eddie Vitch
Canfield Smith
Joe Church
4 HcUos

Romaine & Claire
Los Caballeros
Robert O'Donnell
Fay Agnew
Maureen Hudson
Wendy Layton

2 Nudes

3 Dancing Boys
12 BaUet Girls

SYDNEY
Tivoli (T) IS
Norma Miller Dncrs.

Michael Bentine
B. Howell Sc
F. Radcliffe
D Neal A-P Newton
Gogla Pasha
Virginia Paris
The Alfreros
Ursula & Gus
Gordon. Humphris
Johnny O’Connor
John Bluthal
Irene Bevans

! 3 Buffoons
Chic Murray St M
Pharos Sc Marina:
Billy Shakespeare
Billy Thornburn
Marcias
Jack Francis
Juggling Brauns
SOUTHAMPTON
Grand (l) •
Bob Gray
Barrie Craine
Shiela Atha
Travis Sc Lee
Susan Dene
Da-Wett Dancers
SUNDERLAND
Empire (M) 8
Eric Delaney Bd.

| Bunty St Claire
[ Authors St Swinson
i McKay Bros So Vera
i Hellyos
Dickie Dawson
Roly Co

WOLVERHAMPTON
Hippodrome (I) 8
Maurice Colleane
Garry Wayne
Nellie Stuart
Gordons French
Girls •

Goldwyns
Maja Sc Myna
Sensat'l Eiresons
Joe Rings
Mzelle Frenohle

Cabaret Bills

NEW YORK CITY

BRITAIN

ASTON

Hippodrome (1) 8
Tommy Godfrey
Dee

Carol Gay
Lydohs
U St T Kee
Jackson So Collins
Don Nichols
Mont Lomas Lovlies
BIRMINGHAM '
Hippodrome (M) 8
Issy Bonn
L Gordon Girls
Ronnie Harris
Qualna
George Lacy
H’wood Marionettes
Jimmy Edmundson*
Trebletones
Jerry Harris
BLACKPOOL
Grand (I) 8
Anthea Askey
Arthur Askey
Glenn Mclvyn.

Ian Gardiner
Lally Bowers
Barbara Miller
Danny Ross
Bernard Grabam
Lonard Williams
Margaret. Anderson
Oper» House (I) 8
Jewel St Warrlss
Aliha Cogan '

4 Hurricanes
Odette Crystal

6 Flying De Pauls
John Tiller Girls
8 Singing Debs
Mayfair Melody
Makers
Fred Kitchen
Dorothy Dampier
Barbara Evans
Natalie Raine
Palace (I) 8
Vic Oliver
Sylvia Campbell
Vanda Vale
Jack' Walker
Ernie Brooks
Rodger Blsley
Barbara Porrit
McHarris & Dolores
PhU Darban Sc W
Chevalier Bros
Reid Twins
ToWer Circus (I) I
C. Catroll St Paul
Harry Bell Lons -
Duglas Rosemayer
Guerres Sea Lions
Sciplini Chimps
Enles 6 Baby E
Tramp Tampo

5 Amandis
Enies Horses
Cuban Boys

2 Darty Dorrect
Pot Pourrl
Alcetty •

3 Orfatis
Frances Duncan
Tower Clrcusettes
Jimmy Scott
Little Jimmy
Winter Gardens (I) 8
David Whitfield
Semprini
Dagenhein Girl

Pipers

Bill Waddington
Colville St Gordon
Susan Irvin
Beau . Belles
Norma Lowdon
Billy;- de Haven
BOSCOMBE
Hippodrome (I) 8
Jack Haig
Sonia Cordeau
Eddie Hart
Tommy Ashworth
Victor Seaforth
Burt Brooks
Charmony 3
S Fisher Girls
BRIGHTON
Hippodrome (M) 8
Norman Wisdom
Jerry Desmonde
Holger St Dolores
Cristlanis
Arnaut 3

BRISTOL
Hippodrome (S) 8
Dennis Lotis
Peter Butterworth
Dargie.5

Earle & Vaughan
Fred Atkins
. Slsto

3 Balmorals
Lee Richards

BRIXTON
Empress (I) i
Cliff Gay.

Ivy Barrie
Beh Dudley

4 Stp Bros
Llsbet

Ronnie Marshall
Keith Leggett
Jay McGrath
Roy Adrian
8 Lovlies

CARDIFF
New (S) 8
Syd Seymour Bd
4 Jones Boys '
Vogelbelns Bears
E & H SIxe ,
Davis & Lee
Chris Travis
Cooper Twins
CHELSEA
PalaCa (I) 8
Jimmy Malborn
Val Cave
Olive Francis
Babette

Dave Starr Sc S

. Jerons
5 Lyricals
Dorothy How#
Adriana
Lilian Pearson
Len Cole
Ray Gordon
High Stepping Girls
CHISWICK
Empire (S) 8
Dorothy Sqolree
Jerry Wayne
Peter Sellers
Duncans Collies
Charles Camillerl
Winters Be Fielding
Klzma & -Karen
Henri Vedden Co
COVENTRY
Hippodrome (1) 8
Tony Brent
Tommy Fields
Brian Reece
Kay Cavendish

3 Nissens
Billy Nelson
Chuck O'Neil
-Morris .Sc Welling
Margaret St Charles
Joe Devoe

Susie

EAST HAM
Metropolitan (1) 8
Jack Lewis
Sonny Dawkes
Gary Webb
Melo-Macs
Yvonne Sc Maxime
Bertie Sellers
Victor Martyn
. Hazel Lewis Lovlies
Palace (1) 8
Jimmy Bryant
SAD Dene
Benny Garcia
Juan Sc Juanita
Billy Gay
8 L Gordon Girls
EDINBURGH -
Empire <M) I
Alec Finlay
G H Elliott
Sterling Sis
SAP Kayne
Sallci Puppets
Manley A Austin
Jose Moreno
GLASGOW
Empire (M) 8
David Hughes '

J A B Gee .

4 Ramblers
Marvellos
Jerry Allen 3
Rih Aruso
Roger. Carne
Des O'Connor

LIVERPOOL
Empire (M) 8
Al Martino
Granger Bros
Teddy Foster Bd
Rita Martell
Harry Worth
Larenty Tp
LONDON
Palladium (M) 8
Guy Mitchell
Ra\4c A Babs
Billy De Wolfe
Medlock A Marlowe
Radio Revellers
Jimmy Wheeler
Gaston Palmer
Geo Carden Dancers
Wilson Keppel A B
MANCHESTER
Hippodrome (S) 8
Sabrini
John Hanson
Billy Russell
D A J O'Gorman
3 Dueces
Lena Taylor
Christine Glanvllle
Fairlle A Stevens
NEWCASTLE
. Empire (M) 8
Parks A Garrett
AAV Shelley
Eddie ' Arnold
Mandos Sis
Austral

Stan White A Ann
Yolandos
NORTHAMPTON
New (1) 8
Jack Anton
Ross A\ Ranaya
Rahori Bros
Ken Roland
Jane Shore Co
Silver Della Girls
' NORWICH
Hippodrome (I) 8
Harry Shiels
Dennis. Bros A J
Noble A Dcncster
Sabella

Jan Harding Co
Miss Blandish
NOTTINGHAM
Empire (M) 8
Al Read
Les Traversos
Terry Hall
Schichtles M'onettes
Allen A Albee Sis
Devine A King
A A B Black
Robots

PORTSMOUTH
Royal (M) 8
Ray Burns
Mayfairs •

Bill McGuffie
Jackie
Ron Parry
J A J Wins
Connor A Drake
J A K Stuthard
SHEFFIELD
Empire (M) 8
Eve Boswell

Bssln St
Calvin Jackson
_ Blrdland
Count. Basie
Blue Angel
Robert Clary
Barbara MacNair
Trio Shmeed
Dick Drake
Jimmy Lyons Trio
Bert Howard
Bon toll
Jimmy Komack
Portia Nelson
Gerald Cook
Mae Barnes
3 Flames
Jimmy Daniels
Chateau Madrid
Estrelllta A Raul
Chlqulta Sis'

Oscar Calvet
Composer
Cy Coleman
Ralph Sharon
Embers
Geo Shearing
No. t Fifth Av#
Donn Gordon
Cook A Corey
Bob Oowney
Harold Fonville
Hazel Webster
Hotel Roosevelt 1
Alan Holmes Ore
Hotel Taft
Vincent Lopez Ore
Latin -Quarter
Joey Adams
Al Kelly
Tony A Eddie
LUcienne A Ashour
Bill Bailey
Patti Boss
Betty George
Roger Steffan
Alan Conroy
John Barfis
John Delaney
B Harlow* Ore
La Vie
Jackie Hilea

| Dlahann Catroll
1 Van Smith Oro
Belmonte Ore
Lo Cupldon
Nancy Steele

Old Roumanian
Sadie Banks
Joe Laporte Oro
IPAquila Ore

Park Sheraton

Milt Hcrth Trio
Tina Prescott

Patio

Ann Moray
Rosalinda

Versailles

"Como As You Are**
Connie Sawyer
• Charles Mannu
Dick Smart
Paul Lynde
Joan Carroll
Bill Mulllkln
Jimmie- Russell
Betty Logue
Inga Swenson
Johnny - Laverty
Franca Baldmn
Salvatore Gioe Ore
Panchlto Ore
Viennese Lantern
Sandra-Kiraly
Bela Blzony Ore
Ernest Scnoon Ore
village Barn
Danny Davis
Marilyn Murphy
Rachel Ellen
Sizzlers

Morty Reid Ore
Waldorf-Astoria
Xavier Cugat Ore
Abbe Lane
Pelro Bros
Garcias
Mischa Borr
Village Vanguard
Ada Moore
Enid Mosier
Steel Trio
c Williams Trie

Black Orchid
Josephine Premice
Phil Gordon
Day, Dawn A Dusk
Blue Angel
"Voodoo Calypso"
Obu'ba

Shango Dancers
Venita -•

Vlvi Velasbo
Joe

Blue - Note
Les Brown Orch
Choz Poroe

Dorothy Colline
Miami Beach
Combers

Brian Farnon Ore
Cloister Inn
Jo Ann Miller
Lurlene Hunter

CHICAGO

Roy. Bartram
Dick Marx .
Johnny Frig©
Conrad Hilton
"Carnival On Ice”
Fred Hirschfeld
Le Due Btos
Lou Folds
Johnny Leo
The- Ogelviee
Victor Charlee
Dave Parks
Robert Lenn
The Tattlers
Boulevar-Dears A
Boulevar-Dons
F Masters Ore
palmer House
Lisa Kirk
Dominique "

Larry Logan
Charlie Fisk Ore

IOS ANGELES

Ambassador Hotel

Harry Belafonte
Margaret Sisters
Bruno

Freddy Martin Ore
Band Box
Billy Gray
Leo Diamond
Vlvianne Lloyd
• Voluptua
Larry Greene Trio
Bar of Music
Merry Macs
Mack Twins
Blltmore Hofol
Morey Amsterdam
Helen O'Connell
The Houcs
Hal Derwin Oro
Clro's
Kay Brown
Sammy Davis Jr.

Will Mastin Trio
Half Bros.

HalLoman

Dick Stabile Oro

B Ramos Rhumba B

Crescendo
Billie Holliday
Four Freshmatt

Mocambo
Edith Plaf
Paul Hebert Ore.
Joe Castro Ore

Moulin Rouge

Frank Libuse
Margot Brander
Miss Malta A Co
Doubledaters 14)
Mazzone-Abbott
Jerry LaZarre
FfolUot Charlton
Tony Gentry
Gaby Wooldridge
Luis Urbina
Frank Libuse-.
Margot Brander
. Statler Hotel
Robert Maxwell
Maureen Cannon
Bob McFadden
Al Donahue Oro
Belaire Trio

Dunes

Magic Carpet R'v'e
Ben Blue
Sid Fields
Sammy Wolfe
Sir!

Marion Marlowe
Jose Duval

LAS VEGAS

. Billy Daniel

fl'v'e Ted Flo Hit© Oro

Sahara

Vagabonds
Condos A Brandow
Maria Neglia
we Chaz Chase

<r Saharem Girls

Jaye Ruhnnoff ore n™

Flamingo Cee Davidson Ore

Giselle MacKenzie
Alan King
Goofcrs.

Riviera
Spike Jones
Hal Belfer

Ron Fletcher Dncrs I Ray Sinatra Ore
Teddy Phillips Ore Sherman Hayes Oro

i- 1 rL ..u x

Sands Showboat

Rob't. Merrill Joe Cappo

Louis Armstrong Patti Waggin

A Morrell! Ore Showboat Girls

Desert Inn Woody Woodbury

Ted Lewis Golden Nugget

Donn Arden Dncrs Nat Young

Carlton Hayes Oro Bob Braman 3

New Frontier Joyce Collins i

Herb Shriner Moulin Rou

Blackburn Twins LlonelHampto

Jaye P. Morgan Silver Slipp

Venus Vamps Hank Henry

Joyce Collins 3
Moulin Rouge
Lionel Hampton Rcr.

Silver Slipper
Hank Henry

Garwood Van Oro Haller Gins

Th'undorbird

Appletons

Sauter-Flnegan Orch Sparky Kaye

Royal Nevada George Redman Oro

"Guys A Dolls" El Cortez

Jerry Fielding Ore Ilarmonicats

El Rancho Vegas- Lenny Gale

Joe E. Lewis Lucky Girls

Mlckl Mario Sherman Ha

Lucky Girls
Sherman Hayes Ore

(Continued on page 63)

Wednesday, August 10,-1955

yAftlETY

NIGHT CMJB REVIEWS

Sands, Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Aug. 5.

“Ziegfeld Follies” with Robert
Merrill, Louis Armstrong All-Stars
(6), Harvey Allan, Cop a Girls (14),
Sandmen (4), Antonio Morrelli
Orch (15); $2 minimum.

Another edition of Jack En-
tratter’s “Ziegfeld Follies” swings
through August, having for its top-
liners the potent offbeat pairing
of Metopera baritone Robert Mer-
rill and jazzdom’s venerated Ga-
briel, Louis Armstrong.

It was something Df a surprise
billing couple of years age when
Entratter first brought these wide-
ly. divergent personalities into the
Copa Room. Enthusiasm greeting
both acts within the production
caused a repeat booking. This
manifested the same kudos, and
again this year the twain have
met for more of the same recep-
tion from fablers.

Merrill sews up the closing slot
with his terrif piping geared for
nitery projection. Propelled by
salvos following “Because,” he
does a dramatic “Ain’t Necessarily
. So,” apd softens delivery for bal-
lading “I Only V Have Eyes For
You.” Highlight is his pnolog to
•*Pagliacci,” sported' in costume
for extra visual effect. His closing
warble, “Some Enchanted Eve-
ning,” has straight chorus topped
by amusing interpretation of Ezio
Pinza. Hits high mitts for bowoff.

When S a t c h m o clarions his
trumpet for “Sleepy Time Down
South” theme, it acts as an almost
automatic signal for cheers and
whistles. The honest warmth and
feeling of traditional jazz is never
exemplified so well as when Louis
and All-Stars, Trurhmie Young,
trombone; Barney Bigard, clarinet;
Aryell Shaw, bass; Billy Kyle, pi-
ano, and drummer Barrett' Deems
sound forth with the stomps, blues
and novelties. “Back Home in In-
diana” spots gutty solos by Louis
and Trummie, smooth tonal scal-
ing by Bigard, and in Billy Kyle’s
“Pretty Little Missie,” those ebul-
lient fog hpm tones of Satchmo
define the lyrjics.

Kyle’s interlude at the 88s with
rhythm sectioif, Shaw & Deems, a
run-over of “Pennies From Heav-
en,” is not staged too well, with the
pianist lost' behind the Steinway
over in a corner, although he does
swing the tune well. Velma Mid-
dleton’s heft brings bn yocks as she
chirps and terps the Kaycee riff,
“I Ain’t Mad at You,” and sly “Ko-
komo” with Louis. Climax is a
“Mop Mop” uptempo blues for
slambang drumming by Deems.

Production romps, very plushy,
are holdovers, with exception of
the finale, .the Bob Hilliard-Milton
de Lugg special, “Place, in the
.Sun.” This is a ‘setting for a Mer-
rill-Armstrong duet, a honey of a
closing gambit. Harvey Allan is
given good palming for his “In-
spiration’**-! chanting in midway
terp. Antonio Morrelli, directs his
orch meticulously, and excellent
backing is assured throughout.

Will.

tortions on elevated stand, lad
juggles hoops and balls, balances
sphere on mouthpiece . and twirls
hoops on free arm While effecting
handstand. Windup is handstand
spin which rewards him good, mitt
response.

Sa. Haremaids bounce through
“Rock’ ’n Roll” launcher, which
features lighted recap of hotel’s
standard big nafnes flashed on
scrim bearing carbon of hotel’s
frontpiece; then trapsie through
“Wunderbar,” closing with Day in
finale. Cee Davidson and orch
cleave good musical background
for show, with George Wile corn-
ending podium during tophner’s
turn. Alan.

Sahara, Las Vegas

Las Vegas, July 26.

Dennis Day, Teddy & Phyllis
Rodriguez, Wonderboy John, Chan-
teclairs (5), Sa Haremaids (18),
Cee Davidson Orch (14); $2 mini-
mum.

Dennis Day is back at >the Sa-
hara after an eight-week absence
during which he healed the ail-
ment that caused him to bow from
the original four-frame turn mid-
way in engagement. And despite
the fact that the inn’s show ops
have hustled the tenor and his
unaltered act back into the Congo
Room to make up the fortnight
due here, warm biz is forecast.
Written into a solid repertoire of
patter, song . arid mime that fully
utilizes his pipes and personality,
Day gets off to a bright start with
“You’ve Gotta Give ’Em All
You’ve Got.”

Song parody of Jack Benny via
“Davy Crockett” melody scores.
From a snappy “Heart,” Day pre-
views. upcoming vldseries, a very
funny routine during which he
sang spiels in Yiddish, Japanese
and Italian. Act reaches high note
when he turns serious for a soulfull
“Young And Foolish.” The Chan-
teclairs step from production slot
to spotlight to chant harmony
while Day embraces poignant plea,
•’Unchained Melody.”

Teddy and Phyllis Rodriguez
are nicely fitted into the scheme
of things of this package. Vet ball-
room terpers gracefully glide
through moody “Blue Danube,”
sparkle In “Tico Tico” dance pat-
tern, wax festive for a Spanish
Jota, exiting on a toe and heel
impression of torero and toro
called ’’Espani Cani.” A youngster
of about 18 -billed as “Wonderboy
John” makes Vegas debut to
launch show, and maintain inn’s
tradition of novelty act kickoffs.
After an assortment of balancing
tricks, including splits and con

BevcHy Hills, Newport

Newport, Ky M Aug. 6.

Pearl Bailey, Del Ray, Dorothy
Dorben Dancers (10),. Dick Hyde,
Gardner Benedict Orch (10), Jim-
my Wilber Trio, Larry Vincent; $3.
minimum, $4 Saturdays.

Pearl Bailey and Del Ray, long-
time faves here, cram high enter-
tainment value into the current
fortnight’s bill. Three numbers by
the dependable Dorothy Dorben
Dancers and splendid orch support
by ■ Gardner Benedict’s, crew round
out the 60-minute show.

Miss Bailey, in her Unmatchable
song-talk manner, rings the bell
for 35 minutes. Several of her spe-
cial pieces, including “Strike
While the Iron Is Hot,’’ have a tart
flavor which she makes pleasing
through arty serving.

. In a white ballerina length gown,
pearl necklace and matching ear-
rings, she sits out half of her time
for natural touches to character
impressions. Her pianist-leader is
Lloyd Phillips, co-arranger of or-
chestrations with Don Redman.

Ray has added to his bag of
tricks since his previous visit.
Wearing gloves the greater part of
his 13-minute routine, he shuffles
a deck of cards with one hand
while producing lighted i cigarets
with the other, along with baffling
manipulation • of handkerc h he f s.
While doing the rising card and
other effects, Ray talks to and
drinks with a stuffed panda bear
several paces away. Another prop,
a stand table, gives off mechanical
sparks at frequent intervals.

Koll.

Desert Inn, Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Aug.-2.
Ted Lewis & All-Star Revue (II),
Donn Arden Dancers (18), Ted
Lewis Orch (14); $2 Minimum.

Chez Faroe, Montreal

Montreal, Aug. 4.

“ Paris . . . Chez Paree ” starring
Guilda, featuring Marion Richard,
Robert Morrow, Louis Valdes,
Michel Mercier, ' produced and di-
rected by Guilda, staged by Robert
Morrow; Nick Martin Orch (8),
Michel Sauro Quartet; $2.50 mini-
mum. >

Installed on this bistro belt for
the umpteenth time, Ted Lewis
has surrounded himself, his bat-
tered topper, his clarinet and his
ageless axioms with an aggregation
of young faces to put on a show
that should keep everybody at the
Desert Inn — patrons and ops alike
— fairly happy for the current
month.

Gait of show it swift as Lewis pars
his own course, intro’ing and work-
ing around the gang of juvenile
hoofers, fronting band and soloing
in nostalgic song spiels. He struts
opening round with Susan Brooks,
Charlotte Dewey, Elroy Peace and
Jackie Warner in song-terp play
at “Smiles” medley. Miss Brooks
thrushes a catchy “Am I In Love?,”
then duos with boss byplay “I’m
A Lover.” Fave, “The Love Story,”
is told by Lewis. Two Debs & A
Date harmonize “In The, Mood,”
then backstop Lewis as he melodi-
cally talks “Cop On The Beat” and
"Me And My Shadow.” Latter
returns Peace, who has been
shadowing Lewis for the past 14
years. ^

Taking the podium, Lewis nimbly
fingers clarinet to lead “Tiger
Rag” and “When The Saints Cpme
Marching In.” Maestro’s jazz in-
terlude is followed by Jackie
Warner and Shirley McGuire,
dance duo, who unfold a series of
bright choreographed , patterns..,
Pair terp is extremely strong in
“Sunny Side Of The Street.” Lewis
is back in solo again, for a recap
of his childhood days, wrapped up
with ‘ Bettle Bomb.” Strongest of
Lewis’ neophytes are Eddie LeRoy
and the Short Twins, who zip
through clown-song turns of “We’re
On,” “To Be A Hit In The Music
Business’ and “New York, New
* 0I !£* Lads have learned their
craft well. Following “My Old

Br£’ if L £vi? S i. calls Cast out ftr
That s What We Call Entertain-
er^ fi ” ale » closing with standard
When My Baby Smiles At Me.”
Donn Arden Dancers are slotted- at
,, Program in racy “Red
'-' eiler - Alan.

Label X Line to Malvern

Malvern. Distributors has taken
over the Label X line -for metro-
politan New - York. Line was for--
merly handled by Trans-Disk.

Al Hirsch will head up the re-
J cording division for Malvern,

To ' show-starved Montrealers,
the preem of Chez Paree this week
proved something of a bombshell
in cafe circles. Even. the advance
notices failed to live up to the ac-
tual thing and the capacity open-
ing-night crowd of the curious and
the scoffers came away mightily
impressed by this new- club.

. A reputed $250,000 has been
spent by owners Solly Silver and
Leon Titolbaum and this sum may
be- an underestimate, judging from
overall appearances. There is lit-
tle or no resemblance to the for-
mer Chez Paree. Instead of one
big room with a balcony on three
sides, a new ceiling breaks the
space into two sections with Chez
Paree proper taking the lower part
and the upstairs to be known as
the Fontaine Bleue. This was de-
signed primarily as a special room
for banquets and receptions, but is
nOw handling .the overflow and of-
fering brief versions of the down-
stairs show.

, As their initial show layout, the
management brings in a unit revue
which is certainly a novelty for
local cafeites. Femme-impersona-
tor Guilda is the star, producer
and director and theme is a young
American in Paris. Packed in the
75-minute showcase is something
for everyone. A group of four
gii’ls and four boys takes a big
share in the. offering with the mu-
sicomedy type terping, w h i c h
ranges from a can-can sequence to
an underwater ballet. Four rather
solemn-faced showgirls sashay
around at odd intervals without
any particular impact on anyone
and, of course, Guilda is dominant
throughout in clinging theatrical
gowns and undulating torso.

Countering the supposed sophis-
tication of Guilda is still another
“he-she” called Louis Valdes whose
routines and costumes are strictly
from the burley ■ circuit. The
broad, off-the-cob humor appeals,
however, and makes, a good balance
with the other fey elements of the
show. Marion Richard, as lead-
ing chirper and dancer, scores with
plenty of personality despite her
terp shortcomings, and Michel Mer-
Cier as the confused American in
Paris, is adequate. Robert Mor-
row’s hoofing routines keynote the
show with their spe^d and variety
and tenor Jack Hilliard, a last-
minute addition to the revue,
breaks the pace nicely at the mid-
way mark with a solid vocal ses-
sion. Nick Martin batons show
proceedings in his usual capable
manner and the Michel Sauro
combo does interlude music neatly.
In the upstairs room, Steve Gar-
rick’s quartet and the Perry Car-
men group split customer hoofing
moments with the accent on the
Latin rhythms.

Despite solid biz, it will take
some months before the manage-
ment gets off the nut, but if the
initial show level, house service,
et al., is maintained, these two
elegant rooms with an approxi-
mate 500-seat capacity, together
with an adjoining lounge called
Le Petit “Paree, should yield hefty
returns. Newt.

skirt for repartee with Shapiro.
She uses the Davy Crockett song,
donning; a coonskin cap, to compare
the hits of today with those of ‘40
years ago, when she appeared with
the Five Kings of Syncopation in
the old Isleworth Hotel here when
“Some of These Days” was tops.

“My ' Fifty Golden Years,” a
nostalgic number with Shapiro and
the band proyiding background
music, tells of her rise in show
business and stresses her rewards
from it. Through nearly 45 minutes
that La Tucker is out front, she has
the crowded house with her every
moment. It’s plenty of yocks where
she wants them, and rapt attention
for the mbre serious moments.-

Dick Kallman, introduced as a
protege of Miss Tucker, is a singer*
of no mean ability and one who
will rate watching. He bangs over
old faves such as “AJabamy
Bound,” “Summer Time,” “It All
Defends on You,” and wows them
with “Did You Do Your Best,” a
dramatic song poem.

Ving Merlin and his . Violin
Beauties, three lookers, do new
things with their four violins, play-
ing popular and semi-popular
songs, climaxing the act with each
bowing another’s violin in “Twelfth
Street Rag.”

Laino & Campbell provide two
nice numbers to round out a well-
balanced show. Walk.

Frolies, Salisbury B’ch,
Mass*

Salisbury Beacjb, Mass., July 31.

. Georgia Gibbs ( Bill Russell),
Danii & Genii Prior, Artie Dann,
Sanger, Ross & Andre, Dave Lester
Orch f 10) j Johnny Fulford; $1.20
admission.

Biz continues, to perk at this big
1,250-sea ter- near the ocean breezes,
and name policy is paying off.
Switch this season has* been that
auds are heavier with adu’.t amuse-
ment seekers than the teen set.
Spot’s success is due to its nominal
admission fee and its big seating
Capacity,. .

Georgia Gibbs, who hails from
nearby Worcester, scores rieely
here with the crowd, 90% adults,
clamoring for more, at opening
show.

“Her Nibs” runs the gamut of
pop mus'c styles, and from opening
With “There’ll be Some Changes
Made” tp bowoff has aud drinking
in her. . chirping. ‘ Working -with
smooth professional style, Miss
Gibbs knocks off “I Love Paris”
and “Somebody Loves Me” with
sock projection and goes cha cha
with her latest platter, “Sweet and

IblliVb J.bUgi 4 , Gentle.’.’

Boots McKenna dancers with-W, Her rock ’n’ roll “Dance With
qIti/i Rt PimnMi +«■« l Me Henry,” which ' has received

heavy jukebox and deejay satura-
tion in the area, gets heavy m’tting.
She goes country style with “Seven
Lonely Days” and ends the set with
a medley of “My Blue I-Ieaven,”
“I’ll Get By” and “Swanee.”

La Gibbs’ piping has never been

The Flame, Phoenix

Phoenix, Aug. 1.

Millicent Rodgers; . Al Overend

/e\ J t . uwus piping nas never peen

Oich (5); no cover, no minimum, better and she encores with another

The Flame, which has been in-
creasingly partial to distaff vocal-
ists, since recent management shift
to John and Nick Quarty (along
with three other partners),, has a
sterling entry in Millicent Rodgers.
Svelte brunet looker comes here
from the New Frontier, Las Vegas,
and it’s obvious she’s learned the
tricks of the trade during her
relatively brief stretch on the
nitery circuits.

Singer’s, poise and assurance,
along with her disarming way with
.a song, make for a pleasurable ‘20-
minute session during which she
essays a wide vocal range and takes
the high and low registers in stride
with ease and style.

Songology is baited with pops
and standards, kicking off with
“From This Moment On,” - and
then setting a brisk gait with alter-
nate rhythm numbers and ballads.
Standouts are a lush version of
“Hallelujah” (from “Hit the Deck")
and a Cole Porter medley that en-
compasses “My Heart Belongs to
Daddy,”; “Why Can’t You Behave”
and “Let’s Do It.”

Chanteuse’s all-round class lends
credence to report she’s being
paged for a ^Broadway musical in
the fall. At this outpost, she’s
keeping the ropes up. Jona.

Palmer House, Chi

r . •; Chicago, Aug. 4.

Lisa Kirk (with Buddy Pepper),
Dominique (with Xavier de Vil-
monn), Larry Logan, Charlie Fisk
Orch; $2 cover.

500 Cluli, Atlantic City

, • Atlantic City , . Aug. 6.

Sophie Tucker, Ted'Shapiro, Dick
Kallman, Ving Merlin & Violin
Beauties (3), Laino & Campbell,
Boots McKenna Dancers (8), Pete
Miller Orch (14) with Joe Frasetto;
$5 min. Saturdays, $3 weekdays.

As Sophie Tucker begins her
second half-century in show busi-
ness there’s .plenty of life left in
the old girl yet — as a full house
quickly learns at the start of a
two-week stint in Paul D’ Amato’s
big bistro.

This turn around, she is look-
ing back down the lohg, long trail
with nostalgic bits liberally mixed
with material identified with the
Tucker of yesterdays, some bluish,
all worth major yocks. As of yore,
Ted Shapiro, her accompanist, is
very much part of the act, and
foil for jokes.

To “Some of These Days” she
sweeps on, lavishly dressed in a
melon-colored floor-length beaded
dress, disclosed as sfll discards an
orange satin-lined white cape with
lapels of orange sequins. In “Start-
ing All Over Again” she tells of
her ambition to keep going, maybe
for another 50 years, and then she
goes into a nostalgic “Just Open
Your Heart.”

It’s Sophie- Tucker of Yore in
“Horse Playing Papa,” a bluish bit,
and the mood continues as she
garbs herself in a Hawaiian grass

After having their pockets
picked, the patrons get a big dish
of appeal to take their mind
off their losses in this four-week
display. The combo augurs big
biz.

Lisa Kirk tops the bill here and
freewheels around the Empire
Room with her melange of looks,
showmanship, solid pipes and that
ever-saleable commodity, s.a. Gal
shows versatility in the choice of
her material and manages to sell
the show-tunes, oldies, tailor-
mades and the pops with equal im-
pact. Miss Kirk never lets an op>
portunity for a little sexy byplay
slip past her; she injects'it into her
songs and into her hand-mike ex-
cursions among the ringside bald-
pates, ■ Naturally this goes over.

Dominique picks the customers’
pockets with skill. The fast-talk-
ing, light-fingered. mercurial pick-
pocket has the room in an uproar
from the start wdth his opening
sleight-of-h and pasteboardwork.

He then flits through the audience
with incessant chatter to cover his
fingerwork, and winds up with
watches, pearls,, a purse and even
artificial bust aids (showmanly
props, of course). The crowd eats
it up. Dominique is- assisted by
Xavier de Vilmorin throughout,
and artfully avoids any resentment
on the part of his flustered vic-
tims. This act has show'manship
plus, and gets sock response from
the patrons.

Larry Logan opens with a well- | r — / ;*v- v.‘*' rc /IUU1I,UU

received harmonica turn. Logan I , ky smger Jimmy Lee. Th<
has a poised presence and his in- ' Avn n,,rn,>,:,, ’ c nno mfrninrr «
tros are Suave. His renditions of
“Beguine the Beguine,” “Rouma-
nian Rhapsody” and a Parisian
medley get neat response and are
smoothly, tied to the orchestral
backing, provided in the usual pro
style by the Charlie Fisk orch.

Gabe.

record number, "Tweedlee Dee,”
which from opening bars., brings
top apd reaction. Crowd begs for
more and diminutive singer obliges
with nostalgic Scotch farewell
tune, “Will You Not Come Back
Again.”

Balance of show is typical Salis-
bury Beach Frolics fare. Danii &
Genii Prior open with distinctive
taps, followed by blues number
and close with an East Indian
dance to a jazzed-up version of
Song of India.” Attractive couple
gets nice' aud response with spark-
ling hoofing.

Artie Dann, emceeing, gets best
results with gags poking fun at his
lean frame and prominent probos-
cis. Comic’s gags are okay in this
big room.

Sanger, Ross & Andre, knock-
about , dance trio, get plenty of
sight laughs. Andre, femme, is a
six-foot 8V£-inch tall stemmed
dazzler; Ross is of midget propor-
tions, and Sanger is of medium
height. The three hoke it up in
some dlever dance routines with
Heavy side business to enthusiastic
aud reaction.

Dave Lester cpts his usual slick
Snow and Johnny Fulford provides
pleasant organ interludes. Guyl.

€Im*z Paree, Chi

n in, TIi Chica g°. Aug. 5.

. .. *\ or ?P. ly ? 0 W ns (with Bob Cur-
tis/, Miami Beach Combers (4)
Chez Paree Adorables (7) (with
Jnnmy Lee), Brian Farnon Orch;
$1.50 cover, $3.75 minimum.

The Chez’s current' fortnighter
pias one thing to recommend it:
the voice of Dorothy Collins. The
rest of the card is not in the same
league with the headliner..

Miss Hit Parade does a pro job
of song-selling with her all-Ameri-
can - girl - who-lives-next-door ap-
proach. No detail has been over-
looked to create the nice little girl
impression; her hair is simply
coiffed, her gown is pink, fluffy
and closed at the neck and her
palaver is simple, direct and sin-
cere. Besides that, her rep is
varied and her well-schooled pipes
deliver with warmth, vibrance, ex-
cellent tone and lots of volume.

Bowing with a spec opener, gal
goes on to such surefire selections
as ; Great Day,” “Man I Love,” and
a Parade Medley” consisting
of the year’s pop hits. She builds
as she goes, garnering big reaction
from the customers. Gal begs off
to lusty palms.

The supporting turn on this bill
disappoints. The Miami Beach
Combers, four guys who sing,
clown and accompany themselves
on the clarinet, accordion, guitar,
bass and occasionally drums, do
unimaginative bits, using cornball
business that died at the Palace in
1932 and consistently rely on bad-
taste material to get them out of
a hole. Group gats mild reaction.

The show is spaced by the house
line, the Chez Paree Adorables,

do two numbers, one introing th
show and one later, both of wide
were used in the. last show'. Th
offering would be okay, if it wer
new'.

The Brian Farnon orch cuts th
usual pro showback, handling th
Dorothy Collins arrangements wit
ease. Gabe.

LEGITIMATE

Wednesday*. August 10 f 195$

in* •)

Qgi

Town’ $6,500, Spa; Other Stock News

Philadelphia, Aug, 9.

Even under adverse conditions,
Philly’s Playhouse in the Park
does business. The City-operated
tent- operation- in West Fairmount
Park drew $11,400 with “Gigi” last
week despite the heat wave, the
season’s worst notices, lack of a
b.o. name and the fact that it was
a late booking and thus had less
than the usual publicity buildup.
Cathy O’Donnell played the title
role "in the Anita Loos dramatiza-
tion of Colette’s novel.

This week’s bill oilers Farley
Granger in “The Rainmaker.’’

‘Town’ N.S.Gr. $6,500, Spa
Saratoga, N, Y., Aug. 9.

Maybe it was the weather. What-
ever the reason, “Wonderful
Town” failed to live up to its title
last week, grossing only $6,500 at
a $9.30 top at the 287-seat Spa
Summer Theatre here. That was
a sad comedown from the $9,000
drawn last week by a no-name edi-
tion of ’’Wish You Were Here.”

On the theory that the hottest
summer in years is responsible 4or
some of the disappointing busi-
ness, producer John Huntongton
has been trying to persuade the
Saratoga Commission and other
state officials to install, effective
air-conditioning in the theatre.
He’s even offered to put up $5,000
as his share of the cost. No dice
thus far, however.

“Champagne Complex,” starring
Donald Cook and John Dali, is this
week’s show at the spot.

m — ■ ■■

‘Edward’ $4,000, Stockbridge
Stockbridge, Mass., Aug. 9.

The weatherman took another
round from the local Berkshire
Playhouse last week when the heat
and humidity melted the ticket
rack to a limp $4,000 for “Edward,
My Son.” Gage Clarke, Eleanor
Wilson and Howard Erskine, were
featured in the Robert Morley-
Noel Langley drama.

The eighth week of the 11-week
season was ushered in last night
(Mon.) With “Tender Trap”, a late
booking. William Swan, of the
resident company, is featured
along with Susan Willis, John
Morley, Martha Orrick and Carol
Kyser.

Eva Marie 15G, Westport Record
Westport, Conn., Aug. 9.

Eva Marie Saint, starring in “The
Rainmaker,” set a new house rec-
ord lest week for the Westport
Country Playhouse, grossing over
$15,000 for 10 performances, in-
cluding two extra twinight showings
Sunday (7), The 499-seat house has
a $4 top Friday and Saturday
nights and $3.30 weeknights.

Previous high, for nine perform-
ances, was set last Season by Imo-
geno Coca in “Happy Birthday.”

‘Love’ Makes Money, Montreal
Montreal, Aug. 9.

With “For Love or Money,” the
season’s third production, going
into its final week, biz at the
Mountain 'Playhouse ' continues
solid despite the extended heat
wave. Situated atop Mount Royal
where it is usually cooler than in
the city proper and with the added
distinction of a full bar, the 200-
Beat house has managed to main-
tain near-capacity this season.

The F. Hugh Herbert comedy is
directed by Herbert V. Gellendre,
of the teaching staff of the Ameri-
can Theatre Wing in New York,
and Stars Corinne Conley and
Charles Jarrott. Opening next
Monday (15) is “The Happy Time,
with Guy Beauline directing and
playing one of the leads.

actress. Other draws were “Light
Up the Sky” (1,447), “Cfigi” (1,744),
“The Crucible” (1,409) and “Pic-
nic” (2,177). *

‘Ring’ Small $3,000, Olney

Washington, Aug. 9. •
Second and final stanza of “Ring
Around the Moon” drew a slender
$3,000 last week at the Olney The-
atre* strawhatter about midway
between Baltimore and here. That
was the lowest take of the season
for the spot. Violet Heming was
starred in the Christopher Fry
dramatization of the Jean An-
houilh play.

Margaret Phillips, back for the
second appearance of the season,
opens tonight (Tues.) in “As You
Like It” for’ the usual two-week
run.

$21,000 at Stratford, Corn.

Stratford, Conn., Aug. 9.

More favorable critical reception
of “The Tempest” helped give the
American Shakespeare Festival
Theatre a fairly satisfactory $21,-
000 week for the eight shows
through last Saturday (6). Figure,
okay from operating standpoint
and close to best house has done
since .opening, includes four “Ju-
lius Caesar” and four “Tempest”
performances.

Third offering of the season,
“Much Ado About Nothing,” is in
the works, with series of previews
slated to begin Aug. 22.

‘Bumblebee’ at Williamstown
Williamstown, Mass., Aug. 9.

The Williamstown Summer The-
atre has announced the first pro
production, opening next Tuesday
(16), of “The Bridge and the Bum-
blebee,” a three-act fantasy by Joe
A. Greenhoe. The play had a Yale
Drama School showing in 1951, as
a departmental production before
an invited audience.

After five weeks of operation,
Hie theatre in its initial season has
played to an attendance of 9,242
for a total take of $15,488. That’s
*f0% Capacity in the- 479-seat
Adams Memorial Theatre. Top
Peek was the opener, with 2,465
lustomers for '“Time of the
Cuckoo” featuring Marcia Hen
son, native-born stage-fllm-tv

Unearned Outlay

Legit and tv actor Alan
Hewitt, who returned last
week on the Mauretania, en-
countered the old U, S. tourist
headache of having to pay for
theatre programs in England
and on the Continent.

- During a-, whirlwind three-
month tour he figures he has
caught 34 plays, 24 operas,
seven operettas, 11 symphony
concerts, four ballets and six
variety revues.- “The cost of
the tickets wasn’t so bad,” he
says “What burned me was
paying for all those programs.”

Inside Stuff-Legit

Click Season at Irwin, Pa.

Pittsburgh, Aug. 9.

White Barn Theatre, at nearly
Irwin, Pa., looks . headed for. its
best season since Clay Flagg and
Carl Low started the strawhat
eight years ago. They’re running
nearly $2,500 ahead of 1954 on
total gross and advance sale indi-
cates that may be doubled before
the windup.

Top take came right at the be-
ginning with “Oh Men, Oh Wom-
en” and as a result of this, Edward
Chodorov comedy is being repeat-
ed this week at White Bam.

Jtirry Whyte Commoting
Between N.Y. and London

Jerry “Whyte, Rodgers & Ham-
merstein production supervisor
who went to London recently to
sit in on preparations for' the West
End edition of “Pajama. Game,”
will practically commute between
there and New York for the next
couple of months. That’s more or
less routine for him, however.

He’ll be busy with the casting of
‘Pajama” and general production
matters on other Williamson Music
(R & H) shows in Great Britain
until “Pajama” rehearsals begin
Sept. 8, under the direction of
Robert Griffith, co-producer of the
show in New York; A week later,
Whyte will, plane to New York,
where rehearsals will start Sept.
22 for “Pipe Dream,” the new
R & H musical.

He'll fly back Oct. 6. to Britain
for the dress rehearsal and open-
ing of “Pajama Game,” Oct. 13 at
the Coliseum, London, then return
two days later to New York and at-
tend final rehearsals and the, try-
out opening of “Pipe Dream,”* Oct.
24 in New Haven. He’ll remain
until the show’s Broadway pre-
miere Nov. . 30, then probably
hustle back to London.

If “Pipe Dream” is an indicated
hit on Broadway, Whyte will begin
preparations for a London produc-
tion of the musical next spring. It
would thus follow the current
‘King and I” at the Drury Lane.

Even if “Pipe Dream” fails to
stack up as a London project,
Whyte will have plenty to do in
England, . since Williamson (in
partnership with Prince. Littler)
already has “King,” “Teahouse of
the August Moon,” “Desperate
Hours” and the upcoming . “Pa jama
Game” (the latter replacing “Can-
Can”) in the West End and . “South
Pacific” on tour* with “Can-Can”
soon to follow.

Heavy on Plays;
Tuners to Pitt

Philadelphia, Aug. 9.

Although no musical shows are
being booked into Philly because
of the deadlock, between the Shu-
berts and the local musicians’ un-
ion, the town has a raft of straight
plays set for September and Octo-
ber. Virtually all are tryouts, in-
cluding a number of prefems. With
tuners presumably out for at least
the opening weeks, the Shuberts
are booking all their local houses,
even the large Shubert, with non-
musicals*

Shows set at the moment are
“Diary of a Young Girl,” Sept. 15;
“Desk Set,” Sept. 26; “Chalk Gar-
den,” Oct. 10; “Red Roses for Me,”
Sept. 22; “Will Success Spoil Hun-
ter?” Sept. 12; “Child of Fortune,”
Oct. 24; “The Sebastians,” end of
October; “Heavenly Twins,” -late
October, and “Clerambard.” Sept.
13.

“Red Roses” is listed for the
Shubert and “The Sebastians” and
“Diary” for the Forrest. No the-
atres have been officially named
for others. Even with to-be-expect-
ed drop-outs, the .above list in-
cludes only the mote certain book-
ings, so it looks like an active sea-
son whether, even if the musicians'
union stymie isn’t cleared.

_ »

Bob Hall Vice Johnson

San Francisco, Aug, 9.
Bob Hall,' San Francisco Call-
Bulletin Tfcwfite man and radio-tv
columnist, switches to drama edi-
tor, effective next Saturday (13 h
He succeeds Fred Johnson, who
retires after many years on the
lob. -

Pitt Gets ‘King,’ 2 Tryouts
Nixon Theatre will this season
have its earliest legit opening in
several years with the arrival
Sept. 5 (Labor Day) of “King and
I” for a two-week run. Manage-
ment hadn’t expected the Rogers-
Hammerstein show until later in
the season, and didn’t figure on un-
shuttering until late September or
early October. However the musi-
cians’ union tieup in Philly has
forced the rerouting of several
tuners, and Pittsburgh will bene-
fit.

Nixon has also been promised
tryout engagements of “Delilah,”
Carol Channing. musical, in Octo-
ber, and “Shangri-La” in Novem-
ber. Ordinarily, Pitt wouldn’t have
a chance of getting breakins of big
shows like these.

Sure enough, John Chapman snapped up the bait about possible
earlier curtains for Broadway opening nights. The drama critic of the
N, Y, News worked a rebuttal of the suggestion into his column last
Sunday (7), the first piece he’s written since his return frorrr a Euro-
pean junket. As Variety predicted last week ip reprinting the earlier-,
curtain proposal recently offered by John McClain, N, Y. Journal-
American critic* in a column in the latter paper* Chapman is against
it. McClain said that the premiere curtain* now generally 8 o’clock,
might satisfactorily be moved up to 6:30, but Chapman is still plugging
for a return to the old 8:30 ring-up.

TV packager Martin Goodman, who" is mapping his first legit produc-
tion flyer this fall with “Sweet Poison,” whodunit by Coast writer
Leonard Lee, says his -list of backers “reads like Madison Ave.” Mean-
ing it includes many of the agency-talent-exec set, Walter Craig, Emil
Mogul, Bess Myersori; Arlene Francis, Gil Ralston, Ted Granik, Nor-
man Frank, Dick Linkrown, among others. John Ireland, his wife,
Joanne Dru, are slated for the leads, Michael Gordon to direct.

The late Ellison (Al) Greenstone, 'who started as a valet and secre-
tary to George M. Cohair, got into the latterday souvenir legit- program
and legit angeling business from being first a candy butcher and later
souvenir program seller for the pioneer pic specs, such as “Way Down
East,” “Ben Hur” and “Hie Big Parade,” Greenstone figured that if
they went for the movie editions, fancier legitsj particularly musicals,
were a cinch. Subsequently he became quite a play apgeL His son*
Clifford, is -continuing the program business.

Management of the St. Louis Municipal Theatre Assn, took display
ad space in the local- dailies last week to answer a pan review of
“Allegro” by Myles Standish, film and legit critic of the St, Louis
Post Dispatch. The ad, appearing in the PD and the morning Globe-
Democrat, included favorable quotes by Herbert M. Monk, the
.G-D pic and legit critic, as well as from several New York reviews
of the Rodgers-Hammerstein musical’s original Broadway production
of 1947-48. Latter "was a boxoffice failure.

Jack Hylton denies a report in last week’s Variety that New
York talent agent Kenneth Later has brought suit against him for an
accounting in connection with last season’^ London production of “Pal
Joey.” Hylton declares that no suit has been filed, and adds that Later
“has no legitimate claim” to 1% of the show’s. gross as commission for
allegedly negotiating the deal for the British rights to the Rodgers-
Hart-O’Hara musical. Hylton produced the show on the West End.

Recent report from. Vienna .that “Inherit the- Wind” is to be pro-
duced there with Oscar Karlweis as star, is denied by Herman Shum-
lin, co-producer with the late Margo Jones of the original Broadway
edition* According to Shumlin, there has been no deal for the Austrian
rights to the Jerome Lawrence-Robert E. Lee drama, in which Raul
Muni is starring at the National, N. Y. -

NEW KIDDIE SHOW C0RP.
PLANS 50G OPERATION

Kiddie plays are becoming; big
business. A corporation, designed
to operate on a $50,000 budget,
has been formed to put on legit
productions for moppet audiences.
The outfit, tagged American Chil-
dren’s Theatre, bowed at the West-
port (Conn.) Country Playhouse
with a special matinee production
of “Young Davy Crockett.”

Officers of the corporation are
George E, Dunkel, president; Eu-
gene Dunkel, vice-president and
Helen Dunkel, secretary-treasurer.
As of a June 14 statement of as-
sets, the total , coin held by the org
was $2,000 representing a loan
from George Dunkel.

To raise the required $50,000,
tjhe corporation is peddling 5,000
shares of non-voting cumulative
preferred stock at $10 a Share.
Each purchaser of 50 shares of
preferred stock gets 1 share of
common voting stock, of which
there are 100 shares to be issued.
George Dunkel ' holds 200 shares'
of the common voting stock.'

A budget breakdown on the
$50,000 Includes $8,000 * for the
production, of two .shows, $13,000
to tour the productions, $7,750 or-
ganizational expenses, $7,000 for
promotion - publicity - booking, £4.-
j950 for three weeks’ operatic*
pending payments, $2,700 zor in in-
duction staff and equipment, end
Mr $6,600 - reserve fund. I

Grosses of “Fanny” for the four weeks ended July 2 were incorrectly
reported in last week’s issue. The actual figures (and respective weeks)
for the musical at the Majestic, N. Y., were as follows: $63,019 (June
11), $63,784 (June 18), $63,705 (June 25) and $52,955 (July 2).

Marre May Be Stager,

Cole Choreog ‘Shangri’;

Need $275,000 Capital

Albert Marre . may direct and
Jack Dole may stage the dances for
“Shangri-La,” the musical version
of the James . Hilton novel, . for
which Jerome Lawrence and Rob-
ert E. Lee have done the adapta-
tion, with songs by Harry Warren..

The all-important male lead
hasn’t been cast, but Martyn Green
and Shirley Yamaguchi are set for
featured roles. Producers Cotirtney
Burr and John Byram are aiming
for a Dec. 8 opening at the Zieg-
feld, N. Y., after tryout stands in
Detroit and Pittsburgh.

Peter Larkin is designing the
scenery and Motley is doing the
costumes for the show, with Roben
Russell Bennett sought to do . the
orchestrations and Hugh Martin,
considered as choral director. The
production is being financed at
$275,000, with provision for 9%
overall. The author royalties on
the show will be 7 W9o until the
production cost is recouped and
8V£% thereafter.

Estimated production costs in-
clude $60,000 for building and de-
signing of scenery, $41,450 for
purchase and designing of cos-
tumes, $8,000 for purchase and
rental of electrical equipment, $9,-
006 for purchase and rental of
props, $15,000 for ‘ orchestrations
and arrangements, $8,000 for di-
rector and choreographer; $22,540
for rehearsal salaries; $25,000
bonds; $11,500 for theatre depos-
its, $14,500 for out-of-town tryouts
loss and expenses and $7,300 for
preliminary advertising. Other ex-
penses total $15,439, leaving $37,-
271 for contingencies.

Richard Burton Back
To London for Old Vic

London, Aug. 9.

Richard' Burton is returning from
Hollywood to participate again In
an Old Vic Shakespearian season.
He will be appearing with a com-
pany led by Paul Rogers, Wendy
■Hiller and John Neville.

The new Old Vic season, which
opens Sept. V with 4 -Julius Caesar,”
will see the lauching of the third
year of the five-year plan t o present
all 36 Shakespearean plays in the
First Folio.

London, Aug. 2.

Will commercial television take
its toll of the legitimate ..theatre?
This question is put and answered
by Felix Aylmer, president of Brit-
ish Actors Equity, in a letter to
members of his union. He doesn't
subscribe to the view that the
convenience of having entertain-
ment brought to the fireside
would prove so attractive that reg-
ular theatres would ultimately
disappear.

Averring that people belong to
a gregarious species and that only
a small minority preferred their
entertainment in solitude, Aylmer
observed that the sense of com-
mon experience widely and simul-
taneously shared was essential for
full satisfaction. On the other
hand, he felt that the pattern of
tv was already becoming clear. In
his opinion it was taking over and
extending the function of the pop-
ular press. Newsreels took the
place .of news coverage. Leading
articles were catered for in talks
by specialists. Special features
like the gardening column the
housewives page, the children’s
comer and even the daily cross-
word were currently filled in reg-
ular tele programs.

In all this miscellany, Alyiiner
noted, dramatic entertainment
finds only a minor place, although
the serial novelette and other fic-
tional features, are mostly pre-
sented in dramatic form and pro*
vide actors with employment.. The
play proper, however well done,
was hardly a serious competitor
with itself as $hown in the thea-
tre. And on the principle of. “Easy
come, easy go,” the very ease with
which it could be switched on mili-
tated against sustained attention.

The Equity prez concluded his
observations by pointing the moral
that while tv may provide in-
creased employment, the main
business of the drama would still
be carried on essentially, by the
theatre*

Equity has called a special meet-
ing on commercial tv, which will
be held Sept. 11 or II days before
the new wet* is skedded to go on
the air.

Wednesday, August 10, '1955

Cedar Rapids. ■

Editor, Variety:

Your recent article, “Lotsa
Shows, Boom Biz Conditions Point
to Bullish Season on Road,”, is ex-
citing and interesting because it
points out something that has been
bothering us at Coe college for a
lorig time. Namely, where and how
does Coe get in' touch with the peo-
ple who book the touring Broad-
way- shows? ' i

Out of the impressive list you
mentioned, only “Tea and Sym-
pathy” has been offered to us. We
would be interested in a chance at
any of the others, including “Can-
Can,” ‘‘Kismet,” “Pajama Game,”
“Solid Gold Cadillac,” “Teahouse
of the August Moon,” “Anasta-
sia,” “Boy Friend,” “Anniversary
Waltz,” “Lunatics and Lovers," and
“Witness for the Prosecution.”

Here’s our situation. Our Audi-
torium, built in 1952, is one of the
midwest’s most comfortale and best
equipped, with a seating capacity
of about 1,150. Whilg, we have re-
peatedly booked top-notch attrac-
tions for our Auditorium Series
(“Caine Mutiny Court Martial,”
“Don Juan in Hell,” Ballet Russe,
Vienna Choir Boys, “Face to Face”
(Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn)
Bros! Goldovsky, Robert Shaw
Chorale, Stan Kenton, Dave Bru-
beck, Agnes de Mille, etc.) we have
been unable to get any shows from
the United Booking Office.

As you can see from the list
above, we have been forced to deal
with concert and lecture bookers
and individuals such as NCAC, Co-
lumbia, William Morris, MCA,

(Continued on page 58)

Canadian Players Set
International Tour Of
‘Joan’ and ‘Oedipus Rex’

An extensive tour of the TJ. S.
and Canada has been set for the
Canadian Players during the 1955-
56 season. Nearly 125 dates have
been lined up for the touring com-
pany, which was formed last year
by Tom’ Patterson, founder of the
Shakespearean festival. Stfatford,
Ont;, and Douglas Campbell, lead-
ing Festival actor.

The tour, to cover 18 states, the
District of Columbia and six
Canadian provinces, is getting ma-
jor backing from Lady Eaton, of
Toronto, whose family runs a lead-
ing Canadian mail order house.
She’s a legit enthusiast.

Productions to be offered by the
Players during the tour, which be-
gins next Oct. 10, will be “Mac-
beth” and Shaw’s “Saint Joan.”
Latter was- the group’s initial tour-
ing presentation last winter, with
Ann Casson (Mrs. Campbell) in the
title role. Campbell, currently
playing the lead in the Stratford
revival of “Oedipus” will repeat
the part in the Players tour.

The tour was arranged by Pat-
terson’s wife, Robin, and Laurel
Crosby. Mrs. Patterson is presi-
dent of the Players, having taken
over the company when her hus-
band became ill early this year.
The U. S. dates were booked by the
Elwood Emerick Management Of
N. Y. All bookings in the U. S.
and Canada are on a guaranteed
basis. . The cast of the touring
group will be made up mostly of
principals from the Ontario festi-
val company.

Ward Morehouse Back
To Broadway Haunts

Ward Morehouse, the veteran
theatrical columnist who got away
from it all last winter to become
amusements editor of the Colorado
Springs Free Press, is returning
to New York. He’ll be back per-
manently Sept. 15, but was in
town last week to look for a job.

The longtime columnist of the
old N.Y. Sun and more recently
of the N.Y. World-Telegram and
North American Newspaper Alli-
ance indicated in a recent article
in the N.Y. Times magazine that
he. was fed up with the joys of
away-frOm-Broadway life in the
Rockies.

. The columnist’s wife, Rebecca
• Franklin, will return with him to
New York, but whether or not to
resume her former job with Life
mag isn’t known.

Their Apology Accepted

London, Aug. 9.

When the management of
the New Theatre, London, re-
cently refused regular press
seats for Variety to cover the
opening of the West End pro-
duction of “The Remarkable
Mr. Pennypacker,” tickets,
were purchased and an “Un-
authorized” review was pub-
lished.

The circumstances apparent-
ly don’t embarrass the man-
agement, which includes a v
f quote from Variety’s favor-
' able review in a front-of-the-
house publicity ' display.

Events are apparently approach-
ing a showdown on. the question of
whether Louis Slieaffer, • former
critic of the old Brooklyn Eagle,
is to be admitted to the pressagent
chapter of the Assn, of Theatrical
Press Agents & Managers. Mem-
bers of the p.a. unit have voted
overwhelmingly to admit him.

- Unofficial, secret ballot brought
45 Votes in favor of waiving the
union’s regular admission rules to
take in Sheaffer immediately, with
only five opposed. Matter has now
been referred to the membership
committee to Study and fass along
to the board of governors with a
pro or con recommendation. Mem-
bers of the p.a. chapter supporting
the admission move are ready to
make an issue of it.

The p.a. contingent takes the
position that It has autonomy in
matters relating to its own field,
that the board lacks the power
to Intervene in opposition to the
expressed sentiment of the chapter
membership. It’s pointed put that
Sheaffer’s admission would be with
the understanding that he would
never be eligible for. general mem-
bership. That is, he would never
be eligible for a manager’s job.

Abel Enklewitz, ATPAM presi-
dent, is said to be opposed to
Sheaffer’s * immediate . admission,
and there is believed to be consi-
derable . like, sentiment among mem-
bership committee members. Wil-
liam Fields, with, the support of
Karl Bernstein, Sol Jacobson and
Richard Maney, have been spear-
heading efforts to have the ex-critic
admitted.

Under normal procedure, Sheaf-
fer would have to serve a three-
year apprenticeship before being
eligible for admission. Efforts to
take him in immediately were
started last spring, shortly after the
Brooklyn Eagle folded, but the bid
was blocked on a technicality.

HOUSTON’S PLAYHOUSE
TO REOPEN THIS FALL

Houston, Aug. 9.

Playhouse Theatre here will re-
sume operation in mid-October un-
der Herbert C. Kramer, New York
producer. It will be an Equity
spot. The house was formerly run
by Joanna Albus.,

Kramer returned to New York
last week after Houston negotiat-
ing sessions in which he bought
out the? corporation, formerly
headed by New York drama enthu-
siast Tambiyn Spiva, which held
lease On the 320-seat arena plant.
Lease on the property owned by
Houston realtor Jerome Levy runs
until February, 1961. Kramer said
he is “practically alone” in the fi-
nancial venture.

The monocled ex-European,
sometimes referred to here as the
“Viennese Noel Coward,” said his
premiere plans now revolve
around a revival of a major work
by Melchior Lengyel. He said pro-
duction would involve major star,
and would have intimate quality
suitable to in-the-round setting at
Playhouse.

After rocky going, the Play-
house closed last February, leav-
ing Houston, with the semi-profes-
sional Alley Theatre* and a com-
munity house Theatre, Inc., which
deals almost exclusively in mu-
sicals.

" More ‘Dreams’?

s ' %

Hollywood, Aug. 9.

This could be the beginning of a
new Hollywood “cycle,” Now
Maurice Binder, a Coast producer,
announces plans for a legtt musi-
cal version of a Gordon Jenkins
record album. This time the plat-
ter series is “Manhattan Tower.”

Already touted for stage adap-
tation is another Jenkins album,
“Seven Dreams.”

Actor Agts. Seek

New York talent agents are
making a new attempt to boost
performer commissions and get
exclusive representation rights in

legit. A group of independent per-
centers, comprising the Federation
of Artists Representatives, recent-
ly ganged up on Equity by sending
out individual letters to the union
requesting action on the ' matter.
It’s also understood that the Wil-
liam Morris Agency and Music
Corp of America have sent similar
correspondence to the actor or-
ganization.

Equity reps met with a group of
agents last spring to discuss hiking
actor commissions to 10% from
the longstanding 5%. The agents
also sought exclusive representa-
tion of a performer, which aren’t
permitted in legit. The union reps
reportedly favor the requested
changes, under certain conditions,
and a draft of an amendment to
the existing Equity rules covering
the matter was sent to the various
percenters who had attended the
meeting.

The agents were to study the
draft and make recommendations
at - a future confab to be called by
Equity last April or May. How-
ever, the meet never materialized,
as the Equity council was too busy
with its own merger problem and
other matters to attend to the
agent situation.

Among those from Equity at the
initial get-together were Angus
Duncan, executive secretary; Paul
G. Jones, assistant executive sec-
retary; Margaret Hamilton, council
member; and a legal rep. Among
the agents at the confab were Rob-
ert Lantz, Henry C, y Brown and
Morris and MCA reps, plus Cyrus
Landau, attorney for FAR.

FAR, incidentally, was formed
last January and includes approx-
imately 15 independent .agents.
Officers of the org are Brown,
chairman pro tern, and Lantz, sec-
retary-treasurer. A board of di-
rectors comprises Lantz, Brown,
Miriam Howell, Lucy Kroll, Olga
Lee and Gloria JSafier.

Zoe Akins Eyes London;
Still Sore at N.Y. Crix

Stockbridge, Mass., Aug. 9.

“Plans for Tomorrow,” a revised
version of “Mrs. January and Mr.
X,” may be produced in London
next year with Cecily Courtneidge
as star* Under its former title, the
comedy was produced on Broad-
way by Richard Myers during the
1943-44 season with Billie Burke,
Frank Craven, Barbara Bel Ged-
des and Nicholas Joy, for a 43-pej>
formance run.

The author, Zoe Akins, so noti-
fied Louis Sheaffer, pressagent of
the Berkshire Playhouse here,
which recently revived her “The
Old Maid.” Miss Akins, who lives
on the Coast, indicated In her let-
ter to the p.a. that she’s still
burned at the critical brushoff of
“Old; Maid,” the 1934-35 Pulitzer
Prize winner.

She blames the failure of “Mrs;
January and Mr. X” on the “un-
necessary” rewriting she was per-
suaded to make, plus the inade-
quate production.

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR

1905 - 1955

LEGITIMATE

And Why Not?

Stratford, Conn., Aug. 9.

On the lobby walls 'of the
new American Shakespeare
Festival Theatre here, facing
the playgoei* about to enter
the auditorium proper, hang
portraits of the Bard and sev-
eral of his notable contem-
poraries. The picture of Shake-
speare, occupying the middle
space of honor, is consider-
ably larger and more promi-
nent than the others.

A patron making his initial
visit to the playhouse last week
was suddenly struck by a re-
semblance. “Good Lord,” he
remarked as the portrait
caught his eye, “that looks
just like Lawrence Langner.” ,•

Hinge on Payoff

Several unusual deals have been
made for salaries and royalties
from “Desk Set,” the William
Marchant play being produced by
Robert Fryer & Lawrence Carr.
They involve, the producers, au-
thor, director and star. . .

Shirley Booth will get $500 a
week as star, plus living expenses
during the tryout tour. In New
York, she will be on a $500 guar-
antee against 5% of the gross,
until the production cost is re-
couped, Thereafter, her percent-
age will be 7 V6% of the gross as
long as she’s in the cast, plus
12 V 2 % of the total profits from
all sources.

Producers Fryer & .Carr will get
$150 weekly salary apiece until the
productidn cost has been recov-
ered and the customary 50% share
of the profits thereafter. The $150
salary will not apply against their
share of the net. Director John
Cromwell will get 2V£% royalties
until the show is in the black,
then 3%. The author Will get half
royalties until the investment is
recouped. The production is being
capitalized at $75,000.

The partnership agreement on
“Desk” provides for a 20% “in-
voluntary* 1 overcall, while provi-
sion is also made for a “voluntary”
overcall not to exceed' $60,000. A
breakdown of the estimated pro-
duction costs include $17,000, scen-
ery; $5,000 props; $1,950, electrics
and sound; $6,350 wardrobe; $10,-
050, rehearsal salaries; $3,500, di-
rector’s fee; $6,425, ad-publicity;
$8,000 bonds, and $10,100 for
other expenses. There is also a
$6,625 reserve.

The play will go into rehearsal
next Monday (15), will play tryout
engagements in Wilmington, Bos-
ton and Philadelphia and opens
Oct. 13 at the BroadhUrst, N. Y.
It reportedly has theatre* party
bookings through January. George
Jenkins is designing the scenery.
Jack Small, "v

‘O’CLOCK’ TO COST 110G,
BREAK EVEN FOR 16£G

“Nine O’Clock Revue,” tenta-
tively scheduled to preem on
Broadway next Oct. 15 under the
production auspices of David
Brooks and Ted Thurston, is bud-
geted at $110,000. Ronnie' Graham
is being sought to star in the of-
fering, which may go into- the
Royal Theatre. It’s estimated the
song-sketch-hoofing entry will be
able to break even on a $16,500
weekly gross.

The production budget includes
$19,800 in bonds and deposits,
while another $38,500 goes for
scenery and costumes, including
the designing fees. Also, $4,000 is
earmarked for the stage and dance
directors, while $35,480. is allotted
for other 1 expenses, including re-
hearsal costs. That leaves $12,220
for contingencies. The producers
figure the show can make weekly
profits of $580 On an $18,000 gross,
| $7,780 on a $30,000 gross and $12,-
; 580 on a $38,000 gross,
j Sketches for the revue will be
by James Thurber, Graham, Ira
i Wallach, Sheldon Harnick and
Richard Mauray. Diana Krupska
; will handle the choreography and
i Christopher Hewitt will direct.

Chicago, Aug. 9.
Local 10, the home local that
American Federation of Musicians
president James C. Petrillo has
often used as his “test pilot” for
new union strategy, has finally
succeeded in getting musicians in-
stalled in two local summer the-
atres which feature a straight play
policy.

It’s too early to tell whether
similar demands will be made on
strawhat operators by AFM locals
in other sections of the country.
But it’s recalled that several other
widely-employed tactical moves
were inaugurated bj> the Chicago,
local, such as the six-day and then
the five-day work week and the
limitations "on musicians’ appear-
ances Dn radio-tv shows,

Jn both of the local instances
where the summer theatre Op-
erators agreed to take on the four
musicians, the union already had
a- wedge in the producers’ affairs.
In the case of Marshall Migatz,
who last week hired a quartet for
his new non-musical Beachwalk
Playhouse, : he was already using
sidemen at his Fox Valley Play-
house with its music schedule.

Tony DeSantis also was faced
with an either/ or proposition at
his Drury Lane Theatre, which he

(Cpntinued on page 58)

It’s Plain That ‘Fancy’

On Brink of Recouping;
But Renaid Only 150G

■ “Plain and Fancy,” currently in
its 29th week on Broadway, is near-
ly in the black. As of July 2, the
Richard Kollmar-James W. Gar-
diner-Yvette Schumer production
had only $4,402 to recoup on its
$250,000.01 investment. 1 It’s fig-
ured deficit has increased a bit
since then, as the musical probab-
ly took a loss during the tradi-
tional summer slump period.

Although the production has re-
covered almost all its cost, the
backers have thus far .only re-
ceived a $150,000 return on their
$250,000 investment. That’s be-
cause the producers are keeping a
hefty reserve for the touring com-
pany, which preeffis Aug. 29 at the
Philharmonic Auditorium, Los An-
geles, under the sponsorship of the
local Civic Light Opera Assn. .

The CLO is footing the produc-
tion cost on the road company .up
to . $150,000, with the N. Y. com-
pany obligated to put up any ad-
ditional cOin* needed. Besides the
L. A. date, the touring edition will
also play San Francisco under CLO
sponsorship.

The non-profit CLO shares only
in the L. A. and Frisco stands. But,
if the association’s $150,000 stake
isn’t recouped during those en-
gagements, the remaining coin due
it will be paid out of future prof-
its of the road company.

Prior to getting hit by the usual
July b. o. slump, , “Plain and
Fancy” had been operating at a
steady profit since opening last
January 27 at the Hellinger Thea-
tre, N. Y. The production, which
moved Feb. 28 to the Winter Gar-
den, made a $41,254 operating
profit during the five weeks end-
ing July 2. That brought the to-
tal ' N. Y. operating profit as of
that date to $225,989. The produc-
tion costs and out-of-town tryout
loss totalled $230,191.

• As of July 2 there , was $91,772
available for distribution. Of that
amount $50,000 was paid out to
backers July 7, bringing the total
return to $150,000. The balance
available for future distribution af-
ter deduction Of the $50,000 divvy
was $41,777. As of July 2, the
production also had $30,000 as cash
reserve.

The book for the musical was
written by Joseph Stein and Will
Glickman, with lyrics by Arnold
B. Horwitt -and music by Albert
Hague.

Hilly Elkins’ ‘Business’

Hillard Elkins, who recently re-
signed as vicerpresident of the
Henry C. Brown agency, has op-
tioned Bernard Wolfe’s novel, “The
Late Risers” for Broadway produc-
tion as a musical. Lee Adams' is
collaborating with the novelist on
the book and Is also working on
the music with Charles Strouse.

The show will be . titled “The
Business.”

LEGITIMATE

VStki&rr

Shows Abroad

Clerambard

Glasgow, Aug. 5.

Jack De Leon production of comedy in
two acts (four scenes), by Marcel AVme,
translated by Norman tDenny. Stars Clive
Brook, Mai Zetterling. Valerie laylor.
Helen Haye; features Alec McCowen,
Wensley Plthey. Peter SaUis. Staged by
Murray Macdonald; scenery* Hutchinson
Scott: At King's Theatre, Glasgow, Aug.
1, *55.

Vicomte de" Clerambard -Alec McCowen

Comte'se de Clerambard. .Valerie Tayloi

' Madame de Lere Helen Haye

Comte de Clerambard ........ CUve Brook

Priest Peter Sallis

Monk Michael Partridge

Poppy Mai Zetterlini;

Mme. Galuchon Bianche FotherSill

E-elyne • . Nicola De man

Etiennctte Deni Freed

Brigitte Sylvia Childs

Maltre Galuchon Wensley Plthey

Dragoons A Alan White.

Anthony Burley
Doctor Norman Welsh

French comedy about an ..evil
Count who reforms after seeing a
vision shades up. as absorbing and
provocative, and should qualify as
the naughtiest piece seen here
this year. Playwright, doesn't
mince his sex talk in the" charac-
terization of a seductive Gallic
prostitute. '

Norman Denny's adaptation ap-
pears to retain the Gallic fun and
satire, thanks also to an accom-
plished cast led by Clive Brook
and Mai Zetterling. The play,
which had a successful run in
Paris, may be able tp repeat in
the United Kingdom, if it doesn’t
prove too shocking. (The show, in
another adaptation . by . Leo ICerz
and William van Loon, has been
announced for Broadway produc-
tion this season by Kerz. Ed.)

Brook plays the heavy part of
the domineering aristocrat who
forces his family to eke out a- liv-
ing while bis mansion is in mort-
gage. Then he. sees a vision of St.
Francis of Assisi - and undergoes
a complete metamorphosis, loving
all humans and animals.

There’s much risque action
about whether a young viscount
should marry a redhead prostitute
or an ugly heiress, with such pas-
sages as a bedroom scene between
prostitute and her visiting clients
and a caravan seduction incident..
The language tends to be frank/

Miss Zetterling is a standout as
the attractive prostitute in whom
the Count envisions a Mary Mag-
dalene. Helen Haye is quietly
poised and dignified as the com-
mon-sense mother - in - law. and
Valerie Taylor has womanly ap-
peal as the loyal Countess.

Small-part casting is good, no-
tably the bourgeois father of
Wensley Pithey, Alan White’s
dragoon, and Peter Sallis as a
priest. Alec McCowen, featured as
the dimwit viscount, shines in his
smirking enjoyment of the pros-
titute’s hand in marriage.

Play, an unusual mixture of
vision-talk and sex, is generally in-
teresting. Hutchinson Scott’s sets
suggest the sunny atmosphere of
a French chateau, and Murray
Macdonald’s staging is crisp.

Gord.

Nina

London, July 28.

Tennent Productions Ltd. presentation
of farce In three acts by Andre Rousslu,
translated by Arthur Macrae. D^c^v bv
Arthur Barbosa; directed by Rex Harri-
son. At Theatre Royal, Haymarket, Lon-
don July 27, *55: $2.60 top.

Nina Tessler . t ....... . Coral Browne

Adolphe Tessler ........ Janies Ilnyter

Georges Chamber? ....Michael Hordern

Agent de Police Lockwood West

Rene Duvlvier Raymond Young

ture outside her domestic walls.
Michael Hordern adopts a lethar-j
gic Cowardesque pose as the har- '
assed Casanova juggling with con-
flicting dates, while James Hayter
steals the honors as the hidebound
business man whose facade of
wronged husband changes to en-
joyment of a* situation he should
condemn.

Rex Harrison .has staged the
f)lay with a light touqji. Clem.

Home and Away

London, July 20.

Stanley Wlllis-Croft (for Playguild Ltd.),
In association with George Maynard Pro-
duction Ltd. (by arrangement with Jack
Buchanan Sc John Forbes-SempiU) pro-
ductlon of comedy in three acts, by
Heather McIntyre. Stars Irene Handl.
Derek Blomfleld, Edward Chapman.
Staged by Martin Landau; setting, George
Toynbee-Clarke. At Garrick Theatre, Lon-
don, July 10. *55; $2.15 top.

Annie Knowles ............. Sheila Eves

Elsie Knpwles ■ ■ Dene Handl

Mary Knowles Barbara Christie

Johnny Knowles Derek Blomfleld

George Knowles ...... Edward Chapman

Margie Groves Dandy Nichols

'Ted Groves. Stuart Saunders

Syd Jarvis .............. James ViVian

Lewis Dermot Palmer

Jean Margaret St. Barbc West

Tom Joe Gibbons

Mrs. Jarvis Diana Beaumont

Albert West Verne Morgan

London has had a glut of adapt-
ed French farces with varying de-
grees of prosperity from season to
season. Best of them, "The Little
Hut,” proved a bonanza, but this
one from the same author is un-
likely to repeat its success. It is
a flimsy triangle story saved from
utter mediocrity by bright acting
and direction.

It is launched in a theatre that
has its own particlular clientele
where failure is a rare occurrence,
but the absence of Edith Evans,
who was originally Inked for the
title role, and the current heat
wave . will have an adverse b.o.
reaction. The Evans name might
have proved a magnet, but with
the star’s withdrawal prior to the
opening, that’s academic.

Involved story concerns a bored
Parisian playboy awaiting the ar-
rival of Nina, one of his lights
o’love. His plans to give, her- the
air are interrupted by the appear-
ance of her husband intent on
shooting him. When he welcomes
the suggestion as a way out of his
tangled amours, the husband
calms down and. they become al-
lies resenting the domination of
the woman they share. The play
was a Broadway flop several years
ago with Gloria Swanson In the
title role, David Niven as the
lover' and Alan Webb as the hus-
band.

Carol Browne, as Nina, . seems
an efficient wife rather than ah
amorous woman seeking adven-

A typical example of homely and
domestic British comedy, “Home
and Away” is .stacked with stock
characters and loaded with obvious
situations: Its appeal is strictly
local and ditto its film possibilities.
At best, it might achieve moderate
b.o.

Heather McIntyre has; played
safe by taking football pools as the
pivot of her plot. With millions
participating, there is a potential
audience of Important dimensions,
which . could probably -best be
seized by a subsequent screen pro-
duction. (Film rights were acquired
prior to West End opening by the
Hyams brothers.)

The play suffers -from stodgy
writing, lack of action and limited
characterizations. Just after the
curtain rises, the hero checks his
football coupon and discovers lie
has a winning line. The possible
top price is upwards of $200,000,
hut in the midst of the celebration
with friendly neighbors, the young
son returns home and claims the
coupon as his own. There are a
series of misadventures, but except
for a -few- twists in the plot, the
main incident is centered on the
effect of a prospective fortune on
a typical working class family.

Martin Landau has staged the
comedy vigorously and is ably
served by a competent cast, notably
Sheila Eves as a precocious school-
girl, Diana Beaumont as a loose
woman, Margaret St. Barbe West
as a domineering relative and
Irene Handl and Edward Chapman
as the heads of the family. George
To.vnbee-CIarke’s set adeem ^ely
serves the production. Myro.

Simon and Laura

Sydney, July 23.

J. C. . Williamson Ltd. production of
comedy in three acts, by Alan Melville.
Stars Googie Withers, John McCallum;
features Charles Tlngwell, Bettina Welsh,
Collins Hilton. John Cadwallader, Letty
Craydon. William Rees, Bobby Mack.
Barry Gordon, John Edmund, Vickie
Climas, Jessica Noad, Bruce Wishnrt.
Staged by McCallum; scenery. J. Ai-n
Kenyon. At Royal, Sydney; July 20, *55;
$2.50 top.

macy and international amity. It’s
a supernatural twist about how a
mysterious stranger brings reason
and logic arid, thereby, agreement
among the suspicious delegates to
an international conference.

Denholm Elliott plays a young
British diplomat and Eva Bartok
has a brief field day as a refugee
with whom he has a love affair.
Peter Illing is a standout as the
Red diplomat. Alan Gifford’s
American delegate is suitably
breezy and amiable, and Walter
Hudd plays the stuffed-shirt Eng-
lish representative with due pom-
posity. Naririton Wayne's typically
English peer is effective.

As the Man called Gray, mystery
delegate who joins the confab and
throws it into concord, Ewan Rob-
erts makes much of his few brief
appearances with .measured gait
and clarity of delivery. Settings
by.Rdfece Pemberton suggests clev-
erly if somewhat drably the corri-
dor outside the United v Nations as-
sembly and a bedroom on the Left
Bank.

Play has been enough directed
by Peter Ashmore, and has a cer-
tain intriguing quality, but barely
retains interest after the interval,

Gord.

(Closed last week and plans
for a London opening have been
dropped.)

Marquee power of British actress .
Googie Withers, known here in
films, her actor-director-husband
John McCallum, a native of
Queensland, is indicated by the
solid business jnilled currently for
this Alan Melville comedy, a pre-
vious London hit,

As director as well as costar, Mc-
Callum has gotten together an ef-
fective cast, mainly local talent.
Charles Ting well as David Prentice
and Collins Hilton as Wilson afe
outstanding. The okay settings are
by J. Alan Kenyon.

“Simon and Laura,” about a hus-
hand-wife television starring team,
is a bit slow in the first arid third
acts, but will probably be one of
the season’s top hits in this coun-
try. Rick.

The Delegate

Glasgow, Aug. 2.

Deter Saunders & Jack de Leon produc-
tion of comedy in two acts (seven scenes),
-by Roger MacDougall. Stars Eva Bartok,
Naunton Wayne. Denholm EUiott. Staged
by Peter Ashmore;. scenery, Reece Pem-
berton; Incidental jnuslc, Iain Hamilton.
At King's Theatre, Glasgow, July 27, *55.

Alan Bretherton Denholm Elliott

Miss Fitch Gillian Raine

Sir Charles Synge ...... Naunton Wayne

Lox*d Ealhon Austin Trevor

Nicoial Zamovitch Peter ming

Norman Briarley Walter Hudd

Alfred Judson Alan Gifford

Angelica Eva Bartok

A Man Called Gray. ...... .Ewan Roberts

Gendarmes Mar tyn W yldeck,

Frank Windsor

Busy Booking Lineup
Promises Good Season

Chicago, Aug. 9.

With the arrival last week of
“Skin of Our Teeth” and “Can-
Qan,” there’s action again on the
Chi legit scene after four dark
weeks. The double openings were
the vanguard of a season that
promises to exceed* in quantity at
least, last year’s total of 17 shows.

Including the D’Oyle Carte Op-
era, due Sept. 13 at the Black-
stone for two weeks, there, already
are seven tourers definitely as-
signed theatres. Three more are
slated for later in the season, al-
though arrival dates and houses
are still indefinite.

As possible additions to. these 10
definite and/or promised entries,
there are such tourers as “Pajama
Game”' and “Kismet” that have by-
passed Chicago for the Coast and
the new crop taking to the road
from Broadway.

“Skin of Our Teeth” is in for
only two weeks, through riext Sat-
urday (13). “-Can-Can” is set for
a run at the Shubert, with the like-
lihood that “Pajama Game” will
follow it.

“Teahouse of the August Moon”
arrives Sept. 7 at the Erlanger
for an anticipated run. It’s the
initial offering in the Theatre
Guild-American Theatre Society
subscription season.

The Blackstone will house the
D’Oyle group for two weeks and
then “Solid Gold Cadillac” moves
in Oct. 10 for a run," probably as
a TG-ATS subscription play. The
Harris lights up Oct. 24 with “An-
niversary Waltz” and “Bus Stop”
arrives Nov. 21 at the Selwyn on
subscription.

Also promised by the Guild are
“Anastasia” and “Bad Seed,” al-
though dates and theatres haven’t
been announced, “Plain and
Fancy” is listed as an early 1956
possibility, probably going into the
Blackstone when “Cadillac” de-
parts.

Despite the fact that “Teahouse”
was«the only assured entry at the
time of the first renewal mailirig,
Harriet Watt, ATS’s Chi rep, re-
ports that the subscription total
has already passed the. last season
total of 12,360,

New play by Scot-born Roger
MacDougall promises well in the
first half, but a talkative second act
winds to an inconclusive and un-
absorbing finish.

The over-fussy play bogs down
in acres of dialogue about diplo-

Actors’ Afternoon Off

A short play by Irwin Shaw
tagged “The Shy and the Lonely,”
is slated to be given special Broad-
way showing next month at the St.
James Theatre. The presentation
will not interfere with the regular
performances of “Pajama Game,”
current St. James teriant. It’s
scheduled for one or two afternoon
performances on non - matinee
days, and will be directed by
Stanley Prager, featured comic
of “Game.”

There’ll be no admission charge
and only show bizites will be in-
vited. Prager is handling the
project, while performers in the
six-character play will be cast
members of the “Game” and
“Damn Yankees” companies, in-
cluding Jimmy Komack, Rae Allen
and Thelma Pelish, .

Wednesday, August 10, 1955

The Funnyman

Laguna Beach, Aug. 3.

Britton-Paul production' of comic-fan-
tasy in throe acts by Irving Phillips.
Stars Ed Kemnier. Staged by Harry
Ellerbe; scenery, Paul Rodgers. At La-
guna Summer Theatre, Laguna Beach,
Cal., A(ig. 2, *35; $3.60 top.

CAST (In order of appearance)

Judy Marlow Ann Spencer

Kate Drew Sandra Stone

Nelson Crandal Ed Keminer

J. B. Conway Paul Maxey

Mr. Rumple Kenneth Britton

Anna Roberta Reeves

Dr. Winslow William Pullen

Sgt. Mallory Fred Whiteside

There’s material for funny play
in this one-set comedy-fantasy by
Irving Phillips. Conceivably, it
could find its way to Broadway.
But it will take industrious revision
by the . author, whose writing
ranges from excellent to bad.

The idea of a famed cartoonist
finding 'himself haunted by his
character, a popular figure with
the public, is intriguing, espe-
cially when the character has
brought with him from the land of
Qblivia a sexpot who has escaped
the magazine pages where she was
a favorite calendar girl. But it has
been poorly handled.

Ed Kemmer of “Space Patrol”
fame, does an excellent job as the
cartoonist who has been lost in a
jungle for two years, -then, upon
being rescued, discovers he has
suffered a psychological trauma
that prevents him from drawing.
He is a good-looking lad with an
engaging personality,

Ann Spencer is capable in a
-straight role as his bewildered
fiancee. Sandra Stone is a de-
lightful comedienne, but is too
attractive for the audience to be-
lieve she can’t get a man. Rob-
erta Reeves scores as the tradi-
tional calendar girl.

A clever performance is contrib-
uted by William Pullen as a psy-
chiatrist, and Paul Maxey registers
as a newspaper publisher who sus-
pects communism in the slightest
remark about the weather.

The production is marred by the
appearance of co-producer Kenneth
Britton in a poor performance as a
cartoon character* . Harry Ellerbe
has tri^ned in a smooth staging
job and the set by Paul Rodgers is
attractive. Milt.

Pere Goriot

Westport, Conn., July 31.

Lucille Lortel production of drama in
three acts by Joan Littlewood, adapted
from the novel by Honore de Balzac.
Staged by Gene Frankel; scenery by zvl
Geyra. At the White Barn Theatre, West-
port. Conn.,- July 31, *55.

Eugene Martin Brooks

Christophe Albert Paulson

Mme. Vauquer Lill Valenty

Sylvie Eavan O’Connor

Vautrin Michael Egart

Goriot . . .Lothar Rewalt

Vlctorlne Gloria Jones

Michonneau ; . . .Mildred Chandler

Poiret P* J. K®jjy

Maurice • Richard NoveUo

Maxime - Bernard Diamond

Delpbine Jean Alexander

Baron de Nucingen .Herbert DuFine

Gondonneau Martin Brandt

Anastasie Betty Buehler

Policemen Roy Bacon, Bud Brown

Honor© de Balztic’s “Pere Gor-
iot,” as adapted for the stage by
Joan Littlewood, is a melodrama
more to be pitied than censured.
For Balzac’s commentary and story-
telling skill are sacrificed, arid the
plot- which remains is an old-fash-
ioned tear-jerker that can hardly
be taken seriously by a modern
audience. It has the common fail-
ures of stage adaptations of novels
— too much exposition ‘and too
many subplots. <

Set in Paris in 1814, the main
story concerns Pere Goriot* once
a rich merchant but now driven to
bare-attic poverty by the excessive
demands of his gambling, daugh-
ters, married to wealthy aristo-
crats who will not permit their
bourgeois father-in-law into their
houses, so old Goriot must stand
in the street to catch a glimpse of
his daughters as they ride’ by in
their, carriages. Moral is that
money and high society are the
roots of evil.

Director Gene Frankel and most
of his cast do as well as can be
done by this chestnut. Standout
performance is that of Michael
Egan as Vautrin, cynical “brain”
of the thieves of Paris. Given the
best speeches, Egan reads them
with style and flavor. Martin
Brooks brings sincerity to the hon-
est young student from the farm
who is corrupted by his first con-
tact with high society, and Lili
Valenty adroitly blends comedy
and pathos as the sharp-tongued
proprietress of the pension where
most of the action takes place.

Effective portrayals of Other
stock characters are given by P. J.
Kelly as a cadaverous roue, Albert
Paulson as a bumbling but good-
hearted servant, Bernard Diamond
as a haughty and cruel aristocrat,
and Gloria Jones as a poor but
virtuous girl who inherits a for-
tune.

As Goriot’s ungrateful daughters
Jean Alexander and Betty Buehler
are as unconvincing as their parts,

the latter reciting rather than
playing her role, Eavan O’Connor
overacts as the servant .girl, and
her mugging while others are
speaking is a distraction and annoy-
ance throughout, and it seems a
mistake for Lothar Rewalt to make
the title role even more sentimental
than it already Is. Grif.

Dear No Evil

Lake Hopatcong, N. J.; Aug. 1 2..

Lakeside Theatre production of drama
in three acts by George D. Griffin. Direc-
tion, Herbert ■ Machiz; setting. Paul
Georges, At Lakeside Theatre, Lake
Hopatcong, N.J., Aug. 1, *55; $3 top.

Elbe Charlotte - Achesoli

Kate Charity Grace

Amos Eugene Wood

Ben Wood Romoff

Producer-director Herbert Ma-
chiz has come a* croDper with his
tryout of George D. Griffin’s “Hear
No Evil.” What seeming spark
there may have .been in the script
never gets across the footlights.

Presumably Griffin was trying
to write a character study. Or may-
be he intended it as a scary little
melodrama. Perhaps Machiz saw
it as a mood piece. Certainly no*
body has resolved the issue for au-
dience consumption. The actors
fumble about half-heartedly,
Machiz’ direction in no way resem-
bles that of 'iiis off-Broadway
forays, and Griffin, it appears,
has a tough row to hoe.

As far as can be reasonably eked
out* ari embittered, elderly mid-
western' farm widow conceals from
her younger, rather dull, sister,
that they're jointly worth $168,000.
For '12 years she secretes checks
in a money belt until younger sis-
ter’s ne’er-do-well husband gets
wise, comes home and filches the
boodle. He’s already a wanted
man, however, and is apprehended.
Sadder but wiser, the younger sis-
ter takes her 84 grand and moves
to town.

Charity Grace, as the arthritic
widow, manages something of a
portrait, although she and Char-
lotte Acheson, as the sister, have
painful line trouble. Wood Romoff
and Eugene Wood round out a cast
which seems understandably to re-
gret the . entire incident. Geor.

By Gemini

Silvermine, Conn., Aug. 7.

Silvermine Guild production of .musical
..comedy in two acts, adapted and staged
by Basil Burwell; music, Harriet BaiUn;
lyrics, Alfred D. Geto; choreography.
Miriam Battista Rosamond; scenery.
Harry Yardley; lighting, John Anderson.
At Silvermine Guild Theatre, Norwalk.
Conn., Aug. 7» *35.

Cast: Padjet Fredericks, A1 Raymond.
Tom. Watson,, Page Wilson, Roberta KeU,
Maureen Mathews. Beatrice Hickson.
Nancy Lang, Eileen Martin, Roy Taylor*
Harry Munroe. Johnny Melfi, Alfred D-.
Geto, Nancy Roberts, Ginger Chodorov.
Adeline Osuch, Betty Gallo. Nancy But-
well, Ian Wilson, Dorothy Arbuthnot, lari'
Abercrombie. Harriette Arbuthnot, Jon
Stone. Albert Gallo.

Dancers; Michael Richards.' ' Connie
Baker, Armand Dube, Diane Plancon,
Phyllis Burton, Caryl Cognetta, Jacquie
Mozneck, Joy Harmon, Miriam and
Amelia Rosamond.

Musicians: George “Ace** Bailey. Nicky
Cantolessa, Harold Edwards, Fred Fisher*
Ed Gordon. Bob Gustafson, Vic Kalin*
Loren Sherman, Joe Larosa.

As offered by the Silveririine
Guild flayers “By Gemini” is a
lightweight, lively musical romp
with above-average music and
lyrics. Director-adaptor Basil Bur-
well has used a turn-of-the-century
New Orleans Mardi Gras locale for
the book, based on Plautus*
“Menaeqhmi,” also the source for
Shakespeare’s “A Comedy of
Errors,” from which stejnmed- the
George Abbott-Rodgers & Hark
“Boys From Syracuse.”

lit this new version the twins are
Jefferson and Jackson Beauregard,
and the mistaken identity plot fol-
lows the general pattern of the
original mixup between family and
mistress. Added for atmosphere
are a number of fancy ladies, who
also provide the dancing; their,
trumpet - playing, cigar - smoking
madam, played with gusto by Nancy
Burwell, arid their ‘procurer MoSca,
given a standout performance by
Alfred D. Geto, a tv scripter who
also supplied the lyrics. Plautus*
deux ex machine becomes a Negro
handiman, personably interpreted
by Padjet Fredericks; the original
parasite is here a wrinkled South-
ern hangef-on and gourmet, well
played by A1 Raymond, and the
servant of one twin is a burlesque
comedian, in an effective slapstick
contribution by Johnny Melfi.

“By Gemini” comes off as agree-
able strawhat entertainment be-
cause of the good job Burwell has
done in his adaptation and in im-
parting style arid flavor to the
staging, and because of clever
lyrics by Geto and music by Har-
riet Bailin, played by a nine-piece
Dixieland jazz band.

An artistic and theatrically ef-
fective backdrop by Judith Cosman
contributes to the set by Harry
Yardley. The choreography is by
Miriam Battista Rosamond.

Grif.

/■

Wednesday, August 10, 1955

Los Angeles, Aqg. 9. .-
Local legit biz continued gener-.
ally good last week despite a heat
wave, with "Kismet” topping all
comers in its second smash week
at the Philharmonic, "Teahouse of
the August Moon” improved at the
Biltmore, but "Fifth .Season” took
a slight dip at the Carthay Circle.

Estimates for Last Week
Kismet, Philharmonic Aud (2d
wk) (2,670; $4.90) (William John-
son, Elaine Malbin, Julie Wilson).
Melodius $64,500.

teahouse of the August Moon,
Biltmore (4th wk) (1,636; $4.40)
(Burgess Meredith, Scott McKay).
Approached $32,500; exits town
next Thursday (ID. to continue
tour.

Fifth Season, Carthay Circle
(5th wk) (1,518; $3.30) (Gene Ray-
mond, Joseph Buloff). Fairish
$17,500.

* San Francisco, Aug. 9.

D’Oyly Carte Opera Co. had a
good reception in its opening .week
at the Geary here ,and "Pajama
Game” continued near-sellout in
its second frame at the Curran.
Both continue.

Estimates for Last Week

Pajama Game, Curran (2d wk)
($4.40; 1,758) (Fran Warren, Larry
Douglas, Buster West). Smash
$50,100.

D’Oyly Carte, Geary. (1st wk)
$4.40; 1,550). Gilbert Ac Sullivan
troupe' pulled a healthy $27,000 on
"Mikado” and "Yeomen of the
Guard.”

‘Venus’ Comely $40,200,
In First Week at Dallas

‘KING’ $35,700, WASH;
‘PHOENIX’ 15G IN 4

Washington, Aug. 9.

Initial stanza of "King and I”
at the National Theat :e drew a
fine $35,700. Saturday matinee (6)
was SRO* and that night's per-
formance - fell a few hox seats
short of a sellout.

Business is reported building
steadily. The musical" went into its
first week with an advance of a
little over $42,000 and entered its
second week yesterday(Mon.) with
a $48,000 advance, despite the
transit strike and the fact the Con-
gress*— always a great tourist at-
traction — has wound up its session.
The engagement has already been
extended for a fifth week.

"Phoenix ’55” opened slowly at
Carter Barron Amphitheatre, but
built with the help of unanimously
favorable reviews. The intimate
revue is at an obvious disadvan-
tage in the 4,000-seat alfresco spot.
Gross for the first four perform-
ances from last Wednesday (3)
through Saturday (6) was under
$15,000.

‘Norway’ Fairish $30,000
In Pitt Stadium Finale

Pittburgh, Aug, 9.

"Song of Norway” ended the
eight-week Civic Light Opera Assn,
season at Pitt Stadium last week
with just under $30,000, the third
top gross of the summer. It was.
topped Jjy only "South Pacific’* and
"Guys and Dolls.” Finale might
have wound up in second place if
it hadn’t been rained out Friday
night (5).

The gross wasn’t enough to give
"Norway” am even break, so only
"S. P.” and "Guys” were payoffs.
However*, the former’s great $‘J9,-
000 reduced the season loss con-
siderably.

Dallas, Aug. 9.

“One Touch of Venus” contin-
ued the healthy b.o. pace of State
Fair Musicals 14th season, show-
ing a profitable $40,200 for the
first seven performances through
last Sunday (7) matinee. Revival,
tho season’s fifth production, has
Janet Blair and Russell Nype star-
ring with Laurel Shelby, George
Gaynes, Mort Marshall, Iggie
Wolfington, Adnia Rice and Mil-
dred Trares featured in the Kurt
Weill-Ogden Nash piece. "Venus”
clicked big, also, in the Musicals’
1948 staging, with Kenny Baker
and Vivian Blaine in the lead
roles.

Season's sixth and final offering
of the 12-week season opens next
Monday (15). It’s the touring com-
pany of '"Teahouse of the August
Moon,” costarring Burgess Mere-
dith and Scott McKay. Banner sea-
son closes Aug. 28. .

'Desert’ Tuneful $25,000
At L’ville Amphitheatre

Louisville, Aug. 9.
Sigmund Rombergis perennial
"Desert Song” grossed a solid $25,-
000 last week at Iroquois Amphi-
theatre, fifth week of the six-
stanza season. While spotty show-
ers in the area might have scared
away some patrons, no perform-
ances were affected, and turnouts
were generally satisfactory. Cast
Included Edward Roecker, Jean
Fenn,: Benny Baker, Kermoyan,
Marie Foster, Nat Burns, Don
Blackey and Lidija Franklin.

. Sixth and final production 'of the
outdoor season at Iroquois Park is
a natural, "South Pacific.” Capac-
ity biz was anticipated from last
night’s (Mon.) opening. Cast in-
cludes Mary LaRoche, Juanita
Hall, Allen Gerrard, Stanley Gro-
ver, Leonard Stone and Nat Burns.

. *

Road Shows

Current British Shows

LONDON

(Figures denote premiere dates )

■ad toed, Aldwych (4-14-33),

Ball* Book, Candle, Phoenix (10-5-34).
Boy Ff-lend, Wyndham'a (12-1-53),
Can-Can, Coliseum (10-14-34).

Crasy Cana, Vic, PaL (12-16-54).
Desperate hours, nipp, (4-16-53).

Dry Ret, Whitehall (8-31-34).

Rmlyn WHIlems, Globe (5-31-35).

Fellies Berceres, Wales (4-9-55).

From Here & There, Royal Ct. (0-29),
Happy Return*, New. Water (5-19-55).
'Homs a. Away, Garrick (7-19-33).
Intimacy At li30, Criterion (4-29-54).
Kino end I, Drury Lane (10-6-33).
Kismet, StoU (4-20-55).

Mr. Pannypacker, New (5-18-55).
Mousetrap, Ambas. (11-23-32),

My 3 Angels, Lyric (5-12-55).

Nina, Haymarket (7-27-55).

Reluctant Deb, Cambridge (3-24-35).
Sailer Beware, Strand 42-16-35).

Cslad Days, Vaudeville (8-5-54).
Separate Tables, St. James's (9-22-34).
Shadow of Doubt, SavlUe (7-7-55).
Shakespeare Rep., Palace (7-21-35).
Spider's Web, Savoy (12-14-54).'

Talk of Town, Adelphi (11-17-54).
Teahouse Aug. Moan, Her Maj. (4-22-94).
Tiger At Gate», Apollo (6-2-55).

20 Mina. South, St, Mart. (7-13-55).
Welting Far Godot, Arts (8-3-35).

Wild Thyme, York's (7-14-53).

Wonderful Town, Princes (2-23-55).

SCHEDULED OPENINGS
Mrs. Willie, Globe (8-17-35).

TOURING

Book ef the Month
Brazilians
Clerembard
Dead On Nine
Double Crossing
First Night
Florodore
Guys and Dells
Jazz Train
Jay ef Living
Klnloch Flayers
Ladles. -far Hire
Lilac Time
Leva From Judy
Miner ef Nertnttesd
Men end Woman
Mrs.' W.lllie
Old Vic

Pardon My Claws
Patience

Romance In Candlelight
Seagulls Over Sorrento
South Pacific
Three Times a Day
Time Remembered
Water Gipsies
Wedding In Parts
Women of Twilight

( Aug. 8-20)

But -Stop— Aud.# Central City, Col.
415-20).

Can-Can — Shubert, Chi. (8-20).

Day By the Sea (Jessica Tandy, Hume
. Cronyn. Dennis King, Aline MacMahon) —
Huntington Hartford, L.A. (16-20).

D’Oyly Carte — Geary, S.F. (8-20).

King end I (Patricia Morlson) — National,
W sh. (8-20). „ .

Kismet (William Johnson, Elaine Mai-
bin. Julie Wilson)— Philharmonic. L. A.
< 8 - 20 ).

Palama Game (Fran Warren. Larry
Douglas, Buster West)— Curran, S.F. (8-20),
Skirt of Our Teeth (Helen Hayes, Mary
Martin, George Abbott, Florence Reed)—
Black stone, Chi. (8-13).

Solid Gold Cadillac — Moore. Seattle
(8-13); Auditorium. St. Paul (16 : 17);
Lyceum, Mpls. (18-20). , _

Teahouse OP the August. Meort (Bur-

£ ess Meredith, Scott McKay)— Biltmore,
•A. (9-11); State Fair, Dallas (13-20).

SCHEDULED N.Y. OPENINGS

( Theatres indicated if set)

»Kin ef .our Teeth, ANTA (8-17).
Catch e Star, Plymouth (9-6).

Day By the Sea, ANTA (9-26).

Tiger at Gates (9-26).

D'Oyly Carte, Shubert (9-27).
MSurlce Chevalier, Lyceum (9-28).
View From Bridge, Coronet (9-20).
Young end Beautiful, Longacre (9-:
Diary ef Anne Frank, Cort (10-5).
Wooden Dish, Booth (10-6).

Red Roses Far Me (10-12).

Rock Hunter, Bclasco (10-12).

Desk Set, Broadhurst (10-13).
Heavenly Twins (1049).

No Time Per Sgts., Alvin (10-20).

, Comedle Francafse, B'way , (10-25).
Chalk Garden, Barrymore (10-26).
Reuben, Reuben, ANTA (11-8).

Child ef Fortune (11-8).

Hatful ef Rein, Lyceum (11-9).

Lark, Longacre (wk. 11-14).

Janus, Plymouth (11-24).

t'S&llb'fY ( LEGITIMATE 57

‘Allegro’ Lanquid $28,000
For St Loo Muny Week

St. Louis, Aug. 9.

"Allegro” drew a feeble $28,000
last week in the. 11,937-seat al-
fresco Forest Park theatre at $3
top. Continued hot and humid
weather slowed down b.o. activity
for the Rodgers - Hammerstein
musical featuring Terry Saunders,
Bob Shaver, Mary Krete and. Eel-
win Steffe.

"King and I,” another RAH
piece, opened last night (Mon.) for
its initial stock production and
first presentation outdoors. Lead
roles are being played by Anna-
mary Dickey, Darren McGavin,
Terry Saunders, Stephanie Augus-
tine and Tony Bavaar.

Chicago, Aug. 9;
Despite an inadequate cooling
system at the Blackstone, "Skin of
Our Teeth” sold out for its initial
eight performances : during last
week’s record-breaking heat wave.
"Can-Can,” at the more efficiently
air conditioned Shubert, got off to
a slow, start, with the two special
first-Week matinees taking a beat-
ing from the weather.

Estimates for Last Week
Can-Can, Shubert (1st wk) ($5.95;
2,100).* Over $28,500 for first eight
performances; opened last Tuesday
(2) to one favorable notice (Syse,
Sun-Times), and three negative
reports (Cassidy, Tribune; Harris,
News; Dettmer, American).

Skin of Our Teeth* Blackstone
(1st Week) ($5.50; 1,385) (Helen
Hayes, Mary Martin, George Ab-
bott, Florence Reed)^ Topped $41,-
800, going clean every perform-
ance; two-week stand ends Satur-
day (13) and the revival goes to
New York.

I «

Legit Followup

Julius Caesar

(American Shakespeare Festival
Theatre, Stratford, Conn.),

When the American Shakespeare
Festival Theatre opened several
weeks ago it was explained that
the disappointing quality of this
revival ,of "Julius Caesar” was at
least partly due to the lack of
rehearsal on the just-completed
stage and the generally hectic
difficulties, of getting such an- am-
bitious project going. As seen last
week, after time for additional
rehearsals and more playing, the
show is still disappointing. Which
appears to answer the argument
about ‘delaying critical coverage of
plays to allow more time for
rehearsal.

The casting is generally unfor-
tunate, but even more serious is
the fact that the whole approach
to the production seems oldhat and
prosaic. The staging Is hackneyed,
the scenery is unimaginative and
ponderous and the costuming is
downright incomprehensible. (The
chirping of crickets throughout
the performance is an amusing
rural touch.)

Shakespeare inescapably needs
star performance and vivid per-
sonalities, not just well-known
names. When Brutus, Cassius and
the other conspirators are drably
played, "Julius Caesar” is bound to
be tedious. Of all the principals,
only Christopher Plummer as
Marcus Antonius and, at most
times, Fritz Weaver as Casca, have
vitality or a seeming comprehen-
sion of the requirements of play-
ing Shakespeare.

As practically everyone has men-
tioned, this new playhouse is a
commendable project and the the-
atre Itself is handsome. Perhaps
the interior design of the house
might seem more attractive with
a larger audience present (it was
about a sixth or eighth filled at the
show caught last week), but it im-
pressed as being about 10-15 rows
too deep and to have a serious
handicap in the expansive (and
unused in this revival) forestage.
Also, the absence of a refreshment
stand, particularly a bar, is an
omission between the acts and
must represent a considerable in-
come loss to the management.
Good dinner facilities on the prem-
ises would also be an attraction.
But perhaps there are property re-
strictions involved.

For a motorist from New York,
the drive to Stratford is pleasant
enough, though a bit long (about
90 minutes at after-theatre driving
speed), and the theatre itself is
inviting. But the cooling system
is inadequate, even for light at-
tendance, and this "Julius Caesar” j
is hardly worth the jaunt. Hobe, J

* \ *

T — ~ *

‘CADILLAC’ FAIR $17,000
FOR NORTHWEST SPLIT

Portland, Aug. 9.

"Solid Gold Cadillac,” with Ruth
McDevitt, grabbed a fast $12,000
in three evening performances and
one matinee last Thursday-Sat-
urday (4-6) at the Auditorium here.
Gross was figured especially good
as "Cadillac” competed against
record breaking crowds at. the
county fair, the first pro fobtball
game of the season, horse racing,
the Bobo Olson fight and scorching
weather. The 4,000-seat house was
scaled -at $4.80.

The George S. Kaufman-Howard
Teichmann comedy grossed another
$5,000 in three performances the
previous Tuesday-Wednesday (2-3)
at the Temple^ Theatre, Tacoma,
giving it a $17,000 total for the
seven-performance week.

Cole Porter Fest 47G
For Kaycee Starlight

Kansas City, Aug. 9.

Starlight Theatre had one of its
better weeks with the "Cole Porter
Festival,” which closed Sunday (7)
with a $47,000 take. Show departed
from the usual pattern of an intact
musical to present a resume of
Porte?* hits with singers Victoria
Sherry, Betty O’Neill, Kathryn
Albertson, Herbert Banke and
chorus and ballet. Offering also
had Dean Murphy as m.c. and with
impersonations, plus Hal LeRoy
and Willie, West & McGinty.

"Brigadoon,” eighth production
of the season, started its week run
last night (MonD in the Swope Park
outdoor theatre. Cast includes
hometowner Lillian Murphy, Chris
Robinson, Robert Smith, Joan
Kibrig, Joseph Macaulay and James
Jamieson.

Bob Gordon Exits Legit
To Do Jam Handy Shows

Pittsburgh, Aug. 9.
Robert H. Gordon, director of
the Civic -Light Opera Assn, for
the last several summers, has just
signed a contract with the Jam
Handy Organization as planner and
stager for its 'commercial shows
and films. Gordon is reporting to
home office in Detroit immediate-
ly, as the al> fresco season at Pitt
Stadium ended Saturday night (6).
He then heads for New York to
cast and put on six .touring pro-
ductions for General Motors.

New York reports that Gordon
would direct a new Broadway re-
vue, "Pleasure Dome,” arc ap-
parently out a result of the deal
with Jam Handy.

' Stock Tryouts

(Aug. 8-21)

All for Mary, by Harold Brooke and
Kay Bannerman (Edward Everett Horton)
— Kennebunkport (Me.) Playhouse (15*20)
(Reviewed in Variety, Aug. 3, *35).

AM In Favor, musical by Alison and
Alvah Sulloway — White Barn Theatre,
Westport, Conn. (13*14).

Backstage Confidential, by John Kings*
bridge — Hilltop Theatre, Lutherville, Md.
(16*21).

Crime of Innocence, by Norman Vein
—Lakeside Theatre, Lake Hopatcong,
N. J: (15*20).

Farewell, Farewell, By John Vari —
Margo Jones Theatre *55, -Dallas (8-20).

Heaven Comes Wednesday, by Reginald
Lawrence — Playhouse-on-the-Wharf , Prov-
Incctown, Mass. (8*20) (Original straight
play on which Gordon Jenkins based a
musical of the same title was reviewed
In Variety, Sept. 12, *51).

Hide and Saak (Jessie Royce Landis)
— Westport (Conn.) Country Playhouse
(15-20).

I Hear You Singing, by Greer Johnson
(Kim Hunter) — Spa Summer Theatre,
Saratoga, N. Y. (15-20).

Mighty Man It He, by Arthur Kober
and George ORPenheimer (Claudette Col-
bert) — Falmouth Playhouse, Coonamessclt,
Mass. (15-20).

Mother Wat a Bachelor, by Irving W.
Phillips (Billie Burke) — Cape Playhouse,
Dennis, Mass. (8-13); Ogunquit (Me.) Play-
house (15-20) (Reviewed in Variety, June
29, ’55).

Next of Kirt, by Lonnie Coleman — Hyde
Park (N. Y.) Playhouse (16-21).

Nice Place to Visit, revue by Robert
and Chauncey Skilling — Starlight Theatre,
Pawling, N. Y. (9-14).

Night Is My Enemy, by Fred Carmichael
-—Dorset (Vt.) Playhouse (12-14).

Penh's Creek Massacre, by Joseph F.
Ingham — Selinsgrove (Pa.) Outdoor Thea-
tre (11-13).

The Guilty, by Harry Granick — White
Barn Theatre, Westport, Conn. (20-21).

Throw Me a Kiss, by Scott Peyton—
Orleans (Mass.) Summer Theatre (9-13).

Two Fingers ef Pride, by Vincent
Longhl (Gary Merrill) — Ogunquit (Me.)
Playhouse (8-13).

Will Any Gentlemen, by Vernon Sly-
vainc — Flat Rock (N. C.) Playhouse (9-13)
(Original London production reviewed in
Variety. Sept. 13, '30).

Broadway hit the skids last week.
Most shows took substantial drops,
with several registering new lows.
Business may pick up a trifle this
frame, . although receipts were
spotty Monday night (8), despite
the welcome break of cool weather.

There were no closings last week,
but two shows are skedded to exit
next Saturday (13), They are
“Desperate Hours” and "Seven
Year Itch.” The latter is to tour.

Estimates for Last Week

Keys: C (Comedy), P (Drama),
CD (Comedy-Drama), ft (Revue),
MC (Musical-Comedy), MD (Musi-
cal-Drama), O (Opera), OP (Op-
eretta).

Other parenthetic designations
refer, respectively, to weeks played,
number of performances through
last Saturday, top prices, number
of seats, capacity gross and stars.
Price includes 10% Federal aud
5 % City tax, but grosses are net;
i.e., exclusive of tax.

Ankles Aweiffh, Hellinger (MC)
(16th wk; 128; $6.90; 1,513; $55,900).
Nearly $14,200 (previous week,
$13,900). **

Anniversary Waltz, Booth (C)
(70th wk; 555; $4.60; 766; $20,000).
Over $9,900 on twofers (previous
week, $8,900 on twofers).

Bad Seed, Coronet (D) (35th wk; •
277; $5.7544.60; 996; $27,700).

Over $13,400 on twofers (previous
week, $14,000 on twofers); Nancy
Kelly resumed tfs star last Monday
(8) after a four-week vacation.

Boy Friend, Royale (MC) (45th
wk; 355; $6.90; 1,050; $38,200).
Nearly $15,200 (previous week,
$18,100).

Bus Stop, Music Box (CD) (23d
wk; 182; $5.75-$4,60; 1,010; $27,-
811). Over $21,000 (previous week,
$24,000).

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Morosco,
(D> (20 th wk; 156; $6,90-$5.75;
946; $31,000) (Barbara Bel Geddes,
Burl Ives). Over capacity again,
nearly $31,600.

Damn Yankees, 46th St. (MC)
(14th wk; 108; $8.05-$7.50; 1,297;
$50,573) (Gwen . Verdon), Over
capacity again, topped $50,800.

Desperate Hours, Barrymore (D)
(26th wk; 204; $5.75-$4.60; 994;
$27,200). Nearly 10,700 (previous
week, $9,200);. closes next Saturday
(13) and is not on twofers as er-
ratumed last week.

Fanny, Majestic (MD) (40th wk;
316; $7.50; 1,655; $62,968) (Ezio
Pinza, Walter Slezak). Around
$32,000 (previous week, about $36,-
000); Pinza resumed as co-star last
Monday.* (8) after a week’s vaca-
tion.

Inherit the Wind, National (D>
(16th wk; 124; $5.75-$4.60; 1,162;
$31,300) (Paul Muni). Over $24,-
000 (previous week was under-
quoted; gross was actually $26,800).

Lunatics and Lovers, Broadhurst
(C) '(34th wk; 272; $5.75-$4.60;
1,182; $29,500). Almost $8,900

on twofers (previous week, $10,-?
300 on twofers).

Pajama Game, St. James (MC)
(65th tfk; 510; $6.90; 1,615; $52,118)
(John Raitt, Eddie Foy Jr., Helen
Gallagher). Nearly $44,900 (pre-
vious week, $47,000).

Plain and Fancy, Winter Garden
(MC) (28th wk; 220; $6.90; 1,494;
$55,672). Oyer $27,200 (previous
week, $29,500).

Seven Year Itch, Fulton (C>
(142d wk; 1,133; $5.75-$4.60; 987;
$24,000) (Eddie Bracken). Nearly
$5,200 on twofers (previous \veek,
$8,000 on twofers); closes next
Saturday (13) to tour.

Silk Stockings, Imperial (MC)
(24th wkj 188; $7.50, 1,427; $57,800)
(Hildegarde Neff, Don Ameche).
Almost $36,000 (previous week,
$40,500).

Teahouse of the August Moon,

Beck (C) (95th wk; 765; $6,22-$4.60;
1,214; $33,608) (Eli Wallach, John
Beal). Almost $22,000 (previous
week, $23,100).

Witness for the Prosecution,

Miller <D) <34th wk; 268; $5.75-
$4,60; 946; $23,248). Over $16,500
(previous week, $19,300).

OFF-BROADWAY

(Figures denote opening dates)

La Ronde, Circle in Square <2-
27-55).

Mornings At Seven, C h erry
Lane (6-22-55).

Trial, Provincetown (6-14 1 55).

Typewriter, Tempo (7-27-55).

Fressagcnt Lorella Val-Mery
plans to make her managerial bow
with the production of a musical
comedy, "Man with Four Sides,”
with book, score and lyrics by Duke
Ellington. She expects to have
budget estimates ready in time for
the start of backer auditions next
Monday (15).

58 LEGITIMATE

Wednesday, August 10, 1955

By WILLIAM STEIF
San Francisco* Aug. 9.

Edwin Lester" is looking for a
book to go with “a wonderful
score" by Vernon Duke. “It must
be French and romantic — other-
wise, there • are no strings/’ he
says. At least eight Hollywood and
New York writers have tried to
supply an acceptable script, but
thus far no dice.

The producer for the Los An.-
geles-San* Francisco Civic Light
Opera Assn, believes his problem
with the Duke score is typical of
the difficulties of stage musical
producing. It is much more com-
plicated than doing straight plays,
he declares.

During the more than 20 years
Lester has been putting on musi-
cals for the CLO he has had hits
and flops, but the record on . the
whole is good. Among the notable
shows he’s done, besides the nu-
merous local offerings, have 'been
“Song of Norway/! “Kismet” and
the musical “Peter Pan,” starring
Mary Martin. “I’ve never rejected
a Script that later became a suc-
cess,” he reveals, “but that’s no
great compliment to me— the pick-
ings are mighty slim in this busi-
ness.”

Lester was ruminating on the
contrasts between producing mu-
sicals and straight plays. The big-
gest difference, -he decided, is in
the pivotal position the producer
enjoys^— or suffers — in a musical.
“A . spoken drama,” he says, “is
presented to the producer by the
author and the producer loves it,
hates it, or likes it With certain
modifications. Basically, though,
the author is the creator, and gives
the work a certain style.

“But for a musical,” the CLO
showman points out, “it’s not that
way at all. The musical producer
gets a book, then he has to. fit
score, a star or stars, costumes,
sets and style to this story. It is
a more complicated process requir-
ing tremendous teamwork. For the
producer, it is an act of creativity,
great creativity.”

Lester recalls that In 1938 he
tried to v talk Lawrence Tibbett
into taking the lead in a musical
“Kismet.” Shortly thereafter, he
attempted the same gambit with
John Charles Thomas. In 1946 he

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took an option on “Kismet,” let
it drop and, Anally, almost three
years ago, he convinced Alfred
Drake to take the role.

“The producer has to steer from
the very start,” he reasons.. “With
musicals, the author is Just one
element — sometimes the best writ-
ing has to go out to make way for
something else.” - For example, in
“Kismet,” Char I e s Lederer’s
“beautifully written” garden scene,
went out the window in favor of
the song “Stranger in Paradise."

' The requirements of pulling all;
these elements together is . what
makes the Coast light opera or-
ganization Voracious for material.
“We’re constantly on the lookout,”
says Lester, “for music, scripts and
ideas.” 0 ?

Peggy Cass replaced Louise Hoff
in “Phoenix ’55,” current at the
Carter Barron Amphitheatre,
Washington, Mike Thoma and
Stark Hesseltine are stage man-
ager and T assistant, respectively,
on the production . . . Robert E.
Griffith, co-producer Of “Pajama
Game,” left for London last week
to direct the British version of the
musical.

Jerome Robbins, back in N.Y.
after four weeks in Europe, heads
for the Coast in a couple of weeks
to handle the dance sequences on
the filmization of “King and I” . . .
Mary Drayton’s “Debut” is skedded
for Broadway production in Nov-
ember .by Mike Wallace, Andrew
McCullough and Don Wolln, The
latter will test the play the week
of Aug. 29 at his Theatre-by-the-
Sea, Matunuck, R.I. ... “A Four-
Letter Word,” a drama about the
book publishing business, written
by Jack Coleman and Irving Man-
dell, is slated for Broadway pro-
duction next November by public-
ist Robert Kaufman.

George Mathews, currently in
“Desperate Hours,” has optioned
John McLiam’s “The Sin of . Pat
Muldoon” for Broadway produc-
tion . . '. “The Threepenny Opera,”
which had a 93-performance run
last year at the Theatre de Lys,
N.Y., will return to that off-Broad-
way house Sept. 20 . . . Zev Barban
is in N.Y. from Israel to direct the
Heritage. Group Theatre’s produc-
tion of “Highway Robbery,” slated
for a Mid-October preem at the
off-Broadway President Theatre
|V . . Roy P. Steckler has purchased
the legit rights to the Ira Morris
novel, “Bombay Meeting,” with an
adaptor still to be selected.

Siobhan McKenna, Irish actress
who recently clicked in London in
Shaw’s “Saint Joan,” will make her
American debut this fall "in Irene
Mayer Selznick’s production of
“Chalk Garden” . . . Ira Bernstein,"
casting director for Feuer & Mar-
tin and production stage manager
for “Boy Friend,” has switched
over to “Silk Stockings” in a sim-
ilar capacity during the absence
of Henri Caubisens, who’s in Las
Vegas to stage the Royal Nevada
production of “Guys and Dolls.”
Herman Magidson is taking over
Bernstein’s “Friend” duties, with
an assist from Ross Bowman.

George Banyai, general manager
for Gilbert Miller, left for the
Coast yesterday (Tues.) to o.o.
talent for Miller’s upcoming pro-
ductions of “Dazzling Hour,” “Re-
luctant Debutante”, and “Sailor
Beware” ... George Schaefer, co-
producer of “Teahouse of the Au-
gust Moon,” in N. Y. from Dallas
for the past week, off to Chicago
today (Wed.) and then back to
Dallas for next Monday’s (15)
opening of the touring “Teahouse”
at the State fair Musicals. He’s
due back in N. Y. next Tuesday
(16).

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Summer CLO Brasshats
Mull Common Headaches

St. Louis, Aug. 9.

Heads of six alfresco end one
indoor civic light opera groups in
the midwest and south met here
last week to discuss mutual prob-
lems. The matter of repertory,
which includes the production
rights to new shows, was the chief
conversational topic. The opera-
tion and management problems
also came in for discussion. *

Raul Beisman, manager of the
St Louis Municipal Theatre Assn.,
the oldest alfresco operation in the
country, hosted the confab. Nel-
son Cunliff, first v.p. and John
Kennedy, production manager of
the local operation, also repre*
sented St. Lpuis and others in at-
tendance were Edward H. Young
and William Mymetal, Pittsburgh;
W. M. Symon, Kansas City; H.
Pritchard, L. G. Gordner, M. T.
Ross and M. S. Bloch, Pittsburgh;
Maurice Settle and Milton Jrost,
Indianapolis; with Dallas and At*
lanta represented by proxy.

Gob College

Continued from page 55 5 ^^

Paramount Attractions, Paul Greg-
ory, Playwrights Co. and a dozen
other miscellaneous organizations.

Rare Legits

One of our downtown theatres
occasionally books a Broadway
show, but only occasionally. They
are not theatre-minded. And what
irks us is that UBO or whatever
power dispenses legitimate theatre
things won’t even give us .a chance
at seconds.

The point is this — we have trou-
ble scaling to meet big guarantee
figures plus the usual percentage
arrangements. But that doesn’t
mean that we will forever be un-
able to present the bigger shows.
Our financial elasticity is surpris-
ing and funds are available to un-
derwrite shows of this kind, but
we don’t even seem to get a chance
to prove it.

I have asked UBO, for example,
to give us a figure equal to their
take-away on a single date at the
Iowa Theatre downtown. It is quite
possible that we can match it. But
the UBO apparently isn’t inter-
ested. Of course, the UBO may be
protecting the Iowa Theatre, but
if productions don’t play at Coe
Auditorium (and the Iowa doesn’t
appear to care much about play-
ing legit shows) they gain little
anyway.

Cultural & Agricultural .

Coe College is an independent,
co-educational liberal arts college
of about. 800 enrollment. Cedar
Rapids, Is a busy cultural, agricul-
tural and business community of
75,000. After too many years of
bland indifference to the city and
the potential for active support
from within the community, the
college suddenly emerged from its
cacoon a few years back. Recog-
nizing the unique opportunities for
a healthy educational, financial
and cultural .interchange between
the campus and the town, Coe
launched a long-range plan for im-
proving the relations between the
two*

This effort has been highly suc-
cessful. Through the guidance and
vision of the college’s board of
trustees, the college has sponsored
a great many special cultural and
entertainment events, on a non-
profit basis. For several years Coe
has given a week-long Fine Arts
Festival.

t This year it featured such offer-
1 lngs as 'James Johnson Sweeney,
director of the Guggenheim Foun-
dation; the New Music Quartet;
Leslie Chabay, former Metropoli-
tan tenor, and Allen Tate, poet,
author and critic, in a lively dis-
cussion and demonstration of the
Contemporary Arts and the place
of tradition in them.

On other occasions, the college
has brought Samuel Barlow to the
campus for lectures, commissioned
a special work by Darius Milhaud
and has established with great suc-
cess a full* program of monthly art
exhibits from the Museum of Mod-
ern Art, the AFA and other special
sources.

Coe has been a leader In this
type of program in the state in
spite of the fact that the larger
schools out-budget us considerably.
And we would like to do even more
if we can just get our foot in the
door. \

Richard O. Pinney.

MIGATZ'S 3 CHI BARNS
IN FINANCIAL STRAITS

Chicago, Aug. 9.
Future' status of^the three, sum-
mer theatres operated by Marshall
Migatz’s up In air this week be-
cause of financial difficulties, In-
cluding a crackdown by the Rev-
enue Dept* for back' taxes.

The Salt Creek Playhouse, Hins-
dale, is slated to remain open this
week, but the Fox Valley Play-
house. St. Charles, Is not opening
tonight (Tues.) as advertised.
Backers of the .newly-opened Beach
Playhouse here are meeting to-
night to discuss financial prob-
lems with strong possibility the
theatre may close after tonight’s
show.

Ally. Reinheimer Sues-
For Profit on ’Affairs’

Los Angeles, Aug. 9.
New York theatrical attorney
Howard E. Reinheimer has filed
suit in L. A. Superior Coprt ask-
ing an accounting by the Farmers
& Merchants National Bank of
L. A. of profits from the Louis
Verneuil play, “Affairs of State,”
during 1950-52. Bank was named
defendant as special administrator
for the estate of the French-born
writer, who died in 1952. ■

Action contends that Reinheim-
er had an agreement with Verneuil
to get 2i/ 2 % of all royalties during
the stipulated period. These ex-
ceeded $150,000, it is charged.

Name Ramsey Burch Head
Of Theatre *55 in Dallas

As expected, RamSey Burch has
been named managing director of
the Margo Jones Theatre ’55 here
for the remainder of the summer
season and for the new 30-week,
1955-56 season, opening Nov. 7.
Board of trustees ' also officially
adopted last week the name of
Margo Jones Theatre ’55 to per-
petuate the name of the founder,
who died July 24.

Burch, associate director of the
local arena theatre since 1951, goes
to New York in a couple of weeks
to engage a cast and select new
scripts for the upcoming season.
“Farewell* Farewell, Eugene,” com-
edy by John Vari, preemed last
night (Mon.) as the fourth and clos-
ing production of the current 10-
week summer season, ending Aug.
21 .

Burch is also prexy of the South-
west Theatre . Conference, which
meets here Nov/’ 3-5.

Chi Musicians

■SSS Continued from page 55

operates in conjunction with his
Club Martinique restaurant. Eatery
has a featured name and semi-
name bands, so when, the owner
got the word from Local 10 last
week, he had little choice but. to
take steps to put four musicians
oh his theatre payroll.

DeSantis had expected the AFM
move-in and had the 10-man Gay
Claridge orch on. notice in the
Martinique. He’s replacing them
with a five-maiT group during the
rest of the strawhat season while
he has the quartet at the Drury
Lane tent

Herb Rogers, the only other Chi-
area summer theatre producer ad-
hering to a straight play policy,
says he hasn't been approached by
the union this season, but that it
made spasmodic attempts to get
him to hire musicians at his High-
land Park Tenthouse in past years.
He has only the one strawhatter
in this area and has no sidebar
operation which employs bandmen.

For DeSantis and Migatz the
AFM edict means an additional
$405 expense item per week. Mu-
sician minimums are. $90 weekly
per man, plus $45 for the leader.

The additional cost comes in the
midst of a prolonged heatwave that
has been murdering business in
all situations. Migatz’s Fox Valley
is staying alive on a week-to-week
basis after closing notices were
posted last week.

• Chevy Chase, which operated
an exchange deal with Drury Lane,
closed Sunday night (7) when
Pat O’Brien and “My 3 Angels”
moved to Drury. Latter’s pack-
age couldn’t be switched to Chevy
because of* the tv commitments of
star, Tom Duggan, so producer
Bill Johnston decided to close
shop for the season*

Bi-Lingual Teahouse’
Premieres in Tokyo;
Aussie Version Looms

Tokyo,* Aug. 9.

“Teahouse of the August Moon,”
presented in a combination of
English and Japanese, had a cor-
dial reception last Saturday night
(6) at the famed Kabukiza Theatre
here. The premiere drew about
a two-thirds audience in the 3,200-
seat house. It continues through
this week.

The John Patrick-Vern Sneider
comedy about the misadventures
of American occupation forces in
an Okinawa village is being play-
ed- by a professional-and-amateur
cast. As a concession to Japanese
patrons, the explanatory asides by
Sakini, the Okinawan interpreter,
are read in both the regular brok-
en ’English' and Japanese.

. Also, before each scene, there is
a brief explanation of the ensuing
action by Japanese actress Yuriko
Niki, sister of Mariko Niki, who
plays Lotus Blossom, the geisha
girl in the original Broadway Pro-
duction of the show. Japanese fiim-
legit actress Yaeko Mizutanl plays
Lotus Blossom in this bi-lingual
edition of the comedy.

The part of Sakini Is played by
Farley J." Janies, a Japanese-born
American who speaks the Jap
language fluently* Harry Dinwid-
dle, a U.S* soldier, plays Capt.
Fisby, the earnest but harried oc-
cupation officer.

Opens Aug. 20, Sydney

Sydney, Aug. 2.

J* C. Williamson will predm “Tea-
house of August Moon” at the
Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Aug.
20. Cast will include Hugh Thomas,
Harry Chang, Grant Taylor, Hilary
Bamberger, John Bonney, Hal
Thompson and Iola Fanning.

Casting is now in progress for
“Can-Can,” due in before end of
year.

Brattle to NYC Center
With ‘Othello,’ ‘Henry IV’

Cambridge, Mass., Aug. 9,
The Brattle Shakespeare Com-
pany take its revivals of “Othello”
and “King Henry IV, Part I” at the
N.Y. City Center for four weeks
beginning Sept. 6. The two produc-
tions will be presented on a stock
basis for two weeks each.

Complete casts and productions
from the Brattle Theatre will be
taken to New York. The sudden
booking forces cancellation of the
fourth skedded play, “Measure for
Measure,” which was to have
opened here Aug. 23, “Much Ado
About Nothing” opens on schedule
tonight (Tues.).

WESTPORT

COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE

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DON'T MISS !

JESSIE ROYCE LANDIS

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In “TO- CATCH A THIEF”)
STARRING NEXT WEEK
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In N. Y. call COlumbus 5-41*1

FAIRFAX

BURGHER

‘Sir Edward Ramsay’

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Currently

National, Washington, D.C.

ASSISTANT THEATRE
DIRECTOR WANTED

by long established Eastern Thaatra
School. Lato Saptambar through May.
To dlract plays- and teach acting
technique to first yoar students.
Some professional experience desir-
able. State background/ qualifica-
tions and salary requirements In
first fsttsr.

Address Box V 955, VARIETY/

154 West 4*th St., Now York 3*, N.Y.

Wednesday, August 10, 1955

ROBINSON

STARRED Mil

THE VIRGIN QUEEN
DEMETRIUS AND THE GLADIATORS

THE ROBE

FOR 20th CENTURY-FOX

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“The sensation of the year in Hollywood is Jay Robinson who plays
tne young Emperor Caligula in ‘The Robe’ and its sequel ‘Demetrius
and the Gladiators’.

‘‘Robinson has displayed .a virtuosity seldom seen on sound stage
in this portrayal of the vicious depraved young Caesar. His onset,
performances have repeatedly been greeted with ovations.”

— Hedda Hopper

“The. talk of the town is Jay Robinson as ‘Caligula’ in ‘The Robe*
and ‘Demetrius and the Gladiators’,

“Jay gives a great performance as the cruel young Emperor. A
star is born.” — Louella Parsons

July 25, 1955.

“The success achieved by Jay Robinson in 20th Century-Fox prod-
ucts over the last three years hasn’t diminished his longing for
Broadway. So far the 25 year old actor has appeared in these
films; ‘The Robe/ ‘Demetrius and the Gladiators/ and ‘The Virgin
Queen’.

“Instead of resorting to lip service about his desire to return, the
former Broadway actor obtained a modification of his- seven-year
contract with Fox.

According to the new modus operandi, he will be obligated to
spend only twelve weeks ’ annually on a picture for the next five
years. Furthermore, he has. a. choice of doing independent films or
appearing on Broadway.” SAM ZOLOTOW

.New York Times

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THE VIRGIN QUEEN

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Personal Management: HOLLYWOOD: THE JAFFE AGENCY, INC. — NEW YORK: MILTON GOLDMAN AGENCY

•v«: mm

60 CONCERT - OPERA

Wednesday, August 10* 1955

U.S. Music Fests as Good asO’Seas

* . _

But Lack Push, Excitement: Fassett

Slow but steady growth of music
festivals in America is bringing
with it the inevitable comparison
between such longhair fests here
and abroad. “Musically, our fes-
tivals are just as good,” says James
Fassett, CBS Radio music director.
“Performances are just as fine,
with top artists and conductors.
But there is no ripeness, no feeling
of maturity, in the festivals here.
There is no feeling of execitment,
that this is a great festival. I felt
this slackness everywhere here,
with Tanglewood as the only excep-
tion."

Fassett is in a unique position
to know. As producer-director and
commentator on CBS' “World
Music Festivals" series, he visits
the festfc here and abroad annually,
to get background material and to
tape the music for his broadcasts.
He returned last week from a three-
week stay in the west, taping the
Aspen and Red Rocks (Colo.) and
Peninsula -(Wise.) fests for airing
in September. Prior to that he had
been abroad, covering (or prepar-
ing for) not only the major festivals
'like Edinburgh, Bayreuth and Salz-
burg, but smaller ones, like Ans-
bach, Germany; Stockholm, and
Bergen, Norway, taping eight of
them.

Our sin all er fests, Fassett feels,
don’t think; things through, or don’t
know how to build a- sock draw.
They lack the proper ingredients:
Some may also lack money for
artists, he admits. But most towns
don’t bother to play up their fest
as an attraction. “If they made it
as significant as an Edinburgh or
Salzburg," said Fassett, “then pil-
grimages would be made to it from
everywhere."

He breaks the fests down to four
types. One is the well-publicized
and established type, like the Hol-
land, Edinburgh or Bayreuth, with
visiting orchs, top artists and en-
ormous scope. Second are the new
European festivals still cutting
their teeth, like Stockholm or the
Danish; which work with what they
have on - hand, and have nothing
to attract people from Outside.

Still Floundering

Third is the Ansbach-Aspen type,
completely dedicated to the art,
with no splashy names, and getting
a small, choice audience. Fourth
is the Red Rocks' type, still floun-
dering and not knowing what
they’re after, mixing pop and long-
hair guest artists (claiming they
have to watch out for local com-
petition ) , and not drawing well
from either element.

Two fests particularly caught
Fassett’s eye during his recent
trip abroad. Or? was the Ansbach
event, which he termed unique, a
Bach fest. with magnificently per-
formed music that was not a tour-
ist attraction. Other was the Bergen
Music Festival, a successful event
comparable to the big ones, getting
big crowds. Here is a little Nor-
wegian harbor town, where the
whple municipality turns out to
support the fest Sides of depart-
ment stores are completely covered
with posters; streetcars carry signs
plugging the fest. Fassett found
it quite a contrast to Denver, for
instance, where it was most difficult
to find out from localites that there
was even a festival like Red Rocks
going on:

Whittemore & Lowe Film
1st Vidpix Series In Chi
Prior To 1st O’SeasTonr

Duo-pianists Arthur Whittemore
and Jack Lowe are currently mak-
ing a series of 39 15-minute tv
films, entitled “Two Grands," in
Chicago for a September debut,
which they must complete before
embarking on their first European
tour. The telepix, their first vid-
pic series, are being filmed by Pro-
ducers Film Studio, With Jack Lieb
as producer and Larry Johnson
(former music director of NBC-TV
in Chicago) as director.

Piano team leaves for Europe
Oct. 1 to begin a tour in Hilversum,
Holland, Oct. 5. They have a
BBC-TV date in . London. They
conclude their tour in Vienna Dec.
4, and fly back to the United
Stales to begin a 7.6-city tour in
Oklahoma Dec. 8.

2d L’rille Opera Train
Is Readied For Fall

Louisville, Aug. 9.

Town’s second Opera Train is in
the works, with a trip to New York
skedded for Thanksgiving* week,
over the B&O R.R. Tickets have
been reserved at the Met Opera
for the performances of Nov. 23-
20. Return trip will leave New
York Sunday, Npv. 27.

List of Operas scheduled during
the four days includes none seen
on last year’s tour. “Tales of Hoff-
mann." “Cosi Fan Tutte" “Car-
inen," and ’Aida" or “Masked
Ball" are the offerings. Cost of the
trip will be $98.50 for each trav-
eler, including transportation on
air-conditioned coaches, with din-
ing-car and lounge facilities, four
nights at the Taft Hotel, N. Y., and
opera tickets for four perform-
ances.

Janet Strauss, Kenneth Allen
Associates exec, sailing to Europe
Aug. 27 for a two-month holiday.

Calj Genoa Ballet Fest
Success Despite 100G
Red; 2d Season Is Set

By LUIGI GARIO

Nervi, Italy, Aug. 9.

The First International Ballet
Festival at Nervi, a fashionable
seaside resort a few miles outside
Genoa, has been an artistic and
financial success, even if the organ-
izers are in the red for about $100,-
000 due to huge expenses. The 3,-
000-seat arena in the hanging gar-
dens of Nervi, overlooking the
Mediterranean, has been full, every
night at about $3 top. Average take
per. night has been around $5,000.

The public, comihg.from all over
the Italian Riviera, among them
hordes of foreign tourists, has
taken to ballet, and the success of
next year’s festival is already as-
sured. Giuseppe de Andre, vice-
president of the Genoa municipal-
ity, and Angelo Costa, president of
the organizing committee, told
VAftiETY that after seeing the suc-
cess of this first fest, the neces-
sary funds have been allocated and
Mario Porcile, the artistic direc-
tor,* charged to start immediately
on preparations for next year, in
order to make it an even more
important event.

Highlight of this year’s fest,
which ran from July 8 to Aug. 8,
has beeUj the Japanese Azuma Ka-
buki company of dancers and mu-
sicians. They gave six perform-
ances in Nervi, presenting two
different programs, and scoring
Strongly, although a huge open-
air arena isn’t the ideal place for
the display of intimate Japanese
art.

Another hit (three performances)
was the Grand Ballet du Marquis
de Cuevas, coming here straight
from a sock week in Santander.
Cuevas company is going to Ostend
and Biarritz, will tour Spain in
September and open a three-month
season in Paris in October, where
a t new ballet, VSaetta," by Ana
Ricarda, with music by Cristobal
Halfter, and scenery and costumes
by English painter Stubbing, will
be presented.

A recital by Alicia Markova,
with Milorad Miskovic, filled the
place in spite of increased prices,
and John Butler’s American Dance
Theatre was a success with the
crix, also pleasing the general
public that nightly filled the 1,000
seat Teatro Duse. The Butler com-
pany has gone off to Holland, will
tour the north of Europe and come
back to Italy .end of September.

K.€.’s Schwieger to Guest
With 3 Overseas Orchs

Kansas City, Aug. 8.

Hans Schwieger, musical direc-
tor of the Kansas City Philhar-
monic, will guest-conduct three Eu-
ropean orchs this fall. He’ll lead
the Swiss Radio Orchestra in Zu-
rich Sept. 11, Bavarian Radio Or-
chestra in Munich' 1 Sept. 22 and
Berlin Philharmonic Get, 15-16. .

Schwieger is spending the sum-
mer at the Aspen (Cplo.) Festival
where he is general music director.
This ends the first week in Septem-
ber. Maestro will fly from Aspen
for the overseas stints.

Other European dates were un-
der consideration, but Schweiger is
due back here to open the K. C.
Philharmonic’s schedule of 14 con-
certs, beginning rehearsals Oct. 26.
It will be his eighth season with
the local orch.

Stuttgart State Opera
To Appear in London

Stuttgart, Aug. 2.

The Stuttgart State Opera will
appear at the London Festival be-
tween Sept. 13 and 22, presenting
“Fidelio.”

Wieland Wagner, grandson of
Richard Wagner and co-director of
the Wagner Opera House at Bay-
reuth, will direct the performances.

SAN CARLO 38G IN 5, D.C.

Washington, Aug. 9.

Five nights of opera, brought to
Carter Barron Amphitheatre by
the San Carlo Opera Co., yielded
a solid $38,400.

This is a Feld Bros, operation.

Dorothy Kirsten To Quit
” Columbia Mgt.; E. Malbin
Switching From S. Hurok

Dorothy Kirsten, who’s been
with Columbia Artists Mgt. since
1944, has severed ties with the
bureau, effective end of next sea-
son. Met Opera and film soprano
says she plans to manage herself
thereafter, for concerts and opera.
Wynn Rocamora will continue to
handle her on the Coast for pix.

Singer, who was brought to Co-
lumbia originally by the late Grace
Moore, as her protegee, will fill all
concert dates in ’55/56 set up by
CAM. She has five the coming sea-
son. Last year she had only three
during the regular season, blit had
six more during the summer. So-
prano, who remarried recently, pre-
fers living on the Coast and doing
opera mainly. But she’s also "dis-
puted with Columbia over fees,
which may have hastened the
break.

. Meantime, the 1 Coppicus, Schang
& Brown division at CAM, v Which
manages Miss Kirsten, is groom-
ing two other singers for her
spots. One is Heidi Krall, new Met
Opera entrant, recently signed by
the bureau. Other is Elaine* Mal-
bin, now on tour in • “Kismet,"
which she leaves, Aug. 19. Soprano
is switching from Sol Hurok man-
agement to Columbia Sept. 1. She’s
already set for “Madame Butter-
fly," first opera on the NBC-TV
Opera Theatre sked in November.

- Joseph Rosenstock, general di-
rector of the New York City Opera
Co., made his American debut as
a piano soloist in Chicago’s Grant
Parrk Saturday (6), playing the Mo-
zart A Major Piano Concerto with
the Grant Park Symphony Orches-
tra as a : highlight of a pair of Mo-
zart-Strauss programs which he
conducted.

Met Opera asst, manager John
Gutman sailed from France for
home on the lie de France Mon-
day (8). He’s due back at his office
next Monday (15).

‘Jacques Singer, conductor of the
Corpus Christi (Tex.) Symphony, is
to be a guest conductor with the
Indianapolis Symph next season.
Singer just returned to N.Y. from
a Mexican engagement.

Jim Frankel, music and art edi-
tor of the Cleveland Press, in New
York after stopovers at Stratford
and Tanglewood festivals. Accom-
panied by wife, Lynn.

Claude Rains will narrate Cop-
land’s “A Lincoln Portrait" as a
highlight of ’‘Tanglewood on Pa-
rade". at the Berkshire Festival,
Lenox, Mass., tomorrow (Thurs.)
night, Leonard Bernstein will con-
duct.

Ballerina Marina £vetloVa flies
to London tomorrow (Thurs.), and
will make a series of guest appear-
ances at the Teatro dell’Opera in
Rome. - She’ll rejoin London’s
Festival Ballet, with which she
appeared as guest artist in 1953,
for the fall tour of the British
provinces and the Christmas season
in London.

Fabien Sevitzky, recently let-out
Indianapolis Symp maestro, at
present conducting a series of con-
certs in South America, ha& been
engaged by Teatro Colon in Buenos
Aires to direct “Boris Godunov"
on AUg. 12 and 16. The title role
will be sung by Nicola Rossi-Le-
menl.

N.Y.C, BALLET 29G, L.A.

Los Angeles, Aug. 9.
The N.Y. City Ballet grossec
$29,000 at the Greek Theatre her<
last week.

Edwin Schloss, music critic of the Philadelphia Inquirer, and Max
de Schauensee, Evening and Sunday Bulletin reviewer, . will write
program notes for the Philadelphia Orchestra during the 1955-56
season. Crix will collab under a joint byline, with notes split between
them and each separate comment initialed, Elevation pi Donald L.
Engle, Orch’s former program commentator and publicity director! to
post of manager left the program spot open, •

Naming of crix from rival dailies drew protest, however, from
Bernard Bergman, editor of the Daily News, tab which recently under-
went a change of ownership and is now spreading out in every depart-
ment. Bergman protested to Engle and orch prez. C. Wanton Balls against
leaving oiit J. Cartin McKinney, News musicologist. Last season was
the first time the tab ever gave music events full coverage.

Ex-Met Opera baritone Giuseppe Valdengo added some sour notes
to a recording session at Aix-Les-Bains, France, Sunday night (7),
walking out of the sesh even though ex-King Umberto of Italy and
his spouse were attending. Valdehgo had agreed to sing the lead in
Monteverdi’s “Orfeo" at the Aix Music Festival Saturday night for
$560, getting an additional $1,400 for recording the performance, the,
next night. He sang Saturday, but according to reports asked for an
additional $210 to his fee for the recording stipt.

When management refused, Valdengo reportedly stormed out of
the theatre, refusing' to return, although members of the efiprus slapped,
his face and took the wheels off his car in effort to force him to re-
main. Cops escorted him to his hotel. Although the recording sessions
are usually private, the Italian royalty had been admitted to hear
Valdengo sing.

. Mrs. Arthur Reis, for more than 25 years the guiding spirit in the
League of Composers, organization devoted to promotion of works by
contemporary composers, has completed her informal reminiscences of
the history of the League, including practically every celebrity in
music (and many other .prominent people) of’ this period. Under the
title “Composers, Conductors and Critics," her book will be published
October by the. Oxford University Press. (The League was recently
merged with another similar organization, and is now The League of
Comppsers-International Society for Contemporary Music, U.*S. Section,
Inc. Roger Sessions is chairman of the new organization; Mrs. Reis, is
honorary chairman; Aaron Copland is composer chairman.)

. • • V

Sir WilHam Walton isn’t coming to this country in October as “a
guest," exactly, of the New York City Opera; they have engaged him
at a hefty fee to supervise the preparation of “Troilus and Cressida’’
for its New York, bow on Oct. 20. (First In U. S. is at the San Francisco
Opera Oct. 7). Sir William won’t conduct his opera here; just supervise *
the production, with Margaret Webster as director. Walton is being
handled by Judson, O’Neill & Judd, of Columbia Artists Mgt. Oxford
University Press is his exclusive publisher.

• ‘

Bow; Setup Ready in Nick of Time

Refugee Dancers Join
Snford Co. for S.A. Tour

Paul Szilard has signed the Iron
Curtain refugee dancers, Nora
Kovach and Istvan Rabovsky, to ap-
pear as guest artists with his com-
pany, the Paul Szilard Ballet,
which opens a -three-week engage-
ment at the Teatro Municipale,
Rio de Janeiro, Sept. 30. Plans
are now being worked out by the
S. Hurok office for a further tour
of South America and a U.S. tour
to follow. • . .

Szilard', who will .be guest ballet
master of the Teatro Municipale’s
home company during the engage-
ment, has beep commissioned to
choreograph a new ballet on a
Brazilian theme to Villa Lobos’
“Uirapiiru;" which will become
part of the Teatro Municipale’s
permanent repertory. In addition,
Szilard will stage his ballet ver-
sion of Strauss’ “Salome" and two
other works.

Chopin: Concerto No. 2 & Saint-
Saens: Concerto No. 4 (RCA Vic-
tor). Alexander Brailowsky brings
a brisk yet sensitive style to Cho-
pin’s romantic masterpiece, and
handles the lyric Saint-Saens with
taste and authority. Boston Symph
under Munch in eloquent support.

Bach: Suites for Orchestra (An-
gel). Four stately, c 1 e v e r 1 y
wrought dance suites played with
fine color, pace and phrasing by
the Philharmonia under Klem-
perer.

Stravinsky: Story of a Soldier
(Vox). Rhythmic,, often, strongly
jazzy musical satire now' recorded
in English very, engagingly by
a group under Emanuel Vardi.

Massenet: Weriher & Berlioz:
Faust (London). Opera highlights
done skillfully by Raoul Jobin and
Irma Kolassi for a verry fine disk.
London Symph under Fistoulari
supports.

Taktaklshvlll: Piano Concerto Sc
Mendelssohn: Concerto No. 1 (Co-
losseum). The Taktakishvili is in-
teresting, latter-day Rachmaninoff,
conventional, romantic, brassy,
with a good pianist in A. Iokheles
performing it. Emil Gilels' does
some fine playing in the Mendels-
sohn, although some reverbera-
tions mar the disk.

By JAMES CONNERS
Ellenville, N.Y., Aug. 9.

An engineering and acoustical
achievement, wrought within, five
weeks on a plateaued meadow on
’the outskirts of this Catskill Mt.
village, put the Empire State Mu-
sic Festival into contention last
Wednesday night (3) among the
leading summer musical projects
Of the East. Some 3,800 people,
passing through the gates as line-
meii were completing the stringing
of wires for entrance floodlights,
heard the Symphony of the Air,
conducted by Eduard Van Beinum,
in a superb concert given on a
strikingly designed and modern-
istic stage, within a gaily colored
tent seating 2,000.

This was about 70% occupied.
Seated in chairs on a blacktopped
area outside were another 1,500 peo-
ple. The remainder lounged on the
surrounding lawn, one end of
which had not yet been sodded.

Surprising, even to veteran mu-
sicians, was the perfection of
acoustical reception. This was true
not 'only within the huge tent, but
also at the back of the lawn— 300
feet from the stage. A mountain
rises sharply behind the lawn,
adding to the beauty and pictu-'
resqueness of the scene.

' Frederick J. Kiesler; who first
used theatre-in-the round at Vien-
na in 1924, who is now associated
with the Juilliard, School Of Mu-
sic, has designed for the. Festival
what he calls “The Endless Thea-
tre." It offers unusual possibili-
ties for staging concerts, operas,
sports, spoken dramas, motion pic-
tures, circus or community gather-
ings. The stage’s wings stretch
more than 100 feet across the au-
ditorium. The huge platform can
be broken up, detached from the
proscenium and moved toward the
middle of the arena— for theatre-
in-the round. Also, two Wing
stages can be detached and placed .
elsewhere, to form* a third stage.

Summer fest is running five
weeks, with opera, symphony con-
certs, choral works and dance pro-
grams listed.

Margaret Hartigan, formerly with
RCA, is press representative on the
scene. Nat Dorfman is national
pr;ess man; Carl Abraham, com-
pany manager; Oscar Abraham (his
son), treasurer; Jim Langton, ex-
ecutive co-ordinator; Edward Vito,
orchestra manager, and David
Pardoll, production stage man-
ager*

Wednesday? August 10, 1955

LITERATI

L i ter a ti

Nelson-Hermitage Merger .

Papers .are ready for signature
whereby a very old publishing
firm, Thomas Nelson & Son (101
years) will take over a very young
one. Hermitage House (five years),
with the latter becoming its trade
book section. Gorham Munson
moves over as editor-in-chief.

Hermitage has been identified
.with a variety of theatrical subject
matter books — Hurok and the Bal-
let, Markova, Chaplin, Bernard So-
Ibel, various novels. Victor Rosen’s
biography of .Otto Kahn, the opera
impresario (“Kahn sat down and
the curtain went up at the Metro-
politan”, ran the gag in his day),
which is ready for publication,
moves over from Hermitage to
Nelson. <

K, C. Star Fined

The Kansas City Star Co. was
fined $5,000 last week in antitrust
charges. Emil. Sees, its advertising
director, also was fined $2,500 on a
similar charge.

Both The Star and Sees were
convicted last Feb. 22. The news-
paper was found guilty on both
counts of a two-count indictment
charging an attempt to monopolize
and monopolization of the dissemi-
nation of news artd advertising in
the greater Kansas City area. Sees
was found guilty on attempt to
monopolize.

Paper announced it would ap-
peal.

N.Y. News on TS Vs. SB

Brief editorial in the N.Y. Daily
News last week, in re' the Toots
Shor-Sherman Billingsley (Stork
Club boniface) imbroglio, captioned
•’And Go To Court,” speaks fpr
itself.

“A* local restaurateur whose in-
itials arc T* S. has sued a local
restaurateur whose ^ initials are
S. B. for libel, alleging $1,100, 000-
Worth of damage' to T. S.’s name,
fame and credit.

*'It seems S. B. made some wise-
cracks about T. S; on a television
program whose name we disremem-
ber, and T. S. Was cut to ftiS great
big old heart.

“Considering the fact that these
two characters., have been given
millions' worth of free press pub-
licity down the ' ages, we are dis-
appointed to see them demonstrate
such a vulgar attitude toward a
mere matter of money. Maybe in
future the local newspapers should
bill them for each mention, on an
agate-line basis, and sue ’em if they
don't Come through.”

Ivan Annenberg’s Setup

Ivan Annenberg, who left the
N.Y. Daily . News as circulation
manager and circulation director
last March, after seeing the daily
achieve the largest circulation in
the U.S. during his tenure, has
established Ivan Annenberg &
Sons Inc. as a new merchandising-
distribution company for"' novelty
items ‘ to be sold nationally via
newsstand outlets. New corpora-
tion brings in the third generation
of Annenbergs to the newsstand
distribution business, since Ivan’s
father, Max Annenberg, had been
nationally known as circulation
chief of the Chicago Tribune.
Ivan’s sons, Ted and Robert, are

partnered in the new setup.

Items to be distributed will
range from a novel letter-opener' to
a newly patented briefcase. All
items will be handled exclusively by
the Annenbergs and will be pre-
tested. Annenberg figures he’ll
deal through, the 750 newspaper-
magazine wholesalers he's worked
with in the past, thus. . reaching
some 150,000 retail outlets through-
out* the country. Annenberg said
he’d been mulling the concept of
distribution of consumer items
through newsstands for many
years. .

How ‘Life’ Does It

An excellent institutional book,
which Doubleday is publishing at
$5 as a Time Inc. commercial, is
titled, “How ‘Life’ Gets The Story,”
a behind-the-scenes picture-story
in photo-journalism, by Life staffer
Stanley Rayfield. Life m.e. Edward
K. Thompson wrote the foreword.

An oversize book, approximating
the Life page-size, about 25% oj
its contents is in four-colors, deal-
ing with 40r f representative news-
picture assignments, from Audrey
Hepburn to Mount Everest. It’s
handsome library item, slick and
sleek in its heavy coated stock.
Initial print order of 35,000 indi-
cates a . sizeable Time-Life invest-
ment in copies for distribution to
its own VIP, public relations
contacts and kindred, cuffo 'Wis-
jtomers.” Abel.

The gay, gaudy story o!

HARRIGAN ft HART

— coaodf idols of Broadway
in the 1870’s

The HEART
PARTNERS

Alt About tholr rowdy antic*, and thcl*
hitaHowa acta and ahawa which,
aatlrlicd tha New York of the tlmo.

By fi. Jim KAHN, Jr*

•4.79 at oil bookatorco,

RANDOM HOUSE. N.Y.

.W.VaVtV/«<V*VAVW

Pop Library's Book Club
Popular Library, reprintery, is
going into the “condensed book”
club field and has bought George
Jessel’s “This Way, Miss” from
Holt for one of its initial entries.

Charles N. Hecklemann also
edits this PL (Ned Pine group)
venture.

CHATTER

Barthold Fles, N. Y., literary
agent, in Hollywood for huddles
with clients and studio biggies.

Bill Ornstein, Metro homeoffice
trade liaison, has his shortstory,
“Growing Boy,” in the July-August
“Opinion,”

Peter Baker, formerly chief re-
porter of the {Cinematograph
Weekly in England, named editor
of Films & Filming.

With Dudley Frasier promoted
to head up all the advertising and
promotion activities of Rhinehart,
Patricia H. Newell has taken over
the 1 publicity director’s post, under
him.

Fawcetts going into the 25-35-
50c reprint business, under Wil-
liam C. Lehgel’s editorship (Ar-
thur Orrmont exec ed). Crest (fic-
tion) and Premier - (non-fiction
titles) will be the imprints.

“Music Under the Moon,” a
history of the Berkshire Symphonic
Festival Inc., by John G. W.
Mahana, county editor of the Pitts-
field, (Mass.) Berkshire Evening
Eagle, has just been published.

Prentiee-Hall declared a 3%
stock dividend, In lieu of cash,
payable Sept. 30. It will be the
only divvy because of the com-
pany’s expansion program and its
desire not to seek resources from
outside agencies.

Anatole Chujoy, editor-publisher
of Dance News, to Chicago this
weekend for the 77th annual con-
vention of Chi Nat’l Assn, of Dance
Masters, He’ll talk on employment
in the dance (in theatres and
schools) Sunday (14) and also hold
clinics, v

Equestrian Trails magazine,
monthly publication of the Cali-
fornia horseback riding organiza-
tion of that name, will be sent Into
general circulation for the first
time, with the Tierney-Ross agency
taking over editorial and makeup
supervision.

On Aug. 10, Random House will
publish “Six Plays by Rodgers &
Hammerstein”. In addition to
texts and lyrics, there will be pro-
duction and cast credits for “Okla-
homa!”. (1943), “Carousel” (1945),
“Allergo” (1947), ‘‘South Pacific”
(1949), “The King and* I” (1951),
and “Me and Juliet” (1953).

Ringling Walkout

Continued from page 2

and beer the circus workers were
able to buy, despite the hour of the
night or theu-wet or dry status of
the places in which the circus was
showing.”

On, their part, McClosky, Law-
son and Kiernan deny they were
“fired.” They said they had quit
and they showed resignations dated
July 23. That was about the time

when North hired Michael Burke
as executive, director “to clean
house.”

North declared that the “rack-
ets” that had sprung up in connec-
tion with the circus operation were
in open violation .of' the circus’
“dean entertainment tradition”
and he didn’t wish any trouble j
With state., authorities over gam- ;
bling or bootlegging. ]

He also announced Burke would
continue to run the show as execu-
tive director and Lloyd Morgan,
former lot superintendent, would
be manager.

At the time the St. • Paul per-
formance was stopped confusion
reigned. There were threats of
trouble when performers and oth-
ers started to pitch in to take down
the animal acts’ rigging so that the
show could proceed; Police were
called, howeyer, and ordered the
prop bosses off the lot. |

North himself directed the prop ‘
men here.

Michael Burke, executive direc-
tor, who is now running the Ring-
ling show, denies there has been
any circus general staff rebellion,
and resignation of top executives
or that the present road tour has
been “disastrous.” He says the
circus for the season to date is
“well in the black,” and that the
■gross and net are ah'ead (he
wouldnlt say how much), of the
corresponding period a year ago,
including the Madison. Square Gar-
den engagement, and that boxof-
fice expectations have been real-
ized. He admits that the abnormal
July heat hurt the take and some
of the stands were unprofitable
and even losing, 'but there are such
experiences every season.

Wrangling Denied

He also, denies ,that the policies
of John Ringling North have been
opposed by his brother Henry and
that there is dissatisfaction among
the owners and management.

- On the first day here, afternoon
and evening, with the deserting'
prop men absent and with the per-
formers and others who pitched in
handling the rigging, only one of
the three opening animal acts,
which require especially heavy
rigging, was presented and some of
the other acts were eliminated, so
that Occasionally two of the three
rings were unoccupied.

But by the second day (Satur-
day), 25 of the 30 prop men had
returned and it was possible tp
give a complete show both after-
boon and evening, according to
Burke. He thinks that the men
walked out in St. Paul out of fear
of Reynolds and the latter’s as-
sistants and that when those five
men departed from the Twin Cities
they saw fit to return. Anyway,
they came back. Some of the more
experienced and capable ones are
being given the chance to fill the
places of the four assistant bosses
who occupied the top layer, he
says.

In Minneapolis, Bufke says, after
a half-tent full Friday afternoon,
they had almost a tent full — 7,500
— at the Friday night and Saturday
afternoon performances and they
were certain of a complete sellout
Saturday night

Aside from the prop bosses,
there have been no walkouts, de-
clares Burke. All the other
^bosses attested to their loyalty,
pledged their cooperation and ex-
pressed their confidence in the
present management and all have
remained on the job. This was in
the face of “wild stories” circulated
by. the troublemakers in an effort
to hurt the circus,* he Claims. . s

Burke emphatically asserts there
has been no friction otherwise
within the circus and everything
now is in shipshape. He says he
never saw the morale so good as
it was here Friday night, with ev-
erybody pitching in extra hard.
They could have brought in as-
sistant prop bosses from New York,
but they prefer to give members
of the regular crew a. chance to
win promotion, he points out.

Newspapers here went all out
In giving the circus a vast amount
of front page and other publicity,
in St. Paul, where the show did
poorly on its afternoon performance
and had only about 3,000 in the
tent, for the evening performance,
the contrary was true.

Ringling circus was very gener-
ous in the number of passes left
at Minneapolis Star-Tribune. It
has been more than three years
since the circus last played in Min-
neapolis and ..city room didn’t re-
member the number of passes on
that occasion, but felt It Was about
the same.

j SCULLY’S SCRAPBOOK f

*+»»++ »»+++++++♦ By Frank Scully

Hollywood.

If Miltoft Sperling, Emmet Lavery, Gary Cooper and Warners lick
the Billy Mitchell story ' without licking the handsome Mitchell be-
yond recognition, they should get Congressional medals of honor. For
Mitchell was a non-conformist, which is college English for a sub-
versive. He tried his best to undermine his superiors. He was
courtmartialed and convicted for his insolence. History has proved
he was right,, of course; and that the Government’s course was wrong,
but the future makes a poor supporting witness in a trial.

If you want a final proof as to why God looks down with a kindly
eye on America you have it right there. Years later Gen. Douglas
MacArthur, of course, was fired, but not for his part in giving Gen.
Mitchell the heave-ho out of the armed forces. He was fired for
guessing wrpng in Korea.

' But how about all the others? None of them suffered for Mak-
ing 'a mugg out of the guy who said battleships were outmoded and
could. b°e sunk with aerial bombs. The fact that Mitchell did it as
early as 1921 ;vas one of the marks against him. He used bombs of
bigger size than the Navy okayed and he didn’t drop them from
above 10,000 feet. (His alibi was that we didn’t have a plane at that
time that could climb 10,000 feet with a bomb load!)

He created the blitz. He couldn’t have be'eri charged with giving
Hitler the idea, because by the time that calculating madman used
what the early Pentagonians rejected Mitchell was dead three years.

He foresaw what the Japs would do to .Pearl Harbor, and how they
would head for the Aleutians and Alaska once they knocked out the
Navy bottled up in our Hawaiian outpost and strafed our planes
lined up like sitting ducks on Henderson Field. He wanted them
staggered and underground, or at least staggered on the field.

Mitchell And the Flaming Coffins

As v commander of our air forces in France in the First World War
he screamed incessantly about the flaming coffins we sent, his pilots.
They had the ga§ tank right back of the pilot. All the krauts had
to do was to hit the tank and one; more pilot was a ball of fire. If iJte \
landed, the tank” would crown him and kill him anyway.

Fortunately, Mitchell didn’t get many American planes. In fact, he
got only 196. The bill for them was $1,600,000! No thief went to
jail for that. But for yapping about the grand larceny Mitchell got
himself reduced in rank and Ultimately aired. It seems he used up
too much paper complaining about the cupidity and stupidity of his
superiors. (I told you the guy was subversive,' which today does
not mean you’re against the Government but against the current
Administration’s bungling of government.)

Old Admiral Tubaguts, as Mitchell called the reactionary wing of
the naval arm, rather suspected Mitchell sunk" the Ostfriesland with
some of the stuff left over from the sinking of the. U.S.S, Maine,
rather than wholly with bombs dropped from above. In fact, these
old salts never quite believed in air supremacy until Colin Kelly
sunk a Jap battleship with a direct hit down its smokestack.

It took 19 years for Mitchell’s reports of the sorry condition of the
nation’s outer rim defences in Hawaii and the Philippines to be justi-
fied. They were dumped in a barrel of “unapproved records” and
only rescued by a friend of Mitchell’s from the cellar of the Emory
Bldg, when the brass was moving to more grandiose, quarters.

It seems fantastic that anybody, could have got the bum’s rush
for advocating a Dept, of Defense with three separate divisions of
Army, Navy and Air Force, but that’s what'Mitchell wanted and was
sure the country needed. ‘

Sperling is going to center his picture around Mitchell’s court
martial, but of course will have to go back in the handsome pilot’s
career to make a case out for Cither side. Lavery, who is doing the
script, is one of Hollywood’s best and in thi^ field where political
implications run through the story he is well qualified, having once
been quite a figure, politically in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., and Beverly
Hills before he buckled down seriously to the job of make-believe.

Many have wanted to do this story for years. Only a year ago
John Wayne announced he was going to do it, but nothing came of
his intentions and the thing, died on the vine. Now it’s Cooper.

How character like Calvin Coolidge; and naval secretaries like
Denby and Wilbur, will be glossed over, I don’t know. They come
perilously close to heavies in the Mitchell story. Pershing, too,
doesn’t come out any too well.

Eddie Rickenbacker, Hap Arnold and a few others like Jim Martin,
the inventor, showed some vision and courage, but Martin got bilked
out of his patents “in the public interest” in wartime and never did
get them back.

Generally speaking, when Hollywood gives a dead hero the plush
treatment he comes out far more handsome than he was. This can<*
not possibly be true in Billy Mitchell’s case. There is no male star,
certainly none with a boxoffice draw, that could touch him in good
looks.

And what about heavies outside the .United States? What about
the Hon. G. Katsuda of the House of Peers, Tokyo, who viewed the
sinking of the battleship aboard the U.S.S. Henderson? He kept his
stopwatch on the proceedings.

In “Winged Defense” Michell says it took him four minutes to sink
the Ostfriesland but naval records insist his sneak bombs (bigger
than okayed by the Navy) took 2Q minutes to do it. Either ^way it
was an astonishing performance and attributed to “Mitchell luck,”
though actually he had sunk a German cruiser named the Frankfort
two days before in the open sea.

Where Japs Got Their Plan

The Hon. G. Katsuda had the Hon. G. Shibuta with him, a big-
shot in the Kobe C. of C., and between them they kept four cameras
busy catching the kraut craft as it staggered from Mitchell’s bomb
load, keeled over and asked for the keys to Davy Jones’ locker.

They wrapped their cameras in big silk handkerchiefs. Pushed
to comment, Hon. Katsuda said, “As a representative of the Emperor
I may say that Japan' will not forget your general’s scientific con-
tribution, to the art of warfare.”

There was a good deal of the fatheadedness of the “Charge of the
Light Brigade” about the way his superiors treated Mitchell. That
he made statements highly contemptuous and disrespectful of the
War Dept., as charged, there can be no doubt. It was not, however,
“all to . the prejudice of good order and military discipline.” With
a civilian head of the Armed Forces it would have been an easy
matter to straighten that out by heaving out the swivel chair generals
and admirals and moving up young blood that thought as Mitchell
did.

Eventually the country had to think that way, but the cost nearly
wrecked us as a nation, caught up as we eventually were with a
two-front war and forced to cotton to a Russia whose ideology and
economics we held suspect since 1917.

Even today we hear high authorities telling us our Air Force is
trailing the comrades. With the head start we had in the air as
early as 1911, that seems dreadful. Capt. Sherman of the carrier
Lexington, which was sunk in the battle of the Coral Sea, said no
offensive force could stop a determined air force.

That was Mitchell’s contention from the beginning and he was
court martialed and died defending it.

Warners, Sperling and Lavery deserve a lot of credit for attempt-
ing to make entertainment out of such a vital issue in all our live*.

CflATTKB

Wednesday, August 10, 1955

Broadway

The Skitch Hendersons (Faye
Emerson) bought a four-story and
studio dwelling at 245 East 61 St.
for personal occupancy.

Shepard Henkln, longtime P.r.
for Carter Hotels (Governor Clin-
ton in N.Y., etc.) shifting to Uni-
versal Match Corp., St. Louis, in
an exec capacity.

Waldorf-Astoria veepee and g.m.
Joseph P. Binns' daughter Ruth
Ann marrying James Cairns Aug.
27 in Carmel, Calif., and will re-
side in Palo Alto.

It’ll cost $15,000,000 to air-con-
dition the 21-year-old Rockefeller
Center to compete with the many
new air-conditioned office build-
ings on Madison and Park.

Bqultable Life has issued
$7,500,000 first mortgage on the
22-story Lowenstein (textiles) Bldg
at 1430 Broadway, Which recently
displaced the old Empire Theatre.

Ronald Wilfred Howling, man-
ager and member of The Cleff
Dwellers, singing group, filed • .
voluntary bankruptcy petition in
N. Y., listing $5,003 liabilities and
no assets.

Steve Carlin, who becomes ex-
ecutive veep of Lou Cowan Inc.
when Cowan joins CBS, and his
wife Peggy (“Voice of America”)
last week adopted a baby girl, aged
four months.

Bill Doll leaving today (Wed.)
for the Coast, where he’ll handle
national press work on “Plain and
Fancy” and pn the new Broadway-
'bound. Huntington Hartford play,
“A Day By the Sea.”

New Times Sq. landmark will be
the 15-story office building on
Broadway & 41st St., on the site of
the old Hermitage Hotel, which
realty investor Irving Maidman
has assembled to include the old
Stanley, Theatre.

47th St. Somerset Corp., bar-
cafe in the Hotel Somerset, once
a fave- vaude haunt because of
its nextdoor proximity to the Pal-
ace stagedoor, filed a voluntary
bankruptcy petition with $20,585
liabilities and assets of. $10,502.

Former LaRue’s, later the ill-
fated NinO’s LaRue on the 48th St.
side of 480 Park Ave., where many
in show biz have cooperative
apartments, becomes the new site
of LeValois Restaurant, formerly
on Madison near 61 St. For a time
the LaRue was mentioned as the
potential new site of. Yoison’s.
which is vacating its present site
because of the new. Park .Ave-
off ice building reconversion,

Lloyd Leipzig-Bob Rolontz bash.

Tele director Felix Jackson
hitched to Ilka Wlndisch Israels at
Robert Lantz’s home Saturday (6).

Joan McCracken’s new home in
Fire Island Pines, residential col-
ony being developed by Home
Guardian Co., on Ocean Walk in
the Fisherman’s Path section of
FI.

Frankfurt

By Hazel Guild

Billy Eckstine to tour during
August . through French Morocco
as part of 'the European, Armed
Forces Professional Entertainment
shows.

Columbia set to release “Bandi-
ten der Autobahn” (Bandits of
Superhighway), Which Arion Films
made, based on actual highway
robberies here.

“Desiree,” (20th) broke four
house records with its nine-week
run at the Alemannia here, and its
long-runs in Stuttgart, Nuremberg
and Wiesbaden.

Althoff Circus of Germany will
provide the backgrounds for the
new German-Dutch co-production
“Ciske,” to be filmed in Amster-
dam, in two versions.

(24 Rheinstrasse; 76751)

Hessischer Rundfunk (local ra-
dio) to carry “The Flying Dutch-
man” from the Bayreuth Muisic
Festival Aug. 15. On Aug. 17, it
will broadcast the world preem of
“Irish Legend,” the five-act: opera
by Werner Egk, conducted by
George Szell at the Salzburg Mo-
zart Festival.

Five films in various stages of
production at nearby Wiesbaden
studios include “Solange Du Lebst”
(So Long as You Live), for RKO
release, “Der Major und die
Stiere” (The Major and the Bulls),
Allianz; Gloria’s “Rosenmontag;”
Union’s “Familie Hesselbach in
Urlaub” (Family Hesselbach on
Vacation); and the German-Italiah-
French co-production, “Orient Ex-
press,” which Schorcht is releas-
ing here.

Paris

By Gene Moskowitz
(28 Rue Huchette; Odeon 49-44)

Agnes DeMille doing the shows
here before heading for the U.S.

“Salt of Earth” in 20th week
here at small arty house Studio
Ursulines.

Caryl Barrett selling her rights
in the optical French color process
Dugramacolor and heading for U.S.
to visit with her family..

Raymond ' Rouleau tailing time
out from theatre activities to star
in the film, “Feu Rouge”. (Red
Light), with Roul Andre directing.

Third newsreel in Cinepanora-
mic, French anamorphoscope proc-
ess, how on screens here and soon
may become the regular format for
them. »

Yves Jamiaque, actor turned
playwright, gets his second play
done next season at the Renais-
sance Theatre by the Jean Dar-
cante troupe. It is called “Les
Lingots Du Havre.”

Jose Kohn’s rugged Mexican pic,
“The Revolt of the Hanged,”
based on the B. Traven novel of
slave camps at the tum-of-the-
century, opening here. It is
pegged as the pic that shocked the
jury of the' last Venice Film Fest.

Among pic reissues for the sum-
mer months, as top films are kept
under wraps, are two Alfred Hitch-
pock films, “Rope” and “Notori-
ous,” “Stalag 17” (Par), Jean Re-
noir’s “La Bete Humaine,” “Gone
With The Wind,” (M-G), “Ni-
notchka” . (M-G) and “Animal
Crackers,” (Par).

after

San Francisco

By Bill Steif

Paris Sisters in demand
stint at Las Vegas Dunes.

Marguerite Shaw says her “Pa-
jama Game” tryout was “just like
a college final.”

Aussie singer Tony . Fontane
and his wife, Kerry Vaughn, ar-
rived from Sydney.

Harrison Starr named to direc-
torial staff of Jed Harris-Michael
Myerberg film, “Patterns.”

Ralph Gleason asked to take
part in. a Hollywood Bowl jazz
symposium together with Leonard
Bernstein, Andre Previn and
Leonard Feather.

D’Oyly Carte’s “Mikado” got a
high compliment at the Geary
here. Entire cast of “Pajama
Game,” next door at the Curran,
came over for the first matinee.

London

Ruben Ship’s “The Investi-
gator” is to be aired over the BBC
Home Service Aug. 24.

disorder. Medicos reported he
will be hospitalied for two. weeks.
He collapsed at a rehearsal for
Miss Roth,

Charles Coburn Inked for Bos-

Uort ton Summer Theatre opening Aug.

r 1 15 in “You Can’t Take It With

You ” Coburn, who is writing his
«,?cwr m w * fe ’ Wh ° is Sert " autobiog, "Life Begins at 60”. or
ously Hi there. “Through My Monocle,” did the

Burt Lancaster, now prepping same play at Marblehead Summer
“Trapeze” in Paris, is expected in Theatre for Lee Falk.

London for West -End preem of Bette Davis watched from the
“!|?he Kentuckian.” audience as the cast of “Two

Frank Lloyd due here Friday Fingers of Pride”' switched the
(12) for negotiations on his next singing of “Happy Birthday” from,
production, which will be a biopic an actress in the script to the star,
of a famous Briton. Gary Merrill, her husband, at the

Esther Williams' bringing her Ogunquit Playhouse, Ogunquit,
aquacade show to London next Me. It Was his 40th birthday.
June and will subsequently tour Frederick Vincent Bowers, who
Paris, Rome, Brussels and other made his first pro appearance at
European cities. B. F. Keith’s Bijou Theatre in

Jerome Whyte returned from 1893, visiting his brother, Carl, in
N. Y. last week to start casting on Dorchester. Vet vaudevillian has
“Pajama Game,” which is due to been living in Los Angeles 30
follow “Can-Can” at the Coliseum, years. Author of 500 songs and a
opening Oct. 13. charter member of ASCAP, he-

. Jerry Wayne, who first came to takes a few bookings while here.
London for a starring role in
“Guys and Dolls,” makes his Brit-
ish vaude gebut at the Chiswick
Empire this week*

Jeannie Carson' planning her re-
turn to N. Y. for a series of NBC
tv spectaculars, first of which will!

Manila

’By Vivencio B. Isaac
Chelo Alonzo, Cuban import,
big hit at the Bayslde nightclub.
. ... ,, . Frozen dollars of U. S. film com-

be aired Oct. 1, with Ezio Pinza, panies in the country now amounts
Dennis Day and Wally Cox. to $32,000,000;

Pandrp S. Berman, now in Lon- Due here Sept. 13. is ballet

don for two Metro production as- dancer Alexandra Danilova with a
signments, is to produce “The Re- sma n company,
luctant. Debutante,” current com- j ames E. Perkins, newly-pro-

edy hit at the Cambridge Theatre. m oted v.p. in charge of foreign
Mrs.t Max Williams, head of sa i e s df Paramount, visited Manila
Federation of Motion Picture branch for three -days with Floyd
Councils of America, here for a c . Henry, Paramount’s Far East
looksee, visited Pinewood Studios division manager,
and had talks with Arthur Wat- American ballerina Martha Gra-
kins, British film censor. ham and troupe of 26 dancers here

Herman M. Levy, general coun- in October as part of Far East tour
sel of Theatre Owners of America, being arranged by impresario
arrived here last weekend. While Charles Green, who is at the Same
here, he will attend provincial time arranging for a Ui S. tour Of
meetings of Cinematograph Ex- the Philippine Constabulary Band,
hibitors Assn. While in London,
the TOA rep will confab with CEA |
members and possibly talk with
administrators of the Eady Fund.

Passengers on the Mary for New
York which sailed last Thursday
(4), included Dr. Herbert Kalmus

.Vittorio Gassman planed in
from Rome.

-Elizabeth- Taylor hospitalized
with leg infection.

David A. Tipton in town after
UI homeoffice huddles.

Spyros Skouras in from N.Y. for
confabs with' Darryl F. Zanuck. :

Cornel Bgrchers planed to Lon-
don over the North Pole route.’.

Roscoe Karns resjiming his
screen career after five years on
tv.

Milton Eerie, Ricardo Montal-
ban and Ozzie Nelson in from
N. Y. "

Loretta Young recuperating at
home after more than three months
in hospital.

Los Angeles Tent, Variety 'Clubs
International, tossed testimonial
luncheon for Herbert A. Bell.

Film workers took a drop in
their' average weekly wages in
June, cuttiilg to $127.25, or $2.52
under the. average for May and
$3.13 below the big $130.38 regis-
tered in June, 1954.

Las Vegas

' By Ramsay Ames ;

( Castellano, Hilton; 37-22-00 )

Wi im^uucu ,vau,,u fl . Ava Gardner still hunting, for a

and Robert Riley, chairman and house m

veepee of Technicolor; John C. _ r Recent openings on the Gran
Maxwell, veepee of Knott Hotels; JJ a: .

William R. McAndrew,. NBC’s Fair Wind to .. .

news director and Robert McCor- Mariemma and company big at

mick, the net’s correspondent in San Sebasitians Teatro Victoria
Washington. Eugenia, the same theatre where

° she performed July 29.

“Vera Cruz” (UA) in its 10th
Week at the Teatro Lope de Vega.
„ .. Same company’s “Sitting Bull” is

_ . By Joe W, Walker in j^ s third round at the Rpal

Ralph Hackney, operator of big cinema,
uptown sea food house, host to Mike .Frankovitch in town, and
Press Club Saturday (6). - Mike Todd expected soon to prfc-

Harris Ice Capades in Conven- pare his “Around World in Eighty

Monday Days » wit u David N i ven and Can-

(8) for . area Boy Scouts. tinflas, in the new Todd A-O proc-
Ralph Flanagan orch back at ess ’

Steel pier for second time this sea- starting in September, three

Cape Cod

By Earl J. Bias

Billie Burke starring in “Mother
Was a Bachelor” at Dennis.

Ezio Pinza on the Cape for a
week’s vacation from “Fanny.” .

Ethel Waters in to do “Member
of the Wedding” at . Somerset,
Mass.

John Cecil Holm has completed
new play at his North Chatham
home.

Jeffrey Lynn starring in “Caine
Mutiny Court Martial” at Fal-
mouth.

Dr. Bergen Evans, of tv’s “Down
You Go,” relaxing on Martha’s
Vineyard.

Walter Haggerty has taken over
press duties at Cape Cod Melody
Tent, Hyannis.

Premiere of Arthur Miller’s new
duel -. bill, “A View from the
Bridge,” originally scheduled for
Aug. 22 at Falmouth Playhouse,
has been put back a week to Aug.
29.

Claudette Colbert at Falmouth
rehearsing for the new Arthur
Kober-George Oppenheimer play,
“A Mighty Man Is He,” scheduled
for Aug. 15.

ist, hurt after bad fall- early in
I season, out of hospital.

Murphy sisters into Erin Club
Monday> (8).

Tish brothers, Traymore hotel
operators, showing model of new

son, starting Friday (12). Fontane
Sisters head the vaudeville.

repertory companies will act suc-
cessively at the Teatro Maria

Bob Atterbury, Steel pier aerial- Guerrero; those of Conchita Mon-

tes, Alberto Closas and Ismael
Merlo

President Ramon Magsaysay
and - First Lady attended gala
preem of “Interrupted. Melo.dy r
t A , (M-G) marking reopening of

$12 OOO.OOQ . Miami Americana in Metro’s remodelled first-run house,

lobby here. This luxury hotel will the Ideal

be added to the chain late in 1956. The Stanley Kramers dye in

Steel Pier operator George S00 n. Kramer’s “The Pride and

Hamid presented $5,000 check to the Passion” is due to roll April
Tom Park, winner of 26-mile 15 with Cary Grant and Frank
round the Island swim. Event Sinatra. They expect to cast

started and finished at the pier’s femme leads, in Europe.

en £* ' “No Place To Hide,” made by

Cast of “The Burglar,” picture Hollywood’s Josef Schafter and
being filmed on Absecon Island company here with two local big
and in Philadelphia, welcomed to companies, LVN and Lebran, will
area and Longport, resort suburb, have gala preem at Life, with si-
by officials Sunday (7). The pic- multaneous runs at Lyric and Life,
ture company crew Will live in The zarzuela (light opera) com-

Longport for 10 days as shots are pany . of Faustino Garcia, on

made at various spots on the lengthy tour of Latin America,

island.

currently is pulling them, in at
Lima, Peru’s Teatro Municipal
Where presenting Maestro Tor-
roba’s “Maria Manuela.”

Fire Island

By Mike Gross

Joel Hammil whipped out a
script for “Studio One.”

John* Roeburt conducting a
scripting seminar for the juves.

Julius LaRosa houseguesting at
Lee Cooley’s Fire Island Pines
shack,

Frank Loesser heading for the
Island when he goes L.A. to N.Y.
later this month.

John La Touche and Sam Locke
middling on their upcoming musi-
cal entry, “Delilah.”

Comic John Mheyers auditioned
his new act at the George Millers-

By Jerry Gaghan

Jack Fields, back operating Blue
Note, after hospital siege.

Nanette Fabray in Einstein Medi-
cal Center last week, for minor
surgery.

Don Nicholas, bandleader; Jesse
O. Rogers, cowboy star, and Wil-
liam N. Tesone elected to ASCAP.

After windup at Pep’s, Chris
Powell and Blue Flames work
seven weeks in Reno and Las
Vegas.

James Michener planning sup-
per club as an addition to his re-
cently opened resort, the Foun-
tainhead.

Cleveland

By Glenn C. Pullen

Musicarnival now doing “Briga-

By Guy Livingston •

Chirp Lyne Kerval current at
Robin Hood’s Ten Acres.

Don Cornell current at The
Bowery, Salisbury Beach.

Lou Klayman of Mercury Rec- doon.”
ords visiting Hub disk people. Ralph Yoyng, Decca singer, here

Hub thrush Helen Hush current to plug his waxed “Man From
at Brunswick Hotel, Old Orchard Laramie” in tieup with RKO Pal-
Beach, Me. ace playing pic.

20th-Fox rented an office wharf Norm Geller-Kitty Kaye orch
and lobster shack at Boothbay restoring dance music to Vogue
Harbor, Me. in preparation for Room, which kept bandstand dark
filming of Carousel.” nearly two months.

Lee Falk signed Shelly Winters Theodore Bloomfield in for
for one week beginning Aug. 22 at short vacation with relatives be-
lli?. Boston Summer Theatre for fore heading west to guest-conduct
Wedding Breakfast.” Portland (Ore.) symphony orch.

Arnold Van Lear, Paramount Jack Essick, theatre operator,
P5 e ?.? r ,l’ e P* world preem and John L. March promoting an
The Girl Rush, skedded for airline “Disneyland” tour to West
Wat.erbury, Conn., Aug. 18-19. A Coast for Clevelaliders, starting
private club car will transport Hub Aug. 15.

fiim crix to Waterbury on July 18 Paul Rodgers, from California’s
and 'hack on July 19. " Laguna Beach Theatre, replacing

« Bui t Maguire, husband of Lil- William McCreary as playhouse’s
nan Roth eurreht at Bradford scenic designer next month. Mc-
’ J* us ’ ie . i 0 Beth Israel Hos- Creary turned gentleman-farmer at
pital here with a severe stomach Chautauqua, N, Y,

By Bill Willard

Howard Keel looking over the
Dunes for. his November date.

Lena Horne heads upcoming edi-
tion of “Ziegfeld Follies” at the
Sands.

- Pearl Bailey on deck to follow
Gisele MacKenzie at the Flamingo
Aug, 25.

Dinah Washington tp follow
Lionel Hampton at the Moulin
Rouge Aug. 30.

< Tony Comero’s death plus labor
strike halts' construction of Star-
dust, with -Labor Day opening now
impossible. .

Hal Braudisv of the Thunderbird
will toss some late-hour jazz ses-
sions : or. ' concerts during Sauter-
Finegan stay.

1 Riviera’s new bosses, headed by
Gus . Greenbaum, ex-Flamingo
chief, hope to have Kathryn Gray-
son follow Spike Jones Aug. 31*

Billy: Eckstine skirts the Sands
this time around to fill open La-
bor Day s]pot held by Dorothy Dan*
dridge who bows out for pic assign-
ment. V.

‘ Billy Daniel hands choreography
reins over to Barry Ashton* in
three weeks when he exists El
Rancho. Ye£ a s f°r film chores in
Germany.' .

Alfred Apaka combo in Royal
Nevada “Pineapple Room” cheered
by industrialist Henry J. .Kaiser
headingra Tahoe group a couple of
days each week.

By Les Rees

Edyth Bush Little Theatre pre-
sented “What a Life.”

Old Log strawhatter offering
“The Deep Blue Sea.”

Illinois Jacquet and his band in
Flame nitery second week.

Chanieuse Hildegarde continuing
at Hotel Radisson Flame Room. *
Minnesota U. Theatre to take
“My -Three Angels” on three-month
upper. midwest tour next winter.

Max Gendel here ahead of
“Soljd Gold Cadillac” which opens
legit season at Lyceum next week.

Irma . Lozano, “Aqua Follies’*
star, out of show one night because
of injury sustained during her
diving act.

Henry Ringling North here ahead
of Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey
circus to , check on advance sale.
Show played two days in Minne-
apolis and one in St. Paul this
week.

“Berlin

By Hans Hoehn ,

( Lichterfelde WV Tulpenstr. 9a;

76-02-64)

Rita Paul, who recently returned
from Hollywood, given a role in
Meiqdie’s “My Leopold.”

Paul Gordon, head of Europa-
e is che Television Gosellschaft,
showed local press some, of his lat-
est telepix, Including “Rainbow
After the Rain.” -

“East of Eden” (WB) declared
“valuable” by West German film
classification board. The Ger-
man films “The Rats” and “20th of
July” got the same rating.

The Berlin Philharmonic will
give 69 concerts' during the coming
season. In all, 26 conductors are
on the list. Herbert Von Karajan
is skedded to conduct five different
programs. ~

Production costs of “Lola Mon-
ez,” Franco-German coproduction
in Cinemascope, reportedly have
grown to $2,000,000. Max Ophuls
is directing this in Munich with
Martine Carol in title role..

Melodie-Film, in cooperation
with an Italian outfit, is planning
a musical with songs and' singers
from all over the world. Film, ten-
tatively titled “Songs From the
Whole World,” 1$ to cover the pe-
riod from 1900 up to the present.

Wednesday, Angtist 10, 1955

CARMEN MIRANDA

Carmen Miranda, 41, Brazilian
singing and dancing star, died o£
a heart attack Aug. 5 at her "home
In Beverly Hills a few hours after
she had appeared on a television
show. Following her tv perform-
ance with Jimmy, Durante, there
was an impromptu** party in her
home which lasted until 3 a.m.
'When the guests had departed
Miss Miranda collapsed. She died
before the arrival of a physician,
called by her husband, film pro-
ducer David Sebastian. She had
recently been under treatment for
bronchitis following her return
from an engagement > at the Tropi-
cana Club in Havana.

Born in Portugal, Mi$s Miranda
was taken to Brazil at age of three
months. She was educated in the
Convent of Saint Teresinha in Rio

de Janeiro but never had any for-
mal training for her explosive
. style of acting.

Her first motion picture was
“Down Argentine Way” in 1941.
More recently she appeared in
such films as "Copacabana,”
“Nancy Goes to Rio” and “If I’m
Lucky” Her last appearance on
the screen was in “Scared Stiff,”
in which she costarred with Dean
Martin and Jerry Lewis. In recent
years most of her engagements
were confined to night clubs and
guest appearances in television
shows.

Miss Miranda was bom Maria da
Carmo da- Cunha in February,
1914. Her mother, Maria Amelia
J Miranda da Cunha, was in the

Beverly Hills home at the. time of
the tragedy. Additional survivors
are two brothers, Mario and Oscar,
and two sisters, Aurora and Ce-
cilia. Aurora adopted the name of
Miranda and achieved note as a
singer. She is now Mrs.' Gabriel]
Richaid.

GRACE HARTMAN

Mrs. Grace. Barrett Hartman
Abbott, 48, who was partnered for
years- with her former husband,
Paul Hartman, as a top dance team, I
died Aug. 8 Of cancer at her home I
in Van Niiys, Cal. The Hartmans |
were divorced in 1950 after 28
years of marriage during which
time they worked themselves up
into a class nitery attraction. .

Following her divorce from Hart-
man, Grace married Norman Ab-
bott; a television director. In re-
cent years, she had done guestings

Nathan Abrahams

August 9, 1953

In loving memory of my dearest
husband. Sadly missed by wife

Frances

Yahrzeit Aug. 16, 1953

on tv, including the “Colgate Com-
edy Hour” and the Danny. Thomas
show..

She met Paul Hartman when
she was appearing in the ballet
line of 'a comic Opera company,
headed by Paul’s father, Ferris
Luce Hartman. They, were mar-
ried while still in their teens.
Soon after their marriage they be-
gan operating as a terp team.

The couple made an extensive
foreign tour that ran from 1925 to
1929, when they returned to the-
U.S. Originally the act was played
straight, but bits of comedy were
gradually added until they finally
hit upon the idea of • burlesquing
ballroom dancers, It was this act
that put them into the limelight.

Besides playing thie top hotels
and niteries in the U.S. and abroad,
the Hartmans also appeared in sev-
eral Broadway productions, includ-.
ing “Red, Hot and Blue,” “You
Never Know,” “Angel in the
Wings” and “Tickets Please.’’
Their son, Ted Luce, a tv writer,
contributed material to the last
two offerings. The Hartmans also
appeared in the film, “Sunny.”

. suzaN ball

Suzan Ball, 22, screen actress,
died Aug. 5, in Beverly Hills after
a long fight against cancer.* She
had recently been released from
the City of Hope Medical . Center
where she had undergone -25 days
of diagnostic study.

Born in Buffalo* Miss Ball came
to California at the age of 12 and
was signed by Universal-Interna-
tional in 1951. Her first prominent
role was in “East of Sumatra” in
1952, and it was in this picture
that .her troubles began.

During a dance routine she in-
jured her right. knee which later,
developed into cancer and caused
the amputation of her leg. Un-
daunted, Miss Ball learned the use
of an artificial leg and continued
her career until the cancer grew
out of control.

She was married on April 11,
1954, to actor Dick Long, who sur-
vives.

— f

JANET BEECHER
Janet Beecher, 69, actress, died
Aug. 6 in Washington, C6nn., at
the home of her sister, Mrs. Harry
Glaze, who’s also an actress, pro-
fessionally known as Olive Wynd-
hara. Miss Beecher, who made
her' last Broadway stage appear-
ance in “The Late George Apley”
in 1944, first appeared on the stage
in 1904 in a walk-on during a revi-,
val of “Two Orphans.’.’

The following year she had her
first speaking role in “Education
of Mr. Pipp” in Utica, N.Y. She
later appeared in such productions

as “The Concert,” “Great Adven-
ture,” “Believe Me, Xantippe,"
“Call the Doctor.” “A Bill of Di-
vorcement,” and in the British pro-
duction of “Widow’s Might” in
1931. • , •

In 1932, Miss Beecher made the
first of a number of Hollywood pix.
She continued to appear in films
until 1944 when she returned r to
Broadway for “Slightly Scandal-
ous,” which had a Short run, And
then went into “Apley.”

She, was married and divorced
twice. ' Surviving, besides her ‘ sis-
ter, is a son from her second mar-
riage.

MADGE ELLIOTT

Madge Elliott, 59, English actress
and dancer, died Aug. 8 in New
York. Born in London and edu-
cated In Australia, she, made her
stage debut in a ballet which was
part of the Melba Grand Opera
season at Sydney in 1912.

" In 1925, Miss Elliott returned to
England to make her initial ap-
pearance at the London Hippo-
drome in “Better Days.” She sub-
sequently played leading musical
comedy parts in that country until
1932, when she returned to Aus-
tralia.

MisS Elliott, who was co-starred
in numerous productions with her
husband, actor Cyril Ritchard,
came to New York Nvith him to
play in.the Theatre Guild produc-
tion of the comedy, “The Relapse,”
at the MOrosco . Theatre, in 1950,
staged by Ritchard^ She had also
appeared in Noel Coward plays

In Memory of My Beloved Friend

ADIA KUZNETZOFF

Di.d August 10, 1954

LEON BELASCO

: . •

with him, and more recently had
done television work.

Her husband survives.

NICHOLAS WREDEN
Nicholas Wreden, 53, vice-presi-
dent and director of Little, Brown
& Co., Boston book publishers,
died Aug. 6 of pneumonia in Law-
rence, Mass. A native of Russia,
he came to this country in 1920 and
since being naturalized in 1926 had
been associated with the literary
field as author, editor, translator.

[salesman and publishing exec.
Before joining . Little, Brown in
Jupe, 1954, as effdor-in-chief, and
later becoming a veepee and direc-
tor, Wheden had held the same
posts with E. P. Dutton & Co.,
since 1944.

A member of The Players and
The Publishers Lunch Club in New
York, he had served two terms
as president and one term as treas-
urer of the American Booksellers
Assn.

Surviving are his wife, two sons,
a daughter and two sons add a
daughter by a; previous marriage.

ELBERT V. BRINCKERHOFF

Elbert V. Brinckerhoff, 56, ad-
vertising exec in New Orleans and
founder of General Sound Inc. in
New York, died July 23 in New
Orleans,

After moving to New Orleans in
] 1945 he formed, the E. V. Brinck-
erhoff Agency and Brinckerhoff
; Productions, Inc., with the agency
1 becoming .a partnership known as
[the Brinckerhoff & Williams
Agency in May of this year. Prior
to that he had been originator and
president of General Sound, which
for over eight years produced and
placed New York radio dramas
and commercial transcriptions.

Surviving are his wife and a
daughter.

Josiah S. Kennison, 88, Vermont
native and singer of old folksongs,
died recently in Granville, N.Y.
He aided in compiling “Vermont
Folk Songs and Ballads.”

SAM COLLIER MAJOR

Sam Collier Major, 74, actor,
died July 31 in Houston; He was a
leading man in productions at the
old Palace Theatre, Houston, and
had toured extensively - in the
U.S.

In 1927, he was director of the
Gene Lewis Players at the Palace,
located in what is now the Hous-
ton Chronicle Bldg. Among per-
formers working under his direc-
tion then- was Clark Gable. Col-
leen Moore, a silent film star,- was
Major’s daughter.

During World War II, Major
worked in Hollywood, but later
returned to*Houston. *

MARSHALL WALLACE

Marshall Wallace, 22, newsreel
cameraman for Television News
Service of New York, was killed
Aug. 4 when the plane from which
he was taking background shots
of Ciudad Trujillo, Dominican
Republic, for the documentary
show, “Mr. Executive,” crashed and
burned. Michael Shrayer, who
was also on the assignment with
Wallace, suffered severe bums and
was hospitalized. Another phase
of their' schedule was to film an
interview with Dominican presi-
dent Rafael Leonidas Trujillo.

Wallace is survived by his
mother and father.

WILLIAM J. CAMERON
William J. CAmeron, 76, for
eight years the speaker on the na-
tionally broadcast. Ford Evening
Hour, died at his Oakland, Calif.,
home Aug. 1. He became' a Pres-
byterian minister at the age of 19,
later joined Detroit News as re-
porter and editorial. writer. In
1918, CAmeron became associated
with the Ford organization's edi-
tor of The Dearborn Independent.

He retired as Ford spokesman in
1944 and returned to his original
calling as assistant pastor of an
Oakland church ‘six years ago.

, Survived by his widow, a son
and two daughters.

RICHARD L. STROBRIDGE
Richard L. Strobridge, 69, ad-
vertising man for 39 years and one?
of the founders of the Newell-
Emmett ad agency, died Aug. 7 in
South Egremont, Mass, He was
secretary of Newell-Emmett* since
its inception in 1919, and in 1949,
when the firm was incorporated as.
Cunningham & Walsh Inc., he.
retained his’ position as secretary
and becajne a director. Strobridge
originally began his career in 1916
with Frank Seaman Inc., in New
York.

Surviving are his wife, a daugh-
ter and two sisters.

COENRAAD BOS

Coenraad V. Bos, 79, piano ac-
companist, died Aug. 5 in Chap-
paqua, N.Y. He had been accom-
panist for Marcella Sembrich,
Ernestine Schumann-Heink, Frieda
Hempel, Rose Brampton, Helen
Traubel, Mack Harrell, Karin
Branzell and Nell Rankin. He also
accompanied Pablo Sarasate, Eu-
gene Ysaye, Joseph Joachim and
Fritz Kreisler.

Bos also coached singers. Two
of his pupils were daughters Of
Presidents. They were Margaret
Wilson and Margaret Truman.

Wife and two daughters survive.

ALICE LEE EDWARDS
Alice Lee Edwards, actress and
teacher at the Peterborough Play-
ers summer theatre in Peterbor-

IN MEMORIAM

Lillian Small

We Mourn thai "Passing Jof
Our Beloved President end Friend

JACOB S. BERKSON

Your Contribution to Mankind Will Live on Forever, and Our
Association Will Not Easily Be Forgotten.

Scfeencraft Pictures Inc.

ough, N. H., for the past 17 years,
and scheduled* to appear there
this season, died recently in New
York.

Miss Edwards, a native of- Ohio,
made her last Broadway appear-
ance in “The Pony Cart” last win-
ter, At one time she was an in-
structor at the Theatre Wing in
New York,. . She also appeared in
the Rodgegs-Hammerstein show,
“The Happy Time.”

GEORGE HENRY CARON
George Henry Caron, 58, man-
ager of the Scenic Theatre in
Keene, N.H,, died in that city July
30. He was a native of Ware,
Mass., and managed the Strand :
Theatre , in Fitchburg, Mass!, be-
fore moving to Keene 30 years ago.
Caron, also a pianist, had played
with various orchestras in the
Keene area.

Survivors include widow, one
brother and a sister.

WILLIAM SMITH
William Smith, 87, who with Jiis
brothers, John and Robert, built
the old Wellston Theatre, St. Louis
County, died July 26. The Smiths
operated the theatre until 1926,
when they sold it. Previously they
had engaged, in moving exhibits to '
the Louisiana Purchase Exposition
in. St. Louis in 1904. In addition
to his brothers. Smith is survived
by his widow.

Jerry Scherr, 23, publicist and
former sportscaster, was killed
Aug. 1 in a two-car collision near
Mojave, Cal. Remains were sent
to Baltimore for interment.

Jean Leonard, 60, piano teacher
and former radio personality for
25 years, died Aug. 4 of a heart
attack in. Los Angeles. His wife and
a stepson survive.

Father James S, Garahan, 60,
longtime chaplain of the Variety
Club in Pittsburgh, died at the
Mercy Hospital in that city Aug. 3
after a long illness.

MARRIAGES

Sheree North, to John (Bud)
Freeman, just revealed as secretly
married in Arizona last Feb. 20.
Bride, is film actress; he's a music
publisher.

, Marcelle Cuillery to Hernando
Courtright, July 27, Beverly Hills.
He’s prez and managing director of
the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Abby Weitman to Russell H.
Karp, New Rochelle, N. Y., Aug. 7.
Bride, the daughter of American
Broadcasting - Paramount Theatres
viceprexy Robert W. Weitman, is a
United Artists publicist. Groom’s
with the Jaffe & Stern law firm.

Natalie Blank, to Hy Hoffman,
New York, Aug. 6, Bride is Sol
Schreiber’s secretary at Metro.

ERWIN CARL
Erwin Carl, 47, owner and opera-
tor of the Orchid Lounge, a west
end bistro, died Aug. 2 after col-
lapsing in the spot several hours
earlier. Previously to opehjng the
spot three , years ago; Carl operated
the downtown Carl’s Cocktail
Lounge' with his brother. Max,
Surviving are his wife, • two
brothers and tw.o sisters.. •

ROBERT ZELENS
. Robert Zelens, 35, radio-tv direc-
tor of Erwin, Wasey’s Chicago of-
fice, was killed in the crash of the
American Airlines plane last week
near Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo. He
joined the Erwin, Wasey agency in.
September, 1954 after several years'
with Ewell & Thurber.

Survived, by wife and infant
daughter.

,C. l. McCarthy
- C. L, McCarthy,. 56, Frisco radio
vet, died Aug. 7 in Frisco. In re-
cent years he had financial inter-
ests in several stations. "■

He was briefly manager of KFI,
L. A., before" moving to Frisco,
where he held ABC, NBC and CBS
exec posts.

SIDNEY DAVIS
Sidney. Davis, 55, Columbia
studio personnel chief, died Aug.
5 in* Hollywood after a brief ill-
ness. He had been at the studio
for 20 years, being upped to per-
sonnel head two years ago.

He leaves his widow and two
daughters.

RAY J. KENYON
Ray J. Kenyon, 35, pianist and
arranger, died Aug. 1 in Chicago.
Kenyon died , of a skull fracture
sustained In a beating at the hands
of two motorists with, whom he had
had a traffic argument.

, His wife and daughter survive.

, Thomas L. S. Crowell, 76, retired
Boston theatrical ticket agent, died
in Hyannis, Mass., Aug. 5, after a
short illness. He was a ticket
agent at the Wilbur, the Copley,
Loew’s Orpheum, Boston Opera
House and Fenway Park, retiring
in 1952. He made his home in
West Harwich, JViass. after retire-
ment.

J. Woodrow Magnusen, 41, staff
announcer for radio station WEBR,
•Buffalo, and a broadcaster 'for the
past 20 years, died of a heart at-
tack in Buffalo. In addition to
sustaining broadcasts he had been
handling the Sunday Children’s
Hour over that station for the past
four years.

Harry Finkel, 82, Pittsburgh film
pioneer and the father of Bill, Mor-
ris and Abe Finkel, exhibs in that
city, and grandfather of Bob Fin-
kel, NBC-TV director in Holly-
wood, died Aug. 4 at his Pitt home
after a long illness.

Mrs. Frank Chick, 55, known as
Chicklets, of the act of Chick &
Chicklets, died of cancer in Comp-
ton, Cal., July 21. Comedy bicycle
and unicycle team was a Keith act
for years.

Tony Bassett, '70, who’s real
name was Albert Anthony Bassett,
a vet film actor and vaudevillian,
died Aug. 4 in Hollywood.

Widow survives.

Mrs. Flora Coan Bassett, former
pianist, died Aug. 2 in Harrison,
N.Y. Surviving are two sisters.

BIRTHS

Mr, and Mrs. Roy Smith, son,
Blackpool, Ehg., July ’15. He’s
leader of harmony group, the Five
Smith Bros. „

Mr. and Mrs. Rummy Bishop,
son, Pittsburgh, Aug. 1. Father’s
a nitery comic, mother a former
dancer.

Mr. and Mrs. Dave Smith, son,
Pittsburgh, July 31. Father man-
ages the Shadyside Theatre.

Mr.'and Mr$. Henry Kaiser, son,
Pittsburgh, July 30. Father’s an
engineer at WWSW.

Mr and Mrs. Jerry Land, son,
Pittsburgh, July 3. Father’s on
WCAE staff.

Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Bole, daugh-
ter, Glendale, Cal., Aug. 2. Father
is a member of the 20th-Fox legal
staff;

Mr. and Mrs. John Cannon, son.
New York, June 7. Father’s a ra-
dio-tv announcer.

Mr. and Mrs. Albert Abramson,
daughter, Hollywood, Aug. *4. Fa-
ther is a CBS-TV engineer. *

Mr. and Mrs. Amram Nowak,
daughter, Philadelphia, Aug. 4.
Father is in WCAU-TV production
department.

Mr. and Mrs. Lee Cagan, daugh-
ter, N.Y;, Aug. 5. Father is exeq at
Italian Films' : Export; mother is
flacker Sylvia Mussal.

Variety Bills

Continued from page 52

MIAMI-M1AMI BEACH

Clover crop

Herb Lynn.
Novelaires
Vera Roberts
Nino Nazarro
Tony Lopez Ore
Sans Soucl Hofei
Joey Bishop
Freddy Calo Ore
Arin Herman Orrs
Bombay Hotel
Phil Brito
Ava Williams
Peter Mack

Fontainebleau
Davis St Reece
Betty Madlgan
Sacasas Ore
Balmoral Hotel
Enrlca ' St Novello
Sonny Kendls Ore
Wayne Carmichael
Nautilus Hotel
Antone & Ina
Grade Barrie
Larry K. Nixon
Syd Stanley Ore
5 O'clock
Tommy Raft
H. S. .Gump
Parisian Rev
empress Hotel
Stuart & Samara
"Mandy Campo Oro
Jack Kerr

Club Calvert
Laverne Baker
Pat Ross
Goldfield Ore
Saxony Hotel
Alan Dean .

Fay DeWitt
Ayne Barnett Ore
JobUny Silvers Oro
Sea Isle Hotel
S Hoffman Ore
Patsy Abbott
500 Club
Preacher Rollo 5
Sid Kamen

Vanity Fair
Pat Morrisey
Sammy Walsh
Mandy Vlzoso Ore
Vince Neist 3
Sorrento Hotel.
Alan Hole Ore

Johnina Hotel

Bill Harris Quintet
Bob Savage Trio
Roney Plaza
Juan St Jose Cortex
Ore

Beachcomber
Billy Daniels
Benny Payne
Buddy Lester
Novelltes (3) '
Rivleras (2) '

Len Dawson Orch

HAVANA

Troplcane

Rosita Fornes
Armando Bianchl
Henry Boyer
Leonela Gonzalez
Raul Diaz
Gladys Robau
Troplcana Ballet
S de Espana Orq

S Suarez Orq
A Romeu Orq
Montmartre
Los Chavales
Trlni Reyes
JVliettc St Sandor
Ivette dela Fuente
Casino Playa Orq
Fajardo Orq

RENO

Mapes Skyroom
Chico, Harpo' Marx
Lois Ray
Ann Weldon
Skylets

Eddie Fitzpatrick
New Golden
Royal Guards'

Jay Lawrence
D. Kramer Dcrs.
WUI Osborne Oro
Riverside

Marguerite Piazza
Gloria St .Taro York
Starlets (8)

Bill Clifford Ore

LAKE TAHOE

Bal Tabarln

Dick Contino
Jackie Kannon
Kirby Stone
Helene Hughes dcrs
Dick Foy ore

Blltmore

Dorothy Dandrldge
Billy WUllams 4
Donn Ardon Dcrs
Del Courtney Ore

Cal-Neva

Tallulah Bankhead
Guy Cherney
Wonder St Banks
Don Dellalr

Cal Nevettes
Matty Malneck Ore
Colonial
Halfbacks

Harrahs Club
Three Suns
Russ Byrd
Alvino Rey

Stateline
Jack Carson
Wilder Bros
AUcn St DeWood
Stutellne Girls
Sterling Young Ore
Wagon Wheel
Ink Spots
Eastman Trio •

Wednesday, August 10, 1955

The

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Musical Director

HARRY GELLER

205 St af ions

• m •

205 Reasons

why the AMES BROS. SHOW
is TOP viewing throughout
the nation!

AMES PROS. SHOW
15 Mins,

NEHI BOTTLERS *

( BBD&O )

Having scored on wax with sev-
eral hit records, the Ames Bros,
are now giving tv a whirl. A large
segment of the quartet's following
will swing over to the- visual me-
dium to orb the boys in action.
Program follows the pattern of a
fan mag feature, with highlight
from the group's career providing
the story material . . . it’s a neat
public relations ' job, with the
Ames boys getting a wholesome
buildup that should ingratiate
them with the parents of their
large teenage following.

Direction

Exclusively RCA VICTOR Records

Public Relations: SAUL RICHMAN

Personal Management

BILL FICKS

VOL. 199 No. 11

Published Weekly at 154 West 46th Street* New York 36, N. Y.» by Variety* Inc. Annual subscription, tlO, Single Copies, 25 cents
Entered as second-clasi matter December 22, 1005* at the Post Office at New York* N- Y.» under the. act of March 3, 1879.

NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 1955

PRICE 25 CENTS

‘Let’s Take a Trip’ to Russia?

If the Soviet Union gives the nod, CBS-TV will takes its “Let's
’ Take A Trip" program to Moscow to film a show behind the Iron
Curtain. If the nod is given, it’ll be the first filming of a tv show
: within the Soviet Union. .

* Irving Gitlin, director of CBS-TV Public Affairs programming,
revealed to Variety last week that overtures were being made .on
behalf of the “Trip” educational kidshow. The program has been

. temporarily scrapped, but is being, reactivated anil is definitely set

• for the new fall schedule, preeming with a full hour pickup of
' the World Boy Scout J&mbofee from Canada Aug. 21. Paul Levi-
tan, CBS-TV Public Affairs producer* will handle the Jamboree
for both radio and tv.

ins.* Expressway, From Hartford

Hartford, Aug. 16. ■»

. With a stated capacity of 2,250
automobiles, the world’s largest
drive-in theatre, the Meadows,
opened here last Week (10), the
28th ozoner under the banner of
the Smith Management Co. of
Boston. Park immediately became
an imponderable X in local exhibi-
tion competition.

Impact of the Meadows first run
policy will be felt very strongly by
the Hartford hardtop first run
houses and also by the other open
air theatres of the area. Drive-ins
here have been playing second run
fare or first runs unwanted by the
downtown houses. None of the
houses, either ; the hardtops or the
ozoiiers, can offer the rental per-
centage returns for films that the
Meadows is capable of. Hartford’s
largest downtown house seats
3,006.

At capacity, the Meadows can
play to 5,500 persons (based on the
figures of 2.5 persons per car the
heaviest days of the week). An ad-
ditional 200 car capacity will be
made available later in the season,
says the Smith Mgt. Co, This will
"give the park an additional capac-
ity of some 500.

With one local drive-in already in
receivership, the Meadows is ex-
pected to expose some of the
Others to bumpy going. Most have
already experienced a slower sea- .

' (Continued on page 61)

Another Vegas Act Gets
f Cox Treatment’; Trio Is
Banished to Parking Lot

Las Vegas, Aug. 16.

Another Vegas act got “The Wal-
ly Cox Treatment” from a resent
hotel last week (9). The local
American Federation of Musicians
rep doused the dispute — bur, not
until after the entertainers in-
volved were ordered by the inn’s
management to play out the con-
tract in the spa's parking lot.

Case involved John Cashen,
owner o£,the new Aqua Hotel, and
the Dave Rodgers Trio. Op said
he repeatedly requested the musi-
cal combo to adhere to the hotel’s

(Continued on page 61) 1

i - t

A Dame’s a Dame to a P.A.

San Francisco, Aug. 16.

Flack Ed Devere of the Oakland
El Bey Theatre, ; longtime bur-
lesque house, can safely claim to
have run the full gamut in his
chosen profession.

For four years Devere was
pressagent for busty stripper
Tempest Storm, whose nVeasure-
ments are of classic proportions.
Last week Devere announced he
no longer^ handled Miss Storm.
Instead, he -has signed as personal
manager to. Tamara Rees, 3P-year-
old resident of Sacramento, whose
transformation from a husky male
paratrooper to a coquettish young
lady was recently accomplished
by surgery.

“A dame’s a dame,” says De-
vere. “I hope to make Tamara a
big name on the' strip circuit.”

A Critics’ Smash,

George M. Cohan as Symbol of B way

"Desperate Hours,” a unanimous-
rave entry of last season, crossed
up the critics by folding in the red
last week. Although the Joseph
Hayes drama was actually in the
black several weeks ago, subse-
quent operating losses wiped out
the paper profit and the melo-
drama ; closed last Saturday night
(13) with an approximate $15,000
deficit on its $110,000 investment.
It had a 212-performance run at
the Barrymore, N.Y.

Despite the enthusiastic critical
reception and the fact that pro-
ducers Hayes and Howard Erskine
spent at least the normal amount
for advertising and promotion, the
show never really caught on and
never had a solid sellout week.
Because of the heavy production
setup, it earned only moderate
Operating profit, but attendance
(Continued on page 69) 1

By JESSE GROSS

Legit is having its best summer
in recent years. That applies, to
both Broadway and the road (but
excludes stock, which is also re-
portedly doing well). It bears out
predictions by Variety last spring.

The upbeat is indicated not only
by the hefty gross totals in New
York and on tour, but by the un-
usual number of shows able to
weather ■ the traditional summer
slump. On Broadway, the exten-
sive use of two-for-ones has been
a factor in the strong attendance,
but on ■ the road the increased at-
tendance has apparently reflected,
more potent boxoffice draw as well
as the bullish general business con-
ditions.

The, total gross from both Broad-
way ,and the road for the first 11
weeks of the 1955-56 season, end-
ing last Saturday (13), was $9,158,-
300. That’s the highest figure for
that period since Variety began
tabulating both the Broadway and
road gross totals during the 1948- 1
49 semester.

As- noted, the fast legit pace not
(Continued on page 69)

" - 1 ' 1 ^ ?

Marciano-Moore
May Tie Up 109
Film Theatres

All-time high in theatre chain
inkings for a closed circuit event
is being chalked up for the Rocky
Marciano-Archie Moore heavy-
weight championship telecast.
Stanley ' Warner has signed with
Theatre Network Television for 16
situations, RKO for eight, Loew’s
for six with three more under con-
sideration on the basis of line
clearance, and units of United
Paramount Theatres for at least
20 theatres.

Currently there are approxi-
(Continued on page 61)

20G Base Guarantee
May Lick $64,000 Tax
Bite In Going for Limit

A "bottom plateau” of $20,000
may be established by packager
Louis G. Cowan and the Revson
brothers, owners of Revlon, as a
means not to transform the “$64,-
000 Question” tv click show into
“the $32,000 question.” Idea is to
encourage trying for the 64G
which, so far, neither Patrolman
O’Hanlon, (the Shakespeare wiz),

| (Continued on page 71) ,

1st Brit Band to Israel

London, Aug. 16.

The first British yband ever to
visit Israel is a modernist combina-
tion, the Tony Crombie Band,
which is to make a 28-day concert
tour, opening at Tel Aviv Nov. 5.

The full hand of JO plus two
vocalists and an additional two
dancers will make the tour.

The group, led by Crombie him-
self on drums, is to accompany the
; American Chet Baker Quartet on
a series of Continental . bookings
this autumn.

Show Biz Names

Lip But No Info

Midway on the second day Of its
inquiry into alleged Communist
penetration of show business, the
House Committee on Un-American
Activities had yet to produce a “co-
operative” witness after eight of
the 27 subpoenaed were put
through the wringer.

Rep. Francis E. Walter, chair-
man, and Frank S. Tavenner Jr.,
counsel, questioned seven actors on
Monday (18) at the opening session
in the U. S. Courthouse, N. Y., ,but
laid an egg. All performers re-
fused to respond to questions on
their alleged Commie membership
and activities, but it’s significant
that several majoring in the tv
field did not take refuge in the
Fifth Amendment. This appar-
ently was related to the vote last
(Continued on page 20)

h Irving Berlin wants to spark a
move for a suitable statue in the
heart of Times Square to the mem-
ory of George M. Cohan. He thinks
it is long overdue.

Berlin envisions “Give My Re-
gards to Broadway”— a Cohan ditty
—embossed on the statue, and can
see no reason why, once Mayor
Robert F. Wagner and "Manhattan
Borough President Hulan Jack ap-
prove it, there would be any prob-
lem about funds. Corfceivabl.V it
could come from the city coffers,
but Berlin feels there would be
no irftra-show biz problem on
funds just as he feels that Cohan
is “perhaps the only 100% non-
irritant personality, " free Of any
angles or prejudices within our
business.” He adds that “maybe a
few diehards in Equity might re-
call Cohan’s attitude during the
1919 Equity strike but they’re now
negligible.” This refers to Cohan’s
decision to stick to his managerial
partnership with Sam Harris and
not react as just an actor. *
Berlin observes that “ ‘Give My

(Continued on page 71)

Connie Folds Out of Town
To Produce N.Y. Windfall,
B.O. Flattened Elsewhere

Connie “blew it” before hitting
New York. But oddly enough,
while the Big Blow wrecked havoc
with show biz in*the course of its
devasting “road tour” along the
eastern seaboard, principally in the
Middle Atlantic states, Broadway
was" literally jumpin’ with biz over
the weekend.

With thousands pulling up stakes
in the country and seashore and
returning to the city in the wake
of the Connie threat, the Times
Square area enjoyed one of its
biggest midsummer weekends in
(Continued cn page 18)

GEORGE HAMID

at the

STEEL PIER

ATLANTIC CITY

WEEK AUG. 21 Presents

The Hour of Charm

All Girl Orchestra and Choir
Featuring EVEEYKT and her Magic Violin

under the direction of

PHIL SPITALNY

2 MISCKUASY

PS&l. E5T

. Wedoeidftft Aug*ut 17* 1955 *

By GENE MOSKO WITZ

Capri, Aug. 16^

The roads to Rome and Capri
are paved with a long line of tour-
ists from all over the world, with
the Yank numerical tops followed
by the German traveler. Rome, on
its seven hills, with its mixture
of the gravely old and pulsating
new is the dominating interest
with its nutmeg splashed colors,
honed into a cross section of an-
tiquity and living history. Show
biz is not slow in moving about
this year and the thriving Via
Veneto has its share of show
oglers.

Capri is another story. Queen r of
this isle, off the Naples mainland,
is Grade Fields, whose swimming
pool and beach, open to the pub-
lic; Is the" main altar for the sun-
worshippers. Miss Fields has had
a home on the isle for 28 years.
Six years ago she got the urge to
extend her domain and began to
blast the present La Canzone Del
Mare (The Song of the Sea), along
the rocky shore. /

House That Show Biz Built .

The Canzone can rightly be
called the house that show biz
built, for every note of the famed,
flamboyant ' English singer has
been plowed back into brick: A
sprawhngly shaped pool, roughly
made to imitate the outlines of the
isle, falls into a ruptured kidney
pattern, and . a Bock of super
cabins and dressing rooms, plus
Cheaper dressing lockers (80c for

(Continued on page 22)

Haskell's Soviet Visa
On Tap as Prelude To
Top Talent’s Benefit Bid

John Haskell, Beverly Hills re-
altor and special rep for Howard
.Hughes’ TransWorld Airlines in
Hollywood, expects to get his
USSR visa in London. He is slated
to meet U. S. Representative Joe
Holt in the British capital -.tomor-
row (Thurs.), flying over this
(Wed.) afternoon. Latter is chair-
man of the -House Subcommittee
on Cultural Exchange & Develop-
ment. Holt is slated to enter Rus-
sia via Helsinki on Aug. 25, and
Haskell would join him in Moscow
by way of Hamhurg.

The Variety Clubs of America
are behind the Haskell exploratory
talks with the Russian opposite to
Holt. Idea would foe for Haskell
to include Moscow as a stop in . a
special international .junket of top
talent, slated to originate from
Los Angeles Nov. 15, thence to
London, Hamburg, Moscow, Bom-
bay, Tokyo and wind up with a
gala in Constitutional Hall in
Washington for the President and
his cabinet.'

There are Variety Clubs now in
most of these capitals. In Russia,
of course, some local charity fund
would be the beneficiary of the
star-studded show which, on paper,
reads like a benefit bill. Frank
Sinatra is one of the toppers, and
tour is keyed to Nov. 15 when he
concludes a “Carousel” film stint.

In a Word

Apparently no one ever
thought of it hefore so United
Artists has registered this as
the ititfe of an upcoming fea-
ture:

“Wow!”

‘Prince & Pauper’ Would
Star Winston Churchill HI

Hollywood, Aug. 16.
Mark Twain’s “The Prince and
the Pauper” is up for its fourth-
excursion on the screen. Indie
team of Samuel Bischoff and David
Diamond have added property to
their 1956 slate, with release still
to be set. They will make, a pitch
for 11-year-old Winston Churchill
i’ll, grandson pf the former British
Prime Minister, for one of star
roles in CinemaScope film.

Paramount (Famous Players-
Lasky) turned out the first version
in . 1915, with Marguerite Clark
starred. - It again hit the screen in
1922 as an American Releasing
Corp. film, and Warners in 1937
co-starred the Mauch twins.

Also

Hollywood, Aug. 16.

Two more biopics are in the
prepping stage. Harry Essex has
acquired rights to “The Benny
Leonard Story,” based on former
lightweight champion, and Robert
Smith has “The Buster Keaton
Story” on his active agenda.

Both writers, who plan to indie
produce their respective proper-
ties, are' now collabing on script
of their original, “The Lonely
Man,” which Paramount purchased
and assigned for production to Pat

Dame Sitwell Paeted
For London TV Show

London, Aug. 9.

Dame Edith Sitwell has been
signed by ABC-TV to. be a mem-
ber of a panel on Sunday after-
noon magazine program, which
tees off during the first weekend
of commercial tele in Britain,, on
Sept. 25. Other members of the
team include Tom Driberg, former
labor M.P.;’ Ludovic Kennedy,
playwright husband of Moira Shear-
er; Anthony Wedgewood Benn,
film -producer; Jill ,Craigie and
Chin Yu and David Williams.

Lionel Gamlin Is to be offscreen
commentator for -the program,
which is being written, directed
and produced by John Irwin.

Edelstem's RKO Switch

Melvin Edelstein has been named
manager, of Cuba for RKO, switch-
ing from the same post in Colom-
bia.

Francisco Rossi, who had been
supervising Cuba as well as Pan-
ama, will now head only the latter
area.

• 8/17

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR
1905-1955

Subscription Order Form

Enclosed find check for $

Please send VARIETY fof £wo years
To

(Please Print Name)

Street . ♦ ...

City Zone . > . .State

Regular Subscription Rates
One Year — $10.00 Two Years— $18.00

Canada and Foreign* — $1 Additional Per Year

PftRIETY Inc.

1 54 Wes* 46th Street New York 36. N. Y.

To Step Up Campaign

The , Coordinating, Council for
Negro Performers Inc., about to
begin its fall campaign to up em-
ployment of Negroes in show biz,
notes that despite its efforts of
last season there has been “no
appreciable increase” in employ-
ment from its ranks, CCNP is
planning letter-writing campaigns
and other methods of protesting
exclusion of Negroes from video.

Last year, CCNP brought to
light “the virtual elimination of
Negro actors on television.” Sev-
eral -steps to eliminate the situa-
tion were taken, including pointing
out that there wa$ a large-. Negro
consumer public that supported
video shows..

At its conclave in June, the Na-
tional Assn, for the Advancement
of Colored People pointed out the
dearth of employed Negro perform-
ers.. It directed its membership to
protest to the videa hraintrusters.

MARILYN MONROE SET
(ALMOST) WITH 20TH

Marilyn Monroe and 20th-Fox
apparently have reached an agree-
ment under which she would do a
minimum of four films in seven-
years for the studio on a “one-
shot” basis, with alternate pix for
her own Marilyn Monroe Produc-
tions,

Primary obstacle holding up the
star’s return to the 20th lot is the
lack of a suitable script. She still
insists on script and director’s ap-
proval, but this is seen a minor
problem once both parties hit on
the right kind of story. “Bus Stop”
would fill the bill, but it isn’t due
for immediate lensing Since the
screen version of the hit play can’t
he released until 1957.

• Under her agreement with the
studio, where officially she is still
under suspension, . Miss Monroe
would do her next pic for 20th in
any case. The alternate films,
under her own banner, could go
through 20th, but it isn’t definitely
indicated that they would.

Miss Monroe’s reps say. she isn’t
under suspension at 20th for the
simple reason that — as they see it
—she i$n’t under contract there
any more.

• -Meanwhile the star appears to
be in no great hurry to return
before the cameras or do any work
apart from her studies in Actors
Studio, Some months hack she
nixed a $200,000 toffer from Lee
Gordon for a 25-day tour, of Aus-
tralia at the head of her own show.

Home of Waltz Kings
Winds Up as Garage

Vienna, Aug. 2.

The Dreher Park, once a land-
mark for amusement seekers, and
the huge dance hall where Johann
Strauss and other famous waltz
kings started their careers, is be-
ing transformed into a huge ga-
rage.

Building and park belongs to
the largest Austrian brewery in
Schwechat. Since the end of the
last world war, attendance has
dropped to such an extent that
the management was forced to
cut. down its amusement budget to
a minimum.

Gamby to Venice forO.O.
Of Her Italo-Made Pic

Ballerina-actress Maria Gamba-
reili is back in the U. S. after
competing straight dramatic roles
in two Italian films— “Le Amiche”
(“The Girl Friend”) and “The
Prince of the Red Mask.” During
the filming of the latter Miss Gam-
barelli was hospitalized for two
weeks when a kleig light fell from
its mooring and struck her on the
head. The injury required five
scalp stitches.

Miss Gambarelll expects to re-
turn to Europe shortly to attend
the Venice Film Festival in which
“Le Amiche” has been entered.

Sparks, fiuzzell to CBS

Los Angeles, Aug. 16.

Pair of motion picture vets
swihg over, to CBS’ production
staff at Television City.

Robert Sparks, who recently
wound a longterm producer pact
at RKO, steps In as executive pro-
ducer in charge of non-comedy
shows, and Eddie Buzzell takes over
as producer-director.

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-A . . m.

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The Shuberts’ recent barring of
Chicago Sun-Times columnist Irv
Kupcinet, because of his comments ’
on Chi ticket scalping and his cam-
paign for “a better boxoffice break
for Chicago theatre patrons,” re-
calls some pioneer drama critics
legit management relations.

In the old days, as noW, the legit
Critic was a potent force and then*
as now, the Shuberts, and others,
tried to coerce or influence 1 “un-
friendly” critics. It reached the
point where a New York state law,
sparked by columnist Leonard
Lyons, an ex-lawyer, made manda-
tory the admittance of anybody
who purchased a theatre ticket.
This Was in answer- to the Shu-
berts* frequent , bannings. There
had been some humorous exploits,
such as the “smuggling” of Walter
Winchell into a Marx Bros, open-
ing in . disguise. Winchell’s barb,
“Why. worry about Shubert open-
ings, I’ll wait three days and go to
their closings” hadn’t endeared
him to the management.

Critics over the years had their
pets and influenced public opinion,
William Winter’s erudite and
scholarly appraisals of Davifl Be-
lasco endowed him with the same
distinction as when . George Jean :
Nathan first dwelt on Eugene
O’Neill’s handiwork at the old Pro-
vincetown Playhouse.

Ashton Stevens, Alan • Dale,
James Gibbons Huneker, Willard
Holcombe, H. T. Parker, Will A.
(Piggy) Page (later a pressagent), •
Franklin Fyles, Rennold. Wolf,
Acton Davies, Louis DeFoe, Charles
Darnton, Alexander Woollcott,
Leander Richardson, Amy Leslie,
E. D. Price, Frank Butler were
some of the pre-World War I aisle
oracles whose influence on the
American theatre, from San Fran-
cisco to Chicago to Washington to
Broadway to Boston, was as dis-
tinguished as it was noteworthy.
Incidentally, on occasion Richard-
son and Dale also “covered" "legit
openings for Variety, as did Jack
Lait

Teacher’s- Pets ^

Teacher’s pets among critics,
“friendly” or "dependable” fellows
who never riled management, were
the morning and evening Worlds’
respective aisle-seaters; Louis De-
Foe and Charles Darnton, whose 1
names remained “stet” in the tung-
stens above the Winter Garden,
because the Shuberts knew they’d
provide favorable “quotes” for
each successive new Winter Gar-
den revue. No need to take down
their names.

Criticism, its • pros and cfons,
great minds and little servants, is
a subject for more detailed discus-
sion another time. It’s worth re-
calling just now that Variety has
long been, in a very special sense,
a newspaperman’s tradepaper. Not
the wgy Editor & Publisher’s
speaks for and to the owners and
elite of the dailies or Publisher’s
Weekly serves jhe book trade. And
not that this sheet ever set out to
be a newspaperman’s tradepaper.
It came, about for a number of in-
cidental reasons. A lot of scribes
enjoyed our free-and-easy writing
style, our comparative freedom
from sacred cows and stuffiness.
In consequence there have been lo-
cal reporters who have wdrked, for
space rates, as Variety stringers
and yet had more heart for this
tradepaper than for . their regular
city room berths. Some of them
have told us why; It amounted to
this: on Variety they could often
feel more themselves.

There Was another vital reason
which explains whjr ' some 1 , local
'newspapermen and critics have had
a soft spot for Variety. For the
better part of 50 years, with tol-
erable regularity, local newspaper-
men found a full story in Variety
if certain showmen tried to throw
their weight against independent
journalists. Producers and theatre
owners who barred critics, can-
celled their paid space and other-
wise employed their own ideas of
“thought control” didn’t like the
candid reports of their behavior
which appeared in Variety. But
the local newsman was consider-
ably, pleased to have the facts out
in the open, well understanding
that secrecy Is the condition
thought-controllers best like and
that bold clear headlines and un-
varnished characterization art
what they hate most
Press theatrical relations wera
spotlighted In these columns, in
much the spirit founder Sime Sil-
verman expressed about vaudeville
actors who were pushed around, of-
ten by the same theatrical bully-
boys that pressured critics. As
we’ve underscored before in these
Page 2 Golden Jubilee retrospec-
tives, Sime learned early to be
“vier-ry, ver-ry mad” at powerful
showmen who “blacklisted” and
“boycotted” him and his struggling
Variety. Not hard to see where
his sympathies would lie— he. was
with the newsmen and the critics
and all. who Were on the punching
end of managerial muscle.

Paris Collections -August 1955

By LUCETTE CARON -

Paris, Aug. 16.

What is Dior up to? At a con-
ference last week in the Sorbonne,
he told us at last:; “Men must not
be bored, so from year to year I
have renewed their interest by
successively exaggerating one part
of the female body after another.”

Now, after having obliterated
busts, waists, and hips, he is gradu-:
ally condescending to give women
back the curves that he took away.
His new “Y” line is more sinuous:
shoulders are reappearing timidly,
and a renaissance of busts Is in
the air. It is only a hint; some
fashion writers have refused to
see it at all — in fact,,, a rumor
spread that Dior would liberate
one bust -at a time; but, after all,
how can one expect a discarded
bosom to burst Into full bloom in
one day?

Christian Dior is sly: this Sea-
son, instead of specializing on any
part of the female anatomy, he
plays up the whole* shape with his
innocent-looking clinging sheaths.
These are the base of his line:
either all in one piece, or. divided
in many parts that can come off
separately to make a perfect strip-
tease act. New words are launched:
camisoles which are little flat
strait jackets that stop above the
waist and button in the back (out-
side help is needed to put them
on); requimpettes — short hip-jack-
ets; caftans— slit coats like a Mos-
lem garment with flying panels
over a tight-fitting sheath. He also
plays with oversize stoles that but-
ton on and off and instantly trans-
form a muffled look into a bare
appearance; his after-five huge
balloon parachute skirts end just
below the knees. The Near East
inspired his harem skirts, turbans,

Turkish carpet prints. His Mongol
and Cossack hats are a tribute to
the Geneva conference.

Givenchy Starts Something
Hubert, the Marquis de Giv-
enchy, was the shocker of the
week. Shapeless {straight robes
hang loosely from the shoulders,
topped by space hats defying the
laws of balance. His theme is the
Spirit of Freedom, and to his man-
nequins it is terrific. “You don’t
feci you have anything on!” Slim,
boneless girls will fit into these
naturally, and a new elastic shape
(THE SHAPE) will help those of
the. Lollobrigida type. A brave and
daring collection full of ideas,
color and good tailoring, but . . »
unfitted chemise dresses, draw-
strings in unexpected places, jut-
ting hats— will they start a trend
in America? Too early to tell, hut
at least they gave the press and
manufacturers something to talk
(Continued on page 69)

HUNDRED YEAR ASSN.

TO HONOR SARNOFF

RCA-NBC board chairman David
Sarnoff will receive the annual
Gold Medal Award from the Hun-
dred Year Assn, of New York at
its annual dinner Sept 29 at the
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

Dinner , committee is chairmaned
by Howard S. Cullman and includes
Julius Ochs Adler, Edwin S.'
Friendly, Bernard F. Gimbel, Ed-
ward T, Hetzler, Isaac Liberman,
William E. Robinson, Irving Sarn-
off, Dorothy Shaver, Howard C.
Sheperd and Sturgis S. Wilson.
Tab is $17.50 per, with a table of
10, for $175.

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

PICTURES.

IIIIIIIIIIIII

French government has hinted, -4
without being very specific about
it, that it would like to get some
additional coin from the U. S. film
; biz. That's a sequel to the 1953
agreement when the Americans
.agreed, to turn over to the French

150.000. 000' fr, (about $442,000)
over a two-year period. Coin was
half of a 300,000,000 fr. fund ac-
cumulated by U. S. . firms in
France. :

Negotiations for . a new French
film agreement to replace the one
‘ that expired June 30 arc current-
ly going on in ' Paris between
.Jacques Flaud, head of. the Centre
National du Cinematographic, and
Marc Spiegel, the Motion Picture

• Export Assn.'s continental man-
ager.

- Talks aren’t being pressed too
hard by the Americans since the
^ French have .accommodated the U.S.
.distribs with the issuance of ad-
vance permits. The regular months
ly remittances also are coming
through.

Under the 1953 arrangement,

159.000. 000 fr. of a total of .300,-
.000,000 fr, was earmarked: for the

• French., The rest went to the credit
-of the Americans in * the capital

account. Payment to the French
actually came in two installments,
one for 96,000,000 fr., the other for

63.000. 000 fr.

While one stack of cpin was
used by the French government
to underwrite export credits, the
second is understood earmarked
for the promotion office the
French intend to open in N. Y. in
October. It’s • believed in . N. Y.
that, in diplomatically exploring
additional payments, Flaud may
be seeking to corral more financ-
ing for the projected U.S. setup.
Estimated cost of such ‘ an org. is
put at about $45,006 a year.

Moclair Talks to AFM
But Roxy, N. Y., Plans No
Return to Stage Shows

Recurrent reports that the Roxy
Theatre, N.Y., would return to a
stage show policy were - scotched
last week by William Moclair, the
Roxy’s managing director. Moclair
said there was nothing to the story
and that in fact he was currently
trying to sell a warehouse full of
stage props and costumes accumu-
lated by the theatre in earlier days
when it did have live shows.

Moclair acknowledged that he
had been talking to the musicians
local to straighten out a hassle the
theatre had with the AFM
when it dropped flesh shows, He
stressed, however, that he was do-
ing this solely to clear the air
“should we, at some future date,
decide to bring back stage shows
or possible just one package that
appeals to us.”

The Roxy, after presenting stage
shows for years, dropped them with
(Continued on page 22)

Bank of America Now

Distribs Pix O’Seas

Munich, Aug. 16.

Bank of America is now in the
film business in Europe. Vladimir
Lissim is here as their rep in ar-
ranging for releasing, use of story
properties, or- remakes of films to
which Bank of America has the
rights. There is a series of 32 pic-
tures, made in 1948 and 1949,
available to be released in Europe
through German or French or
U. S. distributors.

Pictures to be released include
“Magnificient Doll,” “Miracle of
the Bells,” with Fred MacMurray;
“The Other Love,” “Ruthless,”
“So This Is New York,” “Arch of
Triumph,” “Body "and Soul” and
‘Macbeth,” starring Orson Welles.
Remake rights are available also on
“Letter From an Unknown Wom-
an” based on Stefan Zweig’s novel,
“One touch of Venus” and “Sena-
tor Was Indiscreet.” The original
story is available On several films
including “Countess of Monte Cris-
to/’ “Double Life” and “Casbah.”

For ‘Phenix at

Ethiopia^ Festival

Washington, Aug, 16,

An International Film Festi-
val, whose main purpose is to
promote films about Ethiopia,
Will be held in that country
Nov. 2-5, the Ethiopian Em-
bassy here has disclosed. It
will coincide with the Interna-
tional E x p‘ o s i t i o n at Addis
Ababa, celebrating the 25th
anniversary of the coronation
of Emperor Haile Selassie, .

Open to both professionals
and amateurs, cash prizes
equivalent to $12,000 in Ameri- <•
-can iponey are to be awarded. .
A jury of six will be set up, ,
including at least three reps of
'foreign film industry. Top prize
will be awarded .for the sub-
ject, “The Modern Evolution
of Ethiopia under Hailie •
Selassie, during" the last quar-
ter century.” Prizes will also
be' awarded for documentaries
on Ethiopian life.

The Embassy invites in-
quiries.”

Hollywood, AUg. 16.

Screen Actors Guild’s directorate
has voted support of a Congres-
sional bill which would average
Federal income taxes over a six
year period. Under a bill intro’d by
Rep. Thomas B, Curtis (R., Mo.),
not oniy actors but other artists,
would be helped whose income
fluctuates sharply from year to
year. Hearings are expected be-
fore the House Ways and Means
Committee when Congress Con-
venes early next year.

Measure would allow any tax-
payer whose taxable income during
any one year exceeds by 150%
his average taxable income over
the five preceding years, to spread
the J excess income ovej; the six
year period.

YVjth improvements expected in
the trade for the second * half of
1955, annual theatre attendance
seems to be levelling off at a week-
ly average of 50,000,000, a small
gain over 19.54, states a Standard
& Poor analysis of the pic biz.

* Wall Streeters look for a 1955
theatre gross of about $1,300,000,-
000, a slight improvement over
last year, however— says Standard
& PoQr — theatre ops are being re-
stricted by lagging, attendance and
higher film rental and other oper-
ating costs.

Survey found an attendance drop
for the second quarter of 1955
“apparently reversing the general
uptrend in evidence from, iuid-1953
through . the initial quarter of
1955.” The increased number of
theatres in r operation only; moder-
ated the overall decline, it stated.

(Actually, if the COMPO the-
atre- count can be believed,; the*
gain hi theatres operating between
Jan. 1 and July 1,. 1955, ran to no
more than seven. This, however,
represents an , increase of l;644
theatres operating : when compared
to the count in-March, 1954.)

Standard & Poor -observed that
“in general, the movie-going public
is now showing' little interest , in
the new filming and exhibiting
techniques introduced during the
past . few years. Recognizing that
significantly higher profits prob-
ably can not be derived from do-
mestic film rentals, many of • the
major producers are expanding

(Continued on page >23)

Sullivftnesque

Hollywood, Aug, 16. .

Will Jordan, impersonator
who came to the fore first on
Ed Sullivan's “Toast of the
Town,” when he mimicked the
frozen-faced emcee, has been
contacted by Sullivan to play
himself in latter’s upcoming
Warner production of the tv
show.

Jordan currently js appear-
ing in Bali Room of 'the new
Beverly Hilton. .

• Hollywood, Aug. 16.

A new stockholder fight looms
for the control of the present ad-
ministration of prexy Herbert J.
Yates at Republic. Challenge is
b$ing made by an unnamed local
group via the buying up of 200,000
shares of common stock. Group is
(Continued on page 20)

. Maintaining ther.fr v)as “ample
room” for both home-toll and ad-
vertising tv, Skiatron Electronics
& TV Corp. last week charged the
major networks ' with “attempting
to cloud the real issues with irre-
sponsible statements that are in a
very real sense a. betrayal of the
public interest . which they are
pledged to serve.”

Skiatron prexy Arthur Levey
said the webs were contradicting
themselves bji claiming, on the one
hand, that home-toll would merely
duplicate what is now served on
the air without charge and, on the
other, threatening to enter the pay-
as-your-see tv business themselves
if subscription-tv is authorized.

He pointed out that Skiatron, in
its petition with the Federal Com-
munications Commission, had asked
for permission to use channels not
used by the networks. This pre-
sumably was a reference to the
original Skiatron petition asking
the FCC to authorize tollcasting,
but limit it for three years to UHF
bands, with non-affiliated VHFers
allowed to join in.

' While Allied Artists i$ looking to
climb into the bigtlme via partner-
ship arrangements with William
Wyler, John. Huston and others,
the company at present already is
collecting major-scale money with
one of its releases. Loew’s State
Theatre, N. Y/ first-run, has guar-
anteed A A a minimum of $100,000
against the gross percentage on
the booking of “The Phenix City
Story.”

Film, produced by Samuel Bisch-
off, is owned 50% by AA with
the other half shared by a group
headed by • Chicago circuit oper-
ator Edwin Silverman and includ-
ing indie producer Edward Small.
Cast leads are Richard Kiley,
Kathryn Grant and John Mcln-
tyre.

The State’s guarantee is sub-
stantially^above anything the com-
pany ever has received for one of
its entries. Expectedly, it will be
followed by unusually big terms
around the country.

“Phenix City,” which was loca-
tion ed in the Alabama town that
made the headlines because of its
gambling and brothel, elements,
has played only a few dates so. far,
(Continued on page 20)

Raibourn’s DuMont Job
Added to His Regular
Chores for Paramount

Paul Raibourn will continue as
v.p. and director of Paramount
and president of its subsidiary. In-
ternational Telemeter, in addition
to taking over the added duties as
board chairman of the new com-
pany being set up to operate the
Du Mont telecasting enterprises as
a corporate entity severed from
Du Mont Laboratories. That Rai-
bourn is in- line to chair the new

(Continued on page 18)

Jackje Gleason Presses
For Powerhouse Script
To Roll in April 1956

Jackie Gleason’s theatrical film
debut as a top-rank personage is
on the calendar for next April.
Meantime, Gleason and his agent,
Music Corp. of America, intensive-
ly hunt for a “really strong script”
of non-musical character. Nothing
seen so far has satisfied the tele-
vision star as good enough to launch
him on the big scren.

Gleason has made a number of
film appearances in small parts, his
last being “The Desert Hawk” for
Universal in 1949. His tv promi-
nence came thereafter arid creates
the present necessity of a power-
house story.

Under Gleason’s present sched-
uling he will be having at least
39 of his television “Honeymoon-
ers” completed (on film) for his
new Buick sponsorship deal and
will be free to go to Hollywood
by April, ’56. ‘

SAMMY DAVIS JR. TO
NARRATE DANCE BIT

Hollywood, Aug. 16.

Sammy Davis Jr. will do single
narration for “Frankie and
Johnny,” dramatic dance routine
already filmed by Cyd Charisse,
Lilliane Montevecchi, John Bras-
cia for Metro’s “Meet Me in Las
Vegas.”

Entertainer’s voice only be
heard, since he won’t appear in
film.

National Boxoffice Survey

Biz Still Offish; ‘Roberts’ Champ for Fourth Week
In Row; ‘Holiday’ 2d; ‘Blues/ ‘Stranger’ Next

Biz is spotty in present stanza as
many exhibs are holding over their
big pix until just before Labor Day
before launching new f^re: Storm
signals, torrential rains and threat
of a hurricane along the Atlantic
seaboard hurt biz some. However,
there was a surprising comeback
afterwards that found many pix
booming, Few managers wanted to
launch new product until the end
of month. <

“Mister Roberts” (WB) continues
as champ to retain top rank na-
tionally for fourth session in a row.
“Cinerama Holiday” (Indie) is fin-
ishing second, same as last week.
“Pete Kelly’s Blues” (WB), out for
first time to any extent, is manag-
ing to land third spot.

“Not As Stranger” (UA) is wind-
ing up in fourth position while
“Man From Laramie” (Col), fourth
last round, Is taking fifth place.

“The Shrike” (U) is showing suf-
ficient strength to land sixth
money. “Lady and Tramp” (BV) is
seventh, with “House of Bamboo”
(20th) in eighth slot. “Cobweb”

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR

1905-1955

(M-G) rounds out the Top Nine.
“Marty” (UA), “We’re No Angels”
(Par) and “Seven Little Foys”
(Par) are runner-up films.

Outstanding newcomer continues
to be “To Catch Thief” (Par),
which is smooth in L.A., terrific in
N.Y. at Paramount, fast in Omaha
and boffo in Philly. “Kentuckian”
(UA) shapes okay in Providence
and Portland, fair in L.A. and fine
in Buffalo.

“Virgin Queen” (20th), also new,
is rated slight in Portland* just
okay in Cleveland, good in N.Y.,
slow in L.A. and oke in Philly.
“Female on Beach” (U) shapes sock
in Boston.

Another newcomer, “Summer-
time” (U A), faring better than last
round, is tall ih Chi, okay in Cleve-
land, smash in N.Y. and mild in
Philly. “McConnell Story” (WB) is
rated good in Frisco.

“Wichita” (AA), nice in Boston,
is sock in Chi and brisk in L.A. “I
Am Camera” (DCA), hitting a new
high in Denver, is sockeroo in N.Y.

“Major Benson” (U) is big in
Toronto and N.Y. “How To Be Pop-
ular” (20th) shapes okay in Wash-
ington, nice in Baltimore, mild in
L.A. and good in Denver. “One
Desire” (U) looms okay in Boston,

“City Across River"-“Girls in
Night” (U), oldie package, looks
fast in Chi. and fine in Providence.
“Interrupted Melody” (M-G), good
in L.A., is nice jn Detroit

“Dam Busters” (WB) is big in
St. Louis. “Purple Mask” (U) shapes
okay in Omaha.

( Complete Boxoffice reports on
Pages 8-9)

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INDEX

Bills ...... .n, ;

Chatter ..........

Concert-Opera . , .
Film Reviews . ; . .
House Reviews
Inside Legit
Inside Pictures . .
Inside Radio-TV .
International

Legitimate

Literati . . .

Music

New Acts

Night Club Review

Obituaries

Pictures

Radio-Television .
Radio Reviews . . .
Record Reviews . .
Frank Scully
Television Reviews

TV Films .; .

Vaudeville

Wall Street ......

DAILY VARIETY

(Published in Hollywood by
Dally Variety, Ltd.)

$13 a year $20 Foreign

PICTURES

Wednesday* August 17* 1955

Pathe Cinema Corp., U.S. subsidV-
of the French Associete Nouvelle “
Pathe Cinema, plans to set up Its
own distribution organization in
this country iater this year, Dun
can McGregor, Pathe Cinema top-
per, disqlosed in N. Y. Monday (15)
following his return from two-
months of confabs in France.

Pathe Cinema, which operates
the Paris Theatre, N. Y., also will
press its original plans for theatre
expansion outside the N. Y. area,
McGregor said, adding that there
was considerable need for such
showcases for French product.

“Practically every better French
film gets a showing in New York.
The problem is to get these pic-
tures exhibited in the other metro-
politan centers,” he noted. .

McGregor said that, based both
on his own experience in the XJ.S.
and on .a survey of French prod-
uct . available, he was convinced
that dubbing was the answer for
many of the French films and that,
in line with this reasoning, Pathe
was spending around $20,000 to
make a lip-sync version of its “Les
Femmes S’en Balancent” (Dames
Don’t Care), with Eddie Constan
tine and Nad] a Gray to repeat
their starring parts on the English
soundtrack. /

Activities of the new Pathe com-
pany will divide in two parts:
The most immediate concern are
dubbed films which will be chan-
neled via major ‘distributors, if
possible, with an eye to the widest
possible release.

Long Step

“Even if a dubbed version of a
French film ends up only on the
second half of a bill, that’s still a
long step forward for us,” Mc-
Gregor commented. “And dubbing
has another advantage. If these
films are for the double bills,
they’ll have to run about 80 min-
utes or so. That’s ideal television
length. And with the English
tracks, one can figure that the
dubbing cost alone could be re-
couped from a tv sale.”

Apart from dubbed films, which
It will place with distribs, Pathe
will itself release the type of
French features aimed primarily
at the art houses, with the Paris
Theatre the obVioUS kickoff point.
Pathe in France now does mostly
coproductions and turns out be-
tween eight or nine of those a
year. On many of them, the com-
pany has U.S. rights. However,
noted McGregor, there’s nothing
to stop XJ.S. Pathe from acquiring
a non-Pathe French pic from a
producer. •

McGregor said France was pro-
(Continued on page 6)

Museum of Modern Art
Seeks Funds for Change
To Triacetate Prints

N. Y.’s Museum of Modern Art
has blueprinted a series of six spe-
cial film showings, beginning Oct.
6, to raise money for its Film
Preservation Fund. Latter recently
was established to pay for the con-
version of the Museum’s more-'ina-
portant pic prints from nitrate
stock, which perishes after about
30 years, to triacetate, which is far
more durable. Tickets for the
series are $10.

Diversified program includes “A
Bill of Divorcement,” produced in
1932 by David O. Selznick with
John Barrymore, and' Katharine
Hepburn in the leads (Selznick has
loaned a print of this to ! the Mu-
seum ) ; “Die Dreigroschenoper,”
the original (1931) film version of
the Kurt Weill and ' Berthold
Brecht musical play which was
revived in N. Y, last year as “The
Threepenny Opera”; “The Treas-
urer’s Report,” 1928 short by and
with Robert Benchley,” the print
being loaned by 2Qth-Fox; “Pay
Day” (1921), directed by and star-
ring Charles Chaplin; “Man’s
Genesis,” pre-historic epic directed
by D. W. Griffith in 1912, and
“The British Royal Family,” photo-
graphed in 1897 at Balmoral Castle
and Showing Queen Victoria with
her children, including King Ed-
ward VII and the Duke of Windsor.

TOA’s newest affiliate Is the
Delft theatres chain, Butler, Wise.,
operated by J. B. Schuyler. Thea-
tres are located in Michigan and
Wisconsin,

GEORGE PAL FEARS PALS

Keeps His New Project Behind
Security ' Barriers

Hollywood, Aug. 16.

. George Pal, Paramount produc-
er, is taking no chance of any other
producer lifting an idea for a fu-
ture production, as has happened
several times in the past when
others were able to come out first
with producer’s project.

He currently is prepping three
films for Par, but operating so
hush-hush that, apart from Y.
Frank Freeman, studio chief, pro-
duction head Don Hartman and
the three writers developing
screenplays no one in studio has
any inkling of their subject.

‘Birds & Bees 9

Film titles^ as ever, are sub-
ject to change.

Paramount this, week de-
cided on “The Birds and the
Bees” for its remarks of “Lady
Eve.” Substitute is the title of
a new song written for the pic
by Harry Warren and Mack
David.

Same pic company’s adapta-
tion of “King of Hearts,” the
legiter, is to be called “That
Certain Feeling,” thus: borrow-
ing from the George and Ira
Gershwin tune.

tazar Wechsler’s Sequel
To ‘Heidi’ Being Dubbed;

37 YEARS WITH METRO

Wm. D. Kelly, Head of Print Dept,,
To Loll in Florida

United Artists will release a
sequel to “Heidi” during the 1955
holiday season. Like its predeces-
sor, the new entry, “Heidi and
Peter,” was produced by Lazar
Wechsler of Zarich, Switzerland.

Originally filmed in the, Swiss-
German dialect, release is cur-
rently being transferred to English
dialog, with Peter Riethof’s Ameri-
can Dubbing CO. handling the dub-
bing job again. The first “Heidi,”
which may gross $1*000,000 U.S.
domestic, will continue in general
release . until the new picture is
ready for distribution.

Riethof, incidentally, has worked
out a new dubbing method,
designed to cut costs. A lip-sync
operation which formerly cost be-
tween $15,000 and $20,000 can now
be done for $7,000 to $10,000 under
the new method. Actual cost of
each production, of course, depends
on the amount of dialogue in the
picture and the number of actors
involved.

William D. Kelly, head of
Metro’s print department in N. Y.
arid eastern production contact,
will retire on. Sept. 1 to settle in
Florida. Kelly has been in the film
industry for 50 years, 37 of them
with Metro.

Malcolm Falkner, a member ' of
the print department, will take
over the post when Kelly steps
down.

\ Denver,. Aug. 16.

Week-long Italian film festival
will be staged here the week of
Sept. 18 by Fox-Intermountain
Theatres in cooperation with the
Daniels & Fisher Stores Co. of
Denver. Event, which is part of
a Festival of Italy in Denver, will
feature the preem of a number of
new Italo pix along with show-
ings of Italian celluloid classics.

It’s all part of a longrange plan
to establish an international film
festival In the Rocky Mountain re-
gion similar to those now operating
in Edinborough, Venice and Can-
nes.

Joseph 'Ross, Daniels & Fisher
prexy, whose new Store is now a-
building in upper Denver by Wil-
liam Zackendorf , has arranged a
(Continued on page 20)

‘MEDIC’ REFUSES WB
ARTISTIC CONTROL

Hollywood, Aug. 16.

Allied Artists has inside track
for theatrical film rights to
“Medic”, teleseries, entering nego-
tiations as Warners dropped out
when vidpix creator nixed demand
for “artistic control.”

Columbia and 20th are also bid-
ding NBC-TV series produced by
Fran Latourette.

j; New York Sound Track j;

t ♦ f ♦♦♦♦♦»♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦ * ♦ »♦*♦♦♦+♦+♦ +

Lowell V. Calvert, vet distribution exec who’s been Howard Hughes’
rep at the RKO homeoffice the past few years, underwent surgery
for stomach ulcers at. Mt. Vernon Hospital, N. Y>, Monday (15) . . •
Look mag has a 12-page piece on "Night of the Hunter” in its Sept. 6.
issue ... 20th-Fox registered the “Carousel” title with Motion Picture
Assn, of America, suggesting a deal for the screen rights to the Dick
Rodgers-OsCar Hammerstein 2d play . . . RKO publisity focuses on
Margaret O’Brien as a grown-up. She’s due in from the Coast to-
morrow to plug “Glory ” . llA '

Barbara Stanwyck will costar with James Cagney in Metros All
Our Yesterdays,” to be produced by Jules Schermer with John Sturgis
directing . . . Paramount suspended Marla English for turning down a
role in “The Mountain” . . Charles Chaplin Jr., plays a newspaper

reporter in Warners’ “The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell.”

Howard Hughes has asked the RKO outing department to do some
re-editing on “The Conqueror,” indicating that he still has a little
finger left in the RKO pie. Sale of property to Tom O’Neil’s General
Teleradio included a clause that gives Hughes the right to complete
John Wayne starrer to his own final satisfaction before it goes into
release, but providing further that Hughes must have the picture,
which cost over $4,000,000, ready by November. Hughes’ personal
RKO project, “Jet Pilot,” which was completed in early 1951, also is
reported in final re-editing stage.

American Broadcasting Co. is -luring picture personnel as well as
major company programming. Newest addition to the network’s press
department is Manny Herbstman, formerly with Walt Disney. Those
Who trekked to ABC previously include Steve Strassberg, erstwhile
publicity head of Eagle Lion; Milt Mohr, formerly with RKO, and Ted*
Richman, ex-UniVersal. Herbstman was taken on as a special blurb
writer for the fall shows. » —

Paramount figures on seven weeks of location shooting of “The
Mountain” in the French Alps. Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner and
producer-director Edward Dmytryk winged to Paris over the weekend
for the project ... Sammy Cohen is back at his UA desk after two
weeks in Bermuda . . . William Perlberg and George Seaton switched
their “Proud and Profane” company from the Virgin Islands to Puerto
Rich . . . UA acquired distribution rights to “Savage Princess,” which
was made in India by a native company . . . Variety’s managing editor,
Robert J. Landry, off to Copenhagen, Vienna, Salzburg, Zurich and
Paris.

Vincent M. Fennelly’s next production for Allied Artists will be
Crime in the Streets” based on a tv play by Reginald Rose . . . William
L. Taub bought “39 Red Roses,” an original yarn by Alan Balder, to
star Hope Hampton on her return to the screen . . . Howard Wienjm
makes, his screen bow ih “The Library,” starring Bette Davis at Co-
lumbia. <■

Terry Turner of General Teleradio to Europe early next month for
English opening of “Gangbusters” and to gander new product . . .
Harold Hecht returned from Paris yesterday (Tues.) where he was
supervising the Hecht-Lancaster production, “Trapeze” . , . Edna Fer-
ber back in New York after watching two weeks of filming on “Giant,”
the film version of her novel . . . Metro will film the life of Com-
mander Frank “Spig” Wead, the naval hero who also wrote the scripts
of “Celling Zero” and “Hell Below.” Robert Taylor is set for the lead
in the Frank Fenton screenplay, “The Wings of the Eagle” . . . Susan
Hayward, director Daniel Mann and a Metro crew returned to the
Coast after shooting locations for “I’ll Cry Tomorrow.”

Technicolor’s new French plant
—at Joinville, near Paris — will
start regular delivery of film “with-
in a few weeks,” Herbert T. Kal-
mus, Techni prexy, said last week
on his return from a business trip
to London, Paris and Rome. Kal-
mus was accomped by Robert
Riley, v.p. in charge of Hollywood
sales. 4

Referring to their stay in Rome,
Kalmus said negotiations were con-
tinuing for the establishment of a
Techni lab in Italy, “and there , ap-
pears every prospect of a satis-
factory outcome leading to the
creation of an Italian Technicolor
Co. later this year.”

Some mpnths ago, Kalmus
acknowledged that discussions are
in progress with a number of coun-
tries looking to the establishment
of Techni labs, with local interests
doing the financing and Techni
providing engineers, know-how,
etc, arid reaping 50% of the profits.
Prominently mentioned at that
time, in addition to Italy, were
India,- Japan, Germany and Argen-
tina.

The Techni lab at Joinville has
a capacity of 70,000,000 feet of re-
lease prints a year. It’s the third
Techni lab to be operating, the
two others being in Hollywood and
in London. While in England, the
Techni affiliate there marked its
20th anni.

In the^U.S., Techni has licensed
De Luxe Laboratories, N.Y., to use
the Techni system. Establishment
of an eastern plant has been held
up pending a final choice by De
Luxe on a new plant location, prob-
ably in New Jersey.

L. A. to N. Y.

Eddie Albert
Larry Barton
Earl I. Sponable
Keefe Brasselle
Frederick Brisson
Jackie Coogan
Don Crichton
Sammy Davis Jr.

Laraine Day
Jerry Devine „

Jack Diamond
Howard Dietz
Red Doff
Charles Feldman
Edna Ferber
Bob Fortier
Mitchell J. Hamilburg
Susan Hayward
Herbert A. Kaufman
Henry King
June Lockhart
Selma Lynch
Laura Manning
Will Mastin
Matt Mattox
Jayne Meadows*

Robert Middleton
Erin O’Brien Moore
Meg, Myles
Margaret O’Brien
Gregory Ratoff
Will Rogers Jr.

Leo Ross
Joan Shawlee
Si Seadler
Sam Spiegel
Ruth St. Denis
Marjorie Steele
Harry Stephens
Jo Van Fleet -
David Wayne

Arnold Bernhard & Co., which
appraises the film business quar-
terly for its investment advisory ac-
counts, this week expressed doubt
that there’ll be any wholesale un-
loading of major company films to
television. Reporting bn the
status of the trade in its Value.
Line survey, Bernhard points to
basic economics as supporting its
no-library-to-tv thesis.

The financial outfit underlines
that RKO was a losing enterprise,
hence its hack product will be
beamed to the telecasters as a
means of getting into the black
(and a way for General .Teleradio
to recoup part of its $25,000,000
investment).

On the other hand, all other pic-
ture companies are showing profits
and a their positions might be im-
paired with a spate of product,
however old, to video. This could
well hurt new theatrical releases.

Further,* says Bernhard, tv sim-
ply cannot afford to pay the
amount of money wanted by- the
major distributors. A vintage pic
rarely will bring as much as $100,-
000 from telecasters, whereas this
figure could be earned many times
over in the reissue market with
some entries.

It’s clear that comments made
by Spyros P, Skouras, president of
20th-Fox, on the matter of pix ta
tv made an impression with Wall
Streeters. The exec’s statement
that the 20th library is worth $150,-
000,000 and there will be no sale
at under that price was taken by
Bernhard as an index of the film
industry’s attitude in general.

Makelim’s Slant: Film
Songs on Disks Sold
By Theatre Popcorners

As an added aid for exhibitors
who have contracted in advance
for his group of 12 pictures under
the guarantee play plan, Hal R.
Makelim is making available to
theatres recordings and sheet mu-
sic “as an extra source of profits
at their refreshment stands.”
There’s no indication , whether
these musical accessories would
be provided for free or for a fee.

Makelim: is organizing the Make-
lim Music Publishing Co. to pub-
lish songs and musical scores from
all pictures to be produced under
the so-called Makelim Plan.

- Europe to N. Y.

Licla Albanese
Robert Ardrey
Enid Bagnold
Cecil Beaton
I. Robert Broder
Red Buttons
Clarence Derwent
Gen Genovese
Harold Hecht
George S. Kaufman
Danny Kaye
Eugenie Leontovich
Ella Logan
Anita Loos
John W. Vandercook

N. Y. to L. A.

Guy Bolton
Fred Coe
Barbara Cook
Alfred E. Daff
Larry Gore
Grace Kelly o
Daniel Mann
Delbert Mann
Abe Olman
Harry Soshik
Leo Van Munching
Chester Stratton

N. Y. to Europe

Arleen Brenon
Madeleine Carroll
Barbara Darrow
Richard Davis
Selma Diamond
Edward Dmytryk
Zino Francescattl
Edward L. Kingsley
B. Bernard Kreislef
Robert J. Landry
Zoya Leporsky
Goddard Lleberson
Ilya Lopert
A. C. Lyles
William McCarry
John G. McCarthy
Michael Myerberg
Fritz Reiner
Spencer Tracy
Robert Wagner

jf. J ■

"• -'-C i^y

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

PSBilBTf

PICTURES

Faced with another setback with-
“I Am A Camera" following a Na-
tional Legion of Decency “C” or
Condemned classification, Distrib-
utors Corp. of America topper Fred
Schwartz issued • an appeal to
Francis Cardinal Spellman.
Schwartz disclosed that he had
“humbly requested” that Cardinal
Spellman screen “Camera” to re-
view the Legion’s ruling.

“We sincerely Relieve,” declared
Schwartz, “that to show Godless-
ness is not to condone it, to show
immorality does not mean we ap-
prove it. Depicting a Godless so-,
ciety (pre-Hitler Berlin) cannot ad-
versely affect® the morals of our
society. We sincerely believe that
'Camera’ in no ways ‘ corrupts
morals.”

The Legion’s ruling came late
Friday (12) and preceded Monday’s
(15) meeting of the board of the
Motion Picture Assn, of America
which had convened to weigh
Schwartz’s appeal for reconsidera-
tion of its failure to give “Camera”
a Production Code seal. Geoffrey
Shurlock, Code administrator, had
come to N.Y. from the Coast to at-
tend the hearing. Although offici-
ally silent, DCA officials were
noticeably peeved by the Legion’s
' issuance of .its classification just
prior to the MPA A meeting. It’s
felt that the Legion’s ruling will
have an effect on the MPAA’s
•Views.

' The Legion’s decision, following
confabs between Schwartz , and
Father Little, executive secretary
of the Legion, was released, ih
What is regarded an unusual man-
continued on page 20)

ISMIrHI

Hollywood, Aug. 16.

Biggest production schedule in
10 years will be undertaken by
Universal on its .1955-56 program,
starting Nov. 1. Studio will up the
present year’s sked nearly 25%
for a new high of 36 important
motion pictures, as against the
current 29.

Expanded slate was set during
last week’s top-level- confabs at
studio, presided over by prexy
Milton R. Rackmil. Program, ac-
cording to company, provides for
a total expenditure of “many mil-
lions of dollars” in excess of pre-
vious budgets. Also attending were
board chairman Nate Blumberg,
exec vp Alfred E. Daff, production
vp Edward Muhl and vp David A.
Lipton.

More than one-half of the up-
coming output will be accorded
(Continued on page 20)

MORGAN WEEK FALL
MONTH THIS YEAR

Paramount, Which usually in-
corporates one “Oscar Morgan
Week” within its annual sales
drive, this year is setting aside an
entire month of the campaign as
a tribute to the exec. The period
begins Oct. 2, at which period
. Morgan will be observing his 41st
anniversary with Par.

Morgan is general sales manager
in charge of short subject, Par
News and special features. The
company’s lineup of one-reelers
and five two-reelers in VistaVision
will be given the special sales at-
tention during “Morgan Month.”

Ask Judiciary Preview
Of Metro’s ‘Trial’ Film

Springfield, 111., Aug. 16.

State and county judiciary offi-
cials, along with city lawyers, have
been invited to attend a special
screening of M-G-M’s “Trial” star-
ring Glenn Ford here Aug. 24.

Local press and radio-television
representatives also have received
bids to the morning preview.

SKIRBALL COLLECtS

RKO Liability Fixed On Appeal
at $275,000

Los Angeles, Aug. 16. ■

Judgment previously found in
favor of Jack Skirball’s Gold Seal
Productions Inc,, against RKO Pic-
tures Inc., foil’ failure to make
John O’Hara’s “Appointment in
Samarra,” has been upheld by Dis-
trict Court of Appeals.

New ruling, . however, trimmed
the original judgment of $375,000
plus interest ..to $275,000, plus
$4,497 interest, because of a “du-
plicity of damage awards” made by
lower- court.

Skirball claimed that RKO had
agreed to pay his outfit $125,000,
plus 20% of profits from the film
Which Gold Seal was to make for
RKO. Deal was nixed after Greg-
ory Peck was found to be unavail-
able for jhe star role.

Presidents Echo

'Camera 1 Decision

It took the Motion Picture Assn,
of America board only 20 minutes
Monday (15) to decide to uphold
the ruling of production code ad-
ministrator Geoffrey Shurlock in
refusing a seal to the British film,
“I Am a Camera.” There wasn’t
a single dissenting voice among
the MPA A directors.

However, Fred Schwartz, presi-
dent of Distributors Corp. of
America which is handling the pic,
was told that he could re-submit it
to the code once certain changes
had been made.

Even though the granting of a.
seal would, theoretically at least,
widen the release scope *f the
comedy, it’s considered extremely
unlikely that DCA will choose to
do any editing now. Schwartz has
stated already that, if no seal is
forthcoming, he’ll put out the pic-
ture without one. “Camera” so far
has preemed in two spots, in As-
bury Park, N. J., and at the Little
Carnegie Theatre, N. Y.

As in preyious instances, the
MPAA appears to be going out of
its way in stressing that, with cer-
tain changes, a seal could be ob-
tained. Where Shurlock originally
was reported objecting to the en-
tire theme of the film, he now ap-

, (Continued on page 22)

Marlon Brando Producing

Hollywood, Aug. 16.

Marlon Brando has purchased
Louis L’ Amour new novel, “To
Tame a Land,” for first produc-
tion by his own company, Penne-
baker Inc.

No release yet set for film, start-
ing mid-October. Brando playing
early west gunfighter.

By FRED HIFT

Film company advertising In
magazines and Sunday newspaper
supplements jumped to $2,140,288
for the first six months of 1955,
an increase of $733,191 — or 52%—
over the same period in 1954 when
the total ran to $1,407,097.

Data were culled from statistics
compiled by the Publishersjnform-
ation Bureair* and would indicate
that the distribs are in there pitch-
ing to sell their high-budgeted pix
to the public^

While the type of advertising
being done by the companies var-
ies, of course, with the ‘kind of
films they have to sell, it’s never-
theless noteworthy that, of eight
distribs, only two showed a de-
crease in their advertising activity
in these media. Magazine ads were
up by $363,336, or 30%, from 1954,
and the Sunday supplements came
in for unusual attention, raising
the total for 1955 to $550,000, an
increase of $354,855 — or close to
3P0%— oyer 1954.

Actual broken-down total for the
first six months of 1955 are: Mag-
azines — $1,590,228 (against $1,221,-
892 in ’54); Supplements — $550,060
(against $185,205 in ’54). The only
two companies that showed a de-
crease were 20th-Fox, which drop-
ped by a comparatively insignifi-
cant $15,569, and Warner Bros.,
showing a decrease of $26,085.

Biggest increase in 1955, oddly
enough, is shown by RKO which
upped its ad expenditures by $3l3,-
009 from last year’s $104,786 for
a total of $417,795. On “Under-
water” alone, RKO Invested $161,-
790 in mag ads and an additional
$87,610 in the supplements. Com-
pany also sunk $153,000 in push-
ing “Son of Sinbad”; Significantly
(Continued on page 20)

O’Shea Confers With RKO
Execs (And Himself) And
All Is As Is (Or Is It?)

The status quo is continuing at
RKO, ih the wake of Tom O’Neil’s
buyout of Howard Hughes and
Daniel T. O’Shea’s replacement of
James R. Grainger as president.

O’Shea has called on execs at
the homeoffice a few times over
the past couple of weeks but so far
there have been no policy deci-
sions made on the O’Shea-O’Neil
level and handed down to the
lower echelons.

Department heads and their staf-
fers consequently are still going
about their business on a day to
day business as before. This is ex-
pected to continue, at least until
O’Shea completes his own familiar-
ization with the setup.

On the Coast, meanwhile, Charles
L. Glett has taken on greater
prominence. Recently named to the
exec staff of O’Neil’s General Tele-
radio, Glett over the past week
was elected an exec v.p. and board
(Continued on page 18)

Rating for Cecil B. DeMille

Rogers Memorial Hosp.
Meet on Sept. Weekend

Annual trek to the Will Rogers
Memorial Hospital at Saranac
Lake, N. Y„ plus the annual con-
fab of the board of directors, has
been set for the weekend follow-
ing Labor Day.

Contingent from New York will
leave Thursday evening. Sept. 8,
spending Friday at the hospital
and X he remainder of the weekend
at Herman Robbins’ Edgewater
Hotel at Schroon Lake.

Columbia sales chief Abe Mon-
tague, president of the hospital,
notes that this will be the first
meeting of the board in 16 months
and that “it will be a most impor-
tant one.”

Although it’s difficult to compile
accurate figures, an extensive per-
sonal appearance : road jaunt by a
star can mean* as much as an extra
$500,000 gross, it’s estimated;

Perhaps the most elaborate of
the current cross-country tours is

being undertaken by Jack Webb
on behalf of his Mark VII Produc-
tions’ “Pete Kelly’s. Blues,” being
distributed by Warner Bros. In a
private United Airlines plane,,
Webb will hit 31 cities in the U. S.
and Canada in 38 days. He started
out from Los Angeles On July 26
and expects to wind up there on
Sept. 1. The . Jack Webb Special,
elaborately outfitted for' comfort-
able living, is carrying some 19
passengers, including Webb’s secre-
tary, valet, and personal bodyguard
as well as WB press reps. News-
papermen have been joining the
entourage in some cities for short
jaunts.

Webb’s appearance in each city
is timed for the picture’s opening.
As a result of his appearance, most
situations showing the picture re-
port new opening day. records. The
enthusiasm is said - to carry over
to subsequent days, resulting in
hefty weekly takes. Webb’s appeal
has been' phenomenal. In Toledo,
where his plane stopped a half
hour en route to Cleveland, 8,000
fans turned out to greet him at
the airport.

The results so far have been so
satisfying that Warner Bros, is
planning tours for stars having a
similar appeal as Webb. Company
is weighing an extensive tour for
Liberace when his first picture,

! “Sincerely Yours,” is ready for dis-
tribution.- '

CALLS MAJORS ‘SERVILE’ FOR CONTINUED
SCREENINGS BEFORE DEFROCKED CENSOR

Times Film Corp., indie distrib
outfit which has spearheaded anti-
censorship fights in several states
and was instrumental in breaking
down Massachusetts’ Sunday law,
has upbraided the major companies
for their failure to back up its vic-
tory over the censor.

In a Wire to Motion Picture Assn,
of America prexy. Eric Johnston
and the eight major company puesL-
dents, William C. Shelton, Times

v.p., called the distribs’ attitude
“servile” and charged that it tend-
ed to “lower industry honor and
dignity.”

Shelton had reference to reports
from Boston stating that, despite

the official end of censorship there
— Shelton’s “Game of Love” was the
first pic to play without prior cen-
sorship — the major distribs would
continue to invije the Boston city
censor on a voluntary basis and as
a “courtesy” gesture.

“To continue to submit films in
advance to a city censor whose le-
gal existence has been wiped out
mocks the law of the land and is
contrary to industry interest and
the self-regulating code,” Shelton
told Johnston.

Times, via Shelton, pointed out
that, in winning the Boston victory
—when the Mass. State Supreme
Court declared the Sunday law un-
constitutional and void as it per-
tains to films— the indie had paved
the way for the majors and had

scored a point for the entire indus-
try.

“We felt the industry supported
us as does the public in Boston.
Press stories and editorials would
confirm this,” the wire to the prex-
ies read. “Game,” at the Beacon
Hill Theatre, grossed $14,417 the
first week, breaking all house rec-
ords.

Although blocked by the Mass,
High Court’s ruling re censorship,
Boston authorities nevertheless
made several attempts to stop
“Game” from being shown. Bos-
ton’s mayor finally declared, on
viewing the film, that it wasn’t ob-
scene and that its showings could
continue. Freilch pic has a “C” or
Condemned rating from the Catho-
lic Legion of Decency.

► When author J. C. Furnas’ ar-
ticle, “Look What Hollywood’s Do-
ing To Your Bible” was printed
in the Christian Herald, Protestant
monthly, one Cecil B. DeMille fea-
ture', “Samson and' Delilah” was
mentioned. Since another DeMille
Scriptural epic, the re-make of
“Ten Commandments,” involves a
possible production investment of
$9,000,000 the impact of the. Furnas
article was explosive on the Para-
mount lot. It was feared that
Protestant public opinion might be
mustered against the veteran pro-
ducer-director’s crowning achieve-
ment. Back to the time of the orig-
inal silent “Commandments” and
his “King of Kings,” DeMille and
his press battalions have gone to
extremes' to line up theologians of
Catholic, Protestant and Jewish
faiths so as to keep safely off
the treacherous shoals of sectarian
prejudice.

Art Arthur for Paramount first
wired Rev. Daniel Poling, the
Christian Herald editor, following
publication of the Furnas piece
protesting “inclusion” of DeMille
and quoted the Christian Herald
editor's own 1<949 praise of DeMille
“integrity” in the treatment of
Biblical subject matter. Commented
Arthur;

“Obviously Furnas did not
know that the Christian Herald ,
in association with the Protest*
ant Motion Picture Council , in .
December 1949 presented a
plaque to Mr. DeMille for his
production of * Samson and
Delilah Who. is right, Mr,
Furnas or the Protestant Mo-
(Continued on page 20)

Cine Miracles 5

■\

Under Rocbemont

* .

Hollywood, Aug. 16.

Louis de Rocbemont CineMiracle
Productions has been formed by
the ‘‘Cinerama Holiday” producer,
in association with National Thea-
tres, to make five features in new
widescreen CineMiracle process
developed by National with latter
principal stockholder.

Rochemont will be prexy and
exec producer and have substantial
proprietary interest. Initialer be
“Seven League Boots,” biopicing
late Richard Haliburton, rights
which have just been acquired.

(Elmer Rhoden, National prexy,
will begin discussions shortly with
Justice Dept, on changes in con-
sent decree.)

KINGSLEY O’SEAS TRIP
SEEN AS COL TIE OKAY

Departure for Venice and Lon-
don Friday (19) of Edward L,
Kingsley, head of Kinglsey Interna-
tional, is seen as confirming con-
clusion of a deal under which
he’ll head up Columbia Pictures'
new foreign film distributing set

up. i

Negotiations between Kingsley
and Col execs have been going on
for Some time, one of the difficul-
ties being Kingsley's own business.
He’s currently releasing “Court
Martial,” a British import. Under
the arrangement with Col, it's as-
sumed that he'll continue running
his own outfit While mastermind-
ing the Col operation.

Kingsley is expected to return to
the U. S. in three weeks.

Roger Corman Payoff

( Hollywood, Aug. 16.

Formed less than one year ago,
Roger Corman Productions, indie
outfit, is already operating in the
black.

Corporation has disbursed first
profits to its 12 investors, coin
coming in from firm’s initial re-
lease, “The Fast and the Furious.”

FILM REVIEWS

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

The McConnell Story

(C'SCOPE— COLOR)

Alan Ladd, June Allyson In
topflight story, of America’s
first triple Jei ace; strong en-
tertainment, strong grosses.

Hollywood, July 26.

Warner Bros, release of Henry Blank*
production. Stars Alan Ladd. June AUy-
Jon, James Whitmore; features Frank
Faylen, Robert Ellis, Willie Boucliey,
Sarah Selby, Gregory Walcott, Frank
Ferguson. Directed by Gordon Douglas.

Screenplay, Ted Sherdeman, Sam Rolfej.
story by'- Sherdemani .camera < Warner
Color), John Selta; editor, Owen Marks;.

^ • «■> Oi. - a AaaUmI *nl AHfriAAVe *

music. Max Steiner; technical advisers,
William L. OrriB, Col., USAF; Manuel
"Pete” J. Fernandez, Capt., JJSAF. Pre-
viewed July 19, '55. Running time, 104
MINS.

Mac Alan Ladd

Butch ■ June Allyson

Ty- Whitman James Whitmore

Sykes Frank Faylen

Bob Robert Ellis

Newton Bass WUlls Bouchey

Mom Sarah Selby

1st M.P. Gregory Walcott

A Mechanic ......... ... Frank Ferguson

The story of America’s first
triple jet ace, Captain Joseph Mc-
Connell Jr., has become a tasteful,
thr illin g motion picture under the
Warner Bros, banner. Strong
grosses loom. There’s a contem-
porary flavor- in the presentation
to attract the attention of the coun-
try’s younger picturegoers, and. a
lot of heatt and humaness to make
it figure as entertainment for all
ages, male or distaffer. It has
marquee importance, too, in the
star names of Alan Ladd and June
Allyson. ...

Even while the production was
being prepped the hero of the story
lost his life when the experimental
jet aircraft he was flying at Ed-
wards Air Force Base in California
crashed. This incident, like many
others in his career as a soldier
and then navigator during World
War II, and as a jet ace over Ko-
rea, is thrillingly depicted, as well
as being used to give an inspira-
tional note to a very moving cli-
max. Under the production super-
vision of Henry Blbnke and the
equally good direction by Gordon
Douglas, the film has humor,
romance, action and convincing
performances that make the foot-
age very real.

Ladd is not called upon for the
usual brand of screen heroics and
does a sock job of playing -a real
person,- With this elimination of.
the stock “into the wild blue yon-
der” type of hero, picture gains in
punch. There’s nothing fanciful
about . the McConnell exploits,
thanks to good judgment in the
scripting by Ted Sherdeman and
Sam Rolfe. In fashioning the.’
character of the girl who married
the ace while” he was still a sorry
GI in the medical corps sneaking
private flying lessons, the script
stays on believeable grounds, too.

Considerable humor is played up
in the early footage over McCon-
nell’s determination to be a flier
and his meeting with Pearl Brown,
a girl to henceforth be 'known as
“Butch” and a loving helpmate to
a young soldier. From medical
corps to air force, but as navigator,
not pilot; the piling up of 25 mis-
sions in World War II in a big
htirry so he could take pilot train-
ing; the call back to war ’when, the
Korean situation arose and his rise
to captain and jet ace, and then
the test piloting that took his life
are sequences so well blended that
attention is always held. Backing
theme are the few moments back
home with wife and family that
add to the touching humaness
which is an important part of the
film.

James Whitmore scores as Mc-
Connell’s friend and commanding
officer. A pip of a sergeant charac-
ter is developed by Frank Faylen,
sparking the humor of earlier se-
quences. Others registering well
include Robert Ellis, Willis Bou-
chey, Sarah Selby, Gregory Walcott
and Frank Ferguson. The Cinema-
Scope photography in Warner-
Color by John Seitz figures as a
major credit. So does the second
unit lensing by Ted McCord under
the direction of Russ Saunders. A
good score by Max Steiner, concise
editing by Owen Marks, count to-
wards the entertainment. Brog.

Case Of The Red Monkey

Routine foreign intrigue mclo

for program market.

Hollywood, Aug. 10.

Allied Artists release of a Tony Owen
fAlec C. Snowden) production. Stars Rich-
ard Conte, ‘ Rona Anderson; features Rus-
sell Napier, Colin Gordon, Arnold M'-irle,
Sylva Langova, -Donald Bissett. John
King-Kelly. Directed by Ken Hughes.
Screenplay, .James Eastwood, -Hughes;
camera, Josef Ambor; editing. Geoffrey
Muller, Inman Hunter. Reviewed Aug. 10,
*35. Running time, 71 MINS.

Bill Locklin Richard Conte

Julia • • Rona Anderson

Supt. Harrington ......... Russell Napier

Martin Colin Gordon

Dushcnko Arnold Mario

Hilde .................... Sylva Lnngova

Editor ». Donald Bissett

Andor John King-Kelly

Efforts of Soviet agents in Lon-
don to kill a top Russian scientist
who has swunjr over to the West,
as lie’s under the security of Brit-

ish police ca route to the U.S.,
motivates this Tony -Owen-Todon
production, filmed entirely In Eng-
land for Allied Artists release.
Like many British-produced pic-
tures, it lacks American-type pace
and is a routine entry in the pro-
gram market. Owen used almost a
complete English setup, Richard
Conte being the only other Ameri-
can connected with the venture.

Conte portrays a U S. State Dept,
officer detailed to escort the scien-
tist from London back to the
States, but exhibits little of the
dash and ingenuity such a part calls
for. James Eastwood-Ken Hughes’
screenplay shows him breaking up
the Communist gang out to mur-
der the sefentist, but it’s strictly
mechanical in tone and Hughes’ di-
rection fails to insert any hardhit-
ting action which might have lifted
interest a notch. Pic takes its tag
from a little monkey seen on the
scene of a rash of murders of cele-
brated scientists by the Reds.

Rona Anderson co-star$ with
Conte for faint romantic interest
and Russell Napier is the Scotland
Yard superintendent assigned to
safeguard the scientist, portrayed
by Arnold Marie, both okay. Part
of a British newshawk , who learns
what’s going on^atid is a thorn in
the side of the police is played,
fairly interestingly by Colin Gor-
don. Sylva Langova and John King-
Kelley make the most of their
Communist roles, Alec C. Snowden
as producer gives picture certain
scenic values via London back-
grounds. Whit.

The Naked Street

Fair program melodrama for *
regulation - playoff . in dual
market. ,

V ,

Hollywood, Aug. 12.
United Artists release of Edward SmaU
production. Stars Farley Granger, An-
thony Quinn, Anne Bancroft, Peter
Graves; features Else Neft, Sara Berner,
Jerry Paris, Mario SilettL Directed by
Maxwell Shane. Screexfplay, Shane and
Leo Katcher; from a story. by Katcher;
camera, Floyd Crosby; editor. Grant Why-
. tock; music, Emil Newman. Previewed
Aug. 10, '55. Running time. 13 MINS.
Nicky Bradna . . ....... . Farley Granger

PbU Regal Anthony Quinn

PhU Regal Anthony Quinn

Rosalie Regalzyk Anne Bancroft

Joe McFarland ........... Peter Graves

Mrs. Regalzyk ................. Else Neft

Latzi Franks Jerry Paris

Nutsy Frank Sully

Big Eddie John Dennis

Janet Angela Stevens'

Margie Joy Terry

Mr. Hough G. Pat Collins

Antonio Cardini Mario SUetti

Attorney Blaker Whit Bissell

Evelyn Shriner .' Jeanne Cooper

Millie Sara Berner.

Attorney Flanders James Flavin

Judge Roder Harry Harvey

Alex Campbell Judge Stanley

Francle Jackie Lotighery

Ollie ......... Frank Krelg

Shimmy Joe Turkel

Barriclcs Harry O. Tyler

Lepnie Sammie Weiss

Satisfactory performances and a
twist to the usual crime-doesn’t-
pay plot give “The Naked Street”
a fair rating as program entertain-
ment. Film does a workmanlike, if
not particularly inspired, job "of
wrapping up its. story and all loose
ends in 3 minutes of footage, mak-
ing it an acceptable meller for gen-
eral playdates.

Helping to give substance to the
characters involved are Farley
Granger, Anthony - Quinn, Anne
Bancroft and Peter Graves, the
principals- involved in the Leo
Katcher story, which he scripted
with. Maxwell Shane and which the
latter directed. Plot has Quinn,
racketeer, saving. Granger, a cheap

young hood,, from the electric chair
so the latter can marry the gang-
ster's sister. Miss Bancroft, who s
pregnant. When the baby difffc and
Granger turns out to be a bad hus-
band, Quinn frames him for a new
killing, so back to the chair he
goes. Not, however, without expos-
ing Quinn’s operations to Graves,
newspaperman. The baddies all get
their just deserts and Graves gets
Miss Bancroft,

Quinn and Miss Bancroft are
both excellent in • handling the
characters assigned them. So is
Graves, the reporter who does
some bridging narration as the
story unfolds. Granger, away from
films for some- time, turns in ac-
ceptable work in a role that calls
for him to be hero-heavy without
any sympathy to compensate.
Among supporting parts, Else Neft
as the mother of Quinn and Miss
Bancroft, and Jerry Paris, as Gran-
ger^ friend, do best.

Shane’s direction of the Edward
Small production keeps the pace
moving fairly fast. Lensing, back-
ground score and other technical
factors are okay. Brog .

^ 4

Value for Money

(British)

(COLOR— V1STAVISION)

•is *

. North country comedy, okay
for domestic market, but
Yorkshire dialect may prove
obstacle to extensive U. S. ex-*
hibition.

London, Aug. 9.

Rank VistaVislon (Sergei Nolbandov)
production and release. Stars John Greg*
son, Diana Dors, Susan Stephen, Derek
Farr; features Frank PettingeU, Jill
Adams. Directed by Ken. Annakin. Screen-
play, R. F. Delderfleld and William Fair-
child; camera (Technicolor). Geoffrey
Unstvorth; editor, Geoffrey Foot; music,
Malcolm Arnold; "Toys for Boys” and.
"Dolly Polka” music, Jhn Pritchett. At
Odeon, Leicester Square! London, Aug.
9, *55. Running time, *3 MINS.

Chayley Broadbent ....... John Gregson

Ruthine West .. . Diana Dors

Ethel Susan Stephen

Duke Poppiewell Derek Fart

Higgins - Frank- PettingeU

Joy -. Jill Adams

Lumm Charles Victor

Oldroyd James Gregson

Llmpy Donald Pleasance

Mrs. Perkins Joan Hickson

Mr. HaU Hal Osmond

Mrs. Hall Sheila Raynor

Mr. Gldbrook Charles Lloyd ^Pack

Walter ■ Ferdy Mayne

Arkwright John Glyn Jones

Robjohns - Leslie ^Phillips

Mrs. Matthews MoUy Weir

Lord Drewsbury ». Ernest Thesiger

For its second production in
VistaVision, the Rank Studios has
chosen a north-country comedy;
which will give considerable
amusement to unsophisticated lo-!
cal audiences, but which, may find
it tough sledding in the Overseas
territory. . In the U. S,, particular-
ly, the Yorkshire dialect will not
be a selling aid. i

This is a" modestly* amusing
piece, staged on a bigger scale
than the story would seem to war-
rant, and offering a touch of spec-
tacle in a couple of song and dance
numbers. The plot revolves around
John Gregson, who .inherits his
father’s fortune, rag business and
meannesses, and then has the mis-
fortune to get involved' with a
blonde show girl (Diana Dors). He
forgets the girl he left behind
(Susan Stephen). Around - this
basic situation; the yarn moves
from one preposterous situation to
another until eventually honor . is
satisfied, and . each of the girls ends
up ip a bridal. gown.

As a running gimmick, the voice

Film Reviews

Paris, Aug. 9.

La Castlgllona (FRANCO - ITALIAN;
COLOR). Warner Bros, release of Radius-
Taurus production. Stars Yvonne De
Carlo, Georges Marchal, Rossano Brazzi,
Paul Meurisse, Lea Padovani; features
Claude. Bolssol, Lucienne Legrand, Llsette
Lebon, Tamara Lees. Directed by Georges
Combret. Screenplay, Combret, Claude
Bolssttl, Pierre Maudrur camera (Eastman-
color); Pierte Petit; editor, Geripaine
Fouquet. At Marlgnon, Paris. Running
time, 9® MINS.

Stinting production values show
up to make this costumer of the
Napoleon III era lacking in big
appeal visually. Meandering story,
lacklustre direction and uneven
thesping are also a detriment
towards making this of much value
locally. For the U.S., the only
possibility is for secondary billing
on the Yvonne De Carlo and Ros-
sano Brazzi names. Otherwise this
drearily told tale will militate
against any real bookings.

This was held back from distrib
over a year here, and is now mak-
ing the summer circuit. Detailing
the attempts of 19th Century Italy
to unite, this is about -the beauteous
La Castiglione whose appeal to
Napoleon is used to help save her
revolutionary lover who is killed
anyway. ’

Miss De Carlo looks out of place
in court and is called upon to
portray a winsome lass which is
not her forte. Georges Marchal is
uneven and Brazzi manages to etch
some character into that of the wily
Italian statesman CavoUr. Color

appears uneven and washed out.
Sets obviously are low grade and
direction is too sedentary. Mosk. . ■*

... Berlin, Aug. 9.

Th* Doll Merchant (FINNISH). Oy Suo*
men FllmltColUsuus (SF) production and
release. Stars Merit! Knta.1isto and Hillevi
Lagerstam; 'features . Heikkl Savolaineb
and Leena Kaprio. Directed • by Jack
Wltikka. Screenplay, .Walentin Chorell;
camera, Marius Rnichi; editor, Aarro Kol-
vlsto. At Film Biibne Wien, Berlin. Run-
ning time, 75 MINS.

Finland, with its modest re-
sources, deserves credit for turning
out this offbeat pic. It has a re-
freshing charm, lively treatment
and an unusual theme. If well
dubbed, it should merit a place in
American 'and British arty houses.

The theme, which satirizes dic-
tatorships, lias been developed with
a fine sense of restrained humor;
action takes precedence over dialog
and«4fce principal players respond
to the sensitive touch of the di-
rector. It’s a simple yarn of a
rather pathetic doll peddler who
is suspected of being an anarchist.
Flung into jail, he eventually Is
freed by a revolt of all the children
in the city. Alongside the main
story line, runs a gentle little ro-
mance between the peddler and the
mistress of the dictator, a lush
blond with a passion for dolls.

Film has okay technical quali-
ties, but would benefit by slight
scissoring in western territories.

Myro.

of Gregson’* dead father is heard
littering words of caution to his
son, particularly urging him to
exercise stronger control of the
purse strings. Although amusing
at first; it is done too frequently
and tends to become monotonous.

The two production numbers, ar-
ranged and danced by Paddy Stone !
and Irving Davis, are neatly dove-
tailed into the story line. They
are nicely staged and each provide
a pleasant contrast in background.
Gregson, Miss Dors and Miss
Stephen fill the three main roles
more than adequately. Derek Farr
shares starring honors with them
as the character who ends up with
the other girl. Frank PettingeU
and Jill Adams lead a typically
British supporting team. Ken
Annakin has directed sympa-
thetically and other technical
qualities are up to regular stand-
ards. Myro.

Night Freight
Formula action-meller. ' for
lowercase dual-dating- in the
general situation.

Hollywood, Aug. 15.

Allied Artists release of Ace Herman
(Wm. F. Broidy Pictures Corp.) produc-
tion. Stars Forrest Tucker. Barbara Brit*'
ton, Keith Larsen. Thomas Gomez; fea-
tures Michael Ross, -Mytna Dell; Lewis
Martin, 'G. Pat Collins. Directed by Jean
Yarbrough. Written by Steve Fisher;
camera, William Sickner; editor. Chandler
House; score, Edward J. Kay. Previewed
Aug. 11, .'55. Running, time, 79 MINS.

Mike Peters Forrest Tucker

Wanda Barbara Britton

Don Peters Keith Larsen

Haight Thomas Gomez

Lome . , Michael Ross 1

Sally Myrna Dell

Crane Lewis Martin

Kelly G. Pat Collins

Gordon Sam Flint

Engineer Ralph Sanford

Disc Jockey George Sanders

Bartender Joe Kirk

First Newsman . . . .' Jim Alexander

Workman Charles Fredericks

Fireman Guy Rennie

Detective Michael Dale

Formula action entertainment of
lightweight values .is strung -to-
gether in. this mild programmer.
It will get by as filler material in
the general dual situation 9 . Ster-
eotyped handling all down the
line keeps it from qualifying as an
okay entry in its lowercase class.

The Steve Fisher screen story
deals with a feud between Forrest
Tucker, operator of a shortline
railroad, and Thomas Gomez,
truck line owner who sees Tuck-
er’s railway putting him out of
business. To further complicate
matters, the plot stirs up' bad
blood between Tucker and his kid
ibrother, Keith Larsen, through
the medium of Barbara Britton;
gmmill B-girl for whom both the
brothers yen.

A modicum of meller values are
stirred tip tor the climax when the
brothers join forces to save a
munitions train which Gomez
schemes to blow up. The heavy
gets his and Tucker gets the girl,
with Larsen’s blessing.

Ace Herman’s production makes
repetitious use of train and track
shots, as well as some other scenes
that are not too well cut intq the
footage. There’s little the players
or director Jean Yarbrough can do
with the script, which requires the
principals to talk out, as Well as
act out, the plot action. The foot-
age runs overtime at 79 minutes
and the technical assist are stand-
ard for budget. * Brog.

Madilalena

(ITALIAN-COLOR)

Stunning performance by
Marta Toren in Italian village
tale of uneven quality. Piety,
bigotry and cruelty of the
peasantry. Needs careful book-
ing.

IFE release of -Titanus .Films Italo-
French co-produfction. Stars Marta Tolen.
Features Gino Cervl. Charles Vanel, and
Jacques Sernas, pirectcd by. Augusto
Genlna. Screenplay, Gcnina, Aliancllo,
Stefani and Prosper i; ' from tlie • play
“Servant of God” . by Madfeleinfe de Bain-
valla, Camera (Technicolor), Claude Re-
noir; music, Antonio Verretti. Pre-
vlewed^ in N.Y. Aug. 10, '53, Running,
time, 90 MINS.

Maddalena ................ Marta Toren

Don ‘Vincenzo Ginp Cervi

Giovanni Lamberti Charles Vanel

Giovanni Belloni ......... Jacques Sernas

Farmer . Folco Lull!

Farmer's Daughter Angiola Faranda

( Italian ; English Titles)

The desire to produce a picture
that will win popular appeal both
in Italy and the U.S. often results
in product with -the stamp of com-
promise on it. “Maddalena,” IFE’.s
latest import with English-lan-
guage subtitles, is in that category.

It has many of the qualities of
the pictures produced during the
Italian industry’s great post-war
comeback. However, it deteriorates
into a soap operaish tearjerker
that far outweighs its many good,
points. It's a polished, well-pro-
duced Titanus prbduction, height-
ened by excellent Technicolor lens-
ing. Nonetheless, its story deficien-
cies mark it only as a moderate
art house entry.

On the credit side is an excellent
portrayal of backward villagers,
their devotion to the church, their
bigoted resentment of outsiders,

tlieir petty jealousies, their willing*
ness to accept miracles, and their
susceptibility to mass crowd hys-
teria. Director Augusto Genlna has
done a remarkable job in capturing
on film tbe natives of an Italian
mountain village. It’s hard to be-
lieve* that many of the types that
come within camera range are not
professional actors. As a study of
an Italian village, “Maddalena”
rates highly, but tbe flashback
story of the motivations of a pros-
tie detracts from an almost so-
ciological probe of unenlightened
townspeople.

The film opens with an interest-
ing premise; -A local bigwig who
feels that the priest has overshad-
owed him as the town’s leader
decides to show up the clergyman.-
An annual village event is a Good
Friday pageant in which a local
beauty portrays the Virgin Mary.
The local beauty who has had the
honor for many years is ineligible
because of pregnancy.' Confusion
reigns as the par ishoners refuse to
agree on a new choice, each push-
ing his own daughter. Fed up with
the bickering, the priest decides to
seek an outsider for the role. This
gives the bigwig an opportunity to
sneak in a prostitute for the part.

Although the villagers are un-
aware of the girl’s background,
they resent the intruder, displaying
open hostility to the girl and reg-
istering their protests . with the
priest. The priest, however, is
adamant; She remains to play the
role. She wins the town’s accept-
ance when it is thought that she
is involved in a miracle relating to
the recovery of a boy given up for
dead. At this point, the villagers

she is tortured by the deception.

She breaks down and confesses
to the priest. She undertook the
assignment, she explains, because
of a desire to mock the Madonna
who she blames for the death of
her child. Circumstances make it
necessary for her to. continue her
pageant role. At the last moment,
she is denounced by the bigwig.
The townspeople turn again. They
become an angry mob, eventually
stoning her to . death.

Marta Toren, an exceptional
good looker, has a tour de force
as the prostie and turns in a top
performance. Gino Cervi, as the
priest, Charles Vanel,- as the
lecherous bigwig, and Jacques Ser-
nas, as a love-sick admirer, are
convincing in their roles, with
Cervi’s thesping rating a special
nod.

Film has exploitable possibilities
for theatres Which want to play up
the sex angle. There are numerous
scantilly clad gals around in many
scenes devoted to the prostitute’s
place of employment. - H oil.

Pathe Cinema

Continued from page 4

ducing quite a number of .“com-
mercial” films that were doing
well in France but couldn’t be ex-
pected to reach the mass audience
in the U.S. unless introed - via
dubbed versions, “What we need
is one good dubbed film to crack
open the maxket,” he observed.
“But the dubbing has to be perfect
It’s as important as the production
itself and certainly worth spend-
ing money on.”

Technicalities

The Pathe prez opined that dub-
bing from French., or Italian into
English had nowhere reached the
perfection of ' English into the
various other languages and that
this obviously represented a handi-
cap^ English track for “Dames’*
will be recorded in Paris. U>Sv
technicians, said McGregor, so- far
didn’t have sufficient, dubbing ex-
perience to turn out a first-rate
job:.- - , . .

One of the problems with dub-
bing so far, he thought, was that
it was jjeing dope too literally from
the original script. “With Dames*
we’ll follow a different procedure,’*
he said, “First we are making an
intelligent adaptation, and then
we’ll match the lip movements.” .

McGregor indicated that Pathe
had two pix already picked to start
off its distribution activities, but
said he wasn’t ready to divulge the
titles.

As for the. ^ commercial release
of Frepch hlnas in the U,S., he
thought French producers had .to
take a gamble. “You can’t expect
to shoyy ’ a . French . original to an
American distributor and expect
him to make up his mind,” he said.
“Thfe French producer will have
to dub first and screen his picture
later. There is no question in my
mind that, once, we start dubbing,
the market will open up and that .
American distributors handling
such pictures will put the proper
effort behind them.”

Wednesday,' August 17, 1955

OTCMTOES

First step toward the organiza-
tion of film company field public-
ity men has been accomplished by
the Homeoffice Employees Union,
Local H-63, International Alliance
of Theatrical Stage Employees
“with the inking of a two-year pact
with Paramount covering . hinter-
land bally men. Except for field
men whose base of operations is
the New York homeoffice, the.out-

- of-tpwn publicity staffers have
heretofore been unorganized, be-
ing one of the few units in the in-
dustry without union affiliation.

The Local H-63 contract with
Par is patterned after the agree-
ment the union has for the home-
• office publicists. It calls - for tf
.wage hike, severance pay, and job
: protection. The agreement cov-
ers all field men from the Los An-
geles area to the^east. The IA local
credits the decision of the Par
staffers for union affiliation on the
fact that the Publicists Guild in
Hollywood relinquished its inde-
pendent status and became a mem-
ber of the IA. In New Ybrk, local
H-63 represents only the pub-ad
staffers at paramount.

According to Russell M. . Moss,
'the union's business agent, “con-
siderable correspondence is being
held between the union and the
field representatives of other com-
'pahies with the prospect of their
affiliation with the locaf union."

- This attempt to corral the field
men of the other companies is seen'
as causing a conflict with the N. Y.
‘Screen Publicists Guild, A CIO af-

, filiate representing the pub-ad staf-
(Continued on page 18)

WILBY-KINCEY, MAJORS
HIT BY ANRTRUSTER

Atlanta, Aug. 16.

Wilby-Kincey Service Corp., At-
lanta theatre management firm,
and eight national film distribu-
tors were named Wednesday CIO)
in a $3,000,000 antitrust suit filed
In United States District Court
here.

Other defendants named were
Paramount, Loew’s, 20th Century-
Fox, Warner Bros., RKO, United
Artists, Universal and Columbia
Pictures.

Suit was filed by Ellis Blumen-
thal of Charlotte, N. C. It asks for
triple damages, attorneys* fees and
court costs.

The suit follows the line of simi-
lar actions filed throughout the
nation. It alleges that four inde-
pendent theatres in the Carolina
towns were forced out of business
as a result of the defendants* re-
fusal to supply them in a manner
that would allow them to * meet
competition.

Theatres in the area managed by
Wiiby-Kincey were favored in the
alleged conspiracy, the suit con-
tends.

Hardly had the ink dried on the
court action against Wilby-Kincey
eVal before a second suit, this one
for $500,000, was placed on thg
books Thursday (11).

• William Greene, a former the-
atre operator in the Atlanta area,
asked a judgment of half a million
against Lam Amusement Co., New-
nan Theaters .Co., Oscar C. Lam,
East Point Amusement Co., and the
same eight national distributors
named in first suit,

Greene charged they engaged In
monopolistic practices which
forced him to close the Palmetto
Theatre last year. *

Metro’s Reissue Coupling
‘Philadelphia’ and ‘Green’

“The Philadelphia Story’* 1 and
“Green Dolphin Street,*’ two of
Metro’s top attractions of former
years, are being readied as a re-
issue package by the company.
Films will be released shortly 1 ^ af-
ter Labor Day.

“Philadelphia Story," originally
issued in 1940, stars; Katharine
Hepburn and James Stewart.
“Dolphin Street" was a 1947 entry
starring Lana Turner, Incidentally,
the company is currently preparing
a musical version of “Philadelphia
Story."

Whitbeck Stays Longer

Hollywood, Aug. 10.

Frank Whitbeck, studio advertis-
ing manager for Metro, hhs delayed
his Sept. 1 retirement at the re-
quest of pub-ad veepee Howard
Dietz. Dietz asked the veteran in-
dustryite to stay on to work on
several big campaigns and» until a
successor could be appointed.

Jack Atlas, currently associate
producer of M-G-M’s Parade show
and formerly Whitbeck’s assistant,
will most likely take over Whit-
beck’s duties when the latter finally
leaves.

Early in '56

Industry "arbitration system, even
if given a final blessing by all con-
cerned,, probably won't be a work-
ing reality before the early part of
next year, according to industry
execs close to the job of drafting
the arbitration proposal.

While the draft, as now worked
but, appears to be just what the
principals had in mind, it still has
to be studied by all involved and
then must be submited to the De-
partment of Justice.

Big time consumer, which also
could easily uncover some unex-
pected obstacles, is the fact that
the arbitration agreement will have
to be ratified by the various exhib
groups involved. This obviously
takes time and it’s primarily be-
cause of 'this requirement that ex-
ecs feel that , an arbitration system
can't be put on the map before
next year.

Allied's refusal to go along Isn't
viewed with any great concern by
the arbitration schemers since ar-
bitration, if and when it comes,
will be open to all comers, includ-
ing Allied members.

> *N . ■'

Yeggs Hoist $798 Cash

Philadelphia, Aug. 16.

Burglars broke into' the Devon
Theatre, Northeast Philly nabe,
early Sunday morning (14), cracked
a safe and escaped with $798 in
cash and checks for $387.

Police discovered the robbery
when a routine check of the build-
ing showed an exit' door open.
Manager Melvin Fogelsanger to-
talled up the loss.

The Council of Motion Picture
Organizations, is, at the ^crossroads
again. Allied Theatre Owners of
Texas has withdrawn from the
COMPO membership end Col. H.
A. Cole, chairman of the Texas
unit, resigned as a COMPO di-
rector.

There's professed dissatisfaction
.with COMPO among other branches
of Allied States Assn. It’s clear
that some, if not all, of> them in-
tend to hold off on contributing,
membership dues to. support
COMPO's Audience Awards public
poll.

Trueman T. Rembusch, head of
Allied of Indiana, Wants exhibition
to direct its . attention to a- quest
for . Government curbs on film
rentals. He's against ante-lug up
for COMPO’s poll and he’s like-
wise against a move for total elim-
ination of the admissions tax. The
latter was urged last week by
Samuel Rinanski, member of the
three-man COMPO governing
board and prominent official of
Theatre Owners of America.

It has been strongly suggested
in Allied areas that a vote on
pulling the entire national exhib
association out of COMPO will be
taken at a board meeting in Chi-
cago in- October.

TO A has made no public utter-
ances but many of its key people
have endorsed the COMPO- poll
(Continued on page 18)

Brandt Raps Allied,

Says Majority Would
Oppose Rental Curbs

Denouncing the entire program
advocated by Allied States leaders,
Harry Brandt, N. Y. circuit opera-
tor and head of Independent The-
atre Owners Assn.* yesterday
(Tu,es.) flatly stated that more
exhibitors would openly fight
Government regulation of film
rentals than would support them.
The majority, he claimed, would
appear before a Federal investi-
gating committee to' oppose the
rental curbs being urged by the
Allied heirarchy.

Strictly in the camp of the ahtl-
Ailied forces, Brandt declared that
the Council of Motion “Picture
Organizations should pe given con-
tinued industry Support, the fight
for total elimination of the Federal
admissions tax should be pursued
and COMPO’s Audience Awards
poll should be given .strong back-
ing. The latter, he ' said, offers
the industry’s “greatest public re-
lations potential,"

Notes; Fewer Pictures as Result

The U.S. Patent Office has Issued
a patent to C. Robert Fine for his
invention of Perspecta Stereophon-
ic Sound. The patent covers all
claims of the Perspecta system,
including the Perspecta Integrator,,
the single upit required to deliver
multi-channel sound from a single
optical track.

Perspecta system, in which. Metro
has an Interest, is being used, , by
M-G, Paramount, Warner Bros,,
Universal, Columbia and by many
producers in foreign countries.

Setup: Boasberg

Paramount has taken the first
step toward meeting the beefs 'out-
lined recently by the joint Theatre
Owners of America- Allied States
Assn, committee. In a statement
of policy leading toward the alle-
viation “of problems affecting . ex-
hibitors, particularly those on the
borderline of continuing opera-
tion," George Weltner, Par’s
worldwide sales chief, revealed the
establishment of machinery yes-
terday (TueS.) which, it’s hoped,
will help solve the difficulties of
theatres in economic stress.

Key role in the new setup will
be played by Charles Boasberg who
will join Par shortly after Labor
Day in a key sales capacity., The
former RKO and more recently
Distributors Corp. of America do-
mestic sales chief will have as one
of his primary duties the handling
of the problems of borderline the-
atres.

According to Weltner, Par will
consider distress problems in the
following manner: Any exhibitor
who feels he has a squawk and
warrents consideration as a dis-
continued on page 18)

Imperial Signs IATSE

Los Angeles Aug. 16.

Helm-Hoffman Enterprises has
inked a union contract with Pro-
jectionists Local 150, IATSE, for
the re-opened. Imperial Theatre,
thus averting threatened picketing
of house which had been shuttered
for nearly a year.

Company leased theatre from
Southside ’ Theatres and opened
Aug. 5' with Indie boothmen.

ft- There’s widespread opinion in
the N. Y. exchange area that Allied
States Assn, “can't be serious"
about 1 asking the Government to
impose a ceiling on film rentals
charged by the distributors. This
appraisal was given this week by"
both persons aligned with the
film companies and others who are
not immediately interested parties
to the exhib-distrib squabbles over
pic costs.

Two main points -were made.
First, it was said, a limitation on
|4he money a producer can collect
on his picture would discourage
production at a time when the
exhibs are clamoring for more and
more product.

This likely would obtain with
indie filmmakers, particularly, who
are how embarking on more expen-
sive projects. Bank financing would
become a greater problem where
one film is cross-collateralized
against one or more others. (Via
this practice one hit pic can com-
pensate for a few losers from the
same producer.)

But, it’s felt, such insurance for
the financiers would be eliminated
if the hit pic were to be subjected
to curbs on rentals.

Second point raised concerns
Allied members themslves. Any
Government investigation group
would want the full score on why
exhibs were asking “protection,"
This would mean that a realistic-
ally representative group of th£a-
tremen would be required to show
their books concerning transac-
tions with the distributors and
their economic ups and downs.

Milch doubt is raised that Allied
members or any other exhib groups
would accede to this in sufficient
number.

Agitating Congress

Allied States Assn., determined
to take its fight for film relief to
the Government, has started its
behind-the-scenes campaign in
Congressional quarters. The exhib
organization is striving for a Sen-
ate hearing at the conclusion of
which, it’s hoped, a bill calling for

(Continued on page 20)

REMBUSCH ARGUES FULL TAX REPEAL
WOULD ONLY FATTEN

New schism between Allied States Assn, and
Theatre Owners of America appears to be develop-
ing as a result of a conflict in legislative desires.
Although neither of the exhibitor organizations has
officially taken a stand on the proposals advocated,
prominent leaders of both Allied and TOA have
come to the front with suggestions involving Gov-
ernment action seeking to improve theatre business.

Trueman T. Rembusch, a national director of
Allied, has taken strong exception to the proposal
of Samuel Pinanski, an influential TOA leader, that
exhibition prepare now to wage a fight in the 1956
Congress for total repeal of the Federal admissions
tax.

“Why plow the field, plant the seed, cultivate the
crop and have someone appropriate the harvest?”
Rembusch asks. He maintains that is what exhibi-
tors experienced in winning the partial tax repeal
in 1954 “for distribution appropriated all the bene-
fits through increased film rentals." Rembusch, an
Indiana exhibitor, feels that exhibs would not gain
any benefits from a new tax fight and that the sav-
ings would find its way into the hands of the dis-
tribution companies.

European 30%

Rembusch, however, urges a - legislative program
that would result in greater benefits for theatremen.

He advocates support of legislation which Would im-
pose a maximum ceiling on film rentals of 30%.
Such ceilings, he points oqt, now exist in many
European countries and “under these ceilings Euro-
pean exhibitors not only are prosperous but are free
of fhe economic pressures imposed by distibution on
exhibition in the United States."

The Indiana theatreowner notes that exhibitors
must make a choice of legislative action since, ob-
viously, they cannot ask for tax relief and rental
ceilings at the same time. He feels that by a di-
vision of efforts neither program would succeed.
He suggests that exhibs decide “on the basis of
which course promises the most for exhibition."
Seeking a rental ceiling of 30%, Rembusch says,
“is much more attractive and would be much more
lucrative for exhibition." He reiterates that dis-
tribution would again “grab" the benefits of any
exhibition success in repeal of the admission tax.

Citing a report on European rental ceilings by
Julius Gordon, head of the Jefferson Amusement
Corp., to the Allied board, Rembusch notes that
European theatremen under this setup “are enjoy-
ing the greatest prosperity in their history." He
stresses that he is definitely committed to seeking
rental ceilings in the next session of Congress
and that he is “unalterably opposed to exhibition
initiating a new tax fight. • •" -

JUDGE DISMISSES 1949
FANCHON SUIT VS. PAR

Federal Judge Archie O. Dawson
In N. Y. Federal Court Monday
(15) dismissed a six-year-old. anti-
trust suit brought by Fanchon &
Marco Inc. against Paramount Pic-
tures in a case involving the Para-
mount Theatre, Hollywood.

F. Sc M., a joint operator of the
house, sought -total damages of
$2,979,000 on the claim that the
distributor defendant . unlawfully
prevented the Paramount Holly-
wood from competitively bidding
for product, forced it to book “in-
ferior" pictures and allegedly bar-
red F. Sc M. from constructing a
theatre in Beverly Hills, among
other Charges.

Following recent trial of the ac-
tion, Judge Dawson held that
F. Sc M. was not entitled to dam-
ages and ruled further that neither
Paramount Pictures nor American
Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres
had done anything in violation of
the antitrust laws to injure the
Paramount Hollywood. Court,
moreover, granted AB-PT an in-
junction restraining F. & M. and
the Paramount Hollywood Theatre
Corp. from interfering with exer-
cise of its rights as owner of 400
shares of PHTC class “B” stock.

AB-PT entered the case in 1951
when its film predecessor, United
Paramount Theatres, intervened in
the suit with permission of Federal
Judge Gregory Noonan. At that
time it moved to dismiss the com-
plaint and sought an injunction to
restrain F. & M. from preventing
the PHTC hoard from “function-
ing properly." Originally partner-
ed with F. Sc M. in Paramount
Hollywood’s operation, Paramount
Pix turned over 400 shares of
PHTC class “B" stock to UPT un-
der the consent decree divorce-
ment.

PICTURE GROSSES

‘Blues’ Boffo $21,0(10, Det; Me'
Hep 15G, ‘Holiday’ Hefty 27th

Detroit, Aug. 16.

General picture looks sluggish
tiiis week for many of the down-
town housQe, with numerous rea-
sons given for the decline includ-
ing a long line of holdovers, ‘"Pete f
Kelly’s Blues,” cashing in on Jack
Webb’s highly-successful person-
als^ is the brightest spot, with a
great round at the Palms. “The
King’s Thief" is ‘’ weak at the
United Artists. However, "The
Shrike” shapes b ? g at the Madi-
son. "Rock ’n Rt/’ at the Broad-
way-Capitol is rated average,

"Night Holds Terror’’* at the
Fox is fading rapidly in second
round. "7 Little Foys” is okay in
third Michigan week. The 27th
week of "Cinerama Holiday” at
the Music Hall continues strong.

Estimates ter This Week

Fox (Fox-Detrolt) (5,000; $1-

$1.25)— "Night Holds Terror” (Col)
and King Dinosaur” (Lip) (2d,
wk). Down to slow $17,000. Last
week. $22,000.

Michlagn (United Detroit), (4,-
000; $1-$1.25)— "Seven Little Foys”
(Par) ’and "Green Scarf” (Indie
(3d wk). Slipping but still ok at
$12,000. Last week, $17,700.

Palms (UD) (2,961; $1-$1.25)—
"Pete Kelly’s .Blues’.’ (WB) and
"Robbers Roost” OJA). Great $27,-
0Q0. Last week, "Man from Lar-
amie” (Col) and "Las Vegas
Shakedown” (AA) (2d wk), $18,000.

Madison UD) (1,900; $1-$1.25)—
"The Shrike” (U). Big -$15,000 or
near. Last week, "Lady and
Tramp” (BV), $9,000 in sixth week.

Broadway-Capital (UD) (3,500;
$1-$1.25)— "Rock ’n Roll” (Indie)
and "Betrayed Women” (A A)/ Av-
erage $13,000. Last week,
‘■Stranger on Horseback” (UA)
•and "Kentucky Rifle” (Lip)' plus
Bill Haley’s Comets on stage three
days, $22,500.

United Artists (UA) (1,939; $1-
$1;25) — "King’s Thief” (M-G).
Weak $7,000. Last week, "We’re
No Angels” (Par) (2d wk) $11,000.

Adams (Balaban) (1,700; $1-

$L25) — "Interrupted Melody”
(M-G (2d wk). Fine $10,000. Last
week, $13,700,

Music Hall (Cinerama Produc-
tions) (1,194; $1.40-$2.65)— "Cine-
rama Holiday” (Indie) 27th wk.
Strong $27,500 or over. Last
week, $28,300.

Krim (Krim) (1,000; $1.25)
"Wizard of Oz” (M-G) (reissue)
(3d wk). Oke $5,000. Last week,
$ 6 , 000 .

Mpls.

Broadway Grosses

Estimated Total Gross
this Week $598,660

( Based on 21 theatres.)

Last Fear .......... $616,700

( Based on 21 theatres .)

‘McConneir Fine

’Bamboo’ Smash $12,000,
’Roberts’ Mighty
16G, 3d, ’Holiday’ 30G

Minneapolis, Aug. 16.

No less than five of eight loop
firstruns again are occupied by
holdovers, once more reducing
newcomers to a minimum. How-
ever, longruns still ate powerful.
It’s the fifth stanza for "Not As a
Stranger” at World where still
terrific. Fourth week of "Cinerama
Holiday” is smash and third for
"Mister Roberts” amazingly sock.
Of the fresh entries, . only one,
"House of Bamboo,” looks espe-
cially strong. Cooler weather is
stimulating biz.

Estimates for This Week

Century (S-W) (1,150; $1.75-

$2.65) "Cinerama Holiday” (Indie)
(4th wk); Highly favorable word
of mouth helping. Stout $30,000 to
top last week’s $29,000.

Gopher (Berger) (1,000; 85-$l)
"Abbott & Costello Meet Mummy”
(U), Okay $5,000. Last week, “Mag-
nificent Matador” (20th) (2d wk),
$2,500.

Lyric (Par) (1,000; 65-85) "Davy
Crockett, Indian Scout” (Indie)
and "Iroquois Trail” (Indie) (re-
issues). Oldies getting some play
from youngsters but only tepid
$3,500 looms; Last week, "Man
From Bitter Ridge” (U) and "Cult
of Cobra” (U), same.

Radio City (Par) (4,100; 85-$l)
"Mister Roberts” (WB) <3d wk).
Continues in big money, _ Huge
$16,000, and better than some first
weeks here. Last week, $17,000.

RKO-Orpheum (RKO) (2,800; 75-
$1) "Man From Laramie (Col) (2d
wk). Fast $10,000. Last week,
$17 500 *

RKO-Pan (RKO) (1,600; 75-$l)
"Lady and Tramp” CBV) (5th wk).
Fancy $5,000. Last week, $7,000.

State (Par) (2,300; 85-$l) "House
of Bamboo” (20th), Helped by
scarcity of newcomers. Lofty $12,-
000. Last week, "Purple Mask”
(U), $7,000.

World (Mann) (400; 75-$1.20)

"Not As Stranger” (UA) (5th wk).
Ads proclaim "second smash
month.” Tall $7,400. Last week,
$7,800.

San Francisco, Aug. 16

"McConnell Story” at the Fox
and "Cinerama Holiday,” just end-
ed on its second week at Orpheum
loom standout here this round.
Former is good while "Holiday”
is terrific in second frame (really
first full week) to easily soar above
9-performance initial span. "Moon-
fleet” Is niild at Warfield, "Mister
Roberts” shapes smash in fifth
round at the St. Francis. "Man
From Laramie” is still sock in
first holdover stanza at Paramount.

Estimates for This Week

Golden Gate (RKO) (2,859; 80-
$1) — “Lady and Tramp” (BV) (4th
wk). Big , $13,500. Last week r
$17,500.

Fox (FWC) (4,651; $1.25-$1.50)—
"McConnell Story” (WB) and
"Road to Denver” (Rep). Good
$20,000. Last week, "How To Be
Popular” (20th) and "Angela”
(20th) $9,500,

Warfield (Loew) (2,656; 65-90)—
"Moonfleet” (M-G), Mild $12,000
or less. Last week, "Wizard of Oz”
(M-G) (reissue), $12,500.

Paramount (Par) (2,646; 90-$l)
— "Man From Laramie” (Col) and
"Bring Smile Along” (Col) (2d
wk). Socko $14,000. Last week,
$25,000.

St. Francis (Par) (1,400; $1-$1.25
—"Mister Roberts” (WB) . (5th
wk). Smash $17,000. Last week,
$18,000.

Orpheum (Cinerama Theatre,
Calif.) (1,458; $1.75-$2.65)— ’ ‘Cine-
rama Holiday” (Indie) (3d wk).
Second week ended Sunday (14)
was huge $37,500. Last week, $23,-
000, this first session being for on-
ly 9 shows.

United Artists (No. Coast) (1,-
207; 70-$l)— "Not As Stranger”
(UA) (7th wk). Good $9,700, Last
week, $11,300.

Siagedoor (A-R) (400; $1-$1.25)
—"Marty” (UA) and "Kind Hearts
and Coronets” (reissue) (7th \yk).
Big $4,500. Last week, $4,000.

Larkin (Rosener) (400; $1) —
"Flamenco” (Indie). Fancy $3,500.
Last week, "Doctor in the House”
(Indie) (2d wk), $2,100.

Clay (Rosener) (400-$D— "Front
Page Story” (Indie)" (2d wk). Oke
2,000. Last week, $2,600.

Vogue (S. F. Theatres) (377-$l)
—"Innocents in Paris” (Indie) (5th
wk and "Fallen Idol” (Indie) 3d
wk). Good $2,100. Last week,
$2,400.

Bridge (Reade - Schwarz) (396;
$1-$1.25) "Court Martial” (Indie).
Trim $3,600. Last week, "To Paris
With Love” (Indie) (9th wk),
$1,800.

Rio (Schwarz) (397; $1)— "Sven-
gali” M-G) (3d wk). Oke $1,500.
Last week, $2,000.

‘Camera’ Record $16,000,
Denver; ‘Shrike’ 166

Denver, Aug, 16.

"I Am a Camera” is pushing 1>iz
at the Aladdin to a house record,
and is holding. "Road to Denver,"
cashing in on on title, looms fine
in two drive-ins. "The Shrike”
shapes sturdy at the Paramount
while "How to Be Popular”' is only
fairly good at the Denver. "Mis-
ter Roberts” looks standout .of
holdovers with a big take in sec-
ond session at the Centre.

Estimates for This Week

Aladdin (Fox) (1,400;' 60-$l) — "I
Am a Camera” (DCA), Record
$16,000. Last week, on reissues.

Centre (Fox) < 1,24*7; 60-$l)—

"Mister Roberts” (WB) <2d wk).
Fast $12,000. Last week, $18,000.

Denham (Cobkrill) (1,750; 50-85)
— "We’re No Angels” (Pari (2d
wk). Perky $12,000. List week,
$ 20 , 000 .

Denver . (Fox) <2,525; 60-$l) —
"How ta Be Popular” (20th). Good
$15,000. Last week, "Man From
Laramie” (Col) (2d wk), $12,000.

East p rlve-In (Wolfberg) (750
cars; 75)— "Road to Denver” (Rep)
and "Lay That Rifle Down” (Rep).
Nice $6,00. Last week, on subse-
quents.

Esquire (Fox) (742; 75-$l)— "Will
Any Gentleman” (Indie) and "Last
Holiday” (Indie). Fine $3,000.
Last week, on reissues.

Lakeshore Drive-In (Civic) (1,000
cars; 75)— "Road to Denver” (Rep)
and "Lay Rifle Down” (Rep), Good
$7,500. Last week, on subse-
quents.

Orpheum (RKO) (2,600; 60-$U—
"Lady and the Tramp” (BV) (4th
wk). Fair $6,500. Last week, $9,-
500.

Paramount (Wolfberg) (2,200;
60-$i)— "Shrike” (U). Fancy $15,-
000. Last week, "Kentuckian”
(UA) (2d. wk), $14,500.

‘Blues Torrid

Cincinnati,- Aug. 16.

"Pete Kelly’s Blues,” this week’s
only new bill, is topping the town
with a whopping take at the Pal-
ace. "Mister Roberts” is still ro-
bust in third session at the big
Albee. Other * holdovers, “Man
From Laramie” and "We’re No
Angels,” continue in winning
stride, former on moveover and
"Angels” in second round.

Estimates for This Week

Albee (RKO) (3,100; 75-$1.25)—
"Mister Roberts” (WB) (3d wk).
Pleasing $13,000 after $19,000 sec-
ond stanza.

Capitol (Ohio Cinema Corp.)
(1,376; $1.20-$2.65) — "Cinerama

Holiday” (Indie) (8th wk). Hover-
ing close to the high $30,000 strata
reached last week. Visitors swell-
ing weekend trade.

Grand (RKO) (1,4007 75-$l) —
"Man From Laramie” (Col) (m.o.).
Okay $8,500. Last wejek, “Came
From Beneath Sea” (Col) and
"Creature With Atom Brain” (Col)
(six days), $12,500.

Keith’s (Shor) (1,500; 75-$1.25)—
"We’re No Angels” (Par) (Zd wk).
Oke $8,000 after $12,000 preem.

Palace (RKO) (2,600; 75-$1.10)—
"Pete. Kelly’s Blues” (WB). Great
$22,000 or over. Helped by p.a. of
Jack Webb at two showings open-
ing day; he got lotsa press and
radio-tv .salutes. Holds for second.
Last week, "Mad’ Frorft Laramie”
(Col), at 75-$l scale, $15,500.’

Storm Hits Toronto; ‘Blues Bright
16G, ‘Benson Brisk 14G, ‘Bamboo’ 15G

Toronto, Aug. 16.
Alternating hurricane rains and
heat waves have badly dented *biz
here. However, "Pete Kelly’s
Blues” is still great to top the
newcomers. ^‘House of Bamboo”
and "Private War of Major Ben-
son” are close behind with solid
returns. Of holdovers, "Cobweb”
in second stanza and “Interrupted
Melody” in fifth frame are still
holding up neatly.

Estimates for This Week
Downtown, Glendale, Scarboro,
State, Westwood (Taylor) (1,059;
955; 696; 694; 975; *40-75) — "Ma-
rauders” <M-G) and "Tarzan’s Hid-
den Jungle” (RKO). Nice $14,000.
Last week, "Rage at Dawn” (RKO)
and "Bowery Boys; Sky Chasers”
(AA), $15,000.

Fairlawn, Odeon (Rank) (1,165;
2,580; 60-$l — "Private War of
Major Benson” (U). Neat $14,000.
Last week, "How To Be Popular”
(20th) (2d wk), $9,000.

imperial <FP) (3,373; 60-$l) ~
"House of Bamboo’’ (20th). Good
$15,000 or near. Last week, "Sea
Chase” (WB) (2d wk), $9,000.

Loew’s (Loew) (2,090; 60-$l) —
"Interrupted Melody” (M-G) (5th
wk). Oke $8,500. Last, week,
$13,000.

Shea's (FP) (2,386; 60-$l)— "Pete
Kelly’s Blues” (WB). Great $16,-
000. Last week, "Seven Year Itch”
(20th) (6th- wk).

Uptown (Loew) (2,745; 60-$l) —
"Cobweb” (M-G) (2d wk). Nice
$8,000. Last week, $14,000.

Wednesday* August 17, 1955

20G, ‘Wichita 19G*

: — - 4 -

Key City Grosses

Estimated Total Gross
This Week ....... . $2,811,909

( Based on 22 cities and 214
theatres , chiefly first runs, in-
cluding N. Y.)

Total Gross Same Week

Last Year $24)26,900

( Based on 23 cities and 211
theatres.)

Philly; Desire 13G

Philadelphia, Aug. 16.—

Hurricane- threat hurt firstruns
while the heavy downpour washed
out early Weekend biz here. How-
ever, clear Sunday weather: helped
bolster, the whole session’s take.
City is loaded with holdovers but
many of them are still doing big
trade. Neither "Las Vegas Shake-
down” at Stanton and "One De-
sire” at Stanley, biggest newcom-
ers, are contributing much to the
over-all total. "Mister Roberts”
still is rated stout in fifth round
at Mastbaum . while "To Catch a
Thief” continues boffo in second
stanza at the small Trans-Lux.
"The Shrike” still is solid in third
frame at Midtown.

Estimates for This Week

Arcadia (S&S) (625;' 99-$1.49)—
“We’re No Angels” (Pat) (6th wk).
Fine $10,000. Last week, $12,000.

Boyd (SW) (1,430; $l;25-$2.60)—
"Cinerama Holiday” (Indie) (26th
wk). Okay $12,000. Last week,
$13,000.

Fox (20th) (2,250 99-$1.49)—

"Virgin Queen” (20th) (2d wk).
Near par with $14,000, Last week,
$ 20 , 000 .

Goldman (Goldman} (1,200; 65-
$1.30) — "Man from Laramie” (Col)
(3d wk). Good $9,000. Last week,
$ 12 , 000 .

. Greenhlll (Serena) (750; 65-99) —
"Green Scarf” (Indie) (23d wk).
Oke $2,800. Last week, $3,200 for
6-day week.

Mastbaum (SW) (4,370; 99-$ 1,49)
—"Mister Roberts” (WB) (5th wk).
Stout $15,000. Last week, $17,000.

Midtown (Goldman) (1,200; -65-
$1.49)— "Shrike” (U) (3d wk). Solid
$10,000. Last week, $14,000.

Randolph (Goldman) (2,500; 75-
$1.49) — "Summertime” (UA) (2d
wk). Luketoarm $17,000. Last
week, $24,000.

Stanley (SW) (2,900; 74-$1.40)—
(Continued on page 22)

’Summertime’ Lush 15G,
Cleve.; ’Laramie’ Lirelv
13G, ’Roberts’ 24G H.O.s

Cleveland, Aug. 16.

Ghost of Hurricane Connie
lashed- this Lake Eire port over
weekend and somewhat dampened
trade at mainstem houses. “Sum-
mertime” shapes okay at State as
best newcomer while "Virgin
Queen" looks to be barely pass-
able at the Hipp. "Mister Roberts”
still is great in third round at the
Allen. "Man From Laramie”
shapes nice in second Palace ses-
sion while "Not as'Stranger” con-
tinues big in seventh downtown
week. at Stillman.

Estimates for This Week

Allen (S-W) (3,000: 70-81.25)—
"Mister Roberts” (WB> (3d wk).
Great $24,000. Last week, $27,000.

Hipp (Telem’t) (3,700; 70-$l)—
"Virgin Queen” (20th). Barely
okay $15,000 or under. Last week.
"Came From Beneath Sea” (Col)
and "Creature Atom Brain” - (Col)
(2d wk), $9,000 in 5 days.

Lower Mall (Community) (585;
70-90) — "Wuthering Heights” (In-
die) (reissue). Averace $2A00.
Last week, "Wayward Wife” (IFE)
(2d run), $2,000.

Ohio (Loew’s) (1,244; 70-90)—
"Never Too Young” (Par) (m.o.).
Tall $10,000. Last week. "Seven
Little Foys" (Par) (m.o.), $5,000 on
fifth week downtown.

Palace (RKO) (3,286; 70-$l) —
"Man From Laramie” (Col) (2d

wk). Nice $13,000 after $24,000

lflcf wppIc

State (Loew) (3.500; 70*90)—
"Summertime” (M-G). Oke $15.-
000. Last week, "Never Too

Young” (Par) (2d wk), $15,000.

Stillman (Loew) (2,700; 70-90)—
"Not as Stranger” (UA) (m.o.) (7th
wk). Big $10,000 after $10,500

last week.

Boston, Aug. 16.

Threat of . hurricane Connie
bopped Saturday biz, but the week
of /rain helped build big grosses
for new product and holdovers
alike. "Female on Beach” at the
Keith Memorial is champ new-
comer .with a sbeko session. "Wich-
ita” shapes nice st Paramount and
Fenway. "One Desire” at the Pil-
grim looms okay.

Second wfeek of "Marty” at the
small Keomore looks torrid. "The
Shrike” in its second stanza at the
Astor picked pp speed. "Cobweb”
is passably good at State and Or-
pheum also In second.

Estimates for This Week

Astor (B&Q) (1,500; 75-$l,25)—
"The Shrike” (U) (2d wk). Big
$10,000. Last week, $13,500.

Beaded Hill (Beacon Hill) (678;

74- 90-$1.25)— "Game of Love” (In-
die) <3d wk). Censorship bally still
pulling for $10,000 or Over. Last
week* $12,500.

Exeter (Indie) (1,300; 60-$l) —
"Cocktails in Kitchen” (Indie) (2d
wk). Sturdy $5,000. Last week,
$6,400.

FENWAY (NETA) (1,373; 60-$l)
—"Wichita” (AA) and "Spy Chas-
ers” (Indie). Oke $4,500. Last
week, "How To Be Popular” (20th)
and "City of Shadows” (Rep),
$3,500.

Keiunore (Indie) (700; 85-$1.25)
—"Marty” (UA) (2d wk). Sizzling
$15,000. Last week, $16,500.

Memorial (RKO) (3.000; 60-$l)—
"Female on Beach” (U) and "Ska-
benga” (AA). Socko $20,000 for 8
days. Last week, "Francis In
Navy” (U) and "Case of Red Mon-
key” (AA), $10,000.

Metropolitan (NET) (4,357; 75-
90-$1.25)— "Mister Roberts” (WB)
(3d wk). Great $13,000. Last week,
$18,000.

Paramdhnt (NET) (1,700; 60-$l)
—"Wichita” (AA) and "Spy Chas-
ers” (Indie). Stout $14,500. Last
week, "How To Be Popular” (20th)
and "City of Shadows” (Rep), $10, •
500.

Pilgrim (ATC) (1,900; 50-60-$!)
—"One Desire” (U) and "Chance
Meeting” (PM). 6ke $10,000; Last
week, "Came From Beneath. Sea”
(Col) and "Creature Atom Brain”
(Col) (2d wk), $8,500.

Orpheum (Loew) (3,000; 60-75-
$1) — "Cobweb” (M-G) and "Moon-
fleet” (M-G) (2d wk). Slick $12,000.
Last week, $18,000. .

State (Loew) <3,500; 50-65-75-$l)
— "Cobweb” (M-G) and "Moon-
fleet” (M-G) (2d wk). Bright

$8,000. -Last week, $12,000.

’Bamboo’ Stout $16,000
In K.&; ’Gold’ Dim 6G,
’Roberts’ Hot 10G, 4th

Kansas City, Aug. 16.

Newcomers are. racing with hold-
overs for town’s money. Best new
entry, "House of Bamboo,” is mod-
erately strong in four Fox Midwest
firstruns. "Prize of Gold” is slow
at the Missouri. Still standout is
"Mister Roberts” smash in fourth
week at th,e Paramount. "Cob-
web” is barely fair in second week
at 'the Midland. "Seven Foys” is
closing a 4-week run satisfactorily
at Roxy. Weather for week is con-
siderably cooler than in previous
high mercury sessions.

Estimates for This Week

Glen (Dickinson) (750; 85-$l) —
"Too Young for Love” (Indie) (2d
wk). Medium $1,500. Last week,
$ 2 , 000 .

Kimo (Dickinson) (504; 85-$ U—
"Gate Of Hell” (Indie) (4th wk).
Okay $1,600. Holds. Last week,
$1,700.

Midland (Loew) (3,500; 60-80)—
"Cobweb” (M-G) and "The Ma-
rauders” (M-G) (2d wk). Fair
$7,500. Last Week, $12,000.

Missouri (RKO) (2,650; 50-80)—
"Prize of Gold” (Col) and "Five
Against House” (Col). Mild $6,000.
Last week, “Lady and Tramp”
(BV) (4th wk), $6,000 at $1 top.

Paramount (United Pdr) (1,900;

75- $l) — "Mister Roberts” (WB)
(4th wk). Fast $10,000. Likely
holds. Last week, $12,000. At
this rate, film will heat all-time
house record for length of run
and total money.

Roxy (Durwood) <879; 75-$l)—
•"Seven Little Foys” (Par) (4th wk).
Satisfactory $4,000. Last week,
$5,000.

Tower, Uptown, Fairway, Gra-
nada (Fox Midwest) (2,100; 2,043;
700; 1,217; 65-85)— "House of Bam-
boo” (20th) and "That Lady”
(20th). Sturdy $16,000. Last week,
"Francis in Navy” (U) and "Road
to Denver” (Rep), $19,000.

Vogue (Golden) (550; 75-$l) —
"Mr. Hulot’S Holiday” (GBD) (3d
wk). Hefty $1,700, Stays on.
Last week, $2,000.

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

PICTURE CROSSES 9

‘Wichita’ Smash 25G, ‘Blues-Stage

Chicago, Aug. 10.

Loop biz is holding steadily this
frame, despite a raft of holdovers,
with cooler temperatures hypoing
trade over the weekend.

?, Life In Tlie Balance” should
do a tall $3,500 opening week at
the Carnegie. “Cocktails In Kitch-
en” looms socko $8,500 in same
frame at the Esquire. “Wichita”
and “Shotgun” combo is after a
socko $35,000 In first at the«Roose-
velt.

“Pete Kelly’s Blues” with Some-
thin’ 1 Smith and the Redheads top-
ping vaude is sock in seeoanfweek
at the Chicago while “House of
Bamboo” is okay in same frame at
the Oriental. “City Across River”
and “Girls in Night” twin bill is
sturdy in second round at Grand.

“Wizard of Oz” is holding nicely
in t h i r d frame - at the Monro^
“Summertime” is still big in fourth
loop week. “Phenix City Story”
continues nifty in fourth at the
Woods. “Love Me Or Leave Me*’
is okay in sixth stanza at Mc-
Vickers.

* “Not As A Stranger” is surpris-
ingly stout in seventh United
Artists week. “Cinerama Holiday”
pushed to a huge take in ninth
Palace week.

Estimates for This Week

Carnegie (Telem’t)' (480; 95) —
“Life In Balance” (20th). Nifty
$3,500. Last week, ■ subsequent-run.

* Chicago (B&K) (3,900; 98-$1.50)
—“Pete Kelly’s Blues” (WB) with
Somethin’ Smith and Redheads
heading stage bill (2d wk). Sock
$64,000. Last week, $83,000.

Esquire (H&E Balaban) (1,400;
85-$ 'Cocktails In Kitchen”
(Indie). Sock $8,500. Last week,
subsequent-run.

Grand (Nomikos) (1,200; 98-$l)
—“City Across River” (U) and
“Girls in Night” (Ul reissues) (2d
wk). Swell $10,000. Last week,
$14,000.

Loop (Telem’t) (606; «0-$1.25)—
“Summertime” (UA) (4th wk). Tall
$18,000. Last week, $21,600.

Monroe (Indie) (1,000; 8Q-$1.25)

'Wizard of Oz” (M-G) (reissue)
(3d' wk). Hefty $9,500. Last week,
$ 11 , 000 .

McVickers (JL&S) (2,200; 65-
$1.25)— “Love Me Or Leave Me”
(M-G) (6th wk). Sturdy $18,500.
Last week, $21,000.

Oriental (Indie) (3,400; 98-$l. 25)
—“House of Bamboo” (20th) 2d
wk). Okay $21,000. Last week, $29,-
500.

Palace (Eitel) (1,484; $l,25i$3.40)
— “Cinerama Holiday” (Indie) (9th
wk), Great $51,000. Last week,
$49,000.

Roosevelt (B&K)' (1,400; 65-98)—
•Wichita” (AA) and "Shotgun”
(AA). Sockeroo $25,000. Last
week, '‘Francis In Navy” (U) and
“Stranger on Horseback” (UA) (2d
wk), $13,000.

- State-Lake (B&K) (2,400; 65-98)
—“Lady and Tramp” (BV) (9th
wk). Good $17,000. Last week,
$18,000.

Surf f H&E Balaban) (685; 95)—
“Great Adventure” (Indie) (2d wk).
Big $5,500. Last week, $6,000.

United A^sts (B&K) (2,400; 65-
08)— “Not As Stranger” (UA) (7th
• wk). Sturdy $19,500. Last week,
$23,000.

Woods (Essaness) (1,206; 98-

$1.25)— “Phenix City Story” (AA)
(4th Wk). Tall $22,000. Last week,
$29,000.

• World (Indie) (697; 98)— “Wages
of Fear” (Indie) (6th wk). Dull
$2,600. Last week, $2,800.

‘Stranger’ Stout $17,000,
D.C.; ‘Popular’ OK 12G,
Both H O.’s, ‘Wizard’ 9G

Washington, Aug. 16.
Main stem b.o. took a shellack-
ing from hurricane Connie last.
Friday (12), but bounced back the
next day for an unusually solid
weekend despite the absence of
any new firstruns. Reissues of
“Wizard of Oz,” doing fine at
Loew’s Columbia, and “Captain’s
Paradise” and “The River” at
Lopert’s Dupont were . sole new
midtown launchings. “Cinerama,”
hypoed by announcement of Sept.
28 hooking of “Cinerama Holiday,”
soared again to sock stature in
(Continued on page 22)

nuge Diu, m

Estimates Are Net

Film gross estimates as re-
ported herewith from the vari-
ous key cities, are net; i.e.,
, without usual tax. Distrib-
utors share on net take, when
playing percentage, hence the
estimated figures are net in-
come.

'The parenthetic admission
prices, however, as indicated,
include the U. S, amusement
tax.

Blues Dandy 19G,
Buff.; ‘Laramie’ 15G

Buffalo, Aug.' X6.

, Best bet here this stanza is,
“Pete Kelly’s Blues,” landing a
great total at the Paramount. Im-
mediately behind is “The Kentuck-
ian,” with a sock take at the Buf-
falo. “Man From Laramie” also
looms husky at Lafayette. “Mister
Roberts” still is smash ih fifth
week at the Center.

Estimates for This Week

Buffalo (Loew) <3,000; 50-80)—
“The Kentuckian” (UA) and “Big
House USA.” (Indie). Rousing
$18,000. Last week, “Cobweb”
4M-G) (2d wk), $11,200.

Paramount (Par) (3,000; 50-80)— r
“Pete Kelly's Blues” (WB) and
“This Man is Dangerous” (Indie).
Dandy $19,000. Last week, “Never
Too Young” (Par) and “Lonesome
Trail” (Indie) (2d wk-9 days),
$17,000.

Center (Par) <2,000; 50-$l)—
“Mister Roberts”' (WB) (5th wk). I
Great $13,Q00. Last week, $15,500.

Lafayette (Basil) (3,000; 50-80)—
“Man From Laramie” (Col) and
“Bring Smile Along” (Col). Husky
$15,000. Last week, “Came From
Beneath Sea” (Col) and “Creature
Atom Brain” (Col) (2d wk), $7,000.

- Century (Buhawk) (3,000; 50-$l)
— “Lady and Tramp” (BV) (4th
wk). Good $7,500. Last week,
$ 11 , 000 .

Teck (Cinema Products) (1,200;
$1.20-$2.40) — “Cinerama” (Indie)
(21st wk). Fine $9,500. Last week,
$ 10 , 000 .

‘KENTUCKIAN’ OK 10G,
PORT.; ‘LARAMIE’ 18G

Portland, Ore., Aug. 16.

Not much big product at de-
luxers here this stanza, with “Man
From Laramie” leading the way
with a torrid take at the Liberty.
“The Kentuckian” is rated okay at
Paramount while “Monika” looms
good at Liberty. “Mister Roberts”
continues smash in third round at
Broadway. “Virgin Queen” is
strictly lightweight at the Fox, and
likely won’t be around long.

Estimates for This Week

Broadway (Parker) (1,890; 90-
$1.25)— “Mister Roberts” (WB) (3d
wk). First pic to hold three
frames at this house for months.
Big $14,000 or near. Last week,
$17,200.

Fox (Evergreen) (1,536; $1-$1.25)
—“Virgin Q u e t e n” (20th) and
“Glory At Sea’* (Indie). Slight
$6,000. Last week, “How To Be
Popular” (20th) and '‘Angela”
(20th), $7,300.

Guild (Indie) (400; $1) — “Victory
At Sea” (Indie) and “Kind Hearts
and Coronets” (Indie) (reissues)
(2d wk). So-so $1,200. Last week,
$1,800.

Liberty (Hamrick) (1,875; 75-$l)
— ‘Monika” (Indie) and “Mixed Up
Women” (Indie). Good $10,000.
Last week, “Private War Major
Benson” (U) and “Bedevilled”
(M-G); $6,500.

Orpheum (Evergreen) (1,600; $1-
$1.25) — “Man From Laramie” (Col)
and “Chicago Syndicate” (Col).
Torrid $18,000. Last week, “Lady
and Tramp” (BV) (4th wk), $5,800.

Paramount (Port-Par) (3,400; $1-
$1.25) — “Kentuckian” (UA) and
“Top of World” (UA). Okay $10,-
000. Last week, ‘Seven Little
Foys” (Par) and “Hell’s Outpost”
(Indie) (2d wk), $8,000.

Hurricane Connie, after hurting
somewhat, previously, actually
boosted business at Broadway first-
run theatres Saturday and Sunday
to give the Street a surprisingly
strong weekend. Advance warnings
via -radio and tv of the 1 threatened
storm sloughed the boxoffice Fri-
day, and then the heavy rains and
wind that night and through Sat-
urday noon hurt. Many houses re- j
ported Saturday afternoon trade
slow until mid-afternoon. Burst of
activity Saturday night and Sun-
day enabled many houses to hold
near the previous week totals or'
top them. ' " " v

Outstanding on Broadway proper
is the way Phil Spitalny and his
“Hour of Charm” show is boosting
"King’s Thief” at the Palace. With
his orch and show the obvious
draw, this combo is heading for a
giant $35,000 after racking up the
biggest Sunday take in years. “I
Am a Camera,” doing remarkably
strong biz, wound the first week
with a smash $20,000 at the Little
Carnegie.

An amazing showing is being
made by “Sheep Has Five Legs” at
the Fine Arts, where the Fernan-
del pic hit a sockeroo $18,000 at
the 468-seat house opening week.
Line was so long Saturday night
the management had to give a spe-
cial show starting after midnight.
Film broke all house records for
the three-day period ending Sun-
day, and is hitting a new alltime
high for a foreign pic there.

“To Catch a Thief” continues its
giant strides in the second week
at the Paramount, ' with, a huge
$88,000 in prospect. It continues
indefinitely. Preview Monday ((15)
night and all-day preview set for
today (Wed.) of “Love Is a Splen-
dored Thing” is enabling “Virgin
Queen” to head for a solid $38,000
in 6-day second session at the Roxy.
“Thing” opens its regular run to-
morrow (Thurs.).

Still .standout longrun, “Mister
Roberts” with stageshow is holding
at smash $150,000 in fifth stanza
winding today at the Music Hall.
The Hall naturally was hurt .badly
by continued storm warnings
which kept out-of-towners away on
Friday and early Saturday. Combo
continues at least two more weeks,

“Cobweb” is holding near open-
ing Week with a solid $28,000 in
second round at the State. “Not As
Stranger” was good $32,000 in sev-
enth week at the Capitol.

“Summertime” held' at smash
$26,000 in eighth session at the
Astor, same as seventh week.
“Seven Little Foys” is racing ahead
of its previous round to get a
fancy $21,000. or near in seventh
week at the Criterion. “Land of
Pharaohs” did trim $15,000 in
third frame at the Mayfair.

“The Shrike” is topping its fifth
week with a solid $14,000 in sixth
stanza at the Victoria. “Pete Kelly’s
Blues” opens tomorrow (Thurs.J
“Private War of Major Benson”
held with great $12,000 in second
round at the Plaza.

Estimates for This Week

Astor (City Inv.) (1.300; 75-$1.75)
—“Summertime” (UA) (9th wk).
Eighth session finished last night
(Tues.) was smash $26,000 same as
seventh week. Continues.

Little Carnegie XL. Carnegie)
(550; $1:2542.20)— “I Am a Cam-
era” (DCA) (2d wk). Soared to sock
$20,000 in first week ended Sunday
(14), being helped by publicity
about being turned down for a
Production Code Seal because of
sexy angles..

Baronet (Reade) (430; 90r$1.55)
— “Cry Beloved Country” (NT A)
(reissue). Opened Sunday (14). In
ahead, “Tales of Hoffmann” (NTA)
(reissue) (5th-final wk), fair $3,300.

Capitol (Loew’s) (4.820; 85-$2.2Q)
— “Not as Stranger” (UA) (8th wk).
Seventh round completed yester-
day (Tues.) held at trim $32,000
after $35,000 for sixth week. “Man
From Laramie” (Col) is due in
Aug. 31.

Criterion (Moss) (1,700; 75-$2.20)
— “Seven Little Foys” -(Par) (7th
Wk). This stanza winding tomor-
row (Thurs.) is heading for a fancy
$21,000 after 318,500 in sixth
week. “Never Too Young” (Par)
opens Aug. 25.

Fine Arts (Davis) (468; 90-$1.80)
—“Sheep Has Five Legs” (Indie)
(2d wk). Soared to mighty $18,000,
new high for foreign pic here in
first week ended Monday (15), with
(Continued on page 22)

it ‘Blues’ Great

Los Angeles, Aug. 16.

“Seven Year Itch” and “Mister
Roberts/’ now in its fourth week,
are pacing the. field here this
round in actual coin. Despite the
local heat wave, “Itch” is showing
a good $36,000 or close in four
theatres. Pic formerly ended a
longrun' at the Chinese. “Roberts”
is heading for a , nifty $34,000 in
fourth round in three houses.

“Seven Little Foys”- is fair. $6,-
200 in single house second week
plus a strong $51,400 for two nabes
! and six ozoners. “To Catch a
Thief,” another holdover, looks

Stewart Tall 16G,
Balto; ‘Shrike 7G

Baltimore, Aug. 16.

Despite Connie’s Friday (12)
washout, pix grosses are pleasing
here this round. New product was
hurt by the storm but grosses are
still healthy for “Man From Lara-
mie” at Century and “How To Be
Popular” at the New. Fifth round
of “Mister Roberts” continues
stout at the Stanley. “The Shrike”
is holding firmly in its second
week at the Film Centre. “Not
As Stranger” is still boff for fifth
round at the Town.

Estimates for This Week

Century (Loew’s-UA) (3,000; 25-
65-95) — “Man From Laramie”
(Col), Tall $16,000 for James
Stewart pic. Last week, “Wizard
Of Oz” (M-G) (reissue), $8,500.

Cinema (Schwaber) (466; 50-$l)
— “Green Scarf” (Indie) (2d wk).
Okay $3,000 foil o w i n g $3,600
opener.

Film Centre (Rappaport) (960;
50-$l)— “The Shrike” (U) (2d wk).
Sturdy $77,000 or close after $8,000
in first.

Hippodrome (Rappaport) (2.100;
50-$l)— “Lady And Tramp” (BV)
(6th wk). Pleasing $7,000 after
$8,000 in fifth.

Mayfair (Hicks) (980; 20-70)—
“Pearl Of South Pacific” (RKO).
Nice $4,000. Last week, “Bullet
Joey” (UA), $3,500.

New (Fruchtman) (1,600; 35-
$1.25)— “How To Be Popular"
(20th). Hefty $13,000. Last week,
“Seven Little Foys’MPar) (3d wk),
$ 8 , 000 .

Playhouse (Schwaber) (320; 50-
$1)— “Marty” (UA) (9th wk). Eb-
bing to $3,000 after $3,500 in
eighth.

Stanley (WB) (3,200; 35-80-$1.25)
—.“Mister Roberts” (WB) (5th wk>.
Stout $12,000 following $15,500 for
fourth.

Town (Rappaport) (1,400; 35-
$1.25)— “Not As Stranger” (UA)
(5th wk). Big $10,500 after $13,-
000 in fourth.

THIEF FAST $14,000,
OMAHA; ‘STRANGER’ 15G

Omaha, Aug. 18.

Cooler weather and three new
entries is perking biz at the down-
town houses this round. “To Catch
A Thief” is lively at the Orpheum.
“Came From Beneath Sea” looms
bright at the Brandeis. “Purple
Mask” is okay at the Omaha. Lone
holdover, “Not As a Stranger/’ is
fancy at the State and Dundee al-
though being dropped at four nabe
spots.

Brandeis. (RKO) (1,100; 50-75)—
“Came From Beneath Sea” (Col)
and “Creature With Atom Brain”
(Col). Sturdy $5,000 at 75-$l scale.

Omaha (Tristates) (2,000; 70-90)
— “Purple Mask” (U) and “Adven-
tures of Sadie” (20th). Okay $7,000.
Last week, “We’re No Angels”
(Par) (2d wk), $5,000 in five days;
“Anchors Aweigh” (M-G) (reissue)
$2,000 for two days.

Orpheum (Tristates) (2,890; 75-
$1)— “To Catch A Thief” (Par).
Lusty $14,000 or near. Last week,
“Private War Major Benson” (U),
$10,500 at 70-90c scale.

State, Dundee (Goldberg) (860;
750; 80-$ 1 — “Not As Stranger”
(UA) (2d wlc). Okay $15,000. Last
week, with four other nabe spots
included, $31,000.

fancy $21,OOQ at the 1,430-seat
Hollywood Paramount.

“Pete Kelly’s Blues” is standout
newcomer with a sock $29,000 in
two situations. “Wichita” shapes-
brisk $23,000 in three houses plus
an okay $49,000 in one nabe and
eight drive-ins. Still doing well
are “Marty/’ “Kentuckian,” “In-
terrupted Melody” and “Cine-
rama.” Last named still is in the
chips in 120th frame at Warner
Hollywood.

Estimates for This Week

Los Angeles, Iris, Uptown, Loy-
ola (FWC) (2,097; 816; 1,715; 1,-
248; 90-$1.50)— ‘Seven Year Itch”
(20th) and .“Adventures Sadie”
(20th). Good $36,000 or near. Last
week, in different units.

Orpheum, New Fox (Metropoli-
tan-FWC) (2,213; 965; 90-$150) —
“Kentuckian” (UA) and “Break to
Freedom” (UA). Fair $24,000. Last
week, in different units.

Warner Downtown, Hollywood
(SW-FWG) (1,757; 756; 90-$1.50)—
“Pgte Kefly’s Blues” (WB) and
“Five Guns West” (Indie). Sock
$29,000. Last week, “Man From
Laramie” (Col) and “Bring Smile
Along” (Col) (2d wk), $13,900.

State, Hawaii, Four Star (UATC-
G&S) (2404; 1,106; 900; 9Q-$1.50)

. — “Wichita” (AA) and “Case Red
Monkey” (AA). Brisk $23,000. Last
week. State and Iris, “Bullet For
Joey” (UA) and “Top of World”
(UA), $11,500; Hawaii, “Never Too
Young” (Par) (3d wk), $3,100;
Four St&r, “Adventures Sadie”
(20th)' (3d wk), $1,800.

Hollywood Paramount (F&M)
(1,430; $1-$1.50) — “To Catch

Thief” (Par) (2d wk). Okay $21,-
000. Last week, $26,900.

Vogue (FWC) (885; 90-$lfi0)—
“Virgin Queen” (20th) and *City
of Shadows” (Rep) (2d wk). Slow
$3,500. Last week, with Los An-
geles, Uptown, Loyola, $23,000.

Hillstreet (RKO) (2,752; 80-

$1.25)— “Seven Little Foys” (Par)
(2d wk). Fair $6,200. Last week,
with New Fox, $14,000, plus fancy
$79,300 in two nabes, six drive-ins.

Chtinese (FWC) (1,905; $1-$1.80)
—“How To Be Popular” (20th) (3d
wk). Mild. $8, 000. Last week, $11,-
500.

El Rey (FWC) (861; 80-$1.25)—
“The .Bed” (Indie) and “Fuss Over
Feathers” (Indie) (3d wk). Poor
$1,800. Last week, $2,500.

Egyptian (UATC) (1,536; $1-

$1.50)— “We’re No Angels” (Par)
(4th wk). Oke $9,200. Last week,
$ 10 , 200 .

Downtown Paramount, Pantages,
Wiltern (ABPT-RKO-SW) (3,200:
2,812; 2,344: $1-$1.50) — “Mister
Roberts” (WB> (4th wk). Nifty
$34,000 or close. Last week,
$41,000.

Fine Arts (FWC) (631; $1-$1.50)
—“Marty” (UA) (5th wk). Stout
$8,200. Last week, $9,200.

Warner Beverly <SW> (1,612; $1-
$1.75)— “Not As Stranger” (UA)
(7tli wk). Slow $8,200. Last week,
$9,600.

Fox Ritz (FWC) (1.363; $1-$1.50)
— "Interrupted Melody” (M-G)
(7th wk). Good $5,000. Last week,
$4,500.

Fox’ WHshire (FWC) (2,296;
$1.25-$1.75) — “Lady and Tramp”
(BV) (8th wk). Fine $7,800. Last
week. $9,800.

Warner Hollywood. (SW) (1,364;
$1.20-$2.65) — “Cinerama” (Indie)
(120th wk). Into current frame
Sunday (14) after bright $28,300
last week.

‘Kentuckian’ Oke $13,000,
Prov.; ‘City’-'Girls’ Fat
8?G, ‘Roberts’ 13G, 3d

Providence, Aug. 16.

With last year’s Carol hurricane
still fresh in mind, Connie’s pres-
ence this past weekend sloughed
downtown flood susceptible first-
runs. Hot weather returned Sun-
day, and pickup followed. Majes-
tic's third week of “Mister Rob-
erts” is leading the field. State’s
“Kentuckian” is okay RKO Albee’s
“City Across River” oldie is tor-
rid.

Estimates for This Week

Albce (RKO) (2,200; 50-75c) —
“City Across River” (U) and “Girls
In Night” (U) (reissues). Torrid
(Continued on page 22)

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

But TOA’s N.Y.

While Los Angeles is abandoning-
plans for a perraananent film in-
dustry exposition because of the
inability to raise funds, plans for
an exposition open 0 to tlie public
are being formulated by Theatre
Owners of America in conjunction
with its 1956 annual convention
slated for New York’s new Coli-
seum now under construction at
Columbus Circle. Under arrange-
ments currently being discussed,
TOA and the Theatre Equipment
and Supply Manufacturers would
be 50-59 partners in the deal.

Basically, the expo would be a
trade show similar to those held at
the regular conventions of both or-
ganizations. However, the idea is
to set up booths with exhibitions
that would interest the public in
the film industry. For this aspect
of the operation, cooperation will
be sought from the Motion Picture
Assn, of America and the indivi-
dual film companies. -What format
the expo would take and the man-
ner of inviting the public has not

Boston: 13 Firstriins

Boston, Aug. 16.
Hub, With 12 first-run houses
mow operating, adds the 13th
tomorrow when “The Virgin
Queen”, opens at the Mayflower
for an extended run.

Joining the first-run houses
the past few frames Were the
Pilgrim and the Kenmore, Bos-
ton had 10 first-run picture
houses operating in June and
July. *

SON DEAD, BERGHERS
FLY IN FROM TOKYO

Lieut. Michael M. Bergher, 26,
son of Michael Bergher, v.p,. of
Columbia Pictures International
Corp. and the firm’s Far Bast su-
pervisor, was found dead of a bul-
let wound Sat. . (14) in his Fort
Dix, N. J. quarters. Post officials
listed his death as an apparent
suicide.

Informed of the tragedy, the
senior Bergher emplaned for New
York from his Tokyo headquarters.
Mrs. Bergher is accompanying him.
Funeral arrangements are expected
to be set upon the couple’s arrival.

Paramount Pictures And
Minnesota Par Theatres
In Negotiated Peace

Minneapolis, Aug. 16.

Peace and harmony have, been
restored in the conflicting camps
of Paramount Pictures and local
been determined as yet. It is being united Paramount Theatres (Min-
promulgated as a long-range plan nesota Amusement Co.) and

0£ » m “ssi.sar - Wther

rrnA orflmA meanwhile Differences arising qver picture
^A and TESMA, meanwhile^ deals and sales and circuit policies

for Rent 19 25 1956 at the cost of were ironed out at a Paramount
Snfnn 1 There is 6 enough room, Pictures homeoffice powwow^ at
?^’ 5 R°nn Whs which it's hoped which executives from both sides

will be filled by equipment dealers °f U>e omed'thri/afievaSce? 1 * a ” d
and film companies. Sponsors unbosomed their grievances.

would like the expo to become an Immediate result of the hand-
annual affair, with the event being clasping is the dating of ^ The
held in different large cities each Seven Little Foys and. Catch a
year. It’s hoped that it jvill have an Thief” in Minneapolis day and
international flavor. Foreign equip- date. Former goes into the Min-
ment dealers end producers will neapolis State and St. Paul Para-
de asked to participate. \ moqnt Aug. 25, while Thief is
_ i* j ■ set for the Minneapolis Radio City

Preliminary idea for the project “**.":* V^hI Paramount SeDt 2
was proposed last week by Walter and St. Paul Paramount Sept. z.

Reade Jr., TOA board chairman. Those present at the New York

Aa nnrt nf the ioint TOA-TESMA peace conference were Jessie Me- _ _ .....

Convention the public will be in- Bride, local Paramount branch The original $850,000 pencilled in

v?ted to visit the P expo during cer- manager; John Branton, MAC buy- for project, while sufficient in

tain* hours to see how filmf are Lag and booking head; George light of the original plans, viz., to
!?!£ A J?J J norZ nt tK te*h- Weltner, Paramount Pictures sales hold a museum, didn’t stand up

veep* Ted O’Shea, eastern sales under , the new plan which arose
manager, and Sidney DeneaU, his as the project got under way.
assistant..

Differences over deals, etc., have
| kept Paramount Pictures and

Bollywood, Aug. 16.

Board of Directors has called off
the proposed Motion Picture Ex-
position and Hall of Fame, which
the film industry had planned to
maintain permanently as a con-
tinuing benefit for the Motion Pic
tore Relief Fund, and $568,500 al-
ready subscribed for debentures
will ''be returned to investors as
soon as the necessary legal ma-
chinery can be put in motion.

Prexy Edmond L. DePatie, in
disclosing board’s decision to dis
solve the corporation after this
coin had been returned, stressed
that “no Investor will, lose a single
penny,” since all monies are held
by the Bank of America as trustee
“Rising costs” was given as rea-
son for foldup of the project
Whole industry, including com-
panies, guilds, unions and individ
uals, had lent full "moral and fi-
nancial support,” it was reported
by directorate, which' also hopes
the Exposition will become a “fu-
ture reality.”

According to Y. Frank Freeman
board chairman Of the Association
of Motion • Picture Producers and
one of the strongest backers of the
industry plan, the Exposition sim-
ply got away from the industry.

made and to see many of the tech
jiical and mechanical advances
made by the industry. Other hours,
of course, will be strictly set aside
for the business of the convention.
Reade presented the idea to a

group representing TESMA, which United Paramount^ here (MAp)

apart on various important pic
tures and delayed their local show-
ings the past year. There was a

is said to have accepted it favor
ably.

In an attempt to make It an all-
industry affair, it -has been sug-
gested that the Theatre Equipment ■ . . , ^ ., .. . w

Dealers Assn., the International Paramount + ^nd the show-

Popcora Assn., and Allied States in.gs ®f . White Christmas,
Assn, be invited to participate. It’s “Bridges of Toko-Ri and Three
doubted that Allied will lend its Ring Circus” more

We found we had to have a live
show, going -day-by-day, instead of
a museum,” he says. This, he points
out, would have cost at least $1,-
500,000 and possibly more.

Sffi .ES Midwest Stanley Mgrs.

Paramount chain didn’t play a _ *.. * ■*•

Chicago, Aug. 16.

were delayed more Theatre manager winners of the

UUUMICU Ilia t Tf AAA AVlIVI I W - « w . .

support since it'll be holding its | than thrfee months h^ere,^while sucn m id wes t zone Stanleys. Warner

Theatres' Spring Festival Drive, a

own convention in Dallas in 1956. a boxoffice smash as The Country
“ “ ... v Girl” was sold locally to an inde-

Sponsors of the project are buck- pendent 40 0-seat house,
lng a tough proposition since all ^
previous attempts to organize an
industry expo open to the public
has ended in failure, the recent
Coast effort being the. most recent
fiasco. Several years ago a expo
Was proposed for N.Y.'s Grand Cen
tral Palace to be followed by a
travelling exposition, but this also

competition designed to increase

attendance at the chain’s houses,

recently received cash awards as

prizes for upping their ticket sales.

In addition, A1 Meskis, Warner

Theatre manager in Milwauke, re-

/ Pathe Laboratories has closed a ceived a $200 wristwatch for lead-

~ deal with Peliculas Rodriguez, of i ng the midwest zone Cinerama

ended in failure when exhibitors Mexico City, for the processing and g rou p selling drive.

and distributors could not come to printing in Pathecolor * SPJJJ’ winners in Anril were* Robert
an agreement on financing. ish language Cinemascope feature winners in April were. Robert

for distribution in the Latin Ameri

PATHE PRINTING FOR
PELICULAS RODRIGUEZ

“tFROM WARNER BROS.]

San Francisco, Aug. 16.

The Air Force Assn, wound up its annual convention here last
Saturday night (13) with a Sheraton-Palace banquet which included
a Citation of Honor for Distinguished Service to Jack L. Warner.
Warner Brothers' location manager, William L* Guthrie, came up
from Hollywood to accept the citation* from association president
John R. Alison..

Guthrie explained his boss “could not be here today because he’s
working on yet another Air Force project . i , he’s in Europe with
Leland Hayward making the European scenes in a film called ’The
Spirit of St. Louis’.”

Guthrie went to say that, in addition to the Lindbergh "film and
the just-released “McConnell Story,” Warners “is bringing to the
screen ‘The Billy Mitchell Courtmartial,' *Towards the Unknown,*
dealing with the test pilots of the Air Force Flight Test Center,
and one other picture as yet untitled, five airpower subjects in all.”

He adde'd:

“What Jack Warner in accepting this award wanted you to know
more than anything else, is that his primary concern is and always
will be to serve as best he can the interests of the nation and he
will continue to do everything in his power to contribute to the
awareness of the need for Air Force superiority.”

Bo jangles Biopic

Hollywood, Aug. 16.

Universal will biopic the late
Bill “Bo jangles” Robinson, un-
der a deal closed with his
widow. Negotiations with stu-
dio Were carried on by Marty
Forkins, for 40 years Robin-
son’s manager and associate.
Aaron Rosenberg will produce.

Bill Guthrie Keeps His Job
By Keeping It a Secret:
Recalls Old Days at WB

Albany, Aug. 16.
The Evangelist, official weekly
of the Albany Catholic Diocese, in
an editorial (12) declared “News-
week in its special report on cen*
sorship gives over much -space to
confusing fundamental issues. To

bolster its specious arguments it
quotes The 'Commonweal, a maga-
| zine reputedly edited and published
by Catholic laymen but which is
beyond the sphere of its compe-
tence when it discusses the dog-
matic teachings of the Catholic
Church on morality.”

The Commonweal, like News-
week, “advances a fallacious criti-
cal argument against censorship
standards such as accepted by the
National Legion of Decency,” as-
serted .The Evangelist. “Following

Lean market.

Film, which is already underway,
is being produced by Roberto Rod-
riguez and Mauricio de la Serna,
and is; the first of 12 color fea-

COL. INT’L ELEVATIONS

TO ZEEMAN, BERGHER. ana is xne nrsx ««««■ J ^Milwaukee, fourth prize, Bill Bin-

Executive changes in Columbia [ tures to be produced by the Pell- 1 del> jRi a it 0 Theatre, Racine, Wis.,

fifth prize; Bob Kennedy, Ogden

Recker, Appleton Theatre, Apple-
ton, Wis., first prize; Pete Pisano,
Avalon Theatre, Chicago, second
prize; Cornelius Szakatis, Parthe-
non Theatre, Hammond, Ind., third
prize; A1 Meskis, Warner Theatre,

Pictures International Corp. were culas Rodriguez company,
made" by the board of directors at Deal was set by James S. Bur
a meeting last week presided- over kett, Pathe’s west coast sales man-
by prexy Lacy W. Kastner. ager.

Bernard E. Zeeman, treasurer
of the corporation, was elected a

Theatre, Chicago, sixth prize.

Winners for May were:. John
j Maloney, Rhodes Theatre, Chicago,
first prize; Bill O’Connell, High-
land Theatre, Chicago, second
| jpx*ize; Herb Thatcher, Egyptian
] Theatre, Milwaukee, third prize;

By WILLIAM STEIF
San Francisco, Aug. 16.

William L. Guthrie Is Warner the so-called liberal’Yi'ne,~ wliich "is
Brothers’ location manager and illogical and fundamentally unsub-
has served the studio faithfully for stantiated, The Commonweal and
32 years. No. one can question his Newsweek for practical purposes
oyalty; and . very few. can touch deny the objectivity of morality.
Ills sense of humor. Over the past They argue that it makes a dif-
weekend here he was recalling his ference whether the glorification
early days with the Warners and of vice Is treated by Sophocles or
their , financial struggles. For in- by Mickey Spillane. They endeavor
stance: to enhance obscenity and justify

“I’ds. collected three bad checks flagrant breaches of moral stand-
— I knew they were bad and I ards in the name of art and rugged
guess Jack (Warner)’ knew they realism. They intimate that barn-
were bad, too. And the studio’s y ard ethics could be broadminded-
auditor knew they were bad. So ■ ^ accepted as a means of whole-
I got the auditor to tip me off some entertainment.”
when there was enough money in The editorial continued: “Wheth-
the bank to cover just one of those er it be art, science, entertainment,
checks. He did and I raced to the the discussion of economic or so-
bank and cashed a check.” ciological formulas the starting

Guthrie, who’s plump, bespec- P°i n t must be the admission that
tacled and addicted to 'wearing his m o r ality I s something merely
black-and-white checked cap in- .subjective, existing in the minds
doors, leaned back and asked: 1 *! en » rather it is constituted

“You know what Jack Warner 0 f moralitv h»v*° tiiSA Pr ^1? e 2 '
did then? He fired the auditor!" ? n theretee the/i^ a^

Guthrie says “I don’t let anyone solute and changeless. They are
know anything about my job— not subject to the varying moods
that’s the way I keep it.” Going and prejudices of time and men.
on location in the early days, he This is not merely a Catholic view,
recalls, was somewhat harrowing, it must be the conviction of all
because creditors were liable to intelligent men who appreciate
pop up anywhere. moral standards as , the true guide

“Our principal .asset was an old for the realization of the ultimate
Hudson,” he says. “After we’d Purpose of man’s life here and the
picked out a spot for location and means of gathering eternal hap-
set up, we’d park the car a couple Piness with God in heaven.”
of blocks away just in case.”

The man who had the office just
above his, says Guthrie, was a $45-
a-week writer, whose prime amuse
ment, apparently, was to fill a bag
full of water, attach it to a long

string and swing it into Guthrie’s _ _ .

office through an open window. ' 1®*° the promotion campaign for

“I had more damn water all “The Girl Rush,” Vista Vision must

ui me cuj.puj.auuu, waa ciccicu a — - J

Negative Cast Recouped

Bergner, iar eastern supeivisui, xucouc, muwouAcc, umu iijuc

was named one of the company’s AlrpaflV nn ‘7-Yr Ifcll Pete Pisano, Avalon Theatre, Chi
vice president. ™ cau J * 1 1 • U V“ cago, fourth prize; Ralph Krause,

Zeeman joined Col in 1935 foi- Only six weeks in release, 20th- Milwaukee Theatre, Milwaukee
lowing a stint with Universal. He Fox’s “The Seven Year Itch ’ has fifth prize,; Gerald Luedtke, Rio

was placed in charge of branch recouped its negative cost in a lit- Theatre, Appleton, Wis., sixth

operations of the foreign subsidi- tie over 1,300 bookings. prize.

ary in 1944 and was elected treas- Comedy, which cost $2,000,000 j une winners were: Pete Pisano
urer in 1951. Bergher started to make, so far has earned 20,th Avalon Theatre, Chicago, firs
with Col in 1934 as manager in $2,200,000 and is expected to hit prize; Bob Kennedy, Ogden Thea

Japan. He’s been far eastern su- at least $6,000,000 in the domestic tre, Chicago, second prize; Leroy

pervisor since 1951.

Herb Bushman has been pro-
moted from Denver salesman to
Minneapolis branch manager for
United Artists. He succeeds Ab-
bott Swartz, who resigned.

market. Figuring in distribution Ramsey, Warner Theatre, Oklaho-
and print costs, advertising expens- ma City, third prize; Elf * Arkin
es, etc., “Itch” breaks even at- Warner Theatre, Memphis, fourth
about $4,000,000. prize; Gerald Luedtke, Rio Thea

Charles K. Feldman shares to tre, Appleton, Wis., fifth prize
the tune of 40% in the earnings Larry Schulz, National Theatre,
of the George Axelrod hit. Milwaukee, sixth prize.

PAR POURS PROMOTION
COIN INTO ‘GIRL RUSH’

Paramount is pouring $450,000

over my desk,” says Guthrie with a
grin. “Oh yeah, the man> name
was Darryl Zanuck.”

cal starring Rosalind Russell, ac-
cording to Jerry Fickman, Par’!
ad-pub v.p, Total of 450 print*
have been ordered for the entry,
“Rush” has been selected for
Bernie Kreisler’s 9-Wk. I “Paramount Week” spotlighting,
>tt „ » 7i«i o meaning it leads off the Par re-

European Film Survey leases during the first week (Aug.
B. Bernard Kreister, president of 25-Sept. 1) of the company’s an
International Film Associates Corp., nual sales drive. Day and date
leaves Friday (19) on the S S. bookings in 450 theatres around
United States for a 9-week film the country in that seven-day pe-
survey in seven European coun- riod are aimed for. “Par Week”

tries.

He is invited to attend the Edin-
burgh Film Festival and the Ven-
ice Film Festival as the guest of
each sponsorship committee. He
will also visit London, Stockholqi,
Copenhagen, Munich, Vienna, Rome
and Paris to select films for pres-
entation in U.S, cinemas or via
television.

usually is the biggest week of the
year, gross-wise, for the distributor.

World preem of “Rush” is set
for tomorrow (Thurs.) as part of a
day-long celebration in Waterbury,
Conn., which is Miss Russell’s
hometown. Following this, Miss
Russell is set to make the press-tv
rounds in N-Y. . and tour 28 key
cities for “Rush” bally.

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

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please turn .

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• Wednesday) • August 17, 1955

— ‘ - ■ - ' - - . . _

W !

e have just screened "The Tall Men" and I am delighted to -
tell you it is a brilliant entertainment achievement . . .an attraction with abso-

• • i * - 1 * ; *■ 1 - ' ■

lutely unlimited boxoffice potential.

1 consider it the greatest . picture 20th has produced since "The

Robe.”

* . . • «

It is without qualification the best Western anyone has ever made.

“The Tall Men” unfolds the epic, pulse-stirring story of the. open-
ing of the historic Bozeman Trail from Texas to Montana.

As Black Ben Allison, ex-Quantrell Raider turned bad man, Clark
Gable gives his finest performance since “Gone With the Wind.” Jane Russell’s
portrayal of Nella Turner is nothing short of sensational— and her rendition
of the contagious title song is an unforgettable thrill in itself. The chemical
combination of Clark Gable and Jane Russell confirms Darryl F. Zanuck’s , |

unerring showmanship touch.

Robert Ryan is tremendous as Montana Stark, with whom Gable
forms a strange partnership. Cameron Mitchell, who co-stars as Gable’s quick-
tempered young brother, brings a conviction and intensity to his role that
marks him for certain stardom in his own right.

“The Tall Men” is the saga of an unprecedented adventure, and
at the same time it grippingly relates a man’s love for a woman, a brother’s

'Mian.

Wednesday, August 17 , 1955 P^BSlEff'

- • • . ' * ...... . . ■ --- ;

love lor a brother, and the true bond between meri who stand together under
all circumstances.-

I know you have seen amazing CinemaScope footage in such
attractions as “Three Coins in the Fountain,” in “Soldier of Fortune” and in
“Love is a Many-Splendored Thing.” But you’ve never experienced anything
as startlingly beautiful and panoramic as the snowstorm scenes, the Jay*

hawker battle and the cattle and horse stampede sequences of “The Tall

^ '

Men.” They simply defy description.

Everyone connected with “The Tall Men” has done an outstand-

i ' ?

ing job. The screen play by Sydney Boehm and Frank Nugent is packed

with thrills. The taut, suspenseful directioii by Raoul Walsh ranks with his
best accomplishments. The production by William A. Bacher and William B.
Hawks is tremendous.

Because “The Tall Men” is such an extraordinary pipture, we are

formulating special plans for handling it. We will accept a few prerelease

engagements in a few specially selected situations the latter part of September.

I urge you to see your 20th branch manager right away and ask
him to show you “The Tall Men” immediately he receives a print. You’ll see
for yourself why they simply don’t come any bigger than “The Tall Men”
and why we expect that its grosses will rank with the greatest in motion
picture history.

14 international

PfoniEfr

‘V AMITY'S' LONDON OMICR
• St. Martin.'* fflicL.Trililiir Square

Rome, Aug. 9.
Intense pre-holiday activity in
government circles and in various
sectors of Italian show business
has resulted in some notable
changes affecting the industry, out-
standing being the tax cuts on the-
atre tickets.

First, the Italian House approved
a new law covering taxes on pub-
lic entertainment which is consid-
ered a big step back towards fiscal
normalcy. The 20% additional tax
on pix imposed last- February via
new legislation, has been abolished
and substituted by a 15%-60%
scaled tax cut on tickets (from un-
der 70 Lire to over 400 Lire).

For legit, the cut is from the
20% additional to a flat 15% tax,
without scaling, considered im-
practical and difficult to enforce.
On mixed vaudpix shows, the new
scaling applies, with a 50% top for
tickets over 450 Lire. Traveling
show (circuses, etc.) will enjoy a
tax cut from 12% to 10%. v

Fast action after a long delay
on the much-desired legislation is
credited here to the work of the
new Finance Minister, Giulio An-
dreotti, formerly Undersecretary
of State for Entertainment, and
therefore a man , particularly
versed in the problems of the in-
dustry. It was Andreotti who first
proposed government amendments
to the then-new 2Q% . additional
tax bill, when the latter was made
law, amid violent industry pro-
tests, last February.

Meanwhile, the government
changes and the advent of a new
Underscretary for Entertainment,
Giuseppe Brusasca, have likewise
speeded up consultations on the
'proposals for the future film aid
law. These will include . some
sweping changes in the . amount
and manner of government sup-
port to the industry. In a short
period of time, there have been
several meetings regarding the
* proposed legislation.

On the debit side, industry-wise,
Is the recent failure of ANICA to
cdrne to terms with AGIS, the Italo
exhibitor outfit, on rental terms.
Discussions here are expected to
be long because of sharp disagree-
ments.

TV, Plus Disk Singers,
Blamed for Disbanding
Of 17-Year-Old Rep Co.

Edinburgh, Aug. 9,
Wilson Barrett, w.k. English'
actor-manager, who will disband
his repertory company after 17
years in Scotland, blamed competi-
tion of tv as one reason for the
move.

He said tele and the upsurge of
interest in disks had changed thea-
tre habits, but their adverse eK
fects would be only a passing
phase. Theatre audiences in Lon-
don and America were returning
now that television was no longer
a novelty, although in Scotland the
newness of tv was still a very
strong counter-attraction. He felt
that some two to three years
would- elapse before the strong de-
sire to get back to theatre would
make itsdfE manifest again. Bar-
rett said that he, unfortunately,
could not hold out that length of
time as an actor-manager in Scot-
land.

“Popular demand at present is
for light entertainment,” he said.
“Apart from musical shows, the
demand is for comedy. It is diffi-
cult to maintain the standard week
after week. I cannot lower my
standard, and I would rather . go
out now than wait until the shows
become tattier and tattier.”

In a reference to invasion of
U. S. disk singers, actor-manager
Commented: “I cannot understand
“ the present phase in which a per-
son who has made one gramo-
phone record can come to a thea-
tre and crowd it from floor to ceil-
ing With screaming teenagers,
when, in a nearby theatre a com-
pany giving good entertainment
has to face disappointingly small
audiences.”

All-Negro U.S. Musical
Set for British Tour

Glasgow, Aug, 9.

“The Jazz Train,” all-Negro
U. S. musical, which has ended a
three-month stint at the Piccadilly
Theatre, London, will open a two-
week run at the King’s Theatre
Monday (15). Show will then tour
leading British centers until the
end of the year.

It will later be staged in Paris,
France, .and in Amsterdam, as well
as other Continental capitals. A
tour of Australia is also being con-
sidered. .

London, Aug. 9.

A fall of more than 5% in cine-
ma admissions .during the first
quarter of current year is reported
in a Board of Trade survey, pub-
lished in their official journal last
Saturday (6). Total numbers of ad-
missions in the three months from
Dec. 26 to March 26 was 309,119,-
000 compared with 325,664,000 in
the corresponding quarter of 1954.
The BoT survey covers 4,497 pic-
ture theatres, equal to 99.7% of
commercial cinemas in Great Brit-
ain, with a seating capacity , of
4,147,548.

A breakdown shoWs that the de-
cline in earnings was general
throughout the country, but in the
eastern region of Great Britain,
the fall was less than 2%. The big-
gest sufferers were the largest
theatres With capacities of more
than 2,000. Average weekly admis-
sions per theatre in this group de-
clined from 16,000 for the first
quarter in 1954 to 15,000 for same
period this year.

Effect of the decline was offset
to some extent by the increase in
admission prices. The average
cost of a ticket rose by one penny,
(slightly more than one cent) to an
average of about 25c. . Net takings
improved 4.3% to a total of $51,-
018,000 and the exhibitors share
was up by 4.2% at $33,040,000.

During the last week of the
quarter, the BoT conducted an ad-’
ditional survey into the distribu-
tion of seat prices and the analysis
shows a slight increase in the sale
of higher-priced tickets. More than
one-half of all tickets sold/ during
that week were in the price range
from 15c to 42c.

. a- .

Gance Preps Polyvision
Prod.; Like Cinerama

Paris, Aug. 9.

Abel Gance, the French pic pio-
neer, is preparing a film in Poly-
vision, “Le Crepescules Des Fees”
(Twilight of the Fairies). Polyvi-
sion is a process similar to Cinera-
ma in which three cameras are
utilized, in taking the .film and
three synched projectors are re-
quired when pic is shown. The
screen dimensions are also about
the same. Gance is the man who
first used a tryptych (i.e. three
screens side by side) for his 1927
film, “Napoleon Bonaparte.” • He
used it for mob and battle scenes,
and it is now. being shown again
here.

Gance, recently in. London, went
to see Cinerama and then stood
outside and opened his arms and
said, “That Is My Child.” Gance
has always been an innovator tech-
niquewise, and has also used cut-
outs before the camera for sumptu-
ous effects and calls this Simpli-
film, and in the 1930’s had a .special
setup to photograph the foreground
and background of a scene sepa-
rately to make for depth of focus.

Yugoslavs Ban Mex Pic

Mexico City, Aug. 9.

Pic trade is wondering about
Yugoslavia banning the Mexi-
can pic, “Rio Escondido” (“Hid-
den River”), starring Maria o Felix,
ace dramatic actress.

Reason given was that a priest
appears in several sequences.

Liberace for London TV

London, Aug. 16.

A Liberace program will be fea-
tured every Sunday afternoon on
London’s new commercial station
starting Sept. 25. The feature will
be presented by ABC-TV, which
has th€ weekend concession for the
London transmitter and weekday
time in Birmingham.

The programs, which will be on
film, will be aired at 2 p.m.

Bonn, Aug. 9

According to the German Min-
ister for Trade and Commerce
here, no more German films will
be admitted into Austria after the
present agreement between Ger-
many and Austria expires on Aug.
31, 1955. The German quota of
•films permitted into Austria has
been” used up under the present
agreement, and until the two
countries can make a new settle-
ment, German films cannot be
shown in Austria. Since the coun-
tries have not as yet been able -to
come to terms, the 1955-56 release
season apparently will, at least be-
gin before any decision is made.

German producers and releasing
firms are irate at this delay of ne-
gotiations between Austria and
Germany because the Austrian
boxoffice is considered a major
foreign territory for their films.
Since the language is the same and
so no dubbing is required (tastes
and interests of the neighboring
countries are so similar), German
pictures have been important they
atre draws in Vienna and other
Austrian cities f

To the Austrians, it means that
their important . 'fall theatre sea-
son will begin without the help of
! German films. Ordinarily, some
of the. Austrian theatres close dur-
ing the warm summer weather and
reopen in the fall. This temporari-
ly closing of business, combined
with the .poorer warm weather
business in the theatres that re-
main open, has caused some Ger-
mans to hold off on films that
would normally have been booked
into Austria by this time.

‘Braziliana,’ in London
For Run, like 1st Show

London, Aug. 16.
“Braziliana,” which opened' for a
four-week season at the Picadilly
Theatre last Tuesday (9), largely
follows the pattern of its first West
End presentation two years ago.
A few new items have been added,
but in general terms, the program ,
remains the same.

Production is presented under
the management of Continental
Opera and Ballet. For the last five
years, it has been on tour, having
been in Europe since January,
1953.

The Introduction of what the
program note describes as “a pro-
fessional gloss” ~,robs the producr
tion of some of its native folklore
charm, but three ritual dances had
an eager freshness and an abun-
dance of rhythm. Other items,
however, were of varying quality.
Nelson Ferraz stands out as the
main vocalist; Haroldo Costa, Agos-
tina Martnho and Berni Baia lead
the vigorous dancing team.

PARKS-GARRETT SCORE
IN BRIT. VAUDE TOUR

Newcastle, Eng., Aug. 9. .
Larry Parks and Betty Garrett
opened their latest British tour at
the Empire Theatre, headlining in
a pleasing vaude act. They play
Leeds Empire Monday (15), follow-
ing a Sunday concert at Blackpool
.04), and then have dates at Fins-
bury Park (London), Hanley and
Brighton.

Pair are prepping indie film pro-
duction plans and seeking a play
for an appearance together in the
U. S, •

After the five-week vaude tour,
Miss Garrett, now contracted to
Columbia, returns to Hollywood to
discuss her next film mid-Septem-

• il i i return, to
tour in “Teahouse of the August
Moon.”

Olivier-'Andronicus’ As
Stratford Fest Windup

London, Aug. 9.

Final production of the Strat-
ford-on-Avon Shakespeare season
will be “Titus AndrOnicus,” which
opens next Tuesday (16), with
Laurence Olivier in the title role
and Vivien Leigh as Lavinia. An-
thony Quayle, Maxine Audley, Alan
Webb and Michael Denison have
featured roles.

The presentation will be direct-
ed, designed and music composed
by Peter Brook. Frank Thring joins
the company from Australia to play
the Emperor role.

Mexico City, Aug. 9.

. Tourism, particularly American,
is bigger and better than ever, but
it gives such signs of slumping that
the government assigned a top
economist,. Sergio Cano, to survey
the situation.' He reported that
should tourists shun Mexico it
would be a stiff body blow eco-
nomically. Cano recommended that
Mexico had better not depend so
much upon tourist trade but
strengthen her economy by “de-
veloping internal . markets and in-
creasing the buying capacity of the
people.”

It is complained, in local busi-
ness circles that Mexico could
easily got five, times the tourist
biz it now does by studying , how
European governments go after
visitor trade, and also ? provide
means for placing more hotels in
service. The general current need
to make hotel reservations at least
a month , in advance is not good
for tourism.

The government’s tourist de-
partment, ncverthless, sees tour-
ism volume exceeding 500,000 vis-
itors this year, a new high here.
Ricardo Estrada Berg, general
manager of the Mexican Tourist
Assn., announced that '432,630
adults visited Mexico last year,
more than 90% of them Ameri-
cans.

Berg reported an upswing in
motor tourism, this mode of travel
being 62% of the total. Texas sup-
plies 50% of the American tour-
ists, said Berg. California is next,
providing 11%.

Blaine Mex. Actors Union
For Halting Co-Prod.

. Mexico City, ./^ug. 9.

National Actors Union (ANDA)
has aroused the pic industry by
thwarting what, had been viewed
as an enterprising venture, a Mex-
ican-Spanish Coproduction, with the
top Spanish stars Miguel Ligero
and Carmen Flores. Film was to
have been made here by Dyana
Films and Sue via Film.

ANDA thwarted the plan by in-
sisting upon exercising its rule to
protect Mexican players that two
foreigners can neVer play star roles
in single picture. ANDA refused
flatly to budge desspite the argu-
ment of the prospective copfo-
ducers that an exception could be
made for the good of all in this
case. Also that it would be. an
unique film and feature two of
Spain’s topdrawer players. In
contrast, ANDA made an exception
to its rule when it allowed Andy
Russell, American bift of Mexican
descent, and Irasema Dillan, Pol-
ish, to be the .toppers in “Spring in
My Heart,” Which the Podriguez
Bros, recently made here.

386 Films in 5 Yeai ;

Berlin, Aug. 9.

On the occasion of its fifth annl,
Progress, sole film distributing
outfit in Soviet-ruled Germany,
revealed that it released 38ft fea-
ture and 750 documentary (includ-
ing fullrlength) or cultural pix
since its setup started in 1950. Of
the 386 feature films, 70 came
from the Soviet' Union, 61 from
Czechoslovakia and 55 were old
German (made before the war’s
end) films.

Edinburgh, Atig. 16.

Elia Kazan’s “East of Eden”
(WB) is among the U. S. entries
at Edinburgh Film Festival which
opens here Aug, 21. Pix from 38
nations are now entered. Repre-
sentation is described as “particu-
larly strong” from both the U. S.
and Soviet Russia, plus a wide
range of unusual subject matter
from many other countries.

Also skedded is a special show-
ing of Gai\bo’s “Camille” (M-G),
the 19-year-old film. Festival or-
ganizers want the new generation
of patrons to see Garbo. A new
Danish film, “Ordet,” directed b$j>
Carl Dreyer*. will have its preem
at the Festival, with Dreyer him-
self in attendance, A new French
film, Clouzot’s “Les Disboliques,”
is also down for showing, Qther
just - completed entries include
ThOrold Dickinson’s “Hill 24
Doesn’t Answer” (Israel) and *
Danish film, “The Word.”

Russian entries include the bal-
let pic, “Romeo and Juliet.!’ Sing-
ers and orch of the Vienna State
Opera will be seen in Mozart's.
“Don Giovanni.”

Major British entry is the J.
Arthur Rank comedy “Doctor at
Sea,” set for gala showing Aug.
28 before its public screening at
the indie Playhouse cinema. A
Gold Coast entry is “Mr. Mensah
Builds a House.” Other Common-
wealth product is coming from
Australia, Canada, Ceylon, New
Zealand and Sputh Africa. An un-
usual pic from Czechoslovakia,
“Journey into the Primeval Age,”
is listed. Another Czech film to
be shown is “Jan Hus,” a.tinter.

Japan is sending “Ugetsii Mon-
ogatari” and China, “Liang Shan-
Po,” a modern Chinese opera.

Countries represented include
Malaya, Sweden, Yugoslavia, Bel-
gium, Norway, Poland, Spain,
Argentina, Austria, French Moroc-
co, Algeria, Brazil, Finland, Ire-
land, Italy, Germany, Morocco,
Holland, Puerto Rico, Rumania;
Sweden and Switzerland. The
Edinburgh film junket will tee
off this weekend (21). Vittorio de
Sica, Italian' director, is this year’s
honorary prexy.

Par’s Film Pact With

Off at Italo Wickets

Hecent local grosses A lmiicat«
that the production-distribution ar-
rangement initiated some time ago
between Ponti-DeLaurentiis Pro-
ductions and Paramount Pictures
is continuing to pay off. This sea-
son, for example, two Ponti-DeLau-
dentils pix, released by Paramount,
have made the top five on the
local market. They are “Ulysses,”
in third place, and “Treasure of
Naples,” in fifth slot. In the past.
Paramount has taken over release,
on the local market, of 13 local-
mades, hitting .paydirt especially
with the above named, plus “La
Strada,” “Mambo,” “The She-
Wolf,” “Sensualite,” “Brigante
Musolino” and “Human Tor-
pedoes.” Other?, like “Una ' dl
Quelle,” VTdto in 3-D,” “Man,
Beast and Virtue” and “Easy
Years,” were in the satisfactory
class.

Now, Paramount has taken over
release in many areas (Italian re-
lease goes to Lux Films) of “War
and Peace,” which Ponti-DeLau-
rentiis has in work now. There is
a chance that the previous 13-pic-
ture deal will be extended to two
more items, one of them ah upcom-
ing Ponti-DeLaurentiis production,
“Ressurection.”

Paramount is not the only Yank
outfit which has handled U.S. pix*
on the local market, though it has
done much more than others. Co-
lumbia, for example, recently re-
leased an Aldo Fabrizi starrer,
“They Stole a Trolley” and
“Father’s Seven Sins,” as well as
taking extra-Italian distrib of. two
other local-mades— “River Girl”
and “The Last Five Minutes.” Also
in recent times, RKO has released
“Cartouche,” made here with Rich-
ard Basehart, Metro (which pio-
neered the sefhp with “Open
City”) had a few items, Republic
has “Oro, Dohne, e Maracas,” 20th-
Fox released “Una Donna Libera”
and WB handled “Accadde al Com-
missariato.”

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INTEHNATIOXAI*

1 *

Berlin, ..Aug. 16.

Nearly every local newspaper
dedicated a column or two to the
10th anniversary of the American
Forces Network of Berlin which is
evidence enough that this station,
originally set up to serve only the
U.S. community in Berlin, has
long become an acknowledged part
of Berlin's radio arid entertainment
world. There are more Berliners
than ever before who have chosen
AFN as their favorite station.

Gershwin's “Rapsody in Blue”
was the first sound heard on the
initial program Aug. 4, 1945.

Meanwhile, AFN-Berlin has grown
to a position comparable with top
U.S, radio stations. Equipment is
mostly American-made except for
several German tape recorders.
Station possesses a recorder to
tape interviews over the telephone
and portable recorders for field
work. It boasts a record library of
over 300,000. records with, more
than 360,000 songs.

Mark White, program director of
AFN-Berlin, says the station is
able to play continuous music 19
hours daily for five years and
never repeat a record. A large
number of the programs are pick-
ed up in the U.S, by Armed ‘Forces
Radio Service, which has the privi-
lege. of taking programs offered to
the public and rebroadcastihg them
to the troops overseas (sans com-
mercials).

-Top Job During Blockade.

One of the best jobs carried out
by AFN-Berlin was during the Ber-
lin Blockade when the station
stayed on the air 24 hours daily,
bringing entertainment to the Al-
lied personnel working on the air-
lift. Considered then one of the
main morale-raisers by the men in
the ranks, pilots coming into Ber-
lin also used the program to in-
sure that they were in the right
•ir-tanes.

Staff of this station consists of
11 enlisted men* three American
civilians and 19 German employ-
ees. There are si* announcers
headed by White. Many widely-
known guests have" appeared at
AFN-Berlin, including President
Eisenhower, Ava Gardner and
Caterine Valente.

Among the personalities sending
telegrams of congratulations tp
AFN-Berlin were Ray Anthony,
Billy May, Frank Sinatra, Nat
(King) Cole, Stan Kenton, Les
Paul and Mary Ford, Tennessee
Ernie Ford and Les Baxter.

When recently (June 20) the
Viennese AFN station . (Blue Dan-
ube Network) discontinued broad-
casting, it became a day of mourn-
ing for the Austrian music lovers.
Same undoubtedly will occur here
one day when AFN-Berlin will
atop relaying. There is no doubt,
too, that aside the fact from hav-
ing become a favorite station with
many Berliners, AFN-BerHn also
has contributed to a better under-
standing between the Americans
and the local population.

Katharine Dunham Bows
On Tele Via 2 Mexican
Stas.; 4th Date There

Mexico City, Aug. 9.

Katharine Dunham a n d her
troupe bowed on tv for the first
time, in doubling on local stations
XEWTV„ channel 2, and XEQ,
channel 9; for a half-hour show.
Sponsored by Goodyear-Qxo, the
tele appearance was made while
completing a two-week booking at
the swanky Versailles (Hotel Del
Prado) niterie.

Miss Dunham’s tele show, well
received here,, was a medley . of
song-dance-music tabbed “Story
of a Drum.” This was another of
her series of dates here. These in-
cluded nine days at the 18,000-seat
National Auditorium; two weeks
at the Teatro Lirlco, where she
impresarioed herself, paying $52
daily rent for the historic vaude-
revue theatre where Lupeu Velez
started and finally at the Ver-
sailles.

Miss Dunham bat penciled a
fill-in road tour to California, play-
ing Tijuana on the way back* be*
tween more of her engagements
here, which resumes in mid-Sep-
tember. There also is a chance
of film work.

Entrenched in Mexico

Mexico City, Aug. 9,

Danger of Yank pix losing first
place in exhibition down here is
as remote as ever despite some
stiff European competition. New
official report shows that this
year, up to July 28, Hollywood
contributed' 106 of the 224 pix ex-
hibited in Mexico. Mexico was
runnerup with 57 while Italy was
third with 31. Great Britain con-
tributed four films, and one each
came from Cuba, Argentine,
Guatemala, Spain, Brazil and
Poland.

Report shows that there were
showings during this period of six
coproductions — two being Cuban-
MexicaU, two French-Spanish and
two. French-ltalian,

London, Aug* 16.

Both ’BBC-TV and one of the
commercial program operators in

London is seeking cooperation of
the picture industry for -a regular
film program. A request from As-
sociated-Rediffusion to individual
distributors is being referred to the
Kipematograph Renters Society.

Similar representations were
made by BBC-TV, the state web,
a. month Or two backhand prelim-
inary Confabs have already taken
place. No decision can be made
for. a few weeks, however, as most
of' the major trade associations do
not meet during the August holi-
day month.

Some years ago,, the film industry
cooperated with the BBC on a reg-
ular fortnightly program, under:
the titles ‘’Current Release.” This
gave excerpts of upcoming releases
and also, featured interviews with
stars, directors and other film per-
sonalities.

This program was initiated by
the Better Business Campaign or
the London equivalent of COMPO.
The show was rested after a run
of about a year,, during which
period it was elevated to a peak
viewing time. It is understood that
both BBC and A-R are asking for
extracts of films and for screen
personalities to be made available.

London Town* Closing
After Only 6 Months

London, Aug. 16.

The London edition of “Wonder-
ful Town 0 folds Saturday (20) at
ter a run of only six months, hav-
ing opened at the Princes Theatre
on Feb. 23, under Jack Hylton's
management.

The star pf the production, Pat
Kirkwood, who played the Rosalind
Russell role, is now recuperating
on the Rivieria, following her re-
cent illness and will not no.w re-
turn to the cast. Her role was
taken by her understudy, Judy
Bruce.

Berlin, Aug. 9.

The beginning of August sees
American films still playing first
fiddle In this city’s- preem house
area; Eleven out of 14 top cine
mas currently are showing Holly
wood features as against two
Teutonic pix and one Austrian
film.

. Of the new crop, crix liked
“Phffft” best (Col). Preemed at
the Studio last week; it was re-
leased here in original (with sub-
titles) version and this was par-
ticularly praised by the local
scribes since nearly every Amer-
ican film is shown in Germany
in synchronized version. Colum-
bia also contributed a second pic,
“A Happy Divorce.” Another new
U.S. film, “Untamed” (20th) simul-
taneously preemed at Delphi, and
Titania Palast, but didn’t find
much approval here. ‘‘Witness to
Murder” (UA), preemed at Bon-
bonniere, reminded some of
Paramount’s “Rear Window.”
“Murder” received only moderate
reviews. Another Hollywood film,
“Secret of the Incas” (Par.), found
interest only because of the pres-
ence of Yma Sumac, who is popu-
lar around here.

“Gone With Wind” (M-G), now
in its 2Jst . month at the Kurbel,
is still doing such good biz that
the theatre decided to prolong the
run. It had been planned to take
pic off later this month. “Wind
may make it a two-year run at the
Kurbel. New' German pic at Gloria
Palast is “How to Become a Film-
star” (Europa).

ANOTHER BRITISH PIX

London, Aug. 16.

Another British film studio may
be lost to television if a deal, reli-
ably repotted to be in advanced
stages, is closed. The lot concerned
is the National Studios at Elstree,
and takeover bid is understood to
be from Associated Broadcasting
Co; The purchasing company,
which is weekend program con-
tractor for London’s new com-
mercial station, already has a. lease
on one of the National stages,
where it is filming “Scarlet Pim-
pernel” telepix series.

National Studios comprise four
stages* with a total of 33,556 square
feet. For years the studios were
controlled by British National
Films, a British production and
distributing organization. Recently,
the sttidios have been leased by
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. for produc-
tion of, his NBC telefilm, series; If
the deal is finalized, ABC would
take over on Oct. 1.

2d Edwards Show On

BBC-TV on Aug. 1#

London, Aug. 16.

Another American program,
“Place the Face/’ gets an airing on
BBC-TV this week. It will be seen
on Fri. (19), with Eamonn Andrews
as emcee. Leslie Jackson is stag-
ing the presentation.

This is the second Ralph Ed-
wards program to be featured by
BBC-Ty within three weeks. “This
Is Your Life” was first shown os ,
the state web on July 29. f

O’Brien Sees Nuriiber Of
British Cinemas Reduced
To 3,000 Within 3 Yrs.

London, August 9.’

A forecast . that within two or
three years the total number of
picture theatres in Great Britain
will be reduced to a maximum of
3,000 is > made by Tom O’Brien,
M.P., general secretary of the Na-
tional Assn, of Theatrical and Kine
Employees, in a letter to his

branches dealing with* the short-
age of projectionists and the ap-
prentice scheme.

O’Brien opines that for various
industrial reasons, apart from the
prospect of color tv, the other
theatres would have to go to the
wall; He. understood that future
planning in the industry was based
oh that premise.

Among the reasons advanced by
the union topper, for. the scarcity
of boothmen, are wages, hours, in-
terference with social life, unat-
tractive conditions and full em-
ployment. He points out that more
attractive jobs at better rates are
available almost everywhere.

O’Brien predicts an early crisis
through the lack of new projec-
tionists and existing members
leaving their jobs in cinemas,

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAH

$12,000, ‘Eden’ Hotsy 8G, Both 4tb

$2,000,000 in Brit. Prod

London, Aug. 16.

Allied Artists is aiming to in-
vest $2,000,000 to $3,000,000 in
forthcoming coproduction d£&ls
with British outfits. This informa
tion was revealed in London last
week by Norton Ritchey prior to
his return to N. Y. The AA for-
eign chief had been in London
primarily for confabs in connec
.tion with the promotion of “Phe-
nix City, Story,” which is being
entered in the upcoming Edln
burgh Film Festival.

Ritchey intimated that deals
would be finalized soon for three
coproduction ventures in C’Scope
Two would be in association with
AB-Pathe, the distributing com-
pany through which AA product- is
released here. The American in-
vestment, he explained, would ’ be
limited to meeting dollar commit-
ments involved, such as the cost
of . Hollywood stars, directors and
writing talent.

U.S. Jazz Riles

Heidelberg, Aug. 9.

The august old university town
of Heidelberg, famed for its medie-
val castle, statue of the creator of
the Bunsen burner, and pic-
turesque student hangouts,, is the
current German victim of an anti-
U. S. campaign in. a Red-influenced
newspaper.

The East German newspaper
Berliner Zeitung has a headline
story about how the activities of
the Yanks are ruining the sights
and attractions of Heidelberg.

“At the very gates of the Heidel-
berg Castle,” it says, “one's eyes
are assaulted by a -sign that an-
nounces the Spree City Stampers
will give a concert in the Kingl’s
Hall of the Castle.”

As if the influx of jazz weren't
enough, the* paper continues, “Ev-
erywhere on the streets one meets
almost as many Americans as Ger-
mans. Many students try to look
exactly like the Americans, same
haircuts, . same clothes, and even
the same way of talking
“Heidelberg’s cultural life has
suffered considerable damage un-
der this assault by an overseas way
of life. In the theatre, it’s ’The
Caine Mutiny’ and ‘Teahouse of*the
August Moon/ Then there are the
variety shows in the small theatres.
The program? Tennesse Williams,
Graham Greene and Franz Kafka
-a mixture of all the intellectual
defeatism- available now in the
West.”

GERM. CENSORS CHANGE
MINDS ON NATIVE PIC

Frankfurt, Aug. 16.
“Solange es huebsche Maedchen
gibt” (So Long as There Are Pret-
ty Girls), the Gloria film which at-
tracted attention as the first pic-
ure to be banned irittoto by the
German censorship board, has won
a complete reversal, it now has
been given a permit for showings
in West Germany. Pic, which ac-
cording to the board on its first
viewing “showed the German peo-
ple in an unfavorable light,” was
banned completely. The board had
ormerly restricted itself to cutting
scenes from films. It was feared
that this- might set a precedent.

But when the producers de-
manded a review by the Board,
hey brought up the important
point that the film was based
nearly exactly on the postwar
stage play, “Ok. Mama,” which has
been presented all over West Ger-
many. Since the play was not
banned,, the film with the same
theme and similar dialog would
oglcally fall into the same accept-
able class., -

The censorship board, on Its sec-
ond hearing, decided that the pic
was okay, and demanded only a
small slicing of two scenes.

London, Aug. 9.

■ Despite warm weather, most
firstruns were helped by the
August Bank Holiday weekend and
; boom business is a feature of this
session. “Not As A Stranger” is
still smash $11,000 at the Leicester
Square Theatre. British-made
“Doctor At Sea” continues terrific
with $12,000 in its fourth round at
the Odeon, Leicester Square.

Another strong newcomer is
“Seven. Year Itch,” which still is
fancy $5,500 in its second stanza
at the Rialto almost capacity.
“The Prodfgdl” Is heading for a
solid $14,000 in its Initial- Empire
session. “East of Eden” is holding
up in fine., style with $8,000 or
near in fourth Warmer week.

Estimates for List Week

Carlton (20th) (1,128; 70-$1.70)
—“Soldier of Fortune” (20th) (3d
wk). Fine. $5>, 600 or near' same as
previous week.

Carino (Indie) (1,337; 70-$2.i5) —
“Cinerama” (Robin) (44th wk).
Substantially better this round,
with a great $14,000. Stays indef.

Empire (M-G) (3,099; 55-$1.70)
—“The Prodigal” (M-G).- Solid
$14,000 or near.

Gaumonf (CM A) (1,500; 50-$1.70)
—“Private. War Major Benson”
(Rank) (3d wk). Moderate $2,500
after $3,000 in previous session.
“Value for Money” (Rank) follows
Aug, 11.

Leicester Square Theatre (CM A)
(1,753; 50 - $1.70) — “Not As
stranger” (UA) (2d wk). Great
$11,000' or close after hitting $13,-
200 opening; round. Stays another
week, with “Man From Laramie”
(Col) set to follow.

Londoir ParRkm (UA) (1,217;
50-$1.70>— “The Bed” (Indie) (4th
wk). Hefty $7,800 after $8,100
third frame. “Shrike” (UA) fol-
lows.

Odeon, Leicester Square (CM A)
(2,200; 50-$l . 7 0 )— 4 Doctor At Sea”
(4th wk). One of big hits at this
theatre, sock $12,000. Third week
was $14,000. Holds, natch!

Odeoit, Marble -Arch (CMA)
(2,200; 50-$1.70) — “Etf ea pad e”
(Eros) (2d wk). Fair $4*500 after
$5,000 opening week. Holds a
third, with “Footsteps In Dark”
(Col) preeming Aug. 18. *

Plaza (Par) (1,902; 70-$L70) —
“Seven Little Foys” (Par) (4th
wk). Stout $6,200 or near. “We’re
No Angels” (Par) Opens Aug. 12.
Rialto (LFP) (592; 50-$1.30>—
Seven Year Itch” (20th) (2d wk).
Likely to get boff $5,500, after
$6,300 opening week. Stays on.

Kitz (M-G)- . (432; 50-$ 1.30)—

“Camille” (M-G) (7th wk). Solid
at around $3,300, same as previous
Week.

Studio I (APT) (600; 30-$1.20)—
“Vanishing Prairie” (Disney) (17th
wk). Fine $2,000. Holds indef.

Warner (WB) (1,735; 50-$1.70)—
“East Of Eden” (WB) (4th-final
wk). Closing at sturdy $8,000.
Third week, $8,700. “Confidential
Report” (WB) bows Aug. 11.

German, French, Italian
3-Way Pic Coproduction
Setup to Be Finalized

Berlin, Aug. 9.

A three-way coproduction deal
between Germany, France and
Italy, negotiated between reps of
the three countries, will be final-
ized at further talks set for Venice
in September.

Although the details of the. new
pact remain obscure, it’s under-
stood the. plan calls for a maximum
of 36 pix to be produced annually
and jointly by the three countries
concerned. Main advantage to each
of* the participants is that the co-
productions would override any
import quotas operating in either
France, Italy or Germany, and
would qualify for Special preferen-
tial treatment in those countries.

The negotiations were under the
eadership of Henri Frenay, dele-
gate general pf the French Film
Producers Assn., with G. V. Sam-
pieri, general" secretary of the
European Film Union; Johannes
Semmler, representing the Ger-
man Film Producers Assn., and
Dr. Gunther Schwarz and Dieter
rifcko of the ExpPtt Union of
Germany; Dr. Lombardo, prez of
the Italian producers, and Jacques
Nieaud, the Unifrance rep In Ger-
many.

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

ROBERTS!

KELLY!

AND
NOW 4

McCONNELL!

Todays

three

great

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.... JAMES WHITMOI

Music by Max Steiner ♦ Produced by H

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Wednesday, August 17, 1955

PfintEfY

T*'

TWO DATES

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PROMOTION!! Estimated 50 million people

saw and heard full hour-and-half
NBC telecast on Steve Allen's
Tonight" show... and on

Jack Bailey's Old Gold

Truth or Consequences" show

( started Aug. 16 and wit! run

for 4 successive weeks)

on NBC-TV and Radio

STEREOPHONIC SOUND

E Screen Play by TED SHERDEMAN and SAM ROLFE

NRY BLANKE Directed by GORDON DOUGLAS

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The true and warming story of Capt. Joe McConnell,
the ‘Tiger in the Sky’ who became America’s first 6
Triple Jet Ace - • and the beautiful bundle of courage^
called ‘Butch’, who became his wife.

PICTURES

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

Connie Folds Out of Town

Continued from page 1

many years. Niteries for the most

S art were packed; theatre biz
oomed Saturday night as well as
Sunday as the torrential down-
pours of Thursday and Friday came
to an end.

Elsewhere, however, it was an-
other story, as 'the Connie “alert"
practically decimated drive-in the-
atre attendance and hit summer
theatre "Biz at the height of the un-
precedented evacuation from sea-
short resorts.

As fickle Connie played footsie
with the prognosticators, radio and
television (particularly the former)
rendered one of its more notable
public service jobs, throwing prac-
tically all its resources (and man-
power) into the job of alerting
viewers and listeners along the
eastern seaboard to Connie’s on-
again-off-again progress; Networks
and individual stations set up their
own observation' "monitoring" posts
for a veritable blow-by-blow run-
down right up to - the monient that
Connie faded into a storm status
over Pennsylvania. WCBS-TV in
N. Y., with its feature pix cushion,
stayed on all through Friday night
into Saturday with a running ac-
count when it looked as though
Connie was headed for the big city.

(The hurricanes _ this year will
fell over 100,000 television anten-
nae in the U. S., predicts Harold
Harris, engineering v.p. of Channel
Master Corp. Etc bases pis esti-
mate on last year’s batch of big
Winds.)

' Broadway firstrun theatres were*
sloughed Friday (12) night not only
by the heavy rain and wind but by
renewed warnings to stay home be-
cause of Connie. Rain Saturday
morning amid usual reaction from
a storm, with flooded basements in
many sectors plus halted electrical
service made itself felt at the cine-
ma boxoffice until the second mati-
nees that day.

D. C. Biz Suffers
, Washington, Aug. 18.

As Hurricane Connie swept
through the Washington area last
Friday night (12), it clobbered show
biz both at the. boxoffice and physi-
cally. While the area’s broadcast
stations stood up well, with all
transmission towers weathering the
storm, the heavy, rains caused a
power failure which forced Du-
Mont’s o. and o. station, WTTG-TV,
off the air at 6:30 p.m. for more
than an hour and. a half. One cr
two suburban radio stations, also
had power trouble.

Conventional theatres in the city
and suburbs estimated that busi-
ness was cut by at least 50%, with
the late shows virtual washouts. In
addition, quite a few houses suf-
fered power failure for varying
lengths of time. In the. suburbs,
drive-ins, which took the attitude
that the show must go on, hurri-
cane or not, not only encountered
rock bottom business, but also pow-
er trouble which finished some of
them early. Falling trees brought
down power lines which led above
ground to the ozoners. One indie
circuit had all three, of its driveins
kayoed in this fashion.

“Phoenix ’55," legit revue at the
open-air Carter Barron Amphithe-
atre, was washed out.

Twenty miles above Washington,
the Olney (Md.) Strawhatter carried
oh under difficulties with Rhp''-.*-
speare’s “As You Like It,” starring
Margaret Phillips.. The audience
numbered well under . 100, by far
the smallest in the theatre’s his-
tory. At one point, the roof sprang
a leak over the stage and rained in
on the Forest of .Arden scene.
Meanwhile, a number of cats and
dogs ran into the theatre to get out
of the storm, one cat wandering on-
stage in the midst of the play.

. Nitery biz was also clipped and
the open-air Shoreham Terrace was
out of commission for the night.

Only operation which managed to
beat the storm was Washington’s
National Theatre where “King and
I" surprised with a near capacity
house.

added insult to Injury by lumber-
ing slowly up the coast for the
greater part of the week, while
most papers in the eastern part
of the country ran streamer head-
lines daily advising of the storm,
and keeping everybody home.

Those in the resort early in the
week took a look at lifeboats
lashed to the boardwalk, cabanas
quickly pulled down and stored, a
deserted beach and a rough .ocean,
and quickly inquired as to the
quickest way . out of town.

Business interests figured if a
hurricane must come, it must, and
believed it would blow in by mid-,
week and out to give them good
weekend business. But not this
one. It kept everybody home all
week, and then picked Friday and
Saturday to hit the Washington,
Baltimore, Philadelphia and New
York area and keep weekenders
away.

Friday’s all day rain plus the
rain and' high winds the following
day, . Saturday, . caused many to
close up shop; Steel Pier, because
of heavy ocean, called off its pier
end water show most days, but of-
fered all other pier attractions.
Spots like Steeplechase and Mil-
lion Dollar piers, with their amuse-
ments for tots . plus concessions, }
folded up awaiting better weather.

Motion picture company on lo-
cation here shooting “The Burglar"
moved from* motel In Longport, a
resort suburb located on the nar-
row part of the island, to the Ritz
Carlton *hotel. pan Duryea and
Martha Vickers, who head the cast
and 46 members of the crew with
three truckloads of equipment
were relocated. Company arrived
Saturday (6) and have had nothing
but bad weather since.

With this, one over another cop-
ing up is another source of worry,
particularly so when the season
here is a short 10 weeks. Take
one or two weeks away because
of bad weather and it means the
difference between a profit and a
loss.

Drive-In Erosion Minor

Baltimore, Aug. 16.

Baltimore area drive-ins suffered
only superficial damage resulting
from Connie, mostly, erosion,]
felled trees and' minor damage
to screens. All but one drive-in
shuttered Friday (12) due to power
failure or general adverse weather
conditions. The North Point Drive-
in in the Sparrowspoint area
opened for a hardy handful.

Locations reported above aver-
age business for Saturday (13)
night while for most operations
business was average the day after
the storm.

A.jC.’s $1,000,000 Beating
Connie, which finally reached
Atlantic City, early Saturday
morning not as a hurricane but a
gusty, rainy storm, cost hotel,
amusement, restaurant and other
interests catering to the summer
visitor a week’s business which,
figured in dollars and cents, could
easily run well over $1,000,000.

Of all the hurricanes visiting the
east coast, Connie was not only
the earliest 0 (most of them come
in September and October) but

Chile Censorship Bill
New Roadblock for Fix

Washington, Aug. 16.

A new press censorship bill,
prepared by the Chilean Education
Ministry, also Includes a section
on film censorship. Bill, submitted
last week to the congress of Chile,
prohibits “importation or the show-
ing of movies whiclf are contrary
to ethics' and good morals and op-
posed to the peace and security
of the state."

All films must be submitted to
the Council oh. Film Censorship
prior to exhibition. If disapproved,
they must be returned immediately
to the point of origin. This might
be interpreted as preventing the
mere elimination of objectionable
portions in Chile for imported pix.
Films are to be divided into three
categories Suitable for children,
adolescents Sind adults.

O’Shea Confers

Continued from page 5

member of RKO. He’ll headquar-
ter at the studio.

The only exit of the -week was
made by William Koenig, associate
story editor. He’s joining the
Cavalcade Theatre tv show pro-
duced by Four Star Productions as
story supervisor.

New RKO Studio Counsel
Hollywood, Aug. 16.

Gordon E. Youngman and Fred-
eric A, Leopold law firm has been
appointed RKO studio counsel by
prexy Daniel T. O’Shea, succeed-
ing Mitchell, Silverberg & Knupp.
Latter outfit held the spot for
years.

Meantime, Youngman has al-
ready taken offices on the lot.

Well Known Dolls

Metro has been conducting
a special “pulse-feeling sur-
vey” to determine public in-
terest in “Guys and Dolls,"
the Samuel Goldwyn produc-
tion which M-G will release In
November.

According to the film com-
pany, reports confirm that
“Guys and Dolls" is one of
the most widely known the-
atrical. titles in show biz his-
tory, rivalling such titles as
^Oklahoma," “South Pacific,"
and “Gone With the Wind,"

Survey covered some 60 sit-
uations and about 10,000 peo-
ple. In nearly all the cities
surveyed, ’Guys and “Dolls"
had played one or more times
as a stage attraction and 26.1 %■
of the women and 29% of
the men questioned said they
had seen a stage performance.

Other facts uncovered by
Metro:

95.5% of the women and
. 89% of the men had heard of
“Guys and Dolls"; 45% of the
women and 38.7% of the men
were able to name the film
cast; 90.7% of the women and
81.2% of the njen said they
were anxious to see the film;
82% of the women and
70.6%. of them said they were
curious to hear Marlon Brando
sing.

SUNDAY NITE BASEBALL
HITS ST, PAUL EXHIBS

Minneapolis, Aug. 16.

St. Paul exhibitors have another
competitor to worry about in con-
sequence of the American Assn,
baseball teams’ shift from Sunday
daytime to night games. The Min-
neapolis club is continuing with
the afternoon brand.

Prompted by an effort to in-
crease attendance, the St. Paul
baseball move is in line with a mi-
nor league team’s nationwide
trend toward night baseball on
Sunday, the same as on weekdays.
Until the present season many
clubs had been playing their only
daytime contests on the Sabbath.

Industry leaders here point out
that there’s no. question but that
the under-the-lights Sunday games
undoubtedly cut into theatres’ box-
office which formerly was the
week’s best for most houses.

New Liaison

Continued from page 7

tress case should bring it to the
attention of the branch manager.
The branch office in turn will give
the homeoffice detailed information
as well as an opinion concerning
the merits of the case. The info
and opinion will be channelled to
Boasberg Who thereafter will han-
dle the matter with “honesty,
friendliness and expedition.”

Par’s action stems from the June
13th meeting held by the joint
TOA-Allied group with Weltner. At
that time; Weltner pledged that
Par would take under friendly
advisement the points made by the
exhibitors. .

In announcing Par’s policy, Welt-
ner made it clear that the prob-
lems of possible borderline situa-
tions “cannot be lumped together
and solved by any arbitrary or for-
mula method. Each case is by the
nature of our business separate and
unique, and can only be fairly evai-
luated on an individual basis.” ■

Raibourn’s Job

Continued from page 3

operation plus other aspects of the
changing Du Mont situation are
reported on in detail in the radio-
tv section.

Significant on the film end is
that he’ll stay at the Par home-
office where he functions as exec
economist and key link with Par’s
tv activities. It’s seen likely he’ll
be required to give a good deal of
time to the Du Mont reorganiza-
tion at the outset. But when the
kinks are ironed out he’ll be at
Par again.

Raibourn also fills the role of
board chairman of Chromatic Tele-
vision Laboratories, another Par
affiliate, which has been promis-
ing the production shortly of a
low-priced tinted tv tube.

As Par’s economist, Raibourn
also concerns himself with market
trends and such intra-mural affairs
as pic budgets and ad-pub expendi-
tures.

Rio Files Antitruster

Philadelphia, Aug. 16.

Rio Amusement Co., which op-
erates the Fans Theatre (West
Philly nabe), has filed suit in U.S.
District Court here charging eight
film majors with monopoly add re-
straint of trade. The plaintiffs
sought injunctive relief and asked
treble damages for an amount to
be determined through discovery
proceedings.

Competitive bidding is imposed
by the defendants “to take unfair
and discriminatory advantage of
Fans Theatre and to exact ex-
cessively high rentals to prevent
the house from obtaining first
neighborhood runs," the complaint
chafged.

Named as defendants Were Co-
lumbia, Loew’s, Paramount, RKO,
20th Century-Fox, United Artists,
Universal International and War-
ner Brothers. ' *

PHILA. COURT RULES
FOR 3 POSTER FIRMS

Philadelphia, Aug, 16.

U. ,S. District Judge William H.
Kirkpatrick, in the cases of three
independent poster exchanges
against National Screen Service,
ruled the plaintiffs were entitled
to summary judgment, the terms
of which will be considered when
an order' is submitted.

Entry of summary Judgments
against producer-distributor de-
fendants was denied, however. The
plaintiffs were Jay Schrader, Char-
lotte Poster Exchange, Charlotte,
N. C.; David Mitchell, Southwest
Poster Service, Dallas, Tex., and
Harry Vogelstein, Baltimore Post-
er Co., Baltimore, Md.

A previous attempt by the three
plaintiffs to join in a local suit
against National Screen Service
two years ago was denied; but in-
dividual actions in the local court
were suggested. District Court
action follows on the heels of the
U. S; Supreme Court’s reversal of
the lower court’s decision here in
turning down suit of Independent
Poster Exchange, of this city,
.against N.S.S.

Hollywod, Aug. 16.

Screen Directors Guild disclosed
nominations for the best-directed
pictures for the first half of 1955.
Films include:

“Bad Day at Black Rock;" John
Sturges, director, and Joel Free-
man, assistant.

“East of Eden," Elia Kazan, Don
Page and Horace Hough.

“Blackboard Jungle," . Richard
Brooks and Joel Freeman.

“A Man Called Peter," Henry
Koster and Dave Silver.

“Love Me Or Leave Me,"
Charles Vidor and Ridgeway Cal-
low.

“Seven Year Itch,” Billy Wilder
and Joe Rickards.

Par Field Men

; Continued from page 7. ,

fers at Warner Bros., 20th-Fox,
Universal, Columbia, and United
Artists. The SPG so far has taken
no action on the field staffers-* who
were originally excluded from be-
coming members of the bargaining
unit under terms of a National
Labor Relations Board election.
However, in the light of local
H-63’s success with Par, the SPG
board will discuss the matter at a
meetirig today (Wed.). The SPG,
it’s understood, ‘ does not look with
favor on a setup whereby the
homeoffice staffers belong to one
union and the field forces to an-
other. A similar situation, how-
ever, exists at these companies in
the relation between the N. Y. and
Coast publicity men. All the pub-
ad staffers in Hollywood are solidly
aligned in one union affiliated with
the IA. In New York, three dif-
ferent unions are in the field.

Local H-63, an IA-AFL, affiliate,
is at Paramount; the SPG (CIO) is
at WB, 20th-Fox, U, Col and UA,
and the Sign* Pictorial & Display
Union, Local 230, AFL is at RKO
Pictures, RKO Theatres, and
Loew’s Theatres. Metro’s home-
office pub-ad staffers are un-
affiliated.

COMPO in Middle

Continued from page 7 ^

and indicated they’d provide finan-
cial support.

Thus, the crossroads for COMPO,
whose bank account comes from
membership dues from Allied and
TOA, which is matched dollar for

dollar up to $150,000 by members
of the Motion Picture Assn, of
America. Other COMPO members,
including production crafts, labor
unions and trade press, are in
cuffo.

■ TOA’s membership comprises the
larger circuits around country, plus
lesser-scale operators. It’s the
“wealthier" of the two national
exhib groups.

Assuming Allied bolts, it’s clear
that C O M P "O could still be
sustained ; by membership money
from TOA and the MPA A — that
is, if both outfits would go along
with such a sans-Allied operation.

Despite , the existence of dis-
sidents aniong Allied, COMPO is
Continuing with the Audience
Awards project and the hat passing
to pay for it.

Cole’s Blast

Cole " unleashed an unexpectedly
harsh blast at COMPO in disclosing
he was w.alking out. In a prepared
statement issued from his Dallas
quarters, the vet exhib gave
COMPO credit “for two minor jobs,
each important but not measuring
up to the possibilities of the or-
ganization. One of these was the
important and creditable campaign
carried on through Editor & Pub-
lisher; the other is the one of
collecting necessary facts, figures
and statistics for the industry."
Latter was in reference, presum-
ably, to the data compiled within
the framework of the Federal tax
fight a couple of years ago.

COMPO, said Cole, “has accom-
plished little for the exhibitors and
especially the smaller exhibitors
since title successful termination of
the national tax campaign." He
added that actually exhibitors “for
the most part have . gotten little
if any financial benefit out of the
big job that COMPO did in the tax
fight.” ! * '

He beefed that exhib money went
into COMPO but COMPO Is so
constituted, that none of this could
be used to help exhibition’s stand
against Jiome-tolltv.

He vetoes the idea of embarking
on a program for complete eli-
mination of the admissions tax be-
cause such an undertaking would,
be futile, largely since it allegedly
wouldn’t help small theatres whiclt
need the money.

Badly Executed?

Cole was highly critical of the
Audience Awards effort. He states
the idea has merit but he thinks
the way COMPO is going about it
is all wrong.

The 20% Federal levy was re-
moved entirely on admissions of
less than 50c and reduced to 10%
on prices of 51c and over. PinanskL
saying he was speaking for himself
only, came out strongly for a battle
against that remaining 10%. Mapy
theatremen are feeling an economic
pinch and need the extra revenue
that the added . tax relief would
yield, he adds.

As a result of the tax dividing
line at 50c, Pinanski asserted, an
inequity exists in that about 9,000
theatres were completely freed of
tax obligations, and 9,000 others
were still left with the 10% bur-
den. The latter group donated $81,-
000,000 to Internal Revenue, ht
reported.

Rembusch, who also claims to
be riled because COMPO didn’t
enter the subscription tv arena,
submits that any further tax reduc-
tion would simply accrue to the
benefit of the distributors via film
rentals. And besides, he insists,
exhibs . shouldn’t divide their ef-
forts between a tax campaign and
agitation for the Government in-
tervention. He wants all prece-
dence given to the pitch for an
official ceiling on rentals.

June Allyson signed a multiple
contract with Universal, starting
With “Maracaibo" when she com-
pletes “It Happened One Night” at
Columbia . . . Roscoe Ates and
Hans Conreid drew featured roles
in the George Gobel comedy at
Paramount . . . Nextpfilm for Tim
Hovey, moppet, will be “Toy
Tiger," to be .produced by Howard
Christie at U . . . Columbia pur-
chased “Ten Days to Die," an
original by Michael A. Musmanno.

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

PS&IEf?

THE

HOTTEST FROM

Hfil

ilPi

r .v # y*..

tyx#-

The series of ods about wonderful M-G-M entertainment to come
has electrified the trade. We've already told you about "It's
Always Fair Weather/' ''The Bar Sinister^ "Trial," "Quentin
Durward," "I'll Cry Tomorrow,." "The Tender Trap," "Kismet,"
"Diane" and "The Last Hunt/' Four more Big Ones are listed
below. But the end is not yet. The M-G-M Studios are humming
with other Giant Attractions.

"FOREVER DARLING’

(COLOR)

t * ; t

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, plus James Mason, have
made a, box-office comedy sensation to top "Long,
Long Trailer." ^

Zanra Productions Inc* presents • Lucille Ball • Desi Arrian
James Mason in “FOREVER DARLING ” • co-starring Louis
Calhern • with John Emery • John Hoyt • Natalie Schafer • Written
by Helen Deutsch • Photographed in Eastman Color • Directed by
Alexander Hall * Produced by Desi Arnaz • Filmed in Hollywood
by Desilu • Distributed by MrG-M

FEARFUL DECISION"

(Color)

A sensation on TV, the story of a kidnapping will be
one of the top thrill pictures of the year. Starring
Glenn Ford following his acclaimed performances in
"BLACKBOARD JUNGLE" and "INTERRUPTED
MELODY."

M-G-M presents “FEARFUL DECISION ” starring Glenn Ford
Written by Cyril Hume and Richard Maibaum ♦ Produced by
Nicholas Nayfack

BHOWANI JUNCTION

(In CINEMASCOPE and COLOR)

MEET ME IN LAS VEGAS

(In CINEMASCOPE and COLOR)

Ava Gardner, as the Anglo-Indian beauty involved in
three loves, is magnificent in this drama of intrigue,
revolt, unbridled passion filmed in far-off Pakistan.

M-G-M presents in CinemaScope • “BHOWANI JUNCTION”
starring Ava Gardner • Stewart Granger • with William Travers
Abraham Sofaer • Screen Play by Sonya Levien and Ivan, Moffat
Based on the novel by John Masters • Photographed in Eastman
Color * Directed by George Cukor Produced by Pandro S. Berman

The happy-go-lucky musical romance of a rancher and
a dancer. He won’t let her go because she brings him
luck. Filmed in Las Vegas. Big promotional tie-up.

★

M-G-M presents in CinemaScope . “ MEET ME IN LAS VEGAS ”
starring Dan Dailey • Cyd Charisse • Lilians Montevecchi • with
Oscar Karlweis* and Jim Backus • and Guest Stars; Lena Horne and
Frankie Laine • Screen Play by Isobel Lennart • Photographed in
Eastman Color • Directed by Roy Rowland • Produced by Joe Pasternak

It's time to mail your Audience Awards nominations!

2 *

PICTURES

Show Biz Names Give No Info

Wednesdays August 17, 1955

Coatinaed from pace 1

week by the American Federation
of TV and Radio Artists to take
disciplinary action— suspension, ex-
pusion or other authorized means
— against members citing, the
amendment for refusal to answer
questions.

Typical on this approach was El*
liott Sullivan, legit-film-video actor,
yesterday (Tues.), when the whole
morning was given over to his “no"
testimony. Scores of times Sulli-
! van challenged the “right” and “au-
thority” of the committee to put
queries to him on Communism and
his past affiliations, extending this
to include “my beliefs, associations
and thinking.” As to his job this
summer as producer of shows at
Wingdale Lodge, Wingdale, N. Y.
(formerly Camp Unity), he said tal-
ent and creative personnel were
hired for their talents and ability
and not their political theories, as
had been implied.

Sullivan was aroused on numer-
ous occasions, charging that the
committee was trying to engage in
censorship — such as on a skit at
Wingdale presumably satirizing the
Bill of RightsT— and said he was
“proud” to associate himself with
the Committee for the 'Negro in
the Arts in seeking wider employ-
ment for Negro performers. He
lashed Out at actor Lee J. Cobb,
Hollywood writer Martin Berkeley,
choreograper Jerome Robbins and
others whom he termed “informers”
who had thrown away their “dig-
nity” at their appearances some
time back before the committee.

Cited for Contempt

The only direct statement he
would make on a “sensitive” sub-
pect — and this in response to what
he construed as an attack Upon him
by Rep. Walter — -was that “I am
not a conspirator and have com-
mitted ho crime.” The chairman
told Sullivan he would go through
the machinery of citing him for
contempt.

It was brought out that in Rob-
bins’ 1953 testimony before the
committee, he had named Sullivan
as a Communist, with Sullivan say-
ing he had "“ceased to know” Rob-
bins. . The actor, who has filled
hundreds of bit and featured roles
— in the last few years in tv —
would not say whether Berkeley’s
1951 testimony was true or false,
standing instead on his right not
to testify in this or similar areas of
interrogation.

Thespians questioned Monday
were Martin Wolf son, Stanley
Prager, George Tyne, Lou Polan,
John Randolph and his wife, Sarah
Cunningham, and Phil Leeds, an
added starter not subpoenaed.

Prager, who is in “Pajama
Game,” came closest to a direct
answer on alleged subversion with
the statement, “I’ve never been
a member of ah organization
that I believe seeks the overthrow
of the United States Government
by force and violence.” Of the
seven subpoenaed witnesses, five
latched on to the Fifth Amend-
ment for protection as per privilege
granted in the Constitution. Three
of these also applied the First
Amendment on free speech and
free association.

Tyne and Polan .

Tyne, who appeared in “Lunatics
and Lovers” on Broadway, and
Lou Polan, who is in “Bus Stop,”
passed up the amendments for
other approaches, with Tyne saying
the committee had been respon-
sible for his blacklisting and ques-
tioning its right “to invade my
inner beliefs, conscience and as-
sociations.” Tyne had been named
by Cobb two years ago as a CP
member. Tyne characterized Cobb
as a “stool-pigeon.” As with Sul-
livan yesterday, Rep. Walter hinted
at a contempt citation for Tyne for
nixing direct answers. Ditto Polan.

Leeds, who was in “Make a
Wish” and “Can-Can,” when asked
whether he had previously told an
investigator that he had joined
the CP in 1940 but is no longer a
member, refused to answer this
and related questions an on “in-
vasion of privacy” stance.

Randolph, “bodyguard” for Capt.
Video in tv and currently in sum-
mer stock, contested the authority
of the panel, which he said pro-
duced an “atmosphere of fear,
conformity and blacklist in the
theatre,” citing Amendments One
and Five (Capt. Video dramatic
series is inactive currently). His
wife Sarah Cunningham refused to
talk about her “associations.”

Yesterday afternoon’s quiz
brought three more witnesses with

First and Fifth Amendment pleas.
They were Lee Hays, folksinger
and tunesmith; Irma Jurist, com-
poser; and Susan d’Usseau, an
artist and wife of playwright Arn-
aud d’USseau. Hays refused to give
his connection, if any, with Peo-
ple’s Songs or board member Earl
Robinson and alleged founder Alan
Lomax, his participation with
“peace crusade” organizations on
the Coast, and whether he com-
posed “Wasn’t That a Time,” al-
leged to have been written in sup-
port of 11 Communist Party leaders
convicted under the Smith Act and
ridiculing Valley Forge, Gettys-
burg and Bunker Hill.

Miss Jurist read a statement cov-
ering her background as a com-
poser Of amateur and pro shows,
said she was once piano accomp for
the late Gertrude Lawrence, and
was connected with two former
Broadway shows, “Caesar and Cleo-
patra” and “Alive and Kicking.”
She refused to say whether she
wrote the. score for a leftist film,
“Dollar Patriot,” or whether she
knew Sam Wanamaker, commen-
tator of the film.

Mrs. d’Usseau said “it was a mis-
take” to have her on the stand, but
it was explained that she had been
listed for a hearing by the' com-
mittee in 1953 and had not been
called..

There was a stir in the court-
room shortly after 3 o’clock when
financier Bernard Baruch turned
up as an observer. Chairman
Walter cautioned still and film
cameramen to ,observe the rules on
pain of ejection, but most of them
got in their licks with Baruch at
a short recess.

Joshua Shelley, legit and tv ac-
tor, was called but his attorney
said his client was out of town and
was granted postponement until
today (Wed.).

Hearings will last through all of
this week with more important
Holly wood-legit-tv names in the
hopper than have appeared thus
far. They are apparently being
reserved for a crisp finish, but it’s
not anticipated by industryites
there will be any surprise .revela-
tions or “singing.” •

Italian Festival

Continued from page 4

comprehensive exhibition of Ital-
ian merchandise for a fair to be
held throughout the entire store
area. High fashion items from top
Italian couturiers will be flown from
Italy expressly for the exhibition
which is a mammoth benefit for
the Denver Symphony Orchestra
fund. Orch will play for the
fashion show.

Among the Italian stars named
for possible appearances here are
Sophia Loren and Sylvana
Pampanini. Apart from appearing
on radio and tv, they’d also model
the gowns of the Italian design-
erS .

Festival is the joint effort . of
Ross and Paul Gifford 'Anglim,
special films director for Fox In-
termountain, who joined the com-
pany last October, coming here
from Boston. Anglim serves as gen-
eral, director of .the festival, co-
ordinating all arrangements be-
tween the symphony org, the cir-
cuit and the department store staff.

Three or four of the Fox Denver
theatres will be used for the fest,
with the premiere to be held at
either the new Center Theatre or
Jhe Denver Theatre if the Italians'
come through with a major film
suitable for use in either of these
downtown houses. Manilo Brosio,
Italian Ambassador to the U. Sr,
is expected to open the festival
formally on Sept. 19.

AA’s Guarantee

Continued from page 3

thus it’s impossible to project a
domestic gross. It scored particu-
larly well in its one key outing so
far, this being at Silverman’s
Woods Theatre, Chicago. Pic drew
$42,000 the first week, $29,000 the
second, $28,000 the third and is
now moving info the fourth.

This kind of business apparently
came as a surprise even to AA.
For the company now has pushed
back the national release of
“Phenix” a month *for the pur-
pose of bearing down more heavily
on a campaign.

U.S. Tax Court Hearings On
Haymes, Sablon, Ruggles

Washington, Aug. 16.

Tax . suits against Dick Haymes,
Jean Sablon and Wesley Ruggles
have reached the U. S. Tax Court
here.

Internal Revenue seeks $18,846
from Dick Haymes and" his then
wife, Nora “Eddington, on 1952
earnings. Singer contends the Gov-
ernment incorrectly - disallowed
business expenses, Government
seeks $29,574 from Wesley Ruggles
on 1949-51. income, and alleges the
director failed to list $40,600 of his
1949 earnings. Ruggies says the
$40,000 was paid by the J. Arthur
Rank organization in Britain, to
sign Bing Crosby and obtain other
talent. He says he explained by
letter to the Revenue ’ Service in
1949 why this money, for “actual
services” was not included.

Sablon is asked to pay $9,749,
claiming ;>the entertainer incor-
rectly took business deductions and
also a Canadian income tax pay-
ment of $900. Sablon says these
were regular expenses in connec-
tion with his work.

Following is a comparative breakdown of the njagazine and
newspaper Sunday supplement spending of eight film companies
during the first Six months of 1955 as compiled by Variety from
data supplied by. the Publishers Information Bureau:

„„ . ' Upordown

Magazines - -

Columbia $120,226

Loew's - .... , 369,892

Paramount .......... 165,611

RKO 246,955

20th-Fox 145,994

United Artists ....... 100,585

Universal 354,800

Warner Bros. ....... . 86,165

.Supplements
$ 48,180
144,305
37,530
170,840
51,555
43,975
53,675

+
+
■ +
+

$1,590,228

$550,060

from *54
$58,544
95,089
51,631
313,009
15,569
111,730
126,469
26,085

Renlal Ceiling

Continued from p-~e 7

the regulation of film rentals will
be introduced in both Houses.

Allied officials, under the direc-
tion of board chairman Abram. F.
Myers, are preparing a bill which
will be suggested to the solons.
Myers, it’s understood, is doing a
complete revise of the measure he
proposed last year at the urging
of Allied’s board. The new bill,
as was Myers’s previous : measure,
will be presented to the Allied
membership at the national con-
vention,

A completely new approach to-
ward the regulation of film rent-
als is being considered. Unlike
Myers’ previous proposal, which
called for Federal Tirade Commis-
sion supervision of rentals uhder
a system of classification of thea-
tres and pictures, the new bill is
said to be seeking the establish-
ment of a ceiling rental price for
pictures, with a 30% to 35% top
being mentioned as a possibility.

Idea of = the rental ceiling has
been borrowed from a number of
foreign countries which haYe reg-
ulations limiting the rentals dis-
tributors can demand of exhibi-
tors. A thorough study of foreign
laws is being made in the. hope
that it may lead to an idea that
can be incorporated in a U. S, bill.

Meanwhile, relations , between
the distribution companies and Al-
lied are again strained after a
period of armed truce during the
joint Allied-Theatre Owners of
America talks with the film firms.
The rental demands of the dis-
tribs continue to . remain the sore
point.

New Fight

Continued from page 3

RHODEN RALLIES 150
EXHIBS FOR COMPO

+ $733,191

Philadelphia, Aug, 16.

While Allied and independent
exhibitors of this area are openly
adverse to the Fall dues drive
planned by COMPO (Council of
Motion Picture Organizations), the
Audience Awards Poll is being re-
ceived with general enthusiasm.

More ' than 150 theatre men
turned out for the luncheon meet-
ing in the Bellevue-Stratford
Hotel to hear Elmer C. Rhoden,
president of National Theatres, as
chairman of the poll. Rhoden
called it “good public relations, a
necessary research and good box-
office, since it will enable theatres
to bring back former favorites dur-
ing the slack season.”

Mags, Supps Up

Continued from page 5

Furmas’ Blast

Continued from page 5

said to be shopping for more
shares.

Syndicate paid $12.50 per share
last week while the stock was sell-
ing on the market for $10. Yates
is understood to control 900,000
shares, personally owning about
27,500. It’s reported that the new
syndicate has no connection with
Ben Smith, Wall Streeter who is
leading a dissident stockholders’
fight in the east.

Universal’s 36

Continued from page 5

.“exceptionally high-budget treat-
ment,” studio states, 20 such
properties being produced on this
large scale. A total of 27 films on
new program also will be in color.

Entire program hasn’t yet been
set, but among those skedded are:
“Song of Norway,” . “Dean Hess
Story,” "Apache Agent,” “Unfin-
ished Symphony,” “White King,”
“Wind From Suva,” -“Toy Tiger,”
“And No One Answered,” “Mara-
caibo,” “The Land Unknown,”
“Teach Me How to Cry,” “Draw
Sabres,” “Bombay Boy,” “The
Goddess” and “Plains of the Mo-
hawk.”

Prior to the merger of Universal
with International 10 years ago,
Universal frequently made as
many as 52 features, but new com-
pany has never turned out more
than 32 films in a single year.

tion Picture Council which
again honored DeMille in
February 1952? Your own let-
ter to DeMille begins: *1 have
just seen ‘Samson.and Delilah.’
Until now nothing greater in
this field has been done since
. your ‘ King of Kings.’ ‘ Samson
and' Delilah* is greater. Here
is a maturity. A dynamic un-
derstanding of the time a/nd
person unequalled in motion
picture industry. . . . Your
Samson is true to the Book
of Judges* and so on. Who
knows more about :such sub-
jects Mr. Furnas or Dr. Poling ?

“Nowhere in this entire arti-
ticle allegedly about Hollywood
and the Bible is there a single
mention of the existence of
4 The King of Kings’ made by
Mr. DeMille in 1927 and still
showing under the auspices of
a national committee of 125
ministers and laymen in 38
sta,tes.' Who knows more about
this subject, Mr. Furnas or
the 125 ministers and laymen
and the countless other minis •
ters who have proudly pre *
sented the 'King of Kings’ to
their congregations around the
world?”

The Herald is now publishing
(September issue) an editorial

comment in which DeMille is de-
signated a “shining exception” to
the strictures of the Furnas article.
(This article; incidentally, was
read Into the Congressional Rec-
ord by Rep. Katharine St. George
of N.Y.). While sticking to its gurts
that the Hollywood studios are dis-
torting Holy Writ and that this is
a menace to Christianity the jour-
nal exonerates DeMille and specific-
ally “Samsoir and Delilah.” Says
the editorial: * ^

. “In his article, author Furnas saw
fit to include DeMille and ’Samson
and Delilah’ in the crossfire of his
indignation. Christian Herald’s edi-
tors, committed to the right of any
author to full expression of his
own opinion, did not censor from
the article any portion of Furnas’
complaint. To remove from articles
we use every word and paragraph
that goes contrary to this mag-
azine’s previously expressed edi-
torial stand would be to attempt a
system of thought control repug-
nant to us.

“Dr. Poling’s editorial supporting
the article was a commentary upon
its main thesis — namely, that the
distortion of Bible stories, with
'The Prodigal’ as an example,, was
a major menace to all that Chris*
tian people stand for. On that, as
upon our restatement that we con-
sider Mr. DeMille with his im-
mortal ‘King of Kings’ and ‘Ten
Commandments’ a shining excep-
tion, we must remain firm.’*

or not, neither of these films re-
sponded proportionately at the b.o.

Projecting the figures for the
first half of the year to the. entire
12 months of *55; that would give
the companies an ad spread of $4,-
280^000. The actual PBI figure for
the full year, of 1954 was $3,057,—
520 (taking in both mags and Sun-
day supplements).

Big gain in the supplements
came in 1955 primarily via Metro,
RKO, United Artists and Columbia.
Neither WB, UA or Col used the
supps in the first six months of
last year. In 1955, WB still stood
aloof, but UA spent $43,975 on
them and Columbia $48,180. Loew’s
upped its ads from $27,315 last
year to $144,305 in ’ the current
stanza.

After RKO, the list of companies
that spent the heaviest in the mags
and the supplements in the first
half of '55 . is led by Universal,
with an increase of $126,469, and
United Artists, with $111,730,
Next comes Metro with $95,089
and then Columbia with $56,544.

Schwartz Plea

Continued from - page 5

ner. Instead of listing the rating
in its regularly issued bulletin,
which has. been the custom for
most pictures, the Legion put out
a special press release. It cited as
its reason for turning down the
picture the foil Awing*: “This film in
basic story, characterization, dia-
logue and costuming offends Chris-
tian and traditional standards of
morality and must, therefore, be
judged as wholly unsuitable on
moral grounds for all persons,
youth and adults.”

’Admittedly Sophisticated*

Earlier last week Schwartz is-
sued an appeal to the presidents
of all the malor film companies for
aid in his efforts to secure a Pro-
duction Code seal for “Camera.*
In a letter to the film company
heads, the DCA topper said that
the film “is a motion picture meant
for the mature mind. It is admit-
tedly sophisticated in story and in
dialogue.”

He stressed that “if we confine
the screen to ‘family entertain-
ment’ themes and circumscribed
behavior patterns, we are fettering
our medium — and in so doing are
depriving it or much of its vital-
ity.” He noted that the myth of
the “12-year-old mentality” of film
audiences has long been dispelled.
“Motion picture audiences have
matured enough,” Schwartz said,
“to accept dramatic material today
which in an earlier day of film
production would never have been
acceptable. The screen must learn
to mature along with the audi-
ence.”

The DCA topper said that in
fairness to its authors — - Christo-
pher Isherwood and John Van
Druten — “that no eliminations in
scene or dialogue would be made.”
Schwartz feels that “Camera*
should receive the Code seal “with-
in the framework of the code at
now constituted.” “The code must
be Interpreted in the light of pres-
ent-day thinking and mores,” he
asserted.

He pointed out that “Camera*
had received the approval of lo-
cally elected state and city censor
boards and that the industry’s code
lagged behind these. “The lag be-
tween what the public and civic
officials accept and what bur own
industry accepts is much- too great.
What, in effect I am requesting is
that this gap be narrowed,” he
concluded.

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

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THE HEADLINES TELL THE STORY!

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...and they’ve taken the “Major” right into their hearts EVERYWHERE! Talk to

your exhibitor friends in these early-bird towns. They’re all “Benson” boosters:

Fox, Sedalia, Mo; Fox, Ft. Madison, la; Cooper, Dodge City, Ks; Paramount, Baton Rouge, La; State, Burlington, N. C;
Masonic, New Bern, N, C; Weiss, Savannah; Warner, Frederick, Md; Ridgeway, Stamford, Conn; Cambria, Johnstown;

Myers, Janesville, Wise; Center, Little Rock; Center, Charlotte.

' >' .-2

0r -

“Merry, heartwarming, uproarious comedy”

•- Kansas City Star

An Editorial

“We have he$rd quite a hit qf late from churchmen, educators, civic
groups and others about the alleged misuse of the screen by a minor
fraction of Hollywood product . , . it accordingly will be interesting to
see what our vocal critics do in the instance of that happy example of
Hollywood picture-making, Universal’s ‘THE PRIVATE WAR OF
MAJOR BENSON’.” - Film Daily

“Superb ... A really fine comedy”

—Boston Globa

■$:

An Editorial

“If you are smart, you will take in ‘THE PRIVATE WAR OF MAJOR
BENSON.’ It’s grand entertainment. If a dirty film were to be booked
at one of our houses, all of these (civic) groups would be heard from.
Why cannot these same groups assert a positive influence for the
better pictures?” * — St. Joseph (Mo.) News Press

“The most delightful surprise of the year”

—New York Daily News,

An Editorial

‘“THE PRIVATE WAR OF MAJOR BENSON’ proves again that
Hollywood can provide good, wholesome, family entertainment at its
best. It remains for the movie patrons to prove by their attendance that
they appreciate this type of picture.” — Pittsburgh Catholic

“Certain to delight every member of the family”

—Mlmcie, Ind. Star

An Editorial

“With the arrival on the cinema scene of a nine-year-old actor capable
of carrying a picture (Tim Hovey in ‘THE PRIVATE WAR OF MAJOR
BENSON’) this industry, having been without a child star coining
money and family-favor for it since Shirley Temple and Mickey Rooney
grew up, may be on the eve of a whole new wholesome era.”

— Motion Picture Herald

“One of the most delightful pictures of the year”

—Quincey, III - Herald-Whig

An Editorial

“In ‘MAJOR BENSON’ U-I has a picture of exceptional entertainment
values, a heart-warming, delightful, rib-tickling story. It is an answer to
the demands for wholesome, films-— and comedy — so often made by
people within and without the industry. Seeing it should convert many
a persistent complaiper into a movie booster.” — Boxoffice

“It’s a real heartwarmer”

—New York Jeurnal-American

HAPPILY YtX4RS FROM UNiVGRSAL-IMTgRKJATiOnIAL.

Private WaiwMajor Benson

stamino print »y Technicolor

CHARLTON HESTON * JULIE ADAMS

with TIM HOVEY WILLIAM DEMAREST • TIM CONSIDINC • SAL MINEO
NANA BRYANT • MIL8URN STONE • MARY FIELD
Directed by JERRY HOPPER • Screenplay by WILLIAM ROBERTS tnd RICHARD ALAN SIMMONS ♦ Produced by HOWARD PINE

• •••■ • •• . :• v‘. V- •• vttv. t ■■ vy- v<* . .. : . . . : • •• ■ .«•■••••• .v.. \ :••••: •• ••••••■ .vii.u.Lii ■> :■ ;^v. v.' X’- ^ - iv-r. . . :* ;•

22 PICTURES

PfiftlETY

Wed»fe«lay, August 17, 1955

Picture Grosses

WASHINGTON

(Continued from page 9)

32d stanza. “Not As Stranger" is
holding solidly in third week at
palace. Transit strike, nearing 7-
week mark, seems to he an ac-
cepted inconvenience now.

Estimates for This Week

Ambassador (SW) (1,490; 90-

$1.25) — “Mister Roberts" <WB)
(4th wk). Good $9,500 alter $10,-
500 last week.

Capitol (Loew) (3,434; 70-05) —
“How To Be Popular" (20th) (2d
wk). Okay $12,000 after disap-
pointing $17,000 last week.

Columbia .(Loew) (1,174; 60-85)
—“Wizard of Oz" '(M-G) (reissue).
Bright $9,000. Stays, Last week,
“House of Bamboo" (20th) (2d-6
days), $4,500'.

Dupont (Lopert) (372; 75-$l) —
“Captain’s Paradise” and “The
River" (UA) (reissues). Oke
$3,800. Last week, “Great Adven-
ture" (Indie) (3d wk), $4,000.

Keith's (RKO) (1,939; 75-$1.25)—
“Lady and Tramp” (BV) (5th \vk).
Steady $7,500 after , $9,500 last
week. Stays.

Metropolitan (SW) (1,200; 90-
$1.25) — “Mister Roberts” (WB) (4th
wk). Nice $13,500 after $15,200
last week.

Palace (Loew) (2,360; 85-$1.25) —
“Not As Stranger" (UA) <3d wk).
Fancy $17,000 after $26,000 last,
week. Stays on.

Playhouse (Lopert) (435; 75-

$1.10)-— “Seven Little Foys" (Par)
(7th wk). Pleasing $4,200 after
$5,000 last week. Holds.

Trans-Lux (T-L) (600; 70-$l)—
“Man from Laramie” (Col) (4tli
wk). Good $6,500 for second con-
secutive week. Stays.

Warner (SW> (1,300 $1.20-$2.40)
— “Cinerama” (Indie) (92d wk).
Hefty $14,000 for second week in

row.

’BLUES’ HEP $23, COO,

ST. LOO.; ‘ROBERTS’ 15S

St. Louis, Aug. 16.

Only two new bills at the big
cinemas here this round with hold-
overs continuing as fine draws.
“Man From Laramie” opened well
today (Tues.) at the Fox. “Marty”
looks neat in two arty theatres.
“Mister Roberts" continues great
in third week at the St. Loirs.
“Not As Stranger” still is stout in
fourth session at Loew’s. Out-of-
town visitors continue to hypo
grosses for “Cinerama Holiday" at
Ambassador.

Estimates for This Week

Ambassador (Indie) (1.400; $1.20-
$2.40)-r-“Cinerama Holiday" (In-
die) (26th wk). Solid $17,000 after
$19,200 last week.

Fox (F&M) (5,000; 51-90)— “Man
From Laramie" (Col) and “Wom-
an’s Prison” (Col) opened today
(Tues.k Last week, “Pete Kelly’s
Blues” (WB), great $23,000.

Loeiv’s (Loew) (3.172; 50-85) —
“Not As Stranger” (UA) (4th wk).
Nice $11,000 after $13,000 for third
session,

Orpheum (Loew) (1,400; 50-85) —
“It" (Col) and “Creature Atom
Brain" (Col) (2d wk). Good $30 : 00Q
following $14,000 initial week.

Pageant (St. L, Amus) (1.000; 90)
— “Marty” (UA). Okay $3,000. La.st
week, “Long John Silver" (DC A).
$ 2 , 000 .

Richmond (St. L. Amus) (400;
$1.10)— “M^rty" (UA). Big $3,500.
Last week, “Adventures Sadie”
(20(b) (4th wk), $2,500.

St. Louis (St. L. Amus) (4.000;
51-90)— “Mister Roberts” (WB) '3d
wk). Great $15,000 after $22,000
for a second frame;

Shady Oak (St. L. AnruW) (800:
$1.10) — “Dam Busters" (WB) < 9 d
wk). Big $2,500 following $3,000
opening session. \

PHILADELPHIA

(Continued from page 8)

“One Desire” (U). Fair 13 000 or
near. Last week, “You’re Never
Too Young" (Par) (2d wk), $12,-
000 . .

Staunton (SW) (1,483; 65-99)—
“Las Vegas Shakedown" (AA)
and “Finger Man” (AA). Neat
$8,000. Last week, “Life at S a^e"
(Indie) and “Naked Amazon" (in-
die) $7,000.

Studio (Goldberg) (400; 90-$1.49)
—“Marty" (UA) (9th wk). Good
$5,000. Last week, $6,000.

Trans-Lux (T-L) (500; 80-S1.80)—
“To Catch Thief" (Par) (2d wk).
Boffo $19,000. Last week, $22,000.

Viking (Sley) (1,000; 74-S1.80)—
“Not As Stranger" (UA) (7th wk).
Bright $11,000 or near. Last week,
$13,000.

Tfans-Lux World (T-L) (604; 99-
$1.50)— “Lady and Tramp" (BV)
(7th wk). Nice $9J)00. Last week,
$ 10 , 000 .

‘Laramie’ Lusty $11,000,
i L’ville; ‘Lady’ Loud 13G

| Louisville, Aug. 16.

State, with “Man From Lara-
mie" plus “Bring Your Smile
Along,” is wrapping up nice biz,
being the . only new bill on .the
main stem this week. “You’re
Never Too Young" in third and
final stanza at the Kentucky looks
okay, while "Mister Roberts” in
fifth frame at the Mary Anderson
shapes strong. “Lady and Tramp,”
in second Rialto round, looks
profitable.

Estimates for This Week

Kentucky. (Switow) (1,200; 65-
85)— “Never Too Young” (Par) (3d
wk). Oke $4,000 after last week’s
$ 8 , 000 .

Mary Anderson (People’s) (1.200;
75-$l) - — “Mister Roberts” (WB)
(5th wk). Still pulling with strong
$5,000 likely. Last week, $5,500.

Rialto (Fourth Avenue) (3,000;
75-$l) — “Lady and Tranip” (BV)
(2d wk). Profitable $13,000 after
first week’s $28,000. ,

State (United Artists) O.OOtT; 50-
75) — .“Man From Laramie” (Col)
and “Bring Your Smile Along”
(Col). Nice . $11,000. Last week,
“Creature With Atom Brain” -(Col)
•and “Came From Beneath Sea”
(Col), $8,000.

‘Sea’ Robust $10,000,
Indpls.; Fonda 11G, 3d

Indianapolis, Aug. 16.

Biz is so-so here this stanza,
with novelty pix dominating the
scene. “It Came. From Beneath
Sea” is a good figure at Loew’s.
“Mister Roberts” shapes socko in
third stanza at the Indiana,, Henry
Fonda starrer still being big.
"House of Bamboo” at Circle is
fair. • /

Estimates for This Week

Circle (Cockrill-Dolle) (2,800;
50-85)— “House of Bamboo" (20th)
and “That Lady” (?0th). Moder-
ate $8,000. Last week. “Pete Kel-
ly’s Blues” (WB),’ $13,000.

Indiana (C-D) (3.200; 75-950—
“Mister Roberts” <WB) (3d wk).
Big $10,000, making it about $42,-
000 for the run here.

Keith’s (C-D) (1.300; 50-75e)—
“Life in Balance” (20t‘h) arid “Call
Northside 777” (Indie). Slow $4.-
000. Last week, “Dam Busters" .
(WB) and “Jump Into Hell” (WB),
$5,000.

Loew’s (Loew) (2.427: 50-80) —
“Came From Beneath Sea” (Col)
and "Creature With Atom Brain”
(Col). Dandy $10,000. Last week.
“Cobweb” (M-G) and “Moonfleet”
(M-G), $8,000.

NEW YORK

(Continued from page £i
boost from raves of crix. In ahead,
“To Paris With Love” (Indie) (19th
wk), $4,000, which . .wound a very
successful longrun. “Sheen” broke
all marks for 3-day period ended
Sunday (14).

Globe (Brandt) (1,500; 70-$l.R0)
— “Ulysses" (Par). Onens today
(Wed.). In ahead, “Son of Sin-
bad" (RKO) (3d wk), held at. $8,500,
nice, after $9,000 in second.

Guild (Guild) (450; $1-$1.75) —
“Gate of Hell” (Indie) (26th wfc).
The 35th round comnWed Monday
(15) was sturdy $7,500, same as
34th week. Stays indef.

Mayfair (Brandt) (1.736; 79-

$1.80)— “Land of .Pharadhs” (WB)
(4th wk). Held with good $15,000
in third stanza ended Monday
(15). Second w°ek was $20,000.
below hopes. “The Kentuckian”
(UA) opens Sent. 1.

Normandie (Trans-Lux) (592; 95-
$1.80)— “Divided Heart” (Rep) (3d
wk). First holdover round ended
last night (Tues.) was very good
*5.5.00 after $7,700 opening week.
Stays.

Palace (RKO) (1.700; 50-$1.75) —
"King’s Thief” (M-G) with Phil
Snitalny and his “Hour of Charm”
all-girl orch onstage. Looks to
soar to giant $35,000 in week end-
ing tomorrow (Thurs.). This is
greatest here in rhanv months. Last
week, “Francis in Navy” (U) and
vaude, $23,000.

Paramount (ABC-Par) (3.664; $1-
$2)— "To Catch a Thief” (Par) (2d
wk). First holdover session ending
t.odav (Wed.) is heading for terrific
$88,000 after huge $98)000 onenmg
f week. Continues indef, naturally,
^vith word-of-mouth tabbing the
pic as a “must” for this month.

Paris (Pathe Cinema) (568; 90-
$1.80) — “Man Who Loved Red-’
heads” (UA) (4th wk). Third frafne
wound up Sunday (14) was robust
$10,200 after $13,600 in second
week. Holds.

Radio City Music Hall (Rocke-
fel’ers) (6.200; 95-$2.75)— “MMer
Roberts" (WB) and stageshow (5th

Manager Into Popcorn

Houston, Aug. 16.

Ellis Ford, manager of indie
Delman Theatre, retired last
week after 28 years in show
business. He will be succeeded • ,
by E. S. Buffington of Colorado
Springs.

Ford will be associated with
Houston Popcorn & Supply Co. *

wk). Holding almost even with
fourth week, with sockeroo $150,-
000 in current stanza finishing to-
•day (Wed.). Fourth week was $154,-
000, higher than some first weeks
here. Stays. Fifth week’s showing
is remarkable in view of damage
done at b.o. by storm Friday night
and up until second matinee Sat-
urday. Pickup that night plus a
$30,000 Sunday did the trick.

Plaza (Brecker) (556; $1.50-$1.80)
— .“Private War Major Benson”
(U) (3d wk). Initial holdover frame
ended Monday (15) was great $12,-
000 despite new arty house com-
petition. First week was $13,500,
Stays,

Roxy (Nat’L Th.) (5,717; 65-$2.40)
—“Virgin Queen” (20th) (2d-final
wk). This final round of 6 days
ending today (Wed.) looks like hice
$38,000, with a boost from pre-
views of ‘TL.ove Is Many Splendored
Thing” (2Qth) on Monday (15)
night and all day . today (Wed.).
First week was $47,000. “Splen-
dored. Thing” opens tomorrow
(Thurs.),

State (Loew’s) (3,450; 78-$1.75)—
“Cobweb” (M-G) (2d wk). First
holdover session winding tomor-
row (Thurs.) looks to hold with
nice $28,000 or near after $31,500
opening week. Holds. “Phenix City
Story” (AA) comes in Sept. 2.

Sutton (R&B) (561; $1-$1.80)—
“Marty!’ (UA) (19th wk). The 18th
frame ended Sunday (14) was $14,-
300 after $13,400 in 17th week.
Holding indef.

Trans-Lux 52nd St. (T-L) (540;
$1-$1. 50)— “Court Martial” (King)
(3d wk). Initial holdover frame
ended Sunday (14) held with fine
$7,500 after $12,000 opening week.
Continues.

Victoria (City Inv.) (1.Q60; 50-
$1.751 — “The Shrike” (U) (6th-final
wlc). Closing stanza finishing today
(Wed.) looks like fancy $14,000
ahead of fifth week’s $12,000. “Pete
Kelly’s Blues” (WB) opens tomor-
row (Thurs.).

Warner (Cinerama Prod.) (1,600;
$1.20-$3.30.) — “Cinerama Holiday"
(Indie) (28th wk). The 27th round
ended Saturday (13) was smash
$44,800 after $41,700 in 26th week.
Holds indef. Was headed for whop-
ping session in 27th week until
hurricane sloughed it some $3,00(1.
Friday.

PROVIDENCE

(Continued from page 9)

£8 500. Last week, “One Desire”
(IJ) and “Ain’t Misbehaving” (U),
$9 000.

Majestic (Fay) (2.200; 75-$l) —
“Mister Roberts” (WB) (3d wk).
Very big $13,000. Last week,
$16,000.

State (Loew) (3,200; 50-75c) —
“The Kentuckian" (UA) and “Rob-
bers Roost" (UA). Okay $13,000.
Last week, “Wizard of Oz" (M-G)
(reissue) and “Moonfleet" (M-G),
(9.500.

Strand (Silverman) (2,200; 65-80)
— "Never Too Young" (Par) (?d
wk). Happy $8,000 after $10,000 in
opener.

Ballyhooligans

Love To Fonda

Minneapolis, Aug. 16.

St. Paul Paramount theatre
manager. Fred Bachman put a
giant 6-by-3-foot postcard in the
lobby addressed to Henry Fonda
at Warner Bros, during the “Mis-
ter Roberts” engagement’. Idea was
for patrons who enjoyed the pic-
ture to sigh the postcard congratu-
lating Fonda on his performance.

It was Bachman’s idea to keep
the card in the lobby during the
entire run, but after the first week
it was covered with 2,000 signa-
tures. Bachman says he mailed
it to Fonda at a cost of $4.55.

For Sweet Charity

Albany, Aug. 16.

-Capitalizing on the large audi-.
ence expected for “Mister Rob?
erts,” the Strand management ad-
vanced the collection dates for the
Will Rogers Memorial Hospital
drive, and took up a fine $881 —
July 27 through Aug. 3. The reg-
ular period for the pass-through is
the week of Aug. 15.

The Stanley Warner circuit also
moved up the collection dates in
Troy and Utica, to coincide with
the engagements of “Mister Rob-
erts” in those cities.

tots of Show Biz Activity

^ Continued from page ft

the day) for the more general pub-
lic, keeps this humming. Her
present plan is to make a wading
pool for the kiddies.

Miss Fields admits her lack of
business sense and says it is all
run by her husband, .aimiable
Boris Apelovici. He was an elec-
trician on the island and had lived
there most of his life.

If Miss Fields rules her rocky
vacation Eden below, above it is
the rule of the shifting mobs as
the. central Piazza Umberto I, with
its sidewalk cafes (i.e. there are,
no real sidewalks), is the canter
of activity from early morn until
night. A bevy of danceries draws
off some of the crowd along with
the walks around the face of this
dramatic rock. Cars and buses
race up the winding narrow roads,
and, in two words, borrowed from
Sam Goldwyn, it is impossible.

The island, which rightly has an
emblem of a goat clambering over
a mountain, was first foifnded by
the Roman Emperor Tiberius
when he decreed it a place for re-
pose. His palace is still perched
atop the highest rock here, and hi$
early cavortings seem to have set a
mood for the limp-wrist set and
heavy-voiced femmes which are
still an integral part of the social
hierarchy. Among the literary set
; are Curzi Malaparte, Graham
Greene and Alberto Moravio who
have villas here.

Another show spot is the home
of Axel Munthe, author *of “The
Story of San Michele.” Now -on
tap are Richard Llewellyn, Gian-
Carlo Menottj, fashion designer
Emilio Pucci, and actresses Carla
Del Poggio, Mara Lane, Nadia
Grey, Antonella Lualdi and Maria
Mauban. A film is also being
made here by young Italo director
Giovanni Moser. This is Moser’s
first fiction film. He was responsi-
ble for the documentary, “Lost
Continent,” which snared a top
prize at Venice.

Moser’s First Fiction Film

Pic will primarily explore the-
Capri outlines. It has a switch in
that the Irish-American star, Con-
stance Smith, plays an Italo girl
and an Italian actor portrays an
Englishman.' Film is appropriate-
ly titled, “A Different Kind of
Love.”

Yachts make dally appearances
and now anchored here is Hans
Hass, maker of undersea pix who
is talking with painter Raphael
Costello cn using his underwater
landscapes as a jumping off spot
for a film. Costello is an isle fix-
ture.

As Miss Fields put it, she has
lived here on and off for 28 years,
and has been amply repaid by its
mixture of natural apd human ef-
fervescence, but has not learned
to speak Italian in all this time.
In her case, it affects her singing.
There are 10,000 inhabitants on
the isle, but they are hardly ever
seen except in the evenings when
they sit on the side of the piazza,
on a staircase, and watch the hur-
ried, swaying crowds of tourists
prowling or sitting in the square.

One Big Show Spot

This island maze makes for one
big show spot and business, when
caught, was spiral high. A ski lift
takes one to the top of these rocks
and a funicular is also there for
those who are too nervous to brave
the hazards of racing up in the tiny
buses and outmoded, overbuilt cars.
Rooms are scarce, prices are rea-
sonable, and the island looks to be
having a tourist boom.

There is practically no police
force but a severe police commis-
sioner looks after the island., He
> recently nixed a Roman orgy party
to have been thrown here Sunday
(7), because the invitation said
Roman togas were to be worn and
that it Was to be one of licentious
revelry. He took all this quite liter-
ally.

Via Veneto Still Busy

Getting back to Rome, by boat
and train, finds that Via Veneto
still is fully lined, but the- days of
small producers plotting super
film deals are practically gone. As
Roberto Rossellini put it-^-the small
producer is practically gone.

All of United Artists practically
descended on Rome from various
global spots. In were Arthur Krim,
Arnold Picker and Charles Smadja
plus Mo Rothman from Paris. Dur-
ing their stay, Harold Hecht called
from Paris to confirm his talks With
Vittorio De Sica on making Marcel
Pagnol's “Baker’s Wife," here in
English with Ernest Borgriine,’

Sophia Loren and De Sica, with
De Sica to direct.

Goldman’s Series of Pix

Larry Bachmatan was in with
producer Dick Goldman; Goldman
is preparing a series of pix all over
Europe and will then set up distrib
after the films ire made. This
switcheroo in filmmaking is due
to the fact that money is there for
producing and distrib would take
care of itself, depending on the
worth of the product. Bachmann is
scripting the first one.

Victor Michaefides was in from
N;Y. and ogling Italo pix for* his
chain of theatres in Qreece. He is
also going into production and first
film will be done by Michael Co-
cayanis, the director of “Stella,"
which got such a fine press recep-
tion at the last Cannes Film Fest.

, Dick Adler is visiting here until
time to ready “Pajama Game" for
a Londoh opening. Charles Korvin
was in from, a Spanish film chore*
U.S. starlet IJelen Partello Is pre-
paring to head for Germany for a
picture. Ex-U.S. press agent .Sam
Steinmaii has become a Rome regu-
lar and his column, “Lend Me Your
Ears,’’ for the Rome Daily Ameri-
*can, is^a daily “must" for the
American set.

As the hep set would say, “Rome
is stoned and Capri is crazy."

Presidents Echo

Continued from page 5

parently has come down to spe-
cifics, such as the abortion business
and several lines of dialog.

Screening of “Camera" for the
company prexi@s and their alter-
nates came on appeal from
Schwartz. In a letter to the presi-
dents a week ago, the DC A topper
pointed out to’ them the apparent
inconsistency of the code in its ob-
jections to the pic, the argument
being that the same references
and situations had in the past been
passed in various Hollywood, pro-
ductions.

While the board was obliged to
go through the movement of see-
ing the pic as a matter of course,
the trade nevertheless had .fully
expected it to uphold Shurlock,
particularly so since the Catholic
National Legion . of Decency last
week went out of its way to make
it known that it had rated “Cam-
era" in its “C”, or Condemned,
categbry.

It's recalled, however, that in
. the case of another foreign picture
1 —the French “Lovers, Happy
Lovers” — the code at first balked
and later agreed to issue a seal
with only a comparatively minor
change being made in the dialog*
This despite a “C” rating from the
Legion which was never lifted
from the Code-approved version.

The appeals screening of “Cam-
era” took place at the Paramount
projection room and following it
both Schwartz and Shurlock ad-
dressed the board. It was Shur-
fock’s first official appearance be-
fore' the proxies as head of the
code.

O’Shea Elected

Earlier in the day Monday, at a
luncheon, the board elected Daniel
T. O’Shea, the new. RKO preky, an
MPAA director. ’ He succeeds
James R. Grainger, who resigned.

While it’s not known whether
Schwartz plans to take any further
action, observers are watching the
progress of “Camera” with un-
usual . interest from the point of
view of how many theatres will
eventually book the pic without a
seal. In the case of “The Moon Is
Blue” the only parallel case, the
pic racked up 6,000 dates and
grossed $3,000,000. It’s been held
that, with a seal, it wouldn’t ■ have
reached anywhere near that total
of dates. And it’s felt that the
lesson cannot be altogether lost on
Schwartz.

Modair Talks

SiSiiim Continued from page 3

the presentation of “The Robe” in
Cinemascope. Moclair noted that
the shows were a 20th-Fox policy
when the company still ran the
house and that, at that time, 20th
was complaining of not getting
proper film, rental out of the show-
case. Now the stage shows have
been dropped and 20th no longer
has the Roxy. It’s still complain-
ing about the theatre’s rerital de-
livery.

Wednesday, August 17, 1955 *. PICTU1IES .23-

■rf

In the not too distant future the industry will observe the b.o*
results of a number of super-budgeted pictures, These king-sized
efforts range in the $4,000,000 to $7,500,000 category. Even in to- *
day's high-priced market, these prices are considerably outside
the usual production norm. Should one of these pictures fail, it
can place a serious dent in the exchequer of a major film company
and can mean disaster for an indie producer. 1 *"

The profit possibilities of these . productions will be carefully
weighed.^ An interesting question to some lndustryites is: “Can a
good $4,000,000 to $7,000,000 picture gross more than a good
$1,000, 000 to $2,000,000 one?" Of course, the super attractions,
of necessity, must be protected by higher rental terms, more than
often meaning higher admission prices. The poser then is: “How
high is the public willing to pay for a motion picture and will the
high admission prices caused by the high costs drive the public
to more reasonable forms of entertainment?"

This is only some speculative thinking among a segment of in-
dustryites. At least part of the answer will come when such films
as Samuel Goldwyn’s “Guys and Dolls" ($5,000,000), Cecil B. De-
Mille’s “The 10 Commandments" ($7,500,000), Todd-AO's “Okla-
homa!" ($6,000,000), and John Huston’s “Moby Dick" ($4,000,000)
hit the distribution mill.

Levy's Analysis of ‘No-TV' Clause

James Nasser’s Prod of United Artists on Old

Features Is Detailed

Can ah independent producer
under the 'terms of a contract
signed with a distributor in 1948
force the distrib torelease pictures
to television?

Many aspects of this question
are revealed in an industry case
digest prepared by Herman M.
Levy, general counsel of Theatre
Owners of America. The actual
case under discussion involves cer-
tain pictures produced by James
Nasser for which United Artists
had the distribution contract. The
television clause of the contract
provided that UA would market
the pix to TV under the same
method as might be adopted by
the other major film companies.
The pact further stated that if
video became a "commercial pos-
sibility" and that if UA did not
have facilities to market the pic-
tures comparable to the ; present-
day standards . of distribution ' to
tv, then the producer would have
the right to dispose of the Video,
rights to any other party.

UA declined to release the pic-
tures to television despite the urg-
ing of the producer. An attempt to
get the picture away from UA
resulted in considerable litigation.
Finally the U. S. Court of Appeals
ruled that under the terms of the
original contract UA was not re-
quired to release the films to tele-
vision.

Primitive 1948

The Court in its decision pointed
•ut that at the time the contract
was signed (1948) television was
in the laboratory or experimental
stage and how it would develop as
an industry or affect the motion
picture industry was only, a guess.
The Court, stated that UA was only
required to follow the practices of
the major companies. Since the
major companies have adopted a
policy of not releasing to tele-
vision films originally or currently
made for theatre exhibition, the
Court stated, UA was under no
obligation to release the . pictures
to tv. The Court said that only if
the major producers, as a policy,
put ' certain films simultaneously
into theatres and television, would
UA have the right or duty to re-
lease to television.

Levy regards the following com-
ment pf the Court as especially
significant: “At the outset of thea-
tre distribution, placing the pic-
tures, in television could have hurt
the producer and he should have
had the right to stop the practice
if the majors weren’t doing it."

According to Levy, the producer
made the claim that there was a j
conspiracy among distributors and
producers to boycott television.
Charge was made on the basis that
if the contract be interpreted to
permit UA to refuse to release to
video on the basis that the other
distribs had not established a tele-
vision policy, then distributors
were engaged in a conspiracy to
restrain commerce under the Sher-
man Antitrust" Act because they
Were keeping their product from

television, a competitor for the
amusement dollar.

The Court, however, ruled that
it was not interested if there was
a violation of the Sherman Act
among distribs; that it did not apr
ply to the case on hand since the
contract was between UA and the
producer and they were not com-
petitors. It stated that the provi-
sion that UA was to follow the lead
of the other distribs is valid and
does not involve a violation of the
Sherman Act.

Altering ‘Eileen’ Title;

Fans Thought It Was
Film Reissue of 1942

Springfield, 111., Aug. 16.

C. D. Hill, branch manager of
Columbia Pictures of St. Louis,
was on hand for a Springfield
sneak showing of “My Sister
Eileen," which Hill said would
probably , undergo a title change
before general release. He men-
tioned “Here Comes Eileen" as
most likely new wording.

Questionnaires established that
fans thought film a reissue of Co-
lumbia’s 1942 release. New pic stars
Janet Leigh and Betty Garrett in
the Janet Blair-Bosalind Bussell
roles of the original film version.

FRENCH SETS BOUT
VIA CLOSED-CIRCUIT

Minneapolis, Aug. 16.

For the second time, United
Paramount Theatres here (the
Minnesota Amusement Co.) will
offer a closed circuit televised
event, the Marciano-Moore heavy-
weight championship fight, Sept.
20, at both the Minneapolis Badio
City and St. Paul Paramount.

Harry B. French feels that ad-
vance interest in the Marciano-
Moore scrap is so great hereabouts
that scheduling is a good gamble.
Admission will be $2.50, including
tax, with all seats reserved.

‘ • l

Pearl River, N.Y., Case
Settled Out of Court

Stipulation of dismissal pf a
$3,000,000 antitrust suit against the
eight major film companies and
four theatre companies was filed
in N.Y, Federal Court Friday (5)
by Ireb Theatre Corp., operator of
the Central Theatre, Pearl Biver,
N.Y. Dismissal stems from an out-
of-court settlement.

In its original charges, Ireb
claimed that the film companies
discriminated against its theatre on
runs and clearances by granting
the exhibitor defendants first
choice of pictures while the Cen-
tral^ Theatre .had to wait 40 to 90
days after the Broadway run. Ex-
hibitor defendants were Skouras
Theatre Corp., Nyres Amusement
Corp., Modern Playhouses Inc., and
Suffern Theatre Operating Corp.

Problem currently faced by the
American . distribs in Spain high-
lights their perennial predicament
in the foreign market, i.e. their
willingness to engage in certain
practices but their unwillingness
to be forced into them,

Spain, which just • recently
agreed to an extension of. the last
;film agreement with the U.S. “with-
out changes," last week executed a
dramatic turnabout when the Min-
istry of Information and Tourism
issued a decree stating that, for
each four dubbed foreign pix re-
leased locally, a distributor would
have to handle one Spanish pro-
duction.

Motion Pictufe Export Assn, has-
protested the Spanish move to the
U. S. State Dept, which was in- 1
strumental in bringing about ex-
tension of the last accord, but
since the Ministry of Information
and Tourism isn’t even the same
ministry that carried ort the orig-
inal negotiations, it’s felt that
there isn’t very much . that the
government can do.

May End Shipments

MPEA board met in N. Y. yes-
terday (Tues.) to discuss the Span-
ish situation and to explore the
desirability of cutting off ship-
ments to that country. One of the
problems with taking such action
is that the non-distribs in Spain —
United Artists, Allied Artists and
Bepublic — are committed to de-
liver to local distribs about 20. pic-
tures. It’s felt that these films can
be sent . in without compromising
the American position in as much
as the matter of handling of addi-
tional domestic pix is something
for the local indies to worry about.

It's different, however, for the
rest of the majors, for if they pick
up their some 80 licenses, that’s
tantamount to accepting the Span-
ish conditions. 1

Odd part of all this is that, in
agreeing to the extension, the
Spaniards, who originally had
come up with some very severe
terms for a new pact, suggested
that a new deal for 1956-57 be
worked out early next year. This
proposal was accepted by the
American companies. ♦

It’s pointed out in N. Y. that
the distributors’ quota imposed by
Spain is in fact directed almost
solely against the U. S. outfits
since its specifies “foreign dubbed
features" released in Spain. The
Americans are almost the only
; ones to release their product in
that manner. The Italians, British
and French use subtitles.

As it's understood at the MPEA,
there Is no law that would force
the U. S. distribs to dub their pix.
However, they owe their wide ac-
ceptance to the lip-sinc versions
which, in turn, bring the Spaniards
a sizable dubbing fee. On one or
two occasions, when distribs at-
tempted to show films with titles,
Spanish authorities staged a sit-
down strike on licenses.

American film execs, studying
the Spanish decree, say it’s not so
drastic in its implications since it
isn't at all unusual for U. S. dis-
tribs to include local product in
! their release lineup anyway. How-
ever, they stress, it’s always a vol-
untary policy (usually forced by
local screen quotas) and they in-
dicated they’d be in a mood to fight
any official restriction of that sort.

Drive-Ins Sued

Des Moines, Aug. 10.

Timber Structures Inc., Port-
land, Ore., has sued the Town
Drive-In Theatre here for $7,820,
alleging it has not been paid for
material and labor for extensions
of the outdoor screen. Operators,
according to the petition filed in
district court are Jack Segal, B. G.
Faulds and Jack Lazarus. z

The firm has also sued the West-
Vue Drive-In here for $8,800 for
work it claimed was done there
last spring that was not paid for.
Operators of the West-Yue is Jack
Siegel.

Selznick’s All-Time Gross Champ Near $45,000,000
—Probably First to Hit $50,000,000

Teen-Ager Turn* Critte

Albany, Aug. 10.

Marcia Anderson, who for
several years conducted “Voice
of the Teens,"' sponsored disk
jockey and chatter progta'm,
on WABY, and wrote a weekly „
teen-age column for Albany
Knickerbocker News, is now
reviewing motion pictures for
the Gannett publication.

She’s believed to be one of
the country’s youngest film re-
viewers on a large daily paper.

Freeman Envisioning
$100,000,000 Global
Gross for ‘Decalog’

Hollywood, Aug. 16.

An all-time high global gross of
from $100,000,000 to $125,000,000
in eight to 10 years is predicted
by Y.. Frank Freeman, Paramount
studio chief, for Cecil B: DeMille’s
“The 10 Commandments," to be re-
leased by Par during 1956.

Freeman, who estimates at least

80.000. 000 tickets will be sold in
the U.S. alone, and a “minimum of

600.000. 000" sold worldwide, re-
ports he does not make the predic-
tion lightly.

“People thought I was. crazy
when I said ‘The Greatest Show
on Earth’ would gross $25,000,000
in 10 years," he says. “It already
has grossed $21,200,000 to date, in
the little more tfian three years
it has been in release."

'Studio topper said he is going
on the assumption that the average
ticket sale in the U.S. would be
$1.25. Film will run three hours
and 30 minutes, he said, and will
be sold always on a reserved-seat,
or roadshow, basis. This rules out
any general release, according to
Freeman, who adds the film prob-
ably will never have a general
release.

Going into brief statistics, Free-
man reports that Par’s “Going My
Way" sold approximately 60,000,000
tickets in the U. S. alone, when
population stood at 145,000,000.
Pop. now has hit over 167,000,000,
which ups*the potential ticket sale
proportionately. DeMille’s “Samson
and Delilah" already has done 40%
more biz than “W a y>” he observes.

Several weeks ago in N.Y., Par
prexy Barney Balaban went on rec-
ord as saying he thought the $50,
000,000 gross for picture pre-
dicted by other company execs was
“too low."

STUDIO COMPOSERS’
GUILD IN BY 41-0

Hollywood, Aug. 16.

Composers in nine major studios
have approved, by a vote of 41-0,
the new Composers Guild of Amer-
ica as bargaining agent, following
their recent National Labor Bela-
tions Board election.

'The balloting was conducted by
mail under supervision of NLBB
field examiner Norman Greer.

Leith Stevens, prexy of the
screen scorers guild said that the
org will represent composers, ly-
ricists and others who create the
Studio music. The recent election
was held with the consent of the
Association of Motion Picture Pro-
ducers. Studios by which the
scorers are employed included
Warners’, 20th-Fox, Metro, Bepub-
lic, UI, Paramount, Allied Artists,
Columbia and BKO.

Simultaneously, petitions for
recognition of CGA have been sent
to . the Independent Motion Pic-
ture Producers Association and the
Society of Independent Motion Pic-
ture Producers. IMPPA and
SIMPP rep film producers not in-
cluded in the Association of Mo-
tion Picture Producers, Inc., which
comprises the nine major studios.

While there’s much talk in the
trade about the possibility of a few
upcoming pictures taking a world
gross of $50,000,000, chances are
that David O. Selznick’s “Gone
With the Wind” will be the first
to achieve that goal.

Owned and released by Loew’s,
“Wind" constantly has money com-
ing in from abroad. It is remain-
ing in constant distribution in sev-
eral overseas areas. , The total
worldwide revenue at present is
around $45,000,000. It’s not un-
likely that an additional $5,000,000
will be raked in within the next
year or so.

Paramount execs have stated
they’re figuring on “a minimum
$50,000,000" with Cecil B. De
Mille’s “The Commandments."
Assuming there’s a chance of this,
this kincfof Fort Knox gross can’t
be had for at least a couple of
years, considering the slow playoff
that’s apparently intended and the
fact that initial release . is not
planned before the middle of 1956.

“Wind" attained its tall money
crown over a period of more than
15 years via several reissues. That
it will still have reissue value in
the future is regarded in the trade
as a foregone conclusion.

Desilu (Ball-Arnaz)
Plotting 4 Theatrical
Films Plus TV Leasing

Hollywood, Aug. 16.

Desilu plans production On four
theatrical features during the ..pe-
riod following the windup of the
new “Lucy" series in the spring.
While not skedded as Lucille Ball-
Desi Arnaz stairers, the prob-
ability is that Arnaz will direct one
and possibly two. He’s also
skedded to direct the new “Lucy"
series, starting in September. ^

Initial feature will be “Journey
to a Star," European made. The
second will probably be A. J.
Cronin’s “County Doctor," expand-
ed from a half-hour tv pilot pre-
viously filmed, .starring Charles
Coburn, but not released.

Desilu is also starting a new
teleseries, “Black Arrow" added
to “Lucy," “December' Bride" and
“Those Whiting Girls."

Films’ Fans

Continued from page 3

theih foreign operations and prac-
tically all are entering the televi-
sion film field."

Analysis opined that the ozoner
field would, in the future, grow at
a greatly reduced pace, but, with
some 4,300 drive-ins operating,
was still important in making up
attendance losses at the conven-
tional theatres. It was because of
the drive-ins, it said, that atten-
dance was likely to level off at

50,000,000,

As for the production end.
Standard & Poor’s service noted
that film rental rates are averag-r
ing higher and that, with. foreign
remittance restrictions down,
“earnings by motion picture pro-
ducers are likely to run moder-
ately higher on average, although
results of individual companies
may vary widely. Most could liber-
alize their dividend payouts; Para-
mount and Twentieth Century-Fox
are considered leading candidates."

New York Theatre

_ RADIO CUT KOSIC HILL — r

Rockefeller Center

"MISTER ROBERTS”

in ClMraaScop* and Warn*rCo!®r starrlni

HENRY FONDA • JAMES CAGNEY
WILLIAM POWELL • JACK LEMMON

A WARNER BROS. PICTURE
end SKCTACBUIk STME PIBWTWIM ^

FICTUHES

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

National Hieatres Third

Circuits in 10 Small Towns Clicks off 25th Ann! —
Pensions for

•Minneapolis, Aug. IS

Managers attending a conven-
tion of the Pioneer circuit (10 j
Iowa towns) here Aug. 22-24 to j
map put plans for the chain’s 35th
anniversary drive will hear a mes-
sage of optimism regarding its
prospects and outlook from Harold
Field who, with his brothers Dan
and Leonard, owns the circuit.

Field says he’ll tell his em-
ployes “when we observe the
grosses being chalked up in our
theatres by some of the pictures
we are convinced we have some-]
thing the people still want, and we
feel we’re in business for keeps,
regardless of tv and other recent
additional competitors.” !

He’ll also impress upon them
that there are, 4 perhaps, greater
rewards than ever for efficient
showmanship and hard work in
many instances, he asserts.

One of the ways to keep a com-
paratively smalltown theatre cir-
cuit continuously successful in
these tv days is to give employes
sufficient incentive to remain in
the organization and thus avoid
“turnovers,” Field reveals. Pioneer
has accomplished this, building up
a strong organization of efficient
house managers and other employ - 1
ees, by having a group insurance
plan and a pension plan. It’s be-
lieved to be the .only theatre cir-
cuit that pensions its employees,
the amount of the pension received
being based on stipends. Four em-
ployes have been with the com-
pany' for 25 yews — ever since its
inception — and three for more than
20 years, he declares.

Field’s father, together with the
father of Eddie Ruben, also a large
local circuit owner now, founded
the present United Paramount
theatre chain in this territory and
Harold Field was at one time the
circuit’s general manager.

At next week’s convention here
one of the principal speakers will
be Jerry Pickman,. Paramount Pic-
tures’ advertising director. As a
pre - convention 25th anniversary
celebration, Field last week toss.ed
an all-day party at his Lake Min-
netonka home for Minneapolis,
Omaha and Des Moines film com-

S antes’ division, district and
ranch managers, indicating that
he apparently is one of the few
exhibitors not “sore” at the dis-
tributors.

Employes Helps

AL CORWIN ABSORBS
MPAA CANADIAN JOB

Resignation of Blake OwCnsmith
as Coast rep of the Motion Picture
Assn, of America’s Canadian Co-
operation Project and his succes-
sion by/ Alfred Corwin have come
to light from the minutes of a July
26 meet of the Inter-Departmental
Committee on^ Canadian Informa-
tion Abroa'd, held in Ottawa July
26.

Group heard a report on pro-
gress of the project from Taylor
Mills, who heads it up at the MPAA
in N.Y. Corwin went to Hollywood
last year to do international p.ri
work for the assn, from there. He
has, among other things, been put-
ting out regular newsletters on
the film biz. which, according to
reports received, have been getting
a wide pickup in the local press.

Owensmith’S function, now taken
over by Corwin, was primarily that
of a contact liian between the
American producers and the Cana-
dian government. As the result of
the project, set up originally in
1948 as part of an effort to allevi-
ate the Canadian dollar shortage, a
number of U.S. features and shorts
each year are being shot in Canada,
and the Dominion also is strongly
repped in the American newsreel
issues.

Mills disclosed to the committee
that he had proposed to the Holly-
wood producers that a group of
scripters, etc. should make a two-
some 15 producers, directors,
September to gain greater knowl-
week Canadian tour sometime in
edge about Canada. Mills felt that
such a tour would bear fruit for
years to come. It would start on
the west Coast and prdceed east,
ending up in Ottawa and covering
as many places of interest as ^time
allowed.

One “of s the functions of the Can-
adian Cooperation Project is to
facilitate the choice of locations
for American companies that wish
to utilize Canadian backgrounds.
Mills noted that there were two
features last year that were parr
tially--shot in Canada and that a
number were in preparation also
for this year.

A shortage of. quality pictures
during National Theatres’ third
quarter contributed to a drop of
four cents . a share in circuit’s earn-
ings for the 39 weeks ended June

25, according to a report covering
the first three quarters of the fis-
cal year.

Consolidated net income for the
39 week was reported as $1,768,490,
equivalent to 64c a share on 2,769,-
486 shares outstanding. For the
same period of the previous fiscal
year, NT’s net income was $1,884,-
636, or 68c per share. Third-quar-
ter* income this year was $487, 941,-
cqual to 18c per share, compared
with $577,586, or 21c a share, for
the samel 3-week period last year.

In making his ... report to the
stockholders, prexy Elmer C. Rho - 1
den said the decreased earnings in
the third quarter- can be attributed
“to the shortage of quality motion 1
picture films released. In my last
report to you I mentioned 12 out- !
standing coming attractions that
were scheduled for release. Un- )
fortunately, due to delays in re-
leasing by distributors, only four
of the 12 pictures reached our
screens during the three month ,
period. , However, several of these j
attractions are playing currently in :
our theatres to excellent* business, j
and we believe that the release of
more quality films in our fourth
quarter period will result in better
grosses.”

The four films Rhoden referred ’
to were “Strategic Air Command,” ;
“Daddy Longlegs,*’ ' “Soldier of
Fortune” and “The Prodigal.”
Among current strong earners not
available in the third quarter are j
“Not As a Stranger,” the. circuits' i
biggest grosser, “The Lady and . the
Tramp,” “Seven Year Itch” and
“Interrupted .Melody.” Other cur-
rent pix named by Rhoden , among
the 12, and which are now break-
ing nationally, are “Mister Rob-
erts,” “Seven Little Foys” and “The
Kentuckian.” The 12th, “Moby
Dick” is not yet out.

Rhoden sketched briefly NT’s
plans to enter the production of
pictures in its CineMiracle, three-
panel process, noting that chain
will soon file application with the
Government for permission to do
so. He said production of pix in
the process “should .help relieve
the acute shortage of* quality pic-
tures your company currently
faces. Successful completion of
this program should materially
strengthen your .company’s position
in the motion picture industry^

A total of 5,378 circuit and independent theatres have pledged
to participate in a one-day drive,, for “extraordinary” funds for the
Will Rogers Memorial Hospital. According to S. H. Fabian, na-
tional chairman of the drive, Broadway first-run houses are lined
up 100% behind, the special collection campaign. Like many 'thea-
tres around, the country, several will extend their collections to
two and three days and, in some instances, to a week.

Early returns from the first group of theatres in the Pittsburgh
exchange area conducting the collections reveal contributions of
more than $10,000 for three days from about 100 theatres. More
than 200 other- conventional theatres and 107 drive-ins in the area
are pledged to the drive and will conduct their collections shortly.
Aim is $25,000.

w * t /i. /e nt _

■iixtfliK .iimiM uiiiit-v

Curley Harris, who handled special exploitation for Samuel Gold-
wyn’s “Pride of the Yankees” picture (1942), sparked to a Variety item
last week about seeking an authentic characterization for Mayor
LaGuardia in “The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell” picture which
Warners is producing. It harks back to a humorous . anecdote at-
tendent to the Samuel Goldwyn picture, producer wanted and got the
then Mayor of New York, Fiorello H. LaGuardia, to participate in the
presentation ceremonies which climaxed tfie'Lou Gehrig saga. It was
the Yankee star’s big day at the Stadium, and LaGuardia okayed an*
in-person bit in a commercial film because of his (the mayor’s) per-
sonal regard for Gehrig. He also appreciated Goldwyn’s perspicacity
in not wanting any stand-in, in light of the authenticity of almost
every other detail. LaGuardia and Harris journeyed to the old Pathe
Studios in New York for the footage, and what’s .more, LaGuardia in-
sisted on a priority preyiew for himself, his official family, friends, etc.

What happened?— apparently LaGuardia was “not the type” for the
role because some anonymous bit player personated “the little flower’*
who, incidentally, bloomed forth into a somewhat sulphurous citizen
because of what he regarded Goldwyn’s “slight.”

Taking note of encouraging advances made in quality production,
new programming for tv and increasing foreign income, Francis I.
du Pont & Co., members of the N. Y. Stock Exchange and other
security and commodity exchanges, is doing some hefty plugging for
the picture business. As for the video tieups set by Walt Disney,
30th-Fox, Warners and Loew’s, the Wall Street outfit opines that “the
networks will benefit, but the motion picture producers will gain most
by the experiment.”

In its stock appraisal, du Pont mentions the above-listed companies
along with Allied Artists, Columbia, Paramount, Republic and Uni-
versal as presenting “attractive intermediate term possibilities.”

The brokers say they’re impressed with Hollywood’s stress on story
content and they regard the new “scope” techniques as contributing
upbeat factors. “The lesson,” states du>Pont, “that a good theme is the
best guarantee of public interest may have been expensive, but is was
well learned. It is not likely to be forgotten soon.”

Hassle seems to be in- the making over the TJ. S. release of “Les
Orgeuilleux” (The Proud Ones), a French picture lensed in French
and Spanish versions in Mexico. Gerard Philipe and Michele Morgan
star.

According to present intentions, Cimex, the Mexican distribution org
in the U. S., plans to launch a Spanish version of ' the film with sub-
titles. Pathe Cinema also has its eyes on the pic, i.e v the French ver-
sion which is actually the original one. (In the Spanish version the
voices are dubbed in).

Says Pathe; “As we understand the original contract, the Spanish
version isn't to be released in the U. S. until a year following release
of the French version.” Whatever the final decision, someone hetter
hurry. 20th-Fox has a western, “The Proud Ones,” on Its production
skqd.

Am. Broadcasting-Par
Files Delaware Action
To Foil Fanchon & Marco

Wilmington, Aug. 16.

A suit filed in. the Delaware
Court of Chancery today by Amer-
ican Broadcasting-Paramount Thea-
tres seeks to enjoin Fanchon &
Marco Inc,, from interfering in any
manner with the proper exercise
by the plaintiff of its rights as the
owner and holder of shares of
stock of Paramount-Holly wood, a
Delaware corporation.

American Broadcasting -Para-
mount and Fanchon & Marco each
own 400 shares of Paramount-.
Hollywood, the total being the en-
tire stock of the latter corporation.

The plaintiff charges Fanchon &
Marco with refusing to recognize
votes cast and actions taken by the
plaintiff as a stockholder of Para-
mount-Hollywood; refusing to ren-
der proper financial reports to the
plaintiff as stockholder of Para-
mount-Hollywood; refusing to take *
action or make it possible for this
company to take action essential
to welfare of the corporation.

Utah-Idaho Joins TO A

The Utah-Idaho Theatre Owners
Assn., a new exhibitor organiza-
tion covering the Salt Lake City
exchange area, has become an af-
filiate of Theatre Owners of Amer-
ica.

Formal induction of the new
group will take place at TOA's an-
nual convention in Los Angeles,
Oct. 6-9. Clyde A. Blasius of
Westates Theatres is prexy of the
new exhibitor organiation.

Amusement Stock Quotations

(N,Y. Stock Exchange)
For Week Ending Tuesday (16)

Net

1955

Weekly Vol. Weekly Weekly

Tues.

Change

High

Low

„ In 100s

High

Low

for week

33*4

22%

Am Br-Par Th 133

30%

29%

30% '

-f %

CBS “A” ...

27%

26%

+ 1%

24*4

CBS “B” . . .

26%

25*4

2634

-*-1%

391,4

Col. Pix . .

24%

24*4

24%

—1%

18%

14%

Decca ......

126

16%

15%

16*4

+ *4

82 3 /4

Eastman Kdk

76*4

77*%

+ 1%

EMI

162

4- %

24%

17*4

Loew’s

200

24*4

23%

4- %

12*4

Nat. Thea.

10%

4- %

44%

Paramount ,

40%

40*4

+ %

43%

Philco

36%

—1

55%

363,4

RCA

241

47%

46%

+ %

10%

7 ■

RKO Piets. .

144

8*4

734

4" %

.12

RKO Thea. . .

11%

— %

11%

Republic . .

224

11%

11%.

11%

+ 1 %

15%

13.%

Rep., pfd. . . .

15*4

.15%

15% .

— %

22%

18%

Stanley War .

19%

+ %

31%

25%

20th-Fox ....

28%

28*4

26*%

Univ, Pix . . .

29%

28%

29%

+ %

82*4

Univ., pfd.. . .

83%

21*4

18*4

Warner Bros .

106

20%

: 20*4

— Vs

134

.86

Zenith ......

125*4

116*4

122*4

+.6

American Stock Exchange

Allied Artists

53 A;.

+ Vs

12*4

9*%

Ail'd Art., pfd.

.11%

17%

13*4

Du Mont ....

208

13%

14*4

+ %

Skiatron ....

16%

13%

Technicolor .

143,4

14%

4*4

Trans-Lux . .

—

Ovcr-thc-Counler Securities

Bid

Ask

Chesapeake Industries . . . ,

.. 4

4< r %

Cinerama Inc

. 1%

— *4

Cinerama Prod. .........

• 4%

534

— *4

Official Films ............

* • • • •

. 234

Polaroid

* •••#••••«*«

. 64*%

66%

H-1% •

U. A.

Theatres

. 16*4

— *4

Walt Disney

♦ 4 • • •

. 38*4

42*4

+ *4

♦ Actual Volume.

{Quotations furnished by Dreyfus & Co.)

The “offbeat angle” of having a Negro judge in the new Metro pic-
ture, “Trial” was previously used by Elmer Rice it. his “The Winner,”
produced on Bro.adway by the Playwrights Co. for a 3 Q-p erf or mange
run in the spring of 1954. In the legit play, as in the film, the jurist
was written and played as a dignified, learned, thoughtful and sym-
pathetic figure who dominated the scenes in which he appeared. The
kfey scene in “The Winner” was a hearing in judge’s chambers of a
suit involving a disputed will. The participants, all white, were on-
stage before the judge appeared, so there was an effective surprise
element in presenting the jurist as a Negro. The role of the judge was
skillfully played by Frederick O’Neal. In Metro’s “Trial” the judge is
played by Juano Hernandez.

Produced on a $400 shoestring by Phil Gelb, special events director
at U. of Minnesota radio station KUOM, a motion picture telling the
story of an art gallery photographic exhibition, “The Family of Men,”
will be shown with the photographs around the world by the U. S. in-
formation agency. The Museum of Modern Art, New York, also will
show the 30-minute film and there are plans being formulated how
for it to be presented, too, on a network tv program.

Gelb was assisted in the writing, direction and producing of the
film by Robert Squier and S. L. Catlin.

Film clips shown on local television stations to ballyhoo . new. prod-
ucts at Hub theatres were blasted by Joseph Levine, television editor
of the Boston Traveler. “Movie advertisers and tv stations must real-
ize that many children arc watching during the day. There is a
special responsibility to avoid telecasting murder and monster scenes
that might upset or even injure young minds,” he wrote. The blast
was sparked by letters received regarding film clips of “It Came From
Beneath the Sea” and “Terror in the Night.”

Robert Aldrich hit what may be a new high in speed In delivering
a United Artists picture on “The Big Knife.” From the time he made
the deal with UA on March 7 to date of delivery of negative^consumed
exactly 20 weeks. During this span, he had script written, cast his
players, . had a nineday rehearsal period, shot, edited, scored and
dubbed. UA now is gearing for a November release, eight months after
deal was conceived.

Kronel Productions Inc., still Owes $3,750, plus interest, on a $5,000
loan, Albert Bilder claims in a Federal court suit in Los Angeles ask-
ing for an accounting and judgment. Plaintiff, who asserts he made
loan on Feb. 2 y 1948 to production outfit as second money on the fea-
ture, “The Argyle Secrets,” also is entitled to 8% of the net profits,
in consideration of. the loan, complaint states.

Fox Inter-Mountain Theatres is-to stage an Italian Ffim festival in
Denver using the Aladdin and EsqUire for tlje event, which will out-
line “Fifty Years of Italian Cinema,” and among other films, will in-
clude “Paisan,” “Open City” and “Bicycle Thief.” Festival will be in
connection with a $400,000 display of Italian art and fashions at a local
estate. Scheduled to attend is Sophia Lbren, star of “Aida.”

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

KtADIO-TKLfi VISION ' 25

States where all farms with tv have been counted follow:

Number of Farms Farms with tv

-Colorado

40,749

11,101

Minnesota

165,225*

55,045

Montana

33,059

2„971

2,857

*250

New Hampshire *.*,

10,411 -

5,475

North Dakota

61,939

11,178

South Dakota

62,520

10,600

Vermont

15,981

6,068

Idaho

38,735

11,404

Utah

22,825

9,795

Wyoming . . ;

11,392

870

Don Becker’s Got Some Ideas About Daytime Video

And the Housewife

Hollywood, -Aug. 16.

After more than 17 years of writ-
ing “Life Can Be Beautiful 0 and
a half dozen other daylight serials,
Don Becker believes he has a
pretty good idea of what the little
woman will drop the mop for and
hustle over to the television set.
NBC’s “Pat” Weaver and Tom Mc-
Avity also think so, which is the
main reason why he was made gen-
eral programming exec for the
net’s daytime ‘ tv operation.

After a week fat Hollywood
locking brains with- John Nelson,
daytime program head, and Albert
McQleery, executive producer of
the upcoming “NBC Matinee The-
atre” hour Jong color strip, the
combined output j>f their cerebral
deliberations should approximate
the happy medium that Becker-
has struck between soap operas and
night time | drama.

Becker chooses to call it “night
time calibre in the daytime idiom.”
He 'tried this neatly turned phrase
on admen and they went along. So
did' Weaver, .who was confounded
that such a profound evaluation
could come from what he calls “a
soaphead.” Anyway, th&Ps what
Becker is pointing for and if if
comes out a cross between “Life
Can Be Beautiful” and “Robert
Montgomery Presents” he can
shout exultantly “excelsior.” He
insists it’s more than a pretty
phrase he coined.

Becker has it figured out this
way: most housewives Will spare
one hour a day from their work-
(Continued on page 42)

NBC; Going CBS?

Jim Fleming, one of the key ex-
ecutives involved in the launching
of “Monitor,” NBC’s 40-hour radio
weekender, is understood ready to
leave the network for other pas-
tures. Fleming is executive pro-
ducer of “Monitor.” His resigna-
tion would be effective after his
first 26 weeks with the show and
thus apply in September. (Show
was launched in June, but Flem-
ing did a cycle of spadework be-
ginning early last spring.)

CBS meanwhile denied that an
offer had been made to Fleming,
admitting however, that one of the
Columbia brass had had lunch with
the NBC newsman-producer.

BOBBY CLARK INTO
EVANS’ ‘ALICE’ SPEC

Bobby Clark will head up the
cast of “Alice in Wonderland,”
which will kick off the “Maurice
Evans Presents” series of eight
shows on NBC-TV Oct. 23. Taking
the name role in the Eva LeGal-
lienne version of the Lewis Carroll
classic will be Gillian Barber of
England. Second show in the Sun-
day 4 to 5:30 skein will be “Devil’s
Disciple,” but sans the services of
Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy,
who were previously announced.
Evaiis and Dennis King will reprise
their Broadway roles in the play. '

. Evans is seeking a top original
as a vehicle for himself, probably
for January.

The Como Come-On

NBC-TV has in preparation
some unusual fanfare as the
new season’s curtain-raiser.
When the hew Perry Como
Saturday night 8 to 9 variety-
musical show preems next
month, it will be used as a
“trailer” showcase to spotlight
1 major events of the coming
season.

Plan is to bring on as many
of the Web’s tV;Stars as can fit
into the 60-minute stanza and
Within • the Goodman Ace-
scripted format, along with
vignettes of “things to come”
on* NBC-TV. Como, of course,
will host the occasion.

Steve Allen May
Stay Put on Coast ;

n«n« m . vt

Apparently NBC likes the way
things are going for Steve Allen
since he’s been originating his
“Tonight” tv show from the Coast
and arrangements are now being
made whereby Allen could remain
permanently berthed there.

Show Was shifted to the- Coast
to permit Allen to do the “Benny
Goodman Story” for UI, currently
being filmed. Although he’s not
committed to pix beyond the sin-
gle assignment, it’s assumed that
Allen, now that’s gotten his feet
wet, will want to stake a further
claim in films,

As far as NBC’s concerned,
that’ll just be dandy, for in addi-
tion to enhancing Allen’s prestige,
web execs like the way the show’s
been running and the lift in gen-
eral that it’s given the star.

Another major factor is the in-
creased revenue from billings. TJp
until recently “Tonight” was a
heavy loser (running into a $1,-
000,000 deficit per annum), but al-
ready for the Oct.-Nov.-Dec. peri-
od there’s $1,500,000 in sales in
the till.

BEN GIMBEL SETS
WIP ‘RADIO SPECS’

Philadelphia, Aug. 16.

WIP has launched a $2,500 pub-
licity campaign to spark a Drama
Festival presented in cooperation
with British Broadcasting Corp.
Benedict Gimbel Jr., president of
WIP, has ordered full resources of
station mobilized to bring Festival
to attention of every possible, lis-
tener within coveragfe area.

, More than 1,500 schools, colleges
and little theatre groups will be
circularized. All libraries will be in-
formed and collaterial book ex-
hibits will be arranged. Extensive
newspaper advertising will supple-
ment the station’s saturation air
promotion.

BBC is making available great
dramatic works that have been fea-
tured in England, Australia, and
South Africa. First program of the
radio “spectaculars” will be “A
Midsummer Nights’ Dream,” star-
ring Ralph Richardson, Aug. 18,
from 8 to 10:30 p.m,

By GEORGE ROSEN

This is the time of the year —
prior to the launching of the fall-
winter semester— when tv comes
to grips with its “gripe period.”
Try as they might; the networks,
in putting their respective program
houses in order, find it increas-
ingly difficult to please everyone.
Somewhere along the line some-
body gets hurt — or feels he’s get-
ting hurt. It could be a sponsor,
a valuable piece of talent property,
an agency— or you name it.

Take, for example, the case of
Speidel, the watch band outfit, and
its agency, Sullivan* Stauffer, Col-
well & Bayles, which had put in
a bid for the Tuesday night 10:30
to 11 period on CBS-TV after Alcoa
had relinquished its option on the
time. The particular slot has be-
come one of the choicest in tv,
with its inevitable audience in-
heritance, now that “$64,000 Ques-
tion” occupies the preceding half-
hour. Speidel wanted it, with a re-
quest that CBS “make for us like
’$64,000’ ” ( with a companionate-
type show.

CBS instead gave the time to
General Motors (whiclr will install
“Favorite Husband”- in the seg-
ment.) Speidel and SSC&B fOel
they were entitled to a crack at
the time* not GM. Nod to the latter,
via Myron Kirk of the Kudner
agency, is believed predicated on
the fact that Kirk threw over Mil-
ton Berle and NBC to thrbw in
iBuick’s (GM) lot with CBS and
Jackie Gleason.

Other sensitivities also stem
from the parcelling out of the
Tuesday 10:30 niche. Although no
one is talking about it out loud,
it’s understood that Ed Murrow
(who had it for three successive
Alcoa years with “See It Now”) is
far from happy over the fact that
he’s been knocked out of the. Tues-
day box. It’s no particular secret
that “See It” (rather than “Person
to Person”) has been Murrow’s
pride and joy. This is the area,
encompassing such broad vistas and
ideologies, in which Murrow pre-
fers to operate; not gimmick-type
shows. And although CBS an-
nounces that “See It” will pop up
occasionally with ah expanded for-
mat, it still makes for a “some-
time thing” without the accom-
panying week-to-week stature it
previously enjoyed.

In the realm of personalities,
(Continued on page 42)

NBC to Dunninger:
Concentrate on TV
Sponsor for the Fall

If NBC-TV can come up with
a fall sponsor, Dunninger, the
mentalist, will remain berthed
on the network through next sea-
son. He’s presently doing summer
replacement duty in the Saturday
night 8:30 period under Hazel
Bishop sponsorship. NBC feels he’s
a good year-round potential on
the basis of the ratings he’s been
pulling down.

Flan is to install Dunninger in
the Wednesday night 10:30 period.
Hazel Bishop will be checking off
because it bankrolls the Ralph Ed-
wards’ “This Is Your Life” in the
preceding Wed. at 10 period. “Big
Town”, previous tenant of the
Wed. 10:30 time (it's been occupy-
ing the Edwards segment during
the summer) will be shifted to
Tuesday night 10:30.

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR

1905-1955

-f

H’Ya, Doc

Frank Stanton, prexy of
CBS Inc. — more familiarly
known among his 20th floor
associates^ as “Doc” Stanton —
has a new assistant. He’s
Gerhart D. Wiebe, who moves
over from CBS Radio, where
he has been Research Psychol-
ogist since 1946.

Like Stanton, who also had
■ his radio-tv beginnings in re-
search, Wiebe is algo, a “Doc,”
holding a Ph.D. from Ohio
State U.

Wiebe succeeds Bill Git-
tinger, who is retiring.

Aluminum Co. of America is
taking over the Sunday ‘TV Play-
house” spot vacated by Philco.

Decision of Philco to cancel out
on the Sunday night 9 to 10 “TV
Playhouse” on NBC-TV (which it
has been sharing on alternate weeks
with Goodyear) is something in the
nature of the end of an era. Philco
was one of the first to move into
the hour dramatic field in tv back
in *48, the program subsequently
establishing a pattern on video
play writing and incubating- a
whole new school of tv dramatists
of the “Paddy Chayefsky school.”
Chayefsky, along with many others
who have since hit the bigtime, is
an “alumnus” of the Philco hour.*

As Chayefsky and others began
to move into greener and fresher
pastures (pictures, legit, etc.) and
with General Electric installing its
new half-hour film and live series
in the competing CBS-TV at '9 slot,
the “TV Playhouse” over the past
season started to lose its audience
hold. As such the decision of Phil-
co to' vamp the series and relin-
quish the time period doesn't come
as too much of- a surprise. Good-
year, incidentally, will continue in
the alternating slot.

Philco says’ it has,ty ambitions
in other directions, namely to em-
brace a “spectacular-type” show.
This could mean switching to CBS-
TV for co-sponsorship (with Ford)
of the Sat. night color specs.
Meanwhile, it has sighed to do a
90-minute „ ABC-TV production
around the selection of “Miss
America” from Atlantic City on
Sept. 10. This marks the second
year it has tied in with the A. C.
pageant.

LOLLY POLICY: ‘AMPLE
PAY’ FOR GUESTARS

Hollywood, Aug. 16.

Louella Parsons will “amply
pay” stars who appear on her new
NBG-TV show starting Oct. 2, under
the % dual sponsorship of Toni and
Viceroy cigs, under arrangements
closed with the Screen Actors
Guild. Gabber also signed a pact
with the Musicians Union for 52
weeks of half-hour shows, each to
cost around $27,500. Filmcraft
will film show tentatively tagged
“See Hollywood With Louella
Parsons.”

Filmcraft, which also films the
Groucho Marx Show, will shoot
the pilot of a new Edgar Bergen
program and has a complete test
film of “Mark Twain Theatre.”

Lop Off Sheila Graham

Hollywood, Aug. 16.

NBC-TV is cancelling Sheila
Graham’s Hollywood morning strip
Friday (19) to allow for the net's
expansion of Its “Home” series to
75 minutes.

Gabber has been airing nearly
eight months sans sponsor.

Washington, Aug. 16.

The American farmer is going
for television" in a big way. The
first official' statistics on receiver
installations on the farms, now
being compiled by the Bureau of.
the- Census, indicate that satura-
tion in the country may soon ap- ,
proach, or even exceed, that in the
cities.

Returns from 11 states which
have been so far released show that
farmers wasted no time in getting
sets once tv service became avail-
able. Although ' most of these
states had ho tv until after the lift-
ing of the freeze in 1952, a con-
siderable proportion of their farm
families already had sets by the
time Census enumerators came
around in the last three months in
1954.

While the returns ar.e still far
from complete, they tend to show
that farmers are quicker to Install
sets, once service becomes avail-
able, than people in the cities.
This not only speaks for the pros-
perity in farm areas (also reflected
in automobile ownership) but for
rural acceptance of video.

Considering that many farm
areas of the country were still be- .
yond the range of tv when the Cen-
sus count was taken, it 4s surprising
how many farms had sets. * For ex-
ample, in Colorado, which had no
tv until late 1952 and only four sta-
tions .outside of Denver when the
census was taK&n, more than 25%
of the state’s 40,750 farms already
had sets by the fall of 1954. And
in North Dakota, which had no tv '
at all until 1953, nearly one-fifth ,
of the farms . had sets by census
time.

In New Hampshire, which had no
local service until the spring of
1954 but could pull in Boston sta-
tions in the southern part cf the
state, more than half of the farms
had receivers. Similarly, in Ver-
mont, where only a part of the
state could get reception from Al-
bany and Schepectady until a Bur-
(Continued on page 42)

Couple of unusual shows are on
the ’55-’56 agenda for “Robert
Montgomery Presents”. One is
planned for next April, on the
occasion of the first anniversary
of the death of Albert Einstein. It
will be called “Death of A Gen-
ius.” Who will play Einstein is but
one. of several major problems still
to be resolved.

Montgomery and co-packager
John Gibbs are giving it early at-
tention because of the extensive
research it involves. There's a pos-
sibility that the show will <be writ-
ten by Sandra Michael (Mrs.
Gibbs), whose daytime shows
(“Open Door,” etc.) created quite
a stir for their rtualitative writing
values some years back.

Other item oh the Montgomery
agenda is a tv adaptation of Archi-
bald MacLeish’s “Fall of a City,”
which rates in anthologies as one
of the alltime top radio shows.

FRED ALLEN TO EMCEE
NBC-TV’S JAZZ AGE’

Fred Allen will serve as emcee-
narrator of “The Jazz Age,” NBC-
TV film documentary listed on pro-
ducer Henry Salomon’s Project 20
— for 20th Century — agenda for
the 1955-56 season.

With the 1920s as the backdrop,
Salomon and Richard Hanser will
do the script and Isaac Kleinerman,
another of Salomon’s “Victory at
Sea!’ team, will be film editor.
Robert Russell Bennett will write
the score and conduct. Stanza
will draw on 125 film sources for
material bridging the period from
the end of World War I to the '29
1 Wall Street crash.

26 RADIO-TELEVISION VfisRtETt

CBS RADIO 'STRIPS IT W IN BIG

♦

CBS is throwing away the book 4 *-

and launching a new segmentation
project for selling several top
nighttime programs, with probabil-
ity that the concept will extend to
other cross-the-board shows plus
weekenders. Immediately involved
in th*e "cutting it up at CBS” are
the Bing Crosby quarter-hour and
"Tehnessee Ernie” , and "Amos 'n*
Andy Music Hall” half-hours.

These and other programs being
readied (a major name is to be
announced) will be sold at a uni-
form time & talent rate of $2,100
in five-minute segments embracing
one-minute plugs. This is the top
fee under a "one rate” separate
card that scales down to $1,740,
depending on the number of shows
and weeks that are bought. Under
this plan, a prospect knows what
t]he deal is in advance for all shows
by virtue of the uniform rate. It
can accommodate the longrange
advertiser and not penalize the
shorttermer, according to network
sales v.p. John Karol.

Talent and stations have agreed
to the plan, which will be in-
augurated next week (25). Project
is a development from recent rate
agreements with stations and does
not represent a change in the basic
rates but rather in the form of
selling. First client to come in on
the segmentation is CBS-Columbia
(see separate story). '

New pattern of selling will be
three weeks in the running by the
time the CBS Radio Affiliates gath-
er In Detroit next month (15-16)
to wrestle with their problems.
CBS Inc. prexy Frank Stanton
will address the mee£ng for the
secdnd straight year. It recalls the
fact that last year, at the affil
powwow In Chicago, Stanton blunt-
ly told the assemblage, "Those* who
have no faith in radio should get
out and not undercut the vitality
.of this magnificent medium.” It
was an obvious dig at NBC, with
board chairman David Sarnoff car-
rying the retaliatory ball for that
network.

Since then, NBC has dome forth
with its weekend "Monitor” with
itr "buy two and get one plug
free” inducement. But CBS, while
saying that its August billings con-
tinue to pace its rival sharply even
with the “Monitor” free plugs in-,
eluded, ifi not figured to blueprint
Its weekend along "Monitor” lines.
Web is understood to feel that
segmentation is* the better method.

Eureka! On Gets

Chicago, Aug. 16.

While hardly a spectacular, the
fast-dwindling Chi NBC-TV shop
is assured at least one more origi-
nation next fall. Hartz Mountain
pet foods in October is reprising
its "Capt. Hartz & Pets” Sunday
noontime quarter-hour with Norbe
Locke in the title role. Contract,
trough the George H. Hartman
agency, is slated for 39 weeks.

Same show ran for 35 weeks
last season with the network han-
dling production but this time, it’s
being produced by packager Jules
Power, Meanwhile, practically
everything else has left town.

CBS-COLUMBIA BUYS
A&A, BING, ERNIE

Radio billings at CBS took an-
other spurt last week with a
"house” account responsible for
part of the gain. CBS-Columbia is
coming aboard "Amos 'n’ Andy
Music Hall,” the Bing Crosby show
and "Tennessee Ernie.”

. On the renewal side, the most
important is that of F. W. Wool-
worth on its Sunday "Hour.” Hav-
ing plunged into network radio for
the first time in June, chain store
came through with an order that
rides the show until year’s end.
Other renewals are Lever Br.os,
and Pillsbury for "House Party”
and Corn Products and Hazel
Bishop for "Wendy Warren &
News.”

NBC’s Play Bankrolling
With Eye to TV Rights

Richard A. R. Pinkham, as head
of the NBC-TV program depart-
ment, is formulating a. play invest-
ment committee within the outfit
to back legits with an eye to televi-
sion rights.

Pinkham’s NBC play investment
group will comprise prexy Pat
Weaver, Bob Sarnoff, Tom McAvity,
Sam Fuller and Manie Sacks, with
himself as chairman.

Set 'Gab Specs

The Radio-TV Executives Society
will have its own spectaculars in
New York this season. Topping the
list of guest speakers on the 1955-
56 agenda, are Vice President Rich-
ard M. Nixon, Bishop Fulton. J.
Sheen and film producer Samuel
Goldwyn, with RCA-NBC board
chairman David Sarnoff listed for
a 'special luncheon some time in
1956.

Nixon will appear , at RTES* first
gala, Sept. 14 at the Roosevelt
Hotel, With FCC members as spe-
cial guests; Goldwyn on Oct. 13
and Bishop Sheen on. Nov. 8.

Other highlight dates are Nov.
16, American Women in Radio-TV;
Dec. 14, . Christmas party; Jan. 11,.
Overseas Press Club; Feb. 8, "Ten
Million Dollars a Plate” (for ad-
vertisers spending that or more in
radio-tv) ; April 11, Peabody
Awards.

.. ■■ li ■ — S

A1 Morgan’s /Great Man’

A Breezy Intra-Trade
Intro to Huckster Alley

By ABEL GREEN

One of the roughest intra-trade
exposes on radio-television idolatry
is A1 Morgan’s novel, "The Great
Man” (Dutton; $3.50). Its real-life-
analogy is as unsubtle as a Nielsen
rating. For once the publisher’s
legend that "any resemblance to
any persons living or dead is pure-
ly coincidental” takes on new
Values because some may see a
strange "coincidence” in known in-
tra-trade mores and meretricious
relationships. However.^ that’s (1),
the author and publisher’s prob-
lem, if problem it isi and (2), it’s
probably the best insurance fbr
readership.

This book is a sort of $3.50 "Con-
fidential” between hard covers.
While no names are named, cer-
tainly the audience identifications
are bound to be spontaneous in the
public consciousness. If author
Morgan sought to deflate his titu-
lar "Great Man” he has done it in
a devastating manner,

. Morgan is currently senior edi-
tor of "Home,” the NBC-TV morn-
ing show and has a string of broad-
(Continued on page 38)

CINCY REDS WRAP
TV DEAL FOR ’56

Cincinnati; Aug. 16.

Cincinnati Baseball Club has
sold television rights for next sea-
son to Hudepohl Brewing Co., and
Ford Dealers in this area. Gabe
Paul, general manager of the Red-
legs, did not disclose the consid-
eration but said it is the largest
for a Cincy tv deal, i
Burger Brewing Co., which had
exclusive rights for radio and tv,
retains them for radio for three
more seasons with Waite Hoyt
continuing as miker.

New co-sponsors of telecasts
bargained for at least 30 road
games and from 20 to 25 home
games. They stated that a new an-
nouncer will be engaged.

Currently WSAI is carrying the
broadcasts and WGPO-TV is doing
the telecasts. -

Favor Denial Of

Lamb TV License

Washington, Aug. 16.

The FCC Broadcast Bureau,
which presented the government’s
I Commie . charges ' against broad-
[ caster-publisher Edward O. Lamb
! yesterday (Mon.) recommended
that examiner Herbert Sharfman
deny renewal of Lamb’s broadcast
licenses.

The recommendation was made
In the bureau’s proposed findings
on the case and was signed by .five
FCC attorneys, headed by Joseph
H. Klttner. It was the conclusion
of a massive, highly-documented
volume of 335 pages analyzing the
testimony at the lengthy hearings
which began last September and
ended late in May. In contrast to
the Bureau’s voluminous document,
Lamb’s findings were submitted in
a 14-page brief which concluded
that no "credible’’ evidence was
presented at the hearings which
reflects on Lamb’s qualifications as’
a broadcast licensee. The brief was
filed by attorneys J. Howard Mc-
(Continued on page 42)

IRVING MANSFIELD
BACK WITH CBS-TV

Irving Mansfield, the, tv pro-
ducer who checked out of CBS
about a year ago, is returning to
the Columbia fold. This time, how-
ever, he will not be on staff, ’ but
will operate on assignment on a
freelance status.

Mansfield was signed as the first
official act of Lester Gottlieb, who
has just moved out of the CBS
Radio program veepee slot to head
up the* CBS-TV daytime operation.
Initial Mansfield assignment will
be a "new project” in the daytime
area which Gottlieb is now in
process of blueprinting.

London, Aug. 16.

With just five weeks to go before the commercial television net-
work- is due to come on the air for the first time, the program „
contractors are reportedly encountering serious last-minute equip-
ment difficulties, which may jeopardizze the starting date.

While some insiders believe that the difficulties are such that
it will be impossible to start the web on schedule Sept. 22, the
program contractors say they are desperately determined to
meet their commitments and keep faith with the public who have
invested either in hew receivers or conversions of older sets.

It is some months now since the starting date was set by the
Independent Television Authority with the program contractors
and although they have readied a sufficiency of program material,
they have encountered delaying technical obstacles, which have
still to be overcome.

Realising that any failure to keep to the .date would have a
serious adverse effect on their relations with the public, and adver-
tisers, they are confident of a solution, even if it involves the
temporary use of makeshift equipment.

For the last couple of months, the two London programmers
have jointly participated in an excessive press advertising cam-
paign to get the public to convert their receivers in good time for
the official start. These displays emphasise the new type enter-
tainment which would be on offer to those who had taken their
advice and adapted their sets to .receive the alternative channel.

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

ii From the Prodncthm Cadres ::

T -44 . 4 ♦ ♦ 4 ♦ ♦ 4 ♦ ♦ f ♦ ♦ ♦ 4 + 4 ♦ f 4 4 4 4 »♦♦♦ ♦ ♦♦ ♦ ■ >' + ♦

IN NEW YORK CITY . . .

CBSports chief iohn Derr vacationing in Maine . . . Lanny Ross*
mother at Harkness Pavillion recovering from a fractured pelvis . . •
Milton Rich, WCBS publicity head, off on a week’s holiday . . . Or-
ganist Billy NallO pinchhitting for vacationing Chet Kingsbury on
CBS* "Backstage Wife” and "Second Mrs, Burton” . . .’ John Henry
Faulk back in full swing on WCBS after severe, case of .sunburn . . •
Musician Don Elliott’s initial vocal album to, ,be aired on Fred bob-
bins* "Disk Derby” tomorrow (Thurs.)., He'll also appear livev on his
vibes . . . Nancy Gates and Robert Rockwell star on "The Kiddie
.Story,” half-hour via WOR Saturday (29) night . . . Robert J. Smith
and John C. Rome join Mutual as salesmen, Smith coming from WABD
and Rome from Leo Burnett agency . ..* Eugene Conley guesting on
"Voice of Firestone” simulcast Monday. (22) , WMGM gets Holling-

bery as its station rep . . . The Hardy Butt "Success. .Story U.S.A.’*
originates from WDGY, Minneapolis-St, Paul, next Sabbath (28), with
; station program director Bill Cleary subbing as quizzer for Burt.

I Gene Shefrin, Dave Alber flackery v.p., to Canada for a week of biz
and' pleasure, fpllowed by Mike Merrick taking the same ''kind of
jaunt for the office to upstate N.Y. . .'. American Home Products
Corp. returns to Gabriel Heatter on Mutual Sept. 12 . . . CBS prexy
j Arthur Hull Hayes off for three weeks with his family in Frisco . . ,
Stanley .Nlss, writer-producer of the CBS "2Jst Precinct,” to the
Coast' on biz . . , Arthur C. Schofield, ad-promotion director of Storer
B ’casting, transferred from N.Y. to national hq at Miami Beach, along
With Mrs. Voune Monsell, who edits the company’s employee mag,
Storer Story . . . Marilyn Rosenberg, WRCA publicity secr’y, in one-
weeker in the mountains . . . Anne Lowengarth now gal Friday for
WRCA’s Herb Sheldon.

IN CHICAGO ...

NBC’s Chi network news chief Cliet Hagen propping a yam on Clar-
ence Darrow for the web’s Sept. 6 “Biographies In Sbund” . . . KYA,
Frisco, now repped by in Chi and on the Coast by AM Radio Sales
:. . . Vet radio-tv actor Cliff Soubler and frau taking their first trip
abroad to scan the continental circuses. He’s the head clown on ABC-
TV’s "Super Circus.” . . . Jack Eigen adding a beeped phone for cross-
country interviews with show biz personalities on his "Chez Show’*
over WMAQ . . . WOR veep Gordon Gray in from New York on biz . . .
"Morris 'B. Sachs Amateur Hour,” currently simulcasted via WLS
and WBKB, entering its 22d<year on the local airwaves . . . Isaac Shi*
mony,_ Voice of Israel producer, on a busman’s holiday visiting the
CBS and NJBC* plants here . . . WMAQ borrowing parent web NBC-TV
facilities today (Wed.) to close circuit its AM packages to £hi and
N.Y. agency reps . . . Bob Brown, a Leo Burnett broadcast supervisor,
fishing in Northern Minnesota . . . WMAQ director Hugh Greene hack
on staff after his Navy hitch . . '. NBC-TV network biz manager Jim
Troy in Bermuda recuperating from his recent emergency appendec-
tomy . . , Tom- Aldredge, Joe Bishop, Ted Gerehuny and Tom Hull Jr,
signed on as producer-directors at, WTTW, Chi’s educational station.

in boston . . .

Roy Schwartz, assistant program manager WBZ-WBZA, receiving
congrats on recent marriage to chirp Merelyn Tate . . . Barbara Stet-
son, WLYN, Lynn, named "Miss Lyrtn” in beauty contest sponsored by
Greater Lynn Junior Chamber of Commerce . . .WEEI stationed news-
men Ralph Morse; Ed Myers, Howard Nelson and George* Richards,
with Charlie Ashley as anchorman in WEEI studios for the alert re-
ception of Hurricane Connie ^ . . Ashley scored a beat with a beep-
telephone conversation on the hurricane with George Bower, sta-
tioned on the new Texas Tower, recently floated and fastened to the
Continental ledge at a point 110 miles southeast of ProvincetOwn,
Mass. . . . Carl Dickerman goes on vacation from WEEI Sunday. (211
. . . Marie H. Houlahan, WEEI publicist, left Saturday (13) for three-
week tour through the Canadian National Parks . . . WBZ-WBZA
carried a special broadcast of the Esplanade Concert, featuring Arthur
Fiedler conducting the Boston Symphony Orchestra yest. (15) . . ♦
Nelson Bragg, WBZ personality, on vacash, with Dick Tucker taking

over his "Nelson Bragg Show” on radio.

IN DETROIT ...

WY£J, The Detroit News, w^iich bills itself as the world’s first com-
mercial broadcasting station, celebrates its 35th annl Saturday (20).
On that date in 1920, WWJ went on the air with ^-series of experi-
mental programs to test the newly acquired 20-watt DeForest OT-IO
transmitter. Following 11 days of test programs, the, three-man radio
crew started putting out regular programs on Aug. 31, boadcasting. the
results of a primary election . . . WJR is complementing CBS Radio’s
comprehensive "Age of the Atom” series with 10 local programs origi-
nating from the Phoenix Memorial Project at the U. of Michigan.
The five-minute interviews with scientists wrestling with peacetime-
uses of the atom tire conducted by William Sheehan, WJR newscaster
. . . "Art Express,” Wayne U.’s new tv series, begins Saturday (20) at
9:30 a.m. on WJBK-TV. The eight Week series Is designed to demon-
strate In an actual "laboratory” situation many elementary methods
of creative art . . . WXYZ-FM had no trouble giving away 35 hi fl al-
bums, 40 single records and three FM receivers In a "Why I Like FM”
contest. Response was so good,- monthly contests probably will be held.

IN PHILADELPHIA . . .

Robert N. Pryor. WCAU v.p. In charge of public relations, heads
program committee for the Hero Scholarship Fund Rodeo (Sept. 9) . . ,
Cal Jones, WPTZ executive producer, added to faculty of Charles'
Morris Price School to teach tv adyertising and programming , . .
Mike Ellis, Bucks County Playhouse producer. Interviewed Romeo
Celia, Local 77 pres. (15), and Lawrence Shubert Lawrence (16) on his
WPTZ "Tonight in Philadelphia” trying to clarify current musicians*
stage hassle.. . . . WIP’s Jerry Williams ("Gahgbusters”), emceed Wil-
son Lirie Cruise last weekend . . . Raymond Ellis, former WCAU staffer
aiid arranger now a recording conductor, elected to ASCAP . , . Hol-
land V. Tooke, WPTZ executive producer, on vacation . . . Annual
"College All-Stars Game” presented on WFIL and WFIL-TV (12) . * *
E. Preston Stover, WPTZ manager of program operations, will super-
vise. the* local thi;ee-station pool telecast of the morning session of the
ABA and in the afternoon take charge of the nationwide telecast of
President Eisenhower’s speech from Independence Hall. Directors
Dennis Kane and Joe Behar will assist with staff of 20 . . . Julia Meade,
femme announcer of commercials on Ed Sullivan Show, in for Lincoln
Motor display and cocktail party at the Bellevue Stratford.

IN MINNEAPOLIS ...

"Dragnet’s” Ben Alexander in Twin Cities enroute to nearby Fair*
bault, Minn., where he fronted the county fair’s grandstand show for
two days . . . Roy Carr, WLOL personality,* headed for a far west
vacation . . . WTCN-TV, which took over WMIN-TV In a merger deal,
retaining the two station’s full* staffs . . . WTCN and KSTP personali-
ties Al Paulson and Johnny Morris, respectively, Vacationing in north-
ern Minnesota ... A Hawaiian vacation trip for two among the 52
Weekly prizes offered by Cedrlo Adams on an "unscramble-the-town”

(Continued, on page 38)

Wednesday, August 17, 1953

RADIO-TELEVISION' 2T

♦

Substituting Dick Van Dyke for Jack Paar pn the CBS-TV. .
“Morning Show” apparently wasn’t the answer to the network’s
round-the-clock efforts to resolve the two-hour showcase’s prob-
lems. As result, “Morning. Show” is smack on top of the program
dept.’s “we gotta do something — but quick” agenda. Show, as it is
presently constituted, is due for the scrap heap.

“Morning Show” has been a trouble spot from the start, having
undergone a succession of revisions and upheavals. It’s been
tough to sell and tough to garner an audience. It’s been costing
CBS somewhere in *the neighborhood of $1,000,000 a year to keep
it going. What goes in is still anybody’s guess. There may be
two or even more shows to replace the marathon production.
Mulled as a possibility is a new information-type show tentatively
titled “FYF* (For Your Information) off the Irving Gitlin public
affairs beltline, which was kine auditioned over the weekend.
There’s no decision yet, however, as to whether this is “it.”

(V • )

‘Traveling Around in Cycle*’ Formula on Tap For

'Next Season

“Omnibus” will mark a depart-
ure next season by devoting as
many as three entire 90-ihinute
shows to a single subject in a
“traveling around in cycles” ap-
proach. One format spanning three
consecutive sessions will attempt to
reflect U. S. progress in a wide va-
riety of fields. One or two of the
hour and a half treatments will be
pegged around ah eminent com-
poser of the past with conductor
Leonard Bernstein fronting, just as
he did last season on Beethoven.

The Sunday CBS-TV series will
also tackle an ambitious study of
a battle which altered the course
of history. Gettysburg is the prob-
ability in that connection since it’s
known that Robert Saudek, direc-
tor of the TV-Radio Workshop of
the Ford Foundation, which is sub-
sidizing “Omnibus” for the fourth
season, had assigned field men to
engage in research on that bloody
conflict.

Show will also latch on to the
“altered perspective” approach,
Iookseeing a familiar thing from
unfamiliar angles, whether a play,
book, scientific subject or -sports.

MBS Sports Slot?

Paul Jonas yesterday (Tues.)
was ready to take his leave of Mu-
tual after 10 years as its director
of sports. But after dickering
with him, Jack Poor, exec v.p. of
the network, said that Jonas wasn't
going to leave. Just the same, there
are sources which aren’t too sure
whether the sports firebrand and
the network will continue their
association much longer.

There is a possibility, it’s ex-
plained, that the sports director-
ship might go to sportsgabber
Harry Wismer. Reason for the
Jonas-Mutual rift was not dis-
closed.

Jonas was responsible for exclu-
sive radio contracts with baseball
for the World Series and All-Star
games. Among other things, he
organized “Game of the Day,”
which was said to have netted the
web in the vicinity of $500,000
via co-op sales last season.

Hy Gardner Copy Too
WPIXie for WRCA-WCBS

WRCA and WCBS quoted $875
and $850 spot commercial rates for
the 10 p.m. Monday evening slot to
Hy Gardner, but when he • told
them his “copy” they frankly told
the WPIX (N.Y.) interview-show-
man that even if it were open time
they couldn’t sell it to hinT under
the circumstance.

Gardner, N.Y. Herald Tribune
syndicated columnist, wanted this
message, to herald his shift to
Monday at 10 p.m., due to WPIX
having signed to put on the
Yonkers Raceway trotters on
Thursdays: “Switch, to Channel 11
right now for New York’s most ex-
citing split-screen telephone con-
versations on ‘Hy Gardner Call-
ing’,”

Gillette’s ‘Cavalcade’
Renewal for AM-TV

Gillette came through last week
with renewal of its Friday night
“Cavalcade of Sports” as an NBC
simulcast. New pact, which is for
54 weeks, starts Aug. 26 and calls
for an outlay of $1,407,000 by the
blade outfit.

Maxon is the agency.

Any plans Tom O’Neil, General
Teleradio prexy, may still entertain
to buy WABD, Channel 5 in N. Y„
seem to be permanently exploded
by DuMont’s decision to make a
separate corporate entity out of
the station and other broadcasting
properties. It’s been learned that
O’Neil within the past several
weeks offered an estimated $4,000,-
000 for ownership of ,the station.

O'Neil’s plan reportedly was to
get himself a lower position on the
channel selector in the seven-sta-
tion metropolitan * market. Cur-
rently, his WOR-TV holds down
Channel 9, There have been fur*
ther reports that O’Neil’s overall
plan simply called for cutting down
the number of N. Y. stations to six
by buying WABD and asking FCC
permission to switch WOR-TV to
an area slightly beyond the signals
from the N. Y. tv outlets, WOR-TV
thereby becoming a small-town sta-
tion. Binghamton, N. Y., was un-
derstood to be the area.

The fact that* O’Neil carried on
conversations with DuMont was
learned through a spokesman for
the manufacturing concern this
past week. DuMont’s proposed two-
corporation setup will indefinitely
postpone any plans for sale of
WABD since its to become an in-
tegral part of DuMont Broadcast-
ing Corp.

CBS-TV’S LOOK-SEE
INTO BRIT. COM’L TV

CBS-TV Public Affairs Division
has in preparation a half-hour
show scheduled for Sunday after-
noon, Sept. 25, picking up high-
lights of the new British commer-
cial tv setup, which gets under way
on Sept. 20.

CBS will film the standout fea-
tures of the first week of opera-
tion, going behind the scenes, as
well, for a look-see into how Brit-
ons operate vs. U. S. telecasters,

‘P to P’ Back Sept. 2

“Person to Person” will return
for its third season on CBS-TV
next month with Ed Murrow in-
terviewing a Hollywood couple.

June Allyson and Dick Powell
will be remoted from their Coast
home Sept. 2.

Upwards of $5,000,000 in bill-
ings are hanging in the balance,
with NBC-TV -this week awaiting
word from Philco as to its ’56 in-
tentions on sponsoring, the Demo-
cratic and Republican National
Conventions. Philco has first crack
at it because that was the outfit
which look NBC. off the hook back
on the '52 tv coverage of the con-
ventions. If Philco nixes it, then
the Chi - Frisco two - convention
spread will' be up for grabs.

Westinghouse has already com-
mitted Itself to the CBS-TV cover-
age of the two-party hoopla, ^un-
derwriting the whole kaboddle to
the tune of $5,000,000. Westing-
house also sponsored the Colum-
bia '52 coverage. It’s understood
that the NBC-TV asking price will
run slightly higher because of
more. extensive station, hookups;

PhilcQ’s answer, it’s reported, is
long overdue. NBC, like CBS,
wants to get sponsorship matters
clinched in; view of the intensive
.preparations entailed, even though
the conventions aren't until next
summer. Because of the Westing-
house sponsorship on CBS and the
ever-recurring “battle for the
white goods supremacy,” Philco is
considered a natural to repeat this
time - — but NBC isn’t taking any-
thing for. granted, particularly
since Philco has cancelled out on
the Sunday “TV Playhouse” and
has eyes on CBS.

Back in '52 the networks , collec-
tively wound . up with a couple of
million deficit since the sponsor-
ship coin failed to match the heavy
network coin outlays. Next’ year
the red ink figures may Tun. even
higher because of the more ex-
tensive coverage contemplated and
the . complications arising from
moving ail the *tv equipment from
Chi (scene of. the Demo conven-
tion) to Frisco (for the GOP con-
clave).

Philco in Drive To
Smash Multi-Million
Repair Racket in TV

Philadelphia, Aug. 16,

in niove to smash multi-million
dollar television repairs racket,
Philco Corp. has launched plan to
buy up old tv and radio tubes.
James J. Shallow, general man-
ager of the company’s accesory
division, declared the public is
being bilked out of an estimated
$100,000,000 annually.

“The racketeer service-man buys
in old, wornout tubes for a penny
or so. They clean them up and
often relabel* the tube with the
name of a reputable manufacturer.
These tubes are then sold to deal-
ers and servicemen at a tre-
mendous profit, although at prices
well below those of new tubes,”
Shallow said.

Philco distributors, to break up
the racket, will give all radio and
television technicians and service-
men a credit, of five cents for each
old tube turned in. The old tube
Will be smashed in the presence of
the serviceman. Industry-wide
adoption of the tube-smashing pro-
gram would keep approximately
30,000,000 tubes a year out of the
hands of the replacement rack-
eteers, Shallow estimated.

BILL MILLER QUITS AS
‘COLGATE HR.’ PRODUCER

Hollywood, Aug. 16.

Television proved more to Bill
Miller than he bargained for. He
resigned as producer of the “Col-
gate Variety Hour” to devote full
time to booking and staging attrac-
tions at the Sahara Hotel in Las
Vegas in which he is partnered.

Tv required more of his time
than he anticipated and shuttling
between Vegas and Hollywood
proved too much of a strain. His
successor on “Colgate” is Max
Siegel, who has been associate
producer on Max Liebman specs.

As 'Spin Of Projects Film Co. In
New Boss Role: 17 -Year ‘Battle

In Tint?

There were reports around
the trade last week that NBC-
TV was buying Hurricane Con-
nie as a spec.

NBC said “t’aint so.”

Ted Cott -is in linefor the presi-
dency of ihe new . DuMont Broad-
casting Corp., and Patti Raibourn
is slated to become board chair-
man. Remaining top execs in both
this and the original Allen B. Du-
Mont Laboratories Inc. will be
picked behind closed doors some-
time this week. . And naturally,
major • stockholder Paramount,
which supplied Raibourn, and Carl
M. Loeb & Rhoades, the investment
house which claims the .second
largest stock investment in Du-
Mont, will have the biggest say
in things.

Dr. Allen B. DuMont is being
given a 10-year contract by the
controlling faction with chairman-
ship of the Labs, where he can
function in a scientific capacity if
he sees fit. The step was made to
gain his compliance, it’s felt.

That leaves tp be filled What is
perhaps the key post in either cor-
poration, that of Lab prexy (Cott’s
counterpart). Par and Loeb &
Rhoades are said to be eyeing top
merchandising men, for it is in this
field that some of its own execs
consider DuMont Labs weakest.

There are now eight men on the
DuMont board: Raibourn, Barney
Balaban and Edwin L. Weisl, all
Par execs, who merit board chairs
through the Hollywood company's
560,000 stock shares; Dr. DuMont,
Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Stan-
ley Patten of DuMont; stockbrokers
Percy Stewart and Armand Erpf,
latter of Loeb & Rhoades. The
number of directors, will increased
to 10, making room in the Labs
for the new prexy and one other.
It’s maintained that since the
Broadcasting board will be .sub-
stantially the same as the Labs,
one of the additional seats will go
(Continued on page 42)

PILLSBURY EYEING
TV ‘COLOR SPREAD’

Pillsbury Mills has put in a bid
to NBC-TV to buy the remaining
availabilities on “Color Spread.”
The Sunday night spec series has
drawn Pillsbury’s interest because
of the emceeship of Art Linkletter
in whom it has a stake on CBS-
TV’s daytime “House Party.”

Corning Glass has apparently
changed its mind about “Color
Spread,” with six spots open, but
Lewis-Howe (Turns) has increased
its two participations to four,
leaving four open for a Pillsbury
decision.

Freedman on Lend-Lease
To French TV Packagers

A1 Freedinan, script editor for
Barry, Enright & Friendly, was
lend-leased by that producing com-
pany to French tv packagers Radio-
Cine in Paris. Freedman left for
the French capital last week to
function as consultant and coordin-
ator for that country’s first full
hour tv comedy series. He’ll remain
there for two weeks.

Freedman was among the first
of Groticho Marx’s writers. •

By ART WOODSTONE

Paramount .Pictures is the bosr
of Allen B. DuMont Laboratorie*
Inc., although the idea is being
resisted ineffectually by the old
line company execs. Not only floes
the motion picture firm control the
large manufacturing setup, with
the aid of some allies, but it now
becomes this power behind tw<r
video stations and assorted other t\
broadcasting interests. And the
way insiders are calling the shots,
it’s quite possible that Par aims to
follow the Storer-Crosley line and
build .a string of video stations.

It’s" been a - 17-year pull to th«
DuMont video forefront for Par,
with control of the company finally
being wrested from pioneer t*
scientist Dr. Allen B. DuMont. Th*
more objective trade element sees
Par’s successful effort to relieve
him of his presidency, while lim-
iting- him to chairmanship of th*
company, as making way for an
active chieftain who will more suit
the major’s fancy. For almost a*
long as Par has owned shares in
DuMont dating from ’38, which il
almost from the very beginning oi
the company,, nearly the entire in-
dustry has been aware of serious
friction between the two parties.

The long and serious battle foi
control of the company is felt to
have had its culmination last
Thursday (11) when It was an-
nounced that DuMont 'would soon
be split into two distinct corpora-
tions. One would be the Allen B.
DuMont Labs, with purview of in-
strument, tube, transmitter, etc.,
manufacture and sale, and the
other will be DuMont Broadcast-
ing Corp., which framework sta-
tions WTTG, Washington, D. C.,
and WABD, N. Y., and, for a little
•padding, the N. Y. Telecentre stu-

(Continue'd on page 39)

} 1 . ■■ ■ ■ i .

Robert Q. In

Switch to NBC?

Robert Q. Lewis and NBC
have been having talks which may
lead to the comic throwing in the
radio-tv sponge on CBS and shift-
ing over to the rival web. Negotia-
tions reportedly stem from dis-
satisfaction on the part of Lewis
over the format of his afternoon
cross-the-board tv show and dif-
ferences between Lewis and net-
work execs over what should be
done about it. Fact that the Lewis
show has been hit by a couple of
cancellations (Helene Curtis and
General Mills) hasn’t contributed
toward easing the situation any.

It’s recalled that about a year
ago Lewis was similarly contem-
plating shifting to NBC. That was
during the period when Columbia
was more or less restricting him
to radio (except when he was fill-
ing in for others), but the differ-
ences were resolved when CBS
gave h ; rri his own afternoon tv
show. Since then he’s parlayed
both AM and tv stanzas into a
bundle of billings, despite the re-
cent brace of defections.

Producer-Director Shifts
On CBS Radio Stanzas

Elevation of Howard G. Barnes
to .program v.p. of CBS Radio
switches two shows masterminded
by him to a pair of other producer-
director staffers. Bruno Zirato jr.
takes over the Sunday “Woolwortli
Hour” and Stan Davis reins “Sec-
ond Mrs. Burton.”

Takeover of the Woolworth show
by Zirato gives him a hold on il
hours and 45 minutes of network
programs. These include Arthur
Godfrey’s morning stanza, Amo-
co’s “Rhythm on the Road,” the
Robert Q. Lewis Show, “Strawhat
Concerts,” “String Serenade” and
“Music Room.”

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

No matter where they spend

summer

with CBS Radio than they do
anywhere else in network radio ,
During the weekend , the
average sponsored program on
CBS Radio commands a
greater audience per, minute
than the number two network.

This makes every minute
count that much more on the
CBS RADIO NETWORK

Source.' Nielsen Radio Index , Se/ond Report for

tW -

Ante, 1955; 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. t

JtJp

Saturday and Sunday ( Average Audience basis)*

SO TELEVISION REVIEWS

Wednesday, • August 17, 1955

TELEVISION WORKSHOP
(Something About Love)

With Dr. Albert Ellis; Dorothy
Sands. Crandall Diehl. Elizabeth

Lawrence

Exec-Producer; Harry Olesker
Producer-director: Jim Elson
30 Mins., Sat. (13), 7 p.m. -

WRCA-TV, N. Y.

“Something About Love,” which
WRCA-TV, N. Y., offered last Sat-
urday (13) on the station's experi-
mental program series, “Television
Workshop,” looked good enough in
theory, sounded pretty well at
times in performance, 1 but overall
was a little confusing and scat-
tered. With psychologist Dr. Al-
bert Ellis as host, the half-hour
purported to be a clinical study of
romantic love, with a couple of
acted-out excerpts from w.k. plays
as illustrations. The two 10-min-
ute dramatic scenes were very well
acted; the rest of the show was
drab.

Dr. Ellis proved to be a rather
stiff, expressionless emcee, with a
monotonous 'Voice reciting a la-
bored (though at times wit-spat-
tered) script. Occasionally it
seemed 1 as if he was reading his
lines. Anyway, he took the notion
of romantic love apart rather pick-
ily and pretentiously, for which
was anything but an inspiring or
informing lecture.

On the other hand, with, the
American Theatre Wing lending
assist, the dramatic samples Were
quite inviting. There was a charm-
ing portrayal of the balcony scene
from “Romeo andi Juliet,” with
Crandall Diehl as a manly, roman-;
tic (and intelligible) Romeo. Eliz-
abeth Lawrence was a lovely hero-
ine, though occasionally indistinct.
Other bit was an amusing scene
from “The Importance of Being
Earnest,” with Dorothy Sands
dominating it as the pompous
British matron, and Diehl and
Miss Lawrence quite competent as
the prim young lovers. Bron,

DR. HUDSON’S SECRET
JOURNAL

With John Howard, Cheryl Gallo-
way, Olive Blakeney, Nancy
Hadley, others

Producers: Eugene Solow, Brew-
ster Morgan .

Director: Peter Godfrey
Writers: Various
39 half-hours
Distributor: MCA-TV
One of the few new entries Into
syndication, MCA-TV's “Dr. Hud-
son’s Secret Journal” shows fairly
strong all-round potential but
could especially become a power-
ful hausfrau- binder. Half-hour was
launched in San Diego this past
week.

Though the 26Vfc-minute restric-
tion prevents the John Howard
starrer from becoming a great deal
more than a classy true-romances
type of yarn, there are faint if
puzzling shadings of the religioso.
The particular stanza viewed was
written by Allan Scott, one of the
17 scribes penning the series for
MCA. Weekly format is based on
Lloyd C. Douglas’ work, which was
heavily religious, but MCA seems
to have steered away from too ex-
cessive treatment for fear of
‘ frightening off viewers. Still, ob-
ligated to stay somewhat in accord
with the Douglas religioso theme,
Scott inserted briefly some vague
reference to the name character’s
“gift” for “good deeds.” Incident
detracting only faintly from the
larger plot, in this case a girl-
meets-doctor theme, And the “gift”
was the excuse to get the , lead
character but of an entangling
emotional alliance at the climax t.o
the story.

Particular stanza had Howard
fixing up a handsome ingenue after
an auto accident. Scott was con-
cerned secondarily with the girl’s
emotional problems with fiancee
and mother, but the main plot re-
volved around the girl’s crush on
Dr. Hudson.

In this there was a smattering
of clever dialog between hero and
Nancy Hadley’s beautiful and ef-
fervescent girl. It was smart ro-
mancing but none of it could be
taken seriously,

Howard was alternately a gruff
medico and a sympathetic and
charming friend. He was an Ideal
leading mam Among other cast
regulars were Cheryl Calloway,
who was excellent as the widowed
Hudson’s daughter and Olive
Blakeney, more of a subdued Irish
maid than most actresses.

One of the obvious ^reasons this
show should click is the neat pro-
duction by Eugene Solow and
Brewster Morgan (who comprise
Authors Playhouse Inc.) gives the
Impression of being better grade
than many other syndicated stanzas.
Also, a fast count shows that there
is a premium on vidfllm shows in
that no-gunplay romantic cate^ry.

Art . ,

Tele Follow-Up Comment

»♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦+♦♦♦♦♦ 4 ♦ ♦ + 4 4 + 4 ♦♦♦♦ < ♦ ♦♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦ ♦♦#♦♦♦ »

Television debates on. burning
issues continue to prove that the
medium is not normally the most
ideal for such airings. The square-
offs presuppose that the public is
hep to what’s going on and maybe
it does, but on Sunday’s (14) pair
of forums devoted to Communism
in and out of show business the
public would have to be exception-
ally informed because none of the
protagonists was able to bring the
subject into proper focus.

The shows were timed for Mon-
day’s start at the.U.S: Courthouse
in New York of hearings by the
House Un-American Activities
Committee on Communist infiltra-
tion in the entertainment field.
NBC’s “American Forum” pitted
Rep. Francis E. Walter, committee
chairman, vs. N.Y. Post editor
James A. Wechsler. WABD, N.Y.,
on its “Between the Lines” paired
Godfrey P. Schmidt, prexy of
AWARE Inc., anti-Commie group
(and a law prof at Fordham UJ,
with O. John Rogge, former Asst.
Attorney General of the. U.S.

As far as the Fifth Amendment
hot potato is concerned, neither .
program could make a telling
point either way on the constitu-
tional issue involved. Wechsler
tried to pin Rep, Walter down to
specifics, but with little success
and was himself guilty of making
just as many “speeches” as his ad-
versary. Operating against the
legislator, in his capacity as chair-
man of the committee that has sub-
poenaed 27 theatre and tv per-
sonalities, was his admission that
he knew very little on so crisp an
issue as the recent AFTRA refer-
endum which supported the com-
mittee’s stand favoring disciplin-
ary action against members invok-
ing the Fifth. Amendment. Other-
wise, the debate seemed to reduce
itself to the old merry-go-round as
to when an inquiry is or is not a
trial, as the Post editor pointed

out*

Despite the fact that both j
Rogge and Schmidt are lawyer-
men, both seemed uneasy in their
chairs, not too well prepared and
particularly pedestrian on the ex-
changes. If one viewer had to
vote, he’d throw both their cases
out since there were too many
non-seqUiturs and not enough re-
levancies supported by clarity for
the mere layman. Rogge tried to
show that Schmidt’s organization,
which has been largely involved
with AFTRA activities, has been
using “re pudiated sources,”
charged that the accusers them-
selves are concerned with the
clearing of names and said that the
AWARE method sets up an in-
former and “name names” system
in America. Schmidt said his or-
ganization’s list were good, that
they’re publicly circulated and not
in secret, that a person on the list
can clear himself, that he’s going
after those with active Commie af-
filiations and no others and that-
“you cannot fight Communism
without eventually naming names.”

T raw.

Mitch Miller, Columbia Records’
artists and repertoire chief, and
Alan Freed, WINS disk jockey, got
together last Friday (12) afternoon
on Jinx Falkenburg’s WRCA-TV
2:30 p.m. show for a rock ’n' roll
controversary. It wasn’t much of a
fight. Miller didn’t impress as hav-
ing strong enough beef against
r’n’c to oppose Freed, a leading ex-
ponent of that brand ef music: The
a&r chieftain was constantly put
on the defensive and failed to
come up with an effective counter-
attack.

Miller cited the suggestiveness
of the term rock ’n’ roll and also
the lyric content of the tunes in
that idiom. Freed was quick to re-
tort that interpretation depends on
the individual’s own thinking and
that rock ’n* roll means dancing.
Miller stated that r’n’r isn’t as big
an item as it’s rated, paving the
way for Freed to score a k.o. by
naming a flock of hit tunes in that
vein.

The peg for the debate was
Variety’s editorial blasting the
r'n’r “leer-ics.” Jane Pickens,
who’s subbing for Miss Falkenburg,
while the latter vacations for four
weeks, kicked off the discussion by
reading an excerpt for the editori-
al, Which was blown up to full
screen size white she delivered the
wordage. Besides the verbal prps
and cons, a film clip of teenagers
dancing to a r’n’r tune was also*
Shown. The terp segment was a
comparatively tame affair, with the
footwork strictly in the jitterbug
vein.

Freed’s major contention was
that the kids want to dance and the
r’n'r tunes give them the rhythm
they want. He also stated that most
I of the youths don’t even listen to

lyrics and that he also screens the
tunes he plays on -the air and
doesn’t use anything he thinks Is
too suggestive. The deejay also
tossed in some favorable quotes
relating to r’n’r from a teenage
survey pamphlet. In the overall,
rock’n’roll got a strong midday-
promotion last Friday (1).

Miss Pickens, incidentally, who’s
previously filled in for Miss Falk-
enburg, did a thoroughly affable
emceeing job. She tossed off the
commercials lightly and was pleas-
antly informal. Jess.

New Yorker cartoonist Charles
Addams (he of the ghoulish touch)
and summer television collided oh
NBC-TV’s “Cameo Theatre” Sun-
day (14) and presumably both are
still nursing their bruises. Of the
two, tv probably came off the best.
At least it had an odd little story
to tell. It was Addams who really
got hurt.

To be realistic about it, Albert
McCleery, “Cameo Theatre's” pro-
ducer-director, probably had a
point in picking Addams for his
emcee, A lot of people who read
the New Yorker and chuckle over
the Addams wit probably have
been wondering what their man
looks like. But did it have to be
such a painful exposure?- To be
charitable about it, Addams isn’t
exactly a tv personality and hft
self-conscious patter didn’t im-
prove things any. That last bit,
with Joseph Schildkraut, fell em-
barassingly flat.

Which still left the playlet, “The
Man from the South,” written by
Roald Dahl and acted by Schild-
kraut with an unnecessarily debon-
air touch. It was the story of a
bizarre bet — Schildkraut against a
broken young man. A Cadillac
against the little finger of the
boy’s left hand. The bone of con-
tention: Whether a lighter could
snap on for 10 successive times.

To be sure, the little yarn was
in keeping -with the Addams tra-
dition aha it held a certain sus-
pense, but it also embodied a curi-
ously tasteless quality that kept it
from being enjoyable.' Possibly It
was Schildkraut’s fault, pr maybe
Peter Kortner’s script had some-
thing to do with it. Anyway, it
was a distinctly unpleasant 6poof,
despite its trick ending.

McCleery*s direction had merit
in that it created tension and pro-
vided a certain plastic quality in
the lensing. John Lupton did okay
as the gambler and Mary Webster
carried herself well as his young
wife. Gertrude Michaels was fine
as Schildkraut’s wife who, it's re-
vealed at the end, has won every-
thing from him so that he has noth-
ing left to gamble with.

Schildkraut is an extremely
capable actor and, within the given
framework, he imbued his charac-
ter with a certain macabre sadism
that still carried the air of the
fantastic. Certainly, there was
nothing very humorous about “The
Man From the South”. Yet, if it
was meant, to convey the overall
impact of an Addams cartoon, it
missed by a mile. But then, on
this show, so did Addams himself.

Hift

Channel 13 in the metropolitan
New York area is, in the main, a
hazardous reception proposition.
But in the . tradition of many a
non-big league operation WATV,
Newark, Which is Channel 13,
makes up (1) for its lack of budget
and (2) its lack of penetration with
some derring-do. One aspect that
seems to have caught on are the
sundry nationalistic arid special-
appeal shows— Spanish, Harlem,
Polish, German, etc. Another is in
the person of one Jimmy Shearer
who looks like a . lammister from
the Brill Bldg., meaning he’s obvi-
ously a reformed songplugger. Like
most pluggers, he has an astute*
attitude about public taste, and in
his Monday and Thursday Evening
30-minute sessions, reprising the
old songs, he seems to have struck
a nerve. He pounds the piano like
a yesteryear Wool worth, demon-
strator, and his picks of the 1910-
1925 crop of pops is ‘surefire. He
picks the ivories to self-accomp as
he sings the verse and two choruses
in forthright manner, in the yes- j
teryear standard equipment 'of
striped business suit and straw
katy. This is history repeating it-
self — the old-school ill (for illus-
trated) song now has an electronic
and telegenic variation. But it’s the
same fundamental plugfest, right
down to the song slides with the
corny pitch— -“sing this to your
wife or your sweetheart at home :
beside you.” j

Just like the bands seem to be
edging towards a cpmeback on >tv,
after the cycle of vocalists, so per-
haps Shearer may be pioneering a

return of the oldf ashioned pianolo-
gist.

Shearer also does right by the
Koos Bros., Jersey furniture outfit,
with a straight-from-the-shoulder
and not unshowmanship . spiel,
'which includes “don’t phone; that’s
a .switch isn’t it?, just drop in
when you’re in the need of some-
thing,” He announced 25,388 mail-
ing pieces “as result of only six
programs” and somebody wheeled
on 2,133 more letters (“came to-
day”), and it's understandable that
this is legit mail-pull. A1 Johnston
is the only other credit for direc-
tion. One thing is sure, a guy with
an alltime hit parade, an upright,
and a tv camera, is not gonna
tyreak anybody’s budget — and the
results seem to be there, plus.

Abel.

In a sharp and rewarding change
of pace, NBC’s Goodyear “TV
Playhouse” came through Sunday
(14) with a suspenseful police ac-
tioner that seems a likely prospect
for Hollywood. Script, cast and
production Combined j to fix inter-
est for the whole hour with no let-
up worth the mention. Story was
“The Takers,” adapted by William
Manchester from his novel, “The
City of Anger.” Swift moving
thriller was themed on a retiring
police commissioner’s attempts to
sma&rthe big Wheel of -the num-
bers racket against series of frus-
trations stemming from elaborately
pulled leaks on raids tipped by his
protege, the chief inspector, in ca-
hoots with an elderly file clerk.
Stanza was by turns grim and elec-
tric in- demonstrating how a cou-
ple of Corrupt cops were trapped
and the racket broken Up.

Cracker jack cast was assembled
for the snappy workout, headed by
Ed Begley, doubling from 1 “Inherit
the Wind” legiter, as the police
commish. Also standout in their
roles were Martin Balsam as the
crooked chief Inspector, Cliff Hall
as his partner in crime, Robert
Emhardt as the gambling kingpin,
Joe Mantell as latter’s aide and
{Luis Van Rooteri.as an honest in-
spector. Peggy Altenbuy played
the commissioner’s understanding
wife charmingly. Director Robert
Mulligan moved the yarn along
with speed and surefire effect and
Robert Alan Aurtnur’s overall pro-
duction was click all the way.

I Trait.

Gino Prato, the $32,000 (50%
winner of the “$04,000 Question”)
man-of-the-week, was a coup for
the “Hy Gardner Calling” WPIX
(N.Y.) show last Thurs. (11) at 10
p.m. He was still the folksy little
shoemaker and for the convincer
there was mama and daughter and
her back-from-Korea fiance. But
more, Gardner had Eva Gabor, a
glib gabber If ever there was a
glam gal who could make with the
chitchat; Dr. William Hitzig who
is working at New York’s Mt. Sinai
Hospital with the Hiroshima atomic
bomb victims and Japan’s Dr.
Tomin Harada; and also the tele-
genic mother of Bob and Dick
Haymes, Mrs. Marguerite Haymes,
a voice coach in her own right, and
an authoritative yet warm person-
ality in the phone-interview device
which has distinguished the N.Y.
Herald Tribune columnist’s 30-
minute show. Only thing missing
is a sponsor because this is a show
which has long merited bankroll-
ing. Gardner not only delivers a
terrific cuffo cast , of out-of-the-
headlines celebs, but there’s beau-
coup news sparking from his vis-a-
vis over the video Ameche. It can’t
be that all they’ll buy is a panel
show — and to carry the gag a little
further, so happens that, in a large
Sense, Gardner produces a pretty
good panel all by himself. Abel.

Those Introductions of celebri-
ties on Ed Sullivan’s “Toast of the
Town” got slightly out of hand on
last Sunday’s (14) stanza. Some
dozen top. figures ffom the sports
world were collected on stage to
mark the first anrii of the Luce
mag, Sports Illustrated, and Sulli-
van consumed the opening 10 min-
utes with these knockdowns in ad-
dition to the usual pickups from
the theatre later on in the show.
Here there were a couple of snafus
when one notable, the president of
Burlington Mills, was found to be
up in the balcony where the cam-
eras couldn’t pick him up. Sulli-
van controlled his annoyance very
well. The exec was brought down
later. Introducing Rosalind Rus-
sell, Sullivan mentioned that she
was the star of the new pic, “The
Gold Rush.”

In the act department, it was an
okay routine “Toast” session. The
Four Aces delivered a couple of
numbers, including the title tune
from the 20th film, “Love Is a

THE OSCAR FRISBEE SHOW
With Mao Edwards, Margie Shaef-
fer, Caiol & Bonnie Lea, Gene
Bonner orch

Production: Dick Lusher, Harry
Shoubin

Direction: Shoubin
60 Mins.; Mon. thru Fri., 3 p.m.
Participating
WAAM-TV, Baltimore
This pleasant mid -afternoon
hour of music and humor has held
its cross the board slot for more
than a full season. With some val-
uable experience behind him, Mac
Edwards approaches his stint as
m.c. and funnyman with a relaxed
and personable style.

In what might be called a road
company Steve . Allen - “Tonight”
format, Edwards combines low
pressure humor with some ' solid
piano playing. In the humor de-
partment, his material ranges
from the barely risible .to some
bright and original comedy, strik-
ing an okay average considering
the ad .lib nature of this daily
hour.

The Oscar Frisbee of the title*
is a “Harvey”-like creature who.
never manages to be caught by
the camera and gives the layout
a touch of whimsey.

Giveaways based on a mystery
tune are a daily item.

While Gene Bonner’s six-piece
combo provides some topnotch
Dixieland, the other musical talent
is sub par. Margie Shaeffer vocal-
lizes without much energy or im-
agination arid the Lea Sisters de-
liver hillbilly duets for negative
results.

. Production and- direction joint-
ly handled by Dick Lusher and
Harry Shoubin strives to perk in-
terest with fresh treatments f 07
the vocals. They come through
with some well paced, easy to takf
video. Burm.

MUSIC FROM “A”

With Joan Fairfax, Gerry Belisle;

Bill Weston, announcer;, others
Producer: Pierre Normandin
Music: Marcel Lafortune
36 Mina.; Fri., 7:30 pjn.

CBOT, Ottawa

new studios, “Music From ‘A’ *
(studio “A”) was okay for a first
Venture into tuners by producer
Pierre Normandin. But Norman-
din concentrated on the musical
side of the session which left it
practically motionless. , For .exam-
ple, drumriier Eddie Ackland, in
a ehant stint, worked at his skin-
beating while he sang. It would
have upped the effect had Ackland
been In front and let the piano,
guitar and bass handle rhythm.

Nevertheless, Normandin’s at-
tention to tunes paid off I 21 top
A five-man aggregation
with the show’s batoner, Marcel
Lafortune, on bass, Auckland on
drums, Tim Arthur, guitar, Pet#
Fleming’s vibes and Ray Lafor-
tune 88ing, produced some of the
pleasantest music ever to come
over local video. “Pick Yourself
Up,” stanza’s opener, fitted the
group like a glove and following
bits (“Crazy Rhythm,” others) were
handled expertly. Besides Ack-
land’s pipe solo, piano, guitar and
vibes worked instrumental singles.

Joan Fairfax, one of Canada’s
top tv canaries (here for nitery
and shopping centre bookings),
was «n twice, her second item;

Falling In Love,” suiting her
style and staging better than the
first, “Sin To Tell A Lie.” Gerry
Belisle’s “Blue Star” showed
clicko piping. Lad has okay video
appearance but in both his and
Miss Fairfax’s stint, show’s gener-
al static routining was a defect
Announcer Bill WestOn worked
too hard at trying to he a sophis-
ticated Dave Garroway. By being
natural he could add considerably
to the show. Camera work was
routine. Lighting was harsh at
times, possibly the result of the
difficult garden set. Gorm.

Many-Splendored Thing.” Prior
to the vocal, a short, effective
trailer Sequence with Jennifer
Jones and Bill Holden was shown.
The Aces, while vocally effective,
tended to ham it up too much with
“showmanship” gestures. Another
Decca vocal combo, the Mills Bros.,
also was featured on the show with
some of their very smooth and
pleasant harmonizing.

Max Bygraves, young . British
comic who appeared^ on “Toast”
the previous week, came back
again and scored with his straight
gag routine, assisted by a trick
giant duck. He Wound up with a
happy-styled vocal of “Anyone Can
Be a Millionaire.” Closing the
•show, Marquis and his educated
chips turned in another solid com-
edy turn.

Around the half mark, the ses-
sion bogged down with a long irtass
hoofing number with the Cramer*
ton Square Dancers. There were
also a dull pickup of the Santa
Barbara Fiesta and a shot of a
Mexican orphans' choir singing
“Auld Lang Syne.” tierm.

Wednetday, August 17, 1953

RABIO-TKLEVISIOIV

•

Chicago, Aug. 16.

' After 20 years, Foote, Cone & Belding lost the Frigidaire account
to Kudner, running to around $8,000,000 in annual billings. This
closes the FC & B Dayton servicing office. Change is effective
Jan. 1.

It's believed account will be pulled off Arthur Godfrey and given
to Jackie Gleason.

in i

To Protect Writers on TV Ideas

« . Chicago, Aug. 16. *

When WNBQ general manager
Jules , Herbuveaux and bowling
proprietor Matt, Niesen whipped up
an experimental kegler telecast
for the NBC-TV station back in
1953, little did they dream that
what they had spawned was to
grow into one of the Windy City’s
biggest video programming bonan-
zas. .

In fact, there are so many proj-
ected bowling shows on the fall
agenda of all four of the Chi tv
stations that the point of diminish-
ing • returns is expected to be re-
flected on the local Nielsens be-
fore the , year is out. If . and when
the planned howlercasts join those
already going, there will be. a total
of nine and a half hours of air time
devoted to^ the sport each week.
The pro tossers-. could make a ca-
reer Just playing the Chi tv circuit
with' its competitive cash and prize
lists.

There’s even a national offshoot
to the immediate success of the
pioneering > WNBQ show from
Niesen Valleys. Fete DeMet, the
Car dealer' sponsor of -the original
show, set a deal with Niesen and
filmed a series of 26 hour-long syn-
(Contmued on- page 38)

MBS Affiliates Elect

Seven new members were
elected to the Mutual Affiliates
Advisory Committee to join the
seven incumbents. They take of-
fice in the radio network group im-
mediately.

Elected to two-year terms were:
Berton Sonis, WTIP, Charleston,
W. Va.; Ed Dunbar, WBBQ, Au-
gusta, Ga.; Charles Harris, WpRC,
Louisville; Tom Gibbens, WAFB,
Baton Rouge; Ralph J, McElroy,
WWWL, Waterloo, la.; Willard Dea-
spn, KVET, Austin; Thomas An-
derson; ;K ALL, Salt Lake City.

Net Doubles ’54

Philadelphia, Aug. 16.«

Philco Corp. net income for first
six months of 1955 doubled that
of comparable period a -year ago,
|spurting to $3,575,000, or 90 cents
a coniinon share from $1,735,000,
or 41 cents a share, for the first
half of 1954.

James H, Carmine, Philco presi-
dent, said the first half sales this
year totalled $17 8,941,000, as com-
pared with $174,676,000 for the
1954 period. Second quarter sales
for 1955 totalled $81,216,000. A
year ago sales were $60,899,000,
which resulted in a loss of $703,-
000 after tax adjustments due to a
45-day stFikei in the company’s
electronic plailts.

* Despite the 100% increase in
earnings, Carmine felt the .Tesults
“while satisfactory, might have
been better.” The Philco ' exec
added the company has been
spending a great deal of money in
research.

Philco expects the greatest half
.year tv sales ip history during the
coming six months, Carmine stated.
Philco will begin making color
sets this fall, Carmine said, but the
company still looks oir this opera-
tion as a “pilot plant.” He doesn’t
believe color -tv will reach any
considerable volume until such
time as a tube can be mass pro-
duced to bring about lower priced
sets. Carmine doesn’t see this
possible before the first part of
1957.

SegalTs ’Big Board’

Lee Segall, creator-owner of
•‘Dr. I. Q.,” has a hew tv show
brewipg called “The Big Board.”
Quizzer is pitched around current
events, tax subjects, etc., of such
general knowledge that the “Aver-
age person” would know the an-
swers..

Th$ scene will show the big
board listing of companies on the
N.Y. Stock Exchange, with con-
testant awarded 10 to 100 shares
of stock in the company he chooses
as a category.

NBC-TV took a “make like a
magazine” stance last week as it
trotted out survey figures to estab-
lish that its “Home” show paces
all specifically named publications
except one, plus all ■ newspapers/
radio and other tv programs “as a
main source of homemaking infor-
mation and ideas in the urban
United States.”

Hugh M. BeVille, the network’s
director of research and planning,
said that the “ ‘Home’ on the
Brain” study • embraced .interviews
with 5,000 hausfraus conducted for
NBC by the Psychological Corp.
last February when the program
was nearing its first year. These
were the results in highlight: .

Program is the, main source of
service information for women,
leading all service mags in show’s
coverage area.

Ranks first in “versatility”
among all the top media as a
“good all around source.”

Show’s influence is larger among
•younger homerilakers, in the high-
er income brackets, and the big
cities.

In four media categories, women
ranked their main source of home-
making information as: magazines,
36%; newspapers, 24.6%; tv,
23.9%; radio, 4.7%.

Of the hundreds* of specific
names mentioned, “Home” led all
but Better Homes and Gardens,
With latter drawing 6.9%; “Home/’
6.8%; Good Housekeeping, 6.3%;
Ladies Home Journal, 4.8%; Mc-
Call’s, 3.1%; Woman’s Home Com-
panion, 2.5%; American Home,
2.1%; Arthur Godfrey (tv), 1.2%;
“Big Payoff,” 1.1%; Woman’s Day,
0.9%.

Six main reasons why the
femmes look to “Home’’ as “their
chief source of information and
ideas” were:

Good all around source, 31%;
fashion trends, 26%; recipes and
cooking hints, 25%; home decorat-
ing ideas, 14%; novel ideas, 11%;
household and homemaking hints,
6 %.

REUBENS GETS TRADE NOD

Beryl Reubens has been named
trade news editor of CBS-TV. Re-
succeeds Jim Kane, who’s been
transferred to the Coast to head
up the publicity operations there.

Reubens has been with the CBS
press sector for nine years.

The sixmonth earnings' report
announced at last week’s meeting
of the board of directors of CBS
Inc., revealing a 22.2% increase
over the same period in ’54 for
C o 1 u m b i a' s most profit-happy ‘
statement, throws into sharp focus
the sizzling intra-trade rivalry at
a time, when the industry in gen-
eral has been wondering what Bill
Paley & Co.* has up its collective
sleeve to counter the noise and
excitement emanating from . Pat
Weaver’s NBC camp.

The CBS report, which is a con-
solidated statement encompassing
radio,, tv, records; set and tube
manufacturing, etc., shows a net in-
come of $6,327,672 gs compared to
$5,177,449 last year, which in turn
■hikes . thq .earnings from- 74c to
87c a share. It’s ho secret that the
big black ink figures come from
tv. Radio still makes some, money; :
Columbia Records is doing well.
The manufacturing divisions (Hy-.
tron and CBS-Columbia) remain a
big headache, financial and other-
wise, occupying much of proxy
Frank Stanton’s attention.

But television is another story.
Without the burden of the financial
drain on the manufacturing side,
CBS overall profits would be
something akin, to fantastic. All
of which has cued the Columbia
basic philosophy:- “The payoff in
tv Is profits and ratings. That’s
what keeps everybody 'happy, re-
gardless of the noise the others
make.” (ARB last report gave
CBS 15 of the top 25, with four
Columbia shows in the leadoff and
Columbia also boasting the newest
winner of ’em. ail, “$64,000 Ques-
tion”).

True, CBS is falling in line with
some, of the new NBC program
concepts, notably in the spec realm
of presentation, in a bid. to latch
on to some of- the “excitement.”
But it’s no secret that both Paley
and Stanton share the same con-
viction that the ultimate payoff lies
in the profits and the audience.
“And if it’s newspaper headlines
that count,” the boys add, “how
you gonna top ‘$64,000 Question’?”

• r y

Lipscott and Fisher’s TV
Shows for Melchior, Buck

Hundred Girls And A Chef,’’
video package starring Lauritz
Melchior, is slaved for production
next year. Writers Alan Lipscott
and Bob Fisher own the show. The
team has already completed 10
shows, out of a contracted 26, for
“The People’s Choice,” tv series
starring Jackie Cooper and pro-
duced by Irving Brecher, They
now- have shows in the works for
Dick Shawn and James Barton.

Lipscott and Fisher have also
jusLcompleted the book, of the mu-
sical video revue to be used in
introducing, the 1956 Buick this
fall. Michael Kidd producing and
doing the choreography, via Kud-
ner agency;

Chicago, Aug. 16.

“Stop the Music,” Louis G.
Cowan’s yesteryear tv quizzer, had
an echo in Chi Circuit Court last
week. A Grand Rapids, Mich.,
housewife, Mrs. Margaret Firlik,
claims she correctly answered the
$8,500 jackpot question via tele-
phone on the June 21, 1951, pro-
gram and has filed suit for the
boodle. •

Besides packager Cowan, she
named ABC and show’s sponsor, P.
Lorlllard, as defendants.

Mrs. Firlik claims she identified
the jackpot tune as the “Sari
Waltz” only to be told by emcee
Bert Parks that the correct title
was “Love’s Old Sweet Song.”
Now she and her attorneys say
they’re prepared to prove' “Sweet
Song” was lifted from the waltz
written by Emmerich Kalman, the
late Viennese composer.

‘Call Me Colonel’

Cincinnati, Aug. 16,

Nelson King sounded off his 10th
anni of WCKY platter jockeying
Wed. (10) with a special 15-minute
program. He was saluted by mem-
bers of the record fraternity,
Cincy’s Mayor Carl Rich,, station
execs and staffers.

Loot included a heap of fan mail,
a Kentucky .Colonelship, a citation,
from Tennessee’s Gov. . Clements
and a set of silver.

His studio chores include the
“Daily Hit Parade” at 6:15 p.m.
and the. “Jamboree” hillbilly mara-
thon nightly from 7 to midnight

London, Aug. 16/

An estimate that Within the first
year commercial television would
earn $56,000,000 in advertising, is'
made in a report prepared by Poli-
tical and Economic Planning, an
independent research organization.

This would give the . new medium
approximately 10% of .the total
■annual expenditure on advertising.

The PEP report also forecasts
that advertising' revenue will jump
to about $84,000,000 in 1957 and
will soar to $100,000,000 by 1958.
By that time, tbe new., network
will .embrace all the densely popu-
lated areas of the country.

Although there is a steadily ris-
ihg budget for advertising sched-
ules, the PEP report anticipates
that impact of commercial tele-
vision will h? x certain other sec-
tions of advertising, particularly
expensive poster sites, and high
priced magazines, as well as pro-
vincial newspapers. In . general,
however, the’ report emphasizes
that newspaper publishing is still a
profitable business and that 74
companies made a gross profit of
upwards of $100,000,000- last year,

‘GOLDEN BOOKS’ AS
NBC-TV AYEM SERIES

Lou Cowan Is readying a pilot
of a “Golden Books” telefilm series
for kids which NBC-TV aims to
slot on Saturday or Sunday morn-
ing next season. Title is from the
kid-slanted bodk subdivision, of that
name under the Simon & Schuster
imprint with the publishing house
tied up with the package. It will
be r done in color and include ani-
mated film sequences.

Cowan (“64,000 Question”) was
recently named a program con-
sultant to CBS-TV, but the “Gold- J
en” idea has been in the planning
stage for some months.

WOKO to Mutual

Albany, Aug. 16.

WOKO, an independent statidn
since 1949, will join Mutual Sept.
26. The new affiliation was an-
nounced Sat. (13) by Robert W.
Carpenter, MBS director of station
relations, and James T. Healey,
WOKO general manager and pres-
ident of Governor Dongan Broad-
casting Corp.

The Schine-Owned WPTR will
discontinue its Mutual hookup
next* month to become an ABC
outlet. -WROW, currently an ABC
station, picks up then the Colum-
bia tie-in, now held by WTRY in
Troy.

• Washington, Aug. 18,

An amendment to the copyright
laws, to protect the unique ideas
of tv writers, especially those for
series packages, will be introduced
when Congress reconvenes in Jan-
uary, by Rep. Albert P. Morano
«(R., Conn.). .

Admitting the difficulty of writ-
ing legislation to cover the sub-
ject, Morano pointed out that i a
wide'.area of creative ideas is now
entirely . unprotected by the law.
He seeks to help the independent
writer who cannot protect even
copyrighted material from • idea
pirating. . , '

Morano disclosed that his bill is
the result of information . sub-
mitted' by William Yudain, . Connec-
ticut writer and newspaper editor,
who seeks assistance for radio and
television authors. • _

“The Copyright Office,”: Yudain
told Morano; “emphasized these
points regarding radio and 'televi-
sion material— -the general idea or
outline for a program is not copy-
rightable. Copyright will protect
the literary or dramatic expression
of an - author’s ideas but not the
ideas themselves. Registration for
a. particular script covers the copy-
rightable material in that script but
does not give dny sort, of blanket
protection to future scripts or to a
series as a whole, ,

“There are laws that protect pro-
grams containing unique and origi-
nal ideas. The programs protected
are those already on the air. Thus,
ironically, a person may create and
develop a program series based bn
an 'original basic idea and, while .
he’s trying to sell it, someone else
may acquire the idea without the
formality of negotiating, with the

(Continued bn page 42)

I Boston, Aug. 16;

Norm Prescott was handed a con-
tract by WBZ-WBZA Friday (12)
and is mulling it over. The deejay,
who joined WNEW, New York,
after four and one^half years with
WORL here, and was voted one of
the 10 best platter spinners in
Manhattan, said it was “apparent”
that he. would accept.

Contract calls for Prescott to
start Sept. 5, and do disk jockey
shows from 12:15 to 3, from 6:30
to 6:45, and from 7 to 7:30 daily
daily along with a, 9 to 12 stint on
Saturdays.

I Spokesmen for WBZ-WBZA said
negotiations with " Prescott had
been On and off for three years.
Deal is said to have been sparked
by Bill Kalland, who hired Prescott
for WNEW, and is now program
supervisor for Westinghouse prop-
erties.

Prescott was with WNEW nine
months, but retained his Boston
home during that period. Con-
tacted at his home here, the deejay
said he had received the contract
Friday and “apparently” would
sign it. He said he also has plans
to freelance in New York.

Story that Prescott will set up
around the clock programs of disk
jock patter platter format with
station killing off all soap operas
elicited no comment from either
Prescott or the station.

Participating Clients
Get NBC-TV Como Invite

NBC-TV hopes to plug the one-
third commercial gap on Perry
Como’s upcoming hour show by
making it available on a participat-
ing basis similar to the web’s
“Color Spread” sales gimmick.
Full-fledged sponsors of the sing-
er’s Saturday nighter are Kleenex,
Dormeyer Appliances, Gold Seal
and Noxzema.

Under the participation plan
there’ll be a threesome of two-
minute spots.

0 * ■

Wednesday, August 17 , 1955

Wednesday, August 17, 1953

First-run sponsorship

may still be available in your market

NBC Film Division’s “Adventures of the Falcon” makes a habit of raising station ratings
substantially in its time period. Out of nineteen major ARB-measured markets where before-and-
after information is available, “The Falcon” boosted ratings in fourteen! In Memphis, for

instance, a 14.4 rating before Falcon” soared to 25.6 with “The Falcon ” That’s the kind of
spectacular rating-increase scored by the series virtually everywhere it runs.

.... 0

Advertisers of every description have strengthened their competitive position by sponsoring
“The Falcon.” Brewers,- grocers, appliance dealers, furniture retailers, banks and loan companies,
department stores — they’ve all discovered its built-in selling power*

' o

“The Falcon” sells because it pulls audience . . . immediately ! Exciting episodes of adventure
all around the world, the exotic flavor of authentic locales, a great new star — Charles McGraw —
whose movie fame is expanding rapidly . . . these are the strong audience-values you get with
sponsorship of “The Falcon.” You also get an exclusive, package of advertising, promotion,,
exploitation and merchandising, unmatched in the industry.

First-run syndication sponsorship, at a down-to-earth cost per thousand, may still be available
in your market. Write, wire~or phone NOW!

NBC FILM DIVISION

serving all sponsors

serving all stations

80 Rockefeller Plaza, New York 20, N.Y. Merchandise Mart, Chicago, 111.
Sunset & Vine, Hollywood, Calif. In Canada: RCA Victor, 225 Mutual St. f
Toronto; 1551 Bishop St., Montreal.

ALL OVER THE WORLD!

• ' ....

34 TV-FILMS

■ i . i . i . ' " ffi 1 ”

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

ABB City-By-City Syndicated and National Spot Film Chart

VARIETY’S weekly chart of city-by-city ratings of syndicated and na-
tional spot film covers 40 to 60 cities reported by American Research Bureau
on a monthly basis • Cities toil! be rotated each week, with the 10 top-rated
film shows listed in each case 9 and their competition shewn opposite All
ratings are furnished by ARB 9 based on the latest reports.

This VARIETY chart represents a gathering of till pertinent informa-
tion about film in each market 9 which can be used by distributors , jpgencies 9
stations and clients as an aid in determining the effectiveness of a filmed
show in the specific markets Attention should be paid to time— day and

time factors , since sets-in-use and audience composition vary according to
time dot* i,e, 9 a Saturday afternoon children’s show, with a low rating 9 may
have a large share and an audience composed largely of chUdren 9 with cor-
responding results for the sponsor aiming at the children’s market. Abbre-
viations and symbols are as follows: (Adv) 9 adventure; (Ch) 9 children’s ;
(Co) 9 comedy; ( Dr) 9 drama; (Doc) 9 documentary; (Mus) 9 musical;
( Hyst) 9 mystery; (Q), quiz; (Sp) 9 sports; (W ), western; (Wom) 9
women’s, Numbered symbols next to. station call letters represent the sta-
tion’s channel; all channels above 13 are UHF, Those ad agencies listed as
distributors rep the national spot sponsor for whom the film is aired.

TOP 10 PROGRAMS DAY AND JULY SHARE SETS IN | TOP COMPETING PROGRAM

AND TYPE STATION DISTRIR. TIME RATING (*>) USE f PROGRAM STA. RATING

TV17W VAD1T A Q * r * A roc aaa c# # * WCBS (2), WRCA (4>, WARD (5), WABC (7),

NEW YORK Approx, Set Count — 4,525,000 Stations — -WOR (9), WPIX (II), WATV (13)

1. Superman ( Adv)

WRCA

. . Flamingo

9.2

17.5

6 O’clock Report

, . . . WCBS

4.0

» *

£ .

Early Show

....WCBS

4.0

2. City Detective (Myst)

.WPIX. .......

. .MCA ,

Sun. 9:30-10:00

8,9.........

20.........

43.0

Stage 7 .............. .

WCBS

3. Sherlock Holmes (Myst)

, WRCA

. . UM&M. ......

7.0

17.1

Air Force Academy ....

. . . . WCBS

6.7

4. Science Fiction Theatre (Adv)

WRCA 7.

..Ziv

.... Fri. 7:00-7:30

6.9...

42.....;...

16.4

Early Show:

. . . . WCBS

6.3

Early Show; Rain or Shine . WCBS

4. D. Fairbanks Presents (Dr) . . ,

WRCA

..ABC

..... Wed. 10:30-11:00 ...

6.9

17....

40.4

US Steel Hour . ,

. . . WCBS

.20.5

6. Mr, District Attorney. (Myst) . .

WABC

..Ziv

Tues. 9:30-10:00 ........

6.7.........

13 • • r ^ » t • p

48.8

Spotlight „ Playhouse ....

...WCBS

22.4

7. Star and the Story (Dr)

WRCA

..Official

Sat. 7:00-7:30 ..........

6.4

14.3

Gene Autry

. . . WCBS

8. Gene Autry (W) .

. WCBS

. . CBS

.... Sat. 7:00-7:30*

6.2.. ;......

14.3

Star and the Story.....

. . . WRCA

9. Waterfront (Adv)

, WABD.......

..MCA....

5.9,...

24... ..... .

23.9

Dinah Shore

. . . WRCA

....... 8.4

News Caravan .......

. , . WRCA

9. Annie Oakley (W)

.WCBS

..CBS.

Sat. 5:30-6:00 . . . /

5.9 ... .

12.3

Rin Tin Tin*

. . . WABC

2.5

•

CHICAGO Approx. Set Count — 2,055,000 Stations — WBBM (2), WNBQ (5), WBKB (7), WGN (9)

1. Mayor of the Town (Com). . .

WNBQ.. ..

MCA

Sat. 10:00-10:30

. .16.0 r. ...... .

39...

..... 40.4

Pee Wee King ,

; WBBM ..

... 9.9

■ 2. Science Fiction Theatre (Adv)

WNBQ...

..... Ziv

... Sat. 10:30-11:00 ......

. .14.3

38....

37.6

Pee Wee King

.WBBM ..

... 8.1

3. Championship Bowling (Sp) . .

WNBQ...

. . . .Sat. 11:00?11:30

. . 14.0

44....

Stars on Parade

.WBKB ..

... 7.8

4. Eddie Cantor (Com)

WNBQ...

..... Ziv ......

. ; . Mon. 9:30-10:00 ......

. . 13.9

29... .

46.9.

Summer Theatre

.WBBM ..

.. .22.4

5. Racket Squad (Myst)....

WGN

. . . Tues. 8:30-9:00

..12.4

3CT: .

41.4

Spotlight Playhouse.......

.WBBM ..

. . . 12.6

Dollar a Second

.WNBQ ..

...12.6

6. Badge 714 (Myst)

.WGN....,

. . . . Tues. 8:00-8:30

. .10.6

26. v. .

..... 39.7

Make Room for Daddy. . . .

.WBKB ...

...10.8

6. I Led 3 Lives. (Dr)

WGN

...... Ziv

. . , Tues. 9:30-10:00

.. .10.6

20...

. . . . . 51.9

It’s a Great Life

. WNBQ '..

. . .24.7

8. Mr. District Attorney (Myst).

WBKB . . .

. . . Fri. 9:30-10:00

. . 8.6

29....

Windows

.WBBM ..

... 9.9

9. Joe Palodka (Sp)

WBKB...

. . Tues. 10:30-11:00

. . 8.1

29...

Four Leaf Clover Theatre.

.WGN ....

... 7.9

10. Little* Rascals (Ch)

WBKB . . .

. . ; Sun. 2:00-2:30

.. 7.3

26... .

27.3

Baseball

.WQN ....

...19.1

a ■*

WASHINGTON

Approx, Set Count — 655,000

Stations

—WRC (4)

WXTG ( S ) wmal ( 7 ) WTOP (9)

1. I Led 3 Lives (Dr)

WRC. .

. Mon. 10:30-11:00 . .

16.6 ....

.... 45

. 37.1

Summer Theatre ........

. WTOP . .

. . . .10.5

2. Badge 714 (Myst)

WRC...

NBC

. Fri. 7:00-7:30

.. . .12.8

.... 55

23.2

Annie Oakley

. WTOP ..

7.6

3. Wild Bill Hickok (W)

WRC..

. .Thurs. 7:00-7:30 ...

12.2....

.... 65

. 18.6

Cisco Kid

. . WTOP .

. .. . . 4.4

4. Man Behind the Badge (Myst) .

WMAL.

. . Fri. 10:00-10:30 . . .

• • • • 1 1*3 « • 1 1

.... 36. r, .....

. 31.2

Undercurrent ...........

..WTOP ..

5. Follow That Man (Adv)

WMAL.

.Fri. 10:30-11:00 ...

....ii.i....

.... 41

. 27.2

The Window

..WTOP ..

8.5

6. Ramar of the Jungle (Adv) . . . .

WTOP.

TP A

. Wed. 7:00-7:30 ....

11.0.. ..

.... 46

. 23.6

Little Rascals

..WRC .■..

9.7

7, Cowboy G-Men (W)

WMAL.

.. Fri. 8:00-8:30

10.2

.... 30.7;

. 33.2

Midwestern Hayride

..WRC ...

11.6

8. Little Rascals (Ch)

WRC. .

.Wed. 7:00-7:30

.... 9.7 ... .

41 ,

23.6

Ramar of the Jungle

. . WTOP . .

9. Little Rascals (Ch).

WRC. .

. Mon.-Fri. 9:00-9:30 .

.... 8.8....

.... 88

. 10.1

Johnson’s Corner

..WTOP ..

. . . . , 1.3

10. Science Fiction Theatre (Adv)

WMAL

. Tues. 7:30-8:00 ...

8.1 ....

.... 37

. 21.6

Dinah Shore

..WRC ...

8.2

News Caravan

. . WRC . . .

8.2

ATLANTA

Approx. Set Count— 460,000

Stations—

-WSB (2), WAGA <5),

WLW-A (11)

1. Favorite Story (Dr)

WAGA

. Tues. 9:30-10:00 ...

35.5 . . . .

62..;

. 57.3

It’s a Great Life

..-WSB ...

..... 17.8

2. Racket Squad (Myst)

WSB. .

. . Sun. 10:00-10:30 . . .

29.1....

. 35.1

Sky Theatre . . ■ . .

. . WLW-A

• • «« * 3*4

3. Ellery Queen (Myst)

WAGA

........ TPA.... ...... ,.

. . .Wed. 10:00-10:30 ..

.. . . .25:9

..... 75

. 34.4

Patti Page.

, .WSB ...

. . . . ,» '6.6

This Is the Story. ..... .

,.WSB ....

4. City Detective (Myst)

WSB. .

. .Sat. 10:30-11:00 ...

23.1 . . . .

. . .. . 61

. 37.7

Wrestling . t . t T

. WLW-A

12.0

4. Mr. District Attorney (Myst) .

WSB. .

. Fri. 7:00-7:30

. . .23.1 : ,

. 32.1

Pantomime Quiz

..WAGA .

..... 7.1

6. Waterfront (Adv)

.WAGA

MCA.. ..........

. Thurs. 9:30-10:00 . .

21.2 . .

. 50,7

Baseball ;

..wsb ...

,..,.28.7

7. Death Valley Days (W).

WAGA

. .Tues. 10:00-10:30 . .

. . . . . 17.8 t .i.

44........

. 40.0

Reauest Performance

. WSB

20 1

. 8. Patti Page (Mus)

.WSB..

.. Mon. 10:00-10:30 ..

. . < . . 16.2 ....

. 25.1

Georgia Spotlight ...

..WAGA .

..... 4.1

9. City Detective (Mys)

.WSB..

. .Wed. 9:30-10:00 ...

• • • • • 13*3 » > * »

24...

. 53.7

US Steel Hour.

. . WAGA .

9. Follow That Man (Adv)

WAGA

MCA..

! .Wed. 10:30-11:00 ..

13.2 . . . .

48........

. 27.3

I Led 3 Lives

..WSB ...

. .. . 12.6

SEATTLE-TACOMA

Approx. Set Count — -400,000

Stations KOMO (4), KING (5), KTNT (11), KTVW (13)

1. Death Valley Days (W)

KING..

. .Sun. 8:30-9:00

• « • » • 37*5 * . * *

..... 59

. 63.3

Stage 7

..KTNT ..

16.1

2. Mr, District Attorney (Myst).

.KING.

. , Fri. 9:00-9:30 . . ,

* » « * < 24*4 « i • *

. 57.7

Baseball

. .KTVW . .

18.5

3. Star and the Story (Dr)

.KING.

. . .Mon. 9:30-10:00 .*7

a • < « » 23.6 * • * •

. 56.5

Robt. Montgomery Presents . KOMO .

4. Life of Riley (Com)

.KING.

. . Thurs. 7:30-8:00 . .

23*4 < « • *

. 56.5

Climax . . . .

..KTNT .

22.0

5. Badge 714 (Myst)

. KING.

.. Fri. 9:30-10:00 ...

.. .. .23.0. . . .

. 58.9

Baseball 1

. , KTVW

6. Waterfront (Adv)

:komo

. .Fri. 7:30-8:00 ....

• ».... 21.2 . . . .

. 48.8

Topper

..KTNT .

14.3

7. Science Fiction Theatre (Adv)

KING.

.. Tues. 8:00-8:30 ...‘

• « * » • 10*6 • • ■ ■

43...

. 45.0

Western Marshal

, . KOMO

13.3

8 . Eddie Cantor (Com)

.KING.

.. Wed. 8:30-9:00 ...

• *i4p 19*0 * • • •

. 66.1

I’ve Got a Secret

..KTNT .

8 . City Detective (Myst)

.KING.

. .Fri. 8:30-9:00 ....

.....19.0

. .... 31

. 60.1

Baseball

, . KTVW

17.7

10. Annie Oakley (W)

.KING.

. . Thurs. 7:00-7:30 . ; .

• • • * 0 18.3 * • - • •

. 43.7

Bob Cummings

..KTNT .

20,2

Wednesday, August 47, 1955

TV-FILMS 85

. I. I . I Ml .^1

4 *

Because the country’s brimming oyer with breweries this year,
vidfilmers expect to scrape off a larger share of the suds coin than
ever before. Syndicators note that the U. S. Treasury Department -
(Alcohol and Tobacco Divisi&ft) - reported 311 native beer makers
last year.

Greater number of brewers has made competition among them
“fiercer than ever before/’ according to MCA-TV, which put out
a detailed report on the subject of video advertising done by the
group. The telefilm report takes- no cognizance of the fact that
a number of- beer sponsors have' a preference for sports shows.. In-
stead,. MCA tells of an increase over the past two years in brew
billings among its now half-hour properties. Upbeat trend seems
to-be occurring elsewhere also.

MCA notes that national brands are buying or building brew-
eries all over the U. S. to compete against regional and local brew-
eries. Latter, in turn, are reported by the syndicator as expanding
into nearby territories while still protecting home bases.

Reason telefilm sales jump, according' to MCA, is that with the
expansion there is a concurrent need for advertising flexibility.
Claiming that video hits more beer drinkers than all other media, '
the syndicator goes on to say that national and regional spot buys
provide more time-of-day flexibility to brew makers than network
shows. ,

WCBS-TV ‘Early Show* Apes Late Nite Counterpart

With Live Commentary

• -4

WCBS-TV's “Early Show” will
have an on-camera host for the first
time, with the New York flagship
of CBS pacting announcer George
Bryan for the live chore. This Will
also permit station to schedule live
commercials in another departure.

Both “Early Show” and its noc-
turnal sister, “Late Show,” will be
fortified next season with a large
bloc of top features, but while
“Late” runs nightly from 11:15
for about 90 minutes, “Early” will
have an abbreviated slotting of 55
minutes. As result, the announcer
will coyer the condensation by nar-
rative bridges. Some of the prod-
uct, for instance, will have to be
edited down from 90 minutes, a tall
order if done without such bridg-
ing.

“Early Show” will run from 6:15
to 7:10 starting Sept. 26, but Bryan
will get a two weeks’ headstart on
the 12th. As of last week, the film
grind had wrapped up 34 of its 40
participating spots per week.

Stevenson Signed To
3-Pix Deal on GE Senes

Hollywood, Aug. 16.

Director Robert Stevenson has
been signed to a three-picture deal
for the CBS-TV-General Electric
series being filmed by TCF Tele-
vision Productions, 20th-Fox tv
subsid.

Stevenson’s first assignment will
be “Our Life,” starring Linda
Darnell, from a Frank and Doris
Hursley script. Jules Bricken' pro-
duces.

$1,500,000 Kling

Gross on Tap In

n?. u:J • : n: J

'Margie Now Has

Philadelphia, Aug. 16.

“My Little Margie” film series
Will be presented cross the board
by WPTZ, beginning Sept. 5. Hal
Roach, Jr, series, purchased from
Official Films will serve as after-
noon keystone for lineup which in-
cludes toprated “Hollywood Play-
house,” at 1:30 p.m. and new NBC
“Matinee” series to bow Oct. 3 in
the 3 p.m* slot.

WPTZ purchase makes it the
first local station to present previ-
ous nighttime web show on a five-
times-a-week afternoon basis. Sta-
tion is planning exploitation cam-
paign on theme “It’s nighttime in
the daytime on WPTZ.” Extensive
publicity campaign on “Margie”
series kicks off week of Aug. 22.

’Million Dollar Movie’;-
Seven Sponsors So Far

WOR-TV, N.Y., is making some
changes in the sales plan for “Mil-
lion Dollar Movie.” Instead of a
maximum of eight sponsors sharing
the 16 weekly exposures of each
feature, the General Teleradio o&o
has opened the full-length gates to
nine bankrollers.. And instead of
the flat $4,175 per sponsor every
week, starting Sept.* 19 the station
Will charge each one $4,782 weekly,
with progressive discounts for sec-
ond, third and fourth 13-week
cycles.

New setup has attracted seven
bankrollers so far. N.Y.. Telephone,
Rival Dog Food, Sterling Drug and
Piel’s Beer have renewed from last
season. And Muller Macaroni,

(Continued on page 36)

Chicago, Aug. 16.

Kling .Film Productions is shoot
ing for a $1,500,000 gross this year
at its Washington St. studios which
were opened a year” ago last week.
Kling exec veepee Fred Niles-said
July was the firm’s biggest month
and that the operation has tripled
its gross dollar and production
volume since* the addition of the
new facilities.

Bulk of Kling’s biz is in custom
tv film commercial and industrial
work, although the plant has been
used for the lensing of outside
syndicated packages such as the
26 half-hour Eddy Arnold vidpix
and the Oral Roberts religious
series currently in production.

Niles reports the company has
spent nearly $800,000 converting
the . former skating rink-armory
into a film center. Some $550,-
000 was spent redoing the 90,000
square feet into three stages and
two. wings of office space. Another
$247,000 was laid out for the equip-
ment.

Firm is opening up a Detroit
office this week to be managed by
Lloyd Pearson, formerly with the
Pearson Luce film company in
San Francisco.

Claim Disney Reneged

u Los Angeles, Aug. 16.

Walt Disney Productions Inc., is
charged with breach of contract in
a deal for a telepix series, in a
$100,000 damage suit filed in L. A.
Superior Court by Jack Couffer,
Conrad Hall and Marvin Wein-
stein, said to be partners in Can-
yon Films,

Complaint charges that under a
March 3, 1955 agreement Canyon
was employed to produce at least
five color films in a new series,
“When I Grow Up,” <but that on
April 5 Disney decided to produce
teleseries himself.

Hollywood, AUg. 16.

Syndication of new firstrun tele-
film properties for fall premiering
is- at its lowest ebb in three years,
nearly two-thirds under last year’s
level, Survey of the top syndica-
tion houses show a total of a
mere 13 new series presently , on
the market for fall kickoff. This
compares with more than 30 a year
ago and at least 20 the year before,
when the syndication business burst
into bloom as -the first post-freeze
stations hit the air.

A look at activities among the
major houses shows the following
lineup of. new properties prepped 1
exclusively for syndication and on
or about to be on sale locally and
regionally:

NBC Film Division, “The Great
Gildersleeve” and “Steve Dono-
van, Western Marshal”; Guild
Films, “The Goldbergs” dnd “I
Spy”; Television Programs ' of
America, “The. Count of Monte
Christo” and “Science in Action 4 *;
CBS Television Film Sales, “Long
John Silver”; Ziv Television. Pro 1
grams, “Highway Patrol”; ABC
Film Syndication, “Sheena, Queen
of the Jungle”; MCA-TV, “The
Secret Journal of Dr. Hpdson”;
National Telefilm Associates,
“Theatre” (British); Official Films,
“The Scarlet Pimpernel” (British);
and Screencraft, “Judge Roy
Bean.”

Additionally, there are a couple
in the “iffy” class. If Guild can’t
find a national bankroller for the
alternate week of “Confidential
File,” which it sold national spot
skip-a-week to Bardahl, it will put
the other half on the local-regional
boards. And Flamingo Films'
“Stars of the Grand Ole Opry,”
though heavily sold through the
spring and summer, only took to
the air in most locales last week
and might be classed with the fall
entries.

Back of the slackoff in produc-
tion of new series for syndication
is a double reason. First, the major
syndicators have painful memories
of how they ail got clobbered last
fall, when all of them rushed out
several new properties and ran
into a buyers’ market that wreaked
havoc on prices and net profits.
They won’t let it happen agajn,
that’s for sure. Secondly, this has
been the summer of the rerun deal,
and most of the syndicators are
heavily laden with new-to-syndica-
tion, dir ect-from-the -networks re-
run packages. Example is Official,
with rerun rights on “My Little
Margie,” “Trouble With Father,”
“Foreign Intrigue” and “Willy.”
There’s more than enough rerun
properties to keep the biggest of,
sales staffs busy.

In one way, the syndicators are
fortunate that there is so little
hew product on its way. They
would have been hurt badly by the
Screen Actors Guild strike, since
they, unlike the networks, can’t
switch from film to live as some
of the webs believe they will do.
But with no company readying
more than two new properties, they
can all lean on their new rerun
packages plus repeats on their
J older syndicated entries to carry
them through the strike. A year
ago, many would have been forced
out of business, since, they had no
backlog.

TOY COUNCIL BUYS
PAUL WINCHELL VIDPIX

The Mel Gold produced 15-min-
ute Paul Winchell vidpix' skein will
be sponsored via national spot by
the Toy Guidance Council in its
annual pre-Xmas video push, Deal
was set for the kiddie sponsor
through agency Friend-Relss.

Television Advertising Bureau’s
national spot chief Ray Nelson was
also in on the over $500,000 nego-
tiation. Council’s budget calls for
13 once-weekly exposures of the
Winchell celluloid in 75 markets.
Last year the toy rep outfit bought
local shows for the pre-Xmas rush.

MCA Plans Syndicating
’Kit Karson,’ ’Seahawk’

MCA-TV. is reportedly going to
add two more telefilm properties
this fall to its current syndication
list of 27. One is fairly definite,
“Kit Karson,” which for the past
several seasons has been nation-
ally spotted under the Coca Cola
Bottling banner. The other new
series is said to be the “Seahawk,”
but its future is tentative.

“Seahawk” production 'will de-
pend on the distribbery’s ability to
line up at least one. large regional
deal, to give the plan some guaran-
tee of financial return. ESSO of
Calif, is understood to be the
bankroller considering the setup.

MCA, with the largest catalog in
the vidpix, syndication field, added
recently the Gene Autry and Roy
Rogers theatrical pix.

All further vidfilm . plans at
Italian Films Export are in a state
of suspended animation. It’s un-
derstood there has been a series
of financial and policy difficulties
emanating from Italy, where IFE
controlling interests are located.
The problems concern not only
planned telefilm productions but
theatrical and talent deals as well.

As a result of these problems' it
Was decided several weeks ago to
liquidate IFE-USA, Which has- deep
commitments * to the Italian gov-
ernment and Italian production
companies, and establish a new
Company, headed by Ralph Serpe,
to achieve more freedom. It was
to be a theatrical and television
agency, and plans for its establish-
ment had been moving along well
until very recently, but now it’s
understood that the Italians, who
started . the original company, now
have serious objections about loss
of control.

The new Serpe-headed firm was
reported ready to go out and make
its own talent and production deals,
borrowing heavily on Italo facili-
ties for lensing of films. Vidpix
were high on the Serpe agenda,
with the probability of starting
new costume series being of fore-
most consideration.

Under the current structure at
IFE, Serpe seems to have met one
block after another to the start of
shooting on a Foreign Legion series
and ‘ two or three costume .pieces.
His Italian superiors are said to be
very cautious about committing
themselves monetarily to other vid-
films until they see what becomes
of the “Three Musketeers,” which
Thetis produced in Italy for Ameri-
can video consumption. That
show was originally ‘ handled by
Official Films, but they returned
it to IFE and since company has
been trying to work up contracts
with Ted Ashley and Ziv.

Ziv’s latino Patrol’

Ziv is now converting “Highway
Patrol” into Spanish. The Brode^
rick Crawford starrer is the ninth
Ziv vidfilm series to be given the
Latino treatment.

Dubbing of “Patrol” is- to take
place at the Ziv Mexico City set-
up. Casting for voices is underway.

ALAN LADD’S MCA SERIES

MCA has picked out a, weekly
video format for Alan Ladd, whose
only tele appearance to date was
a one-shot on “General Electric
Theatre.” It’ll be a vidfilm half-
hour in the hoss opera class.

MCA is seeking only a national
deal on the skein.

Screen Actors Guild member-
ship is expected to endorse the
recommendations of their direc-
torate* at a meeting tonight (Tues.)
in settlement of the 12-day strike,
against the vidpix industry, when
they vote on a compromise formu-
la agreed on Sunday night by the
board for 35% second-run coin.

In interim deals inked by cer-
tain indies since the walkout,
which started Aug. 5, the figure
was 75%, down from the original
100% demand, ’ with these pro-
ducers to receive, terms reached
between SAG and- Alliance of TV
Film Producers. In addition, it’s
’understood that SAG has negoti-
ated for 30% for third reruns;
25% for fourth run. Under the
old pact, SAG received nothing
for the second, 50% for third and
fourth runs.

It’s understood the minimum
daily wage for telepix actors is
upped from $70 to $80, a Compro-
mise figure to the initial demand
for $90. Producers in first coun-
ter-proposal offered $75.

Alliance board and major tele-
filmeries meet late today (Tues.)
to approve the^format, but it’s un-
derstood both will okay terms so
the strike can end if — as expect-
ed — actors go > along with the
Board’s recommendation that a
new pact be approved. Basic
agreement between SAG and pro-
ducers will be for four or five
years, but negotiations can be
opened by either party on any rea-
sonable issue' before the. deadline.

Of 93 Firstnms

WCBS-TV has bought another
bundle of films, this time 13 from
Hollywood TV Service . to add to
the $100,000 cluster of 15 top pix
from ABC? Film Syndication. With
other packages, including J. Arthur
Rank product from National Tele-
film ■'Associates, it will enable the
CBS flagship to offer- 93 firstruns
in the New York market during the
1955-56 season.

In the Hollywood TV package
are five John Wayne starrers,
“Three Faces West,” “Wheel of
Fortune,” “Lady For a Night,”
“Lady From Louisiana” and “In
Old California.” The others are
“Wyoming” ( Vera Ralston ) , “Earl
Carroll Vanities” (Dennis O’Keefe,
Constance Moore, Eve Arden,
Otto Kruger, Alan Mowbray,
Pinky Lee), “Romance & Rhythm”
(Kenny Baker, Phil Silvers), “I,
Jane Doe” (Vera Ralston, Ruth
Hussey), “The" Flame” (Vera Ral-
ston, Broderick Crawford ) , “‘High
& Happy” (Eddie Albert, Con-
stance Moore), “Lake Placid
Serenade” (Vera Ralston), and
“That's My Man” (Don Ameche).

4-Star to Tag Along
On ‘80 Days’ for India,
Japan Vidpix Footage

Hollywood, Aug. 16.

Permission to have a Four Star
Productions cameraman accompany
him to Japan and India during
shooting sessions on “Around the
World in 80 Days” was granted
David Nliven by . producer . Mike
Todd. The vidpix cameraman will
shoot background footage for
CBS-TV “Four Star Playhouse”
when Niven is not actually before
cameras for “80 Days.”

Background footage is part of
Four Star program to bring more
“international” flavor into the vid-
pix series next season, Charles Boy-
er, like Niven a Four Star v.p. as
well as one of series’ stars, is cur-
rently shooting two “Playhouse”
stanzas in Paris. On Niven’s re-
turn, writers will be assigned to
script stories in which to fit the
Japanese and Indian footage.

&9.iaj)¥i

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

“She’s right again..:

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

stock is soaring in Chicago!”

Latest report from advertisers in the Chicago area:
Julian Bentley’s stock is soaring . Small wonder. Here
are the bare facts about the popularity of WBBM’s
Bentley in Chicago radio today:

JULIAN BENTLEY AND THE NEWS at noon-^
time is the most listened-to news show in all Chicago
broadcasting, day or night, network or locally pro-
duced. In fact, it’s the most listened-to locally pro-
duced program in all Chicago radio.

JULIAN BENTLEY'S 6:45 PM NEWS onWBBM
consistently is among the top ten evening programs

in the Chicago market, network or locally produced.

QUESTIONS FOR OUR TIMES, Bentley’s brand
new half-hour weekly commentary that brings clearly
into focus the most vital current happenings, is al-
ready creating talk all over Chicago.

The loyalty of Bentley’s vast audiences is earning

dividend after dividend for advertisers on WBBM
*

Radio. When you have something to sell in the
Chicago area, make yourself heard in the nation’s
second biggest market by getting in touch with CBS
Owned WBBM or CBS Radio Spot Sales.

WBBM

Chicago’s Showmanship

RADIO

Station

38 HAPIO-TEIE VISION

Television Chatter

New York

Special series of courses to pre-
pare college students for career
in television publicity writing and
network-station promotion writing,
will be presented this fall at Fair-
leigh Dickinson College, Teaneck,
N. J., by Harry Rauch, veepee of
Television - Radio Publicity and

Promotion Department of the Bu-
reau of Industrial Service, subsid-
iary of Young & Rubicam.

N. Y. Times Sunday mag section
profiling Lou Cowan (“$64,000
Question") next week . . . Sandy
Sheldon to produce “Ask the Cam-
era” preeming Aug. 22 on WRCA-
TV . . . Tommy Furtado, featured
vocalist of George Skinner show
on WCBS-TV and ABC Radio’s
“Your Dancing Party,” to-Portugal
Sept. 15-30 for combined business-,
vacation and will guest radio
shows in Lisbon, appear at behe-
fits and tour under auspices of
Portuguese government . . . WRCA-
TV’s Peter Affe vacationing on
Cape Cod . . . Henry Barnard on
“Kraft TV Theatre’^ tonight (Wed.)
in “The Failure,’’ by George Low-
ther . . . TV writer Rosemary
Rothschild’s “Major League Rhu-
barb” recipe copped a major award
in the Heinz national “Cook With
Ketchup” contest . . . Bobby Lane,
writer on the Norman Brokenshtre
show, will join production staff of
WRCA-TV’s “Sky’s the Limit” . . .
Buddy Piper doing vacation relief
for Jack Barry on CBS-TV “Winky
Dink & You” . . . Doris Storm
back to Con Edison’s news show,
“Three Star Final” on WPIX,. after
birth of third son, making* it an
eveir two years since she started
doing the commercials.

Donald Woods,. “Damon Runyon
Theatre” emcee, touring 14' east-
ern colleges in Sept., lecturing on
Runyon humor . . . Allan Manings
and Bob Van Scoyk team with Jay
Burton and Carl Jampel to grind
out the scripts for the Arthur God-
frey ayemer while Peter Lind
Hayes is. subbing* . . . Julie Harris
and Menasha Skulnik appear Sept.
14 and 28, respectively, via “U. S.
Steel Hour” : . . Denise Lor takes
four weeks from the Garry Moore
strip with Isobel Robbins stepping
in. Former, who returns on Sept,
12, spends her first week off head-
lining at the Casino Royal, D. C.
. . . Jerry Vale guests on Ted
Steele’s WOR-TVer tomorrow
(ThurS.) . . . Don Morrow doubling
for, Bob Dixon via CBS-TV “Win-
dows” in the Amoco commercials
. * . Fred Todaro is new boss of
color facilities at Circle Film Labs
. . . Pinchhitting while Red Foley
vacations from ABC-TV “Ozark
Jubilee” are Eddy Arnold and
Webb Pierce . . . TP A prexy Mil-
ton Gordon to Europe, among
other things, to open a London
office , . . Charlie Applewhite and
Jack Carter both switch from Wm.
Morris to MCA . . , Another in the
summer Sub route: Eydie Gorrae
for Julius LaRosa while latter
takes off from his Video stanza to

do a p.a. in Atlantic City . . , Mir-
iam Kressyn and Seymour Recht-
zeit debut as “Mr. and Mrs. Jewish
TV” on WATV Sept. 7,

Marian Russell in one of the
leads On “Modern Romances” all
this week while husband Peter Fer-
nandez resumes shooting tomorrow
(Tburs.) in Guild Films’ “I Spy”
series ... Ray Wencil, erstwhile
comic, scripting Arthur Godfrey
morning tv and radio show ...
Bernard Wilens and Edward Rosen,
ex-Baum-Newbom office added, to
William Morris Agency’s tv drama
casting dtept. . , . Radio-tv scripter-
producer Jerry Devine driving
leisurely east, due to about Sept. 1
to enter son. Michael in Taft School
and will make his home in N.Y.
through next December. . . Bar-
bara Joyce exits femme lead on
“Secret Storm” soaper after eight
months and shoots pilot this week
of “Doorway to Fortune.!’

‘Million $ Movie 1

Continued from page 35 mSSSSm

Philip Morris and Soft-Set are new
advertisers coming into “MDM.”

Last Sept., WOR began the initial
“MDM” runs armed with 30 fea-
tures that the- parent GT bought
from the Bank of America. They
were the* biggest features to hit tv
up til that time. Now the met area
outlet has several Associated Artist
pictures to usfe plus 11 NT A pix
which were recently purchased.
Arid though the station has made
official denials regarding the ad-
dition of any of the RKO pix owned
by GT,. it’s known that all the GT
stations, including WOR, will fall
heir to some of them. Reason WOR
cannot talk of RKO footage is be-
cause the parent outfit has not de-
cided what will be available.

Promise of RKO films renews the
possibility of having two separate
“MDM,” one of which will probably
start at 7 p.m. across the board
and use the current- available cata-
log, and the other at 10 p.m. and
use RKO stuff. So instead of 16
exposures of one film, there’d be
seven or eight of NTA-AA and a
like number Of an RKO pic.

WOR will return* on the 19th at
9 to 10 p.m. (that’s between
“MDM” showings) to a mystery
vidfilm block. In addition to the
“Badge 714” of last year, outlet
has bought from MCA reruns on
“Big Town,” “I Am the Law” and
“Biff Baker” and several anthology
half-hours. From CBS Film it took
“Files of Jeffrey Jones," from
Sterling “Tales of Tomorrow” and
from Official the “Foreign Intrigue”
replays. The 9 to 10 back-to-back
mysteries will run, just as with the
features, seven nights weekly, and
they’ll be sold either by the show
or via participations.

316,000

WGAL-TV 1 WATTS '

LANCASTER, PA. • NBC • CBS •' DUMONT

STEINMAN STATION, -Chlr McCollo»»h, ftw.

Representatives

MEEKER TV, INC.

Nf:w Yorrf • l o', A n '.j r I p i
Chicncjo • Son F'cjn'i.co

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

$10,000,000 Sales Mark j
On ‘Oakley’ Merchandise'

Hollywood, Aug. 16.

“Annie Oakley” merchandising
sales are expected to top the $10,-
000,000 mark on the fall market, ac-
cording to Mitchell J. Hamilburg,
veepee in charge of merchandising
of Gene Autry’s Flying A Produc-
tions, producers on the “Oakley”
telefilms.

Currently more than 18,000 de-
partment and specialty stores are
stocking the merchandise, be re-
ports, Hamilburg bases his predic-
tion on safes reports from the 48
American licensed and 12 Cana-
dian manufacturers to make
“Oakley” items.

‘Great Man’

Continued from page 26

casting credits that insure authen-
ticity to whatever fictional or
pseudo-fictional backgrounds with
which he endows his novel. His
2,117 broadcasts of the CBS “This
Is New York” las writer-producer);
bis countless half-hour shows for
the Armed Forces Network out °f
Paris, starring the jtop USO names;
and his background of 5.000 radio
and tv programs give him a pro-
fessional grounding of enviable
proportions.

The book itself is one* of those
“can't put it down” jobs, rich in
breezy dialog, uninhibited and
authentic in its raciness; flavored
with an atmosphere of authority
which bespeaks the pro. This is no
come-lately writer who decided to
absorb a little trade patois as a
background for a Huckster Alley
novel. The dialog and the situa-
tions breath authenticity, and so
do the fictional characters.

“The Great Man,” the: folksy
headliner, dies in a plane crash
on Monday; and between then and
the Friday “memorial” telecast,
the hero is faced with the problem
of finding an honestly nice thing
to say about the two-timing, gold-
bricking accident whom the- biddies
all over tflb land have accepted
for anything but what he really is.
The first-person hero finds himself
retching at the prospect of script-
ing, producing and personally com-
menting this spurious “Herb Ful-
ler Memorial Program.” As be
struggles and wrestles with scripts
and taped excerpts of “Herb Ful-
ler’s” phoney-as-a-$3-bill programs,
his war record, his fatuoris leers
and the intra-studio knowledge of
his despotism, this becomes an in-
creasingly loathesome chore.

In. the five days betwejen the
Monday fatality and the 'Friday
night “memorial,” the pseudo-
biographer unfolds an iconoclastic
closeup of a huckster and micro-
phone-made phoney who spurious-
ly enjoyed public acclaim despite
all his lecherous and loutish per-
sonal behavior. The seven chapters
are thus divided into Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
until the climactic Friday “memo-
rial,” plus a brief prolog and epi-
log to tie together a very readable
novel.

Most disappointing Is the incon-
clusive epilog. Not disappointing is
the grip on the reader; the brash
dialog; the fastpaced unspooling
of a .racy and racing insight on
“The Great Man” — soon, it is ap-
parent to the reader, a very tongue-
in-cheek reference.

Novins’ Terformer’

Status as Moderator
In Ankling Desk Job

A new talent arrangement with
CBS gives Stuart Novins the status
of a “performer” under which he
becomes moderator of radio-tv
shows in the news forum groove.
Under that deal he steps out as
associate director of public affairs,
a berth to which he was named
when the CBS corporation lumped
the division’s aural and visual last
year with Sig Mickelson as v.p. and
Irving Gitlin as director,

Novins will preside over “Face
the Nation” (tv on Sundays with
tape version for radio that night)
and “Leading Question” on AM,
latter having already started with
him at the helm over the weekend,
Ted Koop and Dwight Cooke are
relieved on “Face” and. Question.”
Understood Novins will be given
additional aassignments from time
to time.

Succeeding Novins in the asso-
ciate post is John Jefferson, who
has a varied background 'in the
‘ news-public affairs field.

From The Production Centres

^ i Continued from page 26

contest started by him on his WCCO Radio “As You Like it” show.
Adams spells out the name of a community in WCCO’s 109-county
primary in scramble Order and listeners are invited to try to. un-
scramble it . . . Richard Compton, .recent U. of Minnesota graduate,
an addition to the WCCO Radio news bureau in writing capacity . . .
Kar Karnstedt, KSTP farm director, to speak on NBC’s network “Na-
tional Farm and Home” show* Aug. 20 . . . Andy Walsh, one of KSTP-
TV’s “Barn Dance” show stars, scheduled for personal appearances at
Minnesota State Fair this. month.

IN PITTSBURGH . . ,

Barry Kaye, WJAS deejay, renegotiating new pact with station. His
present’ deal expires this week . . . Joe Tueker, head of WWSW sports
department, and his wife celebrate their 20th wedding* anni on Aug.
25 . , . KDKA-TV has bought the .“Li’l Rascal” pix. for its fall , pro-
gramming , . . Cliff Daniel, manager of WCAE, chalked up 20 years*
at the station. He started there as an announcer in August, 1935 ...
Sterling Yates pinchhitting for vacationing Rege Cordic on KDKA . . .
Vicki Grosse, wife of Win Fanning, Post-Gazette radio-tv editor, has
started a new “German Hour” on WPIT every Sunday. She also Con-
tinues to spin international platters on WHOD . . . J. Caley Augustine,
head of promotion and publicity for WJAS, will have the same post
at WIIC when Channel 11 get? going. Station is a merger of WJAS
and Post-Gazette’s WWSW . ... . Bob Dickey has left WJAS to go with
Bob Michel on allnight deejay show on' KDKA.

IN SAN FRANCISCO ...

Wedding plans busting out all over KRON-TV: Melba Ford, sta-
tion manager Harold See’s secretary, engaged to Martin Martensen,
and music librarian Joy Kent engaged to Bob Winters . . . Jules
Dimdes, KCBS general manager, back at his desk after a week’s tour
of Northern California’s redwoods . . . Julian Lesser, “I Search for
Adventure” producer, discussed telling the story of the raft Lehi with
Devere Baker and the other sailors who tried to make it to Hawaii
. . Radio-TV boss of thp new Wilson-Markey agency here is Lenn
Curley . . . KGO-TV and-Falstaff combined to throw a wlngding to
kick off Don Sherwood’s sudsy half-hour on. “San Francisco Tonight’'
. . . New son, William, for Ted Scot* of KRON-TV ^ . KNBC’s Doug

Pledger showed up modeling pajamas — male — for a- Macy’s fashion
show . . . Bill Weaver of KCBS became father of a sdn, Stephen, and
celebrated six years with the station. *

IN CINCINNATI ,

Dick Baker, WSAI sportscaster, appointed by Sherwood R. Gordon,
president, to double as director of operations of -the station’s FM oper-
ation, revived after two-year silence . . . Gilbert W. Kingsbury, Crosley
Broadcasting Corp. vice president and public relations, has additional
chore of news and special events co-ordinator . . . Walter Jacobs is
new production manager of WLW-T, stepping, up from producer. Suc-
ceeds Bob Roberts who joined Biow agency in N. Y. C. . . . WCPO-TV’s
Bob Braun is emcee of Friday night amateur shows staged at hilltop
RKO Paramount Theatre.

■ < I I ■ I ■ ■ * .1 ■■■ ■■■ —

10-Pin Telecasts

S 5 S continued from page 31 sss

dicated vidpix. A second batch of
26 films were shot by DeMet last
June in the Brunswick-Balke al-
leys in Paramus, N. J., (DeMet
and Niesen are currently in a legal
wrangle over an accounting of the
profits of the first bundle and the
use of the “Championship Bowl-
ing” title.)

Schwimmer Sees 150 Markets

laid out in Polk Bros.’ south side
store. . Polk’s pick up the tab,
natch. Although he’s been scooped
by WBBM-TV’s new “Teen-Pin-
ners,” WBKB veep Red Quinlan
has been , working out the details
for two hour shows built around
kiddie bowlers. One would feature
little tykes and the other high
schoolers.

The bowling telepix are bei'rig
distributed by Walt Schwimmer
and on the basis of orders being
logged in it’s* figured the series will
be running in between a 100 and
150 markets next winter. The
original package of 26 hit 78 cities
last season and have caught on so
well they’ve been held over for re-
I runs* in some 50 markets. Genesee
Brewing has ordered the new series
for eight New York state stations'
and the Griesedieck brewery has
an option for 20 or 25 midwest
cities. 0

In most of the markets where
the, film version is being or will
be screened, it’s believed the show
pretty much has the .local tv bowl-
ing sweepstakes to Its self. At
least it’s considered doubtful the
sport has, caught on as tv pro-
gramming fodder to the extent it
has in Chicago.

Actually^WNBQ was the first to
imitate itself when it added a
second half-hour show to the
original 60-minute remote from
Niesen’s -emporium. Both programs
have beeii consistent commercial
sell-outs with Kool-Vent and 7-Up
in on the hour-long Saturday night
show when it returns next month.
General Cigar returns as sponsor
of the Tuesday night half-hour.

CBS’s WBBM-TV this fall Is get-
ting on the tenpin bandwagon In a
big way. Initial entry is a Satur-
dar afternoon hour show featuring
teenage bowlers at the Marigold
Arcade. Bowing Sept. 14 will be
another 60-minute remote from
Marigold -with pro tossers vying
for a $19,000 prize list. Peter Fox
Brewing bankrolls. Also in the
same idiom Is the “Universal
Bowling Clinic” which starts Sept.
12 with Sam Weinstein and Paul
Krumske making with the lessons
under the auspices of United
Bowling Supplies.

ABC’s WBKB is in the act with
a 90-minute televised contest re-
moted Sunday nights from alleys

WGN-TV is repped in the parade
by the aforementioned “Champion-
ship Bowling” films. The first
packet is currently in its third
Chi run with Aron Heating bank-
rolling. Hamms beer is slated to
come in Sept. 25 with the new 26-
week series.

Plano • Organ • Celeste

WAY OF
THE WORLD
NBC-TV

Radio. Registry •

TEXACO STAR THEATRE

SATURDAY NIGHT— NJ.C.

Mgt.t Wllllsm Morris Aosncy

Wednesday, Aupigt 17, MSS

RADIO-TELEVISION 39

Par’s DuMont Control

assess ContiBUAd from V*K9 27 £555555=

dios, which are said to cost $5,000,-

000 .

In the .latter days of its battle.
Par bad the support of Carl M.
Loeb & Rhoades, stock brokerage,
which at various times has claimed
for itself control of between 200,-
000 and 350,000 DuMont shares.
* Whatever the figure, it is admit-
tedly the second largest block of
'shares (next to Par’s) in DuMont.

Jockey For. Stock 1

L&R’s acclaimed reason for the
Vspin off” has been to appreciate
the value of DuMont .stock by di-
vorcing ^ the losing broadcasting
division from the moderately prof-
itable manufacturing enterprises.
Wall Streeters, who are following*
L&R’s practice and buying all the
loose DuMont shares they can, find
at prices In the vicinity of $14 a
share, sense that the brokerage,
which seats one man on the Du-
Mont board, has even better ways
to build the value of DuMont
stock. v

While L&R’s purpose, then, is
to clean up via. stock boosts, Par’s,
less openly, appears to have been
to control the' company Itself
Though Par ownedr 26% of Du-
Mont before the “spin off” and
will still own only 26% after it,
the outfit’s influence .in *the com-
*• pany has changed subtly.

To explain the subtle change,
tradesters have dissected the
stock holdings in DuMont. There
are '1,801,054 shares of Class A
common, held by about 12,000
stockholders, most .of the 'little
ones having a record of supporting.
Dr. DuMont’s policy decisions,
probably bsc&use of his prestige
in the company. There are also
560,000 shares of Class B common,
all of which are held by Par.

Class A and B stock are alike
except for purposes of voting for
board. members and officers in Du-
Mont. Class A elected five board
members and the prexy and v.p.
of the company. Class B (in -other
words Par) elected three members
of the board, the treasurer and
secretary. The key to the matter
of control was that Par’s influence
under this setup was said always
to be .negative because all cor-
porate action required a majority
vote of both stock classes. If Par
didn’t like Dr. DuMont’s ideas, it
only had to withhold its approval.
It was an effective veto.

However, a corollary to the “spin
off” will turn everything into one
stock type. That would mean that
Par will not have the right of veto
anymore,- hut because of its
changed status it will be able to
cast vow Jpr the prexy and v.p.
of DuMont, the two top posts in
the outfit. Par seems to feel that
. it can pass any corporate legisla-
v tion or elect any officers it pleases,

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IVIRY DAY
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because there is reason to believe
that it can always . count' on L&R
for its one board vote and nearly
always on the vote held by another
stockbroker, 'Percy Stewart. If the
board is upped from eight to 10
chairs, it’s even probable that, they
will be filled by Par-approved di-
rectors.

Since the balance of power will
be exactly the same in the new
company, Par takes for granted
its control of broadcasting also.

Aside frpm his personal hold-
ings, which are a limited number
of shares (certainly far less than
either L&R or Par own). Dr. Du-
Mont will get nothing more from
the company he started than his
salary as chairman of the Lab
board.

Friends cite Dr. DuMont’s bit-
terness with 'his Par antagonists.
At the recent board meeting at one
of DuMont’s New Jersey plants (he
has several), it came out that Bar-
ney Balaban, Edwin Weisl and
Paul Raibourn, the three Par men
on the DuMont board, blocked the
sale of . DuMont network to ABC-
TV, at what DuMont “felt was a
good price.” DuMont said * many
times that Par’s veto kept the
company from getting any coin
with which to . operate, either in
manufacturing or in broadcasting.
The list of gripes against Par is
large. DuMont’s sympathizers will
add to it readily. They say that
Dr. DuMont only kept Par or
someone else from taking over be-
fore this by “running at a profit,
however small, sometimes.”

Nevertheless, Dr. DuMont final-
ly had to give Way. to the picture
company, it seems.

Radio Followup

In contrast to the bang-bang-
bang pattern of NBC Radio’s week-
end “Monitor,” with its almost
breathless, . show biz - in - a - hurry
premise, the leisurely-paced 60-
minute “Woolworth Hour” on CBS
Radio Sunday afternoons 1 to 2
(which perpetuates ‘the “oldtime”
radio format) has much to com-
mend it. Unlike “Monitor,” whose
basic “enough of that j now let’s get
to the next thing” format doesn’t
permit for any extended exposi-
tion of a given subject or person-
ality, the CBS musical showcase is
more conducive to f erretting out
new (for radio) talent and staying
with it.

As an illustration last Sunday’s
(14) “Woolworth Hour” spotlighted
Heidi Krall, a Metropolitan Opera
soprano, . who came up via the
“Met Auditions” way. (She was in
the original chorus of “Okla-
homa.”) On Sunday she had a fair
chunk of the stanza to herself, fea-
turing an aria from “Tosca” and
the Franz Schubert hymn, “Great
Is Jehovah The Lord.” It was a
rewarding occasion for the listen-
er. She has a pure, clear add true
voice, plus a pleasing personality.
These are rare attributes in a day
when radio looks for the easy and
inexpensive way out. She rates at-
tention*.

Otherwise, "Woolworth Hour,”
under Percy Faith’s maestroing,
passes quickly and pleasantly— a
worthy hour on the Sunday after-
noon kilocycles. Rose .

WCBS-TV Weekend Accent
On Smallfry & Religion

It’s Saturday for the smallfry and
Sunday for the spirit as New
York’s WCBS-TV works out Its
1955-56 Schedule of weekend pro-
grams. When fully effective in the
fall after considerable reshuffling,
the kiddie block will run from 7 to
10:30 a.m. with station shows and
uninterruptedly td 4 in the after-
noon with pickups from the CBS
network for a nine-hour cluster.
Local stanzas will line up with
“Breakfast Show” (western pix),
“Space Funnies” (switched from
Sunday morning), “On the Carou-
sel” and “Hickory Dickory Dock,”
with the web supplying “Winky
Dink & You,” “Capt. Midnight,”
“Tales of Texas Rangers,” “Big
Top,” “Lone Ranger,” “Uncle
Johnny Coons,” “Pioneer Play-
House” and “Early Matinee.”

Religiosers will start with “Give
Us This Day” at 7:55 and hop-skip
until 11 with “The Pastor,” “Our
Goodly Heritage,” “Famous Names
in Religion,” “Lamp Unto My
Feet” and “Look Up and Live.”

BEAT THE HRAT
With MUtoft Nek
15 Mfa*- Monday, l aji.

WHAS, Lodidlle

Staff announcer Milton Metz, who
• give s Out with weather reports on
WHAS-radlo and tv, his visual
stint titled 4 ’Weathervane” gets
his info from the U. S. Weather
Bureau at Standiford Field. After
30 continuous days of hot weather
with no relief, Metz interviewed a
number of persons whose activities
are directly concerned with the
high temperatures, and his taped
chats provided interesting listen-
ing.

First interviewee was meteorol-
ogist O. K. Andersofi in charge of
the Weather Bureau. Anderson
gave a technical resame of the
causes and effects ef 90 degree
temperatures. Next Metz visited a
church nursery school, then dis-
eased the heat ‘ and its effects in
the office of a psyChiarist; followed
by a visit with medical doctor,
where he picked up some sugges-
tions on how to combat heat and.
humidity. Next stop was at‘ the
Jewish Hospital, Where the admin-
istrative -dietician explained the ef-
fects of diet upon patients, bever-
age changes, low calorie diets, and
the like. Another stop Was at the
Blue Cross Animal Hospital, where
the doctor in charge discussed the
handling of animals during the
heated term. - 7

Wound up with a : statement
from O. K. Anderson as to his per-'
sonal policy for combatting the
heat, and his advice to the people
listening. Roundup of hot' weather
hints, suggestions, complains, and
the like made for good listening,
and Metz’s idea must have paid off ;
to listeners in good sound info
anent best ways of keeping com-
fortable during the heated term. !

Wied.

‘Grady & Hurst’ Shift to TV

Philadelphia, Aug.‘ 16.

Ed Hurst and Joe Grady will end
their 10-year association with
radio station WPEN’s “950 Club/’
matinee record and interview show,
to begin a new daily tv program
for WPFH, Channel 12, Wilming-
ton, Del.

Since the Wilmington tv station
is easily accessible to most of Phila- j
delphia, new “Grady & Hurst
Show” will have much the same'
format as their radio program,
youngsters dancing to recorded mu-
sic, and will draw much the same
air audience. There will be top
recording artists as guests. Disk
jockeys paid WPEN $30,000 to be
released from three-year contract.
Team will net that much in first
Wilmington year.

STRICTLY PERSONAL
With, Pegeen Fitzgerald
25 Minn,; Mon. thru Fii* 9:35 ajn.
WRCA, N. Y.

Pegeen Fitzgerald has moved
over to WRCA and WRCA-TV in
the double-duty status of exec-
performer. She’s manager of retail
merchandising for both stations
and is also doing a: cross-the-board
morning show on the radio outlet.
The . program, tagged “Strictly
Personal,” but billed as “Strict-
ly Pegeen” on some program list-
ings, preemed last Monday (15).

Mrs. Fitzgerald and her hus-
band, Ed, have been a longtime
earlybird radio- duo via their
“Breakfast With the Fitzgeralds”
airer. This time the distaffer is
going it alone on a show that
should dick with femme dialers.
Mrs, Fitzgerald gets around, min-
gles with the VIP set and lets her
audience know it. She does so
pleasantly and in a breezy manner.
Most important, she conveys the.
impression that she’s just one of
the girls. L

Practically the entire inaugural
show was deVoted to enthusiastic;
comments on East Hampton, L. I. :
Mrs. 1 Fitzgerald Is either in the;
employ of the local chamber of
commerce or she’s just completely
enchanted by the place. The 1
Hedges Inn, an East Hampton
eatery, also/ got some rapturous
touting, as did one of the show’s
sponsors, „Slater Shoes. Jest.

A WOMAN VIEWS THE NEWS

Wtth Elolse Kummer j

Producer; AT Burns

Writer: Laury Arnold

15 Mins.; Mon.-thru-Fri., 1:45 pm. i

Participating

WBBM, Chicago

Whenever the feed from the J
parent CBS network goes sustain-
ing WBBM loses little time filling
the daytime segments locally. In- J
stalled in the strip formerly held
down by the “Brighter Day” serial;
is this Eloise Kummer chat with i
the gals. Subject matter is strictly
women’s page stuff in the tradi-
tional manner that’s see b service
these many years.

Material whipped up by writer
Laury Arnold on sample heara
(11) was fairly routine femme-
slanted culls ffom the news wires.
Miss Kummer (Mrs. Ray Jones)
did work in some nice individual
touches as with an anecdote about
her own youngsters tied in with
her comments on. a traffic safety
program for school kids. Such a
format needs all the personalized
angles possible for a little special
flavor. 'Done,

FRONT PAGE EXCLUSIVE .
With John- Rudolph Hearst, Ed-
win Lee; Carl Warren, announcer
Preducer-Directar: Lloyd Gross
15 Mins., Sun., £ p.m.

Mutual, from New York

Mutual has ackfed excitement to
its lineup with a weekly 15-minute
commentary shared by John Ran-
dolph Hearst and Edwin Lee. While
objectivity may be their forte,
stanza was hard-hitting, and lots
of scoopy info provoked interest if
not agreement In first Sabbath
hearing (14), show was very Winch-
ellesque, and ’ It’s noteworthy to
consider that* the network may put
it right After the columnist’s own
stanza when he joins the net’s Sun-
day eve lineup shortly. (It’ll either
bfe them, or a straight news show,
latter in the ABC post-WW tradi-
tion.) |

Hearst, sqji of the late publisher
William Randolph .Hearst, is only
described on . the radip program as
such, plus being an executive in
his own light” in the family news-
paper chain. Lee was called flacker
and public affairs specialist. For-
mat was smartly arranged. Pair
alternated on several quickie items,
but Hearst took the three or four-
minute “editorial” and interviewed
ex-Nationalist Chinese Ambassa-
dor to U.S. Hu Shih, thus it seems
that the publisher is destined to
handle the prestige portions for the
series.

Lee rattled off opening remarks
on Mamie Eisenhower and on Tam-
many’s Carmine DeSapio. It was
rather noticeable that his tone,
manner and adjectives hardened
from discussion of the first to dis-
cussion of the latter; attitude in
first en counter was cut from a
viewpoint strikingly similar to that
of the Republican Hearst chain.
Hearst-Hu Shih segment was
about one-third of the program in
length, and while there were ob-
jections to the q.&a.’ing being so
obviously from a script, the Chin-
ese spouted a hard enough rap of
the "“summit” conclave to make the
wire services announcer Carl War-
ren cleanly separated the Hearst
and Lee commentaries by vibrant-
ly announcing between times: “col-
umn one, Mr. Lee” or “column
four, editorial, Mr. Hearst.”

Despite the manifestly political
bias of the new program, or maybe
partly because of it, quarter-hour
should catch a fair share of the
radi.o audience for some bank-
roller. Art.

Fort Worth— Marvin L. Boyd,
known as the “Disk Jockey Evan-
gelist” will graduate from the
Texas Christian U. this month.

LEE SEGALL

(Creator -Owner of

■ A

DR. I. Q.)

HAS THE $64,000 ANSWER!

♦

A New Program Idea^

THE BIG BOARD

Questions and Answers That Pay Off
in Listed Stocks on "The Big Board"

IT’S NEW - IT’S DIFFERENT -
IT’S A “NATURAL”!

Contact: LEE SEGALL
Shadywood Lane, Dallas. Texas

msssiMWi

_ o

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

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RADIO-TELEVISION

Wednesday, Angast 17, 1955

OnTap for ’55; 13% Over ’54

Radio Advertising Bureau figurerV
that either May or June of this
year will prove the "greatest local
sales month in the history of radio
advertising," Outfit predicts that
radio's total local billing will top
$390,000,000 by the end of '55,
$49,000,000 better than the '54 es-
timate.

BAB also notes that 82.5% of
radio stations in the country are
showing increases over last year's
local biz. AH told, local radio is up
13% over last year's station aver-
age.

Auto dealers, it's pointed out,
are radio's largest local bankroll-
ers. Supermarkets and grocery
chains run second, and RAB notes
that department stores run an
"amazing third." Findings are
taken from a study oh local radio
advertising that was released this
week by RAB.

Reason why the radio promotion
outfit will not commit itself as to
which was the biggest month. May
or June, stems from neck-arid-neek
status of the estimates made from
station billings reports. RAB de-
clares that May . and June have
until '55 been traditionally weak
months for local radio advertising;
But the survey shows that 75%
of the stations involved in it came
up with May or June billings bet-
ter than any -previous Dec. or fall
month.

Though eight out of 10 radio
outlets had upped their billings,
15.5% reported declines in local
sales. Reasons, suggested by BAB,
are that the declines were among
radio stations that were neglected
for tv sisters or that new video sta-
tions were put Up in the area. In
some instances, local industrial de-
clines* also affected the radio
market. • ’

Dawn on The Farm

Grips With Gripes

Continued front pare 25

Continued from pare 25

lington station 'started* in Septem-
ber of 1954, nearly 40% of the
farms had sets.

Although there were no stations
in Minnesota outside of' the Twin
Cities area until the summer of
1953 and no service in the northern
part of the state until 1954, one-
third of the farms had Sets by the'
end of the year. Large areas of
Minnesota are still beyond the
range of tv station reception, .

In the two western states of
Montana and Nevada,, where the
farm population is widely scat-
tered, there was less than 10% set
saturation at the time of the cen-
sus. Montana got its first station
in the summer of 1953, Its second
the following November.' Two more
stations started in 1954. Televi-
sion also came to Nevada in 1953
when stations in Las Vegas and
Reno began operations. The third
station in the state went on the air
last January.

The Bureau of Census takes a
census of agriculture every five
years providing a mass of data on
farm production, , livestock, crops,
machinery, property, tenancy, etc.
Ownership of television sets Was
included in the questionnaires for
the 1955 census for tho first time.

Dallas — The promotion of W. A.
Roberts to manager of KRLD and
Gene Cuny to commercial man-
ager of RRLD-TV has been an-
nounced here by Clyde W. Rerti-
bert.

Robert Q. Lewis and CBS are en-
gaged in a hassle- ( see separate
story) with NBC reportedly making
overtures to woo Lewis over. Ap-
parently Lewis, who is now on a
European vacation, -.can’t see eye to
eye with the network on his tv
format and wants to change it.

Then there’s the situation re-
volving around both Armstrong
and Pontiac, which will alternate
weekly on the new Tuesday night
‘9:30 to 10:30 dramatic series on
NBC-TV. Network knocked itself
out persuading Armstrong to ex-
pand from a half-hour to a full
hour and in getting Pontiac to
shift from a half-hour Friday night
comedy show to a full hour alter-
nate-week drama. It was planned as
perhaps the most ambitious drama
series yet. Then along came CBS-
TV with its ‘‘$64,000 Question" in
the competing Tuesday, at 10 seg-
ment and its No. 1 rating status,
threatening to knock the pins from
under the projected series.

~ Not that it’s NBC's fault. Ac-
tually Armstrong and Pontiac
haven’t anybody to be mad at
(Unless it’s Lou Cowan for creat-
ing ‘‘$64,000 Question"). It’s just
that they don’t like, the omens.

See Colt Proxy

Continued from page 27

Continued from past 31

owner. The unscrupulous party
may then get the series on the air.
Then the latter is considered the
owner of the show and no one else,
including the real creator, can very
well get the same show on the air.

“Thus, the program pirate is,
in effect, protected but the Ag-
grieved real owner is not." Quot-
ing from a recent Variety article
on the "heed for protection from
the pirating of tv package ideas,
Yudain hot only urged legislation
but also “the possibility of placing
under some federal supervision or
control, agents and so-called -age^t-
packagers who deal with programs
used by radio and television in in-
terstate- commerce."

Yudain makes the final point
that “the protecting of series pack-
ages, with basic idea and charac-
teristics clearly defined and crys-
tallized, would be fair and equit-
able to everyone- 1 — the broadcaster,
advertising agency, producer,
packager, creative- writer, and
otherp.”

‘Soaphead’

Continued from page 25

to Cott, who now only manages'
WABD, N.Y., and WTTG, Washing-
ton, D. C., for DuMont.

A big question raised by the
“spin off” is once more what hap-
pens to Ted Bergmann, currently
managing director of DuMont
Broadcasting Division and; charged
with Electronicam tv service and
production. The Electronicam, a
DuMont spokesman says, will go
entirely to the Labs which has
been working out overall manu-
facturing and merchandising Plans
for the live-film camera. And with
Cott bossing the .two DuMont sta-
tions and also being given charge
of - the five-studio N.Y. Telecentre
plant .(the three components cur-
rently designated for the Broad-
casting Corp.), there doesn’t seem
to be much for Bergmann to do
on its uppermost -management
level. However, there is the be-
lief that Dr. DuMont will make
every effort to shift Bergmann fo
the Labs, perhaps as head of an
Electronicam production division
apart from its manufacture and
merchandising.

There are certain DuMont facili-
ties, like closed-circuitry, the small-
ish film Syndication setup,- etc.,
which have been under broadcast-
ing’s aegis. There is no final deci-
sion whether these facets will
switch to the Labs, but it’s possible
Bergmann could retain command
of them. The present managing di-
rector made his initial success at
DuMont as a network time sales-
man.

Ottawa Canadian Broadcasting
Corp. radio and television to give
full web coverage to the Canadian
golf open finals (20), originating
at Weston, near Toronto. Trans-
Canada radio net and CBS’s mi-
crowave video web will carry the
hour-and-a-half show.

aday 'chores. Once they sample
“Matinee" they, will come back,
and there is your audience. Should

they stray from, their sets to get
back to the ironing hoard or pre-
pare the victuals for the evening
repast (34 p.m.) he has a way of
getting them back. Says Becker:

“Matinee” will get off the
ground late in October with a big
name, of the stature of Helen
Hayes. The succeeding plays will
fall back on lesser principals to
maintain some respect for . the
budgets Earlier plan was to tee
up the series in early October but
the world series and other preemp-
tions that would need the full
facilities of NBC’s. color plant in
Burbank made unwise any start
that might be interrupted.

NBC ran into a title snag on
“Matinee"' and was forced to en-
large the identity to “NBC Matinee
Theatre.” Networkers' seemed un-
aware that right here in Holly-
wood, on a local radio station, KNX,
and to make it worse, the CBS out-
let, a daytime show called “Ma-
tinee" had* been broadcasting for
a year. The “enemy’s" lawyers
served notice on. NBC and grace-
ful withdrawal was made to the
longer title.

Don McNeill Now Plays
The Riverboat Circuit

Chicago, Aug. 16. <
After taking the show on the
road by bus, plane and train, Don
McNeill and his ABC “Breakfast
Club" delegation are sampling a
new mode of transportation on
their latest p.a. junket. On the
weekend of Aug: 26 the gang will
make a two-day cruise on the Mis-
sissippi riverboat Alma for a se-
ries of show stops at towns along
the way.

It’ll be sort of a homecoming
for pianist Bill Krenz, who in the
early, days was a riverboat key-
board thumper. -

Wanda Rainey to KCBS

San Francisco, Aug. 16.

JCCBS signed freelance Wanda
Rainey to a five-year pact last week
as commentator for its six-day s-a-
week, 4:30-5 p'.nw interview show.
She succeeds Jane Taylor, who has
resigned after six years.

“The Skirt" has n peeve. “Who,” she asks, “are these television
celebrities who sell iceboxes and loving-livlng-lusclous lipsticks? Have
you ever seen more jewelry on a woman than some of them wear *in
front of the tv., cameras?" She makes the-point that, the Queen of
England attends all sorts of important social engagements and hardly
bothers with a bauble. But not the ladies of television. And, she
adds, the Queen's jewels are real. >

Maybe the tv gals should congratulate themselves that “The Skirt”
(Mrs, Sime Silverman) is no longer Variety’s fashion commentator.
In her heyday she was all over the theatrical map and her “Best
Dressed Woman of the Week” pick was closely followed.

NBC’s Pat Weaver & Co. .{program veep Dick Pinkham, national
sales manager Joe Culligan, et al.) are due for a clbsed circuit on tv
to three-sheet “Matinee,” Albert McCleery’s forthcoming full hour
daytime drama skein. Idea is to hit agencies and prospects in 15
major markets with a half-hour of hoopla during the day; Closed
circuit will be pulled end of this month,

Prexy Weaver and his contingent Will whoop it. up out of Hew York
.and McCleery cut in from the Coast, where the series will originate.

Under the deal that Ted Ashley agented for Arthur Schwartz and
Maxwel^ Anderson, for the “High Tor” musical television adaptation,,
the authors get a percentage in the residtial values. It’s planned for
Bing Crosby. They- have others on the agenda.

Little-known fact is that CBS-TY’s French-language program studios
in Montreal produce up to ‘85 live shows* a week— more than anywhere
else on the continent— in four studios, with two new studios planned
to open this fall, . Reason for Montreal jamup: Canadian Broadcasting
Corp.’s lack of funds, which come from an excise tax on sets, and parts,
plus an' occasional moderate grant.

CBS-TV’s Paul Tripp has gotten his name up fn lights on the mar-
quee of the theatre where he had his first audition. Theatre is CBS-
TV’s Studio 60, where Tripp’s current “It’s Magic" originates, but at
one time it was the Walter Hampden Theatre, and it w&s there where
the late thesp gave Tripp his first audition and his -first job in the
theatre, a role in the road company of “Cyrano de Bergerac.”

Hawaii Will get better reception of radio programs from the main-
land under plans filed -with the FCC last week for a $35,000,000 sub-
marine cable project to connect the California coast, with thb lslarid
of Oahu. . ,

The system, to be built by A. T. & T., will be primarily for trans-
oceanic telephone service but will include facilities for radio program
transmission which will be used when atmospheric conditions interfere
With shortwave broadcasts.

Video transmission facilities will not be provided by the 2,100-mile
cable because of ' the enormous additional cost* which would be involved.

Ask Denial of Lamb License

Continued from pace 26

Grath, Russell Brown and Philip
Bergson,

Reply findings will be submitted
next month and it is expected that
Examiner Sharfman will issue his

initial decision in November This
will be subject to oral arguments
before the full Commission which
is not likely to make its ; final deci-
sion until next spring.

. The Bureau's recommendation
was based in large part on Lainb’s
own testimony before the examin-
er, which it charged was on many
Occasions “knowingly false, evasive
and lacked candor.” Commission
counsel further, contended that
Lamb “attempted to deceive” the
agency and that his testimony was
“an obviously calculated effort to ex-
culpate himself (from charges of
misrepresentation in denying Com-
munist associations) and at the
same time to ayoid later charges
of perjury.”

Lamb’s affidavit to the Commis-
sion o that he never gave money to
the Communist Parly, the Bureau
charged, “is not true, not correct
and not accurate and constitutes
misrepresentation to . and conceal-
ment from this Commission Of
facts In that Lamb on a number of
occasions . . . contributed services
and money to the Communist Party
and its members.”

Despite hife -denials In affidavits
an in testimony, the Bureau de-
clared that Lamb “knew the pur-
poses, character and reputation” of
various organizations on which he
was questioned as to his activities.
It charged that Lamb was “contin-
uously” connected from 1941 until

*■ * 4 ' ‘ .* ✓ %‘l

k ' 'i ' - ^ i

CISCO KID IS BIG DRAW IN CHICAGO I

•* / / «*£' \ * v

I ' ' , 'V" '<

<■ " J - w i f

To wipe out TV competition • • «

get In touch with

ZIV-TV's CISCO KID starring DUNCAN BENALDO
is “tauhferif for opposing shows . * , for instance, ht Chi-
cago (* ABB February 1955) CISCO out-drew compel*
ing shows at the same hour 25.3 .. . to 8.6 ... 5.7 .. . and .
1.6 respectively!

CINCINNATI, NEW YORK, HOLLYWOOD

1947 with the American Commitee
for “the protection of the Foreign
Born and that he “knew” it was “a
Communist front” organization at
the time.

Regarding Lamb's testimony in
general, the Bureau said , the rec-
ord “establishes a pattern of (his)
ability to recall irrespective of the
time interval, those events favor-
able to his present position but he
is completely unable to recall or
is extremely hazy regarding those
circumstances and .events which
would derogate from his current
assertions.”

The Bureau declared that the
record established .“beyond ques-
tion” that Lamb was consulted by
officers and members of the Com-
munist Party between 1934 and
1944, that as late as 1946 he made
financial contributions to party
functions aiid causes, and that he
was “a close associate” of various
known Communists ;Over.a. period
of years.

Accordingly, the Bureau urged
that .the examiner find that Lamb
“does not possess the qualifications
necessary for a broadcast licensee.”

MUTUAL, WMID IN SPLIT

Atlantic City, Aug. 16 v
Mutual and WMID have parted
ways: The radio web broke with
WMID after years of what were
described as ‘‘strained relations.”
The network switches its. affiliation
to another 250 watter, WLDB.

WMID, says boss David Freed-
man, will retain its ABC affiliation.

ADVERTISING AGENCIES

prefer M M FILM SERVICES
because It has top flight edi-
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education, attractive. Start at ML-
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MUSIC

Wednesday, August 17 , 1933 '

Pfi&L Wf

•%

Paris, Aug. 16.

Technically no ~ record albums
of hit U. S. musicals are allowed
to be sold before the show, which
spawned the music, is put on here.
However, with the differing tastes
on musicals, it is unlikely that any
of the top U, S. tuners will make
it here, and the French are thus
deprived of getting and hearing
the music. Only two have played
since the war, “Annie Get. Your
Gun,” in French, at the Chatelet,
and “Porgy and Bess” in English
at the Empire. '

But French enforcement has al-
ways 'been well tempered with in-
dulgence and many hit U. S. show
albums are sold here and the songs
are heard daily at all the niteries.
However, the adamant stand of
Choudens Music on the film “Car-
men Jones” (20th), which is still
not allowed to be played here, has
also, led tp a crackdown oh the
selling, of albums.

Choudens protested that the
Sinforiia shop, on the Champs-.
Elysees, was selling the “Carmen
. J.ones” album illegally. Sinfonia
proxy, Jacques Lyon, claimed, it
was a part of his own rep and he
kept it for those wishing to hear
it but did not sell it. However
Choudens reps, through SA£EM,
gave an ultimatum that he had to
get rid of it and Lyon, rather than,
destroy it, sent it to its American
presser. This has brought out 'the
fact that many U.S. disks are sell- '
ing on the black market, and many '
(Continued on page 52)

Italo Tune (Natch) Wins
Venice Inti Fest; ‘Leeric-
Song Almost Snafus Fete

Venice, Aug. 9. •

An Italian entry, “Old Europe,”- ;
written by Nisa, Testoni and Rossi;
ran off with top honors -at the
First International Songfest, held
in this city during the past week;
Festival is result of talent pooling
<Jf six European networks, Italy,
Austria, France, Monte Carlo, Bel-
gium and Holland, each participat-
ing with one orchestra and six
songs.

Fete ran a week, with evening
shows held at the Lido’s Film
Palace, each nation getting spot-
light for one evening. Jury made
up of reps from each competing
net voted nightly for finalists, then
selected the winner following an
ensemble finale staged by all six
orchestras in Saint Marks Square.
France, - Belgium,. Monte ‘ Carlo,
Austria and Holland followed
Italy in the final prize race. Win-
ning song, as were several .other
finalists, is a waltz, and was sung
here by Carla Boni, Gino Latilla
and the Cetra Quartet, with back-*
ing of the Angelin! Orchestra, . .

Slight furor was caused during
the fete when a song submitted by
Radio Monte Carlo/ entitled “De-
sir,” was banned from competition
at the last moment because of its
Suggestiveness. Monte C a r 1 6 .
threatened to ankle the festival,
but was finally asked, to stay' on
with a substitute melody.

Aussie Label Pitches
For Indie U.S. Masters

' Melbourne, Aug. 9.'

W&G Records, Aussie diskery,
has made a deal to distribute indie
U. S. masters in this country via a
tieup with James N. Parks, who
operates Marvel Records In the
U. S. W&G will manufacture and
sell the TJ. S. disks in this country
on a royalty basis. W&G, which
releases under a “Selected Re-
leases” label, was formed in 1937
arid was one or the pioneers in
introducing longplay disks- into
Australia.

W&G is part of -the White &
Gillespie company which processes
disks fpr most of the indie labels
here.

Insuring Plugs

Detroit, Aug. 16.

As a philanthropic gesture,
a group of Detroit disk jockeys
have banded into a vocal
combo, The Songspinners, to
cut four tunes for the United.
Label. The dee jay combois do-
ing the stint for the Leader Dog
League of Rochester, Mich.,
an outfit that supplies seeing
eye dogs to blind persons.

The choralfi consists' of
Clark Reed (WJR), Robin Sey-
mour (WKMH), Joe Gentile
(WJBK), Ralph Binge (WJBK),
Don McLeod (WJBIC), Frank
Sims (WKMH), Bud Davies. *
.(CKLW), Shelby Newhouse
(WWJ), Johnny Slagle
(WXYZ) and Joe Van (WKMH).
Saul Star, manager of song-
stress Bunny jgaul,- is maestro- •
ing.

Mercury Records is expanding
into the phonograph and tape ma-
chine field this, fall. ; Diskery will
market a varied line Pf machines
ranging in price from, $30 to $130
for the phonos, with the tape units
priced from $100 to $200.

Move is part of a diversification
program by Merp’s prexy Irving B.
Green. ; Diskery recently launched
a new indie label, Wing Records,
and has been selling a jazz line
under the EmArcy tag. Mereury
will market the machines through
its regular and independent platter
wholesalers and its eight company-
owned branches. Crescent Indus-,
tries, a Chicago company, is man-"
ufactufing the machines for Merc.

RCA EXECS’ POWWOW
ON POP SINGLE HYPO

A top-leyel meeting of RCA Vic-
tor execs is scheduled for next
week to discuss the problem of
pop single, sales and exploitation.
While Victor’s packaged line has
made sweeping gains over last year,
the pop phase of the company’s
operation has barely beld its own
during this summer as compared
with last.

Key to the problem, according
, to some of the Victor toppers, is to
intensify disk jockey exploitation.
With some 60 to 80 disks released
by all companies each week,, good
sides can easily fall by the wayside
without a concentrated jock push
on a local level. At the present
time, Victor does not have deejay
promotion staffers in each of the
major territories.

Cap’s Livingston Pitches
For Stafford Disk Pact

Hollywood, Aug. 16 .

. . Preliminary talks that could pos-
sibly lead to negotiations for a disk
pact for Jo Stafford have started
between Alan Livingston, Capitol
Records veepee, and Mike Nidorf,
manager of the songstress. Miss
Stafford’s current pact with Co-
lumbia Records is up in November
and it’s understood she is looking
for a better deal elsewhere.

According to Nidorf, RCA Victor
has also made a pitch for the chirp.

Cap Execs Head O’Seas

Hollywood, Aug. 16.

Two Capitol Records execs,
Lloyd W. Dunn, merchandising
veepee, and Dave Dexter ] newly
appointed a&r producer for the
label’s international department,
leave here Thursday (18) for a
three-week trek in Europe.

Purpose of the trip is to co-
ordinate the activities of the EMI
subsidiaries in Europe with Cap
in this country.

In what may prove to be the
most controversial move in the
disk industry since the “battle of
the speeds,” Columbia Records is
launching its own record club „pn
a national basis. While Col previ-
ously tested several club operations
in various territories over the past
year or two, the new plan radically
differs from the- others in that
Columbia is giving record retailers
a slice of the club business.

Col Introduced the plan Monday
‘ (15) after a cloak-and-dagger effort
to keep the details secret until
some 6,200 dealers were informed
simultaneously. Columbia, execs re-
ported generally positive initial
reaction to the plan; bufp conceded
that a couple of retailers were not
too enthusiastic over the club idea.
A couple of large N.Yi retailers
were flatly opposed to the Col
scheme, but the metropolitan area
is not necessarily . an accurate na-
tional gauge for any club or direct
mail ' operation.

According to. Col execs, one of
the prihte motives- for launching
the Columbia Record Club was to
protect, both, the manufacturers and
the dealers from the inroads of the
disk clubs, now in operation. There
are now a dozen such olubs, four
of them major, and between them
they do about 15% of the total LP
business. The rise of the disk clubs
has been startlingly rapid in the
(Continued ori page 52)

RCA Issues Statement
That It ‘Will Never
Bypass the Dealers’

Maqie Sacks, RCA veepee. and
general manager of the Victor*
disk division, stated yesterday

. t . • ’

(Tues. y that Victor has ho. inten-
tion of organizing any club plan
that would bypass the dealer.
Sacks said tliat he was forced to
make the announcement by the
pressure of numerous calls from
retailers who wanted to know what

Victor planned to do. Sacks as-'
serted that Victor regarded the :
dealers as the “backbone’ of the
industry and' the company would
do nothing that’ would “take cus-
tomers out of- -the- stores, or nar-
row the consumers* freedom of
choice from the wide range of

labels now available.”

The threat of the disk clubs to
the . major companies cued RCA
Victor to come up with its own
merchandising idea last month.
Called “Never Lose* A Sale. Plan,”
the Victor setup involves, coupon
sales to retailers covering some 400
selected repertoire packages. If a
retailer does ’ not ' htivfe. any one of
these numbers' in stock upon a
customer demand,, he fills out the
coupon and Victor takes care of the
mailing from .that point on. Instead
of the usual 40% markup on coun-
ter sales, the retailer gets 25% on
the coupon sales, since Victor ab-
sorbs all handling and mailing
costs.

While Victor’s; plan has received
widespread acceptance a contro-
versial aspect looms in Victor’s idea
to sell coupons to appliance stores
in small towns , not now serviced by
disk retailers.. Jf . such outlets are
set up in towns near to disk retail
stores, latter are expected to
squawk.

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR

1 905 * 1 V55

’55 Sales, Sees $300 Million Volume

Stubborn About It

. Chicago, Aug. 16.

Mike Cury,' Chi record pro-
motion man, has been leading
_ a burro around town, Roping
that record-buyers playing fol-
low the leader will rush to
stores for a copy of “Pancho
Loppz,” a novelty disking on
the Real label and distributed
by the All-State Distributing
Co.

The burro, accompanied by
a small Mexican boy, has ap-.
peared on several . local tv
shows and will be given away
to the winner of'aJ'Name the
Burro” contest, judged by dee-
jays Bill Anson, Jack Karey
arid Jim Lounsbury.

Hit. tunes, ..which have been a
big factor for pix b.o., are now
promoting Las. Vegas spots. Jack
Entratter, .who is . producing < the
“Ziegifeid Follies” revues at the
Sands Hotel i'n -Vegas, -has been ex-
ploiting the spot via the hit tune
from the score; “Sailor Boys Have
Talk to Me in English,” written
by Bob Hilliard and Milton De-
Lugg. Entratter' has been sending
[disk versions of the -tune to. disk
jockeys with ‘the idea of getting
billing for the Sands.. .

Rosemary. Clqoney, who played
the Sands last . May shortly before
( the “Sailor Boys” number was put
into the- show,- currently has, the
topselling slice of the tune for Co-
lumbia Records. Paulette Sisters
also are riding with a Capitol yerr
sion while Helen O’Connell cut it
for Kapp Records. E. H. Morris
Music is publishing the score by
the Hilliard-DeLugg team, which
also has scored the current show
at Monte Preiser’s La Vie in New
York.

\ t — —

DECCA INKS PREVIN,
CONLEY GRAVES TRIO

.Andre Previn; Hollywood pian-
ist, has joined the Decca roster.
Previn, who previously worked for
RCA Victor, will serve as pianist,
conductor and accompanist under
his. Decca deal.- His first albuiri,
entitled, “Let’s Get Away From It
All,” will be part of Decca’s fall
release.

Milt Gabler, Decca’s artists &
repertoire Staffer, also signed Con-
ley Graves and his trio. Coast
combo ' will cut both classical and
pop selections.

Miller’s Pioneer Music
For ’Comanche’ Indie Pic

Hollywood, Aug. 16.

Mitch Miller, Columbia Records*
artist arid repertoire chief, will de-
velop original music with a pioneer
flavor for Carl , Kroegers’ indie,
“Comanche.” Besides composing-
original' music for the film, he also
is researching oldtime tunes which
he’ll arrange to fit the script;

He has made arrangements to re-
cord, each number as it’s finished
and ship it to the producer on lo-
cation in Mexico. Herschel Burke
Gilbert is writing the score, and
will integrate tunes defied by Mil-
ler into the main theme.

Lieberson to Europe

Goddard Lieberson, Columbia
Records exec vice-prexy. takes off
for Europe today (Wed.) to join
his wife, Vera Zorina, who is
dancing in a music-terp specialty at
the Salzburg Festival in Austria.

He’ll be gone for one month.

Chicago, Aug. 16.

Although the real test looms in
the fall selling season, present in-
dications are that record industry
sales for 1955 will exceed $300,-
000,000 in what looms as a 20%

increase over 1954, according to
RCA Victor, veepee and record op-
erations manager Larry Kanaga.
(Other disk execs believe $300,000,-
000 to be an “optimistic” estimate
with the sales figure put close to
$250,000,000).

Kariaga attributes the upped
tempo of sales to the industry-
wide price cuts introduced at the
beginning, of 1955. Another effect
of the cuts , has been to virtually
eliminate,, the traditional, mid-
summer sales sluinp in Victor’s
long-playing . record biz. Victor’s
LP dollar volume in June showed
a 66%’ increase over 1954 and July
volume was 98% greater than last
year.

Thus, June and. July, 1955, clas-
sical record sales were bettor than
at any time' in Victor’s history. Vee-
pec Kanaga stated that' Victor is'
very happy with , the $3.98 price'
for classical LP’s but he eriipha-
sized that industrywide effects- of
•the price cuts and the readjust-
ments resulting , from them will
not be clearly visible until the end
of the year; ■ although present in-
dications point to a' 20%. industry- ■
wide sales surge. With classical
record sales, representing only
30% of Victor’s volume, it ap-
pears that pop sales have been
stimulated, by the price cuts as
well, Kanaga said.

Dealer Inventories are up around
* (Continued on page 52)-

Andrew B. Sterling,

Tin Pan Alley Great,
Dies at 1 80 in Conn.

Andrew B. Sterling, who died
last week at 80 after a long illness

at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Stamford,
Conn., was one of Tin Pan Alley’s
alltime greats. He was, as a lyricist,
to Harry Von Tilzer what Will D;
Cobb was to Gus Edwards, Sterl-
ing’s medley, written 1 chiefly with
Von. Tilzer, but also in collabora-
tion with Paul Dresser, F. A,
(Kerry) Mills, Ren Shields, Billy
Jerome and Theodore A. Morse,
reads like the tum-bf-the-century'
Hit Parade.

His catalog of durables included
such popular standards as . “Wait
Till the Sun Shines Nellie,” “Down
By the Anheuser-Busch,” “Last
Night WaS the End of the World,”
“Goodbye Eliza Jane,” “On A Sun-
day Afternoon,” “Where the Sweet
Magnolias Bloom,” “Down Where
the Swanee River Flows,” “Strike
Up the Band, Here Comes a Sail*
.or,” “My Old New Hampshire
Home,” “Ain’t You Coming Out
Melinda;” “Goodbye ‘ Boys,” “On
the Old Fall River Line,” ‘Take
Me Back to New York Town,”
“Under the Yum-Yum Tree,”
“What You Gonna Do When the
Rent Comes Round,” “When the
(Continued on page 54)

Bigname Chirps, Bands
Big Bust at Mass. Terper

Fitchburg, Mass., Aug. 16.

Bigname chirps and bands have
been a bust as far as Henry Bowen, -
operator of . Whalom Park Ball-
room, is concerned.

“The big names have been the
most disillusioning of my experi-
ence,” he said. Bowen said he will
go along with the policy for the
rest of the season because of book-
ings, but he is nixing the format
for next season.

Under the bigname policy,”
Bowen had booked in Bill Haley,
Richard Maltby, • Tony Lavelle,
Jonni James, Four Aces and
others,. He pointed out that big-
gest grosser at his spot was the
Grgjid Old Oprey unit from Ten-
nessee.

Wednesday* August 17, 1955

.By HERM SCHOENFELD.

Jeffrey Clay: “A Satisfied Mind"-
“Don’t Take It So Hard" (Coral).
“A Satisfied Mind" is oner of those
inspirational folk - flavored pops
that break through periodically
due to a proper blend of. massage
and music. This one has a simple
melody and' Jeffrey Clay handles
it With proper unaffected approach.
The community sing angle is akin
to ' the "On Top of Old Smoky"
click of a few years ago; Ella
Fitzgerald's slice, of this tune for
Decca is misdirected along a jive
groove while Hugo & Luigi have
come up with a good straight
choral version for Mercury. On
the Coral flip, Clay has a strong
rhythm tune in "Don’t Take It So
Hard."

Ann Weldon: "Thanks a Lot<But
No Thanks'V’Pamper Me" (RCA

ray Arnold, for the Marquee label.
On the Crosby flip, "Let’s Har-
monize" is a highly pleasing bar-
ber shop style number whose
lyric is a medley of oldtime songs.

Lillian Briggs: "I Want You to
Be My Baby"-"Don’t Stay .Away
Too Long" (Epic). Lillian Briggs
registers as an impressive song
belter on this pairing. She’s in
the brassy groove and she really
rocks on "Baby," a rousing tone
with excellent chances. "Don’t
Stay Away Too Long", is another
jazzy- entry, which she projects
against a banjo. background.

Bobbin Hood: "Dancin’ in My
Socks" - "Happy. Is My Heart"
(MGM). "Socks” is a cute bounce
item which songstress Bobbin
Hood handles competently, but it
needs that extra added punch to

Best Bets

JEFFREY CLAY .A SATISFIED MIND

(Coral) .Don*t Take Xt So Hard

ANN WELDON .. THANKS A LOT "BUT NO THANKS

( RCA Victor ) ....... Pamper . Me

JERI SOUTHERN AN OCCASIONAL MAN

(Decca) ; ...What Do Ybu See In Her

BING CROSBY v .. „,. ANGEL BELLS

(Decca) Let's Harmonize

Victor). "Thanks a Lot," from the
MGM film, “It's Always Fair
Weather," is an ultra-smart piece
of material due' for lots of jock
spins. Ann Weldon delivers the
clever lyrics with ' a good beat and
an equally good sense of humor,
both strong enough to dent the
pop market. Miss Weldon shows
nice form on the cute slow-tem-
poed ballad, “Pamper Me," but it’s
a somewhat tardy slice.

Jeri Southern: "An Occasional
Man"-“What Do You See in Her"
(Decca). Jeri Southern makes a
potent double-edged bid for the
hit lists with this coupling. \“An
Occasional Man," 'from, the Para-
mount film, "The Girl Rush," is
another excellent, picture song
with a bright lyric and an infec-
tious beat. Miss Southern pro-
jects it capably. “What Do You
See in Her" is a standout torch, bal-
lad which may. emerge as the top
side over the long pull.

Bing Crosby: "Angel. Bells"-
“Let’s Harmonize" (JDecca). Bing
Crosby hasn’t come up with a pop
hit in some tim^ but these two
sides should make the grade.
“Angel Bells" is a lilting tune with
solid pop appeal via Crosby's easy
vocalizing. Other good slices Of
this tune have been made by Russ
1\I organ, also for Decca, and Mur-

put it over the top. Frank De
Vol’s orch and the Ray Charles
singers give an important Assist.
"Happy Is My Heart” is a good
ballad which . gets an okay com-
mercial workover.

Alice Cavell: "I Love You" —
Part I and II (Victor). This should
be regarded as a comedy disk but
it’s done so straight, that maybe
the gag isn’t intentional. In any
case, "I Love You" is a tour-de-
force two-sided pop, .the lyric
merely reiterating the title in vari-
out melodic patterns. On one side,
it’s a ballad format and on the
other, it’s a rhythm workover of
those three little words. Alice
Cavell handles a tough assignment
very . Well, getting wide-range
variations in her lyficising.

Paulette Sisters: "Now Is the
Time" - "In Madrid" (Capitol).
"Now Is the Time” is a good adap-
tation of a classical theme and it
gets a ^strong ride by the Paulette
Sisters' backed by the Sid Feller
orch. Eileen Rodgers also scores
with her version for Columbia. On
the Capitol flip,, “In Madrid" is a
derivative tango item, the Paulette
Sisters giving it a straight vocal.

Norman Brooks: “Lovely Girl’’-
“If I Had Two Hearts” (Label X).
Norman Brooks, the lad with the
A1 Jolson pipes, is. still waiting for

LAWRENCE WELK

and hi*

CHAMPAGNE MUSIC

208th Consecutive Week
Aragon Ballroom— Ocean Park, Cal.
ABC-TV— Sat. 0-10 P. M. EDT
Sponsored by
Dodge Dealers of America

lightning to strike/again and cata-
pult another one of his sides into
the big time. The pronounced
Jolie ' flavor may continue to be a
handicap, although Brooks certain-
ly. evokes a nostalgic mood in these
sides. “lively Girl” is a tailor-
made ballad for the late mammy
singer’s contemporary proxy and
this side should get some juke and
jock plays. “Two Hearts" is an
okay rhythm tune also belted in
the familiar style.

Dick Jacobs Orch Sc Chorus:
“I'll Know My Love”-"Sweethearts
on Parade" (Coral). Dick Jacobs,
who’s been very active recently as
background maestro for singers,
batons a highy interesting, if not
too commercial, version of “I’ll
Know My Love.” Actually, it’s a
combination of two folk songs,
“Green Sleeves” and “FU Know
My Love," into a single number.
The effect is striking. Jacobs’ orch
and chorus come up on the other
deck with a neat marching version
of the oldie, “Sweethearts on Pa-
rade.”

Wifdand Set to Clef

TV Background Scores

Hollywood, ^Aug. 16.
Wigland, progressive music out-
fit headed by Shorty Rogers hnd
Shelley Manne, has been inked by
Storyboard Inc., television com-
mercials producers, to compose
background scores for clips.
Initial assignment will be on the
Diamond Salt series, * which Ben-
ton & Bowles will handle.

± 2. YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS (2)

10 Best Sellers on Coin-Machines^^-^,

i (Pat Boone Dot ..

± 1. AIN’T THAT A SHAME (3) .. \ Ronnie Gaylord Mercury

T \ Fats. Domino .Imperial

Eddy Arnold: “Wanderin’” (RCA
Victor). The unusual feature of
this package is that Eddy Arnold,
a country singer, is working over
a collection Of old folk tunes.. It’s
far removed from the contempo-
rary type of hillbilly ballad* that
now passes as “folk" music and is
infinitely superior musically and
lyrically. Arnold -handles this Ven-
erable repertoire With appealing
simplicity in a somewhat narrow
range. Numbers include such great
p.d. Oldies as "The Rovin’ Gam-
bler," “Barbara Alien,” “On Top
of Old Smoky,” “I Gave My
Love a Cherry,” "The Wayfaring
Stranger,” "Sometimes I Feel Like
a Motherless Child" and eight
others*

Don Shirley: "Piano Perspec-
tives” (Cadence). One of the young
luminaries on the current jazz
f'scgne, Don Shirley is an impres-
sive keyboard artist. His pianistics
bespeak a highly polished tech-
nique, as he can both swing. With
a solid beat and alsa make like a
longhair. Shirley, moreover, .dis-
plays fine taste on the 88 in this
set of familiar standards. Numbers
include “Someone to Watch Over
Me,” a long workover of “Love for
Sale,” “Blue Moon,” “How High
the Moon,” T Can’t Give You Any-
thing But Love,” “I Can’t Get
Started With You” “I Let a Song
Go Out of My Heart,” “Makin’
Whoopee’.’ and “Lullaby of Bird-
land.” Richard David backs up on
bass.

Paul Lavalle: “Great Band Mu-
sic” (RCA Victor). Paul Lavalle’s
Cities Service Band, one of the
standout organizations in this mu-
sical genre, is spotlighted on this
12-inch LP in a varied musical pro-
gram, ranging from an operatic
overture to “When the Saints Go

Marching In,” with a Prokofieff
suite for children en. route. This
set is performed with precision and
brilliance. -

George Shearing Quintet: “Touch
of Genius” (MGM), George Shear-
ing, who probably was as responsi-
ble as anyone for the establish-
ment of the cool school in jazz al-
most 10 years ago when he arrived
here from Britain, dishes up a
highly listenable program, in this
set. The trademarked Shearing
sound, featuring an intricate piano
against a rhythm trio plus vibes
background, hasn’t varied much
over the years, but the impression
is still fresh. In this package,
Shearing plays eight numbers, in-
cluding some standards and orig-
inal instrumentals.

Hamp Disappoints In

N. California Dates

San Francisco, . Aug, 16.

Lionel Hampton, in his first
Northern California appearances'
in four years, drew disappointing
crowds of 1,400 in San Jose, Aug,
5; 2,200, Sacramento ( 6 ) and 2,900,
Oakland (7).

Hampton, who holds the house
record of 7,100’ paid admissions at
the Oakland Auditorium Arena
for a date in the late ’40s, was ex-
pected to draw considerably heav-
ier than the 2,900 ' paid he did.
Guarantee for the Oakland date
was $4,000. Dates were set. by
Bob Phillips of the ABC Holly-
wood office, and Frank Pedroni,
Oakland record store operator, was
the promoter.

j Mitch Miller . . Columbia J

* * * * * ( Johnny Desmond Coral ^

? 3. ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK (12) Bill Haley’s Comets Decca

4 . 1 ' r

- ‘ 4. HARD TO GET (9) : Gisele MacKerizie Label X * ►

5. LEARNIN’ THE BLUES (11) 7 Frank Sinatra Capitol

" ► _ _ //>v , ( Alan Dale ............... . Coral * [

X 7 . IT'S A SIN TO TELL A L ( 8 ) Somethin’ Smith Epic 4 ►

j Roy Hamilton Epic 4 ,

t ft. UNCHAINED MELODY (18) •{ Al Hibbler Decca <>

} Les Baxter * ...... Capitol

( Boyd Bennett . ... King «,

i 9. SEVENTEEN (1). -f Fontdne Sisters -Dot.

4 \ Rusty Draper . . ..... ..Mercury

x i<v a m nccniu inctY /iqi j Nat (King) Cole ...... , Capitol ,,

♦ 10 - A BLOSSOM FELE (13 > - ; * ; • • • ' \ Dickie Valentine London f

Second Croup

i n AMit\TT ( Julius LaRosa

, , DOMANI . . , . . Mnrfir,

l ; HONEY BABE ....... .

« ► SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE

t CHERRY PINK AND

....... Cadence j

\ Tony Martin . . , . . . . . .Victor

..... Art Mooney MGM !

j McGuire Sisters ' Coral

} Sammy Davis Jr. ....... . Decca

APPLE BLOSSOM WHITE { "

MAN IN A RAINCOAT ' C Uni"«e "

TINA MARIE Pefry Como • Victor <<■

f I’LL NEVER STOP LOVING YOU T. | ' * • ’<►

.k | JL/C S ••••»«»•*«.. i^Q-PTZOL 4 k

■ ^ THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC S'm;:iy Davis Jr. Decca . J" j

• ‘ HUMMINGBIRD L s r v v '-Mary Ford .... Capitol * ;

I L ^ ' "“•■iir Cavitol : i

/ P .) Carson ..... . . . Co'umbla

WAKE THE TOWN AND TELL THE PEOPLE

‘ Figures »-n vaientheses indicate tunuher of weeks tono ••

ri the Top 101
. . >44 M4 444>* » 1 > t, * ♦

The top 30 songs of week (more in case of ties), based on
copyrighted Audience Coverage Index & Audience Trend Index.
Published by Office of Research , Inc., Dr. John Gray Peatman ,
Director. Alphabetically listed. * Ldgit musical . ' t Filth.

Survey Week of August 5-1L 1955

A Blossom Fell Shaplro-B

Ain’kThat ' A. Shame Commodore

Bible Tells Me So. Paramount

Blue Star Young

Cherry Pink, Apple Blossom White — t “Underwater”. Chappell

Fooled /; Harms

Hard to Get. . ..... Witmark

Heart — +“Damn Yankees” .Frank

Heaven Came Dowh to Earth Progressive

Hey, Mister Banjo . Mills - ,

Hummingbird ..... — : Jungnlckel

I’ll Never Stop Loving You — t“Love Me, Leave Me” Feist

Kentuckian Song— t“Kentuckian” Frank

Learnin’ the Blues Barton

Longest Walk 7 ? . Advanced

Love Is Many-Splendored — t“Love Is Splendored”. Miller
Love Me or Leave Me — t“Love Me or Leave Me”. . BVC

Man from Laramie — t“Man from Laramie” Columbia

Man in a Raincoat .BMI

May I Never Love Again Broadcast

Piddily Patter Patter Marks

Rock Around the Clock— t “Blackboard Jungle” ...Myers

Seventeen Lois

Something’s Gotta Give — t “Daddy Long Legs” . . .Robbins

Song of the Dreamer ? Ludlow

Sweet and Gentle Peer

Toy Tiger , .Northern

Unchained Melody — t“Unchained” .Frank

Wake the Town and Tell the People Joy

Yellow Rose of Texas ;,... Planetary

Young Ideas .\ Harms *

Top 30 Songs on TV

( More In Case of Ties )

Ain't That. A Shame . . . Commodore

Alabama Jubilee 1 ...... Remick

Banjo’s Back in Town . World

Blackberry Whiter Acuff-R

Blue Star r; Your %

Domani Montauk

Experience Unnecessary Pincus

Good and Lonesome Porgie

Hard to Get Witmark

Heart — *“Damn Yankees” Frank

Hey Mister Banjo Mills

Hummingbird JUngnickel

Kentuckian Song— ^ t “Kentuckian’’ ................ Frank

Learnin’ .the Blues .Barton

Man in a Raincoat BMI

Never to Know . Robbins

Pete Kelly's Blues — f“Pete Kelly’s Blues” Mark VII

Rock Around the Clock — 1’“Blackboard Jungle”. . . . Myers

Sailor Boys Have Talk to Me in English Morris

Silver Moon . . . Harms

Something's Gotta Give— t“Daddy Long Legs” .... Robbins

Start Dancing with a Smile .April

Sweet and Gentle .... Peer

That Old Black Magic — ♦"Bus Stop” Famous

Tina Marie ."Roncom

Tootbrush Chappell

Unchained Melody — *!“Unchained” Frank

Wake the Town and Tell the People Joy

Whatever Lola Wants — *"Damn Yankees” Frank

Yellow Rose of Texas ... -Planetary

Gearing for an anticipated top-
year for disk packages, RCA Vic-
tor is pitching up one of its most,
ambitious album release^ as its
September "‘best buy” program..
Victor fcxecs regard this fall’s biz
as a test Qf whether the platter
market is on the threshold Of a ma-
jor expansion due to the price de-
creases on LP merchandise inaugu-
rated early this year.

George R. Marek, Victor’s
artists Ac repertoire manager who
returned last week from a tour of
several ’ key distribs, stated that
Victor aims to make the most pop-
ular classical works available in
new performances, with top somjd
techniques to promote the new cus-
tomers. Indicating the steady
growth of the pop package phase of
the , business, Victor is releasing
this fall as many pop albums as
classical sets, whereas previously
the fall Selling programs were,
heavily "weighted on the longhair

end. . . #

Incentive Program

Victor has also come up with an
incentive program as part of its
fall sales drive which has been
tagged “RCA Victor’s Fabulous
55th. Anniversary Release." Vic-
tor is giving dealers, depending on
the totals of their Initial orders,
bonuses : Of promotion kits, a new
Glenn Miller Army Air Force
Band album of five 12-inch LPs,
a new hi-fi booth demonstrator and
special ’’sampler" LPs, selling for
08c, for both the longhair and pop
releases..

Victor’s fall classical release
comprises a dozen albums, includ-
ing Ravel’s “Daphnis and Chloe”
by the Boston Symphony; Tchai-
kovsky’s “Swan Lake/’ batoned by
Stokowski; Puccini’s “Manon Les-
caut" with an all-star cast in a two
12-inch platter package; Beetho-
ven's Eroiqa Symphony with the
Chicago Symphony; Berlioz’s
“Symphonic Fantastique” with the
Boston Symphony; "Romeo and
Juliet” medley played by various
symphonies; a Toscanini Omnibus;
Tchaikovsky’s “Pathetique” Sym-
phony with the Boston Symphony;
Brahms Violin Concerto with Hei-
fetz; a package of all of George'
Gershwin’s major serious works
played by Morton Gould; “Madame
Bqtterfly,” a complete version re-
corded in Rome, and “Rhapsody,”
a medley pf Enesco and Liszt works
batoned by Stokowski.

Pop release includes “New York,
New York,” an original instrumen-
tal composed and batoned by Harry
Geller and packaged in a novel
jacket which opens up to double
size with a photo of the New York
skyline; '“The Popular Gershwin,”
(Continued on page 54)

I5lh ‘JATP’ Tour to Kick
Off in Conn; 45 Dates
Set for Six-Week Ran

Hollywood, Aug.' 16. -
Norman Granz’s fifteenth annual
“Jazz at the Philharmonic” con-
cert' series is scheduled to kick
off Sept, It},, with a break-in date,
.at Hartford, Conn., prior to its
formal opening Aug. 17 at Carnegie
Hall, N. Y. ;

Graftz this . year plans to play 45
concert dates in six weeks, during
which time he’ll visit the campuses
of the IT. of Wisconsin, U. of Tex-
as, Kansas State-, , and Oklahoma
A&M, plus hfs key city stops.

. The entire Granz contingent -will
plane from one date to another,
ending the tour Oct. 31 at San
Diego.

’ This year’s /‘JATP’* troupe in-
cludes Stan Getz, Flip Phillips^ Roy
Eldridge, Dizzie Gillespie, . Gene
Krupa, Eddie Shu, Bobbie Scott,
Wliitey Mitchell, Oscar Peterson,
Ray Brown, Herb Ellis; Buddy
Rich and Ella Fitzgerald. .

- Hillbilly Spread

Warrenton, Va., Aug, 16.

. An estimated' 2,000 disk
i jockeys around the country

• now specialize in country mu-

• sic tunes, and probably an-
‘ other 8,000 to IQ, 000 men and

women earn at. least 50% of
their income from this type bf
1 music.

,In the past two years about
half the tunes on the Hit Pa-
rade have been drawn from
country music sources.; Some
30,000,000 ■ records and 2,(300,-
000 copies of sheet music in
; this field are sold annually.

German Hit Composer

Writing Pfliii Wusic

Hamburg, Aug. 16. .

"Lotar Olias, known for his hit
popular tune, “You You You,”
which was on : the Hit Parade, for
29 weeks and sold 2,000,000. rec-
ords, and the pop classic, “Blue
Mirage,” has just completed the
music for a new film. The film is
Franz Antel's Austrian pic, “Hans ■
im Schnee” (Hans in the Snow).
It’s also to be a musical Ice-shoW.

Olias has also written an oper-
etta, “Heimweh riach St. Pauli”
(Homesick for St. Paul) and the
music for a French comedy, “The
Sinful Island.”

Down in Posh, Fox-Banting Va. Hills

NBC Doubling Kind On
Coast for Web Conun’ls;
May Go to Other Nets

..... Lbs Angeles, Aug. 16.

NBC will use a staff orchestra
on transcontinental network com-
mercials, under an agreement clos-
ed with Local 47, Musicians Union,
with the proviso 1 that the house
baud will be increased to 45 from
the current 21. Both radio and tv
cbme under the new arrangement.
It's understood the same deal - will
be .offered to CBS, ABC and Mu-,
tual, '

Additionally, new contract pro-
vides for increasing wage scales
from $145 to $200.

Net staffer under the superseded
pact with the union could play for
only local and regional commer-
cially sponsored shows.* Union ■ was
sympatico to the NBC proposal
because of the employment of more
than double the current orchestral
strength, /which would apply to
other nets should the same, bargain
be reached.

New Kenton Jazz
Shows for Road

Hollywood, Aug. 16.

A new type jazz package for
road bookings has been formed by
Stan Kenton, his former road man-
ager George Morte and Van Ton-
kins, one-nite dance promoter.

According to Tonkins, the jazz
shows, to be booked under tile
aegis of Stan Kenton’s Showcase of.
’55, will introduce jazz to the. pub-
lic on a more in-person basis. Idea
of the trio is to tour the smaller
towns via colleges and auditoriums
presenting various jazz combos
and singers on concert dales.
Kenton himself will not tour at
first, although he will give a jazz
Prolog via tape recorder before
each concert session.

; Morte and Tonkins will co-pro-
duce the jazz concerts and are cur-
rently lining up the talent. .

Joe Burnett Sextet
San Antpnio, Aug. 16.

Joe Burnett, former trumpet
player with Woody Herman, has
organized the Joe Burnett Sextet
and has opened at the Tiffany
Lounge .here.

Group has already been inked to
do some t Capitol recordings and
has been* signed by Stan Kenton
for his personal management
company.

TOP TALENT AND TUNES

Compiled front Statistical Reports of Distribution
Encompassing the Three Major Outlets

Coin Machines Retail Disks Retail Sheet Music

as Published in the Current Issue

NOTE : The current comparative, sales strength of the Artists and Tunes listed hereunder is
arrived at under a statistical system comprising each of the three major sales outlets enu-
merated above . These findings are correlated with data from wider sources, which are exclusive
with Variety. The positions resulting from these findings, denote the OVERALL IMPACT de-
veloped from the ratio of points scored, two ways in the case of talent ( coin machines , retail
disks ) and three ways in the case of tunes ( coin machines , retail disks and . retail sheet music).

TALENT

POSITIONS
This Last
Week Week

TUNE

(Rock. Around the Clock

5
6T

LES BAXTER (Capitol)

POSITIONS
This Last
Week Week

8
9

4
2
3

5
10

ARTIST AND LABEL

« * •*•■*•

BILL HALEY’S COMETS (Decca) )Razzle . Dazzle

PATJJOONE (Dot) Ain’t That a Shame

MITCH MILLER (Columbia) Yellow Rose of Texas

GISELE MacKENZIE (Label X) Hard to Get

[Wake the Town

* (Unchained Melody

FRANK SINATRA (Capitol) . 1 ........... . stran^

A Blossom Fell

NAT (KING) COLE (Capitol) My One Sin

If I May

CHUCK BERRY (Chess) Maybelline

SOMETHIN’ SMITH (Epic) ........ I 1 / s * Si “ t0 I ?‘® 1J * ^ie

• ' * ' j Ace m the Hole

DORIS DAY (Columbia) I’ll Never Stop Loving You

TUNES

(♦ASCAP. fBMI)

TUNE PUBLISHER

‘♦ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK Myers

f YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS . . . . Planetary

t AIN’T THAT A SHAME Commodore

♦HARD TO GET Witmark

♦UNCHAINED MELODY Frank

♦LEARNIN’ THE BLUES Barton

♦I’LL NEVER STOP LOVING YOU Feist

♦SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE Robbins

♦A BLOSSOM FELL Shapiro-Bernstein

♦WAKE THE TOWN AND TELL THE PEOPLE Joy

By HERMAN LOWE
Warrenton, Va„ Aug. 16.

Country music Is spreading out.

Not content With invading, the
cities, commandeering ever larger
segments of the radio-tv airways,
and even grabbing nitery headline
spots. it ha's now created ,« na-
tional championship 1 for its Self-
taught “primitives” of song.

Starting originally under the in-
elegant monicker* of “hillbilly/* it
has moved ’ up the ladder to the
fancier- name of “country music,”
and is slugging shoulder -to -
shoulder with jazz and atonal mod-
ern for ; the proud title of ’.‘Ameri-
can Music.” ; .... :

What’s more, it has selected no
less than Warrenton* Va., In the
heart of this state’s posh, redcoat
hunt country, as the- site of its
annual contest.

The fifth national championship, .
Aug. 6-7, brought -between 12,000
and 15.0Q0 fans ' Booking to the
Warrenton Horse Show grounds
from the mountain trails; rustic
crossroads, metropolitan suburbia
and big cities. These, plus’; a scat-
tering of, professional scouts for the
bigtime, 'are an indication -of what’s
ahead when this event becomes
really - established.

Competition was held in five,
ciasses—bands* vocal, fiddle, banjo
and miscellaneous (the last in-
cluding anything from square danc-
ing and yodelers to barnyard imita-
tions and • -even, one dulcimer
player). Next year a special new
class may be added for. U.S. service-
men..

Most of the 376 contestants came
frbm Virginia, West Virginia and
Maryland. But Pop Larsen, a 70-
year-old Irish fiddler, hailed from
Fargo, N. D., and others were from
such places as Phillipsburg, N. J.;
Shreveport, La.; New Albany, Ind.;
several towns in North Carolina
and Kentucky, and Washington,
D. C. ’

Professionals and simon-pures of
all sizes, ages and sexes competed
on equal terms. While fewer than
10% carried cards in either the
AFM or , AFTHA, it was estimated
that many more are semi-pros who
take at least a part of their income
by playing or singing at country
dances or entertaining occasionalfy.
at small night spots in their' localit
ties. •

Pop Larsen was the oldest con-
testant. The . youngest ; was five-
(Continued on page 51)

Still Hoping

For All Disks

Hopes for a one-speed disk in-
dustry, based on the 45 rpm sys-
tem, are still moving RCA execs.
Although industry brass is gen-
erally reconciled to the “co-exist-
ence” of 45s and 33s for pops and
longhairs respectively, RCA veepee
Manie Sacks last week said “it
would be a good thing for every-
body” if there were one speed for
everything via a 45 rpm platter
that would play as I6ng as a 33
rpm LP.

Sacks, however, denied that
RCA was planning to market such
a platter. He also denied reports
that RCA was even working on
such a development. It's under-
stood, however, that RCA engi-
neers have been experimenting
with a longplay 45 platter, either
10-inch or 12-inch in diameter, as
against the current seven inches.
, The tests have been of a strictly
laboratory character up to now.

Sacks’ informal remarks at a
luncheon last Thursday ill) were
interesting as a faint echo of the
“battle of the speeds” that rocked
and revivified the disk industry six
and seven years ago. At that time,
i Co’umbia, sponsoring the . 33 rpm
system, and RCA, fathering the 45
rpm platters, were trying to kntfck
each other out of the box. The
upshot, however, was that 33s have
become solidly entrenched in the
packaged end of the business,
while 45s have become dominant
for the single pops. At the present
time most major companies do
60% of their single biz on 45s.

Wednegdayy August 17, 1955

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CM I • ICO

Wednesday, August 17 y 195S

T his statement marks a milestone in the history of record merchandising.
The plan here outlined represents an entirely new concept of dealer-
distributor-manufacturer cooperation and is the most progressive step ever
taken to expand the sales horizons of the record industry. It opens vast
potentials of continuing volume profits as it employs the most sensationally
successful of modem sales techniques to create millions of new record buyers
and to multiply purchases by present customers.

In explanation of this new policy, the following letter has heen sent to
established Columbia Becords dealers throughout the country. It is printed
here as a matter of interest to others connected with the record industry,

" -•-••"r -r ■v* - ' v " rr - - ' ' ",///

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COLUMBIA.^ . NEW V0BK *. * v.

August 12 > 1955

Dear Beals** remarkable new |5 «l

. in announcing to you a £,♦ opportunities for

VJa take great pleasure l new horizon of prori Wf romo tion,

This new plan c f a t f ^et^t^deSers all. over the^epuntry^ ^^ly

^ -via, «ft discovered that tnere «»» on jy with their own

Wherever we Raveled *« aler8 Hh0 wOT e concerne ,
uppermost in the (Cenlim '« •» «• /*«« wiwtf mt)

✓/*

Wednesday* August 17> 1955

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business, but with the record industry in general. Everyone asked us, in effect,
"What are the major record companies going to do about the record clubs?"

■Frankly, at first we did not think anything would have to be done. The
clubs were small. They had no outstanding orchestras, conductors, or artists
to offer. They accounted for only an insignificant fraction of the total
record volume •

However, this picture has changed radically even during the few months we
hare been traveling to dealer panel discussions. We now understand that the
record clubs' have attracted a cumulative- membership of almost one million, who
are purchasing at a rate approaching twenty million dollars worth of records
annually!

Wot one penny of this volume has been earned by either you , the dealer ,
or ourselves , the manufacturer ,

. Our research reveals that in the first quarter of 1955 the mail-order record
clubs accounted for about J5£ of the total dollar volume of long-playing records
sold in the United States. Since they deal essentially in classical repertoire,
this would represent about 35& of the purely classical long-playing record busi-
ness. Compare this volume with the first quarter of 1954 when the clubs did
only about 5. 8& of the total long-playing record volume, and you will see how
rapidly they have grown,

<3i ^

No one really knows just what their sales ceiling will be. Our research
consultants report that a vast segment of the American public now prefers to
buy a great variety of commodities from direct mail clubs. The book clubs,
for instance, have attracted more than 20 million members and 'have sold them
the staggering total of more than one hundred million dollars worth of books!

While the record (or book) clubs will never equal the volume of retail
stores, nevertheless, many retailers see that they are unnecessarily .losing
this extra business.

For some time now, the record clubs have been making strenuous efforts to
lease masters from the major companies. We can tell you that we at Columbia
Records have been approached several times over a period of two years. We
have been offered vast sums of money to lease the prestige of our artists and
our trademark to these clubs. To every such offer our answer has been the same;
Columbia Records believes that what is best for the record retailer is best for
us too. * Our business has been built on this close-knit relationship between
retailer and manufacturer. We believe that our future is permanently, and
properly, allied with yours.

You should realize, however, that the record companies are confronted with
an extremely serious problem in retaining their artists in the face of the
tremendous inducements offered by the clubs. Because of the clubs* ability
to sell any one record in great numbers to its members, they are in a position
to offer heretofore unheard of royalty guarantees to recording artists. To
date, almost every important classical artist has been approached and offered
vast sums to lend his name to the existing clubs. While, because of long-time
ties to record companies, no artist of major importance has Vet been lured away,
you can readily see that it will not be long before important artists will find
such offers irresistible.

It is clear then — from the many anxious letters we have received and
from what the many dealers have told us (together with the sales figures and
circumstances, outlined above) — that neither the dealer, nor the manufacturer
can afford to sit back and Wait. We simply cannot permit this new source of
competition to continue to grow and prosper, with none of this new revenue mak-
ing its way to those retailers and manufacturers whose financial and emotional
investments have built the record business over these many years. For, it is
becoming increasingly clear that the record clubs are here to stay — and they
will grow!

/ *

W«dfieMlay v August 17, 1955

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( Continued on t/ie following page)

They are selling to your customers and ours* They are -creating new record
buyers every day, customers who do not give you or us a single penny of profit
on their club purchases.

The time to do something Is now — i&ile the prestige of our artists, the
superiority of our recording technique, and the confidence of the buying public
are all in our favor.

Here Is the plan that you can put into operation right now* A plan that has
been thoroughly and carefully prepared by the outstanding experts in America*

A plan that gives you a way of doing extra business! A plan that will open for
you volume horizons never before available to any record dealer!

The plan, in brief, is this**

COLUMBIA RECORDS PROPOSES TO ESTABLISH, V±TH YOU
THE DEALER, THE LARGEST RECORD CLUB IN AMERICA!

Vithin the next few days, major newspapers, television and radio stations
throughout America will begin to carry powerful advertising messages announcing
this new Joint venture — the Columbia fij) Record Club .

The greatest campaign ever launched in the record business will advise the
public that it can now obtain the most magnificent records eVer made — the ~
famous Columbia <§) high-fidelity records — through a record club plan which
is a new concept of dealer-manufacturer cooperation*

4 •

Imagine the public 9 ^ response to this announcement! If unknown companies
can sell millions of dollars worth of their own records profitably through the
club plan, think of the great success that awaits the record dealer, who,
through an even better plan, can offer Incomparable Columbia © records —
the greatest artists, conductors, and orchestras of our time, and what Is more#
in every field of recorded entertainment!

No doubt' you are wondering who will handle all the complex promotional,
clerical and accounting operations involved in this plan. Columbia Records
has employed the leading experts in club promotion and operation in America.
These experts, after thorough study, have concluded that only through a central
processing organization can the mechanics of s^ch .an operation be worked out.
Therefore, with their aid, we have established a complete NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS
for this Club.

The Club Headquarters will be organized to handle completely all the com-
plex bookkeeping, accounting, correspondence, shipping and collection for you*

- Headquarters 9 advertising will bring members into your store!

- Headquarters will help you sell the records and the Club Flan!

- Headquarters will ship the records for you!

* Headquarters will collect the money for you!

• Headquarters will send you your share of profit every month!

<•

- And Headquarters will eveh pay for the free bonys records your
customers earn by their purchases.

All these operations will be done for you — without your lifting a
finger!

What then will you have to db? Although NATIONAL CLUB HEADQUARTERS will
greatly simplify your Job, you cannot, realistically expect both the protection
and the added income from this Club, unless you, too, will add to our efforts
your own energies and merchandising aggressiveness. Although a tremendous
national advertising program — your local advertising — your own window and
cpunter display mater ial — will bring new members into your store where you
will simply sign them up and forward the necessary information to your Club

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Headquarters, wo are sure that you will find it highly profitable to conduct
your own direct-mail operations, personal phone calls,. and even, perhaps, door*
to-door solicitation to increase the number of members you can bring in*

After that you earn a commission on every record your member buys from
your Columbia © Record Club — for as many years as you 1 maintain £h§> member
in the Club »

Every month your shares of profit are paid to you in cash — growing larger
and larger as new members join and old members continue to buy records* Just
imagine a plan that sends you money every month in return for your securing
members and helping your own customers fill out their Club membership appli-
cations when they .loin / Youj£ commissions can amount to as much as $2*>0«00 a
month on just a few hundred members ($2, £00/00 a month for a few thousand
members) — and you receive your commissions month after month •• year after
year — without spending a penny for additional inventory — without using att
inch of floor space.

Your members will be glad to join, because of the many benefits your Club
will offer them* The enclosed Presentation lists them all for you* Find out
how you can even offer members free records — which don # t cost you a penny l
In fact, you will be able to meet and beat those dealers who offer various
pricing inducements to draw your customers away from you today*

How, then, can you take immediate advantage of the Columbia (§) Record Club
Plan? All the essential material — everything you need to start signing up
members at once — is in the accompanying package or will be delivered to you
within the next few days by your Distributor's Salesman,. In addition, you will
also find more complete details about the Columbia (g) Record Qlub Plan* Study
the information and material carefully* Hake sure that your sales personnel are
fully briefed* Display the attractive window and counter material prominently*
Then* get set for the biggest avalanche of new business you have ever, seen!

This dramatic plan will add to your profits for years to come* It will
create millions of new record buyers — whose interest, in music will be encour-
aged on a regular basis* It will not only bring you your share of the record
club business, but will Create additional demand for records, phondferaphs,
needles, and so forth, which can only be satisfied by you, the record dealer*
There is no doubt that the public has indicated its interest in buying records
through the club plan method* You and we, can make available to them the finest
record club in America* Let us prove once again, together, that the businesses
which profit most are the ones that serve the public best!

Let us not allow what has taken place in the book business to happen to
the. record industry* There a third business, neither book publisher nor book
shop* took control of a large part of the industry by winning the club business
for itself* Together we can keep this business where YLt properly belongs -
among those retailers and manufacturers who have created the great record
industry.

We are sure you will make the most of this momentous opportunity!

Sincerely,

JAMES B* CO!
PRESIDENT

GODDARD LIEESRSON
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

HAL B. COOS
DIRECTOR OF SALES

For farther information,
contact your Columbia Records Distributor
or writs to:

COLUMBIA. RECORDS

m SEVENTH AVENUE • NEW YORK 1ft. H. %'

0 “Ctt0hiDii".(fg)M«K«

;• Wednesday, August 17, 195$

Pfiati&rr

Hillbilly's ‘Salzburg’ Fete

i ..Continued from pat* 45

year-old Gary Baker, of Washing-
ton, who sang "Let Me Go, Lover*”
An eight-year-old singer, Barbara
Sanson, of Edgarton, W. Va., who
has made Coral Records, for the
past three years, appeared. Kenny
Cummings, 13, a vocalist, of
Whitehall, Md., was sent to War-
renton after winning a regional
contest at Annapolis, Md.

The Winnahs!.

The winners N in each category;

BANDS; First, the Country Clan,
of Arlington, Va., led by James
Cain. Second, the Bayou Boys, of
East Riverdale, Md*. last year’s
first place winner.

VOCAL; First, Pete Pike, of
Falls Church, Va.;’ Second, Slim
Morrison, of Ednor, Md.

FIDDLE: First, John Hall, Wash-
ington, D. C.; Second, Scott Stone-
man, of Carmody Hills, Md., who
has his own band playing in the
D. C. area.

BANJO: First, Don Bryant Ar-
lington, Va.; Second, Rpy. Clunk,
Alexandria, Va. Both are profes-
sional .musicians.

MISCELLANEOUS; First, Billie
Grammer, of East Riverdale, Md.,
hot guitar; Second, the Cavalier
Quartet, four Norfolk, Va.;, busi-
nessmen, who do smalltime musical

engagements on the side, ranging
from gospel singing on station
WCMS in Norfolk to country music
and barbershop harmony;

First prizes in each category
were $150, with $50 to second
place. But this is the smallest part.
Many winners in other years have
gone on to professional engage-
ments on radio, television j records,
night clubs, etc. Among them have
been Chubby Wise, featured on
“Grand Ole' Opry”; Jimmy Dean
and his Texas Wildcats, on “Town
and Country Time”; Tbby Stroud,
with. “Old Dominion Barn Dance”;
Jimmy Haney, MGM Records;
Echo Inn Cloggers, dance” unit
which has had many bookings on
Southern video stations, etc.

On hand for the championships
were Fred Foster, a scout for
Mercury Records; Hope Ridings
Miller, on behalf of Ted Mack, and
Col. Joseph F. Goetz, head of the
professional entertainment division
of the Armed Services, seeking
talent to entertain servicemen in
the Caribbean area. Europe and
North Africa. He had previously
sent five country music units,
drawn from previous contest win-
ners, overseas.

Present also was Sally Starr,

operator of a country music pro-
gram oh station WJMJ, in Philadel-
phia, and wife of Jesse Rogers, the
Ranger Joe of Nabisco’s radio-tv
programs. She brought down a
busload of 40 fans, who paid to
cpme from Phtlly.and South Jersey
to attend the contests. Hosts at a
swim party for the press were Mr.
and Mrs. Oliver J. Presbry (Martha
Rountree),- whose pldce is just out-
side Warrenton.

The National Championship
Country Music Contest was orig-
inated five years ago by the Assn,
for Greater Warrenton and is now
run by the Warrenton Jaycees
(Junior Chamber of Commerce),
which is beginning to recruit other
Jaycee . units around the country
to conduct regional contests and
send the winners to Warrenton.

Master of ceremonies and guid-
ing spirit of the affair is Connie B.
Gay. of Vienna, Va., North Caro-,
lina native, who has become one
of the country’s leading country
music impresarios, and who has
launched many of the winners on
their professional careers.

Liebeck to Epic

. Herb Liebeck, former Decca
promotion staffer in the midwest,
has joined Epic Records as artists
relations manager. He’ll handle
promotional activities and accomp
artists on dee jay tours.

, He’s out .this week with Epic
songstress Lillian Briggs. „.

Best British Sheet Sellers

( Week ending Aug. 6)

London, Aug. 9.
Unchained Melody Frank
I Wonder ..... .Macmelodies

Evermore Rogers

Dreamboat Leeds

Stranger in Paradise . , . Frank

Everywhere Bron

Where Dimple Be Cinephohic
Cherry Pink .Maddox ,,

Stowaway . , . ...... . . Morris

Every Day . .Robbins

Don’t Worry ......... Wright

You, My Love Dash

Second 12

Sincerely n ash'

Softly — Cavendish

Bridges of Paris . Southern
Mama ......... .Macmelodies

Earth Angel . . . . . .Chappell

Melody of Love .... Connelly

Tomorrow ..... Cavendish

How Love Song Born Chappell
Crazy .Otto Rag’ . . , . . ftassner

Stars Shine .Maurice

John and Julie ...... ...Toff

Unsuspecting Heart Berry

DETAIL DISK BEST SELLEBS

ISAKIETY

Survey of retail disk best
sellers based on reports bb
tained from leading stores in
22 cities and showing com-
parative sales rating, for tnis
and last week.

National
Rating
This Last
wk. wk.

Artist, Label, Title

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HALEY’S COMETS (Decca)
“Rook Around the Clock”

’ 2

149

PAT BOONE (Dot)

“Ain’t That a Shame”

132

MITCH MILLER (Columbia)
“Yellow Rose of Texas”

4 ■ • .

131

GISELE MacKENZIE (X)
“Hard to Get” .

• r

•

• •

• 4

• t 4

• •

CHUCK BERRY (Chess)
“MaybeHlne”

....

« •

• •

LES BAXTER. (Capitol)

“Wake the Town”

« •

• •

*- •

4 •

E 9

NAT (KING) COLE (Capitol)
“A Blossom Fell”. .

* « .

• •

• *

• •

• 4

r •

FRANK SINATRA (Capitol)
“Learnin’ the Blues”

• * ,

• • •

• M

• • •

• 4

4 •

• •

LES BAXTER (Capitol)
“Unchained Melody”. .

* •

• •

^ •

• •

4 4

• 4

CHUCK MILLER (Mercury)
’’House of Blue Lights”

• •

♦ •

• •

4 «

• •

» 4

< 4

• 4

DORIS DAY (Columbia)

“I’ll Never Stop Loving You”.

• •

• «

i •

•7 '

BOYD BENNETT (King)
“Seventeen”

•

* *

PAUL-FORD (Capitol)
“Hummingbird”

« •

* 7

• •

• «

CREW-CUTS (Mercury)

“Gum Drop”

• •

♦ •

• •

ISA

" JULIUS LaROSA (Cadence)
“Domani”

• •

• ♦ .

• •

• • •

i •

15B

SOMETHIN’ SMITH (Epic)
“It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie”. .....

« ♦

• «

. # •

4 •

•

• 4

4 4

* * -

• «

' *

FOUR ACES (Decca)

’’Love Is Many-Splendored” . .

- 6

. • •

• •

• • •

« •

• • •

• .4

• 4

ROGER WILLIAMS (Kapp)
“Autumn Leaves”. . . .

• ••

• •

•. •

« •

• •

- * *

* •

• 4

• ‘4

4 4

• •

19A

• '•

EDDIE FISHER (Victor)

“Song of the Dreamer”

• • .

• •

'4 4

4 •

fc •

• •

4 r

«■ •

• •

• 4

NICK NOBLE (Wing)

19B 18 “Bible Tells Me So”. ........ . .. ♦. .. .. ♦. 6 .. 7 .. .. 7 .,

PERRY COMO (Victor) " " H

21 .. “Tina Marie”. 7 8 8 .. .. ..

SAMMY DAVIS JR. (Decca) r ‘

22A . . “That Old Black Magic”. ..... . . . .. . .. .. .. .. 8 .. 8

. McGUIRE SISTERS (Coral)

22B 12 “Something^ Gotta Give” .. - ♦. 7 . . .. . . 9 ... ..

EDDIE FISHER (Victor)

24A .. “Don’t Stay Away TonLong”.. .. .. 10 .. .. .. 9

4 . .

JAYE P. MORGAN (Victor)

24B .. “Longest Walk” .• Id •• »- •• 8 5

i 2

SIX TOP

LOVE ME OR

LONESOME ECHO

LEAVE ME

Jack!* Glaaian

ALBUMS

Dorit Day

Columbia

Capitol

CL 710

JW 627

B 2090 '

EBF 1, 2^627

STARRING

IN THE WEE,

PETE KELLY’S

SAMMY DAVIS JR.

SMALL HOURS

BLUES

Sammy Davit Jr.

Frank Sinatra

iM-Fitxgarald

Decca

Capitol

Decca

DL 8118

W 581

DL 8166

ED 2214-5-6

EBF 1, 2-581

ED 758

. 6 .. 1 1
. . . .... 10

. . 10

DAMN YANKEES
Original Ca»t

Victor
LOG 1021
EOC 1021

MUSIC

The buildup of. a mass Euro-
pean market for disks and phono-
graphs is now one of the prime
objectives of the RCA company.
Manie Sacks, RCA veepee over
the Victor disk division, whose
scheduled trip abroad last week
has been delayed two or three
weeks due to intra-company busi-
ness, said that the “record indus-
try must think of its markets .in
worldwide terms.”

Sacks stated that U. S. disks
account for approximately 30% of
Euix>pean record sales while RCA’s
platter sales alone have increased
more than 100% during the past
three years. No accurate figures
are available on total European
platter sales, but some 45,000,000
units were sold in England last
year and 30,000,000 in West Ger-
many.

RCA Victor execs are confident
that a vast market for disks can
be developed in Europe; Albert F.
Watters, v.p. and operations man-
ager of the RCA International
Division, who is scheduled to make
the trip with Sacks, stated that
European families are now buying
more phonographs than tv sets. ,
The biggest obstacle to the
growth of the mass market is the
high price tags on platters. They
are app .oximately twice as ex-
pensive as U. S. disks and, for the
average European family, that’s
too much money. The high prices
are due to stiff publisher royalties,
inefficient manufacturing process-
es and small runs on each platter.
RCA’s plants, already operating in
Spain and Italy, and planned for
other European countries as well,-
will use the latest U. S. tech-
niques.

45’s Buildup

Victor eXecs are aiming to speed
up the acceptance of the 45 rpin
platters overseas. At the present
time the 78s are still the most
popular disks while LPs are grow-
ing steadily. RCA will launch a 45
campaign in Europe and will mar-
ket a low-cost tWo-speed 33 and 45
rpm machine to accelerate the ob-
solescence of the 73s. It’s figured
that new customers entering the
disk market will b£ more inter-
ested in the convenience of the
slower speeds than in the oldstyle
78s. As far as disk speeds are con-
cerned, Europe is approximately
five years behind the U, S., Wat-
ters said.

While Victor’s catalog will be
pushed in Europe, Victor execs
also plan to develop native artists
in each country. Sacks said that
the company would be on the
sharp lookout for talented long-
hairs who could replace the .old
and retiring maestro es, &ich as
Arturo Toscanini. It will be part
of an RCA plan to “international-
ize” music while building up the
national artistic phase in each
country.

When they go abroad, the crew
of RCA execs, which will also in-
clude Howard Letts, manager of
the record operations department,
and Alan Kayes, Red Seal artists &
repertoire manager, will study
German, recording techniques.
Sacks said that Victor’s staff has
been impressed with the quality
of German sound on wax and RCA
engineers will make a close study
of the acoustical setup in Ger-
many.

Frank M. Folsom, RCA prexy,
sparked the company’s new inter-
est in the overseas market after re-
turning recently from a trip to
the Continent.

H’weod Indie Maps Frisco
Branch for Its 3 Labels

San Francisco, Aug. 16,
California Distributors, Holly-
wood record distributing firm, is
planning to set up a San Francisco
branch shortly to handle Pacific
Jazz, Contemporary and Good
Time Jazz, their three jazz labels,
as wel) as other indie lines. Jack
Lewerke, head of California Dis-
tributors, was in the Bay Area last
week scouting for a location for
the Frisco branch.

Contemporary and Pacific Jazz
are currently distributed here by
• Chatton Distributors of Oakland
and Good Time Jaz? is handled by
: Melody Sales. The later will con-
!. tinue to handle Fantasy in the Bay
; Area, although California Distribu-
tors handles it in Southern Cali-
i fomia.

MUSIC

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

Inside Staff-Music

The international language of music was struck home to N. Y. Daily
News drama critic John Chapman on his recent trip overseas. In his
rundown of his European trip to the Sunday (14) News, Chapman de-
scribed the popularity of the Negro vocal combos, the Delta Rhythm
Boys and the Deep River Boys, in Sweden. The biggest department
store of Stockholm, called NK, was plugging the Delta unit with pos-
ters. One of the big reasons for this group’s popularity, according
to Chapman, is its flawless handling of the native dialect.

Chapman said “entertainers are the only ambassadors of goodwill
who never fall down on the job. The world cherishes them and does
not suspect them of double-dealing . . . Incidentally, hearing and re-
hearsing the Delta Rhythm Boys’ records prompts me to repeat an oft-
made observation— that the theatre-trained American Negro has no
superior in the clarity, perfection and beauty of his speech. The boys
Swedish is better than the Swede’s Swedish.”

Columbia Records is going all out to assist the dealer in pushing
its 1956 phonograph line. Col's phono merchandising division has
whipped up a flock of brochures, booklets and. banners to help push
the line. The merchandising division is also offering a special all-
metal rack to display the phono line and a 16mm motion pic, featuring

Garry Moore and Art Carney plugging the phonos.

Decca has come up with a new twist on “mood music” albums. It
has now packaged a set titled “Music For Barefoot Ballerinas,” de-
signed to provide musical accompaniment for parlor Pavlovas who
want to do an entrechat between dusting chores. Larry Elgart band
plays the selections written* by Charles Albertine.

CkkM

OF /V&r RECORD RATINGS
BY THE TRADE PRESS

Billboard

Cash Bax

AINTCHA-CHA COMING OUT

T-T0NIGHT (M.rlcH.n)

JO STAFFORD (Columbia)

Sleeper of
the Week

BABALU (Pw)

CATERINA VAtENTE (Decca)

Spotlight

Sleeper of
the Week

HEAVEN CAME DOWN TO EARTH

(Progressive)

JERRY VALE (Columbia)

77 (Good)

Best Bet

IN MADRID (Movietown)

MORGAN BROTHERS (Vidor)

75 (Good)

B + (Excellent)

PAULETTE SISTERS (Capitol)

71 (Good)

B + (Excellent)

IT’S LOVE BABY (E*«an««o

R&B

THE MIDNIGHTERS (Federal)

Best Bet

Award

RUTH BROWN (Atlantic)

R&B

Spotlight

Sleeper

LOUIS BROOKS (Excello)

R&B

Best Buy

A KISS LIKE YOURS (**m

78 (Good)

Sleeper of

JUNE VALll (Victor)

the Week

MAGIC NIGHT <W.I.« * Barry)

•

JERRY VALE (Columbia)

75 (Good)

B (Very Good)

MAYBELLENE (*«>

R&B

CHUCK BERRY (Chou>

Best Buy

Award

JOHNNY LONG ORCH. (Coral)

78 (Good)

B-f- (Excellent)

JIM. LOWE (Dot)

Spotlight

Sleeper of
the Week

RALPH MARTERIE (Mercury)

B+ (Excellent)

PAMPER ME

FRANKIE CASTRO (Wing)

75 (Good)

B (Very Good)

PAPER ROSES (American)

LOLA DEE (Wing)

75 (Good)

C+ (Good)

SEVENTEEN

FONTANE SISTERS (Dot)

Best Buy

Sure Shot

ELLA MAE MORSE (Capitol)

78 (Good)

B (Very Good]

THE SHRIKE (*w F«rrer)

LES BAXTER ORCH. (Capitol)

75 (Good)

C+ (Good)

SO WILL 1 (Roosevelt)

Disk of
the Week

AMES BROTHERS (Victor)

TEARS FOR ME (Sheldon)

DORl ANN GRAY (Morcury)

76 (Good)

B (Very Good)

THIS IS MV STORY <Ai=<Min)

R&B

Best Bet

R&B

Award

GENE & EUNICE (Aladdin)

JACK AND BETTY (Teen)

B (Very Good)

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE <«■.«)

Spotlight

Disk of

FERKO STRING BAND (Media)

the Week

JOHN CALI (Mercury)

75 (Good)

B (Very Good)

Variety

But Bet

Best Bet

Good

Excellent
Good
Best Bet
Good

Excellent

Good

Best Bet

Very Good

BROADCAST MUSIC. INC.

« ... ...•
rOB<. CHICAGO .noil Y.w'O’O 0. 'OROTIC .MONTREAL

Special Decca Projects

Hollywood, Aug, 16

June Allyson is readying Inking
of a special disk pact with Decca
calling for her to wax two album
projects. One„is “Poppin,” an LP
series for^children, and the other
is to record the score from Co-
lumbia’s upcoming musical-version,
“It Happened One Night,” which
her husband Dick Powell will pro-
duce. Miss Allyson also co-stars in
the pic with Jack Lemmon.

The “Night” score, penned by
Johnny Mercer and Gene De Paul,
includes the theme, “It Happened
One Night,” “The Wateha Callit
Song,” “Howdy,” “Temporarily
Mine,” “Why Don’t Men Leave
Women Alone,” “The Hitchhiking
Song,” “Happy As De Mule in De
Briar Patch” and “Old Reporters
Never Die, They Gradually De-
cline.”

Miss Allyson previously cut her
last records on the MGM label
while under contract to that studio.

Clubs Clobber Record Cos.

Paris Diskleggers

; 'Continued lrom page 43

bf the so-called forbidden platters
have Ibeen selling quite openly,
especially Capitol’s “Can-Can” al-
bum. This may be changed now,
as the crackdown appears immin-
ent.

It has come to light that hot
“Carmen Jones” disks are bought
by French platter sellers for about
$10 apiece in Brussels, London,
Geneva or Milan and sold under
the counter for from $30 to $50.
Among others which have been
sold here of late are “Fanny,”
“The King And I,” “South Pacif-
ic,” “Pajama Game,” “Silk Stock-
ings,” “Damn Yankees” and “Me
And Juliet.” Lyon feels that this
ban is absurd and that as long as
people want these records they
will be sold, and he feels they do
not interfere with Gallic record
sales and should be allowed. Since
these shows will probably never
play Paris, he opined^ it is silly
to ban them on the theory that if
it ever does hit Paris, people will
not to go to see it due to being
familiar with the music. He feels
the opposite is true, and gives
“Porgy and Bess” as an example.

The advent of the 33 ,rpm disk
in 1949 started the real platter biz
growth here. It also brought back
oldies in special new longplay al-
bums, consecrated new stars and
made film music and U.S. musicals
and names known to the disk-
fancying French public. The fight
is now on and the lenient Gallic
attitude towards, record import
may change, bringing with it a
severe crackdown on all the disk-
legging that has flourished here
since ’48. There is ’ no doubt that
the record is now an important
show biz adjunct here and it will
keep growing as cheaper record
players hit the market and as the
youngsters keep increasing in their
disk interest.

Kanaga

Continued from pace 43

the country, he said, and dealers
report an unprecedented expan
sion in their business. A by-prod-
uct of the price cuts has-been to
increase sales of higher-priced
phonographs, Kanaga asserted t . TV
has also helped record sales by
returning entertainment ' to the
home, as has the interest in hi
fidelity phonograph equipment, he
continued.

Victor’s artists & repertoire chief
George R. Marek, touring with
Kanaga last week, held out little
hope for bringing tape recordings
and players within reach of the
average record-buyer’s pocketbook
at an early date. He cited the
high cost of tape and the high
price for quality tape recorder as
reasons for his pessimism. '

Continued from page 43

past year, and Col execs stated the ing LP prices, then by omitting

ndustry could not afford to sit
back and wait while the new. source
of competition continued to grow
at the expense of the traditional
manufacturer-dealer structure of
the industry.

Lure to Names

Col execs fear that the extra-
ordinary sales records being racked
up by some of the disk clubs will
give them a powerful lure to get
top name artists from the regular
abels. While no major artist, due
tn longterm commitments to the
regular labels, has joined the other
clubs, Col execs warned dealers
:hat “it will not be long before
mportant artists will find such
offers irresisitible.”

Col’s club proposition involves
the participation of the* dealers.
Dealers are being urged to solicit
members for the Col club and, for
each sale made by the club to such
members, the retailer gets 20% of
the gross price. Col, meantime,
takes care of all details, from col-
ecting the coin from the customer
to mailing him the merchandise.

Columbia, which has set up a
$1,000,000 advertising budget to
launch the club, will also solicit
members directly via consumer
mag spreads and radio-tv spots.
Col prexy Jim Conkling stated that
he anticipated that out of every
five members, four would be sub-
mitted by dealers. If the ratio tends
to favor the non-dealer members,
Conkling said that some adjust-
ment would be made in promoting
on the local level.

Separate Quarters
Columbia has taken new quarters
on 46th Street in N.Y. to handle
the club operation-. Norman Adler,
Col’s house attorney, has been
framed general manager of the
club. The diskery is gearing for
an initial membership of 500,000
persons in the first six to eight
months.

The setup is similar to -the book
club plans. Members will be offered
two selections monthly at regular
list price in each of four categories
— classical; listening or dancing;
legit, film and tv soundtracks, and
jazz. All disks will be regular cat-
alog items in standard packages.
For every two disks bought through
the club, Col will give a free
disks cut only for the club divi-
dends.

Columbia will also cuffo its rec-
ord club mag to members and will
provide printed interpretive notes
on its platter releases. As a hypo
for the retail trade, Col will alsp
keep club members informed on
all new. releases which are not
available through the club. Mem-
bers are required to accept a mini-
mum of four records a year.

Credit Setup
It will be a credit setup in which
the customers pay after getting the
disks. Col takes all the risks on
getting stuck by deadbeats, which
is another angle to the plan which
Col expects to appeal to dealers.
As the kickoff incentive, Col is
giving away any one of 12 disks
to each applicant.

Sam Goody, the country's lead
ing discount operator, said he
would go along with the Columbia
plan. A Goody spokesman stated
that the N. Y. store will attempt to
solicit members for the Columbia
club. He stated that It helps the
competition against the other disk
clubs, since the retailer gets a cut
of the business. “Some customers
like to order through clubs and
we’ll go along with Columbia in
servicing them that way,” he said
In New York, Ben Kay, head o
Liberty Music Shops, severely
rapped the Columbia plan. He said
it would take traffic out of the,
stores and therefore had to be bad
for retailers. He stated that Co-
lumbia has been putting the re-
tailer into a squeeze, first by hik-

their usual summer incentive buy-
ing plan and finally, by coming up
with the disk club plan.

Byrd in Decca Coqp

Jerry Byrd, steel guitarist who
has been with Mercury Records for
the past few years, has been signed
to a three-year Decca pact by coun-
try and western chief Paul Cohen.

Cohen also has added Tennessee
singer Jack Bradshaw to a deal
along with vocalists Slim Wilson
and Billy Mise.

CUGAT ON 2 LABELS
IN COL-EPIC DIVVY

Under a unique deal, Xavier Cu-
gat has been signed by Epic Rec-
ords, Columbia’s indie operation,
to cut single disks. Cugat’s albums,
however, will continue to be han-
dled through the parent label’s
distribs.

Double-label setup for Cugat is
aimed at getting the maximum re-
turns out of the single and pack-
aged releases.

Bleyer to Release

Sides Cut Abroad

Archie Bleyer, Cadence Record
chief, returned last week from ai
five-week tour of Europe where he
cut several sides with Continental
artists. Slated for early release are
disks by Chris Dane, a Swedish
singer, and Ernie Englund, Swiss
trumpeter.

Bleyer toured England, Ger-
many. Switzerland and France.

Erna Katz Due in Europe
For German Disk Talks

Erna Katz, recently appointed
special sales rep for Decca’s Gold
Seal division, is heading for Eu-
rope t fqr confabs with execs of the
Deutsche Grammophon Co. in Han-
over.

Miss Katz plan? to affect a closer
liaison between Decca and th#
German wax works over exchange
of masters and repertoire prob-
lems.

(iqiu fh# CHo’loi K F ildmon G'Owp P'odyD o^i I.l/r

__ "THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH" ^

“ THE
GIRL

UPSTAIRS

ROBBINS MUSIC CORPORATION

’lb

l lommmiK'

RCA #20/474111

3£fADVAN£tD MUSIC CORF.)

FOR YOUR PROGRAM
MONDAY THRU SUNDAY

Styne and Cohn's

"SATURDAY NIGHT
IS THE

LONLIEST NIGHT
IN THE WEEK"

CAHN MUSIC, Inc.

America's - Fastest
-T Selling - Records !

MUSIC

New York

Louis Armstrong opens at the
Crescendo, L.A., Sept, 2 for a week
. . . Claude Brennan, Decca’s assist-
ant general sales manager, . vaca-
tioning with his wife in Colorado
. . . Songstress Terri Stevens
booked for a return date at the
Steel Pier, Atlantic City, Sept. 17-
18 . . . Crew-Cuts tee off their first
overseas trek Sept. 19 with a date
at the Empire Theatre; Liverpool.
They’ll tour six cities . . . Tommy
Reynolds band starts at the Rose-
land Ballroom, N.Y# Friday . (19),
replacing Paul Martell’s orch,
which is readying an overseas tour
. . . Clarence Freed will manage the
N.Y. office of William Loeb Artists
Mgt., Coast firm . . . Frankie Day
inked by new indie label, Apache
Records . . Ted Herbert named

prexy of indie Marvel Records, re-
placing Jimmie Parks, who is’ now
tJ.S. rep for the Australian - disk
firm, W&G Processing Co. Nat.
(King) Cole opens at the Copa-
cabana, N.Y., Oct. 20 for three
weeks.

Hollywood

Toni Arden just completed a
guest stint on a segment of the
Jimmy ' Durante telepix series in
which she introes “Gobs and Gobs
of. Gobs” time penned by Jackie
Barnet. Chirp will also cut “Gobs*’
for Columbia Records ... Leith
Stevens has been- inked by pro-
ducer Edmund. Grainger to score
bis RICO production, “Great Day
in the Morning/’ Steven? just com-
pleted tuning up Grainger’s “Treas-
ure of Phncho Villa.’’ ... Jerry
Johnson currently on a cross-coun-
try tour via deejays to tubthump
Henri Rene’s latest RCA Victor re-
lease, “Toy Tiger,” . . t . Buddy
Bregman will baton a 14-piece band
for the Thalians’ charity caper at
Giro’s AUg. 29 . . . Warners’ music
head Ray Heindorf.to Toronto to
join. Jack Webb's touring p.a. con-
tingent, for “Pete Kelley's Blues.

. . . Johnny Desmond inked for re-
turn engagement at the Thunder-
bird, Las Vegas, Sept. 8.

Jack Dusick, makeup artist, has
penned a tune, “What A Day,” with
Jimmy Durante, to be published by
the latter’s company . . . Dig .Jay
McNeely opens a stand at Seattle s
Birdland, Aug. 31, and follows with
stint at Jack Tucker’s Tiffany Club,
Sept. 9 . . . Mel Henke has been
named musical director on KNXT’s
“‘Paul Frees Show.” . . . Alex
Welsh and his Dixielanders with
George Melly will be aired direct
from England via Mutual
Don Lee’s “Jazz Club” Saturday
(20) . . . Nino Tempo, brother of
April Stevens; formed a quartet
and opens stand at the Den, Nor-
walk. Deal was set by Sam Alton

“San Francisco jazz
! is here to stay!”

claims EDDIE CONDON

"Soma of the entity numbers that Turk
Jlurpliy plpys -were forgotten when I was the
t|ze of > banjo!” writes Eddie In September
» Holiday, magazine. Meet Murphy, Lu Wat-
ters, Bob ScObey «nd the growing crowd wh*
prefer their music to eny. other, In Condon’s
con trover slal “Sen Francisco Jazz” in Sep*
(ember Holiday!

NOW AT YOUR NEWSSTAND 1

SEPTEMBER

HOLIDAY

MAGAZINE

. A CURTIS MAGAZINE

ian’s Paramount Booking Agency.

Stan Wilson holds over at the
Tiffapy . ^ . Anita Day opened a
two-week stint Friday (12) at Jazz
City. Chirp just completed an LP
album for Norman Granz’ Norgran
label . . . Sonny Burke, Coast a&p
chief for Decca, is lining up a re-
cording session for Peggy Lee con-
current with her run at Ciro’s . » •.
Singer Paul Corrigan has been
inked to a term pact with Ardell
Records ; . . Bernard Hilda, Euro-
pean bandleader currently at the
new Beverly Hilton Hotel, is also
booking American variety acts for
his Paris nitery. >

Louisa Field, formerly in the
copyright clearance department at
Capitol Records, has exited post to
join _BMi in the . same capacity.

London

Colony Restaurant bandleader.
Felix King, off to the States for, a
month’s holiday. . .Bandleader Ed-
mundo Ros is signing a two-year
exclusive sdund radio contract
with the BBC. . .BBC producer
Mark White is leaving Aug. 20 to
join the ABC Commercial TV set-
up. . .The orchestras of Harry Roy
and George Smith left the Cafe, de
Paris end of July oh expiration of
their contract. . .Josh White' is set
to reach Britain on Oct. 4 for a
3% ihonths tour, . .The • Denny
Termer Trio, who have just con-
cluded a six-year run at the Stork
Room, opened at Churchills.

Chicago

Broadcast Music Inc. general
professional manager Julie Steam?
in from New York last week to.
check with deejays and ride herd
on Tony Bennett’s Columbia disk-
ing of “May I Never Love Again”
... Tex Beneke currently on one-
niters in the midwest . V ; Ralph
Rodgers orch approaching the six-
year mark at the Buttery ini Chi’s
Ambassador West . . . : Big - May-
belle opening, at the Crown Pro-
peller Lounge, Chicago, Wednes-
day (24) . . . Ma* Miller playing to
capacity crowds in his newly
opened joint, “The, Scene,” on
Chicago's North Clark St.

San Francisco

Erroll Gamer booked into the
Black Hawk Sept. 6 for three weeks
following Carmen McRae . . . Cal
Tjader and his Mambo Quintet,
which have been at the Macumba
all summer, leaving Sept. 11 for
Harrah’s Club in Reno . . . Vernon
Alley celebrates a year, in Septem-
ber as house band at Fack’s . . .
Gen & Eunice and the Gene Am-
nions band booked into the Oakland
Auditorium Ballroom Aug. 21 by
Manny Schwartz.

Charlie Barnet brings up a 16-
piece band from Los Angeles for
a Greek fraternity dance at the
Frisco Civic Auditorium Aug. 19.
. . . Earl Hines opens at the Hang-
over Sept. 6 with an all-star dixie
group featuring Darnell Howard,
clarinet; Eddie Garland, bass;
Marty Marsala, trumpet; Joe Wat-
kins, drums, and Bobby Thompson,
trombone . . . Vince Guaraldi’s Trio
back into the hungry i . . . The
Four Freshmen open Sept. 6 at
Fack's . . . Chuck Travis, tenor sax
and bandleader, working the sum-
mer gig at Yosemite in the Camp
Currey ballroom.

Pittsburgh

Sandy Moore joined Johnny
Long’s band here at the Copa as
featured vocalist . . . Larry ‘Faith
orch has return bookings at Hotel
Peabody in Memphis and Melody

CHET BAKER

QUARTETTE

Ju>t Concluded: BLUE NOTE, Chicago, -
ROUGE LOUNGE. River Rouge, Mich.

Currently LAS VEGAS CLUB, Balto.

Starting Aug. 22. PATIO LOUNGE, WASH., P. C.
Sept. 15— Starting Extended EUROPEAN TOUR

PACIFIC JA2Z RECORDS Joe Napoli, Press Rep.

H K H H ■ ■■■■■■■ SIUUNSUH

ASSOCIATED BOOKING CORPORATION

JOE GLASER, Pres.
New York I Chicago

A v i 1 PL 9.AH00 203 No. Wabash

Hollywood

8619 Sunu’t Blvd.

Wednesday, Avgust 17, 1955

RETAILS!

• *

1*1

jIj

8.1

■

New York — (MDS)

Washington — (Music Sales)

»s ’

•

U 1

• «»•

■ £

Philadelphia — (Charles Dumont)

San Antonio — (Alamo Piano CoJ |

Chicago— (Carl Fischer Music)

Indianapolis— (Pearson Music Co.)

Detroit — (Grinnell Bros, Music)

Minneapolis — (Schmitt Music Go.)

Kansas City — (Jenkins Music Co.) j

^ •

0
**<

Ji-

lt'

Seattle— (Capitol Music Co X

' i>

Survey of retail sheet music
best sellers based on ■ reports
obtained from leading stores in
13 cities ' and showing com-
parative sales rating for this
and last week.

♦ ASCAP t BM1

. National
.Ratine

This Last

■ wkt wk. Title and Publisher

"‘Rock Around Clock (Myers).

♦Hard to Get (Witmark). . .

. .

‘4

« «

• i

♦Unchained Melody (Frank)

. .

4 ;

-sm

♦Never Stop Loving You (Feist) 3

•

♦Blue Star (Young). .

10 .

- !

. ,

tYellow Rose (Planetary) . ,

< .

• .

. »

. . .

* tMan in a. Raincoat (BMI) .

. .

•

. «

■ ;4

♦Something’s Gotta (Robbins)

. .

* .

■

* .

• .

♦Learnin’ the Blues (Barton).

. .

• io

♦Cherry Tink (Chappell) . .

. *

►

. . .

• .

. ,

tHummingbird (Jungnickel) .

- .

. ..

• *

- .

, 9

♦A Blossom Fell (Shapiro-B).

. *

•

* .

. .

i 6

•

. *

‘ >

tThat A Shame (Commodore)

V-

•

. -

. .

♦It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie (BVC)

7 ■

’• « .

■ •

* . .

/ .

um\

> t ,

feUiittuS SS3SBHB

7 .

■

10 |

Miil. Ballroorti in Chicago next ^In-
ter’ : when ; the Horizon Room here
closes ■ down; for alterations de-
signed to doiible its capacity . . .
Johhny Costa, KDKA-TV. staff
pianist, subbihg 'for vacationing
Everett Haydn at Lore’s . . . Baron
Elliott, bandleader, and his wife
celebrated their 19th- wedding anni
... Harmonicaires around town
again for nitery and dub engage-
ments . . . Mary Lou Haugh, pian-
ist, has rejoined the Larry Faith
outfit , . . Hlmmy Spaniel combo
renewed through Labor ; Day. at
the Colonial Manor. They’ve been
at this spot all summer . . . .Billy
Catizone returns to Nixon Theatre
this season as conductor of the
house bend at legit site.

Houston'

[ Leo Peeper followed Billy Wil-
liams orch into Marine Room of
Galveston’s Pleasure Pier just
for two weeks . . . Oilman Glenn
McCarthy’s protege, tenor Dick
Krueger, away shopping for other
connections after seven years on
the local hotel-radio scene . . .
Norma Lee thrushing with Henry
King’s band at Shamrock Hilton
. . . Local songbird Marijane Van-
divier, who got a start with Joe
Reichman’s band in an engage-
ment, at Roosevelt Hotel, New
Orleans# went to Denver to sing
with the . l^oup.

Henry King Orch in for eight
weeks at Shamrock Hilton . . .
Pianist A1 Mason to Houston’s pri-
vate Match: Box ... Mac Dale’s
Dixielanders returned to Catalina
LOUnge, bringing back the Sunday
afternoon jameroos.

Sterling

Continued from page 43

Harvest Moon Is Shining,” “When
My Baby Smiles At Me,” “Hello
My Baby” (the first big cakewalk
hit at the turn of the century),
“Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis,”

Band Review

ORRIN TUCKER & KTLA ORCH
With Roberta Linn
Palladium, Hollywood

If an opening-night jampacked
dance floor is any criterion, Orrin
Tucker's KTLA Crystal Tone
orch’s roost at the Palladium will
be a lengthy one. Terpalace, in-
augurating its new house-band pol-
icy with Tucker, drew the biggest
opening night crowd (2,796) -in four
years. While it’s still too early to
say that Tucker is the answer to
the Palladium's lack of dance busi-
ness, one thing is for sure — no one-
sat it out at the opener when
Tucker struck up his baton.

Though the vet-batoneer lacks a
modern progressive upbeat, he ac-
centuates eiiough of a rhythmic
tempo via a 14-piece string-horn
section to cater to the itching feet
of the house patrons. Before the
initial number was played, Tucker
intro’d KTLA general manager
Klaus Landsberg to the tune of
“For He’s A Jolly Good Fellow.”
Landsberg owns the band, which
is under pact to his station. Tunes
that Tucker impresses with are ye
olde standards, “My Melancholy
Baby,” “Object of My Affections,”
“You Do Something To Me,”
“Goodie Goodie” and “Ain’t She
Sweet.” . An occasional recent
number like “Something’s Got To
Give,” which Tucker also chirps,*
rounds out his session.

Roberta Linn, billed along with
Tucker, is actually a show pack-
age all her own. Songstress makes
a dramatic entrance from the, rear
of the ballroom through the'" min-
gling customers chirping “Oh Baby
WhatT Couldn’t Du” and she does
real well.

Miss Linn, who also co-stars with
TUcker on the KTLA show, in cer-
tain phrasing reminds somewhat of
Ethel Merman. What this girl
lacks in voice, if anything, she
makes up in showmanship, al-
though her presentation is some-
what hampered by her hugging of
the mike. Kain.

the Sauter-Finegan orch; “Voodoo
Suite,” with Perez Prado and
Shorty Rogers; “A Session with
Chet Atkins”; “Wanderin’,” by
Eddy Arnold; “Just Keep A-
Movin’,” with HankTSnOw; “Basses
Loaded,” with Milt Hinton, Wen-
dell Marshall and Bull Ruther, and
“The .Natural Seven,”' with the A1
Cohn combo.

New ASCAP Faces

In the past couple of weeks,
ASCAP has elected several name
performers to its writer-member-
ship, roster, which already includes
numerous top b.o. names. Liberace,
who has several original instru-
mental composition to his credit,

has received his ASCAP letters as
has Bill Haley (& Hi? Comets),
leader of the click rhythm 8c blues
combo for Decca Records.

From the jazz scene, Erroll Gar-
ner also has joined ASCAP, along
with bandleader - arranger Roy
Ross.

Angel

Bells

MILLS MUSIC, INC.

PROGRAM TO-DAY
YESTERDAY’S

“Sent My Wife the Thousand Isles,”
“Caii You Tame Wild Wimmen,”
“All Aboard for Blanket Bay,”
“The Sun Will Shine Again” (it
was the “mystery melody” on^the
“Stop the Music!’’ show), and oth-
ers.

Irving Berlin recalls Sterling as
a Tin Pan Alley great when , he
first came around to Nigger Mike’s
On the Bowery as a singing waiter.
Berlin particularly recalls “Strike
Up the Band” and “Down Where
the Swanee River Flows” as his
best “money” songs, i.e. surefire
for throw-money from the custom-
ers,

What impresses Berlin is that
“what made Andy Sterling such
a great songwriter Is that they’re
songs which could have been writ-
ten toda;% and become hits; the
answer .it,, look at how long they
have been popular standards on the
American scene.”

Sterling’s widow survives. She
was Dorothy Heywood, w.k, in
vaudeville , at the time of their
marriage In 1902.

RCA Fall Release

Continued from pas* 49 —

with the Morton Gould orch; “So
Smooth,” a Perry Comb set; “Down
to Eartha,” by Eartha Kitt; “Music
for the Nostalgic Traveler,” by the
Melachrino orch; “Concert Jazz” by

JUST YOU, JUST ME

Music by

JESSE GREER

ROBBINS MUSIC CO.
799 7th Av*. N«w York

THE HIT OF THE WEEK

ROBBIN HOOD

DANCING IN
MY SOCKS

MGM 12046

HAPPY

IS MY HEART

K 12046

■

'Wednesday* August 17 * 1955

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VioUN CONCERTO IN D (Brahms)
Heifetz; Chicago Syraph. Orch.,)
Reiner. ECS-4/ECSD-4

56 VAITDEVMXE

!ETy

Wednesday August 17, 1955

For CNE; Name lineup Included

Toronto, Aug. 16.

Jack Arthur, executive producer
of the Canadian National Exhibi-
tion, got his $350,000 stageshow
into rehearsal last week with a cast
of 7.6 dancers, a choral ensemble
of 38 and an orchestra of 60 men.
At $3 top, plus the 50c turnstile
click to the grounds, Arthur will-
star Marilyn Bell, swim conqueror
of Lake Ontario and the English
Channel, with Ed Sullivan in as
emcee of the international acts.
Fortnight’s afternoon and evening
grandstand shows, with a 24;0Q0-
seater capacity, and running from
Aug. 26 to Sept. 10, will feature
Lassie, of film and tele fame, with
Tommy Rettig, the, first -week, The
Four Lads the second.

In addition to Sullivan and Miss
Bell, the latter swimming in a
tank 80 feet long,. 12 feet wide and
five feet deep, with a background
of 60 girls in silver metallic bath-
ing suits, Arthur has also signed
up Will Mahoney; Willie West &
McGinty; Four Step Bro§.; Donna i
Gresco, girl violinist; Dave Broad-;
foot, ’comedian, and Ro$emary
Burns, opera singer, who recently
completed a film in Italy. Worked
in for five costumes changes are
Arthur’s “The Canadettes,” preci-
sion line of 76. Choreographers
and principal dancers in . the CNE
musical extravaganza are Alan. &-
Blanche Lund, previously in two
London (England) musicals, and
Midge Arthur, solo dancer with
Paul Whiteman's orchestra :

For the musical revue, Arthur
Will have some 500 performers, and.
will also use a seven-level, zonal
setup of stages, this for the first
time in Canada,

Arthur’s three big production
numbers will be “Inside the C. N.
E., “a modern version Of “Minstrel
Days," and “Thig Canada,’’ the big
finale complete with a chorus of
Mounties, show girls representing
“The Flowers of the Provinces.”
plus the line of “Canadettes,” the
mixed vocal ensemble of .38, and
the orchestra of 60 under baton of
Howard Cable. Also worked into
the afternoon and evening shows,
with the latter the big -production
draw, will be Lassie and The Four
Lads, Watkin’s Chimpanzees, The
Wazzan Troupe, Jack Joyce’s per-
forming Camels, The Tombelli bal-
ancing troupe, Leon & Elean’s
great Danes, Bob Top and Lauren,
for roller skating on a 60-foot
tower, and the Flying White
Horses.

Misses Moore and Montel
Encoring atN.Y/s St. Regis

The St, Regis Roof closes Sept. 7
ar. . i .« * uie <.owi\scairs

Maisonette reopens with Connie
Moore as the opening chanteuse.

She’s a returner, as is Fernanda
Montel who f olid ws. her in on Oct.
20 for six weeks. The perennial
Milt Shaw band also shifts from
the roof to the Maisonette,

Fire; Show Goes on Next
Night; Daniel Kudosed

Lais Vegas, Aug. 16.

El Rancho show resumed last
night (Mon.), after a blaze the
previous night caused an estimated
$250,000 damage to the supper
room and adjoining kitchen. El
Ranch was the first hotel to open
doors on the strip 14 years ago,
and because of the blaze became
the first to shutter. Firemen lauded
Billy Daniel Dancers and Ted Fid
Ritp's Orch, who continued through
the opening production while
smoke engulfed the. room and
flames licked the ceiling.

Noting the blaze, Daniel stepped
to the mike and told guests out-
front “there has been a slight ac-
cident in the kitchen. We request
your indulgence and ask you leave
the room while we clear the smoke,
after which show will resume.”
Daniel and Dancers continued their
number until all had been evacu-
ated. A fire official said his ad lib
calmer averted a panic. One Fio
Rito trumpeter, Gene Barringer,
and waiter Philip Kane and a fire-
man were overcome by smoke, but
injuries are not serious.

Ray Set for Brit. Tour

London, Aug. 16.

;Lew Grade, of the Lew & Leslie
Grade Agency, returned to London
from New York last week with the
news that he had inked Johnnie
Ray for a three or four weeks tour.
Ray is due to fly in on Oct. 2 for a
guest appearance in the commer-
cial tv show, “Sunday Night at the
London Palladium,” and the dates
are being lined up to coincide
with this visit.

SPITALNY NETS OVER
IDG FOR PALACE WEEK

Phil Spitalny and his all-girl
“Hour of Charm” orch, who wind
up a one-week stand at the Pal-
ace, N. Y., tomorrow (Thurs.), will
take out over $10,000 for the date.
On top of a $5,500 minimum guar-
antee, Spitalny is getting 50% of
the gross over $22,500. The Pal-
ace will gross around $35,000 for
the week, The maestro’s interest
in video cued the Palace stand as
a showcase for advertisers.

Spitalny has been set for a four-
week date in Las Vegas at the
Royal Nevada Hotel after the cur-
rent. “Guys and Dolls” winds its
indefinite run. Joe Glaser’s. Asso-
ciated Booking Corp; set this date,
Meantime, Spitalny ’s organization
will play at the Atlantic City Steel
Pier; N, Y. State Fair in Syracuse
for nine days, and the Pennsyl-
vania Fair in York, Pa., for one
night, before the Vegas booking.

Boston, Aug, 16.

Singers are taking over in Yah-
keeland and peelers, exotic dancers,
carnie and circus type acts, along
with outdoor, acts, are finding it
harder to get bookings this season.

Clubs around the territory which
formerly ran formal of exotic
dancers for bowoffs are now going
big, for chirps. Outdoor amuse-
ment spots and upcoming fairs,
which for years used nothing but
circus type acts, are seeking sing-
ers.

The /success of name singers in
amusement parks, beach spots and
at outdoor events, has sparked off
a big demand here. This type of
strange bookings finds Snooky Lam-
son at White City Park, a small
amusement park outside of Wor-
cester, Mass,, as the big draw.

Demand has brought amupsurge
of young femme, singers around
Beantown. The grind clubs, which
used to feature a number of exotic
dancers and a comic in their show
format, have thrown out the peel-
ers and are using upwards of three
girl singers. The chirps are not
singing naughty songs, either, but
strictly hit pop tunes.

The move has spread to the. fairs,
and New England’s big fair season
will find for the first time name
singers being* featured instead of
thrill acts.

The Adorable
French-American
Singing Star

VICKI

BENET

Personal Direction:
JACK ELLIOTT

JUST RETURNED TO AMERICA PROM
SUCCESSFUL EUROPEAN TRIP

Excerpt from VARIETY on Savoy Hotel
Engagement, London, England , , . •

". ♦ * A neat mixture of English and
French songs . ..a boff success."

Thanks to NORMAN PAYNE and MCA

Publicity:
JACK OLIPHANT

Season;

♦

'Opry' 16G, Toronto

“Grand Ole Opry”’ took In
around $16,000 on the first week
of its summer tour at the Casino
Theatre, Toronto, ending last
Wednesday (10).. The Roy Acuff
starrer, with Kitty Welles and
J6hnny & Jack, winds up a week
at the Seville Theatre, Montreal,
today .(Wed.).

Other dates include New Bed-
ford,. Mass., and Denver, Col.

Bevhilton Signs Basic
Pact With 1ATSE, AGV A;
Strike Threat Is Off

Hollywood, Aug. 16,
The possibility of an AGVA and
IATSE Stagehand Local 33 strike
against the pew Beverly Hilton
Hotel ended last Thursday (11)
when the hostelry, on the evp of
its formal public opening, signed
basic-agreement contracts with the
local office -of American Guild of
Variety Artists and with. IATSE
Stagehands Local 33. By: its action,'
the hotel averted a strike.

According to .the Central -Labor
Council, both crafts had .previous-
ly filed application for “strike
sanction" against the hostelry when
it refused to sign the union agree-
ment, which stipulates, that all
AGVA entertainers working the
hotel’s' floorshows would receive
benefits as hotel contributions to
the; union’s welfare-and-health
funds.

: For AGVA, the deal was prece-
dental, for no other hotel in the
Hilton*Statler chain ever has
signed such a pact. It’s expected
that Irvin Mazzei, Coast AGVA
chief responsible for the Beverly-
Hilton pact, will now serve the
same demand on the Statler here,
also part of the Hilton hotel chain.

Other AGVA moves on other
Hilton-Statler hotels will be up to
other union offices in those re-
gions.

’Cracker Barrel’ Encores
Click of ‘7 Arts Festival’

By RICHARD JOSEPH

Pike, N.H., Aug. 16.
Success of the sixth annual
White Mountain Festival of the
Seven Arts held at the Lake Tarle-
ton Club near here in July has
caused the Tarfeton management-
to stage a 17-day reprise ending
Aug. 28 under the title, “Cracker
Barrel-*— Americana.”

Using the same format of after-
lunch al fresco talks and concerts
that proved so popular at the
Seven Arts Festival, the new series
is featuring show biz and literati
names at sessions open to the pub-
lic as well as guests at the Carle-
ton.

Speakers include NY Timesman
Theodore Beriistein, author Ray
Brock, psychiatrist Dr. Ewen Cam-
eron, Saturday Review editor Nor-
man Cousins, Dr. Johnson Fair-
child, director of Cooper Union
Forums; Boylan FitzGerald, presi-
dent of the American Artists’ Pro-
fessional League; N.Y. Daily News
tv editor Ben Gross; actress Kim
Hunter; poet Gabriel Mason, mys-,
tery author Hal Q. Masur, actor
Arnold Moss, author Helen Rose,
antiquarian Sigmund Roth child,
Hunter College president George
N. Shuster, Dr. Marshall Stearns,
director of the Institute of Jazz
Studies: historian S a m u e l Stein-
berg, economist Edmund Owen
! Stillman, tv director-producer 'Ezra
Stone, travel writer Horace Sut-
ton, author Gerald Willem Van
Loon, Sultner Welles, • artist and
photographer; and author Maurice
Zolotow.

Headlining the musical program
are the New Hampshire Symphony,
38 musicians from America’s lead-
ing orchestras and Conducted by
Maurice Bonney; the ABC Sym-
phonietta, a 15-piece American
Broadcasting Co. chamber ’string
ensemble directed by Arnold Eidus,
and the Walt Whitman String
Quartet. The N. Y. City Opera Co.
will present abbreviated versions
of “The Marriage of Figaro” and
“La Boheme,’’ narrated by Yale
Forman, and concerts will be given
by pianists Jane Courtland and’
George Fiore.

; „ Ottawa, Aug. 16.

If the weather’s right, Herb. H.
McElroy, g.ifi. of the Central Can-
ada Exhibition, is looking for a
450,000 attendance at the 62nd an-
nual CCJE, scheduled to open Aug.
20 and run (except Sunday) to
Aug. 27. The 1955 CCE will be big-
ger' in all departments and Will
again feature the World of Mirth
Midway andr George Hamid’s
grandstand show.

Hamid has booked Col. Eskew’s
Rodeo in front of the grandstand
for Saturday (20),' scaled 25c to
$1.50. From Aug. 22 to 27, Hamid’s
revue, “Stairway to the Stars,” will
operate afternoons and evenings,
the afternoon shows scaled 25c to
$1 general, evenings $1 to $2, re-
served. World of Mirth will bring
‘35 rides and 17 shows to the Lans-
doWne Park site, including Dyano
Bros, circus. The CCE general ad-
. mission Is 50c.

Other CCE features Include
opening-day parade with 20 bands
and 45 floats booked to date, to
start at Hull’s (Ottawa’s Quebec-
side neighbor) city hall. Band con-
certs will be held daily, using
bands of the Royal Canadian Air
Force, Royal Canadian Mounted
Police, Governor General’s Foot.
Guards (which ai s0 plays the
J. grandstand pit) and the Royal
Canadian Corps of Signals (Army).
Besides Highland dancing and a
mutt show, bandshell will have
evening performances of a revue
produced by local indie radio airer
CFRA,

Ticket-selling gimmicks include
various prizes, topped by a car
L every evening, totalling $17,000 in
j value; special Kiddies Day (22)
with free admish and all rides 10c
for moppets to 6 p.m., plus $700
in special prizes, as well as prices
for program numbers (grandstand), .
an international dog . show and
Pure Food building exhibits.

Names will be. daily dinner
speakers, including Mayor Wagner
of New York, the Mayors of To-
ronto and Montreal, Mrs. M. O. A.
Baig, wife of the High Commis-
sioner for Pakistan, and provincial
government official!.

Eileen BARTON

latest Coral Release

Apollo Umborto Silvano
Roberto Romano

Dir.: WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY

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Wednesday, August 17, .1955

VAUDEVILLE

Atlantic City, Aug/ 16.

Two top hotel deals • were re-
ported here this past week: A mo-
tor hotel will be erected on the
downtown beachfront at an esti-
mated cost of $1,000,000. ; To be
known as the Strand, it will be
built by Emanuel Solomon, presi-
dent of the Strand of Atlantic City/
Solomon operated the old uptown
Strand before it was razed in a fire
two years ago. He is renting a
block of land on a 99-year lease
from Joseph G, Bradway, president
of the 3400 Boardwalk Corp., first
deal of this kind here, Total
rental involves $3,500,000,

Second deal involves sale of one-
half ownershio of the Ambassador
and Ritz-Carlton Hotels, held by
the estate of Harry L. Katz, for
$3,500,000. Buyers are surviving
partners of Katz, Mr. and, Mrs.
Margolin, residents here, in the
case of the Ambassador, and the
Margolins/ with Alfred P. Orleans,
Philadelphia contractor, in the
Ritz-Carlton, Price for each one-
half interest is $1,750,000 and sales
are subject to court approval.

'Ambassador was leased ip 1951
for a 30-year term to . Tisch ‘inter-
ests for a rental of approximately
$500,000 annually, Ritz-Carlton is
under the partnership operation
through a subsidiary corporation.
Courts are slated to get the case
Sept. 23.

Strand will be in a "U shape and
have 131 bedrooms and six pent-
house suites. Plans call for a swim :
ming pool and cabana club, restau-
rant, cocktail lounge.

LaS Vegas, Aug. 10.

Sands Hotel management is dick-
ering to’ acquire . operation of . the
new Dunes Hotel on the Strip,
which' opened last April, under
present management of A1 Gottes-
man, Joe Sullivan, at a reported
$3,900,000 cost. ;

If deal jells, Jack Entratter will
produce the show as he is now
doing at the Sands.

Autry Special Feature
For Minn. State Fair

Minneapolis, Aug.. 15.

Minnesota State Pair, Aug. 27-
Sept. 5, one of the nation’s largest
and drawing approximately 1,000,-
000 people during its 10 days, will
have an important name attraction
this year for the first, time. He’s*
Gene Autry and he’s being brought
here through combined fair and
WCCO-TV sponsorship, . but he’ll
not appear as part of the regular
grandstand variety show, which
shuns luminaries/

At the. fair Autry and his troupe
will confine their appearances to“
a special two-hour performance in
one of the huge exhibition 'build-
ings, the Hippodrome, Aug. 28, at
which an extra admission will he
charged, and to a free morning
grandstand show for youngsters
the following day. Advance mail
orders are being taken for the
Hippodrome show..

\Vhile here/ Autry’s CRS net-
work show will be televised from
WCCO-TV. ;

Pitfs Evans Family To
i)ouble in School, on Tour

: Pittsburgh, Aug. 16.

Evans Family, longtime . stand-
ard *vaude and nitery dancing act,
are opening their own studio of
the dance in nearby Homestead
Park; where they live. This doesn’t
mean,, however, . that four Evans)
are' quitting show business. They*!!
continue. 'to travel and have en-
gaged Virginia Wagner, local
dancqr, to look after the school
whenever they hit the road.

Turn, which consists., of father,
mother, daughter and son, one of
very few legitimate family acts
left, operated a dancing school in
Homestead years ago before they
hit the bigtime. .

5006 E. St. Loo Nitery
Sold by Court Order

St. Louis, Aug; 16.

The plush nitery and gambling
casino built by the late Roy A.
Bowman in -downtown East St.
Louis has been sold under court
order to John J. Reely, East St.
Louis contractor, who held . a
$100,000 mortgage on the property.
The spot, tagged “Bowman’s,” was
built in 1948 at a reported cost of
$500,000.

However, the gambling casino
and handbook rooms were never
opened because of a campaign
against gambling of any variety
that began shortly before the spot,
was completed. Bowman died on
May 3, 1952, and the cocktail
lounge and night spot, which had
been losing money, were closed
a short time later, Keely hasn’t,
disclosed plans for the spot’s. fu-
ture.

‘Uniform Hour La

Hollywood, Aug. 16.

Sammy Davis Jr, has been
slapped with a $1,000 fine by .the
local" office of the American Guild
of Variety' Artists, At a special
trial board here, in a closed ses-
sion, Davis : was found guilty. ; of
working"gratis, without AGVA con-
sent, at ari outdoor vatide show put
on at .Wrigley Field, Aug. 2, prior
to a baseball' game between the
L. A. Angeisand S/ F v Seals.

Irvin Mazzei, AGVA’s Coast
chief, cited Davis Aug. 3, charging
he would be. subject to disciplinary
action for violation of an AGVA
bylaw. Other- AGVA entertainers. -j
who entertained, along with Dayis
at the ballpark but had- been
cleared beforehand by AGVA in-
cluded Wilder Brog., Jones Boys,
Patricia Manville, The Hi-Hatters
and Jill Adams.

Davis when contacted anent the
$1,000 fine said: “I'm grateful to
the union for. pot suspending me
and I’d like to caution ’any > other
performers To make Sure they get
AGVA’s okay for,. apy type show.”

Cleve. Hotspot Folds
After Long Legal Fi«hf

Cleveland, Aug. 16.

Norman Khoury finally shut-
tered his Circus Club, after a long
legal fight, getting the jump on
state liquor agents who arrived a
few hours later with orders to pad-
lock the troublesome hotspot,

Closing left Khoury, who oper-
ated up to 35 niteries here during
flush World War II years, without
a. single open bar. Majority of his
projects formerly ran strip or ali-
girl ; shows that ran afoul of the
law. His Circus Club’s permit re-
newal was recently scotched by the
Ohio board of liquor control be-
cause it employed a 17-yeAr-old
bar girl. Nine acts and a small
band were dropped by the spot
when investigators turned on the
heat.

Minnesota Nitery Op *
Settles Fed. Tax Claim

Minneapolis, Aug. 16.

L. J. Savard, Red Lake Falls,
Minn., owner of four night clubs in
northern Minnesota lake summer
resort towns, has agreed to settle
a $35,025.31 Federal tax dispute for
$14,391.32; Federal . tax court
judge J. G. Bruce signed an order
accepting the $13,706.02 tax defi-
ciency for the- year 1.946, and
$685.30 penalties.

Dispute between Savard and
Federal tax officials involved in-
come he received from slot ' ma-
chines, pinball machines and punch-
boards at his bistros.

He reported $252,870.12 and
showed taxable income of $35,-
124.04 in 1946. Tax officials con-
tended he should have paid tax on
$84,554.25. He denied he had $36,-
500.11 income from slot machines
and other machines that he didn’t
report.

Miami Beach, Aug. 16.

Dade County Commission last
week passed a “uniform hour” law
which aligns the entire area under
a set opening and closing time,
eliminating the former “local au-
tonomy” policy that produced a
hodegpodge of ordinances, with
some towns allowing operations on
a 24 hour basis.

Hurt most by .the new ruling' are
the loungeclub spots concentrated
on the 79 th St. . Causeway, along
which “villages” are incorporated as
separate- communities from Miami
and Miami Beach. These all-night-
eries do a thriving . late business
from the da\yh-patr oilers who reg-
uraly hit the "‘strip” after making
hotel and night club rounds. All
the spots on the causeway feature
small musical units, femme thrush-
es and boast a well-known host to
aid. in attracting: the “see you”
trade.

Hotels are 1 now restricted to a
1 a, m. closing time, thus posing a
t showtime problem. The plpshier
hostels have been going in for a
two-show pojicy to overcome the
heavier budgets they are laying out
for acts as the competition in-
creases each year. It’s a matter of
rearranging the curtain-time; al-
althbugh a. loophole may be found
in a clause which allows serving—
hot sales — of drinks foe the extra
hour currently allowed.

All hotels on the beach must
close down at 2 a,m. There is also
the possibility that the beach coun-
cil ihay rewrite their ordinances
affecting hotel bars and cafes in
order to retain the extra tax money
they’ve been' collecting ip recent
years for that extra jjhour, Such
reclassification would put the ho-
tel spots into a club category which .
allows late operation. Straight
night clubs have had their hours
cut to a 4 a.m; finale (from five).
Most operators regard the chop
lightly, what with late business
practically non-existent in recent
seasons.

COMEDY CLASSICS...”

New York

/ fi‘RIETY

“Tony Sc Eddie are standout in
their disk-pantomime act. The
Kathryn Grayson bit breaks it up
as does their takeoff on Mary Mar-
tin and Bing Crosby. The windup
madhouse bit, with a strobe light
to create a ghostly effect, gets
them off at the peak.” Herm.

New York Journal-American
by GENE KNIGHT

“Tony and Eddie went over big.
Their take-offs Of Bing Crosby,
Mary Martin, Anna Magnani and
Liberace are comedy classics,”*

New York Post
by MARTIN BURDEN

“Tony and Eddie whiz through
their hilarious act, pantomiming
records. The duo make it seem
fresh and funny.”

BILLBOARD

“Tony and Eddie, who have one
of the most amusing panto-record-
ing acts in the business, are mak-
ing a sock Broadway nitery debut.
The lads are great^as usual, and
should be allotted more time.”

Bob Francis.

New York Doily Mirror
by LEE MORTIMER

“Tony & Eddie who rate raves
for their mimicry.”

New York World-Telegram
& Sun

by ROBERT W. DANA

• *

“The pantomime work or Tony
and Eddie is startling as well as
clever.”

— Just Concluded

SANDS HOTEL, Las Vegas
MAPES HOTEL, Reno
TOWN CASINO, Buffalo

Personal Management: PARIS EAGER

vitUBmix

w mwfr

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

BARBARA McNAIR
Songs -
15 Mins.

Bine Aitffel, If. Y.

Barbara McNair bows as prom-
ising vocal talent in her initial
stand at this east side N. Y. spot
which, under Max Gordon’s aegis,
experiments with new talent.
Young Negro songstress is a looker
with a trim physique and a set of
pipes that, at the moment, are pro-
fessionally competent, but with ex-
perience could be even more than
that. The distinctive styling and
phrasing are already there in em-
bryo.

Her opening number, “Ain’t We
Got Fun,” is a poor choice. This is
a depression number with lyrics
that have little relevancy for con-
temporary audiences unless there’s
a special point to be made. Miss
McNair doesn’t have any particu-
lar reason to do this number as a
warmup exeept-ihat it’s uptempo.
The rest of the repertoire is okay.
She handles the ballad; “I’ve Got
A Crush On You,” with sensitivity
and goes into a snappy spiritual-
type number, “Yes, Indeed,” be-
fore essaying an excellent “Happi-
ness Is Just' A Thing Called Joe.”
The swinging “I Love You Madly’ r
gets her off strongly. Hem.

VIVIAN & TASSIE
Juggling
8 Mins,

Apollo, N.Y.

A Danish import, Vivian & Tassie
are a fast juggling turn who mani-
pulate a variety of obects ranging;
from Indian clubs to hoops. Mixed
team opens with club tossing fol-
lowed by male member bouncing
a ball atop his head while simul-
taneously jumping rope. He also

DOTTIE and JOE

has a novel acrobatic twist in that
he sandwiches some forward, somer-
saults into his routines from time
to time.

Femme partner 9 , a statuesque
blond, is more than mere window
dressing for she- joins with her
mate in a neat club juggling switch
that comes off 'without a miscue.
Male, in addition, has an interest-!,
ing audience gimmick whereby he
throws a ball to customers at ran-
dom. On the return toss he juggles
the sphere at the end of a stick
held m his mouth. However, the
effectiveness of this bit depends
upon' accuracy of the return throw
This was considerably, deficient at
show caught.

Withal, Vivian & Tassie have
sufficiently eye-catching routines,
to qualify them for most visual
media including vaude, niteries
and tv.

THOM HELLING
Songs, guitar
[22 Mins.

Allegro^ London .

Thom Kelling is * a personable
young Dutchman, who sings, in a
variety of languages to his own
guitar accompaniment. He has an
exceptionally good command of
the English tongue, which enables
him to introduce and explain his
foreign language numbers. That
apart, the act hardly impresses as
up to standard for first-class night
spots, although he should get by
in more modest establishments,
particularly on the Continent;

His act has’ a saniieness which
makes it difficult to sustain cus-
tomer interest. There is little va-
riety in the choice of numbers and
a complete absence of original
material, which might suit his per-
sonality. ; His selection of songs
range from Brazlian to Cuban,
Spanish and West Indian numbers
and . there is & pronounced em-
phasis on the Brazilians tempo
throughout the routine. None of
them achieves an individuality.

Myra.

ZIZT RICHARD
Songs
9 Mins.

Gatineau, Ottawa

Billed as “from Folies Bergere,”
exotic Negro chirper ZizI Richard
(pronounced Ree-shore) is amply
equipped physically to represent
the w.k. Parisian spot. Wearing a
flashy costume that emphasizes the
stint’s s. a." structure, Miss Richard
works eagerly and maintains a
strong French flavor throughout.
Sharp tonal quality keeps her pip-
ing in so-so category but the cus-
tomers, particularly males, aren’t
too particular about the canarying
as Tong, as their view of the femme
is uninterrupted.

Medley arrangement, with “I
Don’t Care” (in Eva Tanguay style)
as a base, is opener and rest of the
act follows similar styling. Okay for
niteries, act would have stronger
impact in a smaller room, although
ft satisfactorily fills the Gatineau
Club's exensrye space with both
sight and sound. Gorm.

JUST CLOSED

GLEN CASINO— Buffalo

CURRENTLY

ONE-TWO CLUB-Toronto

JACK POWELL

and Ms ' Educated Drum Sticks
Under the Personal Management -of
.MARK LEDDY and LEON NEWMAN
48 West 48th St., New York 19, N. Y.
Phone — JUdson 8-2760

HERBIE SELLS'

Impressions
20 Mins.

Gatineau, Ottawa .

Herbie Sells was In niteries for
some years as chant partner of
Jimmy Hollywood but since Holly-
wood’s fatal illness. Sells has
worked as a single. His staging: is
effective and singing impressions
of Sinatra, Cole, Bennett, Rose
Murphy, Monroe and others, are
standout. Compared to chanters,
-gab apings are weaker blit on the
, whole Sells’ stint gets his returns
throughout.

Sells is capable of handling crisp
comedy both in impressions and
filler lines but needs stronger gag
material. Personable, able and
young, he will enhance any nitery
or stage production. Gorm. '

they give the fans a display of
gam-kicking, showing their shape-
liness and s.a. Highspot of act is
when one gal comes on garbed In
tophat. style to offer a top-hat-and-
tails routine, and is followed by
her partner in a pretty ballet se-
quence.

Femmes show ideas and fresh-
ness in their stepping, and are use-
ful booking meantime for Europe-
an and United Kingdom vauderfes
or tv. Gord.

BRUNNAU & FLORENCE
Comedy Dances
9 Mins.

Rheinland, Frankfurt

This man-and-wife duo- has some
amusing dance parodies. Their
slapstick presentations of the rum-
ba and mambo are slanted right
for a boisterous audience.

They sum up as an adequate
pair who would do well to throw
out the . standard srick-and-duck
comedy and concentrate on their
dance with an idea type of ma-
terial. Haze.

GONDA SCREEN
Acrobatics
7 Mins.

Rheinland, Frankfurt
A tall, shapely blond titled “The
German Leg Queen of 1953,
Gonda Sureen does some surefire
acrobatics. Her tight-as-skin tights
and her elegant body make this a
most attractive bit.

There’s not enough to this act
to make it bigtime. Haze.

VALDETTES (2)

Dancing
7 Mins,

Empire; Glasgow
The Valdettes, two attractive
gals, open brightly and display
some varied terp routines.
Distaffers’ terping is lively and

CAB CALLOWAY

Continuing

INTERNATIONAL

THEATRE

TOUR

Mgt. BILL MITTLER, 1619 Broadway, Now York

Another Turned Down

Saratoga, Aug. Iff.

The N.Y. State Liquor Authority
has restored a liquor license to
Newman’s Lake House, on Saratoga
Lake, which operated the year-
around strictly as an eating place
since- a previous request for re-
newal was denied in 1951. At the
same time, the Authority denied a
permit for Riley’s Lake House, re-
opened just before the August
racing season, after a closedown of
several years;

The decisions, announced in New
York last Friday (12),. followed
•hearings in Albany Monday (8),
during which the proprietors pleads
ed their cases for reissuance of li-
censes lost during the state-ordered
gambling probe in Saratoga Coun-
ty four years ago.

Gerard E. King, co-owner with
his sister,. Catherine S. King, and
his father, John J. King, told SLA
deputy* commissioner Walter S.
Schmidt that “there has been no
gambling (in Newman's) since. 1949
and there won’t be any in the fu-
ture while we’re there.”

The Kings had met the major
objection raised by the SLA in re*
fusirig to grant a license two years
ago— the existence of a casino-]
building 10 feet from the restau-
rant. proper— by attaching the
casino to the eating quarters and
providing additional dining facili-
ties 'for 250. It’s called the. Coach
House.

In denying the application of
Louis D’Andrea, recent purchaser
of Riley’s, the Authority said it was
not satisfied he “would be the sole
party and interest or that he has
shown adequate financial resources
of his own.” The SLA' also took
Into account D’ Andrea’s age (28),
“inadequate resources and ad-*
mitted inexperience ” “Unusual cir-
cumstances leading Up to acqui-
sition of the property” by th e
young man were given as an added
reason.

D’Andrea, nephew Of Louis (Doc)
Farone, convicted in 1953 of gam-
bling charges in casino operations
named as Riley’s, The Brook and
Smith’s Interlaken, testified he pur-
chased the property from his aunt
and did hot discuss the venture
with his uncle. His weekly nut, for
a floor show and musicians, was
around $5,000; D’Andrea stated. No
gambling, would be permitted, he
pledged.

Belafonte N.Y. Reprise

In an unusually Speedy return
booking, Harry Belafonte has been
pacted for six weeks at the Empire
Room, Waldorf Astoria, N. Y., be-
ginning Sept. 29. It’ll mark a
three-month lapse since his last
appearance at the hostelry in
June.

Singer is currently appearing at
the Cocoanut Grove, L. A.

New York

Management of the Thunder-
bird, Las Vegas, gave songstress
Dorothy Collins .a. diamond wrist-
watch, at the windup of her foiir-
week engagement at the spot Aug.
3. She’s current at the Chez Paree,
Chi . . . Goldie’s,. N. Y., operating
on a Monday-Thursday basis,, per-
mitting alternate 88erar Goldie
Hawkins and Bob Prince to work
the weekends at Goldie’s Fire Is-
land . . . Lew & Leslie Grade han-
dling the exclusive casting of the
“Louis Braille Story.”

Harry C. Brown, head of the
agency hearing his name, current-
ly in Miami Beach on a 10-day
business hop , . . Connie Sawyer,
currently appearing in the Leonard
Sillman revue, “Come As You
Are,” at the Versailles, N. Y., has
been booked for an early fall stand
at the Colony Club, London ... .'
Cab Calloway begins a tour of the
British Isles Aug. 22.

Chicago

Bobby Kuhn arid the Midnight
Suns opening at Chi’s Old Heidel-
berg next Tuesday (23) in an in-
definite stint. Herbie Hardt closing
out there after a 18-year stay . . ,
The Peppermints, winners of last
winter’s talent search at Chi's-
Chez Paree, held over at Man-
gam’s Chateau, Chicago, in their
second pro appearance . . . Jimmy-
Nelson and Patti Andrews co- 1
headlining the show at Chicago’s

Brewer-Thornhill 3G

Asbury Park, N. J., Aug. Iff.

Aftermath of Hurricane Connie
was blamed for the failure of Ter-
esa Brewer and the Claude -Thorn-
hill band to do better last Satur-
day night (13) at the Convention*}.
Hall here. The single night gros-
sed $3,000,. below hopes. Storm,
did only slight damage here but
continued radio-tv warnings! about
Connie took a toll at the b.o.

The McGuire Sisters play a re-\j
turn date here next Saturday night,
paired with the Tommy Tucker
orch.

Chez Paree, opening Sunday (21)?
Gaby Monet also on the* bill . . .
Hairnsh Meiizies currently . appear-
ing at Mr, Kelly’s, Chi

Atlanta

A new revue, headlining exotic
dancer Vicky Guy, billed as
"Blonde Venus,” and acro-terper
Leslie Cooper; with comic Willie
Cooper as emcee, opened Monday
(15) at Gypsy Room, managed by
owner . J. C. Carmichael . . . Paul-
ettes, singing sisters touted as
“Connie Boswell’s Proteges,” will
open tomorrow (Thyrs.) at Para-
dise Room in Henry Grady Hotel,
topping show . which includes
Sonny Richard* and Walter Long,
comedy song arid dance team. Jim
Scott Dim, after six-week hiatus,
will open on same date at Grady’s
coektailery. Dogwood' Room.

An added attraction! at Danny
Demetry’s Howell House’s Zebra
Lounge is banjoist Perry Bechtel,
who appears with Jack Rowland,
singer of risque songs. ... George
Forrest, singing impressionist, and
acro-dancer Virginia Ayres opened
Monday (15) at Joe Cotton’s Steak
Ranch, where West Baxter’s Orch
plays for dancing ... Kalantan,
popular exotic, is being held over at
Imperial Hotel’s Domino Lounge,
sharing billing with, comic Marvin
Boone. . . . Eddie Lee, singing
pianist, is current at Mamma Mia’s
Piccolo Lounge.

Hollywood

Will Jordan, headliner at Bever-
ly Hilton’s Ball Room, opens Sept.
13 at Palmer House, Chicago . . .
Cross Or Dram went into the Ma-
cambo last night (Xues;), to bo fol-
lowed by Julio WUson- Aug 23 for
single frame . . . Brandie Brandon
reoptioned indefinitely at Art Wil-
liams' Eldorado.

Lippizan School Back
To Vienna Homebase

Vienna, Aug 9.

Major Podhorsky has brought
his world famous Spanish Riding.
Schopl - safely back to the Aus-
trian capital, from which city he
had fled in April, 1945, to Weis in
Upper Austria. The outfit has> been
under U. S. protection ever since.

Meanwhile the stables and arena
in the Reitschulgasse in the cen-
tre. of the city were renovated and
modernized. 'The L ippiza ner
horses (a breed that is horn black
and then grows up white) are just
asr fine a* their “parents” who had
to leave here and “died in exile.”

There willjje regular perform-
ances starting Oct. 15.

The Topnotcher9 into Lake Club,
Springfield, 111., Sept. 30 for one
Iframew

Minneapolis, Aug. Iff.
Within eyesight of 75 tablesit-
ters,! Jimmy Hegg, six-foot-five,
230-pound owner of the Starlight
Club, one of the town’s leading
bistros, captured a 21-year-old ban-
dit who held a gun at his stomach
and attempted to hold up the estab-
lishment.

The incident occurred at 12:30
a.m., 10 minutes before closing
time. Within secorids after the
gun was pointed at him, Hegg put
a c o m b i n stion hammeriock-
stranglehold on? the youth and held
him for the police.

'DANCING WATERS' IN TOKYO

■■ Tokyo, Aug. 9.

The water and tight extravagan-
za, “Dancing Waters,” has opened
a 2V£-week run at Tokyo’s Kora-
kuea Ice Palace. The spectacle will
be presented in three installments,
utilizing Japanese and visiting
western entertainers who will per-
form before the background of
spouting fountains; First week will
be “Dancing Waters and American
Show,” with Wanda Smith and her
Jimmie Durante Cover Girls, sin-
ger Manolo Cuerva and Filipino
Ceaser Velasco orch. There will be
a four-day run of “Dancing Waters
and Classical Ballet.”

Final week will be “Dancing
Waters and Modern Ballet” and
will present program of modern
dances;

sX*

TED MILLER

and

SMILEY

"LAUGH PROVOKERS"
AWUST

BOOKED

BARNES- CARRUTHERS

Number One Fair Rove#
Available

Nov, Tst; Ctoir Dates

_ Contact Larry Lux
.PAUL MARR AGENCY
203 N. Watoasft Avp.r Chicago

ills

WSSxWS

r .'K«CS>iS

THE
CLUB 59

206 East 59th If.
Naw York

Currently

GLEN

CASINO

WIHiamsvIlle
N. Y.

’’ -ETLR J IODICI

t-o< THi'u* n Bldg., Detroit

WHEN IN BOSTON

If* Hi.

HOTEL AVERY

Tie Homo of Sfiow PM

Avery t Washington Sts.
Radio hi Ivory Roost

W ednesday, August 17, 1955

NIGHT CLUB REVIEWS 59

Bevhllton, Bev’ly Hills '

Hollywood, Aug. 13.

Gilbert Becaud, Will Jordan , Ar-
thur Worsley, Angie & Margo , Em-
pire Eight , Bernard Hilda Orch
(12) (with Billy Regis, Paule Des-
jardins, Charlita), Mischa Novy
Ensemble (6); $2-$2,50 cover.

After a pre-opening week of ex-
ploitation hi-jinks, the Beverly Hil-
ton opened to the public Friday
night (12) and preemed its No. 1

dinery-nitery, the 500-capacity Bali
Room, in distinctly second-rate
style. It wouldn’t have seemed
possible, but Conrad Hilton had
the amazing success of bringing
Wichita, Kan. to Beverly Hills.

Considering the circumstances
and the setting, the Bali Room’s
opening missed out in nearly every
respect. The entertainment served
up under the supervision of Mer-
riel Abbott in a Richard and Edith
Barstow production is small-timey
small town. For some inexplica-
ble reason, the preem was so de-
void of glamor-dressing that it
seemed the town's well-knoWns
were deliberately kept away. The
$25 per head champagne dinner in -
Itself was undistinguished in re-
spect to cuisine and grape (dom-
estic), and the less-thart-capacity
audience was composed largely of
tradesmen who outfitted the new
‘Hilton hostelry.

The show is pure cornball * in
conception. Carrying the pretenti-
ous title of "Boast of the Town/
It’s a takeoff of Ed Sullivan’s tv
"Toast," with Will Jordan, Sulli-
van’s best imitator, acting. the part
of the deadpan columnist in em-
ceeing the layout. He co-headlines
With Gilbert Becaud, a French
singer supposedly the rage in Paris
but no ball of fire here.

Other acts in the show are
Arthur Worsley, a rapidfire ven-
triloquist, and Augie & Margo, a
young and fast rock-and-roll ana.
mambo dance team. Worked , in
the show is the Empire Eight (six
girls , and two boys), a capable if
not particularly goodlooking dance
ensemble imported from the' Em-
pire Room of the Palmer House,
Chicago, also a Hilton hostelry. ...

The show clocks in about an
hour .and it holds very little to of-
fer competition to this town’s es-
tablished niteries. It holds even
less to insure the type of business
the Bali Room will need to keep its
large corps of captains, waiters
and busboys, under maitre d’ Joa-
quin Noriega in cigaret money.
The Bali Room, unless it gets a
real draw attraction, will look
awfully empty on midweek nights,
particularly for the second shows,
which Jiave trouble Under .the best
of circumstances in this early-to-
bed town.

The Bali Room itself is a prob-
lem for show and audience. It’s
big and cold looking. Built in
amphitheatre style, the levels are
tiered down to a bandstand set in
a sharp comer, alongside which is
a large oblong dancefloor that’s
elevatored as a stage for the show.
The stage then becomes backed
by large plateglass windows, cov-
ered with not quite opaque cur-
tains, facing heavily trafficked
Santa Monica Blvd., which offers
some audience distractions. The
room’s sound system needs consid-
erable adjustment,- the acoustics
being particularly poor at the
tables nearest the stage. As . for :
the platform’s setting, the per- 1
formers must feel like the gladi-
ators in the Roman Coliseum look-
ing into a sea of staring eyes.

Jordan worked hard trying to
pump some enthusiasm into the
audience, but with little success.
His material has already become
very familiar because of his tv ap-
pearances with. Sullivan, on top of
which this, audience didn’t exactly
act like a wild pack of Sullivan
fans. .The laughs were- few and
came hard, and there was one
particularly witless • piece of busi-
ness having Jordan plug a "Der-
cury" car (get it?), aided by Paule
Desjardins, singer with Bernard
Hilda’s band, who did a takeoff on
the femme who works with Sulli-
van.

To their credit, both ventrilo-
quist Worsley, and the Augie &
Margo dance team, are on and off
fast. They, at least, gave the show
some tempo and its strongest ap-
plause, Worsley ’s forte is the abil-
ity to keep his mouth almost com-
pletely Still while Rapidly mouth-
ing phrases, such as "bottle of
beer,” that are supposed to be dif-
ficult for ventros, His dummy is
the usual brash one, but not with
the humor of some of his contem-
porary blocks of wood.

Becaud ’s booking as a headlin-
ers here is rather difficult to un-
derstand. He has no rep on this
side of the continent, and his type
of performance will hardly be
popular with the non-Galllc audi-
ences in Beverly Hills, Most of
his self -written songs are in

French.' and a couple that he does
translate into English do not ap-
pear destined for American popu-
larity. One is a ballad he calls
"Backtrack," another "Forgotten
Children,” which is something
about Italian shoeshine boys, and
a third is "our Hands," which has
a strange phrase in its lyrics that
sounds like" a butterfly’s caress."

Becaud is best when he replaces
his pianist at the 88*s and gives
out with a hot beat. He’s also
backed by a bass player and an
electric guitarist, who are in
bandsmen uniform, while the
deadpan pianist, like Becaud, is
dressed in a business suit. The
piano player may have been ner-
vous or: frightened, but in any
event he looked as though he
hated being where he was.

One thing ' the Bali Room can
boast about is its music setup.
Bernard Hilda, also a French im-
port, and his 12-piece crew play an
excellent dance beat and do very
well with the show’s music. Hilda,
a personable, lively maestro, also
contribs some violin work and
vocals during the dance sets. On
the latter he gets assist from
Charlita, a svelte brunet, and Miss
Desjardins, a blonde looker out of
Paris. Also featured "with Hilda is
trumpeter Billy Regis.

Spelling Hilda’s crew for cus-
tomer terpsing is Mischa Novy’s
ensemble 6), and they, too, are
extremely capable at their assign-
ment.

There are a number of show
credits: Hessie Smith is down for
music and lyrics for 'the Empire
Eight’s routines; Norm Krone did
the music arrangements; Fredy
Wittop the custumes, and David
C. Baumgarten, an agent with Mu-
sic Corp. of America, is credited
for the title^-which shouldn’t be
boasted about by him, the hotel or
anybody connected with this very
small show in a very big place.

Schp,

Lux, Santiago

Santiago, Aug. 1.

Egle Martin, Margarita Sierra,
Donna Behar, Edu, Hector Gagli-
ardi, Doris & Rossie, Mario Car-
rillo, Silvia Infantas & Los Baquea-
nos. La Familia Chilena, with Jorge
Sallorenzo, Nene Donoso & Rolando
Caicedo, Jordan & Dancers.

Jose Bohr, who used to work in
Hollywood Spanish-language pix
for -the old Fox, company, has de-
cided that if Buddy Day can make
a go of a musical revue, as he did
here with his popular "Bim Bam
Bum" company, he can’ emulate.
And so Bohr, who worked , in one
of Day’s presentations, is now on
the boards in the refurbished Lux
with "Bohr’s Scandals.”

He has put together a mildly en-
tertaining -aggregation but the.
show needs punchier pacing and
plenty of tightening. It could use
a lot more yaks and a more hep
line of hoofers to help brighten
proceedings. A Well-developed pre-
opening publicity campaign has
contributed to good early grosses.

Heading the lineup is a bounchy
Argentine cutie, Egle Martin,
whose sexy thrushing is matched
by her slim figure and eye-catch-
ing costumes. Donna Behar, also
given star billing, is a bit hefty
and didn’t eke out enthusiasm with
her Arabic and French songs at
session caught. Maragrita Sierra,
third billed luminary, didnt’ ap-
pear due to Illness.

Biggest mitt goes to a Brazilian
harmonica artist with the thrifty
three-letter stage name of Edu, a
real talent with the blowpipes. Edu
(real name, Eduardo Nadruz) ven-
tures into Spanish clasisicals to
score a hefty click. He blends bass
arid melody expertly to give the
impression of using several instru-
ments instead of the lone har-
monic^.

A pair , of attractive young chan-
toosies, Doris & Rossie, local girls
quite familiar at the .. mike, are
used to good advantage and leave
a pleasant impression. Hector Gag-*
liardi of Argentina recites his own
sentimental verses for warm ap-
plause. Mario Carrillo, monologist,
grabs laughs with his jokes and
imitations.

"La Familia Chilena" (The
Chilean Family), long a very pop-
ular standby on ' Chilean radio,
makes its stage debut with mixed
results. Trio of Jorge Sallorenzo,
Nene Donoso and Rolando Caicedo
needs a lot stronger material for
"Scandals" if they are to match
their established ozone success;

"Scandals" perform three times
daily, 6:45, 9:30 and 11:10 p.m. A
runway down the middle of the
house is effectively used to give
the customers in all parts Of the
roomy Lux a good look at the per-
formers. An attempt to open- the
show differently by projecting a
one-miriute film of the chorus line
rehearsing, then fading into live
chorus in action, is bewildering
rather than entertaining. Ziffi

Royal Nevada, L. V. 4

Las Vegas, Aiigv 9.

“Guys and Dolls , with Vivian
Blaine, Robert Alda, Sam LeVene,
B.'S. Putty , Stubby Kaye, Johnny
Silver, Maureen McNally, : Tom
Ahearne, Netta Packer, Dei Mark-
kee, Tony Rosa, Dancers (16),
Singers (5), Jerry Fielding Orch
(17); music & lyrics, Frank, Loes-
ser, book, Jo Swerling & Abe Bur-
rows, produced by Sid Kuller &
Manny Frank; $2 minimum.

In its special nitery setting,
shortened by 40 minutes, but in no
way deleterious to the original im-
pact as one of the brightest musi-
cals in recent Broadway history,
"Guys and Dolls’’ amounts to a
great achievement and superlative
entertainment for captious Las
Vegas. Running almost two hours
and containing the major hits of
the sock Frank Loesser score, most
of the delightful, Jo Swerling &
Abe Burrows book based on' a story
and characters by Damon Runyon,
as produced for the Royal Nevada’s
Crown Room by Sid Kuller and
Manny Frank, it is a natural for
the greenfelt spotting element.

Overwhelming reception here,
plus established . stature from the
long Broadway run, along with
current fanfare for the upcoming
Samuel Goldwyn pic version prom-
ises capacity, even .tumaway biz
for the six weeks with optional
frames of three and three. But, no
two ways about it, whether the
near 500-seater dining room is sro
for both dinner and midnight
shows, , there will have to be heavy
play in the casino for 24 hours in
order to finance the approximate.
$47,000 weekly nut. (Cost will go
down somewhat if show is held for
full 12 weeks). «■ ' '

A great asset to "G & D" draw-
ing power is the top line on the
Strip marquee which spells out
fairly strong names — Vivian; Blaine,
Robert Alda, Sam Levene, There
is also the incandescent plug about
the musical’s original cast, includ-
ing additional namo. pulls of B. S.
Pully* Stubby Kaye, Johnny Sil-
ver. Of the Broadway roster, only
Isabel Bigley wag unable to join
the cohorts here, with Maureen
McNally filling her role. .

Gamble on this production was
high. There have been other tab-
shows (with moderate reception
accorded) along the Strip, but with
the mounting frenzy for almost
any form of entertainment and
most spots battling for name tal-
ent, this . venture was bound to
make either bums or heroes out of
producers Kuller & Frank. That
the slightly cut "G & D" emerges
a winner on all counts is not only
credited to the producers’ .know-
how of nitery demands, but com-
pletely dedicated performances
from each member of the large
cast, the orchestra accomps all
merged in attaining this . history-
making smash, must also share
bows.

Vivian Blaine- is superb as Ade-
laide. Her brassy patina shields the
incurably romantic heart Of the
doll who wants benefit of clergy
•to finalize a 14-year engagement
with gambler Nathan Detroit. She
scores hugely with "Bushel and a
Peck," "Adelaide’s Lament” and
"Take Back Your Mink," the latter
socko with assistance from the
audacious Hot Box Girls,

Robert Alda is impressive as Sky
Masterson, neatly shouldering the
romantic lead and the complimen-
tary role of the ace gambler re-
spected by all the Broadway guys.
He has rugged good looks, forceful
projection, and magnetic person-
ality to capture and maintain char-
acter interest throughout. His
scenes with the men are boldly
contoured, in decided contrast with
the love interplay evolvement with
Maureen McNally. Alda does ai
good warbling job on "My Time of
Day," and "I’ll Know” and "I’ve
Never Been in Love Before" duets
with Miss McNally. His "Luck Be a
Lady" chant punctuating the crap
game scene is simply great, a mem-
orable point in the musical.

Sam Levene’s thoroughly com-
batible gloving into the Nathan
Detroit character gives the produc-
tion that extra fillip, with artful
craftsmanship registering when-
ever he speaks, does pieces of biz,
or takes care of song lyrics in his
own fashion. These, including "The
Old Established" ditty alongside
Stubby Kaye and John Silver, the
hilarious "Sue Me" with Miss
Blaine, are kudosed very big.

Bringing his own brand of burly
comedy force to "G & D" is B. S.
Pully, yet he so Integrates his per-
sonality to the role that he be-
comes the definitive Big Jule, the
high-rolling, bull frog-voiced Chi
gambler about to take Nathan De-
troit and assorted New York dice
boys for every buck. Ropes terrif
reaction whenever on. Stubby Kaye

Mor* Night Club Rtvim
On Pages 60-61

sparks each of his scenes by arrow-
ing quips or through his great abil-
ity to sell a song. As Nicely-Nicely,
the buddy-buddy of Detroit, he
commands attention near the top
in "Fugue for Tinhorns,” with
Johnny Silver and Tony Rosa;
"The Old Established," with Le-
vene and Silver; peak applause for
"Guys and Dolls" duet with Silver,
but smacks over for biggest cheers
in "Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the
Boat." Johnny Silver is the in-
spired foil for Kaye, his Benny
Southstreet pitch adding zest
whether in conjunction with Kaye
or as sharp line-tosser on his own.

Maureen McNally, who takes on
the difficult -task of forming a per-
suasive Sara!*, the Salvation Army
girl, comes across exceedingly well.
Although comparisons Will possibly
be made by those who saw Broad-
way production’s Isabel Bigley,
Miss McNally, impresses, strongly
through her own role develop-
ment, She makes her transition se-
quence from the introverted Mis-
sion miss to outspoken gal in love
via Alda’s Havana blandishments
altogether believable, giving the
charmingly inebriated moments of
"If I Were a Bell" real value. -

The kaleidoscopic procession of
Runyonesque characters comes, to
vivid life with Tom Ahearne’s Lt.
Brannigan; Del Markee’s Harry the
Horse; Tony RoSa’s Rusty Charlie;
Bill Jones’ Angie the Ox, and Bern
Hoffman’s Joey Biltmore. Of par-
ticular appeal is Netta ' Packer’s
funny deportment, never over-
played, of Gen. Matilda ‘ B. Cart-
Wright, and the sympathetic
touches of Earle Styres as Arvide
Abernathy. Special mention for
coloristic roles should be handed
Dorothy. Tennant and Connie Rob-
erts of the Mission band, Sonya
Besant’s mimi, Frank Magrin’s
drunk, and contributing work by
Roy Wilson.

Henri Caiibisen’s, direction for
this nitery mounting • was superbly
executed, and the choreography by
Onna White, based on Michael
Kidd’s original patterns, r is dyna-
mite all the way. The eight Hot
Box Girls are models' of. Carica-
tures on typical' corny cabaret
cuties, very, funny. '

The seven male dancers are out-
standing in "Havana’’ and "The
Crap Game Dance." Musical super-
vision by Lyn Murray is note-
worthy, and Jerry Fielding’s baton-
ing of hisaugmehted orch is fault-
less, on the button every cue, cor-
rectly volumned during individual
or group warbling specialties. Set-
tings by Peter Wolf capture
Gotham’s off-Broadway streets,
Mission exterior & interior, smoky
Havana dive, but the big hand goes
for the crap game setting below
Times Square. Alvin Colt’s cos-
tumes in’ all colors of the spec-
trum are eminently authoritative
for their flash./ Willi

B’chcoiiiher, Miami B’ch

Miami Beach, Aug. 13.

Billy' Daniels (with. Benny
Payne ) , Buddy . Lester, Novelites,
Rivieras, Len Dawson Orch; $2.50-
$3.50 minimum.

Norman Schuyler, owner of this
hugery, has hit on a policy of
opening for a brief period at height
of each summer season with a solid
lineup of acts, then shutting down

after Labor Day to await the win-
terites. He’s come, up With a solid
package for this three-weeker,
with Billy Daniels topping matters
in sock style.

Afforded ace accompaniment at
the keyboard and on a vocal back-
grounding by longtime aide Benny
Payne, Daniels spells out a shrewd-
ly-assorted Set of pops and stand-
ards, With accent on the torchers.
The application of silky vocal tricks
to these slOw-tempd segments of
his compote fascinates the femmes
in every comer of the vast room.
Switch to the growly approach on
the upper-rhythm tunes is adroitly
handled to keep the build sustain-
ing. D a ni e 1 s has taken to short,
chatty intros to his numbers, add-
ing to overall establishing of rap-
port with his auditors. ■

No stranger is Buddy Lester. The
comic is as. facile as ever, dispens J
ihg a series of new laugh-raisers,
injecting his screwy trumpet rou-
tine With the orch, then rounding
out mirth-matters with his standard
hatbox mixup for keying into zany
impreshes. Smooth projection and
sharp sense of timing add to howl
reaction.

The Novelites add pace to
the proceedings with instrumental-
vocal-comedic assortment, bringing
out all facets of their skill on the
bass, guitar and accordion. Pen-
chant for clever song and mugging
spoofs is given full treatment for
roundout to a well-turned stint
that never lets up in pace. The
Rivieras commit bodily maythem
in their burlesque of Apache teams,
the femme turning on the burly
male for a series of judo tosses and
twists. Lary.

Blue Angel, N, Y.

Robert Clary , Barbara McNair ,
Richard Drake, „ Trio Schmeed,
Jimmy Lyons Trio; $5 minimum.

After a brief summer hiatus, the
Blue Angel has reopened for the
new season with virtually the
same layout that played the last
show before the spot’s layoff. Rob-
ert Clary, definitely the mainstay
and big draw of ' the current card,
is back for another stand, as is the
Trio Schmeed. Newcomers are
songstress Barbara McNair 'New
Acts) and comedian Richard Drake
who’s been around the vaude and
cafe circuits for the past few
years.

Clary, however, is the one who
lifts this show out of the ordinary,

A superlative performer who orig-
inally made his mark here in
"New Faces," the young French-
man is a marked favorite in this
class spot and justifiably so. It's
not only a question of Clary being
a hard worker who belts with
every fiber in his body, but his
skillful song projection and savvy
change-of-pace between the comic
and the dramatic make him one
of the most . potent turns for the
smart cafes— ^and maybe’ for the
mass spots as Well.

He opens brightly with the
standard "Lucky Pierre," and an-
other cute Frenchy number, "C’est
Fleur Bleu,” then segues into a ‘
rollicking rendition of "The Crow
Song" from \he legiter, "Peter
Pan." He does a straight ballad.
Out of sthis World," effectively
and then goes comic again with a
standout piece of material, "Trip-
lets." In the dramatic groove,
there’s the haunting ballad, "Bad
A Woman Can Be,” with the up- 7
tempo "Vive La Vie Francaise"
as, the finale. A full turn socko all
the way. *

Richard brake, with a sombre
Charles Addams. getup, does okay
in the comedy slot but leaves the
impression that he could even be
more effective. A poker-faced com-"
ic who also plays the mandolin, ;
Drake has a number of good , gags
and plays a good straight instru-
ment; His. act is marred, : however,
by a lack of variation. That joke
of looking at his watch during his .
turn is way overdone, especially
in view of the . fact .that several *
other performers have the same
routine. Also that sleepy expres-
sion. while playing the mandolin'
is okay for a laugh or two, but
Drake tries to get too much, out*
that angle. His deadpan delivery
of the gags is solid and that sector
of the act should be built up, even
if means omitting one or two of
the instrumentals.

The Trio Schmeed, also hold-
over/! frorn the last show, are a
pleasing song combo of two Swiss
boys and a girl. Group does espe-
cially well on. the native tunes,
such as one Swiss folk tune- a
yodelling cha-cha-eha. Opening
Let’s Take A Ride On A Choo-
Choo Train" is good." The more v
sentimental numbers don’t go over
as well.

•Jimmy Lyons' 7 rhythm trio han-
dles the intermission music, in
swinging style. Herm.

Basin Street, N. Y.

Roy Hamilton, Buddy Johnson
Orch (14) (with Ella Johnson),
Milt Hinton Trio; $3 minimum.

Current Basin Street show adds
up to a neat entertainment pack-
age. Talent lineup at the midtown
cellar spot includes the Buddy
Johnson orch. With songstress Ella
Johnson, vocalist Roy Hamilton
and the Milt Hinton Trio.

Johnson’s crew delivers a like-
able brand of instrumentalization
that has its frenetic moments. The
band comprised of five reed, six
brass and three rhythm, is occa-
sionally a little too loud, but over-
all is a general pleaser. Sidemen
are given frequent solo spotting
for good effect, while Johnson also
takes the spotlight to demonstrate
his keyboard savvy.

The boys provide a rhythmic ses-
sion that’s highlighted by a fren-
zied delivery on "Crazy About a
Saxaphone." Miss Johnson, the
bandleader’s sister, handles a cou-
ple of vocals, but doesn’t register
too strongly, That, however, isn’t
the ease with Roy Hamilton, who
gives some strenuous piping to
about a half-dozen tunes.

Hamilton has a powerful voice
and registers strongly with his
songalog. Although he tends to’ go
overboard on dramatic actions,
grimaces and vocal tricks, he still
manages to impress with his deliv-
ery of such tunes as "You Are
Love," "I'm Gonna Sit Down and
Cry Over You," "Forgive This
Fool," "If I Loved You, ’’^"You’ll
Never Walk Alone" and "Un-
chained Melody."

The Milt Hinton trio gives out
with some smooth musicalizing
that’s a nice pace-changer from
I the Johnson-Hamilton offerings.

| Jess.

60 NIGHT CLrai REVIEWS

Belvedere Belle Hole,
Rome

Home, Aug. 6.

"Welcome,” with The Dunhills
(3), Channing Pollock, Vera Nandi
& Franco SportelH, Romano Villi
& Simone Morin, Montgomery
Dancers (6), Pacitd Tomas Dan-
cers C8), Carven Trio, Homer &
Hall, Halama & Karnaski, Nestor e
Ricci Orch; $2 minimum.

This is one df the two main al
fresco spots: catching* the Rome
summer trade, with show changes
weekly or every two weeks. Occar
sionally, specials such as Patachou
get a two-night booking, but head-
liners are niainly from the current-
ly vacationing Italo revue theatre,
and in for longer stretches.

In for a week to head the show
are The Dunhills, dancing trio,
which has shared many a bill with
Danny Kayo, and is just here from
the Palladium and -Monte Carlo
bookings. Well-routined combo
shines, in shadow tap dances and
in a comic terp routine done in
high rubber boots which closes the
show to strong audience approval.

' Channing Pollock- is a young
tnagico . with plenty of femme
appeal as well as a smooth tech-
nique. Act here is short- but effec-
tive, and he’ll likely -lay over.
Vera Nandi and Franco Sportelli !
are medium-weight names for the
local trade, and their overlong act,
most of it in Neapolitan dialect, with
songs to match, is 'mainly audio, ,
and strictly local-slanted; One of
their routines easily breaks through
the indigo barrier. Pacita Tomas
and her Spanish terp group are
crowd-pleasers despite the very
diluted portion of flamenco they
dish up. Routines lack the verve'
and Are of the original, and danc- 1
ers seem ever to be saving up for
the next number Closest to.authen-
• ticity is the group's guitarist, Justo
de Badajoz.

A slqwacro act, Homer & Hall,
with deadpan comic overtones,
does much to lighten up the first
portion of the program. Well-
routined duo combines top laugh-
getting power with some fine slow-
motion acrobatics of the hand-
lift balance variety. Montgomery
Dancers open show with some
fairly routine though fast-moving
“existentialist" numbers, followed
by Halama & Karnaski. a ballroom
pair, and the French Carven Trio,
comic acrobatics who affect a stage
“English" to bolster a tired act.
In French mistress of ceremonies,
Simone Morin, aided by Romano
Villi, show has able support in
between numbers.

Nestore Ricci orchestra support
Is strictly on the so-so side.

Belvedere delle Rose pattern is
to stage full-scale show once night-
ly in outdoor nitery, with adjoining
restaurant, for a 1,300 seating total,
at the $2 minimum tab, then follow
up with a condensed show, featur-
ing the top acts this time Dunhills,
Pollock, Paclfa Tomas, Homer &
Hall), in the adjoining, equally al
fresco nitery called the Lucciola,
at a higher tab, Lucciola show goes
on well after midnight, with Ber-
nard 'Hilda Orchestra (minus Hilda,
current at Bevhills, H’wood^ giving
solid dancing support until that
time and after, with Australian
Peggy McDonald, Argentine Elba
Lima, and Mexican Leopoldo
Frances lending able vocal aid.
Nitery, by the way, still sports the
Hilda name on the marquee.

Hawk.

Thunderbird, Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Aug. 11.

Sauter-Finegan Orch (16), Roily
Rolls, Andy Roberts, Rosemary
O’Reilly , Barney Rawlings, Thun-
derbird Dancers (8); no cover or
minimum.

Music and more music forms the
drawing power of this packet by
the Sauter-Finegan orch, abetted
by pianist Roily Rolls. How it will
fare against some very stiff Strip
competition from now on through
Labor Day is moot.

Considerable drumbeating ac-
companies the return of the S-F
unit to this spot, an urgency
needed to offset those formidable
names lighting up the various
marquees.. The orch was a sur-
prise sleeper two years ago, and
producer Hal Braudis capitalized
upon the impact by running two
after-show concerts. This trip, the
S-F lads will play four, slated for
successive Tuesday morns. For
these sessions, the most brilliant
Eddie Sauter, Bill Finegan compo-
sitions-arrangements will undoubt-
edly be trotted out for edification
Of hip rounders.

And these are precisely the very
smash scores lacking in regular
dinner and late show presenta-
tions to visiting firemen. Instead
of familiar dazzlers, recognizable
through several RCA-Victor plat-
ters, the leaders have chosen a
show book of dubious value for

wide appeal. Beginning with
“Thundisbreak," a minor screamer
from a recent LP, .both Sauter and
Finegan take turns on the podium
for “The Loop," and a protracted,
pretentious tone-poem called “Pic-
tures of Sauter-Finegan Land." In
this, vocalist Andy Roberts reads
Carl Sandburg and Stephen Vin-
cent Benet poetry from a road
map.

Only for the closing two num-
bers do the musickers sound forth
notes of more familiar ring—
“Honey Jump" with kazoo chorus,
and “Holiday," a typical impres-
sion with instrumental solos, and
percussion battery, presided over
by the tireless Joe Ve’nuto. Andy -
Roberts also has chores other than
intoning poetry. He warbles a
brisk “I Get a Kick Out of You,”
and hits for big impression with
“John Henry."

Fern me vocalist Rosemary
O’Reilly wins palms for her
“Where or When," riding her tones
skyward during closing measures,
and issues a more legit sopranoing
of “Lover" for first chorus, then
romps out with cha-cha-cha back-
ground,

Roily Rolls, carried over to this
set of frames, has a ball with piano
impressions, but captures peak en-
thusiasm from tablers with his
closing, fugue of old pops, gather-
ing together several members of
the S-F crew for scrambled dixie-
land getoff. Thunderbird Dancers
prime with “Shakin' the Blues
Away," held -over from former
chapters but with new wardrobe,
and a brief Gayle Robbins romp
midway in “My Lady Loves to
Dance," Barney Rawlings is the
genial, gregarious emcee - plus-
warbler, surrendering intros at
times to Bill Finegan, who sketches
his wordage in amusing, whimsical,
fashiom Will.

Rheinland, Frankfurt

Frankfurt; Aug. 2.

Abi von Haase, Brunndu <fc Flor-
ence, Gonda Sureen, Bobby Kirch -
berg Orch; No cover or minimum.

The Rheinland Cabaret features
continuous entertainment until 3,
with 10-minute acts alternating
with 10 minutes of dance music,
mostly tunes from the U.S. hit
parade, to cater to the tourists as
well as the hometown crowd. On
the. burg’s main street, it provides
pleasant entertainment in good
taste and at a low price for all
comers.

Show is emceed by Abi von
Haase, a plump young parcel of
fun who fearlessly satirizes the
German politicos in Bonn and the
local bigshots in humor broad
enough to reach eveiy listener. His
cracks about the ex-Hitlerites now
returned to. power, about the days
of Hitler and Goebbels, present a
kidding-on-the-square warning of
What should not be allowed s to
recur in Germany.

Brunnau & Florence come on
with a parody of popular dances,
the rumba and mambo, and are
at their peak in an elongated
dance joke about the fate of a
female should the new German
army have a women’s branch.

Gonda Sureen, who somewhere
acquired the title of “German
Leg Queen of 1953," stretches her
shapely limbs in some back-crack-
ling acrobatics. She is a looker
who draws a heavy mitt from her
hits, in a costume that look 5 : ** to
burst any second. Haze,

Yeaman’s, Detroit

Detroit, Aug. 1.

Woodsons (5), Zev Clay Orch
(6); $2 minimum .

The three attractive girls and
two boys who make up the Wood-
son family act maintain ‘a fast
tempo throughout artd earn solid
mitting for their dance-song-gym-
nastic turns.

Vocalistics show 4 up best in
“Lullaby of Broadway," which is
the opener, “The Old Man’s Sleep-
ing" and “She Looks." A medley
of blues features Nancy Woodson,
married to one of the Woodson
brothers, for good returns.

* Carl Woodson on the bass fiddle
displays a sharp beat in the “Big
Noise" number. He climbs onto
the instrument at one point While
pommelling the strings with drum
sticks. Feat earns plaudits and an
encore.. Brother Rob gives solid
pianistic backing.'

The Woodson sisters, Martha and
Rosalie, look enough alike to be
twins and dance as if they were
one. They score best with a hectic
Charleston, closing the show; a
Latin number, “Carmana," and
“I’ve Got Rhythm," With the three
other Woodsons giving nice sup-
port.

Act k has plenty of class, good
routining and an abundance of
well-directed energy that should
keep it in the better niteries.

Tew.

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

Moulin Rtige, X* V*

. : Las Vegas, Aug. 10. I
Lionel Hampton Revue, with
Orch (18), Curly Haniner, Hamp-
tones (4), Patty Ann, Hines Bros. I
. (2 >, Moulin 'Rouge, Dancers ( 14 ), j
Lon Fontaine; no cover or mini-
mum. j

, From the standpoint of name
value, Lionel Hampton will beckdn
enough travelers into this cross- 1
town caravansarie. for a month to
keep the joint jumping. . He and
tootlers fire up considerable heat
in the dining room -and if. portions,
of the show- are somewhat on. the
dawdling side, comes along his hot
mallets to perk things up.

Troubles beset the package at
outset when rehearsals were sty-
mied by conflicts, with some walk-
outs taking place among the line I
chicks. As a result, some of the
music is adlibbed, chiefly that of
the opening choreo of Lon Fon-
taine. The wild Spree gives way to
the Hamp for a driving “Vibe
Boogie," a novel “Wine Song,'”,
cleffed for the vibist during his
recent Tel Aviv stand by art' Is-
raeli composer, apd “Red River,"
featuring the honking tenor of Ed-
die Chamberlee.

More off-the-cuff backgrounding
serves the Hines Bros., held over
from former stanza. “Perdido"
gives the moppets, ages 9 and 11, a
lacklustre accomp sans accents for
the cute hoofing. Patty Ann, band
chirp, receives fair response for
“Money Honey," and “You Made
Me Love You," but the Hamptoties
foursome revives auditors with a
couple of r&b swingers, “Shake,
Rattle and Roll" and “Rock
Around the Clock."

Hampton pilots,, the acts on and
off im noticeably careless manner,
but once into the stretch where
his music does all the talking, he
goes. Big mitts salute his theme,
“Midnight Suh," and tables are-
tapped during rhythmic jam sesh
of . “Honeysuckle Rose." With the
arrival of Curley Hamner, the:
bash takes’ on torrid temps. Ham-
ner’s flash tapistry and drumfning
bring on~ a battle of sticks and
skins with Hamp. A segue into
“Flying Home" keeps everything
in high key as the band parades
through the room blowing chorus
after chorus, resolving the march
onstage with closing riffs. Cheers
bring on the encore, “Hamp’s
Boogie," in which he plunks out
notes two-fingered style on the
88s, unleashes more drumstix trix
and gets the cOme-Ort from a line
cutie for two-way exposition of
boogie steps for a mad capper.

Will.

Bine Angel, Chi

Chicago, Aug. 1.
"Voodoo Calypso with O’buba,
Vi Velasco, Venita, Shango Dancers ,
Al D’Lacy .Orch (5); $3.50 mini-
mum.

This melange of primitive Ca-
ribbean song and dance is loud,
fast and short. No one will fall
asleep while this package is being
unwrapped; this one is tailormade
for those who like their entertain-
ment in quick, frenetically violent
doses.

show with their “Shango Dance,"
another allegorical Caribbean im-
port,, and are. spaced throughout
ima fair demonstration of pseudo-
primitive dancing. The male lead
and a femme impress at one point
with a wild spin from the waist,
rather than the more common-
place- neck. Group goes over well.

The duo wraps up with a donkey
led through the audience, adding
to the potpourri impression al-
ready created. \

The Al D’Lacy orch does the
usual good joh of 'backing.

Gabe.

Sahara, Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Aug. 9.
Vagabonds (4), Maria Neglia,
Chaz Chase , Condos & Brandow,
Kalanis (2), George Moro Danc-
ers (18), Cee Davidson Orch (16);
$2 minimum.

The Sahara maintains a roster
of acts traditionally identified with
the hospice and good business.
Hence, producer Bill Miller’s se-
lection of The Vagabonds assures
that' the Congo Room will be busy
during* the month at hand. Rou-
tines have only .slight alteration
since prior trips here, but act still
is effective. However, insertion of
new stuff is about due.

Vagabonds host the entire pack-
age, making initial turn 'following
a curtain-lifting production num-
ber in “Back In The Good Old
Days" that -sets up song narration
of >• oldie flicks flashed on scrim.
Returning in top slot, they bounce
through “Back In Your Own Back
Yard," “Rock-a-By« My Baby" and
“Robert E. Lee,” Medley allows
them chance . to identify familiar
characteristics >of the quartet. In
“Crazy For My Pizza," they circle
globe to interp Pizza outlook in
China, France, Ireland, etc. Pete
Petersen • steps front in “Queen.
Hula" for laffest. They riddle “I
Wonder," ostensibly a legit piece
for the act, with asides and clown-
ing for good chuckles. Standard
“How Ya Gonna Keep 'em Down
On The •Fahn" moves at bright
pace. “Rock Around the Clock"
windup returns other members of
show to front, , in' order of billing,
for final reminders df biz presented
earlier.

^Nothing lags in Maria Neglia’s
string session as nimble violing
unfolds “Romanian Rhapsody,”
“Pizzacato Waltz,” '‘Lover,”
“Plink, Plartk, Plunk" and hegoff
“Hot Canary." Mugging is cute
wrinkle in gal’s bow and string]
sets, which in itself is solid farei
With patrons. J

Chaz Chase is fairly ridiculous
and makes no bones about it as
he unravels burlesque mime re-
vivals. It’s o.k. with ffens, though,i
who go for the Gypsy Rose Lee
satire -best of all.. Condos & Bran-
dow double in familiar tap-piano-
trumpet pieces, showing up good *
in all to give the show a fast early]
footing. George Moro Dancers
open and close with “Rock Around
The Clock." Finale also get serv-
ice of The Kalanis, hoy-girl Ha-
waiian machete twlrlers. Cee. Dav-
idson’s orch is waved through show
by Frank Linale for swell musical
assist., Alan,

Top billing goes to O’buba, who
gives out with Haitian voodoo
chants, calypso tunes and, at the
end, a snatch of opera. Performer
is forceful, has a sense of show-
manship and a passable voice. Cos-
tumed in what must be the latest
voodoo fashion, O’buba present's
a rather bizarre, arresting sight.

Introduced with earth-shaking
drum tremors and lightning
flashes, he essays a brace of chants
With backing from the rest of the
company, for fair response to what
is meant to be an awe-inspiring
display ' but sometimes almost
verges on a burlesque. Chanter
casts a. spell over Venita, featured
dancer here, as she terps “Dance
of Possession." The whole adds
up to an unusual kind of cafe en-
tertainment. O’buba later comes
up with some calypso singing and
does a solid job on this more
familiar material.

Vi Velasco wisely plays it
straight, confining herself to La-
tino numbers like “Elube Chango"
and the calypsos spotlighted at
this nitery. Femme is easy to look
at, vivacious, and endowed with
a better than average set of pipes.
She garners good palms with her
“Stone Cold Dead" and others of
like ilk.

Venita does the exotic hoofing
oh this card; femme displays a
fancy torso and knows how to toss
it around, first in her “Dance of
Possession" with O’buba, in which
she symbolically comes under his
power, to be carried out in a
trance. Later on, in what seems
more her type of thing, she does
“Calypso Mambo" in brilliant red
costume, for a definite plus to the
en< ve proceedings.

The Shango Dancers open the

Cliaudiere, Ottawa

Ottawa, Aug. a 9.
Shepherd Sisters (3), Ellis &
Winters, Josee Scott, Bob Peters,
Norman Richards Orch (8); $1 ad-
mission.

After a heavy, early -season
session of booking - names, the
Chaudiere Club’s. Rose Room has
dropped its chorus line and sim-
mered down to interspersing shows
built of acts not so w.k. but solid
entertainment. Current grouping
is topped by a trio of blond lookers
with clicko pipes and effective
staging, the Shepherd Sisters.
Canaries handle various song types
capably but are better suited to
the dixieland 1 species, which give
standout rating to handling of “I’ll
Be There" in half-western, half-
dixieland arrangement. Their ver-
satility also gets them big mitting
for “Hasta Manana," done sans any
kind of backing, and “Love’s Not
A Dream.”

Eilis & Winters, male and
femme, are crowd-pleasers in a
smooth, slick terp stint that shows
fine teaming and routining. In spite
of plenty difficult lifts and. spins,,
adagio is effortlessly handled to
give one of the most pleasant, re?
laxing dance stanzas ever here.
Josee Scott’s bit is chiefly unicycle
but pert femme works clicko
canarying, stick-twirling and jugg-
ling, both on and off wheels. Act
needs stronger staging but gets
good returns. Bob Peters emcees
and chants a brief (seven minutes)
session. Peters has satisfying pipes
but works too hard for effect.
Smoother staging also needed here*
Norman Richards arch showbacks
and plays for dancing Gorm.

Bradford Roa£, 'Boston

■ Boston, Aug. 3.

Lillian Roth ( with Dave Fleisch*^
man), Eddie Tierney , Moe Soloman
Orch •..(£); Versitones (3); $3*$4
minimum.

Bhr continues to perk in the only
nitery operating through the hot
summer in Boston at the aircondi-
tioned Bradford Roof. , Lillian
Roth, playing her third engage-
ment in less than 12 months, belies
the adage about. being a prophet in
one’s own hometown. The enthu-
siastic turnaway. crowd gives her a
tremendous ovation for her 45
minutes of pleasant entertainment
and she has to beg off.

After rousing opener with “I
Just Bay It With a Song," Miss
Roth gets the customers into the
act by joining to sing a medley of
“Ain’t She Sweet," “I’m in Love
With You, -Honey" and “Goody
Goody." She maintains this fast
pace with an animated, zesty job
on “Petunia Brown" in r&b style.
Takeoff on an unlucky profession-
al model brings howls, hushes the
steak knives and commands rapt
attention.

Her next medley comprises
“Let’s Fall in Love," “Love Thy
Neighbor" (good for handshaking
with . ringsiders) and “After the
Ball,** in which she chooses males
from the aud to dance with her.
Impressions of a Brooklynese
beauty parlor operator follows for
yocks. Her revival meeting bit
with “You Can’t Take It with You
When You’re Gone" gets top aud
reaction.

Miss Roth has made several
changes in her act on her three
Hub stands. Initiator found her
selling nostalgia, just what the cus-
tomers wanted. Last February, she
balanced her memories with new •
special material on a 50-50 basis.
This spot, she employs the oldies
to a minimum, and only when re-
quested, stressing. comedy in song,
and even dipping into r&b.

Her own composition of “I’ll Cry
Tomorrow,” theme of the MGM
picture based On her life story
from her bestselling book, gets a
tender rendition with sock projec-
tion for feeling and brings heavy
mitting, stopping the act for two
mintes before chirp can continue.
Bowoff is to “Please Tell Me When
I Will See You Again," very emo-
tionally rendered wandering
among tables to exit.

Only other act on the bill is Ed-
die Tierney, juggler, who employs
a large French poodle as an assist-
ant for good effects. Moe Solo-
man’s band cuts a fine show and is
led by Miss Roth’s accompanist, .
Dave Fleischman. The Versftomes
provide good intermish music for
dancing, alternating with Solo-
man’s crew. Guyl.

Nautilus, Miami Beach

Miami Beach, Aug. 12.
Grade Barrie, Larry K. Nixon,
Antone & Tna, Syd Stanley Orch;
$2.50-$3 minimum.

The new management-ownership
setup here has continued on tlia
same show policy adhered to by
the original group who made this
downtownery’s Driftwood Room
one of the more consistent patron-
pull spots around. Current duo of
acts is typical of the bookings set
up in recent weeks, combining a
local fave, Gracie Barrie, with
Larry K. Nixon, a fast-moving
comic who hasn’t been, seen in
these parts in several years.

Miss Barrie is an adroit comedi-
enne with a book of special ma-
terial (Eli Basse concocted) that
brings nut an innate’ sense of com-
edy and timing. Although still able
to belt a straight ballad in top
style, the pert lass keeps them in-
terested with the injection pf a
plentiful portion of dialect and
character lyric delineations. The
concentration is on the garment
center and Irish types, all skill-
fully tailored to her predilection
for dialects. The build is steady
with a hilarious twist on the
“Abie’s Irish Rose” theme, with
the “Cohens and Malones" a
standout.

Larry K. Nixon, gauged on his
reception here, should be moving
up the “new faces" ladder in short
order. The guy’s been around,
smooth delivery and timing of his
material reflecting the years in
show biz. There’s plenty of new
stuff contained ' in. his waggery on
life with the wife, among other
subjects. Choice part of his act is
a lampoon in a neophyte plane
passenger; the yocks come long
and steady in this sequence. But-
tressing the overall impact, Nixon
sells a straight song in vaude tradi-
tion to solid response.

Antone & Ina, longtime hold-
overs, display their ballroomology .
patterns to . good returns. Syd
Stanley and his orch, per usual,
are apt on the backgroundings.

• Lary .

Wednesday, August 17, 1955 f^pTT’Fv' NIGHT CLUB REVIEWS , 61

Onnes, &•« Veg»i

Las Vegas, Aug. 10.

' Marion Marlowe, Ben Bine <& Co.
(3), Jose Duval, Ernestine Mercer ,
Daughters of Dunes (23), Alladins
(6), Jaye RubinOff Orch <14/; $2
minimum .

Bright weather is forecast dur-
ing the current four frames, which
Jba& Marion Marlowe spinning a
well-set repertoire of ballads, spe-
cials and light opera in the top-
line slot. Svelte, raven-tressed
looker opens a 30-minute ear-
pleaser with “Belle of the pair
to score instantly, ' Personality
beams as she gets “Strictly Confi- j
dential" in a song tale about Ar-
thur Godfrey days which she caps
by doling gifts “from the Godfrey
gang" to ringsiders, plus a tribute
to Godfrey himself.

She gives lyrics of “Can’t Help!
Lovin’ That Man of Mine" whispy
attention, then gets sassy In
“Should I Swing, Or* Just Get
Hot?" Upbeat tempo is contrasted
by soulful! “The Man In' the Rain-
coat," a lush number which is
strongest of the. set, She winks
Lynn Duddy-s sly “Television Is
Tough On Love," then turns legit
to soprano “The Gypsy Song," ex-
iting on salvos.

Only two days separated Ben ;
Blue and familiar crew from stan- !
za downstrip at the Royal Nevada'
and their opening here. But the
Blue trademark . stands up well, j
both with llrstnighters and round- i
trippers. One piece, “It .Could !
Never Happen In Las Vegas," Is I
comic’s only new insert, and after
opening-night tryout it proved it
shouldn't happen in Vegas, hence ,
it was scissored from show.

Traditionally, Blue and gang:
(Sid Fields, Sammy Wolfe & Seri) ;
are slotted in spots throughout the
revue, opening with Blue’s usual
spiel, followed; by Wolfe’s mimes
of w.k. stars. Blue, Fields and
Wolfe lift tragedy out of “Me And
My .Shadow" for happy triple in-
terp of Ted Lewis. Comic’s turn
is wrapped up with usually solid
“Chandu" portrayal.

Preparatory to bringing in his
own Latin -Quarter Revue next
month, Lou Walters slipped into
town to design the spa f s current

f iroductions. Walters has 23 love-
ies to work with, which he does
in usual manner, showing the gals
off to best advantage at top of the
show in “Paris a la Mode," center-
piece “Paree Beside The Seine"
and. “Romania" finale. Alladins
lend male hoofing, while Jose Du-
val, Whose bary pipes and personal
appearance should one day pro-
vide him a ticket to a solo slot,
duets with thrush Ernestine Mer-
cer to provide vocal backdrop for
productions. Jaye Rubinoff’s orch
cleaves a rich musical assist
throughout. Alan.

Surf Room* Honolulu

Honolulu, Aug. 10.
Zareli Surabian; $1.50 min.

Pianist from Palm Springs area
is playing in Hawaii’s prestige
lounge during sunset cocktail
hours and attracting good repeat
biz to the Royal Hawaiian’s on-
beach lounge. Versatile, personable
artist wisely shuns any particular
style, filling his two-hour stint (6
to 8 p.m.) with lots of variety. Com-
petent craftsman is quickly estab-
lishing himself as a Waikiki fa-
vorite.

Soon as he finishes, he trots
down the sand a couple of hundred
yards ' to the Surf Rider Hotel’s
Captain Cook RoOm, where he
plays until 12:30 a.m.

Surabian was booked into the
Matson hotels, by Dan Wallace,
entertainment director for the
chain’s four hostelries, and it looks
as though he’ljUbe around as long
as he wants, with Beaulieu Duo,
brother-sister team,- pounding the
ivories at Princess Kaiulahi Hotel’s
roof room. Walt,

Hotel Roosevelt? N. O*

New Orleans, Aug. 9. .
George Rank Orch (12), Paulette
Sisters (3), Anne Russell, Arthur
Ellen, Yvonne Wilson; $2.50 mini-
mum. *

New faces are always a delight
and when they're backed with tal-
ent, they’re an even greater pleas-
ure. Show is in for a month.

The Paulette Sisters, making
their debut in the plush Blue Room
here, were enthusiastically re-
ceived by first-nighters. The plati-
num blonde trio cops top honors
with its sense of harmony. Young-
sters put style and imagination
into their songs and dish out some
solid warbling.. They wring maxi-
mum effect from their chanting,-
Their repertoire is well-rounded
with pop tunes, and net a big hand.
They’re reminiscent of the Boswell
Sisters, which is natural, since
Connie Boswell coached them and
handled their arrangements.

George Rank's orchestra also

made an auspicious bow by provid-
ing refreshingly individual dance
music. Banct appears to have
achieved a happy blend of the lilt-
ing, bouncy and mellow, with
strong stress on melody. Outfit
skillfully avoided the pitfalls of
novelty effect and overdone ar-
rangements, confining itself to pop
faves with a modicum of flourish.

Tall, • affable maestro emcees
capably* Yvonne Wilson, his vocal-
ist; working as an act in the show,
exhibited a nice way With a ballad,

Anne Russell, playing a return
engagement, - dispenses . mimicry
and song. She’s a talented and pol-
ished performer, but is onstage too
long. Off to a slow start; she gets
better as she goes along and the
laughs come faster.

Closing show is Arthur “Doc"
Ellen, fast-talking hypnotist and
mentalist, who had some difficulty
getting volunteers ,to assist with
his demonstrations. Holds audi-
ence interest throughout, working
smoothly. . .. Liuz.

Fact’s, San Francisco

. San Francisco, Aug. 1.

Jackie Cain & Roy Krai, Vernon.
Alley Trio, Micki Lynn; $1 admis-
sion weekends, $2 minimum.

| ' ‘ ’ *

The current show at this Market
St. club spotlights the Cute; fresh
and effective husband-wife team Of
Jackie Cain and Roy Krai, who
bring to jazz ballads, standards
and show tunes the invigorating
manner of jazz, .but coat .it with
the polish of showmanship, stage
presence and savvy andrduhd ifc
off with good' looks. It is a sock
act here, just as it was on the Civic
Auditorium stage with the Sarah
Vaughan show.

Cain dc Krai are currently fear
turing a batch of original material
by a St. Louis songwriting team of
Tom Wolfe and Fran Landespian
which includes two solid tunes,
“You Smell So Good" and “Spring
Can Really- Hang You Up the
Most." The rest of their program,
varies between standards like
“Says My Heart" to offbeat jazz
tunes like “Tiny Told Me." They
are all delivered in a slick blend
of swank supperclub sophistication
and jazz feeling.

The Vernon Alley Trio and sing-
er Micki Lynn alternate with the
duo. Rafe.

Tin Angel? Frisco

San Francisco, Aug. 5.
Turk Murphy's Band (1), Doii
Ewell ; Admission $1 weekends.

Veteran dixie trombonist Turk
Murphy is doing better than aver-
age business at this waterfront rest
home for weary two-beaters.

His present group, practically a
new band, is not the best he has
had, although the new trumpeter;
R. C. H. Smith, stands out. Never-
theless, they belt out. the dixieland
standards as if born on Basin St.
and give Murphy adequate assist-
ance behind his vocals on “Care-
less Love" and “Hard Hearted
Hannah.” Banjbist Frank Hagerty
is featured on “Alabamy Bound"
to good advantage and Turk, who
never used a drummer in former
days, now has Thad Wilkerson, son
of a vet vaudevillian, as time-
keeper.

Overall effect of the band is too
loud for a small club, however, and
some dynamics would benefit
everyone.

Don Ewell, who shares the stand
with the Murphy mob, plays piano
in the traditional, or Jelly Roll
Morton, genre and keeps a rapt
audience of aficionados listening as
he sails through an assortment of
pre-World War I jazz and ragtime
numbers. Rafe.

New Holden? Reno

■ „ Reno, Aug. 10.

. Dolores Hawkins, Lou Nelson ,
Dorothy Kramer Dancers, Will- Os-
borne Orch; no cover or minimum..

There’s nothing = secret about
Dolores Hawkins’ success as a
singer. She simply employs a fine
Voice with pert charm, sleek chas-
sis, and good variety. She’s sock
fare in no modified terms. Some-
times almost like Lena Horne in
meaningful delivery, other times
as innocent as Debbie Reynolds.
Songs are at opposite poles, too,
from “It’s AH Right With Me," to
rhythm and blues with which she
broke into the business.

. Miss Hawkins belts in real aban-
don when the occasion calls for it,
as with a Jolson number. Or she
can croon quietly to throw the
room into a hush.

Fitted in a tight gown, Miss
Hawkins is an eye-filler. She han-
dles herself easily in all b£r num-
bers, and in one she calls a man
onstage from the- audience for
“Anything Can Happen Mambo"
in cozy manner.

Comic Lou Nelson never really
gets off the ground here with his
routine Mark.

New Frontier* Lmm Vega*

Las Vegas, Aug. 8.
Herb Shrlner, Jaye P. Morgan ,
Blackburn Twins (2), Bill Nortri*
& Upstarts (4), Ashtons <2 /,
Venus Vamps (18), Garitiood Van
Orch ( 16 ) ; $2 minimum.

Herb Shrlner moseys into the
plush Vertus Room for four frames,
husking his cornfed spiel to har-
vest a silo full of chips for the
owners. Shriner’a format is the
same as previous meanderings, but
material is fresh, and solid as
usual. He deftly slides homespun
barbs into, a satire of “$64,000
Question," then kids his own cig-
-gie-sponsored qulzzer.

Comic, drawls comparison of
Vegas to home town, then, with
hands In pocket and head bowed
boyishly, sings a cute “What Part
Of Indiana Do Ya Come From?"
Hoosier tells more about life back
home, then revives harmonica bit
for “Gypsy Festival" which gets
hefty;mitt reward.. :

•; Kicker ds. filmed recap of blog:
flashed on inn onstage screen and
narrated by Shrlner. Under a
ragged straw, he* wraps it up with
a barnyard medley, backed by
square dancing chorines*

Making, her first Vegas appear-
ance, Jaye P. Morgan is booked for
two weeks as a special add to this
opus, and it's easy to forecast
she’ll become a regular on the lo-
cal scene. She chirps specialties
and w.k. tunes, and struts in a
show .piece. In .“That’s. All I Wapt
From 1 You,", she bounces a bit too
hCartedly iii a turn that should
have a more poignant mopd. But
gal isn’t easily restrained to the
melancholy vein, as she whips off
skirt, dons topper and ' spins cane
to strut a mihstrel medley. Rou-
tine is spliced -by a softshoeand
slideaways to point up- her hoofing
versatility, for good begoff.

Debonair Blackburn Twins, sure-
fire on any .floor, tap-terp the show
off to a racy start. Opener is a
well-set “Let’s Put The Show On
The Road," which lays the ground-
work for vocal and toe doubling
to follow. Strawhat tipping and
buck ’n’ wing revive two-a-day in
“Father Used To Play The Palace
Years Ago.” Mirror routine is al-
ways good. Venus Vamps back Bill
Noryis and The Ashtons „in the
launcher, a holddver. Garwood
Van orch paints an excellent mu-
sical backdrop for the whole show.

Alan.

Flame, Mpls.

Minneprjolis. Aug. 1.

Buddy Rich Quartet, Oscar
N'ordh Trio; $1.20 admission.

* ?>

Surrounded 'by such jazz artists
as Billy Root, Sam Docery and
Jimmy Moble on the tenor . sax,
piano and bass, respectively, drum-
mer. Buddy Rich furnishes this
club's patrons with the sort of
rhythmic emanations that they
relish to dig. It’s one of a succes-
sion of outsanding jazz attractions
playing the j room.

. Outfit grinds away tirelessly for
• 35-minute stretches at a cyclonic
pace. S u,c h numbers as “Lester
Leaps In,” “Blue Lou," “Flying
High," “Strike Up the Band” and
“Fine and Dandy" receive effec-
l tively. noisy hep treatment irres-
tible .to addicts of this -type of
swing.

Rich’s assaults on the skins, con-
ducted with the tremendous energy
that have won him a virtuoso rat-
ing, are, of course, standout. He
and his boys virtually work their
heads off to please, and they suc-
ceed well. Rich’s w i tty remarks
also register nicely.

Intermission music of a high
grade is furnished by instrumental
local trio headed by Oscar Nordh.

Rees.

Frolics, Salisbury H 9 ch?

Salisbury Beach, Mass., Aug* 4.
Tony Bennett ( Chuck Wdyne ) ,
Bobby Monahan; Terry Sisters (3),
Beverly & Jack Palmer, Dave Les-
ter Orch (10), Johnny Ful ford;
$1.20 admission.

Although a severe .electrical
storm brought only a three-quarter
opener house to this 1,250 seater,
usually jampacked for openings,
boniface Dennie Mulcahy isn’t com-
plaining. Biz- has been holding
good at the big beachfront boite
and the policy of names and low
entry fee lias paid off again this
season.

Tony Bennett has to beg off here
after three encores. Bennett obliges
with an hour-long songfest of old
and new tunes. Singer, in top form,
belts his numbers to big mitting
throughout.

Opening with' ‘.'Taking a Chance
on Love," he swings through a
long list. He bows off strong with
“Because of You" and encores with
a Rose Murphy version of “I Can’t
Give You Anything but Love,"
hamming it up with her “chi chi"
tag to heavy aud chuckles. He’s

off again with “I’m Lonely." Aud
refuses to let him off and Bennett
does an aud participation bit with
“Sing You Sinners", in the best
'tradition of revival meetin’ time.
With the customers still clamoring
for more, he comes back for an-
other chorus of “Sinners" to end a
55-minute stint.

Terry Sisters, opening the show,
wqrm up the customers with, some
high, wide and handsome acrobatic
dancing, which includes flip flops,
cartwheels and hand-walking pres-
ented in razzle-dazzle style.

Bobby Monahan, emcee and
standup comic, works , hard to get
over in the big room, but fails to
get more than a smattering of
applause. His material, which cap
stand improvement; gets little aud
reaction throughout his spot.

Beverly and Jack Palmer, okay
dance act, get enthusiastic . mitting
with posy-rating features includ-
ing 'acrobatics, high spins and
twirls, a handstand by the. lad on
the femme’s niidrlff, and • a hot
rhumba mimber. :

Dave Lester abd crew back up
the'. shoW in fine fashion and
Johnny Fulford provides his usual
slick organ, interludes. Guyl.

> Illaok Hawk, Frisco ; ;

San Francisco, Augv I’J

Chris Connor, Virgil Gonzalves
Sextet; Admission 50p weeknights,
$1 weekends.

would call all of the hotel’s mu-
sicians off the job and order a
boycott.

“I refuse to allow any hotel or
club to put the union’s members
up to ridicule," Calkin said, referr-
ring to frontpage newspaper ac-
counts of the episode. The union
chief said Cashed’* dispute was not
with the act, but rather with its
agent, orch leader Carlton Hayes,
who booked the trio into the hotel,
Hayes-was out of town and unavail-,
able for comment.

In answer to Calkin, the hotel-
owner pulled , the Rogers trio out
of the parking lot and back into
the lounge-— but not to play. Cur-
rently, the trio la reporting nightly,
and is standing by offstage'. The
combo has two weeks remaining
on contract.

Caught in the middle of the
: fracas, Rogers, said, "I’ve been play- r
ling- in ioupges, around town for/
years; My : repertoire . is strictly
jaz?.; When I signed the contract
with the Aqua, there was no clquse
specifying dance music."

The Aqua opened its doors a
few weeksi ago . ( July 21 ) . Spa
cost /approximately $1,000,000, ac-
cording to Cashen, and has no ca-
sino or floor show. Sole entertain-
ment is located in the cocktail
lounge.

, Making, her debut ;in the dead-
falls of Frisco, ; Chris Connor turns
a pretty face, good grooming and
a husky voice to' great profit as
she belts, whispers and croons a
variety of songs.

A veteran 1 of the Stan Kenton
band and * sounding hot. a little
like Kenton’s other ex-vocalist,
June Christy, Miss Connor has the
pipes, looks, stage presence and
ability to sell a song.

She features a number of tunes
from her disk albums, including
“Stella by Starlight,". “Gone With
the Wind," “Spring is Here"- and
“I Concentrate On You.” but makes
her biggest impact with “All About
Ronnie," a sombre ballad she re-
corded with Kenton.

She *' is accompanied by the
rhythm section of the. Virgil Gon-
salves Sextet — Clyde Pound, pi-
ano; Gus Gustafson, drums, and
Norman Bates, bass, They went
on opening night without a re-
hearsal and will obviously improve.

The Sextet, which shares billing,
is a group of young modern jazz-
men who have improved steadily
over the summer to the point
where they are now ripe for book-
ing on the- jazz circuit. Valve trom-
bonist Barry Tillson and tenor
Howard Dedunes are the standout
soloists in the group, and they
work out on a variety of modern
jazz instrumental numbers that
please the jazz crowd. Rafe .

— n. ■ ■■ ■■ =

Largest Drive-In

SSS5 Continued from pace 1

son this semester than in 1954,
mainly blamed upon the area get-
ting overpopulated with ozoners.
There are 11 in the immediate
vicinity.

Meadows represents an invest-
ment of $500,000 and has the
largest cafeteria restaurant in the
open air film business. Also con-
tains free rides for the kiddies. To
facilitate traffic in the area, Mea-
dows management erected its own
traffic lights on the highways lead-
ing to and from the ozoner and
deeded them to the city .of Hart-
ford.

Meadows, located within the con-
fines of Hartford in a previously
undeveloped section in the north-
ern part of the city, is less than
i five minutes from the downtown
area -via an expressway.

Harold Cummings of Springfield,
Mass, a vet of the drive-in business
had been named manager. Theatre
is uiider a 30 year lease by (Phil)
Smith Management Co.

Vegas Act

Marciano Near

Continued from page 1

mately 60 theatres set for the
closed circuit network. It’s ex-
.pected dhatj a total of 100 wiU -par-
ticipate When the bell rings at tlve
Yankee Stadium on Sept. 20L The
enlarged network ‘ is . being made

possible by the use of mobile units
Which TNT is renting to theatres,
i According to TNT proxy Nate
Halpern, an all-time record of 273
theatres requested rights to the
telecast. Many of these requests,
however, have been denied because
of an inability, to obtain* line clear-
ances to many areas; The Southern
California area will have .one of
the largest representations with
eight theatres in the Los Angeles
territory scheduled to carry the
event. Included in the lineup are
the RKO Pantages, Hollywood;
Warner Wiltem, Warner Down-
town, Paramount Downtown, Or-
pheum, Warner Huntington Park,
Warner San Pedro, and Warner
Crown, Pasadena.

With a blackout of a 50-mile
radius of New York City, the
closest outlet to Gotham will be
the Bayshore-Sunrise Drive-In on
Long Island where there are ac- ^
cqmmodations to handle 10,000
people.

Chicago: $3.60 to $5.50

Chicago, Aug. 16.

Theatre-tv showing of the Mar-
ciano-Moore .heavyweight bout
originating from N; Y. Sept. 20

has been set for seven Chicago
houses. Last Theatre NetWork
Television bout was shown in Only
five local houses and did little
better than ‘half of capacity. In-
crease in number of houses show-
ing the next donnybrook is attrib-
uted to high interest generated by
this title fight.

Four Balaban & Katz houses, the
State-Lake, Marbro, . Uptown and
the Tivoli, with a combined ca-
I pacity of 13,800 seats will carry,
the TNT closed-circuit telecast at
a varying scale. The State-Lake,
a Loop first-runner will retail
ducats for $5.50, tax included and
all seats reserved; showing of the
feature pic, “Mr. Roberts," will be
included in the price. Price for
the other three houses will be
$3.60, tax included, on a first-come
first-served basis, and also Includ-
ing the feature pic, “House of
Bamboo" at the Tivoli and “You're
Never Too Young" at the other
two.

; a*— ■ Continued from page 1

entertainment policy in the cock-
tail lounge, which calls, for dance
music. But when the trio as-
sertedly refused the owner’s de-
mand and keyboarded progressive
jazz instead, Cashen bounced the
group out of the lounge and into
the parking lot at the rear of the
hotel, with this reprimand:

“Tf I’ve got to pay you for stuff
I don’t want, then you can finish
playing off your contract outside."

The following day, Bob Calkin,
business manager for the Vegas
AEM local, issued £ counter edict
to Cashen that he either return
the combo indoors, or the union

Three theatres, two hardtops
and an ozoner, in the Essaness
chain will also carry the fight tele-
cast. The hardtops have a com-
bined capacity of 2,750, and the
drive-in holds 1,300 cars. Paste
boards will go at a sliding scale,
$5.50 at the Crown Theatre, $4.80
ait the Lake Theatre and $3.30 per
person at the Halsted Outdoor
Theatre. Price includes showing
of a picture, as yet unannounced.

A near sell-out at all seven
houses would gross approximately
$75,000, tax included; a more
probable 65 to 70% capacity busi-
ness should gross about $50,000,
including tax.

Palace, X. Y.

Phil Spitalny and his All-Girl
Orch (25); ‘The King's Thief ’
(MG), reviewed Variety July
20, '55.

Phil Spitalny, with his all-girl
“Hour of Charm" orchestra, is mak-
ing history on several counts dur-
ing his current Palace engage-
ment.

For one thing, he is tl>, the only
band act to play a Broadway show- 1
case in five years; (2), having
played everything from the Capi-
tol to the Paramount, up and down
Times Square, it’s a first for him
at this RKO flagship; (31, it’s a de-
parture for the house in turning
over its entire vaudeshow to one
unit. •

If ever there was a readymade
video package this is it. They play
everything from r&b to the clas-
sics; they sing like a church- choir
with Brill Bldg, blessing; they de-
port themselves like the seasoned
25 — count ’em. —> 25 beautiful
buglers, bongo-beaters and beau-
coup-on-the-beat babes that they
are. Exception is maestro Spitalny,
of course.

He’s what. he is, a sincere gent
who manifests painstaking crafts-
manship, a not unrigorous stand-
ard, a dedication to the precept
that he can produce a pulchritudi-
nous pot-pourri of feminine musi-
cal fanfareists who don't have to
defer to the males. In effect, that’s
the finale ' thematic of the “chal-
lenge” routine, with Evelyn (dis-
pensing “her magic violin”) baton-,
Ing the Charmers, to a paraphrase
of Irving Berlin’s “Anything You
(They) Can Do We Can Dtr Bet-
ter,” out of “Annie Get Your
Gun.” Thus unfolds a femme
Krupa, Goodman, Tommy Dorsey,
James, Liberace, Clyde McCoy.
It’s an act all by itself. There is
one very minor missout— all the
impressions are trademarked songs,
and salvoed because of ‘popular
recognition, excepting the Good-
man clarineting, which would be
more commercial and consistent
with all the rest of the fanciful
fillies' specialties if, perhaps, she
did “Stompin’ At the Savoy," or
something from the BG catalog,
rather than her specialty. That’s
a minor detail.

Spitalny’s sincerity projects all
the way. He gives them the 100%
spotlight. He maneuvers them into
graceful groups. The solid 60 min-
utes is the essence of showmanship
in the nth degree, and seemingly
soon recognized, judging by the
“Cortnie’-stormy Friday opening
which, none the less, produced
standees and holdouts — a popula-
tion quotient only reserved for
the Palace when it really turns on
a Danny Kaye or a Judy Garland.
What’s more, the hand-to-hand
music matched the enthusiasms
reserved for the twora-day head-
, liners.

RKO toppers Sol A. Schwartz,
William Howard & Co. gambled
wisely with this deal, said to carry
a percentage over a $20,000 break,
although in actuality the Spitalny
staple has been too standard over
the years to fall even loosely into
the orbit of being a “gamble.” In
turn, quite patently, Spitalny is
gambling on proper Madison Ave.
and Rockefeller Center recogni-
tion. He may well bfe coming
fortuitiously into the crest of
what is a simmering new band
vogue, which technically now con-
stitute summer replacements. This
refers to the Stan Kenton and the
Paul Whiteman “America’s Great-
est Bands” shows, and already there
are manifestations that the young-
sters like bands, for a change. It
sure has been a man* > ton for the
vocalists; most of them, in .ac-
tuality, alumni of band aggrega-
tions until a disclick or some other
fortuitous circumstance brought
them to the fore solo.

Spitalny’s team comprises four
sax, three trumpets, three violins,
flute, trombone, traps, piano, bass
tuba, string bass, femme vocal
quartet, augmented by the stellar
virtuoso of the act, Evelyn. And
she sure does make with the magic
on her Strad, as she runs the
gamut from a Dietz-Schwartz
item, “You and the Night and the
Music,” to “Unchained Melody,”
to , her original “Perpetual Mo-
tion.” Latter is backed by an
equally adept violin quartet, but
Evelyn’s showmanship makes for
her distinction.

The specialists are almost all
consistently soGko. Highlight is a
brunet looker, Rose-Marie, heralded
as the winner of a Paris competi-
tion and marking her Broadway
debut. She chirps a Victor Her-
bert medley with authority and
verve and is a real standout in
every department. Viola is On
the 17 drums, an unusual trapster.

Louise, at the Steinway, plays
Tchaikowsky and boogie with
equal facility, and prpved it with
that sequencing. Perhaps this was
a case of too much piano or, if in-
tended for contrast, then the Rus-
sian master should be edited down.

Other soloists are Dottie, a Tock
’n’ roll specialist, another Spitalny
first; Rosita, with fairish Mexican
flamenco; and, for the payoff,
Georgette, a pert 9-yearrOld lit-
tle miss who plays a whole gang
of instruments with the aplomb of
an adult vet. She’s a walking in-
strument store with her tenor sax,
cornet, trombone, clarinet, tuba,
Sousaphone, and for the flnale she
delivers “Oarktown Strutters'
Ball,” to self-accomp on the keys.
Her mother also comes on for a
bend.' Finale is the “National Em-
blem March,” wth lyrics, /to a
United Nations and rahrah Ameri-
can flag finale that’s a surefire
Cohan finish with an AFM fanfare.

In short, this is not an “act.”
Spitalny has a full-blossomed,
brimming package of musico-va-
riety entertainment that’s one of
the most compact, intact road-
shows extant. Can play anywhere
and anything^ Having proved it-
self at the boxoffice, in the ele-
mentary rotating method cit^-by-
city, theatre-by-theatre boo.t'ng,
it’s a setup for television. Abel.

Apollo, IV.- V.

Ruth Brown, Clovers (5), Vivian.
& Tassie, Willie Johns, Derby Wil-
son, George Wiltshire & Rastus
Murray, Paul Williams Orch (12);
“Bad Day at Black Rock’’ (M-G).

Fresh bill at the Apollo more or
less adds up to a rock ’n’ roll mar-
athon, for over half the layout is
in the rhythm & blues vein. Jug-
gling turn of Vivian & Tassie, an
ofay import from Denmark, as
well as terper Derby Wilson, help
provide a change of pace, along
with comics George Wiltshire &
Rastus Murray. But. for the most
part, the session is a showpiece
for the driving beat of r&b.

On the basis of aud reaction,
there can be too much of a good
thing even at this Harlem citadel
of rock 'n* roll. Applause generally
was more polite than thunderous
at show caught With exception of
shouter Ruth Brown, Who’s in a
class by herself. Billed as “Miss
Rhythm,” the svelte warbler belts
five r&b numbers in a sexy, deliv-
ery that’s further pointed up by
her sinuous shoulder-shaking and i
hip-weaving.

. Less exciting are The Clovers;
a male harmony group, whose ar-
rangements and overall style
haven’t yet improved to the point
which could set them aside from
a flock of other vocal outfits in
the same groove. Frequently seen
at this house, the five lads work
with two mikes in dishing up nov-
elties and typical r&b material.
They earn an okay reception.

Also in the vocalistic rock ’n’
roll roster is youthful Willie
Johns, who blasts out a brace of
tunes in a stentorian voice. He
wins fair returns on sheer volume.
Paul Williams’ band, comprising
three rhythm, four reed and four
brass, gives the sesh a lift via its
versatility. Though the band fol-
lows style in some r&b pyrotech-
nics, it also backs the show nicely
in an adequate display of musi-
cianship. ,

Derby Wilson, another familiar
face to Apollo patrons, opens with
conventional stepping, then fol-
lows with an old softshoe routine
which he does with finesse. His
impression of Bill Robinson adds
to the nostalgia for a healthy sal-
vo. House's standard comedy scene
is supplied by Wiltshire & Murray
for the usual strong returns.

Jugglers Vivian & Tassie are
under New Acts. ..=• Gilb.

Chiswick Empire, E’ndoai

London, Aug. 11.

Dorothy Squires, Jerry Wayne,
Peter Sellers, Duncan’s Collies,
Winters & Fielding, Charles Camil-
leri, Henri Vadden & Lady, Kiz •
ma & Karen t Charles Henry’s Em-
pire Orch.

Two vocal acts headline the bill
in this nabe situation, but the con-'
trasting styles do not upset the
balance. Dorothy Squires, recently
back from the U.S., relies as much
on her vivacity as on her pipes
for selling a song. She’s a lively
personality and knows how to get
on the right side of this type of
unsophisticated audience. Her
songalog is mainly based on estab-
lished pops, frequently used de-
liberately as a vehicle fer partici-
pation.' Standards such as “Un-
chained Melody" And “Because

UAhiety

You Haven’t Got It” are in sharp
contrast to a cute comedy number,
“Here Lies the Body.”

Jerry Wayne, who first came to
London for a Starring role in the
Coliseum production Of “Guys and
Dolls,” ' and has since been fea-
tured as a crooner in a British film,
is playing his first. vaudfe date here
with this' engagement. Hit tunes
from each of these productions
contribute to the boff reception
and the singer clicks equally with
lively pops, (“Crazy Otto Rag”) and
dramatic ballads (“My Wander-
ings.") A western medley, with the
star self -accompanied • on guitar,
registers heavily. •

Peter Sellers, a leading British
impressionist, opens with a fine
takeoff of Sir Winston Churchill
and follows with other noted local
personalities. Routine is adroitly
geared for laughs and qualifies for
full response^ Duncan’s Collies,
w.k. canine act, is always sure of
a sympathetic reaction and this
time is no exception.

Winters & Fielding are a so-so
comedy duo with labored cross-
talk but compensating light-heart-
ed vocals and terping. Charles
Camilleri, a Maltese accordionist,
makes a nice impresh With a range
of light classical and local music.
Henri Vadden is a Skillful juggler
and balancer with a wide variety
of props, and Kizma & Karen con-
tribute some pleasing stepping in
the two opening spots. Myro..

Empire, Glasgow

Glasgow, Aug, 1.

Jimmy Young (Jack Martin at
piano), Shirley Eaton, McHarris &
Dolores, George Lacy, Ken Morris
&' Joan Savage, Duo Russrnar,
Carozells (2 ) , Mallini Bros . (2 ) ,
Sonny Roy, Bobby Dowds Orch.

Jimmy Young, English diskery,
star, tops this agreeable and fairly
sound layout. Singer, whose re-
cent waxing of “Unchained Mel-
ody” has proved a bestseller, gives
out in pleasant songalog and belts
put the tunes ip happy friendly
style that suggests he enjoys his
chores as much as his fans.

Opens with “Dreamboat,” then
into “Cherry Pink and Apple Blos-
som White," which garner sock
nutting. Also registers well with
“I Wonder,” and highlight is his
rendition of “Unchained.”. . Singer
Winds with medley of hits, current
and less recent, and including the
“Too Young” tune which first shot
him into the top bracket of British
recording singers. . Jack Martin
handles the ivories with skill.

Shirley Eaton, a new recruit to
British vaude, and a good-looking
teenage singer from tv, holds down
the No. 2 position, and* on this
showing augurs well for future suc-
cess.

Daye McHarris & Dolores, mixed
colored twosome from Boston,
make a quick within-seven-weeks
return to this vaudery, and again
register strongly with their ef-
fortless rhythmic toe-dancing.
Male half, roundly-built, has intri-
guing sense of humor amid his
casual style of dancing, which in-
cludes descent into audience for
tapping on auditorium carpet.
Act proves fully enjoyable to stub-
holders, intrigued at the Mac part
of male’s surname, in view of its
Scot link.

George Lacy, English femme im-
personator offers travesties of fe-
male types,, including one of a
woman lecturing to an audience on
hope. Much of his material, well-
tried, has been around some time,
but still rouses quota of chuckles
despite its old-fashioned strain.

Sonny Roy also uses old patter
in a comedy spot with ukelele,
winding with the George Formby
number, “Leaping on a Lamp-Post
at Comer of the Street.” Act is
not up to standard expected at a
No, 1 vaude house. Mallini Bros.
(2), garbed in sailor uniforms, are
Okay openers in aero knockabout.

Ken Morris &* Joan Savage are
best support act in song-cum-com-
edy, and register strongly. This is
a standout turn which merits strict
attention by bookers. . The Caro-
zells, two gals, hold down open-
ing dance spot of. second segment,
and also score. I)uo Russrnar, male
and femme partner, offer conven-
tional balancing, winding with the
male 'doing a. one-hand stand on
chair while holding another chair,
aloft.

The -Bobby DoWds house orch
does its usual showbacking stint
with efficiency. Gord.

Duncan Macrae Honored

Edinburgh, Aug. 9, ,
Duncan Macrae, legit actor, has
been named recipient of the
annual award of Sept Committee
of British Arts Council, for “out-
standing contribution to the Scot-
tish theatre for 1954-55." Per-
formance which won him the honor
was that of Harry Magog in late
James Bridie’s play “Gog and Ma-
gog."

• ajzinia xr w v tp m m w a..m a. a a a » c. c n

Wednesday, August 17* 1955

WEEK OF AUGUST 17

Numerals In connection with Mile below Indicate opening day. of ehow
whether full or split week

Letter in parentheses indicates' circuit. <l) Independent; <U Losw; (M) Moss)
iP> Paramount) <R) RKO; <S> Stoll; <T; Tivoli; <VV> Warner

NEW YORK CITY
Music Hall (I) IS
'Tessa Smallpase
Marquis 5c Family
Manor 5c Mignon
RocketteS
Corps de Ballet
Sym Ore

Palace (R) It

3 Reenowns
3 Dancing Jets
C Cedrone Sc D
Mitchell
Stan Fisher
Martin & Florens
3 to fiU

CHICAGO
Chicago (P) It

How Miller Show
Pat Boone
Hi-Los

-Felicia Sandera
Lenny Dee
Yonely
Della Reece
NEW BEDFORD
Olympia (P) 11 * 20 ,
Roy Acuff
Smoky Mt Boys
Kitty Wen*

Johnny 5c. Jack
i Ken Marvin Co.
Benny Martin

AUSTRALIA

MELBOURNE
Rlvoll (T) Aug. 22
Wiere Bros.

Gypsy 3
Alain Diagora
Upshaw & Cooper
Red Moore
Keen Littlewood
Robin Hood 4
June Barton -
Jo McCormack
SYDNEY
Tivoli (T) 22
Norma MUler Dncrs.

Michael Bentine
B. HoweU Sc
F. Radcliffe
D Neal &P Newton
Gogia Pasha
Virginia Paris

The Alfreros
Ursula Sc Gus
Gordon Humphris
Johnny O’Connor 1
John Bluthal
Irene Bevans

BRITAIN

BIRMINGHAM
Hippodrome (M) 15
A1 Martino
Teddy Foster Bd
3 Balmorals
Bobbie Kimber
M Sf E Rose
Tex McLeod.

P Sc S Sherry

BLACKPOOL
Opera House (I) 15

Jewel Sc Warriss
Alma Cogan

4 Hurricanes
Odette Crystal

6 Flying De Paula
John Tiller. Girls
ft Singing Debs
Mayfair Melody
Makers
Fred Kitchen
Dorothy .Dampier
Barbara. Evans
Natalie Ralne
Palace (1)15
Booth Sc Ziegler
Clifford Stanton
Joe CTosbie
Roy Stevens
Daisy Mae Co -
Saveen

Eddlfe Gordon Sc N
Rita MarteU
Les Dounos
Dawn White Co
Tower Circus (I) 15
C. CairoU 5e Paul
Harry Bell Lons
Duglas Rosemayer
Guerres Sea Lions
Sciplini Chimps
Enies 6 Baby E
Tramp Tampo

5 Amandis
Epies Horses
Cuban Boys

2 Darty Dorrect
Pot Pourri
Alcetty

3 Orfatis'

Frances Duncan
Tower Clrcusettes
Jimmy Scott
Little Jimmy
Winter Gard. (1) 15
David Whitfield
Semprini
Dagenhein Girl

Pipers

Bill Waddlngton
Colville Sc Gordon
Susan Irvin
Beau Belles
Norma Lowdon
BlUy de Haven

SOSCOMBE
Hippodrome* (I) 15.
Jack Haig .

Sonia Cordeau
Eddie Hart
Tommy Ashworth
Victor Seaforth
Burt Brooks
Charmony 3
S Fisher Girls

BRADFORD
Alhambra (M) 15
Diana Decker
B & Z Marvi
Albert Burdon
Jones 5c Arnold
Manley & Austin
Allen 5c Albee Sis
Hollywood Marlon*
ettes

BRIGHTON
Hippodrome (M) IS

Dennis Lotis
Lane Twins
Jimmy Wheeler
Wilson Keppel 5c B
Jack Jackson

2 Phlllys
Dargie 5
Sonny Roy

BRISTOL

Hippodrome (S) 15

Lester Ferguson
Stan Stennett
Gaston Palmer
Connor Sc Drake
Terry Walsh 3
Jimmy Jeff 5c June
Ballet Mont-
pariinsse
CHELSEA
Palace (I) 15
Tom E Bradley
Ethel Barton 4
T 5c M Deleste
Melody Maids
Al Podesta Co
Michael Skinner
Valerie Glynne
Les Sullivan
Pamela Ross
CHISWICK
Empire (S) 14
Syd Seymour Bd
4 Jones Boys
Channing Pollack
Dowler 5c Rogers
Caruna 5c Dodo
Riki Lingana 5c D
Cooper Twins
EAST HAM
Granada (li II
Ronnie Harris

3 Trebletones
Jerry Harris
Len Marten

4 Larry Gordon
Girls

Metropolitan (1) II
Jimmy Bryant

5 5c D Dene
Benny Garcia

Juan 5c Juanita
Billy Gay
8 L Gordon Girls
Palace (I) 15
CUff Gay
Ben Dudley
Ivy. Barrie.

4 Step Bros
Lisbet

Ronnie Marshall
Keith Leggett
Jay McGrath
Roy Adrian

EDINBURGH
Empire <M) 15
Eve Boswell
J 5c B Gee
Chic Murray 5c
Madie
Nordics
Jerry Allen 3
Holger 5c Dolores
Jack Francois
Alan Rowe
FINSBURY PARK
Empire (M) 15
Danny Purches
Kay 5c Katrina
Shirley Eaton
Jackie
Alec Pleon
Bill McGuffie
S 5c P Kaye
E 5c B Carley
GLASGOW
Empire (M) 15
Guy Mitchell
B 5c B Mallln
[ Cherry Wainer
3 Nissens

Hackford 5c Doyle
Jose Moreno
, Jimmy Neil

HACKNEY
Empire (S> 15
Betty Driver
Fayne 5c Evans
Tom Mennard
Revel 5c Fields
L 5c L Rogers
Granger Bros
Bobby Shields
LEEDS

Empire <M) 15
L Parks 5c B

• Garrett

A 5c V Shelley
Devine 5c King
Mandos Sis
Johnny Lockwood
Austral

LIVERPOOL
Empire (M) 15
David Huges
Juggling Brauns
Peter Cavanagh ,

Marcies 1

Marvcllos
Tommy Fields
Des O’Connor
Billy Thorhburn
Buffoons

- MANCHESTER
Hippodrome (S) 15

Lee Lawrence
Lowe 5c Ladd
Jack Watson
3 Menares
Rih Aruso
Mills 5c Melita
Buckmaster
Puooets
NEWCASTLE
Empire (M) 15
Eric Delaney Ore'
Bunty St CJalr
Authors 5c Swinson'
Schichtls Marlon

• ettes

Dickie- Dawson
McKay Bros &

Vera

NORTHAMPTON
New (I) 15

Harry Shiels
Dennis Bros 5c J
Noble 5c Denester
Sabella

Jan Harding Co
Miss Blandish
NORWICH
Hippodrome (I) 15
Jack Anton
Ross 5c Ranaya
Ranorl Bros
Ken Roland
Jane Shore Co
Silver Dollar Girls
PORTSMOUTH
Royal (M) 15
Tony Brent
Silvia 5c Audrey
Brian Breece
Keiroy's .

Russ Henderson Bd
Roger Came .

Hans Bela 5c Mary
Joan 5c Ernest
Barry Took
SOUTHAMPTON
Grand (I) 15
MaPrice Colleano
Garry Wayne
Nellie Stuart
Goldw.vns
Maja 5c Myna
Sensational
Elresons
Joe Ring
Mzelle Frenclile
SUNDERLAND
Empire (M) 15
Nitwits

Seaton 5c O’Dell
Morris . 5c Cowley
Henri Vadden »
Margery Manners

Krandon 5c Kama
TatterSall Sc Jerry
SWANSEA
„ Empire <M) 15
Lita Roza
Kizma 5c Keren
Jimmy James Co
Andoras
Beryl 5c Bobo
Peter Raynor
Mongadors
Bill. Giles

WOLVERH'P'N
Hippodrome (U 15
D 5c J O'Gorman

3 Detices
Fairlte 5c Stevens
Christine GlanvUle

YORK

Empire (1) IS

Tommy. Godfrey
Sc D

Carol Gay *
Lyndons
L 5c T Kee
Jackson 5c Collins
Don Nichols
Montparnasse
Lovlies

7 1 ■ ' 1 11 - 1 .

Cabaret Bills

NEW YORK CITY

Basin 9 ?

Calvin Jackson
Birdland-*
Count Basie
Blue' Angel
Robert Clary
Barbate MacNalr
Trio Shmeed
Dick Drake
Jimmy Lyons Trio
Bart Howard
. Ben boir
Jimmy Komack
Nancy Andrews
Gerald Cook
.Three Riffs
3 Flames '

Jimmy Daniels
Chateau Madrid
Hermanos Munoz
Judy Foster
Cha-Cha-Cha -D’crg
Oscar Calvet Ore
Hando Rodrigues "
Ore '

Composer
Cy Coleman
Ralph Sharon
Embers
Geo Shearing
No* l Fifth Avs
Dohn Gordon
Cook 5c Corey
Bob Downey
Harold Fonvllle
Hazel Webster
Hotel Roosevelt
Alan Holmes Ore
Hotel Taft
Vincent Lopez Ore
batln Quarter
Joey Adams
Al Kelly
Tony 5c Eddie
Lucienne 5c Ashour
Bill Bailey -
Patti Ross
Betty George
Roger Steffan
Alan Conroy
John Bartls
John Delaney
B Hurlowe Ore
La Vie
Jackie Miles
Diahann Carroll

Van Smith Ore
Belmonte Ore
it Cupfdon
Gillian. Grey
Ted Lawile -
lira Bradt Ore
Armando Federico
.Ore

.Old Roumanian
Sadie Banks
Joe Laporte -Oro
D’Aquila Ore

Park Sheraton
Milt Herth Trio
Tina Prescott
■ Patle
Ann Moray
Rosalinda

Versailles

“Come As You Are”
Connie Sawyer
Charles Mannu
Dick . Smart
Paul Lynde
Joan Carroll
Bill MullUdn
Jimmie Russell
Betty Logue
Inga Swenson •
Johnny Lavelrty
Franca Baldwin .
Salvatore Gloe Ore
Panchlto Ore

Viennese Lantern
Sandra Kiraly
Bela Bizony Ore
Ernest Schoen Ore
Village 'Bam
Danny Davis
Marilyn Murphy
Rachel Ellen
Slzzlers

Morty Reid Ore
Waldorf-Astoria
Xavier Cugat Ore
Abbe Lane
Peiro Bros
Garcias
Mischa Borr
- Village Vanguard
Ada Moore
Enid Mosler
Steel Trio
C WUlinma Trio

CHICAGO

Black Orchid
Josephine Premica
Phil Gordon
Day, Dawn A ' Dusk
Blua Angel
"Voodoo Calypso”
Obn'ba '

Shango Dancers
Venita *

Vivl Velasco
Joe

Blue Note.

Count Basle

Chez Paree

Jimmy Nelson %
Patti Andrews
Gaby Monet
Brian Farnon Ore
Cloister Inn
Jo Ann Miller
Lurlene Hunter

Roy Baftram
Dick Marx
Johnny Frigo
Conrad Hilton
“Carnival On Ice'*
Fred Hlrschfeld
Le Due Bros
Lou Folds
Johnny .Lee
The Ogelvies
Victor Charles
Dave Parks
Robert Lenn
The Tattlers
Boulevar-Dears 5c
Boulevar-Dons
F Masters Ore
Palmer Housb
Lisa Kirk
Dominique
Larry Logan
Charlie Fisk Or*

IDS ANGELES '

, Ambassador Hotal

I Harry Belafonte
Margaret Sisters
Bruno'

Freddy Martin Ore
Band Box
Billy Gray
Leo Diamond
Vivianne Lloyd
Voluptua

Larry Greene Trio
Bar of Music
Merry Macs
Mack Twins
Beverly Hilton
Win Jordan
Gilbert Becaud
Augle Sc Margo .
Bernard Hilda Orch
„ ( 16 )

Micha Novy Ore (ft)
Blltmora Hotel.
Morey Amsterdam
Helen O'Connell
The Houcs
Hal Derwlh Oro
Clro's
Peggy Lee
Dassle Bros.

Bob Williams
Hal Loman
Dick Stabile Ore
B RamoS Rhumba •
Crescendo
Billie Holliday
Four Freshman
Mocambe
Cross Sc Dund
Paul Hebert Ore.
Joe Castro Ore
Moulin Rouge -
Frank Llbuse
Margot . Brander
Miss Malta 5c Ce
Doubledaters <4)
Mazzone-Abbott
Jerry LaZarre
Ffolflbt Charlton
Tony Gentry
Gaby Wooldridge
Luis Urbina :

Frank Llbuse-
Margot Brander

staffer Hotel
Robert Maxwell
Maureen Cannon
Bob McFadden
Al Donahue Ora.
Belaire Trio

LAS VEGAS

Dunes

Magic Carpet R'v/o
Ben Blue ’

Sid Fields
Sammy Wolfe
Sirl

Marion Marlowe
Jose Duval
Jaye Ruhanoff ore
Flamingo

Giselle MacKenzie
Alan King
Goofers

Ron Fletcher Dncrs
Teddy Phillips Ore
Sands
Rob't. Merrill
Louis Armstrong
A Morrelli Ore.

Desert Inn
Ted Lewis
Donn Arden Dncrs
Carlton Hayes Oro
New Frontier
Herb Shrlner
Blackburn Twins
Jaye P. Morgan
Venus Vamps

Garwood Van Ore
Thunderblrd
Sautcr-Fineggn Orch
Royal Nevada
"Guys Sc Dolls"

Jerry Fielding Ore
El Rancho Vegas
Joe ,E. Lewis
Mickl Mario
Billy Daniel
Ted Fio Rlto Oto
Sahara
Vagabonds
Condos Sc Brandow
Marla Ncglla
Chaz Chase
Saharem Girls
Cee Davidson Ore

Riviera
Spike Jones
Hal Belfer
Ray Sinatra Ore
Sherman Hayes Ore
Showboat
Joe Cappo
Patti Waggln
Showboat Girls
Woody Woodbury

(Continued on page 71)

♦ ,

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

Show Trains a Major Legit Intro;

Show trains are introducing a-f'
sizable number of hinterlanders to
Broadway legit. Also, there’s a
lively interest in show trains on
the part of the out-of-town public.
Those are among the indications
of a survey conducted by the
Cleveland Press among patrons of
three show trains it has operated.

Of the 319 replies to the nues-
tionnaire sent out by the Press,
42% said they had never seen a
Broadway production prior to the
rail jaunt. Since the Press' show
trains are only a small part of the
-overall number pf such hops fre-
eing made to N. Y. from approxi-
mately 20 hinterland locations and
covering about 32,000 patrons,
there are obviously a sizable num-
ber of tourists ..giving Broadway
legit an initial o.o.

. The Press' show trains marked
a first visit to N.Y. for 27% of
those who responded to the paper’s
survey. Also, 90% replied in the
affrmative to the query, "Has
show train increased your interest
in the theatre?" Musicals are pre-
ferred by 52% of the tally, while
23% favor drama and 23% comedy.

Omar R&nney, the Press’ drama
editor, Is taking out his fourth and
largest show .train group next
Oct. 15. Accommodations have
been arranged for 400, but the ex-
cursion was* sold out shortly after
the placement of a single an-
nouncement in the July 27 edition
nf the Press. The tour, ranging
from a low of $94.50 per person
to a high of $254 for a family plan
will take in four legit shows, hotel
reservations, travel cost, a boat
trip around Manhattan and the
Radio City Music Hall.

The four shows are "Bus Stop,”
"Plain and Fancy,” "Inherit the
Wind” and "Damn Yankee? ’’ The.
group will be headquartered at the
Paramount Hotel and will return
Oct. 21 to Cleveland.

Columbus Dispatch Into the Act
Columbus, Aug. 16.

The Columbus Dispatch is offer-
ing a four-show New .York theatre
junket this fall at $89.50, includ-
ing train fare and hotel accommo-
dations.. Seven-day package deal
covers tickets "to "Witness for the
Prosecution,” "Damn Yankees,”
"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and "In-
herit the Wind.”

The Dispatch is thus going into
competition with the rival daily,
Citizen (Scripps-Howard), which
has sponsored show trains to
Broadway for several . years as a
promotion stunt. Norman Nadel,
the sheet’s theatre editor, has
selected the shows and gone along
as m.c.-chaperone on the Citizen
train jaunts.

Chi Music Union Drops
Bid for Barn Tooters;

2 Local Outfits Fold

Chicago, Aug. 16.

In the wake of the shuttering of
the Beachwalk Playhouse here last
week, Local 10 of the American
Federation of Musicians has re-
scinded its demand that summer
theatres featuring straight plays
take on four tooters. The about-
face affects only the suburban
■ Drury Lane strawhatter, which
last week had taken steps to meet
the union’s demands.

Drury Lane operator Tony De-
Santis was notified that at a meet-
ing last Thursday (11) the union
decided not to follow through with
its insistence that the theatre hire
the four musicians. The closing of
the Beachwalk last Tuesday night
(9) left the Drury Lane the only
other theatre under the union’s
claimed jurisdiction.

‘ Actually, the folding Of the
Beachwalk was not attributable to
the AFM move-in. A meeting, of
the investors with producer Mar-
shall Migatz resulted in the deci-
sion to close the theatre in an at-
tempt to straighten out the tangled
financial situation. The costs of
constructing the tent theatre on
the Edgewater Beach Hotel
grounds have been practically
double the original estimates and
the tent is still roofless, causing
several cancelled performances
since its openiilg in early July. '
Migatz also has closed his Fox
Valley Playhouse, at St. Charles,
which has been a losing proposi-
tion with its musical policy since it
debuted last year.

8 London ‘Tiger’ Leads
Transfer to Broadway

London, Aug. 16.

The London production of "Tiger,
at the Gates” is to fold Sept. 3 at
the Apollo, because -eight of the
leading players will be leaving to
appear in the Brodway version,
opening Sept. 29 at the Plymouth,
N. Y. The Christopher Fry adap-
tation of the Giradoux play, pre-
sented here by Stephen Mitchell,
Will be under the management of
Robert L. Joseph and Roger
Stevens in New York.

The eight members of the Lon-
don cast going to Broadway are
Michael Redgrave, Walter Fitz-
gerald, Diane Cilento, LeUeen Mac-
Grath, John Laurie, Barbara Jef-
ford, - Leo Ciceri and Wyndham
Goldie.

9 i

London, Aug. 16.

Thornton Wilder, rather than
Montgomery Clift, is the "stair” of
"Life in the Sun.” That’s the in-
ference being drawn by West End
trade since Clift will not be in the
hew Wilder play at the Edinburgh
Festival.

According to inside report, Clift
was tentatively set to star in the
comedy, but sought certain script
revisions, particularly involving
the male lead he was to play. Wild-
er was reluctant to make the
changes and, after considerable
palaver by mail, wire and tele-
phone between actor, author, pro-
ducers, agents, etc., Clift withdrew
and the part was. recast.

It was all very "amicable," but
boiled down to the fact that Clift
wanted the star’s prerogative of
having his role rewritten and
Wilder refused.

Harris Has First U. S. Option •

Jed Harris, who produced Wild-
er’s Pulitzer Prize-Winning "Our
Town,” has been promised first
chance to do "Life in the Sun"
on Broadway. Michael Myerberg,
who’s partnered with him in sev-
eral legit and film projects and
would presumably be associated in
"Life in the. Sun" in the U. S.,
leaves this week to o.o. the current
London legit lineup and intends
taking time out to catch the play
at Edinburgh.

Myerberg was the original
Broadway producer of Wilder’s
"Skin of jOur Teeth," which opens
a revival tonight (Wed.), at the
ANTA Playhouse, N. Y., .under the
sponsorship of the American Na-
tional . Theatre & Academy, with
Helen Hayes, Mary Martin, George
Abbott and Florence Reed co-
starred.

Mrs, 3d Base Plays Pool

^Cleveland, Aug. 16.

Johnny Price, * musicarnival
producer, converted his tent
theatre's concrete orchestra pit
into a miniature swimming
pool for his current produc-
tion of "Wish You Were
Here," Frank Green and Lois
O’Brien are heading the cast
for two weeks.

Making her pro debut in the
show is Terry Rosen, singer-
wife of the Cleveland Indians’
third baseman, A1 Rosen. She
plays Gussie, one . of the Camp
Karefree girls.

Chicago, Aug. 16.

Although the new local legit
season is scarcely underway, Chi-
cago is already having a ticket
scandal. The situation reached the
blowup stage a couple of weeks
ago with the sold-out-ln advance
engagement' of “Skin of Our
Teeth" at the Blackstone Theatre.

Matters were - succinctly ex-
pressed in a recent Sunday drama
page column in the Tribune by
Claudia Cassidy, the sheet's legit
and music critic. Referring to the
scheduled opening Sept. 7 of the
touring company of "Teahouse of
the August Moon” at the Erlanger,
Miss Cassidy commented. "The
comedy opens the Theatre Guild
subscription season, arid if it is
smart it will see ■ that customers
get the seats, not the brokers. This
town is scorching mad Over the
raids on the Blackstone racks be-
fore window customers or’ early
mail orders had a chance at ‘Skin
of Our Teeth’.” .

A feature piece on the following
page, immediately next to the
jump of Miss Cassidy’s column,
gave a few specifics Of how mail
orders, sent many weeks in’ ad-
vance of the "Skin” opening, were
returned unfilled, although the lo-
cal brokers subsequently had
plenty of tickets . . at jacked-up
prices. The article reprinted the
text of a form return slip used by
the' theatre to accompany the re-
fused ihail orders.

Previously, the Shuberts barred
Sun-Times columnist Irv Kupcinet
from the "Skin” opening. The
move had been expected, after
Kupcinet waged a campaign in his
column and on the . air against
theatre ticket "abuses.”

Having already taken Kupcinet
off the press list, the Shuberts
have since reduced their share of
the ad budgets for his paper, the
Sun-Times. That puts the sheet
in the same class with the Chicago
Daily News, on which the Shu-
berts last year put a ceiling on
their share of ad expense. In that
case, critic-columnist Sydney J.
Harris had written a piece about
the local ticket situation.

It’s understood the Shuberts
(Continued on page 67)

Boston, Aug. 16.
End of the dispute between the
Shuberts and the Boston local of
the musicians’ union is in prospect
following a conference of Sam
Marcus, local union official, and J.
J. Shubert, at the latter’s office
in New York, yesterday (Mon.).
Preliminary details were discussed

over the telephone and it was in- the fall and early winter is ex

J I 1 Al J _ i 1a

dicated that a new contract is in
the works, giving the tooters a sub-
stantial raise in scale.

Inking of the agreement would
be the signal for the booking of
six. musicals Into the Shubert
houses here. Included would be a
return engagement of "Pajama
Game,” the first Boston appear-
ance of "Can-Can,” tryouts of
"Strip for Action," "Pipe Dream"
and other new song-and-dance
shows. "Pipe Dream” had been
slated to open Oct. 31 at the Shu-
bert here, but the musical union
hassle has held that and other
tuner bookings in abeyance.

The first subscription offering
of the Theatre Guild-American
Theatre Society will be Arthur
Miller’s "View From the Bridge,”
Sept 12 at the Colonial. Other
subscription plays will include
"Child of Fortune,” "Wings of the

Dove” and "The Bad Seed.”

Shirley Booth opens Sept. 13 at
the Plymouth in "Desk Set.” "No
Time for Sergeants” is. skedded for
Oct. 3 here, but the theatre has
not yet been specified.

With the .imminent settlement of
the musicians’ union tiff, the
whole local booking situation for

■pCcted to jell into shape. On that
basis, Boston appears due for a
lively legit season, with a likely
increase in the Guild-ATS sub-
scription list-

Philly Official Intervenes
Philadelphia, Aug. 16.
Philly’s municipal officials have
entered the stymied battle between

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR

1905- 1955

New Haven To Relight
With Solid Fall List

New Haven, Aug. 16.

Local legit gets back into action
right' after Labor Day when the
Shubert .takes the lid off for a
solidly-booked September. As in
the past, the house will get a flock
of premieres for the fall semester.

Present lineup includes Arthur
Miller’s "View from Bridge,” Sept.
8-10; "A Roomful of Roses,” (ten-
tative) Sept. 14-17; "Chalk Gar-
den," Sept 21-24; "No Time for
Sergeants," Sept. 28-Oct. 1.

Also, "Hatful of Rain," Oct. 5-8;
"Apple Cart," Oct.) 13-15; "Pipe
Dream," Oct. 22-29 and "Dark Is
Light Enough,’.’ NOV. 2-5.

Agatha Christie and Gilbert Mil-
ler are standing pat on "Witness
for the Prosecution.” The respec-
tive author and producer of the
courtroom meller are doing noth-
ing about disposing of the film
rights and have no plans for a
touring company.

As part of the deal under which
Miller acquired the U. S. stage
rightp to the whodunit, it’s speci-
fied that a screen version cannot
be released until December, 1957.
Also, contrary to several reports
from abroad, Miss Christie has not
sold the picture rights and is said
to be not particularly interested in
doing so at present. Pretty much
the same attitude toward, a road
company is shared by Miller and
Peter Saunders, who produced the
play originally, in London and is
partnered In the Broadway pres-
entation.

"There appears. to be a question
whether "Witness," which opened
last Dec. 16 at the JBtenry Miller,
N. Y., will be around either on
Broadway or the road hi 1957:
Currently in Its 35th week at the
Miller, the melodrama had been
playing to virtual, capacity up until
a few weeks ago, but took a sub-
stantial attendance drop during the
traditional July b.o. slump.

To Sell Canadian Barn

Knowlton,Que., Aug. 16.

Canada’s oldest strawhat, the 300-
seat Brae Manor Playhouse here,
goes up for sale at end of current
season. It’s been owned and run
for the past 20 years by Filmore
Sadler, who died last year.

The producer’s widow has oper-
ated the, spot this summer, but
finds it too much for her. This
small resort town, 65 miles from
Montreal, is near the Vermont
border.

local musicians’ union and the
Shuberts. The battle has already
forced ‘the 'cancellation of a num-
ber of tentative musical show
bookings . for Se ptembe r, and
threatens to keep the city without
tuners for the 1955-56 season.

Councilman-at-large Victor E.
Moore, chairman of City Council
committee on Transportation &
Public Utilities and also a member
of the Board of Directors of. the
Philadelphia Orchestra, has en-
tered the situation. He was moved
to take the step; he says, because
so many local business interests in-
cluding hotels, garages, cafes and
restaurants, had asked that offi-
cial efforts be taken to settle the
argument between the tooters and
the Shubert interests. The idea is
that otherwise the city would lose
the money that always accompanies
the engagements- of big musicals.

Moore has contacted Paul McNa-
mara, managing director of the
Warwick Hotel and head of the
Philly Hotelmen’s Assn, and a con-
ference has been arranged with the
heads of the musicians’ union and
Lawrence Shubert Lawrence, local
representative of the Shubert in-
terests.

Action Is expected this week.

LEGITIMATE 63

New Haven, Aug. 16.

Business along the strawhat trail
la booming, financing is easier and
the apprentice setup has under-
gone a transformation. Those
three observations stand out after
a 50,0-mile tour of barn-legits in
the Connecticut, western Massa-
chusetts and eastern . New York
area.

All of the nine summer stock
operations covered are doing
healthy biz this season, in some
instances^ double the take of a year
ago. Even the few running behind
the 1954 figures (percentage-wise)
aren’t complaining. In other
words, although things may not be
as good as last year in some spots,
they’re still okay.

As for the availability of capi-
tal; the Sharon (Conn.) Playhouse
had a more or less typical experi-
ence. The producer, winter-time
whodunit writer Judson Phillips,
was ready to toss in the sponge
at the end of last sumhier. He no-
tified the community that he Could
no longer afford to operate the 190-
seat converted stable. So the lo-
cal citizenry bought $78,000 worth
of stock to erect a 402-seat play-
house in which Phillips has done
steadily-building business this
season.

At Williamstown, Mass., local
residents put up $15,000 and per-
suaded David C. Bryant Jr., of the
Williams College faculty, to launch
a summer stock company in the
Adams Memorial Theatre on the
campus. Everyone seems pleased
at the way the venture has worked
out.

Singer John Brownlee took ini-
tial steps to open a musical tent
concert -opera -ballet operation in
New Paltz, N. Y., and raised sev-
eral thousand dollars toward the
project. But then, he was sold on
the idea of transferring the ven-
ture to Ellenville, N. Y., where
$100,000 was raised to finance it.

The apprentice system is noth-
ing like it used to be. Instead of
charging the would-be thespers
whatever the traffic would bear
and then using them for strong
back - weak brain assignments
around the premises, the prevail-
ing practice these days is to col-
lect no' "training fee," but to let
(Continued’ on page 67)

As Son Tours With ‘Bos;’
Whitehead Sets lolita’

While in' Colorado for the Cen-
tral City opening of the "Bus
Stop” tour, Robert Whitehead is
also confabbing in Denver with
Mary Chase about plans for a
Broadway production this fall of
her new play, "Lolita.” Whitehead
will do the comedy-fantasy as a
Producers Theatre presentation.

Mrs. Chase is still doing minor
script revisions on the play, which
was tried out last season at the
Barter Theatre, Abington, . Va.,
where her "Mr. McThing” was or-
iginally tested before Whitehead
did it on Broadway for the Amer-
ican National Theatre & Academy,
with Helen Hayes'fcs-star.

Michael Chase, the playwright’s
son, is touring with "Bus Stop”
as assistant stage manager, accom-
panied by his actress-wife. Lat-
ter plans coming to New York soon,
however, to pursue her stage ca-
reer. Meanwhile, Mrs. Chase is
Caring for their two small children.

The original production of "Bus
Stop” is continuing indefinitely at
the Music Box, N. Y. The William
Inge comedy-drama is currently in
Its 25th week on Broadway, the
most successful Producers Theatre
show thus far.

Barter Goes Down East

The pasteboard for proteins pol-
icy of the Barter Theatre, Abing-
don, Va., has been adapted by an-
other strawhat. It’s being featured
on a one-nigh t-a-week basis at the
Deertrees Theatre, Harrison, Me.
Sherwood Keith, managing direc-
tor of the latter barn, has set aside
Friday nights as barter night, with
unreserved seats available to any-
one who wants to swap edibles for
tickets.

The no-cash gimmick will con-
tinue for the remainder of the sea-
son and, if successful, will be re-
sumed next season.

Wednesday, August 17, 1955 ’

LJSGITIMATET 65

w i > <vn /n • n <r**r.i > ini /p

Los Angeles, Aug. 16.

Generally good biz brightened
local legit last week. “Fifth Sea-
son” finished six weeks at the
Carthay Circle and “Teahouse of
the August Moon” ended five re-
turn weeks at the Biltmore.

Openers this week are “Lunatics
and Lovers,” at the Carthay, and
“A Day By the Sea,” at the Hunt-
ington Hartford.

Estimates for Last Week

Kismet, Philharmonic Aud' (3d
wk) (2,670; $4.90) (William John-
son, Elaine Malbin). Powerful
$65,000.

Teahouse of the August Moon,

Biltmore (5th wk) (1,636; $4.40)
(Burgess Meredith, Scott McKay).
Perked to a lively $27,500 for six
performances and pulled out
Thursday night (11) for Dallas.

Fifth Season, Carthay Circle
(6th wk) (1,518; $3.30) (Gene Ray-
mond, Joseph Buloff). Acceptable
$17,500 for the finale.

Chicago, Aug. 16..
Cooler weather perked legit re-
ceipts last week, helping “Skin of
Our Teeth” wind up its two-week
stand with another capacity take.

‘“Teahouse of the August- Moon”
arrives Sept. 7 at the Erlanger for
-a run, on Theatre Guild-Amerlcan
T h e a t r e Society subscription.
D’Oyly Carte Opera Co. is due
Sept. 13 at the Blackstone for two
Weeks ,

Estimates for Last Week
Can-Can, Shubert (2d wk) ($5.95;
2,100). Jumped to $35,700 (pre-
vious week, $20,500).

Skin of Our Teeth, Blackstone
(2d wk) ,($5.50; 1,450) (Helen

Hayes, Mary Martin, George Ab-
bott, Florence Reed). Capacity
again At $41,800; exited Saturday
night (13) for New. York.

‘CADILLAC’ NEAT $22,400

Burlesk Billing

Buffalo, Aug. 16.

Several neighboring summer
theatres have been exploiting
with various sub-titles their
regular productions, of “Sa-
brina Fair” during the current
strawhat season. ■->

- This week the downtown
Palace burlesk is cashing in
on the drumbeating by . hill-
ing its featured stripper as
“Sabrina - — the Ubiquitous
Charmer.”

Tinian’ Health; $17,200;
Oka; First Season At
Music Tent, Flmt, Mich.

Flint, Mich., Aug. 16.
“Fihiah’s Rainbow,” seventh pro-
duction, of the season, at the Flint
Musical Tent, took in aroUmT$17,-
200 for a week's run ending last
Sunday (14). The break-even on,
the show was $13,400. Cast mem-
bers included Ellen Hanley, An-
drew Gainey and Jack Gilford.
“Song of Norway” is current, with
‘.‘Show Boat” following and “Wish
You Were Here” winding-up the
season the week of Aug. 30..

The tent, in its inaugural ses-
sion. began operating last June 17.
A 1,600-seat. canvastop, with a po-
tential capacity of $26,200, was
used for the first four productions^
The quartet of entries and. the re-
spective grosses (with the respec-
tive break-even figures in paren-
theses) were “Oklahoma,” $22,000
($15,000); '‘Brigadeon,” $15,200
($13,100); “Chocolate Soldier,”
$13,000 ($13,100) and "Guys and
Dolls,” $26,000 ($14,000).

The Original tent was then re-
placed by an 1,800-seater with a ca-
pacity gross of $27,900: The first
show to play in the new teepee
.was “Desert Song,” which grossed
$17,000 ($13,200 break-even), fol-
lowed by “Kiss Me. Kate,” which
took in $20,000 ($23,000 break-
even)-.

FOR WEEK IN SE ATTLE

Seattle, Aug. 16.

“Solid Gold Cadillac” ran
smoothly enough last week to pick
up a $22,400 gross for a regular
eight-performance stand at the
1,640-seat Moore Theatre here, at
a $4.50 top.

. The Howard Teichmann-George
S. Kaufman comedy, featuring
Ruth McDevitt, plays three per-
formances tonight (Tues.) and to-
morrow (Wed.) at the Auditorium,
St. Paul, then moves over to the
Lyceum, Minneapolis, for four per-
formances Thursday-through-Satur-
day (18-20).

‘Venus’ Robust $40,900
For Holdover, Dallas

Dallas, Aug. 16.

State Fair Musicals fifth produc-
tion of the season, “One Touch of
Venus,” showed a healthy $40,-
900 for the last seven perform-
ances through last Sunday (14).
The initial week tallied a neat $40,-
200. Janet Blair and Russell Nype
starred in the Kurt Weill- Ogden
Nash revival.

Touring company of “Teahouse
of the August Moon,” costarring
Burgess Meredith and Scott Mc-
Kay, opened last night (Mon.) for
a two-week run. Sixth and final
offering of the 12-week season at
air-conditioned State Fair Auditor-
ium, “Teahouse” is the first non-
musical offering in 14 summer .sea-
sons.

‘Kate’ Nifty at $30,000,
Alfresco Week, Indpls,

Indianapolis, Aug. 16.

“Kiss Me, Kate” was a big win-
ner last week for Starlight Musi-
cals here, grossing a handsome
$30,000 in six performances Tues-
day (9) through Sunday (14) at $1-
$3 scale. Robert E. Perry produc-
tion featured Ralph Magelssen,
Beverly McFadden, Jacqueline
James and Tony Starmah.

It was best week for Starlight
since “South Pacific” opened with
$50,000 in ten performances. “Rob-
erta” broke even with $24,000 in
six, but “Chocolate Soldier” and
“High Button Shoes” had to settle
for $18,000 each in summer’s worst
heat wave. Season will close with
13 scheduled performances of
“Show Boat” starting tonight
(TuesJ,

Stock Tryouts

(Aug. 15-27)

Alter the Bell, by Noel Coward, based
on Oscar Wilde's “Lady Windermere's
Kan —Neptune Music Circus. lAsbury
P*rhj N. J. (15-21) (Original London pro-
duction reviewed in VARIETY, June

Backstage Confidential, by John Xings-
bridge — Hilltop Theatre, Lutherville, Md.
(16-21).

Bridge end the Bumblebee, by Joe A.
Greenhoe — Williamstown (Mass.) Summer
Theatre (23-27). •

Cover to Cover, revue by Dede Meyer
and Franklin Jacobs — Barn Playhouse,
New London, N. H. (22-27).

_ Crime el Innocence, by Norman Vein —
Lakeside Theatre. Lake Hopatcong. N. J.
(15-20).

Devil's a Stranger, musical with score
by Florence Wickham, lyrics by David
Fitfcglbbon — Show Boat '55, Rehoboth
Beach, Del. (22-27).

Empress, bj* Elaine Carrington (Gerald-
hj« Page) — Westport (Conn.) Country
Playhouse (22-27). ’ *

Farewell, Farewell, by John Varl—
Margo Jones Theatre '55, Dallas (115-20).

Heaven Comes Wednesday, by Reginald
Lawrence— Playhouse-on-the-Wharf, Prov-
incetown. Mass. (15-20). (Original straight
play on which Gordon Jenkins based a
musical of the same title was reviewed
in VARIETY. Sept. 12, '51.)

. ^*4? and Seek, by FuVand Harris (Jes-
sie Royce Landis) — Westport (Conn.)
Counter Playhouse (15-20). (Reviewed in
VARIETY this week.)

, House^ Guest, by Nicholas Consentlno
(Claire Luce) — Ivy Tower Theatre, Spring
Lake, N, J. (15-20).

I Hear You Singing, by Greer Johnson
(Kim Hunter) — Spa Summer Theatre,
Saratoga, N. Y. (15-20).

. II You Loved Mo— Grand Island Play-
house. Buffalo, N. Y. (23-28).

_ Mighy Man Is Ho, by Arthur Kober and
George Oppenheimer (Claudette Colbert)
— Falmouth Playhouse, Coonamessett,

. Mass. (15-20); Theatre-by-the-Sea, Matu-
nuck. R. I. (22*27). (Reviewed in VA-
RIETY this, week.)

Mother Was a Bachelor, by Irving W.
Phillips (Billie Burke) — Ogunqult (Me.)
Playhouse (15-20); . Lakewood Theatre,
Skowhegan, Me. (22-27). (Reviewed in VA-
RIETY, June 29, '55.)

Next of Kin, by Lonnie Coleman — Hyde
Park (N. Y.) Playhouse (16-21).

„ Palm Tree In a Rose Garden, by Meade
Roberts (Dorothy Stickney) — Bucks Coun-
ty Playhouse, New Hope, Pa. (15-20);
Lakes Region Playhouse, LacOnia-Gilford;
N. H. (22-27). (Reviewed in. VARIETY,
July 20, *55.)

• Pehn's Creek Massacre, by Joseph F.
Ingham— Sellnsgrove (Pa.) Outdoor The-
atre (18-20).

Prince and the Pauper, musical adapta-
tion with book by John Page, lyrics by
Katharine Page, music by Arnold Black
---Plymouth Rock Center of Music and
Drama. Duxbury, Mass. (26-27).

Russian's Pond, by Paul Chavchavadze
—-Arena Theatre, Orleans. Mass, (23-27),

Sentimental Journey, adaptation of
Henry James novel, “Europeans," by Ran-
dolph Carter — Lakeside Theatre, Lake
Hopatcong, N. J. (22-27),

. Sign of Winter, by Ettore Rella— White
Barn Theatre, Westport, Conn. (27-28).

„ Steg et Eve, by Dennis Hocy, based on
Elswyth Thane’s novel, "Melody" — Sharon
(Conn.) Playhouse (23-27).

Sun Dial, by Robert Thom — White Barn
Theatre. Westport, Conn. (20-21).

Surrounding Mist, by Ken Parker—
Somerville High School, Ridgewood, N. J.
(19-20).

That Certain Ago, by Charles E. Mil-
ter— Litchfield (Conn.) Summer Theatre
(16-20).

‘Brigadoon’ So-So $41,000
For Starlight Week, K. C.

Kansas City, Aug. 16.
Moderately good $41,000 was
racked up by “Brigadoon” last
week as the eighth" al fresco pro-
duction of the Starlight Theatre
summer season in Swope Park.
Temperatures were a bit on the
cooler side for the musical in
seven nights through Sunday (14).

“Wonderiul Town” opened last
night (Mon.) as the ninth musical
of the ' season. ’ Cast' includes
Helena Bliss, Betty Gillet, CHris
Robinson, Jordan Bentley and
Kathryn Albertson.

u»uu« vuv>vvv| i/a •

San Francisco, Aug. 16.

The D’Oyly Carte Opera Co.
picked up steam last week, the
second of its run at the Geary in
Gilbert & Sullivan repertoire. “Pa-
jama Game” continued to pack a
wallop at the Curran.

The future schedule at the Al-
cazar lists “Desperate Hours,” with
Nancy Coleman, due Aug. 29.
Other bookings by producer Ran-
dolph Hale for the, house, include
"Lunatics and Lovers,” with Pam-
ela Britton, Marjorie Lord and
Melville Cooper, Sepf. 26; “Tender
Trap,” with K. T. Stevens, Russell
Nype and ‘Janet Riley, Oct. 24; and
“Anniversary Waltz” and “King of
Hearts,” dates not set.

Estimates for Last week

D’Oyly Carte, Geary (2d wk)
{$4.40; 1,550). Last week offered a
split of the double-bill “Trial by
Jury” and “Pinafore,” and “Iolan-
the,” for an excellent $36,000.

Pajama Game, Curran (3d wk)
($4.40; t, 758) (Fran Warren, Larry
Douglas, Buster West). Civic Light
Opqra presentation drew a smash-
eroo $50,300.

‘S.P.’ WHOPPEROO 456

HOLDS OVER IN L’VILLE

Louisville, Aug. 16.

Iroquois Amphitheatre is break-
ing a precedent this week with the
holdover of “South Pacific”, which
grossed a sock $45,000 on the in-
itial week ending Sunday (14). This
was the biggest take of the alfresco
spot’s 17-year season. Closest con-
tender was “Show Boat,” which
played 10 performances in 1951.
Local backers of the summer mu-
icals ^ay "S,P.” holdover should
put the season in the black.

Three performances were rained
out, and but threatened rain caused
a slackening in ticket sales during
much of the previous five weeks.
Amphitheatre has a $50,000 reserve
fund but has scarcely touched it
during the .past 14 years. Annual
budget is $198,000.

Current British Shows

LONDON

(Figures denote premiere dates j

Bad Saadi Aldwych (4-14-557.

Mil, Book, Candle, Phoenix (10-5-54).
Boy Friandr Wyndham's (12-1-53).
Can-Can, Coliseum (10-14-54).

Crazy Gang, Vic. Pal. (12-16-54).
Dasparata Hours, tflpp. (4-19*55).

Dry Rot, Whitehall (8-31-54).

Follies Bargaras, Wales (4-9-55).

From Hora A There, Royal Ct. (6-29).
Happy Returns, New Water (5-19-55).
Home A Away, Garrick (7-19-35.).
Intimacy At 8:30, Criterion (4-29-54).
King and I, Drury Lana (10-8-53),
Kismet, Stoll (4-20-55).

Mr. Pehnypack'er, New (5-18-55).
Mousetrap, Ambaa. (11-25-52).

My 3 Angels, Lyric (5-12-55).

Nina, Haymarket (7-27-55). .

Raluctant Dab, Cambridge (5-24-55).
Sailor Beware, Strand (2-16-55).

Salad Days, Vaudeville (8-5-54).
Separata Tables, St. James's (9-22-54).
Shadow Of Doubt, Savllle (1-7-55).
Shakespeare Rep., Palace (7-21-55).
Spider's Web, Savoy (12-14-54).

Talk of Town, Adelphl (11-17*54). .
Teahouse Aug. Moon, Her MaJ. (4-22 54)
Tiger At Gates, Apollo .(6-2-55).

20 Mins. South, St. Mart. (7-13-55).
Waiting For Godot, Aits (8-3-55).

Wild Thyme, York's (7-14-55).
Wonderful Town, Princes (2-23-55).

SCHEDULED OPENINGS
Mrs. Willie, Globe (8-17-55).

Dead on 9, Westminster (8-24-55).

CLOSED LAST WEEK
Emlyn Williams, Globe (5-31-55),

TOURING

Book of the Month
Brazilians
Clerembard
Dead On Nina
Double Crossing
First Night
Florodora
Guys and Doll*

Jazz Train
Joy of Living
Kinloch Players
Ladles for Hire
Lilac. Time
Lovo From Judy
Manor of Northstead
Man and Woman
Mrs. Willie
Old Vic

Pardon My Claws
Patience

Romance in Candlelight
Seagulls Over Sorrento
South Pacific
Three Times a Day
Time Remembered
Water Gipsies
Wedding in Paris
Women ef Twilight

<n f inn h •

Broadway began to emerge from
from the summer doldrums last
week. There vws a substantial im-
provement in business, which had
nosedived the previous stanza.
Receipts are expected to continue
climbing in . the usual August pat-
tern, providing there’s no repeti-
tion of the oppressive heat of re-
cent weeks.

The second opening of the offi-
cial 1955-56 season^ “Skin of Our
Teeth/’ preems tonight (Wed.).
There were two closings last.Satur-
day (13), “Seven Year Itdi” and
“Desperate Hours.”

Estimates for Last Week

Keys: C (Comedy), D (Drama),
CD (Comedy-tlrarna), R (Revue),
MC (Musical-Comedy ) , MD ( Musi-
cal-Drama), O (Opera), OP ( Op-
eretta ).

Other parenthetic designations
refer, respectively, to weeks played,
number of performances through
last Saturday, top prices, number
Of seats, capacity gross and stars .
Price includes 10% Federal and
5% City tax, but grosses are net;
i.c., exclusive of tax.

Ankles Aweigh,, Hellinger (MC)
(17th wk; 136; $6.90; 1,513; $55,-
900). Over $14,500 (previous week,
$14,200); began selling tickets on
a special “family plan” last Mon-
day (15), enabling a ticket’ pur-,
chaser, to pay the full price for one
ticket and half-price for as many
as five more. .

Anniversary Waltz, Bootli (C)
(71st wk; 563; $4.60; 766; $20,000).
Under $10,000 on twofers (previous
week, $9,900 on twofers).

Bad Seed, Coronet (D) (36th
wk; 285; $5.75-$4.60; 998; $27,700)
(Nancy Kelly). Nearly $15,200 on
twofers (previous week, $13,400 on
twofers); tentatively scheduled to
close Sept. 17.

Boy Friend, Royale (MC) (46th
Wk; 363; $6.90; 1,050; $38,200). Al-
most $18,400 (previous week, $15,-
200).

Bus Stop, Music Box (CD) (2£th'
wk; 190; $5.75-$4.60; 1,010; $27,-
811). Nearly $22,500 (previous
week, $21,000).

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Morosco
(D) (21st wk; 164; $6.90-$5.75; 946;
$31,000) (Barbara Bel Gcddes, Burl
Ives). Qver capacity again, nearly
$31,600.

Damn Yankees, 46th St. (MC)
(15th wk; 116; $8.05-$7,50; 1,297;
$50,573) (Gwen Verdon). Over ca-
pacity again, almost $50,800.

Fanny, Majestic (MD) (4st wk;
324; $7.50; 1,655; $62,968) Ezio
Pinza, Walter Slezak). Exactly
$46,357.20 (previous week, exactly
v $32, 703.18).

Inherit the Wind. National (D)
(17tli wk; 132; $5.75*$4.60; . *1,162;
$31,300) (Paul Muni). Almost $28,-
100 (previous week, $24,000). -

Lunatics and Lovers, Broadhurst
(C) (35th wk; 280; $5.75-$4.60;

1,182; $29,500). Nearly $9,900 pn
twofers (previous week, $8,900 on
twofers).

Pajama Game, St. James (MC)
(66th Wk; 524; $6.90; 1,615; $52,118)
(John Raitt, Eddie Foy Jr:. Helen
Gallagher). Almost $47,000 • (pre-
vious week, $44,900).

Plain and Fancy, Winter Gar-
den (MC) (29th wk; 228; $6.90;
1.494; $55,672). Over $29,900 (pre-
vious week* $27,200).

Silk Stockings, Imperial (MC)
(25th wk; 196; $7.50; 1,427; $57,-
800) (Hildegarde Neff, . Don
Ameche). Over $40,100 (previous
week, $36,000).

Teahouse of the August Moon,

Beck (C) (96th wk; 773; $6.22’-
$4.60; 1,214; $33,608) (Eli Wallach,
John Beal). Nearly $25,100 (pre-
vious week, $22,000).

Witness for the Prosecution,
Miller (D) (35th wk; 276; $5.75-
$4.60; 946; $23,248). Over $18,300
(previous week, $16,500).

Closed Last Week

Desperate Hours, Barrymore (D)
(27th -wk; 212; $5.75-$4.60; 994;
$27,200). Over $16,000 (previous
week, $10,700); closed last Satur-
day (16), with an approximate
$15,000 deficit on a $110,000 in-
vestment.

Seven Year Itch, Fulton (C)
(143d wk; 1,141; $5.75-$4.60; 987;
$24,000) (Eddie Bracken). Almost
$8,300 on twofers (previous week,
$5,200 on twofers); closed last Sat-
urday G6) at an approximate
Broadway and national company
profit of about $720,000 on a $60,-
000 investment, but excludes reve-
nue- from the $75,000 supplemen-
tary film deal. A tour is slated to
begin in October.

Opening This Week

Skin of Our Teeth, ANTA Thea-
tre (CD) ($5.75; 1,347; $34,000)
(Helen Hayes, Mary Martin,

George Abbott, Florence' Reed).
Revival of play by Thornton
Wilder, produced by Robert White-
head, presented by the American
National Theatre 8c Academy.
Opening tonight {Wed.) for a lim-
ited three-week run through Sept.
3.

OFF-BROADWAY
( Figures denote opening dates)
La Ronde, Circle in Square (2-
27-55). *

Mornings at Seven, Cherry Lane
(6-22-55); closing Sept 11.

Shaw Festival, G’n’w’ch Mews
(7-21-55),

Trial, Provincetown (6-14-55).. •
Typewriter, Tehipo (7-27-55).

Washington, Aug. 16.

Second week, of “King and I” at
the National Theatre climbed, to a
smash $40,700, with business look-
ing equally good for the current
third week. The 1, 677-seat house
is scaled to $4.95 Friday and Sat-
urday nights, and $4.40 for the re-
mainder of the week, except the
matinees, which are lower.

Last week saw the show SRO
three times, Wednesday and Sat-
urday matinees and Saturday
night. On Friday night, it fell
only about 130 seats shy of going
clean, despite the fact that Hurri-
cane Connie was over the city.

“Phoenix ’55,” plagued by bad
weather,' nevertheless drew $37,-
800 during its Washington stand at
the Carter Barron Amphitheatre.
Scheduled for 12 performances the
revue was completely rained out
twice, while shoWers and threat of
storms held down attendance on
most of the other evenings. “Phoe-
nix” played to a. $3.50 top in the
4,000-seat bowl 1 .

‘KING’ MAJESTIC $48,000
IN STOCK BOW, ST. LOO

St. Louis, Aug. 16.

With a break in the heat spell
last week, “King and I” drew a
regal $48,000 in the Municipal
Theatre’s 11, 937-seat alfresco play-
house In Forest Park, at $3 top.
Cast ’ included Annamary Dickey,
Darran McGavin, Terry Saunders,
Stephanie Augustine, Tony Bavaar
and Santy Josol, It was the only
stock production of the Show per-
mitted by Rodgers & Hammer-
stein this season.

The season is steaming into the
home stretch with what’s expected
to be the record-breaking produc-
tion of “South Pacific,” opening
last night (Mon.) with a cast in-
cluding Kyle MacDonnell, Rich-
ard Eastham, Benny Baker, Dor-
othy Franklin, Herbert Banke and
Irma Sandre.

Road Shows

(Aug. 15-27)

Bus Stop — Aud., Central City, Col.
(15-27).

Can-Can — Shubert. Chi. (13-27).

Day By the Saa (Jessica Tandy, Hume
Crohyn, Dennis King, Aline MacMahon)
—Huntington Hartford. L. A. (16-27).

D'Oyly Carta — Geary, S. F. (15-20); Bilt-
more, L. A. (22-27).

King and I (Patricia Morison) — National,
Wash. (15-27).

Kismet (William Johnson, Elaine Mai*
bin) — Philharmonic, L. A. (15-27).

(15-27).

Paiama Game (Fran Warren, Larry
Douglas, Buster West) — Curran, S. F.
(15-27).

Solid Gold Cadillac — Auditorium, St.
Paul (16-17); Lyceum, Mpls. (18-25); Col-
lege, Madison, Wls. (26-27).

Teahouse of the August Moon (Burgess
' Meredith, Scott McKay) — State Fair, Dal-
las (15-27).

SCHEDULED N,Y. OPENINGS

( Theatres indicated if set)

Skin of Our Teeth, ANTA (8-17).

Catch a Star, Plymouth (9-0).

Palm Tree (0-21).

Day By the 5ea, ANTA (9-26).

D'Oyly Carte, Shubert (9-27).

Maurice Chevalier, Lyceum (9-28),

View From Bridge, Coronet (9-29).
Young and Beautiful, Longacre (10-2).
Tiger at the Gates (10-3).

Goat Island, Fulton (10-4).

Diary of Anne Frank, Cort (10-5).
Wooden Dish, Booth (10-6).

Red Roses For Me (10-12).

Rock Hunter, Belasco (10-12).

Desk Set, Broadhurst (10*13).

Heavenly Twins (10-10).

No Time For Sgts., Alvin (10-20).
Comedie Frencalse, B'way (10-25).
Chalk Garden, Barrymore (10-20).
Reuben, Reuben, ANTA (11-8).

Child of Fortune (11-9).

Hatful of Rain, Lyceum (11-9).

Delilah, Wlnt. Gard. (11-10).

Lark, Longacre (wk. 11-14).

Jenus, Plymouth (11-24).

LEGITIMATE

Wedneaday, August 17, 1955

Ghosts and Old Gold.

Glasgow. Aug. 2,

Wilson Barrett Co. production of com*
•dy in throe acts (flvo scenes). by Reid
Kennedy. Stars Lennox
Pat SandVs; scenery, Helen WUkinson. At
Theatre Royal*- Glasgow# p 0 *, ffh - n
Flora Stuart Patrieia Heneghan

?”.rsSS'‘ or .

Maggie Stuart Pearl Colouhoun

LertfeBlair-Scott Liwr ' n h c ‘^n

Duncan MacDonald •

Nicholas Rasponi Davies

Ned Ballantyne George Davies

New play by Held Kennedy (said
to be the pseudonym for a new
femme playwright) suffers from a
slight and stereotyped plot, but
the characters, although tending
toward caricature, are sharply
drawn, and the piece does possess
amusing moipents. The sum reac-
tion, however* is mild.

Comedy-meller is about a spin-
sterish lady who believes that her
ancestral home in Scotland has a
ghost. She frequently converses
with this spirit, who was supposed^
ly murdered by rival clansmen and
is awaiting revenge.

The playwright uses the stand-
ard angles, sufch' as gold hidden in
a secret cupboard, a villainous
young student seeling antiques, an
aged retainer who talks back to
his mistress, and the traditional
added elements of go.

Lennox Milne gives perhaps too
nimble a performance as the
shrewd quick-tempered castle own-
er who talks to the ghost, but bet-
ter makeup could probably give
her a more believable appearance
of age. John Young swashbuckles
a bit genially as the ghost, and
Peter Nichols is suave as the young
student.

Pearl Colquhoun and George
Davies are suitably ill-at-ease as
elderly lovers, Patricia Heneghan
Is an adequate ingenue, and Walter
Carr is a standout as the eccentric
family retainer.

Pat Sandys has directed com-
petently, and Helen Wilkinson has
supplied an atmospheric setting.

Gord.

Pardon My Claws

Glasgow, Aug. 9.

M.F.A. Productions Ltd. production (by
arrangement With Stefanie . Davison) of
comedy in three acts (four scenes)# by
Robert MonrO. Stare Claude Hulbert, Des-
mond Walter -Ellis: features Katie Boyle,
Staged by Leslie Henson. At King's Thea-
tre, Glasgow. Aug. S. '55.

Ginger Katie Boyle

Hilda : Merlel McCooey

Bradshaw Reginald Marsh

Martin Reginald Smith

Charles Harrington ..... Claude Hulbert

Tim Manners Desmond Walter-EUis

Dr. Tom Guest James

Maude Harrington .... < .... Enid Tfevor

Joan .................... Diana Johnson

Visitor ■ Gordon Cave

New farce on the novel theme of

a cat-switching-to-human is a use-
ful vehicle for the comedy talents
of Claude Hulbert and Desmond
Walter-Ellis. Plot is slight and
simple, but builds from a drawn-
out first act into a funny evening's
entertainment,

Katie Boyle, English beauty and.
ti» personality, is shrewdly cast as
Ginger the feline-turned-woman.
She brings poise and a slinky
confidence as threat who turns
into a ravishing beauty and wreaks
havoc (and" fun) among male resi-
dents of a household near London.

Instead of petering out after the
first act, the farce offers a laugh-
able scene by the two male stars in
the second act and an antic skit
on a Homan pageant rehearsal in
the third, with an amusing climax.
The acting is generally sound, with
Meriel McCooey 's goofy maid a
rich characterization, and Enid
Trevor (Mrs. Claude Hulbert) and
Diana Johnson contributing neat
support as the ousted femmes who
disbelieve that Ginger (known in
human form as “Ginny") is really a
feline,

Reginald Smith makes a Sturdy
yokel as the amorous gardner, and
Reginald Marsh is suitably villain-
ous as a veterinary surgeon. Leslie
Henson’s direction is properly
brisk.

Shortening of the first act would
help. Alternatively, more could
be made of the metamorphosis of
the feline, its entrance as a gorge-
ous looker being delayed until a
longer period after curtain rise,
with various characters being es-
tablished first. Gord .

Rendezvous iu Vienna

Vienna, Aug. 6,

Josefstadt Theatre production of
comedy in three acts by Fritz Eckhardt.
Stars Erich Nikowitz; • features Ursula
Schult, Ernst Waldbrunn# Peter Weck,
Bruno DaUansky. Staffed by Werner
Kraut; scenery. Herta Harelter; technical
supervision# Karl Dworsky. At Josefstadt
Theatre. Vienna, Aug. 6 # *55. _ . .

Marhold Erich. Nikowitz

Beate Erna Korhel

Miin Frledl Czepa

Heidemarie .. •• Ursula Schult

Relmann . Ernst Waldbrunn

Robert Peter Week

Alexander Bruno Dallanskv

“ This new play by Fritz Eckhardt
is a topical comedy with a back-
ground of the end of the Austrian
occupation and the start of Its “de-
fensive neutrality." It's a major
effort that keeps an audience
amused but aUo has deeper sig-
nificance.

Yarn involves a successful Aus-
trian author who is visited on his
50th birthday by two sons by for-
mer wives, one now married to a
rich American and other to a So-
viet diplomat. There are various

political and domestic complica-
tions, including a demand by the
writer's present wife for a divorce,
and elaborate machinations by the
visiting sons, the housekeeper, etc.

The piece is effectively staged
by Werner Kraut, with skillful per-
formances by Erich Nikowitz as
the harassed author, Ursula Schult
as the secretary, Ernst Waldbrunn
as an Austrian govefment official,
Peter Week and Bruno Dallansky
as . the returning ’ sons and Erna
Korhel as the writer's wife. Herta
Hareiter has provided a tasteful
living room setting. Maass.

OFF-BWAY DOES IT IIP
VIA STRAWHAT TRYOUT

Off -Broadway is getting into the
strawhat tryout act. Robert
Thom's “Sun Dial,’* scheduled for
production next month at the off-
the-Stem Barbizon-Plaza Theatre,
will get an initial showcasing next
Saturday-Sunday (20-21) at the
White Bam Theatre, Westport,
Conn.

“Dial" is slated for off -Broad-
way production by Gene Wolsk
and Michael Shurtleff, who’ve capi-
talized the venture at $16,000 un-
der a limited partnership. The
producers estimate the cost of
mounting the show at the Barbizon
will be around $7,750, with a simi-
lar amount of coin going for bonds
and deposits. That’ll leave a $500
reserve.

The capacity gross at the Barbi-
zon will he $11,000, with the
weekly break-even estimated at
$5,000. It’s figured that the play
would be able to pay off its invest-
ment in three weeks of sellout biz.

Another Thom property, “Mino-
taur,'' was skedded for a Septem- :
her tryout at the Westport (Conn.) ]
Country Playhouse, but has been
cancelled. Latter script is under
option to Franchot Tone and Theo-
dore Mann and a London produc-
tion is also slated by Domar Pro-
ductions (Donald Albery).

Anthony Brown Plans
Musical for Broadway

Anthony Brown r who produced
and directed the original Broad-
way edition pf “Tobacco Road” in.
1933, is contemplating, a Main Stem
return this season. He's co-authored
the book -for a new musical, “Mon-
day," with television scripter Frank
Alexander. The duo plan to bring
the show to Broadway next winter
under their own sponsorship.

The lyrics and score for the
tuner still have to be written.
Garry Simpson is slated to direct.

Maybe Evans Named Her, Too

[ '

Mariko Niki, Japanese-born femme lead in the original Broad-
way production of “Teahouse of the August Moon," was amused
and slightly 1 perplexed last week at reports from T.okyo about the
opening of an English-Japanese language version of the John Pat-
rick-Vern Sneider comedy. According to the accounts, the same
role of Lotus Blossom, the Geisha girl, was played in the Jap
capital by Yuriko.Niki, sister of the actress in the New York com-
pany. The hitch, Miss Niki chuckled to fellow actors, is that al-
though she has two brothers, she has no sisters.

Actually, Miss Niki’s name is Kazue Ouchi, but she changed it
to Mariko Niki at the suggestion of “Teahouse" co-producer Mau-
rice Evans, who figured the latter would be easier to pronounce
for American playgoers. Miss Niki and her husband, Bernard'
Dekle, who works for the Voice of America in Washington, ob-
tained* the Japanese rights to “Teahouse" from producers Evans
and George Schaefer and playwright* Patrick, and resold them to
the Shochikee Co., an established Tokyo legit-film producing outfit.
The deal was for only Japanese language performance, but re-
ports of the recent show at the Kabuki Theatre indicated it was
played in a combination of Japanese and English.

Wallingford, Conn., Aug. 16.

Despite reduced attendance fol-
lowing the hurricane alert last
Thursday-Friday (11-12), the Oak-
dale Musical Theatre pulled a rel-
atively healthy $17,500 gross -last
week on “Gentlemen Prefer
Blondes."

The canvas top has been run-
ning along profitably in recent
weeks, with $16,000 the previous
stanza on “Naughty Marietta" fol-
lowing an $18,400 inning on “Won-
derful Town."

‘Rainmaker’ 15G, Philly
Philadelphia, Aug. 17.

In the face of a “Connie"
threat and a combination of high
winds and heavy rainfall Friday
night (12) and continued bad
weather for the two performances
Saturday 13), the Playhouse in the
Park crossed up the dope last week
by grossing close to $15,000 for
“The Rainmaker." Without weath-
er handicaps, the show might have
Surpassed the tent theatre’s pres-
ent record-holder, “Fifth Season"
which grossed $16,030 for the week
of July 25.

“Rainmaker," with Farley
Granger as star, - was . ahead of
“Season" .early in the week . and
broke the Playhouse’s Wednesday
matinee record before running
afoul the region-wide storms. Man-
agement broke a standing rule Fri-
day night when rain and wind ‘were
at their height by agreeing to take
care of stranded prospective cus-
tomers at subsequent performances.

Current bill is “Time Out for
Ginger," with Albert Dekker and
Edith Atwater. Playhouse l\as
three weeks to go after that.

- Cape Exodus Clips Stage Right
Falmouth, Mass., Aug. 16..

Hurricane Connie failed to blow,
but Cape Cod audiences did, cut-
ting deeply into the gross of the
Cross Right production of “Liliom"
at the Highfield Theatre here last
week. The final tally was just over
$1,000 on a five performance at-
tendance total of 661 in the 296-
seat house.

The week’s run started at a bet-
ter pace than the preceding stanza,
but the lingering hurricane scare
caused a . steady drop during the
week. With good weather, next
week Is expected to climb to near
capacity, with Friday night (19)
already sold out for “King of
Hearts."

Before the hurricane threat
drove tourists from the Cape, the
Cross Right troupe was doing the
best business in its history, with
near-sellouts most openings and
weekends.

Connie Clobbers Olney

Olney, Md., Aug. 16.

Walloped by Hurricane Connie
and by the threatening weather
the day before and after, the fitfst
week of “As You Like It" was kept
down to a slim $3,500 at the Subur-
ban Olney Theatre.

“Like It" bowed in to favorable
reviews, with Margaret Phillips as
the star, and may pick up on this
week's holdover.

‘Trap* $5,000, Stockbridge
Stockbridge, Mass., Aug. 16.

The end of the heat wave last
week enabled the Berkshire Play-
house to get back into normal
stride, resulting in a $5,000 gross
for “Tender Trap," although heavy
winds and rain of the fringe of
Hurrican Connie curtailed the

j * uuij via iuu

weekend take. William Swan, Su-
san Willis, Bert Thorn, Martha Or-
rick, John Morley and Carol Key-
ser were in the cast, .

Shepperd Strudwick, of last
years resident company, is starred
this week in Paul Vincent Car-
roll's, “Shadow and Substance."
Returning for her initial appear-
ance this season is Deidre Owens
in featured support. Miss Owens
was a resident player here for sev-
eral Summers, Ephrem Zimbalist
Jr., is featured with her.

Kendall Clark will >be featured
next week in “Caine Mutiny Court
Martial" as the season finale.

‘Complex* $8,400, Spa
Saratoga, N. Y„ Aug. 16.

Cooler weather gave the fizz to
a sparkling $8,400 gross last week
for “Champagne Complex," star-
ring Donald Cook and John Dali,
at John Huntington’s 587-seat Spa
Summer Theatre, at $3.30 top. It
was the second best week of a not-
too-good season, just under the
$8,500 notched by Charles Coburn
in “You Can’t Take It With You."

A tryout of Green Johnson's “I
Hear You Singing," with Kim
Hunter starred, is the current bill.

Stratford (Conn.) $19,500
Stratford, Conn., Aug. 16.

Connie didn’t wallop Shake-
speare as badly as had been feared.
The fifth week of the American
Shakespeare Festival here grossed
$19,500, achieved largely by a
$5,000 Saturday night (13). Eight
performances included five of
“Tempest," three of “Julius
Caesar."

Extra matinees of “Much Ado
About Nothing" by Academy stu-
dents are skedded to begin Friday 1
(19).

New Historical Drama
Set for Great Smokies

Greensboro, N.C., Aug, 16.

The Smoky Mountain resort
town of Gatlinhurg plans to pro-
duce a historical drama next sum-
mer. R. L. Maples, president of
the local Chamber of Commerce,
says that the Great Smokies His-
torical Assn. Inc. has been organ*,
ized as a non-profit corporation to
produce the spectacle.

Negotiations are under way for
the services of Kermit Hunter, au*
thor of “Unto These Hills,", out-
door drama staged - at Cherokee,
N.C., to write a story of the found-
ing of Tennessee, dealing generally
with the period after the American
Revolution. An outdoor theatre will
be built about four miles east of
Gatlinhurg, just off State Highway
73.

Maples says . plans call for a
seating capacity of 2,000 and a
parking area for 1,000 cars.

AVAILABLE

EXECUTIVE THEATRICAL
SECRETARY

• Yoari with top produeor-com-

potor. Highlit references.

J. L. SILVERNAIL
TK 8-0325, Now York City

FOR RENT

Oft Broadway theatre available now
for productions and rehearsals— 298
neats-— 10* by 26’ stage— ample room.

Call Mr, Fields PL 7-2230.
or write Box VV 81055, Variety, 154
West 48th Street, New York 36,
N. V,

Wednesdays August 17, 1955

i • - . y -

pmmfr

LEGITIMATE . 67

Stock Reviews

Continued from page 84

Hide and Seek '

the ruins of her family home. In
her desperate bid for companion-
ship. she hides him when he. is set
upon and she almost sacrifices a
youthful neighbor in her panic.

Since 'Miss Landis is an expert
actress, she gives this work the
benefit of a thoroughly gripping
performance, evoking the misery
of well-bred loneliness and the ter-
ror of doomed exploration. She
never quite comes to grips with
the phantom that . invades Her
hearthside, but the piece achieves
compulsion when she is onstage.
The drama is not clearly inspired
nor carefully exploited, but there
is a menacing fascination at times
that could have been extended by
more ample direction.

Mark Roberta gives a slick per-
formance as the hateful intruder,
and Kathy Nolan is especially good
as the fledging who almost Suc-
cumbs to him. Thomas Carlin has
several good scenes as a romantic
delivery man.

Why is it that little girls always
skip when put upon the stage?
Eight-year-old 'Deneen Gabler js
a promising moppet except when
she is told to skip. That she has
to learn. Memorizing a long • art
seems to be nothing. Her own fa-
ther, Munro Gabler, portrays an,
extremely likable cop.

“Hide and Seek” is not clearly
conceived nor effectively exploited,
drama, but it has menacing fas-
cination that might be projected
by better direction. The setting of
Marvin Reiss is suitable, if fa-
miliar, but the light cues do not al-
ways follow the time? of day.

Script, in which the Guild is in-
terested as a vehicle for Miss Lan-
dis, is not to be confused with the
melodrama of the same name “by
Richard McCaulay and the late
Larry Schwab, which was tried' out
here some years ago with Burgess
Meredith ‘as star. Doul.

Nice Place to Visit - -•

Pawling, N. Y., Aug. 12.

Starlight Theatre production of origi-
nal musical revue In three acts hy the
Skillings. Music, Robert Skilling; lyrics,
Chaunce Skilling; direction, Isohel Rose
Jones; scenery and lighting, Floyd Allan,
At StarUght Theatre, Pawling, N.Y., Aug.

*35; $2.45 tp.

Cast; Cricket Skilling, Irma Santos,
Violet Skilling,. Red Hilton, Norris Brann-

? atrora, GUbert Rathbun. Dorothy Leamon,
ick Button, Tom Fenaughty, Karyl
raum, Lola Lee, Marilols Wolters, . The
Crlnettea, Margaret Nicholas, Richard
Manuel, Willis Bruggemann, Pat Orr,
Roberta Allen. Nancy O'Hara, Bettina
Vom Saal, Pherbia Thornburg.

“Nice Place to Visit” is a light-
weight but affable revue with ac-
cent on music. Not pretending to
be more than a summer's evening
frolic, it makes the Starlight The-
atre a. nice place to visit. With
music and lyrics by Robert and
Chaunce Skilling respectively, and

with Cricket and Violet Skilling
cavorting onstage (three ’ brothers
and a sister), it might seem to be
a family affair. This is not en-
tirely the case, however, as the
company; also shows to advantage. 1

Pegged on the fragile framework
of country bpy and girl visiting
New York and romancing with tbe-
| atre girl and boy, the approach is
-on a “talk-to-the-audience” basis.

; This intimate keynote makes
[ things cozy, which is particularly
helpful for a number of agreeable
ditties. In fact, the music arid
lyrics are above par, and even Out
of context there Ought to be a mar-
ket'for such as “If Love Comes My
Way,” “The Best Time of Love Is
Now” or “So Long to Romance.”

Sketch-wise the Skillings are
weaker, although they have a
quizzical point of view. The ' in-
evitable Menotti satire is better
[than many of its breed, “Life Is
Not All Fun” is a lugubrious pokg
at radio quizzes, and “The Battle
on the Lexington” (subway) has
point for commuters. “Farmin’s
Alarmin’” refers to the tribula-
tions. on Fawling’s Quaker Hill
where Farmer Murrow has com-
petish from a “Cow to Cow” pro-
gram and Farmer Dewey’s kine
have twice been caught wandering
Washington-ward.

As the actor and factotum, Cric-
ket Skilling is cheery, if weak in
the Warbling department, the same
holding for sister Violet, though
she has to deliver a couple of the
more difficult numbers.

Irma Santos,, a perky little brun-
ette with a small but tuneful voice,
is a poised performer, and she
changes pace neatly from her love
interest stint to the broad farce of
the Menotti bit. Gilbert Rathbun
and Dorothy Leamon as a stage
doorman and his f rau " deservedly
have to reprise “Twenty Years of
Love,” Miss Leamon boasting a
husky voice and raspy humor.
Skating champ Dick Button can -be-
spotted in the chorus earning his
stage spurs.

Isobel Rose Jones’ direction
clips along at a lively pace. As a
gambol just for fun, “Visit” ful-
fills its strawhat purpose. In un-
covering the composer-lyricist
team of Robert and Chaunce Skill-
ing, it has showcased a couple of
ingratiating talents. Geor.

Former Broadway stager Arthur
Sircpm, currently managing direc-
tor of the Louisville Park Theatri-
cal Assn., becomes director in Sep-
tember of the Honolulu. Commu-
nity Theatre, succeeding Dr. Camp-
ton Bell, who resigned to return to
the Denver U„ faculty . . . Tyrone
Power, Raymond Walburn and
Walter Cronkite have joined the
Lambs club.

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Drop ‘Between Friends’

For B’way Production

Pittsburgh, Aug, 16.

Plans for a Broadway produc-
tion of the Charles Gaynor revue,
“Between Friends,” have apparent-
ly been dropped by William Eythe
and Lon McCallister. The partners
have recently Returned investment
coin advanced by local, residents.

“Friends” was originally pre-
sented in May of last year at the
Pittsburgh Playhouse, where Gay-
nor’s previous revue, “Lend an
Ear,” was first tested before be-
ing taken to the Coast and finally
to Broadway, where it was a hit of
the 1948-49 season. Eythe, who
was associated in the “Ear” pro-
duction, partnered with McCallis-
ter to option “Friends,” but the
tWo have been unable to raise the
necessary financing and are drop-
ping the option.

Sheath ‘Sword of Gideon’
At End of This Season

4 The Sword of Gideon,” histori-
cal drama at King's Mountain,
N. C., will be .discontinued at' the
end of the current season. In vot-
ing to drop the outdoor operation,
the local sponsoring organization
expressed the hope that some
other group would take over the
project for next year.

The show is currently in its fifth
season commemorating the Revo-
lutionary battle of King’s Moun-
tain. While the production is a
non-profit venture, there has been
sufficient boxoffice to cover the
expenses of $7,000 to $10,000 per
season. Average attendance for
the first four years has been 450
per performance, and the chief
criticism has concerned the limit-
ed number, of performances.

Bams Prospering

.SS Continued from page 63

the v embryo, actors pay their own
board and, in some cases, actually
pay them modestly for specific
work done.

Following were the barns visited
on this tour:

Putnam Playhouse, Mahopac,
N. Y.; producer Charles O. Carey,
who took over this summer, re-
ports business about double 1954.

Cragsmoor (N. Y.) Playhouse;
producers ‘Elaine Perry and Irl
Mowery, who acquired the spot
this summer, report busines about
75% ahead of the dire last season.

Woodstock (N. Y.) Playhouse;
producers A. L. Sainor and Wil-
liam . Weisman report business
about 10% below 1954, but satis-
factory.

Cecilwod Theatre, Fishkill, N.
Y.; producers Joseph Stevens and
Tony Griswold report business
about 12% ahead of last summer.

Hyde- Park (N. Y.) Playhouse;
producers Polly Jo McCulloch and
George Quick report business for
the spot’s second season about 33%
better than 1954.

Malden Bridge (N. Y.) Play-
house; producer Paul Bressoud re-
ports business about even with last
.year.

Adams Memorial Theatre, Wil-
liamstown, Mass.; producer Bryaiit
says the non-profit venture, an un-
■ official offshoot of the Williams
College drama department, has
played to a satisfactory 69% of
capacity sq far.

Berkshire Playhouse,*. Stock-
bridge, Mass.; producer Wiliam
Miles reports business about 8%
below 1954, hut profitable.

Sharon (Conn.) Playhouse; pro-
ducer Phillips reports that business
has built to 65% of capacity on
the sixth week in the new, larger
theatre.

Chi Ticket Scandal

S S idmim Continued from page 63

0 *

will share on the costs only to the
extent of 98 lines weekly in each
of the two dailies. Since 250 lines
is closer to the average weekly
space used by plays while berthed
in Chicago, _ that means that the
show managements either have to
keep their lineage down to the
minimum in the two sheets or ab-
sorb the overage alone.

It has been normal practice to
keep the legit ad placements more
or less on a par in the four local
papers. The larger - circulation
Tribune frequently gets the big-
gest portion, while the Sun-Times,
News and American get fairly
equal allotments.

Arthur Cantor has resigned as
pressagent for Herman Shiimlin,
effective Aug. 27. He’ll be succeed-
ed by Leo Freedman as p.a. for
“Inherit the Wind.” Cantor will ,
handle the Albert Selden-Morton
Gottlieb production of “A Palm
Tree in s. a Rose Garden” and
“Amazing Adele” and Walter
Fried’s presentation of “A Mighty
Man Is He.” The Cantor office also
pressagents the television produc-
ing firm, Talent Associates, and
Bristad Inc., the Steve Allen enter-
prises.

Legit-film stager Robert Lewis
has sold his home at Bedford Vil-
lage, N.Y., and is moving to New
York City . . . Mel Tolkin, scripter
of the Sid Caesar television show,
and his former collaborator, Lu-
cille Kallen, have co-authored . a
legit comedy) “Maybe Tuesday,”
the life and loves of a group of
career girls in an upper west side
New York apartment-boarding
house.

» James Troop, house- manager of
the. Hellinger, N.Y., is • recuperat-
ing in Polyclinic Hospital, N.Y.,
after a major operation . . . Helen
Hoerle is going out. as pressagent
of “Kismet,” which is touring un-
der the management of Manny
Davis.

Hob Downing will direct the
Coast production of “Tender, Trap,”
which opens Sept. 12 at the Carthay
Circle, L. A., with ,K. T. Stevens,
Russell Nype, Janet Riley and Joey
Faye featured. Prior* to undertak-
ing that assignment. Downing is
staging the same, play for produc-
tion next week at"the Bucks County
Playhouse, New Hope, Pa. . . . Hal
Seltzser and Marilyn Shapiro,
who’ve invested in several Broad-
way shows, have formed their own
producing org, Hal Mario Associ-
ates.

Lee . Freeman’s “Black Candle”

has been optioned for Broadway

— — — —

production by Richard Charleton,
head of American Productions. Cy
Coleman, pianist-composer-arrang-
er, wilt write incidental music for
the comedy-drama , , . . “Happily
Ever After;” a new musical with
book by Joseph 'Stein and Will
Glickman and music and lyrics by
Robert Hilliard and David Mann,
has been optioned for Broadway
production this season by Yvette
Schumer, who’s currently repre-
sented on Broadway as associate
producer of “Plain and Fancy,” for
which Stein and Glickman sup-
plied the book.

BUI Fields, pressagent for the
Playwrights Co., left town last
week on a “freelance” assignment
as advance man for the touring
“Bus Stop.” He intends to make new
contacts and renew old acquaint-
ances among out-of-town critics
and editors. It’ll be his first'visit to
the Coast in about 15 years. Dur-
ing his two-month absence, Regi-
nald Denenholz and Walter Alford
will be in charge of Playwrights
Co. publicity, with Anne Sloper as
associate.

Roger L. Stevens , and Robert L,
Joseph plan a Broadway revival ol
Shaw's “Major Barbara” as soon as
they locate an actress to play the
title role . . . Mary Loane has re-
placed AHeen Poe in the off-Broad-
way production o? “Morning's at
Seven” . ,. . Albert Marre planed to
Paris last week for confabs/ with
Jean Anouilh-on the latter’s play,
“Time Remembered,” which Marre
will stage for the Playwrights Co.
this fall.

Actor Fredd Wayne, currently
playing Luther Billis in a Star-
light Musicals production of “South
Pacific” in Kansas City after com-
pleting a telefilm Series, “Dr. Hud-
son’s Secret Journal” on the Coast,
is making a stab as a writer, with
a television adaptation of a short
story by science fiction author C.
M. Kornbluth. _____

FALMOUTH PLAYHOUSE

AT COONAMESSETT IN FALMOUTH ON CAPE COD, MASS.

Henry T. Weinstein, Managing Director

Announcing for the FinUt
3 Weeks of the Season . . .

A NEW PLAY FESTIVAL!

NEW PUY NO. t— WORLD PREMIERE

WEEK OF AUG. 15

By wpectal arrangement with
Walter - Fried

CLAUDETTE COLBERT ‘
in "A MIGHTY MAN IS HE '

. . . a delightfully dizzy comedy

by Arthur Kober and George Oppenheimet
with Joan Wetmore

Directed by Ira Cirker

NEW PUY NO. 2— PRE-B'WAY PRODUCTION

WEEK OF AUGUSt 22

By gpeelal arrangement with
Albert Selden and Morton Gottlieb

DOROTHY STICKNEY

in "A PALM TREE IN
A ROSE GARDEN”

. , . * tragi-comedy .of Hollywood life by
Meade Roberts with Alice Ghost ley
Barbara Baxley and' George Voskovec
Directed by Jose Quintero

NEW PUY NO. 3— WORLD PREMIERE

WEEK OF AUGUST 29

By apeelal arrangement with
Kermlt Bloom garden, Whitehead
and Stevens

VAN HEFLIN

in ”A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE"

. / . a new dramatic experience
by Pulitzer Prize Winner
ARTHUR MILLER

Also starring J. CABBOl. iVAISIf
with Eileen Vleekart and luck Warden

Directed by Martin Ritt

WRITE, WIRE OR PHONE FOR RESERVATIONS.

CONCERT - OPERA

Impresario Sol Hurok is cele--*-
brating his ^5th year in show biz by
prepping the biggest season of his
career for ’55-56. It’ll also be his
most versatile season,. the manager
spreading himself not only in con-
certs and ballet, but 4n legit, arena
and tv, too*

N.O. City Council Nixes

10 Nem Works Set For
Conn* Dance Festival

New London, Conn., Aug. 16.

Ten new works will feature the
four-day program of the eighth
American Dance Festival to be
held at Connecticut College here
Aug. 18r21. These will include
"Airs and Graces,” "Scherzo" and
"Symphony for Strings,” by Jose

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

Inside Stuff— Concerts

Following Eduard van Belnum’s 'recent appearances , at the Holly-
wood Bowl, Coast papers have been touting the Dutch maestro heavily
as successor to Alfred Wallenstein when the latter steps down from
cohductorship of the Los Angeles Philharmonic next spring. Orcli
management has had van Beinum, Herbert von Karajan and others
under consideration, .and it’s believed would pay up to '$40,000 for a
big European name for the post. Van Beinum reportedly has had a
definite offer from L.A., and wants to think it over for a couple of
months.

* ^ ■ ■ Limon & Co.; "Trio” and "Inter-

$10,000 Opera Request ^ 0 d n \ r £o Ld An flf s 1 t ic pertormance u s lin o? , ,

„ . c QT1/ i ,- n i aorl f Y V. " ~ -T rte ift Van Beinum, however, isn’t regarded as sure to leave his stand as

kut' g ’ a New Oi leans, Aug.16. by Buth head of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, even though most overseas

and tv, ta> .... A request for $10,000 by the Ex- rle I J ££ n l’ 0 n , t n r » maestros yearn for U. S. orch posts. Maestro led the Concertgebouw

Hurok bows his season , with the p er i me ntal Opera Theatre of in its American bow last season and made an excellent impression on

opening of the Sadler sWells_Bal- America was nixed by the city an 5 « he h % nr the tour. A series of alfresco U. S. guest-conducting bookings this sum-

let at the Met Opera House. N.Y.. C ii's appropriation committee Enfield, are ■ schedu ed or mer> ln philly, Chi, L. A., etc., followed as outgrowth of the tour, the

vote of four to one. booWngs being set up by Columbia Artists Mgt. Van Beinum opened

the Empire State. Music Fest at- Ellenville, N. Y„ recently, conducting
the Symphony of the Air. Col reports about $35,000 biz racked up for
the maestro— most unusual for a set of suminer dates.

Lenox, Mass., Aug. 16.
Hurricane Connie showed her

let at the Met Opera House, N.Y., aDoroDHation committee Enfield; N.H., are scheduled for

Sept. 11. Troupe is in for five hv a voL of foui tn one tw0 appearances at the Festival,

weeks (longest ever in N.Y.) be- voie * ' They will also give a special pro-

fore going out on a brief nine- The council refused the appro- g ram Aug. 15.
week tour. The N/Y. advance is its pnation after Chief Admirtistrative
biggest yet, with $310,000 reported Officer David R. McGuire said he
at hand a week ago out of a 575G fould not recommend it because
capacity. Sadler’s, in its fourth visit it would jeopardize plans for a pay
here, also has its strongest line- raise for city employees, scheduled
up, with Beryl Grey back, and in September.

Margot Fonteyn, Violetta Elvin, Vic Schiro was the only com-
Svetlana Beribsova and Rowena mittee member who voted in favor
Jackson heading the ballerina list, of the appropriation. He told the
Three weeks after the Sadler’s council the city “should borrow Lenox, Mass., Aug. 16.

opening, Hurok launches a season the money if necessary to support Hurricane Connie showed her
at the Broadway Theatre, N.Y., to the EOTA, which has brought New contempt for other wind instru-
run through January. Antonio & Orleans international attention in ments by holding down attendance
Co., Spanish fiance company of a rt and music circles.” at the Berkshire Festival’s final

Sun °^Snp? < ^n?ntf° r nS Renato Cellini, director of EOTA, weekend to one-third of expecta-

Comedie Francaise foHows at the he feared the grou P would not tions - Nevertheless, the 18th annu-
Broadwav Oct^ 25 for four weeks be aWe to stage the operas sched- al fest, which ended at Tanglewood
in a reoertorv of five Dlavs This will uled for September performance here Sunday (14), set a record at-
be the French drama troupers only if the appropriation wasn't granted, tendance ^ ™ n h "

U.S. appearance, although they’ll McGuire noted- that the council ? er ^; as

be in Canada for four weeks pre- this year has already given a total m 1954 of 135,775. bunaay aiter-
vious. Troupe had an advance of of $37,000 to such cultural organ- noon s winduo. despite rmn and
over $20,000 before the first ad izations as the New Orleans Sym- wind, drew 9,750 persons. Figures
appeared. phony, New Orleans Opera House arent in yet for the^ complete sea-

Katharine Dunham & Co goes Assn, and the Crescent City Con- son, which began July 6. ~

into the I?oadway 1 Nd V .21 t for fou? certs Assn. But the six chamber orch con-

weeks to be followed Dec bv — certs the first two weekends set a

the Azuma* Kabuki Co. for three ■ n l e r* attendance record with^ 18,190

2SSr v?X h Xr ft> E r di i n- Denver Battle of Femme

burgh, Genoa and London dates, More Tn Rn Hnmlitannfl

Jascha Rushkin, sparkplug and one of the directors of the Empire
State Music Festival, and* also a member of Symphony of the Air,
claims that he (and no one else) incepted the idea of getting Kirsten
Flagstad to appear with the Symphony of the Air in N. Y. last Season.
Edwin McArthur, the diva’s accompanist and U. S. manager, didn’t
believe that Mme. Flagstad could be persuaded t<f come out of retire-
ment, but Rushkin insisted on asking her. The Norwegian soprano
surprised everyone 4 by not only consenting, but giving her services
gratis to help the struggling orch. Her two cuffo appearances brought
in $30,000 to keep the symph office going.

Birgit Akesson, Swedish dancer whom Ted Shawn introduced to
American audiences this month at Jacob's Pillow, Lee, Mass., will give
a miniature recital as a Continental matinee at the Brooklyn Academy
of Music next Wednesday (24), with a. reception and smorgasbord fol-
lowing on the stage. Ballerina is being presented by Julius Bloom,
Isadora Bennett and Richard Pleasant in collaboration with the Ameri-
can-Scandinavian Foundation.

and following its N.Y. run, will go
off on a 40-week national tour.
Arena One-Nighter
While Antonio & Co. are at the
Broadway, Hurok will be present-

Mgrs. To Be Heightened
By Hardy Canada Male

Denver, Aug. 16.

certs the first two weekends set a
new attendance record with 18,190
and a naw b.o. mark of .1541,312,
passing last year’s $32,467.50. Six
additional chamber music concerts
drew $14,724, as against 1954’s
$13,007. "Tanglewood on Parade”
last Thursday (11)' grossed $15,952.
Four Saturday rehearsals for bene-
fit of the orch’s pension fund drew

Orchs, Operas; Drops Dukelsky Tag

Longhair Disk Reviews

ing the Sco7 G u a r d s Band E - *VGee, brother of A. K. Gee, $7>987 . An audience of 27,080 at-
Massed Pipers & Highland Dancers head of ^ .Celebrity Concerts tended 32 concerts and forums of
at Madison' Sq. Garden for a one- management in western Canada the Berkshire Music Center, bring-
nighter Oct. 27. The troupe, over ,j ies ^. ls job'msMrs. Hazel ing. $35,766 into the school, or a

100 strong, opens Its U.S. tour in Oberfelder here in the manage- 60% increase over last year’s re-
Washington, Oct. 9. ment of Oberf elder Enterprises, ceipts.

Hurok is also importing the Concert-legit bureau has been
Santa Cecilia Chorus and the I bandied here by Mrs. Oberfelder
Musicl troupe, both from Rome, for a couple of seasons, or since
the latter in its second visit. Im- th e death of her .vet .manager-
presario will also present pianist husband, Arthur.

Artur Rubinstein in a series of Move-in of Gee is seen height- t „ .

five concerts, played over 17 days, ening the rivalry between the two Tchaikovsky: Romeo & Juliet,
at Carnegie Hall, N.Y.;- doing 15 local managements, Oberfelder Marche Slav» 1812 Overture (Co-
concertos with orchestra. Alfred and Witherspoon-Grimes Enter- J^mbia). Symph and pop standai^s,
Wallenstein will conduct a local prises. Latter opened here last bfshly played by the Philadelphia

01 T h ' /irf tt .. , January, to give Oberfelder some Concerto No 1

a.? action, Hurok’s presents- strong competition. Firm is head- , w £ c A hi SSSS ^‘vSous ‘vet noetic
tions this season, in N.Y. and on e( i w Blanche Withprcnnnn pv . Victor). vigorous yet poetic

tour, will include Roberta Peters, director of the N Y TVlS nnprr, reading by pianist Gina Bachauer,
Gregor Piatifiorskv Marian Ander- ° 11 ® ctor N. Y. Met Opera highly , accomplished and inviting.

Mhlsaw Stern SnPeeweLeoi- S Ull u a . nd ^ 1 .?° W of tenor '^ anager New London Orch supports
ard Warren MariS del MnS Herbert Witherspoon, and Polly Brahms: Sonatas No. 1 & 2
Patrice Munsel Cesare VaUetti’ Gnmes - Miss Grimes, originally (Decca). Warm, lyric performances,
Ballet^ Thfeatre J Vienna %i?lr BnvJ’ from Denver * was Miss Wither-, neatly-balanced, by violinist Szy-

Fritz Heiner and WUUam S^eL: S’ 0 " 1 ’ 5 aSSlStant at the Met ln ST Goldberg and P ianist Artur

l)erg. JN# Xm

On the tv side, Hurok, as an *

NBC-TV producer-consultant, will rn A

stage two 90-minute spectaculars UOldOVSKy TO

in color. Sadler’s Wells Ballet will Share Falmouth Fest

appear Dec. 12 in "Sleeping * a. „ T

Beauty” (its Met opener). Hurok Jt Falmouth, Mass., Aug. 16.
will do. another show on Jan. 30. „ F f al ? k . B £. ie ff, conductor of the
titled "Music for the Millions ” Bach Aria Group of New York and

N. Y. . Balsam.

Enesco: Sonata No. 3 8c Janacek:

Sonata (Mercury). Interesting disk,

RriefF Hnlrlnvckv Tn Roumanian Enesco ' and Czech

oriOhliOiaOMy *0 Janacek using primitive folklore in

Share Falmouth Fest rugged style as backbone of their

tv/tooc. a i a pieces. Fine readings by violinist
* * fllmoiltflj M.3SS.J All^ 16* nruifih Anti John

Frank Brief f, conductor of the Diuian ana pianist Jonn

^T? rou ^j° f N Jf w Y ?f k u nd Prokofiev: Sonata In D; Handel:
the New Haven Symphony Orches- Sonata No. 4; Vitali: Chaconne

which will embrace a host of ar- ™ e Haven Symphony Orches- Sonata No. 4; Vitali: Chaconne
tists, tra, will direct the first three con- (Capitol), Varied, intriguing plat-

Incidentally, with the recent sale !r® . the second September ter, the stately, melodic Handel,
of National Concert & Artists Corp. Music Festival to be held at Fal- lyric, thoughtful Prokofiev, and
(which handles Hurok’s bookings), Playhouse, here on the two Bachian Vitali exemplarily played

and the biggest season of Hurok’s weekends following Labor Day, by violinist Nathan Milstein (in
career in prospect, there!s great Sept. 9-11 and 16-18. full, surging, sensuous tone) and

trade speculation oil what will hap- Boris Goldovsky, director of the Pbmkt Artur Balsam,
pen with his NCAC tie. It’s known New England Opera Theatre, will „ AJ S ? of interest: Rachman noff’s

ir0K - J quale,” £>ept. 17.

Television and Radio Buyers . . . See and Hear

i THEODOR
UPPMAN

Young American Baritone of
the Metropolitan Operq

Telephone Hour “

NBC Radio, Mon. r Aug. 29

Voice of Firestone
ABC-TV & Radio, Mon.,
Sept. 26

Management: COLUMBIA ARTISTS MANAGEMENT
Per*. Direction; ANDRE MERTENS, 113 W. 57th St., New York 19, N.Y.

(Angel); Britten’s dramatic "Sin-
fonia” and pleasant piano "Diver-
sions,” latter solidly played by
Julius Katchen (London); Alex-
ander Brailowsky’s showy flashing,
yet musicianly performances of
Chopin Sonatas No. 2 & 3 (RCA
Victor).

Also: Paderewski: Fantaisie Polo-
naise & Tavares; Concerto (Lon-
don), twp very inviting pieces, in
a fine though offbeat coupling,
pianist Felicja Blumenthal being
especially at home in the colorful
Brazilian concerto; Art of Josef .
Lhevinne (Camden), the late pianist
in felicitous Chopin and miscel-
laneous pieces; Schoenberg’s Verk-
laerte Nacht, „plus Ravel and De-
bussy pieces, well played by the
Hollywood String Quartet (Cap-
itol). Bron.

N.Y C BALLET 3 6^0, L.A.

. Los Angeles, Aug. 16.

The New York 'City Ballet upped
its take last week from the pre-
vious stanza, for a large $36,500
at the Greek Theatre,

Classical composer Vladimir
Dukelsky, who doubles in the pop
field under the name of Vernon
Duke, has been working for some
time on an idea for government-
subsidized concerts. The idea isn’t
new. and dukelsky (or Duke, as he
will be henceforth known in long-
hair as well as pops) has been
operating alone and unofficially.

But his persistence and zeal are
making headway. He has already
secured .the support of two power-
ful sources — Stanley Adams, prez
of the American Society of Com-
posers, Authors & Publishers, . and
Al Manutl, head of Local 802, N.Y.
branch of the American Federa-
tion of Musicians.

In, September, Duke will get to-
gether with Adams, Manuti and
James C. Petrillo, international
head of the AFM, to pursue his
project further. The plan envis-
ages 48 state-supported symphonies
and 48 opera houses, for each
state. The Federal Government
would pay half the cost, the state
the other half. Duke’s plan is to
line up professional support, from
unions, management, and busi-
nesses in the field, before tackling
the legislative side. He wants a
professional setup to avoid the
creation otherwise of a huge, un-
wieldy machine with people who
don’t know music being in charge.

With European state-supported
ventures as an example, and our
Government’s recent activity in
sending, musical organizations
abroad for cultural reasons (as well
as helping European musical or-
ganizations get on their feet via
indirect loans), Duke feels, his pro-
ject will eventually come to frui-
tion. He also points out that Gov-
ernment support of the arts is
nothing recent or strange. Attempts
to bring it about date back to the
Revolution. Dorothy Baker, former
actress now teaching and writing,
has been doing research with him
on this angle.

Duke, who came here originally
from France ln 1929, has been en-
tertaining his project ever since
1947, when he served in Paris as
uh of fieial liaison between the State
Dept, and French Radio, to get a
French-U.S. interchange of music.
He arranged a concert of American ,
music in Paris in ’48, and in return
brought French scores over here
to be played.

Classical-Pop Tie

Duke is a rarity (like Leonard
Bernstein — ' although Morton
Gould, too, has made a stab at it),
a successful practising composer in
both pop and classical fields. He’s
composed for Broadway and over-
seas legits, for Hollywood films,
arid ha$ written hit songs. He has
also written ballets, symphonies,
concertos and miscellaneous seri-
ous works. The Boston Symphony
Orchestra; under Koussevitzky, for

instance, played seven, of his B
works.

Composer was in N.Y. from his
Coast home recently, following the
U.S. premiere of his Seventh
Symphony by the Chautauqua
Symphony, under Walter Hendl, at
Chautauqua, N.Y. Ironically, the
work was written in ’46, thus wait-
ing nine years for its U.S. -debut.
It’s been done a half dozen times
in Europe.

Charles Munch, of the Boston
Symphony, wants to do the sym-
phony the season after next. (Com-
ing season is loaded with premi-
eres to mark BSO’s 75th anhi). The
symphony was recorded at the
Chautauqua performance July 31,
and was played again on the air,
by WICC, Bridgeport, Conn., Aug.
7. •

The symphony is Duke’s swan-
song under his name of Dukelsky.
Henceforth, all longhair works,
like his pops, will be published
under the Duke tag. But the many
classical works already published
and played under the old name
Will still retain the Dukelsky tag.
Duke said he’s dropping the double
tag because it irritated both critics
and laymen.

Duke had no longhair works per-
formed in the U.S. last season (ex-
cept the symphony this summer).
But .his violin concerto was heard
in Paris, and his ballet, "Washer-
woman’s Ball,” was done in several
European spots. Now Fritz Reiner,
Chicago Symphony maestro, has
asked Duke to compose an over-
ture for him for the coming sea*
son.

MCA Inks Espanol

Michaux Moody, U.S, presenter
of Ballet Espanol, and Music Corp.
of America inked a pact Monday
(15) for MCA to be exclusive rep
of the Spanish d&nce company for
films, night dubs and tv. David
Libidins will continue as the
troupe’s booker for concerts and
theatres.

Libidins repped Moody, and Nell
Cooper handled for MCA, on the
deal.

Concert Bits

Ruth St. Denis arrived In N. Y.
Monday (15) from California and
will be ln N. Y. for several days.
Then the vet dancer, in her mid-
70s, will go to the Jacob’s Pillow
Dance Festival, Lee* Mass., to
dance a new work.

Empire State Music Festival (El-
lenville, N. Y.) board of directors
elected Frank Forest, former con-
cert-radio tenor and present direc-
tor of the White Pharmaceutical
Laboratories, Rutherford, N. J v as
“'general manager.

Wednetday, August 17, 1955'

I.ITEBATI

Literati

Chl Ne^s’ Expansion
• John S. Knight’s- Chicago Daily
News has unveiled a $11,000,000
expansion program to gear the
daily to the color era. News is

{ banning a five-story addition to
ts Madison St. building and two
branch printing plants in the
north and south sections of the
city.

New quarters will house 66 full
color press units.

Another Digest Book Club
Best Sellers Digest Book Club
Inc. chartered to conduct a pub-
lishing business* at 10 East 40th St.
in New York. It’s n subsid of Pop-
ular library. (Ned Pines),

Martin Dickstein’s Shift
Mftrtin Dickstein, formerly
amusement advertising manager of
the Brooklyn Eagle, has joined the
Edward's Co,, newspaper advertis-
ing representatives in Florida.
Dickstein will be associated in the
newly organized agency with Ed-
ward R. Agello, recently of the
N. X. World Telegram and Sun
travel and resort staff. Edwards’ hq
is in Miami Beach.

Before becoming amusement ad
manager, Dickstein was the Eagle’s
motion picture editor and critic,
and theatre columnist.

Not ‘Authorized* WVV Bio?

Ed Weiner, longtime friend of
Walter Winchell, whose biography
of the columnist-commentator will
see. publication Oct. 15 via Put-
nam’s, states that the book is not
an “authorized biography.’’ Win-
chell has known that vet Broadway
publicist 'Weiner, who also did
“The Damon Runyon Story” (with
some strong press nods from Win-
chell), had been keeping notes on
him for 10 years, but didn’t know
it was set for publication until
supposedly reading about it in
Variety.

“Let’s Go to Press”, book title,
examines Winchell’s journalistic
and radio influence, but Also ap-
praises him objectively without be-
ing all-out pro-WW, according to
the author.

Two 100,000 Print Orders .

' Two Doubleday books, Herman
W o u k ’ s “Marjorie Momingstar,”
out Sept. 1, and Thomas COstain^s
“The Tontine,” out Sept. 23, wiil
be printed initially in 100,006
copies each, that’s for store shelves
and doesn’t count book club print-
ings.

TV Guide’s NW Edition— 35th
TV Guide launches its Oregon
edition, Aug. 18, as a successor to
Portland's TV Life. Triangle Pub-
lications’ latest edition will be 35th
in TV Guide network and will list
channels in Portland and Eugene,
Ore.

Clayton Sheldon, co-publisher of
TV Life, Will serve as manager on
new .Guide. TV Life had weekly
circulation of 28,000.

On Space Ships

White House release of a story
to build a satellite in space for
$10,000,000 will prove a shot In the
arm for George Adamski’s latest,
entitled “Inside The Space Ships.”
He’s the astronomer who lives
below Palomar, Cal., who claims to

have photographed dozens of space
ships.

Three years ago he and Desmond
Leslie broke out with “Flying
Saucers Have Landed.” In this one
Adamaski claimed personal contact
with the unidentified flying objects
and published several photographs
of a disk that was described some
years earlier in “Behind The Flying
Saucers.”

“Landed,” brought out first in
England and then over here, sold
80,000 copies stateside. His latest
is strictly Cloud. 9 personal history.
He claims he has been taken on
saucers to qigarshaped space ships,
which are the mother ships of the
platters. v

Lunar fringe will probably go
better for this one than the previ-
ous volume, but thousands of
others will drop off. Still, with Ike
pitching for outer space research,
Adamski may ride quite a way on
the revived interest in the subject.

Aberlard-Schuman, Inc., N, Y.,
($3.50) publishes.

A ‘Hit* Before Publication?

“The Great Man,” novel by A1
Morgan (Dutton), is already in its
third printing though it doesn’t
hit stores until today (Wed.). Total
number of copies is at 28,300 for
the fiction work on radib-tv.

, CHATTER

Samuel Chotzinoff starts a four-
part profile on Arturo Toscanini in
the October Holiday.

Joe Polonsky returned to his
desk as head of Hollywood Press
Syndicate after two weeks out for
surgery.

John R. Miller has been appoint-
ed ' circulation director of Hearst
Magazines. He succeeds . Robert E.
Haig, who resigned.

Screen Actors Guild has "'turned
out a 24-page brochure, “Story of
the Screen Actors Guitd,” describ-
ing the history and purposes of the
organization.

Archer St. John. 54, publisher of
Secret Life and other mags, found
dead in a woman friend’s apart-
ment over the weekend, supposed-
ly a victim of sleeping pills, but
the cops are probing.

Charles Mercer, radio-tv ed of
the AP, is out with his second nov-
el, issued by Putnam this week.
It’s “There Comes a Time,” about
a clergyman. First novel was “The
Narrow Ledge” (1952),

Stanley Lewis, circulation pro-
motion manager of The American
Weekly and Puck — The Comic
Weekly, named circulation promo-
tion manager of the Hearst news-
papers. He’ll continue his former
duties in addition to the new stint.

David Marks’ novel, “The Long
Chance,” due for Sept. 28 publica-
tion by Messner, has been bought
by Columbia Pictures. Mark has
authored seven plays, one of them,
“Captive at Large,” winner of the
Illini Theatre Guild (1953) compe-
tition, but this is his first novel.
He’s married to Gina Lalli, Hindu
classical ballet dancer.

Legit Summer Biz

SSS Continued from page 1 ,^^^

only reflects the quality of cur-
rent shows, but is consistent -with
the general business boom. On the
product count, several shows have
been especially big grossers, no**
tably on the road. Also adding to
the overall gross picture for the
11-week period is the number of
productions that have remained on
Broadway despite dwindling re-
ceipts.

At the start of the new season
last June there were 22 regular'
Main Stem entries; Of that num-
ber, 15 are still running/ That
puts the number of closings at
seven. However, two of those
shows just exited last Saturday
(16) and another resumes next
Monday (22) after a five-week vaca-
tion. That reduces the actual
number of shutterings during the
11-week period covered to four,

Twofers are figured largely re-
sponsible 'for sustaining four
Broadway entries this summer.
Still selling on the bargain basis
are “Anniversary Waltz,” “Bad
Seed” and “Lunatics and Lovers.”
“Seven Year Itch,” which shut-
tered last Saturday night, was the
other twofer entry. “Ankles
Aweigh” went beyond other shows
in that regard this week with the
start of a highly unorthodox “fam-
ily plan” ticket come-on which the
trade immediately dubbed as
“fivefers.”

Road business received a potent
boost from such peppy coin-getters
as “Pajama Game,” “Kismet,”
“Teahouse of the August Moon,”

“Can-Can,” the pre-Broadway run
of “Skin of Our Teeth” and the
one-week stand of “8 For Tonight”
at the Greek Theatre* L. A., which
grossed $85,400. Los Angeles and
San Francisco racked up the big-
gest number of road playing weeks,
with several longrun hookings.
Also, included in the road gross are
the Carthay Circle, L. A., and the
Alcazar, S* F. !

The Broadway gross for the first
11 weeks of the current season
tallied $5,805,700, while the road
take for the same period was $3,-
241,600. The number of playing
weeks on Broadway totaled 220,
while th6 road count was 103,

The comparative gross totals,
with playing weeks in parenthesis, i
for Broadway for the last nine sea-
sons have been as follows:

’47-’48 ........ $4,440,800 (222)

’48-*49 ......... . 4,700.400 (222)

*49-*50 ... 4,268,600 (169)

’50-’51 ........ 4,446,400 (197)

’51-52 .... 4,371,400 (171)

’52-’53 3.668,000 (142)

’53-’54 ‘ 4,554,300 (151)

’54-’F5 5 07?- 1 00 (191)

’55-56 '’5,805,700 (220)

The comparative gross totals,
with the playing weeks in paren-
thesis, for the road for the last
eight seasons have been as follows:

’43-’49 $3,486,900 (l50>

’49-’50 ........ 2,684,000 (109)

’50-’51 ........ 2,600,800 (99)

’51-52 ........ 2,231,000 (74).

’52-’53 ........ 2,851,100 (91)

’53-’54 ........ 2;fi65,700 < 103)

’54-’55 2,820,700 (98)

’55-’56 ...‘ 3,352,600 (103)

‘Desperate Hours’

ssss Continued from page l

held up fairly well until the sum-
mer slump caved in the boxoffice.

The approximate $95,000 recov-
ered by the presentation includes
$48,000 still forthcoming from the
pre-productifra sale of the filnj
rights to Paramount.' The produc-
tion is virtually guaranteed $60,000
on the pic deal, which comes to
$57,000 after deduction for com-
missions and fees.

The management has already re-
ceived $9,000 of the pic coin. Of
the remaining $48,000, the produc-
tion will get $18,000 when the film
is released, effective next January,
and the balance at a later date.
Additional income is due from the
Coast production, which opens
Aug. . 29 at the Alcazar Theatre,
San Francisco, under the sponsor-
ship of Jack Present and Harry
Zelvin. Also forthcoming are roy-
alties from foreign productions.

During its final weeks on Broad-
way, the- play took a biz beating.
As of last July 2, the production
had $£4,717 to recoup, which actu-
ally reflected a paper profit of
around $3,300 considering the $43,-
000 forthcoming from Paramount,

“Hours” was faced with several
serious obstacles from the start.
Approximately 140 seats at the
Barrymore • couldn’t be sold be-
cause of obstructed view. That re-
duced the potential capacity at the
house from $29,400 to $27,200. It
also affected the income of Karl
Malden, who was featured in the
production on a percentage deal.
The show also had a high operating*
nut of $18,400 weekly, which was
trimmed to $14,500 when business
fell off.

Backers <pf the production, which
preemed at the Barrymore last Feb.
10, have thus far been repaid $30,-
000 on their investment.

Paris Collections

iliZSOmm Continued from page 2

about. Hubert is the Picasso of the
couture.

Reacting against this, ultra-mod-
ernism, Jacques Fath’s pretty
widow Genevieve designed a com-
pletely feminine collection. The
front is not indistinguishable from
the back. She uses all the age-old
sexy tricks to catch the masculine
eye: roses, fans, veils, muffs, drap-
ings, enticing low necklines and
puffed sleeves a la Mimi of “La
Boheme.” Women will be pretty,
curvaceous and appealing. Gene-
vieve centers interest above the
waist . . women are so often
seated at restaurants, theatres and
office desks ... only tops show
above the table.” Her hats are
like Renoir or Manet paintings;
she shows beautiful colors, fabrics j
and embroideries; she lines mink
with mink' — who cares what it !
costs?

Marlene Dietrich presided at I

j SCULLY’S SCRAPBOOK |

4 ♦♦»♦♦»♦ ♦♦♦♦♦+ By Frank Sculty 4++444+«4»» +

o San Diego.

Disneyland seems destined to be a bigger hit than “Abie’s Irish
Rose.’’

As a fact, "with a $125,000 weekly nut, Walt’s Wonderland was
doing $350,000 weekly almost from the day it opened. As $17,000,000
was supposed to have been dumped into the Luna Park of the Anaheim,
Azusa and Cucamonga circuit, that looks as if the thing could be paid
off in less than three years. Unless of course they cut their prices,,
then it may take a few years longer.

I’m getting so sick of hearing people beef about what it. costs to
take' a few brats through Disneyland and the anxiety-neuroses pro-
duced while crawling along the Santa Ana Freeway to get- there from
L, A., that I have suggested an even longer way to get there.

I usually * tell the complaining witnesses to bypass the Santa Ana
Freeway and continue on to Riverside. There I urge them to take
Highway 395 to San Diego, a beautiful drive over a practically de-
serted freeway. Just before reaching San Diego I tell them to turn
off at Balboa park. e /

There for an admission of 50c for adults, children free, they can
spend a day in the best zoo in the world, including Bronx Park and
the Copenhagen menagerie. For another 50c for adults and 25c for
children, they can take an hour’s bps ride, instructed by a driver who
has a routine that might have saved Wally Cox at the Dunes. He tells
all about the animals, calls them by name, tells some of them to wave
to the people and sails slices of bread to those performing best.

* Wow! Some Minah Bird!

A minah bird who let’s out a wolf whistle and shouts “Wow! Some
dame!” has done more to lift the sagging morale of schoolteachers
from all over the country than the “Power of Positive Thinking.”

Par once took the press for a junket to the San Diego Zoo and I
never heard a complaint. We were introduced to Belle Benchley, who
has been the director for 30 years. She doesn’t go around much any
more because all the animals, reptiles and birds know her and : they
scream their complaints to her. "Since there are about 3,500 boarders
scattered over 200 acres, that represents a lot of complaints.

She started out as bookkeeper, being borrowed from the city by a
handful of men who founded the Zoological Society. The zoo itself
began when at the end of the 1915 World’s Fair the owner of a small
animal act, bogged down, in debt, blew oiit of town and left his act
stranded. ° ,

Belle Benchley didn’t take over, however, Until 1927. By now Ken
Scott Jr., general curator, just about runs the show" for her. He has
known her since he was a small boy and joined her staff in 1932.

Though the zoo. is primarily a show, scientists from all over’ the
world visit the place to see ho\y certain experiments are getting on.
Wild animals that normally will not breed in captivity seem to have
got over the inhibition in San Diego. Miss Benchley believes it is
because she tries hard not to cage 1 them.

Some, of course, like monkeys and gorillas, have to be confined,
but various birds are 'allowed ta fly around or walk around at will.
They don’t go far. The eating is too good at San. Diego.

. Snakes, too, are confined and people are asked not to knock at their
glass cages because it only annoys the reptiles. They strike back, hit
the glass and break their beaks.

Some animals, like the koala, the Australian live teddy bear, can’t-
seem to stand the food they get elsewhere. The koala has to have a
certain eucalyptus tree, and its leaves must at least be five years old
before he can digest the vegetable. Otherwise it’s like bourbon under
five years — poison.

Miss Benchley had some koalas about 25 years ago and they were
ready for a taxidermist in a short while. Australian authorities wouldn’t
let her have any more. But then she grew the right ewks and after
years of trying, finally got four koalas. ’ They’re a great attraction and
about the only place you can find them short of going to Australia.

Bouba, Bata and Bert, her gorillas, are now grown to where they
might be Interested in other gorillas and if a baby gorilla comes out
of it that will be fine. Gorillas born in captivity are rare and these
three have been going to school for several years. They work behind a
bank cage and may spawn a new generation of cashiers, especially
the kind that can be trusted not to run off with depositors’ funds.

Altogether, a family of two adults and four kids can tour the zoo
for about $3. TJiis includes an hour-long *bus ride for all of them.
There’s a 10c train ride next door that is about the longest rid& you
can get for a dime anywhere. Throw in some hot dogs and pop and a
whole family can have a whole day of it for five bucks.

Five Dollars, or Sixty Five?

This sum would not even get you into Disneyland, and one’ com-
plainant told me it cost him $65 before he got his kids out of the place.
The San, Diego Zoo runs 1,500,000 through its turnstiles a year, which
means about • $1,000,000 gross. Disneyland is grossing that much in
three weeks. In San Diego, in addition, you get -the finest all around
climate in the United States. No smog.

To get to Disneyland, you have, to go through the worst smog, area
in the country and much of it stays right with you to Anaheim. Prom-
ise of helicopters, to fly cross-country travelers from the L.A. airport,
to Disneyland for an additional $8, may sound attractive to some
tourists, but if people are going to cross the United States by plane
for such attractions, they can fly to San Diego and get to the zoo for
a 20c. bus fare.

Disneyland has no wild animals to speak of and neither has L.A.
Except for a few clunks in Griffith Park that look as if they had been
rejected as vice-presidential candidates on the Prohibition ticket, L.A.
may be said to have no zoo at all. This gives, you some idea of the
cultural qualities of the 4,000,000 peasants who inhabit this area.

What fascinates me at a zoo is to see the wide range of creation,
some ugly, viewed by human standards of beauty, some beautiful.
Some seem smart, some, seem dull. Some, like the secretary bird, who
has quills above her. ears like pens and seems to wear black toreador
pants, might even be trained, as amahuensds in areas where the radio-
activity is too hazardous for blondes.

A baby sort of llama called Little Iodine responds to the bus driver’s
commands to run right, and then turn left. This one, too, has secretarial
possibilities. There’s one animal that delights in hanging upside down
from trees. He seems like good assistant director material.

Of course 1 , the flamingoes,- peacocks, kiwi birds and such might just
as well stay as they are. They would end up around cocktail bars at
junkets and gala openings of everything from hotels to hew tv serials,
and these things are crowded with things that pass for people as it. is.
Indeed, at one such affair I didn’t recognize a soul and wondered to
Mme. Scully If we had not wandered into the wrong corral.

“I don’t think so,” she said. “I think this is a summer replacement
audience, while the regulars are on vacation.”

That couldn’t happen at the San Diego Zoo.

the Pierre Balmain press opening
in a champagne suit, red riding-
hood bonnet and high-crossed legs.
Nonchalantly, she let photograph- j

ers snap them from all angles, but j
blushed like a young girl when j
the audience madly applauded aj

vampish glittering black number
named after her.

From the "Sexless Look” at Hu-
bert de Givenchy to the “Sexy
Look” at Genevieve Fath, what
are women to do? They are lucky
Dior found a compromise between
the two!

70 CBATTKR

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

Broadway

Universal’s Allred E. Daft back
to tbe Coast.

Nell and Lynn Farhol back from
vacation in Switzerland.

Will H. Hays’ memoirs (Double-
day) due out Sept. 8.

Songsmith Mitchell Parish, sailed
for Europe last week on the Queen
Mary.

MPAA’s Robert Corkery due
back this week from South
Ambries*

Danny Kaye winged in from
London (Tues.) : following his Pal-
ladium date.

Richard Davis and- John G. Mc-
Carthy off to Europe and the Ven-.
ice film festival. ,

Nunnally Johnson, Anita Loos
and “Red" Buttons in from Europe
Monday (15) on the lie de France.

Philip Hodes has joined IFE Re-
leasing Corp. to conducts survey
of the specialized distribution
field.

Lawrence J. Golde, longtime
RKO booker who retired to Florida j
five years ago, is vacationing at i
Shelter Island, N.Y.

Charles = Mosconi (ex-Moscom
Bros, of yaude) got a hole-in-pne
at. the 192-yd. seventh hole at the:
Englewood (N. J.), Golf Club.

Sol Hurok flew to the Coast over
the weekend to o.o. the N. Y. City
Ballet and Katharine Dunham Co.,
returning yesterday (Tues.).

Thrush Betty Ann GrOve of “The
Big Payoff" weds Edward D.
Brown of the Ted Bates ad agency
Video department on Sept. 1 7.

Paul Denis leaves Aug, 26 on
three-week prowl for film i and tv
mag material in: Hollywood, Las
Yegas; Redo and San Francisco.

Ernest Emerling (Loew’s) spark-
ing. n farewell for Oscar A.. Doob’s
pals at “21” on Aug. 80. Vet Loew
exec Doob retiring to Palm Beach.

Italy’s Sophia Loren getting a
big U. S. mag boost preliminary to
her appearance in “Neapolitan
Carousel." Newsweek gave her a
spread last week.

Met Opera Soprano Licia Al-
banese in from Genoa yesterday
(Tues.) on the Andrea Doria en
route to San Francisco for the
opera season there.

First event to use all available
space in the now a-building Coli-
seum will be the 1956 International
Home Building Exposition which
will tenant the new centre May
12-20, 1956.

Fritz Reiner, musical director of
the Chicago Symphony Orchestra,
sails today (Wed.) to Europe, to
conduct preliminary rehearsals for
the gala opening week of the re-
constructed Vienna State Opera.

I. Robert Broder, theatrical at-
torney, back from six weeks
abroad and particularly bragging
about the $4 per-day at the
Parque, class Estoril (Portugal) re-
sort hotel, which includes three
meals, two of them with wine. It’s
Portuguese law that “all meals
.must be served with native wine."

Although they have two names
in common, and both have elec-
tronic backgrounds, RCA prexy
Frank M. (for Marion) Folson and
the new Secretary of Health, Educa-
tion & Welfare, Marion B. Folsom,
are not related. It’s been a com-
mon question, of late, within show
biz and in public life where both
are prominent. President Eisen-
hower’s new Cabinet member is
ex-General Electric, to further
confuse matters.

Warner Bros, has set a special
jazz matinee press preview of
“Pete- Kelly’s Blues" for the Vic-
toria Theatre tomorrow (Thurs.).
Stan Rubin’s Tigertown Five, the
Princeton jazz group which recent-
ly won the Newport Jazz Festival,
will lead a calvalcade of 1926 cars
down Broadway. Invited to partici-
pate in the jazz jamboree to kick
off the Jack Webb starrer are
Eddie Condon, Stan Kenton, Gene
Krupa, Count Basie, Paul White-
man and many others. Ella Fitz-
gerald, who co-stars in the picture,
will also be on hand,

Rome

By Robert F. Hawkins

( Atchimede 145; 800 211)

Mark Lawrence back in town
after six months of work in U.S.

“Cat On Hot Tin Roof" will be
staged this winter, by . the Morelli-
Stoppa Co. at Rome’s Eliseo.

Margaret Truman booked into
Venice in time for opening of the
film fete in that city (Aug. 25);
then comes here.

Oscar Homolkas (Joan Tetzel) are
in town. He has an important role
In the Ponti-DeLaurentiis produc-
tion, “War and Peace."

Sol Hurok-sponsored Azuma
Kabuki dancers arrived in Italy
for an appearance at the Nervi
(Genoa) Dance Festival. '

Victor Miehelides, Greek dis-
tributor, looking over local project
during his stay in town, with view
to releasing some in his home
territory.

Dick Adler, “Pajama Game"
composer, is at the Excelsior

awaiting arrival of co-producer
Robert Griffith, who is to co-direct
the London production of the show
with him.

Louis Armstrong slated to come
back to Italy for his third tour in
September. Unit, which would in-?
elude Barney BigSrd, Trammy
Young, and others, would debut
in Milan, then follow with Rome
and other cities.

Seventy-six pix went into pro-
duction in Italy from January until
July this year, compared to. a total
of 91 for same months in 1954, Of
this year’s crop, 22 were in color
and 14 were snot in a widescreen.

Dudley Productions (Carl Dud-
ley) announced plans for an up-
coming production titled “Loca-
tion Capri" to start in about a
month.

Paris

By Gene Moskowitz

(28 Rue Huchette; Odeon 49-44)

Arthur Krim in for a looksee of
UA production on the Continent.

Lilo doing, a tv stint here as her
^first show biz turn since her re-
turn 'from the U.S.

> Maria -Valesco into - the Cala-
vados for her piano and singing
stint for the summer.

Lucie Dolens, Gallic chantoosy,
due back from the U.S. for a top
role in next season's operetta,.
“Chevalier Du Ciel."

Anthony Quinn due in for some
.exteriors on “Van Gogh," with
Kirk Douglas; then they head for
U.S. for interiors of film.

George. Jessel’s click at the gala
in the Cannes Casino “biggest
since Lena Horne."- He’s en route
now to London for BBC variety
show telecast Aug. 24 which he is
emceeing, •

Danny. - Kaye starting off On a
gastronomic tour of France, hitting
all the best restaurants along the
way. The itinerary is being laid out
by Claude Terrail of the Tour
D’Argent.

Pic production is high this sum-
mer, with most producers aiming to
have their pix ready for the lucra-
tive Christmas openings; also to'
take advantage of the weather for
exterior- work.

Of the 50 pix which went into
production in the last five months,
only four are costume films as
against the great number of cos-
tumers which have made up the
output here in the last few years.

Over 4,000,000 tourists are ex-
pected "here this year which will
be alltime record since the war.
Among these there are about 800,-
i 000 Belgians, 590,000 English, 450,-
000 Americans and 330,000 Ger-
mans. The tourist take is also ex-
pected to be a recordbreaker.

. Jean-Paul Sartre’s anti-Commu-
riist press tactics farce,. “Nekras-
sov," will be mounted' in Moscow
next season via and adaptation by
Ilya Ehrenbourg. To be called
“Rien Que La Verite" (Nothing But
the Truth), this satire will be
transformed by the Russos into a
realistic piece. It is languishing
here.

Boston

By Giiy Livingston

Eva Gabor current at the Mar-
blehead Summer Theatre in “Blithe
Spirit."

Chirp Merelyn Tate current at
Frank Petty’s Celebrity Club in
Revere.

Wally Cox at Camden Hills
Theatre, Camden, Me., in “3 Men
on a Horse."

Thrush Helen .Hush inked for
opening of new Paddock Club on
Tremont Street.

Sloan Simpson inked by Lee
Falk for “Tender Trap" week of
Sept. 5 at Boston Summer Thea-
tre.

Rudy Vallee, visiting the Hub,
renewed an old friendship with
Lillian Roth at the Bradford Roof
where the singer was held over for
two weeks.

Boniface Dennie Mulcahy of
Salisbury Beach Frolics and Mrs.
Mulcahy receiving congrats on be-
coming grandparents. A daughter
was born to their son Ralph and
wife at an Army post in Maryland.

Atlantic City

By Joe W. Walker

Howard Everitt,- Philadelphia
golfer, touring with Fred Waring
show as publicity man.

Jacob Lateiner, pianist, soloist
Tuesday (16) as third, of suburban
Ventnor’s Music Festivals)

Bernice Massi and Virginia
Capers signed to appear in final
musical of season, “Hit the Deck,"
at Somers Point Gateway Play-
house,

Phil Spitalny and all-girl band
to Steel Pier Aug. 21 and through
Aug. 27. Sammy Kaye in Marine
ballroom for week starting .Fri-
day (19).

Dick Shawn Into 500 Club (12)
to augment Sophie Tucker show
'during her second week there. Will
Mastin trio with Sammy Davis due-
in Friday (19).

| London

i Stan Freeman opens a cabaret
run at the Colony this week.

Sir Percy H. Mills joined the
board of Electrical and Musical In-
dustries.

Sir Alexander Korda inked Ron-
ald Lewis and Keith Michell to
longtermers.

Emlyn Williams on for next sea-
son’s Stratford-on-Avon Shake-
speare festival.

Metro giving a:midnight screen-
ing of “Love Me or Leave Me" at
the Empire tonight (Wed.).

Ben Goetz returning to Cali-
fornia at the end of his 10-year con-
tract with Metro-British Studios.

Darvas & Julia in from N. Y. for
rehearsals in the upcoming Pal-
ladium revue, “Painting the
Town,"

Irving Cohen ended his associ-
ation with Arthur Blake after a 14-
year partnership arid returns to
N. Y. this week.

Bob Hope launches a new BBC
Series next week; Which will teeoff
with sound tracks from “The
Seven Little Foys.”

The Royal Navy tossing a dinner
tonight (Wed.) to thank the Brit-
ish picture industry for its coopera-
tion in providing film entertain-
ment for the fleet.

Playwright Enid Bagnold (in
private life she’s Lady Jones)
sailed on the Elizabeth for N. Y.
last week. Fellow passenger was
John P. Ingram, -stage manager of
Icecapades.

Jack Oliphant planed to the
Coast last weekend after six weeks
In London. He. came over orig-
inally. for' the Vicki, Benet season
at the Savoy and stayed on to
launch the Arthur Blake show at
the Duchess.-

. Margaret Truman changed her
mind at the last moment and- dis-
embarked from the United States
liner at Cherbourg. She visits
Paris and Salzburg, and may come
on . to London if her vacation
schedule permits.

San Francisco

4 By BUI Steif

Ronald Reagan was emcee of
big ball which wound up Air Force
Assn, convention,

Reunion at Fack's for Ray Krai
and his sifter, Irene. Ray moves
out just ahead of the Tattle Tales,
vocal group of which Irene is ,a
member.

D’Oyly Carte conductor Isidore
Godfrey is only Savoyard in the
present touring troupe which
played San Francisco in the
D’Oyly Carte’s last . visit back in
1929.

San Francisco’s Peter Bou-
doures, the restaurant man, pro-
duced “Barefoot Battalion" in
Greece, brought it home and saw it
flop. So, one year later the fUm.
has won a medal at the Edinburgh
Festival.

P) A. Max Burkett up from Hol-
lywood to help out over preem of
Warrters’ “McConnell Story.” Oth-
ers up for launching included June
Allyson, Aid'd Ray, Edward Arn-
old, Joe E. Brown and director
Gordon Douglas.

Washington

By Florence S. Lowe
Denise Lor current tppper at
Casino Royal nitery.

Theatre impresario Louis Lotito
here to lunch with crix and unveil
season’s plans for National, one of
"City Investing’s local interests.

Dayid Polland, Universal flack,
decorated by government of Ecua-
dor for his relief on behalf of vic-
tims of an . earthquake in that La-
tin American country.’

Legit manager Richard Skinner,
formerly of Hollywood’s Hunting-
ton Hartford Theatre, and one-time
bossman at Olney, nearby strawhat-
ter, visiting friends here.
Department of Commerce film
boss Nathan Golden hosted a
screening of Russian Ballet ver-
sion of “Romeo, and Juliet," pic
soon to be released ill U.S.

Westport, Conn,

Martha Raye back home.

Hy Gardner at Victor Gilbert’s
Stonehenge,

Lily Lodge arrived from Spain
to visit relatives.

Hildegarde is soloist Friday night
(19) with Connecticut Symphony at
Fairfield “Pops,” with Gustav
Haenschen conducting.

Judd Mathison, production asso-
ciate of Robert Lewis, staged “All
in Favor," a new musical at White
Barn. Isabel Robins, from the
Garry Moore tv show, headed cast.

Ruth Chatterton, now living near
here, emerges from long retire-
ment to do “Sign of Winter” (27).
new drama by Ettore Rella, at
White Barn Theatre.

Ruth Chatterton will return to
the stage for first time in many
years on Aug. 27 in the tryout here
at White Barn Theatre of Ettore

Rella’* play, “Sign of Winter/’ in
which she has been interested for
some time.

Joanna Roos Stars in Robert
Thom’s piece, “The Sun-Dial/’ at
same spot August 21. Franchot
L Tone has cancelled tryout of same
author’s “The Minotaur" at Coun-
try Playhouse which had been an-
nounced for early September. .

Edna Ferber, George Freedley,
Rose Franken, -John C. Wilson,
Theresa Helburn, Jean Dalrymple,
Justin Sturm, Cheryl Crawford,
Toni Selwart, Eva Gabor, Jolie
Gabor and John Fearnley at open-
ing of “Hide arid Seek" at Country
Playhouse Monday (15).

Santiago

By Edythe Ziffren
(Tel. 31645)

Los Quincheros quartet hack
from V* S. trek.

Miguel Frank and Norman Day
heading for Spain this week.

Dr. Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt
batoning Chilean Symphony.

Metro Theatre held seven-day
festival of new Metro product)

Ballet T h e a tr e skedded . for
Municipal Theatre next 'month.

Charlo, Argentine singer and
composer, signed by Goyescas
nitery.

Cantlnflas’ . “Caballero a la
Medida" (Gentleman Made-to-
Measure) now at the Ritz, chalking
up, Its 1,2th week in first and sec-
ond-runs.

Tony Vaughn, manager of Hotel
Carrera,; aired to Havant to • be-
come manager of Intercontinehtal
Hotels’ newest acquisition) Hotel
Nacional, formerly operated by
Kirkeby chain)

Cesar de Mendoza Lassalle, Bar-
celona Philharmonic director, in
town to' set up Ingrid Bergman’s
South American tour in. “Joan of
Arc at Stake," ‘

Patricio Kaulen tagged prexy of
newly-formed Motion Picture Di-
rectors and Producers Assn., with
Armando Rojas, veepee; Emilio
Taulis, treasurer; and Coke Delano
and'Alejo Alvarez, directors.

Renato Salvati booking Maria
Dolores, ^Belgian National Theatre
Co., “Porgy and Bess" Co., an Ital-
ian opera group and Maria Guer-
rero Lopez-Pepe Romeu Spanish
stock company into Municipal The-
atre.

By Jerry,, Gaghan

Mildred Pressman and Jim Ayre,
composers of “Mambo Rock,”
elected to ASCAP.

Bellevue-Stratford Hotel opens
new Stratford Gardens (17), with
entertainment policy.

Accordionist Johnny Felice, late-
ly at the Club Avalon, ’Wildwood,
slated for week on Ted Mack tv
show.

Lew Regan,, head canvas man at
Valley Forge Fair, left for Chi-
cago to be with daughter, a polio
victim.

. Joe Loco, pianist, signed record-
ing contract with Columbia, end-
ing self-imposed holiday from
disks, due to hassle with Tico Rec-
ords.

A1 Schenk, comic back after
ing self-imposed holiday from
seven year absence, booked by
Bernie Rothbard into Chester’s
Club 31.

Honolulu

By Walt Christie .

Ann Hathaway topping show at
The Clouds.

The Gaylords winding run at
Lau Yee Chai nitery.

“Gate of Hell" in for special run
at Royal Amusement’s Palace.

George Montgomery planed In
'to join wife Dinah Shore at
Waikiki.

Edward Wolters named technical
director of Honolulu Community
Theatre, succeeding Arnold Spen-
cer who’s moving to St. Paul.

William J. Kelley appointed
general manager of Reef, Edge-
water and Islander hotels, with
Herman Mulder replacing Kelley
as resident manager of Halekulani
hotel.

Chicago

Jose Ferrer in to . talk abou
The Shrike" in advance of it
Woods Theatre opening.

Newsman Jack Pitman now cop;
chief and account specialist wit)
Herb Kraus' public relations firm
Vet announcer Charlie Lyoi
stopped off enroute back to thi
Coast from Paris to chin with ra
din acquaintances.

Sun-Times columnist Irv Kup
cinet and Wife Essie touring th<
Continent with stops scheduled fo
London, Paris and Rome. Mel Gel
lairt subbing on his nightl;
WBBM-TV show.

Hollywood

Eddie Fisher celebrated his 27th
birthday.

Bob McLaughlin bedded with
strep throat.

Dorothy Blanchard convalescing
| at. home after surgery, ‘ *

, Cecil B, DeMilles celebrated
their 53d wedding anni.

Victor Moore in a Santa Monica
hospital with pneumonia.

Grace Kelly in from N.Y. to
resume her work at Metro.

Vic Orsatti back at his -desk
after several weeks in Europe.

Tom Powers released from the
hospital to recuperate at home.

Ann Miller returned after a five-
week, tour of 10 European coun-
tries.

Newman Burnett in from. N.Y.
on biz for Radio-Tv Directors
Guild.

Oscar Hammerstein .2d in from
N.Y. for press showings of “Okla- -
homa."

Jerry Pam resigning front the
Moulin Rouge to join the Metro
flackery.

Paul England suffered a. broken
leg when struck by en auto on
Sjinset blvd.

Bob Hope bought part of big
California ranch owned by Fibber
McGee and Molly.

James It. Grainger in town for
RKO -huddles with Thomas F.
O’Neill and Daniel T. O’Shea.

Hollywood film lots conducted a
total of 87 tours for 605. service-
men and women during July.

Audie Murphy to San Antonio
for preem of his screen auto-:
biography, “To Hell and Back."

New- artists management firm
organized by William Loeb and
Clarence Freed will" open N.Y.
offices Sept. i.

George Gobel, recovering from
virus, ordered by his doctor to cur-'
tail all outside activities while
working at Paramount.

Cleveland

By Glenn C. Pullen

Buddy Powell trio heating up
Cotton Club.

Milt Krantz, operator of Hanna*
heading for N.Y. . to line up fall
legit bookings.

Marty Conn flying to Mexico
City to corral some new Latin
bands for Luccioni’s Mambo Club.

Marian and Jimmy McPartland
with their quartet playing first
local nitery date at Mushy Wex-
ler’s Theatrical Grill.

Jimmy Stewart, Jack Webb and
Julie Adams all buzzed in for per-
sonal appearances last week, giv-
ing film crix a heavy interviewing
ivorkout.

Hill-Toppers, Eddie Peabody,
Bob McFadden and A1 Russ orch
are streamlining midway show in
Sandusky County Fair at Free-
mont, O., Sept. 5.

Julie Haydon guest-starring in
“Glass Menagerie" at Chagrin
Falls Summer Theatre, after doing
it in-the-rourid at Canal-Fulton
Theatre, operated hy same syndi-
cate.

Bill Buetel, club act booker for
MCA here, says Variety’s story
about him being transferred to an-
other branch is “premature." Says
he will stay on in advisory capac-
ity “for a while" after George
Claire, from Pittsburgh, joins local
MCA office Sept. 1.

Pittsburgh

' By Hal V. Cohen

Bill Serrao home from hospital
after four weeks.

Johnny J. Jones, oldtime dance
impresario, will be 75 next week.

Lynn Carter and the Cartiers
into the Carnival for four weeks
with options.

Orrin Redfleld, Playhouse actor,
doing role in White Barn’s current
“Reclining Figure."

Comedian Lee Simmons leaving
home for a midWestern theatre
tour with the Crew Cuts.

A1 Butler in town beating drums
for “King and I," which opens
Nixon season Labor Day.

Eric Waite, skating comedian,
returns to “Ice Capades” this year
after absence of several seasons.

Jack Durant to Desert Inn in
Las Vegas for month’s stay with
Johnnie Ray, "following Ankara
booking here.

Bermuda

By A1 WagstafT

Jack Hammer Quintet end big
two-month run at Gombey Room
of Harmony Hall Hotel,

Phil Coolidge and Ann Seymour
here to do featured roles in
“Crunch and Des" tele series.

After 19 shooting days, Filmf
Studios (Bermuda) Ltd. wrapped
up four of the 38 “Crunch and
Des" tv series.

Don Gibson, tv and stage actor,
directing entertainment at Alibi
Room of Windsor Hotel and agent-
ing Esso Trinidad Steel Band.

Wedwfdf^ A*gu§t l7* 1955

.. LEMUEL AYERS

Lemuel Ayers, 40, theatrical J
scene designer and legit producer,
died Aug. 14 in New York. Ayers,
who did the sets lor the original
Broadway production of ^Okla-
homa” in 1943, was co-producer'
with Saint Spbber of “Kiss Me
Kate” on Broadway. He later was
partnered with Suhher in the pro-
duction of Cole Porter’s '‘’Out of
This World,”

Ayers did the' sets and costumes
for “St Louis Woman,” the sets
for “Inside U.S.A.” and the scenery
and costumes for “My Darlin*
Aida.” He also designed scenes for
revivals of “Journey’s End,” “They
Knew What They Wanted ” the
Maurice Evans-Judith Anderson
“Macbeth,” “Angel Street” "and
numerous other "productions. He
was skedded to co-produce “Satur-
day Night,” a new musical, on
Broadway this season.

Wife, a son and a daughter sur-
vive*

FLORENCE EASTON.

Florence Easton; _70, onetime
leading dramatic soprano of the
Metropolitan Opera Co., died Aug.
13 in New York. After making her
American operatic debut in 1905
with the Savage Grand Opera Co.'
in Baltimore, she sang a total of
150 roles in opera. She appeared;
at the Royal Opera House in Ber-
lin for six years and performed
with Hamburg Opera for three
years. :

From 1915-1917' Miss Easton
sang with the Chicago Opera Co*
She joined the M£t in 1917 and re-

In Memory of My Dsqr Pol

BILLY MURRAY

Avgust 17, 1954

J. V. MARTINDALE

niained there until her retirement
in 1929. However, she returned to
the Met for the 1935-36 season.

Surviving are her husband, a
son, a sister and a brother.

JANE MURFIN

Mrs, Jane Murfin Crisp, 62, play-
wright, screenwriter and former
film producer, died Aug. 10 in
Brentwood, Cal. A veteran of
some 35 years in the film Indus-
try, she started writing film scripts
for Famous Players-Lasky when
that outfit had studios in New
York..

In collaboration with actress
Jane Cowl, Miss Murfin wrote four
Broadway smashes-— '“Lilac Time,”
“Daybreak,” “Information Please”
and “Smilin’ Through.” She went
to the Coast as a producer and in-
troduced the dog, Strongheart, to
pix.

Thereafter she wrote 60-odd film
scripts, including “Little Women,”
“Roberta,” “Dragon Seed/’ “The
Women,” “The Silver Cord” and
“Ann Vickers,” among others. She
served as a producer at various']
times at RKO, Metro and U-I; was
on the boards of the Academy of
Motion Picture Arts & Sciences
and the Screen VfriterS Guild in
the past, and was a founder, of
Permanent Charities.

Her marriage to actor Donald
Crisp ended in divorce in 1944.

ROBERT M. HAFTER

Robert M, Hafter, 50, radio pro-
d ucer-director-writer who began
his career at WDAF, Kansas City,
died of a heart attack Aug, 9 in
Hollywood, He was a staff member
at WDAF, writing and producing
shows in the 1930s. Subsequently
he went to KMOX, St. Louis, then
to CBS and later to Hollywood.
He had been producing radio
chows for about 25 years.

A native of England, Hafter
came to the U. S. as an infant
with his parents. He ran away
from home in Boston when a boy
to enter vaudeville, and had a
considerable career in vaude and
later in legit 'with his wife, the
former Kitty O’Neill, before en-
tering radio. Among shows he di-
rected were CBS Newsroom, “Mat-
inee,” “I Was There,” “Hollywood
Showcase” and* “This Is My Story.”

Wife, sister and brother Survive.

BEAUVAIS B* FOX

Beauvais B. Fox, 79, former
drama editor and publicist, died
Aug. 9 at the Percy Williams Home
in East Islip, L, I., where he had
been living Since 1950.

Fox had been th€ drama editor
•of the New York Tribune in early
1920s. Prior to joining that paper,
he was city editor of the San An-
tonio Daily Express and city editor
and feature editor of the. N.Y.
Evening Sun. "As a pressagent, hej
repped George C. Tyler, Dwight

Deere Wiman, the Shmberts, Max
Gordon And George Abbott

He was director of public rela-
tions for the - Union college Mo-
hawk .Drama Festival for four
years and in 1929 was elected
president of the Theatrical Press
Representatives of America.

Wife and a son survive.

LOU SLATTERY
* Joseph Louis (Lou) Slattery, 68,
former city editor and show busi-
ness critic of the Montreal Gazette,
died in Ottawa Aug. 12. His wife,
who survives,- was actress Dorothy
McCord . Of Cincinnati, who had
worked in legit, principally in
Montreal, before and for a few
years after they • were married. . ^

Besides city desk and show
writing on' the Gazette, Slattery
was, at different time's, a political
publicity man, manager of the 'Or-
pheum ‘ Theatre in Montreal, legit
theatre publicist and, at his pass-
ing, hews editor of The Ensign,
Catholic weekly.

Surviving besides his wife are
two daughters, two sons and a sis-
ter.

bj: g r oan Ha at fattMOMd far ,
ner baby star contest. He was also
a literary agent for several years.

His wife, the' former sfteht
j screen actress, Kathryn McGuire,
snd * daughter survive.

JOHN GREER

John Greer, 47, Technicolor
technician who won Academy
Awards for his work on “Wilson”
aftd “Leave Her to Heaven/” died.
Aug. 11 of a heart attack In Man-
hattan Beach, Cal. He was sched-
uled to come tO New York shortly
to work on Metro’s upcoming “I’ll
Cry Tomorrow.”

His wife and a son survive..

TEDDY ALLEN

Teddy Allen, veteran member of
the Gotham Quartet, 4 harmony
comedy act, died July 24 in Man-
chester, Eng., following major sur-
gery. He sang as tenor vocalist and
handled comic chores with the
Gothams until the turn split up.

Allen later formed other groups,
the. Edward Alien Four and the
Royal Merry Four, whose formats
were similar to that of the
Gothams. When vaude began to
lose favor in the public’s taste, he
retired and for a time was guest
at Brinsworth, home of the British
Variety Artistes* Benevolent’ Fund
at Twickenham. He became sight-
less during his retirement,

MARION E. BAUER

Marion Eugenia Bauer, 67, com-
poser, Writer, lecturer and college
music faculty member, died Aug.
9 of conorary thrombosis in South
Hadley, Mass. .- At her death; she
had been working on a new book
with Ethel Peyser tagged “How
Opera Grew.” It’s scheduled for
publication this fall.

Miss Bauer, who had been on
the music faculty of N.Y. Univer-
sity from 1928-1951, later taught at
the Juilliard School, of Music and
the N.Y. College of Music. She
was N. Y. editor and music critic
of The Musical Leader and also
contributed to other music periodi-
cals.

c, l. McCarthy

C. L. McCarthy, 56, California
radio executive for more than 20
years, died Aug. 8 in San Fran-
cisco. A native of North Dakota, he
worked as an engineer for NBC in
New York in 1926, joined KQW,
San Jose, Cal., in 1934, and went
on to build and operate KLAS, Las

JiJ BVp

In 1952 McCarthy was named
general manager of ABC’s radio
outlet, KGO, San Francisco. But
last year he retired and moved to
the Sacramento Valley.

His wife, two sons and two
daughters survive.

WARREN HAYES

Warren Hayes. American singer
making his» nitery debut at the
Vogue Hotel, Rio de Janeiro, died
last Sunday (14> during a fire
which destroyed the ‘ hotel. Hayes
was fatally injured when . he
jumped from his 10th floor, win-
dow as flames swept Ms room. The
22-year-old singer had just com-
pleted his engagement at the hotel
and planned to return to the U. S.
yesterday (Tues.). Prior to playing
the Rio date, he had been .appear-
ing in summer stock.

Four other persons died in the
fire.

LYNNE CARVER
Mrs* Lynne Carver Mullaney, 38.
an actress under the name of
Lynne Carver, died Aug, 12 in
New York after a long illness. She
began her career In motion pic-
tures with Metro appearing In
such films as “Maytime,” “The
Bride Wore Red/’ “Young Dr. Kil-
dare,” “Calling Dr. Kildare” and
“Huckleberry Finn.” In 1947 she
came to N. Y., Where she appeared
on stage and tv.

Surviving are her husband, Wil-
liam J. Mullaney, a former stage
director, her father and a sister.

^ GEORGE LANDY
George Landy, 00, veteran of
the film business arid story editor
of Revue Productions, died Aug. 9
in Hollywood following a heart at-
tack. He was once studio pub-
licity director for’ First National
Pictures and was the first presi-
dent of the Wampas, Hollywood

ALFRED PALMER
Alfred Palmer, 70, pioneer ex-
hibitor, died July 29 in Lesmaha-
gow, Scotland, Founder and owner
of the Rite Cinema, Lesmahagow,
•he started his show biz career
some 43 years ago with a mobile
cinema booth which toured Britain
with silent films.

His wife, four spns and a daugh-
ter survive.

JEAN BRADLEY
Jean Bradley; 20, actress,' who
was touring Europe as the lead
femme in the American .production
of “-Oklahoma,” died Aug. 11 in
Milan, Italy. She was stricken
with polio the day prior to her
death.

Surviving are her husband and
her parents.

ARTHUR S. MATTHEWS
Arthur S. Matthews, 52, color
tv . pioneer, died Aug. 7 in San
Francisco. He was president, of
Color Television Inc., a business
he entered immediately after
World War II.

He leaves his wife, his mother
and a sister.

His widow arid another so*; Har-
0l4» survives •«

I lotfcor of Eleanor Savage, Pitts-
burgh theatrical booker, and grand-
mother of Mary Lou Savage, show
gtri, died at her home in that city
Aug. 1. .

> — - •

Mr*. W. Harry 'Dillon, who, with
her husband operated the Dillon
Theatre/Morehouse, Mo., for years,
died Aug. 5 in Sikeston, Mo.

Allan J. 'Skeen, 49, first violinist
in Omaha. Symphony Orch for
many years, died in that city Aug.
3, Survived by widow.

Herbert Griffiths, longtime cin-
ema and theatre manager in Liver-
pool and Wallasey, Eng., died July
27 in Wallasey.

John A; Berman, 54, film studio
property manager, died July 30 in
Hollywood. His widow and son
survive.’

Henry D. Tovar, 25, bandleader,
was killed -Aug. 7 when his car left
the road near Houston, Tex.

Brother, 60, of Chicago booking
agent Harry Greben, died Aug. 13
in North Hollywood, Cal.

Wife, 58, of Hugh Flannery, vet
midwest theatre manager, died in
Madison, Wis., July 28.

v -

Charles Webber, 83, motion
picture studio technician, died
Aug. 6 in Hollywood.

Genevievle 'Bisbee, 91, retired
pianist and music teacher, died
Aug. 3 in New York.

ANDREW B. STERLING
Andrew B. Sterling, 80, vet song-
writer, who, with Ms collaborator
and partner, the late Harry von
Tilzer, wrote many of the hit tunes
of the “Gay ’90s” era, died Aug.
11 in Stamford, Conn..

Details in Music Section.

ROY CRIPPEN

Roy Crippen, 58, screen writer,
died Aug. 11 in North Hollywood
following a cerebral hemorrhage.
His wife, Lyle Rooks, is a pub-
licist,

A daughter and sister also sur-
vive.

Mrs. Grace Ripley, 59, formerly
known professionally as - Grace
Marble, died Aug. 12 in Lompoc,

Cal., after a long illness. She re-
tired from the stage when she
married director' Arthur Ripley in
1916, who survives her.

George W. Heckendom, 51, for-
mer singer known professionally
as George Dorn, died Aug. 13 of a
heart attack in Detroit. He had
sung with a number, of-top orches-
tras and had been a member of f$32,000.

the Don /Large chorus.

from his home in Sydneyj Sur-
viving are Ms wife, two daughters,
a son and a stepson.

Son, 26, of Michael Bergher,
Columbia Pictures International
v.p. and the company’s Far East
supervisor, died of a bullet wound
Aug. 14 in Ms Ft. Dix, N. J.,
quarters. Army listed Ms death as
an apparent suicide.

Samuel E. Wharem, 53, veteran
elephant trainer with the Ringling
Bros., Barntim & Bailey Circus,
died of a heart attack Aug. 5 in
St. Albans, Vt. His mother, two
sisters and three brothers survive.

. Mr*. Emil C. Mueller, 71, ward-
robe mistress at the St. Louis
Municipal Theatre Assn.’s Forest
Park Theatre for 23 years, died
there of heart disease Aug. 11. Her
husband and two brdthers survive.

George Angus Burns, 58, editor
of Canadian Broadcasting Corp.’s
staff magazine, Radio, and former
CBC radio news editor, died Aug.
•7 in Ottawa. His wife survives.

John D. Brown, 72, film pioneer,

died at Dundee, Scot., . July 28.

MARRIAGES

Pat Breen to Irving Sablosky,
Awg. 14, Chicago. Bride has been
handling publicity for Dan, Her*
bert, NBC-TV's “Mr, Wizard”; he’s
the Chicago Dally* News music
critic.

Eva Bartok to Kurt Jurgens,
Schliersee; Germany,. Aug. 13.
Bride’s a film actress; He’s an
actor.

Joyce Marlow to Patrick Connor,
Manchester, Eng., July 24. Bride
is a tv actress; he’s member of
“Wedding in Paris” cast.

Amalia Munoz Vega (Amalia
Cristerna) *to Constantino Gomez
Lopez, Mexico City, July 25.
Bride’s a Mexican dancer; he’s a
Cuban singer.

Araminta, Steer to Henry Cald-
well, London, Aug. 3. Bride is a
dancer; .he’s a BBC-TV producer^

Jeri McKenna to James Lofland,
Las Vegas, Aug., 4. Bride is a
screen actress:

Clare B, Mattocks to Lars Hen-
son, Las Vegas, Aug, 6s He’s a
screen actor.

Maureen Kershaw to Burton
Brown, Aberdeen, Scot., recently.
Bride’s a singer; he’s her agent.

Georgina de Astis to Carlos Nie-
to del Rio,- Mexico City, Aug. 3.
He's a tv exec.

Continued* from page 1

Mrs. Catherine Kreitzer (the
Pennsy bible student) and Gino
Prato (the Bronx shoemaker) have
dared to do. Each garnered the
same peak money in the show’s
two-month s t r e t-e h , and . each
stopped at $32,000, following much
publicity that basically, risking for
that extra 32 grand means perhaps
only another $11,000 net (after,
taxes) and engenders the" loss of'
the already-in-hand $32,000. Since
the 32G means . around $21,000
net, after taxes, the guarantee of a
$20,000 Base “plateau” would en-
courage trying for the top stake.

Another wrinkle has cropped up
among show biz tax experts as
follows;

He thinks it is feasible and may
put a' new complexion on those
$32,000 winners who have figured
out that the last>32G could only net

Cloyer cruft

erb Lynn

them $11,000 and for^this they risklttov^ires
possible loss of the already-in-hand^ -

Stanley S. Crick, 66, former
Australian rep of 20th-Fox, died
Aug. 10 of a heart attack in Los
Angeles, where he was ’ vacationing lo00, which would cut down the

Since ihefinale permits the corn
testarit to" bring in an “expert” or
“experts” for coaching' , a deal
could be made with these “experts”
for a sizeable cut of the final $32,

tax bite, and at the same time
Insure a hot contestant to possibly
knock over the entire 64G grand
prize.

Berlin Sparking

Continue^ from page X

Otto W. Bartusch, 53, manager
of the Oriental Theatre, Denver,
died recently in that city following
a heart attack. His wife and a half-
brother survive. '

Mrs. Alice C. D. Riley, 89, writer
of children’s songs and one-act
plays and a founder of the Drama
League of America, died Aug. 9
in Pasadena, Cal.

Father, of Marty Weiser, film
publicist, died Aug. 4 m Holly-
wood after being* struck by a truck.

Regards to Broadway is one of the
few songs that has .been written
about Broadway that has lasted
and that represents the best known
street in the world”; that the 19th
century “Sidewalks of New York”
achieved importance principally
through its association with Gov.
A1 Smith; that the Congressional
Medal to Cohan for “Over There”
and “It’s. A Grand Old Flag”
further entitles him to it.

Apart from shpw business, Ber-
lin thinks that New York will want
this kind of a statue for reasons
of civic priide. Indiana made no
bones about it when it adopted
Paul Dresser’s “Banks of the Wa-
bash”; Kentucky dittoed with
Stephen Foster’s “My Old Ken-
tucky Home”; and the state of
Oklahoma is now doing the same
with Rodgers & Hammerstein’s
title song from that « show.

Victor Herbert also wrote a good
“theme song” many years ago
titled “In Old New York” but, says
Berlin, when he toured overseas
With “This Is The Army” the oldie
he heard the most was “Give My
Regards To Broadway,” because,
he thinks, “it not alone represent-
ed’ getting back to Broadway, but
to America.”

BIRTHS

Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. GiUeran,
daughter- New York, Aug. 2.
Father is sales promotion manager
for Pocket Books Inc.

Mr. and Mrs. A1 Ludington,
daughter. New York, July 16.
Mother, Patricia 'Phillips, was for-
merly with NBC-TV’s “Howdy
Doody”; father is a film producer.

Mr. and Mrs. Sartos Smaldone,
son, Saratoga, N. Y., Aug; 8, Father
owns the Malta Drive-In outside
Saratoga.

Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Donen, son,
Hollywood, Aug. 12. Mother is the
former actress, Marian Marshall;
father is a Metro director.

Mr, and Mrs. Monty„._Westmore,
son, Hollywood, Aug, 11. Father is
a make-up artist.

Mr. and Mrs. Harry* Harris, son,
Philadelphia, Aug. 9. Father’s an
associate editor of TV Guide.

Mr. and Mrs. Don Rea, son, New
York, Aug. 5. Father is a member
of The Gaylords, vocal combo,

Mr. and Mrs. Jack Levine, son.
New York, Aug. 16, He’s Mutual
Broadcasting news writer.

Variety Bills

Continued from page 62

’ Golden Nugget j Haller Girls
Nat Young I Appletons

Bob BramaO 3
Joyce Collins 3
Moulin Rdugt

Lionel Hampton Be v
Silver. Slipper
Hank Henry

Ml AMI-MI AMI BEACH

Sparky Kaye
George Redman Ore
£1 Cortez
Harmonlcats
Lenny Gale
Lucky Girls
Sherman Hayes Ore

Nino Nazarro
Tony Lopez Ore
Sans 5ouc< Hofsi
Wally Griffin
Chiqulta CabaUero
Freddy Calo Ore
Ann Herman Orr«

■ Bombay Hotel
Phil Brito
Ava Williams
Peter Mack
Fontainebleau
Dorothy Sarnoff
Robert Lamouret.
Gaby Monet
Sacasas Ore
Balmoral Hotel
Enrlca & Novello
Sonny Kendis Ore
Wayne 'Carmichael
Nautilus Hotel
Antone -& Ina
Jay ' Lawrence
Chaya Nash
Syd Stanley Ore
5 O'clock
Tommy Raft
H. S. Gump
Parisian R6y
empress Hotel
Stuart Sc Samara
Mandy Campo Ore
Jack Kerr

Club Calvert
Laverne Baker
Pat Ross
Goldfield Ore
Saxony Hotel
Clifford Guest
Johnny Morgan
Phyllis Arnold
Betty Sawyer
Ayne Barnett Ore
Johnny Silvers Oro
Sea Isle Hotel
S Hoffman Ore
Patsy Abbott
500 Club
Preacher Rollo 9
hSid Kamen

Vanity Fair
Pat Morrlsey
Sammy Walsh
Mandy Vizeso Ore
Newcomers. (3)
Sorrento Hotel
Alan JCole Ore
Johnlna Hotel
BUI Harris Quintet
Bob Savage Trio .

Roney Plaza
Juan Sc Jose Cortez
Ore

Beachcomber
Billy Daniels
Benny Payne
Buddy Lester
i(3)

jBergaza
Tarraza

. Troplcana

Olga Gulllot
Felo
Juan B
Gina . Martin
Nelson Pinedo
Rufino Q
Troplcana Ballet
S Suarez . Orq
A Romeu Orq

Novelltes <

Rivleras (2)

Len Dawson Orch

HAVANA

Montmartre

Los Chaval.es
Trinl Reyes
Juliette Sc Sandor
Zenla Lopez
Delia Bravo
Montmartre Ballet
Casino Playa Orq
Fajardo Orq

RENO

Mapes Skyroom
Llli St. Cyr'

Jack Carter
Los Barrancos
Skylets

Eddie Fitzpatrick
New Golden
Dolores Hawkins

Lou Nelson *

D. Kramer Dcrs.
Will Osborne Oro
Riverside
Jane Eroman -
De Mattiazzios
Starlets (8)

BiU Clifford Oro

LAKE TAHOE

Bal Tabarln

Gordon MacRae
Johnnie O'Brien
Kirby Stone 4
Helene Hughes dcrs
Dick Foy ore
Blltmoro

Marguerite Piazza
Donn Ardon Dcrs
Del Courtney Ore

Cal-Neva

Tallulah Bankhead
Guy Cherncy
Wonder Sc Banks
Don Dellalr

Cal Nevettes
Matty Malneck Oro
Colonial
Halfbacks

Hsrrahs Club
Three Suns
B. Ward Dominos
Russ Bvrd
Alvino Rey

Statcllno
Ames Bros.

Lenny Gale
Stateline Girls
Sterling Young Ore
Wagon Wheel
De Castro Sisters
Eastman Trio

t&mwm

Wednesday, August 17, 1955

' -4' i

sw-

o><P

. .v s -. .

■SX'X N'^.

v - . ..>V.\ ■-•>

><**&*§

Currently STARRING

MERRIEL ABBOTT'S Musical Revue
“BOAST OF THE TOWN"

BEVERLY HILLS, California

Thanks -ED SULLIVAN, MERRIEL ABBOTT 111 DAVE BAUMGARTEN

Opening Septembe 1 15th

PALMER HOUSE, cite.,.

Direction

forsonat Management: JACK ROLLINS

Published Weekly at 154 West 46th Street, New York 36, N. Y„ by Variety, . Inc. Annual subscription, $10..
Entered as second-class matter December 22, 1905, at the Post Office at New York, N- V., under the

Single copies, 23 cents
act -of March 3. 1879.

VOL. 199 No. 12

NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 1955

•

PRICE 25 CENTS

‘Captive’ Guests Hold Up Catskill Biz
Despite Floods, But Shows Wash Out

FADES Hollywood Off

R 0 HFfllfY

Emphasis on Lives of Show Bizites

The hotel operators in the Cats--
kill belt and several in the Pocono
Mt. area of Pennsylvania weren't
hurt too much over the past week-
end, as far as business was con-
cerned. Guests already in the re-
sorts were afraid to leave because
of the dangerous road conditions,
and so many elected to stay over.

However, act employment was
hurt. Several hotels had to cancel
shows for the simple reason that
performers couldn’t get there be-
cause of flood conditions. The j
American Guild of Variety Artists
has ruled that in these instances; I
acts cannot get compensation,.

, floods being classed as an “act of
God.” However, the union is ask-
ing that all performers who have
been cancelled out be hired by the
inns as soon as possible. ,

There was one major accident
over the weekend. Singer Joan
Dexter driving on N. Y. route 209
figured in a head-on collision. After
a brief stay at an upstate hospital,
she was moved to the N. Y. Hos-
pital of Special Surgery.

In the Pocono area in Penn-
sylvania, there was one show can-
cellation at the Log Tavern, Mil-
ford. Booker Herman Fialkoff, tak-
iftg a show to Unity House, For-
est Park, a few miles from Strouds-
burg, which was heavily hit by
(Continued on page 20)

Phijly Bans ’Merchant’

On City Property Rather
Than Provoke ’Minorities’

Philadelphia, Aug. 23.
Philadelphia enjoyed a new sort
of censorship last week, when a
city official took it on 'himself to
bar a performance of “Merchant
of Venice” on city property be-
cause he believed It might an-
tagonize minorities.. Official was
Wayne Barr, head of the Philadel-
phia Bureau of Public Information,
and rarely has a “pressagent,” as
he's been termed in the City of
Brotherly Love, met with a worse
press. The dailies and the radio
stations hopped on him with
charges of “censorship” and “in-
consistency,” and KYW, the West-
inghouse station, promptly aired
the BBC recording of “Merchant”
•nd loudly publicized the offering.
Philadelphia Shakespearean Fes-
0 tival Players, who were allowed' to
do the play on another city site,
at Pastorious Park in Germantown,
were forbidden to go on with
their scheduled performance, last
Wednesday night (17) in Reyburn
Plaza, opposite City Hall. Ban- and
Charles B. Cranford, deputy com-
missioner of recreation, , explained
that they felt the play could be
produced without objections in
Germantown, but that they feared
injury to , minority feelings in
downtown Philadelphia.

Dailies, particularly the Daily
(Continued on page 64)

Enterprise

A1 kibbler, blind Negro vo-
calist who clicked for Decca on
“Unchained Melody,” gets
lyrics of all new songs assigned
to him in Braille. They are put
into Braille .directly before
the session ana Hibbler learns
them on the date.

Two Decca a&r men’head up
Hibbler recording sessions,
with Leonard Joy cueing the
singer’s position at the mike
and Paul Cohen directing the
dials in the control booth.

May Pick Up Tabs
For USO Troupers

Washington, Aug. 23.

A seven-act variety show, cur-
rently touring U.S. bases in France
and North Africa, may also be
blazing the trail for a new format
for * providing entertainment for
far-flung U.S. troops. Check for
show, estimated to be about $6,000,
is being picked up by Fraternal
Order of Eagles,' national organiza-
tion, which is making the gesture
as a patriotic service. Outfit has
already agreed to buy a similar
package for Alaska area, and
Pentagon reps are hoping other
groups will follow suit.

Col. Joseph Goetz, head of
Armed Fdrces Professional Enter-
tainment Branch, was frankly jubi-
lant over deal with the Eagles, set
up under his supervision. Arrange-
ments follow the regular USO pat-
tern, with the military providing
(Continued on page 62)

48th St. Playhouse Tank
Gives B’way Its Own Flood

Broadway had its own flood yes-
terday (Tueg.). Water poured into
48th Street between 6th and 7th
Avenues when a 10,000 - gallon
water tank atop the 48th Street
Theatre toppled from its perch and
nosedived through the roof onto
the stage, box seats and orchestra.
The tank, which was mounted
above another 10,000-gallon water
tank, ripped a hole in the roof ap-
proximately 60 feet in diameter.

The 925-seater, which is owned
by the Joseph Leblang Estate, has
been dark since the closing of “Tea
and Sympathy” last May. The
four-story house had been inspect-
ed last April 25 and no violations
were found. Traffic on 48th
Street, in the vicinity of the theatre,
had to be stopped briefly because
of the inundation.

By GENE ARNEEL
%

Some theatremen are still sing-
ing the blues (in certain situations,
perhaps, out of force of habit) but
film exhibition generally is doing
fine. And prospects for the im-
mediate future, say. the experts,
are unusually, good.

In the past, „ exhibs regarded
the faR seasorf with trepidation
over the competition of the tv
shows. There's a switch this year;
exhibitors in many areas say they
feel the public is returning to its
former habits; people will stay
home for tv. only if the program-
ming is above the routine — all this
in contrast with the past, when
touted network airings almost
automatically meant impaired the-
atre boxoffice.

United Paramount, 650-theatre
chain, is “now experiencing a 'third
quarter that’s slightly ahead of the
same period last year. The reve-
nue last year was the best in the
circuit’s history.

Numerous regional chains are
doing similarly well. For the most
part, all signs are encouraging.
Valid complaints seem limited to
“sub-subsequent” situations which
have yet, to receive the better pic-
tures that went into national re-
lease beginning in late June.

Firstrun houses and neighbor-
hood runs of important revenue
stature over the past few years
have been showing a marked up-
turn since around July 4. A fac-
tor, of course, has been the avail-
ability of top releases from all dis-
tributors.

As for the film product, every
(Continued on page 75)

Supporting estimates by disk
company execs that platter biz will
be up this year by 20% or over,
publisher royalties from mechani-
cals for the second quarter of this
year were nearly 25% higher than
for the same period last year. Roy-
alty figures cover payments to
Harry Fox’s office of the Music
Publisher Protective Assn, which

collects disk royalties for most of
the top publishers in the field.

While the pub royalties indicate
a climb in the pop field, a corre-
sponding increase has been taking
place in the longhair disk mar-
ket, where sales have^been steadily
rising due to lower prices and
more phonograph machines in cir-
culation. Current estimates of 1955
disk sales now range from $250,-
000,000 to $300,000,000, as against
slightly over $200,000,000 last year.

Theme Songs

Hurricanes are getting bigger
than ever. '

Last year Joe Carlton, RCA
Victor’s a&r topper, received
32 songs titled “Hazel.” This
year there have been 33 en-
tries titled “Connie.” Nothing
has been recorded.

Sinatra, NBC Call
Off Deal; Network
AdamantonTown

Frank Sinatra and NBC have
agreed to disagree. As a result
there will be no five-year contract,
or any other kind of contract. Net-
work and star couldn’t get together
on exact terms of longrange deal.

For a while ‘if even looked lika
Sinatra would cancel out of the
“Our Town” miisicaPspec present-
ation, scheduled for Sept. 19 as
the first “Producers Showcase” of
the new season. However, NBC,
it’s reported, threatened the star
with a suit if he walked out of
the show at this late date.

Had NBC finalized its deal with
Sinatra, he would have done a
number of specs plus possibly his
own regular series.

The “Our Town” musicalization,
incidentally, will wind up as an
all-Academy casting job.

In addition to Sinatra, it boasts
Eve Marie Saint and the songwrit-
ing team of Sammy Cahn and
Jimmy Van Heusen. All got Acad
nods. And Paul Newman, also
featured in the cast, won the
“Desperate Hours” legit honorar-
iums this past season,

Okay Missions to Moscow
For NBC, CBS Newsmen

Along with Russia's “new look”
attitude toward the West has come
an easeup on admission of network
newsmen inside the Soviet Union.

Russia last week granted the first
visa to a western radio commen-
tator since 1948 when it accredited
NBC’s Irving R. Levine, and then
quickly followed up that, action by
granting temporary visas , to CBS’
Richard Hottelet and Daniel
Schorr.

Levine was given permanent
status and will do regular broad-
casts from the U.S.S.R., while the
visas extended to Hottelet and
Schorr are temporary ones, not yet
dated. It’s believed that Hottelet
and Schorr will be allowed to
cover West Getman Chancellor
Konrad Adenauer’s visit to Mos-
cow next month.

There’s nothing quite as inter-
esting to- people as other people,
and so Hollywood is off on one'* of
the most solid biopix cycles in
many a year.

A lot of personalities, living and
dead, big and small, important and
unimportant, are going to have
their accomplishments dramatized
and glorified on the big screen.
They range all the way up and
down the social ladder, with the
emphasis particularly heavy on
show folk.

Actually, the biopic run has al-
ready started with such films as
“The Glenn Miller Story,” “Inter-
rupted Melody” (Marjorie Law-
rence), “The McConnell Story” (on
Joe McConnell, the late jet ace),
“The Seven Little Foys,” etc. But
the personality parade has just
begun.

Here is a sampling of some of
the projects, starting out with the
sl;.ow biz contingent:

“The Bill Robinson Story,” bio-
pic of ,the late great Negro enter-
tainer who died in 1949; “The Ed-
dy Duch'n Story,” about .the late
bandleader; “The Benny Gbodman
Story,” with Steve Allen in the
lead; “Intermission,” in which
Danny Kaye portrays jazz musician
Louis (Red) Nichols; filmization of
Richard Aldrich’s book ^bout his
wife, “Gertrude Lawrence As M.’s.
A”; a pic on comedian Buster
Keaton; andHhe life of Elsie Janis
(via So) c. Siegel for Metro).

In the military field there’s a
project revolving around the life
of the late Ira Hayes, one of the
marines who raised the flag over
Mt. Surabachi; “The Court Ma tial
of Billy Mitchell”; story of Gov.
Joe J. Foss of S. Dakota, a -flier
in World War II who also served
in Korea, and two other films con-
cerned with flying: “Kitty Hawk,”
which will tell about the Wright
Bros., flight pioneers, and “The
Spirit of St. Louis.” ,

There’s also a pic upcoming
titled “The Wings of the Eagle,”
to star Robert Taylor. It’s based
(Continued on page 75)

2 Out o?3 Households
In U.S. Own a TV Set,
Census Bureau Finds

Washington, Aug. 23.

Two out of three American
households now have at least one
tv set, the Bureau of the Census
reported last week on the basis of
a survey conducted last June at
the request of the Advertising Re-
search Foundation.

The study, taken in conjunction
with the current Population Surve.\ ,
showed that 32,000,000 households
(not necessarily families) had one
or more receivers. This compares
with the count of 5,000,000 sets
made by the Bureau in its 1950
census of housing,

MISCELLANY

Wednesday, : August 24, 1955

By ROBERT F. HAWKINS

. Venice, Aug. '23. ,

Thirty-tWo feature films from 19
countries will be in the running
for the Grand Prix Lion of St.
Mark when the Venice Film Festi-
val gets its ‘ start Here Thursday
(25). .Fete runs for 16 days, with
prizes being handed put at final
ceremonies Sept, 10. Currently,
the so-called “minor” section Of the
Festival, including documentaries
of all types and films for children,
is already under way, ending just
before the main event starts. Best
documentaries and moppet pix will
get repeat screenings during the
feature festival.

Feature screenings will be held
afternoons and evenings in the
1,300-seat Palazzo on the Lido,
around which Festival activity
gravitates, in the nearby outdoor
Arena, seating 1,600 (here the af-
ternoon apd evening pix will both
be shown after dark), in Venice’s
Safi Marco Cinema on the day fol-
lowing the Lido showings, and fi-
nally in the industrial suburb of
Mestre, where a theatre screening
will be supplemented by shows
projected via a mobile unit, for the
benefit of the working population.

Tab for the main Palazzo show-
ings is 2,500 lire per seat ($4), but
there will be few of these . ducats
for sale, as the audience, including
press, government reps, delegates,

„ stars, etc., is mainly invitational.
Other showings may be held in the
Palazzo’s two small, preview rooms
(Continued on page 75).

NBC-TV’s Braintrusters
Mull Super-Duper Format
For Irving Berlin Spec

Irving -Berlin and NBC are talk-
ing a spectacular on the order of
the Rodgers & Hammerstein two-
network salute although the song-
smith recognizes that if “Pe,ter .
Pan” could garner an audience of
61,000,000 that is plenty satisfac-
tory. .

Berlin’s next concern, with NBC
is an “idea,” and in this connection
the network plans to. put some of
it’s braintrusters to work so as. to
achieve an idea worthy of a super-
. dfiper Berlin show. All stops would
be pulled out on this one, as to
facilities, personalities and budgets
once the “format” is achieved.

IN A C. AT CLUB 500

Atlantic City, Aug. 23.

Mickey Rooney will follow the
Will Mastin trio starring Sammy
Davis Jr. into the 500 Club here
starting this Saturday night (27).
It marks the jfirst appearance here
of Rooney in a night club.

Rooney replaces Fsank Sinatra
who was to come in if he could
so arrange his motion picture
schedule on the Coast. Paul
(Skinny) D’Amato, 500 Club oper-
tor, learned some 10 days ago that
Sinatra would not be available.

-' Mayer ‘Citizen of Year’

Los Angeles, Aug. 23.

Louis B, Mayer will be kudosed
as 1955. “Citizen of the Year” by
the Guardians of the Jewish Home
for the Aged of Los Angeles, at
presentation ceremonies held at
the annual Guardian dinner Sept.
20. Former film chief has long been
a benefactor of the home, and has
donated a number of rooms to the
Mary Pickford Bldg. Past Winners
of the award are Dean Martin &
Jerry Lewis, Eddie Cantor, Paul G.
Hoffman and Danny Thomas.

Guardians is a group of 1,000
business and professional men.

Plenty of Showmanship
Dots the U.S. Highways
Motoring LA. to N.Y.

. By HAL KANTER

Hollywood, Aug. 23. •

Showmanship isn’t restricted to
show business by any means:
America’s highways teem with at-
tempts to attract the wanderer into
everything from homesteading, to
purchasing chocqlate-covered pini-
on nuts.

During an 8,000 mile trip around
the country this summer, we were
amused and beguiled by showman-
ly attractions in the most unex-
pected places one could unexpect.

A motel in Evanston, Wyoming,
has a ertidely lettered but effective
sign out front that advises ' trav-
ellers, “If You Can’t Stop, At Least
Smile When You Pass.” As you
might expect, the proprietors of
the establishment were good-hu-
mored landlords who provided a
delightful atmosphere around an
otherwise mundane establishment.

In some now-forgotten southern
city, a body and fender shop must
gather a great deal of business
from careless drivers With their
(Continued oil page 64)

Denver TV Station’s
Uranmm Stock Giveaway

Ballyhoo-conscious showmen
have given away everything from
dollar hills to television sets to
plug their products, but Joe Herold
of KBTV in Denver has come up
with something new. He’s giving
aWay 25,000 shares of uranium
stock to timebuyers, agency execs
and network personnel to point up
the wealth of the Denver market
and KBTV’s* programming lineup
with which to sell that market for
sponsors.

. Herold is currently in New York
making the rounds of agencies and
visiting with ABC-TV execs to firm
up his affiliation setup with the
web. On each call, he hands out 10
shares in Liberty Oil & Uranium
Co., along with a brochure on the
station’s fall lineup. First 10 shares
went to Ai Beckman, ABC-TV di-
rector of station relations.

8/24

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR
1905-1955

r» . .

Street

Subscription Order Form

Enclosed find check for $

Please send VARIETY for Two years

(Please Print Name)

City Zone . . . .State

Regular Subscription Rates
One Year — $10.00 Two Years — $18,00

Canada and Foreign— -$1 Additional Per Year

VARIETY Inc.

151 West 46th Street New York 36. N. Y.

UjmiEYY

*Worst Flop’ in Theatre’s
Run; Slow Pace Panned

Tokyo, Aug. 23.

Marred by a bilingual .presenta-
tion, in which the principal
speeches are, given once in English
and immediately after in Japanese
by Sakini, the interpreter, the
Tokyo presentation of “The Tea-
house of the August Moon” has
turned out to bo what its backers
call “the worst flop in the history
of the Tokyo. Kabuki Theatre.”

Shochiku Co., which operates the
Kabuki, said it would Import some
of its stage experts from Osaka to
try to bolster the last 10 days of
the run. Since “Teahouse” opened
Aug. 6 with a mixed cast of Jap-
anese and American professionals
and amateurs, Shochiku says it has
been playing to a daily average of
only 400 in the luxurious,* air-con-
ditioned, 2,500-seat of Kabuki,
Japan’s traditional theatre.

Although the Kabuki Theatre is
normally closed each year during
the month of August— only respite
the Kabuki troupes get from their
11-month, 25-day-a-month sched-
ule of eight hours of performances
daily — cost of keeping the lights
on for “Teahouse,” plus royalties
and salaries, is expected to result
in a sturdy deficit for the month.

Local critics- have been, unani-
mous in decrying the slow pace of
the play and have suggested that
a more sensible plan would have
been to preseht a Japanese ver-
sion alternately with one in Eng-
lish. Sets, costumes and perform-
ances have all been very adequate
considering the talent available,
but the laughs just have not been
coming.

Diplomatically, Sakini’s com-
ments about the Japanese occupa-
tion % of Okinawa ■ have all been
excised for Tokyo audiences.

, Yet on Balking

The American Federation of
’Television and Radio' Artists, as
yet has taken no disciplinary ac-
tion' against those members, who
as witnesses .before the House Un-
American Activities Committee

last weCk, cited the Fifth Amend--
ment in refusing to answer ques-
tions. The union’s membership
recently voted that such action-
suspension, expulsion or other au-
thorized means— r-be taken against
AFTRAites employing that Con-
stitutional out.

The Committee, . which was
probing int.o Communist infiltra-
tion of New York show business,
wound up four days of hearings
last Thursday ( 18 ) at the United
States Court House in Foley Sq.,
N. Y. The Monday-Thursday ses-
sions were almost a complete
washout. Of a total of 23 wit-
nesses called during that period,,
only one, actor George Hall, con-
fessed to having been a Commie.

Originally 27 show biz figures
had been subpoenaed to appear
before the Committee, but sev-
eral were granted postponements.
Most of those still booked to
testify, according to Committee
counsel Frank. S. Tavenner, are
likely to be called to appear in
Lds Angeles as t)le Committee is
expected to hold hearings there
“in a matter of weeks.”

Tavenner said the list to be
called in L.A. is headed by Zero
Mostel, who’s currently appear-
(Continued on page 64)

FEMME SLIDEHORN AS
OPERA THEATRE HEAD

St. Louis, Aug. 23.

Dorothy Ziegler, principal trom-
bonist for the St, Louis Symphony

Orchestra, has been appointed act-
ing musical director for the local
Washington U. Opera Theatre. The
director, Harold Blumenf eld, is on
a year’s leave, of absence.

Miss Ziegler, who came here,
from the National Symphony, in
Washington, 10 years ago, has
served as coaching director and as-
sociate director.

Times Square has 'been given an architectural going-over by a
group of students at- Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. It’s
strictly in the modern groove with overpasses for pedestrians, up-
dated outdoor advertising gimmicks, and numerous other features
including a changeover from the news ribbon on the Times Bundl-
ing to a 100 feet by 175 feet screen erected on a parking tower
for visual projection of the news in color;

Abstract blueprints and comments oh the student designs are
featured in the August edition of Architectural Forum. The face-
lifting also take in the existing traffic and parking problems.
Among those commenting oh the redevelopment plan in the mag
are T. J. Mclnerny, managing director of the Broadway Assn., and
Robert V. Dowling, City Investing Co. pPexy.

Dowling observes, “Times Square should never be dignified; it’s
a carnival place. Trying to dignify jtt would be like putting a high
silk hat on Davy Crockett and taking away his coonskin . . , We
should improve what we’ve got. I’m for a. practical, cleanup which
will pay.” On the other hand, the Broadway Assn.’s Mclnerny
gave the new look virtual 100% endorsement.

| Screams In The Night I

+ 4 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦+»♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦ 4 ♦♦♦♦ I

In 1899, six years before the
founding of Variety, a young man
named Lee DeForest took his doc-
torate at Yale with a paper on
ether waves, which bad more or
; lesh been pinned down in 1887 by
a German scientist, Heinrich Hertz.
In between Hertz and DeForest
there was a young 'half Italian-half
Irish guy named Marconi. There
were also a number of .British,
Canadian, • Swedish, French, Dutch
and even Russian' experimenters,
-none of whom got mentioned in
'Variety but all of whom played a
-part in creating a phenomenon that
was to smack show business, but
hard. DeForest rates a special spot-
light because it was his audion tube
which turned - the radiotelephone
(as it was originally, known) into a
runaway fad around 1922.

A iot of young men had been
fired with the radio idea during
World War I, via the United States
Navy and the Signal Corps. Actu-
ally “voice” transmissions .(as dis-
tinct from Morse Code dot-and-
dash) had, been demonstrated as
early as 1905 and the Jules Vernes
of the day had predicted radio, di-
athermy, television, radar and
guided missiles. But hardly any-
body imagined the radio sponsor
whose subsidies would make pos-
sible an organized schedule of en-
tertainment which, ultimately
would rival the boxoffice.

1 Story of ''Radio J

In Variety’s Golden Jubilee Edi-
tion, late this year, the story of ra-
dio will he told in much detail.
For radio was the first of a number
of “mechanical” innovations that
were rapidly to alter the compara-
tively simple amusement industry
identified with the early years of
this publication. Date radio from
192Q. Talking pictures from 1936.
Television, crudely, from 1931.
These three developments alone
have spelled theatrical r-e-v-o-l-u-
t-i-o-n. More recently we have
come to grips with color television,
Cinerama, Cinemascope, VistaVi-
Sion, closed-circuit- and pay-see.
Verily, the engineer has moved
into show business as nobody, but
nobody, could have envisioned half
a century ago. And even today no
man may say for a certainty where
it all shall end. The public pro-
phesies of a Brig. Gen. David Sar-
noff,. of RCA-NBC, or a Dr. Frank
Stanton, of CBS, literally dizzy the
imagination.

.Vaudeville was to languish and
largely disappear from the face of
America in the years following ra-
dio's upsurge but radio alone can
hardly bear the whole burden of
the blame. Dialog and the music
soundtrack on moving pictures,
and the buying up of vaudeville
circuits by film interests, all
sapped the stamina of vaudeville.
Nor can the full story omit the
suicidal tendencies in the vaude-
ville managers, their blind toler-
ance of, or connivance in, all sorts
of penny-ante chisels, their official
enequragement' of copy acts, and
other nefarious economies which
killed incentive among the per-
formers and made the best of
them anxious to move out of vaude-
ville into legit, f limg or even — in
due course- 1 — radio.

Variety said it right out— soon-
er or later radio would have to pay
actors. Operators of early stations
tried to con troupers into going on
with free broadcast on the grounds
that radio was the greatest public-
ity medium ever invented. It was,
up to that time, but the actors
still clung to a quaint fondness of
folding money.

In those early days it Wasn’t just

the talent that found broadcasters
tight with a buck. The American
Telephone & Telegraph Co., which
owned some of the basic radio
patents, wanted station’s to pay roy-
alties. So did the music ^perform-
ance society, ASCAP. In both in-
stances the radio operators yelled
bloody murder. AT&T was to duck
out by 1926 but ASCAP and the
broadcasters kept tip a running
feud until 1940.

It is interesting to note that a
page one Variety' streamer of
March 10, 1922 proclaimed, “Radio
Sweeping the Country.” This fact
had both immediate and specula-
tive significance for the rest of show
biz, and Variety did not flinch at
the at-the-time depressing possi-
bilities. .Actually the founder,
Sime Silverman, was something of
a radio addict, partly because he
was fond of baseball and partly
because he liked, music while’ he
worked, often late into the evening.
As to Sime’s tolerance of static,
crosstalk and cosmic shreiks, staff
members old ehough to remember
that torture machine with the big
horn at the back of the office, still
shudder. When Sime would final-
ly leave, someone Would quickly
press the button and ’ usher in
blessed silence.

Early radio had a. bad name for
more reasons than static. It was
populated by a motley crew of con
men and con women. They sold
everything from, stock certificates
(ideal «for papering bathrooms) to
cemetery lots (slightly under
water) and they preached anything
from Yogism to Kluxism. One. Of
the worst Kluxers flourished right
in New York City where he oper-
ated his own radio station. When
invited to give equal time for reply
to persons he had slandered this
impudent demagog flatly stated
that he would have no truck with
Silly ideas like fair play;

In broadening out to cover radio
Variety found itself dealing with
all sorts of strange new species.
For instance: advertising agencies,
hillbillies, soap operas, gold-voiced
announcers, silver-masked tenors.
Mystery Chefs, Voices of Experi-
ence, majors of the Missouri State
I Militia, specialists in the cries of
babies, racoons and yeast manu-
facturers, shortwave and Graham
MacNamee.

One thing has comforted Variety
— come radio, come television,
come widescreen, or high tide, our
basic language has always got us
over the border. That basic lan-
guage, as if We had to tell you, is
showmanship. It fits every where.
And how are your Hertzian waves?

BBC-TV to Put On
Plays Prior to West End
Theatrical Presentation

London, Aug. 23.

Under a deal made with BBC-TV
last week, Henry Sherek is to tele-
vise a number of new plays over
the state web prior to West End
theatrical presentation. This is a
major switch from past policy,
which has restricted cooperation
between legit and tv to brief ex-
cerpts of plays after they have
opened in town.

The plays will be staged under
the title pf “Henry Sherek Pre-
sents” and will be featured, mainly
on Sunday nights, at monthly in-
tervals. The first of the series will
go on the air on Sept. 25, the first
weekend of commercial tv in Lon-
don.

Wednesday, August 24, 1955

PICTURES

Here, in thumbnail fashion, is a boxscore on the companies’ ap-
praisal of the film crix on the N. Y. dailies:

Bosley Crowther (Times) — Brilliant; erratic; prefers foreign
films; writes the most thorough review in the business but oc-
casionally retreats to ivory tower; can literally make or unmake
any picture in the "sophisticated” class; has thorough grasp of the
industry and its problems. *

William K. Zinsser (Herald Tribune)— More open-minded than
Crowther in many respects; for the most part a "fair” reviewer
who writes a readable piece, but has a penchant for biting sarcasm,
a la John Crosby; also likes foreign films; cares nothing for b.o.
values.

Kate Cameron (News)— Knows what her readers like and don’t
like; a "friend” of the industry; goes by popular appeal* rather
.. than "art.” ^ .

Archer. Winston . (Post)— Occasionally gets on a high horse, but
on the whole rates pix realistically; jl pushover for “significance”
in films.

Alton Cook (Telegram & Sun) — Apt to be tough one day leni-
ent the next; writes a punchy review that occasionally ve^rs to the
sophisticates’ comer; usually fair and realistic.

Frank Quinn (Mirror)— Likes most pictures and therefore is
great favorite with the companies.

Bose Pelswick (Journal- American)— Considers her function as a
reviewer to rehash the plot without giving opinions. Tough to get a
good quote from her.

Film company execs are plenty 4 -
burned up about the tonguelashing
some of their top pix received last
week from the N. Y. Times and
Herald Tribune crix. 1

Films involved were "Love Is a
Many Splendored Thing” (20th-
Fox; "Ulysses” (Paramount) and
•‘Pete Kelly’s Blues” (Warner
Bros.). Of the three, "Ulysses”
probably fared the worst, with the
Trib’s William K. Zinsser gagging
up his review with what one film
exec called "New Yorkerish glee.”

Criticizing the critics — when
they pen unfavorable notices — is a
favorite game at the companies.
But, on the basis of the three re-
views last week, execs claim the
scribes of the top papers have lost
all contact with reality.

"They’re all trying to out-New
Yorker the New Yorker,” opined
one 20th plugger, studying the
"Love Is a Many Splendored
Thing” pans In the Times and
Tribune. "After all,” he added, "he
(the Times’ Bosley Crowther) must
jhave some regard for the boxoffice.
Nobody expects him to pick the top
moneymakers, but when he cruci-
fies a picture, and then it is a very
big grosser both in N. Y. and out-
side, that ought to prove at least
that a lot of people — including his

(Continued on page 20)

SEE PRICE BEEF PROBE
AS STAFF WORK STARTS

Washington, Aug. 23.

The staff of the retail pricing
subcommitte of the Senate Small
Business Committee expects to
commence investigation next
month on complaints of the prices
being charged by the film distribu-
tors.

The staff work, it was explained,
will continue until the’ beginning
of January, by which time the sub-
committee, headed by Sen. Hubert
Humphrey (D., Minn.), will be
ready to conduct public hearings, if
necessary.

While the sub-committee’s deci-
sion will be based upon findings of
its staff, the general belief here is
that hearings are a foregone con-
clusion. This is in line With a
statement made in Minneapolis
last Thursday (18) by Benjamin
Berger, chairman of the emergency
defense committee of the Allied
States Assn.

Berger predicted that the hear-
ing was a sure thing.

Gardner, Levy Prod. Team
Check Out of Col Studio

Hollywood, Aug. 23*
Producing team of Arthur Gard-
ner and Jules Levy, inked by Co-
lumbia a year ago, has checked out
of the studio, not having put any
of the three properties being
prepped into work.

Yams included "The Talking
Bug,” "Flight,” an Air Force jet
pilot film, and "Reprisal.”

20th May Pay Up to 250G
On Wilson ‘Flannel Suit’

Twentieth-Fox, in purchasing
Sloan Wilson’s "The Man in the
Gray Flannel Suit,” is paying the
author $125,000, plus $25,000 for
exploitation of the book, which is
on the bestseller list.

Deal involves an escalator ar-
rangement under which 20th may
end up paying as much as $250,000
for the noval, depending on its
bookstore sale.

Yarn for $250,

"Andersonville,” an unpub-
lished novel by MacKinlay Kantor
about the Confederate prison
camp during the Civil War, has
been bought by Columbia Pictures
for a reported $250,000. Deal was
made personally by Col’s produc-
tion chief, Jerry Wald, and is un-
usual both for the high figure paid
and the subject matter involved.

As a result of tttfe film sale,
Kantor stands to collect close to
$400,000 prior to publication. Book
is due out via World Publishing in
November. It’ll also be brought
out in a paperback edition by new
American, which is paying $75,-
000 for the rights. That includes
$15,000 which the publishing
house was to pay in case of a
Hollywood sale.

Furthermore, "Andersonville” Is
a Book of the Month selection
(another $30,000) and one chapter
of it was sold to the Readers Di-
gest Book Club for $35,000. First
printing of the novel only amounts
to 35,000 copies. Col deal was
agented by Donald Friede, Worid
Publishing exec and editor, and
amounted to the very figure origi-
nally asked by Kantor for the
screen rights,

Col’s pickup of the novel is un-
usual in . that the subject is unfa-
vorable to the South. At least one
other company that had b^en in-
terested in the tome eventually
decided against considering it for
that very reason. Practically all
pix on the Civil War, for obvious
reasons, have been friendly in
tome to the South, or at least neu-
tral in relating events and etching
personalities.

It’s assumed that Kantor will
do the screenplay for Columbia.

One of the most active seasons,
in the foreign film market is shap-
ing. up for this fall, promising
sharp competition for N. Y. play-
dates and a new accent on dubbing.

Situation is changed, quite radic-
ally from last fall* with exhibs now
increasingly prominent in the dis-
tribution of foreign pix. Side-pro-
duct of this is that, the art show-
cases in N. Y. will be more difficult
than ever, to crack by the indies
without theatres of their own,

Paris Theatre is run by Pathe
Cinema, Which is going into dis-
tribution later this year and can
be counted on to favor its own
product. Fine Arts Theatre is
owned by Richard Davis, partner
with John G. McCarthy in United
Motion Picture Organization, which
is also going into distribution and
is likely to use the Fine Arts as
a logical outlet. Little Carnegie
belongs to Jean Goldwurm, who
also runs Times Film Corp. as a
distributing outfit. Baronet is
operated by Walter Reade, partner
with Frank Kassler in Continental
Distributing. Another circuit, also
with art theatre outlets, is cur-
rently mulling distribution of. for-
eign films.

Video Angle

' Where, only a few years ago,
dubbed product was generally con-
sidered unsuitable for the U. S.
market, today It’s the talk of the
foreign film trade. Indies seem
convinced— despite the lack of any
great precedent- — that impbrts with
English soundtracks, if prepared
intelligently, can succeed and, ad-
ditionally, have a chance on tv.
In fact, some of them argue, a tv
sale could well pay for the con-
siderable dubbing cost.

Primarily, however, they feel
certain that American theatres and
public will accept dubbed pix. Ac-
tually, only one dubbed foreign
film— the Italian "Anna” — has had
any, success in this country, even
though a number of others
("Fabiola,” etc.) -were dubbed.
Again and again, the argument is
advanced that, if American pix
abroad are so. wholeheartedly ac-
cepted in dubbed form, the op-
(Continued on page 20)

■cew’s to

N.J.; Justice, Court Okays Seen

Goetz on Coast for M-G
Talks About His Future

Future status of Ben Goetz,
former head of Metro’s production
activities . in England, will be de-
termined following confabs with
studio officials. Goetz, whose don-
tract with the company has ex-
pired, returned from London last
week and went to the Coast Fri-
day U9) after numerous meetings
with Loew’s prexy Nicholas M.
Schenck in New York.

Goetz, it’s said, has expressed a
desired to retire, but at the urging
of Schenck is reported ready to
reconsider if a satisfactory ar-
rangement could be made for a
studio advisory post. .

750 G From Thief

Cary Grant will walk away with
$500,000 to $750,000 from his deal
with Paramount on "To Catch A
Thief.” If the film maintains its
present boxoffice pace, the actor,
will get nearer the $750,000 mark;
the lesser figure is a conservative
one based on the possibility of a
now-unexpected softness in subse-
quent theatre areas.

It was recently reported that
Grant has a cut of 10% of the gross
on Stanley Kramer's upcoming
"Pride and the Passion.” The deal
with Par is considered the more
significant at this time because
"Thief” is completed ajid in re-
lease and established as a click.

Pact with Par gives Grant 10%
of the "Thief” gross' but insiders
are vague on where the gross be-
gins. Specifically, whether it’s
measured before or after Par takes
a slice of the income to cover dis-
tribution expense. "It’s very close

(Continued on page 17)

■4- Loew’s Theatres, which has been
adding to its theatre holdings re-
cently, is planning to acquire drive-
ins in New York and New Jersey.
It has its eye on one site in Jersey
where it contemplates building.
Theatre chain is also bn the prowl
for another N. J. location as well
as one in N. .Y. State. As with its
previous acquisitions, ‘ the circuit
Will ask permission of the Dept of
Justice and the Federal Court. Ap-
proval of both Federal units for
theatre additions is required under
terms of the consent decree order
divorcing Loew’s into separate
theatre and production companies.

The theatre chain received Court
approval to obtain ozoners in sul>
burban Chicago and Jacksonville,
Fla., recently. It presently has a
request on file for the acquisition
of a 1,300-seat conventional theatre
now under construction in Coral
Gables, Fla. Hearing on the ap-
plication is set for Monday (29) in
N Y. Federal Court,

It’s understood that the D. of
J., following a study of the com-
petitive angles, will not oppose
Loew’s request. Archie W either,
Loew’s Theatres counsel, went ,to
Washington last week to confer
with Justice Dept, officials. : A
greenlight from the D. of J* usually
means court approval, unless some

(Continued on page 20)

National Boxoffice Survey

Trade Strong; ‘Roberts’ First for 5th Consecutive
Week, ‘Thief’ 2d, ‘Holiday’ 3d, ‘Blues’ 4th

With some* new, strong product
starting out in key cities covered
by Variety this session, biz is pick-
ing up despite handicap of more
torrid weather, floods and hurri-
canes. The storms and high water
along the Atlantic seaboard did not
hurt as much as a return of tropical
temperatures. They actually helped
Boston and Philly.

For the fifth week in succession,
"Mister Roberts” (WB) is capturing
first place by a wide margin, with
gross total again 'near the $500,000
mark. It is big to smash in nearly
all 21 keys where now current.

"To Catch Thief” (Par), standout
newcomer last session, is moving
up to second place, first time in re-
lease to any extent. It is brisk to
terrific in eight key cities. "Cine-
rama Holiday” (Indie) is winding
up third.

"Pete Kelly's Blues” (WB). third
a week ago, is landing fourth spot.
"Never Too Young” (Par), not
prominent last session, is coming
back via some new playdates to fin-
ish fifth. "Not As Stranger” (UA),
long high on list, is capturing sixth .

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR

1905-1955

money, with "Man From Laramie”
(Col) taking seventh.

“Lady and Tramp” (BV), seventh
last round, is taking eighth place.
"We’re No Angels” (Par), in hun-
ner-up category last week, is wind-
ing ninth while "Summertime”
rounds out the Top 10 list.

"Marty” (UA) is topping the ruii-
ner-up group. “The Shrike” (U),
"Private War Major Benson” (U)
and "How To Be Popular” (20th)
are the other ruhrier-up pix in that
order.

"Love Is Many Splendored
Thing” (20th) shapes as outstand-
ing future winner, based on show-
ing this stanza. It is terrific in Bos-
ton and Philly, big in Minneapolis,
sock in L.A., great in N. Y. and
swell in Detroit. "Ulysses” (Par),
also new, is mighty in first week at
N. Y. Globe.

“Female on Beach” (U) apparent-
ly is picking up where Joan Craw-
ford’s previous big pic left off, be-
ing terrific in N. Y. and huge in
Philly. "Girl Rush” (Par) looms
fast on Philly preem.

"Pearl of South Pacific” (RKO)
is not promising this round, okay
sessions in. Boston and Buffalo be-
ing tops. "Virgin Queen” (20th)
still is spotty, being neat in Boston,
stout in Providence but modest in
Detroit, fair in Seattle and light in
Portland. "Kentuckian” (UA\ okay
in L.A., is fair in Buffalo and great
in St. Louis.

"Foxfire” (U) shapes hotsy in
Chi. "Wichita” ^AA), big in Toron-
to, is sock in Chi and lean in L.A.
"7 Year Itch” (20th) is big in L.A.
( Complete Boxoffice Reports on
Pages 8-9)

MPAA CAN’T SHED THAT
$40,000 SHORTS MONEY

Fund of some $40,000 is going
begging at the Motion Picture
Assn, of America.

Coin reps the profit on the
theatrical release of the industry’s
12 public relations shorts back in
1949-50 and has been held in es-
crow ever since, waiting for some-
one to decide what to do with it.

To dispose of the money, MPAA
Would have to collect all the exhib
association prexies around a table,
along with distrib reps and others.
First, the coin would have to be
(Continued on page 17)

Trade Mark Registered
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Published Weekly by VARIETY, 0 INC

Harold Erichs, President
154 West 46th St. New York 36, -N, Y
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ABEL GREEN. Editor

Vol. 199 No. 12

INDEX

Bills 64

Chatter 74

Concert-Opera . ........ ; 72

Films Reviews 6

House Reviews . 65

Inside Legit 63

Inside Pictures 18

Inside Radio-Tv .V. . . ... 43

International 13

Legitimate 68

Literati 73

Music 51

New Acts C5

Night Club Reviews . . . . 63

Obituaries 75

Pictures ; . 3

Radio-Television f 5

Radio Reviews 41

Record Reviews 52

Frank Scully 73

Television Reviews .;.... 30

TV Films 33

Vaudeville . 59.

Wall Street 18

DAILY VARIETY

(Published in Hollywood by
Daily Variety, Ltd.)

$15 a year . $20 Foreign

4 . PICTURES

Wednesday* August 24, 1955

• *

y "J

By HYHOLLINGER

Watfcfburyjp Conn.; Aug. 23/ .

Paramount newsreel 4 hert, Were
to cover the world preem of Rosa-
lind Russell starrer,. "The. Girl
Rush.”' Thursday <v( 18), : got a beat
on itlie .film footage jof; thljs, in-
undated area, which was one of
the hardest hit by last week’s flood.
Cameramen r » who. were scheduled
to leave on Fridays (19), stayed 6n
to cover the disaster.

New York newspapermen cover-
ing the Par junket, Gloria De
Haven, producer Frederick Bris-
son, and ‘ Par pulPad chief Jerry
Pickman gdt Out* on one of the last
trains to leave the city, unaware
of what was coming. A special
two-car New Haven train left
Waterbury in a heavy downpour
shortly after midnight Thursday,
travelling over the same bridge
which was washfed ’out the next
morning.

The Boston and New England
newspaper delegation, shepherded
by Par’s Boston rep ; Arnold Van
Leer, made it to New Haven Fri-
day morning by taxi safari 15 min-
utes before a state Of emergency
was declared.

Miss Russell, who was scheduled
to be .in New York Friday to re-
hearse for Sunday’s (21) Ed Sulli-
van tv show, almost didn’t make
it. She started out by car at 2 a.m.
but had to turn back because of
flooded roads. On Friday morning,
.with the help of the Automobile
Club, Miss Russell and her party
made it to Gotham via back roads
not hit. by the flopd.

The junket and preem activities
just got under the. wire, winding
up as the heavy downpour, started,
While the flood may have deflated
the preem’s result, it shaped up,
as originally planned, as a potent
boxoffice booster. . ,

There may be a tendency among
many to disparage the value of film

(Continued on page 18)

Support for the idea of a film
industry exposition as suggested by
Theatre Owners of America 4or its
1956 convention at the N.Y. Coli-
seum came this week from -an
Allied States Assn. unit. Robert A.
Wile, executive secretary of the
Independent Theatre ^Owners of
Ohio, declared in letter to Variety
that the announcement “intrigues
us here in Ohio very much.”

He suggests that the expo plan j
be carried out even further so that 1
the exposition could be broken up
and sent travelling. He recalled
that Ohio was the first state to
have a film industry exposition. It
was held at the Ohio State Fair in
1952 and the material was later
moved to the Indiana State Fair.

“As long as the material is all
assembled,” Wile argues, “don’t
you think it best to keep it out
before the public in cities other
than NeW York? I can envision the"
exhibitors in cities like Cleveland,
Cincinnati, Toledo, Columbus, Day-
ton, Akron, and Youngstown find-
ing the space in an armory or
empty store to display this ma-
terial.”

JERSEY ALLIED CALM
ABOUT ANY TOA ‘RAID’

. Allied Theatre Owners of New
Jersey appears unconcerned about
the possibility of a “raid” on its
territory, by Theatre Owners of
America. At a meeting of the
Jersey TOA unit last week, Wal-
ter Reade Jr., TOA board chair-
man, revealed that TOA will be-
gin an organizational drive in
New Jersey.

George Gaughan, TOA’s field
representative, will tour the ter-
ritory shortly to pitch TOA’s story,
Reade disclosed. Except for the
Reade, RKO, Fabian, and. Skour-
as chains in Jersey and a handful
of firstrun . ops, the majority of
the . state’s independent exhibitors
are members of Allied, The Jer-
sey Allied unit is one of the strong
outfits in national Allied and it’s
felt TOA will have to do a top. sell-
ing job to pry away some members.

» — ■

Better Late Than • * • .

Hal March, emcee of tv’s
“The $64,000 Question,” has a
short: role as a punchdrunk
fighter in Metro’s .' musical,
“It's Always Fair Weather.”
Since the picture was made
.before the tv show and March
achieved national prominence,
he receives no screen credit
in the. picture, and his name
is not included in the adver-
tising accessories.

.With March presently a suc-
cess, Metro is determined to
capitalize bn his new-found
/ fame. All future advertising,
publicity and promotion relat-
ihg to the picture will include,
where possible, copy to the
following effect: “Introducing
Hal March, Master of Cere-
monies of the sensational
‘$84,000 Question’ tv program.
He’s a riot in his first im-
portant movie role,”

Lowell Calvert Dies;
Producers’ Rep Had
Unusual RKO Tiein

Lowell V. Calvert, who died in
Mount Vernon, N. Y. last Tuesday
(16) night, was a member of that
special fraternity that had its ups
and downs as independent pro-
duction trended alternately strong
and weak.

Calvert mostly was known as a
successful and highly regarded pro-
ducer’s N. Y. representative. Film-
makers with whom he was associ-
ated included David O. Selznick,
Frank Capra, Hunt Stromberg,
Robert Rifkin and James Nasser.
In. 1950, when indie production’
was at ebb tide, Calvert joined
Howard Hughes in what proved
an unusual arrangement. Calvert
headquartered at the RKO home-
office and functioned as represen-
tative of Hughes on the latter’s
films, yet Hughes was* in control
of RKQ and his pictures were, of
course, distributed by that com-
pany. • • ..

In his prior tieups, Calvert’s role
was that of the final authority on
whether an exhibition cohtract was
the best for his client; The distrib-
utor would set the; deal, and"' Cal-
vert would be called in to say yes
or no. Producers’ reps with his
authority now have become few
in number because of the new pat-
tern of indie production.

Worked With ‘GWTW’

The outstanding pic with which.
Calvert was connected was Selz-
nick’s “Gone With the. Wind,” in
its early Metro release stages. It
was in 1933 that he became gen-
eral manager of Pioneer Develop-
ment Corp., and in this capacity
supervised distribution of Selznick
International and Gapra Produc-
tions releases. In 1942, when a new
era of prosperity for the independ-
ents began (and lasted until short-
ly after World War II), Calvert
switched to the succession of team-
ups with Stromberg,. et al.

In joining Hughes, Calvert went
on the payroll of Hughes Tool Co.,
not RKO, thus adding to the un-
usual aspects of the post. Despite
the fact that Hughes sold RKO to
Tom O’Neil, Calvert stayed on the
job with Hughes Tool until the
time of his death.

His widow, Edith, and a daugh-
ter, Audrey, survive.

Disney Joins AMPP

Hollywood, . Aug. 23.

Walt Disney Productions’ entry
into the ranks of the Assn, of Mo-
tion Picture Producers increases to
10 the number of major producing
companies which hold membership
in the outfit.

Disney company now belongs to
two producer groups, other being
the Society of Independent Motion
Picture. Producers, which will con-
tinue to act for the company in
film distribution matters, according
to prexy Roy O. Disney.

The AMPP members, in addition
to Disney, include Columbia, Metro,
Paramount, Republic, RKO, 20th-
Fox, UI, Warners and Allied Art-
ists.

Investment Firm Wants
Fnli Tide to ‘Love Happy-

Los Angeles, Aug; 23.
“Love Happy,” Lester Cowan pro-,
duction starring the Marx Bros.,
released by United Artists in 1949,
is subject of a quiet title suit in
Superior; Court, filed by Standard
Capital Inc., investment firm.
Court is asked to declare the plains
tiff sole owner of the film, rights
to which it asserts were acquired
in> a sale. .*•

In seeking any claim which the.
defendants may hold, - Standard
names as defendants Cowan,.
Artists Alliance Inc., General Ser-
vice Studios, Drakes Investment
Corp., Ben Hecht, Harpo Marx,
Chico Marx, Gummo Marx,
Groucho Marx, Betty Marx, Law-
rence W. Beilenson, United Artists
Inc. and Neil Agnew. .

If Mike Todd goes ahead with his
production plans or “War and
Peace,” likelihood looms that the
classic Tolstoy title will adorn two
films.

It’s all because Todd, as an indie,
isn’t a member of the Motion Pic-
ture Assn, of America and there-
fore not bound to register a title
with the MPAA’s title registration
bureau. Paramount, on the other
hand, which will handle the Ponti-
di Laurentiis “War and Peace,” did
register the title with the MPAA.

Even though Todd isn’t -an MPAA
member, he could still have regis-
tered the title “War and Peace.”
However, this would probably have
prevented him from using it, since
Par was in there ahead of him (at
least at the title bureau).

Not that Par is at the head of the
title bureau list either. Top spot' is .
held by Metro. Under MPAA’s un-
written rule, when a company gets
going on a picture, and none of
those that have registered the title
ahead of it have any plans for a
similar production, they then re-
linquish the title and it’s assigned
to the studio making the film.

. Par’s “War and Peace” is cur-
rently shooting in* Italy and, in any
event, will beat the Todd version
to the punch. Nevertheless, says a
Todd spokesman, the latter will riot
hesitate to release his pic under .
the “War and Peace” tag if’ and
when it hits the market, which
could he sometime in 1958.

Furthermore, says the Todd of-
fice, “War and Peace” in the Todd-
AO process — regardless of the Par
version — will be the only true ver-
sion of the book. ^Fhe argument:
Par is shooting its film in the
Italian Alps, where there’s snow. .
Book calls for snow, but it’s set
against the brckground of the Rus-
sian plains, ^nd that’s the setting
Todd wants to duplicate in Yugo-
slavia.

NAT’L THEATRES SEEKS
BUY OF 7 UTAH HOUSES

Washington, Aug. 23..

National Theatres has applied to
the Federal Court to acquire seven
theatres in and around Salt Lake
City. .

Hearing on the petition will be
held before Federal Judge Noonan,
in U. S. District Court at 2 p.m.,
Friday Sept. 2, it was disclosed by
the Justice Dept, yesterday (Mon.).

The houses, owned by Joseph
Lawrence, include the Uptown and
Rialto in central Salt Lake City;
the Oak Hill Drive-in, Villa Theatre
and Southeast Theatre on the edge
of the city; the Murray Theatre in
nearby Murray, Utah; and the
Academy, in Provo, Utah. The Anti-
trust Division will appear at the
hearing, but has not yet disclosed
its position. National Theatres has
been dickering for several weeks
with Justice on the matter.

f - ’ > *

WB in New Product ]

Deal With Hoyts Loop

Sydney, Aug, 16.

Stanley Higginson, WB’s local
chief, and Ernest Turnbull, head
of the Hoyt’s loop, have signed a
six-film pact, covering the 180
houses attached to the circuit. New
contract takes in “A Star Is Born”
(due for Melbourne preem next
October); “Drum Beat,” “Young
at Heart,” “East of Eden,” Un-
chained” and “Track of Cat.” ,

4 • . I

The late Don Marquis, author of “arfehy and mehitabel,” made ,
an odd prediction in one Of his “letters from archy the cockroach*?'

• called “hold everything” 25‘ or 30 years ago. Closing tip the vers-
. libre lines, it reads;. “mehitabel the cat says -she is not scared by.
the cleanup in the moving pictures cheer up says mehitabel tele-
vision is coming some time and who knows but Vvhat television
will be lousy , arid enjoyable and by the" time television is cleaned
up the pictures will get immoral again there is always hope says
iriehitabel if you dont weaken the artistic purpose of these periods
of reform is to give greater zest to the relaxation which follows”
(This from page 298 of “the lives and time of archy and mehi-
tabel” (Doubleday) a collection from Marquis columns. Copyright
dates start as far back as 1916 but it’s impossible to tell just when
the above appeared.)

America-On-Wheels Ups
NatT Parks, Monuments
To New Boxoffice Peaks

By JOHN' QUINN

Kansas City, Aug. 23.

Touring and rubbernecking con-
tinue to be one i df the great "diver-
sions of America^ And it is on the
increase, according to reports from
national ^arks and monuments.

National parks and monuments
have their fingers on the entertain-
ment pulse through admissions
charged. Through the more north-
erly .chain of these attractions at-
tendance was on the’ climb early
in the season, with traffic thriving
at Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons,
Hell’s Half Acre and the Craters
of . the Moon (Idaho). Early in the
season it was down a shade in the
California Redwoods and Yosemite,
but gaining rapidly.. They, too,
were looking for record years,
given a break in the weather.

As with other enterprises in the
amusement, weather is a gigantic
factor in the trade at the parks and
monuments. Given favorable atmo-
sphere. on a big holiday week-end,
traffic at Yosemite would reach
well .over 30,000 in three days,
against an average of 7,500 tourists
on . a week-day. The Yosemite
figures this year were 38,000 on
the July 4 weekend, against 36,000
on the same weekend of 1954. ‘

Some extent of the popularity of
these, tourist destinations can be
seen from the fact that Yosemite
played to 1,008,031 persons in 1954.
This year it is virtually apace, and .
expected' to top that figure before
the season ends — at $3 per auto, i
The California-enclosed park ranks ]
third among national parks as an
attraction, behind Yellowstone, the
champ, and the Great Smokies of
Tennessee* a perennial favorite.
Yosemite and the Great Smokies
chalk up their attendance with
year-around play, while Yellow-
stone is open only during the sum-
mer. The 1954 total was the first
time Yosemite ever tppped
1,000,000, and was 4% ahead of
1953. The total came largely from
motor vehicles, with 287,641 being
the count.

Entertainment Angle

Running a park such as Yosemite
with its many lodges and camps re-
quires considerable attention to
entertainment, but it is mostly dis-
charged by amateur or seirii-pro
talent. Camp Curry,- largest of the
camps in Yosemite, offers a nightly
stage show, mostly teenagers and
others rounded up by the enter-
tainment director, but capably pre-
sented in an outdoor theatre.

Orchs (usually of smaller dimen-
sions) are to be found in the more
elite spots, such as Sun Valley,
where it goes with dinner and/or
cocktail hours,

Smaller spots, such as the
Crater of the Moon, in remote Cen-
tral Idaho, reported an increase
of 10% in traffic (50c per car) over
last year, and that is felt to be
somewhat above the average.

Tieups, such as of a drive-in
theatre with the leading motels,
seemed untouched, and compara-
tively little' use was being made
of outdoor display, either for in-
stitutional ‘ ads, or of attraction
notices.

Verging on this category are
radio . stations, few of which give
a passing motorist any chance to
tune in on them. Only a few sta-
tions post signs on the- leading
highways as to the ke spot where
they can be found on the dial.
Some, even with roadside locations,
have sighs indicating their call
letters, but Still no kc listing.

Ava Gardner will take over the
title role in Metro’s new version of
Eugene O’Neill’s “Anna Christie,”
to be produced by Jules Schermcr
as a dramatic musical. Howard
Keel will costar.

Los Angeles, Aug. 23.

I What, long has been discussed
as a smart piece of showmanship
but for the future now has become
a reality. Film goers can now
march up to the boxoffice of the
eight Fanchon & : Marco theatres
in Southern California and say to
the cashier, ' “Charge it,” for “a
novelty in film biz history. >
Circuit has finalized a deal with
Trip Charge, under which any of
its houses will honor the credit
cards issued , by TC to subscribers
for use in restaurants and other
places of business!.

TC clients will be billed, at the
end of the month and payment
guaranteed to F&M. Fee to theatres
is 10% of the ticket 'charge,

After this ice-breaker, Irving
Parker, TC vp. in charge of the
western division who negotiated
the F&M deal, is discussing the
credit project with other chains
here.

L. A. to N. Y.

Jean Pierre Aumont
Leonard Bernstein
Barbara Brent
Jackie Coogan
Gary Cooper
Mary Costa
Jane Darlyn
Madelyn Darrow
Claude Dauphin
Al Deiynn
Chuck Dreyfus
Maurice. Rvans
Vittorio Gassman
Bernard Glasser
Mel Goldberg
Dolores Gray
Shirley Jones
June .Kirby
Chico Marx
Jayne. Meadows
Ella Mae Morse
Mort Nathanson
Margaret O’Brien
John Patrick
Milton R. RackmM
Allen Reisner
Will Rogers Jr.

Barbara Ruick
Frank Sinatra
Ed Sullivan
Lew Wasserman
James Westerfield
Robert Wyler

N. Y. to l. A.

Robert Ardrey
Barbara Cook
Uavid Davidson
Bob Downing
Milton Goldman
Albert Hague
David Harmon
Arnold Horwitt
Eugenie Leontovich
MerVyn LeRoy
Jan Murray
Tyrone Power
L. Arnold Weissberger
Charles Wick

N. Y, to Europe

Paul W. Benson
Anita Ekberg
Elizabeth Frazer
Maria Gambarelll
Wayne Morris
Meg. Mundy
Charles Peck Jr.

David E. Rose

Europe to N. Yo

Constance Collins
Harold Franklin
Zsa Zsa Gabor
Milton Gordon
Kay Harrison
Judy Holliday
George Jessel
Boris Karloff
Priscilla Morgan
Arnold Mriss
Renata Tebaldi

Wednesday, August 24, 1955 .

MCTWiKS 5

Even some of the trade's more vocal supporters of the Produc-
tion Code are not entirely “sold" on the continuing tabu' on nar-
cotics. Illegal drug traffic or addiction is proscribed; the mere
suggestion of the subject may not be depicted, ■*,

Yet, it's not denied "by certain otherwise 100% pro-Code execs
that the drug addict represents a growing menace. And the evil
could be combatted tvith dramatic force via a responsible producer
focusing on the horrors of addiction.

The public knows of the’ existence of reefer , and hop elements,
it's pointed out. pushers and users make the press headlines re-
peatedly. TV dramatic shows, including “Dragnet" airings* have
had subject matter dealing with drug victims.

The Code's: attitude; it’s concluded, reflects obliviousness "to a
serious- problem with which the nation has come face to face.

There's no holdtog back the Au-
dience Awards poll being conduct-
ed by the Council of Motion Pic-!
ture Organizations,' despite object-
tions to both COMPO and the poll
project by "some leaders of Allied

States. Al$o, despite the refusal
of Allied theatremen to kick in
on the financihg.

* Over 4,200 theatres .participated
in the recent periodic nominations
of pictures and players. By the
time the poll reaches the. actual
public vote in "theatres, at least a
few more thousand expectedly will
be added. COMPO execs say
they’re thus assured of ballots
numbering high in the millions.
.(One major circuit has privately
•et a quota for itself of 3,500,000
votes.) .

COMPO got underway with a
dues collection drive to finance the
poll a few weeks ago. The money
Is now rolling in at the same rate
achieved during the last campaign
for funds, which, was two years
ago.

Allied units which have openly
stated they'll not contribute are
those In Indiana, Ohio, New Eng-
land, Western and Eastern Penn-
sylvania, Denver, Texas, Kansas-
Missouri and Minneapolis. But
making up for these defections is
•the ante from the entire National
Theatres chain. At the time of the
last COMPO coin solicitation, the
late Charles P. Skouras, then head
of National, was indifferent to
COMPO and refused -to enhance
its treasury. Elmer Rhoden, pres-
ent prez of National, is on
COMPO’s side to the extent that
he's chairing the Awards project.

(Continued on page 18)

Nude Documentary Pic
Readied for Release;

See No Censor Trouble

A full-length documentary, fea-
turing a number of nude sequences,
will soon be offered to theatres.
The 77-minute picture^ produced
by Robert Kingsley, will be dis-
tributed by Walter Bibo’s Excelsior
Pictures in 13 western states and
by Arnold Jacobs and Peter
Horner’s Union . Film Distributors
for the rest of the country.

Film, titled “The Secret of
Venus," traces the history of
beauty down through the ages and
emphasizes to what extent modern
females will go In their attempts
to improve on nature. Picture was
filmed in both Europe and the U.S.

Despite the scenes of undraped
femmes, Kingsley says he expects
no difficulty with state and city
censors. He plahs to submit the
film to the New York Censor Board
as well as to other censor bodies.

Claiming there's nothing offen-
sive about the film despite the pres-
ence of the nudes, Kingsley de-
clared: “It’s all done very taste-
fully. I'm not in the business of
peddling smut or offending the
sensibilities of the public. That
would defeat the purpose of the
picture. The fact that people still
take showers with their clothes off
is a recognized t fact and we
shouldn’t close our' eyes to it — and
who ever heard of a girl taking
a bubble bath in a bathing suit?"

Picture is scheduled for a num-
ber of test engagements early next
month.

Paramount Pays $50,000
For Jim Piersall Story

Hollywood, Aug. 23.

Paramount has acquired the
screen rights to “Fear Strikes
Out,"., the Jimmy Piersall autoblog,
for a reported- $50,000. It's under-
stood the studio became interest-*
ed in “Fear," about the former
Red Sox centerfielder, after catch-
ing it on CBS-TV’s “Climax" last
Thursday (18) starring Tab Hunter
and Moha Freeman.

• Deal is also on to .get Mel Gold-
berg, who penned the tv adapta-
tion, to do the screenplay. Piersall
and sportswriter AlHirshberg co-
authored the story which has a
mental debility theme.

Breather for UA
Execs-No New
Prod. Deals Pend

United Artists execs are taking
a breather— that i§, there are no
new production deals pending that
they need nail down. Company, of
course, always is on the alert for!
tleups with indie film-makers and '
it's rare when not a single new
association is on the fire.

Company at present is engaged
in “jelling" projects already con-
tracted for, meaning „ capitalization
and production follow-through work,
with . the producers, stars and
others aligned with the distributor.

UA has a total of about 36 pacts
with indie producing companies
or individuals in its portfolio. Via
these, the company is set with a
schedule of over 100 pictures for
delivery within the next three
years, representing an unusual
long-haul production blueprint.

Company, though, is boasting !
about names, rather than number j
of films. Underlined, for example,,
are Stanley Kramer, Anatole
Litvak, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Nor-
man Krasna, Hecht-Lancaster, Kirk
Douglas, Errol Flynn, Henry Fonda,
Joan Crawford, Victor Mature,
Robert Rossen, Paul Gregory-
Charles Laughton, Frank Sinatra,
etc.

Most recent pacts entered by UA
were renewals calling for four more
pictures from Robert Aldrich and
two additional from Kramer.

PAR WINS EXTRA JAPAN
IMPORT 3D YEAR IN ROW

* Toyko, Aug. 23.

For the third year in a row,
Paramount has been awarded an
extra import license for showing a
film which has., been "determined
to be “superior" by a board of
Japanese judges.

“Rear Window" earned the latest
bonus. Last year Par won an extra
license for “Stalag 17" which had
been a bonus import earned by
the 1953 “superior" film, “Come
Back, Little Sheba.”

: Motion Picture Assn, of America
and major company lawyers are
indifferent to threats of a test of
the legality of the Production Code'
Administration. A courtroom 1 con-
test focusing on* the. .Code's 1 au-
thority hag been tinted as forth-,
coming by several independent
producer* and distributors, a con-
troversy over the- Code being in
full rage again.

But the . Code's, champions are
smug about it for'thie reason they
feel there's a solid precedent to
fallback on. And they have How-
ard Hughes to thank for the legal-
istic umbrella . protesting them
from those who'd prefer that the
Cede should get lost. ■

Hughes tried to outlaw the Cede
In 1946. This was the first major-
scale challenge to the industry set
of standards that were adopted in
1930. HugheS lost out in the N. Y.
Federal Court and dropped another
round in the U. S. Circuit Court of
Appeals. He never carried his beef
to the U. S. Supreme Court for an
ultimate ruling, but the lowet .trib-
unal's opinions, sided with the Code
so completely that the company
attorneys, feel -there can be no
doubt of their legal footing.

Hughes* row with the Code cen-
tered. on “The Outlaw," which he
[made independently in 1941 at a
cost of $2,000,000. He obtained
Code approval for the pic after
making a. number of required dele-
tions. But the film-maker; failed to
comply with the Advertising Code
standards which are designed to
uphold the same principles of good
taste in ad copy as the Production
Code insists upon in pictures.

Coercion Claim

Hughes’ nonconformity in adver-
tising the Jane Russell starrer led
to revocation . of the Production
Code approval. Hughes filed suit
against MPAA, of whichMhe Code
Administration is a division, “charg-
ing “violation of antitrust laws and
conspiracy in restraint of trade."
Among other things, he squawked
that member companies of MPAA
coerced* 90% of all theatres In the
(Continued on page 18)

'Arbitrary Stand’ Rapped
By Schwartz in Code Seal
Turndown for 'Camera’ Pic

Rebuffed on his appeal for a
Production Code Seal for “I Am a
Camera," Fred Schwartz, president
of ^Distributors Corp. of America,
charged the Motion Picture Assn,
of America with taking an “arbi-
trary stand that there is no place
on the screens of America for a
film of this kind."

“We cannot accept that posi-
tion," Schwartz stated. “It is our
belief that an enlightened inter-
pretation of the Code, based on
nothing “more than the precedents
the Code administration itself has
set in dealing with other films,
would permit the granting of the
seal to ‘Camera’."

The DCA topper declared in a
statement following the MPAA
turndown last week that, there
have been many instances in
which the Code seal has. been
granted to films which “have cir-
cumvented the expressed taboos
of the Code.” He cited instances
of the depiction of brutality, lust-
ful kissing and embraces, and the
overlooking of Code restrictions
against adultery and illicit sex. .

“Suggestive costumes,”
Schwartz noted, • “are express-
ly forbidden by the Code. How
many films have we seen in which
suggestive costuming has been
used and exploited?/ As for the
Code’s restriction which says that
'dances suggesting or representing
sexual actions or indecent passion
are forbidden’ — anyone can name
a handful of recent films in which
such dances were prominently dis-
played."

Schwartz said that if the pro-
duction Code as now constituted
does not see fit to approve “Cam-
era" then the Code should be re*
(Continued on page 64)

Like to Wash

TV" Wit© Padre

Waterbury, Conn.', Aug. 23. *

' Rev. William Kilcoyne,
who had been principal off the
school where Rosalind Russell
had been a pupil, made his
debut on' television during
°.Miss Russell’s homecoming
here last Thursday (18> for. the
premiere of Paramount’s “The
- Girl Rush." .

It was a hot, muggy day and
the priest stood off alone: near
a window .while waiting to go
, on the Dave Garroway telecast
with Miss Russell. Asked by.
Burt Champion, Par’s publicity
manager, why he. remained at
the ■ window alone, the priest
. replied: “This is a cool spot.
You know I’m going on tele-
vision and I don’t want my
collar to wilt.’’ *

Entry Into TV

Columbia Pics may be next to join
.the. parade, to tv, but there’s a
major “if" Involved. The picture
company wants to fashion a show
for network airing but is not now
content to follow the pattern of
the forthcoming Metro, 20th-Fox
or Warner programming.

■ Col execs haven't been able,, as
yet, to come up with the “right"
format, one which they feel would
benefit the company’s trademark,
and combine entertainment values
with some plugs for the company
and its theatrical releases. The WB-
show will be stories based on its
previous studio productions, while
the M-G airer is slated, as “behind
the scenes" tours of the Culver
City lot plus short subjects.

The 20th outing is to be a. dif-
ferent full-hour dramatic show for
exposure on -alternating weeks.

Col has had talks with NBC-TV
officials about a possible tieup —
both M-G and WB are aligned with
ABC, and 20th IS in the CBS camp
— but nothing concrete has de-
veloped as yet. *

Col has been in the pix for tv
field for some time via its Screen.
Gems subsid.

ZANUCK TO PRODUCE
2 PIX IN 12 MONTHS

Hollywood, Aug. 23.
.Darryl F. Zanuck personally will
produce, two films for 20th Fox
within the next 12 months, “Man in
the Gray Flannel Suit," starring
Gregory Peck, to be scripted and
directed by Nunnally Johnson, and
Alec Waugh’s “Island In Sun," cur-
rently serialized in the Ladies
Home Journal and an upcoming
Literary Guild and Readers Digest
book club selection.

“Sun" will be filmed entirely in
the Caribbean. Zanuck, whosft last
personal film was “Egyptian,"
leaves for London next week to
meet with 20th prez Spyros P.-
Skouras and attend the annual
convention of 20th’s European dis-
tribution organization Joseph Mos-
kowitz, eastern studio rep, will ac-
company him.

Percentage Split
Zanuck’s trip to Europe with
Moskowitz to confab with Skouras
undoubtedly will entail discussions
re the possibility of a profits par-
ticipatipn for him in productions.

' However, in view of his long
term contract any such changes -j
would probably require stockhold-
er approval. Under his present
contract Zanuck gets no parlicipa- 1
tion in personal productions. J

i tieir ilands or it

By FRED HIFT

. There Is an important element
within the Motion Picture Picture
Assn, -of America which believes
that both the Production. Code and
foreign ^producers would be better
off if subtitled. Imports were al-
lowed to find their own way in
the American market .without hav-
ing* to bother with a Code seal.’

Tiie • reasoning . is that the for-
eign. films’ continued quest for a
seal is likely’ to proye a source of
increasing embarrassment to the
MPAA and in fact isn’t fair to the
Code, which was. set up to gov-
ern production in. Hollywood and
not in Rome or Paris.

There are several specific points
of which MPAA officials both here
and on the Coast are sharply
aware, even though they are cur-
rently not* in much of a position
to act upon them:

1. There is a considerable temp-
tation on the part of foreign pro-
ducers to * “use" the Code as a
publicity kickoff point for pix on
which, they know full well that the
Code Administration can’t possi-
bly issue a seal. -

2. A foreign film, particularly
with subtitles, automatically • en-
joys a highly restricted — and cer-
tainly an adult — audience. The
Code is meant; primarily to “pro-
tect" the family audience. There-
fore, it seems futile to raise a fuss
about a picture that will never
even be seen by the great mass of
the people.

3. There is a difference between
American and foreign morality and
the Code is constantly being asked
to be flexible* beyond a point to
which it was meant to go. Further-
more,' most" of the foreign films
that do apply for, a seal come be-
fore the MPAA in finished form,

(Continued on page 64)

‘Summertime’ Is Lightly
Snipped for ‘B’ Rating;
Legion Easing Up a Bitl

One of the key dramatic line*
in the Ilya Lopert production ol
“Summertime" has been trimmed
and a few feet of footage hays
been eliminated to satisfy th«
Catholic National Legion of De-
cency,

Changes requested by the Le-
gion were so {ninute as to get ob-
servers wondering why the rat-
ing group bothered at all. How-
ever, for the sake of the “B" rat-
ing, they were made.

In the original version, Rossano
Brazzi, upbraiding Katharine Hep-
burn for her prudishness, saysr
“You are like a hungry child who
is given ravioli to eat. ‘No’ you say,
‘I want beefsteak!’ My dear girl,
you are hungry. Eat the ravioli."

The Legion-approved version:
“You are like a hungry child who
is given rayoli to eat. My dear
girl, you are hungry. Eat the
ravoli.”.

Earlier % in . the same Brazzi
speech, Lopert and his distributor,
United Artists, dropoed the line
in which he tells Miss HebUrn
“What my wife does is not your
business/’ and they also snipped
out a brief shot of a waving cur-
tain after the lovers kiss on tha
balcony; this, presumably, to al-
low the pure-of*mind to feel that
Brazzi and Miss Hepburn spent
the rest of the night out on the
balcony, watching the fireworks.

Legion, incidentally, appears to
be easing up some. In addition to
“Summertime" with -its obvious
theme of illicit love (Brazzi is mar-
ried but separated), it has also
“B "-rated , “The Man Who Loved
Redheads," a Korda pic and UA
release. In it a diplomat maintains
a separate home for affairs with
redheads all his life, only to find
in the end that his wife knew all
about it. Prolog to the pic makes
it clear, however, that it’s a fan-
tasy and nothing more.

nof REVIEWS

P2£ i Bf?

Anp(uit 24 , 1955

The Left Raid of Gad I th# eircumstsRCt* if Bogart’s asclrl-
(C’SCOFE— COLOIG %,,, other* to th. Ion* c.st

f?2 e ™«SJ^ P “S y Victor Sen Yung si Bogart's gen-

^ eniey ai ' -W eral helper at the mission; Philip

lures. Aim, Richard Cutting and. Robert

20th-Fox release of Buddy Adler pro- Burton. , CiuomaScope

F«otat«M In the Feg «F »« Wu« ribbon*. adds up to
(C’SCOWS-COMMO: *00? pntertalgment tor tho tomlly

' trade. Situations, such as drive-

Stewart Grower. tori. Sim- ft*.. nW*?® Kl^JJSS

mona tat a limp melodrama. 22L?J? r £U' uSmL S 11 ? ISllStiSFSSL
Could stand nnf or single dat- Berman production a comfortable

tng In the smaller situations* " grosser. In most other spots, how-
* *“ ■ - • , ever, it will rate only as a de luxe

Columbia release of M. J. Frankovlch* programmer. . .

*JM? 'staS.oM?' ?. t ltSrS* v 'ltS . Hayes’ script and Berman’s pro-
wees* Finlay Currie. Ronald Squire, auction not only capture the Saga

Leighton often appears fetching,
at other times too highly dramatic.

caViBTnton RetdrvfctcTrSro Yung, notch* as are Victor youngs music, Belinda^, wmurn o Hartnell, Directed 0 f a dog but also faithfully recre-

Phiiip Abn, Benson Fong, Directed by Dorothy Spencer’s editing and art 2?*°,^ ate the nostalgic flavor and lusty

direction o£ Lyle R- Wheeler and atmosphere oAhe turn-of-the-cen-

Barrett; ^camera JDe- Luxe. Color), Franz Maurice Ransford. Other technical OObLrton; mualc. Benjamin Franlwl. Pre- tury era in Which the yam takes

V8&4S8S: f8£M¥‘!lk?8& credtts “*“ ur * W- GiIb - ''SKrVWito ' ^ “• Bu,mi, “ Place, to this gas-lit setUng, Wild-

Victor Yotmg. Previewed In N.Y. Aug.
19. *55. Running time. 17 MINS.

Jim Carmody Humphrey Bogart

Ann Soott ... . . Gene Tierney

Mieta Yanf ’. Dee J. Cqbb

Beryl Slgmafa AgnesMoorehead

Dr. Sigman ... E. O. MarahaU

Mary Yin J«an. Porter

Rev. Cornelius Carl Benton Reid’

John Wong Victor Sen Yung

Jan Teng .-PMlipJkhn

ChUn Tien Benson Fong

Father O’Shea Richard Cutting

Pao-Chlng Leon Lentok

Father Keller Don Forbes

Woman in Sardng •• • Noel Toy

Feng-Merchant Peter Chong

Woman in Kimona • Marie Tslen

The Boy , Stephen Wong

Celeste Sophie Chin

, It’s Always Fair
Weather

(C’SCOPE—MtrSICAL— COLOR)

Topnotch musical satire of
television* advertising agen-
cies, and commercials. - Sock
entertainment value for family
trade with excellent b.o. out-
look* ^

■inenoy , * 'nuiS Metro release o f Arthur Freed pro- *«>•“ — . . .Aunur n«wmu terrier not onlv wins the esteem

Celeste Sophie ^hln ductlon . stars Gene Kelly, Dan Dailey, .*

• Li Kwan * • ,{*®orge Chan 0y d CharJsse, Dolores Gray, Michael Kidd; _ , , . . Of Jagger, Who originally disliked

Orderly waiter Soo Hoo features D *vid Burns, Jay c. Fiippqn. Considering how much producers him, but has ai reconciliation with

SSse^ ‘ : *. : . , .Dorif ' ch£* uoffi ?*. J . Frankovich and Maxwell Set- his father (a champion prize win-

Oid Man Moy Ming *wSne^ffiitt^Sn?l^ , SicS’ : ton put into "Footsteps in the Fog” ner) whom he had sworn to kill

p2a Chu V.\*.V.VAV,V.V:. s&ftuBK gff de fi •«“*• tea ™ of »«^..Gn«n*er Under .Herman Hoffman’s know-

Rev. Mirvin Robert Burton JJ',ns. * ll * w - Bunnln * tlme ' 102 and Jean Simmons (Mr. & Mrs. in ipg direction, the difficult story

MidwIf * '".HlHH* S * Te * RUey Geno Kelly — it s surprising and some- material comes off as believable

Dour Halierton Dan Dailey what uiscondGrtiii^ how little they &nd realistic. Wildfire, who relates

20th-Fox, which hM made not- gfifcjffes&j;*:;.’;::;; ££2 a {SS5 managed to get out of it. Film is a his varied experiences in the first

able excursions into the field of Angie Valentin# .......... Michael Kidd humdrum, rarely exciting melo- person, handles his role to perfec-

religion with such pictures as “A SStaiSSSSIlStSJftS ““ **«e;*W>»4* *»

Mon Poiud Pptpr « Benin tans that - — f , a oiacKmaiiing mala wno falls a youthful saloon hanger-on with

Alau Ca e » f p <4 _. ... nntnnan wav k- ^ ^ ove ^ m - an aversion to work and an eye

story material fount with The The film companies may be em- From the exhibitors' nnint of for fast women. Tons on his list

Stephen Lowry Stewart Granger' At® (the dog) takes on all canine

LUy jvatidnc ....,........j«an Simmons comers in'J. M. Kerrigan’s Bowery

Sjspecto^lpeten? FS£y T cufr" saloon for his master, Jeff Rich-

SWTrfveri* .V.V.V.VV.RoSS *$$£ arfls, who’s "adopted” him off the
Elizabeth .Travers Belinda Lee streets. ■'

S. r Vim P ?o°n^ y .V.V.\\iffiS^ , ^ ut when Richards abandons

Magistrate .Percy Marmont him, Wildfire is taken in by Ed-

Margery juiwies mund Gwenn, a groom upon the

Gonrtabie’ "Burke KeiJaS estate of crotchety Deaii Jagger.

Rose Moresby .......... shbiia Manaban Of course, there are hazards in this

— sudden life of luxury and they’re

Jones^ .. V..V,V.V.V.V.’. Victor Maddern surmounted by the pooch as they

constable Farrow Peter williams develop. For a touching finale the

Vicar ........Arthur Koward terrier not only wins the esteem

_ . of Jagger, who originally disliked

w Considering how much producers him, but has ai reconciliation with

in love with him.

an aversion to work and an eye

story material xount wun From the exhibitors* point of for fast women. Tops on his list

Left Hand of God.” With a cast St ^ from Metro’s view ’ this hiade-in-Britain item is Jarma Lewis, a cate entertainer,

topped by Humphrey Bogart, Gene wouldn’t toiow ft from Metro s s h ou ia have a certain name merit, whose alluring figure nicely sets

Tierney and Lee J. Cobb, this S'ufJ ^ un Vor since both Granger aiid Miss Sim- off yesteryear’s femme fashions,

opulent production is headed for - j^s . ^ways ram we«ner. ror mong have appeared, in . a good Gwenn turns in a thesping gem

solid boxoffice in the general mar- ' many American films. Their being as the groom whose loyalty to the
ket. ■, lather, in "Footsteps” also may dog he’s befriended almost costs

Based on the neVel by William ind ^hat emerims^s^ delichtfui . an exploitahle angle. Certainly, him his job. Willard Sage makes
Et Barrett and scretnplayed by ' musiSs-Sr? 1 ®^! should g hhlr> thei r ^ScPe en teaming hiisn 1 in any himself suitably unpleasant as a

Alfred Hayes, the film Is somewhat J^tv J 1 vfn c C rooms and fill un S? y ira P r oyed their acting. Miss groom who has it in for Wildfire,

provocative, in that its central fufJfre ? 8 Thf entert Jrnnent ? ln ? mon * fioes have charm and Sally Fraser, Jagger’s, daughter, is

character is a man who masque- valuesare enhanced bva bS of J? oks as beautiful as ever. But pert and attractive. Others who

rades as a priest, Carrying on this incfudFnu Granger Just walks through what acquit themselves favorably are

deception is Yank flier Bogart,- ^“^‘JJJ^iffiPShwrvSrhar^is essentially an unexciting part Richard Anderson, a dog judge and
-who believes it to be the sole way ^ anyway. There is a bit of heavy Miss Fraser’s beau, and Kerrigan

he can escape as prisoner of Chi- ' krSv «t the end, but on. the as the saloonkeeper,

nese warlord Cobb. q?? nJpv norn^n who sh Jr/ whole he just concentrates on look- Particularly noteworthy are the

What transpires in a remote Chi- nrn luff evil and elegant. overall production values that have

nese province after Bogart dons ceedlngs^ tiie ^riSrt tongue-imeheek Screenplay, concocted by Bor- been excellently lensed in Cinema-
the ecclesiastical robes in 1947 SsulSf^ _ a . n l_ L€nor ® c ° f f ee > 1S Scope and Eastman Color by Paul

largely adds up to character studies

ucn tor sock resuus. routine in every respect. Not even C. Vogel. Art direction of Cedric

Betty Comden and Adolph the dialog— and there is plenty of Gibbons and Daniel B. Cathcart is

of the fake priest and his imme- _ ^omuen nmr tne oiaiog— ana tnere is plenty of Gibbons and Daniel B. Cathcart is

diate colleagues af a Catholic mis- Green, vet scripter^ of both Broad- it — shows any attempt at original- an asset as are the set decorations
sion, where* all are stationed. For way. and film tuners,^ have pro- ity. Its Curious to think that the of Edwin B. Willis and Keogh
the drama and suspense aren't to a e r a (iRanous British, when making the same’ Gleason. The Elmer Bernstein

be found in whether the flier sketches that fit neatly into the kind of films on their own, usually score adds to the nostalgic touches,
escapes from China but in the soul- framework of the story. Like manage to come up with good, while John Dunning edited to a
searching he subjects himself in P ost musicals, the overaU yarn is solid thriller fare; each character is breezy 88 minutes. Gilb..

continuing the masauerade inconsequential. It is the Individ- etched out sharply and contrib- — ;

t, jj u 4.' ^ ual production numbers and utes importantly. Now Columbia’s »>«, *-, . __

Besides Bogart, others who have w hacky bits that carry the bite in Frankovich comes along, with the .^® ie Teckman Mystery

tit running down the film industry’s same general* story, also made in (BRITISH)

? en v,x,T l v.^?cV^n5 ticHn S +hp C war great competitor. Britain, and it misses. Average British whodunit;

£nd believed b dead- E G Marshall Mis s Comden and Green present Rambiing stoiy tells about Stew- okay for art houses.

for Vhi a Rafctv Kelly, Dailey, and Kidd as a trio art, who has poisoned his wife and ,

if the mLlon’l staff ln llght of of former GI buddies who meet 10

row^hl^amf^SiShft 0 ^

ana Agnes MOOreneaa, me pny&x . . , *L. I,., j- the wrnn r.’ wnmsn in thp fntf Wor bridge, James Matthews, from original

associates appears to have been r~;E. ^ 1,1 lu lr
sharpened by her long stay at the buddies apart,
lonely mission. Kelly, bitter about

of his fantastic schemes, Granger - Margaret Leighton

busted J±!? s ftllf himself and the truth

Not only does Bogart wrestle romance is a cynical fight man- Supporting cast goes through its ‘ “iiJiaSd^ivS

with the problem of how to avoid UjUer has i given i pp a prom- p aC esin somewhat uninspiredfash- nSth 1 *. Geo r r Q ^®

carrying out functions of a priest, ion. Bill Travers is handsome and "uton* V.V. V.V. V.V.'.V. V.’ DincInTamoS

such as hearing confessions, but ^i c ,f 1 nothing more ' as the fellow who Ramond Huntley

he s also faced with tactfully re- and Kidds dreams of becoming a i ov .. *1.. pi r i mpiinHs whom' x!fi 0 ^ ar ^«v, * .Harry Locke

listing the obvious romantic inter- * a ™° us mtjft fuh e heorf at Granger wants to marry but can’t Sergeant Blair' \\\' **.*." Warwick*' Aphton
ests of Miss Tierney. But on the stanj . Their^luncheon at a swqnk aS long as Miss Simmoni is around. , .

whole he endears himself to the 1 Sf n ?S!® C0 5J Finlay Currie is okay as the in- This . innocuous little British

villagers, especially in vanquishing « a ®«3 otSf J?* ? ^ spector and Ronald Squire con- meller will have to find most of its

Cobb via a parley when the latter each of the * three 1 tributes an amusing bit as Miss American play dates in small art

is bent upon laying waste the town ister each ones thoughts about the L e e’s stuffy father. theatres. Francis Durbridge, who

and mission. e «i’J S on ® °* highlights of -'Arthur Lubin’s direction shows did the original story, also helped

To sticklers of logic and realism, .. * ,,, some imaginative touches; but on the screenplay with James Mat*

there are a number of scenes and • «tvS a doesn’t try too hard to overcome thews, which probably accounts for

incidents that strain the imagina-’ ^ the natural obstacles put into his the plot sagging near the -end. It’s

tion. Particularly the tense se- Maaeliiu?, temceed J by Miss way by the script At the least, the only in the final few reels that pro-
quence in which Bogart actually climax could have had more punch, ducer Josef Somlo and director

wins the village’s freedom by cast- ^*Ungl^rfind themselves on a Pjo- And the way Lubin used Cinema- Wendy Toye have the yam rolling

wins the village’s freedom by cast-

ing dice with^Cobb. As a gesture, f Scope, he "might as well -have along fn best British melodramatic

the warlord announces publicly worked on a standard-size screen, tradition. Prior to Scotland Yard

that he’s been converted to Catholi-

darts are sharpest. It’s one of the
funniest bits in recent films. Miss

Music composed and conducted really swinging

action,

cism and is sparing the village as l LSSf s ,l_ Benjamin Frankel has an ap-. the mystery is so baffling that the

a modern miracle. pealing and fitting quality that audience, is only confused. ■ Often

Entire picture has been given' 5£ran^ ’S^*****^.. &52S?

tne pnysicai oaci^rounas, suen as mu sicomedy performer.

the Chinese village set, the native Kelly( Daiiey and Kidd score in

tt«i g nf n S rou P routines and Kelly and

tfsJSl 6 !n DailCy have a field day in solo out-

in 8 s * Kelly’s roller skating rou-
tine and Dailey’s drunk act at a
of community chi _ chi party . ar# standouts. A

1 2 is? . lon : ..... Stillman’s gym production number

While at first, glance It s difn- ■ involving assorted busted beak
cult to picture' Bogart as a priest, characters singing the pug’s alma
his smooth portrayal of a spurious mater is a laugh riot. Miss. Char-

are mostly interior settings. Hift.

The Bar Sinister

(C’SCOPE— COLOR)

Fine dor story for family
trade; less b.o* prospects In
other markets.

Metro release, of" Henry Berman pro

wiuj, an airplane test pilot, wno is
supposed to have crashed while
testing out a new F-109.

Scripters have injected a success-
ful author (John Justin) into the
plot, since , he has been commis-
sioned to . write a biography of
Teckmah. He meets Teckman’s sis-
ter (Margaret Leighton) and falls
for her. Then things start happen-
ing to him. His apartment is ran-
sacked and wrecked. Teckman’s

dS! F e atu*es Jeff mchVrd?, an ja?ma ^worker, who helped design the

plamnr hut sho'c Vinnpct nnrl cin- ' " ” ’ — j . Hicnara JHaraihg Davis; camera (Eastman

glamor, nut sne s nonest ana sin p a ny of the Stillmans gym crowd, color), Paul c. Vogel; editor. John Dun* Berlin. Then Rice is slain,

cere in eventually winning Bogart. David Burns, as a Third Ave. bar- ning; - music, Elmer Bernstein. Previewed When the Scotland Yard Insnei*-

Cobb scores handily as the cruel, tender, also comes off fine! AU|f ' 11 ‘ ' w * Running time * M tor^foSncan Lamont) and hbPsu-

hitmgly arrogant Chinese general. At first hearing, Andre Previn’s Patch mogui Jeff Richards perior, Roland Culver, decide to

With director Edward Dmytrylc’s music doesn’t appear of "Hit Pa- take drastic steps, the whole xriys-

sure hand to. guide them, Marshall rade" calibre, hut in combination Mr. wySdHam :::.f d DcaS JaS tery is solved. The supposedly dead

contributes a tine characterization with the Comden and Green lyrics, Tom Tattle wniard sage test pilot turns up alive just when

of .the doctor^ who struggles with it is geared perfectly ior Integra- g^^^oKey n. 11 . 1 ! 1 .. 'Richa^^AndJrso^ the international gang wants him
his multifold problems, .Miss tion into the film^ The picture p a dd| Corbin,. Kerri Jan. dead.and the romance between

Moorehead registers nicely as his lias one objective — to provide en- — — — - Miss Leighton and Justin comes to

spouse, and Carl Benton Reid is. tertairtment, and it accomplishes "The Bar Sinister,” a whimsical a strange end.

forceful as a bonafide priest who its purpose admirably. Technical tale of a bull terrier of uncertain Justm -suffices as the author

is sent by a bishop to investigate I aspects are all first-rate. Holl. parentage wlio rises from the Bow- turned amateur sleuth while Miss

or tnree me sequence*. Tzeinficer
proves sufficiently villainous and
scheming to satisfy British melo-
drama, addicts,. Culver does an ex-
cellent job as the major, 13 attached
to a special division of Scotland
Yard, while Lamont is okay as the
inspector. Jane Wjenham does well
enough in a lesser supporting role.

Wendy Toye directed with more
skill than would be expected from
this screenplay and original story.
Jack Hildyard’s photography is
standard. Wear.

Der Pfarrer Von
Kirchfelil .

(The Parson of Kirehfeld)
(GERMAN)

Frankfurt, Aug. 16.
Constantin release of HD production.
Stars Ulla Jacobsson and Claus Holm.
Directed by Hans’Deppe. Screenplay, Use
Lotz-Dupont and Tlbor Yost after folk
play of name- title by Ludwig Anzen*
gruber; • camera (Eastmancolor), Willy
Wlnterst^ln; music, Heinrich Riethmuel*
ler. At Alemannia Theatre* Frankfurt.
Running time,. M MINS.

Tho Pfarrer /. Claus Holm

Anna Birkmalet ........ Ulla Jacobsson

Michl .... .... . . Kurt Helntel

Brigitte Annie Rosar

Sepp Heinrich Gretler

Zenzl Helen Vita

Frau, Strieker ........... Hansl Knotcck

Franz Fritz Genschow

This film, in '’standout color, is
the old German folk play whose
plot Is known by other names in
other lands— the story of the min-
ister torn between love of a woman
and love of God. In this modern
version of the old meller, Ilse Lotz-
Dupont and Tibor Yost have
worked loosely with the original
German plot, to base the story in a
particularly scenic part of Bavaria.
They also toned down the melo-
dramatic overtones In producing
a .believable contemporary drama.
It may do for some American arty
theatres.

The picture was first made 25
years ago, but this new version is
modernized and improved. It is in
for some local competition because
an Austrian producer is filming the
same play, but titled "Das Maed-
chen von Pfarrhof ” (The Girl From
Pfarrhof), adhering much more
closely to the original legiter. It is
due for release at a slightly later
date, similarity being considered
somewhat of . a handicap in book-
ing either one.’

Ulla Jacobsson plays the girl who
comes to work for the parson of
Kirehfeld (Claus Holm) because
she has a young illegitimate son
living in the nearby town. She and
the minister are compromised
when they attend a concert at the
other town and miss the last train
home. Inevitably, the minister re-
nounces his love, and performs the
■marriage uniting her with the vil-
lage blacksmith, Kurt Helntel. De-
spite the melodramatic theme and
the heavy bid for emotional tugs
throughout, the pic comes through
as an entertaining production.

The' Eastmancolor gives splendid
treatment to the charm of the tiny
Bavarian town and captures the
colorful highlights of the church
ceremonies and the picturesque
village wedding. And the parson,
brought up to date, becomes a
believable creature- as he tips an
occasional mug of beer or bowls

with fhp hnv<?

The film just won two awards at
the San Sebastian Festival, with
Ulla Jacobsson being selected as
the best actress and Constantin
winning an award for releasing the
film. Willy Winterstein deserves
special plaudits for his color cam-
era work. "The direction of Hans
Deppe is standout in~underplaying
ah otherwise heavy plot. Music by
the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
is a big plus factor.

In the heavily Catholic Coun-
tries of West Germany, pic is sure
to be a solid booker. As an art
house piece because of the color-
ful portrayal of life in Bavaria and
its fine acting, it could do U.S.
business. Haze.

‘Outlaw’ Finally To

Be Screened in Ohio

. Columbus, Aug. 23.
Howard Hughes’ oldie, "The
Outlaw,” will shortly be shown in
' Ohio houses for the first time.

| Picture was held up for years by
deletion demands made by the
, now-defunct Ohio censorship board.

’ It was finally passed by the scissor
! group in 1954. First date in Ohio
i will probably .be RKO Palace in
Cleveland, Sept. 8.

Current bulletin of Independent
‘ Theatre Owners of Ohio warns
' that slackening bus service in big
[ Buckeye cities may be hurting the-
atre business. Columbus evening
ahd Sunday service has. been cut,
t ; Cleveland’s fares are up and bus
I service in Marion and Cambridge
has been abandoned. Plenty of the-
• atre patrons still depend on public
; transit, ITO points out.

Wednesday’, August 24, 1955

PICTURES

Allied States. Assn., whose history has t>ecsh marked by vitupera-
tion and bluntftflik, i$ shoeing a curious sensitivity to news stories
reporting a difference of opinion among its! higher echelon relat-
ing to Government intervention in .the film industry., Allied qf
New Jersey* for example, in its latest bulletin, charges Variety
with “innuendos and conjecture" in questioning “the motive^ of
our national leadership." ’ ' '

What the unit terms “innuendos and conjecture*' Is based on
a “don't-use-my-name” interview with one of Allied’s top national .
leaders, who admitted the existence of a schism between radical'
and moderate elements within Allied. There, are many Allied,
leaders, the source said, who are opposed- to- Government action,
but have been forced to go along with this move by the more put-
spoken officials of the organization,

Jersey Allied, in particular it’s felt, -should be; aware of differ-
ences among the leadership of national Allied. It was at Jersey’s
recent annual convention that a spirited defense was made against
an attack of the national leadership by another national leader.'
At Allied’s’ annual .convention in Milwaukee last year, many rank-
and-file members, in off-the-floor comments, strongly voiced’ op-
position to' Government intervention. Asked why this opposition *
had not been registered on the floor of the convention, one small- .
town exhibitor replied: “What chance does a little guy have -against *
the national leadership?" '

1 ' v. •

Paramount, which operates pn
the calendar* year, is figuring on
the biggest third quarter in its his-
tory as a producer-distributor
Without domestic theatres; Third
quarter of 1954 broughj v the Com-
pany $1.11 in earnings.. (About.

2.190.000 common shares are out-
standing.)

Arnold Bernhard & Co., a Wall
St. outfit publishing the Value Bine
investment survey, thinks the film
company will earn $5 per share for
1955 on gross. revenue of $120,000,-
000, for a new.record;

Par’s record gross was the $110,-

300.000 raked in in 1953. The earn-
ing high is $5;73 per share achieved
in-1946, computed on a pro forma,
nr independent, of the then-affili-
ated theatres, basis.

Here's a rundown back to 1945
on gross earnings, taking the pro \
forma approach for the years prior
to the 1950 divorcement of the-
atres and estimating 1955’s re-
sults:

; Earnings

Gross . Per Share

Brando Mex Pic Pact?

• . Mexico City, Aug. 23.

Marlon Brando is reported hav-
ing signed a- contract with Miguel
Aleman Jr„ head of Producciones
Tele-Voz and son ' of Mexico’s
former president, for one film to
be made here in ,1956.

Aleman said he planned to sub-
mit a script to Brando soon. It’ll
be. based on the defense of lower.
California and northern Mexico.
•Supporting cast will be Mexican.

Jeanmaire Being Paged
'For f Can-Can* at 20th

Hollywood, Aug. 23,
Jearimalre likely will costar with
Cary Grant ip 20th-Fox version
of “Can-.Can,’’ to be Written, pro-
duced and 'directed by Nunnally
Johnson- in the summer' of 1956.

Johnson, who recently, huddled
with the ballerina and her. hus-
band, Roland Petit, in southern
France, • also set Petit to do
choreography.

No ‘Problem Child’

1945

. . . .$ 84,200,000

$2.45

1946

.... 103,700,000“

5.73

1947

98,300,000

3.29

’ 1948

.... 86,600,000 •

1.79 .

, 1949

.... 78,200,000

1.00

1950

.... 81,800,000

2.67

1951

.... 94,600,000

2.33

1952

.... 104,800,000

2.52

1953

.... 110,300,000

3.06

• 1954

.... 106,900,000

3.72*

1955'

.... 120,000,000

5.00

* Excluding capital gains of 38c
per share.

Puerto Rim Influx
To -Gotham Is Plot Of
New Taradise’ Indie

Nearing completion^ in N. Y. is
a feature starring Hume Cronyn
And Nancy Kelly that focuses on
the heavy influx of Puerto Ricans
to Gotham, this within the frame-
work of a story about an attempt-
ed murder and rape. (Cronyn
worked on It before his current
legit road stint).

Film is “Crowded Paradise,"
with Ben Gradus as producer and
Fred Pressbutger as director. This
is the first feature for Gradus,
Whose Imps company makes docu-
mentary shorts and tv spots. It’s
similarly a first for Pre.ssburger,
•formerly an assistant to Sir Alex-
ander Korda and son of the late
independent producer, Arnold
Pressburger.

. Gradus said this week he made
a short for the Puerto Rico govern-
ment some time, ago, titled “Girl
From Puerto Rico,” and this arous-
ed his interest in the .subject,
Arthur Forrest fashioned the
screenplay and additional scenes
and dialog were contribute^ by
Marc Connelly. Boris Kaufman was
behind the camera.

Photography is finished and dub-
bing is now underway, according
to Gradus, .who olaimed the budget
is “slightly lejss than $500,000." He
also said he provided his own fi-
nancing.

The producer reported he’s
awaiting completion of “Paradise"
before setting a distribution deal,
adding that both Republic and
United Artists “have shown inter-
est." Production Code okayed the
•project in its script form.-

Contract at Col

Hollywood, Aug. 23.

Deal is near finalization for 20th-
Fox to take over Rita Hayworth’s
contract with Columbia. Negotia-
tions call for 20th to absorb thesp’s
Beckworth. Corp. Under pact, cur-
rently being discussed, Col’ would
get the services’ of Susan Hayward
from 20th via a loanout for one
picture and probably, another 20th
personality also for one pic.

Miss Hayworth, whose Beckworth
firm has two more films to go at
Col, would drop her suit against
the studio, seeking abrogation of
her contract, and profit accounting
under terms deal now discussed.

As and when Beckworth moves
to 20th Miss Hayworth will retain
her 50% interest in pix produced
under her indie Company banner.
When she ankled Col after nixing
“Joseph' and His Brethren," she
charged Col violated her contract
by delaying the film’s starting date.

Goldwyn Girls Being
Revived (Natch) For
’Guys and Dolls’ Pic

With five new girls selected,
Samuel Goldwyn is reviving the
Goldwyn Girls for the promotion
of “Guys and Dolls." The concept
of the Goldwyn Girls was first es-
tablished by the producer and
Florenz Ziegfeld in 1930 in con-
nection with the film version of
“Whoopee." It has been periodi-
cally revived by Goldwyft for his
musical productions. ’ This is the
first time in nine years-— since
Goldwyn’s “Kid From Spain’’—
that a crop of beauties under the
Goldwyn banner will hit the bally
road*

The new dolls — June Kirby,
Madelyn Darrow, Jann Darlyn,
Barbara Brent and Larri Thomas—
will embark on a nationwide toUr

For long a source of migraine to
the Motion Picture Assn, of Amer-
ica because of its nonconformist at-
titude, RKO now appears no longer
as the “problem" company, under
the Tom O’Neil-Daniel T. O’Shea
regime. As a matter of fact, this out-
fit appears conformist to the ex-
tent that even . a current release,
“Son of Sinb&d," is being altered
to- win approval of the National Le-
gion of Decency.

MPAA had its headaches with
.'RKO via the. Production Code —
RKO, under Howard Hughes, hav-
ing been, the one company that re-
fused toVoe the line. Outstanding
example of this was “The French
Line," Jane RussCIl starrer, which
the distributor kept in release de-,.
spite the Code’s nix. ‘

. This defiant . stand led to a fine
of $2b, 000 Imposed by MPAA, but
collection pf the money from RKO
was never pressed. It’s now under-
stood that MPAA had suspicions of
a sale of the company by Hughes
for -some time, and preferred to
await such -a move rather than,
bring the “Line” matter to a head,..)

In, any event, that RKO looms as
less difficult for MPAa is. reflected
in the “Sinbad" situation.- Ap-
proved by the Code but condemned
by the Legion, the film is being re-
edited to obtain a less harsh rat-
ing from the Catholic reviewing
group. This show of regard for the
Legion will be accompanied by new
respect for the Code as well, it’s
felt.

from ‘New York, where they ar
rived last week, the girls will be-
gin their tour in Philadelphia Sept.
6 and wind up back in Gotham
Nov. 6. They’re scheduled to ap-
pear at many local celebrations
throughout the country and also
will be subjected to newspaper
and radio-tv interviews to drum-
beat “Guys and Dolls."

on 20th

Investors taking the short po-
sition on 20th-Fox fell off during
the past month. Short interest
shares currently are listed at 2,740,
compared with 5,805 a month ego.

The short position is taken when
the investor figures oh a stock
price going down. Republic short
position is 6,270 shares, up from
4,575 a month ago.

Mexico City, Aug. 23.

Mexican government is investi-
gating the possibility of introing
subscription-tv • here.

Ira Kanien, a specialist in toll-,
tv who in the past- has been con-
nected with Telemeter,-! is staying
at .the U. S. Embassy here* He
came at invite of the government.
Kamen 1 :is briefing ‘Mexican offi-
cials on the economics and tech-
nical details of pay-as-you-see.

Mexico is only one of several
foreign governments interested in
the pay-to-see proposition. In most
countries, -tv service isn’t free any-
way as it is in the U. S., with
viewer having to , pay for yearly
set licenses. Britain, Australia
agd Canada also are eyeing the
toll field. >

‘Guys’ Preem In

The World premiere of Samuel
Goldwyn’s “Guys and Dolls;" be-
ing released by Metro, will be
held Nov. 4 at the Capitol Theatre,
N. Y, . Goldwyn will come to Goth-
am' - to attend, the opening.

, “Capitol snared- the picture after
a . rieck-and-neck battle with
Charles B., Moss’s Criterion, which
appeared on the verge of closing"
a deal for the film. John P. Byrne,
h^etro’s eastern sales topper, final-
ized the deal for the Cap yesterday
(Tues.) with Loew’s Theatres prexy
Joseph R. Vogel. Latter was among
a group of exhibitors invited to
the Coast recently by Goldwyn .-to
gander a rough cut of the . picture.
Deal involves no -guarantee, being
a straight ^percentage arrangement
at 90-10. Goldwyn is footing the
bill for house expense and all ad-
vertising and promotion costs.

It’s expected that . the -Cap bow
will entail a lush preem. Location
of the house has added significance
because 6f its proximity to Lindy’s
and the famous Broadway restau-
rant’s Association with Damon
(Continued on page 20)

New York Sound Track

. “Othello,” completed more than two years, ago In England by Orson
Welles, finally made the trans-Atlantic hop. The UA release is to
open at N. Y.’s Paris Theatre -. . . Despite the mixed notices, “Ulyses"
provided the Globe with the biggest opening in six years * . . Alex
Gottlieb’s “The Fighter," aired 17 times on WOR-TV’s “Million Dol-
lar Movie" three weeks ago, played the Bryant Theatre, 42d St;, grind
house, last week . . . Dean Jennings has a lengthy feature on Ernest
Borgnine in the Aug. 27 Saturday Evening Post . . . Gimmick for the
bow of “Kentuckian" will be, of course, a search for the prettiest Ken-
tucky girl in town.. It’s the same old corn* but usually gets photo
breaks . . . George Seaton and William Petlberg, working ih Puerto
Rico, luckily escaped Diane . . . Texas COMPO relays word that Col.
H* A.. Cole. donated $1,000 for the S.am Rayburn memorial library.

Mervyn LeRoy in Gotham for a few days to gander the stage ver-
sion of “The Bad .Seed? before starting his assignment as director
of the Warner Bros, f ilmjtreatpient . , . Singer Marion Marlowe signed
to appear in the Ed Sullivan film - set for Warner Bros, filming. Miss
Marlowe has been appearing on a number of Sullivan's ’.Toast of the
Town” tv-ers, being signed for guest shots after she exited the Arthur
Godfrey show . . . Jarma Lewis off on a personal appearance tour on
behalf of Metro’s “The Bar Sinister" . . . Anne Francis returned to
the Coast afteiv a brief Gotham vacation . . . David Golding, Samuel
Goldwyn pub-ad chief, returned to his New York headquarters after
basing oil the Coast . . .Harry Belafonte interested to star in a remake
of “Emperor Jones" . . ..American Federation of Film Societies hold-
ing its first “preview weekend" in N. Y. Aug. 27-28 for reps of eastern
societies! Both shorts and features, newly available for noncommercial
showing in 16m will be screened . . . Skiatron's Arthur LeVey denying
any connection with T?V Consumers. Organization reportedly has con-
tacted tv service companies to solicit funds to aid in the licensing and
operation of the Skiatron system . , .. Italy’s Sophia Loren on the cover
of Life just a week after getting the same spot in Newsweek . . . Walter

shortly after Labor "Day. Startingw Reade manager Ralph Lanterman won first prize in the circuit’s “Jack

Harris Drive." He manages the Community Theatre, Morristown, N. J.
Second place went to Ted Davidson of the Majestic, Perth Amboy.

Veteran industry publicist Irwin B. Franklyn is joining the Arthur
}- Jacobs flackery as an executive associate. Currently publicity director
of all Frederick Brisson enterprises, Franklyn brings the account to
the Jacobs office . . . Warner Bros.’ “East of Eden" and “Mississippi
Traveler,” a two-reel Warner Color travelog, have been accepted for
screening at the Edinburgh Film Festival . . » 20th-Fox treasurer
Donald A. Henderson back from South Africa where he helped nego-
tiate the Schlesinger deal.

Problems faced the major and
minor league baseball clubs paral-
lel in many aspects the woes of
the nation's film theatres. Like
baseball attendance, theatregoing
Is being hurt by television, trans-
portation difficulties, lack of ade-
quate parking space, and high costs
of operation. The parking and
transportation' problem, the latter
heightened by traffic jams and a
reduction in public transit facili-
ties, i& adding a major headache to
already harrassed . theatremen.

The appeal of Walter O’Malley,
president of the Brooklyn Dodgers,
for municipal aid in relocating the
antiquated Dodger ballpark and
providing an adequate parking
area, has started a “me, too" move-
ment among metropolitan area ex-
hibitors, With the stress of the lat-
ter being pn parking facilities and
the maintenance of firstrate rapid
transit. This situation is notnpfe-
culiar to Ne\v York alone. • The-
atres in cities throughout 'the
country are. faced with similar con-
ditions. . - Exhibitor organizations
are becoming acutely aware of the
seriousness of the situation and are
.urging their local, units to take ac-
tion via forceful appeals to local
. authorities.’

Theatremen are being urged to
band together with other down-
town businessmen in, fighting for
improvements. . Industryites, in
the tax . and toll-tv fights,' have con-
stantly hammered home the ,v£lue
of the downtown theatre in provid-
ing business for surrounding mer-
chants, A dark theatre, it has been
argued, can mean general economic
ruin for adjourning' stbres in the
business districts.

The increased use of automobile
transportation has resulted in a
decrease of public transit facili-
(Continued on page 20)

Toll-TV May . Be Hot But

For FiliU Ed Seminar

Hollywood, Aug. ’23.

Tpll-tv may be a hot-and-ready
subject for argument,, but . only
about; 100 turned out for the Amer-
ican Cinema Editors’ seminar last
week when 300 and more had been
expected. Four-man’ panel heaved
the topic back, and forth but came
up with little new.

Paul MacNamara, vp of Tele-
meter, • pay -as -'you -see . device,
opined that the FCC will toss the
Whole issue to, Congress, but came
up with the thought that big busi-
ness interests... such as baseball,
which he said would favor tojl-tv,
would put pressure on in behalf
of such a system,

Don Belding, board chairman of
Foote, Cone .& Belding, asserted
the strongest argument against toll-
tv is the fact the American public
has always had free radio and
video, and Congress would think
lohg and carefully before voting to
legalize subscription tv.

Mervyn LeRoy was of the opin-
ion pay-tv would benefit the film
industry backdoor-wise, by people
leaving -their homes to patronize
theatres for their entertainment if
they had to pay for such entertain-
ment on their htflne screens. He ad-
mitted, however, he didn’t feel the
major studios would go into toll-tv.

Dr. Dallas Smythe, director of
the Institute of Communications at
the U. of Illinois, and retained by
TOA to help exhibs fight any pos-
sibility of licensing toll-tv, fourth
member of the panel, felt the
home-viewer wotild lose his free-
dom in choosing programs If issue
was legalized by the Government.
He also stated that pay-tv would
lead to monopolies.

In passing, he mentioned that
Tom O’Neil’s purchase of RKO is
“an indication that the studio’s
backlog of pictures will be'released
to free tv."

AA 13%c. Divvy

Hollywood, Aug. 23.

Allied Artists has declared its
regular quarterly dividend of
1394c. per share on the company’s
5 Vz% cumulative convertible pre-
fered stock.

Divvy. is payable Sept, 15, 1955,
to stockholder of record Sept. 2.

1 • neiCRB GROSSES

Wednesday, August 24, 195S ■

‘Yonng’-Stageshow Smash 85G, Chi;
Roberts’ Wham 5% ‘Foxfire’ Hot
296, Holiday’ Sock 53C; Terror’ 7G

Chicago, Aug. 23.
Windy City boxoffices are hold-
ing nicely this round, with several
strong openers helping business
generally throughout the Loop.
"You’re Never Too Young’* with
Howard Miller topping stage bill
looks a terrific $85,000 opening
round at the Chicago. ‘-^Mister
Roberts” shapes might $55,000 in
first at the State-Lake,

"Foxfire” should get a big $29,-
000 in first frame -at McVickers.
"How To Be Popular” heads for a
nice $28,000 in same round at the
Oriental. “Night' Holds Terror”
and “The Gun That Won The
West” combo is getting an okay
$7,000 in first week at the Grand.

“Wichita” and “Shotgun” combo
stays big in second session at the
Roosevelt. “Gr eat Adventure”
stays nice in third frame at the
Surf. “The Wizard of Oz” is still
lively in fourth at the Monroe.

"Phenix City Story” continues
solid in fifth round at the Woods.
“Summertime” is still hot in same
week at the Loop. “Not As A
Stranger” holds sturdy in eighth
session at United Artists. “Cine-
rama Holiday” continues smash in
10th week at the Palace to register
a record-breaking $53,000 or bet-
ter.

Estimates^for This Week
Carnegie (Telem’t) (480: 95)—
“Life In Balance” (20th) (2d wk).
Good $3,200. Last week, $3,500.

Chicaro <B$K) (3,900; 98-$1.50)
— -“Never Too Young” (Par) with
Howard Miller topping vaude.
Smash $85,000. Last week, “Pete
Kelly's Blues” (WB) with Some-
thin’ Smith and Redheads heading
stageshow (2d wk), $63,000*

Esquire (H&E. Balaban)- (1,400;
85-$l) — “Cocktails In Kitchen”
(Indie) (2d wk). Neat $7,500. Last
week, $8,300. 1

Grand (Nomikos) (1,200; 98-$l)—
“Night Holds Terror” (Col) and
“Gun That Won West” (Col), Okay
$7,000. Last week, “City 'Across
River” (U) and “Girls In Night”
(U) (reissues) (2d wk), $8,500.

Loop (Telem’t) (606; 90-SI. 25)—

(Continued on page 22)

'Beneath Sea’ Reusing
12G, ‘Young’ Wow 14G,
‘Misbehavin’ ’ Oke 14iG

Kansas City, Aug. 23,

' “Came From Beneath Sea” at
the Midland is week’s leader in a
session which is loaded with new
entries. Probably the best show-
ing is being made by “You're
Never Too Young” at the Roxy.
"Ain’t Misbehavin’” at the four
Fox Midwest first runs is okay.
"Pearl of South Pacific” at the
Missouri Is lightweight. Weather
continues warmish which is mak-
ing the theatre cooling systems an
attraction.

Estimates for This Week

Glen (Dickinson) (750; 85-$l)—
"Too Young for Love” (Indie) <3d
wk). Satisfactory at $1,300. Holds,
Last week, $1,500.

Kimo (Dicldnson) (504; 85-$l) —
"Gate of Hell” (Indie) (5th wk).
Good $1,300. Last week, $1,500.

Midland (Loew’s) (3,500; 60-80)
—‘‘Came From Beneath Sea” (Col)
and “Creature Atom Brain” t Col).
Date here spearheads saturation
campaign with about 200 dates of
this dual bill in the territory in
next two weeks. Fancy $12,000.
Holds. Last week, “Cobweb”
(M-G) and “The Marauders” (M-G)
<2d wk), $6,000.

Missouri (RKO) (2.585; 50-80)—
"Pearl South Pacific” (RKO) and
"Robbers’ Roost” (UA). Leah $4,-
500. Last week, “Prize of Gold”
(Col) and “Five Against House”
(Col), $6,000.

Paramount (United Par) (1,900;
75-$l)— “Mister Roberts” (WB) (5tli
wk)/ Unusually strong to win fifth
week here, and nearing record
money for the house. Fat $7,500.
Last week, big $10,000, and better-
ing many first weeks.

Roxy (Durwood) (879; 75-81) —
"Never Too Young” (Par). Great
$11,000. Holds. Last week, "Seven
Little Foys” (Par) (4th wk), $5,000.

Totver, Uptown, Fairway, Gra-
nada (Fox Midwest) (2,100; 2.043;
700; 1,217; 65-85)— “Ain^t Misbe-
havin’” <U) and “Man From Bitter
Rixlge” (U). Okay $14,500. Last
week “House of Bamboo” (20th)
and “That Lady” (20th), $16,000.

Vogue (Golden) (550; 75-$l) —
"Mr. Hulot’s Holiday” (GBD) (4th
wk). Oke $1,100. Last week,
$1,500.

Broadway Grosses

Estimated Total Gross
This Week $643,309

(Based on 20 theatres.)

Last Year $652,809

(Based on 22 theatres.)

$12,000 in L’ville

Louisville, Aug. 23.

Best way to describe first-run
situations hereabouts is that it is
normal. Outstanding new pic #5
the Kentucky’s “We're No Angels”
with a lofty figure at this small-
Seater. “Private War Major Ben-
son” .is getting the most coin in
town, with a big session. * “Man
From Laramie” at the State, is
rated fair in second round.

Esimates for This Week

Kentucky (Switow) (1,200; 65-
85)— "We’re No Angels” (Par).
Lofty $7,500. Last week, “Never
Too Young” (Par) (2d wk), $4,000.

Mary Anderson (People’s) (1,200;
75-$l)— “Mister Roberts” (WB) (6th
wk). Oke $4,500. Last week, $5,000.

Rialto (Fourth Avenue) (3,000;
50-75)— “Private War Major Ben-
son” (U). Bangup $12,000 or near,
top newcomer in town. Last week,
“Lady and Tramp” (BV) (2d wk),
$13,000.

State (United Artists) (3,000; 50-
75) — “Man From ‘ Laramie” (Col)
(2d wk) and “Bring Your Smile
Along” (Col). Fair $7,000, after first
we.ek’s $11,000:

.‘Female’ Giant $24,000
In Philly; ‘Love’ Mighty
33G, ‘Rush’ Fancy 17G

Philadelphia, Aug. . 23;
Unusually warm weather cou-
pled with flood warnings in Penney
resort areas contributed consider-
ably to the higher b.o. biz here this
session. Two newcomers, “Love Is
a Many Splendored Thing” and
“Female on the Beach,” both are
huge in their first stanzas. “Girl
Rush” is rated fast at the Stanley.

“To Catch Thief” continues sock-
eroo in third round at the Trans-
Lux. “We’re No Angels” still
thrives at the nearby Arcadia,
partly from the overflow. “Mister
Roberts” looms tidy in sixth Mast-
baum session. *

Estimates for This Week
Arcadia (S&S) (625; 99-$1.40)—
"We’re No Angels” (Par) (7th wk).
Fancy $9,000. Last, week, $10,000.

Boyd (SW) (1,430; $1.25-$2.60)—
“Cinerama Holiday” (Indie) (27th
wk). Climbed to «smash $15,000.
Last week, $12,000.

Fox (20th) (2,250; 99-$1.49) —
(Continued on page 22)

"Thief’ Catches Tall
$15,000 in OK Indpls.

. Indianapolis, Aug* 23.

Biz Is continuing its August up-
beat at firstruns here this stanza.
“To Catch a Thief” looms sock at
Circle to lead the city and prob-
ably will hold. "Man From Lara-
mie” is doing fairly good at Loew’s.
“Mister Roberts” is holding its own
in 5-day fourth week at Indiana to
set new run high for summer.
Estimates for This Week

Circle (CockriU-Dolle) (2,800; 75-
95) — “To Catch Thief” (Par). Sock
$15,000. Last week, “House of
Bamboo” (20th) and “That Lady”
(20th), $8,500 at 85c top.

Indiana (C-D) (3,200; 75-95)—
“Mister Roberts” (WB) (4th wk).
Trim $8,000 in 5 days or about
$50,000 total for run.

Keith's (C-D) ‘(1,300; 50-75)--
“Purple Mask” (U) and “Thunder
Over Sangoland” (Lip). Good
$5,000. Last week, •“Life In Bal-
ance” (20th) and “Northside 777”
(Indie), $4,000.

Loew’s (Loew) (2,427; 50-60)—*
“Man From Laramie” (Col) arid
“Bring Your Smile Along” (Col).
Good $10,000. Last week, “Came
From Beneath Sea’* (Col) and
“Creature Atom Brain” (Col),
ditto.

‘Roberts’ Rich $11,500,
‘Stranger’ Big 10G, 6th

Baltimore, Aug. 23.

Longruns continue to sliow
strength at firstruns . here'*' this
week. Sixth round of “Mister Rob-r
erts” is plenty okay at the .Stanley.
Second round of “Man From Lara-
mie” is healthy at the Century.
“How To* Be Popular”. is mild in
second, frame at the New. “Last
Command,” only new entry, is
brisk at the Mayfair. “The Shrike”
is still sturdy in third week at Film
Centre.

Estimates for This Week

Century (Loew’s-UA) (3,000; 25-
65-95)— “Man From Laramie” (Col)
(2d wk). Finn $9,500 after $14,000
getaway.

Cinema (Schwaber) (460; 50-$l)
— “Green Scarf” (Indie) (3d wk).
Modest $2,500 following $3,000 in
second.

Film- Centre (Rappaport) (960;
50-$l)— “The Shrike” (U) (3d wk).
Sturdy $5,000 after $6,500 for
second.

Hippodrome (Rappaport) (2,100;
50-$l)_ “Lady And Tramp” (BV)
(7th wk). Okay- $6,000, Last week,
$7,500.

Mayfair (Hicks) (980; 20-70)—
“Last Command” (Rep). Brisk
$5,500. Last week, “Pearl South
Pacific” (RKO), $4,000.

New (Fruchtman) . (1,600; 25-

$1.25)— “How To Be Popular”
(20th) (2d wk). Fairish $8,000 after
$12,000 opener.

Playhbuse (Schwaber) (320,' 50-
$1)— “Marty” (UA) flOtlt wk). Still
drawing at $2,800 folowing $3,000
for ninth.

Stanley (WB) (3,200; 35-80-$1.25)
—“Mister Roberts” (WB) (6th wk).
Rousing $11,500 after $12,500 for
fifth.

Town (Rappaport) (1,400; 35-
$1.25) — “Not As Stranger” (UA)
(6th wk). Boff $10,000 following
$11,500 in fifth.

love’ Potent $16,080, Mpls.; ‘Desire'
Good 8G, ‘Holiday’ Terrif 26G, 5th

Minneapolis, Aug. 23.

After a 10-day spell of cool,
pleasant weather that followed a
long record-breaking heat wave,
it’s torrid again, with temperatures
at alltime August highs near 100.
Scorching blasts once more -are
driving many people into air-con-
ditioned theatres, thus helping biz.
Downtown is up to its neck in
holdovers. Five of the eight Loop
firstruns have stubborn high-
grossing extended-runs. Only new-
comers are “Love Is Many Splen-
dored Thing,” “Moonfleet” and
“One Desire.” “Love” is the best
turnstile bet. Top extended-runs
are “Not as a Stranger,” “Cine-
rama Holiday,” “Mister Roberts”
and “House of Bamboo.”

Estimates for This Week

Century <S-W) (1,150; $1.75-

$2.65) — “Cinerama Holiday” (In-,
die) (5th wk). No letdown here.
Terrific $26,000. Last week, $27, r
000 .

Gopher (Berger) (1,000; 85-$l) —
“Moonfleet” (M-G). Mild $4,800.
Last week, “Abbott & Costello
Meet Mummy” (U), $4,600.

Lyric (Par) (1,000; 85-$l)— “Mis-

ter Roberts” (WB) (m.o,). Here
after three tremendous Radio City

Still sailing at smash
Last week. “Davy Crockett,
Scout” (Indie) and “Iro-
Trail” (Indie) (reisstfes),

weeks.

$ 8 , 000 .

Indian
quois
$3,000.

Radio City (Par) (4,100; 85-$l) —
“Love Is Many Splendored Thing”
(20th). Wei sold and meeting with
approval. Sock at $16,000. Last
week, “Mister Roberts” (WB) (3d
wk), $13,500.

RKO-Orpheum (RKO) (2,800;
75-$l) — “One Desire” (U). Rock
Hudson has feminine pulling pow-
er here. Good $8,000. Last week,
“Man From, Laramie” (Col) (2d
wk), $10,000.

RKO-Pan (RKO) (1,600; 75-$l)—
“Man From Laramie” (Col) (m.o.).
Fancy $7,000. Last week, “Lady
and Tramp” (BV) (5th wk), $5,500.

. State (Par) (2,300; 85-$l) —

“Hous’e of Bamboo” (20th) (2d wk).
Virile $9,000i Last week, $14,500.

World (Mann) (40Q; 75-$1.20)—
“Not as Stranger” (UA) (6th wk).
tall $6,200. Last week, $6,900.
Staying another week.

; ‘Love’ Torrid 22G,

Key City Grosses

Estimated Total Gross

This Week $2,793,200

( Based on 22 cities and 210
theatres, chiefly first runs, in -
eluding N. Y.) ,

Total Gross Same Week

Last Year ..$2,978,900

(Based on 23 cities and 221
theatres.)

Gincy; ‘Blues’ 146

■Cincinnati, Aug, 23.

Downtown trade volume this
week is holding to a high level des-
pite recurrence of tprrid temper-
atures. “To Catch A Thief” tall
at the flagship Albee, is the ace
grosser. Another new bill, “How
To Be Popular,” looms good at
Keith’s. “Mister Roberts” and
“Pete Kelly’s Blues” are potent
holdovers. “Cinerama Holiday”
continues hotsy in ninth round.

Estimates for This Week

Albee (RKO) (3,100; 75-$1.25)—
“To Catch A Thief” ‘ (Par). Tall
$20,000. Last week, “Mister Rob-
erts” (WB) (3d wk), $14,000.

Capitol ' (Ohio Cinema Corp.)
(1,376; $1.20-$2,65) — “Cinerama
Holiday” (Indie) (9th' wk). Main-
taining sizzling $30,000 pace "after
last week's $32,700 - which was
boosted by block sales to a busi-
ness firm.

Grand (RKO) (1,400; 75-$1.25)—
“Mister Roberts’* (WB) (m.o.). Solid
$9,000~in sight for fourth down-
town week. Last week, “Man From
Laramie” (Col) (m.o.), at 75-$l
scale, $8,500.

Keith’s (Shor) <1,500; 75-$1.25)—
“How To Be Popular” (20th). Good
$11,000. Last week, “We’re No
Angels” (Par) (2d wk), $7,500.

Palace (RKO) (2,600; 75-$1.10)—
“Pete Kelly’s Blues” (WB) (2d wk>.
Swell $14,000 following $24,000
bow.

‘Roberts’ Huge $35,000,
Det; ‘Love’ Lively 30G,
‘Shrike’ Solid 10G, 2d

Detroit, Aug. 23.

Biz Is picking up smartly in some
locations downtown to give a
brighter outlook to this Week’s
prospects. “Mister Roberts” looks
terrific at the Michigan. “Love Is
A Many Splendored Thing” is do-
ing splendid trade at the Fox.
“Virgin Queen” looms disappoint-
ing at the United Artist. “Pete
Kelly’s Blues,” after a better than
forecast first week, is holding up
big at the Palms. “Cinerama Holi-
day” shapes smash in its 28th week
at Music Hall.

Estimates for This Wek

Fox (Fox-Detroit) (5,000; . $1-
$1.25) — “ Love Is Many Splendored
Thing” (20th) and “Life in Bal-
ance” (20th). Swell $30,000. Last
week, “Night Holds Terror” (Col)
and “King Dinosaur” (Lip) (2d wk),
$ 17 , 000 .

Michigan (United Detroit) (4,000;
$1-$1, 25)— -“Mister Roberts” (WB).
Terrific $35,000. Last week, “Seven
Little Foys” (Par) and “Green
Scarf” (Indie) (3d wk), $11,500.

Palms (UD) (2,961; $1-$1.25)—
“Pete Kelly’s Blues” (WB) and
“Robbers Roost” (UA) (2d wk). Big
$25,000. Last* week, $37,000.

Madison (UD) (1,900; $1-$1.25) —
"The Shnike” (U) (2d wk), Solid
$10,000. Last week, $13,300.

Broadway-C&pitol (UD) (3,500;
80-$l) — - “Pearl South Pacific”
(RKO) and “Sky Chasers” (AA).
Slim $9,000. Last week, “Rock ’n’
Roll” (Indie) and “Betrayed Wom-
en” (AA), $13,000.

United Artists (UA) (1,939; $1-
$1.25)— “Virgin Queen” (20th). Dis-
appointing $11,000. Last week,
“King’s Thief” (M-G), $6,600.

* Adams (Balaban) (1,700; $1-$1.25)
— “Interrupted Melody” (M-G) (3d
wk). Sturdy $9,000. Last week,
$ 10 , 000 .

Music Hall (Cinema . Produc-
tions) (1,194; $1.40-$2.65)— “Cine-
rama Holiday” (Indie) (28th wk).
Terrific $28,700. Last week, same.

Krim (Krim) (1,000; $1.25)—
“Wizard of Oz” (M-G) (4th wk).
Steady $5,000. Last week, same.

Boston, Aug. 23.

Hurricane Diane dripped all over
the Hub to slough cinema matinee
biz Friday (19) and close down sev-
eral nabe houses via power fail-
ures. Night biz here was terrif with
thousands of commuters stranded
when train service was halted.

. Despite the storm, biz held up
and took a surprising upturn Sat-
urday (20). Best bet is “Love Is
Many Splendored Thing” at the
Memorial with a mighty take. It’s
the second big winner in two
frames at B.en Domingo’s house,
last week, "Female on Beach” pac-
ing the city, “Pete Kelly’s Blues”
at Paramount and Fenway shapes
socko. “Man From Laramie” at
State and Orpheum looms great.
The Mayflower’s “Virgin Queen”
is on disappointing side.

“Pearl of South Pacific ,” f only
other newcomer, is so-so at the
Pilgrim. Holdovers were great,
with “Mister Roberts” still amazing
In fourth stanza at Met. “Cine-
rama” winds up longest playing
time of any pic ever in Hub with
its 6th and final frame. “Shrike”
still was good in third Astor ses-
sion. 0

Estimates for This Week

Astoir (B&Q) (1,500; 75-$1.25)—
“The Shrike” (U) (3d wk). Okay
$8,000. Last week, $10,<)00.

Beacon Hill (Beacon Hill) (678;
74-90-$l,25) — "Game of Love”
(Indie) (Itlf.wk). Fancy $9,000. Last
week, $9,400.

Cinerama (Cinerama Productions)
(1,354; $1.25-$2.85) — “Cinerama”

(Indie) (86th wk>. Final frame for
this alltime record holder in play-
ing time in Hub’s history, nice
$12,500. . “Cinerama Holiday”
preem Tuesday (30). Last week,
$12,300.

Exeter (Indie)' (1,300; 60-$l)—
“Cocktails in Kitchen” (Indie) (3d
wk), Oke $4,000. Last week, $5,000.

Fenwfey (NETA) (1,373; 60-$l)—
“Pete Kelly’s Blues” (WB). Happy
$7,000 aided. Last week, “Wichita”
(AA) and “Spy Chasers” (Indie),
$6,400..

Kenmore (Indie) (700; 85-$1.25)
—“Marty” (UA) (3d wk). Socko
$15,000. Last week, $16,200.

Memorial (RKO) (3,000; 60-$l)—
“Love Is Many Splendored Thing”
(20th) and “Life in Balance” (20th).
Leading city with a whopping
$22,000, Last Veek, “Female on the
Beach” (U) and “Skabenga” (AA),
$20,000 to pace town.

Metropolitan (NET) (4,357; 75-
90-$1.25)— "Mister Roberts” (WB)
(4th wk).' Terrific $12,000. Last
week, amazing with $17,000.

Mayflower (ATC) (689;. 75-90-
$1.25)— “Virgin Queen.” (20th).
Neat* $11,000. Last week, subse-
quent-run.

Paramount (NET) (1,700; 60-$l)
(Continued on page 22)

‘Lady’ New High $31,000,
St Loo; ‘Kentuckian’ Tall
21G, ‘Laramie’ Nice 19G

St. Louis, Aug. 23.

Cinema biz is taking a sharp up-
swing this session, with “Lady and
Tramp” heading for new alltime
high at Orpheum. “Kentuckian,”
aided by smart bally, looks great at
Loew’s. “Mister Roberts” con-
tinues smash in fourth round.
“Man From Laramie” chalked up a
husky round at the Fox.

Estimates for This Week

Ambassador (Indie) (1,400; $1.20-
$2.40) — “Cinerama Holiday” (In-
die) (27th wk). Socko $18,000.
Last week, $20,200.

Fox (F&M) (5,000; 51-90)— “Pri-
vat War Major Benson” (U) and
“Francis In Navy” (U). Opened
today (Tues.). Last week, “Man
From Laramie’ (Col) and “Women’s
Prison” (Col), lofty $19,000.

Loew’s (Loew) (3,172; 50-85)—
“Kentuckian” (UA) arid "Chicago
Syndicate” (Col). Great $21,000
or close. Last week, “Not As
Stranger” (UA) (4th wk), $11,000.

Orpheum (Loew.) (1,400 75-$l)—
“Lady And Tramp” (BV). Record
$31,000. Last week,

"Creature Atom
$6,500.

Pageant (St. L.

90)— “Marty” (UA)

$3,500 after $4,500

Richmond (St. Louis Amus.) (400:
$1.10)— “Marty” (UA) (2d wk). Fine
$2,000 following $2,500 initial
frame.

St. Louis (St. L. Amus.) (4,000;
51-90) — “Mister Roberts” (WB) (4th
wk). Sturdy $15,000 after $18,000
third round.

Shady Oak (St. L. Amus.) (800;
$1.10) — “Innocents In Paris” (In-
die). Big $3,500. Last week, “Dam
Busters” (WB> (2d wk), $2,000.

"It” (Col) and
Brain” (Col),

Amus.) (1,000;
(2d wk). Big
teeoff session.

Wednesday? AwgUBt 24, 1955

> «

‘Francis Fast 80G, 10 Spots,

Los Angeles, Aug. 25. -

Film business is holding to a
good stride here this round de-
spite the hdat> with a number of
holdovers and two .openers rating
solid grosses. “Mister Roberts”
continues to , maintain the lead
with $29,000 or better in fifth ses-
sion in three theatres. “Love Is!
, Many Splendored Thing/’ show-
casing at the Chinese, is hitting a
sock $28,000 in initial stanza.'

“Summertime” should reach a
very good $22,000 opening week at,
the Fox Wilshirb./ ‘‘Seven Year
Itch” is near $24,000 in four houses,
second m.o, week. “Lady '•and
Tramp” is nice $22,700 in two
houses oh first moveover, week.

“To Catch a' Thief” is sturdy
$19,500. in third round at Holly-
wood Par. “Pete Kelly's Blues”
is racking up a nifty $20,000 or
nearin' second week in two houses
plus a big $65,000 in one nabe
and seven ozoners. “Frahcis in
Navy” is somewhat disappointing
at the State with $9,000. but hitting
a big $71,000 in one nabe and eight
drive-ins. “Cinerama” is stout in
120th week. ■ \*

Estimates for This Week

Four Star (UATC) (900; 0O-$L5O)
— "Man Who Loved Redheads”
(UA). Slim $3,000, ‘ Last week,
“Wichita” (AA) and “Case Red
Monkey” (AA), $4,600.

State (UATC) (2,404 ‘ 90-$l)—
“Francis in Navy” (U) and “Fury,
Jn Paradise” (Indie); Fair $9,000.
Last week, “Wichita” (AA) and
“Case Red Monkey” (AA), $11,800.

Palace,. Hawaii (Metropolitan-
G&S) (i;726; 1,106; 80r$l)— “Pearl
of South Pacific” (RKG) and
“Purple Mask” (U), Palace only;
plus 1 “Lone Star” (M-G), Hawaii
only. Lean $9,200. Last week,
Hawaii, “Wichita” (AA) and “Case
Red Monkey” (AA), $5,800.

El Key (FWC) (861; 70-$1.25)—
“Red Shoes” (UA) and “Quartet”
(UA). .(reissues). Brisk $4,000.
Last week, “The Bed”(Indie) and
“Fuss Over Feathers” (Indie) (3d
wk), $1,600, \

. Warner Downtown, Hollywood
(SW-FWC) (1,757; 756; 90-$1.50)—
“Pete Kelly’s Blues” (WB) and
“Five Guns West” (Indie), .Nifty
$20,000 or . close. Last week, $20,-
000. I

Chinese (FWC) (1,905; $1-$1.80)
— “Love. Is Many Splendored
Thing” (20th). Sock $28,000. Last
week, “How Be Popular” (20th),
$9,500.

Orpheum, New Fox (Metropoli-
tan-FWC) (2,213; 965; 90-$1.50)—
“Kentuckian” (UA) and “Break to
Freedom” (UA) (2d wk). Okay $17,-
000. Last, week, $21,000.

Hollywood Paramount (F&M)
(1,430; $1-$1*50)— “To. Catch Thief”
(Par) (3d wk). Husky $19,500. Last
week, $21,200.

Fox Rit* (FWC) (1,863; $1-$1.50
—“Interrupted Melody” (M-G) (8th
Wk). Mild $4,700. Last week,
$4,600.

Fox Wilshlre (FWC) (2,296;
$1.50-$2) — “Summertime” (UA).
Fast $22,000. Last week,- “Lady and
Tramp” (BV) (8th wk), $8,600* •'

Downtown Paramount, Pantages,.
Wiltern (ABPT-RKO-SW) (3.200;
-2,812; 2,344; $1-$1.50) — “Mister
Roberts” (WB) (5th Wk). Hearty
$29,000 or better. Last week,
$ 31 , 600 .

Warner Beverly (SW) (1,612; $1-
$1.75) — “Not As Stranger” (UA)
(8th \vk). Fair $7,000, Last week,
$8,600.

Egyptian (UATC) (1,536; $i-

$1.50) “ We’re No Angels” (Par)

(5th wk). Medium $8,500. Last
week, $9,400.

Globe (FWC) (782; 80-$l) —
“Wichita” (AA). Thin $4,500. Last
week, in different unit.

Hillstrect, Vogue (RKO-FWC)
(2,752; 885; $1-$1.25)— “Lady and
Tramps (BY). Hefty $22,700. Last
week, in different units. Hillstreet
last week, “Seven Kittle Foys”
(Par), $5,700; VoguV “Virgin
Queen” (20th), $3,500.

Los Angeles, Iris, Uptown, Loy-
ola (FWC) (2,097; 816; 1,715; 1,248;
90-SI. 50) — “Seven Year Itch” (20th)
and “Adventures Sadie” (20th) (2d
wk this unit). Hot $24,000. Last
w >k, $34,800.

Fine Arts (FWC) (631; $1-$1.50)
—“Marty” (UA) (6th wk). Neat $8,-
000. Last week, same.

Warneir Hollywood (SW) (1,364;
$l.“0-$2.65) — “Cinerama” (Indie)
(121st wk). Into current frame
Sunday (21) after fancy $28,200
last week, . „ . \

Estimates Are Net

Film gross estimates as re-
ported herewith from the vari-
ous key cities, are net; i.e.,
without usual tax. Distrib-
- utors share, on net take, when
. playing percentage, hence the
estimated figures are net in-
come.

The .' parenthetic admission
, prices, however, as indicated,
include the U. S. amusement
tax.

Washington, Aug. 23.

■ Business looks solid at midtown
showcases, With “To Catch Thief”
leading the way with boff business
at the Capitol; “This Is Cine-
rama,” which has; announced, the
end of its run,., has rebounded as
people rush to see it before it glyes
way . to “Cinerama Holiday” next
month. Aside from “Catch Thief,”
most of strength comes from hold-
overs since - Other newies' are re-
issues.' ■

Estimates for. This Week

Ambassador (SW) (1,490; 90-
$1.25)— “Mister, Roberts” (WB> (5th
wk). GOod $9,000 after $9,500 last
week. Stays over.

■ Capitol (Loew) (3,434; 85-$1.25)
—“To Catch Thief” (Par), Tre-
. mendous $45,000. Last week, “How
To Be Popular” (20th) (2d wk),
better than expected at $16,0QQ,
hypoed by final of “Miss- Washing-
ton” contest on stage.

Columbia (Loew) 4)1,174; 60-85) —

| “Came From Beneath Sea” (Col)
and “Creature Atom Brain” (Col).
Nice $12,000. Last week, “Wizard
of Oz” (M-G) (reissue), $9,000 in
6 days.

Dupont (Lopert) (372; 75-$l)—
“Fan Fan Tulip” (UA) (reissue)
and “Beauties of Night (UA). So-so
$4,200. Last week. “Captain’s Para-
dise” (UA) and “The River” (UA)
(reissues),' $4,500.

Keith’s . (RKO) (1;939; 75-$1.25)
—“Lady and Tramp”’ (BV) (6th
wk). Steady $8,000 after $8,200.

Metropolitan (SW) (1,200; 90-
$1.25) — “Mister Roberts” (WB) (5th
wk. Lofty $13,500 after $13,800 in
fourth. Stays over.

Palace (Loew) (2,360; 85-$1.25>—
“Not As Stranger” (UA) (4th wk).
Handsome $15,000 after $19,000 in
: third.

Playhouse (Lopdrt) (435; 75-

$1.10) — “Seven Little Fo$s” (Par)
l (8th wk). Hep $4,000. Last week,
$4,800.

Trans-Lux (T-L) (600; 70-$l) —
“Man From Laramie” (Col) (5th
wk). Neat $5,000 after $6,000.

Warner (SW) (1,300; $1.20-$2.40)
— “Cinerama” (Indie) (93d wk). Re-
bound to a big $18,000 and getting
repeaters after advertising about
end of run. Last week, $14,500.-

'BLUES’ BOFFO $17,000,
PROV.; ‘VIRGIN’ 14G

Providence, Aug. 23.

Terrifically hot weather will hold'
most takes down here this week, but
mainliners are happy that floods
failed to materialize in this sea
level area. RKO Albee’s “Pete
Kelly’s Blues” shapes terrific.
State’s “The Cobweb” is fairish.
“The Virgin Queen” is rated strong
at Majestic.

Estimates for This Week

Albee (RKO) (2,200; 65-90)—
“Pete Kelly’s Blues”; (WB) and
“Seven Angry Men” (AA). Wow
$17,000. Last week, “City Across
River” (U) and “Girls In Night”
(U) (reissues). $8,000.

Majestic (Fay) (2,200; 50-75)—
“Virgin Queen” (20th) and “Living
Swamp” (20th). Strong $14,000.
Last week* “Mister Roberts” (WB)
(3d wk), $13,000.

State (Loew) (3,200; 50-75) —

“The Cobweb” ((M-G) and “The
Marauders” (M-G). Fair $13,000.
Last week, “The Kentuckian” (UA)
and “Robbers Roost” (UA), same.

Strand (Silverman) (2,200; 50-75)
—“Special Delivery” (Col) and
“Gun That Won the West” (Col).
Opened Sunday (21). Last week,
“Neyed Too Young” (Par) (2d wk),
nice $7,000. i

PICTURE GROSSES 9

‘Pearl’ NSG $10,000,
Buff.; ‘Blues’ 10‘/ 2 G, 2d

• Buffalo, Aug. 23.

Town is loaded with holdovers
this session but it is not hurting
some spots. “Pearl of South Pa-
cific,” lone new pic, is just pass-
able at Century* “Mister Roberts”
still is doing great in sixth round
at Center. “Pete Kelly’s Blues”
still is potent in second Paramount

T’V

in •

e Splendid 90

Estimates for This Week

Buffalo (Loew) (3,000; 50-80) —
“The Kentuckian” (UA) and “Big
House U.S.A.” (Indie) (2d wk).
Fainsh $9,000. Last week, $18,000.

Paramount (Par) (3,000; 50-80) —
“Pete Kelly’s , Blues” ° (WB) and
“This Man is Dangerous” (Indie)
(2d wk); Potent $10,500 in 5 days.
Last week, $20,400.

Center (Par) i2,000; 50-$l) —
“Mister Roberts” (WB) (6th wk).
Sturdy $9,500. Last week, $12,000.

Lafayette (Basil) (3,000; 50-80) —
“Man From Laramie”. (Col) and
“Bring Smile Along” (Col) (2d wk).
Okay $7,500 afteis $15,000 opener.

Century (Buhawk) • (3,000; 60-85)
—“Pearl of South Pacific” (RKO)
and “Betrayed Women” (RKO),
'Passable $10,000. Last week, “Lady
and Tramp” (BV) (4th wk), $8,000
at $1 top.

Teck (Cinema Products) (1,200;.
$1.20-$2.40) — “Cinerama” (Indie)
(21st wk). Stout $9,00.0. Last week,
$ 10 , 000 .. :

in Frisco

San Francisco,’ Aug.' 23. •
“Cinerama Holiday” is the big
news here currently, since it set . a
new alltime house record for ahy
“Cinerama”, week in the city, by
racking up $37;809‘ in third round
at Orpheum. “We're No Angels”
is easily top newcomer with a
smash take at Paramount. “Wages
of Fear” Is headed for non-holiday
record opening week at - Vogue,
“Mister Roberts” still is great in;
sixth- round at St. Francis.

Estimates for This Week
Golden Gate (RKO) (2,859; 80-
$1)— “Lady and Tramp” (BVM5th
wk). • Fine $11,000. Last week,
$13,500.

Fox (FWC) ' (4,651; $1.25-$1.50)
— “McConnell Story” (WB) ' and
“The Road to Denver” (Rep (2d
wk). Okay $12,500. . Last week,
$ 20 , 000 . *>

Warfield (Loew) (2,656; 65-90)
—“Scarlet Coat” (M-G), Fair $10,-
500. Last week, “Moonfleet” (M-G),
$11,500. „ . ‘

Paramount (Par) (2,646; 90-$l—
“We’re No Angels” (Par) and
“Trouble In Store” (Indie). Smash
$20,000. Last week, “Man From
Laramie” (Col) and “Bring Smile
Along” (Col) (2d wk), $14,000. . .

. St. Francis (Par)- <1,400; $1-$1.25)
—“‘Mister Roberts” (WB) (6th wk).
Fast $14,000. Last week, $17,000.

Orpheum (Cinerama Theater
Calif.) (1,458; $1.75-$2.65) — ’’Cin-
erama Holiday” (4th wk). Hit
house record of $37,800 in third
session ended Sunday (21). Last
week, $37,400.

United Artists (No. Coast) 1,-
207; 70-$l) — “Not As Stranger”
(UA) (8th wk). Big $8,800. Last
week, $9,700.

Stagedoor (A-R) (400; $1-$1.25)
—“Marty” (UA) and “Kind Hearts,
Coronets” (reissue) (8th wk). Good
$4000.

Larkin (Rosener) (400; $j) —
“Flamenco” (Indie) (2nd wk); Tall
$3,600. Last' week, $3,500*

Clay (Rosener) (400-$l) — “Green
Scarf” (Indie). Nice $3,600. Last
week, “Front Page Story” (Indie)
(2d wk) r $2-100. <

Vogue (S.F. Theatres) (377-$!)—
“Wages of Fear”' (Indie). Big $5-
800. Last week, “Innocents In
Paris” (Indie) (5th wk) and “Fal-
len Idol” (Indie) (3d wk), $2,100.

Bridge (Reade-Schwarz) (396; $1-
$1.25) “Court Martial” (Indie (2d
wk). Big $2,500. Last week,
$3,600.

Rio (Schwarz) (397-$l) — “Miss
Italy” (Indie) and “La Favorita”
(Indie). Good $2,300. /\Last week,
“Svengali” (M-G) (3d wk), $1,500.

‘Pearl’ Smooth $10,000,
Denver; ‘Shrike’ 126, 2d

Denver, Aug. 23.
Best newcomer is “Pearl of
South Pacific,” nice in two ozoners.
“Cobweb” is mild at Orpheum.
“Shrike” shapes fancy in second
Paramount week. “I Am Camera”
is big also in second. “Mister Rob-
erts” looms sock in fifth Centre
round.

Estimates for This Week
Aladdin (Fox) (1,400; 60-$l)— “I
Am a Camera” (DCA) (2d wk). Big
$12,000. Last week, $16,000.
Centre (Fox) (1,247; 60-SI) —
(Continued on $age 22)

Hurricane Diane had little ef-
fect on Broadway firstruu business
except to clip Thursday bight take
with the heavy rain. - The heavy
downpour Sunday (21) night
around 8:30 came at the peak hour.
Otherwise, the lone* handicap to
strong b.o. was the tropical heat
Saturday, Sunday and ’ Monday.
Despite all handicaps, there is a
quartet of newcomers which is
hanging up astounding business.

“Ulysses” gave the Globe its
biggest trade, in years by racking
up a mighty $44;000 opening round.
Initial day was the greatest at the
house in six years. “Female on the
Beach,” paired with vaude, is giv-
ing the Palace its strongest money
since recent two-a-day vaudeville
was used. Joan Crawford 6pus is
heading for a terrific $37,000 or
near. It stays a second week.

’“Love, Is Many Splendored
Thing,”' of course, is great at the
Roxy, with $90,000 or* thereabouts
for opening stanza. It looks in for
a run. “Pete Kelly’s Blues” is the
fourth big new entry, with a smash
$35,000 in • prospect for initial
round at the’ Victoria.

Although naturally bit ‘ by flood
conditions in surrounding states
(which held down out-of-town pa-
trons),. .“Mister • Roberts” with
stageshow is holding with a sock-
erop $146,000 in the sixth . session
at the Music Hall. ' This cinches a
seventh week and possibly ft carry-
over through Tabor Day. Show-
ing' is unusual, not only in the face
of weather conditions, but in view
of how many cities in the sur-
rounding area now are playing
“Roberts/

“To Catch a Thief” looks to. hold
-in amazing fashion • with a great
$75,000 likely for third, stanza at
the Paramount. It. stays on.
“Sheep Has Five Legs” hit a new
high for a second week at the Fine
Arts by holding with the same fig-
ures as the initial round— $18,000,

“Cinerama Holiday” perked up
last session to land a great $44,700
in 28th week at the Warner*
“Bummertime” held; £t birf $19,000
in its eight stanza at the Astor.
“Seven Little Foys” is off to mild
$11,000 or- close In final six days
of eighth week at the Criterion aft-

er a great run;

‘Never Too

Young”- replaces • tomorrow
(Thurs.). <

. “I Am Camera” still is smash
with $18,700 in second Little Car-
negie week. “Private War of Ma-
jor Benson” continues sock at $11,-
000 in third week at the Plaza.

Estimates for This Week

Astor (City Inv.) (1,300; 75-$1.75)
—“Summertime” (UA) (10th wk).
Ninth round completed last night
(Tues.) was great $19,000 or near
after $25,500 in eighthweek. Looks
to stay on the remainder of the
summer.

Little Carnegie (L. . Carnegie)
(550;. $1.25-$2.20) — “I Am a Cam-
era” (DCA) (3d wk). initial hold-
over frame ended Sunday (21)
was huge $18,700. First week hit
$23,000.

Capitol (Loew’s) (4.820; 85-$2.20)
— “Not as Stranger” (UA) (9th-ilnal
wk). The eighth stanza finished
yesterday (Tues,)- at fair $27,700
or close after $31, 600. for seventh.
“Man From Laramie” (Col) comes
in Aug. 31.

Criterion (Moss) (1,700; 75-$2.20)
— ‘Seven Little Foys” (Par) (8th-
fiiial wk). Final round being held
to six days, winding up today
(Wed.). Looks to reach mild $11,-
000 as . against $19,000 in . full
seventh week. “Never Too Young”
(Par) opens tbifiorrow (Thurs.),

Fine Arts (Davis) (468; 90-$1.80)—
“Sheep Has Five Legs” (Indie) (3d
wk). Initial holdover round fin-
ished Monday (22) held with an
amazing $18,000, same as first
week. Second week established an
alltime high for any pic in first
holdover session here.

Globe (Brandt) (1,500; 70-$1.50)
— “Ulysses” (Par) (2d Wk). Soaring
to terrific $44,000 or near in first
session ended last night (Tues.).
This, was big from start, initial day
being biggest opener at house in
five years. Looks to be around for
some time. In ahead, “Son of Sin-
bad” (RKO) (3d wk), $8,000.

Guild (Guild) (450; $1-1.75) —
“Gate of Hell” (Indie) (38th wk).
The 37th week ended Monday (22)
was big $7,800 after $7,500 in 35th
round.

Mayfair (Brandt) (1,736; 79-

$1.80)— “Land of Pharaohs” (WB)
(5th wk). In fourth session ended
Monday (22), dipped to fair $11,-
000 after $15,500 in third week.

“The Kentuckian” ' (UA) opens
Sept. 1.

; Normandie (Trans-Lux) (592; 95-
$1.80)— “Divided Heart” (Rep) (4th
wk),< Third stanza completed last
bight (Tues.) was okay $4,500 after
$5,500- In . second week. Holds on
for while', new pic not being set
on date.

Palace (RKO) (1,700; 50-$1.60)— “
“Female dn . Beach” (U) with
vaudeville. First round climbing
td smash $37,000, biggest" here in.
many many months. Holding over
pic. Last week,' “King’s Thief”
(M-G) and vaude, $33;500. This is
first time that a film has been held
for a second week here in some-
time.

Paramount (ABC-Par) (3,664; $1- .
$2)— “To Catch Thief” (Par (3d
wk). Current . round winding up
today (Wed.) is heading for great
$75,000. Second week was $88,000.
Holding on at least through Labor
Day.

Paris (Pathe Cinema) (568; 9Q-
$1*80) — “Man Who Loved Red-
heads” (UA) (5th wk). Fourth Stan? •
za ended Sunday . (21) field with .
solid $8,500 after $10,200 in third;
Stays* .

Radio City Music Hall (Rocke-'
fellers) (6,200; 95-$2.75) — “Mister
Roberts” (WB) and stageshow (6th
wk). Current session winding-up
today (Wed.) looks to reach' great.
$146,000, despite weather’ handi-
cap. Fifth week was $150;Q00.
Holds seventh, . and possibly long-
er. Picture has grossed a total of
$973,000 so far, including An esti-
mated $146,000 "for this week.
“Roberts” is ; starting to feel usual
August upbeat but is handicapped -
by so miicli heat and Stormy
weather plus hurricane warnings/

' Plaza (Brecker (556; $1.$0-$1.80)
— “Private War Major Benson*”
(U) (4th wk). Third session finished .
Monday (22) was rousing $11,000
after $12,000 for second.”

Roxy (Nat’l. Th.) (5,717; 65-
$2.40) — “Love Is Many Splendored
Thing” (20th). Soaring to mighty
$90,000 or close in first week wind-
ing today (WedJ, Holding on. All-
day preview of “Thing” on final day
(Wed.) and night of Aug. 15 boost-
ed “Virgin. Queen” (2Qth) to. okay
$46,000 ;in fihaL. (2d) ‘ week of - siH
days.

State (Loews) (3,450; 78^51.75)—
“Cpbweb” (M-G) (3d wk). Current
session ending tomorrow;-: (Thurs.)
is heading for an dkay ; $15,000
after $26J}00 in second week.
“Phenix City Story” (AA) opens
Sept. 2. . -■

Sutton (R&B) (561; $1-$1.80)-^
“Marty” (UA) (20th wk). The 19th
stanza.* ended Sunday (21) was
smart $13,400 after $14,300 in 18th
week. Continues.

Trans-Lux 52nd St. (T-L) (540;
$1-$1.50) — ‘Court Martial” (King)
14th wk). Third round finished
Sunday (21) was big $6,Q00 after
$7,500 in second week. Holds again.

Victoria (City Inv.) (1,060; 50-.
$1.75— “Pete Kelly’s Blues” (WB).
Climbing to smash $35,000 or near
in first frame ending today (Wed.).
Holding, naturally. In ahead, “The
Shrike” (U) (6th wk), $13,500 to
round out a solid run here.

Warner (Cinerama Prod.) (1,600
$1.20-$3.30) — “Cinerama Holiday”
(Indie) (29th wk). The 28th session
completed Saturday (20) pushed
to wham $44,700 after $41,700 in,
27th week. Stays indefinitely.

‘ROBERTS’ GIANT 12G,
OMAHA; ‘MELODY’ 10G

Omaha, Aug. 23.

Two new entries are scoring
socko biz this week, offsetting a
warm, hUmid weekend. “Mister
Roberts” is huge at the Brandeis.
“Interrupted Melody” is hep at
the Omaha. Of the holdovers, “To
Catch a Thief” Is still hefty at the
Orpheum and “Not as a Stranger”
is good at the State. "

Estimates for This Week

Brandeis (RKO) (1.100; 75-$D—
“Mister Roberts” (WB). Giant
$12,000. Last week, “Came From
Beneath Sea” (Col) and “Creatur*
Atom Brain” (Col), $5,500 at 50c*
75c scale

Omaha (Tristates) (2,000; 70-90)
— ^“Interrupted Melody” (M-G).
Shapes as big $10,000. Last week,
“Purple Mask” (U) and “Adven-
tures of Sadie” (20th), $7,000. •

Orpheum (Tristates) (2,890; 75-
$1) — “To Catch Thief” (Par) (2d
wk). Brisk $10,500. Last week,
$15,000.

State (Goldberg) (860; 80-$ 1)—
“Not as Stranger” (UA) (3d wk)
Continues strong at $8,000. Lasl
week, $11,500.

12 INTERNATIONAL

*V AMITY'S* 10NB0N 0FFIC1
• IK Martin*# Tr«fal|»r lyiiff

Paris, Aug. 16. -

Harolcl Hecht, prexy of Hecht-
Lancaster Productions, foals that
production, abroad costs about the
same as It does in Hollywood.
However, when a subject calls for
foreign locales they , add a sweep
of freedom to the film. H. & L.
have made about half of their
films in such climes as the Fiji
Islands, Italy, England, Mexico
and the Bronx. Combo now is here
to begin the next pic, “Trapeze”*
(UA) in CiSCope. It will star Gina
Lollobrigida, Burt Lancaster and
Tony Curtis with Sir Carol Heed
directing. James Hill is handling
the production chores. Hecht says
that the film likely will cost about
the same as if made in the U, S.

Hecht said equipment usually
was a problem overseas. Here in
Paris he encountered some diffi-
culty getting proper mikes and
lighting of voltage needed to shoot
in the actual circus. Cirque D”Hiv-
er, which is the film’s locale. He
opined that any money saved in
operating costs was usually swal-
lowed up by extra living expenses
of people involved in the film plus
the longer shooting sk^d caused
by different working conditions.

He found that foreign crews
were hep and that the many for-
eign contributions to the film,
such as .sets, music, etc,, gave it
a more unique quality. The recent
H. & L. pic, “The Kentuckian” (UA)
made in C’Scope, has. been chosen
as. one of the U, S. films for the.
coming Venice Film Festival.
Hecht has great respect for the
power, publicity and prestige val-
ue of a festival since his “Marty”
(UA) copped the Grand Prix at
the - recent Cannes Fest. It has
created a pre-sold aud .in Europe,
he feels, and also made for interest
with the usual foreign film audi-
ence highbrow group in the U. S.

Hecht, who left for the States
yesterday (15), may not come back
here until October* . °

MEX EXHIBS GIVE UP
HOPE FOR ADMISH TILT

* V

Mexico City, Aug. 16.

Exhibitors here, • smiling wanly
at the city government’s statement
that the cinemas make $640,000 a
year, again have abandoned • hope
of having the 32c admission ceiling
boosted. It was set late in 1952,
with no possible ‘ change until the
incoming government that takes
over Dec. 1, 1958, for the next six-
year term.

The government has stressed its
nix of the asked boost m admission
price hike by asserting that it
won’t permit any increase for any
public amusement, particularly
cinemas and other theatres. The
government suggested to theatre
impresarios that it would be bet-
ter for all concerned if they cut
prices for shows during the week.

Reds Hand Rosenhuegel
. Studios Back to Austria

Vienna, Aug. 16.
The Rosenhuegel studios, occu
pied by the Soviet forces for more
than 10 years, have been officially
handed over to the Austrian gov-
ernment here. Paula Wessely
Productions has first claim on the
lot for its next picture. Karl
Hartl will move in afterwards and
start the long-projected Mozart
color film.

Experts declared that its syn-
chronization setup is the best ever
in Austria. Austria will pay $150,-
000,000 for all former Russian-run
enterprises.

Just what will be done with the
two unreadied films, “Puntilla and
his Servant” and “Fidelio” by
Felsenstein, will be decided short-
ly.

400 Reels of Films Lost

Lisbon, Aug. 23.

About 400 reels of "films were
destroyed when a warehouse in the
center of the city caught fire. No
American distribs or reps use
that particular storehouse, it bcin,
employed by distributors special
izing in European pix. ‘About 10
distribs lost at least half of their
current stock, little of it being

Roiimania Starts First

Washington, Aug. 23.
Roumania expects to start' its
first experimental operations to-
day (Tues.) at the new station being
completed in Bucharest, according
to word received here. . Roumanian
government claims all the equip-
ment except for “the camera tube”
was made in that country. Also it
wiU use a Soviet-made iconoscope.

Receivers are to be installed in
several parks, museums and at one
or two radio stores in the city so
that the public may watch the re-
ception.

New Proposed Law In
W. Germany Seen Blow
At Current-Bay Bum

Bonn, Aug. 26.

A new bill, which appears to
violate the freedom of public opin-
ion and artistic creation (particu-
larly abridging the rights of film-
makers for projects concerning
contemporary historical figures),
has been presented in the Parlia-
ment of West Germany. Bill de-
mands that all producers doing
biographical films about person-
alities in present-day life obtain
releases from either the persons
concerned, or their heirs or rela-
tives. The bill restricts itself to
films only, ‘and does not extend to
similar releases from newspapers
of novels in conjunction with the
same people.

The Parliament has handed the
bill to its Authors Rights Commit-
tee in its last meeting before the
August holidays, and it Is assumed
that the bill will be brought . up
again when the group re-convenes
in the fall.

Outgrowth of the bill is the re-
sult of the recent legal battle be-
tween two German pix makers who
both produced^ film on the same
topic, the July 20 bomb plot
against Hitler. The big hassle be-
tween the producers broke into
legal fireworks ever the question
of obtaining releases from the per-
sons portrayed or their relatives.

Neue Film, which did “Es Ge-
schah am 21 Juli,” obtained re-
leases from all the persons por-
trayed. Herzog did not for its “Der
20 Juli.” The Widow of General
Fromm, who was presented in both
films, issued an injunction to pre-
vent the opening of “Der 20 Juli”
on the grounds that it violated her
husband's memory. The 'court,
however, ruled that there were no
grounds for the injunction, since
her husband was presented in a
like manner in both films, and
since Neue Film had obtained a
release from her.

Case may carry over to the US.,
however, Tf both films are released
there. “Der 20 Juli” is likely to
have trouble in America where the
rights of privacy are protected by
law and where other films have
been forced to settle with persons
portrayed or with their descen-
dants.

Pic on Hitler Tees Off
Edinburgh Film Fest

Edinburgh, Aug. 23.
An Austrian film, “The Last
Act,” dealing with the last 10 days
in the life of Hitler, was the pic
production used to launch the
ninth International Film Festival
here Sunday (21). It is directed by
G. W, Pabst, and is based on. script
by novelist Erich Maria Remarque,
author of . “All Quiet on Western
Front.” *

“Festival in Edinburgh, 0 pro-
duced by the Films of Scotland
Committee, was shown on the same
program.

De Cordoba Sets Up
3-Per-Year Mex Prod.

Mexico City, Aug. 16,
Arturo de Cordoba; vet top
dramatic actor, has joined with
Gregorio Wallerstein, frontline
producer, to -turn out an average
of three pix, all tinters, per year.
The actor will play in at least two
of them. This pair are budgeted
at $200,000 each*

“Golden Wedding,” the first,
stars Libertad Lamarque, . Argen.
tine tango singer, who is a big
name in Mexico. As soon as this
is finished, “Letter to an Unknown
Woman,” with Marga Lopez, the
Argentinian who recently became
a Mexican citizen, goes into work.

Old Mex Classic to Pix

Mexico City, Aug. 16.
One of Mexico’s classic traged-
ies, the bitter end of the bizarre
empire which Austrian Archduke
Maximilian and his archduchess,
Carlota, headed in Mexico, 1883-67,
is to be. filmed again but oii a big-
ger scale by Reforma Films. Cine-

■' Ji'rc

Sydney, Aug. 16.

Majestic in Newtown, onetime
vaude house attached to' the Fuller
loop, and later a cinema, is now
one of Sydney’s plush legit the-
atres. Givep a facelift, this 2,000, -
seater is now under the -control
of the Elizabethan Trust, headed
by a group of top Aussie business
executives. It may become"Aussie’s
first National Theatre.

The power of marquee names
is indicated by the smash boxoffice
currently being done by the house,
which is located in an industrial
area four miles from the city and
in a back street, Sir Ralph Rich-
ardson, Meriel Forbes, Dame Sybil
Thorndike "and Lewis Casson in
“The Sleeping Prince” and “Separ-
ate Tables” have been great b.o.
Garnet Carroll, indie legit opera-
tor and partner of the late Sir
Ben Fuller, in association with
H. M. Tennent Ltd.* brought the
group to Aussie for a limited sea-
son. Shut out of a Sydney house,
Carroll hooked to the Elizabethan
Trust and has struck a- real money-
maker. Carroll, who operates the
Princess, Melbourne, played the
Richardson eombo there for a run
of 12 weeks, shortening the run
with an intake of $22,000 weekly
to accept the Sydney date.

Carroll, after a recent U. S. and
British looksee, has set plans for
a major legit upbeat Down Under.
He has set “Kismet” for a Novem-
ber preem at the Princess, Mel-
bourne, following the smash hit
of “The Little Hunt,” with Marsha
Hunt and Peter Gray. He- recently
hit the jackpot with Melvyn Doug-
las in “Time Out for Ginger,” and
has for the future “Tea and Sym-
pathy” and “Anniversary Waltz.”

GREATER UNION NET
TO RECORD $600,000

Sydney, Aug. 16.

Under the guidance of Norman
B. Rydge, the Greater Union The-
atres’ circuit turned in a record
net profit of $600,000 in 1954. It
now looks as if the 1955 earnings
will go even higher, with boxoffice
biz buoyant via solid product
from U. S. and Britain. GUT is a
50-50 partner with the J. Arthur
Rank Organization here. Loop op-
erates around 130 houses, includ-
ing some drive-ins.

Rydge informed stockholders
that the film industry here over
the past year had benefited from
highgrade product minus competi-
tion from tele. Rydge said it was
felt that the Initial impact of tv
would affect pic attendances. Cine-
sound studio, under the GUT tent,
is geared for local tv production
and GUT also is a stockholder in a
major Melbourne commercial tv
station. It also . will -expand into
the drive-in field in New South
Wales, Rydge stated*

In Barcelona This Year

Barcelona, Aug. 16*
Summer legit companies are do-
ing good biz in Barcelona during
this summer. The Barcelona Thea-
tre presented the musical . play,
“Snow in the Harbor” by an Aus-
trian company directed by Eladio
Verde. Leads are Jose Gonzalez
Presi, Jaime Garcia and Maudilia
Fernandez.

At the Talia theatre, the Cata-
lonian-speaking group is doing
“The Bride Has Lqst Her- Bou-
quet,” with popular vet Bella
Dorita starred. The Romea has
another lyric company doing the
operetta, “Holy War,’* directed by
Juan. Gual.

Mex Film Banker Seeks
Reciprocal Deals In
Europe, Latin-America

Mexico City, Aug. 23.

RecriprOcal distribution deals
between Mexico, and Latin Ameri-
can and European countries was
advocated by Edwardo Garduno,
General Manager of the Banco
Cinematografica, National picture
industry financing bank here.
Garduno castigated the French
and Italian... distribs and exhibitors
for their regulations against Mexi-
can-produced films.’ He stated that
it seemed almost useless to set up
any type of distribution branches
abroad at this time.

“Only in Spain,” said the film
industry leader, “do we receive
full reciprocity* In France, the
requirements for the exhibition of
Mexican films are very stringent.
All our product there must be
dubbed into French. It cannot be
more than two years old and no
film may play more than 35 the-
atres. To add to this, all dubbing
and printing must be done in that
country. This brings our print
costs up to approximately $13,360
per picture.

“In Italy, our costs rise some
$10,000 per pic. Because the the-
atres there are controlled by the
producers, only they decide what
pictures shall be exhibited. Be-
cause of these facts there would
seem to be no reason for us to
throw away money in establishing
distribution outlets in countries
where we must spend additional
money beyond our normal dis-
tribution costs. In the overall, it
would seem that we must request
France and Italy to no longer
think of Mexico as a generous
country.”

Garduno then proposed the for-
mation of a new organization
whose main object would be to
promote even better relations with
countries now exhibiting Mexican
films. This organization would aid
and assist in the distribution and
promotion here of Spanish prod-
uct, and possibly that of Argen-
tina and Brazil.

Int’l Pix Prods. Okays
- Fall Confab in Wash.

London, Aug. 16.

The International Federation of
Film Producers has accepted an
invitation from Eric Johnston for
the next meeting of its administra-
tive council to be held in Wash-
ington. The session is set for Oct.
26-Nov. 2.

The invitation was reported at
the last session, held in San Se-
bastian during the recent film fes-
tival there, when member Coun-
tries were urged to suspend indi-
vidual negotiations on problems
which were being tackled on an in-
ternational level by the federa-
tion. A top item on the Washing-
ton agenda will be the future pol-
icy on the Cannes and Venice

fests.

i il l 6

British Equity Pact
With 3 ComT TV Units

London, Aug. 16. .

An agreement was signed last
Thursday (11) ‘between three com-
mercial tv programmers and Brit-
ish Actors Equity, governing the
employment of thesps in commer-
cial television. New pact covers en-
gagement of actors in live telecasts
and also provides for pre-record-
ing of their performance or the
recording of their performance for
re-use here or overseas, other than
in the field of telepix.

Rehearsal fees are to" be stand-
ard at the rate of . $6 a day and
payment for repeats and overseas
use of recordings will be a per-
centage of each artist’s fee. Artists
will negotiate fees for single trans-
missions only, subject to a mini-
mum of $21. The pact also, imposes
limitations on the use of recorded
programs , and establishes concilia-
tion machinery.

The agreement with Equity,
signed by Associated Broadcasting
Co., Associated-Rediffusiori . and
Granada, is the first of a series to
be signed with performers organi-

, Options and o|hqr, ppi,ops*i nnia 1

••

By GORDON IRVING

Edinburgh, Aug. 23.

The transatlantic accent is strong
along Edinburgh’s Princes St.-, be-
low the apeient / rqck of the city’s
historic Castle. More Americans
are arriving this season than ever
for the great culture junket from
Aug. 21 through Sept. 10, the 9th
annual International Festival.

From most overseas countries,
ticket receipts are up. Demand has
been 25% greater than last year,
with an appreciable rise ip the
number of visitors from Australia
and New Zealand.

An unusually warm British’ sum-
mer and a dearth of rain in Scot-
land has induced many Americans
to prolong their vacations and take
in some of the musical and
dramatic events over the next
three weeks.

Pan - American Airways, , now
bridging the Atlantic with their
new DC-7B'S, advise, that -more
U. S. citizens -are planing to the
Festival. Moreover, they, state, the
people, of Boston and Philadelphia,
whose cultural noses are tipped
just a little above the average, in-
crease their trips to Edinburgh
when the ^Festival's music offerings
are “extra special.”

This season, the fest offers three
great symphony orchs, from Ber-
lin, London and New York. The
N. Y. Philharmonic is giving six
concerts- to wind up the fest, Sept.
5-10. )

The Berlin Philharmonic Orch,
under guest maestro Eugene Or-
mandy, opened the fest Sunday
(21). Also to take part is Britain’s
pride, the BBC Symphony Orch.

Major offerings of England’s
Glyndebourne Opera at the King’s
Theatre have attracted a top list
of requests for tickets. Of outdoor
events, the colorful floodlit Tattoo
enacted by gaily-clad soldiers on
the Castle Esplanade captures the
fancy of most overseas visitors.

_ There has been much interest in
the new Thornton Wilder play, “A
Life in the Sun,” which had its
world. preem on the open stage of
the Assembly Hall Monday (22),
with the author present. The Old
Vic company’s “Julius Caesar,”
starring Paul Rogers, and Wendy
Hiller, and staged by Michael
Benthall, is pulling many custom-
ers to the Lyceum Theatre.

Ballet & Dance

France’s contribution, Edwige
Feuillere in Duma’s “Las Dame
Aux Camelias,” opening Sept. 5, is,
also arousing interest.

The Azuma Kabuki Dancers and
Musicians, from Tokyo, are due
here from Genoa, where they have
been warming up for their Festi-
cal, opening at the Empire Theatre,
a vaudery here. The Kabuki have
a Covent Garden, London, season
following the Edinburgh stint.

Classical ballet is provided by
the Royal Danish Ballet, Copen-
hagen, presenting six ballets. Their
“Romeo and Juliet,” with music by
Prokofiev and choreography by
Frederick Ashton, is a British
preem. Repertory also Includes
“La Sylphide,” set in early 19th-
century Scotland.

* Glyndebourne Opera Offers a new
production of Verdi’s “Falstaff,”
cagt including Fernando Corena
from La Scala and. the Metropoli-
tan, who . will sing the name part.
Carl Ebert has staged, with de-
signs by Osbert Lancaster. The
other two operas are Ebert’s pro-
duction of *T1 Barbiere Di Siviglia,”
conducted by Alberto Erede Of the
Metropolitan/ and “La Forza del
Destino,” a 1951 click here.

'The N'. Y. Philharmonic will be
conducted by Dimitri MjLtropoulos,
Guido • Cantelli and George Szell.
Thdfr . programs -highlight some
modern American music in addi-
tion to the more familiar items and
have Dame Myra Hess and Clifford
Curzon as soloists.

Pianist • Solomon, cellist Pierre
Fournier and violinist Zino Fran-
cescatti will appear in recitals and
with orch.

Chamber music is by the Neth-
erlands Chamber Orch, directed by
violinist Szymon Goldberg. Morn-
ing Festival concerts are by the
I Music! group from Rome, the
London Baroque Ensemble, and the
Griller and Hungarian String Quar-
tets.

Hotels in. Edinburgh and for at
least 30 miles around are reporting
SRO biz. Hundreds of Scot fami-

d 1 (Continued from page. 13) • j i )■

A "VAniSTV'r iOfiDpM 0!**ICB
M Mintin'* Piece# Tref*Hrer Seuere

IKTERNATIANAL

Arg. Actors-Directors Feud With

Buenos Aires, Aug. 16.

Some of, the Argentine film in-J
dustry’s actor-directors are cur-
rently feuding . with exhibitors
here. They claim that in many
cases the exhibs are cheating the
industry (the producers .and di-
rectors! of its profits, and not com-
plying with the Protection law.
This law stipulates that all native
pictures must be exhibited on per-
centage terms, with 40% going to
the producer. For instance* Hugo
del Carril 'claims 70% of the exhibs
flatly refuse to accept these terms
and insist on their rental terms or
refuse to exhibit the pix. As the
actor-producer made these state-
ments publicly, he was attacked
by an exhibitor group in the Pro-
vince of Buenos Aires, with a
demand fob retraction. Del Carril
publicly rejected this plea, inviting
the association to look over proofs
of hi$ * assertions and thereafter
expel any violators of the law from
its organization.

.Del Carril quoted his colleague,
Luis Sandrini, who is now in pro-
duction on- his own, as corroborat-
ing what he has stated. These two
are promoting a plan to set up
their own film theatres throughout
the country. - ./r '

Currently, Del Carril is on loca-
tion in Cordoba, shooting exteriors
for “Mas Alla del Olvido” (Beyond
Forgetfulness) for Sono Film/ with
Laura Hidalgo as his lead. His wife,
Ana Maria Lynch, (La Quintrala),
is working on German-Argentine
co-production deals? After 'his pres-
ent chore, Del Carril is due to
direct a biopic of the Paraguayan I
dictator, Francisco ; Solano Lopez,'

. Czech Film Interests Step In

Czech film interests have offered
Dej. Carril direction of an Argen-
tineCzech co-production, to be
rolled in Brazil next year. Franz
Sole and Richard Falbr, of the
Czech Foreign Trade Dept., have
been here recently and will dis-
tribute Del Carril’s “La Quintrala”
in their country. They also will re-
lease 25 Argentine pictures of
every’ vintage, including “The Fire-
land Burns Out" (Mapol), which
is the Argentine entry at Venice,

In the first half of 1955 the native
industry released 25 pictures, -which
means that the year’s total will
stand at about the usual 50, same
as in the last five years, pnly nine
of the crop are rated even pass-
able: “Mercado de Abasto” (AAA),
“La Quintrala” (Big V), “Cuando
los DuendOs Cazan Perdlces” (San-
dri'ni), “Mi Marido y Mi Novio”
(Sono), “En Came Viva” (Guar
V), “Un Novio Para Laura” (AA'A),
“El Barro . Humano” (Big V), “La
Ciguena .Dijo Si” (Belgrano) and
“Mas Pobre Que una . Laucha”
(Sono). These . nine represent the
handful Of producers still active.
However, new candidates are al-
ways cropping up, who seem to feel
either .that there is coin to be made
in pix production.

The main prop of State support
has boon withdrawn, i.e. the 70%
loans of production cost (on much
inflated budgets). This has effected
the rate of production to the extent
that many former “stars” are. now
willing to accept supporting parts.
Sandrini To Work With De Sicca

•Sandrini is currently in .Brazil
seeking the cooperation of a Brazil-
ian actress for VEl Hombre Virgen’’
(The -Virgin:. Man), his next pro-
duction. Whentliis opus has been
shot, Sandrini will go to Rome.. to
work with Vittorio De Sicca on
“The Man Who Made the Miracle.”

AAA has made a bid. to Hugo
Fregoriese (Wild Wind) to direct
“La Painpa y su Tasion,” a novel
by 1 Manuel Galvez, starring Fanny
Navarro. Mirtha Legrand, off the
screen for almost a year, has
signed with AAA to make two .high
budget, pictures. Djaniel' Tinayre
( Miss Legrand's . director-husband ) ,
has a script by Eduardo Borras, for
which he. hopes to secure the serv-
ices of French actor Jean Marais,
who is. expected here shortly with
Jean Cocteau.

Again, there .is much talk of
coproduction with French film in-
terest, and Viviane Romance has
been asked to consider the script
of “Goddess of Love” (Diosa de
Amor) by Ruben Alivera, in dual
English and- Spanish versiqns.
Spanish ‘ actor Enrique Guitart,
whose * legit . perf ormances in “The
Hands of. Eufidice” . have passed
the 1000 mark, is to be teamed with
his compatriot Ana Mariscal in “Mi
Senoritd-. EgpdsaJVu J) J;t J i* >

Religions Scruples Nix
Brit Lord for Com’I TV

London, Aug. 23.

Lord Hailsham (formerly Quintin
Hogg, M. P.) has dropped out of
the panel of “Free Speech,” an
ABC-TV feature, Which will be
aired on London’s new commercial
web each Sunday afternoon. He
made his decision . on religious
grounds, although had accepted the
invitation when the program 'was
planned for Friday presentation.

“Free Speech,” which had been
billed as “In the News” when it
ran as a BBC-TV program, will
include Sir 'Robert Boothby, W. J.
Brown, Michael Foot and Alan
Taylor in its panel. Kenneth Adam
will preside and the program is
presented by John Irwin and Edgar
Lustgarten. . .

Paris, Aug, 16.

There has been some censorship
difficulty in France recen 1 1 y
caused by various cities invoking
their own,* brand of scissoring
films after pix had been okayed
by the national government.
Trouble usually centered, around
pictures forbidden, to those under
.16 years of age. After bans on
such pix as “Le Ble En Herbe”
(Flowering Wheat), on youthful*,
initiation to- love and “La Rage Au
Corps”.. (Rage in Flesh) .pn
nymphomania, the Syndicate: of
Film Producers decided to take
action against these municipal ac-
tions. Recent test case on
“Wheat” was won by the produc-
ers when the prefect of Bouches
Les-Rhone tried to make it off
limits to those under 16 despite the
general certificate given it by the
government.

On the heels, of these events
four psychiatrists have made a
study of child and adolescent re-
actions, to film productions. The
foursome based their tests on
youngsters who have shown some
maladjustment. They found that
It took a 12-year-old level to be
able to completely follow and un-
derstand a film.

Final test, on direct identifica-
tion, was the most important be-
cause it’s this matter upon which
censors base their control and
necessity. Certain cases, where
there was a link between personal
experience and the film content,
showed marked effects on some.
A girl whose father was an alco-
holic objected violently to drunken
scenes while another cried at a
courtroom scene which reminded
her of her parents’ divorce pro-
ceedings. Other things noted were
that films supply ideas to children
and influence them in hair styles,
dress, hobbies, etc. Nothing very
conclusive has_come from this
study. France still has one of the
most liberal censorships, in re
films, in the world except for
these municipal actions 1 of late.

Thyme’ Lasts Only 6 Wks.

London* Aug. 23.

Laurier Lister is to withdraw
“Wild Thyme” from the Duke of
York Theatre next Saturday (27),
after a run of about six weeks; This
British musical, although reviewed
favorably by most crix,. failed to
make the anticipated impact at the
boxoffice.

This is Lister’s second musical
flop this year. Last spring he
staged “The Burning Boat” at the
Royal Court, but that production
folded within a fortnight.

Heroism’ Top Grosser
. In July for W. German
Keys; Few New U.S. Pix

Berlin, Aug. 16. ;

The German film,’ “Heldentum
nach Ladenschluss” (Heroism After
Shutting Up Shop), a NF re-
lease, became top grosser of July
in West Germany’s eight most im-
portant key cities. A farce, it cen-
ters around German, soldiers who
escape from an Allied prison ship
I, after the end of the last war. Two
other . German pix, “I Know- For
What I- Live? (Gloria) and “20th
of July” (CCC/Herzog) captured
the next two. places.

* In Berlin^ eight out of 14 preeih
houses currently . are showing
Hollywood features, most of them
holdovers. They aTe. Disney’s “Van-
ishing Prairie” past its sixth week
at Cinema Paris; “East of Eden”
(WB), in. fifth week at Filmbuehne
Wien; “Phffft” (Col), third week
at Studio; “Ninotchka” (M-G)
( reissue ) , fourth week at ■ Astor.

New American, releases include
“The Long Wait” OJA) and “Cell
2455, Death Row” (Col) at Bon-
bonniere and Filmtheatre Berlin,
respectively. Other foreign film
preemed in .West. Berlin; last week
are the British-made “Svengali”
(Rank) at Delphi and Titania
Palast, and the Gallic film. “Girls
In Bad Company” (Phoenix) at
Kiki.

sration

X Tax on ’Cinerama’

In London Big Problem

London, Aug. 26.

With about six weeks to go to
reach its first • anni., the London
presentation of “Cinerama” at the
Casino has . earned the .dubious dis-
tinction of being rated, the highest
taxed picture. in the world. It is
paying admission duty at the rate
of 46% of the gross.

The Casino Theatre comes into
this higher tax bracket because its
prices of admission are above nor-
mal standards for West End picture
theatres. The gross charges are
equivalent to West End legit, but
the live theatre has a more favor-
able rate of taxation.

The average West End picture
theatre with a ceiling of $1.70 pays
around 30% in admission tax.
Prices at the Casino, however,
range from 95c. to $2.20, which
puts it in the highest possible tax
scale. Although “Cinerama” has
maintained a Weekly gross, after
paying tax, in the region of $11,000,
the operation is still believqd to be
substantially fiHHe fid.* <■»'*•

Continued from page 12.

lies have offered accommodation
to others of the 280,000 expected
Festivalites, between them spend-
ing $6,000,000 to $9,000,000 during
their stay.

Bring Your Osvri Test

Many musip and drama enthusi-
asts are' bringing- their own cara-
vans and even tents, and living in
open spaces near the city and on
adjoining farmland. The idea«of a
floating ship-hotel in the nearby
Firth of Forth is, being kept in
mind for future years.

On the Unofficial fringe of the
Festival the usual crop of plays,
music performances and revues is
again sprouting. Lack of vaude
show$ is again an omission depre-
cated by many, who feel the lighter
side merits more than revue promi-
nence.

Linnit & Dunfee, London theatre
group, present “After the Show,”
a self-styled late-night revue, at 11
p.m. each evening in the Palladium
Theatre, Peter Myers, Alec Gra-
hame and David Climie, authors of.
“Intimacy at 8;30,” have written
some new numbers for it, but the
show also includes numbers, from
the London season of “Intimacy.” •

. The Oxford Theatre group has
set up base in the historic. Riddle's
Court, near the. Castle, and is pro-
ducing a late-night show, “Night
Shift,’-’ with cast, of seven .and
scripts by Oxford undergraduate;
writers. This follows their nightly
performance of Franticek aLnger's
“Periphery.? grim play about greed
and lust, opening tomorrow (Wed.).

Two native items in the. Festival
are “The World’s Wonder,” cos-
tume play by Alexander Reid, star-
ring Duncan Macrae, and a new
play by Robert Kemp, “Conspira-
tors,” at the Gateway Theatre,
staged by Colin Chandler and star-
ring Lennox Milne, Tom Fleming
and Bell Ballantyne.

The London Theatre Group to-
night (Tues.) is preeming a new
play, “Act of Madness,” by South
African writer John Wiles. Theme
centers round dangers of too-rigid
state control, and has John Strat-
ton in a dual role.

Sonia Dresclel is to star as Hedda
in Ibsen?s “Hedda Gabler,” pre-
sented by the Fraser Neal Players.
Same group will preem a new play,
“Doctor Jo,” by Joan Morgan, au-
thor of “This Was a Woman,” and
also starring Miss Dresdel. This
bows Aug. 31.

London Aug. 23.

Apparently as a protest against
the prolonged negotiations for a
wage revision, studio workers in
two unions last week * continued
their campaign of unofficial strike
action. There was a complete stop-
page for the whole of last Thurs-
day (18) at the Metro-British Stu-
dio. at Elstree and token strikes of
abdut one hour at Pinewood and
Shepperton.

The two unions concerned are
the National Assn, of Theatrical
arid Kine Employees and the Elec-
trical Trade Union. Their lead-
ers continued Jtheir negotiations
earlier in the week with the- British
Film Producers Assn, and another
session ' is skedded to take' place
this afternoon (Tues.).

• Mexico Citp, Aug. 16.

Hollywood product will make
further gains down here with the
elimination, for the present, of
Italian pix, which were becoming
important, competition. The Na-
tional Cinematographic -Board has
•banned for an indefinite period all
imports of Italian pix! Its chair-
man. Congressman Jorge Ferretis,
explained Italy . didn't hold up its
end of a film exhibition reciprocity
pact made not long ago with Mex-
ico. . ,

Italian films have increased in
popularity, in Mexico. During the
first half of this year, 43 Italian
films . were admitted, of which 23
h*d been exhibited uo to June 30.
That compared, Ferretis said, with
a mere -four Mexican pix allowed
into Italy in that time. Italy, the
NCB chief complained, has been
nothing like as. enthusiastic- as Mex-
ico about exhibiting Mex films in
Italian cinemas as per the reciproc-
ity deal. He said that, a good Mex-
ican pic, “The Rebellion of the
Hanged,? has been in Italy several
months, without any indication of
when it- will be .exhibited.

It is reported here that a new
head of the pic department in
Italy may be appointed soon.
This? situation is seen as a possible
explanation of the seemingly in-
difference of Italy toward screen-
ing Mexican pix.

FRANK LLOYD TO PROD.
BADEN-POWELL BIOPIC

London, Aug. 23/
Frank Lloyd revealed here last
Thursday (18) that he has secured
the rights for a biopic of Lord
Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy
Scout and Girl Guide movements.
The production, which . will be
lensed mainly in London next year,
will be released by Republic in
1957 to coincide with the 50th
anni of the foundation of thO Scout'
movement and the centenary of the
birth of the late Chief Scout.

Lloyd’ is due to return to Holly-
wood shortly to work on the script
with Warren Duff, who has been
assigned to write the screenplay.
The production will probably call
for extensive locations in South
Africa.

DEFA Uses Models From
W. Berlin For Fashion Pic

Berlin, Aug. 16.

It appears that there is a short-
age of comely mannequins in East
Berlin. When DEFA shot a film
about woman’s fashions recently, it
|iiad young ladies in brand-new
gowns walk oyer Stalin Allee, now
East Berlin’s Glamor Alley. Two
of the models the camera panned
on most of the time were West
Berlin mannequins hired by DEFA.

DEFA also shot a. scene for the
same film in Potsdam which had a
West Berlin mannequin as star.
These scenes are part of a “popu-
lar-scientific” color pic which is to
show East Zone audiences how the
vioman in the tfrfett ’is fcltdssbd. ‘ '

London, Aug. 23.

An era of closer cooperation be-
tween the Theatre Owners of
America, ard the Cinematograph '
Exhibitors Assn. . is envisaged by
Herman Levy, general counsel of
the U.S. organization, currently in
Britain for meetings with exhibit
tors throughout the country.

Advent? y?" ; between

the two or^anizat'o^s, LeVy said,
in I. on don l»st week, became evi-
dent, during the battle which raged
over stereophonic sound. Exhibs
in both countr'es. he averred, were
stMl faced with ^o'nmon problems
which he felt c^W for a joint con-
sultation and action.

As a result of. Hus closer link
between the two exhibitor groups,
for the first ti^e in Vstorv there
is to be a British* official delegate
to the TOA annual convention in
Los AP^eles this, fall. The delegate
will address th» convention and
outline o^wial CEA policy on joint
co-ooeration.

Among the common problems
listed by Levy were the scarcity of
product and the Incidence of tax-
ation. The lat f dr e»oest J on h?d been
somewhat relieyrd In the U.S. but
is stiU* a pressing problem in Brit-
ain. He cited as an example of
TOA action in meetuig product
shortage, the recent formation of
fh'e Exhibitors Film' Finance
Group.

Like Walter Reade, * who was
here recently, Levy was impressed
with the conciliation machinery*
for joint consumption, which exists
between the CEA and the Kine-
mntogr&ph Renters society. * He
honed it would he possible to es-~
tablish comparable conciliation
setup in A’mericaV Levy has been
meeting leaders of the CEA and
top theatre operators here. To-,
morrow (Wed.), he goefe to Bir-
mingham to address a monthly ses-
sion of the local CEA. On the fol-
lowing Wednesday, he will be
guest of honor of the Scottish
branch in Edinburgh.

East Plans to Exchange

. Germany;
Even Politico Dramas

, .. / Frankfurt, Aug. . 16.

In line with the gradually im-
proving relations between East and
West Germany, it is viewed ‘ as
especially significant that the cul-
tural. Iron Curtains seem to be
parting, For the first time since
the war, the theatres of the
Bundesrepublic and . the * Soviet
Zone have been making guest per-
formances in each other’s territory.
And particular^ important is the
fact that even dramas with a politi-
cal theme are being performed in
both sectors. » ’ .

The Staatstheatre of Stuttgart
"(West Germany) has been guesting-
with “Maria Stuart” and. the Na-
tional Theatre of Mannheim (West
Germany) has been performing
“Fiesco,” both in Weimar (East
Germany). The National Theatre
of Weimar has brought its "Jung-
frMi von Orleans” to Stuttgart.

Other exchanges have been be-
tween the stages of Halle (East)
and Nuremberg (West), with Halle
presenting Handel’s “Ezio” and
Nuremberg doing Hindemith’s
“Mathis der Maler” over the bor-
der.

Of the politically loaded dramas,
the Staat Theatre of Schwerin
(East) has been doing Hedda Zin-
ner’s “Teufelskreis” (Devil’s Orbit)
in 11 cities of "the West, and tV.e
Volkstheatre of Rostock (East) has
brought Sartre’s “Ehrbare Dime”
(Respectable Prostitute) to Ham-
burg. The Kassel Ensemble (West)
has been permitted to perform
Garcia Lorca’s “Bernarda Alba’s
Haus” in Leipzig.

48 Films Produced

In Mex in 1st Half

Mexico City, Aug. 16.

Feature film production totalled
48 pix during the first half of this
year, producers disclose, with the
investment reckoned at $2,960,000.
May was top production month,
when 12 were turned out. February
was the low month when only three
were produced.

Mexican producers made 40 and
Americans five of the total number
of films. Three were American-
Cuban-Chilean Cdpi’oduction. * * *

Wednesday, August 24, 1955

sfc Watch this space for more facts about
” The View from Pompcy’s Head”!

i i--i m .

4 t-' v- t. u VV 1 . -i •'

Wednesday, AngOBt 24, 1955

P1CTHKES 15 ,

What one film company exec last 4 -
week referred to as “the battle of
the ages" is, due td start Up agailh
over the. divvying up of the Italian
import permits for the year start*
ing Sept., 1.

Unless the Italians come through
with more licenses (Which is ex-
tremely, unlikely), the total of
available, permits for the year is
190 /or the U. S. distribs active in
Italy themselves, and additional 35
for United' ^Artists and Allied Art-
ists which . release via local dis-
tribs.

Universal, for one, which last
year got 22 permits in Italy, has
made it known to the Motion Pic-
ture Export Assn, that— this year
—it expects additional licenses. If
U has ■ its way, someone else will
have to. give up permits. The ques-
tion is: Who? ~

As it has on past occasions, the
problem * being raised in Italy is
apt to bring demands for a “master
formula’* under which all such al-
locations would be settled. How-
ever, prospects for any such for-
mula are dim, and MPEA fears the
wrangling will continue every time
the question of divvying up per-
mits -arises. c

Basis Not Fair

It’s U’s position — supported pri-
vately by some of its competitors
—that the basis of allocating li-
censes, to the companies, i-.e. local
billings, isn’t fair, particularly in
Italy. Three years ago, U gave
tip four permits in that country. It
never got them back on a perma-
nent basis and U execs feel .that,
despite .the strong upward surge
of their foreign biz, they’re being
continually punished.

Involved is the larger question
of the “frozen” allocations in many
countries. It’s been argued by the
up-and-coming distribs (U, UA, Co-
lumbia, etc.), »that the rise in busi-
ness done by them abroad, as well
as possible the volume of produc-
tion output in Hollywood, should
be taken into consideration. *

MPEA, by Sept. 1, is supposed
to notify the Italians of how the
bulk of the permits has been split
Up. Current Indications are that
It won’t meet the deadline unless,
like last year, a compromise is
fashioned; At that time, 90% of
the licenses were divvied up and
the rest was finally settled, with U
getting some 1)6110113 not used by
Republic. It’s by no means cer-
tain that it’ll work out again this,
way this year.

If the foreign managers are un-
able to reach any agreement, the
question likely will go to the pres-
idents. Either that, or — as in the
case of the Japanese licenses — the
local government (in this instance
Rome) will do the splitting up. On
the whole, the companies don’t fa-
vor such a course, since the meth-
od of determining who should get
what is then completely out of
their hands.

Under last year’s arrangement,
Columbia got 25 permits, Metro‘30,
Paramount 22, RKO 21, Republic
18, 2Qth-Fox 28, Universal 22 and
Warner Bros. 24/

Now Bankrupt Cal. Exlrib
Victor in Antitrust Suit;
1st in L.A. in 20 Years

Los Angeles, Aug. 23.

Antitrust suit • brought by a
Beaumont (Gal.) theatre owner
against 14 major studios and dis-
tributors, asking $908,000 dam-
ages for “conspiring” to deprive
him of firstrun rentals in favor of
Fox-West Coast houses in three
neighboring - towns, has been set-
tled -for $1,000 after a 37-day trial
in Federal Court. Full judgment
is $3,000, since treble damages had
been asked. ,

C. L. James, operator of the
house, filed against the defendants
in March, 1951, later going into
bankruptcy in 1952. In finding
against the defendants, court also
awarded attorney fees of $15,000
and court costs, amounting to
$3-4,000.

Decision is. the first in 20 years
in L. A. that such defendants have
been found to violate the antitrust
law, and a jufy has set on a case,
in three previous cases, out-of-
court settlements were effected
before they came to trial*

Einidd Readies Coast

Charles Einfeld, 20th-Fox’s ad-
pub v.p., fl|es to the Coast tomor-
row (Thurs.) for huddles with
Darryl F. Zanuck, 20th production
chiefs and Harry Brand, studio pub-
licity director, on upcoming re-
leases and their handling.

. Confabs will spotlight the Christ
■mas launching of “The Rains o £
Ranchipur” and pre-release of
“The Tall Men" in September, Also
“Carousel,” which went on* loca-
tion this week, being lensed in
55m; “View from Pompey’s Head/’
“Good Morning Miss Dove” and
“The' Lieutenant Wore Skirts.”

Einfeld also will discuss 20th’s
video activities with Sid Rogell,
production topper of the company’s
TCF Television Productions,

Tokyo, Aug. 16.

Although earnings for July, 1955,
by the 10 U. S. major film firms
distributing in Japan . were off
somewhat over last July, 20th-Fox,
sparked by opening of more Cin-
ema-Scope outlets, grossed a Whop-
ping $375,000, almost equal to the
combined earnings of its two near-
est competitors, Warner Bros, and
Metro, who grossed $211,000 and
$205,500 respectively. It was almost
a dead heat for second, third and
fourth places in the month’s
grosses, with Paramount earning
$205,000.

Other earnings were: RKO,
$161,200; Col, $145,000; U-I, $141,-
600; UA, $94,400; AA, $23,800.
Total of the 10 companies was
$1,565,550.

Loew* s lifts DoubleBill
From Its 26 Gotham Area
Houses in Unusual Move

In an unusual move, said to be
for the first time, Loew’s Theatres
yanked a double bill at 5 p.m. Sat-
urday (20) from 26 of its N. Y.
metropolitan area theatres and
substituted a completely new show
at that time. Theatres were all in
Loew’s first group or subsequent
firstruns.

Dualer pulled included Metro’s
“The Scarlet Coat,” a newie, and
“The Wizard of Oz,” a reissue.

Quick change Was attributed to a
desire to pick up biz Saturday
night. Pictures, which had been
scheduled to play through closing
Saturday, had been lagging at the
boxoffice. The replacement bill
was the English import, “Doctor in
the House,” being distributed by
Republic, and “Robber’s Roost,” a
United Artists’ George Montgom-
ery western.

It was the first subrun engage-
ment for “Doctor,” which had en-
joyed a long downtown art house
run.

A Loew’s spokesman termed the
switch a success and that biz for
"Doctor” was building as a result
of word-of-mouth. The speedy
change necessitated some lightning
copy changes in the Saturday
metropolitan papers.

Arg, Govt Claims New
Fix Pact WitULS. Due

Buenos Aires, Aug. 23.

The Argentine government has
confirmed that it now considers
that the 5-year Johnston-Cereijo
pact, signed - in the ,U.S. early in
1950, but, not implemented until
late in 1951, came to its end last
June- 30. It has held that a’ new
pact must be negotiated. This pact
was signed after long parleys (last-
ing from March, 1949) throughout
which the Argentine government
would not issue permits for. im-
portation of U.S.. films, or allow
remittance of earnings. Then the
Argentine government tried to stall
on implementation qf the pact once
it was slgned/It only put the pact:
into effect after Eric Johnston had.
personally visited ; Argentina and
requested an explanation. •

The American parties to' the
agreement have , felt all along that |
such a long; delay in hnpiemsnta-.
tion meant that/te pact still had.
until the onft M *this - year: before:
it ran out, but the Argentina treakr
ury, of which Dr. ^ Ramon Cereijo
was the head; dt the time the pact
was worked: out/thinks otherwise.
However; althbqgbtthe official term
of the pact is considered lapsed, it
has been agreed to .keep it in effect
until the end Of the year, -to allow
for time to* negotiate another, one.

Robert ; Cbrkery,. th 0 MPEA rep*
for Latin-America, was here briefly
last week and ; got this assurance
from Argentina’s new Presidential
Press Secretary Leon Bouche and
current incumbent of the Treasury
Office. : " . .

“Help Wanted” signs are . up. at'
some of the indie distribs that of
late have been blossoming in the
foreign film market.

Rather sudden rush of interest
in the foreign 'lingualers has cre-
ated something of a shortage of
trained sates personnel to go out
and peddle the* specialized product
to both the arties and the com-
mercial houses.

There’s no question that' the
coming year will see an almost un-
precedented push to expand the
limits of the foreign film market,
with the accent on dubbed imports.

The same companies now entering
the field also can be expected to
pay a good deal df attention to tv,
and here again tfiere’s something
of a dearth of exec# who know the
field well.

Foreign film distribution picture
Is changing radically with plenty
of “new faces” in evidence. Co-
lumbia Pictures is setting up its
own distribution seetion'for for-
eign films and is close to making
a deal with one Of the indies to
head it up. United Motion Picture
Organizations (Richard Davis and
John G, McCarthy) is assembling
a sales staff to peddle its . French
lineup.

Continental Distributing, the
Walter Reade-Frank Kasper com-
bo, is taking on added help; Pathe
Cinqipa in the fall -will be scouting
the field for sales people, and one
of the major circuits is on the
brink of entering the market and
also is hiring people. Not neces-
sarily looking for added manpow-
er, but active With what they have,
are Distributors Corp. of America
and IFE Releasing Corp.

, Vidpic Producers

2d Tandem Reissue

“A Guy Named Joe” and “30
Seconds Over Tokyo,” released in
1943 end 1944 respectively, isbeing
set as a reissue package by Metro
for November distribution.'

This is the second tandem re-
issue package platmed by the com-
pany in a two-month period. “The
Philadelphia Story” ; • ‘Cfteiett
Dolphin Street,” .another -pair of
oldies, will be offered theatres dur-
ing October.

*. . ^ • , * . . %

American film companies have
decided- to go their individual ways
in Yugoslavia, thus. ending the last
.abtiye operation nf the Motion pic-
ture Export Assn. The MPEA’s
franchise expires Aug. 31 and,
after that, the- distribs are on their
own in Yugoslavia^. : ; . ■

Breakup, became obvious last
year, when Metres— along with
United Artists and Republic— re-
fused to go along with the MPEA’s
Yugo deal and made its own sales
: arrangements. Despite' this, how-
ever’, the other distribs decided to
stick- it out for another year,

Although the Companies Will ne-
gotiate their own deals for 1956,
contracts signed earlier this year
by MPEA* with the Yugoslav mo-
nopoly. will continue in force, A
number of the 60 pix sold to the
Yugoslavs at that time -haven't as
yet been delivered;- The .60 films
went for an average of .$4,500
each. Companies feel they can do
better than that on a competitive
basis.

MPEA originally was chartered
to operate in 13 countries,- includ-
ing the Iron Curtain areas and the
occupied nations/ It never actually
functioned in Russia, Companies
operated in MPEA on a pool basis,
the purpose being to present a
common front in dealing with the
various state monopolies.

t 1 With the major film companies
jumping on the television band*,
wagon by providing film video
shows, producers of live and filmed
tv .programs are invading the. the-
atrical -market. This appears to be
the latest trend In the marriage of
tv and thfr film industry. Teleplx
distributors, in order to assure
themselves of product for eventual
release to video, have already en-
tered ^theatrical distribution, and
the production of theatrical fihus „
appears to be the next step of the.*
tyltes.- K/tz <*/V; .. 1 . *./* -/; . '

A "number of firms whose pri-
mary interest up to now has been
solely television, are announcing
"plans for the production of the-
atrical films. Recently, Transfilm,
one of the big producers of indus-
trial pix and tv commercials, re-
vealed .a theatrical project. Latest
to enter the fold is Demby Produc- *
fions, producers ; 6f live and filmed
tv programs. Demby is readying
two feature-length films. Harvey;
Meltzer, v.p; of the company, has
set up temporary headquarters on
the Coast to a&efoble a package.
Kirk Douglas is being sought for
the lead role. /.A, second feature
is being- ptepped in New York,
with Kevin McCarthy and Jocelyn
Brando, beinffweighed for the leads
in “The 1 World's; A Bride,” based
on a teleplay by Betty Jeffries.

in 7th

Week But UA Okays Cap „
Yanking at Loew’s Bid

At the request of Loew’s, United
Artists okayed yanking “Not As A
Stranger” from the Capitol The-
atre, N. Y. firstrun, despite* busi-
ness that ordinarily would warrant
extending the holdover. It will be
replaced next week by Colum-
bia’s “Man from Laramie.”

/“Stranger” brought a gross of
$38,000 in its seventh week and
slightly under that figure in the
eighth, which ended last night
(Tues.). Rather than continue it at
the Cap, Loew’s execs asked for
its availability for the circuit’s,
numerous Metropolitan area out-
lets over the Labor Day weekend,
this following local showcasing at
the Brooklyn and Bronx firstruns.
It bows today at Loew’s Metropoli-
tan Theatre, Brooklyn, today with
‘■The Big Bluff,” also UA, 6s the
second feature. This is the N. Y.
preem for the latter, incidentally.

UA execs, meanwhile, are confi-
dent that “Stranger” will be by
far the tallest grosser in the com-
pany’s history.

♦♦♦♦♦♦ »♦»♦♦♦♦»♦ ♦♦»♦♦♦♦♦♦ > ♦♦ f ♦ » M *44444 M 4»4‘ 4 44 4 44444444444444»»444»4

Dimensions of Canada 9 s Film Industry

*♦++♦♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦♦♦♦ f ♦ ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ f 44 ♦ ♦ f ♦ ♦ 44 4 44444 »4 4 444444 4 4 4 4 444444*44444 4444

Ottawa, Aug. 23. government agencies combined produced 14,947,631
Increases in both gross revenue and salaries and feet of black-and-white and more than 4,500,000 feet
wages in Canada’s motion picture industry in 1954- of color film in 16mm, plus 24,789,934 feet of black-

is ' reported by the federal bureau, of statistics in
Ottawa. With 45 firms employing 478 people, the
private picture industry paid a total $1,549,233 in
salaries and wages, a hike of nearly $400,000 over
1953,

Gross revenue from printing, production and labo-
ratory work was $3,562,536 in 1954, an increase of
32% over 1953 in production and 18% in lab work.
The industry grossed another $1,328,031 from
sources such as equipment sales and projection
rentals.

The statistical report shows private industry and

and-whiter and 118,175 of color in 35mm . in 1954.

Last year, private Industry and government agen-
cies produced two features, 50 shorts, 363 non-the-
atrical films, 335 telefilms, 691 tv commercials,
1,551 trailers, 347 newsreeL stories for theatres and
903 for video. Although Canadian tv is not. likely
to be airing color for another three or four years,
four of the vidpix were in color. Also in color were
one feature, nine shorts and 220 non-theatricals.

Another items in the list of tables and statistics
showed three shorts, 120 non-theatricals, and 64 tele?
pix produced as silent films.

Regarding Pic Rentals

Minneapolis, Aug. 23,

Meeting hero again, U. S. Sen.
H. H. Humphrey, chairman of the
Senate’s Small Business Commit*
tee’s, subcommittee, and Bennie
Berger, chairman of Allied States’
emergency . defense committee,
oncer more discussed plans for the
Senate Committee’s proposed hear-
ings on film" rentals.

Berger says if was decided “defi-
nitely" that the hearings will start
at a date to be ehbsen later “in the
coming fall.”' Senator Humphrey
assured Berger, according to the
latter,, that he will go through with
the hearings,, especially “to review
the relationship' between distribu-
tors and 1 exhibitors” In the belief
that /sufficient, material Will be
gathered: to provide the basis for
F edetal legislation for governmen-
tal regulation of film .rentals and
the industry generally.

Considerable data and testimony
already have been gathered by
Abram F. - iytyefs, Allied States
general counsel, > and Berger him-
self,, for presentation to the com-
mittee, the latter asserts. A num-
ber of exhibitors have agreed to
testify and it’s expected the Al-
lied case will be completed and
ready for presentation to the com-
mittee within the next 30 days,
he says,

Berger emphasizes again that,
despite the film heads’ meetings
and distributors’ “vague promises”
of film rental relief for small ex-
hibitors, North Central Allied
hasn’t yet been able to detect any
4 change of sales policy attitude
changes “anywhere down the line.”

“There’s nothing different from
What there was before all this agi-
tation and our efforts to try to
show the film companies the light,”
says Berger.

Col’s Midwest Saturation
Plan With Dual Shockers

Kansas City, Aug. 23.

Columbia Pictures is breaking
its dual bill of science-fiction chill-
ers, “It Came from Beneath the
Sea” and “Creature With, the Atom
Brain,” into this territory with the
saturation plan of booking which
is netting it around 200 dates from
now to the Labor Day weekend.

Film pair opened here at Loew’s
Midland Friday (19) to exception-
ally good biz, with a stiff campaign
of tv and radio spots and sizeable
newspaper space as the key moves
in the campaign. More than 75
tv spots and a- comparable number
of radio spots were placed in this
area between Tuesday and Friday,
when the picture opened at the
Midland, according, to Tom Bald-
win, Columbia’s exchange man-
ager.

Pfif&tETr

Wednesday,. August 24, 195S

\ .

THE RAVE REVIEWS BEGIN!

(Excerpts from M. P. Daily , typical of the great notices. Here’s
another M-G-M musical smash to follow “Love Me Or Leave Me. 99 }

“The applause that followed nearly all of a dozen song and dance specialties
was enough to convince any reviewer that ‘It’s; Always Fair Weather* has a
halo of sunshine surrounding its record-breaking destiny,

“The reviewer can still hear echoes of the applause for Kelly *s roller-skating
specialty; the hilarious song and dance production number in Stillman’s Gym,
with ‘mugs’ and ‘pugs’ participating in a bright routine delivered by the
vibrant Charisse; Dailey’s hysterical rendition of ‘Situation -Wise,’ and his
liquor-soaked antics parodied to the William Tell Overture; Dolores Gray’s
satirical role, drawn as the female counterpart of some of the nation’s top TV
shows emcees, and her show-stopping ‘Thanksa Lot, But No Thanks.’ The
clipt reaction shots, and the strange-interlude treatment of special lyrics to
the tune of the ‘Blue Danube’ by Kelly, Dailey and Kidd, and the effect of
their sensational tri-split screen dance routine, will bring customers back to
see this show again and again.”

when M-G-M assembles a brilliant cast of
talents and pours its resources into a great

screen

Music Hall.

M-G-M presents Jn QinemaScope • “IT’S ALWAYS FAIR
WEATHER” starring GENE KELLY • DAN DAILEY • CYD
CHARISSE • DOLORES GRAY • MICHAEL KIDD • Story
and Screen Play' by Betty Comden and Adolph Green ♦ Music by
Andre Previn • Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green • Photo-
graphed in Eastman Color • Directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley
Donen • Produced by Arthur Freed

P. S. Plus Hal March, M. C. of TV's *

famed "$64,000 Question" program! (Available in Magnetic Stereophonic, Perspecta Stereophonic or 1-Channel Sound)

Wednesday, August 24, 1955

PICTURES . 17

Hollywood Production Pulse

ALLIED ARTISTS

Starts , This Year . ....... *7#

This Date, Last Year . . ... ,18

"SHACK UP ON 101"

Exec. Prod. — William F. Broidy
Prod.— Mort MRlman
Dir.— Edward Dein

Terry . Moore, Frank Lovejoy, Lee Mar-
vln. Keenan Wynn, Len Lesser, Whit
Blssell.

' (Started Aug. . 1)

"CALCULATED RISK"

Prod. — Ben Schwalb
Dir. — Hubert Cornfield
Bill Elliott, Beverly Garland, Tom
Drake, Helene Stanton, Dayton Lum*
mis, Pierre Watkin, John CIobo, Lu-
den Littlefield
(Started Aug, 10).

COLUMBIA

Starts, This Year . ..... , .27

this Date, Last Year . 7?

"TAMBOURINE" ' |

Prods.— Howard Welsch, Harry Tatle- .

man ; i

Dir.— Nicholas Ray

Jane Russell, Cornel Wilde, Luther .
Adler, Joseph Calleia, James Russell,
Mikhail Rasumny, Wally Russell. Nina
Koshetz

(Started July 18)

"GAMMA PEOPLE"

(Warwick Productions)

(Columbia Release)

(Shooting in Austria)

Exec. Prods. — Irving Allen, A; R. Broc-
coli *

Prod.— John Gossage
Dir.— John Gilling

Paul Douglas, Eva Bartok, Martin Mil-
ler, Rosalie Crutchley
(Started July 25)

"JUBAL TROOP"

Prod. — William Fadiman
Dir. — Delmar Daves
Glenn Ford, Ernest Borgnine, Rod
Steiger, Valerie French, Felicia Farr,
Basil Ruysdael. Charles Bronson,
Noah Berry Jr., Jack Elam. Robert
. Knapp, John Dierkes, Juney Ellis, Don
Harvey

(Started July 28)

"SAFARI"

(Warwick Productions)

(Shooting in London)

Exec. Prod. — Irving Allen, A. R. Broc-
coli

Prod. — Adrian D. Worker
Dir. — Terrence Young
Victor Mature, Janet Leigh, Roland Cul-
ver, Orlando Martins
(Started Aug. 2)

"THE EDDY DUCHIN STORY"

"THE PROUD AND PROFANE"

(Shooting in Puerto RicO) ■

Prod. — William Perlberg
Dir.— George Seaton '

William Holden, Deborah Kerr, Dewey
Martin, Thelma Ritter, Marion Ross,
Ann. Mdrrlss, Nancy -Sinatra, Ross
Bagdasarlan, William Redfield, Ger-
aldine Hall, Evelyn Cotton, Theodore
•Newton,- Robert Morse. Ray Strlck-
lyn, Olive Stacey, Genevieve Aumont
(Started July 16)

RKO

Starts , This Year 12

This Date, Last Year . ..... 4

"GREAT DAY IN THE MORNING"

(Locatloning In. SUverton, Colo.)

Prod. — J. Edmund -Grainger
Dir.— Jacques Tourneur
Robert Stack, Virginia Mayo, Ruth .Ro-
man, Alex Nlcol, Raymond Burr,
Regis Toomey
(Started Aug. 15)

REPUBLIC

Starts, This Year 9

This Date, Last Year. . 4

20th CENTURY-FOX

Starts, This Year. ..75

This Date t Last Year . .... . JO

"I LOST MY WI^E TO THE ARMY"
Prod. — Buddy Adler
Dir.— Frank Tashlin
Toni Ewell, Sheree North, Les Tre-
mayne

(Started Aug. 22)

"CAROUSEL"

(Shooting in Maine)

Prod. — Henry Ephron
Dir. — Henry King

Frank Sinatra, 'Shirley Jones, Cameron
Mitchell, Barbara, Ruick, Clara Mae
Turner, Audrey, Christie, Robert
Rourisevllle
(Started Aug. 22)

"THE RAINS. OF RANCHIPUR"

Prod. — Frank Ross
Dir. — Jean NegUlesco
Lana Turner. Richard Burton, Fred
MacMurray, Michael Rennie, Joan
Caulfield, Eugenie Leontovich, Carlo
Rizzo, Paul H. Frees
(Started Aug. 22)

UNIVERSAL

Starts,. This Year .21

This Date, Last Year . ..... 78

Ferrer, Arlene Dahl, Milly Vitale,
Barry Jones, Jeremy Brett, May Britt,
Oscar Homolka, Herbert Loin, Lea
Seidel

(Started July 4)

"TRAPEZE"

(Hecht-Lancaster Productions)

(UA Release)

(Shooting in Paris) ■■

Prod — James Hill
Dir. — Sir Carol Reed
Burt Lancaster, Tony Curtis, Gina
Lollobrigida, Katy Jurado, Thomas
Gomez, Johnny Puleo
(Started Aug. 1)

"SUMMER GAME"

(Canyon Pictures, Inc.)

(Shooting in Colorado)

Prods. — Jack Coulter. Conrad Hall
Assoc, Prod. — Nicholas Rutgers Jr.
Dir— Marvin Weibsteln
Arthur Franz, Doris Dowling, Murvyn
Vye, Myron Healey, Charles Delaney,
Dick Reeves, Frank Richards, James
Anderson, Gene Roth

(Started Aug. 9)

"AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS"

(Michael Todd Productions)

(Shooting in Spain)

Prod.-Dir.- — John Farrow
Assoc. Prod— William Cameron Menzies
DaVld Niven, Cantinfias, Luis •Domin-
. quin

(Started Aug. 9)

"MOHAWK" —

(Edward L. Alperson Productions) *
(20th-Fox Release)

Prod— Edward L. Alperson
Dir.— Kurt Neumann
Scott Brady, Rita Gam, Neville Brand,
Lori Nelson. Allison Hayes, Vefa
Vague, John Hoyt, Rhys Williams,
John Hudson, Tommy Cook

(Started Aug. 10)

"FRONTIER SCOUT"

(Bel-Air productions)

(UA Release)

Exgc. Prod. — Aubrey Schenck .
Prod.-'-Howard W, Koch
Dir. — Lesley Selander
Tony Martin, Peggy Castle, John Brom-
field, Ron Randell, John Smith
(Started Aug. 11)

"TH.E KILLER IS LQOSE"

(Crown Productions, Inc.)

(UA Release).

Prods— Robert L. Jacks, Robert 5 . Gold-
stein

Dir. — Budd Boetticher
Joseph Cotten, Rhonda Fleming, Wem
dell Corey, Michael Pate, Alan Hale,
John Beradlno, Virginia Christine

(Started Aug. 11)

"DAN'L .BOONE".

(Gannaway-Ver^Halen, Inc.)

(Shooting in Mexico)

Prod.-Dir. — At Gannaway •”

Bruce Bennett, Lon Chaney Jr., Faron
Young, Walter Sande, Kem Dibb$,
Gordon Mills

(Started Aug. -15)

"COMANCHE"

(UA Release)

(Shooting in Durango, Mexico)

Prod— Carl Krueger
Assoc. Prod. — Hank Spitz
Dir. — George Sherman
Dana Andrews, Linda Cristal, Kent
Smith, Reed Sherman, Mike Mazurki,
Nestor Paiva, John Litel, Henry Bran-
don, Boyd Stockman, Stacey Harris,
Ai'thur Space, Iron Eyes Cody

(Shooting in New York)

Prod. — Jerry Wald
Dir. — George Sidney
Tyrone Power, Kim Novak, James Whit-
more, Rex Thompson, Jerry Antes,
Nat Brandwynne
(Started Aug. 8)

"THE URANIUM BOOM"

Prod— Sam Katzriian
Dir— William Castle
Dennis Morgan, Patricia Medina, Wil-
liam Talman
(Started Aug. 9)

METRO

Starts, This Year 73

This Date, Last Year ,77

"THE LAST HUNT"

Dir— Richard Brooks
Robert Taylor, Stewart Granger, Lloyd
Nolan, Russ Tamblyn, Anne Bancroft
(Started -July 13)

"LUST FOR LIFE"

(Shooting* in France)

Prod. — John Houseman
Dir.— Vincent Minnelli
Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, Niall
MacGlnms, Pamela Brown, Roger
Llvesey ,

(Started Aug. 2)

"MEET ME IN LAS VEGAS"

Prod. — Joseph Pasternak
Dir— Roy Rowland

Dan Dailey, Cyd Charisse, Oscar Karl-
weis, Lily Darvas, Jim Backus, Cara
Williams, Liliane Monteveccbi
Guest Stars: Lena Horne, Frankie
Laine

(Started Aug. 2)

PARAMOUNT

Starts, This Year. . ....... 8

This Date, Last Year 12

"THE TEN COMMANDMENTS"

Prod.-Dir. — Cecil B. DeMille
Assoc. Prod— Henry Wilcoxon
Charlton Heston,: Yul Brynner, Anne
Baxter, Yvonne DeCarlo, Debra Paget,
Judith Anderson, Edward G. Robin-
son, Sir Cedric Hardwlcke, Vincent
Price, John Carradine, John Derek,
Olive Deerlng, Martha Scott, Julia
Faye, Henry Wilcoxon, Douglas Dum-
brille, Ian Keith, Frank DeKova,
Peter Hanson, Donald Curtis, H. B.
Warner, Joan Woodbury, John Mil-
jan, Joyce Vanderveen
(Started Oct, 14)

"THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH"

Prod.-Dir. — Alfred Hitchcock
Assoc. Prod. — Herbert Coleman
James Stewart, Doris Day, Chris Olsen,
Bernard Mile’s, Ralph Truman, Brenda
De Banzie, Daniel Gelin, Reggie N#I-
der, Betty Baskcomb, Alan Mowbray,
Mogens Wieth, Agdelhak Chraibi, Pat
Aherne, Carolyn Jones, Noel Willman;
Alix Talton, Hillary Brooke
(Started May 12)

"THE BIRDS AND THE BEES"

(Gomalco Productions)

Prod. — Paul Jones
Dir. — Norman Taurog
George Gobel, Mitzl Gaynor, David
Niven, Fred Clark, Reginald Gardiner,
Harry Bellaver, TorbOn Meyer, Peggy
Moffitt, King Donovan, John Daly,
Mary Treen, Steven Gcray, Bob Car-
son, Hal Rand, Roscoe Atcs
(Started July 11)

"THE BENNY GOODMAN STORY"

Prod— Aaron Rosenberg
Dir— Valentine Davies
Steve Allen, Donna Reed, Berta Ger-
sten, Barry TrueX, Harry James, Ben
Pollack, Gene Krupa, Lionel Hamp-
ton, Teddy Wilson, Herbert Anderson,
Robert F. Simon, Sammy Davis Jr.,
Martha Tilton, Hy Averback
(Started July 1)

"LAW MAN"

Prodj — Albert Zugsmith-
Dir. — Charles Haas

John Agar, Mamie Van Doren, Richard
Boone, Leif Erickson, Coleen Gray
(Started Aug. 9)

"PILLARS OF THE SKY"

(Shooting in Oregon)

Prod. — Robert Arthur
Dir. — George Marshall
Jeff Chandler, Dorothy Malone, Keith
- Andes, Ward Bond, Lee Marvin, Syd-
ney Chaplin
(Started Aug. 18)

WARNER BROS.

Starts, This Year. ...... ..16

This Date, Last Year. , , .. . 11

"GIANT"

Prods. — George Stevens, Henry. Gins-
berg

Dir. — George Stevens
Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James
Dean, Jane Withers, Chill Wills, Mer-
cedes McCambridge, Judith Evelyn,
Paul Fix, Carroll Baker, Dennis Hop-
per, Robert Nichols, Rodney Taylor
(Started May 19)

"OUR MISS BROOKS"

PrOd. — David Welsbart
Dir. — A1 Lewis •

Eve Arden, Robert Rockwell, Jane Mor-
gan, Gale Gordon, Gloria MoMlllan,
Richard Crenna, Leonard Smith, Dick
Adams

(Started July 26)

"THE LONE RANGER"

Prod— Willis Goldbeck
Dir. — Stuart Heisler
Clayton Moore; Jay Silverheels, Bonita
Granville, Lyle BettgerrRobert Wilke,
Perry Lopez
(Started Aug. 1)

"GOODBYE, MY LADY"

(Batjac Productions)

(Shooting at Goldwyn)

Prod. — Robert Fellows
Dir. — William A. Wellman .

Walter Brennan, Brandon de Wilde,
Phil Harris, William Hopper, Sidney
Poitier, Louise Beavers
(Started Aug. 8)

"THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS"

(Shooting in Boston)

Prod. — Leland Hayward
Dir— Billy Wilder
James Stewart
(Started Aug. 8)

INDEPENDENT

"FOREIGN INTRIGUE"

(Sheldon Reynolds Productions)

(UA Release)

(Shooting in Stockholm)

Prod.-Dir— Sheldon Reynolds
Robert Mitchum, Genevieve Page, In-
grid Tulean, Inga Tidblat
(Started July 1)

"WAR AND PEACE"

(Ponti-de LaurentiU Productions)
(Paramount Release)

(Shooting in Rome)

Prod— Dino de Laurentlis
Dir. — King Vidor

Audrey Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Mel

MPAA Can’t-

szszss Continued from page 3

transferred to a new account (it's
now held in the name of Fred
DuVal; the late MPAA treasurer).
Then, someone would have to hit
on a -plan of Wh£t to do with it.

Tde'k originally was to finance
additional p.r. subjects with what-
ever coin was left over after print
and advertising expenses for the
dozen original shorts. Since noth-
ing came of that, COMPO at one
point put in a bid for the money,
but was turned down. Since then,
there haven’t been any suggestions
of how to dispose of the $40,000.

Original shorts series was made
at cost, with each studio contribut-J
ing one subject to, a . maximum -
$8,000. It got good theatrical dis-
tribution. Reduced to 16m, the pix
are still being shown arouiid and
are also available via the MPAA’s
T eaching Films Custodian. Series
can be bought in narrow-gauge
form at $100 a throw.

Attempts were made on several
pccasions to obtain clearance fqr
television. Sipce the shorts include
numerous clips from old pix, this
was found to be impossible.

Grant’s 10%

Continued from . page 3 sss

to the first dollar,” commented an
authoritative source.

Grant meanwhile is delighting
Par with the way he’s out plugging
the picture. Company’s top-echelon
texecs say they’re particularly im-
pressed with the actor’s modesty
(a rare commodity, they add) and
eagerness to hit the hinterland
trails for the press and radio-tv
publicity rounds.

Of course, he may have in mind
his own 10%.

Col Mulls Davis Tuner

Hollywood, Aug. 23.

Sammy Davis Jr. is up for a
musical at Columbia, “if a satis-
factory story property can be
found,” according to producer
Jonie Taps.

Pair have already huddled with
executive producer Jerry Wald,
but no decision yet has been made.

Americans Up Fees on Foreign Pix, Sez
Distrib; Good Ones Still Around Cheap

So Who Could Tell?

There’s usually a spate of
Intra-company pep talk and
blurb material to the press
when a distributor launches a
sales push that entails re-
gional competitions and cash
prizes. But not with RKO,

Five v^eeks ago the distrib
proclaimed it was preparing
the “James R. Grainger Sales
Drive.” Herbert Greenblatt,
domestic sales chief, wired dis-
trict and branch managers
that this was an opportunity
“to express to the president
our gratefulness for all his
dedicated service in our be-
half.”

But then the company went
and got itself sold and Grain-
ger became an ex-president,
and no one has since uttered a

word about the sales drive.

• 0

• Officials of the. Motion Picture
Export Assn. •„ in N. Y, Monday.
( 22 ) denied press repots from
Madrid that MPEA had placed an
embargo on the importation of
U. S. films into Spain.

“No communication lias been
sent to Madrid on this matter,”
stated one MPEA exec flatly. He
added, however, that the com-
pabies were taking a serious view
of developments in Spain, where
the Ministry of Information and
Tourism has issued a decree that
would force the American distribs
to . handle - one Spanish pic for
every four dubbed Hollywood
films. Order is effective Oct. 1,

Indications are that the U. S.
distribs will take no definitive ac-
tion, pending the receipt of more
detailed information. Eugene Van ,
Dee, MPEA rep in Italy, is due to
go to Spain. Also due there is
Griffith Johnson,. MPEA v.p. and
head of its European section, who
is skedded to leave for Venice
Aug. 30- and is likely to stop over-
in. Madrid to o.o. the situation.

The; N. Y." Times Sunday (21) ’
carried a dispatch from Madrid,
stating that MPEA had. .informed
the. Spanish government that U. S.
iPfpducers had decided “to sus-
pend the export and sale of movies
fo Spain.”

It is true that the Americans
are refusing to pick up such per-
mits as are available to them, on
the simple assumption that, if they
did, this would be tantamount to
accepting the Spanish condition
which the Americans feel is im-
. practical and precedent-setting.
There are a number of unreleased
Hollywood pix in Spain. It’s
stressed that these will he put into
release and that the American dis-
tribs will continue to book their
films in Spain, at least for the
moment.

The Spanish decree has been
protested to the U. S. Ebbassy in
Madrid by MPEA, which main-
tains it’s a violation of the recent
accord under which last year’s
agreement was extended for an-
other year “without changes.”
However, the Spaniards retained
the right to reopen negotiations
early next year.

28G ’Banana’ Suit

Los Angeles, Aug, 23.

Color Corp. of America is named
defendant in a $28,000 suit filed in
L.A. Superior Court by Chemical
Corn Exchange Bank, under a
guarantee assertedly made by the
tint firm for Roadshow Productions’
“Top Banana,” released by United
Artists in early 1954.

Bank charges that a note of this
amount was signed by Ben Peskay,
RP prexy, with Color Corp. guar-
anteeing transaction. CC now re-
fuses to pay, according to the com-
plaint.

If foreign producers are asking
unreasonably high guarantees for
their films, it’s as much the fault of
the American importers as any-
one’s, says Mario de Vecchi, exec
v.p, of A.P.I. Productions Inc.,
which this fall goes into active
distribution of Italo and French
films.

De Vecchi opined iir N. Y. last
week that foreign producers didn’t
have such exaggerated ideas about
the U.S. market until American
Indies started outbidding one an-
other and driving up the prices.
“You can still get good films in
Europe for very little; if the pro-
ducers are convinced, you’ll do a
good and honest job with them
here,” he maintained.

A.P.I. Productions has a slate of
topline Italo films which, de Vecchi
said, he’ll start off in distribution
this fall with “Vitelloni” (The
Loafers), a 1953 Venice Festival
winner, It’s directed by Frederico
Fellini, one of Italy’s top meggers.
Among the other films A.P.I. will
handle is “The White Sheik,” also
directed by Fellini; “Terza Liceo,”
directed by Luciano Emmer; “Ca-
milla,” also an Emmer pic, and “II
Seddutore” (The Seducer),' a
comedy directed by Franco Rossi.
N. Y. Firstruns First

De Vecchi said he was negotiat-
ing for “Public Enemy No. 1,*’
starring Fernandel, a satire on U.S.
life shot partly in N. Y. Zsa Zsa
Gabor costars. No distribution ar-
rangements have been made on
any of these; films; in line with de
Vecchi’S v feeling that: he should
handle the N. Y,\ firstrun.

/- He acknowledged that there is
some resistance among distribs to-
wards taking on films that have
played off thefr N.Y. firstrun. How-
ever, he. observed, ”we think that’s
the only jv$y to do it. The N.Y.
firstrun heeds special handling, and
we intend to give it a proper
launching. If a picture clicks, ever-
one will want it.”

De Vecchi, formerly associated
with the handling ojF the Swedish
“Miss Julie,” said he wished there
would be a strengthening of the
Independent Motion Picture Dis-
tributors Assn., of which many of
the indies are members. “If this
were a good, solid group, with in-
dividuals working with rather than
against one another, it could do us
no end of good abroad and we
could bring a lot Of things in
linte,” he said. .

IA Firm on 5-Day Studio
( Week; Walsh Confers
* With H’wood Unionites .

Hollywood, Aug. 23.

International Alliance of The-
atrical Stage Employees locals are
taking a firm stand on the five-day
week in upcoming negotiations
with the major film studios. At a
special meeting of- business agents
and negotiating committees called
by International prexy, Richard F.
Walsh, last night (Monday), at
which he presided, to draft de-
mands, the issue took precedence
over all others. Walsh told the
unions to coordinate their demands
so they will be. in line with general
IA demands.

The five-day week will be the
chief demand in discussions with
the majors, also hikes in the pen-
sion plan, health, and welfare fund.
IA unionsjui general demands are
also asking a 5% gross on theatri-
cal pix reissues and 5% of pix for
tv. Except for the IA Camera-
men’s Union, no IA union has yet
indicated it will seek a 5% gross
.on telefilms, but the Teamsters
Union and the Laborers Local (In-
ternational Hod Carriers) are mak-
ing such pitches. Prelim talks with
the majors are usually held late in
August, with the first regular nego-
tiation session taking place after
Labor Day. The majors are now
talking to the IA locals individ-
ually, following which general
negotiations will be held.

AA Signs Hub Tyke

Boston, Aug. 23.

A Hub tyke, Phil Phillips, seven,
who got his start three years ago at
the Berkeley School of Music un-
der Lee Daniels and appeared on
the Community Opticians tv show,
has been signed to a seven-year
film contract by Steve Broidy of
AA and is off for Hollywood.

PICTURES

• 18

Wednesday* August 24* 1955 -

Opinion that preeming of a pic-
ture on tv won’t affect its theatri-
cal run, and in fact will help it,
was Voiced in N. Y. last week by
Ilya Lopert prior to his return to.
Europe and Venice, where he’ll be
decorated by the Italian govern-
ment.

Lopert, who in partnership with
Robert Dowling owns 50% of Sir
Alexander Korda’s “Richard III,’’ |
. which has been sold to NBC for
one-shot airing, observed that he I
was confident the tv showing “won’t
hurt us.’*. He stated that” the price
being paid by NBC was, $500,00(1
and noted that, to get such a pro-
ducer’s take, the film would have
to gross $1,500,000 theatrically.
(Lopert’s figure doesn’t jibe with,
other reports, namely that price
being paid by NBC is actually
$350,000, with the web to share in.
the theatrical rentals. See story in
tv section).

Lopert said, with the NBC deal
imminent (settled, but not signed as
per last week), he had made no
distribution arrangements for
“Richard III” and added it was
quite possible that he might handle
the roadshowing of the Laurence
Olivier starrer himself. Pic cost
“close to $2,000,000,” he said. It
runs two hours and 45 minutes.

„ There is a “big crisis” in Italy,
Lopert reported. The. reasons, he
said, were : too many pictures for
the market, rising costs and an
abnormally low tfatio of hits to
misses. Also, he noted, there is too
much of a tendency in. Italy to
copycat Hollywood via “colossal”
productions which can never re-
coup their costs. Lopert specifically
noted the difficulties of making a
picture abroad that the U. S. public
will accept. . ,

While, in Venice, Lopert will be
honored for “Summertime,” with
its glorification of the city, and
for his handling of “Shoe Shine,”
one of the early postwar Italian
pix which started the popularity
cycle of Italian films of the neo-
realist type.'

W JL Absorbs Cartoon
Unit; i&elzer Stays

Hollywood, Aug; 23.

Warner Bros.. Pictures. Inc., has
. absorbed Warner Bros, Cartoons
Inc., formed in 1944 is a subsidiary,”
and the animation corporate setup
is being dissolved. Move is being
made merely for “expediency pur-
poses” and. to eliminate details of
the double setup, according to car-
toon-prexy Edward Selzer’ who will
continue to. head all animation ac-
tivities in a new $20,000 buildiife
erected for division on the War-
ner Burbank lot.

•pooM/tnoji ui
oipnjs J8U.WM pp op; p* paprado
sep siua/; n jsed apj joj pisqng

C0MP0 Awards

Continued from page 5 —

Other smaller circuits also have
been newly recruited.

Another factor is that Allied in
the past contributed only 10% . of
COMPQ’s total income. Thus, loss
of 'even the entire national theatre
Organization would not place too
severe a monetary handicap on
the Awards undertaking.

Individuals Join
Actually, some Allied theatre-
men are participating in the public
pulse-taking on films, stars and
new personalities even though they
are not feeding the COMPO kitty.
Presumably, excluded from this
group is Col. H. A. Cole, head of
Allied of Texas, who recently was
severe in his publicly-stated criti-
cism of the way the poll was being
conducted.

Within the past week a number
of houses were added to the list
of theatre participants in the poll.
Included are; the W. S. Butterfield
Michigan chain of 69 units, District
Theatres’ 21 houses in the Balti-
more area, Century Circuit’s 35
locations in N. Y., Consolidated’s
26 houses in the Carolines, Ever-
green’s 22 in Oregon and Washing-
ton, F. H. Durkee’s 22 in Balti-
more, Balaban & Katz’ 43 in Chi-
cago, Essaness’ 14 in Chi, Fanchon
& Marco’s 31 in and' around St.
Louis, Publix Great States’ 40 in
downstate Illinois and Minnesota
Amusement’s 46 in Minnesota.

. ^4

• ,

Color Made Keynote Of
Pix Engineers Meet

Color iii pix and tv will he the
keynote of the 78th convention of :
the Society of Motion Picture &
Television Engineers, skedded at
the Lake Placid. Club, Essex
County, N.Y., Oct. 3-7.

Annual awards sessions will be
held evening of Oct. 4. Medals and
citations for winners of the So-
ciety’s Progress, Sarnoff, Warner
and Journal awards will be pre-
sented at that time.

‘Hell’ Raises Hob
In Texas With
250G on 1st Wk.

It was “To Hell and Back” week
in Texas last week, and on the basis
of the early returns, the Universal
pic is set to roll up a sock $250,000
theatre gross (sans tax) for its first
seven days in some 20 houses.

Film’s strong b.O. pull was en-
hanced further by personal appear-
ances of Audle Murphy, star of the
pic. It’s actually his autobiog, de-
tailing the Medal of Honor win-
ner’s exploits during the war.

In the ' initial 10 openings in
Texas, where the film is being terri-
torially pre-released, it broke house
records, both for opening day and
subsequent stanzas. Saturation
opening, with a San Antonio world-
preem, was backed by one of the
most ambitious U promotional
campaigns on record.

At the Majestic, San Antonio, pic
grossed $26,549 in five days, with a
final estimate of $33,500 for tne
Week. In Dallas, at the Majestic,
“Hell” grossed $17,304 for the first
three days, with $29,000 indicated
for the week. Paramount, Ama-
rillo, did $6,529 in three days, witfr
$11,000 figured for the week. Jef-
ferson Theatre, Beaumont, grossed-
$5,742 in the first; three days, look-
ing to- $10,000 for the 1 week. Majes-
tic, Houston, expects. $31,000 for.
the week. Many of-the smallqr sit-
uations where.. “Hall” preeqied
doubled their uspal take and re-
ported strong staying' power for the
film.

Col’s Shalit Kndosed

Detroit, Aug; 23 A
Film row here is set to salute
Carl Shalit, Columbia’s central divi-
sion manager, at a dinner tonight
(Tues.j on the occasion of his 25th
anniversary with Col.

Abe Montague, film company’s
general sales v.p., and Rube. Jack-
ter, assistant general sales man-
ager, are hare to attend the testi-
monial.

Code’s Cloak

; Continued from page 5 .

U. S. into a policy of closing their
doors to Code-nixCd pix.-

Federal Judge John Bright
handed , down the verdict. He ap-
plauded the purposes of both the
Production and Ad Codes and
commented on the fairness of their
administration.

The jurist promulgated findings
of fact that included: (1), “There
is no combination of the- defendant
and its members to prohibit ex-
hibition or distribution of plaintiff ’s
picture or any agreements between
the distributor members of the
defendant that they will not dis-
tribute or aid therein”; (2), “There
is no evidence that defendant Or
its members have ever coerced ex-
hibitors not to show pictures which
do not- have defendant’s Seal . of
approval”; (3), “There has been
no refusal Or threatened refusal
on the part of any exhibitor to
exhibit motion pictures which: do
not have defendant’s seal of • ap-
proval”; (4), “There is fid evidence
of any agreement and conspiracy
or a group boycott between defend-
ant and.its memberswahich” tends to
hinder * and suppress competition
in interstate trade ahd cpmmerce”;
( 5 ) ,; "Defendant and its . members
have not hoycotted any. producers,
distributors or exhibitors who do
not obtain defendant’s seal”; (6),
“There is no evidence that defend-
ant and its members have coerced
or compelled anyone to submit mo-
tion .pictures or advertising to de-
fendant for approval.” There were
: 62 findings in ail, and not onC of
them in Hughes’ favor.

'. Among Judge Bright’s conclu-
sions of. law were these: “The by-
daws, regulations and Code provi-
sions of- defendant and their ad-
ministration' do . not impose up.on
plaintiff any restraint violative of
the constitutional guarantees con-
tained in the First, Fifth or Four-
teenth Amendments .to the Con-
stitution. Defendants and its mem-
bers. in the case at bar have, not
violated the Sherman or Clayton
Anti-Trust Acts.”

(NJYi Stock Exchange)

For Week Ending Tuesday (23)

•

Net

1955

Weekly Vol.Weekiy

Weekly

Tues.

Change

High

Low

in 100s

High

Low

for week

33%

22%

Am Br-Par Th 104

30%

• 30

297/a

— %

CBS: “A” . . .

267/a

' 267/8

24%

GBS “B” ...

263/a

25%

—1%

257/a

24%

Col. Pix ....

2434

24%

+ %

18%

14%

Decca ......

16%

. + %

8234

Eastman Kdk

77%

+ %

53/8

EMI A

37%

. 3 34

334

— %

24%

17%

Loew’s .....

.157

— %

12%

Nat. Thea. . .

934

-r. %

44%

Paramount , .

40%

43%

Philco

36%

347/a

36%

+1%

55%

363/4

RCA

258

48%

+ 17/8

10%

RKO Piets. .

171

.7%

— %

RKO Thea. ...

11%

10%

1034

— %

11% .

57%

Republic

144

11%

10%

— 34

1534

133/4

Rep., pfd. . .

1534

15%'

1534

+ %

22%

183/i

Stanley War.

19%

1934

+ %

31%

25%

20th-Fox ....

28%

-— %

2634

Univ. Pix . .

23 '

2834

— %

82%

tJniv., pfd. . .

*110

81%

—17/8

21%

18%

Warner Bros,

•20%

20%

+ %

134

Zenith ......

124%

120

121%

—1%

American Stock. Exchange

57/8

Allied Artists 228

, 57%

57/8

+ %

13%

934

Ail'd Art., pfd*

13%

1134

13%

+ 1%

17%

13%

Du Mont ....

147%

1434

+ 34

Skiatron ....

.4%

37/8

+ %

16%

1334

Technicolor .

15%

147/a

+ %

Trans-Lux . .

334

— %

Over-the-counter Securities

Bid Ask.

Chesapeake Industries 4% 5 + %

Cinerama Inc. ........ 13/4 2% : Vs

Cinerama Prod. 4% 5% Vs

Official Films 2% 3 %

Polaroid — 64%' 66% — %

U. A, Theatres 16 17 % — %

Walt Disney , 38 42 -^- %

♦ Actual Volume.,

( Quotations furnished by Dreyfus & Co.)

Inside Stuff-Pictures

Audrey Hepburn is described as “the” world’s highest paid actress”
by Lloyd Shearer in Parade. The writer, who interviewed Miss Hep-
burn and -her husband, Mel Ferrer, in Switzerland, claims that Miss
Hepburn achieves this status by playing the leading role in the pont-
de Laurentiis production of “War and Peace,” currently shooting in
Rome. According to Shearer, Miss Hopburn’s agent, Kurt Fringe, ar-
ranged the following deal: $350,000 for a maximum of 12 weeks work;
$500 a week -expense money; a car and a chauffeur for the duration,
of the production^ $27,500 for each week above 12 that she works.
In addition, Associated British Productions, to which Miss Hepburn'
pwed three pictures at $2,800 a 'film (before her prominence), agreed
to allow the actress to appear in “War and Peace” in return for the
release- rights in Great Britain,. Paramount in turn guaranteed Miss
Hepburn’s salary in dollars and received the U. S. distribution rights
to the picture. As part of the deal, Fringe also obtained $100,000 for
Ferrer and $250 in weekly expense money. Also approval of cast, script, "
cameraman, etc.

. * -4.

While a bit early to make any definite estimate of total domestic
; gross, since the pic has been out in release little more than a month,
"Not As A Stranger,” newest United Artist boxoffice Winner, promises
to beat previous high grossers of the company. In a majority of key
cities played to date the medico big-star film has been running sub-
stantially ahead of both “Vera Cruz” and “Moulin Rouge.” Film held
.up on extended-runs despite record heat waves in nearly every~part
of the U. S. One angle noted is -that the production has been able to
remain fairly steady after the customary dips from the first week.
Thus in Cincinnati, after dipping around $7,000 In the second week to
$13,800, the pic held, at nearly $11,000 in the. third session. In Cleve-
land, where the initial stanza’s total was nearly halved In the second
Week to just Under $15,000, it only fell back to $11,000 in the third
round.

■ Metro’s “electioneering” with its Stars of the Future brochure may
win Some of the company’s young players recognition in the upcoming
COMPO audience poll;. Brochure Is being picked up by exhibitors who
are using it in the campaign to build up new -star material. Birk Bin-
hard, Stanley Warner’s Philadelphia publicity topper, has sent a copy
to each of the circuit’s theatre, managers in tne Phllly area. In a memo
to the managers, he instructed: “Study this brochure — familiarize your-
self with every personality in it. Watch for these new faces in the
i pictures you play — and make a special ^effort to bring them to the
attention of your public.”

Council of Motion Picture Organizations continues at work on what
its counterpart . of the Academy Awards’ Oscar should look like.
COMPO has narrowed down to nine the list of sketches in the running.
From these one is to be selected as the trophy that’s to be symbolic
of the' industry organisation’s Audience Awards poll Winners. Copies
of the sketches were sent this week to 500 Awards committeemen in
the various exchange areas. Their votes will determine the winner.

Paramount backed up Its hour-long “trailer” of the Rosalind Russell
Starrer, “The Girl Rusk/’ on Ed Sullivan’s “Toast of the Town” tv-er
Sunday (21) with nds on the television pages in newspapers through-
out the country. Ads' appeared in dailies in the 32 exchange cities as
well as in cities where the picture has been booked and dated within
the next 30 days.

'Rush’ Junket Misses Washout

— mm S- Contlnned from Uapre 4 ?* ■ - 1 —

junkets as an effective method to
kick off a new picture, but if the
Russell homecoming celebration
(sans flood, of course) in this New
England industrial : .city Thursday
(18) is any criterion; . the junket,
with its attendant premiere festivi-
ties, remains -a potent weapon in
the exploitation lexicon of a film
company.

Miss Russell, born and raised
In this city of 110,000;. came home
for the world premiere of Para-
mount’s “The Girl Rush,” produc-
ed by her husband, Frederick Bris-
son. The resultant hoopla fo r the
star of the picture as well as for
the local-girl-who-made-good had
all the aspects of a celebration for
a popular national hero. It points
up once again that films and film
personalities continue to maintain
a strong hold on the hinterland
public and that Hollywood glamor
still captures the imagination Of a
hero-worshipping population.
Hollywood, in recent years, may
have thought it had lost some of
its appeal, but events such as Miss
Russell’s homecoming may ;serve
to emphasize that the public . is a
long 5 way from being blase toward
pictures, and picture personalities.

From early morning to long past
midnight Thursday (18), Waterbur-
lans, despite an all-day rain (pre-
ceding the flooding of the area
Friday), turned out en masse to
follow the activities of Miss Russell
and her entourage, Including Bris-
son, Miss De , Haven, tunesmiths
Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane, and
press representatives from New
York and New England. A crowd
estimated by police at 20,000 lined
the streets to greet Miss Russell’s
cavalcade on its way to the Stanley
Warner State Theatre, where “Girl
Rush” was presented for the bene-
fit of the Federated Fund, a local
charity. The Fund received a total
of $10,000 from the preem, the
boxoffice sale amounting to $7,300
and Miss Russell kicking In the
remainder as a personal contribu-
tion.

The phenomenon of a local
crowd going wild over film per-
sonalities was explained by a vet-

eran Waterbury editor. “This is a
workaday city,” he said. “This
changes the routine/ It brings ex-
citement to the town>It gives peo-
ple a chance to dress up to at-
tend many of the activities and it
helps place many of the local citi-
zens as well as the city in the
limelight.’” •

Paramount had the full cooper-
ation of civic officials and the
Chamber of Commerce. From the
standpoint of the city fathers, a
premiere helps bring attention to
the city, resulting in participation
in the activities of the mayor, the
police, industrial and business
groups, and civic and philanthropic
clubs. With a tour of the local
factories as part of the all-day ac-
tivities for the visiting newsmen,
the C. of C. was able to punch
home the fact that Waterbury is
the brass manufacturing center of
the world.

Finding of Handle

Although local groups participate
in 'the costs of the junket and
premiere, a film company’s con-
tribution Is still high. However,
based on previous experiences, It
was figured the extra- coin realized
from the local and immediate
vicinity run would cover cost of
junket. The rest is regarded as
gravy. The economies Involved are
not always considered as impor-
tant, as long as a “handle” is found
on which to create excitement in
reaching an audience.

In the case of “Girl Rush,” Miss
Russell’s homecoming served as
the “handle.” It provided the on-
the-spot outlet for a nationwide
Dave Garroway NBC-TV telecast
in addition to newspaper coverage
in the New York and New England
area.

Under normal circumstances,
“Girl Rush,” it’s, felt, Would have
recouped the junket cost in the
New England area. However, with
the State Theatre here closed be-
cause of the flood and other hard-
tops and driveMns iri the area shut-
tered because of the rising waters,
a reappraisal of the general value,
of course, is necessary. The dis-
aster wps something no one could
anticipate.

Wednesday* August 24, 1955

20 PICTURES

•0

Hartford, Aug. 23.

Friday’s (19) floods brought by
Hurricane Diane caused untold
damage to various aspects of Con-
~ necticut show biz. Virtually every
phase ’throughout the state suf-
fered either through, physical dam-
age or an intangible b.o. loss. Ra-
dio and tele stations were espe-
cially hard hit. No accurate figures
are available, on. the total damage,
with rough estimates "placing the
loss at from $100,000! to $1,000,000,

No Water, Then Raids Came

Hartford, Aug. 23.

Up to three days prior to
the opening of the Meadows
Drive-In here, there was ■ no
water to be had. Water
mains were late in tiesing in-
stalled. Workers had to pur-
■ chase drinking -Water from a
nearby gas station. .

But Hurricane Diane placed
this ozoner half under, water.
Drive-in hovering 26 acres was
on the edge of an otherwise
dry brook — u n t i 1 the rains
came. £ •

with the latter figure perhaps the
true onew

However, radio was not the only
one to suffer, Drive-ins were hard
hit. In Hartford the new $500,000
(2,250-caf) Meadows Drivein was
inundated;^ and put out of action
after being open only 10 days. It’s
not expected to be operating until
the end . JDf this week. Damage
there is - to. electrical equipment
plus the fabt that it’s 26 acres were
half covered by water over the
weekend.

Southington ozoner in Southing-
ton was closed Friday night due to
water and power failure. E. M.
Loew’s Drive-in in Farmington was
closed Friday night because of
power failures* In Portland, Conn.,
the drive-in there was reported
under water Sunday night.

As far as cduld be ascertained
over the weekend, the three Wajer-
bury drive-lns'^Were out of opera-
tion. In Watetbury, the Tower-
Theatre had Waiter in it to the
heigh of its marquee. Latter Is a
hardtop. In Torrihgton,' one drive-
in was out of action, along with
one in Derby, Conn.

Fate of strawhatters up through
Litchfield area Is unknown since
no communication - is open.

At Springfield,- Mass., reports
were that the radio and tv stations
of the area were unaffected by the ;
flood. At nearby Agawam, ’Mass.,
Riverside Park reported business
way off because of flood conditions.
Also that its stock car racing, track,
located on the banks of the Con-
necticut River, had been innundated
and was out of action for regular
Saturday night running.

Late reports from Whterbury are
that the Watertown Drive-In there
had been washed away*.

Nabes, Ozoijers Hit in Mass. ..

Boston,- Aug. 23, :

Hurricane Diane, which hit the
New England area badly with
floods, only htirt firstrun 'theatre
biz here on Friday (19). Heavy
downpours and threat- of rising
waters put a' Samper on trade at
the cinemas Friday matinee* With
several neighborhood theatres
closed because of power, failures.
Western Massachusetts nabes were
hardest hit with the floods, slough-
ing everything in Framingham,
Worcester, Westfield, Springfield,
Holyoke and Chicopee.

However, in Boston,, night .biz
Friday and also Saturday was ter-
rific, with thousands stranded in.
the city when for the first time in.
the city’s history no traifis we r e
running . in or out of town. Leaks
from roofs and overclogged drains
kept maintenance men busy at
Hub firstruns but they escaped se-
rious damage. The 13 firstrun
houses here were virtually desert-

RADIO-TV TO THE RESCUE

Report on the public serv-
ice job done by radio and tv
stations in the flooded areas
is in the radio-tv section.
Broadcasters contributed what
aid they could despite power
failures and heavy, loss of
equipment .

Wednesday, August 24, .195$

ed during the Friday downpour,
heaviest in Hub history. Damage
in the state was greater than both
hurricanes last year.

Trade took -a surprising* upturn
on Saturday: when thousands who
hdd/ been cobbed .up: for two days;
of, rain, flocked t6 the theatres. ■

. Outdoor attractions were com-
pletely put out of business. Rain-
swollen rivers burst dams all
around the state. The New England
Fair season, just beginning, was
set back. “Caesar and- Cleopatra”
at the Wellesley Sihnraer Theatre
at the outdoor amphitheatre was
rained .out ‘ '

Appropriate Billing

Drive-in feature at Danbury,
Conn., also partially hit by the
rising waters, was “Hell and
High. Water.”

And the river that over-
flowed in the Danbury area
is ironically called the Still
River.

- '

Bums’ Plaint

Continued from page 7';

Copake Ops Marooned

Albany, N. Y.

Edward McIntyre and his sis-
ter, Mrs. Inez Ferguso, co-owners
of the Copake Theatre in Copake,
Columbia .County, were marooned
for 10 hours when' the creek over-
flowing its banks in the .torrential,
early-morning rains that accom-
panied the tail of Hurricane Diane
inundated the village. McIntyre and
Mrs. Ferguson were eventually
rescued, when" the' creek subsided.

Water penetrated the small the-
atre — Copake’s only one-— to the
depth of six feet. At one time, Mr.
McIntyre thought it would be
washed away, as logs bumped
against the structure. . Damage by
the flood in Copake and neighbor-
ing Copake Falls was estimated at
$ 2 , 000 , 000 ,

Execs Boil

Continued from p^ge 3

readers— wanted to see the fiim
and enjoyed seeing it.”

As if turns out; every one of the
three, films panned is doing sock
b)z r . “.The trouble with those Critics
is, they’re always looking for ’great
art.’ They forget that ..there can he
such a thing as just plain good en-
tertainment. And anyway some of
the pictures they’ve raved about
have flopped. . They ought to re-
member that, unless there’s a box-
office, there Wouldn’t be anything
to review,” beefed One exec.

None of the companies: denies
the importance of the Times and
Tribune -reviews bn films, particu-
larly since these critics are quoted
throughout the epuntry and in a
manner of speaking tend to “set
the tone”, for subsequent reviews.
On certain types, of fifms, however,
the number of Stars 1 in the N: Y.
Daily News or, the . rating ip the
N. Y. Post is of equal importance,
at least locally.

As for last week's row of pans,
the companies maintained that the
Times and Trib reviewers were
simply blind to what the producers:
consider “popular appeal*'; that the
b.o. would refute their super-criti-
cal slant, and -that, anyway, the
public usually was ahead of the two
scribes. Whole pitch, of course, is
apt to shift into reverse -gear next
time Crowther and Zinsser turn up'
with a rave.

Loew’s Ozoners

Continued from page 3

faetts are,, brought , up at the hear-
ing that might make the court rule
otherwise. .

It’s reported that a Coral Gables,
Fla., exhibitor, who -was not Iden-
tified, has given notice' that he will
appear"; at the Aug. 29th hearing.
This' will mark the first, .time that
an “outsider” will appear at ‘such
a hearing since Allied States Assn.’
received assurances from the *D,
of J. that interested theatremen
would be given notice of‘ hearings
involving proposed theatre ac-
quisitions by divorced circuits. .

Contradicting the old belief
that strong British pix, suited for
small, arty theatres, seldom are big
grossers in neighborhood circuit
houses, “Doctor in House” racked
up sock biz on the Loew’s N. Y.
chain over the past weekend. In
many locations, the pic is topping
the business done by “Johnny
Guitar,” another Republic release,
which clicked in these same houses.

Even in the Amsterdam on
West 42d Street, never known as
an arty theatre, “Doctor” did bet-
ter than “Guitar” by nearly $1,000
Saturday and Sunday. Showing
on the Met circuit is being made,
despite the film having played 24
weeks previously at the Trans-Lux
52d Street.

ties in many areas. However, the
rapid rise in auto ownership has
not seen an equally rapid increase
in parking areas, resulting in a sit-
uation whereby a downtown zone
4s not easily accessible to many
potential film patrons. Rather
than buck traffic bottlenecks and
parking problems, film fans may
decide to remain in the comfort of
their living rooms and ; watch tele-
vision.

Ohio His Example „

The situation in Ohio serves as
an example of the growing public
transit' problem. Bob Wile, execu-
tive secretary of the Independent
Theatre Owners of Ohio, points out
that Marion and Cambridge have
lost their bus service; Columbus
has just had an announcement that
evening and Sunday service will be
cut again; Cleveland had a fare in-
crease recently, and other’ small
cities have no service at all at show
hours. In addition, Akron, Canton
and Youngstown suffered bus
strikes during the year, resulting
in a .heavy dent . in the downtown
boxoffices.

Other communities, of .course,
have had similar experiences, all.
of which contribute to the declin-
ing film b.o. Despite the increase
in auto, ownership, there, stjll are
many people who depend nii public
transportation and a serejjcerqut can
add to the woes of a theqtre. opera-
tor.

With baseball taking its! prob-
lems to municipal authorities, it’s
felt that theatremen should follow
Suit. If no improvements can be
obtained in transportation and
parking, both national pastimes
face an uncertain economic fufure,
burdened, as both are^ by television
and higher operating costs.

Catskills’ 'Captive’ Guests

Continued from pace 1

floods, had to travel a circuitous
route. Neighboring Tamiihent, at
Tamiment, Pa., has a stock com-
pany. so that no problem existed
Jhere. ' ,

One byproduct of the flood con-
ditions in New York and Pennsyl-
vania was the heavy business done
by . northern New Jersey resorts^
Salts’s at Mt. Freedom, N. J„ had
the SRO sign simply because of
easy accessibility from N.^.Y;- ,,

The N. Y. mountain belt was
especially damaged. Several of the
major, towns had the main streets
under water. Acts that hgd a route
of several hotels, had to stay put
in one inn . so that extra revenue
from playing the* other inns was
lost. However, it’s believed that
normal conditions will prevail by
the end of the week, unless new
and -heavy rainstorms come along.

Foreign Pix

Continued from page 3

posite ought to hold true' also > of
the u:. S.

Only occasionally is the thought
advanced that dubbing “takes the
guts” out of a foreign film and
leaves it in a sort of no man’s land,
With an English track, but un-
familiar faces and backgrounds.
Argument is advanced that, if the
dubbing is done properly, from
the point of view of both the script
and the actual technique, such a
film has a definite b.o. potential
in the U. S.

Consequently, the “push” this
fall will .be 'aimed at the regular
commercial houses as much as at
thi arties. Favoring- the indies is
the factthat-double-feJturing situ a-,
tions ■ frequently will ‘ find them-
selves short of product and will
then consider' dating .a dubbed, at-
traction. Foreign film tflstribs argue
that even playing second-fiddle will'
get them a revenue that’s f&r arid
beyond their K Ordinarily limited
take .from the. specialized situa-
tions.’ - v

Continued from page 7

Runyon and the Runyon charac-
ters portrayed in “Guys and
Dolls.” It’s understood that Metro
and the Goldwyn office are holding
talks with Leo Lindy about the
possibility of shutting down the
eatery to the public following the
Cap preem and taking over the
place for a press-celebrity shindig.’ 3

In another important booking,
Metro inked a deal with Balaban
& Katz’s Chicago Theatre. The
Chi house, which will eliminate
its stage show during the showing
of “Guys and Dolis,” gets the pic-
ture Nov, 11 for a prolonged run.
B&K exec Dave Wallerstein, who
also visited the Coast for the early
peek, set the deal with Burtis
Bishop Jr., M-G’s midwest sales
topper. Pact is said to provide for
the largest advertising-promotion
budget ever used by a theatre in
the midwest.

Marooned, Flooded Pa.

7 Barns Have to Shutter

Darns in Pennsylvania, and Cqp-
necticut were heavily hit by last
week’s floods. In most cases the
silos .themselves didn’t suffer phys-
ical damage, but ravaged surround-
ing areas and knocked-out trans-
portation and communication fa-
cilities forced several to shutter or
cancel performances.

Although Actors Equity indi-
cated earlier this summer that hur-.
ricanes would no longer -be con-
sidered an “Act Of God,” because
it could be anticipated - and insur-
ance was available, the union was
expected to label the floods as such
at its weekly council meet yester-
day (Tues.), so that actors Would
not have to be paid. ' Besides
Pennsylvania and Connecticut,
other states inundated were New
York, New Jersey, Massachusetts 1
and Rhode Island.

In Pennsylavnia, the Bucks Coun-
ty Playhouse, New Hope, Pa., was.
physically damagd by the flood
and was forced to shutter follow-
ing last Thursday (18) night’s per-
formance. The Pocpno Playhouse
in Mountainhome, Pa., was iso-
lated by the floods, forcing pro-
ducer-manager Rowena Stevens to
shut down last Saturday (20) night
in the 11th week of the theatre’s
ninth season.

The closing of the Bucks County'
Playhouse cut short the run of “A
Palm Tree in a Rose Garden,” star-
ring Dorothy Stickney. Producer
Michael Ellis also cancelled this
week's scheduled run of “Tender
Trap,” but hopes to reopen next
Monday (29) with “Remarkable Mr.
Pennypacker” starring Philip
Bourneuf and Frances Reid.

, Water Covers Stage

The first 10 rows of the 400-seat
Playhouse, which is located direct-
ly on the bank of the Delaware
River, were flooded, with the Water
reaching a level, of approximately
one inch over the stage. The the-
atre’s shops,", workrooms, storager
rooms, office and- boxoffice were
also flooded, but tickets and rec-
ords had previously been removed
It ? s still too early .to .determine
whether the - foundation of the the r
atre has beep affected by the inun-
dation. »

The Playhouse Inn, located on
the* same grounds as the, barn, was!
covered With water up to the sec-,
otid story, while half of New Hope'
was flooded. All restaurants were
closed and there was no Electricity
from, last Friday (18) until Monday
(22).- , The -silo’s . staff end the
“Trap?’ cast were evacuated Thurs-
day 1 and were quartered by. show
people living, in the Bucks County
area. ^The actors and staff also as-
sisted in local Red Cross opera-
tions.

The Pocono Playhouse, located
on high ground, suffered little it-
self, but was without water or elec-
tricity as a result of the flood. Of
45 briges leading into the area,
only one was left standing. Last
Thursday night’s performance of
“Wedding Breakfast,” with Walter
Matthau, was cancelled when by
9:30 p.m. only 11 out of 500 ticket-
holders had arrived. The entire
week’s run of the comedy had been
sold out In advance.

There Were approximately 50
people each at the Friday and Sat-
urday night performances. The
Saturday matinee was cancelled.
Mrs. Stevens evacuated the nine
members of the cast in three cars
on Sunday, with the trip to N. Y.
taking about nine hours instead of
around two hours as is usual. She
doesn’t know whether she'll re-
open, although the season was

originally scheduled to run another
three weeks,

The Music Circus, Lambertville A
N. J., cancelled its performance
last Saturday, as. the canvas top
was practically inaccessible.

Coirn. Floods Folding

^uiiiner Show Spots

,* Barn's Shutter,

New Haven, Aug. 23.

Dame Nature dealt one below
the belt to the entertainment field
around Connecticut last week,
when flood waters* brought death
and destruction to a wide • area.

A fast run around some of the
summer show spots disclosed a
shuttered strawhat at Litchfield,
where the final perforamnee of a
tryout (“That Certain Age”) was
cancelled Saturday nifeht (26) and
the '55 season was put in moth-
balls a couple Of weeks ahead of
schejile. ....

At Southbury, witff hearby areas
under martial law, arid travel in
the definitely doubtful,* -category.
Jack Quinn decided to. call it a
season despite the fact that he had
“Tender Trap” all rehearsed and
“Champagne Complex” on the fire
for the season’s two tag enders.

At New London, where , the
eighth annual American Dance
Festival ^as in progress (i8-r21),
attendance was badly crimped for
the Friday night performance, and
never , fully recovered for balance
of the run, net result being a drop
from past several seasons.

At Ivorytown, rumored. to fold
Saturday (20),- Milton Stiefel de-
cided to stick things out, despite
the fact that a considerable por-
tion of his patronage comes from
the badly stricken areas. Stiefel
Will definitely carry on through
Sept. 3.

At Wallingford, Oakdale Musical
Theatre felt the bottom drop . out
of weekend blr immediately follow-
ing the flood situation. “Best Foot
Forward” was holding down the
boards at the time. Draw here is
statewide, which naturally meant
slump b.o. reaction.

Two other Connecticut spots
folded Saturday (20) ahead of an-
ticipated finale, but not as a result
of disaster emergency. Norwich,
Under new management this year,
tossed in the towel after a crimson
operation of about eight weeks. At
Clinton, the Harmon-operated
strawhat never caught fire .; as in
previous seasons, and a delayed
booking for the ninth week was
finally nixed. V*-,

Incidentally, the world pteem of
“The Girl Rush,” with Rosalind
Russell in atendance at her' home
town of Waterbury,' just got under
the wire before the deluge made a
shambles of the community.

Hurricane Backlash

Bops A.C. Boxoffice

Atlantic City, Aug. 23! .

While neither Hurricane Connie'
nor Diane hit here,- rain .and gusty
weather, felt here knocked resort
out of more than 40% of expected
business during past two weeks,
usually the cream of the season,
in some cases this being the differ-
ence between a profit and loss for
the already short 10 week season.

The hundreds who cater to bath-
ers and fishermen especially were
hard hit. Rooms, usually at a pre-
mium at most hotels these weeks,
went wanting for the first time in
many years. Last weekend’s weath-
er was ideal. The resort, with . no
more hurricanes sighted, was again
packed with visitors who were
making up for the two weeks they
stayed at home.

Nefir N. E. Disaster

Boston, Aug. 23.

Bonifade Stanley Blinstrub of
Blinstrub’s nitery here, and a com-
panion, George Quigley, nearly
lost their live^ in the backlash of
Hurricane Diane Friday (19). Driv-
ing into what looked like a harm-
less puddle in Brookline, they sud-
denly found • themselves under
water.

- They, had to swim out to where
their feet could touch the ground.
The flash flood was 10 feet deep.

Ill Wind Blows Good
Salisbury- Beach, Mass., Aug. 23.

Frankie Laine, in at the start Of
the torrential downpour lastTThurs-
day (18) succeeded in filling the
1,250-seater, thus disproving usual
nitery owner’s laments that storms
hamper biz. Customers had to
wade .through quagmires to get to
the club. Laine, was on for 45
minutes concentrating on his re-
cording repertoire to a vociferous
aud.

W>dne 3 (lay, August g4,1955

Pfis&t&tfr

HAS BROKEN
FIRST RUN RECOKDS
THE COUNTRY OVER

NEW YORK-24 WOKS - LOS AN6BIS— 10 WEEKS • PHHADHPHM-t WEEKS

4 ' * % *

ATLANTA— 4 WEEKS • KANSAS CITY-7 WEEKS • DALiAS-4 WEEKS
INMANAPOJUS— 10 WEEKS • WASHINGTON, D. C.-16 WEEKS • SAN FRANCISCO -12 WEEKS
BOSTON-8 WEEKS • ST. LOUIS-9 WEEKS - NEW ORLEANS-3 WEEKS

BALTIMORE-11 WEEKS • DETROIT-8 WEEKS

IS—

anatomy they never learned from books.

Color by TECHNICOLOR

A J. Arthur Rank Organization Presentation
A REPUBLIC RELEASE

NOW DATING TOP CIRCUITS EVERYWHERE!

AVAILABLE
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CONTACT YOUR NEAREST
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PICTURES

USSIETy

Wednesday, Angu«t 24, 1955

Washington, Aug. 23. <

Supreme Court was asked Yes-
terday (Mon.) to invalidate the
Kansas censorship decision barring
“The Moon Is Blue.” Appeal to the
High Court was brought by
Holmby Production, which made
the film, and United Artists, the
distributor.

The Kansas State Board of Re-
view nixed the picture in June,
1953; because * the “$ex theme
throughout was too frank in bed-
room dialog; it had too many sexy
words; and both dialog and action
have sex as their theme.” On a
reexamination, the board found the
film was “obscene, indecent and
immoral and such as tend to debase
or corrupt morals.” *

Case was carried to .the District
Court of Wyandotte County, Kan.,
which declared the Kansas censor-
ship act was “unconstitutional.”
On appeal from this; the Supreme.
Court of Kansas upheld the con-
stitutionality of the state law and
the action of the Board of Review
in barring the film.

The current appeal is from the
State Supreme Court. The UA and
Holmby brief asserts pre-censor-
ship violates the First Amendment,
and that the state censorship
standards are “so .broad, vague and
Indefinite as tO' render such stand-
ards invalid as repugnant to the
guarantee of freedom of expression
contained ih the First Amendment,
and to the due process clause in
the 14th Amendment.”

Minneapolis, *Aug. 23.

First theatre . admission scale
boost here in several years finds
the four top fistrun loop theatres
going from 65-85c to 75c or 85c-$l
regularly, regardless of. whether
the attraction is or isn’t ’Scope.
Previously only the ’Scope offer-
ings commanded the $1 tap.

Paramount’s Radio City and
State now charge the flat $1 after
5 p.m. at all times. Same goes for
RKO’s Orpheum and Bennie Ber-
ger’s Gopher. The sureseater World
has scaled to $1.20 for more than
a year and “Cinerama” at the
Century remains at the $2.65 top
established at the outset.

When the loop RKO-Pan and
Paramount Lyric play “B” pictures
they’ll continue to charge the same.
65-85c, boosting the ante to 85c-$l
only on moveayers from the dollar
houses.

Berger, an avowed foe of higher
admissions, was the first to raise
from 65-85c to 85c-$l for the non-
'Scope pictures, inaugurating .it
with “Abbott & Costello Meet the
Mummy.” For a while he adhered
to the 65-85c even for the 'Scope
offerings.

Mo. Ozoners, Hardtops
Up Liability Insurance

St. Louis, Aug. 23.

Owners of ozoners and hardtops
In Missouri are increasing their lia-
bility insurance to meet require-
ments of a new state law recently
signed by Gov. Phil Donnelly. New
measure Axes a maximum of $25,-
000 damages in cases involving
wrongful death, an increase of $10,-
©00 over the former law. Udder
the old statute, the practice was to
carry’ at least $15,000.

The new law not only affects the-
atres but also operators of automo-
biles and corporations.

Am honored that torn* of tho
groats of show business havo be-
come my clients in the matter of
stocks and bonds. You, too, an
welcome to write or call me— NO
obligation.

JESSE BLOCK

Registered Representative

IRA HAUPT & CO.
Investment Brokers

501 7th Ave., New York 18. N .Y.
LOngacre 5-6262

‘Panic’ 1st TV Indie

“Panic,” Indie production set for
Aiming in New York by Wolf-Park-
er Productions will be the first in- j
dependent film to get the Vista-
Vision treatment,

Van Wolf , who will produce, and
John Parker, scripter and director,
have signed Torben Johnke as
director of photography, Johnke
is said to be the sole owner of the
only VistaVision camera not con-
trolled by Paramount.

Mixed Reaction

Paramount’s offer of aid to dis-
tressed theatres met With mixed
reaction among exhibitors this
week. While 'the .more moderate
theatremen, as ' represented by
Theatre Owners of America,
termed the move “a step in the
right direction,” the outspoken
group, as represented by Allied
States Assn., tended to scoff at the
Par announcement. /

Par’s global sales chief George
Weltner last week repealed the es-
tablishment of machineiy for the
consideration of distressed the-
atres^ “particularly, those on the
borderline of continued operation.”
Charles Boasberg, former RKO
and DCA sales chief, is. joining the
Par sales staff, with one -of his
main duties being, the handling of
the theatres in difficulty.

General reaction of theatremen
who disparaged -the Par action .was,
"who needs ’em when you’re
broke?” Point was made that
rental relief was required by the- ;
atre$ which were operating on a
narrow profit margin or just about
breaking even. “The only way
Paramount will , come to . your
help,” said one cynical exhibitor,
“is when you’re ready to close
your theatre*; It's too late then.”

The more optimistic theatre op^.
erators felt that Par’s concession
will go a long way toward easing
the strife between exlilbs and dis-
tribs. There was general agree-
ment though, that Par’s move rep-
resented nothing new except a
definite statement of policy. It was
pointed out that most of the dis-
tribs have always been willing to
consider hardship, cases and have
made adjustments in situations
where it meant the life or death
of a theatre.

Hollywood, Aug. 23. !

Gregory Peck returns to 20th-
Fox for the' title role in “The Man
in. the Gray Flannel Suit” . ... UI
renewed Keith Andes' two-films-a-
year contract for another year . .- .
Harry Joe Brown will produce
“Petticoat Brigade,” screenplayed
by Walter Doniger, at Columbia
. . . Henry Koster will direct his
11-year-old son, Nicholas, in “Good
Morning, Miss Dove” at 20th . . .
Paul Frees booked for a part in
20tli’s “Rains of Ranchippr” . . .
Carleto'n Young reported for his
role in “Great Day in the Morn-
ing,” to be produced, by Edmund
Grainger for RKO release . . . C.
V. Whitney Pictures handed Vera
Miles a three-year pact calling for
one flim a year . . . George Eld-
redge plays his 200th film role in
Crown Productions' “The Killer
Is Loose.”

Tommy Dorsey’s daughter, Julie,
snagged a foie in UKs “The Benny
Goodman Story.” . . . Freddy Mar-
tin and his orch signed for a- two-
reeler at UI . . . Claire Trevor
signed for a top role in ; Para-
mount’s “The Mountain” . . . Franz
Waxman will compose the musical
score for Warners’ “Miracle in the
Rain.” . . . Anita Ekbcrg replaces
Arlene Dahl in Ponti-De Lauren-
; tiis’ “War and Peace.”

I Frieda Inescourt and Sheppard
| Strudwick checked in at Columbia
for roles in “The Eddie Duchin
Story” . . . Makelim Pictures,- Inc.,
assigned Frank Parmenter as gen-
j eral production manager on a
series of 12 films, starting with
“The Peacemaker” . . . Debra Paget
takes over the Anne Bancroft ro’e
in Metro’s “The Last Hunt;” due
to latter’s illness.

N.Y. Lawyer Challenges
Warners' 506 Settlement
Of Mitchell Story Suit

Los Angeles, Aug. 23,
Out*of:Court settlement last, week.,
for a reputed $50,000 by Milton
Sperling and Warners of Trophy
Productions' claim to film rights
to. the Gen. Billy Mitchell yarn,
didn’t wash, up ownership of rights.
Three days .after attorneys asked
for a stipulated dismissal in Fed-
eral Court, N. Y. lawyer Theodore
R. : Kupferman challenged settle-
ment and filed a $15,000 general
damage suit in Federal Court
against the same defendants over
the same property. !

Kupferman in his complaint
claimed ownership of the film and
related rights to the disputed prop-
erty, Isaac Don Levine’s “Mitchell, 1
Prophet of Air Power,” through
having been appointed \ receiver
under, a N. Y. Supreme Court order.
He asserted he had notified the
defendants in the Trophy suit of
his status in deal and alleged they
had agreed not to make any pay-
ment without first securing his ap-
proval, which they had not done.
Consequently, he stated, they had j
no right to make any payments, j
Trophy , originally sued for $1,-]
375,000, on the grounds of having
acquired full - Tights, through . a
purchase from Samuel Bronston.

With 86 theatres signed for the
Rocky Marciano-Archle Moore
closed-circuit fight telecast on
Sept. 20, Theatre Network Televi-
sion has set a new record in book-
ings. Previous peak for a theatre
tv event was 83 theatres for the
Marciano-Don Cockell, bout last
May 16.

A $1,000,000 theatre boxoffice
‘-gate” is a possibility if TNT can
! achieve its „ goal of 100 theatres
‘for the upcoming attraction orig-
inating from Yankee Stadium, N.Y,
at .10; 30 p.m. EDT. Availability of
mobile units, rented to theatres by
TNT, is . making possible the record
theatre lineup. Chicago and Los
Angeles lead in the dumber of
theatres signed, each having eight.
Detroit follows vvith four.

DENVER

(Continued from page 9)
“Mister Roberts” (WB) (5th wk).
Sock $11,000 or over. Stays on.
La^t week, $12,000.

Denham (Cockrill) (1,750; 50-85)
— “We’re . No Angels” (Par) (3d
wk). Oke $6,500 in 4 days. Last
week* $12,000.

Denver (Fpx) (2,525; 60-$l) —
“How To Be Popular” (20th) (2d
wk). Staying only 3 days, tliin $6,-
000, Last week, $15,000.

East Drive In (Wolfberg) (800
cars; 75) — “Pearl of South Pacific”
(RKO) and “Wakambo” (RKO).
Good $4,500. Last week, “Road to
Denver” (Reps) and “Lay .. That
Rifle Down” (Rep), $6,500.

Esquire (Fox) *(742; 75-$l) —
“Holiday for Henriette” .(Indie).
Oke $2,500. Stays. Last week, “Will
Any Gentleman?” (Indie) and
“Last Holiday” (Indie), $3,000.

;Xakeshore Driver In . (Civic) (1.-
000 cars; 75) — “Pearl of South Pa-
cific (RKO) and “M Oka mb a”
(RKO). Good $5,500. Last week,
“Road to Denver” (Rep) and “Lay
That Riflle Down” (Rep), $7,000.

Orpheum (RKO) (2,600; 60-$l)
— “Cobweb” (M-G). Mild $8,000.
Last week, “Lady 'and Tramp” (BV)
(4th wk), $6,500.

Paramount (Wolfberg) (2,200;
60-$l)— “Shrike” (U) (2d wk). Fast
$12,000 or near. Last week, $15,000.

BOSTON

(Continued from page 8)
—“Pete Kelly’s Blues” (WB). Jack
Webb personals bally brought tor-
rid $18,000. Last week, “Wichita”
(AA) and “Spy Chasers” (Indie),
15,000:

Pilgrim (ATC) (i;900; 50-60-$l)
—“Pearl South Pacific” (RKO) and
“Rage at Dawn” (RKO. Oke $8,500.
Last week, “One Desire” (U) and
“Chance Meeting” (PM), $6,700.

Orpheum (Loew) (3,000; 60-75-$l)
— “Man From Laramie” (Col) and
“Bring Youf Smile Along” (Col).
Hotsy $18,000 or better. Last week,
“Cobweb” (M-G) and “Moonfleet”
(M-G) (2d wk), $12,600.

State (Loew) (3,500;. 50-65-76-$!)
— “Man From, Laramie”. (Col) and
“Bring Your Smile Along” (Col).
Big $12,000. Last week, “Cobweb”
(M-G) and “Moonfleet” (M-G) (2d
wk), $7,000.

Picture Grosses

• **

PHILADELPHIA

(Continued from page 8)

“Love Is Many Splendorad Thing”
(20th), Terrific $33,000 or near.
Last week, “Virgin Queen” (2d
wk), $14,000.

Goldman (Goldman) (1,200; 65-
$1.30)— “Female On Beach” (U).
Giant $24,000 or better. Last week,
“Man From Laramie” <Col) (3d
wk), $9,000.

Mastbaum (SW) (4,370; 99-$1.49)
—“Mister Roberts” (WB) (6th wk).
Tidy $14,000. Last week, $15,000.

Midtown (Goldman) (1,200; 65-
$1.49) — “Shrike” (U) (4th wk).
Trim $8,000 or over. Last week,
$ 10 , 000 .

Randolph (Goldman) 2,500; 75-
$1.49) — “Summertime” (UA) (3d
wk). Okay $11,000. Last week,
$17,000. ■ .

• Stanley (SW) (2,900; 74-$1.40)—
“Girl Rush” (Par). Fast $17,000.
Last week, “One- Desire” (U),
$13,000.

Stanton (SW) (1,483;. $5-99) —
“Robber’s Roost” (UA) and “Top
of World” (UA). Solid $13,000. Last
week, “Las Vegas Shakedown” and
“Finger Man” (AA), $8,000. A
Studio (Goldberg) (400; 90-$1.49)
— “Marty” (UA) (10th wk). Oke
$5,000 same as last week.

* Trans-Lux (T-L) (500; fl0-$1.80) ,

“To Catch Thief” . (Par) (3d
wk). Rousing $15,000. Last week,
$19,000.

Viking (Sley) (1,000; 74-$1.80)—
“Not As Stranger” (UA) (8th wk).
Steady $10,000. Last week, $11,000.

H.0.S HaP SEATTLE;
“LARAMIE’ FANCY 13G

Seattle, Aug. 23. .
City is virtually 100% * holdover
this stanza, but many of them are
holding so big it makes little dif-
ference. “Man From Laramie” is
huge in second session. “Pete
Kelly’s Blues” looks great !n sec-
ond round at Orpheum while “Mis-
ter Roberts” is terrific in fourth
frame at Music Hall. “Santa Fe
Passage,” lone new pic, is okay at
Blue Mouse.

Estimates for This Week
Blue Mouse (Hamrick) <800; 90-

4 1.25) — “Santa Fe Passage” (Rep)
nd “Square Rin*»” . r ' m ' r

$3,000. Last week. “Youhg Sin-
ners” (U) (2d tfk), $3,100.

Coliseum (Evergreen) (1.870; $1-
$1.25) — “Man From Laramie” (Col)
and “CaSe of Red .Monkey” (AA).
(2d wk). Giant $13,000 or over.
Last week, $19,Q0Q,

Fifth Avenue (Evergreen) (2,500;
$1-$1.25) — “Virgin Queen” (20th)
and “Skabenza” (AA) (2d wk). Fair
$5,000. Last week, $5,300.

Music BOx (Hamrick) (800; 90-
$1.25)— “Not As Stranger” (UA).
(8th wk). Good $4,000. Last week,
$4,300.

, Music Hall (Hamrick) <2,300; 90-
$1.25) — “Mister Roberts” (WB)
(4th wk). Mighty $11,000. Last
week, $11,700.

Orpheum (Hamrick) (2,700; 90-
$1.25)— -“Kelly’s Blues” (WB) and
“Dam Busters” (WB) (2d wk).
Great $11,500. Holds. Last week,
$17,800.

Paramount (Evergreen) (3,039;
$1-$1.25) — “We’re No Angels”
(Par) and “Adventures Sadie”
(20th) (2d wk). Good $7,000. Last
week, $6,800.

‘Thief’ Smash $25,000,
Cleve.; ‘.Angels’ Robust
16G, ‘Benson’ Hep 13G

. Cleveland, Aug. 23.

“To Catch A Thief” is smashing
through rainstorms and heat to give
the Stillman a terrific stanza here
this round. It is easily the week’s
topper. “We’re No Angels” also is
sturdy at the State while “Pri-
vate War of Major Benson” looms
good at Hipp.

Estimates for This Week .

Alien (S-W) (3,000; 70-$1.25) —
“Mister Roberts” (WB) (3d wk).
Wow $15,000.- Last week, $22,000.

Hipp (Telem’t) (3,700; 70-$l)—
“Private War of Major Benson”
(U). Good $13,00Q. Last week, “Vir-
gin Queen” (20th), $15,000.

Lower Mall (Community) (585;
70-90)— “Wuthering Heights’ (In-
die) (reissue) (2d wk). So-so $2,000.
Last week, $3,000, ...

Ohio (Loew) 1,244; 70-90) —
"Summertime” (UA (m.o.). Aver-
age $5,000. Last week, “Never Too
Young” (Par) (m.o.) (3d wk),

$ 10 , 000 ,

Palace (RKO) <3,286; 70-$l) —
“-How To Be Popular” (20th), Fair
$10,500.. Last week, “Man From
Laramie” (Col) (2d wk), $14,000.

State (Loew) ' 3,500; 70-90) —
“We’re No Angels” (Par). Sturdy
$16,000. Last week, “Summertime”
$15,000.

Stillman (Loew) <2,700; 70-90)—
“To Catch a Thief” (Par). Terrific
$25,000, Last week, “Not A*
Stranger” (UA) (m.o.) (7th wk),
$13,000.

‘Young’ Virile $13,000,
Port.; ‘Roberts’ 10G, 4th

Portland, Ore., Aug. 23.

Summer heat and transient
name attractions are not hurting
strong product here. Routine pix
are suffering, though. Town is
■ bogged down with holdovers.
“Mister Roberts” moves into a
fourth smash frame at the Broad-
way. This house hasn’t held a pic
this long., in ages. “Man From
Laramie” continues sock in second
inning. “.Virgin Queen” holdover
is way off and staying only four
days. “Never Too Young” looms
big at the Paramount.

Estimate^ for This Week

Broadway (Parker) (1890; 90-
$1.25) — “Mister Roberts” (WB)
(4th wk). Nearly a record playing
time for this spot. Big $10,000 or
near. Last week, $13,200.

Fox (Evergrqen) (1,536; $1-$1.25)
— “Virgin Queen” (20th) and
“Glory At Sea” (Indie) (2d wk).
Only $3,500 in 4 days. Last week,
$ 6 , 000 .

Guild (Indie) (400; $1)— “Inno-
cents In Paris” (Indie). Lusty $3,-
000. Last week, “Victory At Sea
(Indie) and “Kind Hearts Coro-
nets” (Indie) (reissue) (2d wk),
$ 1 , 100 .

Liberty (Hamrick) (1,875; $1)—
“Monika” (Indie) and “Mixed Up
Women” (Indie) (2d wk). Slim $6,-
500. Last week. $9,900.

CHICAGO

(Continued from page 8)
“Summertime” (UA) (5th wk).
Hotsy $16,000. Last week. $17,000.

Monroe (Indie) (1,000; 80-$1.25—
“Wizard of Oz” (M-G) (reissues)
(4th wk). Big $7,800. Last week,
$9,300.

McVickers (JL&S) (2,200; 65-
$1.25)— "Foxfire” (U). Lofty $29,-
000. Last week, “Love Me Or
Leave Me” (M-G) (6th wk), $18,-
500.

Oriental (Indie) (3,400; 98-$1.25)
— “How Be Popular” (20th). Swell
$28,000. Last week, “House of Bam-
boo” (20th> (2d wk). $21,000.

Palace (Eitel) (1,484; $1.25-$3.40)
^ — “Cinerama Holiday” (Indie)
(10th wk). Record $53,000. Last
week, $51,000.

Roosevelt (B&K) (1,400; 65-98)—
“Wichita” (AA) and “Sliptgun”
(AA) (2d wk). Sock $20,000. Last
week, $25,000.

State-Lake (B&K) (2,400; 65-98)
— “Mister Roberts” (WB). Smash
$55,000. Last week, “Lady and
Tramp (BV) (9th wk), $16,000.

Surf (H&E Balaban) (685; 95) —
“Great Adventure” (Indie) (3d wk).
Fine $4,200. Last week, $5,000.

Woods (Essaness) (1,206; 98-

$1.25) — "Phoenix City Story” (AA)
(5th wk).. Lusty $19,500. Last
week, $22,000.

World (Indie) (697 98)— “Wages
of Fear” (Iqdie) (7th wk). Sluggish
$2,600. Last week, $2,900.

Orpheum (Evergreen) (1,600; $1-
$1.25) — “Man From Laramie”
(Col) and “Chicago Syndicate”
(Col) (2d wk). Loud $12,000 or
near. Last week, $18, $00.

Paramount (Port-Par) (3.400; 75-
$1)— “Never Too Young” (Par) and
“Shotgun” (AA). Hot $13,000 or
close. Last week, “Kentuckian”
(UA) and “Top Of World” (UA),
$9,800.

New York Theatre

IMDIO cm SUSIC IUU— p

Rockefeller Center

“MISTER ROBERTS” |

in CinemaScepe and WameeCeloT starring

HENRY F0N0A • JAMES CAGNEY
WILLIAM POWELL • JACK LEMMON

A WARNER RROS. RICTURE

.mi sKcnuuR nut msnuiHR

Wednesday, August 24, 1953

Pfezmff,

LIFE'S

great

audience

can

SPECIAL TO PRODUCERS AND EXHIBITORS

Hera art a few example* of LIFE’S tremendous
Impact In city after city across the country!

LIFE

yeui*

Market Area

No. ef
Theaters*

Seatleg

Capacity*

LIFI

Audience f

Colorado Springs,

Colo* 7

4,736

15,190

Bangor, Me.

9,694

22,990

Cincinnati, Ohio

54,113

164,690

Eugene, Ora*

6,004

21,440

V Rockefeller Piece, New York 20, N.Y.

WEEK BY WEEK,

MORE PEOPLE READ LIFH
THAN ANY OTHER MAGAZINE

♦Source: Film Daily Year Book. fSource: A supplement to
A Study of the Accumulative Audience of LIFE (I960), by
Alfred Polits Research, Inc.

commemorate

its

GOLDEN

JUBILEE

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ANNIVERSARY

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NOW - AT

NEW YORK 31 HOLLYWOOD 28 CHICAG0 11 10ND0N

154 W. 46th St. 6311 Yucca St. 612 No. Michigan Avt. 8 St. Martin's PI.,

(Trafalgar Sa.)

Wednesday, August 24, 1955

RADIO-TELEVISION

4 -

Frigidaire, which last week switched $8,000,000 in billings from
Foote, Cone & Belding to Kudner agency, has distributed the fol-
lowing memo to its employees “in the event that W« receive any
queries oh the subject”:

'‘Our policy will be not to volunteer any information on this
subject but to answer questions if and when they are asked, as
follows:

Question: Is Frigidaire dropping Arthur Godfrey?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Both* morning and evening shows.

Answer: Yes. ’

Question: When? ■ - .

Answer: The evening show at the end of September; the morning
show in November.

Question: Were you dissatisfied with Godfrey?

Answer: No, .

Question: Why then have you switched to' new spot?

Answer: Because we wanted to get the benefit of the continuity
of- an evening television show on a weekly basis.”

[Editor’s note: Frigidaire has bought '‘Favorite Husband”. for
CBS-TV Tuesday, night 10:30 period.]

Lehman’* Mag Story Hat Long Cued Speculation
At to Real Life Character

As part of his Tuesday night tint
series next season in which he'll
mix straight dramatic vehicles and
musicals with story line, Milton
Berle is dickering for the rights to
Ernest Lehman’s story, “The Come-
dian.”

Lehman’s yarn, is owned by
George Glass, indie film producer.
Glass took the property with him
when he split with Stanley Kramer
a few years back. Story, an acid-
dipped Ring Lardner-“Champion”
type saga as, translated to the show
biz.area^ was, originally written as
a Cosmopolitan mag novelette
about six years ago.

Interesting aspect of the Berle
dicker is that the Lindy-Sardi
Broadway gossipers generally inter-
preted Berle overtones in the gen-
eral scramble at the time to guess
at the real life comedian who in-
spired Lehman’s fictional charac-
ter. Comic in the story -is a guy who
gets to the top by abusing writers,
other comics, network execs, even
members of his own family.

Jackie Gleason was once re*
ported eager to do the film version
•as his first starring Vehicle for
20th-Fox, But the studio finally
turned the story down reportedly
because of its “excessive” rough-
ness and acidity.

Lehman’s current position as one
of Hollywood’s hottest scriveners
(his screen plays on ‘‘Executive
Suite” and “Sabrina” plus his up-
coming treatments of the film ver-
sions of “The' King and I” and
•‘Someone Up There Likes Me”
have catapaulted him to a lofty
Hollywood height) has caused re-
newed interest in his slick mag
fiction of the past eight years.

Persistently, Lehman has denied
he had any one tv jester in mind
When he penned “Comedian.” How-
( Continued on page 50)

The demand of dailies around the
country for more and more tv
cop'y (a situation which has created
unprecedented space allotment to
“cover” the medium is now begin-
ning 'to catch up with the wire
services. United Press, which until
now has been, content to let tv
fall in the realm of its Broadway
colunfnist, Jack Gaver, pas assigned
a No. 2 man to video as well. He’s
Bill Ewald, who does four features
a week plus a gossip column. Un-
der. the new arrangement Ewald’s
copy services the afternoon papers
with ‘Gaver’s columning channeled
to the ayem sheets.

AP meanwhile continues to step
up its tv coverage on behalf of its
subscriber papers, with Charles
Mercer holding down the assign-
ment. INS as yet doesn’t have a
tv editor, but gives wide distribu-
tion to both Jack O’Brian. (N.Y.
Journal-American) and Janet Kern
(Chicago American) columns. ,

Hot Staff

J. Walter Thompson is the
biggest agency in the world Jn
terms bf billings.

“So how come,” was the
gripe last week of the radio-tv
dept., “we don’t even have air-
conditioning?”

Not All Vs Make
A Profit— Tieup
With a Web Helps

Washington, Aug. 23,
Many of the new VHF stations,
particularly those iiv the smaller
cities, have been finding the going
tough and some sustained contin-
uing losses in their early opera-
tion, according to a survey by the

FCC of post 7 freeze stations during
the first ten' months of 1954.

The great majority of new sta-
tions with NBC or CBS affiliations
were making money last year or
were approaching the black by Oc-
tober.' More than half of the new
V’s without such affiliations were-
taking continued losses.

The survey, based on reports
from 144 new VHF stations which
started operations in 1952 or 1953,
showed that 102 or 71% of these
outlets were making profits or ap-
proaching the black by October of
last year. The remaining 42 or
29% were incurring continuous
deficits during the 10-month peri-
od. One of them has since folded.

The experience of the new VHF
stations during 1954 indicates that
many of- those which were estab-
lished in metropolitan areas of less
than 75,000 population are being
.severely tested. Half of the new
VHF stations which were in the
red last year are located in these
areaS; seven of them have NBC or
CBS affiliations.

. Even in areas which had no VHF
service, many of the new V's were
having trouble. Of 33 stations
which started in these areas, one-
third sustained continuing loss-
continued on page 50)

‘RED SHOES/ ‘CAESAR’

AS 2-PARTERS ON TV

“Famous Film Festival/’ ABC-
TV’s Sunday night 7:30-9 feature
film showcase, a “first” in itself
by virtue of its pioneering in the
regular presentation of feature
films on a network basis, will
embark” on still another “revolu-
tionary” tack, the spreading of a
pair of the films over two weeks
each instead of cutting them down
to the 90-minute length.

Web has earmarked “The Red
Shoes” and “Caesar and Cleopatra”
for the two-week treatment.

SALES’

By GEORGE ROSEN

TV is putting some egghead in
its -spec beer next season. It’ll be
the year of the 90-mlnute. “cul-
tural giants” with the networks
convinced that they’ve got the
study-in-depth patterns that will
enable shows to literally jump out
of the restricted 21-inch screen
framework. The network say it’s
“prestige cum sales” The sales, in
most cases, have yet to be made.
But the webs apparently aren’t
losing any* sleep over it.

In support of the “introspectac-
ular”- formula /‘Omnibus,” the
Ford Foundation Radio-TV Work-
shop-incepted 90-minute Sunday
afternoon spec on CBS-TV which
is. going into its. fourth season,
will practically throw the book
at the viewer, planning virtually
a whole new programming pattern
based on the “deep Cultural value”
concept, yet designed to move the
sponsor’s goods off the shelf. Shows
will be brought in for $65,000 a
week next season; about the same
as last year’s budget. Thus far
Scott Paper Co. is in the ride (its
fourth season), plus Aluminum,
Ltd. of Canada, the latter’s second
semester.- That leaves two clients to
get off the production hook.

The upcoming series of 10 Ed
Murrow-Fred Friendly .“See . It
Now” giants (60 and 90-minute
shows); the ambitious “Project 20”
undertaking by NBC-TV finder the
Henry Salomon banner which tees
off With “Nightmare In Red” and
will encompass a Variety of 20th
Century . studies-in-depth; - the
forthcoming “Wide Wide -World”;
90-minute NBC-TV attraction — all
these, and . more, are in the '55-’56
“Introspectacular” area; represent-
ing .millions of dollars in outlay
and still on the roster of “unsold”
items, but with the webs fully
confident that culture ran be com-
mercial. _ ^ ^ * i

Bob Saudek’s “Omnibus” agenda,
if nothing else, Is orovocative. He’s
bringing Robert Coughlan in from
Life mag to do a series of shows
(possibly three or four) to explore
the whole Renaissance period. The.,
“boyhood series” inaugurated last
season will be expanded, with such
personalities as James Thurber and
Irving Berlin to come' under sur-
veillance as the CBS-TV eye ex-
plores the forces that molded the
boy. For the study of the battle of
of Gettysburg, which may encom-
pass as many a& three 90-minute
shows, Bruce Catton, author “A
Stillness At Appomatox,” is being
recruited for an in-depth, appraisal
of a battle which altered the course
Of history. The exact details of the
field will be scaled down to tv
size. Even the buttons on the uni-
forms will be exact replica?. The
“Trial of Billy Mitchell" is another
that will get penetrating ' treat-
ment. A study of Bach will probab-
ly be expanded over several weeks,
with Leonard Bernstein in charge
of the project — one which will try
to sift the forces that made' him'
tick. Another three ojg four shows
will be devoted to a “World’s Fair,
of TV” to explore the growth and
development of the medium in the
past 10 years. It’ll even feature a
“midway” to exhibit acts from all
parts of the world. (It’s recalled
that John Crosby, the New York
Herald-Tribune tv critics,, was
hired to do a onetime entry on ap-
proximately the same subject last
season; but it never got on).

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR

1705-1955

Colorful Sunday

. One * of the “rewards” re-
dounding to “Omnibus” for
sticking with CBS-TV (the ri-
’ val NBC boys almost had it
sewed up) will be the tinting
up of many of the 90-minute
Sunday* afternoon stanzas dur-
ing the course of the new sea-
son, thus giving them a full-
blown color spec status.

Show, incidentally, will re-
turn on Oct. 9 in the 5 to 6:30
p.m. slots. Scott Paper Co.
and Aluminum, Ltd. of Canada
have thus far signed for the
new semester. Robert Saudek.
director of the Ford Founda-
tion Radio-TV Workshop, will
again produce.

.. With the Maurice Evans
series in the competing NBC-
TV slots also going color, plus
NBC’s Sunday night “Color
Spread,” the rainbow Sabbath
will be in full swing.

Policy oil Control

y j

Joe Field has resigned as public
relations director of .Compton
agency following . discontinuance
.by the agency of its program pub-
licity dept. Field had been in

charge of Compton’s public rela-
tions and publicity for the past six
years.

Background of his departure, it’s
reported, was a battle between the
agency and the tv production dept,
of P&G, Compton’s biggest client,
over control of P&G’s' program
publicity activities. With Compton
the leading’ agency, for the soap
company, the same kind of battle
is predicted in other P&G agen-
cies.^

Additionally, the “war” is re-
garded in the trade as a prelude to
an increasing show of power® by
the giant soaper involving all .the
other activities of its several agen-
cies. Thus no personality sensi-
tivies are involved in Field’s de-
parture; merely one of policy.

Before joining Compton almost
a decade ago as asst, press chief,
Field was a newspaper and public
relations man.

Warnick to London To
Record Jeannie Carson
Tunes Prior to Spec

The extent to which NBC will
go to extract full maximum ex-
ploitation values from its specs,
particularly in the realm -of origi-
nal musicals, is evidenced, anew in
the RCA Victor tieup on the forth-
coming production of “Heidi,”
which Will star British actress
Jeannie Carson. It’s on the Max
Liebman production schedule and
is set for the night of Oct. 1. „

Liebman has sent Clay Warnick,
choral director of the Liebman
specs, to London to record four
songs from the show with Miss
Carson. Warnick returned last
week with the tapes and the tunes’
will be put into distribution im-
mediately and given full exploita-
tion on the NBC-TV channels to
familiarize people with the score
prior to -'the tv presentation. War-
nick adopted the score from the
music of Robert Schumann, with
Carolyn Leigh doing the lyrics. i

Similar ^stunt was done in con-
nection with last Monday’s (22)
“The King and Mrs. Candle” spec,
with Tony Martin recording the
show’s hit tune for RCA Victor
long in advance. i

In keeping with the “introspec-
tacular” tv era, CBS is shooting the
works next season on behalf of
Irving Gitlln’s Public Affairs op-
eration, with a $5,000,000 budget
earmarked (along with a person-
nel of 100) for the *55-’56 pro-
gramming agenda. Along with the
week-to-week program fare, accent
next season will be on the “giant”
60 and 90- • minute presentations.

The “git along; Gitlin” roster
shapes up thusly:

The 26-week all-film series deal-
ing with air power, from the
Wright Bros, to the satellite, is
now in the shooting process. CBS
is appraising its schedule to find
the right spot for it. Series will
have Walter Crorikite as narrator.
Footage by the million is being
gifted, and will be “integrated with
made-fortv film in exploring the
whole picture of the nation’s air de-
fense.

“Adventure” series is being com-
pletely overhauled to generate a
new excitement,/ There will be
four complete series, each extend-
ing over several weeks. One will
deal with the American west (A.
helicopter is flying over the Grand
Canyon this week for initial foot-
age); another series will be on the
Waters of the World, a combination
anthropological — adventure cycle;
a third series will be on the human
body; the fourth “Adventure”
will “adopt” . an oil well and tell
the story of the search, for oil.
Series will return for a Sunday
afternoon allotting with Robert
Northchild producing.

“Search” will be missing from
the CBS-TV rosters this season,
but Gitlin’s department is explor-
ing its return for a 26-week cycle
in '57.

Eric Sevareid’s “American
Week” is getting a complete new
format, with accent on news stor-
ies in depth, integrating both film
and live sequences, with emphasis
on live remotes. Theme: “dissect-
ing the news on the operating
table.”

“Let’s Take a Trip” is return-
ing, with new resources, with last
Sunday’s hour-long Boy Scout
Jamboree pickup from Canada as
the initial entry in its expanded
format.

As for the so-called “giants,” one
(Continued on page 48)

Danny Seymour s
Y&R-to-JWT

Danny Seymour, the former ra-
dio announcer and emcee of “We,
the People,” who rose to status of
veepee in charge of programming
and production at Young & Rubi-
cam, is resigning from the agency
effective Oct. 1. He was a key aide
to Nat Wolff, Y & R’s radio-tv di-
rector.

Seymour moves into J. Walter
Thompson as a veepee. He takes
over the tv accounts handled by
Richard deRochemont, who re-
signed about a week ago. Director
of ^TWT radio-tv, John Reber, died
a few weeks ago.

Successor to Seymour at Y & R.
has not yet been named.

Motorola First Client
For NBC-TV ‘Matinee’

Chicago, Aug. 23.

Motorola becomes one of the
charter clients of NBCtTV's after-
noon “Matinee” tinters, via a pur-
chase of 13 participations in the
dramatic showcasers starting with
the premiere date, Oct. 31, and
running through the Christmas sea-
son. Motorola’s order will come to
about $110,000 gross. Incidentally,
the network has changed the name
of the show to “NBC Matinee The-
atre.” •

Leo Burnett agency set the deal*

IIABIO-TBlLE VISION

timm

Wednesday, August '24, ■ 1955

Virtually every radio and tv sta-
tion In Pennsylvania, Massachu-
setts, Connecticut, Rhode Island
and upstate New York felt the
force of the flash floods that claim-
ed upwards Of 2100 lives over, the
weekend. In many cases, radio sta-
tions were temporarily washed out
—one was knocked out completely
In Waterbury, Conn. Radio and tv
stations were hit by power failures
and one tv station deliberately
went off the air to turn its person?
riel over to its sister radio outlet.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars
wete lost in commercial preemp-
tions as stations went on 48-hour
disaster news schedules, and thous-
ands more werei lost in equipment
damage and loss.

But despite its scars, radio came
through as the hero of the floods,
doing a first-rate public service job
In informing anxious relatives, in
relaying vital health, -safety ‘and.
civil defense messages, in provid-
ing all-over coverage. Ham opera-
tors in many areas served as vital
communications links with com-
mercial outlets as -well, as V^ith dis-
aster officials, while the stations
themselves sent Out newsmen by
the score for on-the-Spot. reports
and filmed coverage.

iri New York City, the floods
were only a .news story, albeit an
important and dramatic one, and
it was covered as such. But in out-
lying’ districts of Connecticut,
Pennsylvania and .Massachusetts,
the floods were a matter of life
and death, and radio did a. bang-
up job.

Connecticut Hit Hard

In Connecticut, at least one sta-
tion, WCC of Waterbury, with
transmitter and studios located at
river.’s edge, was swept away. Two
other stations, WATR and WBRY,
were off-the-air and on again, with
WBRY off from Thursday midnight
to Saturday noon because of* power
failure. WATR-TV was blacked out
Friday in a decision to turn over
all the outlet's manpower to
WATR-AM, particularly since no
sets in the area were in operation.
In nearby Torrington, one of the
hard-hit areas, WCLR’s fate was
completely in doubt, but WTQR
succeeded in getting back on the
air- . Saturday.

The Hartford situation was not
too bad, with WTIC iosing power
only for a brief period Friday
morning but scrapping its complete
program schedule to handle hurri-
cane coverage all day Friday and
Saturday, including feeds to “Mon-
(Continiied on page 48} .

General Foods, which last year
bankrolled Ringling Bros.-Bamum
& Bailey Circus one-hour telepre-
view via NBC-TV, is planning two
circus one-shots this year. GF is
planning a Christmas party telecast
out of the circus’ Sarasota winter
headquarters, plus a repeat of the
pre-Madison Sq. Garden opening
in New York.

Cost of the two specials in terms
.of payment to. the circus alone,
above and beyond production costs
and time charges, is estimated at
$250,000. Last season’s 1 one-shot
involved a $100,000 payment for
rights. NBC-TV may tint up the
second show out , of the Garden.
Benton & Bowles would rep GF
on the deal.

HARRISON & GOULD
GET JUDY TV NOD

Team of Paul Harrison and Bern!
Gould has been set to produce the
Judy Garland spectacular for Ford
on GBS-TV. Also set for the show
is David Wayne, who’ll host and
participate in the variety elements.

Harrison & Gould were set by
Charles Wick, their personal man-
ager, who planed to the Coast yes-
terday (Tues.) to discuss their par-
ticipation with Miss Garland and
her- husband, Sid Luft, who’s exec
producer on the show. While on
the .Coast, Wick will also meet with
“NBC Matinee Theatre” exec pro-
ducer . Charles McCleery about
Sarah Churchill's' appearances in
the NBC daytimer.

The Lion Roar*

Metro has finally finalized
the format for its “MGM .Pa-
rade” entry on ABC-TV ” this
fall, and from the looks of it,
the show will be virtually a
half-hour plug for the studio,
Its stars and its pictures. ABC
description of the format lists
host George Murphy as show-
ing- trailers for' upcoming
product, interviewing . Metro
stars on the ; lot, showing the
audience awards and citations
~won by Metro in the “MGM
trophy room,” interviewing
“interesting persons of the
past,” and showing short sub-
jects.

But ABC-TV seems sanguine
in spite of it all. The network’s
Coast pressagents describe the
trailer segment of the show as
follows: “Murphy will let his
guests in on preview scenes of
pictures to come.”

' ABC-TV’s weekend . 'prospects
for the fall are picking up. Dodge
i Division of Chrysler, which had
bought the Lawrence Welk show
for a summer run on the network
on air experimental basis, is satis-
fied enough jvith the show to have'
signed it on for an additional 13
weeks. Neyr cycle of 13 Saturday
nighters' starts Oct. 1, bringing it
well into the winter season.

Program, which originates from
the Coast, continues in the Satur-
day 9-10 spot. With Ralston-Purina
sponsoring . “Grand Qle Opry”
every fourth -week in the 8-9
period, the web’s Saturday night
picture is brighter than it's ever
been. Welk renewal was set via
Grant Advertising.

Mutual has sighed Don Ameehe
to headline a series of* hourlong
radio adaptations of top Broadway
musicals which it’s pitching for
the Christmas trade. Series is plan-
ned for Sundays— time slot not yet
set — for the pre-Christmas period
from Sept. 25 through Dec. 18.

Already set for the series are
such properties as “Pal Joey,”
“Wizard of Oz,” One Touch oi
Venus,” “Girl Grazy,” “On the
Town” and “Brigadoon.” Ameehe
would host and star in some of
the vehicles. Shows would get the
full treatment, complete with big
orch and name stars in key roles.

Indicative of the way the net-
work is planning the series of 13
musicomedies is the fact that the
web has taken out a display at the
current jewelers convention at the
Waldorf-Astoria, N. Y., and is pitch?
ing the show there as a seasonal
special.

NBC PACTS ARMOUR
FOR PERRY COMO TV’ER

Chicago, Aug. 23.
NBC-TV has partially plugged
the last gap in f orthcoming^ Perry
Como Saturday Night hour, inking
Armour for alternate identity on
open 20-minute slice over the 52-
week span. Latest purchase means
that all but half Of one-third qf
singer’s new display is racked up
with Kleenex, Dprmeyer, Gold Seal
and Noxzema signed on earlier.

Armour’s $1,500,000 stakeout on
Como show, through Tatham-Laird,
makes meat packer one of NBC-
TV’ s s prime Saturday night clients.
Its llial Soap division is spending
a like amount, via Foote, Cone &
Belding, for its year-around shared
ride on George Gobel half-hour.

Lawrence Welk Makes

ABC-TV’s news and public af-
fairs department, virtually inactive
last season insofar as pubservice
broadcasting wept, is off to a fresh
start this fall, with its major proj-
ect centering on “Outside U. S. A.,”
a live-and-film “news in depth”
study of world affairs helmed by
Quincy Howe. Show has been al-
located the Thursday 10 p.m. spot
on the network and .will utilize
regular arid special film from
News-of-the-Day-Telenews service
as the pictorial side of Howe’s
analysis of top international news
breaks.

With the Howe stanza in the
“definite” category, the John Daly-
helmed operation is wrapping up
details on other public affairs en-
tries, among them a remote stanza
from Dean James Pike's study at
the Cathedral of St. John the Di-
vine in N. Y., of which Dean Pike
is minister. This would be a Sun-
day afternoon pairing with “Col-
lege Press Conference,” which will
henceforth originate in Washing-
ton, “College Press” and Dean
Pike would occupy the Sunday 1-2
block until Dec. 18, when after the
pro football season, is concluded,
they would move to 4-5 pirn. Also
in the wrapup stage is a plan for
“Tomorrow,” the Johns Hopkins
U. science series, to move into the
Monday-at-9 opening on the net-
work.

‘Entertainment’ To

Get Network Tryout

“Entertainment,” the 150-minute
cross-the-board live variety day-
timer on W ABC-TV, the ABC-TV
flagship in New York, gets a three-
week network, tryout in half-hour
form next month. Segment will b§
aired Sept. 15, 22 and 29 in the
Thursday-at-8 slot' on ABC-TV,
prior to the premiere of Bishop
Fulton J. Sheen In the time period.

Program Is now airing in a half-
hour version on WABC-TV for the
jqjnmer, but returns in its full
150-minute length on Labor’ Day.
Cast includes comic Tom Poston,
singer Marion Colby and band-
leader Ray McKinley.

Holly wood,. Aug. 23.

Darryl F. Zanuck has personally
moved in to review 20th-Fox’s tel-
evision! operation and as a result

several changes in the setup of
TCF Productions, the. studio’s tv
subsid, have been made. The 20th
production chief said that General
Electric, which, is sponsoring the
studio’s hourlong telefilm series,
and its agency, Young & Rubicam,
had asked him to review the situa-
tion at. TCF.

As a result of his review, Zanuck.
brought Otto Lang into TCF to
function as exec' creative coordina-
tor, and 20th ^story editor David
Brown and Julian Johnson, former
story ed and now in semiretire-
ment, to lend editorial guidance
to vidpix production. Mel Din-
•nelli and Alistair Cooke have been
hired as writers pf the GE. vidpix,,
with Carroll CaiTbir As trip ‘waiter

Flood coverage set up by WINS, the N.; Y. indie; last weekend

• should -set a model .pattern not only for radio disaster coverage
for the' future but as a disaster-type communications setup for Red
Cross, Civil Defense and State Police operations. The stations' 12-
station “Hurricane Network” at one point was the only means of
Infromation on disaster areas for all official agencies in N, Y.

• Friday ,(19) afternoon.

WINS g.m. Bob Leder early Friday morning started calling stations
to make arrangements for them to call in news over beep phone.
By noontime, all incoming telephone communication to stricken
areas was cut off, but the area stations, which could make outgoing
reports, kept calling in to the private number given them in WINS’
studios. . Red Cross and other groups had to keep referring . to
WINS for the latest info. Stations in the “network,” all 'of which
did a bang-up job according to Leder, were WBZ, Boston; WALL,
Middletown, N. Y.; 'WGTH, Hartford; WGNY, Newburgh, N, Y.;
WVOS, Liberty, N. Y.; WTNJ, Trenton; WBUX, Doylestown, Pa.;
WLAD, Danbury; WNNJ, Newton, N. J.; WLNA, Ppekskill, N. Y.;
WVPO, Stroudsburg; a'ndVWATR, Waterbury, Conn. Several were
right in the middle pf the hardest-hit areas. The Stroudsburg
Daily Record also provided on-the-spot phone reports.

Station kept airing the recorded phone conversation all through
Friday day and night and over the weekend, with newspapers and
wire services calling the outlet for Information. (Leder, inciden-
tally, is doing a burn about the dailies' omission of any reference
to the topflight job done by radio in the floods.) Meanwhile, its
“flying studio,” piloted-announqed by .Bob Garrity, had been aloft
for two, days, airing reports from the Winsted-Tprrington areas
and from Port Jervis. Station during Friday and early Saturday
answered approximately 5,0Q0 phone calls requesting information
on children at camps. Station also aired An exclusive interview
with Mrs. Irene Weber, the heroic mother who lost two children
at Camp Davis in Stroudsburg.

As an aftermath of its coverage, the station received 3,000 un-
solicited. letters of thanks from anxious parents -who 'had- been
given information by the station’s broadcasts and switchboards.
That *was Monday (22) and yesterday’s (Tues.) mail amounted to
nearly that figure, Leder stated. WINS, in collaboration with
WVPO and WGTH, is setting up a Flood Fund in Which all three
stations are making one-the-air solicitations and Which WVPO and
WGTH will disburse in their own areas to the most-rieedy rehabili-
tation projects there.

20 % of Richards’

Reque-ochet Romance

Washington, Aug. 23,
Larry Laurent is the tv. col-
umnist-critic for the Washing-
ton Post-Times Herald. His ri-
val on the Washington News is
Dave Reque: .

Reque’s wife writes the pro-
motion copy for the Post-
Times Herald, including plug
copy for Laurent.

for the behindj-the-sceries segments
of the series. Sid Rogell, 20th
studio production manager, .' re-
mains as head of TCF, Zanuck
Stated.

Zanuck said TCF has finished
“The Ojcbow Incident” for the
series and described it as “a very
fine film,” but stated he is not en-
tirely happy with parts of it, which
will be reshot. Series, he said, will
be launched with “Cavalcade,”
which is being written by Cooke,
and added that Noel Coward lias
agreed to write the bridging narra-
tion for the adaptation of his play.
“Oxbow” will be the second in the
CBS-TV series, while the third will
be an original and the fourth an
adaptation of “Laura,” based on
20th ’s film of several years ago.

TCF is also producing “My
Friend Flicka” for CBS-TV and a
dramatic anthology series which is
d‘s‘yet' unsold.* ’ ^ ' 1 ‘ v

Ralston-'Phrina Co., in an ex-
pansive television mood, has bought
its third network exposure, latch-
ing onto the NBC-TV Wednesday-
at 10:30 time period following “This
Is Your Life.” Ralston hasn't de-
cided on a show, for the spot yet,
but is pencilled in for an Oct. 12
start., Understood one of the prop-
erties being o.o.’ed is “The Dun-
ninger Show,” ■ currently doing
summer service for Hazel Bishop
on Saturday nights on NBC.

St. Louis-headquartered cereal
firm is iri a buying frame of mind
this year.. After going with
“Name's the Same” for a couple of
seasons, Ralston made its first
move toward expansion a feW
weeks back when it bought “Grand
Ole Opry” for a one-week-out-of
four hourlong Saturday night ex-
posure on ABC. NBC-TV buy
brings it into the bigtime with a
three-show, two-network spread.

Fund for Republic Sets
Sept. 15 ‘Screening’ For
Tony Miner’s ‘Challenge’

- Hollywood, Aug. -23.

Two pilots of a new series pro-
duced by Worthington Miner will
be screened by directorate of Fund
for the Republic, an indie org en-
dowed by the Ford Foundation, in
N. Y. on Sept. 15 as a possible
NBC-TV series. Half-hour series,
formerly tagged “Challenge,”
covers questions,, of civil liberties
and racial and religious discrimina-
tion in a dramatic-documentary for-
mat.

Should the Fund* and NBC be in
agreement after pilot viewing, net
will seek a sponsor. If none can be
found, Fund then will underwrite
teleshowings.

■ Pattern evolved between London
Films and NBC for profit-sharing
arrangement in the theatrical re-
lease .of Laurence Olivier’s “King
Richard III” which will have its
preem as a three-hour tv spec this
fall, is unique in pix-video rela-
tions and may possibly set a for-
mula for future, tv “world preems.’’
And the pattern, to be used for
“Richard” Will also apply to the
Rex -Harrison “Constant Husband,”
the other Alexander Korda film
acquired by the network for show-
casing this falL 7

NBC, it’s reliably reported, paid
“in .the area of $350,000” for the
coast-to-coast ^Richard” tv ex-
posure ($500,000 was the price
asked in the original dickers). In
return, NBC gets the first $100,000
of the pic's theatrical coin plus
20% of the profits.

As . for “Husband” NBC paid
$250,000; gets the initial $75,000
theatrical money and 20% of the
profits.

NBC-TV has scored another
triple play of sizeable proportions
on its “Today”-“Home”-“Tonight”
threesome with two hefty chunks-
of sponsorship coin.

Libby Owens Ford is coming in
with a major splash to the tune
of $300,000 for 24 participations
each in both “Today” and ‘’Home.”'
Another $92,000 will come from
the Lemon Products Advisory
Board, a California citrus outfit.
Which is going Into all three shows.

Other NBC-TV daytimeo biz:
Manhattan Soap’s renewal of
“Ding Dong School” for another
cycle; Miles. Labs' 52-week renewal
of “Mr. Sweeney” and Tennessee
Ernie show.

DUNNING QUITS BBD&O.
FOR CBS RADIO SLOT

Harlan J. Dunning has left
BBD&O to become supervisor of
network programs at CBS Radio,
where he’ll replace Norman
Frank, who left several weeks ago
to join NBC-TV as a producer,
Dunning has been with BBD&O
for the past six years, first as pro-
ducer of the “Hit Parade” on radial
for four years and latterly
handling Lucky Strike advertising
operations. Before his agency
stint, he was with NBC in Holly-
wood J f6r foUf' years.

Werijttfldtyr Augutt 24, 1955

R ADIO -TELE VISIOX 27

n. * ' ■ r - 1 " " ' • J|

Those tv junkets (which now seem to be as plentiful and far-flung
as those tossed by the film industry) are meeting with some un-
uisual reaction around the country. About half-a-dozen major
dailies have already turned down their tv editors’ participation in
the Young & Rubicam-BBD&O-sponsored (on behalf of their John-
son & Johnson and Wildroot clients) junket to England later this
month in connection with the forthcoming “Robin Hood” vidpix
series being filmed in Sherwood Forest and which bows on CBS-
TV.

Plane facilities are being provided for 66 junketeers with over-
all cost (even though airtrip is being cuffoed with a plug tie-in on
the film sefies) somewhere in the neighborhood of $66,000, or
$1,000 per head. Attitude of some of the dailies is: “How can
we expect our tv ed to rap the show when that kind of freeloading
is involved?”

Too, the recent “Disneyland” junket to the Coast, which was
rapped in many 'quarters for lack -of proper accommodations and
sundry inconvienences far removed from the customary VIP treat-
ment, is reported to have soured many of the newspaper fraternity.

CBS-TV, it’s understood, was reported mullinig a Jamaica junket
, in connection with tjie upcoming Noel Coward-Mary Martin spec
(they’ll be rehearsing on the island) but most recent word is that
the idea has been abandoned.

NBCs Ziegfeld Theatre Takeover

Seven-Year Lease Negotiated in Expansion of Web’s

Tint Studios

The Ziegfeld Theatre in N. Y.
is the latest in the parade of legit
houses to be converted into tele-
vision studios. Ziegfeld owner
Billy Rose and NBC completed
negotiations Tuesday (22), on a deal
to convert the big musical house
into a color studio under a seven-
year lease with a five-year renewal
cl&use*

NBC will move into the theatre
in late October with its engineers
and did a major renovation job on
the 1,528-seater. House would be
equipped for both color and black-
and-white originations, with the
emphasis on tint, of course. Web’s
engineers expect to have it fully
converted in time for the fall of
1956.

Ziegfeld, built in 1927 by the late
Florenz Ziegfeld, has been dark
since this past „April, when its
latest occupant, '‘Kismet, ” went on
tour, and with no new occupants in
sight, it’s assumed that Rose felt
the NBC deal was mandatory to
keep it in' operation. Though the
television networks have taken
over a score of legit and many mo-
tion picture studios over the years,
the Ziegfeld lease is the first such
deal involving a legit house in
more than two years.. Theatre,
which, housed many of the top mu-
sicals of the ’30’s and ’40’s, opened
on Washington’s Birthday in 1927
with “Rio Rita,” with “Kismet” as
Its last presentation.

Kellogg Bows Out
Of 'Super Circus

Chicago, Aug. 23. c

Kellogg -cereal 9 firm, has decided
against renewing its longtime as-
sociation with ABC-TV’s Sabbath
“Super Circus.” Web had hoped
to lure Kellogg back after the --cur*
rent hiatus as the first half-hour
sponsor wjth Chunky Chocolates
and Dixie Cup sharing the final
half, but the bankroller is under-
stood to have ambitions elsewhere.

There is a possibility Kellogg
may pop up alongside Campbell
Soups as a ride-sharer on CBS-
TV’s “Lassie” telep.ix Sunday
nights. Kellogg is repped by Leo
Burnett which also has a piece of
the soup biz, although BBD&Q
handles the “Lassie” billings.

More ‘Mickey Mouse’ Biz

Chicago, Aug. 23.

ABC-TV jogged a couple of
notches closer to a sellout on the
upcoming “Mickey Mouse Club’*’ as
the Chi sales office unloaded two
more quarter-hours last week.
Johnson Wax, through Needham,
Louis & Brorby, and Miles Labs,
through Geoffrey Wade, will split a
year’s run on the Thursday kickoff
quarter-hour.

TV Time Popcorn, through Ruth-
rauff & Ryan, likewise has staked
out a claim foij a ( 5 t<j p:15 segment

BBC’s Flying Studio

London, Aug. 23.

A Royal Air Force plane is
to be used as a flying studio
and transmitter for a series of
BBC-TV programs at the end
of this month. They will be
telecast under the general
title of “Television Goes Fly-
ing.”

The programs mark the cul-
mination of experiments in air-
to-ground tv by a group of
BBC engineers. The initial
program will be aired next
Sat. (27) and two other fea-
tures are planned within a
week.

NBC-TVs ‘Gotta

NBC-TV is giving serious con-
sideration to a plan designed to
woo department stores into the
medium. Thus far tv has made lit-
tle or no penetration in attracting
that type of biz, either on a net-
work or a local level, and the web
feels it’s time something was done
about it.

Plans entail utilizing all avail-
able “station time” segments, both
daytime and in the 6 to 7 p.m.
area, for co-op programming aimed
at department store shopper ap-
peal. NBC would program the
shows; the affiliate would negoti-
ate sponsorship for local cut-ins.
Both the network and the station
would share in the revenues. .

NBC thinks the time is ripe to
establish the formula for depart-
ment store advertising in view of
the from-here-on-in increased at-
tention being focussed oil color tv.
Once tint programming gets into
full swing, it’s .generally conceded
that tv revenues from ■ department
stores can only go one way— up. .

BOB & BAY SIGNED
FOR MUTUAL SERIES

Mutual has signed Bob (Elliott)
& Ray (Goulding) to do an hour
show cross-the-board on . the full
network starting in September.
Pact stems from a trial run of the
deejay*-comics (via their tape set-
up) on General Teleradio’s WGTH,
Hartford, where their stanza was
such a click that GT-Mutual prexy
Tom O'Neil signed the pair to a
full-network pact. Time slot hasn't
been set.

Deal with Mutual won’t affect
Bob & Ray's three-and-a-half-hour
ihprning cross-border on WINS,

N. Y*. t ,

.. i r i / ) I * I > r

The NBC vs CBS battle _for su-
premacy, financial and otherwise,
continues apace. In the wake of
the sixmonth consolidated state-
ment by CBS, Inc., translating it-
self into a geewhiz picture of un-
precedented television, billings,
NBC came forth last week with
some revealing figures of its own
to suggest that “we never had it
so good.” Even in the face of an
anticipated $2,000,000 loss in its
network radio operation for ’55,
the network prides itself in the
fact that the NBC statement for
the first six months shows a greater
profit than the whole consolidated
CBS Inc. picture.

These are hidden figures, seldom
if ever broken down for public
revelation and shrouded in anony-
mity under the overall umbrella
of RCA’s consolidated statement—
as in the case of CBS Inc. But
in one of the few cases on record,
the NBC high command has re-
vealed that:

. Pre-tax profits for the network
Jan. -thru- June totalled up “in ex-
cess of $14,300,000.” This slightly
edges out CBS’ consolidated pre-
tax Profits of $14,248,000.

The after-tax ' net for NBC was
“in excess of $6,400,000,” slightly
higher than the • $6,328,000 an-
nounced for. the overall Columbia
operation, which includes radio,
tv, Columbia records and the set
and tube manufacturing companies.

CBS is still keeping its tv-only
earnings a de8p secret. (Radio; says
prexy Frank Stanton, is still mak-
ing some money for the company.)
NBC makes no bones over the fact
that in tv alone, CBS enjoys a
commanding ■ lead on billings,
which becomes understandable in
view of the vast amounts Colum-
bia has been pouring from its tv
profits into its trouble areas— set
and tube manufacturing.

Perhaps even transcending the
two-network rivalry is the phe-
nomenal growth of « the television
medium itself and its almost fan-
tastic status as a maker-of-
fertunes. It was only two years ago
that NBC and CBS, each billing
in the neighborhood of $98,000,000,
just about managed to hit a break-
even point for the year. And that
was before talent and production
costs had reached sdeh. runaway 1
figures. CBS managed to forge
ahead because it found the right
SRO formula for daytime.

But NBC during the past year
came up with some razzle-dazzle
sales techniques of its own. Tdke,
for example, the Sunday night
“Color Spread” series, which, with
its multiple sponsorship formula,
brings in $432,000 per 90-minute
show (six participations at $72,000
each). Thus far 68 participations
have been sold for this was one
series, pouriflg a. barrel of profits
into the NBC coffei’s.

Too, says NBC, it is 300% ahead
of last year in daytime sales, which
are now finally getting off the
ground.

Campbell’s ‘Star Stage’
Showcase for Soupery’s
New Deep-Freeze Items

Campbell Soups, which recently
acquired Swanson’s Frozen Foods,
will use its new NBC-TV Friday-
at-9:30 dramatic anthology series
as its first television effort on the
deep-freeze items, New show (re-
placing. “Dear Proebe”) has finally
been titled; it’s to be called “Star
Stage,” and bows Sept. 9 under
Campbell and Pond’s alternating
sponsorship.

Series, which is being packaged
by MCA for BBD&O, will follow
the same liverfilm pattern as
MCA-packaged ^General Electric
Theatre” on CBS-TV. Mort Abra-
hams will double as exec producer
on both shows, with Charles Russell
as producer of the Campbell show.
Alan Miller will be in charge of
Coast film production, which will
be handled by Revue Productions,
the MCA vidftlm subsid. Plan is
to do 26 live shows ap4,jl3, film,

Benny’s 21 & Skidoo

Hollywood, Aug. 23,
Jack Benny will devote his
air time strictly to tv next sea-
son, bowing off radio after 21
years on the ether. Comedian
is skeddad for two or three
color specials in addition to al-
ternating weekly with Ann
Sothern’s “Private Secretary”
for American Tobacco over
CBS-TV.

His radio slot Sunday nights
will be occupied by Edgar
Bergen, returning to CBS with
a 55-minute show.

t> London, Aug. 23.

Charles Russell and Lance Ham-
ilton sailed for New York last
Thurs. (18) to prepare and stage a
trio of CBS color spectaculars, star-
ring Noel Coward. They will stay
in the United States until Febru-
ary but will return- next spring to
complete the third program.

The first of the specs, which will
star Coward and' Mary Martin in a
singing program, will go out on the
CBS-TV web on Oct. 18. The for-
mat of that show will follow the
pattern of the Coward-Martin pro-
gram at a Cafe de Paris charity
gala for the Actors Orphanage, a
few years back.

Second program, which may be
telecast from Hollywood, wall star
Coward in his own play. ‘‘Blithe
Spirit.” T.his will be staged next
January. The final .production is
slated for May 5 and will be a tele-
version of another Coward opus,
“Peace In Our Time.”

After the second production,
Russell and Hamilton will return
for a quickie to London to set up
the organization for “Night of a
Hundred Stars/’ the annual locaj
effort on behalf of the Actors Or-
phanage, of which Coward is prez.
This will be at the Palladium on
June 29.

♦ ; With the CBS-TV “$64,000
Question” a national sensation.
NBC-TV has lost no time in com-
ing up with a major quiz entry
of its own, “The Big Surprise,”
whieh will be launched in the
Saturday-at-7:30 spot in the fall
with Speidel and Purex as the
bankrollers and with a $100,000
prize-tag. But the “big surprise”
about “The ’Big Snrpv>e” is its
internetwork ramifications, since
it’s a package out of the Louis
G. Cowan 7 office, which produces
“$64,000 Question” and whose jbead,
Cowan himself, is now under per-
sonal contract to CBS-TV as a
creative producer.

While it would thus appear a
case of Cowan-vs.-Cowan, actually
Cowan himself stayed away from
the development of “Surprise,”
which went into the works before,
his CBS pact, and the show is
being handled exclusively by part-
ner-producer Steve Carlin. Only
link is that the show is being,
produced by the “Lou Cowan of-
fice,” with Cowan personally out
of the picture.

Nonetheless, “Surprise,” with
prizes up to $100,000, stacks up as
NBC’s answer to CBS’ “Question.”
A complicated format embraced
human interest; studio quiz,, auto-
mation and the telephone^. quiz de-
vice. It works this way:

The surprise is the human inter-
est device. “Talent scouts” or “con-
fidential agents” throughout the
country (anvbody can be one) will
supply to the program a person
who is about to receive a surprise
that’s the gratification of some
longstanding ambition. It might be
a promotion, a choice role in the
case of an actor, a reunion with
a friend or relative — at any rate
it’s a surprise, and the surprise
will be staged on the show itself.

As his reward for bringing up
the “surprisee,” the “agent” gets
a crack at a riddle, correct answer
to which will bring prizes ranging
from $25,000 to $100,000. If the
“agent” fails to get the correct
answer, he dan furnish the descrip- '
. (Continued on page 50)

NBC-TV Signs Perkins
Ta a Longterm Pact;
‘Zoo Parade’ to Travel

NBC-TV has terminated its con-
tract with Chicago’s Lincoln Park
Zoo after six years and will tour
its “Zoo Parade” from a score of
cities next season. At the same
time, the network signed Marlin
Perkins, diost^of the show, to a
new longterm pact. Perkins is cur-
rently in Africa collecting animals
and shooting wildlife footage, and
returns Oct. 16, when the first
show in the Series originates from
the Los Angeles Airport. Web is
currently showing kinnies.o ..

Cities included in the program’s
tour include New Orleans, Phila-
delphia, Buffalo, Detroit, Milwau-
kee;* Pittsburgh, Washington, Se-
attle, San Francisco, Toledo, Co-
lumbus, Cincinnati, Dallas and
San Antonio. Others will be set
later on, with the program to orig-
inate in the zoo in each city. Per-
kins will tour alone, sharing the
screen with curators and zoo of-
ficials in each town.

Miles From Bob to Bob

Chicago, Aug. 23.

Miles Laboratories is checking
off CBS-TV’s “Robert Q, Lewis
Show” to join same web’s “Bob
Crosby Show.” Miles hops on the
Tuesday 2:45 to 3 (CDT) spot of
the Crosby daytimer Sept. 27.

Account is handled by Geoffrey
Wyide Ad^ertisijtijj,

Ferrer s ‘Cyrano’

NBC has concluded a deal with
Jose Ferrer for the latter to star
id a 90-minute presentation of
“Cyrano de Bergerac.” It will be on
“Producers Showcase” Oct. 17 as
! the second in the new season’s
series. (“Our Town” tees off the
season Sept. 19). Ferrer will also
stage. Overall production, it’s re-
ported, Is costing about $200,000
W;ith Ferrer getting in neighbor-
hood of $40,000.

It will not be an adaptation of
the Ferrer pic but his original
stage production. Supporting cast
has not yet been chosen. It will
probably originate out of New
York and, like the other “Produc-
ers Showcase” entries, will be done
in color.

t, .

j{ i

i I

‘Hank’ Booraem Upped
By McCann-Erickson

Hendrik Booraem Jr., veepee of
McCann-Erickson, has been ap-
pointed director of television and
radio planning. He will be respon-
sible for television and radio rec-
ommendations and presentations.
Booraem was previously in charge
oof new program development ac-
tivities.

Frank Gilday has been appoint-
ed manager of the New York Tele-
vision-rRadio Department of the
agency, responsible for the admin-
istration of the department. Gilday
has been business manager of the
department since Nov., 1954.

Both Booraem and Gilday will
report to Terry Clyne, agency gen-
eral executive and management su-
pervisor of television-radio depart-

ment.

. i >■ j

i i

I1M*

Wednesday, August 24, 1955

XV aging and ranting won't do it.
More and more motorists stay ahead of the game by keeping
their tempers cool — and their radios tuned to monitor.

1 f * • f

An Advertest survey* proves monitor's impact on the
car-riding segment of its huge out-of-home bonus audience,
The survey shows monitor with • • •

• a greater share of the automobile audience than all the other
networks combined!

• more than double the audience-in-cars of the second net-
work — ABC!

• more than four times that of the third network— CBS !

• twice as much sponsor-identification among monitor-
listeners as among listeners to all other networks combined !

• 50% more sponsor-identification among MONiTOR-listeners
than among listeners to local independent stations!

To monitor's impact on the huge car-riding radio audi-
ence, add the 3,670,000 different homes** reached by only
15 monitor participations spaced over a single week-end.
What's the answer? To get ahead on week-ends, the power-
vehicle for advertisers is * * ♦

MONITOR

RADIO NETWORK

♦New Jersey end Pennsylvania Turnpikes, July 80-31.
••Nielsen Special Report, covering 2 weeks ending June 2S.

30 TELEVISION REVIEWS . • Wednesday, August 24, 1955

KING and MRS, CANDLE
With Cyril Ritchard, loan Green-
wood, Richard Haydn, Irene
Manning:, Theodore Blfcel, Don-
ald Marye, Raymond Brajuley,
Helen Raymond* RhilHppa Bev-
ans, Lulu Belle Clarke, Martha
Greenhouse, Arnes Doyle* others
Producer: Fred Coe
Director: Arthur Penn ■ ...

Music and Lyrics: Moose Chatlap,
Chuck Sweeney

Musical Director: Harry Sosntk •
Choreography: Tony Charmoli
Sets: Paul Barnes
Costumes: Guy Kent
90 Mins.* Mon. (22)* 8 p.m.
ECA-FORD ■ v .

NBC-TV, from New York (color)

(Kenyon & Eckhardt)

“Producers Showcase' 1 - presenta-
tion of “The King and Mrs. Can-
dle” on Monday (22) marked an-
other attempt- to fit an Original
musical comedy into the tv spfec
pattern. , This one* by Sumner
Locke Elliott, was * in reality an
adaptation of an Elliott . play unit-
ten for “Philco TV Playhouse”
back in April, ’54.

British actress Joan Greenwood,
Cyril Ritchard and Irene Man-
ning, all of Whom appeared on- the
philco straight comedy,, again
showed up, along with Richard
Haydn, on this lavish mtisicai ver-
sion, presented in. compatible
. black-and-white and tinted hues.
For, what it was, the Philco show
Was a pleasant romp. As a musical
comedy, “King and Mrs. Candle”
was something less satisfying.

In terms, of sumjnertime pro-
gramming, NBC-TV gave this the
top-budget treatment. Producer
Fred Coe trotted out productional
accoutrements off the top spec
shelf— costuming, scenery, techni-
cal fillips were the best that RCA-
Ford sponsorship coin could buy.
It boasted an original score by
Moose Charlap (who had also writ-
ten most pf the music for “Peter
Pan”), and Chuck Sweeney, with
the show's top tunes getting plenty
of advance bally via Tony Martin's
RCA Victor recording of “Young
Ideas” ballad backed by “What Is
the Secret of Your Success?”, and-
Gordon Jenkins’ label X recording
of “Ideas.” It was, too, a hand-
picked cast.

Yet this musicalized “King” left
much to be desired. As a romantic
comedy in which Ritchard portrays
an exiled king who flees to Amer-
ica and winds up as a pic house
barker, a Good Humor man and
finally as a dance instructor, it
made the mistake of playing
around with satire that was neither
glib nor clever, and pointing too
obviously at its own exaggerations.

. It started out on a satiric base
Which became so broad" that it held
the story up to ridicule without
much pretense at subtlety. It
wasn't until the third act that it
captured some of the proper mood
and spirit, as in the exchange be-
tween King Rupert and his tradi-
tional enemy, Zurkin the Fierce,
or again in the comicalities of
Brandovia’s Grand ‘Waltz. In be-
tween there were dull and ordinary
stretches of an unbelievable love
■•-story taken too . seriously for its
own good, in which Ritchard’s fine
talent were wasted.

That Ritchard is a excellent per-
former was all too evident in his
portrayal of Captain Hook in
fi Peter Pan.” He has an expressive
face and and an unusual touch for
controlled buffoonery, as, for ex-
ample, in his dance capers with his
matronly patrons. His voice, how-
ever, is hardly the best for singing
of love ballads.

Miss Greenwood has a distinc-
tive style all her own, a sophisti-
cated zaniness with a strange and
. pleasing speaking voice, yet a
completely undistinguished singing,
style. She, too, suffered in this
musical version. Haydn’s unique
talents were neither helped nor
hindered. Miss Manning did a
servicable job as the “Mrs, Can-
dle” love interest, but hardly the
best salesman for the Charlap-
Sweeney tunes, which are far
above the ordinary. ' It’s perhaps
fortunate for the songwriter team
that they weren’t solely dependent
on this “King” production to pro-'
pel them into a hit status. Strictly
on the asset side was Harry Sos-
nik’s full-bodied musical back-
grounding.

It was an expensive show and
this was all too evident throughout
in the costuming, the sets and the
dance routines, which for the most
part were imaginative. (The light-
ing department was delinquent on
one or two occasions.)

“King,” if anything, pointed up
anew that if tv insists on original
musical comedies, it’s best to start
from scratch with a consistent ap-
proach in tone and style and by
all means with a siiriple*
able” fable. Rose.

THE WORLD AT HOME
with Arlene Francis, Hugh Downs,

' guests , •

Exec Producer: Dick Linkrouyn
Producer-director: Norman Frank
Writers: Harold Azine, Gene Wy-
ckoff, Lee Charell .

15 Mins.; Mon.-thru-Fri.; 10:45
ajn.

Participating

NBC-TV, from. New York
“The World at Home,” NBC-
TV’s new leadin adjunct to the
“Home” show, got off to a sure-
fire start Monday (22) when host-
ess Arlene Francis with an assist
from Hugh Dowris, interviewed
the .families of the three “turn-
coat • prisoners of war who volun-
tarily . returned from China a
month ago. “World . at Home” is
formatted as an interview show,
which ordinarily would make it
run-of-the-rnine for morning tel-
evision except for the fact that
exec producer Dick Linkroum and
producer-director Norman Frank
obviously have more heady plans
in mind. If the first segment is any
indication of what’s to come, .then
they are to be . congratulated on
bringing a new and powerful scope
to daytime television.

Obviopsly, “The World at Home
is playing a hijiman interest angle,
but it appears to be doing it with
tagte, restraint and intelligence,
plus that something . extra in the
form of ; a . good: sense of who and
What, m^ke news. It was not only
a coup to bring on the families of ;
the three POW’s, Otho Bell, Louis {
Griggs and William A. Cowart,
but a testament to the show’s- in-
telligent approach that Miss Fran-
cis tried to probe for an under-
standing of the families’ feelings
and reasoning instead of holding
them up as mere items . of ‘ exploi-
tation and “look-what-we-have-
here” attention as is the case in so
many daytime stanzas.

True, Miss Francis didn’t get
very far in her quarter-hour, fail-
ing for the most part in getting
the families to give their ‘explana-
tion for the boys’ behavior. A little
more intensive pre-program plan-
ning aind .interviewing might be in
order here — she asked a couple <?f
questions relative to the “why” of
the bQys’ desertions and got /‘no”
answers when with more^prepara-
tion she might have been able to
get a more direct view on the mat-
ter. But if the show didn’t get all
the whys and Wherefores, it did
strike a deep emotional chord on
focussing on the distress of these
people without exploiting that dis-
tress, Much credit should go to the
sensitive script of Harold Azine,
Gene Wyckoff and .Lee Charell,
and to Miss Francis for the under-
standing and tactful manner of her
approach. If the subject matter
was on the grim side, it was none-
theless forceful and highly charged
viewing. Chan.

PEOPLE ’

With Morgan Beatty, NBC staffer*
Producer: Reuven Frank
Director; John Goetz
30 Mina.. Sun. (21). 5 P.m.
NBC-TV, from N. Y. ..

These are lean program months
in television, and audiences should
welcome a change of pace such as
represented by “People” which
preemed as the first of a series on
the NBC web Sunday (21). It
wasn’t a show to set any houses on
fire, but it had a good angle and
it had a purpose, which helps.

Right at the start of the show,
narrator Morgan Beatty of the
NBC news staff informed the view-
er that this Was “a new .program
based on an old idea,” i.e. that
people are interested in other
people. That’s a pretty sound tru-
ism and one on which no one can
go too far wrong. Certainly, “Peo-
ple” managed to be a promising
starter with a lot of good moments.

It might be argued that some of
the people producer Frank picked
weren't outstandingly interesting,
and somehow the inclusion of for-
mer Sen. Harry B. Cain of Wash-
ington, now on the Subversives
Control Board in Washington, was
out of tune with the proceedings.
However, on the whole, “people’s”
people were good, human interest
material, possibly there wore too
many of them. ' .

The trouble with such a shqw is
that— inevitably— it tries to cram
too milch into too short a. space of
time. For instance, it might have
been fun to hear more frotti Earl
Godwin, NBC’s octogenerian re-
porter in Washington, or from ref-
erence librarian Sheila Gleason
and her “customers.” Instead there
were completely meaningless
flashes of a tennis pro at Forest
Hills, who had nothing to say, and
a cartoonist, John. Norman, wbo
was so tongue in cheek that his in-
terviewer was plainly stymied. So
was the audience.

Filmed interviews, particularly
the one with the man planning to
raise the Monitor, the first iron
ship, were of poor technical qual-
ity. Final sequence, dealing with
Cain, somehow didn’t belong.
Either that, or maybe it ought to
have been expanded. Beatty’s fade-
out “editorial” also was . out of
place on this type of show.

Beatty generally did a fine job
and he’s a good personality on tv
all ’round. Program, once it hits
its stride, could build into a fall
prospect. It certainly- doesn’t lack
subject matter. The NBC corre-
spondents doing the interviewing
should be more familiar with their
people. One got the impression at
times that they were at a loss for
the proper questions; and there’s
nothing duller or more irritating
than an interviewer repeating an
answer that’s already been given,
loudly and clearly. Hift.

Tele Follow-Up Comment

Ed Sullivan's CBS-TV “Toast of
the Town” show last Sunday (21)
was devoted entirely to trailerizing
Paramount’s “Girl Rush,” in which
Rosalind Russell makes her film-
musical debut. Paramount is ob-
viously counting on a big b.o. pay-
off in view of the tv program’s
estimated national audience of
38,000,000. There’s a strong pos-
sibility, though, that the hour-long
plug may have a reverse effect.

Neither Miss Russell nor the pic-
ture came over too well. Film
clips from “Girl” and live seg-
ments relating to the pic were gen-
erally unexciting. The score by
Hugh Martin ^and Ralph Blane,
both appeared on the show, didn’t
impress too strongly, while yock
material was at a minimum.

Standout item on the program
Was Blane’s piping and Martin’s
keyboard workover of -“The Trol-
ley Song,” which they wrote sev-
eral years ago. Unfortunately this
had nothing to do with the picture
being touted. Miss Russell, who
clicked on Broadway as star of the
musical “Wonderful Town,” didn’t
have too much to work with and as
a result failed ta make much of an
impact.

Gloria DeHaven, however, suc-
ceeded in giving the show a lift*
both live and on film. Marion
Lome, known to tviewers of the
“Mr. Peepers” show, was shown in
a sequence in a Las Vegas club
that fell completely flat in attempt-
ing to be humorous. However, this
is another case where the material
was to blame. Eddie Albert was
spotted in a duet with Miss Russell
and also in a dialog session with
her, both of which missed.

In addition to those performers,
who appear in the pic, others on,
the program included singers Ella
Mae Morse .and Tony JBennett.
They delivered tunes from the film
that they’ve recorded. Miss
Morse’s rendition of “Birmin’ham”
wasn't especially punchy, but Ben

nett did some okay songselling on
“Take a Chance.”

Frederick Brisson, Miss Russell’s
husband, who produced “Girl,”
also produced and directed the
“Toast” stanza. The book for the
show was written by Lester White
and John Rapp, Bob Hope’s tv
writers.

On show’s credit side was the
expert handling of the film clips,
which made it difficult to disting-
uish the celluloid product from the
live sequences. Jess.

“Let’s Take a Trip,” off for the
summer and due to return Sept.
25, came back to. CBS-TV for a
one-shot remote Sunday (21) from
Niagara-on-the-Lake ' in Ontario,
where some 5,000 Boy Scouts are
holding their 8th annual Interna-
tional Boy Scout JamborCe. As a
public affairs pickup, the hourlong
special was a colorful and worth-,
while special event; as a “Trip”
showcaser, it was below the stand-
ards of previous entries in the
series.

Perhaps producer Stephen
Fleischman tried to cover too much
in the show’s hour, giving glimpses
of Boy Scouts from various coun-
tries in their different activities
and covering the Jamboree’s own
show featuring songs and dances
of the different national units.
Charm, of the show in the past has
been its visits to . offbeat places
that the normal youngster couMn’t
get to see and its followthrough in
each place showing how a product
is made from start to finish (sail-
making at City Island, for example,
or care and treatment of the ani-
mals at the Bronx Zoo). The Boy
Scout remote had Its* moments of
interest in this direction too, but
not enough of them.

A glimpse of the ufiit from Brit-
ish Columbia carving totem poles,
a visit with American scouts cook-
ing’biscuits, an Italian unit erecting
huge wooden gates^-all could have

CHILDREN’S 1 CORNER
With Josie Carey* Fred Rogers
Producer; Doris Ann
Director.- Martin Hoade .

Writer: Rogers
30 Mins.;, Sat., 10:30 p.m.
Sustaining
NBC-TV, Iron} N. Y.

“Children's Corner,” which Is
filling in for the next four weeks
for the vacationing Paul Winchell
show, is'a standard show for the.
moppet set. ‘Imported to the NBC-
TV web from its regular berth at
WQED in Pittsburgh, this series is
headed by two talented youngsters,
Josie Carey, and Fred Rogers, Miss
Carey works 1 before the camera,
gabbing and singing, while Rogers
handles the manipulation of the
puppets in addition to doing the
script.

The influence of Fran Allison
and Burr Tillstrom on this show is
evident, but it’s a good influence
although the Carey-Rogers .team
lacks some of the :humor and im-
agination of the- “Kukla, ; Frau &
Ollie” creators. The latter series,
in fact, had considerable adult' ap-
peal whereas the “Children’s Cor-
ner” is ^slanted strictly for the tots.
There’s educational peg (teach-
ing of .miah'riers, songs, some for-
eign. phrases, etc.) which may cue
parents to promote thii series for
their offsprings.: ; •

Miss Carey, moreover, scores
With a highly attractive personal-
ity. Young, and enthusiastic, she
doesn’t appear - to be: patronizing
the kids even ‘ though she figura-
tively gets on tier hands and knees
to play with them. An assortment
of puppet . characters, including
some tigers, cats, owls, etc., are
adeptly handled by Rogers with
the script mostly riding a whimsi-
cal mood. There’s also a participa-
tion angle c! for kid viewers who
want to join a club run by the
Carey-Rogers duo.

Miss Carey also impresses with
her bright, clear pipes in her vo-
calizing stints. One number,
“Goodnight God, Thank You,” was
a standout. Hem,

HOME FARE

With . Ernie Tetrault, Sunnie Eng-
land, others

Director: Grant Van Patten
30 Mins,; Mon.-thru-Fri., 9 a.m.
WRGB-TV, Schenectady

Ernie Tetrault has a new vis-a-
vis in Sunnie England, on informal,
unrehearsed program encompassing
public service features, interviews,
guests preparing food, other dem-
onstrations and area news roundup.
Mrs. England, connected with
Schenectady public school system,
is a slim, good looking gal. Tet-
rault, now itt the video veteran
class, despite his youth, is the pro-
gram’s anchor — good humored,
laughing, clear voiced, photogenic,
occasionally fluffing and thinking
out loud. Because of the format
and range of guests, as well as, in-
termittently, the principals, -show
is a little uneven, but Interesting
and sometimes different for early-
morning fare.

On two originations viewed, sum-
mer theatre people drew the spot-
light. Announcer George Mariott
(who doubles as “Schenectady
Gazette” drama critic) interviewed
Frances Helm, regularly of “The
Valiant Lady” — seen on WRGB —
and in cast for tryout of “1 Hear
You Singing” at Spa Theatre, Sara-
toga. Another show put the cam-
eras on producer John Hurd, of
Green Mt. Playhouse, Poultney,
Vt, directing his wife, Edna, and
Herb Kennedy, in rehearsal of a
“Sabrina Fair” scene, Moriott’s ex-
change with Miss Helm came off
well, even if they seemed to go
light on the author, Greer Johnson.

Tetrault is quite sure around
guests handling food, although it
is odd to view him assisting, and
tasting, with coat on. He does spot
commercials nicely. Mrs. England
is fairly good with plugs, Jaco.

been explored further in a treatise
on Boy Scout lore and- camping
techniques. Instead, the cameras
had a habit of skipping over these
segments and concentrating on the
arena, where scouts from half a
dozen countries did national
darices. This element tended to get
monotonous, and certainly didn’t
prove much of a device to get the
younger viewers interested in the
Scouts.

There was much on the credit
side, however. An emphasis on the
fact that Scouts from many coun- 1
tries could live and work to-
gether was skillfully carried across
and the viewer got a little of the
feeling of brotherhood that most of
the scouts on the site must have
experienced. Sonny Fox did his
customary excellent job as the
guide-emcee, and the naturalness
and good-natured curiosity of Pud
Flanagan and Ginger MacManus
contributed an extra plus to what
might have been merely a straight
pickup. Roger Englander’s direc-
tion was excellent, with the" cam-
eras getting in close and smoothly
m what must have been a tough
technical . situation. Chan .

ANDY’S GANG

With Andy Devine, other*

Prod.: Frank Fetrin^

BUSTER DROWN SHOES
WRCA-TV. N,Y.

- (Leo Burnett)

. Andy Devine, the portly screen
comic, is giving the kids a pre-Sat-
urday matinee session in thriller*
and a modest amount of comedy.
In a completely filmed show, De-
vine is conferenciering a display
which devotes the greater part of
the time to a story and afterward,
a lot of commercials and veiy weak
laughing- material.

The initial show had a yarn con-,
cerning an elephant hoy in. India
who eventually kills the man-eating
tiger that’s been decimating the
countryside. It’s a well-told yarn
suitable for the Unquestioning
moppe.ts , who view shows on the
Saturday morning spectrum.

However, Devine’s filmed inserts
are on behalf of Buster Brown
Shoes and plugs are heavily de-
livered in a manner that makes
Devine seem that he’s going* over-
hoard on the matter. Accompany-
ing Devine’s contribution are jut;®
of clowning with mechanical toys.
Aside from this business being not
too- f Unity > Devine is much too big
to be playing with dolls. Jose.

Hock of Top Stars
Set for ‘GE Theatre’
With Live-Film ‘Firsts’

The CBS-TV- Sunday night
“General Electric Theatre,” which
'with its live-film pattern stressing
Hollywood' stars is credited with
being a big factor in Philco’g de-
cision to drop out of its compet:
mg “Philco-Goodyear Playhouse,’*
has set its first batch of stars for.
the coming season, which starts
Oct. 2. Lineup includes Kathryn
Grayson, Alan Ladd, Ethel Barry-
more, John Payne, Jack Benny
and Charlton Heston. Ladd, Miss
Barrymore and Benny each starred
in a “GE Theatre” last season, hut
the others are in for the first time,
and for .Miss Grayson it’s a tele-
dehut.

Miss Grayson will appear on
film, in “The Tender Heart,” A
romance. Payne will star in
“Lash of Fear,” a post-Civil War
drama of a U. S. Cavalry patrol
written by James Warner Bellah,
Benny will do an original, “Mur-
der in G Flat,” while Heston will
appear in the filmed “Seeds- of
Hate,” which program ‘host-super-
visor Ronald' Reagan will produce
himself. Miss Barrymore will
costar with Reagan in a Bret
Harte story, “Prosper’s Mother.”
Mort Abrahams continues as pro-
ducer on the show with Don Med-
ford as director on the live presen-
tations. Don Herbert returns to
handle the institutional “progress”
commercials.

PLAN SUPER-SPECOLA „
ON CIVIL DEFENSE

Nat S. Linden, chief of radio-tv
for the Federal Civil Defense
Administration, .is in New York
this week huddling with network
execs on a stepped-up campaign on
educating the public to. the need
to know more about civil defense.
Linden says the new policy will be
one of heavy entertainment to gain
listeners, and states federal execs
are sold on the new tack.

Chief project Linden is planning
is a one-shot super-specola simul-
cast to be aired on. all networks
in the fall of 1956. His huddles this
week are primarily concerned With
the spec, which wo.iild be of the
entertainment variety and towards
which most of his budget is allo-
cated. While in Gotham, Linden is
also dickering an animated CD
show with United Productions of
America. ,

Dr. Spock Gets a Client

NBC-TV has at last landed *
client for its Dr: Benjamin Spock
infant care. Outing. It’s the Beech-
nut Co., which has signed for al-
ternate week sponsorship of the
pediatrician in the Sunday 3 to 3:30
slot, starting Oct. 9. Deal is con-
ditional on the web’s clearing* a
large station lineup. As far as an,
alternate sponsor is. ooncerned,
Swift, which had expressed inter-
est in the property, is still iffy.

Beechnut, in its first television
sponsorship, will pitch not only its
baby foods line, but its coffee and
peanut butter as well.

Wednesday, August 24, 1955

RADIO-TELEVISION

Report on televisfon viewing by children iri Indianapolis (sea
separate story): points up some sharp 'divergencies in the attitudes
of parents and children over types of tv programming, following
cljart, from the .report, points up the shows children -like and at the
same time compares the parents’ opinions on just how beneficial ' '
the types of programming are for their offspring. .

, , . Called Beneficial

J^rogratn Types „ Watched by Children * by Parents

Comedies ..................15% 6%

Westerns r , ..... ..22% 9%

Cartoon. Programs 28%

Science Fantasies . . ... ..... V ....... . .10% .

Science Programs .............. . . .... 6%

Variety ........... ........ . .13%

Instructional 6%

45%

1 %

20 %

10 %

Direct inverse relationship be-
tween the economic status of chil-
dren and the length of their tele-
vision viewing is one of the high-
lighted conclusions of report on
“The Use of Television by Young
. School Children in Indianapolis,”
based on . 361 questionnaires an-
swered by Indianapolis housewives
With children in five schools rep-
resenting different economic strata.
Study, made by Indiana U. direc-
tor of women’s, children’^. and so-
cial service programs Negia Y. Gil*
pin, reveals that the lower the eco-
nomic, .status of the first to fourth
grade school child, the more tele-
vision he watches.

Breakdown of average weekly
viewing time shows the school in
the highest economic bracket with
an average per child of 12-plus
hours a week, with the viewing in-
creasing as the economic status of
the school goes down. Lowest-in-
come neighborhood * school shows
weekly viewing of 25-plus hours
per week per child. Report also
notes a trend in that children in
lower economic status watch televi-
sion in the afternoon more than
high-income children, while the
children of high-income families
watch more during the first half of
the evening hours (6 to 9) than the
low-income children.

Overall, cartoons and westerns
rate as the favorite program types
of the kiddles,' with children’s com-
edy programs, variety programs
and science fantasy shows ranking
next and science and instructional
programs getting the least .atten-
tion, But here, too, the economic
status comes into play, for while
comedy and westerns have eqtial
acceptance among low and high in-
come groups, the lower income
children have less Interest in car*
toon and science programs but
much greater interest in science
fantasies and variety, while the
(Continued on page 48) .

WPAT, the Ijfatersori, N. J. indie,
has raised its rates approximately

20% in its first rate ‘hike since
July of 1952.' Dickens J. Wright,
prez and general manager of the
station, said the hike Was due to
audience and business gains over
the past three years, particularly
from the outlet’s straight-music
“Gaslight Revue” in the daily 7-11
p.m. Spot,

Wright said the station’s gross
business is up 20% for the first
six months over the same period in
1954.

Chrysler s Major

Chrysler Corp. of Canada Ltd. is
moving into television in Canada
jth a big way, having set this week
‘a 25-station kinescoped pickup of
“Climax” and “Shower of Stars”
which Chrysler sponsors on CBS-
TV in the U. S., along with an ex-
tensive schedule of Canadian foot-
ball. ^Chrysler says that dealer en-
thusiasm in the Toronto and Wind-
sor areas, which receive the CBS-
TV shows, prompted the decision
to air it in Canada as well. An-
nouncement will be made to Ca-
nadian dealers meeting in Toronto
tomorrow (Thurs.) by Chrysler ex-
ecs and William Lundigan, who
hosts the show. Series starts
Dec. 4.

Prior to the “Climax”-“Shower”
kickoff, Chrysler of Canada will
have Canadian football games kin-
nied and carried on Sunday after-
noons in the same time slot (3:30
to .4:30) and by the same stations
as will carry the “Climax”-“Show-
er” klnnies. Highlight of the foot-
ball schedule will be the first live
pickup of the Gray Cup Canadian
championship on Tuesday, NOv. 24,
In Vancouver.

Minneapolis, Aug. 23.

Farmers in this territory are go-
ing in for radio advertising.

For the first time a soil tillers-
owned parent cooperative organi-
zation, Midland Cooperative, Inc„
Minneapolis, supply house whose
main line is petroleum and which
boasts 700 members in five states,
is bankrolling an air show in an
effort to reach a larger market for
its supplies.

In an umbrella advertising cam-
paign it’ll sponsor eight five to 15-„
minute newscasts on six radio sta-’
tions in three states 24. times a
week. The stations include WCCO
here.

“We need a higher percentage of
sales- to hold up volume and we
believe radio can Q turn the trick
for us, stimulating our farmer
members’ purchases at their coop-
eratives,” explains A. J. Smaby,
general manager.

Hitherto, the local cooperatives
have been responsible for their
own advertising, Smaby says.

NBC’s Louis King and Don Mor-
land have been engaged to make
the advertising jingles and platters-
for the Midland campaign.

Tint Treatment For
Davis Cup Matches;
Wordwide Exposure

. NBC-TV is jumping the gun on
its plans to make, the World Series
telecasts the first outdoor sports
event to be done in color. Getting
the “first” laurels instead of the
Series will be the Davis Cup Chal-
lenge Round, which the network’s
color remote crews will beam in
tint from the West Side Tennis
Club in Forest Hills next Friday,
Saturday and Sunday (26-28). Net-
work still plans to do the Series
in color, however, provided a New
York team participates.

Tennis coverage will be carried
from 2-5 p.m. Friday, 2:30-5 on
Saturday and 2-5 on Sunday.
Participants will include Tony
Trabert, Vic Seixas, Ham Richard-
son for the U. S. and. Lew Hoad,
Ken Rosewall and', Rex Hartwig
for Australia. While, the telecasts
will be of a color first for outdoor

WPK’s look at U$’ as $1, MOM

Friday, Slept. 9, looms as an im-
portant day for NBC Radio, affili-
ates, The whole affiliate member-
ship congregates on that day at the
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, in N,Y.^&
the. behest of Robert D. JSwezey,
chairman of the affiliate commit-
tee, who urges that “top manage-
ment of each station be represent-,
ed. The future course of ^network']
radio will ...probably come in for
full discussion;”

Of major import is the reported
decision of NBC to go ahead with a
full-blown cross-the-board “Moni-
tor” extending the present 40-hour
weekend showcase sevqn days a
week, including a 10-a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday-through-Friday formula,
and adopting the same participa-
tion sales pattern a& applies to thd
weekend show.

Whether it goes through will rest
with the affiliates. Some of tberii
Were miffed over the fact that NBC

$2,000,000 in- Red

NBC Radio’s stake in the af-
filiate conclave called for
Sept. 9 in New York, at which
the station operators are ex-
pected to get a new network
compensation plan, adds up to
the following vital statistics:

As projected on the basis
of the first eight months, NBC
Radio expects to wind up the
year with a loss of. approxi-
mately $2,000,000.

. a i

i ) j j * i 1 1 j j

(Continued on page 48)

* i

i l >1 I : l » 1 l l J

inaugurated the weekend “Moni-
tor” without calling a general affil-
liate membership conclave. NBC at
that time did consult with key sta-
tion operators but . felt that a gen-
eral meeting would have been so
unwieldy and impractical as to mi-
tigate against “Monitor” ever get-
ting off the ground.

Application of “Monitor” to a
fullscale seven-day-a-week. opera-
tion, however, is something else
again; too shaking in it's overall im-
plications to be implemented with-
out a full affiliate membership
Vote. For a cross-the-board “Moni-
tor” will have . a vital effect on the
pocketbook status of every affiliate.

Blit tbe Sept. 9 meet goes be-
yond “Monitor” In resolving the
“radio of the future.” It's consid-
ered inevitable that NBC Will have
to do something about its r a,t e
structure to make It more compati-
ble with the CBS formula and thus
put NBC in a more realistic com-
petitive plateau.

CBS has maneuvered its single
rate structure as well as winning
a 20% reduction in compensation
from the stations. Now it’s playing
around with its new participation
formula, a strategy that comes up
for affiliate appraisal and kicking
around when the CBS boys con-
verge on Detroit next month a
week after the NBC meet. This is
the segmentation sales pattern
evolved by CBS Radio prexy Ar-
thur Hull Hayes (and previously
put into effect when he Was oper-
ating KCBS in San Francisco )-^-a
fiat charge for time and program
for 'five-minute segments of any
15-minute strip show, night or day.

Just which way NBC intends to
go toward matching the CBS pat-
terns remains to be seen. A lot is'
at stake for the NBC affiliates and
the chances ate the Sept. 9 meet
will invite a record turnout.

Two days prior, the Executive
Committee and the Affiliate Plan-
ning . Committee will meet in N.Y.
to formulate plans for the gen-
eral meeting. These two commit-
tees will then meet on Sept. 8 with
the NBC^representatives to work
out an agenda.

Kool-Aid in Alaska.

Chicago, Aug. 23.
This summer’s record-break-
ing heat apparently has spread
pretty far north.

Foote, Cone & Belding has
set a radio saturation cam-
paign on Alaska stations for
Kool-Aid, a cooler soft drink
powder.

V i ( ) I t J . i - A * t ’j . ;■ J i. y / > j

Boston, Aug. 23. ;

Sealy Mattress Co, kicks off a
Sunday saturation schedule on
WNAC-TV Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. with
(.alternate " week sponsorship of
“Waterfront,” starring Preston Fos-
ter, backed by newspapers arid bill-
boards.

Theme of the banner sales pro-
motion is “Watch Sealy on Sun-
day” right around the clock. From
morhing to night, in , additioh to
their half-hour telepix series,.
Sealy is using spot announcements.
They are all before, toprated net-
work programs on the WNAC-TV.
schedule

Thinking behind the Sunday pro-
motion IS that sales records' in
furniture and department stores
prove Monday is orie' Of the. best
sales days of the week.

The Fund for the Republic, the
$15,000,000 non-profit fdtmdation
designed to promote civil liberties
and to combat racial prejudice,
moved forward oh two television
fronts this week, announcing the
winners in its. $29,000 scriptwrit-
ing competition and setting Wash-
ington Post cartoonist Herbert L.
Block (Herblock) in a new series
on current events.

Script contest, launched last
spring, wouhd up yesterday (Tues.)
when' Burton and James Benjamin
took r the $5,000 first prize in the
documentary category with “Pep-
ito,” a play about the adjustment
of a Puerto Rican youth during
his. first days in New York, and
a $5,000 prize in the drama class
to Mrs. Lillian Schoen Andrews
for “The Conspirators,” based oh
the last days of the abolitionist
editor Elijah Lovejoy. Second prize
of $2,500 in the drama class went
to Jo Sinclair, whose “We Can’t
Be the First” deals with prejudice
against Negroes in housing. Thr4e
(Continued on page 50)

‘Name Same’ Runs For
Cover; ABC-TV Gets It
Off ‘$64,000’ Hook

CBS-TV's top-rated $64,000
Question” has claimed its first
casualty in the Tuesday night rat-
ing battle. ABC-TV and “Name’s
the Same” have given up the' fight
and the show is being moved from
its opposite-“Question” Tuesday-at-
10 berth to a Friday-at-10 position.
The network is leaving the Tues-
day time, slot vacant for the time
being, and the prospects of latch-
ing onto a client to take the time
are slim indeed.

Switch was made in deference
to the show’s client, Ralston-Pu*
rina, which after a year of Moriday
night exposure, moved the show
into the Tuesday period just a few
weeks ago, about the same time
“Question” hit the air. No one
at that time anticipated the impact
which "Question” would make.
Shift to Friday means that “Down
You Go,” originally slated for the
Friday-at-10 post, goes into a
Thursday-at-9 : 30 period.

“Down You Go” time assignment
in turn spells an end to the net-
work’s hopes of selling an hour
dramatic show in the 9:30-10:30
period vacated by “Pond's The-
atre” a couple months ago. Web
had hoped to sell a Herb Brodkin'
helmed dramatic series in the
same time period, particularly
since Brodkin has a library of
properties available which he col-,
lected while doing the “Elgin
Hour” before the watch sponsor
checked out in May. * \

4- Race for supr&pacy among the*
four independents in New York’s
severi-stafcion tv market gets hot*
ter by, the day, and the latest of
the four to get its licks in is WPIX,
the Daily News outlet, which iri the
11 weeks since June 1 has racked'
up over $1,000,000 in sales for thri
fall by virtue of its “new look” in
programming. The starting-in-,
September “new look,” as de-
scribed by v.p.-general manager
Fred M. Thrower, calls for a “de-
emphasis” on sports and news and
a “better, balance” of all types of •
entertainment programs; largely
through syndicated film.

Immediateeffect of the new pro-
gramming concept, inspired by the
increased availability of “film with
an aura of network quality,” has
been, the record business pulled
by the outlet over these past 11 •
weeks. The $1 ,000,000-plus com-:,
prises both announcements-partici-
pations and full program buys by
38 bankrollers, ' virtually all of
them of ..national spot calibre. This
in itself marks a change from the
past, when most of the station’s,
business was local and a national
advertiser was about as hard to
find as an untinted spectacular.
Moreover, of .the 38 new clients
14 are buying programs rather than
spots, aftother switch from the all*
spot variety of business the outlet
has enjoyed iri the past.

Outlet’s bullishness in its “new.
look” concept is . reflected in the.
fact that two nationally-bankrolled
shows have shifted over to the
station in the past couple of weeks,
the Brown Shoe-Mars Candy (Leo
Burnett) “Buffalo Bill Jr.” from
WCBS-TV and H. J. Heinz’s (Max-
on) “Studio 57” from WABD. In
addition, “I Led Three Lives,”,
which for the past year has been
on WABC-TV, has moved over to
WPIX, with Simoniz as bankroller
for the third-year series of 39 new
films.

It’s the syndicated films which
form the bulwark of the new pro-
gramming setup, with no less than
45 half-hours of syndicated film
on the station’s schedule from
5 p.m. onward, seven nights a week.
Outlet’s “Sunday Night Mystery
Block” is full-up, and now in the
works is a Wednesday night block.
In addition, there’s a full slate of
kidpix on Saturday afternoons
along with* the highly successful
cross-the-board pattern of “Car-
toon Comics,” “Clubhouse Gang”
and “Ramar of the Jungle.” It's
| 3 these film shows, including such
offbeat items as >' “Confidential
File,” “Scotland Yard,” “I Search
(Continued on page 50)

Peak $2iM0,M0

Hollywood, Aug. 23.

Even with the loss of the $8,000,-
000 Frigidaire account, gross tv
billings of Foote, Cone & Belding
have soared to an alltime peak of
$24,000,000 annually, according to
Don Belding, agency board chair-
man.

. Most of tv income is from en-
tirely new biz, Belding reports,
whereas ad. firm had no profits
from video six years ago.

r f

- •'» > I

i-i > -t-i y

Turns’ Nashua-Swaps
‘Dream Race’ CBS-TV Buy

The $100,000 winner-take-all
“dream race” between Swaps and
Nashua from Washington Park,
Chicago, will be carried by CBS-
TV next Wednesday (31) at 6-6:30
p.m., with Turns having bought in
yesterday (Tues.) as sponsor. Jack
Drees will handle the race, while
it’s reported the web is bringing
in Don Ameche to do the color.
Judson Bailey will produce.

Race will also be carried on
CBS Radio, but so far no spon-
sorship has been set. Turns tv
deal was handled through Ruth-
rauff & Ryan.

. j j

. 1 1 i

P&Ritfrr

Wednesday, August 24 , 1955

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FILMED ON
THE HIGHWAYS

I : v . at scenes of real road*
& blocks^ fires, disasters; in*
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: olong the way! in real
State Patrol Headquarters!'

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Based on die
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all 48 states

NEW TRAFFIC-STOPPING

TELEVISION SERIES...

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HALF-HOUR A
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01/ * ?
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Technical supervision

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34 TV-FILMS

Wednesday, August 24, 1955

ity Syndicated mid National Spot Film Chart

. VARIETY’S weekly chart of city-by-cily ratings of syndicated and no*
tional spot film covers 40 to 60 cities reported by American Research Bureau
on a monthly basis • Cities will be rotated each week , with the 10 top-rated
film shows listed in each case , and their competition shown opposite. All
ratings are furnished by ARB , based on the latest reports.

This VARIETY chart represents a gathering, of all . pertinent informa?
tion about film in each market 9 which can be used by distributors r agencies ,
stations and clients as an aid in determining the effectiveness of a filmed
show in the specific market. Attention should be paid to time-day and

time factors , since sets-in-use and audience composition vary according to
time slot } i.e,, a Saturday afternoon children’s show 9 with a low rating) may
have a large share and an audience composed largely of children) with cor?
responding results for the sponsor aiming at the children 9 s markets Abbre •
viations and symbols are as follows t (Adv) 9 adventure; ( Ch) 9 children’s;
(Co)) comedy; (Dr), drama; (Doc)) documentary; (JR us), musical;
(My st) 9 mystery; (Q), quis; (Sp) 9 sports; (W ) 9 western; (Worn),
women?*. Numbered symbols next to station call letters represent the sta-
tion's channel; all channels above 13 are VHF, Those ad agencies listed as
distributors rep the national spot sponsor for whom the film is aired •

TOP 10 PROGRAMS

AND TYPE

STATION

DISTRIB,

DAY AND

TIME

JULY

RATING

(%)

SETS IN
USE

1 TOP COMPETING PROGRAM

f PROGRAM ’ STA.

RATING

LOS ANGELES

Approx • Set Count — 1,985,000

Stations—

KNXT (2), KRCA (4), KTLA (5), KABC (7)»
KHJ (9), KTTV (11), KCOP (13) \

1. Waterfront (Adv). . ..

KTTV ..."

. . . MCA . . . ■ .

Tups 7*30-8*00 . .

22 7 .

... 47.9

■.

Dinah Shore

KRCA . .

News Caravan

KRCA

2. Badge 714 (Myst)

KTTV

NBC

Sat. 7*30-8:00 ..

^ .21.3 . . ..

. . . 45.9

Harry Owens

KNXT . .

3. Life of Riley (Com).

KTTV , . , . . .

...NBC

Sat 8*00-8*30 . .

20.9 . . .

. . . 50.3

fiuarie Coolev

KTLA ..

..... 12.5

4. I Led 3 Lives (Dr) ..........

KTTV ......

. . . .Ziv. ..............

Sat. 8:30-9:00 , .

...... .20.7 . . . .

37......

. . . 54.9

Spade Cooley. , .■

KTLA ..

13.4

5. Science Fiction Theatre (Adv)

KTTV

....Ziv... .

Tues. 8:00-8:30 .

... 16.2 . . . .

... 54.6

Place the Face

KRCA ..

12.5

61 Life With Elizabeth (Com) . . .

.KTTV

, . .^.Guiia. . . . ........

Mon. 8:30-9:00 .

....... 14.7 . . . .

. , . 63.8

Godfrey's Talent Scouts . . . .

KNXT ..

11.3

7. Annie Oakley (W) .

KTTV

. . . CBK. .

Tues. 7:00-7:30 .

....... 14.4 . . , .

... 40,1

Dangerous Assignment. . . . . .

KCOP . .

8. Amos V Andy (Com)

KNXT ......

. . . .CBS . ;

Fri^ 7:00-7:30 ..

r 14.1 . . . .

. .. 31.2

Cowboy G-Men .

KABC ..

9. Superman (Adv)

.KTTV

. , . .Flamingo. ........

.Sat. 7;00-7:30 ..

....... 12.8 ....

36......

. . . . 34.2-

Hometown Jamboree,

KTLA ..

6.9

I Am the Law (Myst)'. ......;

KTLA, .... .

....MCA

Tues. 8:30-4:00 . .

.12.6....

21....;.

. . . 58.4

First Run Movie.

KCOP . .

» • * « • 11*4

BOSTON

Appr

ox. Set Count—

|gjggQ£y|

Stations — WBZ (4)

, WNAC (7)

1. Mr. District Attorney (Myst).

WNAC . . . ?. .

. . . Ziv. ,

Tues. 10:30-11:00

34.6 . . . .

... 40.1

Eddie Cantor

WBZ ...

2. Ellery Queen (Myst)

WNAC ......

... TPA. .............

Sun. 10:30-11:00 .

..... ,22.1 . . . .

. . 29.2

Life Begins at 80.

WBZ ...

6.4

3. I Led 3 Lives (Dr)...

WNAC. .. ..’.

. . . Ziv ...............

Mop. 7:00-7:30 . .

20.3 i . • .

72......

. . . 27.0

Annie Oakley

WBZ ...

5.4

Nightly Newsteller . ......

WBZ ...

5.4

4. Ranee Rider (W). . . . . .

WBZ ......

. . . . CBS

Sun. 7:00-7*30 ...

iif a

. .. 27.3

Feature Film

WNAC ..

Badge 714 (Myst). . . . . . .

WNAC.

... NBC.

. Wed. 6:30-7:00 ..

17*8 * * • •

... 26.1

News — Victor Best

WBZ ...

..... 7.1

Hopalong Cassidy ........

WBZ ...

. .... 7.1

. 6. Boston Rlackie (Myst)

.WNAC

... Ziv

Fri. 10:30-11:00 .

«•*••• 17 *0 • ■ a •

..... 41

... 41.2

Baseball

WBZ . . .

7. Foreign IntHgue (Adv)

WBZ...... .

...Official

Mon. 10:30-11:00

• • • • a • 14*7 • * f •

. . . 32.5

Summer Theatre.

WNAC .

17.3

8. Patti Page (Mas)

WNAC

. . . Screen Gems ......

Mon. 7:45-8:00. . .

12.9 * • v *

. . . 25.6

News Caravan

WBZ . . .

12.5

9. Lone Wolf (Myst). . . ... .....

/WNAC

...MCA.............

Sat. 10:30-11:00 .

« • • ■ v« 12.7 * • * •

... 23.4

Your Play Time

WBZ ...

1 Q, Superman (Adv) -

WNAC

, . , Flamingo

. Fri. 6:30-7:00 . . .

1 1- n

..... 48

. . . 23.9

News — -Victor Best .........

WBZ ...

.....11.3

•*

t»

Rin Tin Tin

WBZ r..

• 11*3

CLEVELAND

Approx . Set Count —

Stations

— WNBK (3), WEWS (5)

1, WXEL (8>

1. Badge 714 (Myst)

WXEL ......

NBC

Tues. 8:30-9:00 . .

..... . 19.8 -.

..... 58

... 34.1

Arthur Murray Party

WNBK .

lb.i

2. Racket Squad (Myst). .. .....

WEWS. . . .

...ABC.............

Fri, 10:00-10:30 .

19.0 . . . .

..... 52

... 36.2

Undercurrent

WXEL ..

• « • • • 11.9

3. Sherlock Holmes (Myst).

WNBK

. . . UM&M

Mon. 10:30-11:00

17 4

. . . 38.2

Summer Theatre ...........

WXEL J . .

10.7

4. I Led 3 Lives (Dr) ..........

WXEL

. . . Ziv

Fri. 10:30-1 1;00 i

...... 15.9 ....

... 35.5

I Am the Law ..............

WEWS .

.....14.2

5. I Am the LawHMyst)

WEWS . ....

Fri. 10*30-11*00 .

.. ...14.2v...

... . 40

. . . 35.5

T T.pd 3 T.ivps.

WXEL . .

15.9

6. Ramar of the Jdhgle (Adv) . .

wnbk; . . . . .

...TPA..*..

Thurs. 6:00-6:30 .

.12.2 . . .

• • • , • • 52 «••••*

... 23.2

Little Rascals

WEWS .

10.4

7. Mr. District Attorney (Myst).

WXEL

... Ziv

Tues. 8:00-8:30 . .

12.1

. . . 21.3

Place the Face

WNBK .

..... 6.2

9. Range Ridejr (W)

WEWS

. . . CBS .

Sun. 7:00-7:30 . . .

* 11.0

..... 56.

. . . 19.6

People Are Funny , .

WNBK .

6.8

9. Soldiers of Fortune (Adv) . . .

WNBK

...MCA...;,..... ...

.Thurs. 7:00-7:30 .

10.9 . . . .

..... 65

. .. 16.6

Cisco Kid

WXEL .

4.1

1 0. W aterf ront (Adv)

WEWS

. . . MCA

Wed. 7:00,7*30 \

10.4

"'as

. . . 19.0

TTncnmmnn Valor

WNBK .

5.9

DAYTON

Approx . Set Count — 640,000

Stations — WLW-D (2)

, WHIO (7)

1. Waterfront • (Adv). .....

WHIG

MCA

Sat. 9:30-10:00 ..

...... .22.3 ....

...... 58 1

. .. 38.6

Your Play Time

WLW-D

.....11.5

2. Badge 714 (Myst).../........

WHIO

NBC /. .

Sat. 10:30-11:00 .

21.6 . . . ,

. . . 36.6

Liherare . . .

WLW-D

. . . . .11.5

3. Man Behind the Badge (Myst)

WHIO .....

....MCA...

, Fri. 9:30-10:00 ..

....... 19.4 . . , .

. . . 31.5

So This Is Hollywood. . . . . . .

WLW-D

.....10.8

4. Mr. District Attorney (Myst)

WLW-D

. Ziv

.Wed. 9:30-10:00 .

18.6

. . . 46.8

US Steel Hour. .

WHIO ..

23.5

5. Science Fiction Theatre (Adv)

VLW-D

... ziv..

Sat.l0:00-10:30 .

17.6 . , . .

... 34.9

Theatre at Home

WHIO .,

. , .12.3

6. Racket Squad (Myst). . .

WHIO

ABC. ... . . ...... . v

Tues, 10:15-10:45

17,5 . . . .

. . . 30.1

Runyon at Night. ..........

WLW-D

.....104

•

c *

Tonight . . ... ............

WLWrD

-.-....10.4

7. Kit Carson <W) . . .

WLW-D

. . . MCA ;.

.Sun. 5:00-5:30 ...

. . . 26.5

Sunday Lucy Show

WHIO ..

10.8

8. Ellery Queen (Myst) ........

WIIIO

TPA . . . ..

Fri. 10:15-10:45 ..

15.3 . . . .

. . . 26.9

Run von at NiPht.

WLW-D

10 0

Tonight

WLW-D

.. ...10.0

9. Liberace (Mus)

. WLW-D

. . . Guild .

Sat. 10:30-11:00 .

..ns..

. . . 36.6

Raricrp 714

WHIO ..

21.6

Follow That Man (Adv)

WHIO

. . . .MCA.

Sun. 10:15-)9:45 .

. .11.5

. . . 23.7

Theatre Toniffht

WLW-D

10.7

Break the Bank

WLW-D

10.7

MPLS. -ST. PAUL

Approx, Set Count — 515,000

Stations -

-WCCO (4),*KSTP (5), KEYD (9),

WTCN (11)

Mr. District Attorney (Myst)

KSTP.

. . . Ziv. . . . .

. . . Thurs. 9:30-10:00 ......

.27.5

. . 38.4

Variety Show •.

...WCCO

. 5.3

Badge 714 (Myst)

KSTP

« . . NBC, . ■

. . . Mon. 9:30-10:00 . f

. 23.6

42 .

. . 55.7

Burns Sr. Allen

. WCCO

14 0

Lone Wolf (Myst)

wcco..;,..

.. MCA...

... .Sun. 8:30-9:00

. 18.3

55.......

.. 33.2

Red Owl Theatre

... WTCN ......

. 8.1

I Led 3 Lives (Dr) M ,

KSTP

. . , Ziv. .. . .

. , . .Tues. 8:30-9:00 ........

1 15*3 *••**••»•

. . 44.5

Damon Runyon Theatre.

, . . WCCO .....

.21.1

Follow That Man (Adv)

KSTP. ......

► • * MCA *.. « •

. . . . Fri. 9:30-i0:00

.14.5.

.. 42.2

Baseball

...KEYD

.12.1

Science Fiction Theatre (Adv)

WCCO

. . Ziv . ....

. . . Fri. 9:00-9:30

.14.5

.. 41.6

Baseball ' . - . *

. . . KEYD

117

Racket Squad (Myst)

KSTP

• •* ^30 • • • •

. . . Tues. 10:30-11:00 ......

.12.3

. . 18.9

Tomorrow’s News

...WCCO

Weather; Dick Enroth.

... WCCO

, 2.3

Life of Riley (Mom)

KSTP

...NBC.,..

»»•••••

. . . Sun. 9:00-9:30 .........

.11.7

.. 33.3

Star Showcase

...WCCO .... .

.15.1

Soldiers of Fortune (Adv) . . .

WCCO ......

. . MCA. . .

Sun. 8:00-8:30

.11.7

41 ...... .

. . 28.6

Break the Br.nk

..; WTCN .....

. 6.4

ie.

City Detective (Myst)

KSTP. ......

...MCA...

. . . .Wed! 8:30-9:00

10.4

24... .. ..

.. 42.6

Wed. Night Fights.-.-

. .. WTCN .....

.17.9

Ringside Roundtable . .

... WTCN

.17.9

Wednesday* August 24* 1955

on WPIX

I LED THREE LIVES

Alternate Sponsorship

SIMONIZ

RAMAR OF THE JUNGLE (Sat);

Full Sponsorship

QUAKER CITY CANDYi

CITY DETECTIVE

Alternate Sponsorship

_ GENERAL ELECTRIC

CITY DETECTIVE

Alternate Sponsorship

PAUL MASSON WINES

LIFE WITH FATHER

Full Sponsorship

BUITONI SPAGHETTI

DIONE LUCAS (Fri)

Full Sponsorship

BUITONI SAUCES

DIONE LUCAS (Thurs);

Full Sponsorship

MARTINI & ROSSI

DIONE LUCAS (Mon)

Full Sponsorship

BROOKLYN UNION GAS

SAN FRANCISCO BEAT

Alternate Sponsorship

PAUL MASSON- WINES

ELLERY QUEEN

Alternate Sponsorship

CARTER PRODUCTS

CONFIDENTIAL FILE

f •

Full Sponsorship

GOLD SEAL

STUDIO 57 (From WABD) Full Sponsorship

BUFFALO BILL JB. (From WCBS) Full Sponsorship

HEINZ 57

MARS CANDY-BROWN SHOE

on WPIX

I LED THREE LIVES
SAN FRANCISCO BEAT
ELLERY QUEEN
I SEARCH FOR ADVENTURE
SCOTLAND YARD
BOSTON BLACKIE
ABBOTT AND COSTELLQ
HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN

Alternate Only
Alternate Only
Alternate Only

Full dr Alternate •

Full or Alternate •

Full or Alternate * •
Full or Alternate !

Full or Alternate j

OVERSEAS ADVENTURE
DIONE LUCAS (Tues & Wed Only)
THE WHISTLER

MY HERO (Robert Cummings)
VICTORY AT SEA
DUFFY'S TAVERN
RINGABUK (Hour)

CLUBHOUSE GANG COMEDIES

(Sat & Sun Only)

Full or Alternate
Full or Alternate
Full or Alternate
Full or Alternate
Full or Alternate
Full or Alternate
Full or Alternate
Full or Alternate

A Few Participations available in LIBERACE and RAMAR OF THE JUJvfGLE

IT'S NICE TO BE
IN GOOD COMPANY. .

and the place

to be seen in ’55 -’56 is .

[if]

EW YORK

WPIX

Represented by Free & Peters

36 TV-MI 3 IS . J^SzIETY ‘ j Wednesday, August 24 , 1955

• *

By DAVE KAtJFMAN

. Hollywood, Aug. 23.

There’s a “slight depression” in
the vidpix syndication field these
days, as the tv market is glutted
with network film shows going into
Teruns, it's asserted by Guy V.
Thayer Jr., exec v.p.. of Roland
Reed Productions;

Thayer’s pessimistic statement
is verified in a Daily Variety sur-
vey which discloses of 8Q telefilm-
series in production now or 'be-
ing readied, only . about half a
dojen are syndicated starters, and
three of those have web hookups.

Thayer said he and Reed don’t
plan to make anymore “Water*
front” telepix . when ' they’ve com-
pleted their *78 in September, de-
spite the fact the series is selling
well. “We’ve got too much money
tied up. We have between $700,-
000 and $800,000. tied up in ‘Water-
front’ and 'Rocky Jones, Space
Ranger.' We’re planning several
new series, but are looking for a.
national sale.”

Thayer estimated, that on . “Wa-
terfront,” which went intp -. pro-
duction in February of 1954, the
company won’t hit, the break-eyen
point until next year at this time.-
He said $1,900,000 was invested in
production, but that : in addition
there is -a 35% distribution charge,
plus advertising and other items,
so that the series must gross $3.-
100,000 before producers are off.
the hook. “The bank loans ! you
60% of your production budget,
but you’ve got to come up with
the rest, and this means you wait
a long time for your money,

“It’s suicide today to put a show-
into syndication unless you’ve got
at least pne or . two big regional
deals, or a national sale. But there
are. iflany sponsors who prefer to
buy first-runs rather than reruns,
and there is a great field for syn-
dicated product providing it can
be made for a price, with basic
Sets so that costs are small. I

“Right now,' with shows such as
'My Little Margie,’ Ray Milland
and Stu Erwin being offered on
the syndication, they’re driving
down the price of tV films. Many
of these rerun shows are being
bought on a multiple -basis, and as-
suming sponsors exercise their op-
tions, this means many advertisers
are tied up for two or three years
with such a series. It all adds up
to less for the producer in syndi-
cation.”

An MCA-TV Film Syndication
spokesman also said conditions in
the field today leave much to be
desired. Unlike Thayer, he did
not blame it on reruns being tossed
into the market, but said it was
more and more difficult to get a
good price on tv pix these days.
A regional sponsor would be lined
\ip before his firm shot any new
series, he added.

Ziv TV, which heretofore has
confined its activities to syndicated
product, in disclosing recently it
plans five neW series, said at the
the same time It’s gearing those
series for national sales, marking
a* departure from previous prac-
tice at Ziv. .

Adventists Roll

Holly wod,' Aug, 29,

Two pilot-films for a. proposed
Seyenth Day Adventist telefilm
series have been completed, pro*
ducer Ralph Winters disclosed
last Week. If present plans ma-
ture, the series filmed by non-profit
Lamplight Productions will be of-
fered stations sometime after first
of year.

Penny Edwards, Winters’ wife,
and a former 20th-Fox and Repub-
lic pactee who gave up her thespic
career last year to enter church
work, delivers opening arid closing 1
Biblical and religious “commer-
cials.” Series Written by Winters
from original scripts by Pastor
George E. ' Vandaman features
talks by pastor with illustrative
film clip cut-ins. Winters, an ex-
Marine pilot and former casting di-
rector at RKO and Ziv TV Pro-
grams, plans additional dramatic
non-video productions for the Ad-
ventists.

OF Expands Board

Official Films ihas increased the
size of' its board of directors from
six to eight, adding board mem-
bers Lpe Moselle and Robert Bum*
heim; Moselle is Official’s general
counsel; Burnheim is a New York
realtor • and partner in Burnham
Realty Co,

Official prez Hal Hackett contin-
ues as board chairman.

Some of the execs who expect J
to be attached to the new DuMont
Broadcasting Corp. are, unhappy
that they can’t keep the Electron- j
icain under their roof. They say [
the live-film camera is '' Yellowing j
its' predicted healthy profit, pattern ;

find would look good on the books
of the: new corporation. In the past
week, three, more shows inked to
.go. into production under Werner
Michel, director of Electronicam
production. j

Lambert Pharmacal has firmed
to shoot 105 Les Paul and Mary
Ford five-miriuters. The Disabled
American Veterans group, which
sponsored a radio 1 series for sev-
eral years on Mutual, has inked to
lerise via Electronicam the first two
one-hour . films in a series of 13.
pix will be of variety' type, arid, will
be disttibbed via riational spot.
Warren Wad;e, who has shot one
“Broadway TV , Theatre” with, the
two-way machine,, has booked to
shoot another. Contracts call for

fall starts.

, » •

Additionally, on the upcoming
production roster for the Michel
crews is “Modern Romances,” the
Stark-Layton . package which was
postponed because, of the Screen
Actors Guild strike. The Jackie
Gleason showcasing is in produc-
tion too.

BALABAN IN ABC-TV
EXIT TO JOIN EDELMAN

Bill Balaban is exiting his post
as director of the closed-circuit de-
partment at ABC-TV to join Loir
Edelman’s telefilm production op-
eration on' the Coast as assistant
to producer Robert F. Sisk on the
“Wyatt Earp” series. As such, he
won't cut his ABC ties completely,
since the network has an owner-
ship stake in the telepixers, which
bow this fall under Parker Pen-
General Mills sponsorship.

Balaban started with the network
at WBKB in Chicago, moving to
New York with John H. Mitchell,
presently v.p. in charge of the tv
net, when Mitchell was transferred
from WBKB to'head up WABC-TV,
the flagship in N. Y. After a stint
as assistant program chief of
WABC-TV, Balaban. was trans-
ferred to the network program de-
partment several r months ago to
head up the fledgling closed-circuit
department, handling sales and
production. His duties will prob-
ably be assumed by eastern tv pro-
gram director Dick Depew.

— tr-^- 1 —

‘Defender’ to Interstate
For Rerun Distribution

Hal Roach Jr., has hari.ded over
reruh distribution rights 6n his
“Public Defender” series to Inter-
state TV, the Allied Artists tele-
film subsidiary. It’s a straight
distribution deal 'with guarantees
on the Reed Hadley starrer,.. and
marks the second Roach property
to fall under the Interstate dis-
tribution domain, first being the
“Little Rascals” ‘ series, 'which
Roach, bought out from his father
several months ago- i

Roach has wiped the slate of
[rerun properties scheduled for
syndication clean with the “De-
fender” deal, having previously set
“My Little Margie” and “Trouble
With Father” distribution deals
via Official Films,

Policy on ‘Jungle Jim’

A Screen Gems Switch

Screen Gems, which has made a
policy of refraining from selling
its telefilm properties in - syndica-
tion on a firstruri basis, has sud-
denly dorie an about-face by put-
ting its new “Jungle Jim” series
into the syndicated marts. Custom-
ary practice is to put a new prop-
erty up for national sale, syndicat-
ing only • reruns . and non-network
markets; and if . no - national sale
is upcoming} quitting production
after a pilot or two. For the first ]
time, however, SG is going ahead
without a national sale, continuing [
production on “Jim” and selling it
on a syndicated basis.

Columbia Pictures subsid has, al-
ready racked up some . $250,000 in
longterm Sales oh the series ini
nine markets. It’s had the Johnny ;
Weismuller starrer . on the street
for only two weeks since abaridon-
ing hopes of a national, deal.

Switches to Film

. i *

Hollywood, Aug. 23.

Latest tv series' 'making- the
switch from live to film is “My Fa-
vorite Husband,” with DesilU to
film 13 episodes beginning' this
week. Director will be Eddie Buz-*
zell, recently signed by CBS-TV.

Show, dropped last season, grabs
the most sought-after time slot in
tv next semester, the half-hour, fol-
lowing “$64,000 Question” Tuesday,
night on CBS. Frigidalre sponsors
series which will go on, the air
Oct, 4 .'

Vanessa Brown- will have femme
lead, Jri role exited. by Joan. Caul-
field, while Barry Nelson, will con-
tinue as male lead. Producer is
Edmund Hartmann. Vidfilms go
intp production next week.

| Protestant Co-Op Filming
Doxology, Gloria Patri
As TV Hyinnscriptions

Atlanta, Aug. 23.

Protestant Radio Sc Television
Centre located here and owned co-
operatively and on a non-profit
basis by Episcopal, Lutheran, Pres-
byterian and Methodist denomina-
tions is turning out filmed “Hymn-
scriptions” running two minutes.
They are standard church rituals
like the Doxology and Gloria Patri
plus recited benedictions, etc. ren-
dered by the Fellowship Quartet.

Television stations are offered
the material 'as filler and sign-on,
Sign-off material for station-pro-
duced religious programs. This is
believed to be the only stock Prot-
estant religioso footage of its kind*
available.

HUBBARD, ZIV SETTLE
$500;000 ‘D.A.’ SUIT

Minneapolis, Aug. 23. 1

Stan Hubbard, KSTP-TV presi-
dent, has settled favorably out of
court his suit against Ziv Televi-
sion for $500,000 damages, or spe-
cific performance of an alleged
verbal agreement to extend for' 26
weeks the station’s present “Dis-
trict Attorney” pact expiring next
Oct. 20.

After allegedly promising him
verbally to continue . to sell “Dis?
trict Attorney” to KSTP-TV for
another, 26-Week ' period,' Hubbard
claimed in his anticipatory breach
of contract action that the Ziv
salesman here informed him the
show would go instead to com-
peting WCCO-TV because the lat*
ter was willing to pay $50 more
a week than KSTP-TV’s $400.

Chas. Levy’s Now Setup

Charles L. Levy, who resigned
several weeks, ago as publicity
chief 'of Walt Disney Productions
and Buena Vista • after 12 years
With the Disney firms to branch
•out bn his own, willc embrace tele-
j vision as well as pix in his new
i setup.- Levy this week signed as
special consultant on advertising,
publicity and sales promotion for
Cinema-Vue Productions.

CinemA-Vue has been reactivated
by Joe Smith following his -de-
parture from Guild Films, where
he . was syndicated sales v.p. ,

■/

long John’s’ L.A. Sale

Los Angeles, Aug, 23.
“Long John Silver” teleseries
starring Robert Newton, produced
by Joseph Kaufman in Australia,
has been purchased by K ABC-TV
for first local showing on channel’s
new “Operation Blockbuster,” f
“Blockbuster” will oc.cupy dally
hour following upcoming cross-ttye:
board ABC-TV “Mickey Mouse
Club,” stalling Oct. 4.

Houston, Aug. 23.

A project which may mean na-
tional distribution for tc local tv
series conceived and produced here
.was started here in the studios of
KPRC-TV.

An episode of “Man and Medi-
cine,” a public service ..series of
last season, was kinescoped to servo
as a pilot film for several major
pharmaceutical Companies . which
are' interested in sponsoring .the
series. ,

The episode, “Breath of Life,”
was kinescoped by a KPRC-TV
crew, directed by Bruce Kelly with,
equipment rented front KUHT-TV,
the U, .of Houston outlet. 1 Kelly-
directed the original series.

The 13-episode series will be
produced by ; the Texas Academy of
Science, The TJ. of Texas Medical
Branch- and the Medical' Research
Foundation of Texas in cooperation
with KPRC-TV. If and. when the
series is sold the entire profits will
j be turned over to the Medical Re-
f search Foundation. .

Dan Carlos' Miller is writer and.
publisher of the program. For e.ach
episode in. the series, the appropri-
ate specialist will act as the co-
author.

START ROLLING SDG’S
$2,600,000 SERIES

Hollywood, Aug. 23.

Hal Roach Jr., and the Screen
Directors’ Guild today (Tues.)
launch their new Screen Directors
Playhouse telepix program for
Eastman Kodak sponsorship, re-
ported to cost $2,600,000. A total
of 52 subjects, directed by SDG
members, will be turned out at
an average cost of $50,000 per
segment. Initialer will appear over
NBC-TV on Oct. 5.

Leo McCarey and Frank Bor-
zage will meg the first two vid-
films, “Meet the Governor” and
“Day Is Done,” respectively. For-
mer stars Herb Shriner and Bar-
bara Hale, latter Rory Calhoun
and Bobby Driscoll. McCarey
shoves off on his second, “Tom
and Jerry,” starring Louis Jour-
dan, on Friday (26).

Fox Exits ‘Waterfront’

For ‘Harbor Inn’ Series

. Hollywood, Aug.- 23.

M. Bernard Fox, producer of the
“Waterfront” vidpix series for Ro-
land Reed 1 Productions, is bowing
out of his connection, with 1 Reed
, upon completion of the sories*. Five
chapters of. “Waterfront” remain
for completion of series,

■ Fox is currently . propping “Har-
bor Inn,” a new vidpix. series with
a format similar to the “Water-
front” series.

SG’s Coast Expansion

.. Hollywood, Aug. 23,

;■ Screen Gems, 'in an expansion
of its activities, ■ has opened a new
35-office building .near its head-
quarters on the Columbia lot. This
brings to a total of 70 the number
of offices occupied by ,Cq 1 -telepix
subsidiary. . ,

New quarters are converted from
a former apartment house, „■!_

London, Aug. 23.

In exactly one year .since the.
organization was formed. Incor-
porated Television Program Co.
has concluded vidpic distribution
deals in the United States valued
at over $1,750,000, with a potential
return of at least $3,500,000. De-
tails of the achievement were
given at a press conference to cele-
brate the first birthday and to an-’
nounce the appointment of Jack
Solomons, Britain’s ace boxing pro-
moter, as its adviser, .

ITP, which at the time of its
formation made an unsuccessful
bid to become a program contractor
for the new commercial tv web,
has. since... acquired a substantial
holding in Associated. Broadcasting
Co., which will operate the London
station .on weekends and the Bir-
mingham transmitter on Weekdays.
The ' outfit Is headed by Prince
Littler,, as chairman, and Val Par-
nell, the ^Palladium boss, as man-
aging director, and the board In-
cludes Hugh Beaumont, Lew & .
Leslie Grade, Phil and Sid Hyams,
Harry Alan Towers^ John S.
Schlesinger and Suzanne .Warner.

Despite its strong financial link
with the ARC. network, ITP is
offering its programs to rival webs
Arid has already closed . several
deals ' with Associated-Rediffusion,
the weekday programmers for the
London, station.

Already they have proirioted
four film series, three of which
have been acquired in America.
“The Adventures of Robin Hood,”
with Richard Greene starred in the
title role, will be aired on the ABC
station on- Sunday afternoons. This
series has been sold to ’ CBS iri
America and ‘ another dear has
been concluded for Canada. U. S.
and Canadian rights have report-
edly earned the company $1,250,- 0
000. The programs, produced by
Hannah Weinstein, are the subject
of a special, promotion campaign,
and 65 U. S. tv scribes are coming,
to London at the end of the month
at the invitation of the American
^sponsors.

A second series, “The Adven-
tures of the Scarlet Pimpernel,”
starring Marius Goring, are to be
aired over the A-R network, while
the '‘Theatre 1 Royal” half-hour
plays will be featured on the ABC
Sunday night schedule. The last
two series are being syndicated
throughout the U. S. A fourth se-
ries is “TV Playhpuse,” produced
by H. M. Tennent and Towers of
London.

Live programs being promoted
by ITP include “Sunday Night, at
the Palladium,” “The Lights of
London” and a half-hour musical
featui’e, “Saturday Showtime” a
vaude package, “The Jack Jackson
Show,” which will originate from
the Embassy Club, and a fortnight-
ly boxing program which will be
supervised by Jack Solomons. “The
Lights of London” and the boxing
programs will be leased via A-R.

Ziv, already well entrenched in
the Latin American market with its
dubbed telepix, • closed nine more
deals over the past few weeks
covering the new Mexican stations
in Monterey and Guadalajara,
Mexico City, Caracas, Havana and
San Juan. Biggest deals were with
Sears Roebuck, which though one
of the largest retailers In Mexico
hasn’t used tv there yet.

! Sears bought Ziv’s “Science Fic-
tion Theatre” for Mexico City and
the new Monterey outlet, which
opened Aug. 10, and also bought
“Boston . Blackie” for a run in
Caracas.. Phillips of the Nether-
lands picked up “Favorite Story for
Monterey and Guadalajara, which
is scheduled to go on the air in
October.' In Havana, J. Uppman
bought “Mr.. District Attorney.”
while Tropical Beer signed up
“Science Fiction Theatre.” Nabisco
.picked up reruns on “The Unex-
pected” for San Juan. In Caracas,
Standard Brands bought ’ “Cisco
Kid,” American Tobacco signed for
“The Unexpected” and Venezuela
de Tobacco bought “Science Fic-
tion.”

Wednesday, August 24, 1953

TV-FILMS 37

w a -

«♦

4 — —

llOli

Some interesting statistics covering the extensiveness of use. of
syndicated programs, availability of types of syndicator product and
the time, clearance situation are offered in a sales presentation by
ABC Film Syndication covering the : syndication' field in general.
ABC reports there are nearly 200 Series available in the half-hour
category alone, and lists 30 general drama, 28 adventure, 25 mys-
tery, 21 comedy, 16 musical variety and 13 children's shows, plus
an undetailed list 'of sports,, westerns, documentaries, educational,
quiz shows# travel,' variety and religious programs..

In use of syndicated shows, ABC breaks down 14 major markets
representing 46.1% of total U. S. television shows. It reports that
Los Angeles uses 100 syndicated films weekly, Denver 70, San
Francisco 65, New York 65, Chicago. 50, Washington 50, Salt Lake
City 40, Columbus 35, Atlanta 35, St. Louis 35, Philadelphia 35,
Milwaukee. 35, Cincinnati 30 and Boston 30.

On the mattey of station clearance, ABC maintains that “when
top programs are off ^eq, stations clear time, even in the so-called
‘tight’ .markets;-” and offers as proof the fact that 71% of the cur-
rent “Racket Squad" telecasts are. between 7:30 and .10 p;m. It
then points at specific clearances for its shows,, with “Backet” on
WMCT in Me%>niS Sunday at 6:30 and KWjK-TV in St. Louis on
Thursday .ait 9:30; “passport to. Danger” on KDKA in Pittsburgh
Wednesday at9:30, WAVE^TV in . Louisville on Thursday at 7:30,
WBTV in Charlotte Tuesday atB and WFBM-TV in Indianapolis
on. Thursday; at ;0. . “J3ouki^3 Fairbanks Presents” is on KDKA-TV
Wednesday .at 8:30’ ‘ and : on' KSD-TV in St. Louis Wednesday at
9 : 30 . , • * :

Hollywood, AugV 23. <

Alliance of Television. Film Pro-
ducers, which just signed a new
contract with the Screen Actors
Guild, thus ending a 12-day-old
strike# next faces upped demands
from Writers Guild of America
West, whose negotiating commit-
tee is now working on proposals.
WGAW, it was learned, will seek
generally the same type of agree-
ment it reached with major vid-
filmeries last May, wherein mini-
mums were upped all along the
line. Talks with the Alliance begin
in September.

Although the writers, in disclos-
ing the major deal last spring,
said the telefilmeries had signed
with the guild, the deal hasn’t yet
been signatured because “the lawr
yers are still Working on it.” A
new pact with the majors Is due
to be renegotiated this fall, and
\mless the barrister's hurry it up,
the May agreement won’t be
signed by the time new negotia-
tions begin.

Writers now receive a total of
150% of the original payment in
rerun* coin, and it’s expected they
will seek a hike in their talks with
the Alliance.

Under the present Alliance-
WGAW pact, writers get 25% for
the third and fourth runs; 25%
for the fifth and sixth runs, and
so on up to and including the 12th
run, for the total of 150%i But a
number of writers have indicated
the guild will seek to increase the
rerun situation. SAG’s success in
eliminating that cuffo second run,
obtaining 35% for it in its new
(Continued on page 41)

With five additional sales in the
bag in the past week on its “An-
niversary Package” of 15 J. Ar-
thur Rank features, ABC Film
Syndication has hit the $250,000.
mark on the package in only three
weeks of selling. Group of films
is part of the 35 Rank features
which ABC acquired# keeping 20
for network firstruns and handing
over the /“Anniversary” 15 to its
syndication arm for station-by-sta-
tion sale.

. Quarter-of-a-million mark has
been reached on the basis of only
nine sales, but all in key markets.
Five new deals are with, W JAR-TV •
in Providence, KLZ-TV in Denver,
WFAA-TV in Dallas, an unnamed
buyer in Milwaukee and. KTVH in
Hutchinson, Kans. Films had pre-
viously been sold to WCBS-TV,
N.Y.; KTVT, Sait Lake City;
KOMO-TV, Seattle and KRON*
TV, San Francisco.

NBC’s Xmas Day ’Heidi’

NBC-TV is negotiating a deal
with London Films for a one-time
presentation of its “Heidi” pic of
Several-years-ago vintage.

, Plan is to give the film a network
exposure on Christmas morning.

Terms on Telepix

Hollywood, Aug. 23.

Complete details of the hew con-
tract between the Screen Actors
Guild and the Alliance of Televi-
sion Film Producers, inked last
week, have been disclosed follow-
ing ratification by the SAG mem-
bership at a meeting at Hollywood
Legion Stadium.

For the first time, actors will
receive coin for second-runs of vid-
films, with producers granting 35%
on the second showing, thus ending
the crucial deadlock which resulted
in the strike. Producers "who pre-
viously paid residuals on third to
sixth runs only objected from' the j
start to paying any rerun coin on
the second-run, while the guild was
equally insistent there should be
no more cuffo ride for that show-
ing,. In addition, instead of a 50%
rerun for the. third and fourth
showings, producers, will now pay
30% on the third run, and 25%
on the fourth time round. They
also will pay- 25% on each of the
fifth and sixth, runs, the sixth run
coin covering 'any subsequent runs.

SAG cracked down oh what it
feels has been a rerun abuse by
including in the new pact a pro-
vise nixing any advance buyout of
residual payments for all day play-
ers and for other players up- to
double the minimum rate. Under
the old pact it was possible for a
player drawing $200 a day, for ex-
ample to learn later that actually
(Continued on page 41)

FORD’S TfELLOW ROSE’

AS *56 CAR THEME

Ford is in the. process of shoot-
ing its filmed commercials for next
■season’s specs (“Producers Show-
case” on NBC-TV and “Ford Star
Jubilee” on CBS-TV).

Theme tune of all the commer-
cials is “Yellow Rose of Texas,”
the Mitch Miller hit platter for
Columbia Records. . Lyrics, of
course, will be themed to the Ford
’56 car.

Turn to Character Assassination

By BOB CHANbLER

Telefilm production costs can be
expected to go up between 6 and
10% by the end of the year as
the result of the new Screen Actors
Guild^contract and other imminent
labor hikes. That’s the opinion of
Milton Gordon, president of Televi-
sion Programs of America, who
also forsees as one of the effects
of the SAG contract, a "tworway
stretch” in the syndication field
which will see new properties
hard-put to show a profit but. cur-
rent films on the markets enjoying
a greater margin of profit.

Basis of Gordon’s* forecast of in-
creased production costs is not only
the 35% second-run payment to
SAG members and the hike in min-
imum daily pay scales, but demands
from other unions which will soon
be presented to producers. Among
them Is the demand from IATSE
cameramen’s local for a. 5% share
in gross telefilm receipts and up-
coming negotiations with other
technicians, both on abbve and be-
low-the-li'ne levels.

Since the SAG 35% rerun clause
is not retroactive and applies only
to current and future production,
Gordon believes that in-the-ca”
product will not be forced upward
pricewise and that sales conse-
quently will coi?ie more easily in
the syndicated marts. On the
other hand, new product may be
hard-hit by the repayment clause,
since it’s already operating on a
close profit margin as a volume
business. Gordon believes’ that the
budget hikes will have, to be pass-
ed on to the advertisers and sta-
tions, since the producers, operat-
ing at a close profit margin, will
be unable to absorb the costs.
Price hikes, in. turn, will mate
selling tougher# since there’s plenty
of older ^product available which
is unaffected by the SAG contract.

In the case of new production
on nationally-sponsored programs,
"or pf new* shows contracted for by
national sponsors before the SAG
walkout began, the producers are
in most cases ’ protected by escala-
tor clauses in their’ pacts with the
sponsors. Case in point is TPA’s
“Fury,” which General Mills will
sponsor in the fall on NBC-TV and
which contains such a clause cover-
ing labor increases.

Gordon also pointed out that the’
SAG contract will all but eliminate
the “cost-minus” pattern of na-
tional sales, under which produc-
ers sell their shows to the sponsor
at less-than-cost in return for re-
taining residual rights, the idea
being that they’ll make their prof-
its from .the repeats. With SAG
members now being repaid 35%
of scale for second runs, plus pay-
ments down the line for each run
until the sixth, such an arrange-
ment is virtually impossible, since
the repayment schedules, distribu-
tion fees -and other costs of selling
repeats would leave too small a
margin for profit from the resi-
duals alone.

39 MORE TELEFILMS
FOR DREW PEARSON

Drew Pearson is readying anoth-
er series of 39 quarter-hour tele-
films for weekly distribution, this
time via UM&M Inc,,, which is sell-
ing the package for a Sept. 24 start.
Pearson had done 78 of the 15-
minuters over .the past two years
for Motion Pictures for Television,
and when MPTV handed over its
syndicated, product to UM&M for
distribution# the last cycle in the
bunch was included. As a logical
consequence, Pearson’s new cycle,
which goes into production Sept. 22
in Washington,- will be distribbed
by UM&M, but this year MPTV
Will have no, connection at all with
the series, ownership or otherwise.

New group will follow the same
format as the old, with Pearson
grabbing off top political figures
for interviews. Having gotten for-
mer President Harry S. Truman as
a guest a couple of years ago,
Pearson's ttying for President
Eisenhower for the new series.

Welcome Stranger

NBC Film Division last week
sold its two newest properties,
“The Great Gildersleeve” and
“Steve Donovan, Western Mar-
shal/’, iii New -York. Deal Was
with WRCA-TV, Gotham flag-
ship of the NBC network, of
which the Filin Division is a
subsid.

But strangely enough, the
sales marked the first time in
about two years that the sta-
tion has bought a new property
from the Film Division. Last .
time it happened was when the
Film Division acquired “Vic-
tory at Sea’' from the network
and sold it for initial rerun
on WRCA. Since that time, .
“Badge 714” and “Inner Sanc-
tum” have been sold to WOR- :
TV, “His Honor, Homer Beil”
remains unsold in Gotham and
“The Falcon” has been sold to '
WABC-TV. Only concession the
station made to the Film Di-
vision was to buy reruns on
“Paragon Playhouse” and “The
Visitor” for afternoon -‘strip- .
ping. '

Theatres Abroad

Hollywood, Aug. 23.

“President of the United States”
has been skedded as a one-hour
color telepix series by William
Rowland and Monte Brice, budget-
ed at $200,000 per segment. Sub-
jects deal with outstanding high-
lights in the life of each president
during his .office tenure. Each
will have an added 20 minutes for
theatrical release abroad.

Producers will discuss the mat-
ter with Secretary of State Dulles
to enlist . State Dept, endorsement
and cooperation to show the Amer-
ican way of life to overseas audi-
ences, ^according to Rowland. A. B.
Guthrie Jr., “Kentuckian” and
“Shane” scripter, will be cq-pro-
ducer and story editor; Irma BArk,
who research series, associate pro-
ducer.

Talks have already been held
with Bob Weitman of ABC and A1
Kemp of NBC, with class A A time
made available with proper spon-
sorship, according to Rowland. Ne-
gotiations have already been start-
ed for Chrysler and Prudential
sponsorship, t

CHASE OUT, GALLO IN
ON N. Y. ‘SHERLOCK*

Gallo Wine, which has already
picked up the “Sherlock -Holmes”
series -in 30-odd markets from
UM&M, its distrib, is buying the
show in New : York after Chase-
Manhattan Bank’s contract expires
and is switching the show from
WRCA-TV to DuMont. Change-
over takes place Oct. 24# after
Chase’s 52 weeks have been com-
pleted. Gallo will use reruns for
at least a couple of months, since
the new cycle of “Holmes” films
hasn’t goije into production yet and
won’t be ready until January.

Relating to the new cycle of 39
“Holmes” pix, UM&M prez Charles
Amory planed for Paris yesterday
(Tues.) for a week of final pre-pro-
duction huddles, with Sheldon
Reynolds, who’s producing the

series. Amory and Reynolds will

discuss final financing plans
(UM&M is arranging the bank-
rolling on the new series, with Mo-
tion Pictures for Television out of
the picture this year) and expect to
set a starting date shortly there-
after.

The highly competitive field of
selling telefilms for syndication has
had its share of unscrupulous prac-
tices, among them pricecutting;,
block selling and occasional “tak-
ing” by some filmbiiyers, but a
couple of salesmen out in the field
are hitting ar new low through a
process of character assassination.
The practice comes' into being
when a competitor is close to a
good sale, Whereupon an unscrupu-
lous salesman goes to the prospec-
tive sponsor and starts smearing
the star of the show about to be
bought in order to spoil the sale.
Most local (and national, for that
matter), sponsors being highly sus-
ceptible and sensitive in identify-
ing their- products with question-
able characters, the strategy oft-
times works and the salesman then
pitches his own show.

Latest case in point involved the
“Douglas Fairbanks Presents”
made-in-Brithin dramatic series,
which is distributed by ABC Film
. Syndication; ABC had a sale vir-
1 tually closed in a southwestern
market, when a competitive sales-
man wenj to the sponsor and hint-
ed that Fairbanks was about to
give up his American citizenship.
The sponsor, a respected local in-
stitution, was afraid of the possible
publicity and was ahout to forget
about the show when ABC rushed
into the breach and quickly
squelched the smear by pointing to
a piece in Time mag which quoted
Fairbanks as referring to his 15-
years .officer’s reserve status and
his definitive statement that" he
had no intentions of renouncing
his citizenship. Fairbanks’ state-
ment in Time, incidentally/ was in
relation to something else entirely
and touched on the citizenship
matter only incidentally.

That’s only one of a string of
incidents over the past couple of
years. In another case, competitors
of a particular show sought to dis-
credit it with rumors about the
star’s alleged penchant for getting
in trouble with women. In- still an-
other case, competitors brought to
light a years-old maternity suit
against the star of another series.
With sponsors about thp most ul-
tra-sensitive buyers of any com-
modity, the rumors, true or got —
and in most cases they’re not — >
have an immediate but lasting ef-
fect and even when they're dis-
proven the damage is still done.

In virtually every case, it’s the
men in the field rather than the
homeoffice boys who are responsi-
ble for the character assassination
techniques. Homeoffice execs frown
on the practice, but often know
nothing about it until the injured
party complains. Then they admin-
ister a verbal spanking if they’ve
definite proof against the party
involved. It’s just a few salesmen
in the field/ who either ■■ through
their desire for an extra buck (all
salesmen work on commission) or
just downright meanness, Work the
practice.

Hollywood, Aug. 23.

William T. Orr will function in a
liaison position on the “Warner
Bros. Presents” telepix show, fol-
lowing the surprise weekend exit
of Gary Stevens as general man-
ager. Production, on the series
otherwise continues sans change
under the direct supervision of
Jack L. Warner. Orr is also gen-
eral talent exec for Warners the-
atrical film production.

“Presents” goes on ABG-TV as
an hour-long series, sponsored al-
ternately by General Electric,
Monsanto Chemical, and Liggett &
Myers.

Pftnmi'Y

Wednesday, August 24, 1955

1955 SPORTS SERIES

"CHAMPIONSHIP BOWLING” is
champ! The TV industry voted 'it fir^Tas the best,
new, nonrnetwork series, in BILLBOABD^S-Ahnual
Program and Talent Poll. And no wonder!
"CHAMPIONSHIP BOWLING” is now racking up

• \ i # •

ratings that can only be described as astonishing.
Not even baseball, fights or pro football can
compete. Sounds almost unbelievable, but it's true!

WKJG-TV Ft. Wayne, Ind. — 5:30 Sat. aft. 40.4
WHAM-TV Rochester, N.Y.— 2:30 Sat. aft. 30.0
WDAF-TV Kansas City, Mo. — 1 :00 Sun. aft. 1 8.0
WKRC-TV Cincinnati, Ohio— 1 :00 Sun. aft. 22*4

CHAMPIONSHIP BOWLING

WE'VE GOT :

* THE STARS!

To be tops, you've got to have the tops.

And we’ve got 'em — under exclusive ^
contract. The bowling champs of the
world, the group that comprises the
“Major League."

STEVE NAGY
DON CARTER

BUZ FAZIO
JOE KRISTOF

ANDY VARIPAPA JOE NORRIS

NED DAY
BUDDY BOMAR

BILLY WELU ^ y
ED KOWALICS ^

JUNIE McMAHON PAUL KRUMSKE

STAN GIFFORD

JOE WILMAN
BILL LILLARD

CONNIE SCHWOEGLER

CARMEN SALVINO

52 HOUR FILMS NOW IN THE CAN

•

It's a one-hour film show (shot specifically for Television)
a featuring match elimination games between champions of
the bowling world for major cash awards. No sports film
can equal this one for excitement and suspense. Here's a
show that will build a big rating overnight in any time slot
regardless of competition— even the best feature films.

For descriptive brochure, prices, and
audition film, write, wire or phone

WALTER SCHWIMMER CO.

75 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago 1, III., FRahklin 2-4392
New York Office.: Howard Henkin, 16 E. 41st St., LExington 2-1791
Hollywood Office? Tom Corradine, 5746 Sunset Blvd., HOUywood 2-4448
Canada, Spence Caldwell, 447 Jarvis, Toronto, WAInut 2-2103

Wednesday, August • 24, ' 1955

PfiSlETr

If you're looking for a Fall TV series— and you can't

decide among the many fine TV dramas
and mysteries— don't you think it makes sense
to investigate a completely different type of show?

And don't you think that the public

- »•

would gratefully respond to one that's fresh

and entertaining?

First returns on
’’EDDY ARNOLD TIME*'

Ratings:

, WDXI-TV, Jackson, Tenn. . . .70.2

KCMC-TV, Texarkana, Tex. .47.5

KCJB, Minot, N. D 98.0

(Honest- to-God!)

KFXJ-TV, Grand Junction,

Colo ,..,.75.6

Then you'll want to investigate "EDDY ARNOLD
TIME," a beautiful, stimulating musical series—
imaginatively produced and lavishly staged—
featuring a splendid cast and America's favorite
singer of songs, EDDY ARNOLD,

26 half-hours now in the can, all made in . 1955 — a
quality production, realistically priced.

“EDDY ARNOLD TIME”

For descriptive brochure, prices, and
audition film, write, wire or phone

WALTER SCHWIMMER CO.

75 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago 1, III., FRanklin 2-4392
New York Office: Howard Henkin, 16 E. 41st St., LExington 2-1791*
Hollywood Office: Tom Corradine, 5746 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood 2-4448
Canada, Spence Caldwell, 447 Jarvis, Toronto, WAInut 2-2103

Wednesday* Attaint 24, 1955

YOU’VE ALL BEEN SUCH GOOD

BUNNIES TO

BILLBOARD

SHE’S A DYNAMIC
GAL

"The new Wendy Barrie daytime show
that WABD Is airing offers housewives an
exciting half hour purely because of the per*
sonality of the star.

“ Miss Barrie is one of the most vibrant
women performers on TV. today. She's fairly
bursting with sophistication and charm. Her
best TV quality, however, is her ability to
say things that are -completely unexpected
and exceedingly frank, all delivered on an
ad lib basis." Jack Singer

GRAND BROADWAY

• \j ‘

yAniETY

", . «. Her new WABD, N. Y„ half-hour
•yem strip was a pretty lively compilation..
- , . . delivered in the grand ^Broadway
manner . . Art

EXCLUSIVE CLASS

JACK GQULO
New York Times

“Back again on New York television is
Wendy Barrie, tke madcap bunny who last
year took a sabbatical out In Ohio oj some
such places Its high time she returned be-
cause there is nobody quite like her in front
of the cameras/ '

DRIGHYENING
TV SCREENS

WALTER WINCHELL
Daily Mirror

“Good to see Wendy Barrie back bright*
ening TV screens. She has charm, wit and
intelligence. (What more could you possi*
bly want?) 1 '

WENDY BARRIE

Currently

GREAT CHARM-
NATDRAL WIT

By EDMUND LEAMY

N. Y. World-Telegram & Sun

“She is a glamorous personality, even more
so off stage than on. She is an amazing forth*
right youn g woman of great charm and nat*
ural wit. Her voice has a beautiful fflt to

T *

it, with understones of honesty and sincerity
and the devil-may-care. Her laughter is |oy-
ous and infectious. Her delightful eyes danco
mischievously on the slightest provocation.
She has a wonderful sense of humor." ■

The WENDY BARRIE Show

WABD -TV

7 7:30 tm 72 N., Monday thru Friday

“$64,000 QUESTION”

for REVLON
NBC -TV

70 P.M., Tuesdays

ENTERTAINING

HARRIET VAN HORNE
N. Y, World-Telegram & Sun
”... she's a lot more entertaining than
the general run of lady commentators. Her

Recently Concluded STARRING ROLE in

"THE RAINMAKER," Capri Theatre, Atlantic Beach

Personal Management

ANN EDISON

voice is pleasant

• . quick-witted.' 1

Wednesday, August 24? 1955

IsfiRtEfY

RADIO REVIEWS

Two WQXR staffers busy in summer stock — OPola Chasman, vacation-
ing from her “Spoken Word” series, will be a member of the “Much

Ado About Nothing” cast at the Shakespeare Festival Theatre in Strat-
ford through Sept. 2, while Albert A. Grobe, the station’s chief an-
nouncer, joins his 14-year-old daughter in the Holloway Beach (On-
tario) Players* presentation of “The Wayward Saint” next week.

G. W. (Johnny) Johnstone, National Assn, of Manufacturers radio-tv
director, vacationing with wife on Cape Cod through Labor Day . , .
Rosalind Russell guests on Jim Coy’s WRCA .“Coy’s Comer” today
(Wed.) . . . John Karol, CBS Radio sales veep, vacationing at Martha’s
Vineyard . . . WRCA dee jay Al (Jazzbo) Collins off on a. three-week
_ Vacation to Salt Lake' City and points west, wtih the possibility , he’ll
do some remotes for the NBC “Monitor” from the Coast ... Ed Murrow
returns for the /ninth year^in his CBS Radio 7:45-8 p.m. cross-board
slot on Monday (29) after a eight-week layoff . . . CBS' trade editor
Harry Feeney vacationing for two weeks at his Narrowsburg, N. Y.
retreat . . . Bert Bacharach subbing for vacationing Jack Sterling on
“Make Up Your Mind,” while Peter Thomas takes over Sterling’s
WCBS wakerrUpper . . . Bob Trout back on his CBS newscasts after
two months ih Europe; - -

WINS v.p.-general manager Bob Leder named two key execs last
week— Hugh Ben LaRue to the post of general ' sales manager and
‘ Jacques Biraben to assistant to the v.p.-g.m. . . * Bob Flanigan, for-
merly with NBC Spot Sales in Chicago, has moved to N.- Y. and joined
the WOV salesstaff . . . Gusste Moran doubling from her WMGM
sports commentary chores to writing — she’* sold a piece on girl.' golfers
to the American Weekly and a collaboration with Al Hlrshberg, “You,
Too, Ladies, Can Learn to Love Baseball/’ to Family, Circle ... . M. D.
(Doc) Morris, WAAT account exec, becomes station manager of WORC
in Worcester, Mass. « . . Dr.George Crothers, CBS. director of educa-
tional and religious programs, off to; his Lake George cottage for two
weeks of vacation : . . James F. Black, Otto Prochazkaand Austin A.
Thgmas upped to V.p.’s at’ Benton & BowleS; Black’s an account super-
visor; Proehazka a: creative supervisor' and Thomas business manager
of the art department and supervisor of production and traffic.

IN CHICAGO ....

WNBQ-WM AQ general manager Jules Herbuveaux accepted for
chairman David Sarnoff the award given RCA for its contributions to
the art of photography at the Photographers Assn, of America annual
conclave here last week . . . Tom Brennan, formerly with Official Films
and Young & Rubicam in New York, has signed on at Foote, Cone &
Belding as a radio-tv supervisor . . . Chi NBC-TV salesman Ed Stock-
mar vacationing * with his family at Fawn Lake, Wis. . . . Daytime.
Broadcasters Assn, board of directors convened' here last week for
another kickarouhd of its project to get uniform operating hours for
the daytime-only licensees . . . NBC-TV program chief Alan Beaumont,
and publicist Al Welsman off to the Coast to arrange for the home-
coming of the junketing “Zoo Parade” contingent . . . WGN prepping
its fourth annual Corn Harvest Days downstate 'farm festival skedded
this year in Pontiac, 111., Sept. 29-Oct. 1 . . . J. Walter. Thompson’s Chi,
radio-tv director Peter Cavallo off for a Colorado hiatus . . . Austin
Kiplinger subbing for vacationing Jack Angell on his two nightly!
WNBQ news shows . . . Marshall .Field Co. purchased a bundle fo 40 ;
station breaks a week on WGN for 20 weeks . . . Dee jay Howard Miller
working his CBS morning show from his Chicago Theatre dressing
room while fronting the current stage bill . . . John Blair in this week
for a fast round of conferences at his station rep firm’s Chi offices
. . . Mutual salesman Tom Henry beating the heat in northern Wis-
consin.

fiV PHILADELPHIA ...

Jack Webb in to promote “Pete Kelly’s Blues” (18), cancelled sched-
uled 10-minute date for film spot announcements to plug Dragnet” at
WPTZ. Camera crew had been set up for star . . . George Cahan, for-
mer producer-announcer at WFIL, now directing the Johnny Carson
show . . . Piggy Barnes, “Captain Nemo” of WCAU-TV’s “Adventure”
series and a former Eagles tackle, added to the Villanova coaching
stall . . . Wally Parker, formerly with WIP, now a WATV Paterson',
N. J. announcer . . . Cal Milner and Larry Brown, WPEN dee jays are
alternating handling the two shows for Vacationing Bud Brees. Brown,
a progressive jazz afficianado, also subbing for Art Raymond, “Pancho,
the Man in the Bla^k Sombrero” and his Latin rhythms . . , Herbert
Mayer, Ajax Enterprises, Greenwich, Conn., has filed an application
with FCC to operate a UHF tv station, Channel 23 in Philly » . . Jeff
Soott, KYW disk jockey, an entrant in the sports car hill climbing test
hear Wilmington, will record the event for “Monitor” .... The Mar-^
ciano-Moore title bout, only televised in theatres, will be broadcast by*
WFIL (Sept. 20).

IN BOSTON . . .

Hub radio and tv staffs had no sooner recovered from the hectic
coverage plans ma“de for threatened Hurricane Connie, when the un-
expected backlash of Hurricane Diane clouted the Hub and southern
N. E. with a torrential rain which washed out roads and towns, flooded
cities and disrupted all activities Friday (19). Only lack of hurricane
winds made the storm less damaging than that of last year’s Hurricane
Carol which did millions of dollars of damage last Aug. 31 . . . WBZ-
TV news had 27 movie cameramen convering southern Mass, for storm
damage. The 6:30' Esso News and the 7:15 Shawmut Bank Newif were
devoted practically entirely to storm damage reports . . . While Don
Kent was giving his WBZ-TV -morning weather bulletins, Weymouth,
Mass, police were evacuating his family from 7 the Great Hill section
of Weymouth ... Dick Hahd, WBZ-TV correspondent from Concord,
N. H. hired a plane to fly into storm area to get air shots of the floods
. . . Carl Dickerman of WEEI left Sunday (21) from WEEI for a month
in the sun . , .Ed Penney, WTAO dee jay, feted a stag ..party in honor
of 'his coming nuptials' attended by platter and radio personalities.

IN CLEVELAND ...

WTAM’s Tom. Manning pacted for Ohio State grid tilts on Satur-
day for Graybar Electric . . . Wayne Mack disking at WDOK . . . Par-
ticipants at Cuyahoga County Fair include WHK’s Bill Gordon, Eleanor
Hanson, Tom Fletcher, Tom Brown -and Brian Hodgkinson, while WGAR
sends James Taylor, .Hal Morgan and 'Ruth Allen to host the Ohio
State .Fai? special . . . Elaine Brant cohosts WNBK’s studio dance .party
. . . Sponsors for Pinky Hunter memorial include Johnny Andrews,
Ken Hackathom, Reg Merridew, Franklyn Snyder . . . Harmon Span-
ner is WSRS’s new, promotion and merchandising manager . . . John
Deegati, ex-WHUM, is news reporter at WSRS . . . Wally King doing
summer announcing at WTAM-WNBK . . . Radio-tv editor of Cleveland
Press, Stan Anderson, set for London junket . . . Sam, Sague, WSRS
prexy, and wife, off on European trip * . . Ray Elias, formerly with
Play House, on NBC production staff,

IN DETROIT . . .

The trend is clearly to get out of the studios and remote it. Disk
jockeys are flocking for the v Detroit River where they’ll spin records

(Continued on page 45)

From the Production Centres

IN NEW YOKE CITY ...

WCCO-TV in 8-Part .

Documentary Series .

* ,0n Minn. Alcoholics

f Minneapolis, Aug, 23.

State authorities are cooperating
fully with WCCO-TV newscaster
Charles McCuetf in -an eightrpart
documentary video, series covering
Minnesota’s program for the treat-
ment and rehabilitation of alco-
holics, marking the first time Min-
nesota tv has gone behind the

Radio Followup

“State of the Nation,” half-hour
forum type show aired vja WOR-
Mutual, came up with a controver-
sial topic ^Saturday (20) in “Should
Congress'' investigate the Enter-
tainment Industry?” Taking the
affirmative- was Godfrey Schmidt,
president .of Aware Inc., described
as “an organization to combat the
Communist conspiracy in enter-
tainment and communications.”
His adversary was Dr. Clark Fore-
man, director of the Emergency
Civil Liberties Committee.

scenes to report on a subject of
this nature.

Authorities have permitted Mc-
Cuen to have ingress .to the Min-
nesota State hospital where alco-
holics are treated and to follow!
firsthand, the case, of a Minneapo-
lis 41-year-old woman who was
Committed there for treatment at
her own request.

The woman* the series’ . central
character,.' is making no attempt to
conceal her identity or the alco-
holism symptoms which prompted
hCr to seek desperately needed
treatment at the hospital. In the
initial show, McCuen pointed out
“there are ho actors .or actresses
in tills' film story” He added that
“these are real people,' with seri-
ous problems, and > the people who
treat them are engaged in serious,
conscientious work.”

SAG Breakdown

^Continued from, page 37

meant $130 a day with $70 advance
against the reruns.

Minimum day rates are liiked ,as
follows:. Daily players, from $70 to
$80 a day; singers mouthing to play-
back, $45 to $50; airplane pilots,
$100 to $115; freelance pact, $250 to
$285 a week; stuntmen and airplane,
pilots, $300 to $345 a week; three-
day, pact, $175 to $200; miiltii>le
vidplx, from two telefilms for $320,
and three vldpix of $375, to $185
per pic; series pact, 13 pix in 6Vh
weeks, $125* to $145 per episode;
13 pix in 13 weeks, $250 to $285
per episode; term pact, 20 out of
26 weeks, $160 to $185 per week;
10 out of 13 weeks, $225 to $255
per week.

Rerun provisions specify that pro-
ducers may defer payment for each
respective rerun until six months
after the first telecast of the re-
spective renin in any city in the
U. S. or Canada, or after the rerun
has been telecast in . 70 cities,
whichever occurs first.

In regard to vidpix whose second
running is Intermixed with pix in
their first run, all such second runs
shall count as second runs with
following sale exception: When a
syndicated, non-network series of
39 vidfilms in .its original sale is
sold for viewing in not more than
20 cities for a given sponsor, 13
of the 39 may be rerun once in-
the same year on an intermixed
basis, and such shall not count
as the second run, the actor waiting
until the next rufcvto collect his
second-run coin. This exception
does not include the summer hiatus
type of reruns in which a number
of vidpix are run consecutively for
the second time.

It was also agreed that SAG
conditions other than guild shop
shall be extended beyond the con-
tinentalU. S. as in the former pact,
to include Canada and all ter-
ritories and possessions of the U.S.
When « guild member is Inked
here* on a pact to make pix abroad,
guild conditions shall prevail for
him anywhere in the world.

Writers Guild

Continued from page 37 SmmAm

deal, i6 believed to be a potent
factor in this reasoning.

Present Alliance pact sees the
writer of a half-hour vldfilm re-
ceive $700 for original story and
teleplay. But under the agreement
with the majors, which will serve
as the pattern in new talks, writer
of a half-hour vidplay receives
$750 and, if it’s his original, gets
an extra $250. It’s common knowl-
edge majority of writers don’t like
the present Alliance pact, and will
consequently; be pushing for terms
either as good or better than those
reached with the majors. However,
it’s expected, minimums will, fol-
low the major deal, but scribblers
will, probably seek to hike the re-
run coin both with ,the indies and
majors.

Question was a particularly
timely one in view of the fact that
only two days .• previously the
House Un-American Activities
Committee concluded a four-day
hearing ih J^pw. York 1 to probe
whether show . business was being
infiltrated by .Communists. But
after Schmidt and Dr. Foreman
had consumed practically all of
their allotted time in shouting in-
vectives at one another, the issue,
was still unclear to an .impartial
listener for both top .frequently di-
gressed from the topic at hand.

Before moderator Hardy Burt
managed to steer the participants
back on' the cdurse, they dragged
in '. such varied analogies as the
Spanish Civil War,, tyranny in Rus-
sia and .the Catholic hierarchy in
addition to embarking upon . a
heated discussion as to “What is a
C.ommunist7” Schmidt’s gpndral
sentiments were indicated by his
observation: “I certainly feel that
Congress should investigate infil-
tration in entertainment because
they are there,” He charged that
actors’ names, are taken by the
Reds who use them . as • “prestige
for the Communist conspiracy.” .

Dr.;. Foreman, who scoffed “at
how could a<jtors overthrow the
government .. by : reciting a few
lines?” emphasized' thtat a Congres-
sional investigation , of ! the : theatre
“to spread f bar of one’s fellow’ cit-
izens” is a “dangerous practice and
a gross abuse- of power.” -. In cham-
pioning the- Bill of Rights and
Constitution, he asserted “I don’t
believe Congress has the right to
ask questions :-*hi which a man
could lofce his job.”

Schmidt, on. -the. other hand,
claimed that Communists are al-
ways tools — “we . want 4 to protect
actors from their political idio-
cies.” To this Dr. Foreman ex-
claimed “Congress has no right (to
conduct an investigation) unless
they pass a law!”

Formerly a “Facts Forum” show,
“State of the Nation’s” Saturday
airing was its preem Under auspices
of Linguaphone Institute. Plugs
for the outfit’s method of teach-
ing languages were modest and
did not intrude too abruptly upon
the continuity of the subject.

Gilb.

WMAQ, NBC’s Chicago radio
anchor, parlayed some luck and a
lot of enterprise into One of the
top radio reporting jobs of this or
any other year on its “Night Desk”
last Thursday (18). “Desk” was
hatched- some weeks back by
WMA.Q-WNBQ news director BllJ
Ray whereby all the modem tools
of AM communications would be
harnessed to capturb the doings of
the town for a half-hour each night.
Show has run sort of an in-and-out
course, depending on how the local
news was breaking on a given
evening. ■

But last Thursday the boys had
their big story and they were ready
for it. Roughly 45 minutes before
“Desk’s” 10 p.m. sign-on, word hit
the police shortwave circuits that
the most intensive manhunt since
the Biograph Theatre capture of
John Dillinger : back in the early
30*s was about to -climax. Object of
the four-day search was a young
gunman who has subsequently con-
fessed that he fatally shot one
police officer and shot and wound-
ed another two nights later. Dur-
ing the four-day spah It was the
Page 1 banner in practically every
edition and the lea^off local yam.
on the radio-tv newscasts.

NBC newsman John Chancellor
already out on assignment for.
“Desk” as well' as possible tapes
of the network’s “Monitor” picked
up the flash in the.remoie'unit and
tailed a squad car to the rooming
house where the killer was holed
up. He got onto tape an eyewitness
account of the capture, complete
with such natural ; “sound effects”
as a round of shots and the yells
of the crowd that! was- gathering.
The aural yarn was fed back to the
station for almost immediate airing .
on the news show .which was.
helmed this night by Sun-Times
chief editorial, writer Robert Ken-
nedy, . subbing for S-T city editor
Karen Walsh who was sick.

With Kennedy filling in with the
details as they' flowed into the
newsroom from the City News Bu-
reau, Chancellor dashed across
town to the Bridewell hospital

IT’S TIME

With Westbrook Van Voorhls
Producer: Van Voorhls, ABC

News, Time Magazine
Director: Drex Hines
Writers? Dog Higgins, Ted Wear,

Joseph Alger

18- 5>Min. Stories; Sat.-Sun.

ABC, from N. Y.

“It’s Time,” new ABC Radio net-
work weekend series, shapes as a
winning, newcomer. On its preem
two-day presentation, Saturday and
Sunday some 18 five-minute drama-
tized news programs were used in
introducing this rather new con-
ception of radio journalism.

. Produced by Time, weekly newt
mag, and part of the Time-Life,
Inc. setup, it boasts having all
.available news sources and research
libraries of ABC and Time. But
what makes it click is the deft
scripting, choice of material, fine
, casting and direction plus the voice,
of 'Westbrook Van Voorhis, who
long was the “voice” and principal
narrator for the March of Time
motion picture short, formerly put
out by Time.

Amazing thing about "It’s Time”
is how much material was packed
into these five-minute news seg-
ments. They started at 10 a,m. and
ran till 10:30 'p.m., both Saturday
and Sunday. For instance, one five-?
min. sequence told of the passing
■ of the oldtime organ, grinder (even
in Naples), how a. Riviera cafe was
moved to a new site without pa-
trons knowing it, a quickie about
“Mr. Livingston” and finally the
Montgomery, Ala., filling station
attendant who was robbed by the
same man three times.

Later Saturday, the producers
| concentrated on a single event— the
first helicopter pilot ever given the
| Medal of Honor, and how he won
, it. Night lineup included the. prize
.fish story concerning a four-foot
sturgeon^ that landed on the porch
of a home a quarter of a mile from
the ocean.

Possibly the most original as well
as humorous segment told .the story
of a bank prexy who took up com-
posing of music as a hobby. He
drew most attention for his .piece
on income tax report, tagged “La-
ment April 15,” in which, many
references to the income tax blues
are worked into a tuneful piece.

! Then, there was the new Bell Tele-
phone Co. automatic gadget for
telephone use, with a funny tag-
line.

One spot announcement after a
“It’s Time” shot, said "It’s time for

beer,” which gives . an idea

how this series may pick up spon-
sors. As of now, ABC and Time are
going 50-50 on the cost of the se-
ries. Future lineup probably will
have definite spots, like. 10 min-
utes after the hour and more of
these five-minute programs start-
ing at 10 a.m. and running until
midnight on- both Saturday and
Sunday. Wear.

MELODY LANE
With Vem Cook, others
120 Mins.; Mon.-thru-Frl., 9 a.m.
. Participating
WOKO; Albany

Vem Cook has moved his popu-
lar, long-running “Melody Lane”
from WTRY in Troy to the pioneer
Albany station. Show features him
as a personality on a program of
recorded music, interspersed with
human interest and humorous
news stories, chatter, jokes and
puns, interviews with summer the-
atre stars, a bit of history, a recipe,
five-minute news segment and
spot announcements. One qUarter-
hour. section is sponsored by Men-
ands Building Supply Co. Cook
also does a bit of vocalizing to in-
strumentalized platters. Last time
heard, he chorused a ballad, topped
by whistling.

Program should make particu-
larly pleasant listening for house-
wives. Cook, possessed -.of a
friendly air .personality, spins, a
wide variety of numbers — from
current hits to standards and hill-
billy, plus Latin-American rhythm-
ics. Ah interview with Charles
Coburn revealed an interesting
facet on the actor’s early days as
a Georgia theatre manager.

Jaco .

where the young hoodlum . was
taken for repairs. Newsman com-
mandeered a phone at the hospital
and called back an on-the-air de-
scription of the scene there.

It’s a cinch bet there wasn’t ft
single turnout during the dramatic
30 minutes. And it’s to Chancellor’s
credit that despite the hectic cir-
cumstances in which he was work-
ing he kept his running account on
a true reporting level, apparently
knowing instinctively that an event
like this needed no histrionics.

When the annual radio reporting
awards are passed out, look for
“Night Desk” to be up there. It
was one of the most exciting half-
hours spent with a radio set in a
long, long time. Dave .

Wednesday, August 24* 1959

Phil Spitaliiy

PftRIETY , (ABEL)

AUGUST 17, 1955

“...it’s a setup f

PALACE, New York

Phil Spitalny, with his all-girl 6 ‘Hour of Charm” or-
' chestra, is making history on several counts during his

current Palace engagement*

For one thing, he is the only band act to play a Broad-
way showcase in five years.

IF EVER THERE WAS A READYMADE VIDEO

PACKAGE THIS IS IT. They play everything from r&b

to the classics; they sing like a church choir with Brill

Bldg, blessing; they deport themselves like the seasoned

25 — count ’em — 25 beautiful buglers, bongo-beaters
*

and beaucoup-on-the-beat babes that they are. Exception
is Maestro Spitalny, of course.

He’s what he is, a sincere gent who manifests painstak-
ing craftsmanship, a not unrigorous standard, a dedica-

tion to the precept that he can produce a pulchritudinous
pot-pourri of feminine musical fanfareists who don’t have
to* defer to the males. In effect, that’s the finale thematic
of the “challenge” routine, with Evelyn (dispensing “her
magic violin”)' batoning the Charmers, to a paraphrase
of Irving Berlin’s “Anything You (They) Can Do
y?e Can Do Better,” out of- “Annie Get Your Gun.”

Thus unfolds a femme Krupa, Goodman, Tommy Dorsey,
James, Liberace, Clyde McCoy. It’s an act all by itself.

Spitalny’ s sincerity projects all the way. ' He gives
them the 100 % spotlight. He maneuvers them into
graceful groups. The solid 6D minutes is the essence of
showmanship in the nth degree, and seemingly soon rec-
ognized, judging by the “Connie”-stormy Friday opening

which, none the less, produced STANDEES AND HOLD*

OUTS — » population quotient only reserved for the Pal-
ace when it really turns oi^ a Danny Kaye or a Judy Gar-

The Hour

All Girl Orche

Featuring EVELYN

under the

PHIL SP

Rose -Marie

says . . .

>r television

land. What’s more, the hand-to-hand music matched the
enthusiasms reserved for the two-a-day headliners.

RKO toppers Sol A, Schwartz, William Howard & .Co.
gambled wisely with this deal, said to carry a percentage
over a $20,000 break, although in actuality the Spitalny
staple has been too standard over the years to fall even
loosely into the orbit of being a “gamble.”

Spitalny’s team comprises four sax, three trumpets,
three violins, flute, tromhone, traps, piano, bass tuba,
string bass, femme vocal quartet, augmented by the stellar
virtuoso of the act, Evelyn. And she sure does make with
the magic on her Strad 9 as she runs the gamut from a
Dietz-Schwartz item, “You and the Night and the Music,”
to “Unchained Melody,” to her original “Perpetual Mo-
tion.” Latter is backed by an equally adept violin quartet,
hut Evelyn’s, showmanship makes for her distinction.

The specialists are all consistently socko. High-
light is a brunet looker, Rose-Marie, heralded as the win-
ner of a Paris competition and marking her Broadway

debut. She chirps a Victor Herbert medley with authority

and verve and is a real standout in every department.
Viola is on the 17 drums, an unusual trapster. Louise, at

o 1

the Steinway, plus Tchaikowsky and boogie with equal
facility, and proved it with that sequencing.

In short, this is not an “act.” .Spitalny
has a full-blossomed, brimming package of
musico-variety entertainment that's one of
the most compact, intact roadshows extant.

Can play anywhere and anything. Having
proved itself at the boxoffice, in the elemen-
tary rotating method city-by-city, theatre-by-
theatre booking, *it's a setup for television.

Abel,

of Charm

ra and Choir

nd her Magic Violin

action of

TALNY

Viola

Wednesday, Autfust 24, 1955

PBrieFy

And These
Advertisers
Know the Answers

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Sylvania
Texaco

Proctor & Gamble
Philco

Elgin National Watch Co.
Pall Mall
R. J. Reynolds

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Wednesday, August 24, 1955

RADIO-mEVYSION

From The Production

Rey, Bayi Ex-Showman,
Back After Yr. Abro

Continued from page 41 — , .m w

and; conduct interviews in view of the crowds expected for the first
annual Riverama which will sing the praises of Detroit’s progress.
Ross Waiholland, WWJ, and Fred Wolf, Johnny Slagle, Ed MacKenade
and Paul Winter, all of WXYZ, are among those to be a part of Rive*
rama festivities*, , . WXYZ-TV’s Lady of Charm, Edy the Fern Melrose,
will remote her conking show at the Michigan State Fair next month
. Robert Hund, formerly with the Detroit Free Press retail display
advertising department, has-been added to WJR’s sales staff . . . Buick
dealers of greater Detroit will sponsor all of Michigan football 'games
over WWJ with Fill Flemming handling the play-by-play. It's the 34th
season II. of M games have been aired over WWJ which is celebrating
its 35th birthday. '

IN WASHIMITON . .

Weatherman i.nu*s Allen, ex rf WTOP-GBS, and one of few pro-
fessional 'meteorologists on tv, debuted on WMAL-ABC past Sunday
(21) with SRO cr^rnercial schedule for his 11 weekly shows . . . CBS
newsman Peter C’apncr spent 11 hours flying through Hurricane. Diane
to bring web’s li<5'” v ^rs first-hand 1 account of trail of storm , , . WTTG-
DuMont newsmen Matthew Warren teed off new interview series with
Louis Burman, spokesman for a syndicate interested in buying town’s
transit' system, as ®uest . . . American Research Bureau has added to
its staff Herbert S. Kaufman, ex of Army Counter-Intelligence; and
Rupert R. Rtd>r«r*.?y, formerly of Tele-Que, and : more recently of the
JI. S. Navy * . . New Latin- American music-commentary show bowed
on WGMS (Washiri"ton Good Mus’c Station) via a plush party attended
by Congessional and Soyth-of-the-border brass , . , Lynn Hart, WMAL
home economist and femmecaster, adding tv as well as radio to her
schedule of homemaking., shows . .... WTTG’s Rev. Joe TJhrlg, emcee
of “Hand to Heaven” teleshow, currently to Europe collecting material
for future shows.

IN SAN FRANCISCO . . ,

Eddie Fisher, finished with' a five-week vacation, shbt Chinatown
and cable car scenes for his Coca-Cola show, wound up the day at
Trader Vic’s with a party for local dee jays . , , Margaret Wahlborg;
former writer and producer of the Standard School Broadcast^ became
executive secretary, pf thq Society of Artists and Art Directors . . .
New promotion assistant at RPIX fs Flo Bloom . . . NBC’s Stockton
Helffrich in town . . . Ronald Reagan, doing an Air Force Association
chore here, reports, “I’ye met 100,000 GE employes in. about 50 plants”
. . . Charles A. Larrance, former film boss at. Moulin Studios, has
joined tv department of Guild, Bpscom & Bonfigli. KRON is mov-
ing Marjorie Trumbull’s weekday interview show to a 3:30 p.m. Sun-
day slot, Tetitling it “Sunday Supplement” .

IN MINNEAPOLIS . . .

After exclusively broadcasting the St, Paul American Association
baseball games the past six years, always with sponsorship, and other
sports events, WMIN is 1 stepping out of all athletics’ broadcasting in
which field there’s now considerable local tv as well as radio compe-
tition. William F. J6hns, general manager, says station will, devote
all programming henceforth to music and the periodic newscasts. It’ll
be the only one of Twin Cities’ 11 radio stations devoted entirely to
music, excepting the news, he points out, and he believes this assures
a higher audience potential. WMIN is one of the oldest Twin . Cities’
radio stations and under different ownership shared a tv channel' with
WTCN which the latter how operates exclusively .

The Rev. Mai (for Malcolm)
Boyd who was one of the initials

in the . BPR television , packaging
outfit— before quitting show biz
for the cloth (Mary plckford and.
hubby Buddy Rogers supplied the
rest of the alphabet-letter billing)
is back from a year’s sabbatical
•in . England. He studied under
Anglican Church auspices at Ox-
ford U., and visited Switzerland
and Greece under auspices of the
British Council of Churches while
abroad.

Boyd, who is hOuseguesting-with
McCann-Erickson veepee Harry
McMahan, in Scarsdale, N. Y., this
week, returns to Hollywood, his
Jfltbme base, for future clerical as-,
signment.

’.Meantime, he is polishing his
book, which is an extension of
over a dozen pieces first published
in the Episcopal Ohurchnews
anfi Christian Century. They all-
have to do with tv, radio, press
and tv films’ relation to the
church. Book tentatively has the
somewhat pedantic title of
“Church Crisis 'In Christian Com-
munication” but the cleric, as a
former showman, recognizes this
is too 'stuffy a tag, especially be-
cause of his light approach to the
thesis.

Westittghouse Shifting
‘Chuck’ Burrow to Boston

Boston, Aug. 23.

. Charles L. , “Cliuck” Burrow,
promotion manager for Westing-
house Station KEX in Portland,
Ore., is being transferred to WBZ-
WBZA, Westinghouse Radio opera-
tions in Boston, as advertising and
sales promotion manager.

Paul E. Mills, general manager,
said Burrow will replace C. L.
Richards, who has been named na-
tional account exec for WBZ-
WBZA radio in New England.

. Burrow, graduate of the' U. of
Oregon with a fine arts degree in
advertising, was an assistant pub-
lisher for the Oregon Voter in
Portland, before joining KEX in
1947- He takes over his new radio
duties in the Hub Aug. 29.

hJew%Y erfe

Harvey Lembeck -back on the
Phil Silvers “You’ll Never Get
Rich” telefilm set after appearing
in “Phoenix ’55” in Washington
. . . Don Murray, currently in “Skim
of Our Teeth” on Broadway, signed
by NBC-TV for its Sept, XI spec
version of the Thornton Wilder
play , . . ATV‘ Film Productions
completed the first two 90-second
color commercials for the “Teeth”
specola, for Standard Brands and
Chase & Sanborn Coffee, via Ted
Bates and Compton . * . Eric Seva-
reid touring European capitals in
an old jalopy Wjth wife and sons,
collecting background for his
“American Week” CBS-TV’er,
which returns. Sept, 25 . . , Boris
Karloff guests bn “I've Got a Se-
cret” tonight (Wed.) . . . CBS pub-
lic affairs director Irving Gitlin
will be guest speaker at the con-
vention of the National Council of
Teachers of English at the Commo-
dore Nov. 25 . , . Bardahl. Mfg„
which is national-spot-bankro’ling
Guild Filins’ “Confidential File,”
signed Don Morrow, who docs tile
Philco institutional commercials, to
pitch institutionals for its motor
additive; Guild’s. Joel Spector is
producing 13 of the 'blurbs at the
Biltmore Studios in N.Y.

Bill Asip. leaving the NBC-TV
network sales staff to join Edward
Petry station reps as a tv account
exec . . . Jan. Murray planed to the
Coast yesterday (Tues.) for hud-
dles wiU? William Morris topoer
Abe Lastrogel about a possible film
deal based on Murray’s “Dollar a
Second” quizzer, and while there
houseguests with the Milton.Berles
.. . . Rstty Madfgan guests on the
' “Robert Q. Levis Show” the week
of Aug. 29, and also does a shot on
the “Vaugfin Monroe ShoW” Aug.
30 , . . Parsonnet & Wheeler shoot-
ing two commercials for Colgate
for the Bryan Houston agency, one
of them to feature Bess Myersoii
. . . Denise Darce! guests on “Pan-
tomime Quiz” Friday (26),. , ..Gen-
eral Teleradio sales topper^ Pete
Robeck planed back to the Coast
over the weekend after a week of
homeoffice huddles oh current
properties and the recently-ac-
quired RKO library . . . NBC Film
Division producer-director George

Wallach proud father of a girl
born IastvThursday (18) . . . Mel
Gd) 4 Productions, which recently-
expanded its commercials opera-
tion, currently turning out two
one-minute spots 1 for Genesee
Brewing for the Rogers & Porter
agehey of Rochester . .*> Ted Gap-
py signed as chbreogranher for
i'Caesar’s Hour” In the fall . . .
B’U LubdigaU, host on “Climax,”
to Detroit for conferences on
Chrysler’s new 1956 line . . . Mary
Stuart (she’s the wife of “Today”
special events producer Dick
Krolik) returns to “Search for To-
morrow” Sept. 6 after havittg given
birthrtcra daughter on July 30 . . .
Ruby TV-Film Productions, head-
ed by Ed Ruby and Jack Reigpr,
filming 30 commercials starring
Larafne Day for Amana Products,
via Maury Lee & Marshall, for use
cn the Phil Silvers show oh CBS-
TV. -

Betty Cox vacations from WCBS-
TV’s “George Skinner Show” week
of Aug. 29, with Shiifley Harmer
subbing as featured , vocalist. Bob.
Eberle and Stii Foster sub on the
same. Show, male vocalist side, for
Tommy Ftirtado while he vaca-
tions Sept. 12-30, with Eberle taking
the first week and Foster the lat-
ter two : . . Mary Costa, who does
Chrysleij’s “forward look” commer-
cials, in N.Y. fa£ a short visit ... *
Ron Cochran vacations from his
WCBS-TV “Late News,’’ with
Douglas Edwards spelling him
weeknights anfi Ned Calmer Satur-
days. .

Ira . Ashley, jvho’s been produc-
ing the “Kathy Godfrey Show” on
CBS Radio for the past few months
on a freelance basis, was signed
as a staff : producer - director
by the network iast week.
He’ll continue as producer of
Miss Godfrey’s segment and. ad-
ditionally will produce and direct
the “Young Dr. Malone” soaper.

A vet of 16 years in radio, Ash-
ley directed “Grand Central Sta-.
tifin” for some 12 years and also
was. director on such shows as
"Stage Door Canteen” and “Aunt
Jenny.”

Producers Showcase

NBC-TV

Composer - Conductor - Original Scores

"Dateline"

"Yellow Jack"

"The Women"

"Reunion in Vienna"

"Darkness at Noon"
"Petrified Forest"

"Wide Wide World"

"The Fourposter"

Musical Direction

"Peter Pan"

"The King and Mrs. Candle'
"Our Town"

Composer

"Theme for Producer's Showcase'

Wednesday, August 24 , 1955

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Pfosmff

RABIO-TELfiVlSIOlV

Wednesday, August 24, 1955

55* Contittuod from P*J?« 28

made frontpages all over the coun-
try. He was S. Bryden Taylor,
news director of WVPO there,
who did a by-lined eyewitness story
for*the United Press.

itor” and several eastern indie sta-
tions, WGTH managed to. stay , qn
the air, but WGTH-TV was blacked
out all day Friday. WCC.C, Hart-
ford indie, also scrapped its pro-
grant sked for a distaster schedule.

In Bridgeport, WKNB-TV was
knocked off the air for nearly 12
hours due to flooding, but-WKNB-
. AM was on the air all during its
daytime-only sked with reports.
WHAY' was off for a couple of
hours, but fed the eight-station
Connecticut State Network and its
sister stations WNHC and; WNHC-
TV in New Haven flood reports.
In Bristol, the WBIS daytimer
stayed on overtime at the request
of city officials, while in Putnam,
WPCT went off the air Friday af-
ternoon.

Philly On the Job

In Pennsylvania, the powerful
Philadelphia stations did a top Job*
both bh ’Coverage and in a some-
times-pooled effort to help stations
In the stricken areas, while the
latter kept- the Philly outlets ap-
raised of late developments. WIP,
for example* maintained a constant
beep .phone vigil with . stations in
key areas, including WVPO . in
S^roudsburUri.' WTTM. Trenton;
WSAN. Allentown; WEST, Easton
and WBUX, Doylestown. Station
maintained, contact with ham oper-
ators who -flashed news of sur-
vivors , as they were rescued,, .and
kept highway reports coming in
from State, Police covering bridge
washouts, etc.

KYW iii -Philadelphia acted as
a clearinghouse, not only for other
Philly stations but for outlets in
Allentown and Reading, with Bill
Givens arid Vince Lee on the air
all day Saturday with reports from
children’s camps. Station had list-
ed, with the cooperation of listen
rrs v who . phoned , in as they got
news of their, family* ’the situation
at 53 camps iii the Poconos, while
the Sunday .morning papers car-
ried reports of only 37 camps.

Entire staffs, of WPTZ, WCAU
and WFIL were put on’ the job
for continuous coverage of the
floods* •witb-ateffs of the tv outlets
supplying footage as well as verbal
reports;^. Stht? • -Police, impressed
by WGAU-s; coverage, sent out tel-
etype' dispatches addressed, “At-
tention AF.UP and WCAU News.”

In 'Rhode Island, WPRO-TV in
Providence chartered a .plane and
a camera crew and station news-
caster Morton Blender flew over
stricken areas. Four special news-
reel crews covered the stricken
areas of three New England states,
with the station airing five special
filmed reports between Saturday
and Monday in addition to its news
coverage. WPRO-AM maintained a
constant flow of bulletins.

In Boston, WBZ rhdio and tv
operations were . knocked out
briefly Friday morning, but. emer-
gency equipment got them back

on ifi only three minute®. Stations
broadcast highway bulletins all
day, at the same time sending out
27 neWsbamcrameii to hard-hit
areas. While WBZ-TV announcer
Don Kent was delivering his regu-
lar morning weather show, police
were evacuating, his family from
hearby “ Weymouth, where land-
slides threatened. Dick Hand, the
station’s Concord, N. H„ corre-
spondent, hired a plane to fly over-
the western Mass, area so he could
get air .shots of flood damage. In
Worcester, W-TAG maintained a
phone hookup over all New Eng-
land,. broadcasting bulletins as
they -arrived. Station’s: FM*er went
on the air five hours early.

In New York the networks
leaned heavily on reports from af-
filiates, with NBC’s “Monitor” in
particular doing a good coverage
job, using- reports from KRNY in
Kingston, N, * Y., WLEV-TV in
Bethlehem, Pa,, and ' WPTZ han-
dling* most of the work. Local New
York stations were active, with
WINS maintaining steady contact
with WBZ, WGTH and WALL in
Middletown, N. Y.* the heart of.
the camp area. WNYC, the munici-
pal station, kept -a flow of bulletins
going on specific camps reported
safe, plus special messages from
the Health Dept., the Red Cross,
the Automobile Club $nd the Po-
lice Dept., with the city depart-
ments taking the opportunity to
deny several rumors which had
sprung up,

WRCA’s roving reporter, Gabe
Pressman, hit the flood areas by
car and later on foot, phoning
through his first repoi 1 Friday at
8 a.m. from Port Jervis, N. Y.,
and remaining in the flood areas
until* Friday night, when he ‘re-
turned to do a wrapup at 11 p.m.,
then returning once again to the
floods Saturday and Sunday. His
Sunday broadcast, with the Gov-
ernors of the areas, was aired. on
the network. t

Connecticut’s ‘Politics’

Speaking of governors, Connecti-
cut’s Gov. Abraham Ribiboff found
himself in hot water with the
state’s radio-tv outlets even as the
disaster mounted, With stations ac-
cusing him of “playing footsie”
with WTIC in Hartford and with
the newspapers. Claim was made
that he wouldn’t grant radio in-
terviews and that, radio people
at first were not allowed into trou-
bled areas although the newspa-
pers were. A . Sept. 15 meeting of
the Connecticut State Network
will take up these gripes* plus an
additional ?one that several made
to the effect >that they Weren’t
alerted to the . flood. It’s said that
WTIC received si state police alert
at 3:40 a.m. Friday* and was . on
the air an hour later, beating other
stations to the punch.

One radio newsman in the hard-
est-hit area, Stroudsburg, Pa. ,

Davis Gup Matches

Continued from najce 31

sporting events, NBC .has already
done a tinted indoor event, the
A! Andrews-Gustav Scholz mid-
dleweight bout from Madison Sq.
Garden iri March .of 1954.

Matches, aside from their tint-
casts in the U. S., are also set for
worldwide exposure Via a series
of deals notched up ‘ by Paul Tal-
bot, head of Fremantle Overseas
Radio & TV. Canadian Broadcast-
ing- Corp' is . carrying the events
live in ail of Canada in black-and-
white, While kinnied. versions will
be., aired in Japan, Venezuela,
Great Britain, France and Italy.
Japan .telecasts Will be sponsored
by General Bussan Co., which re-
cently sponsored the intersone
finals in the matches.

A 47-station radio lineup iir
Australia, the Macquarie Network,
will carry .a Jive radio 1 pickup, with
Ampol Petroleum sponsoring for.
Down Under. *

Lancaster; pa. * nbc • cbs • dumont

STEINMAN . STATION, Clair McCollouqh, Pf«».

'Roortisen'c.li-sfis . * v - “ * , . • ■

•i< . . Now .York. • los Anyelr-s

• M 1 E‘K#R-T IN *• 5 ° n

Canadian Govt’s ‘Gotta
Have Set of Rules’ For
Employees Going on Air

Ottawa, Aug. 19.^
Department of Agriculture was
he first Canadian federal govern-
ment department to set down a
policy for staffers’ participation in
radio and television airers. With
its more than 9,Q00 employees
spread coast to coast, the depart-
ment’s deputy minister. Dr. J. G.
Taggart, found workers, principally
district office personnel, becoming
increasingly popular as guesters on
farm, panel and other shows and
gave; them a set of rules to go by.

“Public relations may be re-
garded as part of our job,”- Dr.
Taggart advised, adding that em-
ployees, while not promoting their
own participation in a show, should
not refuse an invitation to appear
without good reason. The only time
staffers should appear on “enter-
tainment’’, programs, he said, was
when they were doing it entirely
apart from their department duties.
He cautioned, them to avoid panel
shows unless they were absolutely
sure they wouldn’t get drawn into
controversies on public policy, and
to stick to giving technical advice
or factual descriptions of depart-
mental work. Any staffer in doubt
appearing op radio or video was
urged to check with his boss, even
if located some distance from his
headquarters, “by telephone if
necessary.”

Don McNeill Spreading
Into Packaging Field

Don McNeill, toastmaster of
“Breakfast Club” on ABC radio,
is spreading his wings in the tele
packaging field. His Don McNeill
Enterprises corporate adjunct is
assembling a series of special
hour-long shows which would be
presented six times a year tied in
with the major holidays.

McNeill; who' will host the series,
is currently on the prowl for a
producer-writer and plans to pitch
the shows to all three networks.
His longterm pact with ABC per-
mits outside tv activity.

- ? >' / ' V ' — — — —

U. of Minn. Gridcasts

MinneapQlis,AugV23.
All sellout, U* of Minnesota home
football games wfll be televiSed this
fall, ari: permitted;; flow -by the
NCAA, it hat by

Ike jArmstrop^ athletic ‘director,
r Program' he .video
of t^o Minne^a tAfi iregibnal

basis. v< ^

Armstrbn^hfixiflicfif Saifl fiefivors
the regional telecast of bne- home
and one rbad contest.

• . V »

- — i/f.. , ,;, ,,i

. Houston— Six Houstonians have
been named as a television advis-
ory board , for. the.UV qf Houston.
•Theyare Jack. HaMs.yeepee of
-the Houston Post Cob and general
manager, of KFRG and' KPRC-TV;
John Tb Jones, pre& df the Houston
Chronicle and . of KTRK-TV; Pau
Taft, prez and general manager oj
KGUL-TV; Jfblitt Paul Goodwin, of
the Goodwin-Dannenbaum Adver-
tising Ageflcy; . Roger Jeffery rep-
resenting -the SchdoPs -Alumni As-
, fcsdcfatibn and Corbin- Robertson

RCA is - collaborating with the U. S. Dept, of Commerce <o give
southeast Asia and the Middle East their first look at television via
demonstrations at three international trade fairs between now and
Dec. 15, First of the fairs, at Jakarta, Indonesia, is already under way;
he Others will be held at Karachi, Pakistan and New Delhi.

Some $500,000 worth of equipment .'apd a, team of 15, engineers is
being provided by RCA for the demonstrations' the equipment includ-
ing complete television studios with three-camera, setups and Installa-
tions, a closed-circuit transmitting system, a theatre-tv projection unit
and many 21-inch sets. Six hours a day of live and film programming
are being provided for a theatre setup and a lineup of sets located
for viewing by thousands of people each day, RCA prez Frank M.
Folsom estimates that 12,000,000 Asians will see tv in operation for the
first time.

“The Search,” which has occupied the CBS-TV Tuesday-at-10:30 time
period as suminer filler, is being extended for four telecasts past its
original cancellation date. Show which was slated ta leave the air
Aug. 30, will now remain on through Sept. 27, with the Frigidaire-
sponsored “My Favorite Husband” then premiering for the fall in
the time slot. Reason for the extension is the fact that “Husband”’, is
going film after two years, of live, and the CBS Coast programmers
won’t have any film in the can until near the end of September.
“Search” will air four more repeats, the first on automation . (shot at
the Massachusetts institute of Technology), a study of hurricane dis-
asters shot in Waco with the D. of Texas, a film on’aviation medicine
made in conduction with the Air Force and a look at educational sys-
tems produced at Harvard.. v

A recreation of the first commercial radio broadcast— a musical show
on WEAF, N. Y., interrupted for commercials for a Jackson Heights
realty firm on Sept. 7, 1922 — will be aired, ironically enough, by a non-
commercial outlet next week. WYNC, the New York municipally-op-
erated .station, will do the recreation Aug. 30 as part -of its regular
Tuesday noontime Battery Park Band Concert show. ’ Specific show will
Salute the American Institute of the City of New York.

WQXR. the New York Times good music station . in N. Y., is revising
its late-night pattern to present two hours ofsymphordc music from
11 p.m; through 'l a.m. starting Sept. 1. Station previously ran an hour
of symphony at 41, tflen switched to chamber music, from midnight
until the 1 a.m. signoff. Under the new pattern, movements from
symphonies and shorter works will ocqiipy the first hour, while com-
plete major works will be used inthe second stanza. . v ;

Mutual presSageni Harry Algus, after several .years away- from the
reportorial field, made - a comeback for himself last - "week. AWay on
vacation in Wurtsborp,. N. Y., in the Borscht Belt, Algus* got caught
in the middle 6f the flash floods that hit New York along With four
other states. '

Algus got to a pnone- and called in an eyewitness story ip WOR-
Mutual in N. Y., where it was taped and aired Friday (19) on Uie local
Allen Grainger show and subsequently on the network’s newscasts all
during the evening.

NBC has handed out the first two awards in its Tecently announced
scholarship and fellowship program aimed at perpetuating high stand-
ards in radio and television drama. Winner of the 1955 “presidents
Award,” carrying a cash prize of $6,000 and an opportunity to work
with top producers and directors, is 27-year-old Robert E. Dierbeck,
television coordinator of the Milwaukee Public .Museum and writer-
producer-director of several educational shows there, who will study
documentary television techniques with Henry Salomon and Fred Coe.

Frank M. Skinner Jr,, ’ a 24-year-old page at NBC, won the NBC
Employees Award, carrying a $2,700 prize and a scholarship tp a col-
lege of his choice. Skinner will go to Yale for graduate study in scenic
design at the Drama School. '

Indian TV Study

Continued from pace 31

higher inepme children enjoy the
reverse.

Study also covers parents’ atti-
tude toward children’s show, and
rank as most beneficial to their off-
spring the cartoon and science pro-
grams. They ‘also feel the light

adult comedy shows are beneficial
— §s some parents put it ,“s.uch
programs related their children
and put them in a good frame of
mind before bedtime.” Less popu-
lar were comedies, westerns and
science fantasies, but decidedly un-
popular with mom and pop were
programs of crime, mystery and
violence. Parents suggested the
need for more * programs of a
“broad educational nature set in
an appropriate format” and more
religious show, insisted that proper
scheduling is as important as the
programs 'themselves, arid empha-
sized that; the parents themselves
"have an ‘important place in the
television activities of their chil-
dren, this responsibility ranging
from proper indoctrination in their
children of a sense of values, to ac- J
tive monitoring of the television'
set on a program-to-program .basis.”

‘Gil Along, Gillin’

Continued from pan* JUt sssss*

of the . major . series (probably
spanning four or five shows) will
explore the whole mental health
picture. Separate unit Is already-,
at work on this, one. " .

Sunday afternoon “Face the Na-
tion,” CBS’ answer to “Meet the
Press,” : is being* retooled for the
new semester. Stuart Novins,- who
was Gitlin’s No. 1 administrative
aide, becomes the new moderator
of the series. . .

Also within the public affairs
area are • the ■ l0-by*Ed ; furrow
“supers,” although these are budg-
eted and produced f ; (by> Fred
Friendly ) separately.

'GOONS' IN CANADA

Ottawa, Aug. 23.

Canadian Broadcasting Corp. has
pacted with the British Broadcast-
ing Corp. to air the BBC comedy
show, “The Goons,” on CBC’s
Trans-Canada, radio web, preem-
ing Sept. 29. . “Goons” will be
scheduled at A* p.m.

Airer stars British comics Peter
Sellers, Harry Secombe and Spike
Milligan, with Milligan and Erie
Sykes scripting.

NALLE ...

Piano • Organ • Celeste

WAY OF
THE WORLD
NBC^V

• Radio Registry ' •

TEXACO STAR THEATRE

' SATURDAY -NIGHT—

' - MgF.t WfillaTri Morris Agoney

Wednesday, August 24, 195$

T^rIETy

Starting 9th YEAR on

TELEVISION

Next Monday, August 29th

ABC-TV

Seen Coast-to-Coast, Monday thru Friday, 7 p.m,
Presented Through the Courtoiy of

GORDON BAKING COMPANY

Bakers of Silvercup—the World's Finest Bread
in New York , Chicago . Detroit and Elkhart-South Bend

AN ABC-TV CO-OP PROGRAM

Productd by BEULAH ZACHARY
Dirncttd by LEWIS GOMAVITZ
Assistant to Burr Tlllstrom — JOSEPH LOCKWOOD
Music by CAROLYH GILBERT

im - mm ■ * * "V * * * ” ~ J

BADIO-TELEVISIOX

Kansas City, Aug. 23, +

An around the world farm study
tour is being planned by KCMO
and KCMO-TV this winter. Jack
Jackson, director of agriculture for
the stations, will be in charge of a
three-section tour leaving here
Nov. 1, 1955.

One section of the tour is .sched-
uled for Yugoslavia, expecting to
be the first radio-tv farm group to
visit that country since it was re-
cently opened to visitors. ..

One section will make a 22-day
tour including Europe only. The
second section will add 14 days to
the tour, including Belgrade and
the Scandinavian countries. The
third section, will proceed east-
ward from Yugoslavia and con-
tinue around the world. This is be-
lieved to be the first radio-tv-farm
tour to go the complete circle on
an educational tour.

Gen. Tire to Sponsor
Turkey Grid on ABC-TV

ABC-TV last week tied up rights
to the Thanksgiving Day Detroit
Lions-Green Bay Packers pro foot-
ball game and then went out and
got the owner of another network
to sponsor the gridcast. General
Tire & Rubber t Co., which owns
General Teleradio and controls the
Mutual Broadcasting Go., will
sponsor the Nov. 24 outing, with
the concession that Teleradio’s
WOR-TV in New York and KHJ-
TY in Los Angeles will carry the
contest along with W ABC-TV and
KABC-TV, the Gotham and L. A.
o&o’s of ABC. |

Harry Wismer, who doubles from :
sportscasting to exec duties with
Teleradip, will handle the com-
mentary from Detroit’s Briggs Sta-
dium. Game time is 12 noon.

' Albany — Johnny Lee, longtime
'M> program manager of WOKO arid
later program-station manager at
WROW, will return to broadcast-
ing with an hour-long children’s
program over WPTR, starting
Sept, 10. . '

Da n't Buy A Nevs Car
Until You Talk to

SAM ANGER

■ u „h „■ M 1 ’’' 1 ■» S '■ 1 ■' l' J C ’

For The Best Deed On A

FORD

THUNDERBIRD

Call m l* a : .

TED ROWLAND. Inc

,■ ■_ v N ;J .ill) • LI'.', - A ■■ T

LYnbrook 9-0600

Hub’s ‘BZ' Scoreboard’

Boston, Aug. 23.

“BZ Scoreboard” is the new up-
coming WBZ-WBZA football' cov-
erage show skedded for the pig-
skin season from 1 to 5 ’Saturdays
to beat the play-by-play format
classed as “plague by plague” bit
for radio stations by the Westing-
house outlet here,

WBZ sports .director Leo Egan,
sports staffer , Lindy Miller, Fred’
Foy, schoolboy sports editor of the
Boston Traveler, and newsman
Vern Williams along 1 with music
personality Nelsong Bragg com-
prise the new team for football
coverage. Info on all college, pro
and high school games from kick-
off to final gun is to be presented.

Fund for Republic

Continued from page 31 sssss

top. winners are all professional
writers: Burton Benjamin 4s a doc-
umentary writer for RKO Pathe
while brother James Is a freelance
magazine writer; Mrs. Andrews is
an ex-ABC Radio scrlpter and wife
of Martin Andrews, ABC director;
while Miss Sinclair is a novelist.

Runners-up in the documentary
class, with prizes of $1,500 each,
were Lew Andrews, Mrs. Kristin
E. Hunter, J. F. Breg, Clayre and
Michel Lipman, Muriel O’Donnell
and Hugh Gore Whittington. Ad-
ditional prizes of $750 each in the
drama class went to Robert Spen-
cer Carr, Leo Goldman, Andrew
McCullough, John W. McGreevey,
Jean F. Merrill, William O’Toole,
Rose Leiman Schiller, J» G. Sev-
erns, Marian C. Skedgell and
Victor Ullman. Total of 54 scripts
reached the finals in the competi-
tion.

Herblock series, in which the
cartoonist will discuss current af-
fairs and illustrate them with car-
toons, will be a quarter-hour
series of 26 on film and will be
distributed on a- . market-by-market
basis by Reggie Seheubel. Films
will be put up for sponsorship on
£ach station, and thus far some
'25 outlets have committed them-
selves to the show for the first
cycle of 13. Cost .of the 26-show
package will run about $200,000,
hut the Fund hopes tQ get the
production coin hack via- sales, to
sponsors. Joe Wershba. formerly
of the “See It Now” staff, will
direct the show which will be pro-
duced by Information Productions,
Inc., headed by Alfred Butterfield
and Thomas H. Wolf;

EVERYDAY .
ON EVERY CHANNEL

BROOKS

COSTUMES

3 W,»t *bl tt« N.Y.C.*W. PL 7*5100

Ottawa — Staff switches ' in Can-
adian Broadcasting Corp. television
include: W. Hugh Clark, from asst,
supervisor of commercial sales, to
supervisor; Donald J. Macdonald,
from asst. mgr. of national CBC tv
news, to mgr.; 1 Ken Brown from tv
news editor to asst, mgr., replacing
Macdondld; G u n n a r Rugheimer,
from commercial division of CBC
tv news to senior sales rep.

SECRETARY-

STENOGRAPHER

Excellent Opportunity for Private^ Secretary. Ability
to take fast dictation efficiently is prime requisite/
Good salary to stark

BOX V-1234, VARIETY
154 WEST 46TH STREET
NEW YORK 36, N. Y.

n ' i ' iq ' j ifu.ui 'i ' hi i j . i fl i 1 In J i .l i 1 j j i jHim . ■ ! ' I ' l ' l

Revive ‘Esse Reporter’

Esso Standard Oil has revived
its television version of “Your Esse
Reporter” and has signed with
WRCA-TV, N. Y. for a 10-minute
cross-the-board version of the show
plus two additional cross-board
five-minute local new cutins on
“Today.” Station is creating a 6:45-
7 p.m. news & weather block, mov-
ing Tex Antoine and his Con Edi-
son weather capsule. to 6:45. and
following at 6:50 with the 10-min-
ute Esso segment with Ken Bang-
hart featured.

“Today” cutins previously have
been used as spot carriers, with
Esso taking over as Yegulair bank-
roller of the two five-minute cap-
sules at 7:25 and 8:25 a.m. Roger
Bowman continues as commentator.
Business was placed through
Marschalk & Pratt.

Not All V’s Profit

Continued from page 58 SSSS>

es during the 10-month period
studied.

In markets served by one other
V, new VHF stations were . doing
better. Of 55 new V’s in these
areas, 71% were making money last
year or had reached the black by
October, The remaining 29% had
continuing losses.

In markets served by two or
more VHF stations, the new V’s
were doing almost as well. Of 44
new stations in these areas, 68%
were showing .profits or reaching
the black while 32% were sustain-
ing continuous losses.

As for the ultra high stations,
the survey bore out reports of UHF
difficulties. Of 122 U’s which
started in .1952 or 1953, nearly
three-fourths showed continuous
losses during the 10-month period.
By last June, 31 of the 10 went off
the air and 58 others were sustain-
ing losses of more than $8,000 a
month,

Contentions by UHF operators
that they cannot survive in areas
served by two. or more VHF sta-
tions dor not appear to be borne
out by the survey. Of 34 U’s in
such areas, nearly one-third were
showing profits or approaching the
black by last .October and eight
stations Were grossing better than
$20,000 per month.

In areas served by one VHF sta-
tion, more than one-fourth of the
U’s were in or approaching the
black. In areas with no VHF com-
petition one-third of the U’s were
losing money throughout the 10-
month period.’

. Cowan

— Continued from page 27 ;=

tion of a party he would like to
see get a crack at the riddle. Here’s
where automation comes in. Show
will employ a giant “alternating”
machine which will have on Card
file descriptions of millions of per-
sons in the U. S. When the agent
gives his description, it will be
fed into the machine and out will
come the name of a person, pre-
sumably the one the agent des-
cribes. That person will be called
during the Show and asked the
riddle, getting the prize if she or
he furnishes the right answer. In-
itial problem will be getting the
complete index of descriptions, but
as a starter it’s hoped to get people
to write in.

There’s an elertient of poetic jus-
tice, aside from the Cowan angle,
to the deal. That’s Speidel’s buy-in
as alternate sponsor. Speidel had
practically begged CBS-TV for the
then-open Tuesday at 10:30 time
slot . following “Question,” asking
to put in a quiz show “compatible”
with “Question.” CBS had turned
Speidel down cold, giving the time
to FTigidaire, Which Is installing
“My Favorite Husband,” By taking
on “Surprise,” Speidel gets its
“compatible-type” show but not
the powerful spillover audience.
Howeved, the bankoller believes
“Surprise” has enough merit of Its
own to cash in on the big-bank-
rolled quiz bonanza, and the entire
idea behind the show and its quick
purchase serves" to point up the
“hot • for the , quizzers” attitude
engendered by the success of
“Question.”

“Surprise” bows Oct. 8,

Chicago Burke-Stuart Inc., sta-
tion rep firm, has opened a Windy
City office. Ed Paro, who has been
heading up the Texas State Net-
work office here, will helm the
pew operation as veepee. u

Wednesday, August 24, 1955

j • San Francisco, Aug. 23.

KPIX, the Westinghouse-CBS outlet here, was qobperating with
The San Francisco News last week in an elephant-naming contest.

" The cooperation consisted of elephantine plugs on Pete Aben-
heim’s filmed “Captain “Fortune” show.

One afternoon all the KPIX cameramen were busy; there was
no one available to shoot 300r400 feet at the zoo. The station’s
general manager, Philip G. I^asky, and the assistant general man-
ager, George Mathiesen, threw themselves into the breach. They
volunteered to shoot the film.

Off they went to the zoo and filmed lots of kids, elephants and
Pete Abenheim. But, unfortunately for “Captain Fortune,”, the
footage will never go out over the air. When Lasky and Mathiesen
returned from the zoo and had the film developed, they discovered
they’.d forgotten to take the cap off the camera’s lens.

WPIX

Continued from pace 31

for Adventure” and such .network
reruns as “Life With Father” and
“San Francisco Beat” that are
proving the sponsor draws, says
Thrower.

Coincidental deemphasis on
sports doesn’t mean an abandon-
ment by any means, with the sta-
tion continuing with the N. Y.
Yankees and Giants telecasts and
three nights a week from Madison
Sq. Garden. But 'the Garden
slate has been trammed down ; —
hockey and other weaker attrac-
tions .eliminated — to three nights
weekly starting at 9 p.m. and end-
ing about 10:30. It’s the “cream
sports events,” says Trower, and
to prove it points out that the
Madison Sq. schedule is three-quar-
ters sold, to Bristol-Myers, Gen-
eral Cigar and an unidentified beer
client. .

Outlet’s program sales include
alternate weeks on “Ellery
Queen,” which it just acquired
from’ Television Programs of
America, to Carter Products via
SSC&B; Fromm & Sichel (wines)
via Geyer to alternate weeks on
“City Detective” and “San Fran-
cisco Beat”; General Electric via
Y & R on alternate weeks of
“City Detective”; Quaker City
Chocolate' on its “Rajmar” renewal;
Button! Marcaroni via J. Walter
Thompson to full sponsorship of
“Life With Father,” That’s above
and beyond the Simoniz, Brown &
Mars and Heinz deals. On the live
side, Buitoni has picked up the
Friday portion and Renfield Im-
porters the Thursday segment of
the Dione Lucas cooking show. In
the feature film category, Flagstaff
Foods, via Weiss & Geller, has
signed for full sponsorship of a
one-a-week feature showcase titled
“Flagstaff Theatre.”

Last-inute saje was that of “Con-
fidential File” to Gold Seal In the
syndicated pix category.

Berle

== Continued from pace 25 ^

ever, in view of the Broadway spe-
culation at the time of its publica-
tion, insiders are impressed by
irony of Berle’s current interest
in 'video rights to the script. Jack
Carson is being mentioned for the
lead role if Berle will participate
merely as producer-director of the
one-shot.

Lehman’s most recent credit on
tv was an adaptation of his mag
yarn, “Slide, Darling, Slide,” per-
formed on the filmed “Ford v Thea-
tre” series a month ago with Vir-
ginia Field starred.

A1 Perlmutter has been named
manager of special projects in the
news and special events depart-
ment of WRCA and WRCA-TV, the
NBC flagship stations in N. Y.
Perlmutter had previously oper-
ated in the NBC o&o advertising-
promotion department, where he is
being replaced by A1 Slep as ad-
promotion coordinator.

Slep moves over from Republic
Pictures.

.Los Angeles — Jim McCulla, for-
mer. Coast director of Liberty
Broadcasting System, has been ap-
pointed to the news and special
events staff of KABO as news-
caster.

Calif, Labor Fed.

San Diego, Aug.23.

Pay-tv proposals now before the
FGC were rapped at bust week’s
California State Federation of
Labor convention here, as Federa-
tion adopted an anti-toll video
resolution introduced by the Cali*
fornia State. Theatrical Federation,
an org of AFL theatrical unions
and guilds.

Resolution charged that sub-
scription tv would impose an
economic burden oh those least
able to afford it; that it would
seize an already-established me-
dium; that it ^ould make millions
of sets useless unless owners were
willing to pay additional tab; and
that, it would monopolize limited
supply of talent now employed on
live tv.

Average yearly expenditures for
pay-tv, .should the proposals be
approved, Would run' about- $1,156
per family, said resolution.

DODGE CITY SEEKS TV'ER

Kansas City, Aug. 23.

New tv station is being sought
for the Dodge City area of south-
western Kansas,

Application for a construction
permit now is before the FCC, ac-
cording to Leigh Warner, Cimar-
ron, president of Southwest Kan-
sas Television, Inc.

ADVERTISING AGENCIES

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NOSY ROSY and SNOOPER

Thoso two engeqlNq comedy characters, beloved by children
as dolls, are bow available for LYv— -puppets and animation.

JEAN HACKETT. Hofei ten Park Ave* New York 16 , N.Y.

Wednesday, '‘Atigtist 21, * W5lj

MUSIC

Established idea in the dish biz that note-for-note copying of
someone else's disk is ethically okay, has. finally met some formal
opposition. Bob Smith, program manager of WINS, New York in-
die, has ordered all of the station’s jockeys to cut out disk copies
from their shpws. Smith has drawn a distinction between a “copy**
disk, in which the original version’s, arrangement is duplicated
completely even to the vocal tricks of the artists, and , a "cover” ,
disk, in which ap artist does a version of a song with his own
interpretation.. Covers will continue to be played on the station.

Smith has started to compile a' list of recent original waxings
on which "copies/’ some of which turned out" to be bigger hits than
the kickoff version, have been made. The originals include such
sides as The Nutmegs’ “Story Untold”; Laverne Baker’s “Tweedle
Dee”; Billy Vaughn’s “Melody of Love”; .Fats Domino’s “Ain’t It
a Shame”; the Crazy Otto piano disks; Roger Williams’ “Autumn
Leaves”; Priscilla Wright’s “Man in the Raincoat”; Chuck Berry’s
’“Mabelline”; Lillian Briggs’ “I Want You to Be My Baby,” and a
flock of r&b tunes.

Smith stated that the new policy versus carbons was being inau-
gurated as a matter of fairness to the artists. It will, he said, help
to; prevent the “stealing of hits.” /

on Video

Another round of shooting fo-j;
song hits via a video dramatic
showcase is coming up. On the
CBS-TV “Studio One Summer
Theatre” show next Monday (2.9).
a new tune, “A Chance At Love,”
will be introduced In a draitta of
the same title. Tune, recorded by
Paul Weston- for .Columbia, was
written by Eugene Cines, director
of . CBS-TV program music, with
lyrics by Carl Sigman.

On Sept. 4, “Philco Playhouse”
is doing a show called “Miss Amer-
ica,” which’ will feature a title
song by Bemie Wayne. Johnny
Desmond, who clicked with another
tv tune, “Play Me Hearts and
Flowers,” from a Show in which he
appeared, will star in the show and
disk the tune for Coral Records.
Tune is also due for a plug at
the Mis? America Pageant in At-
lantic City, Sept. 10. E. B. Marks
Music is publishing. '

The drive to get that video plug
Was launched in earnest early this
year after the CBS-TV “Studio
One” plug, for “Let Me-Go, Lover,”
as sung and recorded by Joan
Weber for Columbia. It was an
overnight smash that underlined
video’s power to make hits by a
"single mass exposure.

Although no tv song since has
reached the status of “Let Me
Go, Lover,” several other video-
plugged ftines have made the
grade. ' In addition to “Play Me
Hearts and Flowers,” there have
been Gisele MacKertzie’s “Hard
To'Get,” from the “Justice” series;
•‘Blue Star/’ the theme of “Medic,”
recorded with . lyrics by Felicia-
Sapdeps for Columbia; and the
Puccini aria, ‘ * “O Mio Babbino
Caro,” also ' spotlighted on a
•‘Studio One” show and recorded
for Mercury by' Ralph Marterie.

Gelatt’s ‘Fabulous

Phonograph’ History
A Conrorehensive Work

By JIM WALSH

Thomas A. Edison invented the
phonograph almost 80 years ago—
7P years ago, . to. be exact— but,
culturally speaking, it has come
of age only since the introduc-
tion and .popularization of; satisfac-
tory LP records, during the past
decade. Anothe’r sign that the plat-
ter-player has reached musical ma-
turity is the appearance of the first
accurate and comprehensive book
ever devoted to the story of the
talking machine— -“The Fabulous
Phonograph,” by Roland Gelatt
(Liepincott; $4.95.)

Gelatt has done a job that need-
ed. doing and did it well. Over
the years, other writers in such
widely separated spots as New Zea-
land, England and the U.S.A., have
tripd to trace’ the history of
Edison's favorite- instrument, but
only musicologist Gelatt has writ-
ten lucidly and . entertainingly,
given the whole story, or nearly
all of it, and made the ifninimum
Qf mistakes. . There are omissions,
as there necessarily must be in

Disk Jockey Is Boss

. ... Rutland, Vt., Aug. 23.

One way for a disk jockey to
set his own policy is to buy
the station. That’s exactly what
Jack Bennett, jockey on
WHWB in this town, did.

Transfer of the 1,000-watter
from the former owner Charles
J. Bates to Bennett was re-
cently approved by the FCC.

First largescale Jazz show for
the arena and auditorium trade is
being produced by Joe Glaser’s
Associated Booklhg Corp. for . a
swing around the country this fall.

Show will comprise Dave Brubeck
Quartet with Paul Desmond, Gerry
Mulligan Sextet, Australian Jazz

Quartet and Carmen MacRae. Lay-
out in the modern idiom to be de-
signed for the arenas.

Group .will, hit 41 cities starting
at the Arena, New Haven on Nov.
1 and will hit Carnegie Hall, N.Y.,
oh Nov. 4 or. 5, . both, nights . have
been reserved in the Hall, but de-
cision as to playdate will be made
later.

Since “The Biggest Show of
1955” had to curtail its route*- last
season because of declining biz,
there has been little activity in
jazz shows "for arenas except, for
“Jazz at the Philharmonic.”, Glas-
er’s outfit marks an attempt to re-
activate what was once a lucrative
business.

LANDOWSKA’S $50 SET
A QUICK RCA SELLOUT

In another display of the selling
power of some longhair packages,
RCA Victor’s $50 limited edition
set of Wanda Landowska’s harpsi-
chord playing of Bach’s. “Well-
Tempered Clavier” was a sellout in
less than. four weeks after its re-
lease in June.

Company execs, initially figured
it- would take at least six months
to turn over the 1,000 albums,
which contained .six 12-inch LPs
each. Rapid sellout occurred de-
spite the fact that the. album did
not comprise new disks. They all
had been issued previously as
single LPs.

Mischa Violin's Agency Spot

Hollywood, Aug.. 23.

Mischa Violin, formerly musical
director of the Roxy Theatre, N. Y.,
in the ’30s, has joined the Jack
Linder agency as head, of the music
department.

He will book bands and orches-

, Developing .dealer reaction to
the Columbia Record LP Club;
which was launched last week, will
determine whether -similar plans
will be put into operation by some
of the other major companies. If
the dealers support the Columbia
project, then it’s likely that other
club plans will be set up. Another
disking exec, for ’instance, indi-
cated that * if the Col club plan

proves successful in pulling plus
business without antagonizing the
retailers, his label could also be
expected to come up with a disk
club.

The dealer jury, ‘however, is still
out on the Columbia club plan.
While Col has received support
frorh many outlets . around the
country, opposition to the' Club
plan "was also shaping up aS a
strong factor in several cities.
Crystalization of dealer opinion to
the Col plan will take place in the
next couple of weeks after the
dealers have a chance to become
more familiar, with the Col setup.
During this time, dealer groups; in
several cities have scheduled meet-
ings to discuss Col’s move and* to
determine whether to support or
oppose it.

Columbia, meantime, has. made
several refinements in the club’s
promotion to accommodate the lo-
cal dealers. Full-page Col adver-
tisements in the press over last
weekend, for instance, included
the names and addresses of local
dealers through whom member-
ship applications could be ob-
tained. The ads' also informed
prospective members that they
could join the Col club directly by
applying to the national headquar-
ters jn N. Y. The big bone of con-
tention oyer the Col plan is
whether the direct membership
applications will draw business
away from the local dealers.

Col execs are taking precautions
to prevent or minimize this devel-
opment. Spot radio announcements
plugging the club in- various locali-
ties were revamped to push dealer
membership rather than direct ap-
plications. Followup ads in the
- (Continued on page 58)

Rome, Aug. 16.

Louis Armstrong makes his third
grand tour of Italy this September,
during a European swing, in a
combo which is to include Barney
Bigard at the clarinet and Trammy
Young, among others. Armstrong’s

package, which in the past two
stanzas here has received top wel-
come, will be followed on a penin-
sular tour by the Jerry Mulligan
Quartet.

Fall jazz, activity in Italy will
spotlight a two-day. Jazz Festival,
to be held in Milan, this year on an
^international scale. All the Italian
combos will be repped as in past
years, including the Milan College
Jazz Society, the Roman New Or-
leans Band, etc. Among the soloists
to be featured are such European
names as Albert Nicolas, pianist
Lil Armstrong, Lays Guilin from
Sweden, and Hans Roller from
Germany.

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR

1905 -1955

^ « Xf .1 M » J

« Jf 7 *

• 9

Mitch ‘Tex* Miller

Mitch Miller, Columbia Rec-
ords’ artist^ repertoire chief
who is currently riding with
a click in “Yellow Rose of
Texas,” was made an honorary
citizen of; the Lone Star* state
in Dallas last’ week.

He was palmed in Texas en
route to the Coast where’s due
to stay about two weeks.

Jerry Blaine has sold out his two
indfe labels, Jubilee and Josie, to
an investment syndicate for a re-
ported $200,000. Syndicate, which
owns extensive holdings in diversi-
fied fields, has named Herb Dex-
ter as general manager of the two
labels. Dexter, 'former Philadelphia
disk jockey Who has been artists &
repertoire chief for* Blaine’s disk
operation for the past three years,
takes over the g.m. spot. Sept. 1.

Blaine, who organized Jubilee
some nine years ago, will hence-
forth concentrate on his wholesal-
ing outfit, Gosnat Distributors.
Latter is one of the biggest indie
distrib outfits in the disk biz, with
five branches in as many cities
handling such labels as Dot and
Atlantic. Cosnat will continue to
•distribute for Jubilee;

Under Blaine’s ategis, Jubilee
concentrated on pops and packages
while the Josie diskery was slanted
for the rhythm & blues market. It’s
expected that Dexter "Will continue
the same operational format.

KING GOES P0PWARDS;
HY GRILL JOINS LABEL

King Records, which has , jbtan
virtually dormant in the pop mar-
ket since the exit of Dewey Berg-
man about two years "ago, will again
become active in that field. Hy
Grill, formerly artists & repertoire
staffer at RCA Victor and Decca,
has' been named pop a&r. chief.
He’ll headquarter in New York,
Kang, which is a prominent label
in rhythm & blues and the country
& western markets, has its home-
office in Cincinnati.

Grill currently is looking for
talent to showcase on the King
label.

- 4 - Houston, Aug. 23.

Objectionable rhythm and blues
records have been cleared off
Houston airlanes for the most part,
says a committee that has declared
war on them. Group is the “wash-
out-the-air” committee of Hous-
ton’s juvenile., delinquency and
crime commission. Commission was
formed uder a city ordinance.

Main targets of the committee
were records beamed to this area’s
large Negro audience. Movement to
clean up the ether got big impetus
from a “Miss Peaches”- broadcast
which burlesqued Negro singing.
Local chapter of the National Assn,
for the Advancement of Colored
People was stirred to action by
the show, which originated live
from a Houston station.

As a result of strong feeling in
Negro quarters over the broadcast,
Dr. H. A. • Bulloch, sociology pro-
fessor at Texas' Southern . Univ.,
(a Negro school), took the matter
before the commission. '

The . cleanup committee- resulted,
with Dr. Bulloch named, chairman.
First act of the group was to" list
26 waxings mostly by indie labels,
that had bothered Negro leaders
as degrading or possibly, contribu-
tory to juvenile delinquency. Most
of the 26 were by. Negro artists.

List was sent to Houston’s nine
-stations, which include two stations
that beam most or all of their
programs to Negroes— KCOH and
KYOK. ' '•

Tacit indication of the move ac-
cording to Dr. Bulloch, was that
if the station didn’t clean up, the
FCC would be notified. All nine
outlets cooperated sooner- or later,
said Dr. Bulloch, and the 26 bis-
cuits disappeared from the air in
(Continued on page 55)

D.C. Legalite Enters
Disk Biz With New Label

Washington, Aug. 23.

New company, Ruby Records,
has opened here with plans for
pushing pop disks in the national
market. First platter, by Dolly
McVey, nitery singer who has made
several records under other labels,
will be released next month. She
has done “It’s My Heart” with
“Nobody Told Me” on the reverse.

Firm is .headed .by James Sfarn-
as, D. C. attorney with some show
biz experience. Capitol Records is
doing the pressing for Ruby.

Capitol Pacts Judy

Hollywood, Aug. 23.

Judy Garland has been signed
by Alan Livingston, Capitol rec-
ords artists & repertoire veepCe,
to a new recording pact. Miss Gar-
land’s initial album under the new
pact will be “Miss Show Business,”
which diskery plans to have in re-
lease late next month.

Simultaneously, Capitol signed
single pop records pacts with Rob-
ert Roubian, and with three coun-
try and western artists: Ray Parks,
Gloria* Hensoif nmd* Freddy* Fran hr. 4

Jack Robbins Fortes
New Mdsic Co^ With
Herb: 'Wise of Ashley

Vet : music publisher Jack Rob?
bins, who sold out his J. J. Rob*
bins &. Sons music firm to the
Ashley Music interests several
months ago, has organized a^new
publishing operation in partner-
ship with Herbert H. Wise. New
firm is called Robbins-Wise Inc.
and will specialize primarily in
legit and film production tunes.
Wise, incidentally, is the son of

the late A1 Wise, part owner of the
Ashley combine, which also in-
cludes such firms as Amsco, Lewis
and Consolidated.

The Robbins-Wise firm has
wrapped up the John Latouche-
Jimmy Mundy score for the legiter,
“Delilah,” which went into re-
hearsal for fall production last
week." RCA Victor, incidentally,
has the inside track on the original
cast album of the Carol Channing
starrer.

The firm also has the rights to
the Sammy Gallup theme song,
“Moon Magic,” and the David
Broekman score for the IMPS pic
production, “Crowded Paradise,”
a film about Puerto Rico which
has been bankrolled by that coun-
try with Nancy Kelly and Hume
Cronyn starring. The firm is-also
publishing the Leonard Bernstein
score from the film “On the
Waterfront.”

Coming up on the new firm’s
roster is the score to a projected
legit musical, “Lady Luck,” an Al-
bert Lewis production.. Score is by
Ted Fetter (lyrics) and Milt
Peterson (music).

Wiswell Back to N. Y.

Andy Wiswell, Capitol Records’
eastern artists & repertoire chief,
returns to his N.Y. desk this week
after a two-week trip to the Coast.

Wiswell, who was recently ap-
pointed to his new post, visited
Cap’s Coast homeoffice to be
oriented 1 on* the* diskery ’fi*p©Hoies.*

MUSIC

KSSIEff

Wednesday, August 24, 1955

Majors Showmanship; Other Pkges.

By ABEL GREENS

The pop business isn’t what it
should be, especially for the major
labels, but they certainly know
their, stuff package-wise as some
of the new albums indicate. Where
the majors perhaps lack that ‘'im-
pudence*’ and adventuring which
has distinguished , the small, in-
dependent .diskeries— and garnered
for them an outsize portion of the
pop crop— they have the. advantage,
of smoothness when it. comes to
the packaged goods.

‘.'Fred Astaire’s .Cavalcade of
Dance; played by Paul Whiteman,
and his ‘new’ Palais Royale Orches-
tra” (Coral 57008) is a good ex-
ample thereof. It’s a perfect coupl-
ing as the cavalcade unfolds the
Turkey Trot, circa' 1910; Castle
Walk (1912), Ballin’., the Jack
(1916),. Hesitation Waltz (’19),
Charleston (’24) and winds up with
something called “Jukin’ ” by Bill
Katz, Dick Jacobs . and Ruth
Roberts. In between also are such
items as polkas, the Varsouviana
(‘‘Put Your Little Foot Right
Out"), the Texas Tommy, the j&riz-
zly Bear, the Maxixe and the Black
Bottom.

It’s a showmanly conceived pack-
age, professionally produced and
presented by a couple of show biz
greats. Whiteman plays it all in
the idihm of the days of the Palais
Royale and his "new’.’ Rhythm boys
(1955 counterpart of the, original
Bing Ci:6$by-Al RinkeivHarry Bar-
ris combo) perform .in the same
trademarked brand of scat vocals.
Incidentally, somewhat akin . to
Hollywood "taking over" television

for plugs, the dancing masters have

been doing all right on the plat-
ters, notably Arthur Murray, Lat-
ter’s tieups with sundry dance
styles have been spread generously
on wax with Capitol and. R$A Vic-
tor. Astaire also has turned up on
a' recent Epic album of standards,
and a couple of years ago,, he was
showcased in a deluxe multi-disk
set under the Norman Granz label.

Columbia’s "Girl Meets Boy”
( CL 713 ) is .also a 12-inch LP pack-
age, produced by Irving Townsend,
and well thought ' out titularly as
Peggy Ring and Jerry Vale are
the initial romantic vis-a-vis, until
Felicia Sanders enters the triangle,
but it ends welt with the King-Vale
combo reunited as he pleads for
‘‘Just One More Chance” and they
wind up duetiiig the Gershwins!
“Love Is -Here To Stay^ The fact
that Miss King (who was launched
by the Hunt’s Tomato Sauce com-
mercial) sounds like Judy Garland,
and Miss Sanders manifests some
Lena Horne influences, is negligible
—what’s wrong with Judy or Lena?
Percy Faith gives the mixed three-,
some excellent backing. The bridge
dialog is brief; the songs best tie
it all together as this {sequencing
indicates; "The Buy -Next Door',”
"Would You Like To Take A
Walk?,” "All I Do Is Dream of
You,” "Let’s Fall In Love,” "You
Better Go Now” and "Goodnight
My Love" until the sultry Felicia
Sanders crosses Vale’s vocal path
with "I Wanna Be Loved,” “Tempta-
tion" and “It’s Easy to. Remem-
ber," but it all ends well with
“Just One More Chance” and "Love

The top 30 tongs of week ( more In case' of ties),, based on
copyrighted Audience Coverage Index & Audience Trend Index.
Published by Office of Research, Inc., Dr. John Gray Peatman,
Director. Alphabetically listed. * Legit musical, t Film.

Survey Week of Aug. 12-18. 1955

A Blossom Fell ........... Shapiro-B

Banjo’s Back. In Town . . .- .World

Bible Tells Me So. . Paramount .

Blue Star »■. Young

Domani . Montauk

Don’t Stay Away -Too Long Bourne

Female on the Beach-^-t “Female on the Reach” ... Northern

Fooled ...... i ..... Harms

Hard to Get. . . ... Witmark

Hummingbird .. . Jungnickel

If I May Roosevelt

I’ll Never Stop Loving You— f “Love Me, Leave Me” Feist

It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie BVC

Kentuckian. Song — t"Kentuekian” ‘ . Frank

Kiss Me and Kill Me with Love Chappell

Learnin’ the Blues Barton

Longest Walk . , : . . . Advanced

Love Is Many-Splendored— 1“Love Is Splendored" . Miller
Love Me or Leave Me— ^-1“Love Me or Leave Me". . BVC

Man from Laramie— t“Man from Laramie" Columbia

Man in a Raincoat BMI

May I Never Love Again. Broadcast

Piddily Patter Patter Marks

Rbck Around the Clock—' f "Blackboard Jungle” . . . Myers
Something’s Gotta Give — t"Daddy Long Legs” , Robbins

Sweet and Gentle Peer

Toy Tiger Northern

Unchained Melody— t"Unchained” .Frank

Wake the Town and Tell the People . ... ...... . . Joy

Yellow Rose of Texas Planetary

You Are My Sunshine , Southern

Young Ideas .. ......... . . . . ...■<• Harms

LAWRENCE WELK

and his

CHAMPAGNE MUSIC

209th Consecutive Week
Aragon Ballroom— Ocean Parle, Cal
ABC-TV— Sat. 9-10 P. M. EDT
Sponsored by
Dodge Dealers of America

Is Here To Stay” as above in-
dicated.

In another * idiom, of the
"blooper” genre. Is “Howfs, Boners
and Shockers from Art Linklettet’s
House Party’ Kid Interviews,” some
funny add some kinda precious ex-
cerpts off the tapes of the yet
radio impresario’s show. It’s out-of-
the-mouths-of-babes stuff, and most
of it really funny. His "House
Party” bloopers have been well
departmentalized and edited, and
the sound balance is good all the
way (Columbia 703, 12-inch LP).

Marcel Legrand, who first rang
the b§ll for Columbia with h& lush
“I Love Paris” potpourri of surefire
serenades to the Seine, and fol-
lowed it . with a relatively indif-
ferent "Holiday In Rome” (some-
how the Ginas are not as musically
inspiring as the Piafs and Boyers),
is back in high again with "Vienna
Holiday” (CL 706). Given a richer
canvas with a more surefire medley
—how can you go wrong with a
blend of . Lehar and Strauss plus
the two themes from “The Third
Man”? — Legrand’s pizzicato strings
and full-toned, orchestral treat-
ments make this an above-average
package.

Perry Como: "So Smooth” (RCA
Victor). This is a standout package
of standards delivered by Perry
Como in his most relaxed style.
Unlike the pop singles which have
to slug from the opening bar, each
of these tunes are handled with an
easy-to-take casualness. Mitchell

(Continued bn page 58)

Jocks, Jukes and Disks

.By HERM SCHOENFELD.

Frank Sinatra: "Fairy Tale”-
"Sarae Old Saturday Night” (Capi-
tol). Frank Sinatra should main-
tain his grip on the jocks with
this coupling on which he deliv-
ers with the same kind of flawless
phrasing and ..easy belting that has
given him a one-two punch for
both' the pop and jazz buffs. "Sat-
urday Night” is a good rhythm
number with a solid beat and a
commercial lyric. "Fairy Tale” is
a pretty ballad with a nice lilt that
Sinatra projects to the hilt, While
"Saturday Night” is a gpod rhythm-
number with a solid heat and a
commercial lyric; ■

; Jo Stafford: "Suddenly There’s
a Valley”-“The Night Watch” (Co-
lumbia). "Suddenly” is an inspira-
tional pop with strong possibilities.

(RCA Victor). One of the best
disks Hugo Winterhalter has ba-
toned in some time. The sound
values and the .orch and choral ar-
rangements on both sides are
standout and should cop lotsa
spins. "Kiki” gets a powerful
workover while “Oranges,” an ex,-
otic number, is set. in a swinging
framework for highly attractive
results. *

Jane Froman: "I Wantcha
Around”-" A Sound Foundation”
(Capitol), "Wantcha Around,” an-
other clever Boh Merrill tune, is a
cute change-of-paqe for Jane Fro-
man who, perhaps too often, has
been given those "class” ballad?.
This tune has a catching - bounce
which Miss Froman handles adroit-
ly. It could be a big one for her.

FRANK SINATRA v . . FAIRY TALE

(Capitol) .. Same Old Saturday. Night ,

JO STAFFORD , . . ... . . , . : r V . SUDDENLY THERE’S A VALLEY

(Columbia) ............ ... * * , . , #■* . .... The .Night- IVa tch

AL HlBRLElt . . . . . . . . .......... . . . . , , . . . . . .BREEZE

( Decca ) ' .... Re .

MANTOVANT ORCH ..... BEGIN THE BEGUINJE

( London ) v. ... Our Dream Waltz

Standout lyrlc and the light oatune
melodic line get a fine interpreta-
tion by Jo Stafford. Patti Andrews
also has good version of this tune
for Capitol. On’ the Columbia flip,
“Night Watch” is a nice lullaby
with fair chances. Paul Weston’s
baton gives an important assist on
this disk.

A1 Kibbler: “Breeze”-"He” (Dec-
ca). Now that Hihbler is getting
a crock at firstrate material, the
blind Negro singer is shaping up
as one of the top contenders in the
male vocalist sweepstakes. "Breeze”
is a solid bluesy type of ballad
which Hibbler’s yintensb delivery
should blow into the hit lists. "He"
Is a good rdffgioso pop that Kib-
bler handles with sincerity.

Mantovani Orch: "Begin the
Beguine" - "Our Dream Waltz”
(London). It’s been some time
since a new topflight instrumental
version of the great Cole Porter
standard, "Begin the ' Beguine,”
has hit the market. Mantovani’s
lush cut, \yith an arresting solo
accordion opening, is hound for
plenty of ispiris by the jocks and
the jukes looking for a fresh treat?

evergreen,

‘Our

ment of this
Dream Waltz" is a pretty entry
played in the usual tasteful Man-
toy ani style.

Hugo Winterhalter Orch & Cho-
rus: “Kiki”-"The Oranges of Jaffa”

"Sound Foundation” is a revivalist-
type handclapping .ballad with ro-
mantic lyrics. . Miss Froman belts
it energetically.

Coiint Basle Orch: "When The
Sun Goes Down”-" Alright, Okay,
You . Win” . (Clef). Count Basie,
whose current hand is 'generally
acknowledged to be the swlnging-
est in the business, has ‘been 'hit-
ting the pop lifets recently. That’s
due primarily to the vocals of ‘the
fine blues singer, Joe Williams,
who’s regular vocalist with the
Basie prew. He has an authentic*
flavorsome style and in /‘When, the
Sun Goes Down” he has 1 an ex-
cellent slow-:tempoed ballad tailor-
made for his pipes. It’s a topflight
production that should go in, both
the jazz and pop fields. Flip is a
jump tune which Williams belts
brightly.

Kenny George: "Bedevllled”-
“Heads Ybu Win, Tails I Lose”
(Unique). In Kenny George; this
indie label has a "new sound’.’
which .could hit out of left field.
George, who originally cut this
side for a small label . in Florida,
has bass pipes which he uses some-,
what in . the style of Billy Daniels.
"Bedevilled” is one of those dra-
matic opuses which he talk-sings
with unusual effect. Flip is an un-
related coupling with another sin'g-
(Continued on page 58)

1. YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS (3)

Tod 30 Songs on TV

(More In Case of Ties)

A Blossom Fell . . . ....... . . .

Alabama Jubilee

Apppllo Umberto Silvano Roberto Romano. ....
Bella Notte— t“Lady and the Tramp”. . . . . , i . . . . . .

Blue Star . , . . .

Domani , .

Don't Stay Away Too Long.

Experience Unnecessary .....

. Gobelues ....... V.

Heart — *“Damn Yankees” .

He’s a Tramp— t“Lady and the Tramp”....

Hummingbird

I Want You to Be My Baby ..1.

Kentuckian Song--ff “Kentuckian”

Learnin' the Blues

Longest Walk .

Love is Many-Spiendored- — ^1“Love Is Splendored”. .

Nineteenth Hole ....

Pete Kelly’s Blues — t“Pete Kelly’s Blues”

Piddily Patter Patter

Rock Around the Clock — f’Blackboard Jungle”

Sailor Boys Have Talk to Me in English

Siamese Cat Song— t“Lady and the Tramp” ........

Something’s Gotta Give— t “Daddy Long Legs”.,..’

Strange Noise in the Attic

Sweet and Gentle

.Two Lost Souls— *“Damn Yankees”

Wake tlae Town and Tell the People

Yellow Rose of Texas

Young Ideas

Shapiro-B

Remiick

Witmark

Disney

Young

Montauk

Bourne

Pincus .

Longridge

Frank

Disney *

jungnickel

Victory

Frank

Barton

Advanced

Miller

Jericko

Mark VII

E. B. Marks

Myers

Morris

Disney

Robbins

Cromwell

Peer

Frank

Joy

^’anetary

BVC

* r w ’vf

10 Best Sellers on Coin-Machines *,,

f Mitch Miller ... .Columbia

l Johnny Desmond ........ Coral < ►

(Pat Boone Dot 41 h

AIN’T THAT A SHAME (4) 1 \ Ronnie Gaylord ........ Wing < ’

} Fats Domino Imperial * *

3. ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK (13) Bill Raley’s Comets .....Decca <»

J 4. HARD TO GET . (10) Gisele MacKenzie ..... Label X

5. LEARNIN* THE BLUES (12) Frank Sinatra ......... .Capitol < >

( Fontane Easters .Dot

] Boyd Bennett King

\ Rusty Draper ......... Mercury < *

6. SEVENTEEN (2)

I 7. SWEET AND GENTLE (7)

[Alan Dale ... ....... . . .... . Coral r

{ Georgia Gibbs. ....... .Mercury *

S Roy Hamilton ........... Epic

‘ " ^'Mer

.<* 8. UNCHAINED MELODY (19) .... ........... .......... -{Al Bibbler Decca

} Les Baxter .Capitol

: , J Nat (King) Cole ...... . Capitol ”

1 7 j Dickie Valentine. .... . .London - *

J 9. A BLOSSOM FELL

10. IT'S A SIN TO TELL A LIE (9)

Somethin’ Smith .......... Epic ♦

Second Group

nniuAMt R ( Julius LaRosa Cadence

^ Tony Martin Victor ‘ ’

HONEYBABE Art Mooney '.. .....MGM

SONG OF THE DREAMER ? d *? ie . Fis £ er • - - Victor 1 1

l Johnnie Ray .Columbia <►

1 WAKE THE TOWN AND TELL THE PEOPLE f^ S ^ Ba ^ ter ..Capitol

+ MAN IN A RAINCOAT ;.\ d Cadence : ;

i (Priscilla Wright Unique

^ THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC Sammy Davis Jr. Debcq < *

t I’LL "NEVER STOP LOVING YOU P 0r H. D ? y .Columbia ^

X (Les Baxter Capitol

' SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE \ McGuire Sisters Coral ^

(Sammy Davis Jr ....Decca -►

. HUMMINGBIRD Les Paul-Mary Ford .... Capitol *

' IF I MAY Nat (King ) Cole ....... Capitol t

'Figures in varentheses indicate number of weeks song has been m the Top 101

♦

Wednesday, August 24> 19^5

MUSIC

London, Aug. 16.

Ted Heath and his band are to
launch the opening program of the
first dance band, series to be
scheduled for commercial tv.

Associated-Rediffusion is trans-
mitting the program on alternate
Tuesdays from Oct. 4, It will em-
brace all forms of British popular
music. It’s being produced and, di-
rected by Tig Roe.

Other bandleaders who have also
been approached by the commer-
cial web to help capture the popu-
lar music public are Harry Parry,
Nat Temple and Humphrey Lyttel-
ton. :

Canadian Gerry Wilmot, who
made a name as an emcee at the
BBC during the war and has latter-
ly been a radio executive in Ber-i
muda, is to handle ’’The ABC Music
Shop,” a half-hour program for the
pop music public.

. Further commercial . tv ; pews is
that- 29-year-old Pete Murray,
leading disk jockey on Radio Lux-
embourg,. is leaving to join a com-
mercial tv organization here.

The BBC meantime is. reviving
Its -’Hit Parade”. series on Oct. 17,
and is capturing as many stars
as are available for the big ’’Off
The Record” show. Exclusive con-
tracts have also been offered to
singers Petula Clarke, Carole
Carr, Yana, etc.

local 802 Gets Vacations
From N.Y, Philharmonic;
Deal With Legiters Near

New York’s Local 802, American
Federation of Musicians, wrapped
up an agreement with the N.Y.
Philharmonic management last
week under which i the longhair
sidemen would receive one week’s
vacation with pay each year, start-
ing in 1956. Due to abbreviated
concert seasons, longhair symphs
rarely get vacation pay..

Tdoters also obtained a cut in'
their contributions to the Philhar-
monic pension fund. The previous
payments of from $100 to' $200 an-
nually . paid to the fund by the
aymph’s sidemen have been cut in
half; but’ they will, receive the
same benefits: New pension deduc-
tions are effective with the start
Of the next season.

Local 8Q2, meantime, is expected
to wrap up its negotiations for a
hew deal with the League-of N.Y.
Theatres this week. Current pact
with .the Broadway legit houses ex-
pires Labor Day. Negotiations for
the past couple of weeks have been
proceeding amicably.

RED CLYDE TAKES OVER
IN BETHLEHEM REVAMP

In a complete revamp of the
exec setup of Bethlehem Records,
Red Clyde, diskery’s Coast rep,
has been brought to the N. Y.
liomeoffice to take over the top
sales and artists & repertoire
spots. He replaces Murray Sing-
er, who was sales chief, and
Creed Taylor, former a&r boss.

Diskery has recently inked
pacts . with Marilyn Maxwell,
Frances Faye, Bobby Troup and
Charlie Shavers. Paul Werth re-
mains as promotion chief with Gus
Wildi, prexy, wielding the admin-
istrative reins.

Chirp Asks 50G For
Tune ’Infringement’

Los Angeles, Aug. 23.

Singer Muriel Landers wants
$50,000 in damages for asserted
wrongful use by another chirp of
a song, “Bom in a Booth,” which
she claims was specially written
for her by George Jones and
Charles R« Mayer and which she
had planned as a “musical signa-
ture and byline.”

Plaintiff named Barbara Staples,
also known as Barbara Heller, and
Miriapi and Hans Schiller, opera-
tors of the Cabaret Concert The-
atre, Hollywood, as defendants.
Complaint states that Miss Staples!
warbled song in Cabaret's “11:45
Revue.”

Scoreboard

TOP TALENT AND TUNES

Compiled front Statistical Reports of Distribution

' a ,

Encompassing the Three Major Outlets

Coin Machines Retail Disks Retail Sheet Music

as Published in the Current Issue

NOTE : The current comparative sales strength of the Artists and Tunes listed hereunder Is
arrived at under a statistical system comprising each of the three major sales outlets enu-
merated above. These findings are correlated with data from wider sources, which are exclusive
uoith Variety, The positions resulting from these findings denote the OVERALL IMPACT de-
veloped from . the ratio of points scored, two ways in the ease of talent (coin machines , retail^
. disks) and three ways vn-the case of tunes ( coin machines, retail disks and retail sheet music).

TALENT

POSITIONS
This Last
Week Week

ARTIST AND LABEL .

BILL HALEY’S COMETS (Decca)

2 /

■7

POSITIONS
This ' Last
Week Week

TUNE

. ( Rock Around the Clock
•"•••• ) Razzle-Dazzle

PAT BOONE (Dot) , , Ain’t That a Shame

MITCH MILLER (Columbia) Yellow Rose of Texas '

' (Wake the Town

LES BAXTER (Capitol) j Unchained Melody

[i’ll. Never Stop Loving You

FRANK SINATRA (Capitol) jjJotafa Strang

GISELE MacKENZIE (Label X)
NAT (KING) COLE (Capitol)

Hard to Get

A Blossom Fell
....... Jlf I May

My One Sin

CHUCK BERRY (Chess) * Maybellene

JOHNNY DESMOND (Coral) ............. . Yellow Rose of Texas

(Song of the Dreamer
’ ’ * \ Don’t Stay Away Too Long

EDDIE FISHER (Victor)

4
6

" 5
7

• • '
10
9

TUNES

(•ASCAP. fBMI)

TUNE PUBLISHER

* YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS Planetary

*ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK . . . Myers

f AIN'T THAT A SHAME Commodore

*HARD TO GET Witmark

YEARNIN’ THE BLUES Barton

HJNCHAINED MELODY Frank

*FLL NEVER STOP LOVING YOU. Feifit*

•{•SEVENTEEN Lois

*WAKE THE TOWN AND TELL THE PEOPLE Joy

*A BLOSSOM FELL Shapiro-Bernstein

50 Music Pubs Take Part
In Band & Choral Clinic

Philadelphia, Aug. 23„

More than 500 school and college
music teachers from 29 states will
take part in the first Eastern Band
and Choral Clinic at the U. of Del-
aware, Aug. 24-27. Clinic is held
primarily to demonstrate new pub-
lications and is sponsored jointly
by J. W. Pepper & Son, oldline
Philadelphia music pubbery and
the university, with 50 music pub-
lishers participating.

Support of the, major music pub-
lishers indicates widening trend of
music houses to exploit their copy-
rights in the educational field.
Heading the outstanding staff of
composers, arrangers and music ed-
ucators who will conduct the clinic
is Phil Lang, director of standard
and educational music for Edwin
,H. Morris & Co. Author and ar-
ranger of several hundred band and
choral numbers, Lang also scored
three current Broadway musicals,
“Pajama Game,” “Fanny” and
“Plain and Fancy.”

Other staffers include Harry
Simeone, composer-arranger for
Fred Waring; John D. Raymond,
music director r of Lafayette Col-
lege; Paul Yoder, Chicago compds-
er-arranger; Alfred Reed, Baylor
U., Waco, Tex., and Leonard B.

Smith, director of the Detroit Mu-
nicipal Opera.

Publishers cooperating in the
clinic include Robbins, Feist &
Miller, Carl Fischer, Inc,;. Music
Publishers Holding Corp.; Shapiro
Bernstein, G. Schirmer Inc.;
Bourne Inic., Chappell & Co.,
Mills Music Inc., H. W. Gray &
Co., Boosey-Hawkes Inc., Belwin
Inc., E. H. Morris & Co., Frank
Music Inc., and E. B. Marks Inc.

A. highschool and college band
of 60 will “clinic” more than 150
new band numbers, while a teach-
ers chorus will sing some 175 new
choral arrangements. An innova-
tion will be the filming of all band
scores for projection on a screen
so that teachers may follow as ex-
perts direct the band.

Chile Cleffers Get

$25,000 in Royalties

Santiago, Aug/ 16.

Some 600 Chilean, composers
and lyricists received performance
royalties totalling slightly more
than 5,680,000 pesos ($25,000) for
the second semester of 1954. Luis
Bahamondes, composer, topped the
list with approximately 280,000
pesos. Francisco Flores del Cam-
po, Donato Roman Heitman and
Carlos Ulloa Diaz each hit the
more than 100,000 pesos division.

Official rate of exchange in
Chile is 200 pesos per dollar, but
free market rate is about 700,

Can. AFM Raps Service
Band Use On Pay Dates

Toronto, Aug. 23.

While professional musicians in
Canada have no objection to the
appearance of service bands — Navy,

Army, Air Force — at functions
where the public is admitted free,
the use of service bands is ob-
jected to where these are used to
provide free music for promoters
when the public is charged admis-
sion. This is pointed out in a letter
from Walter Murdoch, executive
head for Canada of the American
Federation of Musicians, which has
been mailed to all members of the
Canadian Parliament and Senate.

The union object^ to the use of
service bands where professional
musicians should be used, says
Murdoch, at commercial functions
where admission is charged — unless
agreement in writing is given by
the musicians union to the com-
manding officer of* the unit con-
cerned. Wrote Murdoch: “The Army
‘does not call out its plumbers nor
the Air Force its electricians to
build houses for private contrac-
tors at' Government expense,” but
okays the use of permanent force
or militia bands for “all occasions
of a purely military character” for
charitable and community projects
where no admission is charged and
professional musicians are not de-
prived of employment by private
promoters.

Of Bandleaders

Chicago, Aug, 23.

Preliminary talks leading to for-
mation of a ‘Chicago unit of the
projected national organization of
dance band leaders, the Dance Or-
chestra Leaders of America, were
held here recently. Framework
of the national group was formed
in Los Angeles some months ago,
with election of Les Brown as pres-
ident; Harry Jarties, vice-president;
Lawrence Welk, treasurer, and
Freddie Martin, secretary. Ameri-
can Federation of Musicians prexy
James C. Petrillo has been named
honorary president. At the Chicago
organization meeting, Frankie Mas-
ters, longtime Conrad Hilton Hotel
batoneer, was named chairman of
the Chi* group. •

Purpose of the fledging organiza-
tion is to increase . public interest
in dance bands through cooperative
action between the orchestra lead-
ers and musicians, the, union, the
employers and the booking, agen-
cies.

With Les . Brown appearing at
Chi’s Blue. Note,.recently, 'time was
ripe for formation of the Chicago
unit. A few weeks ago, a -New York
group held preliminary talks also.
Formal organization' of the national
group and its lpcal chapters will
take place at the National Ball-
room Operators Assn, convention
in Chicago, Sept. 26-27, with the
country’s major dance baud' leaders
in attendance. Some 150' band-
leaders approached have pledged
their* attendance at. the NBOA con-
clave and. will avoid bookings for
the tivo-day session.

Transfer of Disk Works

To Tape Still an Upbeat;
Stereo for Hi-Fi Fans

As part of the increasing trend
of indie diskeries to tie up with
tape companies, Berkshire Record-
ing Corp. is now releasing pre-
recorded tapes from the Haydn
Society. Berkshire is packaging the
tapes in both the standard seven-
inch per second and the longplay
3% i.p.s. speed, which provides up
to three hours of music on a seven-
inch reel. Catalog contains 21 long-
hair packages selling from $6.95
to $12.95 per reel.

Although' a flock of indie labels
have authorized release of their
disk catalogs on tape, only RCA
Victor, among the major com-
panies, has been selling prere-
corded tapes. Victor came out with
its first tape packages last year and
fo 7 lo\vcd up last month with an-
other tape release. Victor’s tape
catalog now consists of 16 longhair
works and eight pops on conven-
tional double-track tape, in * addi-
tion to four longhair works
packaged on stereophonic tapes
designed for special equipment.

Stereophonic tapes, while about
twice .as expensive as ordinary
packages, are currently riding the
hi-fi hobby horse. Hi-fi fans are
impressed by the realism of the
stereophonic sound. Ampex, which '
manufactures professional tape
equipment, is now marketing a
stereophonic tape phonograph for
the home. This machine, priced at
about $800, can only play the tapes
back and cannot record.

JAMES MASON TO CUT
POEMS FOR CAEDMON

. Hollywood, Aug. 23.

James Mason has signed a disk
deal with Caedmon Records, affili-
ate of the N.Y. pubbery, to cut
recitation disks. Mason’s initial
waxings will be a series of poems
taken from the works of Robert
Browning.

Incidentally, Mason’s deal with
Caedmon will not interfere with
pact he recently made with Nor-
man Granz' to narrate and intro-
duce an upcoming jazz series he
will co-produce with Granz.

Boyd Assists Tarr

Charles Bo5'd, RCA Victor field
staffer, has been brought into the
N.Y. homeoffice to assist Irwin
Tarr, syndicate- store sales man-
ager.

Duo will help step-up Victor’s
sales activities in the chain and
department store fields.

MUSIC

Wednesday, . August 24, 1^55

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Wednesday, Auguit 24, 195$

Houston Cleans The Air

Continued from page SI

time. During the transition period,
as many as 11 representatives of
Dr. Bulloch's committee monitored
local stations, checking to see if
the objectionable disks appeared;
If they did, said Dr. Bulloch, "if;
was called to the attention of .the
station manager."

According to the committee head,
the effect has been to erase most
suggestive or. obscene race music
from the air here, with some sta-
tions using committee suggestions
as guide to disk selections, and
others creating: their own screening
^panels.

Dr. Bulloch said plans- for the
committee’s campaign were pat-
terned on those used in a similar
movement sponsored by WDIA in
Memphis.

Records listed for banning were:
Ray Charles singing “I Got A
Woman”; Little Walter, "My Babe”;
The Lamplighters, ’ "Smootchie”;
B.. B. King, "Everyday I Save The
Blues”; Ray Charles, "Come Back
Baby”; Lowell Fulson, "Reconsid-
er Baby”; Clyde McPhatter,
"Watcha Gonna Do Now”; The
Midnighters, "Sexy Ways”; Little
Walter, ". . Last Night”; B. B.
King, "You Upsets, Me Baby”; Etta
James, "The Wallflower”; The Mid-

nighters, "Annie Had a Baby”;
Dominoes, “Sixty-Minute Man”;
Roy Brown, "Good Rocking. To-
night”; The Spiders, "I Didn’t Want
To Do It”; The Five Royals, ‘Too
Much Lovin’ ”; The Midnighters,
"Annie Pulled a Humbug”; Drift-
[. ers, "Hjoney ‘Love”; The Midnight-
ers, "Work With Me Annie’ V The
Four;. Jacks, 'Tired of Your Sexy
Ways”; Jimmy Liggins, "Drunk”;
Emitt Slay Trio, "Male Call”;
Lightning Hopkins, "Candy. Kitch-
en”; Lightning Hopkins, "Another
Fool in Town”; The Five Royals,
"Laundromat Blues”; Bull Moofefe
Jackson, "I Want a Bowlegged
Woman”; Lazy Slim Jim, "Wine
Head Baby”; Lamplighters, "I
Can’t Stand It”; Tommy Collins,
"Watcha Gonna Do Now” and El-
vis Presley, "Good Rocking .To-
night.”

Count : Basie’s orch will head up
a jazz and rhythm & blues package
to tour the southwest this fall for
three weeks starting Nov, . 16. Shaw
Artists is booking.

Package will include George
Shearing, Ruth Brown, The Orioles,
The Hearts and T-Bone Walker.

n* I . J* IJ* I Musicians Uni

Richmonds Bnt Firm

London^ Aug, 23.

American music-publisher Howie
Richmond has formed & new pub-
lishing company, Essex Music Ltd.,
which begins operations on Sept, 5.

To take charge of the new or-
ganization, David Platz has left his
post as general manager of Latin-
American Music. Platz joined the

Southern Music group of compa-
nies in 1942 as an office boy and
was put in sole charge of the Latin-
American subsidiary five years ago.

Cleffing Army Major
v To Wax Tunes Q-’Seas

Dudley Manners, nom de clef
of a retired U. S. Army doctor,
Major D. D. Krup, leaves for
Europe at the end of next month
to record several of his tunes. He
plans ,to use the BBC band of
Ralph Elman (Mischa Elman’s
cousin) With EMI to handle 0 the
masters.

In Germany, he will record two
of his Viennese waltzes, "Pawn of
Love” and "Love Me Alone,” With
a GI orch. Several • of Manners’
tunes are currently being plugged
in Germany via . AFRS recordings.

Brit Com! TV

Best British Sheet Sellers

(week ending Aug. 12)

London, Aug. 17.

Unchained Melody Music

Evermore Rogers

Dreamboat ........... .Leeds

I Wonder . . . .MaCMelodies

Ev’rywhere . Bron

Stranger in Paradise. • .Music
Where Dimple Be...Cinephonic

Cherry Pink Maddox

Stowaway ..Morris

Day of My Life Robbins

Don’t Woyyy ..... . .Wright

You, My Love .Dash

Second 12

Softly Cavendish

Bridges of Paris . . Southern

Mania MacMelodies

Earth Angel ....... Cha^eH

Sincerely Dash

Love Song Was Born. .Chappell
Learnin’ the Blues . . Connelly

John and Julie.. -Toff

Cool Water ... Feldman

Stars Shine in Eyes. .Maurice
Cfazy Otto Rag ..... Kassner
Melody of Love ..... Connelly

DISK BEST SELLERS

Jsahiety

Survey of retail disk best
sellers based on reports ob
tained from le'ading stores in
21 cities and showing com-
parative sales rating for tnis
and last week ....

National
Rating
This Last
wk. wk.

Artist, Label, Title

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BILL HALEY’S COMETS (Decca)
"Rock ground the Clock”. ..... — 3

NS.

•

.. 3

144

MITCH MILLER .(Columbia)

’ "Yellow Rose of Texas” 2

4 1 *

6 . 1

• *

• «

136

PAT BOONE (Dot)

"Ain't That a Shame” 1

• «

2 1

•

• »

2 .

• •

126

4 .

FRANK SINATRA (Capitol)

"Learnin* the Blues” ....... 4

« «

.. 3

• *

• •

« • ,• • •

GISELE MacKENZIE (Label X)

"Hard to Get” .... 6

.• •

7 ..

• •

LES BAXTER (Capitol)

"Wake the Town” ..

* «

• •

• «

• •

• «

• *

CHUCK MILLER (Mercury)

"House of Blue Lights” 9

• *

• »

« •

• « « »

• 4

• •

* «

_ 1

• •

NAT (KING) COLE (Capitol)

"A Blossom Fell” 7

* •

• • * •

• •

• a '

• •

. * •

• 4

• • • *

• »

CHUCK BERRY (Chess)

"Maybellene” ..

• >

» «

• •

• • • •

• •

4 •

• •

p • • *

• «

• •

LES BAXTER (Capitol)

"Unchained Melody” . .

• *

• • • •

« a

■ - •

• «•

• #

• •

. • •

• •

llA

•11

DORIS DAY (Columbia)

"I’ll Never Stop Loving You” ...... . .

« • • »

« •

* •

• #

- • #

• •

» •

• 4 ft «

• 4

« »

11B

RUSTY DRAPER (Mercury)
"Seventeen”

« 9

• •

« •

.# •

• •

• • 4

4 •

• «

FOUR ACES' (Decca)

"Love Is Many-Splendored” , .

• •

• «

• •

• V

■ •

« 4

8 ..

FRANKIE LAINE (Columbia)
"Rnjmmlngbird” • „ .

• «

•

• •

ft •

* •

• •

• t

• • « «

• •

15A

FOUR LADS (Columbia)

"Moments to Remember”

« •

-,* * * ♦

• •

• 4 .

• <

• •

7 ..

• »

» •

• «

15B

ROGER WILLIAMS (Kapp)

"Autumn Leaves” . ........

• •

. • •

. . • •

« • • •

•

• •

• • «

1 ..

• •

4 •

.14

CREW-CUTS (Mercury)

"Gum Drop”. , .

■ m 4

ft •

• ♦ • •

« •'

• »

2 . .

• 4

• •

PRISCILLA WRIGHT (Unique)

"Man in a Raincoat”

• •

. ft

• •

9 . .

«. •

• «

* •

• •

• «

4 •

• **

JAYE P. MORGAN (Victor)

"Longest Walk”.

• •

» •

« •

6 . .

• •

» 4

• »

• •

5 . .

. •• •

• • ■ •

20A

• EDDIE FISHER (Victor)

"Song of the Dreamer”.

• «

« • • •

■ •

• •

* •

4 »

4 4.

• *

• • • f

« •

• «

4 %

20B

« •

HILLTOPPERS (Dot)

"Kentuckian Song” =

• •

. 9

» •

« •

• «

BOYD BENNETT (King)

^Seventeen” 8

♦ «

* *

• • •

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ft -ft ,

4 •

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ft 4

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SAMMY DAVIS JR. (Decca)

"That Old Black Magic’*...,. .,

« •

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« 4

ft « • •

.• * ■

ft ft

• «

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ft •

• *

• . 4

ft 4

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24A

JULIUS LaROSA (Cadence)

"Domani” ..

4 9

• •

« •

• • •

• -»

• •

ft ft

« -«

« •

• •

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•

24B

SOMETHIN' SMITH (Epic)

"It’s a Sin. to Tell a Lie” 10

• 4

• * • •

• •

4 • .

ft ft

• •

4 ♦

• •

• • . • »

• *

• •

SIX TOP
ALBUMS

LOVE ME OR

STARRING

LONESOME ECHO

IN THE WEE,

PETE KELLY’S

LEAVE- ME

. SAMMY DAVIS JR.

jacklo Gloaton

SMALL HOURS

BLUES

Doris DCy

Sammy Davit Jr.

Frank Sinafra

Lte-Fitxgorald

Columbia

DecCa

Capitol

Decca

CL 710

D 3 L 8118

W 627

W 581

DL 8166

B 2090

ED 2214-5-0

EBF 1, 2-627

EBF 1, 2-581

ED 758

pamn Yankees

Original Ca»t

Victor
LOC 1021
EOC 1021

MUSIC 55

London, Aug. 23.

Faced with a Sept, 22, deadline,
the operators of London’s new-
commercial tv station' are having
anxious moinents and are still net
certain they will be able to go op
the air with their scheduled pro*
grams. They’re riot only having a
race against time to get their equip*
ment ready, as reported last week,
but are involved in last minute
complex negotiations , with the
Musicians Union, who have report-
edly put forward demands which
would make the .whole operation
uneconomic. v •' , .

An executive of one of the tv
programmers; at the end of a two-
day negotiating session last week,
suggested that the MU’s demands
were designed to : restrict the . use
of Aimed programs and. were im-
posing crippling restrictions to
ensure employment of live tooteris.
If they had their way, he noted,
the program ; contractors would be
working for the musicians and npt
vice-Versa, 1

It was expected of course that
the MU would put forward a stiff
minimum wage demand, with con-
sequent special bonuses for repeats
either in this country or overseas.
But no one was prepared for the
extravagant : demands which In-
clude a definite prejudice against
the use of filmed; programs. They
have even suggested that where
ceilulbid. Js used,, the. background
music should he provided live by
musicians in the studio. As ah al-
ternative, they indicated they
might concede pre-recording by a
live orch, but each break in their
performance would be regarded as
another session, calling for extra
pay. It would be necessary for the
orch to play non-stop to get the
recording regarded as a single ses-
sion.

.Because of the late start of the
negotiations, the program contrac-
tors are not left with, time to take
this dispute fo the Industrial Court.
They will, therefore, either have to
make the .best possible terms with
the unions of*. abandon their sched-
ule, released 1 last week,- and put; in
alternative programs so as to keep
faith with the public.

Native ‘Davy Crockett’

Now No. 9 Hit in Sweden

Stockholm, Aug. 16;

Top disk here is "Cherry Rink
and Apple Blossom White,” played
by Chicago-born Ernie Englund Jr.,
on Metronome label. Second' is
"Isn’t It Romantic,” with Bengt-
Ame Wallin ^trumpet) on Musics.
No. 3. is. "Billy Boy,” a duet be-
tween Alice Babs and > Charles
Charles Norman, on Metronoriie.
Next is "Majorca" with Johnston
Brothers on Decca, followed by "I
Love Paris” with Les .Baxter on
Capitol. . , .

Eddie Calvert, comes at sixth
place with his instrumental reading
of "Cherry Pink” on Columbia. No,
7 is a Dutch melody, "No. Flowers
Growing On a Sailor's Graveyard,”
.sung by Ingvar Olsson on Philips.
A Swedish reading of "Majorca"
with Staffan Brorhs on Metronome
is eighth, followed by a Swedish
version of "Davy Crockett” sung by
Cacka - Israelsson on the Odeon.
Tenth is a Dutch recording of the
Italian: melody "Mama K1 Baion”
sung by Maria Zamora on Philips.

Houston, Aug. 23.

A fullscale recording session in
which local people supplied the
songs, the words, the voices and
the music was held at the Music
Hall here. Ed Gerlach, whose 16
piece orch participated in the rec-
ord cutting session, said the mas-
ters will, be leased to a company
for futurd release.

•Jimmy Duncan, young local
songwriter who composed two of
the songs, was featured vocally on
•four: Two other tunes recorded
were .composed by Johnny Lee
now active in local musical and
recording fields. The Bill Knight,
eight voice chorus, also took part
in the session which was arranged
by Gerlach and local disk jockey
1 Larry Kane.

MUSIC

Wednesday, August 24, .1955

New York

LouKrefetz’s "Top 10 'Revue,”
a rhythm & blues package, now
booked for 66 consecutive days be-
ginning yesterday (Tues.) in St.
‘ Louis. ShaW Artists is handling the
booking , . . Disk jockeys Dick
Reynolds and Frank Jay are co-
piloting a new all-night show on
WHK in Cleveland . .. . D. Dudley
Krupp, retired major in the ,U. S.
Arn\y who writes songs under the
nom de clef . of Dudley Manners,
applying for ASCAP membership
, . , Billy Williams Quartet opens
a nine-week stand at the New
Frontier Club in Las Vegas Sept.
5 . . . Ella Fitzgerald headlines at
... the. Michigan State Fair Sept. 9-
H . . ; Crew-Cuts will play the-
Indiana State Fair Sept. 3-9 . . .
Coast tunesmith Don R. George
and his wife sailing for Europe
next month and. will Spend a cou-
ple of weeks in N. Y..prior to mak-
ing the trip . . . Disk jockey Herb
Fontaine, shifting from WCOU,
Lewiston, Me:, to WPDA, Quincy,
Mass. . . . Vet tunesmith Edward
Rosenbaum; who has retired after
55 years activity in film biz and
legit, elected to ASCAP member-
ship along with Carleton Carpen-
ter, film and legit player who has
done several legit and film scores
. . . Bob Larsen, disk jockey on
WEMP, Milwaukee, la New York
Vacationing last week.

Chicago

Bill Huff enters the scene at Max
Miller's The Scene, Chi Club, to
spell host at the 88 . . * Ernie Rudy
set for the Aragon Ballroom, Chi,
Septi 11-Oct. 16 . . . Ralph Mar-
terfe plays the Melody Mill, Chi,
Sept. 23-25 . ■; . Ralph Flanagan
currently doing one-nighters in
the midwest ... Jan Garber also
currently barnstorming the mid-
west 1 territory , . , Chi'.s London
House, inaugurating a jazz music

S olicy in the fall, set to book Red
orvo, the Billy Taylor Trio, and
the Ralph Sutton Trio . . . Buddy
i Moreno appearing nightly at the
Riviera, Lake Geneva, Wis., when
not spinning disks on Chi’s WJJD
or ’ emceeing the WNBQ show
"Contact.”

Hollywood

Fred Steiner signed by 20th-
Fox to orchestrate score composed
by Hugo Friedhofer for "Seven
Cities of Gold” . . . Sammy Cahn
signed by Metro to pen special ly-
rics for "Frankie and Johnnie,”
which Sammy Davis; Jr., Will sing-
narrate for Cyd Chari sse’s ballet in
"Meet Me in Las Vegas.”

George Redman group, recently
at New Frontier in Las Vegas, will
provide music at the new Shali-
mar Restaurant in the Valley . . .
Red Norvo Trio has exited the As-
sociated Booking Corp. and signed
with Cliff Aronson of the Milton
Deutsch Agency . 6 . Songstress
Connie Russell guests with Jimmy
Durante n on his "Texaco Star The-
atre” vidpix series Sept. 1 , . * Joe

PROGRAM TO-DAY

YESTERDAY'S

JUST YOU, JUST ME

Music by

JESSE GREER

ROBBINS MUSIC CO.
799 7th A vc» New York

Burton Trio currently at 6astle
‘Restaurant have been ’held over
two-weeks . . . Bob Hamilton Trio,
a dance team, joined the Cocoanut
Grove show yesterday (Tues.l
Dick Haymes headlines . . . Bobby
Short Trio holds over three-weeks
at Court & Leo’s nitery, . *

Rusty Draper has been inked by
Columbia . music exec Joni E. Taps
to record the Ned .Washington-Les-
ter Lee tune, “Last . Frontier, " for
Col pic of same name. Draper will
also record tune for Mercury . . .
Trumpeter Shorty Rogers left yes-
terday (TueS.) for Mexico. While
there he. plans to wax a new At-
lantic alburn called "Shorty Rog-
ers’ Mexican Holiday” . . . Jeri
Southern in -N,Y. for her guest
stint on Stam Kenton’s "Music’ 55”
show today (Wed.) on CBS-TV.

Kansas City

Four Lads in for a stand at Wild-
y wood Lakes, their second session
at the outdoor resort here this sum-
mer ... Comic Bob Melvin, at
Eddys’ Restaurant currently, heads
for The Bolero, Wildwood, N.J.,
playing oil the bill with Eartha
Kitt, opening Aug. 23 . . . Karen
Chandler from Eddys’ to. the Fon-
tainbleu, Miami, opening Sept. 6
. . , Kay Benson at the keyboard of
piano and organ in the Cabana of
Hotel Phillips currently . , Les

Brown orch due in for a one-,
nighter at the Pla-Mor Ballroom
next Saturday (27).

Scotland

Eric Delaney orch, - newly-
launched on British vaude tour, set
to play Empire, Edinburgh, Oct. 24
and Glasgow Empire, Oct. 31 . . .
David Hughes, who topped at Glas-
gow Empire, awaiting new pianist
from Australia, Ronnie . Lough-
head . . . Frank Weir orch into
Playhouse, Glasgow, with singers
Ric Richards, Lisa Ashwood and
Russ Hurreri. Also featured are
the Four. Staves and Don Savage
Modernists . . . Guy Mitchell fol-
lowing London Palladium stint
with week at Empire, Glasgow.

Buff Infringe Suit

Buffalo, Aug. 23.

Activity on the music copyright
infringement front, was resumed
here recently .<ter a lon^ lapse.
Irving Berlin, Edwin H. Morris Sc
Co. Inc., Rylan Music Corp. and
Robbins Music Corp., all of New
York, filed suit in Federal Court
against Walter BrOda, proprietor
of the Plantation Restaurant, Ni-
agara Falls.

They alleged that on several
.occasions four songs, titled "The
Girl That I Marry,” “We Three,”
"Make Yourself Comfortable” and
"Pennsylvania 6,5000,’” were play-
ed in the place without permission.
Injunction and damages are sought
by each publisher.

Charlotte Rink Sued
Greensboro, N. C., Aug. 23.

The Willamette Skating Rink
near Charlotte is being sued by
songwriters and publishers for
unauthorized performance of pop-
ular songs.

Irving Berlin, W. C. .Handy and
Edwin H. Morris & Co., who filed
suit in U. S. District Court, claim
the rink played "Marie,” "St.
Louis Blues,” and "Sentimental
Journey” without, authorization.

The plaintiffs asked the court
to stop further performances, and
to award damages of not less than
$250 for each unauthorized per-
formance, plus court costs and at-
torneys* fdes.

Another BMI "Pin Up" Hit

SONG OF THE DREAMER

■ Recorded by

EDDIE FISHER....,, V

JOHNNIE RAY * Victor

BUNNY PAUL ’ ‘ ‘ ’ c °lmbia

BILLY BROOKS * "•'***'*” - * Capitol

‘ ■••«•.... puke

Published by

LUDLOW MUSIC/ INC.

. 4 '

P&RIEfY

Survey of retail sheet music
best sellers based on reports
obtained from leading stores in
13 cities and shoufing • com-
paraiive sales rating for this
and last week,

♦ASCAP t BMI

National

Rating

This Last,
wk. wk.

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' 16

Gelatt's 'Fabulous Phonograph’

Continued from page 51

a book of 320 pages, but they are
of Interest chiefly to persons, like
this reviewer, who . specializes in
phonograph lore.

On the debit side, perhaps the*
most regrettable error is the iden-
tification of a photo of Charles
Hart, currently appearing on
Broadway in- a dramatization of the
Agatha Christie mystery, "Witness
for the Prosecution,”- as another
equally well-known tenor, Charles
Harrison.

Role of Bell Skimped? .

Specialists will feel that the role
of the pioneer Edison Bell com-
pany is skimped, as far as popular-
izing the phono in England is con-
cerned, and some space should

have been given to its president,
J. E. Hough, the tough "Lancashire
Laddie” who did valiant battle
against so many competing compa-
nies, some of whom were, grossly
unfair in their tactics. Another
omission is the lack of mention of
the many disk firms that flourish-
ed, more or less, in the States
until Victor and Columbia put
them out of business in 1907 after
winning patent suits. These includ-
ed Leeds and Catlin, Talk-o-phone,
International, American, Duplex
and several others.

Russell Hunting, the original
"Michael Casey,” and one "Pat
Brady” are said to be the most
popular performers of the '90’s. In
all likelihood neither was as pop-
ular as Len Spencer or several oth-
ers who could be mentioned. This
writer, who has been, amassing
phonograph data ever since the
a^g of 7, had never before heard
Brady mentioned from any source
or seen , his. name in print. Such
pioneer stalwarts as Ada Jones,
Arthur Collins and Byron g.
Harlan are given generous men-
tion, but it’s a pity that Billy
Murray and Henry Burr, who con-
tributed more than any other pop
singers to the companies’ coffers,
are overlooked.

Only Minor Flaws

However, as said, these are minor
flaws, pointed out through a sense
of duty, and Immeasurably over-
balanced by the book’s merits.
Gelatt has followed the sound
policy *of going back to original
sources and, Wherever possible, in-
terviewing still living persons who
were associated with the ‘ talking
machine’s development.

' Outstanding in "The Fabulous
Phonograph” is the author’s ob-
jective attitude and freedom from
bias. Victor rates praise for the
prestige it gave the sound record-
ing. and reproducing industry
through pioneering “Red Seal”
records by opera stars (Caruso's
Victor associations are recounted
itt detail) and by the invention, of
the Victrola/ which drove the

outside horn phono into obsoles-
cence, but Eldridge r: Johnson’s
mammoth firm Is shown as the vic-
tim of Moribund, unprogressive
policies in the 1920’s. Gelatt shows
that Columbia’s failure to follow
up the “classical” records which
It pioneered doomed it to a sec-
ond-rate standing, always trailing
far behind Victor in the days be-
fore microphonia methods came
into vogue. While conceding that
Edison’s recording and reproduc-
ing methods were superior to any
of his competitors, Gelatt casti-
gates the fumbling business meth-
ods and frequent miscasting of
recording artists that hiarred
Edison achievements. A gratifying
feature is the way that for the
first time the complicated inter-
relationships of Berliner, Victor
and Zon-o-phone are made clear.
Readers, other than those primar-
ily interested in large-scale record-
ings of fine music, probably will
consider the final chapters rather
overloaded with references to ex-
tended works that have been re-
corded since the advent of LP and
consider the last 50 pages the least
interesting in the book.

However, let's iiot cavil unnec-
essarily. Gelatt has told the story
of the phonograph "from tinfoil
to high fidelity” and told it su-
perbly. His book should become a
standard reference worjj.

Austria’s Jukes In

'Co-Existence’ Setup

Vienna, Aug. 23,

Jukeboxes are finally catching on
in Austria, though not to the ex-
tent as expected by the agents of
the juke firms. Even for a first-
rate cafe or bar a $2,000 Invest-
ment on a two years’ instalment
plan Is enormous.

A new "co-existence” operates In
Vienna and* also in the provinces.
Setting up a jukebox does not al-
ways mean dismissal of the pian-
ist or small band playing in the
spot.. About 50% keep live music
after 10 when the jukeboxes
rest for the night.

K.C: Philharmonic Preps
Pops Sked in Dance Hall; .
Beer, Terps, Ham Included

Kansas City, Aug. 23.

Concert music in a dance hall is
the plan of the Kansas City Phil-
harmonic Orch for its fall-winter
series of pop concerts. And the
programs will be carried on while
food and drinks are being served.

Under plans now being formed,
the Philharmonic will present a
series of 10 concerts in the Pla-
Mor Ballroom, which regularly
brings in the name orclis and caters
to the dancing crowd. Concerts are

to he modelled somewhat after
those of the Boston Symphony's,
pops, according to George Morgu-
lis, orch manager. The Pla-Mor can
seat about 1,500, and. has facilities
for serving soft drinks and beer,
ice cream and sandwiches.

Sponsorship by industrial firms
and others is being sought, princi-
pally for personnel of the sponsor-
ing outfit. And the orch will be
thoroughly obliging about content
of its concert programs, possibly
even playing an hour of dance mu-
sic if the sponsor desires. Musio
generally will be In more varied,
and popular , taste, all designed to
stir increased interest in the pop
concerts. And all in addition to the
orch’s regular 10-concert longhair
schedule.

Morty Wax has been named pro-
fessional manager of the Maggie
an4 TeePee Music companies
owned by maestro-songwriter Ted-
dy Powell. .

Dngel

Bells

MILLS MUSIC, INC.

THE HIT OF THE WEEK

PETULA CLARK

THE

PENDULUM
SONG
MGM 12049

ROMANCE

ROME

K 12049

Wednesday, August 24, 1955

t The new low price of only $3.98 per "Long Play
Record is bringing you, the dealer more new buy-
ing customers than you’ve ever seen before!

■<?

Simplified pricing (just 5 basic lines) provides you,
the dealer with the most streamlined merchandis-
ing operation in record history!

O Increased discounts on traffic merchandise are
^ giving you, the dealer a larger dollar gross for
your day-to-day operations!

/| Three quality record lines (RCA Victor, RCA Blue-

J 1 bird and RCA Camden) are giving you, the dealer

the opportunity to sell more records to more

‘customers in every price range!,

*• •

PS RCA Victor’s Store Modernization Program lets
you, the dealer re-style your layout for faster,
easier selling at a price you can afford!.

/T Full page ads on a regular basis in Life and The
Wf Saturday Evening Post . . . consistent commercials
on NBC-TV Spectaculars, other network television
and radio shows . . . all combine to attract millions
of new customers for you, t he dealer.

RCA.Victor’s"Fabulous 55 th” Anniversary Release
brings yom the-dealer the greatest values in record
history... and customers must come to your store

A *'

RCA Victor’s new Personal Music Service Plan is
positive insurance that you, the dealer need never
lose a sale on merchandise temporarily out of stock. \
Every retail sale through Personal Music Service
must be. made in your store;

A STATEMENT ABOUT MAIL-ORDER
RECORD CLUBS BY MANIE SACKS,
VICE-PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER,
RCA VICTOR RECORD DIVISION

We have received many dealer inquiries as to whether RCA Victor
plans to start its own record club . We do not . It has always been our
conviction that the record dealer has always been the backbone of the
record industry , and all our plans have been designed to strengthen
the dealer’s position . The best way to realize the tremendous growth
potential we see for the record industry is through ' aggressive dealers ,
stocked with competitively priced ,■ quality merchandise . That is why
we lowered the price of our hong Play records as much as 40% earlier
this year . As a result , record sales have soared to a new high , and
dealers , both large and small have benefited . RCA Victor has no
intention of adopting any plan that will bypass the dealer , cut his
income, take record customers out of his store or. narrow the consumer s ?
freedom of choice of the wide variety of fine recordings on all labels
now available to them * We are out to find new customers for our
dealers, not to compete with them for retail sales , We will continue
to direct all efforts toward making sure that our dealers never lose a
safe— or a customer .

• .1

rcaVictor

MUSIC

Wednesday, August 24, 1955

Disk Clubs Up To Dealer

Continued from page Sl-’a;

press and mags will probably make
a similar emphasis.

The 20% Cut

Under the Col setup, the dealers
receive 20% of every purchase
made by members applying
through their stores. -They get
nothing on direct members. Ac-
cording to Col execs, expenses in
running the club with free bonus
disks, credit checking, mail han-
dling, etc., makes it necessary that
one out of every five members join
the club directly. If the proportion
becomes weighted too heavily to-
wards direct members, Col execs
have stated that they ‘will make
further adjustments of their pro-
motion to boost the dealer end.

Col has already been stung by
some thorny opposition. In Pitts-
burgh, several dealers have organ-,
ized a boycott of Columbia. In
Chicago, Jack Tunis, who runs a
newsletter for disk retailers and
who sparked a dealer fight against
Col’s experimental clubs last year,
is again on the warpath against
the diskery.

Several outlets, on the other
hand, are taking the initiative in
soliciting members for the Col
club. In addition to the cuff b disk
which Col is offering every mem-
ber with his initial disk purchase
through the club, numerous retail-
ers and discount houses are adding
their own incentives to get mem-
bers. These outlets are offering
cuffo platters, dust jackets and
other giveaways to lure member-
ship applications.

Col’s explicit motivation for
starting the disk club was to buck
the existing disk clubs which are
allegedly siphoning business away
from the regular diskeries and re-
tailers. The latter, clubs, which
Col stated did about 35% of the
classical disk volume, have also
been angling for top -longhair
names to step up their business.
While no longhair artists have
signed up with the disk clubs, the
volume sales of the clubs was
feared as an irresistible attraction.

Top disk clubs now in operation
are Concert Hall Society, the
Book-of-the-Month Club disk club,
Music Treasures of the World and
its subsid, the Children’s Record
Guild. While the top Clubs operate
exclusively in the longhair field,
several jazz disk clubs have recent-
ly entered the field as well.

The key to whether the rest of
the majors will adopt club plans
now rest with Victor. While Manie
Sacks, RCA veepee and general
manager of the disk division, an-
nounced last week that Victor hag
no plans to. start a club of its own,
that doesn’t necessarily mean for-
ever. Whether or not Victor do .
start a club, according to Victor
execs, depends on the dealers. If

FOR YOUR PROGRAM
^MONDAY THRU SUNDAY

Styne and Cahn's

"SATURDAY NIGHT
IS THE

LONLIEST NIGHT
IN THE WEEK'

CAHN MUSIC, Inc.

| they want clubs, Victor execs will
go along with that too,

Leonard W. Schneider, Decca
Records exec vice-prexv, said thjnt
Decca '‘has no plans to organize
any disk clubs.”

Columbia Club Meets

Mixed Reaction in Hub

Boston, Aug. 23.
Eight Hub record dealers
climbed aboard ( the ‘ Columbia
Record Club Plan with a two page
ad in the Boston Sunday Herald
(21) after conflicting reaction
which had a number of dealers nix-
ing the plan and others feeling
little enthusiasm.

Mosher Music, Krey’s, Melody
Shop, Peters Music & Appliance,
Phonograph and. Record Shop,
Homeyer’s, Winchester Appliance
Co. and Belmont Music Were rep-
resented on one page of the ad and
the other page was Columbia's an-
nouncement.

Previously a secret session of
Hub dealers at which 15 were rep-
resented was held and feeling was
reported as cool.

One dealer, John .Waugh, Min-
ute Man Radio, Cambridge, Mass.,
cancelled standing orders of Co-
lumbia records and advised em-
ployes not to take plan orders.

Manny Josephs, Book Clearing
House, Boston, claiming Book of
Month Clubs has hit book stores,
indicated he felt the plan would
do the same for the record indus-
try.

Other dealers said the plan will
force them to go into sidelines to
make a living. . Some big dealers
said they would go along with the
plan, but wouldn't push it. Several *
dealers said they had no choice
blit to go for the plan. Others were
worried about Columbia’s paying
out the 20% profit.

Highest feeling for the plan
came from smaller merchants In
suburban areas, who visualized
good turnover with 20% clear
profit against present selling of 4
to 5% net, and elimination of
clerical work.

Mosher Music Co. set up a spe-
cial department to handle club
member applications and offered
choice of any one of twelve 12” Co-
lumbia records to start club mem-
berships. Homeyer’s offered a
free gift f of joining. Krey's offered
a double bonus, a 12” LP case and
a 12” LP.

Frank Homeyer of Homeyer’s
and Son was lukewarm about the
plan. He said they would have
application blanks available. He
indicated there would be no all
out '‘pushing” promotion on it.

, Fred Hartstone, of Krey’s Inc.
felt the plan had little to offer
dealers, but that they were go-
ing along with it on a big scale.

, New Coast Pubbery

A new publishing firm, T-C
(Texas-California) Music, has been
organized on the Coast by a group
of music men. Charles Morris is
prexy of the new outfit, with Ar-
thur Valando, viceprexy and pro-
fessional manager; Elmer Holt,
v.p,; B. C. Garrison, secretary, and
Dean Son, treasurer. Firm’s first
publication is “Three Little
Stars,” written by Virginia Henry.

Julie Losch has been named
head of the company’s NeW York
office.

■ i * ■ i « i i

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DAGMAR

Currently

FAZIO’S, Milwaukee

WEDNESDAYS

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WABC-TV

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'■ A. . i PL 9-4600 I 203 No Wabash

Hollywood

8619 Sunset Blvd.

British Pap Reviews

Vera Lynn: “Show Me (he Way”-
“Doonaree” (Decca). When a Vera
Lynn performance is overshad-
owed by the accompaniment,
something’s wrqng somewhere.
She certainly comes a bad second
on these two sides. Catchiness of
“Doonaree” might save it, but
“Show Me the Way” is downright
dull. .

The Beverley Sisters: “I Remem-
ber Mama’VTve Been Thinking”
(Decca). The trio is an Andrews
Sisters carbon; and -very well done.
Lead singer Joy is rather a let--
down on her own, but the three-,
some give slick renderings of both
“Mama” and “Thinking.”

Ted. Heath Orch: “Bell Bell
Boogie”-“Amethyst” (Decca). For
precision,' beat and musicianship,
the Heath band is still Britain’s
finest, and these titles are well up
to standard. “Bell Bell Eoogie” is
catchy enough for both platter
spinners and juke operators to sit
up and take notice. Art Tatum’s
“Amethyst” makes a pleasant, if
uhdistinguished backing,

Jocks, Jukes, Disks

ss s s? . Continued from page 52 , —

er, Ray Johnson who does “Heads
You Win,” a so-so number,

David Carroll Orch: “Twin 88
Boogie”-“Red Petticoats” (Mer-
cury). David Carroll’s band is a
sohnd organization with a consist-
ently commercial sound. This cou-
pling showcases the creW's versatil-
ity. “Twin 88 Boogie” is a boogie-
woogie piece delivered with preci-
sion and a sustained beat, with a
piano solo in the forefront. Flip
has a radically different approach
with Carroll dispensing a dance
tune in a sweet, cornball style.

Sunny Graham: “I Want To Love

You”-‘‘Puddin’ ’n’ Pie” (RCA Vic-
tor). Sunfiy Graham, young vocal-
ist from the Bronx who was given
a break on the Victor label after
copping first prize in a jukebox
competition, shows • considerable
promise on this coupling as a
rhythm & blues songstress. Her
belting of the fine slow ballad. “I
Want To Love You,” is very stylish
for the genre. Miss Graham knows
all the Vocal gimmicks used by the
topflight r&b canaries. Flip is an
uptempo ballad, perhaps too close-
ly styled after a recent hit for it
to step out.

Album Reviews

Continued from page 52 ==

Ayres orch supplies its finest back-
ing when it simply lays down a
beat for Como, The Ray Charles
Singers join in a couple of tunes,
but fundamentally, it’s the parlay
of Como and a great repertoire
that sells this package.

Cyril Ritchard: “Odd Songs and
A Poem” (Dolphin). As the teeoff
for the new Doubleday entry into
the disk market via the Dolphin
label, this collection of songs and
recitations sets an offbeat, and
somewhat too precious note. Cyril
Ritchard. the accomplished British
actor, is showcased here in a light
satirical display which never quite
builds into more than a faint
smile. Among the best efforts in
this set is “Color Blind,” a com-
ment on Sen. McCarthy and his
Red-hunting tactics. It’s perhaps
a comment on the times that the
lyrics to this song, which are ob-
vious, sound daring in the present
context. “Lizzie Borden,” by
Michael Brown, gets some humor
out of a grisly joke, while “Turk
In The Mutkadurk” is an okay
folksong takeoff. Two songs by
Richard Adler' and Jerry Ross,
“You’re So Much A Part of Me”
and “When Am I Gonna Meet
Your Mother” are only so-so. “And
Her Mother Came, Too” is one of
the funnier tunes in the package.
Ritchard’s handling of the songs
are skillful but his recitation of
the Ella Wheeler Wilcox poem,
“The Duet,” is surprisingly broad.

For Squeezeboxes Only

London, Aug. 23.

A new record label for accordion
players has been launched by the
Bell Accor.dion Co. Two titles have
been recorded by Maltese accor-
dionist Camilleri and they will be
on sale by direct mail.

The title of the new diskery is
The Bell Accordion Record Label.

’ Recent Variety banner headline in the Music Section, “There’s No
Song Like An Old Song,” has proven to be a hypo for an actual song
of that title written in 1948 by L, Wolfe Gilbert and Harry Akst for
the late A1 Jolsdn. After the latter’s death, Eddie Cantor performed
the tune once on radio but nothing happened and it was never picked
up by any publisher.. The Variety headline, however, parked interest
in the tune and Ralph Peer, head of Southern Music, recalled the
Gilbert- Akst number and made a deal to publish “There’s No Song
| Like An Old Song.”

CBS Radio’s ad-promotion catchline, “What A Wonderful Way To
Spend A Summer Sunday,” is the inspiration for a new tunc penned
by Ervin Drake and Jimnjy Shirl. The tune, which contains references
to summer Sunday mike fare, will get a hefty push by the net. CBS
programming execs are now driving for plugs by Bing Crosby, Ten*
nessee Ernie, Martha Wright and Gary Crosby, plus exposure on
such other house shows as “Amos ’n’ Andy,” “Disk Derby,” “The
Woolworth Hour” and Kathy Godfrey show.

The “Birmingham Song” by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane from
the new film, “Girl Rush,” got the biggest single plug in radio history
in that city recently. All of the city’s 11 radio stations played a re*
cording of the song simultaneously at 1:30 p.r n. on Sunday (14). The
promotion was engineered by Norris Hadaway, manager Of the Ala*
bama Theatre, where “Girl Rush” Will have its premiere tomorrow
(Thurs,),

Harry Ruby (Bert Kalmar &), surviving member of the famed K&R
songsmithing team, has issued an attractive cue-sheet of their top
songs for ready reference for filming, telecasting, etc. It stemmed
from Metro’s biopic, “Three Little Words,” based on the lives and
songs of Kalmar & Ruby.

Decca Records has made a tie-in with the Louis I. Steinman Co. to
manufacture a pocketbook, called the pee-Jay Bag, specially designed
for teenage girls. With each bag sold, Decca is giving a premium of
one early Glenn Miller band recording. The- bag is made to hold 45
rpm platters.

Band Review

THREE CHORDS

Hotel President, Kansas City

As it has "done occasionally in
.the past, the Hotel President has
come up with a new musical unit
„that proves topflight and rates an
extra nod from customers to its
de luxe Drum Room. Three
Chords generally have been play-
ing the south, but came in here
from a long stand in Grove’s Steak
House in’ downstate Springfield,
Mo.

Combination of electric organ,
piano and vibes and accordion dou-
ble is one not seen too often in
these parts, but is put together
[for effective rhythms by trio of
I Stan Walker, Jim Anderson and
Ted Alexander. Their setup is
principally geared . for danceable
rhythms, a basic must for this
room, and they embellish their
work with much interchange of
instrumentSj variety of vocals and
vocal groupings, and generous sup-
ply of tunes selected from current
pops, standards, Latins and novel-
ties!

With each member capable of
playing the other’s instrument,
and with fiddle and drums and
others thrown in as extras, there’s
a wide range of versatility among
the three, and they work it to the
best advantage to keep things
lively throughout the evening.
They came in originally for a fort-
night, have had their options lift-
ed, and likely will make a long
stand of it. Undoubtedly they will
be back for a second stand later.

Quin .

Liberace Grosses 27G
In Salt Lake City Date

Salt Lake City, Aug. 23.

Liberace’s preem appearance
here in an al fresco session at the
State Fair Grounds Aug. 9, was a
soclco performance with a capacity
crowd of 7,000 paying up to $6 for
a $27,000 gross.

Impressario Eugene Jelesnik, in
the kickoff of his new career, hit
a jackpot return for his efforts.
Jelesnik, who has previously been
on radio and tv with his fiddle* is
part owner of The Cinegrill, local
eatery.

DEVOL CUTS SPECIAL
PKGE. TO PLUG ‘KNIFE’

Hollywood, Aug. 23.

Special sides cut by Frank DeVol
of the score he composed and con-
ducted for the Robert Aldrich pro-
duction, “The Big Knife” will be
part of r special album package
which DeVol will take along with
him on a cross-country deejay tour
to plug the United Artists pic.

. Because of a tieup with Colum-
bia which is pressing the sides,
diskery has first refusal rights on
a regular album of the score. The
special package including DeVol
instrumentals, features vocals by
Eileen Wilson and Eddie DiMarlo.
Plans are to distribute the package
to over 600 disk jocks around the
country.

Fred Waring’s Pennsylvanians
have been booked by the Lincoln
National Life Insurance Co., Fort
Wayne, Ind.. to mark the 50th an-
niversary of the founding of the
firm on Sept. 15.

From Tho 20th Century Fox
i .ncmuScopc Product. on

'LOVE IS A MANY-SPLENDORED THING

' LOVE IS -
, AMANY-
SPLENDORED
* THING .•»

In';,

)

Wednesday, August 24, 1955

VAUPEVUXE 59

Ann

Chicago, Aug. 23.

.Lengthy feud between the Amer-
ican Guild of Variety Artists and
Club Hollywood ended last week
in a victory for the performers’
union. At same time, the Black
Orchid management agreed to post
a cash salary bond under AGVA
rules for the first time in its his-
tory. Both developments came as a
result of a visit here by AGVA’s
new national administrator Jackie
Bright.

Bright was here for three days,
conferring with union’s midwest
regional director Ernie Fast in a
survey of local conditions. In addi-
tion to the immediate results of
his Chi visit, he ordered a con-
certed drive to get all clubs em-
ploying AGVA members to com-
ply with three basic demands: sign-
ing of the minimum basic agree-
ment setting Salary minimums and
working conditions, posting of a
cash bond guaranteeing entertain-
ers’ salaries for one week, and con-
tribution by club ops of $2.50 per
Week for each . entertainer to the
union’s welfare fund. Clubs will be
tackled one at a time till all are
signed up.

Bright’s program will undoubt-,
edly be met with strong opposition
in certain quarters and will prob-
ably result in calling off the truce
in effect between AGVA and the.
Calumet City stripperies. Shortly
after Fast came out to Chi as mid-
west regional director, he atttempt-
ed enforce compliance' by the Cal
City peel spots with the' three basic
demands. After a long drawn-out
war, the„ AGVA rep had to be sat- i
isfied with the clubs’ compliance
with two of*’ the points and their
refusal to make the welfare con-
tributions. They signed minimum
basic agreements and posted cash
bonds only'. So, until now, all has
been well between AGVA and the
Cal City strippefips but it looks
like the battle is about to be joined
again. *

Immediate outcome of Bright’s
(Continued on page 62)

BIG SUPPERTIME PLAN

Minneapolis, Aug. 23.

Local bistro amaze? is the com-
paratively inexpensive floor show
policy at local Schiek’S: cafe which
is still packing ’em in after five
successive years and will start a.
sixth season next December.

' Entertainment comprises cap-
suled musical comedies with a cast
of six locally recruited singers —
an equal number, of: young men
and young women— rand running
from 35 to 45 minutes! There , are
both a dinner’ and supper' show
nightly.

In the five and a half years, the
sextet had presented 13 shows a
week for more than 3,500 perform-
ances pud has become a Minneapo-
lis tradition. An all-time record
for continuous performances -here,
both for theatres and night clubs,
was established long since.

Schiek’S has been, famed here
for its food and beverages, but when
Bennie Berger, theatre , circuit
owner, acquired it 'fin 1948 its busi-
ness had sunk to a low ebb. When
it began to look like a white ele-
phant for Berger the latter tried
unsuccessfully to peddle it.

In a desperate effort to arrest
slumping business, Berger was per-
suaded by a local producer, Glyde
Snyder to install the capsuled mu-
sical comedies in the entertain-
mentless establishment. The pol-
icy caught on immediately. ’ It
wasn’t long before reservations be-
came necessary In order to. assure
accommodations for "the dinner
show and that condition still . pre-
vails and has done so uninterrupt-
edly.

Snyder has continued as pro-
ducer, but the singers change fre-
quently. The musical accompani-
ment is provided by a four-piece
orchestra, but there is no customer
dancing. Tunes, however, are
dished out before and after the
shows. ■

Since prosperity’s arrival, Berger
has expended a considerable sum
on beautifying the spot’s front and
installing a new cocktail lounge.
It still has f a reputation for its
food and drinks.

Operation was subject of Min-
neapolis Sunday Tribune roto sec-
tion article with a large spread of
■- art.

Persian Room in NX

Gallic singer Gilbert Becaud lias
been signed to open the season at
the .Persian Room of the Plaza Ho-
tel, N. Y.; Sept. 15,

He’s currently at the Beverly
Hilton, .Beverly Hills, and will
make a tour Of other stops on the
Hilton inn circuit.

Considered By

London, Aug. 23.

Because the Hotel and Restau-
rant Proprietors Assn, has failed
to signature a pact with the Variety
Artists Federation for a British
quote in cabaret, the ball has now
been, passed to the Ministry of La-
bor, which is expected to take ac-
tion within the next two months.

Earlier in the year,. Leslie Mac-
dgnnell, acting in a personal ca-
pacity as mediator, brought the two
parties together and succeeded in
obtaining agreement on the main
points of a. British quota. It was :
then thought that the pact would
be ratified by each of the organi-
zations.

The YAF, which has been agitat-
ing for this agreement for years,
is not prepared to allow the restau-
rateurs to stall any longer. It ad-
vised the Ministry of Labor of the
delaying tactics and as a result,
the government department is now
intervening to bring about an early
settlement.

The, eventual pact will be sub-
stantially .the same as that, agreed
under Macdonnell’s mediation.
There' will be a 33V6% British
quota for all hotels and restaurants
which stage cabaret, but resident
dancing lines will qualify* as an
act. For example, a cafe, which
normally employs two acts, plus
a line of girls, will always be in
the clear.

ROY ROGERS TO WORK
THREE MORE RODEOS

Hollywood, Aug. 23.

Roy Rogers is slated for three
more rodeo appearances around
the country, following his stint last
Sunday (21) at the Los Angeles
Sheriff’s Rodeo in the L. A. Col-
iseum.

He will participate in the N.- Y.
Madison Square Garden World
Championship Rodeo for 18 days
in September and October, his
seventh stand there; following will
be 12 days in the Boston Garden,
and 12 days at the annual Houston
Rodeo in February. Opening stan-
za was last June in San Antonio.

* •

Steinberg Retires As
G.M, of . Hillcrest Club

Hollywood, Aug. 23,
John Steinberg has voluntarily
retired as general manager of the
Hillcrest Country Club here after
17 years. Club’s directorate has
voted him a lifetime honorary
membership and appointed him to
the post of special advisor to the
board.

Steinberg, prior to coming to
Hillcrest, was one of New York’s
top nitery operators, Emil Lepp,
Hillctest’s former head chef, suc-
ceeds in the g.m. post.

Before and during the Prohibi-
tion era, John & Christo were
Gotham landmarks.

Eileen O’Dare 111

Dancer Eileen O’Dare has been
admitted to the* Will Rogers Me-
morial Hospital at Saranac Lake,
N. Y. Miss O’Dare had been play-
ing dates in Miami Beach! and
Hollywood while under care by
medicos.

Her last New York' date was at
the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria last sum-
mer.

Everybody Gets Into
Ice Cream Parlor Act

Margaret Truman is making her
contribution to the forthcoming
Maxfleld’s, a new ice cream parlor
to be operated, by Max Gordon,
owner of the Village Vanguard and
co-owner of the Blue Angel, both
N. Y., with Herbert Jacoby. Miss
Truman is contributing a recipe
for chocolate sauce that has been
in the family for many years along
with a few suggestions that the
management has adopted.

Miss Truman suggested that no
liquor be served, that there be no
revolving door on the premises,
and that a place be provided un-
der- the fountain where women cus-
tomers can. park their packages
temporarily.

Spot, however, will be backed by
a flock of show bizites among oth-
ers. Among those in the entertain-
ment field who are shareholders
are producer Paul Feigay, comic
Orson Bean, actress Phyllis Hill,
agent Deborah Coleman, concert
manager J. Kenneth Allen, concert
pianist Jerome Rappaport, and an
assortment which includes several
varieties of engineers, painters, so-
ciologists, ad agency execs and
Others. Michael Field, a concert
pianist, will be the other major
partner along’ with Gordon.

Chicago, Aug. 23.

Patti Andrews, who opened at
Chi’s Chez Paree . Sunday (21)
night, is cancelling out' of show in
billing conflict with Jimmy Nelson,
also appearing there? Wally Wesch-
ler, Miss Andrews’ husband, ac-
companist and manager, says the
William Morris Agency misrepre-
sented ‘ terms of contract for the
Chez date. He says Miss Andrews
ordinarily receives 100% sole star
billing but the contract for this
date, which he did not receive un-
til rehearsal day of the opening,
reads only 100% equal billing.

Miss Andrews stays on through
tomorrow. (Wed.) to give the club
chance to book a replacement, as
yet not obtained. Weschler says
Miss Andrews Will try to obtain re-
lease from the Morris Agency.
Jimmy Nelson's contract calls for
full sole star billing and his mafft 1
ager, Lou Cohan, remains adamant
on terms. Nelson was booked into
Chicago Theatre three months ago
and was yanked at last minute be-
cause of failure to receive top bill-
ing. Miss Andrews and Weschler
head for New York first of next
week where Miss Andrews will
read for the lead in Anita Loos’
musical, “Amazing Adele.”

NASH MOTORS BRAKES
’MISS AMERICA’ CUFFOS

Atlantic City, Aug. 23. *
Nash Motors, in an overall re-
duction in its promotional activi-
ties, has withdrawn from its Miss
America Pageant activities, effec-
tive after the event of the week
following Labor Day. Company
had provided a fleet of cars for
transportation of beauties and offi-
cials since 1948. Since that time it
has contributed $10,000 /n scholar-
ship funds and provided winners
with eight custom built Nash
motorcars.

Pageant girls this year will be
driven in cars provided by the
Plymouth Motor Division of the
Chrysler Corp. Cars are driven by
local firemen and police.

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR

1905-1955

Book Soph for Repeat
Stand at Beachcomber

Sophie Tucker has been booked
for a- term at the 'Beachcomber,
Miairii Beach, starting in February
for three weeks and options,
Possibility is that she’ll work
similarly to last season, when she
stayed through several shows with
a week off before starting with a
subsequent layout.'

K. C. Baseball

Kansas City, Aug. 23.

Facing American League compe-
tition with a sixth place club, the
Kansas City Athletics already haye
set an attendance figure of 1,100,-
000 and may well set a record that
may stand for some time before
the season is concluded. Team be-
gan a homesjand this week that
will run well into September; and
much of the heavy attendance has
been chalked up- at home where
the 32,000-seat park has been
jammed to capacity' on more than
one occasion.

Effect of this trek to the ball-
park has had mixed results locally.
Theatres report Athletics traffic
does not dent trade when a big
attraction is on the marquee, but
likely over the season the A's.have
made inroads On theatre trade.
Managers feel it a mixed blessing,
bringing traffic to town, but also
taking a huge bite of the family
entertainment budget.

Night clubs are finding the A’s
also a' mixed blessing. In some of
the more de luxe spots it has hy-
poed dinner business at spots
which furnish bus service to the
ballpark. ' But it has seriously
dented trade at first evening shows
when an exciting series is on a*
the park.

SHAW, DEUTSCH END
MUTUAL REP PEAL

Mutual representation deal be- :
tween the Billy Shaw. Agency, N.Y’,
and the Milt Deutsch Agency of
Hollywood, has been -cancelled.
Pact had been in effect for three
years. Shaw veepee Jack Archer
planed out to . the Coast to set up
machinery for the handling of
Shaw’s Coast bookings.

Joe Marsolais, who recently re-
signed from the Gale Agency to
join Shaw’s staff, will take over
most of Archer’s duties while latter
is on the Coast.

A1 Martino Set For

British Vaude Dates

Liverpool, Aug. 23.

A! Martino is set for vaude
weeks at the Garrick Theatre,
Southport, Aug. 29, and the Win-
ter Gardens, Morecambe, Sept. 5.
U. S. singer has been including in
his songalog a Harry Lauder tune,
“Sound Advice.’’ To check its au-
thenticity, he telephoned Greta
Lauder, the late minstrel’s niece,
who confirmed it to be a genuine
collector’s item. Martino picked
it up in a Hollywood bookshop, yel-
low with age and at least 40 years
old.

Radio program in honor of Lau-
der is being aired from Glasgow
Aug. 19, with interviewer Howard
Lockhart recalling the Scot star in
conversation with Greta Lauder.

* Dr, Jive & Mr. Hyde
Universal Attractions has opened
a jazz department with Walter
Hyde in charge. 1
Hyde recently resigned the Gale
Agency and prior to that had been
booking jazzsters for the Billy
Shaw office.

Singer Karen Chandler has
signed a management contract
with the Wynn Lassner office.

The Las Vegas hotels, which had
major hassles in connection, with
the L cancellations of Wally, Cox ‘
and Edith Piaf, are at it again. The
RivierA, which' paid off Miss Piaf
even before -she ■ opened, is at-
tempting to make a settlement
with Hildegsrde who is set for four
weeks at that spot at $10,000, start-
ing Aug. 31.

The Dunes Hotel, which can-
celled Cox with a lot of publicity)
has been taken over by the man-
agement of The Sands Hotel, and
is attempting to get out of - a con-
tract signed with Lou Walters who
was to produce a 12-week show for
them starting in September. Wal-
ters was contracted at $25,000
weekly for •his services and it’s
stipulated that he was to have
complete control over-the shows.
He’s the operator of the Latin
Quarters in New York and Miami
Beach.

Cancellations are expensive pas-
times for both hotels. The Riviera
previously paid out $40,000 to Miss
Piaf for not opening at the inn,
while the Dunes was clipped for
$44,000 representing four weeks of
Cox at $11,000 per. Cox worked
only a short, time. Inn wanted tp
cancel him after the first night and
make a settlement, but he insisted ’
on staying. They returned him to
the show, and after a few nights, .
he was told to go and bulk of the
money Was .given him. Hotel is
still paying out at the rate of
$3,000 a week until . the entire sum
is cleared. The Riviera, in the
case of Hildegarde, will get off
with a comparatively small $40,-
000, but the Dunes ; is reportedly
liable for $300,000 for the Walters
paet.

The Sands Hotel Ops reportedly
wants to book Frank Sinatra for
its preem show at the Dunes un-
der its management. Sinatra, a
stockholder in the Sands, is one of
the regular headliners at that inn.
Meanwhile, it has to get out of the
(Continued on page 62)

OHIO STATE FAIR BETS

Columbus,, Aug. 23.

Ohio State Fair opens here Fri-
day (26) with the biggest lineup of -
name attractions in its 100-year his-
tory. In deciding on. the new enter-
tainment policy, fair manager. Sam
Cashman is taking a . calculated
risk. The. pressure is on to boost
receipts ' from the big exposition,
which has sagged badly in recent
years. Last year, the fair went
$388,000 in the red.

If Cashman expects to get money *
from State Legislature to improve
physical facilities of ancient fair-
grounds, he first has to prove the
expo is popular enough to . Warrant
extra taxpayers’ coin.:

Booked for the eight-day fair,
expected to draw 500,000 visitors,'
are Bill (Hopalong Cassidy) Boyd,
Gisele MacKenzie, Ted, Weems and
Billy. May’s orch., Snooky Lanson,
Eddie • Peabody, Peggy ,King, Bill
Hayes, and the dog, Lassie. Stock
car racing and wrestling round out
the entertainment program.

■ ■■ — ■ — ■■ ■ , 1 \ ■

Miami Beach’s Eden Roc
Costliest— $10,000,000

Miami Beach, Aug. 23.

Indications of how luxury hotel-
building costs have zoomed is seen
by the fact that the Eden Roc, now
under construction here, will cost
$29,000 ’per room, believed to be
a record sum in inn construction.
Cost of this 351 room hostel is said
to run to $10,006,000.

The new Eden Rcc is adjacent
to the Fontaihebleau, which is the
largest in the area and, until the
Eden Roc, one of the most expen-
sive on a per-room basis. New
spot Will be a 14-floor operation,
manned by 612 employees, Harry
Mufson, who built and operated
the Sans Souci, heads the Eden
Roc board of directors and will'
serve as prexy.

Inn is located on the former es-
tate of Harvey S. Firestone and
abuts- into the former holdings of
Maj. Albert Warner. The -hotel
bought an additional 100 foot plot
from the Warner estate for $650,-
000, a record price for a lot of that
size in this area. *

Opening is. slated for late De- •
cember.

60 VA1JIMEVIIAE

P'AHIETY

Wednesday, August 24, 19S5

The Palace Theatre, N. Y., hasf
put out the welcome mat for at-
tractions of any kind, not only for
the N. Y. flagship hut for the en-
tire circuit of RK0 houses. Booker'
Dan Friendly says that not only
the Palace, but virtually any out-
of-town house is ready, willing and
able to take on any attraction. Sole
catdi is that the headliners or
their agents have to come up with
a deal under which both can live
with. If this is done, the entire
circuit of RKO is back in the vau-
deville business, according to
Friendly.

Reason for the red-carpeted
pitch - to personalities is the ter-
rific $33,000 scored by Phil Soital-
ny last week~jit ; the Palace. Gross
was the highest scored by the
house in many months, and at the i
same time the Spitalny all-femme)
crew earned slightly under $10,000 1%
the highest sum carried off for one
week in a N. Y. location job for
many years. Spitalny was booked ;
in by Joe Glaser’s Associated |
Booking Corp. for a $5,500 guaran-
tee plus 50% of receipts after
$22,500.

Friendly says that the Palace
isn’t married to its present format
of eight acts. Should suitable
headliners come along at attractive
deals, they’ll change to suit the
headliner. The Spitalny booking,
incidentally, is the first name band
to play the house.

MICHAEL

TERRACE

and *

ANN GRAY

Currently

GOLDEN SLIPPER

Glen Cove, L. I.
Management — CASS FRANKLIN
Lou Walters Enterprises
JU 6-8300

WILL OSBORNE

AND HIS ORCH.

Now 75th Week
New Golden Hotel, Reno
Mgt.s MILTON DEUTSCH

Hans Set for* $5,000,000 I
Hilton Hotel in Berlin

Berlin, Aug. 23.

Only a few months after the
visit by Conrad N. Hilton here, ar-
chitect’s plans for his new giant
hotel have been announced. The
16-story building will be built on
Budapester Strasse, and will cost
about $5,000,000. New hotel will be
almost exclusively of steel and
glass and will have about 400 guest
rooms.

Big local hotel owners are not
happy over having a competitive,
ultra-modern American hotel here,
but authorities felt such a hotel
would encourage tourism to Ber-
lin, a factor of vital importance.

4As Aid Burley Artists’
Drive for Pacts With
Hirst, Midwest Circuits

The Associated Actors & Artistes
of America are moving to support
the Burlesque Assn, in latter
union’s effort to get a contract with
the Hirst and Midwest Circuits.
Previous contract between BAA
and the theatres expired at the end
of May and there’s been no nego-
tiations since.

The 4 As is expected to take for-
mal action at its next executive
meeting, for which no date has yet
been set. However, individual
unions have indicated support for
BAA. Should the other unions vote
to put the burlesque circuits on
the unfair list, the circuits vrill be
unable to get talent that normally
works in the other fields such as
cafes, vaudeville and legit.

Theatres on the BAA unfair list
are the Palace, Buffalo;^ Casino,
Boston; Empire, Newark; Globe,
Atlantic City; Folly, Kansas City;
Lyric, Allentown; Gayety, Detroit;
Howard, Boston; Casino, Pitts-
burgh; Trocadero, Philadelphia;
Grand, St. Louis; Roxy, Cleveland;
Hudson, Union City, and Gayety,
Baltimore. In addition, the BAA
has declared the Adams Theatre,
Newark, to be unfair since it also
refuses to negotiate. This house is
not affiliated with either circuit.

FIVE DIE IN NITERY,
HOTEL BLAZE IN RIO

Rio de Janeiro, Aug. 16.

An afternoon (14) blaze gutted.
Rio’s Vogue nitery and hotel, re-
sulting in the death of five. For-
tunately both spots were practical-
ly empty at the time. Had the fire
started a few hours later, the cas-
ualty list might have read like Rib’s
social register, since Sunday night
usually sees cafe society packing
the Vogue.

In a matter of seconds the flames
raced up the stairs of the 14-story
building, trapping crooner Warren
Hayes. Hayes was signed by Baron
von Stuckart, manager of the bis-
tro, during the latter’s recent visit
to the tJnited States. Yesterday
was to have been Hayes’ closing
performance at the spot. Hayes
was seen at the window of his 10th
floor apartment for over an hour
signalling for help, but the ladders
only reached lip to the sixth floor.
Unable to stand the heat, he flung
himself out and crashed to- his
death. A helicopter, summoned for
the rescue, arrived too late. Also
killed, by suffocation, in their own
apartment, were Waldemar and
Gloria Schiller.

Ribbing the Clientele

Montreal, Aug" 23,

Irene Andrian, Polish-born
chanteuse now a h.o. in Ruby
Fob’s Starlight Room here, dis-
played a touch of Hildegarde’s
technique last Thursday (18).
Between songs, she remarked
gently to a muncher at a ring-
side table, “I wish you’d stop
eating spare ribs till I get
through!”

He paid no heed, so she sang
her finale, “Darling, Je Vous
Aime Beaucoup,” Hildegarde’s
longtime theme, to him. He
turned to her, still gnawing,
and handed her a spare rib.
She took it, finished the song,
then bowed off daintily nibbl-
ing at the rib.

BidMpIs. Nix

Minneapolis, Aug. 23.

In an editorial captioned “In-
stead of Wrist-slaps,” the Minneap-
olis Morning Tribune called upon
the City Council “to serve notice
that it intends to discourage sex-
and-smut performances where beer
and liquor are sold and that even
first offenders' in the 'future, will
surely jeopardize their license priv-
ileges.”

Editorial followed council* actions
in reprimanding the Hoop-D-Doo
night club after one of its exotic
dancers Cathy Carson,. . had been
arrested “for going too far” in her
performance and fined $10 in mu-
nicipal court on a disorderly con-
duct charge. The aldermen voted
down a minority license committee
report calling for a 10-day suspen-
sion of the club ? s license; Members
opposing the minority report point-
ed out that it was the club’s first
offense and council policy has been
only to reprimand in such instances.

“A dance act of the sort that got
this night club into trouble can
attract a lot of business,” said the
Morning Tribune in its editorial.
“The profits from it may far out-
balance a $100 fine. As for a coun-
cil reprimand, it doesn’t hit the
pqcketbook at all. It’s just a scold-
ing after the profits have been
made.”

50-Year-Old Vienna
Variety Show Returning

Vienna, Aug. 16.

, The Ronaqher variety show, a
Symbol in show biz here from 1894
to 1944, will reopen Nov. 3. Bern-
hagd Labriola who will produce, re-
vealed this news on his 65th birth-
day. He told Variety he must
wait until -the Burg Theatre en-
semble moves out.

Because the original Burgthea-
tre building (state-run legit) was
bombed out in 1945, the Ronacher
building . was taken over by the
government and classic perform-
ances given there ever since. The
new Ronacher show will be a fam-
ily-type show with no strip-tease.

Thpugh no contracts have been
signed yet, Labriola has in mind
a Brazilian revue, with Charlie
Rivels, Hiller Girls and the 14-
year-old Spanish juggler, Perezov.

I Labriola himself won fame in 1912,
when he was named the world’s
strongest man.

Frisco's Other Room

San Francisco, Aug. 23.

Enrico Banducci, operator of the
successful Bohemian spot, the hun-
gry i, has opened another club in
the room adjacent to the i. It’s
called The Other Room.

Banducci signed Boston singer
Faith Winthrop for the featured
spot with pianist Vince Guaraldi
as accompanist.

Shoreham, D. C., Boosts B. 0. By

Nefzger to Head Up

Boca Raton in Fla.

Reginald G. Nefzger has resigned
as manager of the British Colo-
nial Hotel, Nassau, and will assume
duties as new head-man of the
Boca Raton hotel, Boca Raton, Fla.,
in October. He’s being succeeded
as Nassau topper by Lewis P.
Beers, who comes in Sept.- 15 from
Quebec where he manages the
Manoir Richelieu,

The British Colonial Hotel will
undergo a major alteration short-
ly. A roof .garden and an outdoor
theatre will be added to the pres-
ent facilities.

For Flint Centennial;
Show Budgeted at 80G

Flint, Mich., Aug. 23.

A three-day Flint centennial
spectacle, budgeted at around $80,-
000, will preem Sept. 9 at the
Atwood Stadium. Dinah Shore
heads the list of performers sked-
ded to appear in the offering, which
is tagged “Flint— The Big Wheel,”
Other participants include, her hus-
band,, film actor George Mont- :
gomery, the Skylarks, Bud and
Cece Robinson, Pansy the Horse
and the Virginians. *

Legit producer James Russo, who
directed “Omaha Chuck Wagon , of
America” for the Omaha Centen-
nial last year, is staging the Flint
opus. The script is by Oliver Craw-
ford. Aida Alvarez is handling the
choreography, while Robert Moore
has designed the Unit stagehand
Alfred Stern, American National
Theatre & Academy managing di-
rector, has designed the costumes.
Stern is also overall managing di-
rector of the Flint centennial. Ray-
,-mond Gerkowski is musical direc-
tor.

In addition to professionals,' the
cast will include approximately 2,-
000 localites, bands and choral
groups. Lighting is being regulated
by the Otto K. Olesen Go. of Holly-
wood. Admission to the offering,
which will climax the centennial
celebration, is free. 1 f

DISNEYLAND WEEKENDS
CLIMB; 385G WKLY. TAKE

Hollywood, Aug. 23.

Disneyland Weekend attendance
is beginning to pick up. After
earlier heavy weekday packing,
weekends were trailing, probably
as a result of early reports of bad
traffic and overcrowded park con-
ditions. Last week hit 150,593 in
attendance, the biggest since open-
ing frame, with 62,059 clocked in
over the weekends as against the
previous weekend of 38,368, and
30,943 the weekend before.

Weekdays, Monday through
Thursday last week, showed 88,534,
against 83,510 for the previous
frame’s weekdays, and 78,803 regis-
tered the week before. Disney-
land’s estimates per-person tab for
admissions, parking, refreshments,
rlde£, etc., are $2.56, which adds up
to. last week’s gross of $385,518.

Omaha Spot Opens

On Site of Angelo’s

Omaha, Aug. 23.

Ross, Lee and Buff Belfiore b ave
reopened the nitery here, once
known as Angelo’s, that played top
names of show biz.

New. spot is titled Buff’s; Enter-
tainment is supplied by a five-piece
outfit, the Missouri Ramblers.

By reversing the prevailing trend
and discarding name entertain-
ment, the Terrace Room of the
Shoreham Hotel Washington, has
become one of the most profitable
inn. entertainment operations in the
east. Spot moved out of a $92,000
deficit in food sales two years ago
to the point where profits are
reaching for six figures. Inn’s come-
back date from the time Bernie
Bralove, son of the builder of the
hotel, took over production a little
more than a year ago.

Bralove, instead of cutting down
on the entertainment budget, ex-
panded the amounts used for
shows, but cut out name acts, and
even some types of standard turns
in favor of highcost production.
According to Bralove, there was
little, if anything, left after paying
off name acts; and many other
types of acts didn’t deliver suffici-
ently in entertainment nor in
drawing power.

In this respect, Bralove went
counter to the general trend in
cafe operation since the bulk of
the niteries depend on name per-
formers. Also, several innkeepers
have found that it’s now more prof-
itable to cut out entertainment and
make money in a room just on a
rental basis. The Prince Edward
Hotel; Toronto, has found that to
be the case. The Terrace Room of
the Hotel New Yorker-, N.Y., has

(Continued on page 62)

Eileen BARTON

latest Coral Release

' Apollo Umberto Silvano
Roberto Romano

Dir.: WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY

COMEDY MATERIAL

For All Branches of Theatricals

FUN-MASTER

THE ORIGINAL SHOW-BIZ GAG FILE
l (The Service of the -STARS)

Pint 13 Filet $7.0O-AII 35 issues $25
Singly; $1.05 per script.

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200 W. 54th St., New York 19— Dept. V
Circle 7-1130

HARBERS

Now

CASINO MUNICIPAL LIDO

VENICE, ITALY

and DALE

“KIP WAS HIP”

"They applet all they could
follow but they couldn't copy
our mind. So wo loft om
iwoatln and ttedlln a year
and a half behind-—' 1

Rudyard Kipling

MR. BALLANTINE

Currently

NEW YORK

Wednesday, August 24, 1955

PftRffifY

V> *

ft?

''Jo.ey Adams is the smoothest entertainer alive.
Without peer in talent* Great conferencfer, singer,
hoofer and showman."

LEE MORTIMER
Mirror

"Joey Adams It o
brash, savvy tomle who
knows how to yock it up*
His ad libs are sharp* Ms
'life of the party* mien
peppers the whole show
with laughs*" Jferw.

i •

"Best show in Latin Quarter V Ms*
tory. "Star Joey Adams* act really
catches fire."

ROBERT SYLVESTER
News

it*

3 ° e? ‘ does

’tlO

"■•it comie oil Bread-
way. Yoekfal aet."

LOUIS SOBOL
New fork

Journal- American

* • • >

a a o' 0 *

<*** . 4 »®> «€£ {v

"Brave to Joey Adams
Breaking records at the
Latin Quarter."

EARL WILSON

.. &». **

New York Post

Star of the revue is Joey Adams,
wit, raconteur, ad-libber* author,
humorist* actor, dancer, leading ex-
ponent of the rasor edged retort—
yeah* that's one feller!"

GENE KNIGHT
New York Journal -
American

f '

** , 6 » w & £V«*

5 «»r sfSart*

?«£**»* w* ’/

5 I**

"Smash Click!"

ED SULLIVAN
Dally News

«?•***

via

■ •*^w.S N ®

^ViW

• RADIO & TELEVISION •

Drumdlic Hit of the Year-*— PHILCO PLAYHOUSE
"Play M« Heart* and Flower*"
with Jdhnny Dcuhoitd'

HATE YOUR MATE. CBS • SPEND A MILLION, NBC
BACK THAT FACT. ABC

o records e

Coral Record*— with AL KELLY

O LITERATI •

Out Soon

4th Published Boole. "STRICTLY FOR LAUGHS"
e PICTURES •

"SINGING IN THE DARK"

Film Musical Produced by JOEY ADAMS
and Featuring JOEY ADAMS

I wahf to thank Joey Adams for
the many Plyds he grand since the
days of Willie Howard and to Lou
Walters for the cravlnating many
tribnltx like Flo Zlegfeld all of
which have been drdlmen* and I

AL KELLY

'Joey Adams, irrepressible, and
lovable sots the tempo for a gay and
saucy extravaganxa,"

ROBERT W* DANA
World. Telegram and Sun

"My favorite clown. Gives the
show a breathless pace."

HY GARDNER

New York Hero Id Tribune

■f

Atomic Adams, our favorite coj
median, dances, sing*, emcees and
gives you the general Impression ho
caii also Juggle ond do magic while
playing an oboe."

FRANK FARRELL
World Telegram and Sun

Personal Manager: LEO COHEN
Bookings: WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY

Direction:

LOU WALTERS ENTERPRISES, INC.

CASS FRANKLIN, Manager

This ad paid for by HENNYJfQUNGMAN!

VAIWHUE

New York •

Celeste Holm tapped for the
Persian Room, of the Plaza Hotel,
N. Y., Jan. 5 . . . Arthur Lee Slmp-
' kins into the Latin Quarter, N. Y„
In February . . . Artie Dann set for
the Julius LaRosa show at the
Chicago Theatre, Chicago, Sept; 15
, . . Patti Andrews booked into
the Food Show, Omaha; Sept. 24
for . one week . . . Billy Ward's
Dominoes slated for the Copaca-
bana, N. Y., Sept. 8.. ... Reefie St
Davis into the Fontainebleau,
Miami Beach, October.

Carmen MacRae has been pacted
for Jazz City, Hollywood, starting
Sept. 13 . . . Music Corp. of Ameri-
ca has signed Charlie Applewhite
and Jack Carter . . . Bob Anthony
an addition to the Stage Coach
Inn, So. Hackensack, N. J.

Barbara McNair leaving the
Blue Angel, N.Y. show tonight
(Wed.) for one week for Racine to
marry Earl Wright, a non-pro , . .
Joe E. • Lewis Inked for the Latin
Casino, Philadelphia, starting Oct.
31 . . . Myron Cohen, pacted. for
Eddys, Kansas City, Oct. 7 . . . Ma-
rion Marlowe to the Beverly
Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, Sept.
9 . , , .Mickey Rooney pacted for
the 500 Club, Atlantic City, Aug.
27. Joey Foreman continues in
the act:

Chicago

The Mariners set for Fazio’s,
Milwaukee, Sept. 16-26 . . . Will
Jordan into the Palmer House,
Chi, headlining Merriel Abbott’s
“Boast of the Town,” Sept. 15 , , .
Frankie Scott currently at Ka See’s

“ZENO”

World’s Fastest .

BANJOIST

Formerly with Red Norvo-

Currently Mountain Ruorfi

ESTES PARK, COLO.

Available Oct. 1, for Top Radio,
T.V., Clubs, Etc,

Management: RAY STAUDT
6087 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, Calif.
Phone: HO. 4-0101

WHEN IN BOSTON
I ft the

HOTEL AVERY

The Home of Show Folk

Avery & Washington Sts.
Radio in Every Roogs

JACK POWELL

end his Educated Drum Stick*
Under the Personal Management of
MARK LEDDY and LEON NEWMAN
46 West 48th 8t., New York 19, N. Y,
Phone — JUdson 6-2760

Toledo . . . Boyd Bennett St The
Rockets; Jay Lawrence, Nick! St
Noel, on the bill with Patti Page
opening at Chi’s Chicago Theatre,
Sept. 2. .

Hollywood

Gene Wesson and Gordon Polk
open for four frames at the River-
side Hotel, Reno, Sept. 13 . . .
Billy Eckstine goes into the New
Frontier, Vegas, Sept. 4 for four
weeks, following The Skylarks,
who opened last night (Tues) . . .
.jPhil Moore is. Julie Wilson’s ac-
companist in current Mocambo
stand . . . Harry Belafonte, who
teed off last night (Tues.) at the
Fairmont, Frisco, reopens Waldorf-
Astoria Empire Room, N. Y., Sept.
29 . . . Slate Bros, set for Beverly
Hills Club, Cincinnati . . . Patti
Andrews at Chez Paree, Chi, until:
Sept. 6 . . . Kitty White held over
for another three weeks at Key-
board Supper Club.

CANTON PAGEANT PULLS
60G; GAMBLING NIXED

Canton, O., Aug. 22.

The Canton Sesqui Centennial
historical pageant last week
grossed $60,000 with 44,000 attend-
ing, Take of the other exhibits
and games is still undetermined.
Receipts were decimated somewhat
by the police who quietly closed
several games because of gambling
complaints. Cost of putting on the
Centennial is estimated at $250,000.

AS part of the celebration, the
Don McNeill “Breakfast Club” was
networked on ABC-TV’’out of the
Canton Memorial Auditorium, Fri-
day (19).

MISSOURI STATE FAIR
OPENS TO RECORD BIZ

Kansas City, Aug. 23.

Missouri's annual state fair
which opened a. nine-day run last
Saturday (20) at the Sedalia Fair.
Grounds was off to a running start
with more than 40,000 attendance
for an opening day record. Dur-
ing its run, fair is expected to
chalk up attendance of 500,000.

Entertainment attractions include
“Stars Over Ice” nightly, “Ozark
Jubilee” tv show In a nightly stage
version, and fireworks, along with
the mile-long midway and carnival
open daily.

Wednesday* August 24» 1955

AGVA’s Chi Cafe Drive

Continued from page 59

Las Vegas

Continued from page 59 — ^

Walters deal which was signed by
Joe Sullivan, who with A1 Gottes-
man are the major owners in the
Dunes. This hotel has been leased
to Jake Freedman and Jack En-
tratter of the neighboring Sands.

Walters says that he has not
been given any .officially written
notification of cancellation. He has
embarked on production and book-
ing deals plus the manufacture of
$60,000 of costumes ordered in
good faith for the Dunes show'
which he could be stuck with since
not all of them can be used in his
shows in New York and Florida.
Under terms of the deal he has
with the Dunes, he would be liable
for talent contracts, and therefore
he cannot step away from that
deal without suffering considerable
financial damage.

Walters would also be hurt from
another quarter. He annually pro-
duced a show for the Desert Inn,
and since switching to the Dunes,
he passed up that part of the deal.

The Riviera is also under new
management. Gus Greenbaum,
formerly of the Flamingo, stepped
into that spot and he’s similarly
trying to arrange for shows to his
own liking. Hildegarde had played
that spot earlier this year for eight
days, and four-week deal was
signed at that time.

Thank you
DON TANNEN
fora

record-breaking 5 weeks
at the

Thunderbird Hotel, Las Vegas

Hal Braudis, producer

Shoreham

Continued from page 60 —

similarly * gone into limbo as an
entertainment centre, following
takeover \ by the Hilton manage-
ment.

According to Bralove, few oper-
ators realize the entertainment po-
tential of music alone. By stressing
music he's been able to get a dif-
ferent accent on shows. He has a
batch of violins strolling around
the spot in the manner of- Le Mon-
siegneUr, Paris, which he visited
subsequent to the installation of
the catgut He has two shows each
evening, both different; so that re-
peat visit are possible, and he
changes the layout about every
eight weeks. In this manner he's
able . to get frequent visits from
regulars even during the months of
the year when Congress isn't in
session.

The present format utilizes the
services of only a couple of acts,
so that there can be a focus of at-
tention on production. At din-
ner, the layout is based on tableaux
suggest by the paintings of Degas,
Duffy, Magnet and others of the
French school, and the second is
founded on a series of circus
themes. Each show runs 32 min-
utes, which 'Bralove feels is suf-
ficient for the needs of the room
especially since Barnee Breeskin,
the maestro who has been a Capi-
tol fixture for 27 years, is able to
l^eep the customers happy through
more music.

The summertime operation is on
the Terrace, an outdoor spot, and
during inclement weather, the pro-
ceedings are moved into the Blue
Room. Being outdoors for a good
part of the year, Bralove feels
that he’s placed the hotel enter-
tainment in a non-competitive po-
sition. However, even with the lack
of competition in that town, a spot
can lose a lot of money unless
there’s the right kind of show, says
Bralove. *> "

Saranac Lake

By Happy Benway
Saranac Lake, N. Y., Aug. ,23.

Among the alumni who visited
the Will Rogers for their annual
o.o. and checkup were Alice Farley,
nitery entertainer; Bob (IATSE)
Hall, Apollo Theatre electrician;
Bob Cosgrove, Columbia Pix staff-
er; Leo Mantel, Randforce Thea-
tres; Joe Kelleher, musician, now
at Keene, N.Y., night spot; and
Sophie Mede, former cashier -of
Utica Theatre. All hit the jackpot
with a 100% okay.

Fred McCabe in from Woodside,
L.I., for regular checkup and rest
period.

Murray Weiss, Will Rogers Hos-
pital executive, accompanied by his
wife in from Boston for general
inspection tout. He took time out
for personal chats and visits with
the in-bed patients*

Mabel (Legit) Burns, who grad-’
uated here in 1951, dropped in for
a general o.o. and check. She drew
100% okay.

William 0. Stamps, artist and
designer of the Wometco Theatres,
Miami, took 18 months to definitely
beat the . rap; he rated a go-back-
to-work okay. He leaves here so
as to be able to spend his birthday
with his mother in Atlanta, Sept.
10 .

Audrey Lumpkin, daughter of
James Brennan, IATSE veepee,
and graduate here in class 1953, in
for visit. She made arrangements
for Jet Johnson (Durgans Nitery)
orch to entertain patients at the
Will Rogers.

A big builder-upper is the per-
sonal letter every new patient
receives on his arrival here from
Mayor A. B. “Tony” Anderson.
This states they are welcome and
that if at any time he or his office
can be of any aid to call on him
personally.

tft.#MpeKWh9.w . , ,

visit was to end the feud between
Club Hollywood in Franklin Park,
111., a Chi suburb, and. AGV A. Club
operator Steve Harris had refused
to post a cash bond for entertain-
ers’ salaries on the ground thaf
AGVA owed him a portion of a
previously posted bond which went

to pay' entertainers a week’s sal-
ary when his club burned down In
1954. Harris' contended, in a court
action, that he was liable only for

LOMBARDI’S PALACE TO
LATIN QUARTER SHIFT

Jo Lombardi, bandleader at the
Palace Theatre, N. Y„ since , its
inception/ moves over as maestro
at the- Latin Quarter, N. Y.; start-
ing tomorrow (Thurs.). Successor
at the Palace isn’t set yet, since
house will try several leaders be-
fore. making their selection^

. Lombardi will succeed Leo Stone
at the nitery. Stone was a tempor-
ary replacement for Art Waner,
who- left after an eight-year run
there,

McGuire Sis Pull 6G
In Asbury Pk. 1-Niter

Asbury Park, Aug. 23.

Return date of McGuire Sisters
coupled with the Tommy Tucker
band brought a smash $6,000 for
the single night (20) at the Con-
vention Hall, and p&t the Saturday
night operation back in the groove
again.

Eartha Kitt with the Sonny Dun-
ham orch is due here next Satur-
day night (27).

Wayne, MacMnrray Buy
Into 3 Hawaii Hotels

Honolulu, Aug. 16.

John Wayne, Fred MacMurray
and their business manager. Bo
Roos, are now bon.ifaces of three
Hawaii hotels— the Maui Palms on
Mau Island, the Coco Palms , on
Kauai Island and the new Kona
Palms on Hawaii Island.

They have bought an 18% inter-
est in the Island Holiday Hotel
chain which is headed by Lyle
Guslander, former manager of Mat-
son’s Moana Hotel at Waikiki.

US0 Troupers

Continued from page JL ma

transportation and the usual per
diem accommodations, while acts
are paid AGVA scale. With USO
currently sans funds, a succession
of such shows could well be the
answer to the requests of area
commanders for more home-style
entertainment.

Launching of contributed show
came, significantly enough, at a
time when Walter Bouilett, chief
of entertainment for the Far East
Command, was huddling with
Goetz, USO prexy Lawrence Phil-
lips, and other Defense Dept, reps
on the pressing problem of pro-
viding morale boosters for the
troops in that area.

salaries up until the time .of tho
fire, occurring in midweek. AGVA
held, that the performers were en-
titled to a full week’s salary. The
club op refused to post bond, or
meet other AGVA demands.

Harris’ club was put on the “un-
fair” list and he was forced to
rely on performers from the Amer-
ican Federation of Musicians and
the Federation of Television Sc Ra-
dio Artists for his shows. As "a re-
sult of Bright’s visit here last .week,
Harris has. now dropped his suit
against AGVA and has complied
With the union’s demands. He is
now free to again use AGVA mem-
bers in the club.

Another Immediate result of the
AGVA topper’s visit to Chicago was
posting a cash bond for entertain-
ers'- salaries by the Black Orchid,
top Windy City intimery. In the
process of reaching agreement on
this, the club’s current show was
almost pulled out. The Orchid, a
very solvent operation, had never
been required to post bond and
club operator A1 Greenfield ob-
jected to posting' bond on principle.
But with, the threat of a walk-out
hanging over his head, he was
forced to comply.

Fast is going ahead with plans
to bring all local clubs into the
fold in compliance with the three
basic AGVA demands. This week
he is concluding negotiations with
the Moulin RoUge, a Loop strip-
pery, and will go on from there
until the entire area has been,
covered. <*

DIR : IRVIN ARTHUR ASSOCIATES

LAS VEGAS

J. Sidney Grill Agcy.

212 East Charleston Boulevard
Las Vegas, Nevada Tel. No.t 157-M

Booking variety acts and muslcaf
groups In Las Vegas and tha sur-
rounding areas.

Curronllyt

Chariy Hills Country Club, Denver

Direction:

William Morris Ageney

CAB CALLOWAY

Continuing

INTERNATIONAL THEATRE TOUR
Currently

EMPIRE, Glasgow

Mgr. RILL MITTLER, 1619 Broadway, New York

Wednesday, August 24, 1955 • T^XRiE$'lT • - NIGHT CLUB R1EV1LWS 63

^focambo 9 L* A*

Los Angeles, Aug. 17,
Allan Cross & Henry Dunn, Paul
Hebert Orch (6), Joe Castro’s
Combo (3); $2 cover. -

■ -

TO this generation of night lifers
Cross & Dunn -are only faintly me-
morable as a vaude team, eontem-.
orary with Van & Schenck and
illy Jones •& Ernie Hare (The
Happiness Boys). Reunited after
a breakup* • they’ve Revived their
old -turn for the bistros and even,
if the intervening, years’ have
taken small toll of their Vocal
talents-; they- can still dispense
enough entertainment to make it
a rewarding evening. Good talent
never- dies, it merely blows .up a
fresh breeze of sentimentality.

As a refresher, Henry Dunn is
the tenor-singing member, of the
team and more or Jess the straight
man for the ' comicalities of Allan
Cross, who can Still pipe a goou
tune and whip up a gale of- laughs
with his impressions. Mac Margda,
who writes special material for
Sophie Tucket* has confected fot
them some clever wordage that is
used to, good effect in their paro-
dies. The act is all new with the
exception of a sentimental journey
down the. years for the nostalgic
delineations- of such, greats as John
McCormack, Sir Harry - Lauder,
George M. Cohan, Bert Williams,
Gallagher &. Shean and Whisper-
ing - Jack Smith. .

At close harmony they click best
and the applause would, indicate
there should have been more of it.
After a few belts the revelers are
generally in a mood for singing so
it didn’t need much coaxing for a
raise of Voices to “Shine On Har-
vest Moon.” It’s surprising that
Dunn’s voice has held up so Well
after years of vocal respite while
he ran, the Coast office for AGVA
and agehted for Lew & Leslie
Grade, Cross’ off-years as a
whisky salesman apparently' had no
dulling effect on his comic touch
and warbling.

Harry Powell accomped with the
Paul Hebert orchestra, which alter-
nated with Joe Castro’s combo to
keep the hoofers happy. Helm .

Fojitiiinelileaii, M. B’ch

Miami Beach, Aug. 19.
Dorothy Sarnoff, Robert Lamou-
ret , Gaby Monet, Murray Schlamm,
Sacasas Orch ; $2.50*$3.50 minimum.

Current lineup in. the La Ronde
Club of this swankery may have
looked good on paper, but in the
playing adds up to one of the
weaker packages of the summer
season. Talentwise— the compon-
ents, in the main, are there; over-
all it adds up as fair fare for the
tablers.

The spacious, tiered layout of
the room, plus the class atmo-
sphere engendered in deepr and
service* demands authoritative per-
formers who can take command.
In this instance, the room proves
too big a problem for topliner Dor-
othy Sarnoff and the supporting
acts. Miss Sarnoff, handsomely
gowned, is well equipped physically
and vocally, but negates these at-
tributes with an odd selection of
tunes and poor staging. The array
of musicomedy hits, semi-classics,
longhair, and medley from “The
King And I,” in which she clicked,
changes mood and pace too fre-
quently for any continued build,
especially so in the heavier seg-
ments. The type of patron at-
tracted here at this time doesn’t
dig too much of the narrative-lyric
type of excerpts from “King And
I” and operatic aria briefs when
melded with uptempo tunes and
the like. Insert of a meaningless
dance spin around the f Ibor in one
spot also prompted low-key recep-
tion. Credit Miss Sarnoff, how-
ever, with warming them often
enough via her ranging soprano,
to earh fair returns,

Ventro Robert Lamouret comes
across much more effectively on a
tv screen than in the much larger
expanses of a La Ronde Club. His
biz with the dummy-duck is cle-
verly worked out, but the material
is weak, bordering on the blue at
times and depending on slapstick’
for a strong finish. In that finale
sequence, done to the “Barber Of
Seville’’ theme, the laughs come
frequently, spurred by the lather-
ing-of-face sight humor concept
that has been done in various forms
by many comics,

Gaby Monet is a pretty lass with
an eye-filling leggy figure. Her
dance concepts are based on what
appears to be a streamlined ver-
sion of the flamenco, Americanized
to the point where the patterns be-
come obscured. The arrangements
to background her heel-stomps and
arm-weaving are trickily arranged,
to point where the changes in
tempo at times come too fast. Miss
Monet, in the right spot, could
well click in a production number.
For a nitery her act as currently
constituted, .adtaes. .too „ much. >tu,

the same stomp rhythms* with lit-
tle; variations. , -

Murray Schlamm, . permanent
emcee, is a suave and able introer.
Sacasas and' his orch rate kudos
for the ace ‘manner in which they
handle a difficult show, music-wise.

Lary.

500 Club, Atlantic City

Atlantic City, Aug. 20.
Will Mastin Trio starring Sammy
Davis Jr., Joey Bishop, Laino &
Campbell, Boots McKenna Dancers
(8).,’ Pete Miller Orch (14) with
Joe Frasettp ; $5 min. Saturdays,
$3 weekdays .

Sammy Davis Jr. is back into
Paul (Skinny) D’Amato’s lush 500
Club as the stellar member- of the
Will Mastim trio as the resort gets
baok onto an even keel after two
hurricane threats which didn't do
D’Amato or anyone here, in the
game of luring the tourist any
good.-

This time only thing against
Davis is the. record 93 temperature
which causes him to loosen his
bow tie even though the big club
is comfortably air conditioned, as
he gives the usual hangup per-
formance club habitues here ex-
pect.' It Was more Sammy Davis
Jr. .-himself this time* performer
resorting on carbons less than at
any time heretofore caught. ’ Ver-
satile performer mixed a few of
them, but briefly, into his singing
and dancing routine. Davis,! as he
did last year, opens with his “Gee
Its '‘Good to Be Home,” and then
lets his. father, Sammy Davis 6r.,
and his uncle, Will Mastin, take
over. Follows with “Hey, There,”
first - as Davis does it ahd then car-
bons of Cole, Eckstine, Bennett,
Laine and Torme, all getting , boff
reception.

“Birth of the Blues” goes over
big With audience participating by
mitting on beat. . Carbons of Cag-
ney, Stewart, Grant, doing “Be-
cause of You,” follow with Davis
singing a la Davis to go off. His
latter is liberally sprinkled in this
edition with his dad and uncle
coming in for hoofing appearances
to give him chance to get a brief
breathing period, and he needs it
for the pace is t fast; and from
where he works, it isn't the coolest
spot in the bistro. '

Other big spots include “Old
Black Magic,” “No Love for No-
body Else,” and “Somethings Got-
ta Give,” all banged over only as
Davis can bang ’em. Arthur God-
frey is mimicked to perfection in
one spot while Jerry Lewis is car-
boned in another just to prove
that Davis has lost none of his old
time skill.

Joey Bishop helps bill with his
fast chatter which has as its target
the bus boys, waiters, small boys
and the laughing boys within his
reach. Bishop works well with this
crowd and has them in the palm
of his hand throughout. No dull
moments while this hard worker
gives it to them. Dances of Laino
& Campbell and the Boots Mc-
Kenna girls plus, tooting of Fete
Miller’s gang make for well-round-
ed and enjoyable 90-minute show.

Walk.

Colony, London

London, Aug. 16.
Stan Freeman, Felix King Orch,
Don Carlos Rhythm Band; $5 mini 4
rhum.

Stan Freeman, debuting in a
London cabaret, shows a hep
understanding of local tastes and
with just one or two minor modifi-
cations, his act should be a clicko
attraction at this Berkeley Square
nightspot for the next mouth.

After a formal opening, Free-
man walks on stage and announces
he is going to play the Chopin
Minute Waltz. As he sits down at
the ivories the orch leader walks
on stage with a wired electric clock
and Freeman watches the second-
hand roll by, to stop abruptly half
way through a note when his time-
is up. That puts the tafresitters
in the .mood and from then on, he
can do' no wrong. His selection of
“Numbers That the Songwriters
Never Write” gets yocks; and the
laughs come quickly for his im-
pression of “South Pacific” hit
tunes as they might have been ren-
dered ..by a singer of old English
ballads, Gilbert & Sullivap, and an
oratorio artist.

His best entry by far, however,
is a musical version of “A Street
Car Named Desire,” in which some
of Irving Berlin’s classics are
parodied with skill and wit. To
ease the tempo, Freeman splits his
act by proving that he is really
accomplished at the pianistics. His
interpretation of Jerome Kern's
"Yesterdays” had a considerable
dramatic force.

The Felix King combo (although
the maestro is vacationing in the
U.S.), does their standard job of
quality backgrounding. They also
take good care of the dance session
with the Don Carlos rhythm aggre-
gation.** •<» .Jtfi/sa.u

Freddie Stewart , Gillian Grey ,
Iran Grant and Armando Frederico
Trios; $5 minimum.

This eastside intimerie, which
has had a. varied history under a
load of other names, seems to be
having a fairly successful time this

summer. The alchemy used to put
this spot on the black side of the
ledger seems to be the successful
fusion of dance music units with
time outs for entertainment. But
as in a Jot of operations of this
kind, the floorshow spots seem' de-
signed to give the customers a
breathing space. The big deal
seems to be the floor exercises.

This show has a pair of standard
entertainers, Freddie Stewart arid
Gillian Grey* both of 4 whom are
vets on the nitery circuits. Stewart
has made numerous appearances
in New York spots in the past few
years, . laterly as part of the . en-
tourage that Alan Gale carried
around with him in his N.Y. nitery
operations. Originally a band vo-
calist, this pint sized entertainer
pipes in a high tenor voice and
belts out a routine of pops that
gets its message across handily.
Stewart doesn’t stray irito any new
paths but lets the familiarity of
his various numbers work on his
side. He gets into a groove with
thd likes of “September Song,’*
“Long Way -From. St.. Louis,”
“Sweet and Gentle” and a pace-
changer, “Maria. Dolores,” all of
which are delivered pleasantly.

Miss Grey, a longstemmed red-
head, has a good soprano voice
which would get better showcasing
in the class spots, since she works
In a manner that suggests that she
was weaned on classic and would
be more at home in that metier.
She inserts snatches of “Un Belle
Djl’.* in her arrangement of “Poor
Butterfly” and gets across with re-
warding mitt for a “Carmen” aria.
Every so often she sticks in a fil-
set to note and on night caught it
seemed top shrill to be completely
effective. Otherwise she does,
nicely.

The music is by Ira Grant Trio
for the showbacking and Armando
Frederico for the Latino stomps.

Jose,

Shamrock, fl oust on

Houston, Aug. 19.

Peggy Ryan & Ray McDonald;
Ethel Rider; Henry King Orch;

cover, 3>1.50-$2.50.

* , — .

Youth has taken over the Sham-
rock Room entertainment with
good results. Young headliners
Peggy Ryan & Ray McDonald

amuse the crowd with their zany,
spoofing and deft terping. Blonde
singer Ethel Rider charms as much
with her girl-next-door freshness
and natural good looks as with her
demure coloratura pipes.

Miss Ryan accents youth theme,
offering her trade-marked eye-
batting, loose-jointed “crazy kid”
personality. Pard strings along,
but confines most of his work to
hoofing in neat style. Contrasting
approach is team’s brace of nos-
talgic impressions that dips into
soft-shoe and Charleston routines,
*and styles of Pat Rooney, Eddie
Leonard, Bill Robinson and
Eleanor Powell. Headliners plain-
ly have appeal but glow is some-
times threatened by pointless, ex-
tended chatter.

Classically-trained Miss Rider
opens show pleasantly with vocal-
izing of “Miserlou,” “C’est Mag-
nafique,” “I Love Paris” and “Un-
chained Melody.” . Thrush's voice
could take on greater “sell” quali-
ty to good advantage.

Henry King and orch are now
in fifth week at the Hilton inn.

Bode.

&ms Sonet, Miami B’cli

Miami Beach, Aug. 20.
Wally Griffin, Cuquita Caballo,
Freddy Calo Orch; $2.50 minimum.

Policy for the Blue Sails Room
of this mid-beach poshery calls
for regular return engagements of
acts who’ve clicked in the intimery
with Wally Griffin, back for a
fourth ,, date within the year, il-
lustrative of the plan, The per-
sonable young performer . has al-
ready been tabbed for a mid-sea-
son date come wintertime.

Griffin is a deft comedian-song-
ster-pianist who . applies his ver-
satility to an act that catches vary-
ing fancies of a cafe audience in
every facet. He spells out a mix-
ture of new and sometimes fa-
miliar. but always well-timed wag-
gery to warm them rapidly; travels
to the Steinway for a session
of special material’ tune-foolery
stressing amiable spoofing in lyric
form; turns to calypso capers and
then hits back to floor mike for
i solid standup Selling of ballads for

.1 •

a change of mood. Throughout, he J
indulges in banter with the ring-
siders, a threading that keeps them
on his side all the way. Griffin
tops matters with, a soundly writ-
ten and arranged paean- to show
biz that amounts to a rundown of
the variety world* .artfully spelled
out and the bit is an encore earn-
er. His overall impact is aided no
little by cheerful, easy delivery
and approach. Griffin looks a bet
for video. He’s already set for a
run on the beter cafe circuit.

Odd booking is Cuquita Caballo,
a Cubano import. Although the
Blue Sails is far from being a staid
room, catering as it does to the hep
crowd, her song-dance bit is a
startler for the regulars, thanks ‘to
an abbreviated costume that leaves
little to the imagination and hip-
swing gyrations that add to the
eyebrow raising (management
trimmed down that part of her
stint after opening night). Vocally,
she . churns out native Latino
rhythmics for lead-ins to the floor-
bound grinds,

, Freddy Calo and ‘his orch lend
an able hand to the jgoings on with
their backgroundings. Lary,

’ 4

Bevorly . Hills, Newport

Newport, Ky., Aug. 20.
James . Melton, Raul & Eva
Reyes, Dorothy Dorben Dancers
( 10;) , Dick Hyde t Gardner Bene-
dict Orch (10), Jimmy Wilber
Trio, Larry Vincent; $3 minimum,
$4 Saturdays.

John . Croft, talent haridicapper
for Greater Cincinnati's ace bis-
tro, throws. two naturals. into the
current layout in stretching a long
string of floor show, winners.
James Melton and his musical
crew take ov£r solidly for 50 min-
utes. It’s the tenor’s second en-
gagement tore within a year and
he reminds that his debut in onera
was rfflTde with the Cincinnati
Summer Opera Co.

Supporting Melton are Richard
Hankinsori, piano accompanist and
soloist with a dixie drawl, and the
Singing Violins, three gals „who sit
in with .the house crew. One of
therii, Barbara Meister, chirps
“They Didn't. Believe Me” with
him.

A showman from head to heels,
the robust tenor is a master mike
handler, beams personality and
dresses stylishly, changing from
’tails and cape to natty white sport.
Tops off a cycle of operatic and
pop numbers with a howling “Davy
Crockett” takeoff, Using emcee Dick
Hyde as the character fill-in.
Leaves ’em plenty hungry.

Raul & Eva Reyes, back for the
umpteenth time, register with
their standard Latin - American
dances, injecting lotsa comedy in
their routine.

Several replacements among the
Dorothy Dorben Dancers do not
mar the line’s reputation for class
performance. Koll.

- ' 4

Cliaudiere, Ottawa

Ottawa, Aug. 17.

Ink Spots (4), Igor & Mimi,
Pryde & Daye, Norman Richards
Orch (8); $1 admission.

Charlie Fuqua's Ink Spots, with
Jimmy Holmes doing a creditable
job with the falsetto role, play to
good returns in the Chaudiere
Club’s Rose Room. Topping a
three-act bill, the foursome
stretches its stint too far over 30
minutes in a needless effort to
cover the room’s standard hour-
length show and customers get
restless towards the closer. Spots
mix ballads and bounce tunes, with
“Climb the Highest Mountain” and
“If I Didn’t Care” standouts.

Terpers Igor & Mimi insert sev-
eral fresh switches in their click
adagio session, including a few lifts
and spins that are solid thrillers;
Femme, an attractive titian-top,
grabs attention at teeoff with a
partial strip after male enters on
dark stage for scare effect which
doesn’t come off in this room be-
cause the customers can hardly see
him.

Pryde & Day have a top comic-
juggle routine that gets big mit-
ting. Male works balls and clubs
‘with an easiness and relaxation
that belie intricate tossing and
balancing, and keeps the stint alive
with okay comedy. Act moves at
a fast pace. Femme works in duo
juggling bit standing on male’s
head. Norman Richards band
showbacks and plays for dancing.

Gorm.

Dallas Cafe Reopening

Dallas, Aug. 23.

Chris Elson’s King’s Club, for-
merly in the lobby of the Hotel
Adolphus, is scheduled to reopen
Aug. 25 on the mezzanine floor
in new quarters. An estimated
$150,000 has been spent in remod-
eling the site, formerly occupied
by a ^private -»clwb.*

Tropieumi, Havana

Havana, Aug* 17.

Juan Bruno Tarfaza & Felo Ber-
gaza, Olga Guiltot, Gina Marlin A
Nelson Pineda , Rufino Q; Tropi *
c ana. Ballet; Solera de . Espana
Orq; Armando ., Ronton Orq; Senen
Suarez Orq; $4.50 minimum per
person at tables week nights; $5
Saturdays.

Juan Bruno Tarraza and Felo
Bergaza are undoubtedly the live-
liest piano pair in captivity. They
play, they clown, they dance. Their
piano pounding is fast and flashy
and worth the price by itself.

Tarraza is a songwriter, - but he
seems to have an urge to rewrite
the .works Of others. Semi-classics
are given rhumba overtones, , with
three drummers in the background
providing, the necessary * jungle
beat, “Rhapsody in Blue” is re- ..
markable but easily , recognizable
even when converted to rhumba-^
and then switched into mambo.

. Tarraza’s & Bergaza’s hands be-
come a blur of playing* and then,
Carried away with their playing,
thfey get up and hoof around their
pianos while the drummers con-
tinue the music. ■ Their dancing Is
as eyecatching as that of many
who make their living at .it. Then
back to their pianos* and it is un-
fortunate no one has devised a way
for these tlvo to play and dance
simultaneously. *

Olga Quillot does: some good
singing in a sensuous voice* She is
somewhat lacking in stage charm,
and when she attempts to, hoof, it
is- a bit painful to watch. But when
she stands still and goes into' a
Cuban torch song, then she rates
her star billing.

The productiori number, i “Bahi-
ondo,” staged by Rodney, is the
usual extravaganza which has be-
come a Tropicana trademark. “Ba-
hiondo” has a Brazilian theme
reminiscent of Carmen Miranda,
which is understandable since, it
was built around her during her
recent performance at Tropicana
shortly before her death. The cho-
rus girls wear brief costumes, high
headdresses and bouquets on their
backsides — a slight variation on .
the location of the Miranda head-
gear. . .

The Rufino Q supply fast songs
during the production number, and -
Gina Martin and Nelson Pineda
also do competent thrushing. The
chorus girls are attractive a la
American (slim) instead of a la
Cuban (bulkier). Two lead danc-
ers, Nancy Quesada and Gladys
Robau, look remarkably like twins,
but are not even related.

The Solera de Espana Orq pro-
vides topnOtch Spanish music, but
is somewhat eclipsed now that the
Chavales are back in town.

With an eye on the approaching
tourist season, Tropicana reports
it is dickering with Billy Daniels,
Yma Sumac and Nat (King) Cole
to come over. Jay.

Italian Village, Lincoln

Lincoln, Neb., Aug. 20.
“Ice Classics,” with Red McCar-
thy, the Three Sharps , Marion
Travers, Joseph. & Sara Jo Bolt;
Village Trio; no cover or minimum ,
$1 admission weekends.

Ice shows always have been
popular in this sector, and Tony
Domino figures to score heavily at
his Italian Village with “Ice
Classics,” a seven-person, 30-min-
ute review booked in by Don
Romeo. The first blader to play
•a Nebraska nitery, it presents a
neat show on a 20 x 15 foot rink.

Red McCarthy, formerly of “Ice
Capades,” heads up matters with
his version of “The Wounded
Warriot,” done, in gold paint. His
leaps and over-all work are spec-
tacular in view of the confined
area.

Three Sharps (Sandy Quitne, Jo
Valli and Peter Burton) do a fine
aero bit, then double back for a
clever comic number a . la the
Three Bruises. It’s not original;
but it does give a heeded comedy
lift.

Marion Travers has two solo
innings, the best being a hula of-
fering, and Joseph & Sara Jo Bolt
are routine openers. Entire cast
is back for “Beyond the Blue
Horizon” finale.

Stage is rigged so that the ice
can be covered for between-shows
dancing. Biz was excellent open-
ing night Saturday (20). Domino’s
spending heavily on talent and ad-
vertising is paying off. Trump.

Copland, Hindemith To
Conduct In Germany

Baden-Baden. Aug. 23.

Aaron Copland and Paul Hinde-
mith are scheduled as guest con-
ductors with the Sudwestfunk
Radio Station Orchestra here.
Copland appears on Sept. 29, and
Hindemith Oct. 30.

Both concerts will be open to
the public and* will be -aired* by “the - *

yMtm

Wedneiday; Aitijpat 24* 1955

WEEK OF AUGUST 24

Numtrali in connection with bilU below indicate opening day of chow
whether full or split week

Letter in parentheses Indicates circuit <l> Independent! <L> Loew; CM) Mossi
(P» Paramount; (R) RKOi <$> Stoll; m Tivoli! <W) Warner

NEW YORK CITY
MUSIC Hall (I) 25
. Tessa Smallpage
Marquis Sc Family
Manor Sc Mlgnop
Rockettes
Corps de Ballet
Sym Ore

Palace <R> 24
Church Sc Hale
Chords

Ferdinand Sc Gerri
Ted Lawrie

Cieopatria .

Larry Best
Balenos
1 to fill .

CHICAGO
Chicago (P) 24
How Miller Show
Pat Boone
Hl-Los

Felicia Sanders
Lenny Dee
Yonely
Della Reece

Carol Gay
Lyndons
L & T Kee
Jaqkson & Collins
Don Nichols
M'tparn^sse Lovlles
YORK

Emplro (I) 22
Tony Balton
Tom Lucas
Jules 4c Judie
King Sc Jepson
Johnnie Firpo
Dale Williams

AUSTRALIA

MELBOURNE
Rlvolt (T) Aug. 29
Wiere Bros.

Gypsy a
Alain Diagora
Upshaw & Cooper
Red Moore
Keen- Littlewood
Robin Hood 4
June Barton
Jo McCormack
SYDNEY
Tivoli (T) 29,-
Norma Miller Dncrs..

Michael Bentine
B. Howell Sc
F. Radcliffe
D Neal Sc P Newton
Gogla Pasha
Virginia Paris
The Alfreros
Ursula 4c Gus
Gordon Humphris
Johnny O'Connor
John Bluthal
Irene Bevans

BRITAIN

ASTON

Hippodrome (I) 22
jack Ahtoit
Ross Sc Ranaya
Desmond Lane
Ranori Bros
Ken -Roland
Jane Shore Co
Silver Dollar Girl$
BIRMINGHAM
Hippodrome (M) 22
Guy Mitchell
Renee Dymott
Theda Sis
Hackford 4c Doyle
Medlocke 4c
Marlowe
Rita Martell
Iris Sadler

BLACKPOOL ^
Opera House (I) 22
Jewel 4c W arris*
Alma Cogan
Janet Gray
4 Hurricanes
Odette Crystal ‘

6 Flying De Pauls
John Tiller Girls
8 Singing Debs
Mayfair Melody
Makers
Fred Kitchen
Dorothy Dampier
Barbara Evans
Natalie Raine
Palace (I) 22
Albert Modley
Vancouver Boys Bd

4 Jones Boys
Woodward 4c

. Cooper

Cycling BrOckways
Menares 3
Levanda

Tower Circus (1) 22

C. Cairoll 4c Paul.
Harry Bell Lons
Duglas Rosemayer
Guerres Sea Lions
Sclplini Chimps
Enies 0-Baby.E
Tramp Tampo

5 Amandis
-Enies Horses
Cuban Boys

2 Darty Dorrect
Pot Pourri
Alcetty

3 Orfatis
Frances Duncan
Tower Circusettes
Jimmy Scott
Little Jimmy
Winter Gard. (I) 22
David Whitfield
Semprini
Dagenhein Girl

Pipers

Rill Waddington
Colville 4c Gordon
Susan Irvin
Bead Belles
Norma Lowdon
Billy.de Haven
BOSCOMBE
Hippodrome (I) 22
Jack Haig
Sonia Cordeau
Eddie Hart
Tommy Ashworth
Victor Seaforth
Burt Brooks
Charmony 3
S Fisher Girls
BRADFORD
Alhambra (M) 22
David Hughes
J 4c B Gee
Marvellos
Quaino

Chic Murray 4c M
Jack. Francois
Jerry Allen 3
Alan Rowe

BRIGHTON
Hippodrome (M) 22
A1 Martino
Teddy Foster Ore
Averil 4t Aurel
Desmond 4c Marks
Courtneys

F Dowle Sc C Kane
BRISTOL

Hippodrome (S) 22
Rohnie Hilton
Channingj Pollock
Wilson Keppel 4c B
Morris 4c . Savage
Billy Maxam
Joan Hinde
Granger * Bros
Kemble 4c Christine
BRIXTON
Empress (i) 22
Jimmy Bryant
S 4i D Dene
Benny Garcia
Juan 4c JUanita
Billy Gay
L Gordon Girls
CHELSEA
Palace (I) 22
Cliff Gay
Ben Dudley
Ivy Barrie
4 Step Bros
Lisbet ,

Ronnie Marshall
Keith Leggett
Jay McGrath
Roy Adrian
COVENTRY
Hippodrome (I) 22
Tony Hancock
Jack Jackson
Johnson 4c Carr
Cardcw Robinson
° Regon 4c Royal
Kendor Bros
Magy aa jpfallojtr .) » 1

EAST HAM
Metropolitan . (I) 22
Eddie Gordon 4c
Nancy
Volants
P it S Sherry
Dick Calkin
Kay 4t Katrina
FINSBURY PARK
Empire (M> 22
Parks Sc Garrett
A Sc V Shelley
Vogelbeins Bears
Johnny Lockwood
Mandos Sis
Yolandas
Austral

GLASGOW
Empire (M) 22
Cab Calloway
B 4c Z Marvi
M 4c E. Rose .

Joe Crosbie
Larenty Tp
Rusty

Chevalier Bros
HANLEY
Royal (M) ■ 22 ,

Eve Boswell
Shape 4c Lamar
Holger Sc Dolores
Ravic Sc Babs
Ken ways
Harry Worth
Len Marten
Des O'Connor
LIVERPOOL
Empire (M) 22
Dickie Valentine
Ballet Montmartre
Boiiar Colleano
Johnny Laycoek &
M '

P Sc F Page
B Sc B Adams
K 4c A Alexis
MANCHESTER
Hippodrome (S) 22
Dorothy Squires
Alec Finlay
Libby Morris \

Dargie 5
Revel 4c Fields
Moris Marty Sc
Mitch ,

Sylvia Sc Audrey
NEWCASTLE
Empire (M) 22
Nitwits

Mills 4c Melita.
Arthur Blake
Walthon 4c Dor-
raine
Kirk SteVens
Manley Sc Austin
Frank Preston
NORTHAMPTON
New (I) 22
Harry Rowson
Phil Rivers
Maureen Comfort.
John Kenwood
Dickie Bird
Grayson Cousins
NORWICH
Hippodrome (I)

Sid Makin
A 4t V Farrell
Doreen Victor
Eric Williams
Mary Harkncss
Pyjama Girls
NOTTINGHAM
Empire (M) 22
Syd Seymour Bd
3 Buffoons
Vic Perry
Pat Rosa
Morris 4c Cowley
Tommy Burke Co
Georgette

PORTSMOUTH
Royal (M) 22
Dr Crock Sc Crack-
pots
Lane Twins
Peter Butterworth
Rih Aruso
Nino

Tex McLeod

2 Pirates

Hollander 4c Hart
SHEFFIELD
Empire CM) 22
Diana Decker
McKinnon Sis
Buckmasters Pup-
pets

Jones Sc Arnold
Russmar 2
Tommy Fields
Maurice French
Cedi Sheridan
Jimmv Edmondson
SOUTHAMPTON-
Grand Cl) 22
Sabrina

D 4c J O’Gorman

3 Deuces
Fairlle 4c Stevens
Christine GlanvJUe

SUNDERLAND
Empire (M) 22
Jimmy Gay
Iris Poliakova
F 4c A Prince
Jean Camnbell
SWANSEA
Empire CM) 22
Danny Purches
Gillian 4c June
Radio Revellers
Jackie

Scott Sanders
Jimmy Jeff 4c June
Billy Shakespeare
Matanzas
J 4c K Stuthard
WOLVERHAMPTON
Hippodrome (I) 21

Basin st

Calvin Jackson
Blrdland
Count Basie
Blue Angel
Robert Clary
Barbara MacNalr
Trio Shmscd
Dick Drake
Jimmy Lyons Trio
Bart Howard
Chateau Madrid
Hermanos Munoz
Judy Foster
Cha-Cha-Cha D’crs
Oscar . Calvet Ore
Hando Rodrigues
Ore

Composer
Cy Coleman
Ralph Sharon
Embers
Geo Shearing
No. I Fifth Ave
Donn Gordon
Cook 4c Corey
Bob 'Downey
Harold Fonvllle
Hazel Webster
Hotel Roosevelt
Alan Holmes Oro
Hotel Taft
Vincent Lopez Ore
Latin Quarter
Tommy Noonan
.Jerome Courtland
Luclenne Sc Ashour
Nicoli 4c Knight
Lynn - Christie
Jo Lombardi Ore
Patti Ross
B Harlow*- Oro
La Vie
Geo De Witt
Dlahann Carroll
Van Smith Ot'd
Belmonte Ore
La Cupidon
Gillian Grey
Ted Lawrie
Freddie Stewart

Cabaret Bills

Freddy Calo Ore
Ann Herman Derg
Bombay Hotel
Phil Brito
Ava Williams
Peter Mack
Fontainebleau
Dick Shawn.

Sariscs Ore
Balmoral Hotel
Enrlca 4c Novell*}
Sonny Kendis Ore
Wp.vne Carmichael
Nautilus Hotel
Anyone Sc Ina -
Bob Eberly
Joe E. Ross
Syd Stanley Oro
5 O'clock
Tommy Raft
H. S. Gump
Parisian Rev
empress Hotel
Stuart 4t Samara
Mandy Campo Ore

Jack Kerr

6axony Hotel
George DeWitt
Elaine Deming
Ayne Barnett Ore
Johnny Silvers Ora
Sea Isle Hotel
S Hoffman Ore
Patsy Abbott
500 Club
Preacher Rbllo 9
Sid Kamen

Vanity Fair
Pat Morrisey
Sammy Walsh
Mandy Vizoso Ora
Newcpmera (3)
Sorrento Hotel
Alan Kole Ore
Johnlna Hotel
BUI Harris Quintet
Bob Savage Trio
Roney Plaza
Juan 4c Jose Cortez
Ore 1

NEW YORK CITY

Ira Brandt Ore
Armando Federico
Ore

Old Roumanian
Sadie Banks
Joe Laporte Ore
D’AqulIa Ore
Park Sheraton
MUt Herth Trio
Tina Prescott
Patio

Ann Moray
Rosalinda

Versailles

“Come As You Are'
Connie Sawyer
Charles MAnnu
Dick Smart
Paul Lynde
Joan. CarroU
Bill Mullikin
Jimmie Russell
Betty Logue
Inga Swenson
Johnny Laverty
Franca Baldwin
Salvatore Gioe Ore
Panchlto ’ Ore
Viennese Lantern
Sandra Khraly
Bela Bizony Ore
Ernest Schoen Ore
Village Bam
Danny Davis
Marilyn Murphy
Rachel EUen
Sizzlers

Morty Reid Ore

Waldorf-Astoria. .

Xavier Cugat Ore
Abbe Lane
Peiro Bros
Garcias
Mlscha Borr
Village Vanguard
Enid Mosier
Ruth Price
Steel Trio
C Williams Trio

CHICAGO

Black Orchid

Carl Rav&zza
Phil Gordon
Blue Angel
“Voodoo Calypso**
Obu'ba

Shango Dancers -
Venita

Vivi Velasco
Joe

Blue Note

Count Basle
Chez Paree
Jimmy -Nelson
Patti Andrews
Gaby Monet
Brian Farnon Oro
Cloister Inn
Jo Ann Miller
Lurlene Hunter
Roy Bartram

Dick Marx
Johnny Frigo
Conrad Hilton
"Carnival On Ice'*
Victor Charles
Lou Folds
Fred Hirschfeld
Le Due Bros
Johnny Lee
The Ogelvies
Dave Parks
Robert Lenn
The Tattlers
Boulevar-Dears 4c
Boulevar-Dons
F Masters Ore
Palmer House
Lisa Kirk
Dominique
Larry Logan
CharUe Fisk Oro

LOS ANGELES

Ambassador Hotel

Dick Haymes
Hamilton Trio.
Freddy Martin Ore
Band Box
BlUy Gray-
Leo Diamond
Vivianne Lloyd
Voluptua

Larry Greene Trio
Bar of Musle
Merry Macs
Mack Twins
Beverly Hilton
Will Jordan
Gilbert Becaud
Augie St Margo
Bernard HUda Orch
(16)

Micha Novy Ore (8)
Biltmore Hotel
Pete Marshall-
Tommy FarreU
Anita Aros
Clifford Guest
Nita 4c Peppi
Hal Derwin Oro
Clro's
Peggy Lee
Dassie Bros.

Bob Williams
Hal Loman
Dick Stabile Ore
B Ramos Rhumba B
Crescendo
Billie Holliday
Four Freshman
Mocambo
Julie Wilson
Paul Hebert Ore.
Joe Castro Ore
Moulin Rouge
Frank Libuse
Margot Brander
Miss Malta & Co
Doubledatqrs (4)
Mazzone-Abbott
Jerry LaZarre
FfolUot Charlton
Tony Gentry
Gaby Wooldridge
Luis Urbina
Frank' Libuse-
Margot Brander
Statler Hotel
.Robert Maxwell
Maureen Cannon
Bob McFadden
A1 Donahue Oro
Belaire Trio

LAS VEGAS

' Dunes

Magic Carpet R’v’f
Ben Blue '

Sid Fields
Sammy Wolfe
Siri

Marion Marlowe
Jose Duval
Jaye Ruhanoff ore
Flamingo

Gisele MacKenzie
Alan King
Goofers

Ron Fletcher Dncrs.
Teddy Phillips Ore
Sands
Rob’t. Merrill
Louis- Armstrong
A Morrell! Ore
Desert inn
Ted Lewis
Donn -Arden Dncrs
Carlton Hayes Ore
New Frontier
Herb Shriner
Blackburn Twins
Jaye P. Morgan-
Venus Vamps
Garwood Van Oro
Thunderbird
Sauter-Finegan Orch
Royal Nevada '
"Guys 4c Dolls"

Jerry Fielding Ore
El Rancho Vegas
Joe E. Lewis
Micki Mario

HAVANA

Billy Daniel
Ted Flo Rito Oro
Sahara
Vagabonds
Condos 4c Brandow
Maria Neglia
Chaz Chase
Saharem Girls
Cee Davidson Oro
Riviera

Spike Jones <

Hal Belfer
Ray Sinatra "Ore
Sherman Hayes Ore
Showboat
Joe Cappo 1
Patti ' “ Waggin
Showboat Girls
Woody Woodbury
Golden' Nugget
Nat Young
Bob Braman 3
Joyce Collins 3'
Moulin Rouge
Lionel Hampton ReV.

Silver Slipper
Hank Henry
Haller Girls
Appletons
Sparky Kaye
George Redman Ore
- El Cortez
Harmonicats
Lenny Gale
Lucky Girls
Sherman Hayes Ore

Troplcanr

Olga Guillot
Felo Bergaza
Juan B. Tarraza
Cina Martin
Nelson* Flnedo
Rufino Q
Tronicana Ballet
S Suarez Orq ,
A Romeu Orq

Montmartre

Los Chavales
Trini Reyes
Juliette Sc Sandor
Zenla Lopez
Delia Bravo _
Montmartre Ballet
Casino Playa Orq
Fajardo Orq

RENO

Mapes Skyroom

Lili St. Cyr
Jack Carter
Los Barrancos
Skylets

Eddie Fitzpatrick
New Golden.
Dolores Hawkins

LoU Nelson
D. Kramer . Dcrs.
Will Osborne Ore
Riverside
Jane Froman
De Mattiazzios
Starlets (8)

Bill Clifford Oro

LAKE TAHOE

Bal Tabarln

Gordon MacRae
Johnnie O’Brien
Kirby Stone 4
Helene Hughes dcrs
Dick Foy orp
Biltmore
Marguerite Piazza
Donn Ardon Dcrs
Del Courtney Ore
Cal-Neva

Tallulah Bankhead
Guy Clierney
Wonder 4c Banka
DOn Dellair

Cal Nevettes
Matty Malneck Ore
Colonial
Halfbacks

Harrahs Club
Three Suns
B. Ward Dominos
Russ Byrd
Alvino Rey
.Stateline
Ames Bros.

Lenny Galt?
Stateline - Girls . .
Sterling Young Ore
Wagon Wheel
De Castro Sisters
Eastman Trio

Philly Bans

Continued from page 1

News, hopped on Barr and Cran-
ford, and so did KYW, which im-
mediately announced .it was airing
the BBC version of the play on
Sunday (21) from 2 to 4:15 p.m.
BBC version stars Michael Bed-
grave and Peggy Ashcroft. (BBC
recording is available free to all
U. &. stations provided they use it
as a sustainer and is only one of
many Shakespearean and other
dramas available on that basis;)

KYW program chief Gordon
Davis said that “we realize that
the. .play may be in part distasteful.]
to a minority group. At the same
time, we know that the majority of
people, including this group, are
deeply sensitive to the dangers of
censorship. Therefore, though the
City of Philadelphia believes that
‘The Merchant of Venice’ can only
be shown in certain sections of
the community, KYW feels it is
its obligation to present the play
so that no one may be denied the
privilege of hearing it.”.

John Raleigh, the station’s *‘ As-
signment: Philadelphia” reporter,
took up the matter in his Thursday
(18) broadcast and quoted Barr as
stating, *‘I cannot condone any
performance, which quite likely
would be considered objectionable
by a sizeable portion of the popu-
lation.” Barr denied his act was
one of censorship. Raleigh alsoj
quoted Fred Grossman, one of the.
directors of the Anti-Defamation
League, as stating that the League
has “never censored, or objected
to, the performing of ‘The Mer-
chant of Venice’^” Grossman was
further quoted as stating that “we
believe in the idea of freedom of
speech, and, therefore, believe in
the freedom of performing a play.
We cherish a general opposition to
censorship as such, including the
censoring of literature,”

mitte* and appeared before that
body during the four-day probe.

Those six were actors John
Randolph, Alan Manson, Joshua
Shelley and George Keane, actress
Sarah Cunningham (Randolph’s
wife) and tunesmith Irma Jurist.
The seventh was Betty Winkler
(Keane’s wife).

Others who appeared before the
Committee, were actors Martin
Wolfson, Stanley Prager, George
Tyne, Lou Polan, Phil Leeds,
Elliott Sullivan and Albert Otten-
heiitier. Also, actress Madelene
Lee (wife of actor Jack Gilford),
folksingers Lee Hays and Pete
Seeger, legit producer Peter Law-
rence, publicist ' Ivan Black, legit
stage manager David Kanter, ac-
tor-director-singer and farmer
CBS exec Tony Kraber, Mrs. Su-
san d’Usseau, artist wife of play-
wright Arnaud d’Usseau and
Harold J. Saiemson, who de-
scribed himself as now “employed
in the motion picture industry in
a general adminstrative capacity.”

Most of the witnesses invoked
the first and fifth amendments,
while several active in the tv field
didn’t take refuge in the fifth
amendment possibly as a result of
the AFTRA vote. Other amend-
ments. cited by some witnesses in-
cluded the ..fourth, sixth, eighth,
10th ariff 14th.

Most . of the witnesses blasted
the Committee, some with long
vehement speeches. The majority
also made references to radio-tv
blacklisting. In several instances
witnesses were told they would* be
cited for contempt. Representa-
tives on the committee are Fran-
cis E. Walter (D., Pa.), chairman,
Gordon H. Scherer (R., Ohio) and
Edwin E. Willis, (D., La.).

r Incidentally, Lawrence was
turned dqwn for membership in
the Assn. '• of Theatrical • Press
Agents & Managers late last week
by the membership committee of
that union. His application for
managerial •membership still has
to come up before the ATPAM..
board, but it’s expected that the
membership committee’s decision
will be followed; .It’s understood
Lawrence was rejected on the
grounds that he didn’t have the
required qualifications.

U. S. Highways

Continued 'from page 2,;

No AFTRA Action

Continued from .page.. 2

MIAMI-MIAM1 REACH

Clover CUiU

Bert Stone ^
Novels ires

T CPdfrwr £ 9<lfe) y i Veikt K$bert«

Nino NaZarro* •
Tony Lopez Ore
.' 'San* Soucl HoU
Hennjrf )

ing on the Coast in “Lunatics and

. q • •

Lovers.” Others who may testi-
fy there include actor Sam Jaffe
and playwright Jerome Chodorov,
both of whom were granted post-
ponements on- the final day of the
N. Y. .hearings.

Hall’s testimony was no surprise
to the Committee as he had previ-
ously made a clean breast of his
past Commie affiliation to that
group and to the FBI in 1954. Hall
admitted to joining the p.arty-. in
1918 and. leaving at the end Qf 1947.
He also identified ■„ seyen • others
who he knew as Red 0 . Sb: of them

,>ad AW)pbpoenaed t ^,^i^O}ij-a!^a^% ;>m t

large lettered request: May we
have the next dents?

^A Springfield (111.) cafe boasts
they serve pies “like Poppa wished
Mom could make,” while a motel
in the outskirts of the same met-
ropolis advises, “It’s okay to smoke
in bed— but, please, not in oursi”

North Carolina highways are
dotted with official-looking signs
good-naturedly warning motorists
of road etiquette and driving in-
telligence. Sample: “Don't be im-
patient — it’s only a short hill.”
How much more effective than a
curt warning to stay in line!

The Burma-Shave jingles so fa-
miliar to all touring Americans are
still very much in evidence. But
no longer do they hold a monopoly
on the sequential sign. Religious
groups have taken them up with
rhyming calls to church, the Bible
and God. And there are an aston-
ishing number of religious statues
on hillocks, bluffs and highway
curves throughot the nation.

A barber shop in Missouri ad-
vertises itself as a “genuine clip
joint”; the Grd.ye drive-in in Sa T
vahiiah,. Ga., has a large neon sign
selling *‘whamburgers”. and when
you ask them, what they are, even
the boss doesn’t know but admits
lots of people stop to buy one.

. Somewhere in Texas a large sign
screams: “Slow down, pard! „We
want you to live in Texas, not die
here.”

Sopie states’ highways are dotted
-with small white crosses, grim re-
minders’ that each marks the spot
Where .a 'careless autoist lost his
•life. /

Life in southern Utah must be
delightful. A message * in- front of
a realtor's office proclaims the fact
that the area is ideal: scenic beau-
ty, healthful climate, no television.

Of all -the signs we read On our
jaUnt, one tops the others. 1 And
why it is there, Or who placid it
there we do not know — but we ap-
preciated it more than all the rest.
It’s a large sign, official looking,
professionally painted, in the mid-
dle of the Mormon Mesa, Nevada's
wasteland northeast of Las Vegas.
Standing up fin .the middle of the
vast desert are the words: “Posi-
tively ho • swimming within 300

MPAA Can’t

Continued from pig* 9 Esssai

and cutting obviously impairs the
story.

4. The trend towards dubbing is.
going to present quite a problem.
The obvious point of fitting a for-
eign pic with an English sound-
track Is to widen it's popular ac-
ceptability. To achieve this aim
under present circumstances, such '■
a film should have a seal. Again,
Code Administrator Geoffrey
Shurlock will he asked to make
allowances .that stretch beyond the
confines of his authority.

Some Differentiation

In discussing the overall prob-
lem of the foreign picture and the
Code, MPAA officials are firm in
their belief* that there must be a
differentiation between a sub-
titled and a dubbed import. Yet iii
taking the position that a seal -
shouldn’t really be needed for a
subtitled film, they run into an ob-
vious difficulty. •

“I can’t really see why a sub-
titled foreign film should require
a seal, or why exhibitors shouldn’t
play it without a seal,” com-
mented a key MPAA exec last
week. “After ’all, the exhibitors
have pretty good sense. . They
know what is a ‘family* film and
what isn’t. And it’s .hard . to be-
lieve* they wouldn’t play a foreign
production if thye found it had
good boxoffice potential.”

This position, at least as it af-
fects foreign pix, is in sharp con-
trast with actual conditions. A
top foreign film will ask for the
seal because the distributor knows
that many, of the. important circuits
will not book a picture without
Code approval. There is no par-
ticular flexibility about this. It’s
simply a policy that's followed.
Divorcement hasn’t changed that
situation an iota.

In effect, lack of a Code- seal— •
or what’s worse, refusal of one—
automatically tags a film as ‘‘un-
suitable” at least for many circuit
bookings. Yet, ironically, there
are men at the MPAA itself who
realize that this isn’t necessarily
a sound conclusion and who de-
plore the exhibitors* “blind” ad-
herence to a rating that was never
really meant to apply to such films
at all.

There hava been’ attempts to
change this situation, to fit reality..
When Jacques Flaud, head of the ,
French Centre National de Cine- .
matographie, was in Hollywood, he
approached Shurlock with the idea
of a Code category for foreign
films. Shurlock nixed the plan,
hut there are indications that both
he and others in the association
would be a lot happier to be re-
lieved of the whole foreign film
problem. Shurlock feels that
even advance submission of scripts
by producers abroad isn’t really
the answer,' since the ironing out
of dialog and other difficulties re-
quires a fairly intimate coopera-
tion that can’t be realized over a
distance of 3,000 miles.

^^3

Code Seal

Continued from page 5

examined in the. light of present-
day thinking. “It .stands to rea-
son,” he said, “that a set of prin-
ciples, such • as the. Production :
Code, should progress to keep- step •
with changing 1 ideas and values.
Ideas don’t ■ stand still— neltfiep
should the ‘Code, To se'rvfe the
industry at its highest level, the
Code should reflect the moral
principles of our films. What we
have, instead is a reverse situation
in which our films are. required to !
reflect the moral principles of the r
Code.”

Pointing put that no one ; wants
smut or^ * pornography ''on the
screen, Schwartz, however, stated •
that the Code must be broad
enough “to allow the screen to 1
examine rightfully any facet of
life which can provide dramatic
material within the concepts of
good taste. ,

“We feel,” Schwartz said, “that
the only criterion by which a film
should be judged is whether or
not it tends to incite to crime or
immoral acts. We strongly feel
that our film does not; that
our film is rightfully entitled to a
place on the s screens 1 of America,
and that -any' action which de- ’■
prives it of that place, is unwar-
ranted. * We. have* no : other course
. yUMXgive; far cd

Wednesday, August 24, 1955

p$mm

Palladium, Eon cion .

London, Aug. 19.

Val Parnell and Bernard Delfoht
presentation of . “ Painting the
Town ” revue in two acts . Staging ,
Dick H u rr a n; choreography,
George ' Carden; music, 'Edward
Horan, Eric Rogers ; lyrics, Phil
Park, costumes, St: John Roper .
With Norman Wisdom, Ruby. Mur
ray, Nanci Crompton, Jerry Des-
monde Douglas, The George Mit-
chell singers, The Skylons (2),
Pamela Chamberlain, ' Darvas &
Julia, June Ellis, Gputier’s Excess
Baggage ; The Chiristianis ( 5 ) ;
$240 top.

^Norman Wisdom has proven
himself to he one of the few Brit-
ish artists capable of keeping the
^London Palladium boxoffice at full
pressure, but this latest Val Par-
nell-Bernard Delfont revue intro-
duces a new personality who looks
like qualifying for that Status.
Ruby Murray, a 20-year old col-
leen from Belfast With less than
one year experience in show biz,
gets star billing for her first West
End engagement and was a firm
favorite by the J;ime her first per-
formance was Over.

The new revue, again staged by
Dick Hurran, is given the familiar
lush treatment. It has been dressed
brightly, has a lineup of attrac-
tive girls who appear in an array
of expensive costumes and the
star performers are backed by
highgrade specialty acts. There is
no doubt about the b.o potential-
ities; the show will, run right:
through the year and will assured-
ly remain a prosperous proposition
Until the new vaude season is due
to begin.

. Norman Wisdom, in a number of
‘sketches and in one solo spot, is
still the Under dog, clowning with
full share of pathos. He's a per-
former of ^considerable talent and
can mime "with the best of them.
With these exceptional qualities, it
is a pity he consistently plays down
to the lowest common denomin-
ator. Not once does his script rise
above the itrundane. His ability to
clown, however, is particularly
evident in his solo scene and by-
play with the pit orch is good for
laughs. A selection of pops, nota-
bly from his recent films, sends his
fans and leads to a begoff. Jerry
Desmonde, once more playing -the
straight man, has to share most of
the inane situations. His perform-
ance, however, is always of an im-
maculate standard.

Miss Murray is one of the .-odd-
ities of show business. Her looks
are quite ordinary, she lacks de-
portment, and frequently slouches
over the mike, and her speaking
voice is bad. Her style in selling
a dramatic ballad is quite impres-
sive; she virtually changes person-
ality whilst her vocal chords are
at work. Her opening night num
bers include “Let Me Go Lover,”
“Softly Softly” and a lively Irish
frolic, “Dear Old Donegal.”

The Darvas & Julia dance spe
cialty, established in London be-
fore the duo made the grade
throughout the U. S., gets a sur-
prise opening. Instead of going
straight into their act, the femme
partner takes the mike solo and
displays a new talent as a vocalist.
Her unusual and interesting style
provides the necessary warm over-
tones for her only number, “Love
is Like a Cigaret.” Then into their
boff routine, basically the same as
previously seen here, but tight-
ened up to speed the audience re-
action. It remains a 'top class at-
traction. -

This Palladium lineup is, in fact,
exceptionally strong in its special-
ty attractions. Nanci Crompton an-
other established fave here, has
a big ballet production sequence
and her easy dancing movements
delight the eye/ She also has a bit
in one on the Wisdom sequences,
which she fills with a pert charm.
Another smash entry is Gautier’s
Excess Baggage, ope of the best
drilled canine acts in the business.
The Skylons . have an impressive
* trapeze act and the Christlanis are
a liyely vigorous and skillful quin-
tet on the teeterboard.

Apart from the mixed line and
corps de ballet, the layout includes
the George Mitchell Singers, who
are neatly dovetailed Into a num-
ber of sequences. Ormonde Doug-
las fills two small spots admirably
and June Ellis is literally the heavy
in a Wisdom -Desmonde sketch.
Eric Rogers leads his new Palladi-
um orch vigorously if a little pver-
powerfully. Myro.

and scores solidly with customers.
U.S. singer has probably the most
faithful clientele, among teenagers
of arty American visitor, and he
doesn’t disappoint ’em. -

Backed by four male and three
femme singers of the George
Mitchell English choral group, he
gives . out lustily, all the time
bouncing and dashing across stage,
handling a walking cane or twirl-
ing a straw hat,' and at one time
donning the 'typical English bow-'
ler headgear to create yocks.

Opens with his w.k. “Truly
Fair,” then into “Look at That
Girl” and “My Heart . Cries for
You.” Segues with “Red Feath-
ers,”' “Jenny Kissed Me,” “Pawn-
shop on the Corner” and the Gracie
Fields oldie, “Let Us Be Sweet-
hearts All Over -Again.” He clicks
with “I Want No More A Bachelor’s
Life,” and brings on a guitar to
sing “Too Late.” His “Chick-A-
Boom” also brings socko response.

Mitchell is currently playing to
upped prices and two extra mati-
nees. added. He has all his old
form but lacks .some new tunes,
which he should be seeking prontp
if he’s tq hypo his already-strong
fan following.

Three Nissens, two males and
one femme, add American polish
to Support layout with their well-
rehearsed trampoline . antics and
aerial twists. Horizontal bounce of
one male marks act as a standout
early in its offering, as also do
their twists, somersaults and dou-
ble-skipping chores. One male
winds with a back double-somer-
sault done with double, twist, which
brings hefty palming.

Jimmy Neil, .youngish but round-
ing Scot patter comedian, has un-
inhibited approach, and scores with
the local Glasgow touch in gait and
speech. He depicts varying styles*
of drunks being tossed out of a bar,
sings “Anyone. Can Be A Million-
aire” and .“You Are Everywhere.”
Bert & Bob Mallin are a male two-
some -who open , the bill with a.
perky sailor dance and some back-
to-back hoofing, and exit to good
mitting.

Cherry Wainer, more glamorous
this time around, is a South Afri-
can rhythm organist who should
drop the little-girlish “May I play
this, please” gabbing. She offers
entertaining tunalog of “Un-
chained Melody,” “Tuxedo Junc-
tion,” “Sabre Dance” and a med-
ley of pops. Light foot-base gives
the stubholders a view of her nim-
ble footwork and slender gams. '

Jose Moreno, with two .assi-
stants, juggles with footballs.
Hackford & Doyle, musical com-
edians, are in New Acts. Show-
backing by the Bobby Dowds orch
is okay. Gord,

Palace, IV* V.

Three Dancing Jets, Martin &
Florenz, Clara Cidrone & Damian
Mitchell, Stan Fisher, Three Re-
nowns, The Three Galanes, Mr.
Ballaniine, The Texans (2), Jo
Lombardi’s. Orch; “ Female On the
Beach ” (Uf), reviewed in Variety
July 13, ’55.

Empire, Glasgow

Glasgow; Aug. 19.

Gvy Mitchell ( with George
Mitchell Singers ), Three Nissens,
Cherry Wainer, Hackford & Doyle,
Jimmy Neil , Jose Moreno ,. Bert &
Bob Mallin, Bobby Dowds Orch.

Guy Mitchell brings a breezy
boyish personality to hhfigongalog,

After turning over its entire
vaudeshow to Phil Spitalny and his
all-girl orch, the Palace this week
returned to its standard eight-act
offering. After the solid click of
the Spitalny aggregation, a let
down might have been expected.
However, on the basis of the cur-
rent show, the Palace appears to
be following a more hep booking
policy iii the selection of its acts
and the result is definitely on the
credit side this session..

There are three outstanding
turns, four good., ones, and only
one so-so act, .a top percentage for
any vaude house. In the upper
bracket are Stan Fisher, The Three
Galanes, and Mr. Ballantine, the
latter in the. next to closing spot.
Fisher, in the top echelon of har-
monica virtuosos, again demon-
strates his ability with the instru-
ment, via his classics to blues ren-
ditions, beginning with the Ru-
manian Rhapsody, moving to
“Sugar Blues” . and “Tiger Rag,
and finishing with a mitt-respond-
ing “Slaughter on 10th Ave.”

The Three Galanes, Latino lads,
are in the mambo groove with
their chirping and terplng. Hand-
some, well - groomed boys’ are
pleasers and rate as good bets for
the nitery circuit. Ballantine can be
loosely described as a Comedy
magician. He’s a versatile comic
and displays excellent timing in
ridiculing the trick that never
comes off. His patter is fast and
funny and rates solid audience re-
sponse.

Three Dancing Jets, tap trio who
appeared in the original Broadway
production of “Kiss Me Kate,” get
the show off to a fast start with
their slick combo and individua
routines. Puppeteers Martin &
Florenz, in the deuce spot, bring
show biz- personalities to life Via
marionettes, displaying at show
caught Jimmy Durante and Dag-
taar. A sad sack GI ' rotitint jilted

clicks. Stringhahdlers also show
ability in- their impressions.

Clara * Cidrone & 'Damian
Mitchell supper club (Le Ruban
Blue) comics, also go over at the
Palace, Miss Cidrpne carries the
comedy, with Mitchell as the
straight man. Both display good
voices and score in their carbons
of, oldtimers, including Ted Lewis,
Elsie Jahis, Helen. Kane, and Burns
& Allen. Their material, while not
in guffaw category, is neverthless
easy to take.

The Three Renowns are comedy
ballroom team. They start off with
legit dancing before moving into
the awkward positions and acro-
batic bits. Falls and torn OlOthes
are part of the act. For the most
part, the stubholders seemed to
enjoy it, but the act is a little too
long and repetitious.

Only clinker In the eight-act bill
are The Texans, rope and bullwhip
experts.. Although the man-and-
wife team, wield 4 and twirl the
ropes with proficiency, the pew-
holders seemed to -be unimpressed.
Male’s use of the bull whip, knock-
ing bits of paper out of his wife’s
hand and mouth, also left the aud
cold despite the menacing sound
of the whip.

As per usual, Jo Lombardi and
his crew backed the turns to per-
fection. * Holl,.

Chicago, ~CJii

Chicago, Aug. 19.
Howard Miller , Pat Boone, Fe-
licia Sanders, Lenny Dee , Y onely,
The Hi-Lo’s (4), Della Reese, Lou
Basil Orch; “You’re Never Too
Young” (Par).

Current package at. Chi’s only
vaudfilmery was put together and
is helmed, by the Windy City’s
most influential dee jay, Howard
Miller. His teenage following
thronged this 3.900-seater opening
day and blocked the stage-door al-
ley after the show. The display
itself, billed as a record star revue,
showcased only one name current-
ly on the charts.' But the kids eat
it up anyway. ■

Felicia Sanders, sharing top bill-
ing with Pat BOone, holds the clos-
ing spot, a thankless -task when the
teensters head for the stagedoor.
This chirper has the looks and the
pipes to hold an audience and in
this instance she did a pro job of
holding those who weren’t headed
for the alley. Gal has warmth^ vi-
brance and power in her larynx,
all effectively used in her song-
selling; her “All of Me” and her
Columbia side, “Blue Star,” were
particular effective in garnering a
big mitt.

Pat Boone, whose Dot disking of
“Ain't. That A Shame” is currently
way Up on the charts, gets, fre-
quent, loud and long squeals from
the post-moppet group with his
vibrantly . lively delivery, Boone,
has the looks, the charm and the
voice, in proportions especially ap-
pealing to the teensters. He
■makes big noise with “Shame,”
“Unchained Melody” and other
current pops. Howard Miller gets
him off in Davy Crockett rig, on
the theory that it takes at least a
Crockett to get rid of a Boone.

Lei>ny Dee show's versatility in
his organ turn, blending musician-
ship with humor. Dee does his re-
cent Decca disk, “Plantation Boo-
gie,” for hefty returns and wraps
up with a novelty railroad routine
sing the organ for sound effects, to
garner loud plaudits. In between,
Dee does “St. Louis Blues” straight
and as a rhythm tune as well as
uncanny musical carbons on his
versatile organ. Turn is well re-
ceived.

Yonely, the comic musical gadg-
eteer, docs his usual deadpan
spoofing with the aid of miniature
fiddles, trumpets, tambourines and
a full size piano (with candelabra).
His turn is most effective in an
intimery and no tailoring was dope
for this stage appearance. Conse-
quently, he loses effectiveness al
though the teen audience learns
to appreciate him before the wrap-
up and sends him off to good
palms.

The Hl-Lo’s, a male pop quartet,
disappoint with their offbeat, over-
arranged offerings. In what is. ob-
viously an attempt to achieve rec-
ognition by being different, they
only succeed in straining. Group
gets mild reaction.

The show opens with Della
Reese, sepia thrush with looks but
not too much power in her pipes.
Gal’s styling is rather affected,
particularly sudden shifting from
loud to soft delivery; she does her
attention-winning Jubilee- disking
of “In the Still of the Night” and
goes off to a good mitt.

Miller ties the package together
adeptly, interjecting a few mild
jokes, and demonstrating tremen-
dous drawing power among the
teenage group.

Lou Basil is back from vacation
to handle the backing chores with
the house “orchestra in his u«ual
f ffWttf t‘ 1 jftyfr. 1 ‘ ; 1 H CM*. :

HOUSE REVIEWS 65

The Apollo this week is remi-
niscent of the Paramount Theatre
circa 1936 when there was dancing
in the aisles, lotsa music op stage,
lines outside the house and ca-
pacity business with extra shows
being done daily. It’s the kind of
business often dreamed of by the
theatre operator and the perform-
ers, and a fitting reward for oper-
ation during many fallow Weeks.
The reason for this infrequent
phenomenon is rock V roll or
rhythm & blues, a movement
which has swept the younger set,
being as potent as the swing of ..the
Goodman-Shaw era.

In this instance, it’s Dr. Jive, a
disk jock from WWRL, Woodside,
N. Y., Who has given the impetus
to this tremendous business at this
Harlem * flagship. He’s brought
along with him a batch of enter-
tainers whose nuances and pecu-

Apollo. X. Y.

Dr. Jive’s Rhythm & Blues Show
with Griffin Bros. Band with Clau-
dia; Dolores Ware, .Spaniels (5),
Hearts (5), Charlie & Ray, Joe
Turner, Five Keys, Bo Diddley ; .
“Captain Lightfoot” ( UI ).

liarities are known quite w'ell to
even the youngest of the followers
of this form of music, who are
whipped into frenzy by even the
slightest motion. For example, Bo
Diddley, who closes the show', ex-
cites a community sing without
asking for it. The youngsters in
the audience provide the chorus
between Diddley's verses, and dur-
ing another tune, they clap their
hands in a picturesque pattern
which calls for three handclaps at
normal levels and two overhead/)
Meanwhile, the kids bounce unre-
strainedly in their seats. Not
even the -ample form of Diddley
himself sitting on them could hold
them down.

There is little doubt that this
kind of entertainment isn’t the
healthiest for the youngsters. Yet
there's the possibility that the es-
sential good in the kids themselves
will come to the fore. The kids
who jumped out of their sweaters
in '36 are probably no\y cluck-
clucking at rock ’n’ roll.

Swing,, however, never had the

moral thfeat of rock ’n’ roll which
is founded on an unabashed pitch
for sex. Every ’ note and vocal
nuance is aimed in that direction
and, according to the makeup of
the present bill, should normal ap-
proaches fail ,to entice boxoffice
in the future, there’s the AC-DC
set to fall back on. On the bill is
Charlie & Bay who unabashedly
camp out on stage. At one point,
one shrieks “I’m so sorry you girls
came for nothing.” They blow
kisses, and pose against the pros-
cenium arch in the manner of a
femme fatale. As a closing gesture
one throws his hanky to the audi-
ence. The adolescents in the audi-
ence Wave .a whale of a time.

The audience provides more fun
than the performers. The reaction
is where the real enjoyment is.
The bulk of the audience seem
to be girls under 16 years of age.
They shrieked at, virtually any-
thing as though everything that
transpires has hidden meanings
that they alone understand, arid
from the squeals that go on, it’s
pretty evident In what direction
they lie.

The entertainers on this bill are
all competent. Opens with Dolores
Ware, who delivers the blues win-
ningly. The Spaniels, a male quar-
tet, delivers a pair of tunes. The
bass provides , a lot of tones that
f*et ah'” erotic response. The
Hearts, a good-looking femme
ouintet, indicate that they could
go in most- snots even without rock
’n’ roll influences.' Joe Turner
punches out a trio of numbers with *
a heavy accent on rhythm, and the
Five Keys, dressed in flaming red
suits, even top their costumes with
their three numbers. However* it’s
Diddley who closes the show that
they seemingly wait for. Sexiest
note js by the Griffin Bros, band
vocalist, Claudia, who wears a
pa jama-bottomed evening gown.
Her song is about demanding pay- ,
ment in return for favors.

Like in the old days, the kids
wait in line starting at 3 a.m. m
order to get the choice pews down
in front, j They stay throughout
most of the dayr~But after the first
day. Dr. Jive announced that auto-
graphs would be passed out back-
stage in an attempt to get some of
the permanent residents out of the
house. Jose.

New Acts

DES O’CONNOR

HELEN MERRILL
Songs

15 Mins. ,

Birdland, N. Y. 4

Helen Merrill, who has been
working as vocalist with some
small combos, is a talented jazz
chanteuse. * That is, her intricate
styling has specialized appeal for
the hipsters and very little for the
squares, Her phrasing and rhythm
accents are distinctive and some-
times even difficult to follow. But
she’s part of the cool school, where
the “message” is not always de-
livered in the clearest terms.

Miss Merrill’s mike manner!
could be considerably improved.
She sings mostly with her eyesj
closed and that doesn’t help to
establish contact with the audi-
ence. Her selections are excellent,
including such numbers, as “Lover
Come Back To Me,” “Falling In
Love with Love,” “I Should Care,”
and a superb rendition of “Don’t
Explain.”

Also on the Birdland bill are
two fine jazz combos, the J. J.
Johnson-Kai Winding Quintet and
the Johnny Smith Quartet, both of
which are established faves in this
spot. , Herm.

RONNIE HILTON
Songs
27 Mins.

Empire, Glasgow

Ronnie Hilton, young English
lad with a pleasant straightforward
style, is another in the long line of
recording singers now ort the Brit-
ish vaude loop. He makes a good
personal appearance and scores
strongly by reason of singing tal-
ent and youthful appeal.

Opener Is the bright “Venl, Vidi,
Vici,” followed by a palm-rousing
“I Wonder.” Then into “Mambo
Italiano,” and, for the older cus-
tomers, a tender “Bless This
House.” Gabs re his pianist and
the Will Fyffe tradition as prelim
to rendition of late comedian’s
song, “I Belong to Glasgow,” then
Into a breezy new tune, “We’ll Go
a Long Long Way Together,” with
more following.

Singer is no mere gi'mmlck-mer-
; chant and knows how to sell a song
'with 'linearity ; ‘ ' Gbrd:

Comedy
3 Mins.

Empire, Glasgow

Des O’Connor, a personable
youngster now gaining experience^
via the national vaude loop, seems
a strong proposition with advant-
age of youth, good looks, a happy
personality and an obvious striving
after new material.

Opens with a lie-down center-
stage, Danny Kaye fashion, which
runs danger of being marked imita-
tive, and begins to set the relaxed
mood. Even with gags that garner
only mild reaction, youngster re-
tains his easy carefree style. His
best slant is in form of impressions
of current singing stars if they
were to put over their acts with
comedy in place of tunes..

Comedian is likely proposition
for star slottings In tv, cabaret and
vaude, and has good visual appeal.
Television potential is strong. .

Gord.

FAITII WINTHROP

Songs

20 Mins.

The Other Room, San Francisco

Miss Winthrop is a product of
Boston, newly arrived in San N
Francisco and specializing in the
nostalgic and bitter-sweet show
tune songs that have been such
successful vehicles for Lee Wiley,
Mabel Mercer and others on the
eastern littoral.

Tastefully gowned and possessed
of an easy, intimate manner, she
scores effectively with an unusual
selection of tunes that includes
“George,” "Will You Still Be
Mine,” “Blame it On My Youth,”
and “It Never Entered Mv Mind.”
Her occasional chatter fits well
with the material she sings, and
her voice has the necessary blend
of jazz feeling and poignancy nec-
essary to put across this particular
category of show-style tunes. Per-
haps her most effective bits are the
reviving, and presenting in this
unusual atmosphere, the ex-juke
box hits, “George” and “Baby,
Baby All the Time.” This ability
to reach out for new material is
a big asset, and besides this gal
can sing. A good bet for the
(Brooks Bros, -sf.vl* bistros. Rdfet, .. * <

66 ; LEGITIMATE

Wednesday, Au^ost 24, 1955

Fibs, Tele Usualy Get Brushed

are*"

Off-Broadway theatregoers
strictly legit devotees. They oc-
casionally take In a film, but sel-
dom, if at all, watch television.:
Their interest in the theatre in-
cludes Broadway, with most split-
ting their playgoing between Main
Stem houses and hideaway small-
seaters.

These characteristics were
brought out in a recent survey
of 96 patrons at the off-the-Stem
Provincetown Playhouse during the
run of Franz Kafka’s ‘‘The Trial,”
the theatre's current tenant. Those
answering the questionnaire were
mostly in the 21-35 age bracket
and were chiefly students, teach-
ers and professional people.

Queried on how many Broadway
productions they attend annually,
52 claimed one to five; 24 said
six to 10, and 15 took credit for
11 or more. Four batted zero. The
comparative tally on- off-Broadway
attendance was* 63 for one to five
shows; 27 for six to 10, and four,
11 or more.

In answering a question on tele-
vision viewing, half the respond-
ents claimed they don't watch any
tv. Of the others, 25 look at their
sets one to five hours per Week;
15 look six to 10 hours, and five
gaze 11 or more hours. There were
15 non-filmgoers in the batch,
while 39 catch one-two pictures a
month: 32 see three-four, and nine
go to five or more.

Favorite Critics

The N. Y. Times outdistanced
all other, dailies in a tally on news-
papers read regularly. The sheet
was cited in 76 replies, With the
N. Y. Post, Herald-Tribune and
World-Telegram and Sun follow-
ing in that order. There were 11
respondents who stated they didn’t
read any paper regularly.

Asked to list their favorite drama
critics, the majority named Brooks
Atkinson (Times), with Wolcott
Gibbs (New Yorker mag), Walter
F. Kerr (Tribune) and Richard
Watts Jr. (Post) following in that
order. There were 25 who . had no
particular preference.

Of the 96 respondents, 44 claim-
ed the most influential factor in
luring them to the Provincetown
production of “Trial” was interest
in Kafka. The others claimed a
variety of reasons for visiting the
theatre, including word-of-mouth,
publicity and air-conditioning. The
majority of attendees lived in
N.Y.

New Tea’ May Not Go
On Despite $100,000 In
Guarantees; Lacks Lead

The Playwrights Co., producer
of “Tea and Sympathy,” is faced
with the ironic situation of having
more than $190,000 in guarantees
on a 27-week, fall and winter tour
of the play— and no leading lady.
Show was on tour last season with
Deborah Kerr, while Joan Fon-
taine replaced her in the N.Y, com-
pany.

Director Elia Kazan and author
Robert Anderson have interviewed
at least a dozen top actresses in
N.Y., Including Miss Fontaine, who
has a European film commitment,
but to date haven’t been able to
come up with any likely player. If
the part Isn’t cast soon, letters will
be sent out to managers cancelling
the projected tour. Miss Kerr is
also tied up in pix.

’ At least 75% of the original
supporting cast have been lined up
for the tour, and also Alan Baxter,
who played the husband role with
Miss Kerr on the road. Balance of
casting can be quickly accom-
plished once the femme lead is
found.

Tour is slated to break in at
Northampton, lyiass., Qct. 13, for
two days, then move to Boston for
two weeks. Many key cities, includ-
ing Pittsburgh, Cleveland, New
Orleans, Frisco are already set, and
there will be a large number of
college town engagements.

New England Strawhats
Spawn Motels, Sez AAA

Boston, AUg. 23.

Strawhat theatres, musical tents
and alfresco concerts and operas
have increased the construction of
motor courts throughout New
England, according to a report by
the American Automobile Assn.
The organization’s 195 accommoda-
tions directory lists 40 more mo-
tels in this six-state area than last
year, noting that many of the ad-
ditions are adjacent to summer
legit and musical spots. .

There are 27 new motor courts
in Massachusetts, increasing the
state’s total to 102, the ffeort re-
veals. “This new growth is cen-
tered ln the Berkshires, especially
around Pittsfield, where the mag-
net is Tanglewood, and through-
out Cap Cod,” the AAA book
points out. Tanglewood is the site
of the Berkshire Music Festival
and Cape Cod is studded with na-
tionally publicized strawhats, no-
tably at Hyannis, Dennis, Coona-
messett and Provincetown.

Cincinnati, Aug. 23.

Downtown hotels, restaurants
and garages have fallen in line
with department stores as boosters
of road shows for Cincy.

Service interests paid for double-
column eight-inch ads in local
dailies recently urging subscrip-
tions for the Theatre Guild's se-
ries of eight plays in the new sea-
son.. Plugs were themed: “Make
playgoing a habit. Help place Cin-
cinnati at the top of American
theatre-going cities.”

Department stores, for the sec-
ond year, are including- Theatre
Guild promotional pieces in month-
ly mailings to customers. It’s their
bid to also lure visitors and buyers
away from suburban shopping cen-
ters.

‘ Noah Schechter, resident man-
ager of Shubert operations, and
Kay Fipp, Theatre Guild secretary,
are targeting for a 4,500 subscrip-
tion list. They report results thus
far to be ahead of the pace for last
year’s 3,500 total.

To strengthen Cincy’s bid for
greater legit support, plays and
musicals will again tenant the
2,100-seat Shubert Theatre. House
is owned by the Shuberts and is
ticketed for $200,000 renovating
following leasing to RKO Theatres
for films and rentals • since 1935.
In that period Shubert bookings
were in the 1,300 seat Cox, which
the firm also owns, and in the in-
die Taft, 2,500-seater.

Opener for the 1955-56 season
Will be “Anniversary Waltz,” week
of Sept. 26. Other Guild subscrip-
tion dates, lilted up are “The Bad
Seed,” Oct, 10, and “Teahouse of
the August Moon,” Jan. 23.

Feteing Mrs. Naff

Nashville, Aug. 23.

A reception honoring Mrs. L. C.
Naff, general manager of the Ry-
man Auditorium, local legit outlet,
will be held Sept. 1 in the Iris
Room of the Hermitage Hotel. ‘
The occasion will mark her re-
tirement after 50 years of man-

' t ( H i (

„ . , .Jpenses.
i 1 1 f 9 V* *

ON COST OF ‘DELILAH’

Capitalization on “ D el i 1 a h , ”
which producers Oscar Lerman,
Martin Cohen and Alexander F.
Carson have booked into the Win-
ter Garden . Theatre, N.Y., for a
Nov. 10 opening, has befin set at
$250,000, with provision for 20%
overcall. The production cost on
the musical, which will star Carol
Channing, has been estimated at
$234,500, leaving a $15,500 reserve
for out-of-town losses.

The budget on the show includes
$5,000, scene designer (Raoul Pene
DuBois); $55,000, building and
painting of sets; $2,500, costume
designer (DuBois); $32,500, pur-
chasing of costumes; $5,000, pur-
chase of properties; $9,250, elec-
trics; $5,000,* choreographer (Rob-
ert Alton); $2,500, book director
(David Alexander); $2,000, music
and choral director (Milton Rosen-
stock); dance music arrangements,
$1,000; arrangements and orches-
trations, $11,000; bonds and ad-
vances, $30,100; rehearsal expenses,
$21,650; $7,500, picture sequences,
and $44,500 for other varied ex-

Soutids Plausible

Washington, Aug. 23.

Rep. Brook Hays (D. Ark.)

Is telling this story about him-
self and Helen Hayes. Latter,
recently in town with “Skin .
Of Our Teeth,” was forced to
cancel a speaking engagement,
so the like-named Congress-
'man was pressed 'into service
as a replacement.

As he was introduced, a
hard-of-hearing old man in the
rear of the room leaned over
and asked his neighbor who
the Speaker was. The neighbor
explained Helen Hayes couldn’t
come, but ' this was another
fellow names Hays.

“Oh, I see,” said the old-
timer, “Gabby Hayes.”

‘Bus Stop’ Earned Profit
Of 215G on Its $60,000
Cost as of Last July 30

“Bus Stop,” currently in its 26th
week at the Music Box, N.Y., had
earned a 216% profit on its $60,000
investment as of last July 30. The
total profit as of that date was
$128,887. Of that amount, $70,000
had been distributed. On the basis
of regular 50-50 split between
management and backers, that
gave the latter $35,000.

For the four weeks ending July
30, the Robert Whitehead-Roger
L. Stevens production made a $28,-
381 operating profit despite a fall-
off In business during that period.
Income from 20th-Fox for the
four weeks was $2,700. The film
company purchased the rights to
the William Inge play for a down-
payment of $75,000, plus weekly
payments during the show’s profit
stanzas up to $250,000 ceiling.^ The
production gets the standard '40%
split of the picture coin.

Royalties from foreign rights
totaled $1,440, while souvenir
booklet . income accounted for an-
other $500, bringing the total take
for the four weeks to $33,021. That
figure was reduced, however, by a
$1,919 expenditure as the produc-
tion's share of a three-week pro-
motion campaign on “Bus,” “Bad
Seed” and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”
Cost of the campaign is being split
with the. Playwrights Co., sponsor
of the other two productions..

The total profit as of July 30
actually was $135,671, but was re-
duced by $6,784, representing di-
rector Harold Clurman’s 5% share
of the profits, which he gets in
addition to 2% of the gross. As of
July 30 the production Costs on
the national company, which
preemed last Aug. 6 in Central
City, Col., tallied $12,691. The
sinking fund as of that date total-
ed $15,000, while the balance
available .for future distribution
was $30,322.

‘LUNATICS’ NET PROFIT
OF 79G AS OF JULY 30

The net profit on “Lunatics and
Lovers” totaled $79,147 as of last
July 30. That represented a drop
of $1,568 from the figure of four
weeks previous. Actually, the Sid-
new Kingsley comedy, which has
been on twofers during the sum-
mer months, had an operating loss
of $3,468 for the four weeks end-
ing July 30, plus an additional $100
expense for the bubble-bath solu-
tion used in the production.

The $3,568 drop was reduced by
a $2,000 advance royalty for the
Coast rights to the property, which
opened Aug. 15 at the Carthay Cir-
cle, L. A. That brought the total
loss for the period to $1,568, As
of July 30, the profit distribution
on the May Kirshner production
was $45,000. “Lunatics,” originally
capitalized at $100,000, is currently
in its 37th week at the Broadhurst
Theatre, N, Y.

. i c : i i*r;t . 1 9

Set $60,000 Budget For
Waters in ‘Gentle Folks’

A $60,000 budget has been set
for the Broadway production of
“Gentle Folks,” to star Ethel
Waters, Stephen Morrow and War-
ren Stewart are producing the
Frank Alexander-E. A. -Krum-
schmidt play in association with
Lester Hamilton, It’s slated for a
Main Stem preem next November.
'Morrow will double as a director,
and Howard Bay will design the
sets.

The producers figure It’ll cost
$43,990 to open the show out-of-
town, and that It can break even at
[ $11,000 * week in New York, J

\ fast fe C’SeW fa fa-0r.» m. m erec aJ

Inside Stuff-legit

Lucille Lortel, new owner of . the Theatre deLys, GreenwicH“Village
spot, has clarified her role in the theatre’s operation. While she has
engaged Carmen Capalbo and Stanley Chasfi to manage the house and
co-produce with her, she will offer bookings to outsiders but retain
artistic cbntrol. Her Own efforts and bookings must have “artistic merit
or be stimulating theatre.” the wealthy patroness said this week.

Miss Lortel, who operates, the White Barn Theatre at Westport,
Conn., is the wife of Louis Schweitzer, manufacturer of cigaret papers.’

Adding to the list of tributes already paid Richard Rodgers & Oscar
Hammerstein 2d, the N. Y. Summer Festival sponsored a cuffo “Okla-
homa Song Fest” in the Mall of Central Park last Sunday (21). Run-
ning over two hours, the musical program provided some fine pub-
licity for the incoming Todd-AO film version of the Rodgers & Ham-
merstein musical, and drew a crowd of .approximately 15,000. ‘ The
governors of both N. Y. and Oklahoma were on hand to kudos the song-
writing team, who in turn presented a copy of their original “Okla-
homa” mahuscript to the governor of that state. Bernard F. Gimbel>
who presided over the song festival, credited, the duo with having
brought “almost as many people to N. Y. as Rockefeller Center or the
Empire State Bldg., and maybe more.” Jhey were then given scrolls
for their contribution to the creative arts.

Will Rogers Jr., Red Buttons and Ed Sullivan emceed : the affair. Of
the entertainers Eddie Fisher, got the biggest ovation. All the per-,
formers and speakers, incidentally, rode up to the stage in a “surrey
with a fringe on top.” Towards the end of the program, Rodgers con-
ducted a Navy band in a rendition of his “Guadalcanal March.”

With the formation of TicketjClub Iric. as a ticket affiliate of Diners.
Club, members of that Charge account operation will be able to join
a subscription plan guaranteeing them pairs of tickets to at least 10
Broadway shows at boxoffice prices. The subscription gimmick covers
orchestra and mezzanine seats for two at a yearly cost of $15, while
the same deal on balcony seats . costs $10. That’s in addition to the *
regular price of the tickets, which are charged to the individual’s ~
Diners Club account, as is the TCCI. membership fee.

Members ihay choose as many shows as they desire from those
offered and are not obligated to purchase any minimum number of
shows or tickets. Additional features of the subscription plan include
the purchase of extra ..tickets at a service fee of 75c per ticket for all
club selections 'and special discount rates for pre-opening night pre-
views of Broadway shows. The club will also function as a regular
ticket agency, with Diners Club members, who do not belong to TG,
enable to charge their ticket . purchases through the agency for the
regular standard brokerage fee of $1.15 per ducat. Rose Goldstein,
former office manager of the now-defunct Show-of-the-Month Club and
subsequently general' manager for producer -Jule Styne, is executive
director of TCI, with Sylvia Siegler, former SOMC president, in an
executive capacity.

Several legit managements are taking out a new type of insurance
on their productions this season. In addition to the regular theatrical
floater, they’re also getting coverage on continuing and unavoidable
expenses during tryout periods when sets, costumes or properties are
being repaired or replaced, following physical destruction or loss. This
coverage takes in such out-of-pocket expenses as the normal ad budget.
The new policy, tagged “traveling business interruption,” was devised
by Robert A. Boyar, partnered in the N. Y. insurance firm of Boyar and
Oring Iiic. Although intended to cover a show through to its Broad-
way opening, the policy can be extended to the N. Y. run and is also
applicable to touring production. Boyar, incidentally, is the son of
Ben Boyar, manager of the Playhouse, N. Y,

The American Theatre Wing is setting up a sort of “workshop”
course for Actors currently working in shows. The Idea is that the
training sessions, planned to develop’ and refresh the talents of estab-
lished players, will be scheduled on non-matinee days, at hours con-
venient to applicants. Among directors being considered to hold the
classes are Joseph Kramm, Reginald Denham, Alan Schneider, Vincent
J. Donahue, Dilbert Mann, Cedric Hardwicke, Romney Brent and Ezra
Stone. The project is being supervised by Arthur Hanna.

Stock Tryouts

(Aug. 22-Sept. 4)

Bit# & Pieces, revue with music, by
Andy Wuhrer, lyrics by Pat Van Alien,
sketches by Pat Wilmot— Gifford Hall,
Norwalk, Conn. (29-4).

Bridge and the' Bumblebee, by Joe A.
Greenhoe — Adams Memorial Theatre, Wil-
liamstown. Mass. (23-27).

Child's Play, by Florence M. Stevenson
— Scarsdale (N.Y.) Summer Theatre (24).

Cover to Cover, revue by Dede Meyer,
Franklin Jacobs — Barn Playhouse, New
London, N. H. (22-27).

.Devil May Care, musical by Richard
Diamond. Robert Miles 1 — White Roe Play-
house. Livingston Manor, N. Y. (26).

Difficult Widow, by Conrado Nale
Roxlo, translated by Ruth G. Gillespie — '
Hedgerow Theatre, Moylan, Pa. (30-5).

Empress, by Elaine Carrington (Geral-
dine Page) — Westport (Conn.) Country
Playhouse (22-27). (Reviewed in Variety
this week).

Guest Cottage, by William McCleery—
Boothbay (Me.) Playhouse (30-3).

Kickback, by Marianne Brown Waters-
Gateway Theatre, Bellport, L. I. (30-3).

Love, . Honor and Oh, Boy — Lake
Whalom Playhouse, Fitchburg, Mass. (22-
27)» ’ ’

Mighty Men Is’ He, b^ Arthur Kober,
George . Oppenhelmer (Claudette Colbert)
— Theatre-by-the-Sea, Matunuck, R. 1. (22-
27)1 Cape Playhouse, Dennis, Mass. (29-
3) (Reviewed in Variety. Aug. XT, *55).

Mother Was a Bachelor, by Irving W.
Phillips (Billie Burke) — Lakewood Thea-
tre, Skowhegan, Me. (22-27). Lakes Region
Playhouse. Laconia-Gllford, N. H. (29-3)
(Reviewed in Variety, June 29, *55).

Palm Trae In a Rose Gordon# by Meade
Roberts (Dorothy . Stickney)'. — Fqlmouth
Playhouse. Coonamessett, Mass. (22-27)
(Reviewed In Variety, July 20, *55).

Prlnca and tha Pauper, musical adapta-
tion with book by John Page, lyrics by
Katharine Page, music by Arnold Black—
Plymouth Rock Center of Music & Drama,
Duxbury, Mass. (26-27).

Rip Vap Winkle, musical, by Fergus
Kelley, Ted Sloane — Inn Playhouse, Dan-
bury, Conn. (24).

.Russia's Pond, by Paul Chavchavadze —
Arena Theatre, Orleans, Mass. (23-27).

Sentimental Journoy, adaptation of
Henry James' hovel, "Europeans," by
Randolph Carter — Lakeside Theatre, Lake
Hopatcong, N. J. (22-27).

Short Passage, by Harold Dexter —
Straight Wharf Theatre# Nantucket, Mass,
(29-4).

Sign of Winter# by. Ettore Bella (Ruth
Chatter ton)— White Barn Theatre, West-
port, Conn. (27-28).

Stag at Bva, by Dennis Hoey, based
on Elswyth Thane's novel, "Melody"—
Sharon (Conn.) Playhouse (23-27).

Touch Of Magic (Sign* Hasso) — Capri
Theatre, Atlantic Beach, L. I. (30-4).

V|aw From tho Bridge, by Arthur Mil-
ler (Van Heflin) — Falmouth Playhouse,
•CoonameiMtt. U,«. «»•». , „ , ;J ,

Joe RumshinskyV50th
Anni in Yiddish Legit

.Joseph Rumshlnsky^ 72-year-old
Yiddish composer, Is celebrating
his 50th anni in the theatre. The
prolific tunesmith is still adding
to his list of credits, which already
includes approximately 250 musi-
cals. He’ll be represented again this
season ’on New York’s lower east-
side by “Wedding Breakfast,” a
new Yiddish-Amerlcan musical,
which preems Oct. 15 at the Sec-
ond Avenue Theatre.

fop Yiddish performers have
appeared in numerous Rumshin-
sky musicals. They include Molly
Picon, Menasha Skulnik and Boris
Thomashefsky. RumshinSky, who
wrote special material for Sophie
Tucker early in her career, re-
cently completed a hew Hebrew
operetta based on the Biblical
theme of Ruth. A Tel Aviv produc-
tion is being planned for next
spring to be followed by a U. S,
presentation.

Doctor ‘Solomon Grundy*
As Broadway Prospect

“Solomon , Grundy” the Mike
Stewart-Shelley Mowell musical
which was tried out on the straw-
hat circuit in 1953, is undergoing
a thorough overhauling for pos-
sible* Broadway production. Re-
visions on the tuner, under option
to Emile Katzka, are being mad#
by Stewart and Lee Pockrlss.

Stewart, Incidentally, has con-
tributed two sketches to “Catch a.
Star,” the Ray Golden revue open-
ing ’Sept, 6 at the Plymouth, N. Y.
He’s also had his option picked up
as a scrlpter for the balance of the
summer run of the “Sid Ceasar
Presents” television show, ,

i ; „n;.i t sri i ; •. i-ag

Wednesday, August 24, 195$

LECITIMATK

->!V ■*

Binghamton, N.Y*
Editor, Variety;

I have just 'read the Aug. 17
Variety reporting on “Barns Pros-
pering,” and I don’t kiiow whether
tq vent my spleen on the reporter
who wrote this phony’ story or
upon the managers that falsify
to. cover up their tack-bottom bus-
iness.

Your reporter chose for his sur-
vey nine theatres out of 150. With
the exception of Stockbridge,
Woodstock ‘ and possibly Hyde
Park, they are all small operations
which need very little to exist.
Some of the managers quoted
were not even operating the pre-
vious year and can have no con-
ception of the 1954 income for the
theatre, yet they give you a per-
centage of increase. Others report
a small increase, but do they bother
to tell you how infinitesmal the
previous year’s income was, from
which to show an increase?

This year, primarily because of
the intense heatwave, has been' a
disastrous one to almost every
single summer stock playhouse.
Not only do the .actual reports
come to me first-hand from the
advance directors who travel the
circuit, and from the stars, some
of whom have actually shown me
copies of reports from previous
theatres, but the managers have
been burning up the telephone
wires calling one another to be-
moan their plight. This includes
some of the managers who* for
years have been boasting huge box-
office intake to fan their egos and
appear like big shots.

..It is time they told the truth
instead of padding the reports for
publication. If Samuel French and
Brandt St Brandt could speak- for
publication, the trade would begin
to understand how desperate the
situation has been this year. It
has made no difference whether
the theatre is air-cooled, air-con-
ditioned or without benefit of any
heat-relieving devices, the public

(Continued on page 71)

’Deadfall’ Backers Share
In 5-Yr.-01d Film Sale

Backers of Martin Goodman’s
scheduled Broadway production of
Leonard Lee’s ’ “Deadfall” will
share in a five-year-old film sale
on the property via a unique ar-
rangement. Lee’s play, which has
been kicking around for several
years under the title “Sweet Poi-
son,” was peddled to 20th-Fox by
the playwright for $40,000. Al-
though the picture sale had no
connection with the upcoming
Goodman presentation, the legit
production will get the usual 40%
cut of the film coin, but in an off-
beat manner.

Since Lee got all of the picture
Income, he' intends paying the pro-
duction $16,000 (40%) opt of his
pocket. He’ll do that by splitting
his royalties 50-50 with the pro-
duction until the latter receives
$10,000. In other words, Lee’s ac-
tual royalty on the basis of the
standard minimum (5% for the first
$5,000 gross, 7 V6% for the next
. $2,000 and 10% of the balance) Will
have to hit $34,000 in order for the
production to get the full $16,000.

Goodman has set the capitaliza-
tion on the production, 'which will
costar Joanne Dru and John Ire-
land, at $75,000, plus provision for
20% overall. The production cost
has been figured at $63,050, includ-
ing $2,500, designer’s fee; $5,000,
building and painting two sets;
$3,000 props; $2,500, purchase and
rental of wardrobe; $1,750, electri-
cal needs; $3,000, director’s fee;
$4,900,' rehearsal expenses; $7,650,
advertising; $7,000, out-of-town ex-
penses; $6,200, sundry expenses,
and $19,500 in bonds, theatre guar-
antee and advance royalties to the
author. That leaves an $11,950 re-
. serye.

; - The estimated weekly operating
expense on the show is $8,310, with
Goodman figuring on a $1,480
profit oh a $16,000 gross, $3,240 on
$20,000, $5,000 on $24,000 and $6,-
760 on $28,000. In each of these
cases the ' profit includes 50% of
the author’s royalty. The produc-
tion will be. directed by Michael
Gordon. Harold Bromley will be
general manager!

New ‘Don Juan in Hell’
Troupe Booking Tour

Chicago, Aug. 23.

Paramount Attractions , is book-
ing a nationwide tour of the Na-
tional Drama Quartet in G. B.
Shaw’s “Don Juan in Hell” excerpt
from “Man and Superman.” Toured
by Paul Gregory a few years
ago, the piece is now being pro-
duced by Plymouth Productions,
with Agnes Moorehead as director.

Ricardo Mpntalban will play Don
Juan, with Edward Arnold as the
Devil, Mary Astor as Dona Ana
and Reginald Denny as the latter’s
father.

A 35-week tour is planned for
the production, with 11 weeks al-
ready set. It - will debut in San
Francisco in mid-Septemer, per-
haps at the. Alcazar. Within the
framework of local variatons, the
tour will be scaled at ah average
$3 top.

‘Booking Fee’ Item

The controversial “booking fee”
charge by agents on strawhat pack-
ages may become a standard prac-
tice on the barn circuit; Started
this season by Hillard Elkins, It’s
also being employed by Peter Witt
on his “Wedding Breakfast” pack-
age, starring Shelley Winters.

That makes at least three silo
touring .entries that are collecting
booking fees In addition to the
regular price of the package. El-
kins has the other two shows, “No
Time For Comedy,” starring Sarah
Churchill, and “Cyprienne,” co-
starring Uta Hagen and Herbert
Berghof.

Witt, however, is working it a
little differently than Elkins. The
latter is charging the barn oper-
ators a gat fee to cover the ex-
pense of putting together and rout-
ing a package for a summer stock
tour; Witt’s fee is the -equivalent
of . a 5% commission on the total
cast salary and thus takes the
place of the percentage tap that
Equity has forbidden package pro-
ducers to. collect from actors.

Whereas Elkins revealed* that
several managers balked at paying
the charge, Witt claims he’s , had
no beefs. Witt has also apportioned
the salary of the package’s di-
rector, Frank Corsaro, to the thea-
tres booking the show on a pro*
rata basis. Cor&aro’s deal also
called for him to get a royalty.
Miss Winters is footing the bill on
that herself.

CRITICS CIRCLE FOR LA
PITCHED BY ED LESTER

Los Angeles, Aug. 23.
Edwin Lester, producer of the
L. A. Civic Light Opera Assn, for
the past 18 years, has proposed a
Critic’s Circle, composed of local
dramatic critics, for the annual
judging of L. A. legit. Similar or-
ganizations are now in effect in
N. Y. and San Francisco.

, Edwin Schallert, vet dramatic
editor of the L. A, Times, will act
as unofficial chairman in exploring
the project.

100% Profit So Far To
’Teahouse’ Road Backers

Backers of the road company
production of ‘Teahouse of the
August Moon” have received 100%
profit thus far on their $65,000 in-
vestment. As of last July 23, the
profit distribution on the Howard
Lindsay-Russel Crouse presenta-
tion totaled $130,000. On the basis
of" the regular 50-50 split between
backers and management, that
gave the former $65,000.

The total profit on the Burgess
Meredith-Scott McKay starrer as
of July 23 was $186,624, with $34,-
314 available for future distribu-
tion. For the four weeks prior to
that date, the comedy made an
operating profit of $13,201* with
souvenir book royalties bringing i
another $819. ' u

o « a* v j -it A

Silvemune Giiild Pula 3
‘Bits & Pieces’ Together

A new revue, “Bits & Pieces,”
will be put on by the Silvermine
Guild of Artists for one week be-
ginning next Monday (29) at the
Florence Schick Gifford Hall, Nor-
walk, Conn. Amy Lynn is produc-
ing the sbng-sketch-hoofing show,
which has music by Andy Wuhrer,
lyrics by Pat Van Allen, sketches
by Pat Wilmot, choreography by
John Coy, sets by Arno Scheiding
and costumes by Armand Dube.

Seven performances will be
given, with the production winding
up Sept. 4, Tickets are priced at
$3 except for opening night, when
the bite is $3.50.

in SKnKort, AFM
Tiff in Philly

Philadelphia, Aug. 23.

.First optimistic note to be found
I in the local deadlock between Shu-
bert execs and heads of Local 77,
American Federation of the Musi-
cians. .was hear'* w l?en Victor
E. Moore,. Councilman-at-Large of.
Philly’s City Council, called a”
special meeting in -City Hall last
week. Attending were Lawrence
Shubert Lawrence,,. Philly Shubert
head; Romeo Celia, president of
Local 77; Paul McNamara, presi-
dent of the Philly Hotelmens Assn,;
Clewell Sykes, president of the
Yellow Cab Co., and Henry .Haas,
of the Bankers Securities-. Corp.,
which has substantial , hotel hold-
ings here.

While there was no absolute as-
surance that the current dispute
between the musicians and the
theatre interests would be settled
amicably in the near future, a
compromise— described in one of
the local dailies as a “vestige of
light”— was indicated.

The meetings, called by Council-
man Moore, lasted about 90 min-
utes. He said afterwards that he
felt “very much encouraged.” Ar-
gument stems from the Shuberts’
insistence that the number of mu-
sicians hired for a tuner, now 26,
should be cut, and that no musi-
cians have to be hired for non-
musicals — now six.

Moore said there was a discus*
slon of a. possible compromise over
the number of musicians who- nor-
mally play at musical comedies
and a further proposal that musi-
cians be retained for dramas but
in a slightly reduced number. He
said that Celia, for the union,
agreed to place the proposals be-
fore the musicians and that later,
by agreement of the conferees,
Lawrence would present his side
of the controversy jn a personal
appearance before the musicians’
union.

Moore was quoted as saying that
he “felt we have made progress;
everybody left in "an amiable
mood.”

Local papers all gave coverage
to the meeting, which is expected
to have its sequel early this week.

Yvonne Arnaud Supplies
’Mrs. Wilke’ With Chance

London, Aug. 23.

Alan Melville’s new farcical
comedy, “Mrs. Willie,” was pre-
sented by H. M. Tennent Ltd., at
the Globe last Wednesday (17)/ It
stars Yvonne Arnaud in jocular
vein as an exiled Queen plotting
her son's recall as monarch.

Plot Is thin and star’s popularity
will be the main draw with its
chances about even for survival.
Cyril Raymond, Marian Spencer
and Carl Jaffe give capable main
support, with creditable direction
by Wallace Douglas.

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR

1905 -1955

i v v i '•!( ; t

Ruins Dampen Season
As Atlanta A1 Fresco Ends

Atlanta, Aug. 23.

Municipal Theatre Undeivthe-
Stars rang down the curtain on its
six-show, eight-week season with
the final performance of “Annie
Get Your Gun” Saturday night
< 20 )!

Outdoor theatre, which gives
performances in the 6,000-seat am-
phitheatre in Chastain Memorial
Park, is a civic, nonprofit organi-
zation. Boxoffice take this season
was disappointing, due to a rainy
summer, which kept' patrons away.
Drought during 1954 summer re-
sulted in splendid* support and
Theatre Under-the-Stars pros-
pered. This year the rains came-—
and "of ten — and the group wound
up with a deficit. Last year’s at-
tendance was 125,000.

It was announced Thursday (18)
that a sinking' fund was being
formed to insure ' continuation of
the outdoor theatre. Atlantans' are
being asked to contribute $10
apiece. These donors will be given
two tickets to a special premiere
of next year’s first show, either
“Kismet” or “The King and I.”

Theatre’s 1955 nut was an-
nounced . as $22,000 weekly. Em-
ployed were 20 musicians, some 40
chorines and male dancers and
singers, stagehands and so on. Pro-
fessionals of name ^calibre were
imported for lead and support
roles. •

Equity, Woolf In
‘Broadway’ Tiff

Another brawl is brewing be-
tween Actors Equity and Stanley
Woolf. The union is burning over
the producer’s claim that he’s us-
ing Broadway actors in his com-
panies touring summer resorts.

Woolf, who didn’t post a bond
with Equity this season, is there-
fore theoretically operating on a
non-union basis and thus cannot
employ professional actors. On
that basis, Equity officials figure
that he nan hardly be using Broad-
way players, unless ones who have
forfeited union membership.

. Equity is looking into the legal
aspects of the situation, following
recent hassle between Woolf and
the union over the salaries to be
paid members of his touring units.
In the past these troupes have
been Equity-franchised. Equity de-
manded $85, of which $30 would
be deducted for food ahd lodging.
Woolf wanted to pay $55, the resi-
dent Equity minimum, with a $30
deduction for room and board. No
agreement was reached and Woolf
switched to non-union status.

Woolf’s claim of having Broad-
way performers in his companies
is made in the programs covering
his productions. The text reads,
“The all professional members of
this cast haVe played important
and leading roles with . various
stock companies from coast to
coast. Most of them appear regu-
larly on television and a goodly
number have been seen on Broad-
way in support of the theatre’s es-
tablished stars.” c

Equity execs . figure that some
union members, may be involved in
the Woolf operation under as-
sumed names. It’s planned to
bring charges against such who
may be caught.

Tax Rap on Karlweis

Vienna, Aug. 16.

Oscar Karlweis, who has im-
ported and starred in various U. S.
plays here in, recent years, has
been ordered to pay $500 in back
taxes on profits from “Harvey.”
The court overruled his claim that
the' money was not actor salary,
but producer profits.

The star presented and played
the lead in “Teahouse of the Au-
gust Moon” here and in Germany
last year, and is. trying to obtain
the Austrian rights to the current
Broadway hit, “Inherit the Wind,”
the Jerome Lawrence-Robert E,
Lee drama. Karlweis hopes to play
''the Paul Muni role. ’

Despite a summer drop in busi-
ness for the Broadway edition of
“Pajama Game,” • there’s been no
serious letup in the musical’s profit
intake. During the five-week pe-
riod ending last July 30, the N. Y,
and toad companies of ' the Fred-
erick Brisson-Robert E. Griffith-
Harold S. Prince production racked
up a total operating profit of
$115,384. That brought the total
profit on the tuner as of that date
to $698,811.

Profit on the Broadway company
for the five weeks was $51,468, or
an avera^fe of a little more than
$10,200 per week. Receipts during
that period ranged from $46,500 to
$51,600_on a potential capacity of
$52,118. During that same time
span the touring company regis-
tered a $63,916 profit for the final
four weeks of a seven-week stand
at the Philharmonic Auditorium,
L. A., and the " first week of a 10-
week engagement at the Curran,
S. F.

The "road company profit in-
cludes $21,500 , advanced ’ by the
L. A.’ Civic Light ; Opera Assn.,
which sponsored the-Philharmoic
run. “Pajama!’ \vas booked into'-
L. A. and FriscO, also under CLO
sponsorship, on a profit-sharing
basis. The $21,530 represents pay?
meut to the company against its
share of the total profit on the
L. A. run, which is to be ff settled
at the termination of 12 weeks
from its Philharmonic opening last '
June 6. The musical has also, been
getting a weekly profit of around
$8,OO0-$9,OQ0 against its potential
take; — vhich is figured likely to
comq to about $84,000 oh the
smash L. A. stand.

550G Distributed

As ot.last July 30, the total dis-
tribution on the, tuner was $550,-
000. An additional $50,000 was dis-
tributed Aug. 5, bringing the total
divvy to $600,000. On the basis of
the regular 50-50 split between the
backers ahd the management, that
gives the former a 120% profit on
their $250,000 investment.

Still forthcoming is another
$200,000 from Warner Bros., repre-
senting the remaining coin due the
production, , after deductions of
fees and expenses, as its share of
the sale of the pic rights for $750,-
000. That amount is to be paid out
in five yearly installments. The
production already received $48,-
529 as its share of a $150,000
down-payment from WB. The film
deal, incidentally, also calls for
the production to get 50% of the
profits on the picture.

The national company, starring
Fran Warren, Larry Douglas and
Butter West, moved into the Cur-
ran last July 25. The engagement
there has been extended from
eight to 10 weeks because of the
heavy demand for tickets. The -
Broadway company, starring John
Raitt, Eddie Foy Jr. and Helen
Gallagher, is in its 68th week at
the St. James, N, Y.

Ohio Barn Folds Early
After Being in Red For
Most of Its Ten Plays

Cleveland, Aug. 23.

Backers of Chagrin Falls Sum-
mer Theatre cancelled the last two
shows and yanked down shutters
Sunday (21) with Julie Haydon in
“Glass Menagerie.”

Slim attendances spiraled the
stock company into the red for
most of its 10 plays, each running
eight performances. Only money-
makers, according to William
Dempsey, co-producer, was Miss
Haydon’s vehicle, a near sellout,
and “Picnic” the previous week.

Strawhatter called off its planned
productions of “Wedding Break-
fast” and “Frankie and Johnny,”
slated to round out the series.
They ran into so much strong com-
petition from several longer-estab-
lished summer theatres in North-
ern Ohio, particularly from Cain
Park amphitheatre and Musicarni-
val Tent Theatre, that the Chagrin
sponsors said they had “no chance
to break even financially.” Weekly
nut was estimated at about $2,100.

Despite this setback, Dempsey,
David Fulford and Elisabeth Bliler,
the co-producers, intend to con-
tinue operating their ether straw-
hatter at Canal Fulton, O. One of
its two repertory companies, which
doubled at Chagrin, will stage
“Wedding Breakfast,” “Frahkie’’' ”

LEGITIMATE

The Emprcsi

Westport, Conn., Aug. 21.

Westport Country Playhouse presenta-
tion of comedy ■ by Elaine Carrington.
Stars Geraldine Page. Directed by Bill
Butler, Settings by Marvin Roles. At
Country Playhouse* Westpoi't* Conn.,
Aug. 21, '55. _ „ . .

John Cappodocia ......... .Leslie Barrett

Justinian /.•••• Paul Stevens

Cenera Beulah Garrick

Theodora Geraldine Page

Patriarch *«*'•••*••♦*•••!• Rod McLepnan

Alaric kichael Galloway

Totila ....... Sally Jessy

Estia Patricia Dislattor

Amuleuntha Earle Jones

Eudoxia Louise Stowe

Comitus Buck Martaban

AproIo Joseph Campanella

Mother Choi* Judith Lowry

' For Geraldine Page, “The Em-
press" will be a brief diversion in
a shining career. Even in this
slight costume comedy By Elaine
Carrington, Miss Page makes an
exciting impression and, before it
is done, lifts the piece far abpve
its level.

•For the play about the beautifii!
former chariot rider Theodora,
who is the loving and high-living
empress of Justinian the Great
back in sixth-century Byzantium,
on the shore of the Bosphorus, is
an unrewarding mediocrity that,
beyond permitting her a change of
pace to uninhibited sex comedy,
doesn’t justify the- sstar’s effort.

In Guy. Kent's scant' costumery,
Miss Page makes a glamorous
regal redhead, rolling around the
palace chambers with her affec-
tionate and jealous husband: Theo-
dora's Candid attitude toward her
former lovers gets them into fatal
trouble, and it is this which causes
her to Walk out bn Justinian. But
not before . she has by; herself
talked the people out of a revolu-
tion and insured the security of her.
emperor, . :

Miss Carrington's uneven script
proves- a difficult assignment for
the director, Bill Butler. In addi-
tion to. the' scenes in. which tfie
former circus ; girl, shows, up the
emperor, the play's best' episode
are: the visit of Theodora's old. pals
to her bedchamber and thb tri-
umph over the mob in the closing
act, .

0 •

•Paul Stevens' Justinian is appro-
priately possessive and Michael
Galloway is 'a handsome Alaric,
the brave glamor boy of the circus.
Leslie Barrett's royal major domo
does not register its comic poten-
tial. Rod McClennan makes a sym-
pathetic if unimpressive patriarch.
There is a superior minor contribu-
tion by Buck Kart&lian as the lion
tamer.

The Kent costumes ..help, make
“The Empress" good seeing, even
taking the play from Marvin Reiss’
Byzantine set.

Oddly, this one may have more
possibilities ’ for the color screen
than it does for the stage. Elein.

The Smi-Dial

Westport, Conn,, Aug. 21.

White • Barn Theatre production of
drama -in three acts by Robert Thom.
Features Joanna Roos. Staged by Walt
Wltcover and .Thom: scenery* Zvi Geyra;
lighting, Doris S. Einstein; costumes. Don
Shirley, At White Bam theatre* West-
port. Conn.. Aug. 21* '55.

Willard Michael Reid

Amy Seams Joanna Boos

Poppy Dolly Jonah

Ina - Marcia Morris

Findlay Seams Karl Weber

Sandy George Peppard

Emily Joan Zell

Clarence Pat Malone

This showcasing at Lucille Lor-
tel’s White Barn is the first pro-
fessional presentation of a play by
Robert Thom, a young Yale product
who has several works making the
rounds. Despite a discouraging
initial act and awkward direction,
“The Sun-Dial” serves to introduce
Thom as a welcome new writing
talent.

In a . welter of offbeat jrelation-
ships in a house on the Connecticut
shore, the communications lines
between the few right characters
are eventually established. The
principal neurotic, Amy Seams, has
had four husbands and is obsessed
by hatred of her sister, who won
the love of Amy’s first mate. The
dead sister’s 15-year-old son has
been carrying on with the Indian-
Irish housekeeper. The older son,
a Harvard student, comes home
with a Radcliffe bride.

The latter’s fear that her hus-
band doesn’t really love her is
ehcouraged by the frustrated aunt,
who even tries to promote an affair
between the young wife and her
brother-in-law. But the wife re-4
mains faithful and gains the love
she wanted. Meanwhile, the venge-
ful sister’s aged father-in-law, who
asks only to die under somebody’s
care, finds his answer in the
housekeeper. At the end all Amy
Seams has is the hope that she will
be able to win back the love of her
fifth husband.

There are scenes of beauty in
The Sun-Dial” and there are
scenes of good comedy potential.
With better staging than received
here (the original dlreetorb£ca1rie

ill and the author took over), they
may very well pay off.

Although unsure of her lines,
Joanna Roos effectively achieved
the obsessed Amy Seams. There
was superior playing, too, by Dolly
Jonah as Poppy, the servant;
Michael Reid and George peppard
as the two sons, and Pat Malone as
the old man.

Marcia Morris' love-starved wife*
while . sometimes delivering a glow,
was generally too mannered. Doris
Einstein’s lighting was helpful. The
title comes from a John Donne
line, “And all your graces no more
use shall have than a sun-dial in a
grave.” Doul.

Tlfat Certain Age

Litchfield, Conn., Aug, 16.

Leonard Altobell production of comedy
In three acts (six scenes) by Charles E.
Miller. Directed by Altobell; settings by
W. Engels Smith. At Litchfield (Conn.)
Sumtncr Theatre, Aug. 16* '55; $2.75 top.
Dorothy Moody ........... Marion Myser

Ernie Wallen ............ Ronald Lane

Star Moody Pat Hanlon

Junior Moody ........... Robert Shawley

Virley Brush Ray Newcomer

Joan Moody * Ann Vivian

Clyde Moody 'George Forrest

Robert Moody Leonard AltobeU

John Brush Vern : Armstrong

Reporter Edward Byrnes

Camera Man Bill Smith

Alice ‘ Webb Caye

Burt Davis- Charles Remington

Cpmedy by Charles 33. Miller is
being pre-tested at the Litchfield
Summer Theatre under the severest
of conditions. Its opening was
delayed a day because Hurricane
Connie’s high winds whipped
throughvthe strawhatter, destroying
the set. A new one had to be made.

Secondly, one of the leads, Barry
Martini -suffered" a nervous break-
down during rehearsals and had to
be replaced. Roy Nilson filled in
last minute. On the night before
the skeddetj opening, Nil§on fell on
some hurricane .debris and broke
a collarbone, producer-director
Leonard Altobell filled the thesp
gap with script in hand.

“That .Certain Age.” is probably
one of the corniest productions to
show up hereabouts. There’s a dis-
tinct parallel between "Age” and
“Time Out for Ginger," in that
both deal with nonconformist
highschool youths.

Acting, writing and direction of
“Age” are bad, but this much can’
be said for it. It keeps the audience
continually bellylaughing through
most of fhe three acts,.

“Age” deals with a -highschool
youth who is fascinated by the
horse and buggy! days* “when men
were men and women were cling-
ing vines.” His published treatise,.
“Ri$e : of W omen , and 'Downfall of
Men,’ r causes pahdemonium in his
hometown and turns into a national
affair. It also causes pandemonium
in the life of his father, a respected,
bluenose schoolteacher. Seems
both son and father have the same
first name. The local .citizenry
believes the old man wrote the
article.

Robert Shawley (who played the
boy. in the bathtub in “Stalag 17”
on Broadway, the road^and in the
film) turns in a commendable jpb
as the woman-hating teenager.
Marion Myser as . the mother,
George Forrest as the grandfather,
Ann Vivian as the daughter, Ray
Newcomer as the docile lover,' and
Vern Armstrong as the head of the
school board* turn in adequate
performances. These could be
stronger and more stirring with
adequate rehearsal and direction.

Eck.

Heaven Come
Wednesday

Provincetown, Mass., Aug. 18.

Provincetown Playhouse presentation of
comedy .by Reginald Lawrence in thvee
acts. Directed by. Tom Newton. . Set,
Keith Cuerdon; music and dance staged
by Jean Wheaton Smith. At Playhouse,
Provincetown, Mass,* Aug, 17, '35.

Miles Jeffers . , Tom Newton

Abby Jeffers Anne Gerety

Jane Jeffers . , . . Eileen Evans

Miriam Jeffers ........... Frosty Snow

Lottie Hadley . ......... Virginia Thoms

Caleb Wayne * Philip Mansour

Titus Wayne .Lawrence Greenfield

Abe Benson Colegate Salsburv

Rev. Hallett .... ... Chet Perottl

Nellie . Ryder- Judith Roberts

Ebcn George Morfogen

Nate Newell Stark

Katy Frisell ....... Catherine Huntington

Crazy Tke F*'ed Levy

Mrs, Watts : Jean Wheaton Smith

Boy Carl Tasha

Singers Lloyd -Ely, Louise Copes

Guitarist Mike Stelg

Trumpeters, . .Dick Berrio* Dick Hopwood

Commercial chances of this new
one 'by Reginald Lawrence are nil
in its present form. Set' to music,
as an offbeat folk opera-— perhaps.
There might be the sounds of
“Dark of the Moon” id it if prop*
erly mined. As “Heaven Come
Wednesday” stands now, however,
it’s thin, sketchy, plot-hungry and
uneven. And also too short, run-
ning less than VA hours.

Author calls it a comedy, but
the label fits loosely. Title refers
to the day of doom a bearded
prophet has proclaimed from his
Biblical deductions. Laid in 1843
in tlid farm coutttry of 'u’pjpfer ‘New

ISAftlETY

. -------- ‘ '

York state, “Heaven Come Wednes-i
day” tries to detaft the religious :
fervor and hysteria of a com-
munity taught up in fear and
hastily seeking to atone before
the world comes to an end.

Only ohe hard-headed farmer
refuses to he stampeded, and his
is the single voice of reason
abroad. Even his daughter joins
the Resurrectionists on the eve of
her marriage to the hired man,
and a rival suitor plays it cozy by
going along , because that may be
one way he can get the girl. His
rich father dons, the white robes,
too, but makes deals *on the side
protecting himself, just in case.

Lawrence’s dramatic conven-
iences are much too pat, and he gets
little urgency into the quick con-
versions of the girl. Her call to
the glory road is sudden, unrea-
sonable and illogical. When the
great day arrives and nothing hap-
pens, she is left unmarked and un-
scarred, goes back to the boy and
the people return to .their work.
The suggested overtones of. trag-
edy and puzzlement at the unful-
fillment are nowhere to be found,
and the point is: muted. . \

There is some humocin “Heaven.
C 9 me Wednesday” -and could be
much more, but Lawrence “hasn’t
developed his -openings. The ex-
change of passages from- -the Scrip-
tures ^betwen the prophet and the
fanner is amusing, and the God-,
fearing farmer’s collection of his
neighbors’ worldly; goods until the
morning when- they’ll be wanting
and- needing them again has an old
horse-trading comic flavor, but this
likewise is much too quickly dis-
posed of.. As a matter of fact, very
little" of" the inherent comedy in
the. Script gets ‘a decent hearing;
Lawrence is 'content to let it ex-
pire in embryo.* 1

Played in a single farmyard set,
big cast is rather limp with the ex-
ception of Tom Newton, who also
directed. His performance as the
hard-headed farmer has a' salty
tang, but then Newton has the sin-
gle solid, role of the lot. The others
are pretty .much hamstrung with
straw parts that are Stringy and
strained. Couple of bits by Judith
Roberts, as the town floozy, and
Fred Levy, as the . village nitwit,
stand out; the others fade Into the
background. Square -dance on
Halloween night and some hymnals
and folksongs suggest the possi-
bilities of “Heaven Coma Wednes-
day” in another form, but even at
that it’ll ned.-a major, reconstruc-
tion. Cohen.

I Heal* You Singing

Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Aug. 18.

John Huntington production of comedy
In three acts (four scenes) by Greer John-
son. Stars. Kim Hunter; features Enid.
Markey, Beverly Bayne, Paula Tniemeh,
Doris Kich,"Daniel Reed, Will Geer, Cele
McLaughlin, Anne-Marie Gayer* .Frances
Helm, Marc. May. Staged by Marcelle Cis-
ney; scenery. John ' Jenson Jr^ special I
music. John Sacco. At Spa Theatre. Sara- 1
toga - Spring?, N. Y., Aug. 15, '55; $3.30 j
top.

-Nettle Mae Cheevers .'.....Enid Markey I
Elhannon Swift ............ Daniel Reed

Belle Swift Frances Helm

Tevis Bibb ’ .-Will Geer

Noreen Stipe- Beverly Bayne <

Wygelia Stipe ........... .Paula Tjruman

Mrs. Vernon Creech . Doris Rich

Carol Slade .Anne-Marie Gayer

Mrs. T. J. Llpsey Cele McLaughlin |

Roy Chandler ..Marc May

Lahra Creech Kim Hunter

Barbara Ammons ....... .Nicolette Huyot

Roscoe Edgar Lyman . .Beecher Hammond

T, J. Llpsey Jr. Terry Lester

Mottbn Slade Ronnie Gabis

Asa Creech Don Lochner-

Howard ..John Jensen Jr.

The prolific Greer Johnson has
taken two of his tv offerings as the
nucleous for his play. They, “The
Worried Song Birds” and “The -Al-
mighty Dollar,” may have been
good fare for the home-viewers,
but they do not appear hardy
enough, for the rigors of a Broad-
way try. By the use of a multiple
stage set and extraneous minor
characters he has attempted to jell
the two stories together. It just
■doesn’t come off. Unfortunately the
high spots ih the - play are not
numerous enough to. overcome the
loggy pedestrian ones. Some of the
author’s dialog reaches a high
plane, touching on the poetic;
some borders on the banal.
^Johnson’s tale revolves about the
dreams and frustrations of the cit-
izenry of a srtiall Kentucky com-
munity, living in three neighbor-
ing homes. In the one are two
spinsters sisters* untrained in mu-
sic, but with local fame for gospel
singing; They are catapulted into
nightclub prominence and the
money necessary for financing a
new organ in the local church. In
another home is ensconced a young
attractive conservatory-trained pi-
ano teacher, together with a
mother-indulged idle brother, and
a mother worried about the where-
withal for daily living. The third
houses *a neighborly soul, with tall
tales as to why her one and youth-
ful love never returned to her,
after his westward trek. The dif-
fusion of interest in this assort-
ment of characters is one of- the
weaknesses of the script, resulting
in a lack of real sympathy for any
of the protagonists.

’ ! 'As the 1 L W0rk ndw. stands, the

Wednesday, August 24, 1955

story of the frustrated, struggling
music teacher and her family over-
shadows the ascendency of the
hymn-singing sister duo to national
eminence. Unscrambling the two
themes and building each of them
to a full-length - play might be the
answer,

Honors go to Doris Rich as the
mother of the piano teacher. Miss
Rich gives an admirable* fully-
conceived performance of the
money-worried matriarch . of two
pathological offspring. Kim Hun-
ter, in her early scenes, leaves an
impression of overacting. This may
be due to her intensity in build-
ing up the character for later
scenes, where she shows what a
fine actress she is. The part of
the neighborly Nettie Mae Chee-
vers is a pushover for Enid Mar-
key, from whom a dependable in-
terpretation is always expected.
Unfortunately, it is the same type
of character that Miss Markey has
been cast in all her recent tv-show-
ings.. Will Geer lends a humorous
note to the superfluous role of
Tevis Bibb. Don . Lochner rates
kudos as the selfish, sadistic broth-
er pf the piano -teacher.

Direction, by Marcella Cisney is
adroit and imaginative for the dif-
ficult requirements of the script.
John Jenson Jr. turned out a set
that was perfect for the numerous
changes of action. . * Russ. .

i ^ ^

Backstage Confidential

Balitmore, Aug. 17.

. Bon Swarfn Jr. production of comedy
in three acts by Joha Kihgsbrldge. Staged
by Eugene O'Sullivan. At Hilltop Theatre,
Lutherville. Md.. Aug. 16. '55.

Arlan Forsyth i ! .'."Edward Sostck

Richard Johnson.. Sidney G. Stevens

Regina Randolph .v. , L,ois Hall
Oedipus Friedman . .... .^.Macgregor Gibb
Jessica McIntyre Ruth Gregory

This is the 1055 winner of ' Don
Swanft’s annual playWrighting 'con-
test. That fact is the sole distinc-
tion of this one. The author, John
Kingsbridge, calls “Backstage Con-
fidential” a “new comedy of man-
ners.” What he delivers is vapid
end shallow farce.

An amoral actress ready to.
I choose husband No. 7 meets a vir-
ile actor-playwright and promises
to finance his play in the hopes of
adding him to. her boudoir collec--
tion. The play opens to critical
derision but is saved when it’s de-
cided to sell it as “the worst play
ever seen on Broadway.” In the
interim, the actress loses interest
in her playwright and returns to
her first husband, the fast-talking
producer of the turkey. Altogether,
it’s the- type, of smutty, adolescent
farce used in recent seasons to
peddle in the hinterlands.

Of the yaliant cast of five, Syd-
ney G. Stevens as the hardboiled
producer is resourceful and ener-
getic, while Ruth Gregory uses an
effective, incisive delivery as the
director of the opus. Lois Hall is
adequate in the bankrupt part of
the actress, but Edward •' Sostek
seems entirely too imitative as the
actor-playwright. Macgregor Gibb
has the misfortune of having to
play a psychoanalysis-hipped dilet-
tante dubbed Oedipus Friedman.

Eugene O’Sullivan has staged
wfth proficiency, but the script
offers him a thankless chore.

2-turm.

Next, ol Kin

Hyde Park, N. Y., Aug. 16.

Polly Jo McCulloch Sc George Quick
production of drama in three acts by
Lonnie Coleman. Stars' 'Ruth White,
George Mitchell; features Mary Finney.
John Conwell, Richard Morse. Staged by
Fred Sadoff: sets. Edgar Lansbury. At
Hyde Park (N.Y.) Playhouse, Aug. 16. *55;
$3.30 top.

Alma Hill .-. . . . . Ruth White

Virginia HiU Mary Doyle

Gordon HU1 John ConWcll

Billy Hill Richard Morse

Cecil Hill George Mitchell

Wyatt Mitchell Harry Williams

Fan Mary Finney

Harry George Quick

Pauline Katchie Torrence

Once the background has been
provided and the character rela-
tionships have been fully defined,
Lonnie Coleman’s “Next of Kin”

I becomes moving. In its tryout at
[.the. Hyde Park Playhouse, an act
and a half accumulates before the
involvement is strong enough for
thorough audience identification,
but this still leaves time for 'mo-
ments of poignancy and truth.

It’s a story about a poor white
southern family at a moment of
dissolution. Two boys and a girl
have reached the threshold of
adulthood and are about to try
their wings. Their mother wants
to encourage them, yet, in a pa-
thetically fumbling way, lets good
intentions be a barrier. The fa-
ther, however, who has long been
yearning, for his own independ-
ence, decides the time has come to
desert in favor of a younger wom-
an and no family ties.

Although signposts are provided,
and though the characters are
deftly drawn, it is not until father
comes home drunk in the second
act and declares himself* that the

play becomes animate. This is a
serious handicap that would have
to be rectified , for the play to go
further commercially .

As the hopeful, courageous, tor-
tured mother,' Ruth White is ex-
cellent. Although she is co-starred
with George Mitchell, who gives a
subdued but honest portrait of the
father, both in writing and per-
formance the play is mostly Miss •
White’s.

As the troubled daughter who •
will have to settle for second best
among boy friends, Mary. Doyle,
lias good energy and understand- .
ing, John Conwell plays straight-'
forwardly as the oldest son who
attempts to take over family con-
trol after the tragic climax, - al-
though the sudden vehemence is
unexpected from the hitherto good- •
hatured adolescent.

Mary Finney, as a chatty neigh-
bor, has an unessential' part, arid
the humor of her lines, is mostly
lost as she intrepidly attempts a
southern accent. Richard Morse as
the other son, Harry Williams and
i George Quick as swains of the
[ daughter, and Katcliie Torrence as
the elder son’s, bride round 'out a^
competent cast.

Polly Jo McCulloch and George
Quick have provided a * good pro*
duction. Fred Sadoff ’s direction
seems to have been, a labor of love
and Edgar Lanshury*s* interior-ex-
terior set "of ‘ the' Montegomery,
Ala., homestead is authentic.

Ge6r.

I He Crime of Innoeenee

Lake Hopatcong, N. J., Aug. 18 .

i., production t>£ grafted?

®ctj» by Norman. Vein. Staffed by
Herbert Machiz; special music by John
Gtuen; setting. .Paul . Georges; lighting.
Peter Stander. At Lakeside Theatre. Lake
Hopatcong. N.J.. Aug; 15. $3.00 top,

*•••••’ Rachel Armouf

v'» • , • . . Albert .Paulson

5 a *5** * v « • Robert Carrlcevt

Father Julio ........... Robert Jatquin

£ Ia “ uel - i.*..,. Mario Gallo

ntlj Lake Babbitt

Salomon William Sheldy

Alfonslna Jean Weaver

Angel Garol Brown

Constantino Irma Hurley

SUva Chris Valid

Valldes George Hogan

There seems to be more potency
to Norman Vein’s “The Crime of .
Innocence” than has been fully
realized on the Lakeside Theatre
stage. In spite of scrupulous direc-
tion by Herbert Machiz, the actors
generally have not been able to
fulfill the play’s demands. While
there is. serious unevenness in the
script, as evidenced by an almost •
pattemltke repetition of action-
talk - action - talk, the ingredients
for solid emotional impact are at
hand. ’ • ....

Vein is at his best in' those
quietly persuasive moments when
he is trusting hifc story's essential
simplicity: In a fishing village in
southern Chile thei;e is an ingenu-
ous Indian giri from the hills who
has recently married an amiable*
if rather slow, fisherman. Because
she bathes in the ocean, the girl
becomes the target of suspicion
and hate when the fish are all
caught dead. A young priest, new
to the village, and doubtful of his
own capacities, mediates matters,
but when it is learned that the
girl is pregnant without ever hav-
ing shared her husband's bed, the
story moves- to a tragic denoue-
ment, the priest’s best efforts be-
ing unable to overcome native" Su-
perstition.

Although the pivotal foie Would
seem to he that of the girl, it is
the priest’s contention with the
villagers that provides the most
acute conflict In moments of re-
flection and revelation, Robert
Jacqin’s performance of the trou-
bled clergyman is affecting, but
credibility js * lost when, in mo-
ments of "righteous anger, he . is
induced to substitute vocal volume
for emotional intensity.

As the mountain girl whose sim-
plicity causes her own destruction,
Rachel Armour has the right qual-
ity, -but her performance has a
curious stiffness and introversion
as if it were the result of direc-
tion rather than of her own in-
sight.

Miriam Goldina (translator of
“Stanislavsky Directs”) is vigorous
af a village woman whose strength,
hatred and envy precipitate the
crisis. Robert Carricart swaggers
uninhibitedly though the role of a
truculent fisherman who goads the
padre to violence, and . Albert
Paulson is the simple peasant who.
in a tender scene, forgives his hill
girl wife.

Paul Georges* seacoast Setting
provides . the correct atmosphere,
with a good assist from Peter
Stander’s lighting. In his direc-
tion, Machiz has avoided fussiness,
but he has not been able to elicit
the required excitement from his
company.

. As a commercial prospect,
“Crime,” with compression and
careful casting could he a prospect
for off-Broadway. Main stem
chances seem dimmer and would
depend to a large extent on ideal
Casting of the priest. < ■ 1 Gear. -

Wednesday, August 34, 1955

LEGITIMATE

Kismet's 4-Week 258G Sets Mark

For LA. Civic; 'Sea Slow $11,500

Los Angeles, Aug. 23, ■
“Kismet 1 ' did a mighty $258,500
for its four- week engagement at
the Philharmonic, both' the stand
and the final frame last week
reaching an alltime high for the
L. A. Civic Light Opera Assn.
Three other shows competed for
local patronage, all managing to
show from fair to good. CLO’s
fourth of the season, “Plain and
Fancy," opens this week.

Estimates for Last Week
Kismet. Philharmonic Aud (4th
wk) (2,670; $4.90) (William John-
son, Elaine .Malbin, Julie Wilson).
Sock $65,000.

Katherine Dunham Dancers,
Greek Theatre (4,400; $4) Okay.
$36,500.

Lunatics and Lovers, Carthay
Circle (1st wk) (1,518; $3.85) (Mel-
ville Cooper, Marjorie Lord. Casey
Adams). Good $16,500.

JL Day By the Sea, Huntington
Hartford — (1st 5 days) (1,032;
$4.95) (Jessica Tandy, Hume
Cronyn, .Dennis King). Mild
$11,500. :

‘RAINBOW’ $14,755
AT PROVIDENCE TENT

Providence, Aug.'SO.

. Despite .huge rains and hurri-
cane press ahd : radio scares, which
ut a big kink in two weeks of this
rst year's operation, the Warwick
Musical Tent Theatre, has proven
a top draw hereabouts. The 2, 024-
seat tent, reputedly largest .in the
country, operates with a $1.20-
$3.60 top. Plains are already being
mulled for an extension, next year,
of the current 10-week season.

Tent, being* backed by Burton
Bonoff, Ben Segal, Stanton Shif-
tman and Robert Lappin, has a res-
ident company of 20 and is swelled
each week with Broadway names.-
“Annie Get our Gun" introed
the tent to this area, and played
tb $8,500 biz. This climbed steadily
and by the . sixth production,
“Wish Ypu Were Here," gross hit
$16,500 and the black. Saturday
night take for that show hit $4,500.

“Flnian’s ( R a i n b o w," which
closed Saturday (20), grossed $14,-
755, with most of* that take
squeezed into the first three days,
as Diane's fringe rains cut heavily
into usually hot weekend biz.

Current British Shows

LONDON

(Figures denote premiere dates)

•ad iatd, Aldwych (4-14-557.

■all. Book Candlo, Phoenix (10-5-84),
Boy Friend, wyndham’e (12-1*53).
Can-Can, Coliseum (10-14-54).

Craxy .Cans, Vic., Pal. (12-16-34).
Dosporato HoUra, IIIpp. (4-19-55).

Dry Rof, Whitehall (8-31-54).

Follies Borgorot, Wales (4-9-55). .

Front Haro A There, Royal Ct. <6-29).
Happy Returns, New Water (3-19-55).
Intimacy At 8:30, Criterion (4-29-54).
King end 1, Drury Lane (10-8-53).
klsm«t, Stoll (4-20-55).

Mr, -Fennypacker, New (5-18-55),
Mousetrap, Atnbas, (11-25-52).

Mrs, Willie, Globe (8-17-55).

Mv 3 Angela, Lyric (5-12-55).

Nina, Haymarket (7-27-55).

Reluctant Dab, Cambridge (3-24-55).
Sailer Beware, Strand (2-16-55).

Iliad Days, Vaudeville ,(8-5-54).

Separata ' Tables, St. James's (9-22-54).
Shadow of Doubt, SaVille (7-7-55).
Shakespeare Rep„ Palace (7-21-55),
Spider's Web, Savoy (12-14-54).

Talk of Town, Adelphl (11-17-54).
Teahouse Aug. Moon, Her Maj. (4-22-34).
Tiger At Gates, Apollo (6-2-55).

20 Mins. South, St. Mart. (7-13-55).
Waiting For Godot, Arts (8-3-55).

Wild Thymes York's (7-14-55).

SCHEDULED OPENINGS
Dead on f, Westminster (8-24-55).

Water Gypsies, Wint. Card. (8-31-55).
Kettle A Moon, Duchess (9-1-55). ‘

CLOSED LAST WEEK
Heme A Away, Garrick (7-19-55).

TOURING

Alibi

Book of the Month

Buccaneer

Call of ,the Flesh

Xleramfeard

Double Crossing •

Evening With Beatrice Lillie

First Night

Florodera

Guys and Dells

Jazx Festival

Jan: Train

Joy of Living

Kathleen

Klnlech Players

Ladies for Hire

Lilac Time

.Love From Judy

Manor of Northstead

Men and Woman

Moon Is Blue

Mr. Kettle A Mrs. Moon

Old Vic

Pardon My Claws
Patience

Postman's Knock
Romance Irt Candlelight
South Pacific
Water Gipsies
Wedding In Paris

Jerome Mayer, who directed and
co-produced “Lullaby" on Broad-
way last season, is staging the last
h«lf of the season at the Corning
(N.Y.) Summer Theatre . . . Buck
Kartalian appearing at the West-
port (Conn.) Countiy Playhouse
this week in “The Empress," star-
ring Geraldine Page.

Birmingham Area Gets
1st Historical Pageant

Birmingham, Aug. 23.

This area’s first historical pag-
eant opens tonight <TUes.) on the
grounds of a Southern shrine here
at Arlington. Title of the pageant,
by local playwright Lulie Hard
McKinley, is “Arlington Episode."
Story concerns Wilson’s raiders,
who took Jones Valley here and
occupied. Arlington house as a base
to raid Selma and Montgomery.

James Hatcher is directing the
production, with a cast featuring
area talent, including several from
radio and tv. Event will be re-
peated through Friday night. Event
Is tied in with the first Birming-
ham showing of the film, “Girl
Rush," and the appearance of song-
writer Hugh Martin aiid star Rosa-
lind Russell. The . Arlington His-
torical Assm and Antiquarian So-
ciety’ are presenting a tea for
Martin, a native, and Mis$ Russell
Aug. 25, at Arlington. Local stores*
are tying in with extensive fashion
promotion*

San Francisco, Aug. 23.

Fourth week of “Pajama Game"
at the Curran continued sellout,
and the third Geary frame for the
D’Oyly Carte Co. was good. • Only
soft spot was the New York City
Ballet at the Opera House.

Estimates for Last Week

Pajama Game, Curran (4th wk)
($4.40; 1,758) (Fran Warren, Larry
Douglas, Buster ^ West). Sellout
at almost $50,400. ,

D’Oyly Carte Co., Geary (3d
wk) ($4.40; 1,550). Fine $37,000.

New York City Ballet, Opera
House (1st wk) ($5; 3,250). Fair
$35,000.

TEAHOUSE’ $55,200
AT DALLAS STATE FAIR

Dallas, Aug. 23.

“Teahouse of the August Moon"
had its best touring week at th^
State Fair Musicals here, showing
a hefty $55,20Q.for the first seven
performances through last Sunday
(21). Show, co-starring Burgess
Meredith and Scott McKay, closes
out the 14th summer season next
Sunday (28) at the air-conditioned
State Fair Auditorium. “Tea-
house,” first non-musical staging
here, is scaled at the usual $3:75
top here in the 4,285-seat house.

Big b.o. is the third best of the
12-week season. “South Pacific”
holds a $62,400 first week and $78,-
000 second week earlier this sum-
mer. Record $502,000 budget went
into the black after two weeks of
“One Touch of Venus," Aug. 1-14,
and fortnight’s b.o. of “Teahouse”
easily makes 1955 a record-break-
ing season here. “Venus," produced
here by managing director Charles
R, Meeker Jr., will be reprised this
Saturday (27) in an NBC-TV 90-
minute showing from New York,
with the same cast.

Alda May Star in Italo
Musical Comedy in Oct.

Rome, Aug. 16.

Robert Alda, lead in Broadway’s
original “Guys and Dolls," who
follows up his local pic stint in
“Most Beautiful Girl in the World,"
opposite Gina Lollobrigida, after
his reprise of “Guys and Dolls" in
Las Vegas, will be back in Italy
this October to star in an Italian
musical comedy.

According to the Trinca organi-
zation, sponsors of the fall offer-
ing, Alda will appear with An-
dreina Pagnani, Giuseppe Calin-
dri and Giulietta Masiero, in
a musical patterned after Yank
musical comedies, titled “La
Signora Chiarb di Luna” (“Lady
Moonlight"). Giovannini and
Garinei are writing the book,
which will have lyrics by Gorni
Kramer. Debut is skedded in
Turin early in November., and then
probably will move to Rome’s
Eiiseo Theatre for the holidays.

‘Cadillac’ $15,500 For
Seven in Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Aug. 23,

Even recordbreaking - August
heat, with temperatures of 98, plus
an non-airconditioned theatre,
couldn’t cook the boxoffice goose
of “The Solid Gold Cadillac," with
Ruth McDevitt, opening 1 the legit
season here.

At the 1,850-seat Lyceum at $3.85
fop, it grossed a. fairly good $8,600
for three nights and a matinee.
Previously, atraction pulled $6,900
for two nights and a matinee at
the same scale at the airconditioned
2,800-seat St. Paul . Auditorium, giv-
ing it an okay $15,500 total for the
Twin Cities week of five days.
Show was traveling Monday and
didn’t play that night.

“Cadillac" is holding over at the
Lyceum for four, more nights and
another matinee through Thursday
(25) with no Sunday perform-
ances, so that it will hqve a full
week of seven days here.

ABB AIIUU «/«V* Mill

Washington, Aug. 23.

“King and I" continues Its ter-
rific boxoffice pace at the National
Theatre. Third week wound up
with a boff $43,400 for the 1,677-
seat theatre.

i House, which is scaled to $4.95
Friday and . Saturday nights and
$4.40 for the remainder of the
week, went clean every perform-
ance but Monday and Tuesday
nights last week. Best-known
guests during the third semester
were See. of State John Foster
Dulles and family. Musical moves
on to Pittsburgh after completing
two more Washington weeks, al-
though it could contihpe profitable
business here for a longer period.

L’ville Amphi’s Season
Winds to Snappy Close
With $27,000 ‘Pacific’

Iroquois Amphitheatre wound
up its seven-week season with
“South Pacific,” the h.o. stanza
grossing a pleasing $27,000. Previ-
ous week the Rodgers-Hammsr-
stein piece topped the 17-year rec-
ord of the open-air spot With a
whopperoo $45,000. Out-of-to wners
made up the bulk of the audience*
for the final week, parties coming
from near and distant points in
Kentucky and Indiana. Critics were
generous in praising* the show, and
a seasoned cast delivered a hangup
performance.

. Mary LaRoche as “Nellie” and
Allen Gerrard as “Emile” were
standout in the lead rol-es. Others
were Juanita Hall, Leonard Stone,
•and Stanley Grover, in support.

Denis Du-For was in charge of
! production, and shows were staged
by Arthur Sircom. Edward Hunt"
was musical arid choral director;
John Hanny,’ scenic designer, and
: Theodore J. Adolphus, choreog-
rapher.

Margo Jones’ Death
Seen Loss to Writers

New York.

Editor Variety:

The recent tragic death of Margo
Jones will be a serious loss, to the
Broadway of the future. Broadway
talks about helping the new. talent-
ed writer — Margo Jones did some-
thing about it.

As director of the Comedy
Workshop units, which are being
formed in principal cities through-
-out the country, I know the need
for leadership in community the-
atre, the need for encouragement
for new writers — both of comedy
and drama. If there were a Margo
Jones in every community, we
would have no worries about the
future of the Broadway theatre, or
community theatre, or away-from-
Broadway theatre.

The theatre can thrive — with
proper leadership. Margo Jones
gave it leadership. Her loss is a
great one to both “theatre” and
the talented new writers whom
she continually espoused.

Broadway should create a Mar-
go Jones Memorial to remind us
of the leadership she gave in de-
veloping new playwrights, in
creating a “better mousetrap" in
Dallas to Which the world beat a
path.

George Q. Lewis

I •

•9

‘Skin’ SRO $32,100 (7), ‘Game’ $50,800

Town’ Lightweight 35G
For Kaycee Starlight

• *■ Kansas City, Aug. 23.

Starlight Theatre* closed its ninth
production of the outdoor musical
season Sunday night (21) as “Won-
derful Town” proved lightweight at
the boxoffice. Biz was off to a slow
start, and although it climbed dur-
ing the week of favorable evening
weather, it could not get up enough
momentum in the short seven-day
stand to top the average mark. It’s
take of $35,000 is about bottom for
the season. .

“Town" had. cast including
Helena Bliss, Betty Gillett, Joan
Kibrig, Chris Robinson, Jordan
Bentley, Ted Beniades and Joseph
Macauley.

“South Pacific" as the 10th and
final . production of the season
opened Monday night (22). to sock
biz, and is expected to reach or
top record figures for its two-week
run.

“Pacific" cast includes Jeanne
Bal, Webb Tilton, Fredd Wayne,
Evahs Thornton, Ted Beniades, Jim
Hawthorne, Helena Bliss and Nina
Gallagher.

Chicago, Aug. 23.
“Can-Can," the Loop’s solo legit
entry, held steady last week de-
spite the return of the heatwave
the last half of the frame. ,

Window sales open this week for
“Teahouse of the August Moon"
which arrives at the Erlanger Sept.
7 for a runpn Theatre Guild- Amer-
ican -Theatre Society subscription.
Next in is the D’Oyly Carte Opera
Co. at the Blackstone Sept. 13 for
two weeks. ,

Estimate for Last Week
Can-Can, Shubert (3d Wk) ($5.95;
2,100). Nearly $35,400 (previous
week,, $35,700).

‘PACIFIC’ WHAM $63,000
IN ST. LOUIS AL FRESCO

St. Louis, Aug. 23.
“South Pacific" is in its second
and final week in the Municipal
Theatre Assn’s al fresco theatre
in Forest Park, and will bring the
season to a close Sunday (28).
Record - breaking crowds have
greeted what is the best attraction
of the season in the 11,937 house
at $3 top. Saturday (20) set an all-
time attendance mark, with 12,137,
and the first ended With a wham-
mo $63,000,

Kyle Mac Donnell, Richard
Eastham, Benny Baker and Dor-
othy Franklin are standouts in a
cast that includes Norman Mac-
Kaye, Eugene Dorian, Joe Cusa-
nelli, Harry Weber, Christine Pal-
mer and Lewis Boylard.

Current Rond Shows

(Aug. 22-Sept. 3*)

Bus Stop— Aud., Central City, Col.
j (22r3)

L Can-Can— Shubert, Chi. (22-3).

Day By the Sea (Jessica Tandy. Hume
' Cronyn, Dennis King, Aline MacMahon) —
' Huntington Hartford, L. A. (22-3).

D'Oyly Cart# — Blltmore, L,. A. (22-3).

King and I (Patricia Morison) — National,
Wash. (22-3).

Pa|ama Gam* ■ (Fran Warren, Larry
Douglas, Buster West) — Curran, S. F.
(22-3).

Solid Gold Cadillac — Lyceum, Mpls. (22-
25); Royal Alexandra, Toronto (29-3).

Teahouse of the August Moon (Burgess
Meredith, Scott McKay) — State Fair, Dal-
las (22-28); Victoria, K. C. (30-3).

SCHEDULED N.Y. OPENINGS

( Theatres indicated if set)

Catch a Star, Plymouth (9-6).

Othello, City Center (9-7).

Henry IV, City Center (9-21). •

Day By the Sea, ANTA (9-20.

D'Oyly Carte, Shubert (9-27).

Maurice Chevalier, Lyceum (9-28).

View From Bridge, Coronet (9-29).
Young, and* Beautiful, Longacre (10 2).
Tiger at Gates, Plymouth (10-4).

Goat Island, Fulton (10-4).

Diary of Anne Frank, Cort (10-5).
Sleep of Prisoners (10-5).

Wooden Dish, Booth (10-G),

Red Roses For Me (10-12).

Rock Hunter, Bclasco (10-12).

Dosk Set, Broadhurst (10-13).

Heavenly Twins (10-19),

No Time For Sgts„ Alvin (10-20).
Comedle Francalte, B'way (10-25).
Chalk Garden, Barrymore (10-26).
Reuben, Reuben, ANTA (11-8).

Child of Fortune (11-9).

Hatful of Rain, Lyceum (11-9).

Delilah, Wint. Card. (11-10).

Lark, Longacre (wk. 11-14),

Janus, Plymouth (11-24).

The summer slump is over on
Broadway. That’s indicated by a
steady climb in business the past
two frames. Receipts last week
took a sizeable jump over the tal-
lies of the previous stanza, with a
continuation of the bullish pattern
expected.

There were no closings last
week, with “Skin of Our Teeth "
the sole opener. There are no
preems this stanza.

Estimates for Last Week

Keys: C (Comedy), D (Drama),
CD (Comedy-Drama), R (Revue),
MC (Musical-Comedy), MD (Musi-
cal-Drama), O (Opera), OP (Op- *
eretta).

Other parenthetic . designations
refer, respectively, to wkeks played,
number * of performances through
last Saturday, top prices, number
of seats, capacity gross and stars.
Price includes 10% Federal and ,
5% City tai p, but grosses are net;
i.e. p exclusive of tax.,

Ankles: A weigh, Helllnger (MC).
(18th wk; 144; $6.90; 1,513; $55,-
900). Over $14,800 (previous week,
$14,500); selling tickets until Sept,
15 on a special “family plan," en-
abling a ticket purchaser to pay
the full price for one ticket and
half-price for as many as five more.

Anniversary Waltz, Booth (C)
(72d wk; 571; $4.60; 766; $20,000).
Just $11,200 on twofers (previous
week,' $1(^000 on twofers); closes
Sept. 24, to tour.

> Bad Seed, Coronet (D)'(37th wk;
293; $5.75-$4.60; 998; $27,700)

(Nancy. Kelly). Nearly $15,500 on
twofers (previous week,. $15,200 on
twofers); tentatively scheduled to
close Sept. 17, to tour. . **.

Boy Friend, Royale' (MC) (47th
wk; 371; $6.90; 1,050; $38,200). Al*
most $21,200 (previous week, $18,-
400).

BUs Stop, Music Box (CD) (25th
wk; 198; $5.75-$4.60; 1,010; $27,-
811). Nearly $23,900 (previous
week, $22,500).

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Morosco
(D) (22d wk; 172; $6.90-$5.75; 946;
$31,000) (Barbara Bel Geddes, Burl
Ives). Over capacity again, nearly
$31,600.

Damn Yankees, 46th St. (MC)’.
(16th wk; .124; $8,05-$7.50; 1,297;
$50,573) (Gwert Verdon). OVer ca-
pacity again, topped $50,800. .

Fanny, Majestic (MD) (42d wk;
332; $7.50; 1,655; $62,968) (Ezio
Pinza, Walter Slezak). Nearly $50,-
300 (previous week, $46,400).

Inherit the Wind, National <D>
(18th wk; 140; $5.75-$4,60; 1,162;
$31,300) (Paul Muni), Almost $30,-
600 (previous week, $28,100),-

Lunatics & Lovers, Broadhurst
(C) (36th wk; 288; $5.75-$4.60;

1,182; $29,500). Nearly $12,000 on
twofers (previous \veek, $9,900 on.
twofers).

Pajama Game, St. James (MG)
(67th wk; 532; $6.90: 1,615; $52,-
118) (John Raitt, Eddie Foy Jr.,
Helen Gallagher). Over $50,800
(previous week, $47,000).

Plain and Fancy, Winter Garden
(MC) (30th wk; 236; $6.90; 1,494;
$55,672). Almost $33,800 (previous
week, $29,900).

Silk Stockings Imperial (MC)
(26th wk; 204; $7.50: 1.427; $57,-
800) (Hildegarde Neff. Don Amc-
che). Nearly $48,200 (previous
week, $40,100).

Skin of Our Teeth, ANTA Thea-
tre (CD) (1st wk; 6; $5.75; 1,347;
$38,000) (Helen Hayes, Mary Mar-
tin, George Abbott, Florence
Reed). Opened last Wednesday
(17) to six favorable reviews- (At-
kinson, Times; Coleman, Mirror;
Kerr, Herald Tribune; McClain,
Journal- American; Pepper, World
Telegram; Watts, Post) and one
negative (Chapman, Ne\vs); over
capacity, topped $32,100 for first
six performances and one preview*

Teahduse of the August Moon,
Beck (C) (97th wk; 781: $6,22-
$4.60; 1,214; $33,608) (Eli Wallach,
John Beal). Over $27,900 (previous
Week. $25,100).

Witness for the Prosecution/
Miller (D) (36th wk; 284; $5.75-
$4.60: 946; $23,248). Over $21,100
(previous week, $18,300).

Reopening This Week

Anastasia, Lyceum (D) (29th

wk; 230; $5.75-$4.60; 995) (Viveca
Lindfors, Cathleen Nesbitt). Re-
opened last Monday (22) night
after a five-week vacation and
closes Sept. 24 to tour.

OFF-BROADWAY
(Figures denote opening daces )

La Ronde, Circle in Square (2-
27-55).

Mornings at Seven, Cherry Lane
(6-22-55); closing Sept. 11.

Shaw Festival, G’n’w’eh Mews
(7-21-55). .

Trial, Provincetown (6-14-55),

LEGITIMATE

Wednesday,, August 24, 1955

The Skin of Our Teeth

Robert' Whitehead jstvlvth. sponsored by
the Ariierleea /National Theatre & Acid*
en»y, ot comedy: in three acta- by Thorrttoh
■Wilder. Stars' Helen Hayes, Mrry Mhnlii.
George Abbott. Florence Reed: feature?.
Don Murray, Heller Holiday,. Frank Sil-
vers. Staged by Alan Schneider; scenery,
Lester Rolukov; costume*. ..HeJ-ne Pons:
lighting. Feder. * A f * -ANTA Playhouse,
N.Y.. Aug. 17, *55; $5.75 top <$5.90. open-
ing). _ , _

Announcer’ ,\v; Earl' George

Sabina Mar.v Martin

Mr. Fitzpatrick .......... P"’l MOrrison

Mrs. Anrobus ^ • Helen Hayes

Dinosaur ► . -Vinie Burrows

Mammoth Patricia Taffe

Telegraph Boy Fred K-reman

Gladys -....: ■ Heller Halliday

Henry Don Murray

My. Antrobus George Abbott

Doctor Frank Hamilton

Professor ........... Jonathon Anderson

Judge Frank Silvers

Homer . . r . Howard Fiseher

Muses Eileen Lear, Frances Sternhagen,

MaUd Scheator
Drum Majorets. Norma Venev, Alice Fay

Lifeguard Charles Boaz

Bingo Caller ......... Maud Scheerer

Fortune Teller Florence Reed

Chair Pusher Fr*nk Silvera

Broadcast Official........ Earl George

. Assistant \ , . . . F’-ank Hamilton

Fred Bailey ...... .. . . . .. Howard Fischer

Hester Maud Scheerer

Ivy -Vinie Burrows

Mr. Tremayne Frank Silvera

Others: Emfly Cobb, Jack Delm^nte*
John Dorman; David Elliott; Tom
Geroghty, Lily Lodge,. Richard! O’Neil,
Ann Stanwell.

tumes are helpful and Feder's
lighting is ^expressive. •

The show; opening ’last Wednes-
day night (17V plays two and a half
weeks through Sept. 3 and is slated
for telecast Sept. 11 on “Producer’s
Showcase." It may be interesting
to note th$ reaction of 1 the mass tv
audience to this basically simple
and eloquent, but jiuzzling-in-detail
paean of courage; and faith.

Jfobe;

Off-B’way Sbow

Thanks to -‘Salute to France,”
the first show of the new Broad-
way season is a gem. Robert White
. head’s revival of Thornton Wilder’;,
distinguished comedy of 1942 is
more pertinent and compelling, and
seemingly even better done, than
originally. It’s enjoyable, memor-
able theatre.

With ' a ’‘dream” cast headed by
Helen Hayes, Mary Martin; George
Abbott and Florence Reed, ’ the
ishow was sent to the Paris Festival
of the Arts early this slimmer* as
part * of- a “Salute* to France” ex-
change program of the American
National Theatre & Academy. The*
general idea was a sort of cultural
counteroffensive in the fields of
drama, music, dance, fine arts, etc.,
to the consistent propaganda war-
fare waged in recent years by the
Soviets.

- Although opinions have, differed
as to" the 1 effectiveness 'of “Skin”
as international artistic ammuni-
tion, the show, is superb eritertain-
- ment for Broadway. The Wilder
tribute to mankind offers the rare
combination of infectious comedy
and poignant drama. The values of
the revival are strikingly different
from Michael Myerberg’s original
Broadway production, in which
Freddie March, Tallulah Bankhead,
Florence Eldridge arid Miss Reed
were costarred under Elia Kazan’s
direction. But the effect seems
equally stimulating and, unless the
memory of 13 years ago is faulty,
even more searching and touching.

As might be expected Miss
Hayes- ‘gives new dimension and
force to the role of Mrs. Antrobus,
the eternal .wife and mother, which
emerges as the most important in
the play. Her unerring -touch -gives
the comedy lines captivating value
arid her warm, authoritative play-
ing of the emotional scenes tends
to add stature and personal im-
pact .to the whole drama. .

As Sabina, the maid and* siren
who symbolizes man’s urge for en-
joyment, MisS’ Martin is deft and
delightful. Her playing has grace
and gaiety, although she lacks the
lustiness that made Miss Bank-
head’s performance of the role so
vivid. •

Abbott, who accepted the part
of Mr. Antrobus as a kind of -lark
(hardly dreaming that it might ulti-
mately involve him in a tour and
appearances on Broadway and -tele-
vision), gives a surprisingly relaxed
performance as the epitome of
man’s resourcefulness and rugged
will to survive. If there’s a sugges-
tion of intellectualism, father than
instinctive actor ego-projection . in
the portrayal, it 'is nevertheless im-
pressively honest and skillful. The
stint is a sort . of sentimental
“coirieback” as an actor for Abbott,
after 21 years as a top director,
producer and author.

Miss Reed, repeating her original
performance as the ominous for-
tune teller, again hiakes the essen-
tially minor role a forceful stand-
out. In secondary parts, Don Mur-
ray is convincingly emphatic as the
destructive Antrobus son, played
originally by Montgomery Clift;
Heller. Halliday, Miss Martin’s
daughter is appealing as the
daughter, played originally by
Frances Heflin; Frank Silvera is
persuasive in the triple assign-
ments of a judge, a boardwalk
wheelchair pusher and a Shake-
spearean actor, and there are
notable bits by Paul Morrison as a
harried stage manager and Fred
Kareman as a personality Western
Union messenger.

; Alan Schneider’s staging is imag-
inative and admirably fluid, Lester
Polakov's impressionistic scenery
seems just right, Helene Pons' cos-

An Evening With Shaw

Greenwich Mews production of a one-
act play by (and excerpts from) George
Bernard Shaw. Staged by Eli Rill; set-
ting, Maurice Bugeaud. • At Greenwich
Mews Theatre, N. Y., Aug, 10, '55.

Excerpts: Mamie Jones, Tony Frost.

“Village Wooing”: Janine Manatis, Rob-
erts Blossom.

While it may be redundant to
say that* George Bernard Shaw
knew better than most of his peers
how to spoof the battle of the
sexes, “Village Wooing” r a i s es

the issue, being GBS at his frothi-
est. The production- of this three-
scene One-acter at Greenwich
Mews, provides an hour arid a half’s
respite from the weather , (despite
the closeness of the low-ceilinged
auditorium), In this torrid season
that’s a boom.

Second program of the Mews*
Shaw festival, “Wooing” is candid-
ly. called “three conversations.”
While GBS was not one to be
shortwihded, he has kept these
gambits pithily caustic. In this
particular' approach to the male-
female struggle;' there is a remark-
able similarity to the. Thurber at-
tack, The spoofing is . in earnest
and the observer must laugh at
himself.*.

The first conversation transpires
on a' world cruise ship with the
girl baiting her. trap for a grave
writer of travel books. In conver-
sation No. 2, he, poor dim-witted
male, winders innocently into the
Englislr shop where she waits on
trade. In conversation three, the
banns are posted.

In less adroit hands than Shaw’s,
this fable could be tame. As.it is,
after a lively start on shipboard,
there is a marked deceleration
during, the second talkfest, but he
comes back strong for the finish,
even injecting eloquence into his
lampoon.

Under Eli Rill’s perky 'direction,
Janine Manatis and Roberts Blos-
som handle the dialogs with flair
and aplomb. They are -excellent
foils for each other, her ebullience
being nicely counterbalanced by
his calculated apathy. If either
fares better, it i§ probable that
Miss • Manatis’ charrii and enormous
energy give her the edge (even as
Shaw intended), but Blossom’s tim-
ihg is good' for his due quota of
laughs. For the two actors and
their director, the small trilogy is
a minor tour-de-force. •

Excerpts from four late Shaw
plays preface -the program. Mamie
Jones and Tony Frost do the read-
ings, Miss Jones being a particu-
larly cheerful performer. Frost
also does the narration for “Woo-
ing,” being casual almost to a
fault. Geor.

to happen. But at best It Is a dim
hope never realized.

There is* the Slightest hint of a
dramatic situation when Hume
Cronyn, playing a First Secretary
in the : British Foreign Office,
learns that he has been transferred
from an important post primarily
because no one likes nim. He
loquaciously studies himself and
realizes that he has been somewha
of a martinet who has forgotten
how to play, His clumsy efforts a
the latter somehow bring him to
the opinion that he is in love with
Kis former child playmaate, Jessica
Tandy, a widow and a divorcee
with a tarnished reputation. But
she seems to prefer the hopeless
ness of her future, possibly seeing
it as a happier alternative to being
talked to death, and rejects him
leaving him - ta be returned to his
stuff edrShirt mannerisms.

. There is a subplot fhvolving Den-
nis King as a -lush doctor content
to wait uppn his one octogenarian
patient and generally serve as
valet arOund the house, and Megs
Jenkins, a spinster-governess who
desperately proposes to King,
pointing out that after his patient
dies there is no place for him to
go but down. But here, top, hope-
lessness prevails. King stays on and
Miss Jenkins gods her lone# way.

Aline MacMahon makes a some
what ambiguous role as .Cronyn’s
mother seem to mean something;
arid Halliwell HobbesJs often mov
ing as the old man wistfully await-
ing death.. Leo Britt,' John. W.
Austin and moppets Veronica Cole
and Barclay' Hodges round out a
superb cast that ' manages to stay
afloat despite the deluge of words.

Cedric 1 Hardwicke directed,
achieving fluidity and a high
degree of sincerity on stage. It
isn’t his fault that one is left won-
dering what ' all the sincerity is
about. The two sets by Jay Krause
are imaginatively attractive.

Milt

Mrs. Willie .

London, Aug. 18.

• H. M. Tennent Ltd. production of far-,
deal comedy In three acts by Alan Mel-
ville, Stars Yvonne Arnaud. Directed by
Wallace Douglas. At -Globe Theaitre, Lon-
don,. Aug. 17, '55. $2.25 top.

Ilena ; Yvonne Arnaud

Willie . . Cyril Raymond

Paul Terence Alexander

Jane Ann Walford

Mrs. Gregson Marian Spencer

Lord Allerdale William Mervjn

Vitulescu Carl Jaffe

Waiter . James Sharkey

Nurse Otway Daphne Heard

Mr. Butler, .......... Michael Nightingale

Show Out of Town

A Day by the Sea

. Los Angeles, Aug. 17.

Huntington Hartford & Stephen Mitchell
production of drama in three acts by
N. C. Hunter. Stars Jessica Tandy, Hume
Cronyn, Dennis King; features Aline
MacMahon, Halliwell Hobbes, Megs
Jehkihs, Leo Britt, Veronica Cole, John
W. Austin, Barclay Hodges. Staged by
Cedric Hardwicke; sets. Jay Krause. At
Huntihgtoh Hartford Theatre, Hollywood,
Aug. 16, '55; $4.95 top.

Laura Anson Aline MacMahon

David Anson Halliwell Hobbes

Julian Anson Hume Cronyn

Doctor Farley Dennis King

Frances Farrar Jessica Tandy

Elinor Eddison Veronica Cole

Toby Eddison ; . . . . Bafcley Hodges

Humphrey Caldwell Leo Britt

Miss Mathleson .... . . . . . . , . Megs Jenkins
William Gregson ........ John W. Austin

This N. C. Hunter drama re-
portedly ran for 18 months in Lon-
don, proving the English are more
capable of absorbing sound and
fury signifying nothing thyi are
audiences over here. A study in
frustrations, “A Day By the Sea”
is a garrulous play filled with aim-
less characters who do nothing but
bare their souls in a voluble fash-
ion that makes one wonder how
the English ever achieved their
reputation for tactiturnity.

The cast presented here, prior, to
a Broadway opening, is truly bril-
liant and at times the sheer joy in
watching such fine displays of
thespic skill almost kids the viewer
into thinking something is about

Any play with Yvonne Arnaud as
the central figure has its own in-
dividual attraction. In this latest
Alari Melville comedy not only
would her absence diminish its ap-
peal, it would be almost non-ex-
istent. As an exiled monarch
scheming to get her spn reinstated
on the throne of his ancestors, she
pulls every trick she knows in tim-
ing, facial and vocal mannerism
and incorporating, for the first
time, her talent as a pianist. The
result is genial, lightweight' enter-
tainment, particularly for matinee
audiences; But it is suited only to
local taste and is unlikely to repeat
the success of her last vehicle,
“Dear Charles.”

Story is written jerkily on a pre-
posterous theme alternating from
sheer farce to near drama. .“Mrs.
Willie,” widow of an assassinated
Balkan ruler, is now married to a
stolid English farmer, but pulls
diplomatic strings at a dinner party
given for a Foreign Office VIP and
the republican representative of
her country. All is set for her son
to : restore the monarchy but he
jibs at the prospect, being com-
pletely Anglicized and newly en-
gaged to a young neighbor. Step-
father has bad an amorous inter-
lude with a captivating widow
while she, it develops, has acquired
an illegitimate son concurrently,
which evens matters up..

Main comedy angle is the fact
she believes her guests to have
been poisoned by an anonymous
'gift of caviar, arid proceeds to ren-
der them immune by a disguised
emetic. Another Baltic coup de’etat
cancels out her grandiose plans
and her menfolk settle happily to
rusticity while she gaily, plans an-
other Continental engagement to
meet her discreetly secluded
younger sri. ,

Chief support to Miss Arnaud
comes from Cyril Raymond, as her
bucolic spouse, and Marian Spen-
cer, attractive and worldly, as his
mistress. The’ young couple are
pleasantly portrayed by Ann Wal-
ford and Terence Alexander, While
the political jugglers are convinc-
ingly tepresented by William
Mervyn and Carl Jaffe. James
Sharkey gives a colorful perform-
ance as a Hungarian waiter insis-
tent on maintaining the regal dig-
nity of his employer. Play is
skillfully directed by Wallace
Douglas. Clem.

Richard Skinner filing in as
company manager on “Pajama
Game” for Carl Fisher : this week
and perhaps longer, while latter
rests from his recent operation.

Leonard Heritor, whose last show
on Broadway was “Dead Pigeon,”
is putting the finishing touches on
his new vehicle, “One is a Lonely
Number,” which formerly went
under th'd name of ‘ “September
Blood.” • Between plays, Kantor
was on the Coast* whipping a scen-
ario into shape for Sam Goldwyn
Jr.

John Koenig, Broadway arid Coast
stage designer, whose last N.Y.
stint was last season’s “What Every
Woman Knows” at City Center, is
spending the summer working on
the staff of the Virginia State Mu-
seum, in Richmond, prior to re-
turning to Frisco in ‘the fall.

Sammy Schwartz, who did it in
the national company, is playing
the lead role of Nathan Detroit in
“Guys' & Dolls” again at Somerset
Playhouse, Somerset; . Jtaassi, all
this week.

After a summer that began with
playing Creon in the Salute to
France .“Medea” in Paris, followed
by stays in London, Copenhagen,
.Rome, Barcelona, Mallorca, Madrid
and Lisbon, actor Arnold Moss ar-
rives in N. Y. tomorrow (Thurs.).

Director. Arthur Sircom, cur-
rently in. N. Y., following the wind-
up of his summer stint for the
Lpuisville (Ky.) Park Theatrical
Assn., heads for Honolulu shortly,
where he’ll be managing director-
of the community theatre there,
which is scheduled to begin its
1955-56 season in mid-October
with “Desperate Hours.” Produc-
tion sked* also, includes “Time Out
For Ginger,” “Kismet,” “Gigi,” |
Pajama Game” and possibly “Wit-
ness for the Prosecution,”

Jerry Laws has been appointed
stage director of “Porgy and Bess,”
currently touring South America
^ Kathleen Garroll, daughter of
playwright Paul Vincent Carroll,
working as editorial assistant in
the N. Y. office of the Catholic
Digest mag . . . “Rhom,” by Larry
Ward and Gordon Russell, has
been optioned for Broadway' pro-
duction by Robert Simon and John
Marley, with the latter skedded to
double as director.

Paul Vroom and Adna Karns
have teamed up to produce “Mor-
gan Rqck,” by Philip Pruneau,
who was last represented on
Broadway by “Cellar and the
Well.” The pair are also slated to
work together on a new musical,
“Heavenly Bodies,” which Karns
will produce, with Vroom acting as
general manager . * . A new eve-
ning course on the modern Ameri-
can theatre, Which will include at-

road vomp^ny edition of the mu-
sical , , , Lett Erickson will replace
Andrew Duggan as the lead male
In “Anniversary Waltz” wheii the
longrun comedy begins touring
next Sept.' 26. . ' -

Louis M, Simon, director of the
American Theatre Wing's, profes-
sional training program, scheduled
to make his Broadway managerial
debut this Season with Frank Juer-
Hri's “I Got Shoes” . . . John
O’Hara's **You Are My Sister,” pre-
previously tagged,. “The Sisters,”
skedded Broadway production in
October by Richard Aldrich &
Richard Myers . . .. Paul Muni has
extended his original nine-month
contract as star of .“Inherit the
Wind” until May 31, 1957. :

Ken Parker’s “Surrounding Mist”
has been optioned for Broadway
production by. John C. Edson and
his wife, Kay, who presented the
play on for two performances last
Friday-Saturday (19-20) at the
Soriierville High School; Ridge-
wood, N.J., with the cast com-
prised of members of the Curtain
Time Players,

George Keating, producer-direc-
tor of . the Studio M Playhouse,
Miami,- Fla., returned to Miami
yesterday (Tues.) after a. week in
N. Y. scouting new scripts. He’s
contemplating producing a 1 Broad-
way- show, for which he claims he
already has the backing . . . Bar-
ney Biro off to Bermuda for four
weeks of stock . . . Kathryn Dar-
rell, most recently with the Louis
G. Cowan , agency, - has been ap-
pointed managing director -of the
1355-56 Equity Library Theatre
season, succeeding Mrs. Sally Har-
ing, who’s, gone into commercial
production on a fulltime basis.

Hugh MacIVlullan, vet film pro-
ducer-director-writer, will head a
new professional training program
for students of Pasadena ‘(Cal.)
Playhouse College of Theatre Arts.
He will be dean of the college.

.Chicago

Veteran actress Gertrude Bond-
hill, who has- been in retirement
in Chicago, has .entered the Ac-
tors Fund home in Englewood, N.J.
Arrangements were handled .by
Erlanger Theatre manager Qeorge
Wilriiot, the Funds’ Chi rep, and
Betty Mitchell of the American
Federation of Television-Radio
Artists office.

Because of previous commit-
ments of some of the principals,
the Highland Park, 111., Music The-
atre has cancelled plans to extend
its "season an additional two weeks
for a repeat of “Guys & Dolls.”

Los Angelos

Gordon Pollack, Broadway pro-
ducer, in town N for huddles with
'Alex Gottlieb on castings for lat-

teridance at four Broadway Plays ter’s new play, “Wake Up, Dar-
and two off-Broadway productions, Tnng,’ r to star Barry Nelson and

will be offered during the fall term
by NYU’s division of general edu-
cation, with director-actor Hugh
Price Fellows as instructor. Cost
of tickets to the shows caught will
be included in the. tuition fee.

John B. Ryan 3d is continuing
with plans for the .production of
he musical, “Saturday Night,”
which he was scheduled to co-
produce with Lemuel Ayers, who
died Aug. 14 ... Jo Mielziner and
Alvin Colt will respectively design
the scenery and costumes for
‘Pipe Dream,” slated to open Nov.
30 at the Shubert, N. Y. ... Gil-
bert Miller has acquired the screen
rights to Agatha Christie’s “Wit-
ness for the Prosecution,” which
he’s currently co-sponsoring, on
Broadway with Peter Saunders.

Arthur Cantor will pressagent
David Susskind’s forthcoming pro-
duction of , Robert. Alan Aurthur’s
“A Very Special Baby” . . , Drum-
beater Bob . Ganshaw, currently
with the Bill Doll office, while
Doll is on the Coast for the “Plain
and Fancy” national company
preem at the Philharmonic Audi-
torium. L. A., next Monday (29),
will be Ben Kornzweig’s associate
on the Phoenix Theatre, N. Y., and
Chalk Garden” . . . The off-Broad-
way 4th Street Theatre will pre-
sent a cycle of four Chekhov plays
beginning Oct. 17.

The Tyrone Guthrie Awards
Committee of the Stratford Shakes-
pearean Festival in Ontario . has
awarded a $1,500 scholarship to
Clarence Wilson, a member of the
production department of the Fes-
tival for the last two seasons, with
another $4,000 going to the Fes-
lval Drama School . . . Ann Shoe-
maker and Arthur Jarrett have
succeeded Evelyn Varden and
Thomas Chalmers in “Bad Seed.”

Ann Hennessey and Allen Jo-
seph have replaced Vivian Nathan
and Stuart Germaine in “Anas-
asia,” which reopened last Mon-
day (22) night 'after a five-week
vacation . , . Dran Seitz has taken
over for Barbara Cook in the
Broadway cbiripany of “Plain arid
“ancy,” with the latter duplicating
tier Original assignment in the

Polly Bergen,, with Christmas, op-
ening in N.^Yv. . '. William Gargan
takes Over the Karl Malderi role in
“Desperate Hours/’ opening Aug.
-2 at AlcazOr Theatre, Frisco, mid
Carthay Circle, L. A M Oct. 10 ; . .
Stephen Paplch set to handle
choreography fo? “The Fountain
of Youth/’ Fernando Laraas-Jariet
Blair starrer, which hits the Hunt-
ington Hartford . Theatre ip the
fall. . .Don Taylor made his debut
as a director, staging “Oh, Men,
Oh, Worrien” dt La . Jolla Play-
house, which opened its two-week

run last night ..(Tues.).

PAUL GREEN RAISES VOICE

Deplores Old Classmate's Stand
Against Desegregated Schools

.v Raleigh, N. C?., Aug. 23.

Gov. Luther Hodges’ plea for
“voluntary* segregation” c in North
Carolina’s public “schools, voided
last week .over a statewide radio
and tv hookup had' one* of ‘the
largest audiences any state,, official
has commanded in Tar Heel his-
tory. Every, tv station and virtually
all of the state’s radio stations were
in on the hookup.

Playwright Paul Green; of
Chapel Hill, longtime friend and
University of North Caroling . class-
mate of Gov, Hodges, wired the
governor that he had hoped
Hodges, “in a time of crisis,” would
face with courage, tact and good
faith the difficult educational task
set before- you.

“From what I knew of you in
college and over the years, I ex-
pected that/’ Green telegraphed.
“Therefore I was very much Sad-
dened and surprised tonight in
your radio and television address
to hear not the voice of leadership
and brave idealism, but rather the
old familiar message of ari ancient
and reactionary South. Forgive me,
but that is what I heard, though I
leaned hard to* listen for something
else.”

Wednesday, August 24, 1955

PUBSIEff

Barn Op Decries 'Cover-Up’

Continued W6m p*tf# IT

prefers to stsy quietly at borne
when an extended heatwave hits,
.them.

'* As an example of- how bad it
has been, one very popular star,
’who had just come to us from a
.long established" and successful
summer theatre, showed me a re-
port which listed a gross of a
little over $2,700 for the week.
.The part package sans resident
actors and staff, came to Well* over
$3,500 ftir the weak. This did not
include royalties; the latest scourge
— the hooking fee; rent; electri-
city; insurance; publicity, or any
of the many expenses of the thea-
tre, This theatre dropped between
$3,000 and $4,000 for the one week?
•The star usually averages between
•$7,000 aiid $10,000 bdxoffice — in
■ well-established, playhouses.

In Variety, one expects to find
fact, not fiction. It is primarily
-for the trade, hot the public, and
should reflect the truth in our
.field. What happens is that . AP
and UP pick up the misinforma-
tion and pass it on to the public
as truth. The play agents, actors’
agents and Equity begin to accept
it as fact and our costs go higher
* and higher, not only, hi our own
fields, , but with our local vendors*
particularly our landlords, who are
under the misconception that we
are all rolling iri Wealth. Between
.heat and hurricane, the apathy of
the public has gone steadily lower
and , I for one Will not hesitate
to say that my playhouse is having
a life and death Struggle for exist-

*Like* $4,500, Olney .

Olney, Md., AUg. 23.

' Second week of “As You Like It”
kC.eboun.ded to a comfortable '$4,500
at Olney Theatre, after Hurricane
Connie had eut business well below
that during the initial stanza.

“Time of Your Life” opened at
the sirawhatter last night (Mon.)
for a fortnight run. It is the final
attraction of the season for , the
Players Inc. company which oper-
ates the theatre.

ence.

Gail Hillson.

( Ed. note : Miss Hillson is prez
•mid pfoducer-director of Triple
Cities Playhouse, Binghatnpton,
N. Y. Barn’s 1955 sked has in-
cluded Jeffrey Lynn in “Caine Mu-
tiny. Court Martial ” Shelley Win -
. ters in “ Wedding Breakfast”
Ethel Waters in “ Member of the
Wadding” Brian Donlevy in ’* King
of Hearts h and Basil Rathbone in
“ Winslow Boy,” The season winds
up next week with Farley Granger
in “.Rainmaker."

’Singing’ $7,300, Saratoga
Saratoga, N, Y.» Aug. 23.

The tryout of “ Hear You Sing-
ing" starring Kim Hunter and
featuring Enid Markey, hit a
medium financial note, with gross
of approximately $7,300, in the

587-seat Spa Summer Theatre last
week at $3.30 top.

Intense heat and other factors
figured. Earley Granger in “The
Rainmaker" is. current.

‘Ginger’ HG, PhilIy .

' Philadelphia, Aug* 23.

“Time Out for Ginger," with Al-
bert Pekker and Edith Atwater,
did a Very, comfortable $11,000 last
week at the Playhouse in the Park.
This was considerably over what
management expected In view of
all peek’s bad weather, culminat-
ing in visit of Hurricane Plane (or
its : effects) Thursday and Friday
(18-19), which resulted in the flood-
ing of various parts of FairmoUnt
Park, but didn’t, too seriously af-
fect:* the municipally-operated the-
atre in West Fairmount. Park,
which is located on a high plateau.

Current attraction is “Come
Back, Little Sheba," with Maureen
Stapleton and Myron McCormick
in the leads.

WESTPORT

COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE

| POST ROAD,WESTP<MD;Ce*ft.' AUt-COOL^ J

GERAUHNE PAGE
Is TERRIFIC!

Don't Miss Her

THIS WEEK ONLY

A LOT OF LAUGHS
A GAY EVENING

FRANCHOT TONE

In "OH MEN! OH WOMEN! 11 :
PLAYING NEXT WEEK
UNTIL LABOR DAY
Juft Call COhimbus 5-6161

’Shadow’ 4G, Stockbridge
Stockbridge, Mass., Aug. 23.

. Along, with other New England
spots, the . Berkshire Playhouse
here took it on the chin from the
aftermath of Hurricane! Diane. Off
to an encouraging start and a good
press, “Shadow and Substance,”
starring SheDpard Strudwick and
featuring Deidre Owens and
Ephem Zimbalist Jr., eked out a
$4,000 . gross last week. The tor-
rential rains that started Thursday
night (18) resulting in a guberna-
torial state of emergency proclama-
tion by the weekend, and withered
the Saturday performances’ cus-
tomers to the smallest in the
house’s, records.

“Time Out for Ginger" js sched-
uled this week, starring Anne Sey-
mour, and featuring Deidre Owens
and Philip Faversham. The latter
was with the company the initial
two weeks. Season winds up with
“The Caine Mutiny Court Martial”
Sept. 29. . Bowing to heat and
humidity, this is' the first in sev-
eral seasons, that director William
'j Miles is not extending his season
for an extra week.

Director Available ,

a • •

September 15th, completing second
successful teuton with Equity stock
company. Interested In winter’ stock
or established community theater. Ex-
cellent’ background, personal and pro-
fessional.

Write: Box V 82255, VARIETY,

154 West 46th St., Now York, N. Y.

’Heart’s* $1,800, Cross Eight '
Falmouth, Mass., Aug. 23.

“King of Hearts” last week
pulled Cross Right Stage out of
the slump caused by the Hurricane
Connie . .threat the previous stanza.
The . comedy racked up the second
highest gross of the season at the
296-seater, with the take hitting
almost $1,800 at a $2 top.

“Lady's Not For Burning,” the
current bill, sold out opening night
and has a good advance for the re-
mainder of the week.

DeSica Plans Return

To Stage in Winter

Rome, Aug, 18. -
After a long motion picture in-
terlude as actor and director, Vit-
torio DeSica plans a return to the
stage this winter. He will direct
two plays for the 7 Stoppa-MorelU
company, headed by Paplo Stoppa
and Rina Mprelli, and including
Eleonora Rossi-prago, a pic actress
making her legit debut; Marcello
Mastroianni. and Mario Pisu,
DeSica will direct Pirandello’s
“Questa Sera si Recita a Soggetto"
and likely Clifford Odets,’ “Coun-
try Girl.” The other director of
the company, .Luchino. Visconti,
will stage Tennessee Williams’
“Cat tin Hot Tin Roof" and Che-
chov’s “Uncle Vanja." Company
debuts here at the Eliseo, Dec. 13,
and then moves to Milan’s Nuovo
next February, Then it goes on
a nationwide tour.

? TO!

“Bad Seed,” currently in its 38th
week on . Broadway, will begin
touring .in- mid-September as a
Theatre Guild-American .Theatre
Society subscription entry. That’s
if the management doesn’t make
a last-minute decision to move the
play into another Broadway bouse.

Nancy Kelly, who resumed her
starring role in the Playwrights Co.
production Aug. 8 after a four-
week vacation, will remain with
the show on the road. “Seed” is
at the Coronet Theatre, which has
been booked for a Sept. 29 opening
of Kermit Bloomgarden's produc-
tion of “A View From the Bridge,”
starring Van Heflin.

“Seed," the Maxwell Anderson
adaptation of* William March’s
novel, which has been on twofers
during the summer months, drop-
ped $3,770 during the' five weeks
ending last July 20. That reduced
the total profit on the play to
$142,129. The production had pre-
viously dropped $3,421 for the four
weeks ending last June 25, with
a total loss of $7,191 for the nine
weeks covering June and July.

For the five weeks ending July
30, the show took an operating
loss of $5,257 on the first three
frames, but made a $1,487 profit
oh the last two stanzas, reducing
the _ month-long loss to $3,770.
, During that period, office expense
and Anderson’s royalty were waiv-
ed on all but the week ending
July 30, when they were reduced
75%. Designer George Jenkins also
waived his royalty on three of the
five, frames, while rentals were
waived on- two stanzas.

The profit distribution on “Seed”
as of July 30 was $112,000; The
production was capitalized at
$78,000.,

Swedish Play To Preem
At UV of Minn. Theatre

Minneapolis; Aug. 23.

U. of Minnesota Theatre will
celebrate its silver anniversary this
season by offering five major pro-
ductions, In addition ta an ex-
tensive program of arena, labora-
tory and children’s presentations.

Attractions are “Annie Get Your
Gun,” “The Crucible,” “Thieves’
Carnival,” “King Lear” and the
first American production of con-
temporary Swedish playwright
Ragnar Josephson’s “Perhaps a
Poet.”

Children’s offerings will include
“Huckleberry Finn” and “Let’s
Make an Opera.”

• • e

show people rate
special rates l

At the comfortable, modern John lartram Hotel
. * • right “Jn the wings" of all

Philadelphia theatres and night ipotl*

John Bartram Hotel

Broad Street at Locust, Philadelphia, Pa.
WM. H. HAKNED, Gen. Mur.

The off-Broadway 4th Street
Theatre begins its 155-56 season in
October with Chekhov’s “Cherry
Orchard,” adapted by Stark Young
. . . The “Oedipus Rex” production
current at the Shakespearean Fes-
tival, Stratford, Ont., is scheduled
to be repeated oh Broadway next
January, with most of the com-
pany also doubling in a new pro-
duction of Christopher Marlowe’s
“Tamburlaine the ‘Great.”

Ellen Parker will appear with
Maria Rlva in “Tender Trap” at
the Ivorytown (Conn.) Playhouse
next Week . . . William Roth will
star in “Anna Lucasta” at the
Montclair (N. J.) Summer Theatre
next week . . . The Old Dominion
Foundation, Inc., N. Y., is con-
tributing $30,000 to the Barter
Theatre, Virginia, to be paid out
at the rate of $10,000 per year for
the neptt three years . . . Sandra
Church is appearing this week in
“Picnic” at the Oguhquft (Me.)
Playhouse in the role she essayed
on Broadway as Janice Rule’s re-
placement.

The Pickwick Players have ex-
tended their season at the Rockland
County Playhouse, Blauvelt, N.Y.,
an additional two weeks. The
group was originally slated to
wind up Sept. 5 . . . The manage-
ment' of the Cape Playhouse, Den-
nis, Mass., presented Shirley Booth
with a gold . St. Genesius medal
(Patron Saint of Actors) last Satur-
day (20), on the stage of the thea-
tre, following the final performance
of “Come Back, Little Sheba,” the
closer in a four-player festival star-
ring the actress . . . Andrew Mc-
Cullough is staging the Theatre-by-
the-Sea, Matunuck, R.I., produc-
tion of “Debut,” which begins a
week’s run next Monday (29).

IEBITDUTB

■% •

$210,377 Loss Taken
On $240^000 ’Flowers’

, “House of Flowers” wound up
a 164-performance Broadway run
last May J81 at a *$10, 377 loss on a
$240,000 investment. That was di-
vulged in a recently-issued ac-
counting tin the Saint Subber pro-
duction.

During its final four weeks at
the Alvin Theatre, N. Y., the Tru-
man Capote-Hafold Arlen musical
dropped. $7,321, including a $182
profit on two of the four frames
and a $537 take on souvenir book
royalties. Closing expenses ac-
counted for another 17 $9,438.

The musical oost $239 701 to pro-
duce.

W REPAYS 102G NUT,
PLUS 8G FIRST PROFIT

“Cat on a. Hot Tin Roof/’ cur-
rently in its 23d week on Broad-
way, has repaid its $102,000 in-
vestment. As of last July 20, the
total distribution on the Play-
wrights Co. production Was $118,-
000. That covered the backers’ total
contribution, including 20% over-
call, plus $16,000. profit divvy, of
which the investors gpt the cus-
tomary one-half.

For the five weeks ending July
20, the Tennessee Williams drama,
racked up an operating profit of
$32,349. However, expenses total-
ing $2,062 reduced that figure to
$30,287. That brought the total net
profit on the production to $52,189.

The balance available for future
distribution as of July 30 was
$2,599. The Barbara Bel Geddes-
Burl Ives starrer, incidentally, is
the only Broadway entry besides
“Damn Yankees” to maintain a
sellout pace during the summer
slump period.

StilUforthcorrting is income from
the £ale of the film rights to Metro
for $500,000, plus a percentage of
the picture gross. On the basis of
the regular 60-40 split between au-
thor and production, the latter
gets approximately $200,000, less
fees and expenses.

“Cat” is at the Morosco, N. Y.,
where it preemed last March 24.

Villa-Lobos To Baton
Houston Symph In ’56

Houston, Aug. 23.
Heitor Villa - Lobos, Brazilian
composer-conductor, will conduct
he Houston Symphony Orchestra
'eb. 6. He will be one of several
ulsters to be picked to letid
the -group next season by orches-
tra’s new head, Leopold Stokowski.

Andres Segovia, guitar virtuoso,
will perform the same evening
Villa-Lobos conducts.

125G Berkshire Grant

Boston, Aug. 23.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra
was given a grant of $125,000 by
the Rockefeller Foundation to be
used, for music scholarships. The
grant is part of $5,686,004 given
by the Foundation during the sec-
ond quarter of 1955 for studies
ranging from music to solar energy.

Contribution to the Hub orch
will be used to provide scholar-
ships for young musicians to study
at the Berkshire Music Center,
Lenox, Mass., which was opened in
1940 by the Boston Symphony Or-
chestra with partial Foundation as-
sistance. The grant will go into
the Tanglewood Revolving Scholar-
ship Fund.

By BOB DOWNING

“On a Shoestring" by Will Mor-
rissey (Willdon Paul; $3), is the au-
tobio of 1 the venerable producer
and amiable jackknapes who, for
years, has been known as The
Shoestring King. It is safe to., as-
sume that the ms. as Morrissey’s
book was typed with a shoestring
instead of a ribbon. The author is
a monument of consistency. While
he rumbled, snored and sang his
sometimes . brand-soaked memories
into an unpaid-for tape-recorder,
his typist went without salary, and
his printer at last mercifully ter-
minated the peroration with de-
mands for money.

Edwin Corle, the novelist, one of
Morrissey’s Santa Barbara drinking
pals, started to edit the showman’s
recollections, but gave it up. Corle
adds a closing chapter, ‘however,
nothing that Morrissey should ded-
icate this book to “the fun he
has had in his long and rich
life — and all that fun, of course,
was ‘on a shoestring’.”

At one time or another, , it seems
that Morrissey has known, pro- 1
inoted and Owed almost everyone
in show_bjz. Bing Crosby, Martha
Raye, Hugh Herbert, Milton Berle,
Jack Oakie, Mickey Rooney, Joan
Lesie, Grade Allen, Jack Pepper,
Hal Le Roy, Donald O’Connor and
Peggy Ryan have' all “suffered"
when the ghost failed to walk on
Morrissey turkeys. -

Morrissey began as a songwriter
in the Delmonicti; era, composing
“The Girl From Harlem," a ditty
that pleased. Cohan. He wrote
other songs (he claims some sort of
paternity for “My Melancholy
Baby”); he produced dozens of re-
vues and plays, with and without
backing; he had success with “The
Gorilla”; he was in Hollywood in
silent days, making headlines when
he was jailed for exchanging .fisti-
cuffs with Tom Mix (the star got
sore at Morrissey for using “Tom
Dix, a drugstore cowboy" as a char-
acter in one of his shows).

Morrissey remembers everything
and everyone with varying accura-
cy. .If each celebrity mentioned in
his tome, bought a copy, Morrissey
wouldn't have , to worry about his
latest enterprise, The Shoestring
Uranium Mine!

The guy who buys this book will
have a collector's item — of some
sort

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COXCERl - OPEnA

The N. Y. Philharmonic-Sym-
phony will fly to Europe Sept. 3
on a five-week tour that will in-
clude stops at Edinburgh, Vienna,
Brussels, Berlin, Paris, Geneva,
Basle, Berne,. Zurich, Milan,
Perugia, Home, Kapils, Athens,
and London. Orch will play 26
concerts in 31 days, . Dimitri
Mitropoulos conducting 19, Guido
Cantelli five and George Szell two.
Budget for the tour is Set at ap-
proximately $273,000, With the
orch likely -to run into the red
from $80,000 to $90,000 on the
trip.

Orch last spring completed a
five-week American transcontinen-
.:tal tour, with a deficit of. $31,000
; oil the $191,000 take.

This marks the first time that a
XI. S. symph is making two such
long treks (coast-to-coast and over-
seas) in one year. Trip abroad will
also mark the first time for a U. S.
symph in Athens, as well as the
, first visit of the Philharmonic . to
Switzerland and some Italian
cities. Highspot of the tour will be
the return of Mitropoulos, the
Philharmonic’s musical director, to
hi? native Athens for the first time
siiice 1936.

Lyric Theatre Opera
. Gets 102G Chi Advance

Chicago, Aug. 23, ,
Recently-ended sales, drive for
its subscrip tion^series has brought
in a $102,000 advance for the
Lyric theatre’s expanded fall sea-
son which' opens Oct. 31. For its
second season,, the non-profit -resi-
dent opera company has scheduled
24 productions over a seven-week
span, compared to. 16 in three
weeks last year. *

Because of the more ambitious
roster, the company is. anticipating
a slightly higher deficit that the
$14,000 red ink figure registered
for the overall 1954 Operations.
This year expenses are being esti-
mated at $5110,000, compared to
the $287,666 spent the first season.
Ticket sales are calculated to bring
in $469,000, leaving a projected
$41,000 deficit.

Orch originally didn’t have Ber-
lin and Vienna in its itinerary.
State Dept., however, was very
anxious for it to go there for po-
litical reasons. Via ANTA’s Inter-
national Exchange Program, State
had allotted $50,000 to the orch
for overseas' passage money, and
It added another $i2,000 to cover
the extra touring involved in the
Berlin-Vienna dates. In addition, a
Greek-American philanthropist,
Basil Peter Goulandris, donated
$25,000 to the orch to insure the
Athens visit. Income from fees
should v be around $108,000. .

Orch will use three KLM planes,
two for personnel, one for bag-
gage. It will return to N. Y. Oct.
7 i as first rehearsal for its 114th
season here set for Oct. 17, with
first Carnegie Hall concert Oct. 20,

L’ville Orch’s 400G Boon
To Composer; See Symoh
Outdrawing Basketball

Discussing how “Louisville (Ky.)
Cashes In On, Culture," in the cur-
rent Harper’s, William Manchester
reports that "the new Louisville
prefers to think of itself as the
home of musicians and bibliophiles
— a place where the local philhar-
monic orchestra' outdraws the uni-
versity basketball team and a pub-
lic library card entitles the holder to.
take out any reasonable, number of
hooks, five long-playing records, a
feature-length film, a framed
painting— and, if it is raining, an
umbrella.” .

Manchester mentions the Louis-
ville Fund, “an annual community
chest of the arts whose benefici-
aries include a children’s theatre,
a' philharmonic chorus, a dance
council, an opera association, an
art center, a junior art gallery, and
a philharmonic orchestra."

The Louisville Philharmonic
Society, he reports, "really got go-
ing in 1937 when Robert Whitney,
the present conductor, was brought
from Chicago. Its budget then was
only $7,000; today it is $360,000;
and last year its audiences totaled
93,000. Whitney traces its growth
to two suggestions from Mayor
Charles Farnsley, who advised him
to reduce the orchestra to 50
pieces, the classic size, and to hold
premieres of modern compositions.

“Last year, this venture Into new
music wai^ expanded with a Rocke-
feller grant of $400,000, to finance
the commissioning of 43 orchestral
premieres and two new operas an-
nually for four years. Ten works
each year are by students, one-
third are from composers outside
the United States, and once a
month the orchestra records a new
composition with Columbia. This
enterprise has now become one of
the most massive sources of In-
come and encouragement for seri-
ous composers anywhere in the
world."

The MacDoweli Colony in Peter-
borough, N. H., which has been a
summer residence for 457 writers,
194 composers and 144 artists and
sculptors since it was founded in
1910 by the late composer, Edward
MacDoweli, will hereafter remain
open the year round.

Paris, Aug. 23.

Jacques Ibert, w.k. Gallic conir
poser, was notified in Horile via
telephone that he had been ap-
pointed to head the Lyric Theatre,
under state subsidation, in Paris.
This is comprised of the Opera ahd
Opera-Comique. Ibert has accepted
the post for oneL year and begins
next October in the post recently
vacated by Maurice Lehmann. Ibert
will also Continue at his post as
head of the Villa Medici, French
music, center, in Rome. He got the
nod over top contender A. M,
Julien, who was the prexy of the
recent International Festival of
Dramatic Arts here.

Ibert is known for his classic
works such as “Escale," Concerto
•For Flute - and “Divertissement"
and has also done film music plus
various theatrical musical chores.
He has not made any comments
as yet as to the tack he will take in
handling the Opera, but it is felt
he will continue in the genre of
big spec production,, which Leh-
mann instituted to put the Optra
in the black, plus a leaning towards
more additions to the repertoire.
The National Ballet -will also be
under his jurisdiction.

Longhair Disk Reviews

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5
(Capitol). Good, workmanlike
reading by the Pittsburgh ;<Symph
under Steinberg, marked by clar-
ity and insight, though a little slug-
gish at times.

Stravinsky: Rite of . Spring &
Petrouchka (Columbia). . Two mod-
ern-day classics get classical, high-
grade and hi-fi treatment from the
Philadelphia Orch under Ormandy.

Milanov Recital (RCA Victor).
Zinka Milanov is an exquisite
singer (When in " form), better-
sounding in opera excerpts than in
lieder. But here she does some
choice work on German art and
Yugo folk songs

Other disks of interest: A gem-
uhtlich Strauss “Symphonia Dom-
estica" (Camden); a persuasive,
flavorsome Vivaldi "Seasons" by
the N.Y. Philharmonic under Can-
telli (Columbia);, vigorous, melo-
dic reading of S c h u m a n n &
Brahms Sonatas by violinist Rafael
Druian and pianist John Simms
(Mercury); powerful, expressive
performance of Ravel’s "La Valse"
(plus some Delibes and Strauss) by
pianist Leonard Pennario (Capitol).

Also: Solid, appealing reading of
the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto
by Conrad Hansen, aided by the
RIAS Symph under Sawaliisch
(Remington); Mozart Soprano
Arias> appealingly, proficiently
sung by Hilde Zadek with Vienna
Symph support (Epic); little-known
Moniuszko “Halka” opera, pleas-
ant, flavorsome and melodious, :
very efficiently done by the Mos-
cow Bolshoi Theatre (Colosseum);
beautiful, stylish* playing by Ye-
hudi Menuhin (and orch support)
in a Vivaldi Concerto, Handel Son-
ala and Bach Double Co*c K rio,
[last-named with Gioconda ' to
I (RCA Victor). Br.on,

Frisco Pops Concerts
Score With 43G~in Nine

San Francisco, Aug, 23.

The nine just-concluded . pops
concerts of the San Francisco Art
Commission grossed; $43,229, Jo-
seph Dyer, tho, commission’s secre-
tary, reportqd this week.

Three of the concerts, scaled
from 30c.. to $2,30 for 5,400 seats
in the Civic Auditorium, were com-
plete sellouts* according to Dyer,
anfi some 1,500 persons were
tutped away at the last two con-
certs.

Arthur . Fiedler and. the San
Francisco Symphony, assisted' by
local, and name artists, were the
summer series attractions.

i •

Opera Spurts in Houston

Houston, Aug. 23.

One of Houston’s biggest seasons
of opera is slated for 1955-56, with
six productions due between No-
vember and June. Partly respon-
sible for the upsurge is a new
opera company chartered here only
this/ month. .Named the Houston
Grand Opera Assn., it Will stage
Strauss’ “Salome" and Puccini’s
“Madame Butterfly” next January.

Musical director is Walter Her-
bert. Herbert completed 11 years
as director of the New Orleans
Opera House Assn, last summer.
Local talent will be used in sup-
porting parts, with w.k. stars im-
ported for top roles.

“Salome" will be performed Jan.
19-20, “Madame Butterfly" Jan. 26-
27. All performances 1 will be in
'the municipal Music Hall, which
seats 3,124 persons with folding
chairs. A $900,000 remodelling job
was completed on. the hall last
October, including air conditioning.

Herbert will not spend a full
season here. He will have similar
chores in Denver for the opera
association there, and is slated to
work in Jackson, Miss., also.

Vet manager Edna Saunders,
marking her 38th season tof opera
booking, will bring the Met Opera
Assn- in with “Lucia di Lammer-
moor” and “The. Marriage of
Figaro" next May 14-15. She will
also sponsor a double-bill of
Menotti’s “The Medium" and “The
Telephone" on Nov. 11, and a
Wagner Opera Co. production Nov,
19-20,

All of Mrs. Saunders’ productions
will be staged in the air condi-
tioned Music Hall. In her 13 previ-
ous seasons of Mot presentations,
Mrs. Saunders has used the roomy
but hot City Auditorium, oldstyle
“opera house" built in 1912.

Formation of the .resident. or
company came fast on the heels of
a new ballet school which was
formed here with the aim of even-
tual productions. The school is
headed by Tatiana Semenova, ex-
director of Baton Rouge’s Ameri-
can Youth Ballet;

Art patron Mrs. Louis Lobit has
been elected temporary, chairman
of the new opera company. Twenty
hackers headed by Mrs. McClel-
land Wallace are behind the ballet
school. '

Announcements of the ballet and
opera plans ■ add crackle to a cul-
tural atmosphere already sparked
by the coming of Leopold Stokow-
ski, who will guide the ^Houston
Symphony Orchestra as musical di-
rector for the next three years.

Beecham Mulls .Herrmann
‘Wuthering’ Opera in Brit

London, Aug. 23.
Sir Thomas Beecham is consider-
ing a London production of a new
opera, “Wuthering Heights,” by
Bernard Herrmann, Hollywood
composer and conductor.

Hermann wrote both the book
and music, basing the story on
the w.k. novel. Opera requires
seven characters, no chorus, and a
big orchestra.

Little Singers Due

. The 32-voice Little Singers of
Paris, boys choir, arrive in the
U. S. Sept. 19 to begin a 12- week
tour of this country and Canada.

Directed by Msgr. Fernand
Maillet, group will offer close to
50 concerts, starting with a Sept,
23 performance in Constitution
Hall, Washington. Leon Cosmetto
is U. S. hooker.

Wednesday, August 24, 1955

■■ 1 11 I

Inside Staff-Concerts

' - 01

Having found out that its New York premiere of Sir. William Wal-
ton's new opera, “Troilus and Cressida,” Dot. 20, conflicted, with the
opening of the N. Y. Philharmonic’s season that same evening, the

N. Y. City Opera Co. is delaying the premiere by one day to Oct. 21.

• ■ *

Frederic V. Grunfeld, music and record critic (he. does commentaries
for NBC and Mutual), has been signed by the Oxford University Press
to write "Music apd Recordings, 1055,’.’. This will be an annual project,
according to present- plains. Each September (starting with this year),
the book will review the musical season throughout the United States,
including outstanding records of the- same period. Edition this year
will cover tfie* 1954^55 season, ending as of June, 1955.

Columbia Artists Mgt prez Frederick C. Schang, Who returned re-
cently from Europe,' settled the Renata Fasano suit while- abroad;
Fasano, former director of the Virtuosi di Roma, had brought suit in
N.Y. Federal Court this spring against impresario Albert Morini and
Columbia, claiming ownership of the,'-' Virtuosi name. Columbia is book-
ing a Morini attraction with that name and disputed Fasano’s assertion.
Suit has been withdrawn following the Schang-Fasano overseas huddle.

•t ^

Quaintahce Eaton, former associate editor of Muslfcal America, has
been commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera Guild to write a book
on the Met Opera tours, to be published in October, 1956, by Farrar
Straus & Young, MiSs Eaton is leaving on a Countrywide tour Sept. 6
to gather- material. She’s particularly anxious to secure data on the
years 1884-91 from anyone who possesses old programs or* scrapbooks
containing material about Met Opera visits/ Miss Eaton has also re*
cently been elected chairman of the new Opera Dept, of the National
Federation of Music Clubs, and will investigate Operatic activity in
each of the 25 cities on the 'tour. ,

Joseph Szigeti will give the new violin sonata by - Ralph Vaughan
Williams its first performances in the United States during the coming -
season— at Rochester, N. Yv, Novi 14; San Francisco, Jan. 10; Van-
couver, Jan. 17, and Seattle, Jan. 19. It is the first violin and' piano
sonata to be written by Vaughan Williams, who is now 83 years old..

Hans Schweiger, conductor of the Kansas City philharmonic and
music director of the Aspen (Colo.) Festival, resigned from the . latter
post last Friday (19). Fest,- which started June 29, runs to Sept. 4,
Schweiger issued a blast on leaving^ saying he was quitting Aspen
“because of unworkable orchestral conditions due to the low pay of the
musicians." He said the board of directors refused to do anything
about the situation, so he quit.

To coincide with the first American performances of Sir William
Walton’s opera, “Troilus and Cressida?’ : in October, Angel Records
will issue an album containing the major scenes. Elisabeth Schwarz-
kopf sings Cressida. Troilus Is sung by fenor Richard Lewis, who cre-
ated the role in the 1954 world premiere at Covent Garden. Lewis
will also sing it in the American premiere by the San Francisco Opera
Oct. 7. The New York premiere of the opera, at City Center, is
scheduled for Oct, 21*

European maestros frequently show up on the roster of U.S. sym-
phonies as guest conductors, yet there’s, very little interchange the
other way, especially among younger men, with the notable exception
of Leonard Bernstein, who’s much in demand overseas. But another
young American conductor is making a splash on European podium*
of late, in Paul Strauss. At one time with Ballet Theatre, Strauss has
been conducting abroad the past two seasons, and during 1954-55 had
engagements in Florence, Vienna, Strasbourg and with Radio Zurich,
Sudwestfunk Baden-Baden, Radio Vienna, Stuttgart Radio and North-
west German Radio (Cologne). Most unusual for an American con-
ductor, he’s been re-engaged for several of these spots for ’55-’56, in
Zurich, Cologne, Strasbourg, Baden-Baden and Vienna. In addition;
he has other dates already set in Munich, Frankfurt, Barcelona and
Rome.

Francis Robinson, Met Opera
assistant manager, to his Tennes-
see ancestral home for two weeks’
vacation. „

Renata Tebaldi, Met Opera and
La Scala Opera lead soprano/ ar-
rived in* N.Y. • yesterday (Tues.)
from Genoa. She’s due to sing this
fall with the San Francisco Opera
Co.

Andor Foldes, pianist, has re-
covered from a serious illness suf-
fered while in Germany, where he
is now. He's been well enough to
do a series of 68 concerts within
the,, last few months, all of them
.abroad. He is coming to the U.S.
early in the fall.

' Pianist Moura Lympany has
canceled all of her concert engage-
ments for a while, including the
Hollywood Bowl, to have a baby
instead. She’s Mrs. Bennet H.
Korn in private life. He’s a radio-
tv exec, now with DuMont.

Rosalyn Tureck, American pian-
ist, moved, last week to London,
but only temporarily. She has sev-
eral months of concerts and re-
cording sessions. She’ll be hack
sometime in January.

Jean Morel returns to America
from Europe Aug. 31 after conduct-
ing the Radio-Diffusion Francaise
Orch in Paris and the Santa Ceci-
lia Symphony in Rome. He leaves
New York directly for Californiar
where he will conduct the San
Francisco Opera Co. performances
of “Louise," “Carmen" and
“Faust."

Jacques Abram, pianist, has been
appointed head of the piano de-
partment at Oklahoma College for
Women, Chickasha, Okla. Abram,
however, will continue his concert
career, and will be heard at New
York’s Town Hall Dec. 1.

Mrs. Herbert Witherspoon of
Denver has been appointed re-
gional chairman for the Metropoli-
tan Opera Auditions of the Air.

Organist Richard Leibert, for
the past 20 years featured soloist
at Radio City Music Hall, N. Y.,
has signed with Giesen & Boomer
for a concert tour during the com-

ing season. He’ll fill his' concert
engagements between other com-
mitments and will continue as
chief organist at the Music Hall.

Ricardo Odnoposoff, violinist,
now on tour in Europe, will return
to the U.S. Jan. 1 for his annual
American concert tour* '

Music critics of the U.S. and
Canada will meet in Louisville
Oct. 7-9 for their third annual
workshop sessions. The workshop
is the second in a series presented
by the American Symphony Or-
chestra League under a Rockefel-
ler Foundation grant.

“Theme and Variations," sym-
phony by Dr. Miklos Rozsa, Holly-
wood composer, will be performed
by the Frankfurt Symphony Or-
chestra, under direction of Georg
Solti, . in September.

Herbert von Karajan negotiating
with the Salzburg Festival and Vi-
enna State Opera tp direct two
operas next Season*-

Mpls. Symph in Tieup
With WDGY for Plugs

Minneapolis, Aug. 23.

Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra
for first time is entering into a tie-
up on a promotion with a radio sta-
tion, WDGY, It has taken over
supervision of the station’s “Sere-
nade” nightly disk jockey shovf
devoted mainly to classical platters.
Promotion also calls for organizing,
a Minneapolis Symphony Radio
Club to help support the orchestra.
Listeners will be invited to be-
come members by payment of a
fee. There’ll be two kinds of sub-
scription, the more expensive one,
$5, entitling the subscriber to re-
ceive programs In advance.

When the orch season resumes
this fall thefe’ll be guest artists
and conductors for interviews on
“Serenade" along* with recorded
prevues of parts of Minneapolis
Symphony programs.

74 CHATTER ' t^RlETY Wednesday,* August 24, 1955

Broadway

Lt. Eddie Davis Jr., son of for-
mer boniface of ' Leon & Eddie’s,
N. Y., being married Sept. 17 to
Sara E. Oberlin, in Mansfield, O.

The Irving Berlins’ summer
place, -in Sullivan County, is in the
(“Diane” rainfalls) flood disaster
area, and one of the bridges, lead-
ing to their retreat at Lew Beach,
wafe washed away. It semi-
marooned Ellin,, the songsmith’s
wife, who has been sojourning
there most of the summer with the
children.

Michael Stern, who first broke
the Major Holohan scandal, when
he was roving European corre-
spondent, for Fawcetts’ True mag
(he has since shifted to Argosy),
is due in Washington next week to
testify in the reopened case about
the OSS officer who was shot be-
hind Italian lines in the last stages
of the war.

Stephen Donienici, former
maitre d’ of the Stork Club Cub
Boom, Whitehall, Palm Beach,
Buffalo Statler, the Sun & Surf
Club, Atlantic Bnach, among oth-
ers, named restaurants manager of
the Plaza Hotel, succeeding Louis
“Gigi” Molinari who resigned last
Spring to' take a similar position at
the Waldorf-Astoria.

Next Monday (29), instead of
Tuesday, is the definite date for
the show biz friends of the retir-
ing Loew’s Theatres executive,
Oscar A. Doob, to foregather at
*‘21 ” to hoist a few and bon voyage
him to Palm Beach, Fla., where he
and Mrs. Doob will settle. Ernie
Emerling, Maurice Bergman and
Art Schmidt are the arrangements
committee.

The “Mr. New York Day,” in
honor of Harry Hershfield, which
Mayor Wagner edicted last spring
and was capped with a Waldorf-
Astoria testimonial dinner to the
70-year-old newspaper columnist-
cartoonist, saw its aftermath this
past weekend with the opening of
the N. Y. Cardiac Home, Yonkers.
It’s the extension -of the (Alfred
J.) McCosker-Hershfield Hospital,
now an enlarged 100-bed, 117-
room, four-story institution.

A highly appropriate' name is
held by the pressagent for Le
Cupidon. Mario Trombone is blow-
ing the horn for that spot.

The Kuchuk-Huchik idyll has
broken up. Agent Benny Kuchuk
and his wife, former model Dor-
othy Huchik, have separated.

Frank Sinatra gets the cover-
story treatment in the upcoming
Time, with the Ezra Goodman-
penned piece bearing the title,
‘‘The Kid from Hoboken.” Though
appearing in the Cinema Section,
the article covers Sinatra’s career
in all show biz fields.

Chicago

Sid Epstein, Wm. Morris act
booker, in Las Vegas for two
weeks.

Jack Pa vis exits the Fulton-Mor-
rissey agency to join Ted Sills
public relations firm.

Orch leader Frank York and
Benny Sharp organizing a benefit
for family of pianist Ray Kenyon
who was killed in a traffic brawl.
Art Goldsmith is rounding up the
acts.

Essaness topper Edwin Silver-
man dispatching Woods Theatre
manager Jack Belasco and press-
agent Paul Montague to N.Y. to
help beat drums for opening of
“Phenix City Story” Sept. 2 at the
State. Silverman has a piece of
film, currently in fifth frame at
the Woods here.

Pic actress Dorothy Towne (Mrs.
Jack Webb) entered Passavant
Hospital Sunday (21) for observa-
tion. She had been accompanying
Webb on his cross-country promo-
tion junket for his “Pete Kelly
Blues” pic.

Paris

By Geiie Moskiwitz

Gilles Gallion, son of director
Yves Allegret, killed in an auto
accident.

Robert Siodmak iri^for discus-
sions oh U, $. distrjb of his Ger-
man pic, “Die Ratten.”

Arthur Krim, Charles Smadja,
Arnold Picker, Joe Bellfort and
Bob Cohn all heading for Rome..

Larry Bachman, U. S. scripter,
through on his way to Rome to
confer on a script he is doing for
production there later this year.

Spencer Tracy and Edward
Dymtryk going through on their
way to Chamonix to begin exteri-
ors on the pic, “The Mountain”
(Par).

Jimmy Davis, U. S. songwriter-
iinger and longtime Paris resident,
off on a tour of the Gallic resorts
with the show from the local
nitery L’EcWfelle Jacob. *

Jean Renoir will do a film star-
ring Ingrid Bergman here in Oc-

tober. It will be a comedy based
On an original script by Renoir
called “Le Coeur A L’Aise” (Rest-
ful Heart);

(28 Rue Huchette; Odeon 49-44)
Charles Chaplip says Paulette
Goddard will be the femme star
of the film he will make in Moroc-
co, Paris and London next season.
This is Miss Goddard’s third pic
with Chaplin.

Boston

By Guy Livingston
McGuire Sisters hosting 1,200
moppet members of their fan club
at Salisbury Beach Frolics Friday
(26).

Three Hub femmes, Barbara
Britanny, Ariadne Jeon and Rae
McLean, now dancing at Radio
City, N. Y.

Ray Anthony on a Saturday
nighter at Totem Pole Ballroom
• (20) carrying out Roy Gill’s season
policy of big names.

Bradford Roof closes Labor Day
. weekend and will be entirely reno-
vated. Owner Ralph Snider and
Boniface A1 Taxier have elaborate
plans for it. '

Barbara Lament joined Phil
Spitalny as bass player in New
York this week. Hub gal was stu-
dent for last 4 years at Berkelee
School of Music, i

Minneapolis

By Les Rees

“Accent on Youth” on view at
Edyth Bush theatre. ,

Hotel Radisson Flame Room has
comedian Sonny Howard.

Morris Efron back with “Solid
Gold Cadillac” at the Lyceum.

Dick and Don Maw, sons of
Ralph Maw, Metro district man-
ager here, and their jazz orchestra
played concert at Walker Art Cen-
ter.

Former longtime dramatic stock
leading lady Marie Gale, widow of
the late A. G. Bainbridge, theatre
operator here, and Mary Seibel,
erstwhile New York tv actress,
daughter of Ev Seibel, United Pa-
ramount Theatres ad-publicity
head here, among those recruited
for cast of a commercial film be-
ing produced by Reid H. Ray Films,
Twin Cities’ studio.

Portland, Ore.

By Ray Feves

Horace Heidt Show at the Audi-
torium Aug. 20.

George Amato has some to,p va-
riety shows inked for his nitery
this fall.

Journal drama editor Arnold
Marks back at his desk after a two-
week trip to California.

“Call Me Madam” at the Port-
land Civic Theater and “The Des-
ert Song” at the Holladay Bowl do-
ing capacity biz.

Evergreen's New Million Dollar
Fox Theater celebrated its first
anni last Friday (12). Manager
Dean Mathews tossed a big shindig.

Scotland

By Gordon Irving

(Glasgow: Kelvin 1,590)

Edinburgh Festival getting wide-
spread coverage via tv.

Gaiety Theatre, Leith, opened up
again with vaude shows.

“Jazz Train” into King’s, Glas-
gow, for two-week stint.

Stan Stennett, Welsh comedian,
set for Empire, Glasgow, Sept. 22.

Eve Boswell, South African chir-
per, topping bill at Empire, Edin-
burgh.

Deep River Boys skedded for
Empire Theatre, Glasgow, in Sep-
tember.

Jack Milroy, comedian of the
burned-out Ayr Gaiety Theatre,
pacted for new revue at Gaiety
Theatre, Leith.

Wilson Barrett Co. bowed out
of Auld Lang Syne territory after
17 years of repertory. Bill Barrett
off on six-months’/ holiday.

By Joe W. Walker

Frankie Laine to open Friday in
Manor Supper Club in North Wild-
wood, following Johnny Ray into
spot.

Sammy Davis Jr. added name to
those inscribed in concrete in front
of Skinny D'Amato's 500 club as
he arrived Friday for week.

Merritt O. Bishop to move Savoy
Restaurant and cocktail lounge
from Texas and Atlantic Ave.
building to Providence and Paci-
fic Aves. in new Strand Motel to
be erected this fall.

Julius La Rosa into Steel Pier
vaudeville. Aug. 28-Sept.4. Les El-
gart band featured in Marine ball-
room. With La Rosa are Artie
Dann as emcee; George Wong
Troupe; and Roy Douglas and Co.

Annual radio and -tv exhibition
opens at Earls Court today (Wed.).

Irwin Corey returns to N. Y. at
the end of this month.

J. Arthur Rank opening a new
suburban theatre in Bayswater
next Monday (29).

Bethe Douglas stars in a BBC-
TV Starlight program from the
radio exhibition next Wed. (31),

The Azuma Kabuki Dancers,
who are appearing at the Edin-
burgh; festival, make their debut
at Covent Garden Opera House on
Sept. 12.

Herman Levy, TOA general
counsel, among the industry guests
to the Royal Naval Film Corpora-
tion dinner at the Greenwich Nav-
al Academy.

Tom O’Brien M.P., general sec-
retary of National Assn, of Thea-
trical and Kine Employees, cele-
brated his 55th birthday by dealing
with unofficial strikes at the stu-
dios.

Cantinflas arrived last week ac-
companied by impresario Jacques
Gelman, for liis role in Todd-AO’s
“Around World in 80 Days,” and
was feted at a Dorchester cock-
tailery. ' %

Billy Butlin, a member of the
Crew of the London Variety tent
donated $28,000 to the Heart Fund.
Ken Jones, another barker, has
given $3,000 on behalf of the Clif-
ton Cinema circuit.

British film actress Diane Cilen-
to v . who is going to New York for
upcoming production of “Tiger At
the Gates,” has waxed her first
disk, “A Fool and His Heart” for
the Polygon label.

Zurich

By George Mezoefi
Carl Zuckmayer’s new play,
“The Cold Light,” will be Swiss-
preemed in September at Schaus-
pielhaus.

Stadttheatre Basle announces
first Swiss performance of Cole
Porter’s “Kiss Me Kate” for com-
ing season. „ _ ,

The Imperial Ballet of Japan
inked for several performances at l
Theatre am Central before going
to Scandinavia. ^ j

Schauspielhaus will open 195o- j
56 legit season with revival of
Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,”
not produced here since 1942.

Kansas City

By John Quinn

Jimmy Lloyd, local boy who has
been playing in films, back here
and appearing on WDAF-TV.

Maurice Duker (and* the Mrs.)
of Loew’s Midland motoring east
on vacation while Zev Yovan of the
Loew’s St. Louis staff sits in.

Senn Lawler, of Fox Midwest;
Ronald Means, exhibitor; and
Harry Hamburg, of Paramount,
heading the Audience Awards cam-
paign and publicity here.

San Diego

By Donald Freeman

California U. donated a plot of
land at Torrey Pines for proposed
theatre of La Jolla Playhouse.

Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball
among film-tv names vacationing
in Del Mar with opening of racing
season.

Groucho Marx and Van Johnson
and families vacationing at Hotel
Del Coronado while “Battle. Sta-
tions” is being shot at nearby
North Island.

Annual Shakespearian Festival
opened under Craig Noel’s direc-
tion in Old Globe Theatre, a
replica of Bard’s theatre outside
of Stratford-on-Avon.

By Karin Thlmm

( Saebenerstrasse 54)

Another young American, Keith
Engen, preparing his international
career in Muenchen; he sang in
Bela Bartok opera, “Ritter Blau-
bart.”

DrT Frieder Weissmann, former
German conductor who now lives
in Havana, Cuba, came to Muen-
chen after having ‘conducted the
Berlin Philharmonics With great
success. Dr. Weissmann took part
in the .opera festival as conductor
of Strauss’ “Rosenkavalier.”

“Die Ratten” (The Rats), Robert
Siodmak’s film version of Gerhart
Hauptmann drama, in its sixth
week here. It’s the most interesting
film this summer. Therfe will be
better product in September, but
right now is “cucumber time,” as
we call it.

Helmut Kaeutner, German film
director (“The Last Bridge,” “Lud-
wig II”), Working on a love story
localed at the borderline to East-
ern Germany. His main actors are
rather unknown, Eva Kotthaus,
Eric Schuman and Horst Buchholz.
Kaeutner is going to novelize the

film plot, which he has written, for
publication.

Muenchen’s 1955 opera festival
started with two brilliant perform-
ances; Johann Straubs’ operetta,
“A Night in Venedig,” was shown
outdoors in Nymphenburg Park,
and Haendel’s “Julius Caesar” in
the small opera house. Big Na-
tional Opera building still is in
ruins mainly; not enough funds yet
for .rebuilding. David Thaw, Amer-
ican, sings the main male role
opposite Elf ie Mayerhof er.

Omaha

By Glenn Trump

Omaha Variety * mugg Glenn
Trump named prexy of Campbell
Top of Circus Fans Assn.; his
Wife was elected secretary.

John Vana, whose trio has
played several Omaha niteries,
named head of music department
of Laurel, Neb., public schools.

Madrid

By Ramsay Ames
( Castellana Hilton ; 37-22-00 )

Carmen Sevilla in Barcelona to
cut some records.

Abe Saperstein and his Harlem
Globetrotters in Madrid perfQrm in
Plaza de Toros,

Carlos Thompson, his chore fin-
ished in “Thunderstorm,” off to
vacation in Paris.

‘Mary Pickford arrived with
Buddy Rogers and left almost im-
mediately for Gibraltar.

Kirk Douglas, with beard, ready
to begin his “Van Gogh” in Italy,
Appeared at charity gala in Monte;
Carlo with Gina Lollobrigida. |

Argentina’s Alberto Castillo
opened at Teatro Madrid with his
own repertory company, which in-
cludes Tip & Top, singer Pastora
Quintero, and dancer Esperanza
Roy. r

Emma Pennella, who has just
finished “Los Peces RojoS.” (The
Red Fish) opposite Arturo de Cor-
dova, will be Mur Oti’s star in his
soon-to-begin “Fedra,” which will
be made in Spain rather than
Brazil as originally planned.

Visiting Madrid last week —
Giuseppe de Santis, director of
San Sebastian Festival prizewin-
ner “Giomi d’Amore” (Days of
Love). He visited Lucia Bose (the
Italian star, who is now Mrs.
Dominguin). She made her first
picture with him.

Spain’s entries for the Venice
Film Festival (Aug, 25-Sept. 12)
are Celta Films “Orgullo” (Pride),
and AspR's “El Canto del. Gallo”
(The Song of the Cock), starring
Francisco Rabal and Gerard Tichy.
Its jury member: newspapermen
and critic Carlos Fernandez Cuen-
ca.

Riviera

By Ed Quinn

(151 Blv. de VObservatoire,
Nice; 539-98)

Jack L. Warner summering at
his Cap d’Antibes villa “Aujourd-
’hui.” Amongst house guests was
Liberace.

Lilo, star of “Can-Can,” did first
date in Europe at the Monte Carlo
Sporting Club.

Danny Kaye has ended vacation
with wife Sylvia at the swank La
Reserve, Beaulieu, and now back
in U. S.

Darvas & Julia did a quick voy-
age to Europe to play a one nite
stand at the Sporting Club, Monte
Carlo, and then returned to New
York for tv.

Mary Pickford and Buddy Rogers
house guested with Yvonne Vallee
at her Cannes villa.

Hedy Lamarr and hubby vaca-
tioned at Hotel Carlton, Cannes.

Howard Hawks, and wife holi-
dayed in Monte Carlo.

Top British band Geraldo. and
Armando Orefiche and his Havana
Cuban Boys, backed up. by local
ork Louis Frosio with singer Tony
Ovio, supplying music for ritzy
Monte Carlo Sporting Club.

Peter Ustinov in from filming in
Munich did a cabaret stint at the
Red Cross gala in Monte Carlo.

Martine Carol, top French star,
resting in her Grasse villa. She is
due to go to the U. S, for a film
chore in February,

Brigitte Bardot at work in the
Victorine studios Nice in new pic,
“The Light Opposite,” with. Ray-
mond (Napoleon) Pellegrin.

Silvana Mangano and producer-
husband Dino de Laurentiis at. their
luxurious villa in Cap Martin, near
Monte Carlo.

Greta Garbo surveying remodel-
ling operation on her newly ac-
quired villa, “The Rock,” near
Monte Carlo.

Kirk Douglas came to Monte
Carlo Beach Hotel for a few days
and played new role as emcee at
a Monte Carlo gala to aid polio
victims. Gina Lollobrigida did first
public song stint successfully sing-
ing three items In English, French
and Italian at the same gala.

Hollywood

Arlene Dahl hospitalized with a
base of anemia.

Dana. Andrews to Mexico City
to make a picture.

William Lundigan planed to De-
troit for tv huddles.

Pat Duggan back from Denver
funeral of father-in-law.

Patti Moore recovering after an
emergency appendectomy.

Bing Crosby’s son Phil seriously
injured in a motor accident.

Lana Turner fell in a bathtub
and injured her back and head.

Jack L. Warner awarded Special
Citation of Honor by Air Force
Assn.

Gordon Scott returned from
“Tbrzan” locations in British East'
Africa.

Deborah Kerr and William
Holden returned from Virgin
Islands.

Larry Gengo of Frank . Sennes’
N.Y; office in to coordinate Bevhills
agency with N.Y. activities.

Audie Murphy has tieup with
the U. S. Treasury Department to
promote the sale of Savings Bonds.

Fred Kline resigned as prexy. of
Walter E. Kline & Associates to
form new public relations firm
with Len Simpson.

Thalians, theatrical charity
group, holds dinner dance next
Monday (29) for benefit of the Na-
tional Mental Health Foundation,

Vienna

By Emil W. Maass
( Grosse Schiffgasse 1 A; A 45 0 45 )

A second festival house planned
at Salzburg, for legit, shows only.

New ice revue, “All That You
Wish,” being readied by Will Bet-
ter with music by Robert Stolz.

City of Vienna granting $2,000,-
000 “credit” on new taxes to be
collected for modernizing films.

“Three Coins in Fountain”
(20th) running for six months at
Garten Bau Kino with record atten-
dance of 250,000.

“Love at Crossroads” is title of
a new Austro-German co-produc-
tion to be made by Rex of Berlin
and Schoenbrunn of Vienna.

Summer heat was no obstacle
to distribs importing foreign prod-
uct. New record hit a total of 40,
of which 21 from U.S. in July.

The Austrian Academy of Sci-
ence will hold an International
Mozart Congress during the Vienna
1956 festivals, June 2-24.

Frankfurt

By Hazel Guild

(24 Rheinstrasse; 76751)

Barbara Rutting to London for a
British film.

Top German films, “Canaris”
and Ludwig. II,” set for French re-
lease.

Hannerl Matz, German actress,
to appear as guest with the Vienna
Burg Theatre in Paris, in “Medea.”

Hessischer Rundfunk (local ra-
dio) to carry “Ariadne auf Naxos”
from the Salzburg Music Festival
Aug. 26.

Rudy Goldschmidt, Republic rep
in Germany, lecturing at the Mun-
ich University about the U.S. film
industry.

Marika Roekk guests in Septem-
ber in the play, “Das Ministerium
ist Beleidigt” (The Ministry Is In-
sulted), at the town’s Franz Althoif
Bau.

German actress Maria Schell be-
gins work on her first starring role
in a French film, “Gervaise,” this
month. Rene Clement directs her
in this new film, based on Emile
Zola’s “l’Assomoir.”

City’s Kleines Haus Theatre,
which remained open during the
summer season when the Grosses
Haus closed, is alternating perform-
ances of “Teehaus” (Teahouse of
August Moon) and “Bunbury” (Im-
portance of Being Earnest).

By Florence S. Lowe

Mills Bros, current at Casino
Royal nitery.

Ilya Lopert into o.o. his local
theatres and to beat drums for.
“Summertime.”

A women’s committee luncheon,
highlighted by Patricia (“King and
I”) Morison and Denise Lor, chan-
toosey of Garry Moore teleshow,
kicked-off Variety Club’s annual
welfare drive over the past week-
end.

San Francisco

By Bill Steif

The Call-Bulletin’s Dorothy
Friend recovering from surgery at
Children’s Hospital.

“Pajama Game” at the 'Curran
cutting out . Wednesday matinees,
adding Sunday night performances;
token of show’s popularity here.

Randolph Hale excited about
acquiring Bill Gargan, Barton Mac-
Lane and Richard Jaeckel, in addi-
tion to Nancy Coleman, for his
“Desperate Hours” production.

Wednesday, August 24, 1955

Venice Film test

Continued from page 1

and in the so-called TV Theatre
small-seater, which this year ha$
been newly equipped for Cinema*.
Scope and other widescreen sys-
tems. The Arena also has new ana-
morph-stereosound equipment and
the screen of the main theatre has
also been enlarged for VistaVision
projection. Innovation, in an at-
tempt to curb ticket speculation,
will be photographic identification
On press passes, as is done' at the
Cannes Festival. Blackmarketing of
tickets, especially for gala events
and evenings, last year shot v prices.;
up to absurd heights, some selling
for some $50 per.

The U. S., which has a large
package of pix in the documentary
event, is officially repped at the
Festival by Joseph Beatty, Veter-
ans Administration Motion Picture
and Visual Aids topper since
1933 and producer * director of
specialized films in his . 6wn
right. Captain Beatty was of-
ficial U. S. delegate to the Edin-
burgh . Festival in 1953. MPAA
matters at the Festival* will once
more be handled by Eiigene Van
Dee.

Extra U. S. Pix

Yank feature selection has final-
ly been arrived at after consider-
able indecision. “The Kentuckian”
(Hecht-Lancaster for tJ-A), and “To
Catch a Thief” (Par) make up the
official ..U.S. -selection submitted
by the MPAA pre-selection com-
mittee in accordance with Festival
regulation holding official entries
to two. per country. In addition,
“Blackboard Jungle” (Metro) and
“The Big Knife” (Preminger- Aid-
rich for TJ-A) are in on an invi-
tation basis. “The Big Knife” was
a last-minute entry by the Society
of Independent Motion Picture
producers/

It’s felt that the Festival, which
is allowed to invite a total of six
pictures extra-quota from all
countries, would have invited ‘ still
another U. S. picture if the proper
product had come « along and/ or
been submitted. There was a sin*
cere effort on ..the part of the Fes-
tival to “find” Still another Yank
entry possibility* and- to this ef-
fect several pix were screened lo-
cally in the hopes that they would
meet with the particular exigen-
cies of the event. No other item
strong enough to earn an invitation
was found.

Conversely, certain , other pie--
tures “asked for” as potential Fes-
tival entries (for example Par’s
“The Rose Tattoo”) were refused
by their producers,* according to %
the Festival. While on the one*
hand the Festival authorities’ don’t
always realize the particular prob-
lems facing the U. S.. majors in sub-
mitting pictures to Venice, and the
only relative importance festivals
may have overseas in a New York
homeoffice, especially*** in view of
their large number, on the other
it’s felt that a little more effort
in finding proper competitive prod-
uct (and “Marty” becomes a clas-
sic example) would earn the U. S.
many more deserved festival kudos.
It’s not the lack of the product, it’s
the difficulty in finding it, then
getting it to the festival— this the
local outlook.

Other Nations’ Hoopla

Making a big splaish in this sec-
tor will be some other nations,
especially Great Britain and Japan.
British, led by BFPA prexy John
Davis, is swamping Venice with a
50-man delegation of stars and di-
rectors and .will throw several
parties. Britain has practically ab-
stained from such activity in the
past few years, and the switch is
particularly notable. Japan is send-
ing 15 delegates, including their
top femme star, Macvhiko Kyo, a
director, and a writer.

Italy’s Unitalia public relations
office Is also making a strong, ef-
fort to get usually lacking Italian
names to the Venice event, and will
pay their frfre and stay in this city
in an attempt to get a large repre-
sentation. Unlike Cannes, Venice
will not, in most cases, pay to have
stars fly in from faraway spots,
though attempts are made to ac-
commodate as many as possible,
hotel-wise, once they get here.
Hence, the U. S. star representa-
tion, notable in number, is mainly
made up of names already in Italy
Or Europe. On the U. S. list, so
far,, are Henry Fonda, Mel Ferrer,
Audrey Hepburn, Burt -Lancaster,
Ava Gardner, Gloria Grahame, Ed-

mund Purdom, Linda Christian,
Rhonda Fleming, Arlene Dahl,
Judy Hdlliday, Hedy Lamarr and
Tony Curtis.

The following films are in the
running. England has “John and
Julie,” with Noel. Middleton, Moira
Lister, Constance Cummings, di-
rected by William Fairchild; “Doc-
tor at Sea,” with pirk Bogarde, in
V’ Vision, directed by Ralph Thom-
as, and “The. Deep Blue Sea,”
C’Scoper directed by Ahatole Lit-
vak, with yivien Leigh and Ken-
neth More — this picture., invited
“extra-quota.” France has three
features in competition (and One;
Rene Clair’s “LCs GTandes Man-
oeuvres,” starring Gerard Philipe
and Michele Morgan, out of com-
petition, to be shown on the final,
evening): “Chiens Perdus Sans
Colliers,” with Jean Gabin, . and
and director Jean Delannoy; “Les
Heros Sont Fatigues,” Yves.Ciampi
directing Yves Montand and Maria
Felix; and, invited, “Les Mauvalses
Rencontres,” . directed by~ Alex-
andre Astriic, with Anouk Aimee.

Italy competes with three pic-
tures: “The Swindler,” directed by
Federico Fellini, with Broderick
Crawford, . . Richard \ Basehart and
Giulietta Masiha; “Amici Per La
-Pelle,” and either “Le Amiche”
or "Gli Sbandati” as the invita-
tional item.

Japan has two entries, “Shuzen-
jii ]V^pnogotari,” directed by
Nobaru Nakamura, and “Yoki-hi,”
directed by Kcnjii Mizoguchi, with
Machiko Kyo' (Daiei), both felt
strong contenders. Japan also will
show three Other pix out of com-
petition as examples of work. ; of
three top directors. These are
“Takekurabe” (Heinosuke Goshd),
“Wild Gobse” (Shiro Tayoyda), and
“They Were 12” (Keisuke Kinosh-
ita). Soviet Russia is participating
with ‘Towards New Shores” (L.
Lukov; “Boris Godunov,” in Sow-
color, directed by Vera Stroieva,
and “The Cricket,” from Chechov,
directed by S. Samsonov, the last-
named invited.

Other contestants are: for Spain,
“El Canto' del Gallo” and “Orgullo
de Nur Orti”; for Argentina, “La
Tierra del Fuego SeApaga” (di-
rector Emilio Fernandez); for Bel-
gium, ‘Meenven Sterven in . de
Haven”; for Brazil, “Maos Sangren-
ta”; for Bulgaria, “A Man Decides”;
for Czechoslovakia, “Jan Hus”; for
Denmark, “Ordet” (director Carl
Dreyer); for Germany, “The Devil’s
General” (direetpr Helmut Kaut-
ner); for India, “Jhanak Payal
Baaje”; for Yugoslavia, “Trenutki
Adlocitve”;. for Mexico, “After the
Storm”; for Holland, “Ciske de
Rat v ; for Poland “The Men of the
Blue Cross,”*

Ah Austrian entry, “Omaru,” has
been moved over into the docu-
mentary competition.

International jury designated to
judge the main event is made up
of Arthur Knight (U.S.A.), Henri
Age! (France), Antonin Bronsil
(Czech, head of Beaux Arts, (Acad-
emy, Pragu6), Roger Manvell
(Great Britain), and Giuseppe
Gadda Conti, Mario Gromo, Dom-
enico Meccoli, Carlo Ludovico
Raggianti and Gian Luigi Rondi,
all Italo critics.

Nostalgic Pix Screenings

Continuing a series of retrospec-
tive film showings started some
years 'ago, the Festival will this
>year spotlight the U.S. silent film
(It .was originally planned to in-
clude past greats of the sound
period as well, but the U.S. majors,
according to Venice, refused per-
mission for such screenings) via a
seven-day series of pix assembled
with the aid of the New York
Museum of Modern Art. Iris Barry
will represent the Museum. Series
starts with some clips from 1895
newsreels, and goes all the way up
. through 1928, with Douglas . Fair-
banks’ “The Mark of Zorro” and
“The Gaucho” in the windup spot.
Also showing are some early Pick-
ford films, William S. Hart west-
ern, “Toll Gate,” and many ex-
cerpts from classics of the past.

Finally, many events are sched-
uled to parallel the local festivi-
ties. A FIPRESCr (International
critics association) forum will dis-
cuss “The European Film Com-
munity,” the three-nation (France-
Germany-Italy) film peol commit-
tee will meet Sept. 5 and 6 to
discuss, and - perhaps sign, forma-
tion of a joint film group kernel
in Europe, later to include other
. nations. And the Festival itself is
throwing a series of parties, in-

cluding a trip to the island of Tor-
cello, plus an opening and a clos-
ing reception at the Excelsior

Hotel, indicating a switchback from
the reltive austerity of the past

year, when the accent was strictly
on film. Other nations are also
planning •• receptions during *the
course of the 18-day .event, which
will be attended by an unpreced-
ented number of : journalists, some
500, from, all over the world.

Gallic Pic Yanked From Venice Fest
Paris, Aug. 23.

On the eve of the Venice Film
Fest Andre Morice, French Minis-
ter of Industry and Commerce,
yanked one of the two French
entries from competition because
it delved into the problem of aboi>.
tion. Pic is young director Alex-
andre Astruc’s “Les Mauvaises
Rencontres” (The Bad Liaisons).
Though the film was selected'
unanimously by a special commit-
tee, composed of film crix and per-
sonalities, Morice felt he had the
right to override them in a cast
involving an important internation-
al manifestation. He said that he.
had nothing against the film get-
ting national and worldwide ^dis-
tribution but felt it was not the
type of film to rep a country at

a film festival.

• 0

Pix Prosperity

LOWELL V. CALVERT ».
Lowell V. Calvert, 63, eastern
.representative for Howard, Hughes
and veteran film, distribution exec-
utive, died Aug. 16 in Mount Ver-
non, N. Y.. . .

Details in Film Section.

QLIN . DOWNES
Edwin Olin Downes, 69, N.Y.
Times’ musics critic since 1924; died
Aug. 22 in "N.Y. following a heart
attack. Prior to joining the Times
as successor to RiehSrd Aldrich,
Downes had been music critic for
The Boston Post for 17 years,
starting at the age of 20.

Besides penning critical notes,
he also lectured on various aspects
of music and at one time was com-:
mentator for the Sunday afternoon
broadcasts of the N.Y. Philhar-
Ihonic. He was music director of
the New York’s World Fair in 1939.

In 1951, Downes was listed
among' persons tagged by the
House of Un-American Activities
Committee as being affiliated with
: Communist fronts. He was one of
the supporters of the Cultural and
Scientific Conference for World
Peace. ^

besides contributing to variotis
musical periodicals, the Times
critic also wrote “The Lure of Mu-
sic” and “Symphonic Master-
pieces.” He was editor of “Songs
of Russia” and with Elie Seigmeis-
ter, of “A Treasury of- American

Continued from page 1 sss

major distributor has at least one.
“blockbuster” making the rounds.
Warners’ “Mister Roberts,” Para-
mount’s “To Catch a Thief” and
United Artists’ “Not as a -Stranger”
are outstanding. ..

* One facet of the annual product
picture draws beefs from exhibs
year after year, and 1955 is no ex-
ception. Film companies, they in-
sist, are hurting the industry’s
overall economy by holding back-
on important; pix during the. sec-
ond quarter, for the stated reason
that this is an “offish” period. The
exhibs’ answer is it wouldn’t be
“offish” if good merchandise were
available. . Further, they say, the
film going habit is broken by the
policy of sloughing this qne pe-
riod of the year.

One prominent theatre exec
thinks television is making the
same error. Therms a hiatus in
top programming June ’ through.
August because networks, agencies
and sponsors figure on relatively
little potential audience. . Arguing
his point, the theatre source cites
the astounding success of CBS-
TV’s “$64,000 Question,” which
made . Its bow during summer re-
placement timerand 7 which proved
the existence of meaningful num-
bers of viewers. Proving, he con-
cluded, there are customers for a
good show at any time. *

Not overlooked in alU appraisals
of better film business is the eased
tax impost on admissions which
Was legislated into being last year.
In most cases, exhibitors have ab-
sorbed the coin previously ear-
marked for the U, S. Treasury.

Biopix Cycle

SSS Continued from page 1 —

on the life of the late* Cmdr. Frank
(Spig) Wead‘, one of the pioneer
aviators, later turned film sce-
narist.

In the field of arts, two pix on
Bach are planned and a biopic on
Vincent Van Gogh, to star Kirk
Douglas. Cowboy artist Charles
Russell also is up for picturization.

Other biopix planned: “Some-
body Up There Loves Me” (Rocky
Marciano story); film on the late
evangelist Billy Sunday; “Girl in
the Red Velvet Swing,” revolving
around Evelyn Nesbitt; “Seven
League Boots,” about the late ad-
venturer-writCr Richard Hallibur-
ton (first pic in the Cinemiracle
process); “Beau James,” from the
Gene Fowler book on the late May-
or James J. Walker; pic on the
early life of Theodore Roosevelt
when he ranched in the Dakotas,
etc.

Biopix weren’t alway# success-
ful. Perhaps the most spectacular
fiop was “Wilson,” which 20th-Fox
from time to time is talking about
reissuing. Same company recently
had “A Man Called Peter,” based
on the life of the late Peter Mar-
shall, chaplain of the U. S. Senate,
a strong grosser, and “Prince of
Players,” about the actor Edwin
Booth, which turned out to be
very disappointing.

Song.”

* In 1946, he had a small part in
the film, “Carnegie Hall,” in which
he. played himself, and in 1952 was
guest of honor at the annual din-
ner of The Bohemians, .the first
music critic to be so honored.

Wife, a son, Edward O. D.
Downes, assistant professor of mu-
sic history at the U; of Minnesota
in Minneapolis, two daughters and
two sisters survive.

M. E, (BOB) ROBERTS
M. E. (Bob) Roberts, 57, San
Francisco Huy Area , radio p.ioneer,
died Aug. 18 in Los Gatos, Cal. He
emceed several San. Francisco ra-
dio shows in the 1920s, managed
independent station KYAB (now
KSFO) from 1928 to 1932 and
managed independent outlet KYA
in 1940. Late.' in 1940 he moved
to San Jose arid took over opera-
tion of independent station KQW
there,’ a job held until' retiring to
his Los Gatos ' rial estate and ad-
vertising agency in 1945. ^

He leaves his wife, Alma* his
father end two sisters.

GERTRUDE A. WOOD
Gertrude Anderson Wood, 66,
former singer, died Aug. 14 in
Hollywood. She is said to have
been the first singer to perform on
radio in Boston back in 1924. Mrs.
Wood also appeared in niteries. and
in Broadway shows prior to her
retirement 25 years ago.

Surviving are a daughter, singer
Gloris Wood; and two sons; Chand-
ler Wood, of Pacific Drive-in The-
atres, ‘and Robert A. Wood of Bos-
ton. '

ERIN LACY

Erin Lacy, 78, veteran actress,
died Aug. 9 in Minneapolis. She
portrayed character roles with
that city’s erstwhile Bainbridge
Players and other stock companies
for more thab-20 years. She was
also seen on the road in such pro-
ductions as “The Broadway Girl”
and “The Sweetest Girl in Town.”

Surviving , is her husband, John
A. Lacy, former theatrical press
agent and company manager for
such yesteryear producers as Corn-
stock & Gest and John Cort.

. BILLY GUDIE

William A. Guderian, 57, former
vaude and musical comedy per-
former known professionally as
Billy Gudie, died Aug. 16 in East
Stroudsburg, Pa. Starting his ca-
reer at the age of 14 with magician
Howard Thurston, he specialized
in acrobatic tap dance routines.

Guderian at one time was asso-
ciated with Ned Wayburn, More
recently he operated a dancing
school in Allentown, Pa;

ALBERT H. POOS

Albert H. Poos, 49, district man-
ager of the St. Louis Amusement
Co., died of cancer Aug. 14 in St.
Louis. Joining the firm as an
usher at the age. of 19, he later be-
came a house manager and was
named district manager in 1936.

Surviving are his wife, daugh-
ter, sister and a brother.

WALTER A, RAU
Walter A. Rau, 78, onetime
trumpet player for the John Philip
Sousa and Gustave. Haenscheri
bands, died Aug. 17 in St. Louis.
He started his 49-year musical ca-

reer at the age of nine with a boys’
band;

His wife ahd son survive.

, GEORGE E. BROWN

George Ernest Brown, 78, retired
concert arid stage manager, died
Aug, 17 in Beechhurst, Queens,
N.Y., after a long illness. Born in
Nova Scotia, he held such varied
posts in his more than 50 years in
show business hs actor, stagehand,
stage and concert manager.

His wife, and a sister survive.

Harry Stratton, 57, former bur-
lesque comic, died of a heart at-
tack Aug. 19 in Hollywood. For
the last 10 years he was Bud Ab-
bott’s stand-in.

. Mother, 81, of Paula Gould, pub-
licist for the Capitol Theatre, N.Y.,
died Aug. 22' in that city after a
long illness. Also surviving are a
son and two sisters.

Teofilo Russell, 80, retired direc-
tor of the State. Conservatory of
Rio Grande do* Sul in Brazil and
former concert pianist, died Aug. 8
in Lisbon. '

Father,.- 64, of actress Shelley
Winters, died of a heart attack
Aug. 16 at his daughter’s home in
Holiywoodi

Richard L. Grosswhlte, 47, news
editor at KOA, .Denyer, died re-
cently in that city following a
month’s illness. His mother sur-
vives.

marriages

Elaine Shaffer to Efrem. Kurtz,
St. Moritz, .Switzerland, August 15.
Bride is an orch : flutist; he’s for-
mer Houston Symphony maestro
recently made head of the Liver-
pool Philharmonic.

JOy. Morriay to John Ellison, San
Francisco, Aug. 18. Both are mem-
bers of the touring D’Oyly Carte
Opera Co.

Barbara O’Brien to Tom Frank-
lin, Seattle, Aug. 12. Bride’s we'atli-
er girl for KTVW, Tacoma; he’s a
newscaster for KING-TV, Seattle.

Ronnie Warner to Bruce Pierce,
Las Vegas, Aug. . 13. Bride’s the
daughter of H. B;. Warner; he’s a
film editor, , i .

. Elizabeth Laridi to* Al Sennett,
San Francisco, Aug. ' 2d, Bride, Who
heads drama and dance dept, of
Sari’ Jose U*., is daughter of tv exec .
Anthohy Landi arid niece of the
late Elissa Landi; he’s an attorney.

Esther Nellie Stomne to Thorn-
ton J. Marker, Maplewood, N. J.,
Aug. 22. Both 'are singers with
Fred Wiring’s Pennsylvanians.

. BIRTHS

Mr. and. Mrs, Morris. Golombik,
sbri, Aug. 16, Mt. Vernon, N.Y.
Mother (Anne Tanz) is former
Variety secretary. . ■»

Mr. and Mrs. George Wallach,
daughter, Aug. 1, Mineola, L.I.
Mother is onetime radio writer;
father is tv producer-director with
NBC Film Division.

Mr. and Mrs. Kirby Wetherby,
daughter, Culver City, Cal., Aug.
16. Mother .is Joan -Evans, actress.

Mr. arid Mrs. Jimmy Pratt, son,
Hollywood, Aug. 10. Father is ^
musician in. Joe Castro’s orchestra.

Mr. and Mrs. Tristan Meinecke,
son, Chicago, Aug. 15. Mother is a
television actress known profes-
sionally as Angel Casey,

Mr. and Mrs. . Tom Connors Jr.,
son, Burbank, Cal., Aug. 15. Father
is an assistant film director.

Mr. and Mrs. Marion Parsonnet,
daughter, New York, Aug. 5.
Father is board chairman of Par-
sonnet & Wheeler, telefilm pro-
duction company? and . owner of
Parsonnet Studios.

/. Mr., and Mrs. Dick Krolik,
daughter, New York, July 30.
Mother is Mary Stuart, radio-tv
actress currently in “Search for
Tomorrow” soaper; father is spe-
cial projects producer for NBC-
TV’s “Today.”

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Church,
daughter, Hollywood, Aug. 14.
Father is field merchandising rep
for KTTV.

Mr. and Mrs. Byron Palmer, son,
Los Angeles, Aug. 16. Mother is
the former Ruth Hampton, Miss
New Jersey of 1953. Father is an
actor.

Mr. and Mrs. John Durant, son,
Santa Monica, Cal„ Aug. 14.
Father is film editor.

Mr. and Mrs. John Eckstein*
daughter. New York, Aug. 22. Fa-
ther is assistant to the ABC net-
work ad-pub director.

Mr. and Mrs. Vic Damone, Son,
Hollywood, Aug. 21. Mother is film
actress Pier Angeli; father’s a
singer.

Mr. . and Mrs, Harry Ritz, son,
Hollywood, Aug. 21. Father is a
comedian.

• 76

POSSET?

Vedn<>d>y t August 24» 1955

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GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR

Published Weekly at 154 West 46th Street, New York 36, N. Y„ by. Variety. Inc, Annual subscription,- $10. ' Single copies, 25 cents
Entered as second-class matter December 22, 1905, {it the Post Office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3. 1879.

VOL. 199 No. 13

NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 1955

PRICE 25 CENTS

‘Guys,’ Dolls,’ ‘Craps’; How You Gonna 3 ‘WEfi BUTTLE $** TV Forcing Switch in Film Code

• t

To those familiar with the Broads
way lingo and the world of Damon
Runyon, the title “Guys and Dolls”
has a distinct meaning. But how
do you duplicate the exact shading
in a. foreign language? That’s the
job faced by Loew’s International
in its longrange campaign to fa-
miliarize foreign film audiences
with the- American colloquilaism.

Loew’s foreign department has
.reached the conclusion that the
title “Guys and Dolls” just can’t
be used in non-English speaking
countries. It has no meaning to
the natives. As a result, the pow-
ers-that-be, after considerable brain
exercises, have come up with titles
for eight different foreign lan-
guages.

Toughest problem for the trans-
lators was to find the correct for-
eign expression for “doll.” Most
of the words considered made a
“doll” an accessible or loose young
lady which, after all, she may not
necessarily be in the eyes of a
Runyon character. The result,
therefore, from the standpoint of
literal translation, is often sur-
prising. . *■

„ In Hebrew, for example, “Guys
and Dolls” comes out “The Boys
and the Attractive Easy-Going
Girls.”.- In French, it’s “Blanche
Colombes et Villains Messieurs” or
“White Doves and Tough Guys;”
In Spanish, it’s “Elios y Ellas,” lit-
erally “Theys and Theys” or “He’s
and She’s.” The Portuguese trans-
lation is similar.

The German equivalent is
“Schwere Jungen — Leichte Maed-
chen” or “Tough Guys and Light-
hearted Girls.” Some languages
stymied the translators. In Sia-
mese, “Guys and Dolls” will be
known as “Made for Each Other”;

(Continued on page 6)

' ■ ' l

Sammy Davis Jr. Legit,

Pic Roles .to Break Up
Vet Will Mastin Trio

Atlantic City, Aug. 30,
Sammy Davis Jr., playing to ca-
pacity business in 500 Club here
past week, will break up the Will
Mastin Trio and next month go
Into rehearsal for a Broadway show,
“Mr. Wonderful,” written for him
by Jule Styne. Davis’ father,
Sammy Davis Sr., will retire, and
Will Mastin, his uncle, will be-
come his manager. “Mr, Wonder-
ful” is scheduled to open in Phila-
delphia early in 1956 and will hit
New York a few weeks later.

. After run of play, young Davis
has commitments for two pictures,
which will keep him busy for two
yqars. Three tv spectaculars are
also in the works. The Mastin Trio,
featuring Davis Jr., has appeared
in nightclub spots coast to coast
for 10 years. It played here first in
1946 and was such a draw that it
has been booked every season it
has been available since.

That OF Come-On

Sooner or later it was bound
to happen in tv, too. And it
happened last Sunday night
(after the WCBS-TV, N. Y.,
“Late Show”), when the an-
nouncer called attention to the
following night’s attraction.

He described it as being ex-
citing and horrible, then gave
it the 42d St, , (N. Y. ) mar-
quee treatment — “it’s for
adults only.”.

This is apparently going to be
the season when Americans can
see the Paris theatre without leav-
ing Broadway. Besides the appear-
ance of the Comedie Francaise
this fall, -at least 11 adaptations of
Parisian plays and one French nov-
el are announced. In addition,
Maurice Chevalier is due for an
appearance as a vaudeville offer-
ing.

The French works due for New
York presentation in adapted form
include “Tiger at* the Gates,”
Christopher Fry’s treatment of the
Jean Giraudoux drama current in
London with Michael Redgrave as
star, due Oct. 3 at the Plymouth;
“Goat Island,” adapted by Henry
Reed from Ugo Betti’s Paris suc-
cess, due Oct. 4 at the Fulton;
“Heavenly Twins,” Louis Kronen-
berger's adaptation of Albert Hus-
son’s play, with Faye Emerson and
Jean Pierre Aumont, due Oct. 19
(Continued on pager 62)

Nun Takes Vows on TV

New Orleans, Aug. 30.

Filming for tv of the solemn
ceremony of a young woman tak-
ing her vows as a nun and enter-
ing the Carmelite Order was per-
mitted for the first time in Catho-
lic church circles here the past
week by Bishop Jules Jeanmard
oi Lafayette, La., and Rev, Mother
Theresa Margaret, prioress of the
Monastery of Holy Mother of
GfcLCG

A WDSU-TV camera crew filmed
the rite for showing on its weekly
“Sunday Supplement,” a half-hour
magazine of the air feature. Be-
cause many of the nuns are com-
pletely cloistered once they enter
the order, some of the scenes of
the film were photographed by one
of them.

The WDSU-TV crew also record-
ed hymns, chants and antiphons
sung a capella by the Carmelite
sisters during the ceremony.

op^opeT

The music industry is keeping a
close ear to the rumblings of a
blues and swing revival. Many of
the . music firm execs figure that
the beat of t^he 1920s and 30s, al-
ready in evidence via the banjo
breakthrough, is headed for am
other crack at the wax market.

Publisher toppers believe the
blues and swing beat is the next
step in the rhythm & blues pro-
gression and it's just ripe for a
try at the teenage disk buyer to
whom it’ll all be new stuff. Re-
newed interest in the blues, it’s fig-
ured, stems from Frank Sinatra’s
“Learnin’ the Blues” on Capitol
and Jack Webb’s Warner Bros, pic,
"Pete Kelly’s Blues.”

The disk companies, too, are
aware of the new potential in the
old blues numbers and are figuring
out ways to give them a modern
flavor for another crack at the wax
market. In some instances lyric
versions are being added to the
previously strictly instrumental
items for the revival attempt.

Some of the old blues and swing
(Continued on page 62)

- By GEORGE ROSEN

The new t» season officially gets
under way this week . and next,
with the return of the initial flock
of fall-winter entries. (See Pre-
mieres Chart.) Even to a greater
extent than last year, the competi-
tive NBC vs. CBS program sweep-
stakes (and with ABC more solidly
entrenched as a major rival), will
translate itself into an explosive
free-for-all with the viewer coming
way out on top.

At stake is the question of net-
work supremacy in terms of who.
gets the bigger audience (an intra-
mural jockeying that’s become the
Alpha and Omega of all. living
within the Madison Ave.-Radio
City" tv confines). To implement
their respective campaigns the
webs have turned their schedules
topsy-turvy. A lot of it is iffy and
guesswork. The payoff will be in
the ratings — and the ratings’ll de-
termine which network knocks off
the proverbial ’55-’56 Nielsen Cup.

The" Saturday night picture is
perhaps the most intriguing of all,
particularly now that NBC has
grabbed a $100,000 payoff show
(out of the Lou Cowan stable) for
the .7:30 p. m. period. This is the
lead-in to the full-hour Perry Como
musical in the 8 to 9 slot, NBC’s
big weapon designed to whittle
down those Jackie Gleason ratings.
Gleason himself is cut down to 30
minutes for the 8:30 to 9 ride on
CBS. The assumption is that the
Como show won’t break exactly at

(Continued on page 63)

Jazz Age’s Blues

Parking Lot Circuit

Boston, Aug. 30. «
A new segment of show biz
may be opened by supermar-j
kets with the inking of a dog
act for three-a-day stand on
parking lots of the Elm Farm
Food Stores in this area.

Billy Watkins and his dogs
open the parking lot eircuit
today (Tues.) with a morn-
ing show in Brockton, a noon
show in Weymouth and an
afternoon performance in.
Quincy. Three of the supers’
parking lots will be played to-
morrow (31 ) at Roxbury, West
Roxbury and Dorchester. • The
act will play inside the stores
in case of rain.

Posed; EDis In
‘Blacklist’ Claim

Threat of a court suit against
the Production Code was made this
week by Emil K. Ellis, N. Y. attor-
ney. He stated flatly that unless
the Code’s tabu on the depiction of
illicit drug traffic in any form is
adjusted, he’ll “commence an ac-
tion” on the legalistic front.

Ellis is Representing his brother,
Jack Ellis, foreign film importer,'
whose “Three Forbidden Stories”
was refused a Code seal. One seg-
ment of the pic focusses on addic-
tion.

In a letter to Geoffrey Shurlock,
administrator of the Code, the law-
yer branded the Code as an instru-
ment of prior restraint that denies

(Continued on page 18)

Television, if nothing else, is
seen eventually forcing a change
—or an extension— -of some v of the
-Production Code’s rigid tabus.

Some of the Motion Picture
Assn, of America officials con-
cerned with the Co.de see the en-
trance of the major studios into tv
as a likely cue for discussions on
the applicability and the good
sense of such Code provisions as
the one barring all mention of nar-
cotics on the screen.

“It is going to strike . producers
a little silly to find that they can
do a certain theme on Stage 6 for
television, whereas it’s absolutely
forbidden on Stage 4 where they’re
making a film for the theatrical
market,” was one comment.

Impression is that, sooner or
later, there will have to be a meet-
ing of the minds, with the Code
either relaxed or else extended tb
cover all Hollywood tv film pro-
duction or possibly all television
broadcasting. This, Of course,
.would require a joint sessions of
the powers that be in the MPAA,
and the National Assn, of Radio &
Television Broadcasters, which has
its own standards.

Yet another aspect that strikes
MPAA observers as in need of dis-
cussion is the fact that there is
(Cpntinued on page 54)

Nudist Ozoner

Nottingham, N. H., Aug. £0.

An outdoor theatre will be eject-
ed here as part of an expansion
program planned by the nudist
colony operated by the American
Sunbathers’ Assn, at Pea Porridge
Pond.

Having received what its ex-
ponents construe as a silent bless-
ing from the 1955 session of the
New Hampshire Legislature, Rob-
ert Bonser of Rochester, a co-
proprietor of the colony, said:

“We are going to put in an out-
door theatre with a 35m projector,
build a fire station, build a bigger
parking Jot, and add more cabins.”

New York State Fair

Starting Sept. 3 Presents

The Hour of Charm

All Girl Orchestra and Choir

Featuring EVEEYIV and her Magic Violin

under the direction of

PHIL SP1TALNY

MttSCEUtAJW

What’s Good or Bad for Export?

An old-, vexing problem returned
to haunt the film biz last week
with the removal from the Venice
Film Festival— at insistence of
U.S. Ambassador Clare Boothe
L Uce — of Metros “Blackboard
Jungle.” It’s the. Question of what
to do, or not to do, about the for-
eign release of a picture showing
aspects of American life, in .a ques-
tionable light.

“Jungle,” in Ambassador Luce’s
eyes, wasn’t the kind of picture to
rep the U.S. abroad. She made her
point in the most emphatic terms
to the Italians, who had originally
invited the film, declaring that
they had to choose between * her
(i. e. her participation at Venice)
or the picture. .

Embarrassed Venice authorities
quickly bowed to her wish, asking
for— and receiving — Metro’s “In-
terrupted Melody” as a substitute.
This didn’t however settle either
the case itself, or its wider aspects.

Metro execs were boiling mad.
Arthur Loew, LoeW’s International
prexy, was known to have opposed
giving in to Mrs. Luce’s wishes.
However, events moved too swift-
ly, and by the time Metro had a
chance to digest the issue, Venice
had already asked for a substitute.

It was established beyond any
doubt that, , in pressuring the Ital-
ians re “Jungle,” Mrs. Luce was
acting on . her own initiative.
Spokesmen for the U.S. State Dept,
and U.S. Information Agency
stated flatly that they had not
been in communication with the
Rome Embassy regarding “Jungle,”
and that the Luce action did not
represent official American policy
vs. exhibition abroad of pix show-
ing the U.S. in an unfavorable
light.

Loew said Ambassador Luce had
no right to interfere With the
Venice showing of “Jungle.” Dore
Schary, Metro’s production topper,
called the Luce action “outrage-
ous,” adding that if she thought
she could hide the fact that there
was a juvenile delinquency prob-
lem in this country, it was “the
sheerest kind of hypocritical non-
sense.” The Ambassador’s action
(Continued on page 61)

Red’s Atom Pic Short

Washington, Aug, 3d.

Soviet Union reports completion
of a filmed short called “The First
in the World,” on the atomic power
station of the USSR Academy of
Sciences. '

First showing of the pic was last
Wednesday (24) to ambassadors,
members of foreign diplomatic
staffs and foreign correspondents,
according to word reaching here.

Wednesday, August 31* 1955

Documentary in Nice

Paris, Aug. 23.

H. G. Clouzot, one of the top Gal-
lic directors and responsible for
such hits as “Wages of Fear” and
“Les Diaboliques,” is now doing a
documentary in Nice on the crea-
tive aspects of the work of painter
Pablo Picasso.

Clouzot, who had been ill of late
and living on the Riviera, came out
of a semi-convalescence to be be-
gin working again. It will be of
medium length and in color and will
explore the facets and actual in-
spirational tactics of the painter
in action. Film is being made at
the Victorine Studio in Nice.

Really Rockin'; Tourist
Trade Flocks to Isle

By GENE MOSKOWITZ

Capri, Aug. 23.

Capri, that lyric writer’s favor-
ite, is a rock that is really rocking
today. Tourists pour in and biz is
so . good that many of the street
and cabaret singers chortle “Come
Back To Sorrento” and the Cham-
ber of Commerce could not care
less. It seems that Sorrento and
Ischia are bowing to Capri, It
would be an ideal place for a re-
porter to go. to- rest, for the island
only has two cinemas and they
show only dubbed pix whose sound
tracks, boom across . the isle at
night disturbing the perfect sun-
sets. There is no theatre, opera or
music hall but plenty of danceries.
However, just so that this mythical
vacationing reporter, who can go
on a holiday, would not get the
bends from too sudden a change,
the* whole place stacks up as a
mass piece of showmanship, helped
by nature and the graceful way
the islanders live,

Best showplace is the Piazza
Umberto I, which is the center of
high-up Capri, the actual village
that is. One watches the agile pass
by with loads on their heads.
Gracie Field’s combo swimming
pool and beach (Canzone Del
Mare) is packing them in and this
is now a fine paying proposition.
When a boatload of tourists go by
they shout "Gracie” and she comes
to the railing of her house, perched
atop the pool, to wave to them.
Visiting British sailors are sure to
'get a warm greeting from “Their
Gracie.”

She is quite recovered from her
recent operation, and soon will be
singing again for U. S. and English
tv to keep building her Canzone
Del Mare to more impressive
nights. She never sings at her
place, and in the eve it is mainly
a drink and dine spot, around the
pool, with a piano in the back-
ground. Every month or so she
gets in a show for the locals and
visitors. This week, it was a Gallic
group doing a spirited French Can-
can on an improvised stage over
the pool.

Upstairs the top draw is the club
in the Quisisana Hotel. All clubs
(Continued on page 63 >

0/31

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAH
1905 - 1955

To . ,

Street
City .

Subscription Order Form

Enclosed find check, for $

Please send VARIETY for years

(Please Print Name)

Zone . . . . State

Regular Subscription Rates
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FRANK DE VOL

Currently

Composed and Conducted
Music for U.A.’s “The Big Knife.”
Columbia .Album of Music from
"THE BIG KNIFE”

Summer Colgate Variety Hour on
NBC- TV

Preparing for TV— “DO YOU
TRUST YOUR WIFE?” starring
EDGAR BERGEN. “BETTY
WHITE SHOW”

This 'week on tour visiting the D. J.’a
in New York— JBoston—Philadel-
phia — Pittsburgh

S. Amus. Taxes

Washington, Aug. 30.
Amusement taxes brought $12,-
678,000 in the last fiscal year to the
32 states .which make the levy. In
addition, license fees on places of
amusement brought in $3,496,000 to
34 states.

Biggest piece of the amusement
tax— $3,342,000 — went to Nevada,
coming mostly, from the net of the
gambling tables and slot machines.
Nevada also stood near the top
with $463,000 from licensing
amusements, again because of the
state’s legalized gambling.

New York State received $2,054,-
000 from its amusements and $485,-
000 via licensing amusements. Only
other state to do over $1,000,000
from, the amusement tax was Ken-
tucky, with $1,678,000. North Caro-
lina topped amusement license tax
collections with $527,000.

The above figures are exclusive
of the take by municipalities and
also exclude state takes from horse
racing. The pari-mutuels in 24
states brought- $191,933,000 to
those states. New York was far in
the lead with $57,033,000.

With the Weekly unfoldment of
these soul-searching pieces which
the staffers regard as “Page 2 trail-
ers for the 50th Anni,” it Will have
been noted that the two. editors
most dedicated to Nostalgia-on-
46th-Street have relaxed their in-
hibitions. Studious modesty has
[long since segued into relaxed
name-calling.

But inhibitions exist, and let
us face it they do and always will.
So there’s always the founder,
Sime Silverman, to hang something
on. And since Sime is a legend
within the shop as outside, you
can’t -go; wrong with another piece
on Sime. Remember that old Leu
Feist slogan- — “you can’t go wrong
With a Feist song”?

One of the Sime stories con-
cerns the famous “top floor” of the
Variety Bldg., our home at .154 W.
46. It began as Madame Frances’
atelier — the “madarae” is nee
Frances (Mrs. Nate) Spingold, Wife
of the Columbia Pictures veepee
and himself a former p.a. for Wil-
liam Morris in the old old Chicago
days. ^ , ■>

Madame Frances, with the acu-
men that has long since distin-
guished her, felt it was OK to be
in the Times Square zone for the
fancy spangles set hut as she ac-
quired the counterpart of what is
today’s Bergdorf and Hattie Carne-
gie clientele she scrammed to the
fashionable East 50s, and thus
Variety bought itself its own
building. Besides, Marcus Loew
needed that Broadway & 45th cor-
ner for his Loew’s State flagship,
so Variety moved around the cor-
ner, next door to the State stage-
entrance. The couturier building,
with its front-and-back platforms
on the second floor, gives the
Variety city room a somewhat
stagey look, hut it’s been that way
for over 30 years so who's to quib-
ble.

Now to that “top floor,” reached
to this day only by arduous climb-
ing. Only the ingenues who man
(should it be woman?) the switch-
boards can navigate that high with

German Orch (U.S. Soloist)
In 1st West German Tour
With All-Gershwin Pgm.

A German orchestra (with an
American soloist) will tour West
Germany this fall in an all-Gersh-
win program, marking the first
time for such a project under this
setup. The Hamburger Ka.mmeror-
chester, conducted by Hans-Jurgen
Walther, with a young U, S. pianist
Sondra Bianca, now residing in
Hamburg, as soloist, has been set
for* 1 16 dates,, with 10 more tenta-
tively booked.

Orch will open in Oldenburg
Sept. 24 and play two. weeks in
Cologne, Essen, Hannover, Dussel-
dorf, etc. It will go out again for
two weeks in November, and again
in December. Rudolf. Wylach, Wup-
pertal impressario, is managing the
tour.

Tour project came about quite
accidentally. Orch, which records
for M-G-M Records under name of
the Pro Musica Symphony of Ham-*
burg, was commissioned last March
to do four Gershwin pieces for
U. S. release. (Paul Lazare, N. Y.
freelancer who records the orch,
has an exclusive disking pact with
the group, and leases it to M-G-M).
The Gershwin works (to . be' re-
leased here this fall) are “Rhapsody
in Blue,” Concerto in F, “American
in Paris” and “Porgy and Bess”
Suite.

Because these works would take
some time to rehearse, the orch
management decided to try a dar-
ing (for Germany) plan, skedding
the four works for an actual con-
cert in Hamburg. Concert took
--^.iOfintjaued .on. page. 63)

alacrity. Anyway, in Sime’s day it
was his in-office apartment, also
a guest apartment for such emer-
gency VIPs who were in no state to
find their formal quarters — and in
those Prohibition days many a
stag couldn’t stagger.

The top floor was the champ
free speakeasy during the Ignoble
Experiment. Show biz VIPs would
gravitate to the “top floor” for a
quick one. but, more often, for
the counsel and advice which
Sime, as an. objective, disinterested
expert of the parsing show busi-
ness scene, could often give them.

He had long since won recogni-
tion for 'his farsightedness as to
the decadence of vaudeville and
the Inevitable upsurge of the pic-
ture business. Now talkers had
come along, soon followed by ra-
dio. The banks had long since dis-
covered what a terrifically attrac-
tive cash business show business
was. There was much to analyze,
discuss, appraise, and to gamble’
on, with that eye to the future
which has keynoted ^Variety - cov-
erage, because it authentically re*
fleeted the same far-seeing' vision
which distinguished the pioneers
of the picture business.

The “top floor” is a saga in it-
self. The braintrusting on the one
hand, and on the other hand the
show biz waifs who passed in the
night, sometimes demanding a
“membership card” because “this
is the nicest joint in town.”
(That’s a Charlie MacArthur-JaclC
Pulaski saga alf itself.)

The “top floor” is still there.
It’s kinda prettied up now. It
passes for a board, room (don’t
laugh) and also for the braintrust-
ing when there’s some big project
like the Showmanagement Awards
to be weighed and evaluated.

Variety' finds it more convenient
now to pop into “the Variety An-
nex” as the Roxy Bar next door is
called. Alternate is the Villanova
restaurant further east on 46th-—
which might be called “Variety
Annex No. '2.** Maybe by the. 75th
Anni there’ll be legends about that
one too.

Guests; Selznick Awards This Weekend

So Who’s Old?

Washington, Aug. 30.

The average age of men em-
ployed in entertainment and recre-
ational service is 36Vfe years, and
the average age of women in the
field is 30.8 years, U. S. Census
Bureau reports.

At the time of the 1950 census,
there were more than 412,000 men
and 145,000 women working in en-
tertainment and recreation.

Unions Closely Eye
20th’s $1,000,000 Suit
Vs. Frank Sinatra

In an action that will be watched
closelySTay the Hollywood talent
unions, 20th-Fox this ‘Week filed a
$1,000,000 breach of contract suit
against Frank Sinatra in N. Y. Su-
preme Court.

Move was the result Of Sinatra’s
ankiing 20th’s “Carousel” while on
location at Boothbay Harbor, Me.,
leaving a cast and crew of 125
stranded. Gordon MacRae has been
signed to replace Sinatra.

Latter had contended that, since
20th was shooting “Carousel” in
both CinemaScope and its new 55m
roadshow process, he was actually
required to appear in two films
for the price of one. Also, that
the use of double cameras was ex-
tending the shooting sked beyond
the original commitment.

It’s 20th’s contention that it isn’t
up to Sinatra to worry what type
of cameras are being used, and
that— furthermore — both 20th and
other companies had followed the
practice of dual versions in the
past* In fact “The Robe,” 20th’s
first C’Scoper, was shot in both
C’Scope and conventional 35m.

In using tw.o types of cameras oil
“Carousel,” 20th was. in fact fol-
lowing the “Robe” practice, i.e.,
making a “protective” version. Ac-
' (Continued on page 54)

-r+ By GORDON IRVING

Edinburgh, Aug. 30.
The ninth annual Edinburgh
Film Festival, running concurrent
with the music-drama fest, is now
in its second busy^week. It could
benefit from more top star talent^
not only British and Continental,
but also American. Apart from
Douglas Fairbanks Jr., due in Sat-
urday (3) to present the Selznick
awards, Vittorio de Sica from Italy,
Jacques Tati from France and an
expected handful of British film-
sters, marquee names are notably
absent. Festival, now one of the
world’s . biggest, still clings to. its
academic strain and is run on a
shoestring budget.

With 300 world correspondents
here, the publicity potential is
immense, making tradesters wonder
why Hollywood and other studia
centers haven’t jumped on the
Edinburgh publicity bandwagon td
a greater extent.

Criticism has been levelled at
the Edinburgh event because It
gives no prizes. To this the organ-
izers answer that it thereby avoids
many of the features British pro-
ducers dislike about international
festivals. Only concession to the
aw’ard gimmicks is the acceptance
into the film festival diary of the
David G. Selznick Awards presen-
tation, to be made by Fairbanks at
a gala ceremony in the New Vic-
toria Cinema Sunday (4). The
David O. Selzhicks are due in Sat-
urday (3) for this event, which bids
fair to outshine even the preem
screenings of major film entries
publicity-wise.

‘Hulof’s Holiday* In Running
The organizers also expect Tati,
w.k. French actor-comedian, who
stars in “Monsieur Hulot’s Holi-
day,” one of the five finalists for
the premier award. Actor injured,
his arm in a recent auto accident ht
France, but is expected to be fit
enough to make the trip across the
Channel for Sunday.

Other finalists for the 1955 Gold-
en Laurel Award are “Barefoot
Battalion” (Greece), “Gate of Hell*
(Coiifititied on page 15)

Wednesday, August 31, 1955

PICTURES S

TI. S. Ambassador to Italy Clare Boothe Luce's reverse-spotlight
on Metro’s "Blackboard Jungle” at the Venice Film Festival
•seems a gratuitous, handicap lor the country she represents.
There is no question about the sincerity of the . Ambassador’s
• deprecation of a film which, despite its boxoffice impact, has not
.been devoid of criticism by some educators, civic groups and
even commercial exhibitors (although many national organiza-
tions have endorsed it). The dissidents wondered whether, for
once, the ostrich approach to the juvenile- delinquency theme
Wasn’t the wiser course. But, once having been invited by the
Venice Film Festival authorities, It does create a needless hurdle.

There are graver problems, of course, in today’s power polit’cs
than concern over the Ambassador’s action. Nor does it matter
that she, too, is no stranger to. show business, as playwright of.
•'The Women” (a Broadway smash) and other stage entries.

f Madame Ambassador, may well prove to contribute anything
but disservice to Metro by her action, because those things have
a way of accelerating public interest. It is strange, however,
.that in this particular setting Mrs. Luce has chosen this course
of action: "Jungle” is not one of the "official” entries to the
annual Film Fest at the Lido- Venice — "The Kentuckian” and
"Catch A Thief” are the Yank candidates. The Italian authorities
supplemantarily "invited” Metro to screen "Jungle.” It has an
elaborate introductory spotlighting the fact that this exposition
of American Juvenile deliquency Is not typical of American class-
room misbehaviorism — perhaps just as Italian gangsters by no
’means are typical of the country which is host to. this August
celluloid show;.

On the other hand, in an atmosphere 3,000 miles removed from
the homegrown perspectives, amidst a World press (not all of it
loyal to'the "western” standards), it is understandable that an
ardent official representative of America could experience some
extra-sensatory discomfort which the film fan at Loew’s State,
on Broadway, might not imagine. This sort of sensitivity be-
comes heightened when one’s homeland and its best celluloid
print forward are involved. You don’t need ah elaborate prefatory
title to explain, Esther Williams’ bathing suit . or Gene Kelly’s
hoofing. So Madame Ambassador must' be sympathetically re-
garded in every degree. JBut whether this comes under the aegis
of international "diplomacy” may be something else again.

There’s principle and precedent to be considered. Mrs. Am-
bassador has set herself up as a censor oh the international
front, taking an action on her own authority that, if left un-
checked, might be duplicated in other .lands with other pictures.
This at a time when there’s already too much world censorship.

Abel.

Bankroll for RKO; 2-Fold Pgm. Set

Tom O’Neil is in Akron, O. — the
economic capital of General Tire
& Rubber Co., which now owns
Mutual Broadcasting System and
RKO Pictures — for the express
purpose of raising, another $15,000,-
000-$20, 000,000 bankroll, to imple-
ment the film company which he
bought for $25,000,000. The idea
is to get the picture outfit, produc-
tion and distribution-wise, rolling.

In this connection, a twofold pro-
gram has been evolved. One segues
into the other. The vaults have
been screened and some 332 pic-
tures, out of rlie 800 total, have
been appraised for reissue pur-
poses, of which less than half are
considered the cream. They total
between 50 and 60 pictures, and
have the premium values chiefly on
the basis of datedness, in that they
are science-fiction, westerns, thrill-
ers, sea stories and the like— none
with any time element. (Examples:
"King Kong,” ' "Bring ’Em Back
Alive,” etc.)

Since RKO doesn’t want to be-
come a 100% reissue operation, the
idea is to integrate these durable
oldies with some new product. It’s
for that purpose that a 15-17 pic-
(Continued on page 15)

Lippert fo Liquidate His
Present Product for New
Plan; Expects $2,000,000

Hollywood, Aug. 30.
Robert L. Lippert plans to real-
ize $2,000,000 in liquidating his
own product and releases during
the next 13 months, after which
his Lippert Pictures, distribution
outfit, will become inactive.

Coin is to be used on a program
of high-budget films, each to cost
between $500,000 and $600,000, in
addition to a star-story-director
package. Lippert reports that with
his banking connections he Will be
able to set up a revolving fund of
from $3,000,000 to $4,000,000. The
six pix he expects to tqrri out an-
( Con tinned on page 20)

Slap 750G Privacy Suit
On Col, Stone Over ‘Night’

Los Angeles, Aug. 30.

A $750,000 invasion of privacy
suit has been slapped against Co-
lumbia Pictures and Andrew Stone,
distributor and producer, respec-
tively, of "Night Holds Terror.”

Complaint, filed by Leonard D.
Mahan Sr., Alberta B. Mahan, Bea-
trice C., and Eloise K. Mahan,
charges that certain incidents in
the film are based upon the life
of Leonard D. Mahan Jr., son and
brother of the four plaintiffs.

‘Jungle’ in Merry

Despite the rumblings and. con-
troversy anent "The Blackboard
Jungle’s” nixed entry at the cur-
rent Venice Film Festival, Metro
has some good news relating to the
picture’s appeal in the domestic
market. ^Latest tally reveals $4,-
000,000 in the till already, with an-
other $1,000,000 anticipated before
the film completes its . domestic
engagements.

Take on the film is expected to
be . reflected in a favorable year-
end financial report. No predic-
tions are being made on what the
film can gross in the foreign mar-
ket. Howeyer, observers feel the
Venice hassle, with its resultant
publicity, should stir up added in-
terest in countries abroad.

Long before the Venice incident,
the picture had a controversial
tag. It was denounced and de-
fended with equal vehemence on
the basis of its accuracy in depict-
I ing juvenile delinquency in a big

By GENE ARNEEL;

Tipoff on how much the trade
figures to swing its wares into the
luxury class will be provided by
public reaction to "Oklahoma” at
N. Y-’s Rivpli Theatre, This Todd-
AO bigscreen version of the Rich-
ard Rodgers-Oscar Hammerstein
2d legit musical bows Oct. 13 with
most seats to be peddled at $3.50
for evening and all /weekend per-
formances.

Several major film company
execs have frankly stated they’ll be
looking for ."free information” via
"Oklahoma” on the entire matter
of scales. Specifically, public ac-
ceptance of the record tariff for
"Oklahoma” doubtless will mean
similarly lofty prices for future
entries, notably from 20th-Fox and
Paramount.

Cinerama has done fine in sell-
ing "on a grand scale,” meaning
the $3.50 top currently being raked
in for "Cinerama Holiday” at
N. Y.’s Strand Theatre. But this
maximum price is rung up only on
the 116 loges on Saturday and
Sunday eveniilgs, in the 1,600-seat
house. -The range is $1.80 to $2.80
at other times.

"Oklahoma” is to cast the ticket-
buyer $3.50 for orchestra and loge
(Continued on page 18)

‘Jam’ D.S. Film Showing Via Longterm
Leases in Keys; Ike’s Press Reels Help

'Wedding’ Problems Beset
UA:

"Wedding Breakfast” is off
United Artists’ . schedule. The
comedy-drama, produced by Ker-
mit Bloomgarden in N. Y. late last,
year, earlier had been shaping up
as a Shelley Winters vehicle, this
.under a pact the actress has with
UA.

But UA ran into obstacles in
surrounding Miss Winters with a
' screen adapter, producer, director,
etc. As a result, the •planned
f ilmization of the legiter is now
removed from UA’s slate. .

Chaplin Ignores

Washington, Aug. 30.
Charles Chaplin, now residing in
Switzerland, is refusing to . pay
$516,167 in back taxes which the
Internal Revemie Bureau says he
owes.

The Government figures that it
should collect the coin from Chap-
lin as taxes and interest on his
U.S. income for the first three
months of ’53, when he was still a
resident alien, and for the re-
mainder of the year, when his sta-
tus was that of a non-resident alien
doing business in the U.S.

‘Roberts’ Passing
$1,6(H) 9 000 Mark At
N.Y. Music Hall

Warner Bros.’ "Mister Roberts”
this week enters the charmed cir-
cle of pictures which have grossed
a $1,000,000 or more at the Radio
City Music Hall, N. Y. At the con-
clusion of the seyenth week, end-
ing today (Wed.), the Leland Hay-
ward production is expected to
rack up $1,120,000. With an
eighth week set, including the ’ La-
bor Day holiday weekend, the pic-
ture is figured to tally .an addi-
tional $160,000, which will give it a
$1,280,000 total for the run. The
six-week figure* was $975,000, with
$145,000 estimated for the current
stanza.

If the Labor Day week lives up
to expectations, estimated total
gross of $1,280,000 on "Roberts”
will be third largest take in the
history of the Music Hall. Metro’s
“The Great Caruso” holds the rec-
ord with $1,393,000 for a 10-week
run in the summer of 1951.

National Boxoffice Survey

Biz Steady Pre-Holiday; ‘Thief * New Champ,
‘Roberts’ 2d, ‘Holiday’ 3d, ‘Love’ 4th, ‘Blues’ 5th

\ Many exhibitors are marking
time this stanza and making few
pix changes until arrival of Labor
Day holiday. Fresh, potent product
is being groomed for launching
over coming weekend to take ad-
vantage of this annual fall upbeat.
Cool weather was a big help along
the Atlantic seaboard most of this
session while the midwest and far
West still were hurt somewhat by
continued heat.

New boxoffice leader for. current
week is "To Catch a (Fa'i;),

which is edging out "Mister Rob-
erts” (WB). Latter had been on top
for five weeks in a row, "Thief”
ranges from big to terrific, ill some
12 key cities covered by Variety.
"Roberts,” which is taking second
spot, still is fine to sock in a ma-
jority of keys where playing but
lagging somewhat in others Where
on very long engagements,

"Cinerama Holiday” (Indie)
again is copping third money while
"Love IS Splendored Thing” (20th)
is Winding fourth. "Pete Kelly’s
Blues” (WB) is taking fifth place,

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR

1905-1955

with "Never Too Young” (Par)
landing sixth position.

"Summertime” (UA) is finishing
in seventh spot as compared with
10th place a week ago. "Not As
Sranger,” from same company, will
be eighth, “Man From Laramie”
(Col), seventh last round, is taking
ninth position while "Private of
Major Benson” (U) rounds out the.
Big 10 list.

“We’re No Angels” (Par),
"Marty” (UA) and "Lady and
Jframp” (BVJ are runnerup films,

, / Of new entrants, "Female on
Beach” (U) is bearing out the
promise of last week, being solid
in Frisco, terrific in ■ N. Y, and big
in Philly. "Girl Rush” (Par), okay
in Cleveland, is fairish in Provi-
dence, mild In Philly and rated
thin in L. A,

"Night of Hunter” (UA) shapes
hefty on preem in L. A. "McCon-
nell Story” (WB), also new, looms
big in Buffalo. "Cinerama” (Indie),
now showing in only four keys
covered by Variety, holding about
same pace but spurting where
closings to prep for "Cinerama
Holiday” are announced.

"How To Be Popular” (20th)
isn’t living up to its title, being
fair in Chi, okay in Cincy and mild
in L.A. "The Shrike” (U), okay in
Detroit, looks trim in Balto.

"Came From Beneath Sea” (Col),
brisk in Balto, looks okay in Wash-
ington. "Foxfire” (U) is okay in
Chi. "Wichita” (AA) shapes great
in Detroit.

"One Desire” (U) is rated big in
Chi and! oke in Balto.

(.Complete Boxoffice Reports on
Pages 89) M

Washington, Aug. 30.

The Russians have sharply
stepped up their use of motion pic-
tures in the propaganda cold war
and are pushing for increased film
output by their allies and satellites.

This is the strongest impression
brought back here by Turner Shel-
ton,' head of the U. S. Information
Agency motion picture section, fol-
lowing a 37,000-mile • trip around
the world to discuss improvement,
of his agency’s film program with
U. S. foreign missions.

Simultaneously, Shelton ex-
plained, the Russians have
launched what is in effect a pro-
gram of "jamming” our motion
picture offerings by taking long-
term leases on key theatres in "
many towns to keep them from
showing American pix.

He said the Russians are now
making nearly all of their pictures
in color, and are especially en-
couraging the film industry of
Communist China.

As an example of the Soviet em-
emphasis on pix, he described a
visit to the Soviet "House of
Friendship” in East Berlin. Build-
ing, he said, contains two screen-
ing rooms— the larger seats about
2*00 and the smaller about 100.
"The small one/’ he continued,
(Continued on page 18)

Rita’s 20th Moveover
Stymied by Star Lack;
She Starts 175G Sait

Hollywood, Aug. 30.

Inability of 20th-.Fox to deliver
ta Columbia another star of equal
boxoffice calibre to Susan Hay-
ward, apparently stymied negotia-
tions for . Rita Hayworth to move
to 20th for the last two pix re-
maining on her Col pact. Deal
discussed called for another star
with Miss Hayward, each to make
(Continued on page 18)

Trade Mark Registered
FOUNDED 'BY SIME SILVERMAN

Published Weekly by VARIETY, INC

Harold Erichs, President
154 West 46th St. New York 36, N. V
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Vol. 199

12 a

No. 13

INDEX

Bills : . . . .*

. 54

Chatter

. 62

Concert-Opera

. 60

Films Reviews

. 6

House Reviews .........

. 52

Inside Legit

. 56

Inside Music

. 43

Inside Pictures

. 15

Inside Radio-Tv

. 26

International

. 11

Legitimate

. 55

Literati . .

. 61

Music .....I.

, 40

New Acts ...

. 52

Night Club Reviews . . . .

. 53

Obituaries

. 63

Pictures

. 3

Radio-Television

. 22

Radio Reviews

.38

Record Reviews

. 40

Frank Scully

. 61

Television Reviews

. 27

TV Films ,

. 31

Unit Reviews

. 54

Vaudeville

. 49

Wall Street

. 18

DAILY VARIETY

CPublished in Hollywood by
. . Daily Variety, Ltd.)

$15 a 'year 920 Foreign

WJ ri3 41I .

PICTURES

PfiRi&Fr

Further pursuing its bigtime am-
bitions, Allied Artists now appears
bent on buying out or otherwise
settling contracts with its distribu-
tion franchise holders in the . do-
mestic market.

Territorial rights to AA product
now are held by private individuals
and groups .in Atlanta,* Charlotte,
Memphis, New Orleans, Atlanta,
Buffalo, Boston, New Haven, L. A.,
San Francisco, Portland, Seattle,
Cleveland and Milwaukee.

In other keys,' AA has its own of-
fices, having’ ended the franchise
arrangements that are a carryover
from the early-days pattern of in*
dustry operation.

Moves to break with the indie
distribs in the 14 remaining areas
where they exist are expected to
be made shortly.

- Company is investing unprece-
dented coin (for A A) in new prod-
uct, and figures it must take full
share of the distribution loot as re-
sult. Thus, the desire to wind up
the franchises.

First big one on. the AA sked is
‘‘Friendly Persuasion,” which pro-
ducer William Wyler starts rolling
Sept. 9. It’s to be make on the
company’s lot and on location in
Chico, Cal. Billy Wilder, now at
work on “Spirit of St. Louis” for
Warners, likely will start his first
for AA, titled “Ariane,” around
January. Deal also has been en-
tered with John Huston but prop-
erty and starting time remain in-
definite.

Alone, Say Pixers
To U.S.-Brit. Pact

Some of the companies’ foreign
toppers wish the Motion Picture
Export Assn, would leave- well
enough alone and. not try for any
fresh wrinkles in a new Anglo-
American film agreement.

Their reasonifig is that, as pres-
ently operating, the deal works
fully to the advantage of the U.S.
distribs, who get practically all of
their money out anyway.

There have been reports that,
when negotiations- on a new agree-
ent start in London next month,
MPEA prexy Eric Johnston will
explore the possibility of full con-
vertibility for film earnings in
Britain. It’s considered unlikely
that British will acceed to such a
request until and unless the gov-
ernment decides on convertibility
for everyone.

CARMEL MYERS TEAMS
WITH RUDY MATE ON PIC

Former screen star Carmel
Myers (A. W. Schwalberg) and
director Rudy Mate plan to join in
an indie. film project. Prior to trek-
king to Europe last week, Mate
conferred in N. Y. with Miss Myers
and it was decided he would serve
as both producer and director.

Property is “The Case of, Lela
Cade,” story by George Zuckerxnan
that appeared in Esquire mag
some time ago. Miss Myers owns
the rights and Oliver Crawford is
now fashioning the screenplay,

Miss Myers declined to reveal
any details re distribution or studio
tieup.

Schwalberg, formerly Para-
mount’s domestic sales v.p., has his
own distribution office and is now
aligned with Gregory-Laughton
Productions and Ilya Lopert.

Ozoner Airs ‘Aida’

Going on the assumption that
opera is more popular than credit-
ed, Italian Films Export has booked
its “Aida” into the Kingston Drive-
In, Kingston, Mass., where it
opened yesterday (Tues.). It’s the
first o?oper booking for the pic.

According to IFE, there will be
other “selected” drive-in engage-
ments for the operatic pic as part
of an “Opera Under the Stars” pro-
gram. • Appropriate shorts are be-
ing packaged with the film.

Main Street Business
Needs a Film Parlor

Minneapolis, Aug. 30.

Business groups in some of the
territory’s towns are active again
to prevent their communities from
becoming theatreless.

At Belgrade, Minn., the Com-
mercial club, is building a new
$20,000 showhouse to replace one
that was converted to other pur-
poses. Bonds are being sold to
finance the project, the cost of
which doesn’t include equipment.
However, the village itself will
bear a part of the entire cost in-
asmuch as it will utilize one wall
in the construction of a munici-
pal liquor store.

At Finley, N. D., businessmen
will cooperate with the theatre
management to enable, it to re-
open its shuttered showhouse. Lo-
cal business and civic groups at
Rosholt, S. D., are aiding in a
campaign to enlist patronage for
the town’s only theatre.

Deny Houston Indie Claim
For Injunction to Bid On
Exclusives in Firstrun

Houston, Aug. 30.

Request of Delman Theatre
owner I. B. Adelman for' an injunc-
tion forcing 11" major film distribu-
tors to let him bid for exclusives
on their firstrun pictures here was
denied in Beaumont Federal Court
last Wednesday (24).

Adelman asked for the injunc-
tion in a $2,436,000 anti-trust suit
filed against the distributors and
two major Texas theatre chains in
1948. He charged conspiracy to.
exclude his theatre from right to
negotiate for firstrun bookings.

The case was heard by Federal
Judge Lamar Cecil in Houston, and
Adelman was awarded $60,000
triple damages by a jury in July.

Back in his own court last week,
Judge Cecil ruled Adelman is en-
titled to compete for films offered
the Kirby Theatre, a firstrun down-
town housd, or any other theatres
in the same neighborhood or zone
with the Delman.

The Delman is out of the.down-
town shopping district, being in
the 4,400 block of Main St., Hou-
ston’s mainstem. This compares
with 1,016 Main for the Interstate
chain’s Metropolitan, and 1,022
Main for Loew’s. Judge Cecil ruled
Adelman is not entitled to equit-
able relief in asking to bid on films
offered Loew’s, the Metropolitan
and another Interstate house just
off Main, the Majestic, Houston’s
three big houses.

At the time of the Houston hear-
ing, counsel for the defendant pro-
ducers said the case was “just a
simple question of whether we
have the right to say whether the
firstrun on a picture should be
played in a 2,600-seat downtown
theatre,” Adelman’s Delman seats
1,239.

Chi Gets World Preen Of

Being the only major key city
with an open date at around the
time United Artists wants to launch
the picture, Chicago is set for the
world preem of “Gentlemen Marry
Brunettes,” The indie musical is
to open at Chi’s Oriental v Theatre
Sept 22 or 29. Mori Krushen, UA’s
exploitation chief, heads for the
Windy City. Sept. 7 to work on the
advance buildup.

Neither L. A. nor N. Y. had the
theatre availability that UA in-
sisted upon,, it’s understood. Film
is a Jane Russell- Jeanne Crain co-
starrer, produced by Richard Sale
and Robert Waterfield, with 'Rob-
ert Bassler as exec producer.

Charles C. Moskowitz, v.p.-treas-
urer-director of Loew’s, has taken
on the role of watchdog on money
outgoing from the Motion Picture
Assn, of America’s treasury.

There’s no such job in actuality
and Moskowitz is not specifically
functioning in that capacity, say
MPAA observers. But his attend-
ance at board meetings of the pro-
ducer - distributor organization,
i either as a single or in company
' with Loew’s president Nicholas M.
Schenck, has had the effect of sub-
jecting to closer scrutiny^ any pro-
gram that requires MPAA revenue.

The exec, for example, recently
wanted more information about the
Council gf Motion Picture Organi-
zations’ Audience Awards project
before voting on any MPAA fi-
nancing. Similarly, he has. asked
for new evaluations of cooperation
extended to N. Y.’s Museum of
Modern Art and to the function of
the MPAA affiliate, Teaching
Films Custodian. Latter two in-
volve the for-free .distribution of
films from MPAA member compa-
nies rather than MPAA money di-
rectly.

According to exec sources, Mos-
kowitz is eschewing any rubber-
stamp kind of role at MPAA. In-
stead, he wants the up-to-date facts
and figures before saying yes or
no on any proposal. As a result,
some aspects of the MPAA opera-
tion which are . usually regarded
as routine are now being reap-
praised.

UA Joining Satellite

United Artists is hitching ai free
ride on the man-made satellite
which the U.S. plans to launch into
outer space. The film company is
now packaging two interplanetary
epics produced by Ivan Tors and
originally released last year,

“Riders to the Stars” and “Space
Station, U.S. A.” (originally titled
“Gog”) are being prepared for re-
sale now with new ads to accent
the “see it now” aspect of the sub-
ject of N. Y.-to-Mars- travel.

Corporate Champions

Yielding to the trend, Marge &
Gower Champion have established
their own corporate setup, Cham-
pion Enterprises Inc.

It will be under this producing
.company’s- banner that the dancers
henceforth will be engaged in film
work, tv (liye and film) and per-
sonal appearances. ■

L. A. to N. Y.

Harold Adamson
Alec Alexander
Edward Ashley
Gloria Blondell
Henri Caubisens
Hans Conreid
Frank DeVol
Joanne Dru
Leif Erickson
Maurice Evans
Clarence Freed
Norman Freeman
Eydie Gorme
E. S. Gregg
William O. Harbach
Celeste Holm
Bob #ope >
v JtiRfi ' 1 Ireland n ' ■ { ‘ 1 5 4
- BtCve ’L^vvreiqce' :
•■'Soi'DbsiCr- :,v: -' :: -"

"Irving H. Levin.

Frank Loesser
Harry Mandel
Jimmy .McHugh
Elizabeth Montgomery
Jerry Pickman •

David Rose
James Stewart
L. Arnold Weissberger
George Weltner
Andy Williams

N. Y. to Europe

Fred F. Finklehoffe
James W. Gardiner
Al Hackett
Jed Harris
Griffith Johnson
Alan Kayes
Richard Kollman
Anthony Z. Landl
Howard Letts
Manie Sacks
Charles Oppeiiheimer
Ida Ostro
William Pizor
Claire Trevor
Albert F. Walters

Wednesday* August 31, 1935

♦ ♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦■»♦ »»♦»»♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ »» » ♦ • ♦ ♦ ♦ »♦♦♦♦♦♦»# ■

-New York Sound Track W

*> . \ i *

/-♦♦♦♦ i t ♦»♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦4 ++++-M-4 + ff M ♦

Columbia has taken an option on William Faulkner’s “Sound and
Fury” , . ? Dan Dailey and Dolores Gray were given top billing over
Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse in the Metro ad for “It’s Always Fair
Weather,” which follows “Mister Roberts” at the Music Hall , . . Al-
though Abe Montague announced a title change to “Here Comes
Eileen,” Col advertising -and publicity still calls it “My Sister Eileen.”
Howard Le Sieur’s ad department, incidentally, has decided on a car-
toon format for the “Eileen” insertions . . . Jim Piersall is one of 'the
big reasons the Boston Red Sox continue in American League conten-
tion; he’s not a “former” centerfielder, as erratumed last week , . .
COMPO is telling the nation’s press, via an Editor & Publisher full-
pager, that its upcoming Audience Awards poll “will be one of the big
storiesvgf the year” . . . RKO owner Tom. O’Neil looks like Sen. Joe
McCarthy. °

“Farewell” cocktailery for Loew’s Oscar A. Doob was in an off-and-
on-again stage late last week when Nick Schenck sought to influence
the vet showman not to retire to Palm Beach, as planned. While Doob
..said “give me 24 hours to think it over,” he came back with the same
decision — for reasons of Mrs. Doob’s health the N, Y. winters hence-
forth are out. Besides, their furniture was being moved .as the Schenck-
Doob huddles went on and in fact, the Doobs are bivouacing at the
Hotel Drake until they head for Florida. .The “21” farewell shindig
came off Mdnday (30) per sked.

Samuel Rosen* Harry Kalmine, Arthur Rosen,, Lester. Isaac and Lynn
Farnol among the Stanley Warner contingent to Boston for the New
England premiere of “Cinerama Holiday” . Monday (29) , . . Celeste
Holm vacationing on Cape Cod for a week after completing her as-
signment in "Metro’s “The Tender Trap” ... George Justin, Who served
as production manager for “On the Waterfront,” set for the same
duties on “Panic,” the Van Wolf-John Parker Vista Vision film which
will be filmed in N. Y. . . . Howard Strickling, Metro’s studio publicity
chief, returned to his Coast headquarters after homeoffice confabs ...
Loew’s Theatres topper Joseph R. Vogel vacationing on the Coast.
Veepee Leopold Friedman back from Europe “to mind the store.”

Tommy Noonan signed to costar opposite Oliva DeHavilland in “The
Ambassador’s Daughter,” to be filmed in Paris, starting in Septem-
ber. Currently playing the Latin 'Quarter, New York, he flies to France
immediately after closing.

Mitchell J. Hamilburg Agency has been appointed to handle all com-
mercial tieups for the Todd- AO “Oklahoma” . . . Msgr. John Patrick
Carroll-Abbing, founder of Boys* Town of Italy, due in the U. S. to
attend benefit preem of 20tb-Fox’s “The Left Hand of God” at the
Roxy, N. Y., Sept. 21. Proceeds will go to Boys; Town • • • Charles
LeMaire, director of 20th women’s wardrobe, visiting in N. Y.

Max Anthony, Col talent scout, is going on a nationwide tour shortly,
visiting the gyms, talking to sports editors and taking 16m films of
prospects. Object of the casting dragnet is someone to play a Latin-
American contender for the heavy weight championship in “The Harder
They Fall,” which Philip Yordan is producing for Col.

Broadway and N. Y. metropolitan area theatres held special “flood
relief” collections for American Red Cross over the weekend. Red
Cross volunteers were stationed in the following chains and theatres:
Leo Brecher,. Century, Fabian, Interboro, Loew’s, - Randforce, RKO,
Rugoff & Becker, Stanley Warner, Paramount, Radio City Music
Hall, 'and the Roxy . . . Metro closed its third booking deal for Samuel
Goldwyn’s “Guys and Dolls,” signing with Marco Wolff for the Para-
mount Theatre in Los Angeles starting Nov, 16. Previous deals set
were the Capitol on Broadway for Nov. 4 and the Chicago Theatre, Chi,
for Nov. 11. •

Cross-Promotion Plan With 'Rush’ P. A.

MacRae, Jones Go Steady
For R&H Pic Musicals

Casting of Gordon MacRae in
“Carousel” to sub for Frank Si-
natra, who ankled the cast last
week in Boothbay Harbor, Me.,
teams MacRae for the second time
with Shirley Jones, his lead in
“Oklahoma.” The two thus appear
in both Rodgers & Hammerstein
screen . musicals, the only two
R&H films to date.

To make things more intriguing,
“Carousel” is likely to be the first
of 20th-Fox’s “super” Cinema-
Scope, i.e. 55m films. As such it’s
sure to get a big buildup on its
release early next year. “Okla-
homa,” of course, is in the Todd-
AO widescreen' process, and the
two musicals will be roadshowing
side-by-side.

As for Miss Jones, hers so far
has been strictly an R&H career.
“Oklahoma” was her first film.

Europe to N. Y.

Robert Breen
Inez Bull
Mony Dalmes
Ralph Edwards
Joan Fontaine
Leopold Friedman
Leo Genn
Norah Gorsen
Lee Graham
Lawrence Harvey
Josie MacaVin
Siobhan McKenna
Jean Morel
Patricia Neal
Charles Peck
Walter Seltzer
Michael Stern
Francis L. Sullivan
Robert Trout
Hal B. Wallis
David L. Webster

Washington, Aug. 30.

A plan for cross-promotion be-
tween show biz personalities and
the town’s Community Chest on a
precedent-breaking scale teed off
here last weekend with the stint of
Rosalind Russell, in town to beat
the drums for “Girl Rush.” In a
town so jampacked with political
and international celebs that the
average citizen hardly bats an eye
when the Vice-President rubs
shoulders with him, show b:z fig-
ures have always held special lure.

It is this appeal on which Cody
Pfanstiehl, newly appointed direc-
tor of public relations for the Com-
munity Chest Federation, hopes to
capitalize in a systematic, year-
round format for mutual assistance
between new films, new shows, new
tv and radio enterprises, and the
110 Red Feather agencies in the.
capital area, which encompasses
suburban Maryland and Virginia,
as well as Washington.

Pfanstiehl, who recently bowed
out of WTOP-CBS, where he was
head Of public relations, when John
Hayes, station prexy, took oyer as
Chest Chairman, gave a- practical
demonstration of the two-way ad-
vantages of his promotional idea
with the Roz Russell stint. In addi-
tion to the standard procedure of
presenting the star with the first
Red Feather of the season, and
(Continued on page 15)

N. Y. to L. A.

Norman Bel Geddes
Charles Coburn
Gary Cooper
Jack Garfein
Joe Glaser
Milton Goldman
George Jessel
Dorothy Kilgallen
Arthur Loew Jr.

Edith Lutyens
Howard Strickling
Josepr R. Vogel

Wednesday, AugustSl, 1955

f^SslEfr

PICTCBKS 5

Deni Bums-And The Pix Biz

Technological progress and the automotive, age has caught up
with Dem Bums as it did with the picture business,

In the best tradition of- showmanship and enterprise the
drive-in became the answer to the parking problem. So much
so that the hardtop theatre can only best compete with the
‘ozoners when the weather *is dominantly in its favor.

So be it with the Dodgers— and possibly also the Jints which
thinks that perhaps, too, there ain’t enough lebensraum on
Coogan’s Bluff.

Wait till supersonic parking becomes a problem on Loew’s

Planet! • Abel.

* *

</v

i •

1 >

Buffalo, Aug. 30.

That concentrated exploitation
can still be one of the most potent
factors in bringing people back to
the boxoffice is being demonstrated
currently in Buffalo, long nation-
ally reputed as a deathtrap for
most forms of paid amusement.
For more than two decades, it has
been the accepted custom locally
for professional mourners to point
to the fact that Buffalo is defunct
as an amusement spot— and there
has been no lack of book and
verse to bear them out.

. The first-run picture situation
has been spotty for several seasons,
the downtown wickets whirring
whenever topflight attractions are
offered, as in many towns) but
slowing to a standstill when run-
of-the-mill fare is on screen. Sub-
run houses are trailing in the red
and those still operating are gasp-
ing for survival.

Professional baseball attendance
has tapered to the hundreds, this
summer’s slim patronage prac-
tically . writing finis to the sport.
Boxing has expired almost com-
pletely and wrestling is grappling
with rigor mortis. As for legit, the
town hasn’t seen, a show in nearly
six months, and one of the last—
"Guys and Dolls’ 1 — accorded Buf-
falo the crowning indignity of mak-
ing it a one-night stand.

Last March, “This Is Cinerama”
came to town. This is no glory-
story of the picture, or of the boys
who exploit it, but merely a recital
of what a plan of organized exploi- r
tation has accomplished in turning
back the tide of public apathy and
in .routing this town’s dramatic
glooni purveyors.

When Cinerama’s extended-run
plans were first announced here,
the wiseacres chortled “That’s all
right for other cities, but not for
Buffalo.’’ Following the first

(Continued on page 15)

Lack of Personnel Nixes
Todd-AO ‘All-Purpose’
Equipment Show in Chi

The Todd-AO “all-purpose” pro-
jection equipment will not be dem-
onstrated at the joint Allied
States-Theatre - Equipment and
Supply Manufacturers Assn, con-
vention in Chicago, Nov. 6-9 as
originally planned. L. D. Netter
Jr., Todd-AO sale? executive, has
requested a cancellation of the
company’s contract, claiming that
there isn’t sufficient trained per-
sonnel available at this time to
man the booths.

Netter also informed convention
officials that increasing commit-
ments for theatre installations also
probably will prevent a showing
of “Oklahoma” in Chicago during
the trade show.

“We have made every effort to
be completely fair in our dealings
wth theatremen,” Netter stated,
“and since we are not sure we
will be ready in Chicago in time
for the trade show I want to make
it Clear that our invitation to the
showing of ‘Oklahoma’ in Todd-AO
cannot Continue in effect, at least
until we know better how we will
stand as far as our installations
and regional openings are con-
cerned. We certainly will not have
enough trained personnel available
to man our booths and we there-
fore have requested TESMA to
cancel out contract;”

IN ASTAIRE STUDIOS’ OP

Neil Agnew, longtime film in-
dustry executive, will join the Fred
Astaire Dance Studios a£ter Labor
Day as, veepee in charge of fran-
chise sales. The post will bring
him together again with a former
associate, Charles ,L. . Casanave,
president of the Astaire Studios.
Agnew and Casanave were onetime
partners in Motion Picture Sales
Corp.

Most recently assistant to prexy
Herbert J. Yates at Republic, A g-
new’s former film industry connec-
tions in executive posts included
Paramount, Vanguard, United Art-
ists, and Selznick Releasing Organ-
ization. Last year he served as
chairman on film activities of the
U. S. Defense Dept.

The Astaire setup includes 126
operating studios and does a big
business with children in addition
to its ballroom trade. Casanave be-
lieves a dance studio franchise
operation would be a good sideline
for theatremen and Agnew is ex-
pected to make a pitch in that di-
rection.

Olivier, Guinness

Plans for a three-picture deal,
involving respectively Vivien
Leigh, Sir Laurence Olivier and
Alec Guinness, were disclosed
Monday (29 T by 20th-Fox, produc-
tion topper Darryl F. Zanuck oh
leaving for London.

Zanuck, greatly impressed with
the first rushes of “Carousel” in
20th’s new 55m process, also said
that he had given approval for
the acquisition of 25 additional
55m cameras and the . construction
of ‘ a 400-seat studio projection
room, capable of accommodating
the very wide screen.

While in London, Zanuck is ex-
pected to meet with 20th prexy
Spyros P. Skouras for discussions
of his (Zanuck’s) contract. .It’s
known that the latter is eager to
get a participation in 20th produc-
tions.

Commenting on the 55m results,
Zanuck called the system “as rev-
olutionary in definition and audi-
ence participation values as the
original Cinemascope.” He said
that, apart from “Carousel” and
“The King and I,” a third produc-
tion in 55m would be announced
soon by the studio. It’s planned to
roadshow the 55m version, which
can,, easily be reduced later to
standard 35m CinemaScOpe for the
regular release.

While in London, Zanuck plans
to o.o. the first roughcut of “The
Man Who Never Was” and huddle
with Anatole Litvak on “Ana-
stasia.”

'GLORY' FOR XMAS

“Glory” has been set as RKO’s
release for the Christmas period.

Film stars Margaret O’Brien in
her first adfilt role.

By HY HOtLINGER

The film industry prides itself
in its showmanship, but’ in the
opinion of the promotion-minded
business men it. is woefully lagging
in progressive merchandising gim-
micks— -and hardly measures up. to
the modern standards followed by
other merchants and businesses.
Many new things, it’s pointed out,
.are tried by theatres on a local
scale, but nothings has been Sug^
gested to stir up excitement on a
nationwide oY even city widd level.

Industryites ’ may regard the
Council of Motion Picture Organi-
zations Audience Poll in this cate-
gory, but to merchandising special-
ists it’s only another attempt at
showmanship. What the industry
lacks, it’s noted, is a potent lure to
draw audiences to the boxoffices.
The time-honored adage that alj,
you need is a good picture to bring
’em in may apply when there’s a
good picture showing at the house,
but what do you do, ask the detrap-
tors, when the attractions are only
so-so?

It’s pointed out that* the film in-
dustry, despite the fancy salaries
and multi-million dollar produc-

(Continued on page 15)

London, Aug. 23.

In anticipation of the possibility
of the 1957 Variety Clubs’ Inter-
national world convention taking
place in London, the crew of the
British tent has named Tom
O’Brien, M.P., as chairman of the
organizing committee. If London
is picked, O’Brien will take care
of all conference arrangements for
visiting delegates.

To support the claim of the Lon-
don tent, which was first made at
the recent Los Angeles convention
by chief Barker James Carreras
! here, 18 members of the British or-
ganization will be attending the
; New York convention next May.
They have been already assured of
sympathetic support.

At a luncheon in his honor,
tossed by the crew of the London
tent, international ringmaster Bob
O’Donnell pledged full support
for a London convention and reck-
| oned that if the Arrangements were
suitably timed, at least 400 inter-
national barkers would make the
trip.

Two Coast Indies Put
On SEG’s Unfair List

Hollywood, Aug. 30.

Screen Extras Guild has placed
two theatrical indies, Cy Roth Pro-
ductions and Hall Bartlqtt Produc-
tions, on its unfair .lisft^ -F.optner
drew the action* of the 15EG
according to H. O'Neil Shanks,, ex-
ecutive secretary, because .it re-
fused to sign the Guild collective
bargaining agreement. Action be-
comes effective immediately.

Support of the Hollywood AFL
Film Council, L. A, Central Labor
Council and Screen Actors Guild
has been asked by Shanks, who
reports the SEG will picket the two
outfits if they go Into production
sans a union pact.

Bartlett termed “unfair, .unjusti-
fied” the SEG .action in placing
him on its unfair list. He explained
he. couldn’t have made “Un-
chained,” the picture in’ question,
without full cooperation of the
Chino Institution for Men, where
it was filmed. He said he tried to
secure an okay to bring extras into
the prison grounds, but permission
was denied. He stated he was will-
ing to discass with the Guild some
manner of providing a reasonable
sum out of profits for the SEG
welfare fund, 'but couldn’t agree
to SEG insistence to pay “liquid-
ated damages” for the claimed con-
tract breach.

HARRIET PARSONS SETS
OWN INDIE PROD. FIRM

Hollywood, Aug. 30.
Harriet parsons has left her I2-.
year .RKO producer- post to set
up her own indie*. She's already
optioned several properties, includ-
ing a Mickey Walker biog, which
she’s discussing yrith Gordon
MacRaq. " <* .

Although no’ deal has ■ yet
been finalized, the new RKO man-
agement is discussing this and
other Parsons releases. While with
RKO she did “Enchanted Cottage,”
“I Remember Mama,” “Clash By
Night,” and “Susan Slept Here.”

Hollywood, Aug. 30. ‘

Code Administrator Geoffrey
Shurlock okayed script changes in
Metro's “Tea and Sympathy,” so
Robert Anderson, author of the
legit hit, arrives here from N. Y.,
Monday (5) to work with producer
PAndro S. Berman on final draft
of the screenplay. Shurlock reg-
istered objections originally over
the play’s homosexuality theme.

Film, next oii the Berman sked,
starts after Deborah Kerr finishes
her previous commitment in 20th’s
“King and I.” Kerr will essay the
same, role in the. “Sympathy” pic
that she originated for the sta^e
version, as will John Kerr (ho re-
lation), seen as the youth accused
of homosexual tendencies.

( Clearance oj a film adaptation
of “ Tea and Sympathy ” boosts the
screen sale price from $150,000 to
$350,000. The deal called for pay-
ment by Metro of a basic $150,000
for the rights to the successful
play, with an additional $200,000
due if an acceptable screen treat-
ment could be obtained. The extra
$200,000 revenue, like the original
$150,000, is subject to the standard
60-40 split between the author and
the legit production. — Ed.)

BRAZIL HOLDING OFF
ON PIX ADMISH BOOST

Price Control board in Brazil has
postponed to later this week a de-
cision on Whether or not to allow a
boost in theatre admissions, the
Motion Picture Export Assn, was
informed last week.

Board has been mulling such an
increase for some time, with both
the U. S. distribs apd local exhibs
| lobbying for raised scales. Action
lone way dir another had been ex-
pected last. Week.

r^st -bf Latin America,
where Brazil rates as the most im-
portant market, frozen admlsh
prices have been one of the prime
headaches for the American dis-
tribs. Latter have long pointed to
the need for upped admissions in
the fact of inflation and increased
operating coses. However, in Bra-
zil, and other J^atin American
countries, pix prices are tied up
with political considerations.

Denver Ex-Manager
Readies New-Type Lens

*». Denver, Aug 30.

Merf Evans, former theatre man-
ager as well as an expert on pro-
jection and lenses, who made a
low-cost 3-D lens Using one ma-
chine and one film, has come up
with a new lens that will give Cin-
erama-type projection with one
projector and one film. The new
lens will enable many more the-
, (Continued on page 62)

if United Artists has its way,
the Motion -Picture Assn, of
America will be confronted with
the dilemma- of. either saying no
to a Production Code seal for a
picture that serves good socio-
logical purposes, or backtracking
on the Code’s edicts. The Code is.
operated within the framework of
the MPAA and • contains a firm
tabu on the depiction of illegal
drug traffic or . addiction in any
way whatsQver,

UA, which is a member of
MPAA, is financially backing Otto
Preminger’s independent produc-
tion of “The Man with the Golden
Arm/’ This is based on Nelson Al-
gren’s novel of the same title that*
focuses on a narcotics addict,

UA is going along with the pro-
ject on the theory, it’s stated, that
a dramatization of the evil of drugs
can be a source of enlightenment
and, of course, prove a commercial
success. But the company, one
source said, is “making no speech-
es at this time,” preferring instead
to await completion of the film.

Specifically, UA Jls hoping via
the film to come up with an in-
strument that undeniably could
help combat the illicit usage .of
drugs. 'If this aim is achieved, it’s
said, 1 the Code’s administrators ob-
viously will be faced with the di-
lemma,

“Golden Arm” is to roll shortly
with Preminger as producer and
director and with Frank SinatFa,
Kim Novak and Eleanor Parker in
the leads. Walter Newman is doing
the screenplay and.UA, in addition
to financing, will, of course, dis-
tribute.

Later on in the company’s sched-
ule is a Barney Ross biopic, which
has ^as one of its focal points the
ex-fighter’s now-cured drug addic-
tion.

Rosenfield Leaving IFE
To Job Col as Lazarus’
Asst.; Goldberg Subbing

Jonas Rosenfield Jr., Italian Film
Export ad-pub and exploitation
v.p., is leaving the Italo agency
this week to join Columbia Pic-
tures as exec assistant to Paul
Lazarus Jr.,, ad-pub’ v.p.

One of the exec pillars of the
Italo outfit, and a v.p. there since
Jan., 1953, Rosenfield is being re-
leased from a new two-year, con-
tract with IFE to be able to join
Col. Seymour Poe v IFE exec v.p.,
stressed in N. Y. yesterday (Tues.),
that Rosenfield was being given
his freedom reluctantly and only
because of the opportunity pre-
senting itself to him . at the rival
outfit.

Poe said that, since IFE’s new
product lineup wouldn’t be ready
until the fall, Rosenfield’s position
would be left temporarily unoccu-
pied. His chores will be taken over
by Fred Goldberg, publicity man-
ager, who appears to be In line for
Rosenfield’s job.

When at Col, it’s assumed that
he’ll be connected in some way
with the company's new foreign
film distribution org, headed up by
Edward L. Kingsley.

SEIDELMAN TO DISTRIB
MEX-MADE PIX IN U S.

Sam Seidelman, formerly head
of foreign Operations for the now
defunct Eagle Lion Films, has
formed a new company to engage
in distribution of Mexican-made
features in Spanlsh-languAge the-
atres in the U. S. and Canada.

According to Seidelman, his new
outfit, Mexfilms inc., already has
picked up releasing rights to 60
new Mexican features, including
two in Cinemascope, and five in
Superscope. Peddling of these is
to begin in October.

Company has offices in N. Y.
and Mexico City and plans others
in L. A. and San Antonio within
the next 39 days.

FILM REVIEWS

Wednesday, August 31, 1955

Illegal

Run-of-the-mill courtroom
metier tot pipgrammer book-
ings, • ;

Hollywood, Aug. 20,

Warner Bros, release^ of Frank P,

end Soho, m well as an exciting
sequence from an air display plus
some colorful scenes of winter
sports. The' overall effect to -to
achieve a healthy balance ana to
relieve the main dramatic tension.

As the story opens, Vlviein Leigh
is frustrated in a suicide attempt.
She’s the former wife of a judge

Klsa of Hr®

tCOLOR)

Weak entry for the action
market, with Jack Palance as
marquee lure.

Hollywood, Aug. 26.
U-I release of Samuel Marx production.

riTwiV* Alien ^ Screennlay. W. R. Burnett, cmuiiwiia *u«* play, rranxun coen, Aicnara uouins,

James R Webb; from a story by Prank end her life, The realization that based on novel. "The Rose and the

g'SrisTS*” 5 ® fit BtSWffMSS BSftSiSS-S

Ray Borden .Hugh Miirlowe stralti 7 " El Tlgre «...

Ansel O'Hara • Jayne Mansfield a ° ain * • , • Princess Lucia

Frank Garland - • . Albert Dekker The plot emphasizes the Con- Duke of Montera

&*■&& st Jog flicting emotions «4 the contrast- ••••••

El Tlgre ................. Jack Palance

Princess Lucia Barbara Rush

Duke of Montera Bex Reason

Felicia Martha. Hyer

Vega . . ; Leslie Bradley

mdnd ...... T Ellen Corby uwu«8 v • Leslie Bradley

RalSh 1 !^^ 1 .!/... Edvrard Platt ing interpretations Of love and Diego ............ Alan Reed

Andy Garth i'V'J'ffiJSSHS loyalty, giving superb opportu- Pa^e Domingo La ^^ e

joeKn uht^ Robert nme /botiFto Miss Leigh anfKen- itowi

Taylor C . . . ‘ .* ’ ' .V Henry Kulky jneth More. The former, in the role shlntac Moon Karen Kadler

Aden Parker originally created toy Peggy Ash- ship captain H®nrv e K«SS

5r<&ST r .."V::;;: raSi.’D® craft in the West End, rises to *«»“* Bey R ' >wU ” d

rf* vw * v * Vnllv ’ AMkabi. jkMihl AM J dwantAViA HAlfmiS IT

Clary DeForeSt Kelly emotional and dramatic heights. It nilAI j w mhiivstMl R f nrv that at

George Graves .... is a faultless, prize-winning por- A pooily-motivated story that at

Tiamps Stuart wena L T More repeating his stage times becomes completely unbe-

r^ BO U ‘ wwl « guished showing as the judge' who promising start, -hut the promise

Werner Bros, releas « ^ e /““ d m “ s would hlpplly give hie ex-Wife a fs never realized, soon bogging

classification as .a programmer. seC0 nd chance, and Eric Portman . . , nlndder that fails to

Name of Edward G. Robinson conttibutes a flawless portrayal as down into a plodder that rails to

should provide some . help, but in the ex-doctor in the apartment keep the interest. Characters are
general this, is lacklustre entertain- upstairs, who offers medical help poorly delineated, with no explana-
ment. as well as sound advice. tions offered as to how they ■ got

Original story to credited to a fascinating cameo is contrib- into tbelr situations
Frank J. Collins, with screenplay uted by Moira Lister as an interfer- Franklin men and Hirh«r<i

by W. R. Burnett and James R. ing floozy in an adjoining flat. Ar- The Frankhn Coen and Richard

Webb, but there Is not enough thur Hill, Dandy Nichols, Jimmy Collins screenplay is based on
newness or freshness to the material Hanley and Miriam Karlin lead a Jonreed Lauritzen’s novel, “The
to keep the dramatics from remind- fine cast" of supporting players. Rose and the Flame,” purportedly
ing of simillar features. Result is Technical credits reach the ex-, having something to do with the
an oldfashioned. look, abetted by pected standard. Myro. scramble for the throne of Spain

routine settings and photography. — — — after word gets out that Charles V

Robinson* plays a district attor- Lay That Rifle Down to dying. The heir apparent is

* /envret Barbara Rush, who seems to be in

lounus; k„ .11 Cn.in Tll.f f..

Robinson plays a district attor-
ney who breaks up after sending
the wrong man to the chdir. After
a session with the bottle, he sobers
up and becomes a mouthpiece for
a crime syndicate. His courtroom

Lightweight Judy Canova star-
rer for the duals.

after word gets out that Charles V
is dying. The heir apparent is
Barbara Rush, who seems to be in
demand by all of Spain. But for
some unexplained reason she is
living in Santa Fe, N.M., her prob-
lem being to get back to Spain in
a hurry so she can be crowned

antics include slugging a complain- „ , ,, ' 1 " . . . a hurry so she can be crowned

ing witness who says a little man stirs queen before any of the many

can’t knock him out, and at another Judy Banova; f«atur«» y Robert Lowery, pretenders to the throne grab the
time drinking the poison being ^ ob

used as evidence in a murder case screenpiay, J ^Barry swpmanf c^iera.^ohn So Jack Palance, an ex-noble-
to get his client off before- rushing l. Riisseu Jr.; editor. Arthur^E, Roberts; man of Spain known throughout
for stomach jump. ■ r&fS&’BBS&S '«>* west as El Ti ff e, is engaged to

There’s not much Robinson can .as, 'ss. Running tune, 7 i mins.

tead the royal party from Santa Fe

do to make his character real and Judy Judy Canova to Monterey where .a ship is wait-

Lewis Allen’s direction is slow in K y stokeB V WW Ro . be ju jS ta |; , ... .

veering from comedy to drama. S Sarah .7 .V.:... :. ^ Jacqueline d^wit From here on the film becomes

Latter indecision is one of the more S^!L®? eckleton K fe r 5t a tired western deaUng with the

readily apparent flaws in the Frank . Rob j e £S i e S U BeS ^ek toward the ocean, withBpan-

P. Rosenberg presentation. Picture Horace speckieton .......... Leon Tyler ish conspirators and local redskins

never seems to decide whether it Twecny • Tweeny Canova doing their best to exterminate the

should play itself for straight , lr mu . „ T ' M ex S, ec . tc ,'?’ “> e y reach, the

melodramatics or for hokum La y That Rifle Down,” Judy ship but by that time the rattling
laughs. Nina Foch, Hugh Marlowe, Canova’s latest starter for Repub- influence of love has gotten in its

general Indecision? ®Evot the whose b.o prosjpectsjrill be con- Palance and the freedom of the
Climactic scene when Robinson, fined to the duals. Rustic humor New World,
fatally wounded, manages to save 'and bucolic' touches for which P-alahce is thoroughly wasted In
Miss Foch from the charge of she's noted may help biz in the a role that calls for little more
murdering her husband, Marlowe, hinterland. But on the whole, this than posturing and sorne rough-

lacks conviction.

is a weak entry with meagre ex- and-tumble action. Story suffers

The overall technical rnntHRn P.loitational assets and scant mar- because nothing is ever revealed

• UDIVOA vOUvIIDU* a- nviMAfhl v nVhAIlf Ipt ^Pl iwilA 4 Anfl f I* #vT_

tions are no more than stock.

Brog.

quee appeal.

about El Tigre’s true identity, al-

The Barry Shipman screenplay though there are veiled hints about
represents little improvement over a colorful past. Miss Rush dec-

(BbtTTmt r»?rnpi? r*ni the sam& stock situationsi charac- « e ctiance do * Ditto for

(BRITISH-C SCOPE-COLOR) ters and format ar e agai n utilized Martha Hyer.

London, Aug. 23. for mediocre results. This time the Rex Reason shows good leading
P f * London Film star is seen as a girl-of-all-wprk at man possibilities despite an am-
Le?ffh, Kenneth P Mora ti °Erio^*Fortma^i 1 a tan hto\vn hotel run by an avari- biguous role that has him a sym-
Bmiyn WiUi« m *; features Moira Lister) cious aunt. Aside from her multi- pathetic character up until the last
w ™S ho P , .« J i mm 7 Hap- tudinous chores, she finds time to few minutes, when he sudddhly

tvak screenpiay’ by^Terenc^ lutfiKan ta ke a correspondence school turns heavy. Leslie Bradley, Alan

from his stagepiay; camera,, jack mid- “charm” course which develops Reed and Lawrence Dobkin give

eolm 1 Araoidl *$5eep 'Si^ke^y F?an- illto the obvious possibilities. Okay support.

T^.,S hagrl l and J5 oy ® ra 5 £ord .- At Carlton, Indirectly, the course brings Joseph M. Newman megs the
London, Aug. 23 . 53. Running time, >9 confidence men Robert Lowery Samuel Marx production in routine

Hester Vivien Leieh and Robert Burton on the scene, style. Carl Guthrie’s Technicolor

Freddie Page' V/.V.) *.7. ’.V.' Kenneth Mol" They proceed to swindle bank lensing is one of the bright spots
w • • - * • E f ic Pprtman president. Richard Deacon and the of the film. * Settings by Alexander

Pawn MaxweU *. *. '. Em Moira ^List^r aunt > Jacqueline de Wit, with Miss Golitzen and Robert Boyle and the
Jackie Jackson Arthur Hiii Canova being used as a' foil. Be- editing by Arthur H. Nadel get an

Dicer Durston ‘.V.V.V/.-.V.*. Jim m Y y HaJiey fo | e ^ ff exposed and the okay rating. Costumes by Jay A.

Barmaid . .r,,. Miriam Karlin culprits nabbed, the footage un- Morley Jr. are attractive.

Lady Dawson Heather Thatcher reels generous slices of slapstick — r- — : —

D?u?k iri*T<Slz„ v th SL'S , , ni * te &M' ItevU

Man in Street Sidney James minate in Judy hftnded R fQrtUUe ,r >;

r on ;< v Tiec McCo wen for oil rights on the^ homestead. -

Col.yer , Clerk . C lbl> McLaughlin Miss Canovll) w , th a vehicle LOW-CkUbW .dventare J-ari.

-ability of Kimba, the chimp, to
amuse by doing endless backflips.

Obviously, it must pay for Katz-
man and Columbia to turn out
these quickies (this one’s in sepia
color), but it’s hard to believe that
there are adults around for this
sort of hokum. Even on a small
budget feature like this, they
coulji have done better.

Ingredients of “Devil Goddess”
are standard, although George
Plympton’s Script with its almost
incredible dialog is sub-standard.
Story has’ Johnny Weissmuller
braving the African jungles to
guide a girl and her professor
father to the land of the Rrewor-
shlppers where,* the professor
thinks, an old friend has holed up
and is playing “god.”, Simulta-
neously, a party of villains arrive
on the scene, looking for a buried
treasure.

Caught in the middle are the
spear-eqxiipped . natives who ever
So often break out in frantic tribal
dances. Eventually, the professor
finds his man; the villains meet
their .due, and Weissmuller and
his friends return safely.

Spliced in on suitable occasions
is footage involving a fight between
a tiger and a hyena, which doesn’t
come off any too clearly; freauent
eruption of the volcano with re-
peat shots of rocks tumbling down
the mountainside, and a dance by
native girls more reminiscent of
Hawaii than Africa.

Weissmuller plays his role
wooden-faced and without much
enthusiasm. Angela Stevens, hand-
ed some embarrassingly naive
lines, looks pretty and immaculate
throughout; Selmer Jackson, Vera
M. Francis, William. Tannen, Ed
Hinton and William M. Griffith all
go through their paces with only
an occasional show of conviction.

Spencer G. Bennet’s direction—
perhaps wisely— concentrates oh
Kimba and on the fire effects,
Moppets probably will get a kick
out of the long opening sequence
when Kimba and his pals have a
go at the bottle and show it. There
are also 'Some good occasional mo-
ments when the .fake “god” ap-
pears to the natives and demands
a human sacrifice, fit’s actually
the professor's friend trying to
save the girls from being sacri-
ficed). Incidentally Miss Francis,
who plays the maiden to be offered
up to the fire god, rates future at-
tention. . Hifb

i .

Elite Fran Genuegt
Nieht?

(One Woman Is Not Enough?)

(GERMAN)

Berlin, Aug. 23,

Deutsche London release ot Apollo
production. - Stars HUde Krahl,. Hans
Soehnker, Hellene' Bey. Directed by
UlricK Erfurth. Screenplay.. Dr. Erich
Ebermayer and Frank Dimen. after a
novel by Michael Graf Soltlkow; camera,
Werner Krlen; music, Peter Igelhoff. At
Marmorhaus* Berlin. Running time, 9t
MINS.

Maria Vossberg Hilde Krahl

Ernst Vossberg ........ Hans Soehnker

Renate Reinhard Heliane Bel

Dr, Stefan Merten* Hans Reiser

Dr. Kern .............. Rudolf Forster

Dr. Koerfer Walter Suessenguth

Frau Huber, housekeeper .... Annie Rosar

Dr. Dickrelter Ernst Stahl-Nachbaur

Court Director Ralph Lothar

Herr Oppert Herbert Huebnear

Frau Oppert Lola Muethel

Schratt Paul Hoerbiger

Wenzler, Barber Stanislav Ledinek

ileyfILioildcss

Low-calibre adventure yarn

A leeit hit on Aith^r ciAo tailor-made to her talents, handles with Johnny Weissmuller for

AtlantS 1 “The DeS Rluf^ th « material in her own inimitable Jhe marquee; for the juve

brought to the scrLn m fllffhtlv stjde * Robert Lowei ’y is suitably trade.

embellished foirn^huf 1 * dashing as one of the con men who

Rattiean who Tnc does a last-minute balk at fleecing . . Columbia release of Sam Katzman pro-

xtauigan, wno nas written the X/rjee rannva Mice de Wit 3 C the duction. Stars Johnny Weissmuller; fea*

Script from his own play has not ” 11SS vanova. JVIISS ae .Wit as ine tures Angela Stevens, Selmer Jackson,

altered the Diet in anv nritc eccen 6 ree dy aunt does as best she can WWlam Tannen, Ed Hinton. William M.

altered tne plot in any of its essen- with the lim ited opportunities pre- Griffith. Directed by Spencer G. Rennet.

It remains ther fo h ^h. S — ed by script »- and under camera. Ira

ii remains, tnererore, a high- similar handicaps' are Jil Jarmyn Morgan; music. Mischa Bakaieinikoff.

* r u ade dramatic entertainment as her daughter, as well as Burton, Au *‘ 25 ‘ '55, Running

which should do best in class sit- Deacon and Tweeny Canova. Sh«„v w^muiiee

results 1 in rumof-i^ 0 Sieatres P ° tty Director Charles Lamont stressed Nora Blakely ....... .7.7 Angela Stevens

PrldneeR^ the humor whenever possible and c C o a m S to B ck kely ’ “ ' ! * ' wima°m Ta C nSen

1 and directed by Ana- associate producer Sidney Picker Joseph Leopold* 7.7.’.*.. ‘ . Ed Hinton

tole Litvak, with a top drawer provided the film with standard Ralph Dixon William m. Griffith

S^intell^ent^con^entp^v n S P hysica l values. Camerawork of NkSma •.•:.7.7.■.■.'.■. . . Frank Lalkteen
an mtemgent commentary on hu- John L, Russell Jr. Ijs good and Sarab'na Vera M. Francis

man emotions. The dialog sustains Arthur E. Roberts edited to a slow Bert G«orge Berkely

f ven q ualR y. an dthe author 71 minutes. Songsmiths Donald * ~ —

concessions to conven- Kahn and Jack Elliott cleffed three There was a time, long ago,
& J < impeccable acting by the fairi$h tunes (“I’m Glad I Was when the Tarzan pix and similar

lour principals is a highlight of the Born on My Birthday,” “Sleepy adventure yarns used to be fun.

production. Serenade” and “The Continental But the latest Sam- Katzman entry,

Although the basic plot calls for Correspondence Charm School”) “Devil Goddess,” is a plodding, al-
^xceptional use of interiors, Litvak which Miss Canova warbles with most amateurish attempt • at mak-
has employed his CineibaScope a country beat. Score of . R. Dale , ing a formula theme pay off. It
Cameras to advantage, introducing Butts is par for* the course. uses a good’ deal of stock footage

fascinating shots Of the efnbankment Glib. and relies beyond reason' on the

Columbia release of Sam Katzman pro-
duction. Stars Johnny Weissmuller; fea-
tures Angela Stevens, Selmer Jackson,
William Tannen, Ed Hinton, William M.

This is not a comedy or light
entertainment but a modern love
drama centering around a man
and two women. The problem
posed for him concerns a pregnant
young girl he has fallen for and
his estranged wife, who is not will-
ing to give him up. In the main,
this is a woman’s picture tout it also
may appeal to general audiences
here. International chances, how-
ever, appear hardly better than
average.

Artistically speaking, film is bet-
ter than most local pix of this well-
knowh type. Although often rather
conventional and Centering around
a familiar triangle, there is some
refreshing authenticity and seri-
ousness about this film. Here, sym-
pathy rests on both women, both
have their justified arguments to
get the man. Even the man’s un-
faithfulness meets human sym-
pathy in view of his childless and
unhappy marriage.

'Unfortunately, film solves the
problem the easy and banal way:
the wife shoots her rival in sort
of a not intended rage.

The acting is mostly very good.
This particularly applies to Hilde
Krahl, as the estranged wife. Hans
Soehnker, as her husband, also
turns in a lifelike portrayal. Hel-
iane Bel plays the young girl with
much conviction but is overshad-
owed by Miss Krahl. Good sup-
porting roles are supplied by Paul
Hoerbiger and Stanislav Ledinek.

Direction by Ulrich - Erf urth is
not even all the way but generally
adequate in '•view .of the compli-
cated script furnished by Erich
Ebermayer and Frank Dimen.
Werner Krien’s lensing is okay as
are other technical contributions.

Bans.

■**> Hollywood, Aug. $0.

George Brand will play Joan
Caulfield.’! father in * 'The Raim.of
Ranchipur” at 20th-Fox . . . Cana-
dian actor Lome Greene drew a
featured role in the William Goetz
production, “The Way W6 Are,”
starring Joan Crawford at Colum-
bia , . . “Storm Genter” is the new
tag on Columbia*^ “The Library.”
. . . Otto Preminger borrowed Kim
Novak from Columbia to costar
with Frank Sinatra and Eleanor
Parker in “The Man With the
Golden Arm.” . . . Warners signed
Nancy Kelly for the mother role
in “The Bad Seed.”

Frank Tuttle signed to direct
Alan Ladd’s -Jaguar production,
“All Through the Night.” . . .
Maurice Mansion joined the cast of
“The Creature Walks Among Us”
at UI . . . Bill Schallert will gallop
thataway in VThe Lone Ranger” at
Warners'. . . Arthur Homblow Jr t
inked a deal with Magna Theatre
Corp. as a consultant producer on
a non-exclusive -basis, with Hdrn-
blow to participate in two produc-
tions skedded during next 16
months. •

^ UI assigned Floyd Simmons to
a featured spot in “Pillars of the
Sky” . . . Flackery secretary Cyn-
thia Leighton drew a role in Para-
mount’s “The Birds and the Bees.”
. , /Sidney Harmon negotiating a
deal to produce three films for
United Artists release, starting
with “Men at War,” . . . Gregg Pal-
mer snagged a key role in “The
Creature Walks Among Us” at UI
... Metro assigned Debbie Rey-
nolds to second femme lead in “All
Our Yesterdays.” . , . William Wyler
signed Marjorie Main for “Friepd-
ly Persuasion,” temporarily known
as “Mr. Birdwell Goes to Battle.”
, . . Paramount assigned John
Sturges to direct “The Sons , of
Katie Elder,’” to be produced by
Samuel J. Briskln,

‘Guys’ Lingual Poser

Continued from pace l — i— a

in Arabic, “This Woman Is Mine”;
in Swedish, “Angels of Broadway.”
Latter is, -the same title^used. in
Sweden when the stage show
played there.

Although the picture Is not ex-
pected to play a foreign country
until at least the spring of 1956
and in some areas some two years
from now, Loew’s, which is releas-
ing the Samuel Goldwyn produc-
tion, has nevertheless launched a
fullscale foreign bally campaign.
The approach to a many-varied one,
but one of the basic tasks is to in-
troduce far in advance the world of
Runyon to people abroad. In many
countries, particularly England,
Runyon’s literary works are well
known. He Is regarded highly as
the author of American folk litera-
ture, being considered a cross be-
tween Ring Lardner and Mark
Twain.

The picture is not being sold as
an ordinary musical. Stress is be-
ing made on the fact that “Guys
and Dolls” is based on a Damon
Runyon story. Attempts are. being
made to explain just what are
“guys” and “dolls”; what is Undy’s,
what Is. the game Of “craps,” and
what is a “marker.”

- Goldwyn, highly regarded abroad
as an industry elder statesman,
has promised to carry “a can of
film” abroad In a personal selling
job. Interest in Goldwyn’s jour-
ney is already being aroused
among exhibitors and newspaper-
men. Pre-selling of “Marlon Bran-
do sings and dances for the first
time” Is an approach that is getting
a response.

In contrast to the foreign indoc-
trination) Metro has discovered
that, : domestically, “Guys and
polls” is one of the most pre-sold
properties in the last decade. In
a survey of 52 cities, with more
than 15,000 people interviewed 1 ,
M-G discovered that 65% of the
people queried were fully aware
that “Guys” was being made into
a motion picture.

Survey, completed in July, dis-
covered that a contributing factor
to the public’s awareness of “Guys
and Dolls” was the fact that it had
played as a roadshow, stock com-
pany, summer theatre, tent show
and civic auditorium attraction in
most of the cities in which the poll
was conducted. As a result, 95.5%
of the women and 89% of the men
interviewed replied affirmatively
when asked if they had ever heard
of “Guys and Dolls.”

No Russian title has as yet been
selected for the film. It’ll liave to
wait, says Loew’s foreign depart-
ment, for ■ the * eventual results of
the recent Geneva conference.' •

Wednesday* August SI* 1955

riCTURVS

Loew’s Theatres has received 4-

Federal Court permission to lease
and operate a 1,300-seat conven-
tional theatre now under construc-
tion near Coral Gables, Fla. Ap-
proval of the chain's petition by
Judge Lawrence E. : Walsh Monday
(29) marks the third greenlight ob-
tained by Loew’s for additional
theatre acquisitions since the Gov-
ernment's consent decree forced a
separation of production and the-
atre activities. Circuit previously
acquired ozoners in suburban Chi-
cago and in Jacksonville, -Fla., It
is also eyeing drive-in properties
in New York and New Jersey,

In the Coral Gables petition,
Maurice Silverman, representing
the Dept, of Justice* said the Gov-
ernment had no objection, since
the new theatre, would probably
increase competition in the area.
Sole objection to Loew’s request
.was made by Rdbert Wright, rep-
resenting Wometco Theatres, which
operates the Sunset, a 600-seat
subsequent-run house, four blocks
. from the Loew site.

Wright argued that the Loew
house should be limited to certain
runs instead of being placed on an
unrestricted firstrun basis. His
Statement was refuted by Silver-
man, who protested that limited
runs for the Loew theatre would
afford too much protection for
Coral Gables* four existing first-
run houses. One of these is # op-
erated by Wometco. Court okayed
the Loew’s petition after S. Hazard
Gillespie, attorney for Loew’s,
showed, to the satisfaction of the
bench that the new' house “will not
unduly restrict competition.”

Loew’s will operate the theatre
through the Riviera Theatre Corp.,
a wholly-owned subsidiary. House
is located four miles southwest of
the Coral Gables business district. v

K.C. City Council Mulls
Closing Hour Law, Ban
On ’Obscene Pic’ Preview

Kansas City, .Aug. 30.

Ordinances affecting film theatre
Operation on two fronts have been
Introduced in City Cduncil at be-
hest of the Welfare Dept.

Added restrictions pf city regu-
lations covering Indecent per-
formances are being sought to
cover any "representation or any
part of an obscene film or per-
formance.” Indecent films and per-
formahces are prohibited by an or-
dinance already on the books, but
had not been interpreted to cover
such things as the showing of a
film preview of an obscene pic.

Under the proposed change, ad-
vertising of such motion pictures
also would become unlawful, ac-
cording to Dr. Hayes Richardson,

. director of welfare.

Another ordinance already intro-
duced would set a closing hour for
commercial places of recreation, in-
cluding theatres, at 1:30 a.m. Per-
mission to run past that hour may
be had -on special requisition to the
Welfare Dept., - if the additional
time is judged necessary, such as
time to complete .a major sports
contest or tournament.

$5,009,8/5 Grossed By
Mex Cinemas in 6 Mos.

Mexico City, Aug. 23.

Gross of $5,009,875 by the 434
active cinemas here during the
first half of this year is described
as "very good” by the city treas-
ury department. Although exhibi-
tors, admitting that this is the
heftiest coin semester, they feel
that the record must be viewed
realistically since very little of that
coin was net profit. This is be-
cause of high costs, particularly
taxes and wages, which likely will
be even more higher because of
the recent 17% pay hike.

Exhibitors don’t see any. chance
of raising the 32<s admission price
ceiling until a new city and federal
government comes in on Dec. 1,
1953.

Schaefer Producer’s Rep *
On Aldrich ’Knife’ Indie

George J. Schaefer has been
named producer’s rep on Robert
Aldrich’s indie production of "The
Big Knife,” United Artists release.

Film is an adaptation of the Clif-
ford Odets play with Jack palance<
Ida Lupino and Shelley Winters in
the leadSi

Motion, Picture- Export ASsn. this
week is expected to inform the
Spanish government that it is no
longer interested in extending last
year’s film accord.

Action, via a letter to the Span-
iards, comes as the result of a
Spanish decree ordering local ,dis-
tribs to handle one Spanish pic for
every four dubbed foreign imports.

Under an earlier agreement,
Spain was to extend for one year
the old pact "without changes.”
U. S. distribs maintain that, via
the decree, Spain violated that un-
derstanding. Latter ' doesn’t actual-
ly threaten any Hollywood boy-
cott of the Spanish market, along
the pattern set in Denmark. There,
the companies not only cut off im-
ports, but also talked an end to
local booking activity.

However, in Spain, ,the compa-
nies have no intention of picking
up whatever licenses are available
to them, the reasoning being that
this would constitute implied con-
sent Of the Spanish position. Thus,
there exists in effect an embargo
on imports into Spain. Companies
have a backlog of unreleased films
in the country.

Griffith Johnson, MPEA v.p. in
charge of Europe, who left N. Y.
for Venice yesterday (Tues,), is
expected to go to Spain in an effort
to straighten out the situation. The
Americans had been negotiating
with the Ministry of Commerce,
whereas the decree was issued by
the Ministry of Information &
Tourism. It’s known that the two
agencies don’t see eye to eye on
the issuer

M-G Nixes Invites to Hub
Ex-Censor on Previews

Sales department of Metro has
informed William Shelton, sales
v.p. of Times Film Corp., that it
has instructed its Boston rep : to
cease inviting the former Boston
censor to preview screenings of
the company's pix,

,As far as can be ascertained,!
M-G is the only company to have
answered a wire from Shelton, de-
ploring the distribs’ practice in
continuing td issue invites to the
Boston censor as a "courtesy” ges-
ture. *

Sunday censorship in Massachu-
setts has been outlawed by the
Mass. Supreme Judicial Court,
partly as a result of an action
brought by Times Film in behalf
of the William Shelton release,
"Game of Love.”

Pix Out of Hub Tax Bill

Boston, Aug. 30.

Pictures have been excluded
from the proposed entertainment
licensing bill for Sunday in Mas-/
sachusetts to take the place of the
statute rpnderGd unconstitutional
by the Supreme Court.

The Senate gave initial approval
to an amended bill restoring the
state law covering the licensing of
Sunday entertainment, excluding
films, this frame. This was substi-
tuted for a House resolve calling
for a atudy of the question.

Pre-regulation or censorship has
become "both the walling wall and
whipping boy of the motion pic-
ture industry” and film industry
officials too often seem to set up
a strawman in censorship, Hugh

M. Flick, former. N. Y. censor and
now exec assistant to the N. Y.
State Education Commissioner, told
Variety last week.

Granting that "freedom of
speech and press as guaranteed by
the Constitution ls ; more vital to-
day than it was in the days of
the American Revolution,” Flick
said that his six-year experience as

N. Y. censor nevertheless had con-
vinced him that “there is a legiti-
mate and positive need for some
type of regulation of the various
media of mass communication.”

"I am convinced,” he said, "that
such regulation could be construc-
tive and a safeguard of the funda-
mental freedoms in the First
Amendment. It seems to me that
there is no surer way of losing
these freedoms then by allowing
or even encouraging the flagrant
abuse of the media.

Flick, known during his tenure
in office as a friend of the indus-
try with a thoroughly constructive ,
point of View, observed that ’the
shortcomings, weaknesses, dangers
and failures of motion pictures are
apt to he . placed at the door of
official regulation. ' ,

"With all the vital and import-
ant problems to be discussed, in-:
dustry spokesmen all too often
choose the ‘evils of censorship’ for j
the subject of public pronounce- 1
ments,” he held. "The showman- j
ship of the industry has led in I
certain quarters to the belief that
the louder and more flamboyant
the claims and pronouncements,
the greater the righteousness and
justification. The official attitude
of the, organized, industry toward
official * pre-regulation' of motion
:pictures is a perfect case in point.”

Noting that the U. S. Supreme ;
Court at the moment, at* least,
didn’t intend, to declare pre-regula-
tion unconstitutional, Flick advised
the industry in its own interest
to work for the best possible ad-
ministration of such regulatory
acts.*

Settle Out-of-Court |
On Jersey Exhibs’ Suit

Antitrust suit seeking $1,231,000
in total damages from the eight
principal distributors, and the
Plainfield (N. J.) Operating Co.,
Trenton-New' Brunswick.. Theatres
and Walter Reade Theatres has
been, settled out of court.

Action had been Instituted in
N. Y. Federal Court by Sompru
Theatre Co. and Brookpru Co., the
former having operated the Court
Theatre, Somerville, N. J., prior i
to 1954 and the latter after that
year. They had charged the dis-
tributors discriminated against the
house in favor of the exhibitor de-
fendants. 1

"Martin Luther,” produced by
Louis de Rochemont for Lutheran
Church Productions, has wound up
its theatrical run and is now being

offered for fiat sale in* 16m version
to churches, schools, organizations
and institutions. Price is $150 for
the full picture, the offer being
good until Nov. 30, 1955.

According to Robert E. A. Lee,
exec secretary of Lutheran Church
Productions, this marks the first
time that an effort has been made
to, sell a film such as this to
churches. Previously, he noted,
this hadn’t been done because (1)
the cost of prints'was too great, and
(2) private producers had to de-
pend on rentals to get back their
investment.

"Luther” has had some 4,000
theatrical dates in the U. S. alone

Split ‘Spiendored’ in Hnb
For Morphy-Hell’ Preem

Boston, Aug. 30.

Ben Domingo at Keith Memorial
Theatre is cutting his current at-
traction, "Love Is a Many Spien-
dored Thing,” 1 tonight (Tues.) to
preem -‘To HelL and Back” with a
.personal appearance ot Audie
Murphy, star • of the film, in town
for the .VFW convention, for one
night.

"Spiendored Thing” resumes
again tomorrow' (Wed,). Murphy's
film opens at the Keith Memorial^
Sept. 7, The film star was guest of'
honor at a black-tie dinner of the
VFW last night,- arid grand marshal
of the VFW parade this afternoon.

Lqpdon, Aug. 30 .

Preliminary reports of the Rank
Group. <&mpanies, covering fiscal
year ended last June# are a glow-
ing appraisal of soaring profits and
resulting upped dividends.. Only
one company in the entire group
failed £p show improved profit, but
this’ one, General Theatre Corp.,
still had trading profits of $696,530
or a net' of $283,046.

Standout was the showing made
by Odeon Theatres, which had a
new high in trading profit of $23,-
435,700. . Net for the company ,> after
taxation, was $3,718,200, Company
[hiked its dividend from 15% to
25%. The bank debts were sliced
by an additional $2,736,400, making
a total reduction of $33,868,984
oyer the last six years. General
reserve was increased $2,800;000 to
$5,600,000.

•Odeon is issuing a bonus stock
dividend on a one-for-one basis. It
also is creating a new class 8,000,-
000 common share at 70c each as
soon as market conditions -permit
making a cash issue.

Name of the company is to be
changed to the Rank Organization •
Ltd.

Companies have extended . for
another year the Motion Picture
Export Assh/s license ; to operate
for them in—- and deal with — the
Iron Curtain countries, including
Russia. The franchise expires to- :
day (Wed.).

„ Exempt from this v extension is
the franchise for Yugoslavia, where
the distribs have decided to go
their own way and ‘deal, individual-*
ly with the Yugo film monopoly;!

Extension is more of a techni-
cality than anything else, since no
immediate film sales to either
Russia or her satellites are indi-
cated, However, should the way
be opened to dealings with the
Reds, the companies Want MPEA
to be in a position to carry on the
talks with a "united front” ap-
proach.

MPEA at one point operated in
most of the Iron Curtain areas with
the exception of Russia, where its
activity never went beyond the ne-
gotiation Stage. As the cold war
grew hot, the circulation of Hol-
lywood pix in such countries . as
Poland, Hungary, Rumania, Czecho-
slovakia, etc., dwindled and by now
has completely ceased-

From time to time, both Russia .
and her satellites have entered
tentative bids for U. S. films. How-
ever, the American companies have
steadfastly refused to enter into
any negotiations pending a go-
ahead from the U. S. State Dept.
Latter has now indicated that it
would no longer be opposed to pic
dealings with the Russians. Indus-
try nevertheless is holding out for
something more in the nature of
an actual request from the State
Dept. |

Fer to Civic Groups

and has been extremely successful
abroad. In Germany alone, more
than half the theatres have played
the religioso pic. It was made origi-
nally at a negative cost of $500,000
but has earned this back several
times over.

Lee, estimating that the pic had
been seen by some 20,000,000
people in the U. S. already, noted
that "Luther” in 16m would be
sold on a flat basis only, with no
rental arrangements being made.
Film's dialog and narration has
been translated into 12 - foreign
languages.

Lutheran Church Productions is
currently mulling another film.
The de Rochemont office has com-
pleted a treatment of a script on
the life of Johann Sebastian Bach
and is about to submit it to the
Lutheran group.

Gaumont British, another com-
pany in the group, reported a trad-
ing profit of '$12,213,21.0 and a net
of $2,640,584. The GB dividend was
boosted from 12^% to 15%. An-
other company, British & Domin-
1 ions, showed $1,231,417 gross prof-
its and a net of. $498,649. Divvy was
tilted 1% to 6VS%.

Another Rank outfit, Cinematele-
vision, reported $2,786,898 gross
profit, net profit being $1,200,539.
Dividend was upped from 30% to
45%..-

Odeon Associated showed trad-
ing. profit of $2,329,768, with net
listed at $315,852.- Odeon Proper-
ties’ gross profits were listed at
$3,111,057,, with net placed at
$450,712.

Another Rank company to tilt its
dividend was Provincial Cinemato-
graph Theatres, which raised it
from 39% to 55%, This company
had a gross of $2,719,640 and a net
Of $785,020.

Audie Murphy Prefers
Mat Salary Deals
To % Payoff on Pics

Audie Murphy, who stars' in his
own autobiog for Universal, "To
Hell and Back,” and has a 10 v %
cut of the film, said last week that
he preferred to stay on a flat sal-
ary basis , with U.

‘T’d like to' gamble . on my pic-
tures as much as the next man#
and I’m not averse to money, but I
honestly think I’m better off tak-
ing my very good pay and leaving
things the way they are,” he com-
mented. "On those percentage
arrangements you are apt to end
up with only 5c on every dollar.
It just isn’t worth it.”

Murphy was in N. Y. after a tour
of Texas, where he made p.a.'s with
the film. He said that, under his
deal with U, he was obligated to
make two a year for the studio for
the next five years. He’s also al-
lowed one outside pic a year, He
has one U pic, “The World in My
Corner,” in the can and said he
was negotiating with various stu-
dios for his* outside production.

It's likely, however, that he’ll
make one under his own indie ban-
ner, Audie Murphy Productions,
and that such a pic will be released
via U, whose promotional go-get-
ting spirit has impressed him.
Story for such a film hasn’t been
picked yet.

Murphy said one of the reasons
he was happy with ‘‘To Hell and ,
Back” was that it represented a
change from the westerns, of which
he’d done quite a few. "I was
afraid of getting typed,” he ob-
served. " ‘Hell’ gets me out of that
western bracket. It’s easy enough
to get into .it, but it takes good
product to pull you out,”

Actor saic| he was greatly im*
i (Continued on page 18)

PICTURE GROSSES

Wednesday, August 31,' 1955

UU11IV1 UVIIJ VIVtVW 1|I VHUI J IW1.J

<rn *

<n l-t I * 1 1 Of* <

Los Angeles. Aug. 30. -f

Holdovers and extended-runs
dominate current session here but
over-all wicket trade remains at ,a
respectable level, Of newcomers,
probably fastest play is going to
“Night of Hunter," showcasing at
Bits for a hearty $10,000 initial
frame. First popscale date Of “How
To Be Popular” is rated average
$25,000 in four theatres.

Nice $21,000 shapes for “Night
Holds Terror” in two houses. “Girl
Rush” is rated thin $8,000 in two
firstruns plus mild $23,000 In three
nabes and four ozoncrs.

Most holdovers continue neat to
big; “Mister Roberts” is in latter
category with $25,000 for sixth
round in three spots. “To Catch
Thief” looms nifty $16,000 in
fourth stanza at Hollywood Para-
• mount, “Summertime” shapes neat
$16,500 in second week at Fox
Wilshire. Also in second frame-,
“Love Is Splendored Thing”, is :
smart $20,000 at Chinese. I

Estimates for This Week •

Orpheum, Hawaii (Metropolitan- j
G&S) (2.213; 1,106; 80-$D— "Girl
Rush” (Par) and “Green Buddha”
(Indie), Orpheum only. Thin $8,000.
Last week, Orpheum, “Kentuckian” 1
(UA) , and “Break • to Freedom”
(UA), $8,600; Hawaii, “Pearl South
Pacific?’ (RKO) and “Lone Star”
(MG) (Reissue), $3,500.

State, Iris (UATC-FWC) (2,404; !
816; 80-$l)— “Night Holds Terror”
(Col) and “Man Colorado” (Col)
Jreissue). Big $21,000. Last week.
State, “Francis in Navy” (U) and
“Fury .Paradise” (indie), $8,600;
Iris, “Seven Year Itch” (20th) and
“Adventures Sadie” (20th) (2d

moveover wk), $4,700.

Fox Rltx (FWCr (1,363; $1-$1.25)
—“Night of Hunter” (UA), Hearty
-■$10,000. Last week, “Interrupted
Melody” (MG) (8th wk), .*4,800.

Fox Wilshire (FWC) (2,296;
$1.50-$2)— “Summertime” (UA) (2d
- wk). Neat $16,500. Last week,
$21,800.

, Chinese (FWC) (1,905; $1-$1.50)
—“Love Is Many . Splehdored
Thing” (20th) (2d wk). Smart
$20;000. : Last week, $27,100.

DoWntown Paramount. Pantages,
Wiltem (ABPT-RKO-SW) (3,200;
2,812; 2,344: $1-$1.50) — “Mister
Roberts” (WB) (6th wk). Good
$25,000; Last week, $30,000.

Four Star (UATC) (900: 90-$1.50)
— “Man Who Loved Redheaids”
(UA) (2d wk). Slow $2,300. Last
week, $3,000.

El Rey (FWC) (861; 70-$1.25)—
“Red Shoes” (UA) and “Quartet”
(UA) (reissues) (2d wk). Okay
$3,000. Last week, $4,200.

Hollywood Paramount (F&M)
(1,430; $1-$1.50) — “To Catch Thief’
(Par) (4th wk). Nifty $16,000. Last
week, $18,500.

Hillstrect, Vogue (RKO-FWC)
(2,752; 885; $1-*1.25)— “Lady and
Tramp” (BV) (2d wk). Okay $15,-
000. Last week, *22,000.

Warner Beverly <SW) (1,612; $1-
$1.75) — “Not as Stranger” (UA)
(Continued on page 20)

love’ Moderate $10,000,
L’ville; ‘Kentuckian’ Big
13G, ‘Blues’ Hotsy 7G

Louisville, Aug. 30.
Red-blooded product and cooler

Broadway Grosses

Estimated Total Gross
This Week ........ $584,900

( Based on 20 theatres.)....

Last Year ... ........ $682,700

( Based on 22 theatres.)

$ 16 , 000 , Frisco

San Francisco, Aug. 30.
“Cinerama Holiday” is hottest
boxoffice bet here currently, with
another terrific stanza at the Or-
pheum. It hung up practically the
same smash biz in. its fourth week
as in third round. However, “Fe-
male on Beach” is outstanding
newcomer, with a solid session at
Golden Gate. Another new entry,
“Love Is Splendored Thing,”
shapes okay at the huge Fox.
“Mister Roberts” continues great
in seventh frame at St. Francis.

Estimates for This Week

Golden Gate (RKO) (2,859; 80-
$1)— “Female on Beach” (U) and
“.Double Jeopardy” (Rep). • Solid
$16,000 or near. Last week, “Lady
and Tramp*’ (BVH5fch wk), $11,000.

Fox (FWC) (4,651; $1.25-$1.50)—
-“Love Is Many Splendored Thing”
(20th) and “Life in Balance”
(20th). Okay $22,000 or close. Last
week, “McConnell Story” (WB)
and “Road to Denver” (Rep) (2d
-wk), $12,500.

Warfield (Loew) (2,656; 65-90)—
“King’s Thief” (M-G). Light $10,-

000 or less. Last week, -“Scarlet
Coat” (M-G), $10,500.

Paramount (Par) (2,646; 90-$l) —
“We’re No Angels” (Par) and
“Trouble in Store” (Indie) (2d wk).
Okay $10,000 in 5 days. Last
week, *20,000.

St. Francis (Par) (1.400; $1-$1.25)
—“Mister Roberts” (WB) (7th wk).
Great $13,000. Last week, $14,000.

Orpheum (Cinerama Theatre,
Calif.) (1,458; $1.75-$2.65)— “Cine-
rama Holiday” (Indie) (5th wk).
Fourth week ended Sunday (28)
was smash $38,000. Last week,
$37,800.

United Artists (No. Coast) (1,207;
70-$l) — “Not as Stranger” (UA)
(9th \$k). Fine $7,300. Last week,
$8,800.

Stagedoor (A-R) (400; $1-$1.25)
— “Marty” (UA) and “Kind Hearts,
Coronets” (Indie) (9th wk). Hap-
py $4,000. Last week, same. '

Larkin (Rosener) (400; $1) —

“Flamenco” (Indie) (3d wk). Good
$3,000. Last week, $3,600.

Clay (Rosener) (400; $1) — “Green
Scarf” (Indie) (2d wk). Solid $2,-
900. Last week, $3,600.

1 Vogue (S. F. Theatres), (377; $1)
—“Wages Of Fear” (Indie) (2d wk).
Big $5,500. Last week, $5,800.

Bridge (Heade-Schwarz) (396; $1-
$1.25) — “Court Martial” (Indie)
(3d wk). Trim $2,000. Last week,
$2,500.

‘Love* Smash $14,000,
Port.; ‘Laramie’ 9G, 3d

Portland, Ore,, Aug. 30.

Holdovers continue the big draw
this round. “Mister Roberts” heads
into a fifth sesh at the Broadway,
still being hefty. This sets a new
playing-time record for house.
“Laramie** is tall in third big
frame. “Love Is Many Splendored
Thing” shapes socko at the Fox,
and likely will continue.

Estimates for This Week

Broadway (Parker) (1,890; 90r
$1.25)— Mister Roberts” (WB) (5th
wk). New playing time record for
this spot. Hefty $7,000. Last week;
$9,600 after 3 hectic weeks. .

Fox (Evergreen) (1,536; $1-$1,25T
—“Love Is Splendored Thing”
(20th) and “Life In Balance”
(20th). Sock $14,000. Last week,
“Virgin Queen” (20th) and “Glory
At Sea” (Indie) (2d wk). $3,300 in

4 days. - „

Guild (Indie) (400; $1)— “Inno-
cents In Paris” (Indie) (2d wk).
Opening round biz was a complete
sizzler. Neat $1,000. Last week
$3,300. . „

Liberty (Hamrick) (1,875; 75-
$D_“The Last Command” (Rep)
and “Double Jeopardy” (Rep).
Slim $6,000. Last week, “Monika"
(Indie) and “Mixed Up Women”
(Indie) (2d wk). $6,200.

Orpheum (Evergreen) (1,600; $1-
$1.25) “Man From Laramie” (Col)
and “Chicago Syndicate” Col) (3d
wk). Tall $9,000. Last week,
$11,500. . ■

Paramount (Port-Par <3.400; 75-
$1)— “Never Too Young” (Par) and
^‘Shotgun” (AA) (2d wk). Fine
$8,000. Last week, $12,000.

Thief Giant 30G,

Boston, Aug. 30. #
Flood disaster and polio epidemic
is having little effect on pix biz
in 'the Hub currently although
some holdovers are fading. Cooler
weather proved good for the wick-
ets. Only two newcomers this frame.
“To Catch Thief” at Astor is giv-
ing that house its biggest trade in
some time with a mighty take.
Other newcomer, “Dana Busters,”
opened at Exeter Sunday,
“Cinerama** closed Sunday night
after an 86-week record run in
Hub. Best of holdovers, “Love Is
Many Splendored Thing,” is torrid
in second week at Memorial. State
and Orpheym, with “Mam From
Laramie,” are solid in second
frame “Virgin Queen” at May-
flower and “Pearl South Pacific”
at Pilgrim are poor in their second
frames.

Estimates for This Week
Astor (B&Q) (1,500; 75-$1.25) —
“To Gatch Thief” (Par). Terrific
$30,000 or better, helped by visit
of Cary Grant. Last Week, “The
Shrike’ <U) (3 wk), $5,400. <?

Beacon Hill (Beacon Hill) (678;
74-90-$1.25)— “Game of Love” (In-
die) (5th wk). Stout $6,000. Last
week, $7,000.

/ Cinerama (Cinerama Produc-
tions) (1,354; $1.25-$2.85)— “Ciner-
ama” (Indie). (86th wk). Closed
Sunday night (28) to a hotsy $16,-
000. Last week, $12,500. “Cinerama
Holiday” (Indie) with all proceeds
going to Red Cross flood relief,
preems tonight (Tues.).

Exeter (Indie) (1,300; 60-$l)—
“Dam Busters” (WB). Opened Sun-
continued on page" 20)

. Mnk: ‘Blues’

temperatures are spelling nice biz
at downtown houses here. “Ken-
tuckian” is drawing nicely at State
with regular scale but “Love Is
Many Splendored Thing” at Rialto
looms only modest. “Pete Kelly’s
Blues” at the Mary Anderson is
getting a solid play. ‘We’re No
Angels” at the • Kentucky shapes
trim.

Estimates for Tills Week

Kentucky (Switow) (1,200; 65-85)
— ‘We’re No Angels” (Par) (2d wk).
Holding trim at $6,500 after initial
week’s $7,500.

Mary Anderson (People’s) 1,200;
50-75)— “Pete Kelly’s Blues” (WB).
Off to a good start with smash
$7,000 or near likely. Last week,
“Mister Roberts” WB) (6th Wk),
$4,500.

Rialto (Fourth Avenue) (3,000;
50-75) — “Love Is Many Splendored
Thing” (20th). Fair $10,000. Last
week, “Private War Major Ben-
son” (U), sweet $12,000*

State (United Artists) 3.000; 50-
75)— “Kentuckian” (UA). This one
had long-time promotion, and title
should entice the natives. Likely
to wrap up potent $13,000 or near.
Last week, ’“Man From Laramie”
(Col) 2d wk), $7,000.

nif

. Minneapolis, Aug. 30.

Minnesota State Fair, attracting
nearly 1,000,000 people over 10
days, is current tough competition
for firstruns. One pic that’s being
helped, however, is “Cinerama
Holiday” which nearly all visitors
can’t see at home. Holdovers con-
tinue to outnumber newcomers,
“Not as a Stranger,” “Mister Rob-
erts” and “Love Is Splendored
Thing”, as well as “Holiday,” of
course, staying on. Despite the
adverse State Fair influence, a trio
of fresh arrivals, comprising “Pete
Kelly’s .Blues,” “The Kentuckian”
and “Private War 1 of Major Ben-
son” are doing remarkably well.

Estimates for This Week

Century (S-W) (1,150; $1.75-

$2.65) — “Cinerama Holiday” (In-
die) (7th wk). Gaining strength
all the time. „ Gigantic $32,000.
Last week, $30,000.

Gopher (Berger) (1,000; 85-$l) —
“The Kentuckian” (UA). Big radio
campaign helped this here. Smash
$11,000. f

Lyric (Par) (1,000; 85-$l)— “Mis-

✓ l

Oil

ter Roberts” ‘(WB) (5th wk). Still
doing a magnificent boxoffice job.
Fast $5,000. ’ Last week 1 , $6,500.

Radio City (Par) (4,100; 85-$l)—
“Love Is Many Splendored Thing”
(20th) (2d wk). Good $8,000. Last
week, $15,000.

RKO-Orpheum (RKO) (2,800; 75-
i$l)— “Pete Kelly’s Blues” (WB),
'Personal thpatre and tv-radio plus
newspaper’ interviews by Jack
Webb giving boxoffice impetus.
Terrif $17,000. Last week, “One
Desire” (U), $6,000.

RKO-Pan (RKO) (1,600; 75-$l)—
“Man. From Laramie” (Col) (4th
wk). Bright $6,000. Last week,
$7,000,

State (Par) <2,300; 85-$l)— “Pri-
vate War Major Benson” (U). Many
kind words for this one from’erix
and patrons. Socko $9,000. Last
week, “House of Bamboo” (20th)
(2d wk), $7,500.

World (Mann) (400; 75-$1.25)—
“Not A$ Stranger” ,(UAJ (7th wk).
Still showing exceptional boxoffice
vitality. Happy $5,000. Last week,
$5,800.

UK at IVI) UIVHIUVU) UVTV X XV

Key City Grosses

Estimated Total Grow
This Week ....... $2,662, 800

(Based, on 22 cities and .213
theatres, chiefly first runs, in-
cluding NV Y.)

Total Gross Sam* Week
Last Year ........ $2,953*600

( Based on 23 cities and 219
theatres.)

'Blues Torrid

Omaha, Aug, 30.

Hypoed by Jack Webb's .in-per-
son stint opening night, vpete
Kelly’s Blues” is creating the big
stir here this week. It’s smash at
the city’s largest house, the Or-
pheum. “Cobweb” is nice at the
other Tri-States theatre, the
Omaha. “Mister Roberts” is still
terrific at the Brandeis in second
round. “Not As Stranger” shapes
fair in its fourth session at the
State. '

r Estimates for This Week

Brandeis RKO) (1,100; 75-$l)—
“Mister Roberts” (WB) (2d wk).
'Fancy $8,000. Last week, $14,500.

Omaha (Tristates) <2,000; 70-90)
—“Cobweb” (M-G). Strong $7,500.
Last week, “Interrupted Melody”
(M-G), $8,500.

Orpheum (Tristates) (2,890; 75-
$1)— “Pete Kelly’s Blues” (WB).
Great $15,000. East week, “To
Catch Thief” (Par) (2d wk), $9,000.

State (Goldberg) (860; 80-$l)—
“Not As a Stranger?* (UA) (4th wk).
Fair $3,500. Last week, $5,000.

‘Thief’ Mighty $20,000,
Toronlojlaraniie’ Tall
24G, ‘Stranger’ 28G, 2d

Toronto, Aug; 30.
With product strong, town is
jumping, with such newcomers as
“Man From Laramie” and “Catch
a Thief” out in the lead. Second
stanza of “Not As a Stranger” is
still the topper here, with smash
take. “We’re No Angels” is big in
second week. General b.o. is hold-
ing terrific.

Estimates for This Week
Downtown, Glendale, Scarborp,
State, Westwood (Taylor) (1.059;
955; 696; 694; 975; 40-75)— “Chi-
cago Syndicate” (Col) and “Wyo-
ming Renegades” (Col). Nice $13,-
500. Last week, “Wichita" (AA)
and “Dial Red O” (AA), $16,000.

Erllnton, University (FP) (1,088;
1,558; 60-$l)-^“ We’re No Angels”
(Par) (2d wk). Holding at big $15,-
000. Last week, $21,000.

Fairlayra, Odeon (Rrank) (1,165;
2,580; <60-$l) — “Man From Lara-
mie” (Col). Wham $24,000. Last
week, “Private War Major Benson”
(U) (2d wk), $10,000.

imperial (FP) (3,373; 60-$l)—
“To Catch Thief” (Par). Great
$20,000. Last week, “House of
Bamboo” (20th) (2d wk), $13,000.

' Loew’s (Loew). (2,090; 75-$1.20) —
“Not_As Stranger” (UA) (2d wk).
Still sbeko at $28,000 or over. Last
week; $34,000:

Shea’s (FP) (2,386; 60-$l)— “Pete
Kelly’s Blues” (WR) (2d . wk).
Tapering to nice $11,500. Last
week, $14,000.

Uptown (Loew) (2,745; 60-$l)—
“Scarlet Coat” (M-G). Light $8,000.
Last week, “Cobweb” (M-G) (3d
wk), $6,000 In 5 days.

‘SUMMERTIME’ TORRID
20G, TOP NEW D. C. PIC

Washington, Aug. 30.
Cool weather and end of transit
strike are combining to keep the
pace/lively along town’s main stem
currently despite only one new
entry. Latter, “Summertime,” day-
dating at two arters, Playhouse
and Dupont, is running close to
the biz of “High Noon,” previous
record breaker. It’s terrific for
such small seating capacity. “To
Catch a Thief” is still sock in sec-
ond stanza at Capitol. “Mister
Roberts” is solid' in two spots, and
sets record for any pic day-dating
two houses.

Estimates for This Week
Ambassador (SW) (1.490; 90-

$1.25) — “Mister Roberts” (WB)

(Continued on page 20)

)

Kansas City, Aug. 30.

Two newcomers shape standout
currently, with “To Catch Thief”
out in front and terrific at the
Paramount, “Pete Kelly’s Blues”
looks sock at the Missouri, being
boosted by personal appearances

by Jack Webb. “Love Is Many
Splendored Thing” is rated mild
in four Fox Midwest theatres as is
“Wizard of Oz” at the Midland.
“You’re Never Too Young” looms
strong in second week at the Roxy,
Weather staying on hotter side,
but evenings abe okay. ’

Estimates for This Week

Glen (Dickinson) (750; 85-$l) —
“Seven Deadly Sins” (Indie). Good
$2,000. Holds, Last week, “Too
Young for Love” (Indie) (3d wk),
$800.

Klmo (Dickinson) (504; JB5-$1) —
“Gate of Hell” (Indie) wk).
Slowing down to $900 to end run.
Last week, $1,000.

' Midland (Loew’s) <3,500; 60-80)
—“Wizard of Oz” (M-G) (reissue)
and “Mnonfleet” <M-G). . Moderate
$5,500, five days only. Last week,
“Came From Beneath Sea” (Col)
and “Creature Atom Brain” (Col),
$ 11 , 000 ;

Missouri (RKO) (2,585; 75-$l)'—
“Pete Kelly’s Blues” (WB) and
“Tarzan’s Hidden Jungle” (RKO).
Wow $20,600,. and holds. Last week,
“Pearl South Pacific” (RKO) and
“Robbers’ Boost” (UA), $4,500.

Paramount (United Par) (1,900;
75-$l) — “To Catch Thief” (Par).
Wham $18,000. Holds -on. Last
week, “Mister Roberts” (WB) (5th
wk), $7,500 in 6 days.

RoXy (Durwood) (879; 75-$l) —
“You’re Never Too Young” (Par)
(2d wk). Nifty $7,500. “Holds.
Last week, $11,000,

Tower, Uptown, Fairway, Grana-
da (Fox Midwest) (2,100; 2,043;
700; 1,217; 65-85)— ‘Xove Is Splen-
dored Thing” (20th) and “Life. At
Stake” (Indie) added at Tower and
Granada. Medium $14,000 or under.
Last week, “Ain’t Misbehavin’’ (U)
and “Man Rom Bitter Ridge” (U),
$11,000 in 6 days.

Vogue (Golden) <550; 75-$l) —
“Green Scarf” (Indie). Okay $1,800.
Holds. Last week, “Mr. Hulot’s
Holiday” (GBD) <4th wk), $800.

‘Kentucldan’ Lofty 22G,
Cleve.; ‘Rush’ NSH 15G,
Thief’ Terrif 22G, 2d

Cleveland, Aug. 30.

“The Kentuckian” is showing
the way for newcomers here this
session with a sturdy take at the
Hipp. Probably the greatest show-
ing, however, is being made by
“To Catch Thief,” which still is
smash in second round at the Still-
man. “One Desire” is only modest
at Palace while “Girl Rush” is just
okay at State. “Mister Roberts”
shapes strong in fourth stanza at
the Allen..

Estimates for This Week

Allen (S-W) (3,000; 70-$1.25)—
“Mister Roberts” (WB) (4th wk).
Fine $14,000. Last week, '$15,000.
; Hipp (Telem’t) <3,700; 70-$l)—
“Kentuckian” (UA). Smart $22,-
000. Last week, “Private War
Major Benson” (U) $14,000.

Lower Mall (Community) (585;
70-90) — “Tempest in Flesh” (In-
die). Brisk $4,000. Last week,
“Wiithering Heights” (Indie) (re-
issue), $2,000.

Ohio (Loew) <1,244; 70-90) —
“We’re No Angels” (Par) (m.o.).
Stout - $10,000. Last week, “Sum-
mertime” (UA) (m.o ), $5,000.

Palace (RKO) (3,286; 70-$l) —
“One Desire” (U). Modest $9,000,
Last week, .“How to Be Popular”
(20th) $10,000.

State (Loew) (3,500; 70-90) —
“Girl Rush’ (Par). Okay $15,000.
Last week, “We’re No Angels”
(Par), same.

Stillman (Loew) (2,700; 70-90)—
“To Catch Thief” (Par) (2d wk).
Socko $22,000 after $25,000.

‘Kentuckian’ Lusty 19G>
Indpls.; ‘Benson* Same

Indianapolis, Aug. 30.
Biz has settled down into mod-
erate groove at first-runs here this
stanza. “Private War of Major Ben-
son” at the Indiana and “Kentuck-
ian” at Loew’s are running about
even with nice figures to pace city.
“To Catch a Thief” in second
stanza at Circle is still smash.
Estimates for This Week
Circle (Cdckrlll-Dolle) (2,800; 50-
85)— “To Catch Thief” (Par) (2d
(Continued on page 20)

Wednesday, Augurt 31 , 1955 t^^RlElhr PICXIittB CROSSES . 9

H.0.’s, Heat Hampei

Chicago, Aug. 30. «

With the exception of b.o.’s at
the Chicago Theatre and the Pal-
ase, there is no standout in the
Windy City this frahne. Many hold-
overs and continuing hot weather
are 'blamed. “Land of Pharaohs"
and “Santa Fe Passage" combo
looks wow $26,000 in first round
at the Roosevelt.

“One Desire" shapes very big
$12,000 opening week at the Mon-
roe. “Court Martial" looks to do a
nifty $5,000 in first stanza at the
World.

“You're Never Too Young," with
Howard Miller topping vaude con-
tinues smash in second round at
~the Chicago. “Mister Roberts”
stays big in second* week, at the
State-Lake while “How To Be
Very Very Popular” is not so
popular in same stanza at the
Oriental. “Foxfire" is rated okay
in second week at the McVickers.

“Great Adventure" is holding
nicely in fourth frame at Surf
“Phenix City Story" is staying up
there in sixth session at Woods,
“Summertime" continues hot in
sixth Week at the Loop. “Cinerama
Holiday" still is sock inXlth round
at Palace.

Estimates for This Week

Chicago (B&K) (3,900; §8-$1.50)

' . — “Never Too Young" (Par) with
Howard Miller heading stage bill
(2d wk). SockO $66,000. -Last week,
$83,300.

Grand (Nomikos) (1,200; 98-$l) —
“Night Holds Terror" (Col) and
“Gun That Won West" (Col) (2d
*vk). Dull $4,500. Last week,
$7,500.

• Loop (Telem’t) (606; 90-$L25)—
“Summertime" (UA) (6th wk). Nice
$12,500. Last week, $16,000.

Monroe (Indie) (1,000; 80-$1.25)
—“One Desire" (U). Big $12,000.
Last week.s “Wizard of Oz” (M-Q)
(reissue) (4th* wk), $7,800.

McVickers (JL&S) (2,200; 65-
$1.25)— "Foxfire" (U) (2d wk).

Okay S13,000. Last week, $19,500.

Oriental (Indie) <3,400; 9B-$1.25)
—“How Be Popular" (20th) (2d
wk). Fairish $17,500. Last week,
$27,000.

Palace (Eitel) (1,484; $1.25-$3.40)
—“Cinerama Holiday" (Indie) (11th
wk). Hotsy $52,400. Last week,
$53,000, new house rec.ord.

Roosevelt (B&K) (1.400; 65-98)—
“Land of Pharaohs" (WB) and
“Santa Fe Passage" (Rep). Sock
$26 v 000. Last week, “Wichita" (AA)
and “Shotgun" (AA) (2d wk),
$ 20 , 000 .

State-Lake (B&K) (2.400; 65-98)
—“Mister Roberts” (WB) (2d wk).
Hefty $34,000. Last week. $53,000.

Surf (II&E Balaban) (685; 95)—
“Great Adventure” (Indie) (4th
wk). Nice $3,900. Last week, $4,200.

United Artists (B&K) (2,400; 05-
98)— “Not As Stranger” (UA) (9th
wk). Okay $17,000. Last week,
$18,000.

Woods (Essaness) (1,206; 08-
$1.25)— “Phenix City Story" (AA)
(6th wk). Tall $18,000. Last week,
$19,500.

World (Indie) (697; 98)— “Court
Martial" (King). Swell* $5,000. Last
week. (‘Wages of Fear" (Indie) (7th
week), $2,600.

Thief’ Paces Cincy In
2d Week, Fancy $14,500;
‘Cobweb’ Okay at 12G

Cincinnati, Aug. 30.

“Cobweb," lone new bill, is col-
lecting a favorable marker for the
Palace and, with sturdy holdovers,
is helping for pleasing overall re-,
turns at downtown houses in this
vacation fadeout session. “To
Catch a Thief" in second week at
the Albee is holding the town lead.
“Mister Roberts" continues robust
in fifth stanza,

, Estimates for This Week

Albee (RKO) (3,100; .75-$1.25>—
“To Catch Thief" (Par) (2d wk).
Holding hefty $14,500 pace after
$22,000 first N Wfeek.

Capitol (Ohio Cinema Corp.)
(1,376; $l,20-$2.65) — “Cinerama

Holiday" (Indie) (10th wk). Smash
$30,000. Last week, $30,500.

Grand (RKO) (1,400; 75*$1.25)
— “Mister Roberts" (WB) (m.o.).
Charted for big $7,500 in fifth
downtown week. Last week, $9,000.

* Keith's (Shor) (1,500; 7541.25)—
“How To Be Popular" (20th) (2d
wk). Okay $7,000 after $11,000
preem.

Palace (RKO) (2,600; 75-$1.10)—
“Cobweb" (M-G). Favorable $12,-
PPO. Last week, “Pete, Kelly’s
#lues."HWB>*

Estimates Are Net

Film gross estimates as re-
ported herewith from the vari-
ous key cities, are net; i.e.,
without usual tax. Distrib-
utors share on net take,. when
' playing percentage, hence the
estimated figures are net in-
come.

The parenthetic admission
prices, however, as indicated,
include the U. S. amusement
tax. .

Philadelphia, Aug. 30.

Labor D|* y weekend rush to re-
sorts apparently is to blame for
downbeat in current session here.
Not only was weekend trade off
but newcomers meant little or
nothing to over all total. Most
theatres are standing pat on prod-
uct. Neither “King’s Thief" nor
“Scarlet Coat," two new entries, are
doing well; “Love Is Many Splen-
dored Thing" is getting top money
with a sock take in second Fox
stanza while “Female On Beach"
Still looms big on initial holdover
round at Goldman, “To Catch
Thief" continues, smash in fourth
session at the Trans-Lux.

Estimates for This Week

Arcadia (6&S) (625; 99‘-$1.40)-~
“We’re No Angels", (Par) (8th wk).
Okay $7,500. Last week, $9,000.

Boyd (SW) (1,430; $1.25-$2.60)—
“Cinerama Holiday” (Indie) (28th
wk). Trim $14,700. Last week,
$15,000.

Fox (20th) (2,250; 99-$1.49) —
“Love Is Splendored Thing” (20th)
(2d wk). Solid $22,000. Last week,
$33,000.

Goldman (Goldman) 1,200; 65-
$1.30)— “Female on Beach" <U)
(2d wk). Still big at $13,000 or over.
Last week, $24,000.

Mastbaum (SW) (4,370; 99-$1.49)
—“Mister Roberts" (WB) (7th wk).
Good $12,500 Last week, $14,000.

Midtown (Goldman) (1,200; 65-
$1.49) — “King’s Thief" (M-G).
Mild $8,500 Last week, “Shrike"
(tJ) (4th wk), $8,000.

Randolph (Goldman) 2,500; 75-
$1.49) — “Summertime" (UA) 4th
Wk). Okay $9,500. Last week,
$ 11 , 000 .

Stanley (SW) .(2,900; 74-$1.40)
7-“Girl Rush" (Par)' (2d wk). Slow
$11,000. Last week, $17,000.

Stanton (SW> (1,483; 65-99) —
“Scarlet Coat" (M-G) * and “Tar-
zan's Hidden Jungle" RKO). Fair
$7,000. Last week, “Robber’s Roost"
(UA) and “Top of World" (UA),
$ 11 , 000 .

Studio (Goldberg) (400; 90-$l,49)
—‘Marty" (UA) (11th wk.) Steady
$4,400. Last week, $5,000.

Trans Lux (T-L) (500; 80-$1.80)
—“To Catch Thief" (Par) (4th wk).
Potent $13,000. Last week, $15,000.

Viking (Sley) (1,000; 74-$l,80)—
“Not As Stranger" (UA) (9th wk).
Rich $9,500. Last week, $jL0,000.

* Traris-Lux World (604; 99-$1.50)
—“Lady and Tramp” (BV) (9th
wk). Firm $7,200. Last week,
$7,000. *

IN BALTO; 'DESIRE’ 8G

Baltimore, Aug: 30.

Continued grip of science fiction
on filmgoers is shown by boff-re-
action to “It Came From Beneath
Sea"-“Creature With the Atom
Brain" combo at Keith's this week.
Disappointing returns are indi-
cated for “Virgin Queen" at the
New while “One Desire" at Cen-
tury is rated modest. Several long-
runs are winding up with okay
seventh week strength shown by
“Mister Roberts" and “Not As
Stranger."

Estimates for This Week

Century (Loew’s-UA) (3,000; 25-
65-95)— “One Desire" (U). Mod-
erate $8,000. Last week, “Man
From Laramie" (Col) (2d wk),
8,500.

Film Centre (Rappaport) (960;
50-$l)— “The Shrike" (U) (4th wk).
Pleasing $3,800 after $4,500 in
third.

Hippodrome (Rappaport) (2,100;
50-$!)— ‘‘Never Too Young" (Par), j
, , (CqnUuued on page 120) • ; «|

Thief’ Robust $22,000, j
Buff.; ‘McCounell’ 12G

, Buffalo, Aug. 30.

Best bet in Buffalo -currently is
“To Catch Thief," doing smash biz
at Paramount with a holdover
likely. “McConnell Story” also
looms sock at smaller Center
Theatre. “Wichita" is on disap-
pointing side at Century while
“Cinerama" continues big in 22d
round at the Teck.

Estimates for This Week

Buffalo (Loew) (3,000; 50-80)—
/"Wizard of Oz” (M-G> teissue).
Mild $10,000. Last week, “Kern
tuckian" (UA) and “Big House
U.S.A.” Indie) (2d wk). $9,000.

Paramount (Par) 3,000; 50-$l) —
“To Catch Thief" (Par). Smash
$22,000. Last week, “Pete Kelly’s
Blues" (WB) and “This Man Is
Dangerous" (Indie) (2d wk-5 days),
$ 10 , 000 .-

Center (Par) 2,000; 50-80) —
“McConnell Story" (WB). Rousing
$12,000. Last week, “Mister Rob-
erts" (WB) 6th wk), $10,000 at $1
top.

Lafayette (Basil) (3,000; 50-80)—
“Purple Mask" (U) and “Life at
Stake" (U). Soft $7,000. Last week,
“Man From Laramie" (Col) and
“Bring Smile Along" (Col) (2d wk),
same.

Century (Buhawk) (3,000; 60-85)
— -“Wichita" (AA) and “Spy Chas-
ers" (Indie). Sluggish $9,000 or
near. Last week, “Pearl South
Pacific" (RKO) and “Betrayed
Women" (RKO), ditto.

. Teck (Cinema Products) (1,200;
$1.20-$2.40) — “Cinerama" (Indie)
(22d)7 Strong $9,000. Last week,
same.

‘Love Lively 18G

Much cooler weather extending
over the past weekend is keeping
Broadway film theatre business on
an even keel currently. For the
first Sunday in many weeks,. it was
cool in NX, and this kept many
in the city as potential cinema pa-
trons. Letup in heat also lured:
many visitors in for the weekend.

Only one new picture, “Never
Too Young ” came in during the
week. This Martin-Lewis comedy is .
heading for a socko $35,000 open-
ing round at the Criterion. While
the Palace changed its vaude bill,
it held over "Female On the
Beach" for a second canto. Result
is a smash $30,000.

“Ulysses" continued its mighty
gait at the Globe in second session
with $33,000. “Pete Kelly’s Blues"
look lofty $25,000 in initial bold-
over week at the Victoria.

.“Love Is Many Splendored
Thing" is holding with great $72,-
000 in second irame at the Roxy,
with two or three weeks more to
go.

“Mister Roberts" with stageshow
is heading for. a sock $145,000 in
current (7th) week at- the Music
Hall, which means it stays an
eighth session, thus going through
the prize Labor Day weekend
period.

“To Catch Thief" is holding with
smash $60,000 or close in the pres-
ent (4th) stanza at the paramount,
which should spell two or three
additional weeks, Cary Grant-Grace
Kelty starrer is set to go through
Labor Day at least. “Summertime"
held with lively $21,000 in 10th
round at Astor.

Providence,’ Aug. 30.

Strongest of newcomers, “Love
Is A Many Splendored Thing" is
helping Majestic top the town with
a smash figure. State's “The Man
From Laramie*’ is okay. Second
round of “Pete Kelly's"” Blues"
shapes great at Albee. “The Girl
Rush" is only fairish at Strand.

Estimates for This Week

Albee (RKO) (2,200; 65-90) —
“Pete Kelly’s Blues" (WB) and
“Seven Angry Men" (AA) (2d wk).
Sock $8,000 after $16,000 in opener.

Majestic (Fay) (2,200; 65-85) —
“Love Is Many Splendored Thing"
(20th), Terrific $18,000. Last week,
‘Virgin Queen" (20th) and “Living
Swamp" (20th), $6,000.

" State (Loew) (3,200; 50-75) —
“Man From Laramie" (Col). Satis-
factory 14,000 for James Stewart
opus. Last week, “The Cobweb"
(M-G) and “The Marauders" (M-G)
oke $9,500.

Strand (Silverman) (2,200; 50-75)
—“Girl Rush” (Par). Fairish $8,000.
Last week, “Special Delivery" (Col)
and “Gun That Won West" (Col),
$5,000. *» ■

‘Blues’ Boff $27,000 In
Denver; ‘Benson’ 13G

Denver, Aug. 30.

“Pete Kelly’s Blues” is playing
a torrid tune at Paramount this
session to top city, and stay over.
“They’re Never Too Young" shapes
fine at Denham, and holds on,
“Private War of Major Benson" is
rated good at the Denver. “Mis-
ter Roberts" still is big in sixth
week at the Centre to . break all
records for length of rum at house.
It stays over 'again. .

Estimates for This Week

Aladdin (tfox) (1,400; ti0-$l) — “I

week, $12,009.

Centre (Fox) (1,247; 60-$l) —
“Mister Roberts" (WB) (6th wk).
Big $14,000. Continues. Last
week, $12,000.

Denham (Cockrill) (1,750; 60-$l)
---“Never Too Young" (Par). Fine
$16,000. Stays on. Last week,
“We!re No Angels" (Par) (3d wk-
4 days), $6,500.

Denver (Fox) (2,525; 60-$l) —
“Private War Major Benson" (U).
Good $13,000. Last week, “How to
Be Popular" (20th) (2d wk-3 days),
$ 6 , 000 .

Esquire (Fox) (742; 75-$l) —

“Holiday for Henrietta" (Indie) (2d
wk). Fair $2,000. Last week,
$2,500.

Orpheum (RKO) <2,600; 50-85)—
“King’s Thief" (M-G) and “Scarlet
Coat" (M-G). Slow $7,000. Last
week, “Cobweb" (M-G), $8,000,

Paramount (Wolfberg) (2,200; 60-
$1)— “Pete Kelly's Blues" (WB).
Smash $27,000. Holds. Last week,
“Shrike" (U) (2d wk), $11,500.

Tabor (Fox) (1,967; 50-75)—

“Naked. Amazon" -(Indie). . Fair
$3,000, Last Week, on subsequents.

Although several new, big pic-
tures opened about a week ago,
there are -three more newcomers
being launched this round in time
for the long Labor Day weekend.
The State tees off “Phenix City
Story" Friday (2),

The Capitol is launching “Man
From Laramie" today (Wed.) after
eight sturdy weeks of “Not As
Stranger." The Mayfair brings
in “The Kentuckian" tomorrow
(Thurs.).

Estimates for This Week

Astor (City Inv.) (1,300; 75-$1.75)
— “Summertime" (UA) (lith wk).
The 10th round finished last night
(Tues.) was great $21,Q00 after $20,-
000 in ninth week. 'Stays.

Little Carnegie (L. Carnegie)
(550; $1.25-$2.20)— “I Am Camera"
(DC A) (4th wk). Third session end-
ed Sunday (28) was great $15,200
after $18,700 in second week. Looks
in for an extended-run.

Capitol (Loew’s) (4,820; 85-$2.20)
—“Man From Laramie" (Col).
Opens today (Wed.). In ahead, “Not
As Stranger" (UA) (9th wk), dipped
to mild $19,00, aft er r $24, 000 in
eighth, to finish a very successful
run here.

Criterion (Moss) (1,700; 75-$2,20)
— “Never Too Young" (Par). Initial
week ending today (Wed.) looks to
climb to socko $35,000 or near. In
ahead, “Seven Little Foys" (Par)
(8th wk-6 days), mild $9,000, but pic
had held to high figure for longrun
here in previous weeks.

Fine Arts (Davis) (468; 90-$1.80)
— “Sheep Has Five Legs" (Indie)
(4th wk). Third frame completed
Monday (29) continued in record
style with $15,300 after $18,000 in
second week. This was a new high
second week here.

Globe (Brandt) <1,500; 70-$1.50)
^“Ulysses" (UA) (3d wk). Initial
Itiovefe round .ended last night
res.). held at; •giant $33,000 after
142,500 In' opening week.

Guild (Guild) (450; ‘$1-$1.75)—
“Gate of Hell" (Indie) (38th wk).
The 37th stanza completed Monday
(29) edged up to big $8,000 after
$7,700 in 36th week. Stays on.

Mayfair (Brandt) (1,736: 79-$1.80)
—“Land of Pharaohs" (WB) (6th-
final wk). Fifth round ended Mon-
day (29) was lean $9,500 after $13,-
000 in fourth. Stays only 2 days of
sixth week to open “The Kentucki-
an" (UA) tomorrow (Thurs.).

Normandie (Trans-Lux) (592; 95-
$1.80)— “Divided Heart" (Rep) (5th
wk). Fourth session ended last
night (Tues.) was okay $4,000 after
$4,500 in third week. Stays on with
“African Lion” (BV) set to open
Sept. 15.

Palace (RKO) (1,700: 50-$1.60)^-
“Female on Beach" (U) (2d wk),
with new vaudeville bill. This week
ending tomorrow (Thurs.) is hold-
ing with a remarkable $30,000 or
better. First week of “Female" was
mighty $36,500.

Paramount (ABC-Par) (3,664; $1-
$2)— “To Catch Thief" (Par) (4th
wk). Present stanza ending today
(Wed.) looks to hold 1 With smash

• VI)

$60,000 after $70,000 in third week.
Holds again, natch!

Paris (Pathe * Cinema) (568; 90-
$1,80)— “Man Who Loved Red-
heads" (UA) (6th wk). Fifth session
ended Sunday (28) was good $7,800
after $8,500 in fourth week.

Radio City Music Hall (Rockefel-
lers) (6,200; 95-$2.75)— “Mister
Roberts" (WB) with stageshow (7th
wk). Present week winding up to-
day (Wed.) is holding with smash
$145,000 or close. Sixth week was
$148,000, over hopes. Stays an
eighth stanza, taking it through La-
bor Day, and possibly longer.
Eighth week should puSh the, total
bit to around $1,280,000, not far
from Hall’s peak. “It’s Always Fair
Weather" (M-G) Is due hi next.

Plaza (Brecker) (556; $L50-$1.80)

■ — “Private War Major Benson" (U)
(5th wk). Fourth frame completed
Monday (29) was hangup $8,000
after $9,000 in third week.

Roxy (Nat’l. Th.) (5,717; 05-$2.4O)
— “Love Is Many Splendored Thing"
(20th) j (2d wk). Initial holdover
round ending today (Wed.) looks
to hold with great $72,000 after
$90,000 opening week. Holds again,
naturally.

. State (Loew’s) (3,450; 78-$1.75)—
“Cobweb" (M-G) (4th-flnal wk).
Stanza winding tomorrow (Thurs;)
likely will end with fair $11,500 or
less after $14,500 for third. “Phetiix
City Story" (A A) opens Friday (2).

Sutton (R&B) <561; $1-$1.80)—
“Marty" (UA) (21st wk). The 20th
frame ended Sunday (28) held at
big $12,000 after $13,400 in 19th
week; Stays on indef.

Trans-Lux 52nd St. (T-L) (540;
$lr$1.50)— “Court Martial" (King)
(5th wk). Fourth, session fended
Sunday (28) was fine $5,000 after
$6,000 for third week. Stays on.

Victoria (City Inv.) (1,060; 50-
$1.75) — “Pete* Kelly's Blues" (WB)
(2d wk). First holdover, week fin-
ishing up today (Wed.) continues
big with around $25,000 after $34,-
000 for first week. Continues.

Warner (Cinerama Prod.) (1,600;
j $1.20-$3.30) — “Cinerama Holiday"
(Indie) (30th wk). The 29th round
finished Saturday (27) pushed up to
wow $48,600, cooler weather ob-
viously being a help. The 28th week
was $44,700. Holds indefinitely.

♦Wichita’ Wow $20,000,
Del; ‘Roberts’ Sock 30G,
‘Love’ Splendid 27G, 2d

Detroit, Aug/$ Q.

Only one newcomer at the down-
towners this week but it is match-
ing the brisk pace of the strong
holdovers to give - exhibitors a
bright week. This new entry,
“W i c h i t a," looks great at the
Broadway-Capitol. “Mister Roberts"
is particularly smash in second
round at the Michigan. “Pete Kel-
ly’s Blues" keeps torrid in third
stanza at the Palms. “Love Is
Many Splendored Thing" contin-
ues splendid at the Fox in second
week. “Cinerama Holiday" is lusty
in 29th week at Music Hall.

Estimates for This Week

Fox (Fox-Detroit) (5,000; $1-

$1.25) — “Love Is Many Splendored
Thing" (20th) and “Life in Bal-
ance" (20th) (2d wk). Splendid
$27,000. Last week, $31,000.

Michigan (United Detroit) (4,-
000; $1-$1.25) “Mister Roberts"
(WB) (2d wk). Big $30,000. Last
week, $36,000.

Palms (UD) (2,961; $1-$1.25—
"Pete Kelly's Blue" (WB) and
“Robber's Roost" (UA) (3rd wk).
Nice $17,000. Last week, $22,000.

Madison (UD) (1,900; $1-$1.25)
— ■ “The Shrike" (Par) (3d wk).
Down . to oke $8,000: Last week,
$ 10 , 000 .

Broadway-Capitol (UD) (3,500;
$1-$1 25) — “Wichita" (AA) and
“Winger Man" (AA). Great $20,000.
Last week, “Pearl South Pacific"
(RKO) and “Sky Chasers" (AA),
$ 12 , 000 .

United Artists (UA) (1,939; $1-
$1.25)— “Virgin Queen" (20th) (2d
wk). Mild $7,500. Last week,
$10,900,

Adams ' (Balaban) (1,700; $l-‘

$1.25) — “Interrupted Melody"
(M-G) (4th wk). Okay $8,000. Last
week, $9,200.

Music Hall (Cinerama Produc-
tions) (1,194; $1.40-$2.65)— “Ciner-
ama Holiday,” (Indie) (29th wk).
Swell $31,000. Last week, $31,400.

Krim (Krim) (1,000;- $1.25)—
Reverts to art films. Last week,
“Wizard , of Oz" (M-G) (reissue),
$5*000 in fourth, week.

io ftiBtfST? _ Wednesday, August 31, 1955

(These exhibitors came to the Coast to see a rough cut of
Samuel Gddwyn’s greatest attraction “ Guys And Dolls.”)

DAVE WALLERSTEIN, Balaban & Katz

“A tender and moving love story so well portrayed
by Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons makes this
more than an outstanding musical, it gives it
universal human appeal. Congratulations to all
for a wonderful picture.”

EDDIE SILVERMAN, Essaness Theatres

“The industry is indeed fortunate that it can
look forward to the greatest musical ever made,
‘GUYS AND DOLLS/ It doesn’t seem possible
that Sam Goldwyn will ever reach greater
heights.”

EDDIE ZABEL, National Theatres

“It’s a helluva good picture. It will make a lot
of money. I enjoyed it very much.”

SOL A. SCHWARTZ, RKO Theatres

CHARLES MOSS, Moss Enterprises

“One of the greatest pieces of eutertainment I
have ever seen. The offbeat casting resulting in
superb performances demonstrates the terrific
vision and genius of Mr. Samuel Goldwyn.”

“It was well worth going 3000 miles to see ‘GUYS
AND DOLLS.’ Brando sensational, Sinatra ter*
rifle and wait until you see Jean Simmons and
Vivian Blaine. There is only one Sam Goldwyn
and be has done it again.”

JERRY ZIGMOND, Paramount Theatres

-A. “

“An exceptional picture. It will rank as one of
the major entertainment attractions for a long,
long time to come.”

Samuel Goldwyn' s “ GUYS AND DOLLS” spring MARLON BRANDO • JEAN SIMMONS
FRANK SINATRA • VIVIAN BLAINE • with Robert Keith • Stubby Kaye • B. S. Putty
Johnny Silver . and The Goldwyn Girls • Written for the Screen and Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz

.St a l i. i> t l

Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser • Choreography by MichaclKidd • InCinemaSeope • Photographed
inMadman.CoUan • .Distributed, by ...

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'VANITY'*' LONDON Of>|>ICI
•t if. Mjttfn't fUfr, tiwNNiir Mu«r»

INTERNATIONAL 11

First Annual Athens Drama, Music

By IRENE VELISSARIOU
Athens, Aug. 30.

The first annual Athens Festival
of Drama and Music, which opened
last Wednesday 124), is of great im-
portance to this capital, noth for
itself and to the world. Interna-
tional names are aiding local tal-
ent to present modem Athens* cul-
tural achievements through its
ancient background.

The main scene of the Athens i
Festival from Aug. 24 to Oct. 2 will
be the Theatre Herodus Attieus,
which is hewn out of the rock on
the southwestern slope of the
Acropolis, with the exception of
the Greek^folk dances, which will
he held in the National Gardens
Theatre.

Fest is offering operas, symphony
concerts, recitals, legit, etc, JPar-
ticipants include the Athens Sym-
phony under Franco Oapnana and
Theodore Vavayannis; Elena Ni-
kolaidi; Rise Stevens (in “Orfeo");
choreographer Antony Tudor;
Greek National Opera (soloists,
orch and chorus); Eleanor Steber
and David Lloyd (in “Idomeneo," .
with Jonel Perlea conducting); Ly-
ceum Club of Greek Women, in
folk dances; Blanche Thebom (in
Krenek’s “Medea**).

Also, the Greek National The-
atre, with Katina Paxinou and
Alexis Minotis in “Hecuba'* and
“Oedipus/* and the N.' Y. Phil-
harmonic-Symphony, under Dimi-
tri Mitropoulos. Dino Yanno- ,
poulos, Met Opera stage director,
is overall director of the fest, as
well as staging several works.

Besides the official program of *
the fest, all other theatres in town j
have on their best shows. Four 1
legit theatres are presenting local
and foreign plays, another three
.musical Greek shows and two
open-air theatres 4n the National
and Arius Gardens play two Greek
classics. .

The Artistic Bureau of Athens,
an agency celebrating its 20th anni
this summer, has booked the Gallic
Ancient Group of the Sorbonne
for a series of . performances this
seaspn. They're presenting “The
Persians," by Aeschylus in French,
at the ancient theatres of Epidav-
ros, Delphi and Patras, j/iug, 28,
Sept. 4 and 11.

Many tourists are constantly
coming in. There are no rooms
any more available at £' ■» big ho-
tels. ‘ American chr-ographer
Miss Trudy Goth, who sent six
dancers from Italy to “reinforce"
the ballet of the Greek National
Opera, is also a guest.

Business at nightclubs also is
booming. They are all in open air
gardens with floor Shows by foreign
and local talent. The Spanish show,
Viva la Fiesta, attracts many
people every night but business is
good also at the Lido, the Argen-
tina and even all the little tav-
erns.

U.S. EXHIBS’ PROBLEMS
MAY HIT BRIT.: LEVY

London, Aug. 30.

A warning that many of • the
major problems which affect
American exhibitors might one day
apply to Britain was made by Her-
man Levy, general counsel of the
Theatre Owners of America, in
Birmingham last week. He was at-
tending his first major out-of-town
engagement since he arrived in
Britain recently for joint talks with
the Cinematograph Exhibs Assn.

Among the problems listed . by
Levy were competitive bidding for
films leading to higher rentals,
product shortage. Insistence by dis-
tribs on extended playing time and
toll-tv.

Explaining that the product
shortage had not yet hit British ex-
hibs because they had a call on
local product, Levy asserted that
the U. S. theatre, owner was the
victim of a sellers’ market. Fewer*
pictures were being produced, and
auction bidding as a result of anti-
trust laws, was putting up the
prices. Despite the scarcity of
product, however, he did not think
American exhibs would abandon
dual programs unless the supply
situation compelled them to do so.

Levy is due to talk tomorrow
(Wed.) to Scottish exhibitors and
is due back here before going to
Paris for sessions of the Inter-
national Federation.

Manager Heads for U.S.

~ London, Aug. 30.

J. W. Wilkinson, former manager
of the Haymarket, Newcastle, who
was voted champion manager of
the Associated-British circuit at its
annual conference last December,
planed tp N. Y, yesterday (Mon.),
with his wife, for a fortnight’s va-
cation in Manhattan as his prize.

, During the last three months, the
ABC champ- exhib has been traln £
ing for field executive duties. On
his return, he will take up a new
job as assistant district manager of
the groiip.

Berlin, Aug. 23.

.Production activity at West Ber-
lin film studios is remarkably big
[ at the present time. While more
than six pix were completed here
during the last four weeks, five
more are currently in production,
three are undergoing exteriors out-
side Berlin and a couple of other
pix are due to go: before cameras
shortly.

| Most active 1 outfit' here is cur-
rently Berolina. It just has com-
pleted “Tjie Merry Wanderer" in.
Agfacolor and “Crash Around Jo-
lanthe/* a C’Scoper; has “My Leo-
pold" in- production while “Love Is
Only a Fairy Tale" is undergoing
^exteriors in Greece. Another re-
cently completed Berolina pic,
“When Father and Son," will have
its local preem shortly. “Jolanthe"
.and “Leopold/* Incidentally, are
remakes of German b.o. hits of
the early '30s*.

Berolina, established in 1948 by
Kurt Schulz and Kurt Ulrich, is
one of the few domestic film pro- .
ducing companies which never
needed Federal credit assistance
to finance itsr pix. Outfit has fre-
quently won awards for the best
money-maker of the year and has
made more than 25 films since
being established seven years ago. j
Second big outfit is CCC. Latter
completed “Heir of Fathers” in
Eastmancolor and “Hotel Adlon"
recently. Currently, it is doing a
widely-publicized musical, “Love,
Dance and 1,000 Songs." Neither
Berolina , nor . CCC has a regular
distributor.

Other pix currently in work here
include “Cinderella” (Genschow);
“My Children and I" (Fono); “Story
of a Girl at 17" (Delos); Fono’s
“Devil in Silk" and HD's “Son
Without Home" are for exteriors
in West Germany. Recently com-
pleted pix include “Spring of Life"
(Greven); “I Was an Ugly Girl"
(Meteor-Cineallianz); “Oberwacht 7
meister Borck" (Algefa), and “Be-
fore God. and Men" (Capitol).

In East Berlin, DEFA completed
the second part of “Ernst Thael-
mann," biopic Of the German Com-
mie leader.

ACT Finds Better

Studio Conditions

London, Aug. 30.

An indication of the improved
employment situation in British
studios and the scarcity of skilled
I technicians is contained in a report
of the General Council of the
Assn, of Cine Technicians. This
revealed that in one month it bad
19 applications for labor permits
for foreign workers and none had
been opposed by the unions ' One ;
of the applicants was a Portuguese
and the remaining 18 were Ameri-
can.

The same report also shows that
the union had an application for
Buster Keaton to direct a pilot for
Sapphire Films and if that worked
out satisfactorily, to make a com-
plete series of 39 for the American
ty market. “ACT," says the gen-,
eral council report, “welcomed so
distinguished a person as Buster
Keaton working, here, and would
not oppose a permit for the pilot,
especially as an ACT member
would co-direct."

BBC-TV Salute to Old Vic

London, Aug. 30.

A special tele tribute to the Old
Vic is to -be featured by. BBC-TV
pa Sept. 5, two days before the
opening of the new Shakespeare
season, ■

The program will tee off with a
15-minute shot from the theatre
and Will be followed by studio
sequences in which some of the
principals will play their scenes
from the new production, “Julius
Ceasar/* The studio sets are being
modelled on those designed for the
Old Vic presentation. .

London, Aug. 23.

Nine applications have been re-
ceived by the Independent Televi-
sion Authority from potential pro-
gram contractors for the weekend
concession on the Birmingham and
Manchester stations. The ITA ad-
vertised last month for a new con-
tractor after the split in the Win-
nick-Kemsiey group. It will take
at least another fortnight before
a firm decision is made.

Because of the financial strain
of launching a new network, the
ITA indicated 'that a minimum
capital of about $5,500,00(1 would
be necessary. Most of the known
applicants easily fulfill such a
condition.

According to informed insiders,
the concession may go to Associ-
ated British Picture Gorp. They
originally made application a year
ago, but withdrew before a deci-
sion could be made. Sir Philip
Warter's statement to stockholders
two months ago explained their
withdrawal, but also left the door
open for a fresh application.

Another -film group, which has
applied for, the Birmingham and
Manchester outlet, is the Regent
Film Corp., which put in an appli-
cation by. three of their directors
and indicated that if they were
successful, they would form a new
outfit. They intimated to the ITA
that they had resources of $8,-
400,000 available. Maurice Winnick
is believed to have made a fresh
application on behalf, of a new
group and the News of the World,
a Sunday sheet with a circulation
of 9,000,000, is also said to be in
the running.

BFPA Hopes New Pact
May End Studio Strikes

London, Aug. 30.

A new wage offer, which it is
hoped will stop the outbreak of
sporadic unofficial strikes through-
out British studios, was made at
a special session of the British
Film Producers Assn, last week
and accepted by the two unions
concerned. They are the Electrical
Trades Union and the National
Assn, of Theatrical and Kine Em-
ployees;. Separate negotiations are
being conducted with the Assn, of
Cine Technicians. _

. Amount Involved in. the wage
hike is not being revealed until
the offer has been endorsed by the
executive* boards of the tw&u^ps.;;
It will only. ap$l^fo workei&tt^M
Weekly earnfttgsv^come with|“
ceiling 'of abqhC-$ i ?S- The aceet— ^
offer, however, does not meet the
union's original claim for. a* 15%
betterment of salaries. '

The new . offer by the > BFPA
followed a protest resolution made
by the producers at a meeting
the previous week, in which they
condemned the unofficial stoppages
that had been taking place in many
studios.

Aussie Exhibs Seek 25%
Rejection on Brit, Pix

Sydney, Aug. 23,

At a recent exhibitor conference
held at Mackay, Queensland It was
argued that exhibs should be given
the right to reject British pix on
the same basis as the current 25%
right of rejection applied to
American films. No definite agree-
ment could be reached bn the
British question, but the present
belief is that exhibs will press
their rejection claim.

However, some in., industry .cir-
cles feel that the high quality-prod
duct coming froth both British and
U. S. studios sees no pressing need
fon rejection on product from
these two countries.

Paris, Aug. 30.

Summer months are tradition-
ally the time to exhibit weaker
films here, and last few weeks
have amply brought that out. The
heavier pix are b e i°g broken in
at the various jfilm fests or are
being held for the more lucrative
fall and winter seasons. Recent,
batch are primarily those in the
Class B category with dated stories,
familiar love dramas, and detective.;
piX. So far about five pix have come
out in this feeble setup and none
appears to have any U. S. chances.

In the action series are Henri-
Diamaht Berger’s “La Madone Des
Sleepings," Robert Vernay’s “La
Rue Des Bouches. Peints" (Street
of Painted Mouths), both based on
novels by Maurice Dekobra; “Bou-
levard De Crime" and “Tourna-
ment Dangereux," and a slight ro-
mantic© pie, “Mademoiselle De
Paris," last being the first film to
be made in the French anamorpho-
scope process, Cinepanoramic. All
are short on. outstanding interest
and have the earmarks of quickie
workmanship.

Earthy' Pix

“Madone" shows the chic, pol-
ished woman-of-the-world. in con-
flict and contact with thp more
earthy, dynamic world. Eric Von
Stroheim shows briefly for the only
film interest. “Bouches" is an ab-
surd meller about a jealous hus-
band who stakes hi»> life in a red
light district in North Africa.

“Crime" is only a so-so entry
saved by some sincere work by
Maria Mauban and Frank Villard.
“Dangereux" is a familiar affair of
an escaped con who finds his wom-
an with another and flies off to
a new life of. crime. It has a
fair pacing and mounting and the
name of Viviane Romance.

“Mademoiselle" . is a flimsy love
drama. It has some eye interest in
the haute couture background but
the Cinepanoramic indicates that
Cinema-Scope need have no wor-
ries about it. Pic has some name
appeal In Jean-pierre Aumont and
Gisfele Pascal— that is all.

Buch proven: bits ias “Gone With
the Wind". (M-G) and the 'Italo
“La Strada" are running nicely
as is the English version only of
“Female on the Beach" (U) with
Joan Crawford.

„ London, Aug. 23,

A sudden and sharp rise in the
temperature with the mercury
staying consistently in the 80'$ has
left its mark, on film boxoffice
here. In the last stanza all first-
run theatres felt the effect; but
returns ate frequently surprisingly
good.

“Footsteps In the Fog*' is shap-
ing to get a fine $8,000 or near in
opening sesh at the Odeon, Mar-
ble Arch, “The Man from Lara-
mie'' is heading for a # fancy $9,500
in its first round at the Leicester
Square Theatre,

“Doctor. At Sea" is- holding in
sixth session at the Odeon, Leices-
ter Square, at big $7,500 or bet-
ter; “Seven Year Itch" also con-
tinues fancy with $5,000, at the Ri-
alto in fourth stanza. “Value for
Money" did only moderate $2,500
in initial round at the Gaumont.
“The Shrike" was just okay open-
ing week at the London Pavilion.

Estimates for Last Week

Carlton (20th) (1,128* 70-$1.70)—
“Soldier of Fortune" (20th) (6th
wk). Down to fair $3,600 in final
frame. Last week, $5,000. “Deep
Blue Sea" (20th) preems Aug. 25.

Casino (Indie) (1,337; 70-$2.15)—
“Cinerama' (Robin) (46th wk). At-
tracting the tourist trade, and
fancy $12,000 this frame. Stays on.

Empire (M-G) (3,009; 55-$1.70)—
“The Prodigal" (M-G) (3d wk).
Below average around $7,300. Last
week, $9,800.. “Love Me or Leave
Me" (M-G) opens Aug. 25. *

Gaumont (CMA) (1,500; 50-$1.70)
—“Value for Money" (Rank) (2d
wk). Poor near $2,200 after $3,500
opening week.

Leicester Square Theatre (CMA)
(1,753; 50-$1.70)— “Man From La-
ramie" (Col). Shaping for sturdy
$8,500. Continues.

London Pavilion (UA). (1,217; 50-
$1.70) — “The Shrike" (Rank) (2d.
wk). Moderate $3,000 after okay
$5,200 first round; “QUartermass
Experiment" (Exclusive) starts
Aug. 26.

Odeon; Leicester Square (CMA)
(2,200; 50-$1.70)— “Doctor At Sea"
(Rank) (6th wk). Boff $7,500 or
over. Last week, $10,200. Holds.

Odeon, Marble Arch (CMA)
(2,200; 50-$1.70) — “Footsteps in
Fog" (Col). Solid $8,000 or near.

Pla?a (Par) (1,902; 70-$1.70)—
“We’re No Angels” (Par) (2d wk).
Good $7,000 or near after $10,000
opening stanza. Holds a third
round, with “Geordie" (B-Lion) set
to follow.

Rialto (LFP) (592; 50-$1.30)—
“Seven Year Itch" (20th) (4th wk).
Beating the weather, with fine
$5,000 or close this stanza. Pre-
vious week was $5,600.

Ritz (M-G) (432; 50-$1.30)— “Dam
Busters" (ABP) (2d wk). Well
above average at about $4,000.
First week was $4,500.

Studio (APT) (600; 30-$1.20)—
“Vanishing Prairie" (Disney) (19th
wk). Still strong at $2,200. “Lady
and Tramp" (Disney) follows on
Sept. 2.

Warner .(WB) (1,735; 50-$1.70)—
“Confidential Report" (WB) (2d
wk). Another victim of weather,
being estimated at lean $4,500.
Opening week was $7,500. “A
Woman for Joe" (Rank) follows
Aug. 23.

Mex Peliculas Buys

8 European Pictures

Mexico City, Aug. 23.

Newly-opened foreign, depart-
ment of^ Peliculas Naclonales, a
top pic distributor which recently
becamd semi-official and ties in
tightly with Cinex, got going by
inking eight European films for
screenings' here.

Six of these pix are Spanish-
five of Suevia Films, one of Cifesa.
Of the other two (i one is French,
the other German. Pix include
such film festival prize winners as
“Death of a Cyclist" and “Died
15 Years Ago/*

BFPA Demands End Of
Italo Pix Dubbing Ban

London, Aug. 23.

A new demand is to be made by
the British Film Producers Assn,
to bring an end to the union em-
bargo on the dubbing of Italian
films either in Italy or in America.
Some years ago, the; Assn, of Cine
Technicians said its members
would not process dubbed Italian
imports unless the dubbing was
carried out in Britain.

A prelim session between Robert
Clark, the former BFPA prez, and
ACT executives, has ended in a
deadlock, but the producers at
tbeii;<. last j executive ootmcil ses*
sion agreed to have a further try. i

SCOT LEGIT SEASON
PREEMS WITH ‘KNOCK’

Glasgow, Aug. 30.

Legit season here looms lively
for the winter, with several new
plays listed. “Postman’s Knock,"
new light comedy by Frank
Shelley, is currently at King’s The-
atre, with Hermione Baddley, Hel-
ene Cordet and Henry Mollison
starred. Glasgow Citizens' Theatre,
local group, will tee off with a
new Paul Vincent Carroll play.

A new tour of the Robert Morley
comedy, “Hippo Dancing," is plan-
ned to start in October, with Glas-
gow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh to
be visited. Jack Warner, English
character actor of films, will play
the Morley role.

A new play, “The Piper’s Tune/*
by Charles Gardner and Rosa-
munde Pilcher, is set to preem
this month at Dundee Repertory
Theatre. William Heaven is sked-
ded to present the comedy, “Book
\o£j Monbh/I rby ». Basil Thomas, at
King's Theatre* Glasgow* Sept. 5.

Wetlnesday, August 31, 1955

KEEP THIS UNDER YOUR HAT!

Remember our prediction! The folks who are packing theatres for “Love Me Or Leave Me" have
another great treat. Next at Music Hall, N. Y. Soon Everywhere! Read the trade notices below:

“Top-notch musical. Excellent boxoffice

Outlook. ” — VARIETY ( Weekly and Daily )

“Joy at the boxoffice. Designed to please
millions. Rating excellent." —m. p. herald

“High rating musical. Highly entertaining”

—M. P. EXHIBITOR

“Fast-paced musical. Slick pic. As up-to-
the-minute as tomorrow morning’s news-
paper.” —HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

> --*■ ::W.

“Sock musical comedy entertainment; A
standout musical show.” —film bulletin

“Record-breaking destiny. Will bring *
customers back to see it again and again.”

—M. P. DAILY

“Lively, star-studded CinemaScope

musical.” —boxoffice

•/

“Will send audiences home happy and
smiling.” — showmen’s trade review

“Prize musical. Rare delight. Ushers in fall
season with boxoffice sunshine.”

— INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL

M-G-M presents in CinemaScope • “IT'S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER” starring GENE KELLY
DAN DAILEY . CYD CHARI SSE . DOLORES GRAY . MICHAEL KIDD • (Plus Hal March,

M/C. of TV’s “$64,000 Question”) • Story and Screen Play by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Music by Andre Previn • Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green • Photographed in Eastman Color

Directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen • Produced by Arthur Freed

EXTRA! TERRIFIC TV PROMOTION! Watch M-G-M’s 98 big-stations network TV coverage through Dave Garroway’s
"TODAY" and Steve Allen’s "TONIGHT." Also , Hal March , MX. of TV’s top "$64,000 Question" is in "It’s Always Fair
Weather" and he tells his 55 million viewers about it! Plus nationwide saturation radio campaign adjacent to local weather
reports. Also, more than 100 million readership in M-G-ATs famed national magazine "Picture of the Month" columns.

. i.arj .91 sri.K alt ',ot *r i iir p; , 70 i-jf,! 1 $ aw cr.i'C .i-un >.

f j3 ,'Jj * / 1 ■: r; t .l(j

ejr.«;Ci«£ 1 . v/f.snrf?

Wednesday, Angu»t 31> 1955

PICTURES 13

Since Start; 727G Surplus on Hand

The Screen Actors Guild, as of
April 30, 1955, had a surplus of
$727,146 in' its treasury as a re-
serve for any emergency. This
figure is cited, by the actors’ group
as evidence of the tremendous
progress the SAG has made since
it was organized in June, 1933, and
won its first contract with the ma-
jor studios in 1937. ' . „

In a fact-filled booklet* "The
Story of the Screen Actors Guild,”
just Issued, the SAG reviews its
history, method of operation, finan-
cial structure, views on political
activities, and relations with
agents.. Intended primarily as a
guide for new members, it never-
theless is a hep document for vet-
eran members and others whose
interests are involved with SAG
activities.

In a chapter entitled, “Politics
Et Cetera,” it is stressed that “the
Guild does not participate in parti-
san politics.” It's noted, however,
that the Guild fights for legislation
it considers of benefit to actors
and organized labor and fights
against legislation which might
harm these groups. , .

The Guild, it’s pointed out, has
long been a foe of Communism,
citing statements of policy issued
by the board of directors in 1946,
1951 and 1953. The most recent
statement, approved by a majority
of the membership, “exceeding
96% “ states in part: “No person
who is a member of the Commu-
nist Party or of any other organi-
zation seeking to overthrow the
Government of the United States
by force and violence shall be
eligible for membership in the
Screen Actors Guild.”

Actor Vs. Agent

The booklet declares that one
of the Guild's most important ac-
tivities is the regulation of the
business relations between actor
and agent. The SAG says there
were grave abuses in this field be-
fore the actor’s organization de-
cided to reform agency practices.
By a system of franchising of
agents, the SAG secured the fol-
lowing for its members: (1) Protec-
tion of members -against having to
pay more than 10% commission;

(2) limitation of original term of
contract with agent to one year
and renewal terms to three years;

(3) guarantee of right to terminate
agency contract for insufficient
employment; (4) specification of
duties and obligation of agents to-
ward Guild members, and provi-
sions for arbitration of disputes
between agents and actors.

The Guild’s jurisdiction extends
to all forms of motion picture
work, including films for theatres,
television, industrial and commer-
cial use, and educational and all
other purposes. The Guild has con-
tracts covering acting work in the-
atrical pictures, television enter-
tainment films, filmed television
commercials and industrial pic-
tures.

K. C.Exhib, Once Flooded
Himself, Giving Drive-In
Profit to Relief Fund

Kansas City, Aug. 30.

,George Bennett, prominent con-
tractor and real estate developer,
announced quickly, following the
appeal for funds for the flood-
stricken east, that he would give
all the profits from his Lakeside
Theatre (drive-in) tomorrow night
(Wed.) to the Bed Cross relief
fund.

Bennett suffered heavy losses in
the historic flood of July, 1951,
here, a loss documented at $372,-
000. Hence, his .willingness to lend
a hand to the flood sufferers in
the East.,

Leonard Burrell, theatre man-
ager, said Bennett picked a night
when top attractions are showing.
Bill is “Davy Crockett” and
“Lucky Me.”

Lakeside is one of several en-
terprises of Bennett’s resort devel-
opment northwest of Kansas City,
Kans. It has capacity for 1,000
cars.

Shot* Back in Harness

Bube Shor, prominent Cin-
cinnati exhibitor and president
of Allied States Assn., Is back;
in harness again after a severe
Illness. Shor disclosed the fact
of his illness in a letter tos
E. D. Martin, Theatre Owners
of America topper, reviewing
the recent AUied-TOA . talks
; with the film companies.

“I am glad to inform my
friends that I am again at
work/’ Shor wrote, “although
T am restricted to two hours
activity a day for the time be-
ing/’

Twentieth-Fox • last week re-
ported a drop in its half-year 1955
revenue from 1954. But at the
same time 20th prexy Spyros P.
Skouras also had some good news —
an improved second quarter. And
oil.

*‘It Is expected that the oil and
gas sales will commence withfn the
next 60 days and that eventually
revenues of Twentieth-Fox Film
Corp. from these sources^ may be
substantial,” he told stockholders.
Twentieth now has six wells work-
ing and a seventh is being drilled.

For the 26 weeks ended June 25,
1955, 20th reported a net of $2,790,-
800, or $1.06 per share. That com-
pares to a net of $3,096,545, or
$1.17 per share, for the same
period in 1954.

Twentieth’s second quarter rev-
enue was up over 1954. Second
quarter ended June 25 ran to $1,-
366,989, or 52c. per share, as
against $1,048,515 (40c. per share)
last year. Earnings for the first
quarter of 1955 were $1,423,811, or
54c. per share.

Breakdown for the half year
showed a $3,000,000 increase in
worldwide film rentals, from $47,-
829,420 last year to $50,902,792 in
1955. These were the first six
months in 20th’s history when for-
eign rentals actually exceeded the
domestic take. Bentals abroad ran
to $29,300,000.

Beport showed a significant in-
crease in film distribution and ad-
ministration expenses, up to $16,-
580,220 for th£ first half of 1955,
against $14,245,290 last year. Bise
is accounted for mainly by the
larger number of 20th’s releases
and greatly upped print costs.
Amortization of film costs in 195.5
also rose— to $31,021,868 — from
$27,869,351 last year.

Twentieth last week declared the
regular 40c. divvy, payable Sept.
30 to stockholders of record Sept.
16, 1955.

NX Indie Gets Rights To
‘Hex’; Suit No Factor

A N. Y. indie firm, David Bob-
bins Productions, has acquired the
film rights to “By Hex,” which
like the current Broadway hit,
“Plain and Fancy,” deals with life
among the Amish. Although “Hex”
never made Broadway, it was per-
formed in 1953 in Pittsburgh and
Lancaster, Pa. Its authors John
Bengier and Bichard Gehman and
lyricist-composer Howard Blank-
man have a $200,000 suit pending
against “Fancy,” charging copy-
right infringement.

It's said that suit will have no
effect on the filming plans of
“Hex,” which Bobbins plans to
shoot on location in the Pennsyl-
vania Amish area. An October
start has been set, with casting
currently in progress.

The Council of Motion Picture
Organizations, representing nearly
all industry groups, in' effect has
been given a year-to-year lease
on life. Along with it has gone
this edict: Produce or expire.

. Events of the recent past have
made it clear that COMPO “needs
a project” — there must be some
sort of program underway almost
constantly in order to hold the
trade’s interest . and operational
money from exhibitors and the pro-
ducer-distributors.

All's well, or nearly so, for the
immediate future, meaning, the
balance of this year and somewhere
into 1956. After this, the crystal
ball becomes hazy on COMPO’s
wherewithal to „ continue.

Many in the industry had be-
come indifferent to COMPO until
a couple of years ago, when the
campaign to kill or reduce the
then 20% Federal admissions tax
got underway. Interest quickened
and membership dues money
poured in, enough to sustain the
operation through to the present.

The Audience Awards poll has
resulted in new excitement; and
more collections . from the mem-
bership, at this time. If the income
is maintained at the current pace,
the COMPO treasury promises to
be enhanced sufficiently* to keep
the organization going to some
time next year.

There’s agitation growing within
the trade (see separate .story) for
entering: the Congressional arena
again with the hope of eliminating
in full the remaining admissions
levy, which is now 10% oh tickets
costing over 50c. As previously re-'f
ported, some Allied States leaders
are against such a move.

But a new tax battle likely
would shape only as a one-year
“project” of the kind that COMPO
needs to continue its existence.

Conclusion reached by some
execs is that COMPO’s fate rests
with the outcome Of the Audience
Awards poll this year. Trade en-
dorsement of this endeavor has
been strong in many areas and,
in certain instances, enthusiastic..
If press and public interest is suf-
ficiently stimulated in pictures gen-
erally, and specific star-building
benefits accrue to exhibitors and
producers, the poll might well
emerge as the continuing role for
COMPO to play through years to
come.

If the poll goes kaput, COMPO
will need a project — a new one
every year.

Bube Shor, president of Allied
States Assn., cited 20th-Fox as “the
company most to blame” for the
breakdown in the recent joint talks
of Allied and Theatre Owners of
America with the film companies.
He, also rapped 20th prexy Spyros
Skouras for reneging on a promise
to issue a new sales policy which
would lead to an improvement In
buyer and seller relationships.

The charges are made by the Al-
lied topper in a letter to TOA prez
E, D: Martin. The letter, released
to the trade press last week, re-
viewed the joint negotiations and
chided TOA for defecting from a
previously-agreed course of action
in fighting for improved conditions
for exhibitors.

Shor claimed that the joint com-
mittee achieved very little, if any-
thing, In gaining better sales terms
from the distribs. He pointed out
that the “ink was scarcely dry oh.
the joint committee’s report” when
Warner Bros, and United Artists
placed a “must” 50% tag on “Mis-

Long Island Exhib Gets
Improved Clearance In
New Deal With Majors

Associated Prudential Theatres
Inc., which is pressing a $2,500,000
antitrust suit in N. Y. Federal
Court against the eight majors, will
receive improved clearance for sev-
eral of its Long Island houses un-
der terms “of a proposed -settlement.
All defendants with ..^exception of
Columbia and United Artists^ 1 HrU-i
dential attorney William Gold dis-
closed Monday (29), have agreed
to terms settling the action and
a stipulation to that effect is ex-
pected to be filed With the court
later this week.

Proposed settlement, Gold re-
vealed, grants product to. the Bay-
shore Theatre, Bayshore, L. I., and
Patchogue Theatre, Patchogue,
L. I., 14 days after a film’s Broad-
way opening, regardless of how
long the picture may run at its
preem showcase. In addition, pro-
visions of the stipulation also
specify that Prudential’s Babylon,
Amityville and Lindenhurst Thea-
tres in those Long Island towns
will be permitted to screen pix
seven days after the Bayshore and
Patchogue outlets.

History of the litigation goes
back to 1945, when Prudential filed
an antitrust suit against the ma-
jors. Action was subsequently Set-
tled, but when terms of the adjust-
ment were allegedly violated, the
chain brought the present com-
plaint in July, 1954.

Boston circuit operator Sam
Pinanskl’s recent pitch for a full-
scale industry campaign for total
elimination of the admissions tax

was given strong hacking in N. Y.
this week by major theatre inter-
ests. Board of directors of the
Metropolitan Motion Picture The-
atres Assn, endorsed Pinanski’s,
plan and. suggested that it be taken
on as a project of the Council of
Motion Picture Organizations.'

Pinanski had underlined that the
tax relief of last year removed tick-
ets priced at 50c -and under from
any internal Bevenue cut, and
those over 50c were made subject
to a 10% levy — thus, those houses
in the latter group inequitably
were carrying the full theatre tax
burden. There should be no tax
at all for any theatre, said the Hub
chain operator.

MMPTA members who joined
the Pinanski camp over the past
week include Leo Brecher The-
atres, Century Theatres,* Fabian,
Interboro, Loew’s, United Para-
mount, Badio City Music Hall,
Bandf oree Amusement, BKO,
Boxy, Bugoff & Becker and Stan-
ley Warner.

Some leaders of Allied States
Assn, are opposed to a tax battle
on the theory that it would be fu-
tile or should be; subordinated to a
move for Congressional curbs on
distributor rentals for pictures.

A A Starts 1st Pic

Prod, in W. Germany

Frankfurt, Aug. 23.

Allied Artists, which recently
opened its ‘own ^German distribu-
tion headquarters here instead of
distributing through German firms
as formerly done, now has begun
production on a film. Titled “Way
of Love and Death of Little Cor-
net,” it Is based on the w.k. Bainer
Maria Bilke novel. Pic is being
made in both English and German
versions. Allianz will release the
German version while AA has
rights to the English version for
the U S.

Stars are Anita Bjork and Goetz
von Lankheim. Walter Beisch di-
rects, also wrote the script. Pro-
duction director Emile Lustig and
Beisch have both worked in the
U. S. Filming in Wurzburg, Ger-
many, and will continue into Sep-
tember. Film uses Eastman color.

:•

.• f

ter Boberts” and “Not As a
Stranger.”

The talks, §hor said, resulted in
“temporary relief for only the
smallest exhibitors,” but that with-
out formal commitments from any
of the film companies, “the vague
promises can be easily broken.”
He noted that Allied had the clear
impression that TOA reps Were in
agreement that government regu-
lations should be tried as a last
resort.

Beviewlng the conversations
with Skouras. Shor claimed the
?0th topper “promised us virtual-
ly everything we asked for and he
gave Al Lichtman (20th’s general
sales manager) credit for his com-
pany’s willingness to arbitrate film
rentals up to $109.” Furthermore,
alleged Shor, Skouras assured the
committee that he would shortly
announce 20th’s new policies in
the trade press. Noting that Skour-
as did not keep his word, Shor
said this is not the first time that
the 20th chieftain has backed nut
on a promise. He asserted that
Allied “was lured into the arbitra-
[ tion negotiations in 1952 by Skour-
as's assurance that he favored and
would support arbitration of film
rentals.”

Cites Misunderstanding

Commenting on TOA’s •^opposi-
tion to Government action. Shor
said that the Martin-led organiza-
tion was" fully aware of v Allied's
position, including Its program for
“an appeal to Congress in the
event that the film companies did
nqt voluntarily grant the necessary
relief,” Allied, he noted, agreed to
go along with TOA leader Alfred
Starr’s proposal that the joint
committee visit the film companies
“in the hope this display of ex-
hibitor unity would impress the
film executives.”

Allied, meanwhile, said Shor,
suspended its legislative activities,
since it felt it could not seek relief
by peaceful negotiation and Con-
' gressional action at the same time.
He stressed, however, that Allied
had never abandoned its legislative
program and that TOA represent-
atives were fully aware of this
.position. In the light of what had
transpired, Shor said he was
“astounded” by recent statements
attributed to Martin and by other
TOAites relating to the action
taken by Allied’s board.

Shor termed recent statements
by TOA' leaders fhat they were
ready to accept an arbitration
system without the arbitration of
film rentals as “entirely out of line
with statements which you made
to us and to the trade papers, at
the time of our joint meetings.”
Shor noted that Starr’s statement
that “desperate men do desperate
things” was generally interpreted
to mean that unless the exhibitors*
obtained substantial relief, TOA
would join Allied in seeking leg-
islative action. In view of some of
Starr’s recent statements, said ,
Shor, “I am beginning to wonder
what he did mean.”

Allied, he maintained, adheres
to its original program of legisla-
tive action as set down by its
Emergency Defense Committee.
That o program, Shor stressed, “can
no longer be shelved for a hat-in-
hand procedure.” Alliedites, he
said, are not “desperate men” but
“determined men — determined not
to be again diverted from our
course by hollow promises which
signify nothing.”

In view of TOA’s expressed op-
position to the same film company
policies fought by Allied, Shor
said he could not understand
TOA’s “derogatory remarks con-
cerning prospective appeal for
Government intervention and the
results of such efforts in the
pagt.” He pointed out that in con-
versations with the TOA leaders,
they appeared to agree with Allied
in fighting for the same reforms. -

Wednesday, August 31, 1955

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COLOR by DE LUXE

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RAY MILIAND • JOAN COLLINS • FARLEY GRANGER in "THE GIRL IN THE RED
VELVET SWING" with Luther Adler • Cornelia Otis Skinner • Glenda Farrell • Frances
Fuller • Philip Reed • Gale Robbins • Produced by CHARLES BRACKETT • Directed
by RICHARD FLEISCHER • Written by WALTER REISCH and CHARLES BRACKETT

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TFednesdayv Aiigtist 31, 1955

PICTURES

Viol* Berlin of the Exeter Theatre, Boston, guested Hub film writers
at the Harvard Club in connection with the opening Sunday (28) of
“The Dam Buster*” at her house. Croup Capt. Hubert Dean, who was
in the experimental unit working on the five.4on bomb projector which
breached two of Germany’s vital dams ih the wartime Ruhr, now; a
resident of Cambridge, Mass., and Allan Barker of the British Consulate
were guests of honor. Ballyhoo for “Darn Busters’’ netted pix and
heavy space in Hub papers.

UI has -pulled its skedded production on “The Charles Russell Story’*
and postponed shooting until 1956, due to the possibility of early fal)j
snows in the Great Falls, Mont., location area set for the film. Aaron
Rosenberg production was . originally to have gotten under way Sept, 7
in the region used by the artist for his cowboy apd Indian paintings.
Postponement will allow Audio Murphy slated to star, to extend his
current p.a, tour to spark the studio’s “To Hell and Back.”

H’wood Needs 'New Sell’

Continued from page 5

tion costs, is a^lker when com-^ide'as, some
pared to other businesses jn hand? —
ing out coin- for' direqt-ta-the-pub-
lic promotions. A Broadway the-
atre, for example, hands 4>ut free
books records or orchids to the
first lde^atnons to. buy -a ticket on
Opening day.* fn ^contrast, “televi-
sion lures the public with $64,000.
and beer companies, , breakfast;

foods, and even newspapers hand Idone. But no one ever does any-

them grandiose.
Committees are formed and let-
ters are passed around. Then they
go home* A followup meeting or
a committee^ineeting is never held.
Soon the whole thing is forgotten.
•This has been* the industry’s his-
tory in trying to work out an in-
dustryrwide campaign. There’s a
lot of talk of what oiight to he

Out fabulous cash awards to con-
test winners! ;

It may .be argued .that bank
nights, bingo and similar gimmicks
of the depression era have been’
banned by most states. However,
it’s asserted, if tv, newspapers, and
beer companies can find a method'
to get around the anti-lottery, law,
the film industry can also come up
With a national contest idea that
would pay large cash- sums to the
winners, '*

Need More’n Glamor

It’s argued that the pic biz. has
year in and year out relied on its
familiar,, stock in .trade — glamor.
While*' it has done a top, job in mak-
ing ‘personalities national herpes,
tv managed to take a heavy toll
and, it’s felt, something more than
selling v stars is necessary. .. The
new widescreen era served as a
hypo, but the new projection tech-
niques are becoming standard and,
It's asked, where do we go from
here?

To continue the current boxoffice
pickup, it’s stressed that new mer-
chandising ideas, must be present-
ed and offered the public to make
them continue the filmgoing habit.
Of course, good pictures are a pre-
requisite, but an added stimula-
tion is also required.

The industry, for example, is
taking a back seat In licking the
parking problem. While many
downtown restaurants are offering
meals with free parking at local
lots or garages, how many the-
atres, it’s asked, have made simi-
lar arrangements? Not one house
In the Broadway area or in the art
.house zone, for example, has at-
tempted to make a free or cut-price
parking offer. Nor for thgt mat-
ter, have many key neighborhood
houses.

In addition, does anything simi-
lar exist in the film biz as Quaker
Oats’ tieup with the 16 major
league ball dubs? The breakfast
food company inserts In its cereal
package free tickets of admission
to youngsters, to baseball games.
The youngster, however, must be
accompanied by an adult who pays
the regular admission price. In
this way, the baseball industry is
able to build future customers as
well as corral paying patrons.

Bargain days are an American
Institution. But have theatres over
offered anything equivalent to a
Sale? Picture houses . have given
the public two pictures for the
price of one and two firstrun films
on preview days, but few have ever
attempted one-day bargain price
cut.

These are only a few of the
things tried by other businesses
which, for the most part, have
been successful. It’s felt that the
film industry, given the opportu-
nity, could devise powerful mer-
chandising ideas to meet its own
needs. However, the stumbling
block has been an inability. of the
various segments of the industry
to get-together or even for the ma-
jor companies to agree on an in-
dustry-wide campaign.

As an example of the lack of ac-
tion in the film biz, a pub-ad exec
cited the feeble attempts of
COMPO to build an audience-
building program. “This is a much-
ado-about-nothing industry,” he
said. “Ever so often there’s a meet-
ing. Executives of the various com-
panies get together for two or
three hours and present many

thing.’

Continue* ...from past

Roz Tees Off

Continue* from page 4 ;

( J apan), “The Kidnappers’* , (Bri-
tain) and *TJgetsu Mohogatari”
(Japan). Films considered by the]
nominating committee were limited
to those produced anywhere in the
world with the exception of the
IT.S.j and first publicly shown in
America during . current * awards
year. They have been nominated
by a committee of. leading, crix
from U.S. daily papers, journals,
radio and tv. ' 1

'Useful- point about the current
fest is a concession from the Brit-
ish Board of Trade, Any foreign
film entered will forthwith have its
earnings exempted from the nor-
mal financial restrictions which
fall on foreign distribution in
Britain. Special arrangements are
being made to enable earnings to
be limited in respect of American
films shown here.

Major Italian entry is “L’Qro di
Napoli” (Every Day’s a Holiday),
directed by Vittorio de Sica, show-
ing the atmosphere -of sunny
Naples and the spirit of its people. )
De Sica, Silvana Mangano and
Sophia Loren are starred. ^
‘Lady/ ‘Eden/ ‘Slipper* From U.S.

The principal American entries
include “Lady and Tramp” (BV),
“Glass SUpper" (MG) and “East
Of Eden” <WB); the Elia Kazan
production. ’ *

Israel makes its bow at the Fes-
tival with “Hill 24 Doesn’t Answer,”
preemed Sunday (28) at the Caley
cinema. It sets a picture of pa-
triotism in the new State of Israel
as four young volunteers go out to
hold Hill 24 immediately prior to
the cease-dire imposed by the
United Nations in the Israel War
of Independence.

Indian films include “Munna,”
directed by the writer Naya Sansar,
with child star Romi in title role.
China has sent an opera film, “Lian
Shan Po/’ based on a 17th Century
legend. “Letter With the Feathers”
another Chinese entry, tells about
a youth who gets a message through
the Japanese lines during the war,
Russia’s “Romeo and Juliet,” show-
ing Sunday afternoon (4), features
the Soviet ballerina Ulanova as
Juliet. v-

Duvivier Pic French Entry

A leading French entry is “Mar-
ianne de Ma Jeunesse,” made by
Julien Duvivier, about a youth and
a girl In a romantic castle by a
Bavarian lake; “Kami Shibai,” also
from Frances, treats -the changes
taking place in Japan.

From Denmark is Carl Breyer’s
“Ordet” (The Word), based on a
play by the late Danish playwright
Raj Munk, shot by the Nazis in
1944. It is a miracle play with the
chief character believing himself
to be Christ.

Sweden has contributed “Sir
Arne’s Treasure,” directed by Gus-
taf Molander, a color film.

Apart from those listed, other
nations represented on the fest
screen include. Spain, Switzerland,
Poland, Puerto Rico, Rumania,
Norway, Holland, Ireland, Ger-
many, Finland, Brazil, Belgium,
Algeria, French Morocco, Australia,
Canada, Ceylon, New Zeland and
South Africa,

having her give the stock plug for
the many causes represented in the,
upcoming campaign, a troop of Girl
Scouts (member-organization of
the Chest), “rushed” the Holly-
woodite in a corny, but effective
reference to her latest starrer.

Pointing but that the many-
faceted Community Chest is the
town’s biggest promotional medium,
and that it is, like the proverbial
Caesar’s wife, above reproach and
non-controversial, Pfanstiehl told
Variety, “We can give every celeb-
rity the biggest and best free ride
In town.” He further added that he
promises “never to tie up with a
star unless it does the star some
good.” He cited the many different
organizations and resources from
which a show biz personality could
fit in virtually any type of pitch.

Among his plans is a “grassroots”
tie-in at the neighborhood level,
with which, at trivial cost, the or-
ganization’s addressograph sys-
tem could be used in a door-to-
door mall campaign fo plug a star
who, in turn, is plugging Red
Feather.

Growing use of show biz tech-
niques in public service campaigns
is pointed up here by the lineup of
local radio, tv and film figures who
hold important posts in the Federa-
tion. In addition to Hayes, other Of-
ficers — all on a non-salary, volun-
teer basis-rare Charles Bishop,
WMAL-ABC tv director, tv chair-
man for the Chest; Ben Strouse*
WWDC-MBS manager, publicity
chairman; and David Polland, Uni-
versal area fiack, who. heads spe-
cial events. Pfanstiehl, a Warner
theatre publicity staffer before
joining WTOP, Is a fulltime, paid
Chest employee.

Cinerama Success

Continued . from page 5

month, during which Weekly tak-]
ings averaged' better than $15,000,
the* show settled down to* an aver-
age of around $10,000 per week, a
hitherto unheard of five-month
high level for here.

Taking Stock

Now in its 22d week, there is lit-
tle sign of slackening of pace and
observers- are beginning to take
stock of the accomplishment. It
shows some of the shrewdest ex-
ploitation methods ever employed
here. Patronage has been so-
licited and developed intensively
from the entire Western New York
areas and neighboring Canada.
Local industrial plants and social,
educational and religious' organiza-
tions have been recruited to take
over numerous shows for em-
ployees and members. -Package
deals Including bus, dinner and ad-
mission have been promoted in
cities*' as far as 100 miles away.
The end is not yet In sight, the en-
tire upstate area being carefully
combed for every type of potential
audience. .

Little of this is new or original
in itself but the intensity and con-
tinuity -of the overall campaign and
its .successful results are unique in
this town’s amusement book. Local
observers and managements are
beginning to wonder whether simi-
lar methods pursued on a long-
range basis with respect to the
legit theatre and even to pictures
might not be, productive of a cure
for the eurrent . c "
theatre

Distrib Names Weiner
As General Sales Mgr.

Sanford Weiner has been named
general sales, manager for Con-
tinental Distributing Inc., foreign
film distribution outfit in which
Walter Reade Jr. and Frank Kass-
ler are partnered.

Weiner, who. starts with Contin
ental immediately, has been active
in the foreign film field since en
tering the industry in 1948 as v.p.
of Crest Films. He later formed
his own outfit, Canton-Weiner
Films, and was one of the founders
of the Independent Motion Picture
Distributors Assn. *

Reade and Kassler pointed out
that, Weiner’s experience - in the
16m field would. be a great asset to.
Continental. After two months in
N.. Y., Weiner will’ undertake a
cross-country trip. • Continental’s
major release is the. Alec Guin-
ness starrer, “TO Paris With Love,”

Metro production chief Dore
Schary serves as company spokes-
man iit kicking 'off the studio’s
first tv show produced for ABC-
TV. .. Weekly half-hour segment,
“The M-G-M Parade,” starts on the
ABC network on Sept. 14.

In the opener, Schary introes
the Metro roster, which starts with
a film clip of Judy Garland sing-
ing “Mr, Gable” from “Boadway
Melody of 1928.” In addition, the
initialer contains a Fred Astaire-
George Murphy dance sequence
from “Broadway Melody of 1940.”
For up-to-date plugging of a cur-
rent Metro release, the show fea-
tures a clip from the studio’s new
musical, “It’s Always Fair
Weather.” Cyd Charisse is. pre-
sented in a musical routine from
the picture.

First show was unveiled for
ABC and advertising agency execs
on Monday 129).

O’Neil Maps

Continued from page 3

ture- program is envisioned, yia the
new* $15,000,000 bankroll, because
one thing O’Neil can’t see are those
multi-million production invest-
ments, He’s seen already that
shrewd investment, low budgets
and high-geared merchandising,
can pay big dividends.

As part of- the new production
line, there is also the independent
producer. It is figured he can be
attracted at a 35% distribution
fee, 5% of which will be allocated
to O’Neil’s MBS exploitation over
five television stations and 580
radio outlets.

This is the only such closely knit
broadcasting-picture merchandis-
ing setup in the history of show
business today. It is counted on to
be a tremendous selling wedge.
O’Neil says he has evidence of that
a-plenty with “Gang Busters”
which, for all the captious critical
appraisal, has done beaucoup b,o.

COURT NIXES ACTION
VS. STANLEY IN D. C.

Washington, Aug. 30.

In an echo of the 1948 Supreme
Court ruling agfcinst the majors,
the U. S. Court of Appeals fur the
District of Columbia last week
threw out a $250,000 breach of
contract suit against Stanley Co.
of America. • :

Action was brought by Kass
Realty Co. of Washington, which
made a contract in 1944 to build a
deluxe nabe house which Stanley,
which was Warners’ theatre affili-
ate then, would rent for 20 years.
Construction commenced in March,
1945 and stopped a jew months
later at the request of Stanley. At
that time, the indie circuit of Ko-
god-Curka purchased another site
about • three blocks away for a
theadare. jt sued to enjoin Kass and
Stanley fjrom building on the
that. it would perpetuate a
WArner mohop Ply! in the D . C . area.

A settlement wtiA made with
Warner and Kass dropping the pro-
ject and Stanley becoming a part-
ner In the K-B new theatre. Kass
agreed to cancel its contract for
$60,000 plus an agreement that it
would be authorized to erect an-
other Washington theatre within
two years for joint K-B and War-
ner ownership. Kass was to re-
ceive $100,000 damages if this were
not done.

Subsequently, the Supreme Court
handed down its Paramount decree
ordering Warners, etc., to divest
all theatre interest and making
joint operation of theatres between
the major circuits and indies
illegal.

ThdfcU, s. District Court dis-
missed the Kass complaint oh the
ground that Stanley and K-B
couldn’t carry out an agreement
in violation of the Sherman Act.
Kass appealed, and the Court of
Appeals ruled against the builder
last week.

Minneapolis, Aug. 30.

The organized American film in-
dustry was taken off the hook re
production of any spate of seri-
ously offensive pictures. But still
the number of partially objection-
able films continues as a source of
Irritation to the Nation*! Legion
of Decency. Addressing the con-
vention of the International Fed-
eration of Catholic Alumnae,
Msgr. Thomas Little, head of the
Legion, this week scored the
“moral retrogression” that is re*
fleeted on the nation’s theatre
screens.

Msgr. Little noted that the ma-
jority of. “condemned” pix ema-
nates from sources not affiliated
with the Motion Picture Assn, of
America, within the framework of
which the production Code func-
tions. Yet, he said, there’s a pub-
lic '“moral apathy” that encourages
a turnout of lesser-standard films
and this is' shown in the upbeat
commercial resultsof product con-
demned by the Legion.

Msgr. Little also made the point
that, the Legion is not limited to
the confines of one theological ap-
proach — specifically, he said, Prot-
estant and Jewish groups share the
Legion’s thoughts about the ac-
ceptability of pictures and look to
the Legion as a source of knowl-
edge on how loftier aims might
be achieved,

‘Revolution* Due .

Msgr.. Little pointed out. that of
304 American and foreign films re-
viewed by the Legion . up. to Aug.
28 this yeaf, - 114 have been clas-
sified “B” (objectionable in part)
or “C” ( condemned) , and-; of these
91 were Americamproduced. ’

What the Monsignor termed a
“revolution in cinema morals” is
due, he said, to the filmization of
plays and bestseller books) portray-
ing questionable situations, the
boxoffice success of some Legion
condemned pix, and court deci-
sions favorable to such “offensive”
pictures as “LA Ronde” and “The
Miracle.”

“These decisions showed there
are no absolutes in deciding what
is moral, what is obscene and what
incites to crime,” Msgr* Little
pointed out.

Asserting that condemned films
can’t achieve boxoffice success
without Catholic support, he said
“people must be reindoctrinated
with the seriousness of the Legion
of Decency pledge.” That will
mean, be concluded, “reactivation
of’ our program *to arouse public
opinion to a more discriminating
choice of films, inasmuch as the
boxoffice is the barometer.”

U.S. Will Gather Annual
Statistics on Film Biz
If Hollywood Presses

Washington, Aug. 30. •

Uncle Sam may be ripe for col-
lecting annual business statistics
about motion picture production,
instead of gathering them every
five years as at present.

A spokesman for the Census Bu-
reau admitted yesterday (Mon.)
that “the business ought to be cov-
ered oftener than every five years,”
but said Hollywood is unique in
many ways and presents special
problems.

■> Production of motion pictures is
not considered “manufacturing”
by the Census Bureau, although
the spokesman said there was no
doubt that it was a manufacturing
process. The Federal Government
collects annual statistics on manu-
facturing in great detail.

Film production has been placed
in the category of a “service trade.”
The industry is surveyed only once
every five years. A film survey is
presently under way.

The findings will be released at
the end of 1955 or early inTL956 as
part of the regular five-year cen-
sus of business.

However, while production of
motion pictures is not considered
“manufacturing,” the production of
phonograph records, for example,
is. That industry is one of approx-
imately 7,000 different commodi-
ties covered in the annual survey
of manufactures of the 7,000* play
a far smaller part in the American
economy than does Hollywood's
product.

' '7'''''"//'% v -/it ‘ '

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PICTURES

Wednesday, August 31, 1955

Widespread expansion of Cine-
rama facilities abroad is being
mapped • by Robin International,
import-export firm which holds
the foreign exhibition rights to the
medium. Theatres for conversion
into Cinerama installations, It’s
understood, have been acquired in
Spain (Madrid and Barcelona),
‘Germany (Berlin and Dusseldorf)
and in the Netherlands,

According to a spokesman for
Robin, preliminary talks to the ac-
quisition of the theatres have al-
ready been held, and prexy Nicolas
Reisini is shortly embarking on a
survey for “a last review’* of the
situations. Reisini .is Currently on
the Coast to check on future pro-
duction plans in the medium be-
fore taking off on his extended
tour. His first ports of call will be
Latin- America, where ' the topper
will check Cinerama possibilities
in Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil and
Argentina.

Robin, which obtained the . for-
eign rights from Stanley Warner,
already operates, six theatres in
foreign countries, with theatres in
London, Paris, Milan, Rome, Tokyo
and Osaka.

Antitrust Cases;

.«» . * •

Suit by Lawyer

Washington, Aug. 30.

Comes now a new kind of case
growing out of the film industry’s
treble, damage antitrust suits — that
of the lawyer who charges he is
being done, out of his promised
contingent fee.

Supreme Court was asked last
Friday (26) to hear an appeal by
Edward Blackman, ‘'Chicago attor-
ney, in his suit. against Balaban &
Katz Corp., et al.

Blackman says he was retained
by the West Randolph Corp., opera-
tor of a large theatre ’and office
building in midcity Chicago, to
handle a treble damage suit against
the distributors. He said he re-
ceived an agreement in writing as*
suring him of 25% of the award
won. - After he commenced action,
he said in his petition, he was
dropped and a settlement was
made by West Randolph with other
counsel. The settlement amount-
ed to $1,100,000.

Blackman is suing to prevent
payment of the money to creditors
of West Randolph, instead of “di-
rectly to the client.” This shift in
payment policy, he contends, “Was
done for the express purpose' of
avoiding paying to the attorney,
pursuant to his contract with the
client, 25% of the amount so paid
to such creditors of the client.”

Milwaukee Drive-In

Looks to Winter Biz

Milwaukee.

Marcus Theatre Management
Co., operators of 28 hardtops and
ozoners in Wisconsin, unveil the
Starlight drive-in north of here
Sept. 2. Feature of the theatre
will be rentable car heaters for
cold weather film patrons. Ozoner
has 1,180 auto capacity.

Marcus* organization also pur-
chased the Capitol Theatre, Madi-
son, from First Wisconsin Founda-
tion, a link with First Wisconsin
National Bank, Milwaukee.

Three Mpls. Non-Art Nabes
Playing ' Guinness ‘Paris’
As Day-&-Date Firstrun

Minneapolis, Aug. 30.

Making a radical departure for
non-art neighborhood houses here,
three of them, all in the deluxe
class, will play an important pic-
ture, the independently distributed
Alec Guinness’ “To Paris *With
Love,” firstrun in the 'Twin Cities.

Picture, which couldn’t be spot-
ted downtown by Continental, its
distributor, goes into the uptown
Terrace, Riverview and Varsity
day-and-date Sept. 6. It’s the first
time that an “A” picture of this
calibre will have had the initial
local showing in regular neighbor-
hood theatres. The Guinness opuses
are almost the only foreign pic-
tures, including the British, played
by such houses.

Bill Volk, co-owner of the Ter-
race ,and Riverview, asserts the
booking doesn’t represent any pol-
icy change for his houses. “We
needed a picture for the particular
week and had the chance to get
this one,” be explains.

All three theatres are among
the 14 here in the earliest subse-
quent run slots. The Terrace is en-
gaged in a court fight to get day-
and-date clearance . with local
downtown moveover firstrun houses
or, failing in that, an earlier slot
than their present onj and ahead
of any other neighborhood theatre.
House is the newest here and Con-
sidered one of the nation’s finest.
It outgrosses other subsequent run
theatres and its takings sometimes
are on a par with or larger than
those of the loop moveover houses;

Code Suit

Continued from page 1

Continued from page 3

Kingsley to Venice Fest

London, Aug. 30,
Edward L, Kingsley, head of
Kingsley-International, who has
been named to head a new Colum-
bia subsidiary distributing foreign
pix in the U. S., had a short stop-
over here last week, en route to
Paris and the Venice fest, where he
will view new product.

New outfit, which is due to start
functioning in the fall, already has
slated some films for release, in-
cluding the Japanese-made “Seven
Samurai,” and Paul Graetz’s “Les
Hommes en Blanc.” It also has
acquired rights to G. W. Pabst’s
“The Last Act,” an Austrian pro-
duction based on Hitler’s last 10
days.

the public its right to see certain
pictures. „

Re the nix on “Stories,” Ellis
declared: “The real vice in your
action . lies, in condemning apd
characterizing a. motion picture in
advance. Unlike the opinions of
critics or private organizations,
your action effectively stops ex-
hibition at the threshold and pre-
vents the public from viewing it
and drawing its own conclusions.

“While it may be true that your
organization exercises no tangible
coercion against exhibitors to pro-
cure adherence to the Code, all
but a small percentage of exhib-
itors will not play a picture with-
out a seal. Thus, in effect, you
have set yourselves up as a licens-
ing organization, no less effective
than a board of censors or any
other public licensing agency. The
grant of a seal means life to a
picture; its refusal is its doom.”

Ellis cited the “laudable pur-
poses” of the Code and claimed
he would have no quarrel with its
administration over a picture that
would have an “unhealthy effect.”
But, he added, “Your Code , is
Wrong both in inflexibility and in
principle. Public interest would,
suggest the freest expression of
ideas and facts in motion pictures,
with the exhibitors and the public
as the free judges of morality or
good taste.” • ; >

Ellis’ letter was hig, second : to
Shurlock. In the first he fcsked that
the Motion Picture Assn, of Amer-'
ica, “parent” of the Code, recon-
sider the“ rejection of “Stories.”
Shurlock’s answer was that the
ban on films dealing with narcotics
was imposed at the request of
Comm. Harry Anslinger of the
Federal Bureau of Narcotics and
as long as it exists he, Shurlock,
could not okay any picture con-
cerning the subject.

Last week, Variety reported
that the Code’s protectors were
not frightened about threats of a
suit testing its legality, largely for
the reason that the N, Y. Federal
Court already has found this in-
dustry self-censorship device not
in violation of any antitrust (Sher-
man and Clayton Acts) statute.

Ellis apparently is basing his at-
tack, however, on the “influences
and effects” of the Code which, in
effect, represent an alleged black-
list on pictures. This is a new ap-
proach, for ‘he .does not intend to
bring the antitrust laws into play.

“was much more deluxe than any-
thing I had ever seen. The. Motion
Picture Assn, screening room in
Washington is one of the hand-
somest anywhere, but does not
compare in expensive decoration
with the Russian screening room,
to which important guests are in-
cited,” The screen, he said, was
covered with goldleaf, arid the
room had handsome gold drapes.

.The building had on sale a large
number of books promoting Soviet
and East German motion pictures,
including such titles as “Films of
Peace and Friendship,” a scenario
of the film, “Ernst Thalmann,”
about the German Communist
leader, etc, "

Nehru’s Tinter

Most elaborate of the Russian
propaganda pix encountered was
the tinter on ' Nehru’s visit to Rus-
sia. “This is a magnificently made
picture of feature length with
beautiful color,” said - Shelton.
“They apparently had Nehru met
every step of the way by little
girls presenting bouquets of
flowers, and there were cameras
everywhere. Some of the’ scenes
must have been made by as many
as 12 or 15 cameras working at-
different angles.

“From the clever way the pic-
ture was handled, they exploited
Nehru to the hilt.”

Shelton said that throughout the
Far East he was surprised by the
number of films in distribution
which had been made in Red
China.

Other impressions of his visit:

1. A feeling that motion pictures
are. the most important means of
getting messages across to the peo-
ple of the Far East and many other
areas.

2. The most effective USIA in-
formation films are those of Presi-
dent Eisenhower’s oress confer-
ences. These are edited to elimi-
nate the strictly domestic ques-
tions and answers, which would
mean nothing abroa’d. All foreign
policy material is included. The
films are shown in our embassies
and missions to government lead-
ers around the world to demon-
strate how democracy operates.
The impression of an American
President standing before news-
men and answering their questions
creates tremendous' impact.

3. On balance, Hollywood pic-
tures do us a lot of good overseas,
although some have adverse effect.
American companies cooperate
strongly with the Government
abroad. The American pictures
mostly “show that we give our peo-
ple what the Communists promise
but are never able to deliver.”

4. The shooting .of Cecil De
Mille’s “10 Commandments” in
Egypt had a very good effect be-
cause the picture is about the
Bible. It showed the extent to
which American studios go to pro-
tray “spiritual things,” and coun-
teracted Russian charges that
Americans are entirely material-
istic.

. 5. An impressive amount of pro-
duction is coming out of Egyptian
and, Indian studios.

(N.Y, Stock Exchange}

For Week Ending Tuesday (30)

Net

1955

Weekly Vol, Weekly

Weekly

Tues.*

tChahff*

High

Low

In 100s

High

Low

.tartveek

33 %

22%

Am Br-Par Th 143

30%

29%

29% ,

a ' .

CBS “A” ... 46

24%

25%

■

24%

CBS «B” ... 55

26%

25%

25%:

25%

24%

Col. Pix . . . . 97

25%

23%

25%

.*$»■. 1 !

18%

14%

Decca ...... 77

16% *

16%

+ %

823/4

Eastman Kdk 108

‘ 79%

78%

rj-1.

EMI 193

24%

17%

Loew's 208

23%*

22%

23%

12 %

Nat. Thea. , . 158

10 %

44%

Paramount . . 56

40%

393/4

. 4 - %

43%

Philco 196

37%

36%

■ ;+■ %

55%

3634

RCA . . 320

50%

48%

50%

; ■ , 4'1%

10%

RKO Piets. . 419

.••.'• 4 — %

RKQ Thea. , . 50

11% •

10%

+: %

11%

Republic .... 182

10%

-4-1%

15%

133,4

Rep., pfd, ... 15

15%

— %

22%

1834

Stanley War, 63

19%

. 19%.

^19%

— %

31%

25%

20th-Fox .... 222

2~%

27%

28%

* — %

2634

Univ, Pix ... 13

28%

+ %

82%

Uriiy., pfd.. . .+130

80%

— %

21%

18%

Warner Bros. 83

21%

20%

■-*- %

134

Zenith . . . v . . 14

123%

121

121%

~ %

American Stock Exchange

6%.

Allied Artists 215

6 %

— %

13%

Alld Art, pfd. 15

13%

— %

17%

13%‘

Du Mont 103

*14%

14%

— *%

. 3%

Skiatron .... 14

— %

16%

13%

Technicolor . 43

15 .

14%

— %

Trans-Lux . . 12

’334

+ %

Over-the-counter Securities

Cinerama . Inc. .
Cinerama Prod.
Official Films , .

Polaroid

U. A. Theatres ,

* Actual Volume.

(Quotations furnished by Dreyfus & Co.)

Films on Grand Scale

Bid

Ask

434

-K %

4- %

-K%

1534

17%

— %

Continued from page 3

Andie Murphy

Continued from page 1

pressed with . the showmanship
spirit of the iriterstiate circuit in
A , “HeU” was satura-
rind doing sock biz.
Xdqw on that phase
piO at a Nv :V. luncheon for
the press last week. It was at-
tended also by Charles J. Feldman,
U sales topper; Charles Simortelli,
U’s eastern ad-pub head, and other
U execs.

As for tv. Murphy said he was
too busy for it. “This “live’ stuff
takes up too much time,” he ob-
served. '

M-G Nixes Murphy Bid

Hollywood, Aug. 30.
Metro has nixed a bid by Audie
Murphy to purchase the negative
of “The Red Badge of Courage,”
Civil War drama which the studio
made in 1951’ with Murphy, ‘then
comparatively unknown, as star.
Pitch was made through the actor’s
agent, Paul Kohner,

It’s understood that Murphy,
who always has regarded the film
as one of his best vehicles, had
thoughts of reissuing it . via a strong
promotional campaign. Feature did
comparatively little biz when Metro
released it. in WSlian&WM with-
drawn quietly.

seats for all performances on Satur-
days and Sundays and Monday-
through-Friday evenings. , The
balcony locations will be $2.25.
Matinees during the week are set
-at $2.75 for orchestra and loges
and $1.75 for balcony. "

Special companies have given
legit versions of “Oklahoma” and
other musicals at N. Y. City Center
at a $3.60 peak price.

Paramount, now readying “The
Ten Commandments” for exhibi-
tion, is particularly interested in
the outcome of the Rivoli’s tall
stakes. “Commandments” is Par’s
most expensive pic to date, costing
over.$7,500,000*in negative expense
so far, and it’s a cinch the com-
pany will be out for all the traffic
will bear at the boxoffice. .

For Par, “Oklahoma” will be a
partial guidepost, for a realistic ap-
praisal of the entertainment values
of this Todd-AO special must be
made to judge how much the pub-
lic will pay and for what. In other
words, Par may seek a $3.50 price,
or more, for “Commandments”
even if the Rivoli’s test proves un-
successful. That is, if Par con-
siders its pic warrants the “luxury”
price more so than the picturied
Rodgers-Hammerstein classic.

If the Rivoli’s run is an all-out
success, there can be no question
that Par will try to lure the same
kind of money arid, in fact, every
inedependent producer and major
studio in Hollywood will be getting
high-falutin’ monetary ideas with
their costlier productions.

But along with Par, 20th h& the
most immediate concern with the
outcome of “Oklahoma” because of
two giant-sized productions upcom-
ing. These are “Carousel” and
“King and I,” being lensed in both
35 and 55m CinemaScope. A form
of roadshowing these entries in the
wider-gauge format, prior to regu-
1 lar runs in 35m, is being blueprinted
and, like Par, deusions on admis-
sion price hinge at least partially
on how the public responds to
“Oklahoma” at thqse fancy prices.

Drive-In Price War

Toledo, Aug. 30.

Admission price for adults in lo-
cal drive-in theatres has been 75c
with children under 12 free, until
a couple of weeks ago. One theatre
cut the price to 50c for kids, and
all the rest followed suit. Not sat-
isfied with this, the Woodville
prive-In used its regular news-
paper. advertising space and an-
nounced that admission, on ,a. spe-
cific night would be free. It had

a full house, and reportedly did a
brisk business at concession stand.

It returned to the 50c price, for
a few days, then v again had a
“special.” This-- time 1 admission
was 25c for adults, for three days
(25, 26, 27). All the ozoners offer
double features, .arid two of them
have early shows for kids, featur-
ing cartoons, in addition to the
double features.

Tipped Tab For Chi <Guys’?

Chicago, Aug. 30.

Setting of Sam Goldwyn’s “Guys
and Dolls” into the Chicago The-
atre, Balaban & Katz flagship here,
opening Nov. 11, may result in
upped admish prices at the Chicago
.during pic’s run according to B&K
veepee and general manager Dave
Wallerstein. No decision has as yet
been reached, however, since
upped prices will depend on biz
conditions as yet not predictable.
House will drop stageshows during
film’s run, which tradesters feel
should last nine to 10 weeks.

Last picture at the Chicago with-
out a stageshow was Metro’s “A
Star Is Born,” last fall. “Star” ran
nine weeks and there was no in-
crease in prices. Terms of 90-10
for “Guys and Dolls” may make
a price increase mandatory, how-
ever.

Rita’s Moveover

Continued from page 3

one film-, which would have final-
ized the arrangement.

Thq Hayworth pact with Col calls
for the 6tar in two pix at straight
salary, reportedly $175,000 per.
This was part of the settlement
last February when Col bought oiit
her 50% interest in the Beckworth
Corp.

Meanwhile, Miss Hayworth starts
her $175,000 breach of contract
suit against Col today (Tues.), and
will ask the court to void her two-
picture deal. Actress claims the
studio breached it when it didn’t
start “Joseph and His Brethren**
on schedule. In a memorandum
filed by Columbia yesterday, how-
ever, it was claimed that she
agreed her scenes were to be shot
first. Which by so doing would have
been completed June 25, finish-
ing date of the contract. Memo
also Stated that Miss Hayworth’s
reps agreed to a three-week post-
ponement if Columbia would ad-
vance $25,000 to her husband .Dick
Haymes, wblo^GQl -pm Jffarry
Cohn nixed.

Wednesday, August 31, 1955

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Cinemascope TECHNICOLOR

A COLUMBIA PICTURE A WILLIAM GOETZ PRODUCTION

ARTHUR DONALD ' CATHY ALEX ALINE

KENNEDY- CRISP • O’DONNELL- NICOL MacMAHON

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PICTURES

PftniEfy

Wednesday, August 31, 195$

/•

ST. LOUIS

Poor business forced Francis
David to shutter his State, Hamil-
ton, 111.

Vernal Elliott, who operates the
Clayton, Louisville, 111., took a
lease on the Louise, same, town,
and will relight it Sept. 1. House
has been dark since last Feb. 2.

The Columbia Amus. Co. y lighted
its 1,000-car ozoner near Paducah,
Ky. The organization operates
another drive-in near there and
three hardtops also in Paducah in
addition to two houses in Murray,
Ky.

Frisina Amus. Co., Springfield,
111.;' purchased an ozoner near
Shelbyville, 111., from Merle D.
Stewardson and family.

Joe Schoenhoft, southern Mis-
souri salesman for Metro for five
years, resigned.

Charles Wittenbijrg, who has
been manager of the Strand,
Poplar Bluff, Mo,, leased the
house from Judge G. Carey and
now is operating it on his own.

Paul Mason is now running the
Lions, Troy, 111., owned by the
Troy lions Club.

Columbia Amus. Co. latest
ozoner near Paducah, Ky., has
been lighted.

W. J, Rodell will relight his
Rodes, New Berlin, 111., Sept 4.
House has been dark since June 23.

The Palace,. Johnson City, III.,
dark , since July 3, reopened by
Stewart Cluster.

A. Kuess and sons, new . op-
erators of the Town, New Athens,
111., relighted house, shuttered
since June 1.

Barnes and Pitner interests re-
opened their Uptown, Fairfield, 111.

Commonwealth Amns. Co.', shut-
tered its Boone, Columbia, Mo.,
and reop’ened its Varsity in same
town Aug. 17.

Paul Musser reopened his Lyric,
Casey, 111., and the Old Trails,
Greenup, 111.

A curfew law for juves. enacted
in Pine Lawn, St. Louis County.

William Millstead, a former* GI,
joined booking ^taff of Paramount
exchange,.

W-H. Hoffman leased his Lamar,
Arthur, 111., to Harold Ramage,
Chicago, 111., where Ramage had
previous theatre experience.

DETROIT .

Panel discussion of Michigan
exhib problems will feature meet-
ing of /Allied Theatres of Michigan,
Inc., Sept. • 14 at Midland Country
Club' Midland. On panel will be
President Alden Smith and board
members Carl Buermele, Bill
Clark. Clive Waxman, Lou Mitchell
and Floyd Chrysler. David New-
man will review progress made by
Allied in its efforts to ease exhib
problems.

Bernard B. Samuels, for 15 years
with Brooks Brothers Affiliated
Theatre Circuit here, added to
booking staff of Clark Theatre
Service.

CHICAGO

Variety Club Tent 26 driving for
larger membership and introducing
Junior Barker, memberships (non-
voting) for sons of senior members,
theatre managers and exchange
bookers.

Chi’s Mayor Richard J. Daley
made honorary member of Variety
Club Tent 26.

John McKernan joined sales
force at the Universal exchange
here.

Della Gallo, film booker, joined
Allied Theatres of Illinois’ buying
and booking department.

Four Star Theatre and Rena
Theatre, both of Chicago, latest
additions to Allied Theatres of

New York Theatre

unto cm susic hull-

Rockefeller Center

"MISTER ROBERTS”

in CfewtuSetp* and WamvrCotor starrmr

HENRY FONDA . JAMES CAGNEY
WIUIAM POWELL • JACK LEMMON

A WARNER EROS. PICTURE
I TKCUCtUR STKT PtESEKINM

Th? ■Mollvujood

Kmckerbocker

I h THE HEART ‘ - J: ■ iVJu 0. iAuf.

Illinois’ buying-booking depart-
ment. „ ,

Audie Murphy in town last week
to plug his topic, “To Hell and
Back.” Army brass at Mt, Sheri-
dan hosted press and film execs at
fort in an all-day tribute to Mur-
phy, climaxed with a retreat pa-
fade in his honor.

Tent 26 of Variety Clubs Inter-
national held its annual outing, en-
titled “Galforama,” at St. Andrews
Golf Club last week.

Howard Theatre manager Mark
Metzler, and. wife to Dallas Sept.
15 for a reunion of Metzler’s old
Air Force fighter squadron; he was
in Alaska With Air Force as a
fighter pilot for four years.

Hector Bishop resumes as man-
ager of Coronet, Evanston, 111;,
after an illness.

DALLAS

•Forest Theatre observed its sixth
anni with special kiddie show..

Hal Smithson, Columbia office
manager, honored at special fare-
well luncheon here on his retire-
ment after 23 years with company.

New Twin H^-Ways Drive-In has
been opened here by Bob Hart-
grove, head of Family Drive r In
Theatres. Bob Hill, former man-
ager of Cinderella ozoner, named
manager.

Bronco Drive-In at Wellington
reopened by Emmett Passmore,
manager, after remodeling. Old
screen was destroyed during a tor-
nado.

PHILADELPHIA

Buzzy Allen Abelove, son of Nat
Abelove, (Norman Lewis’ office)’
with station WBUX, Doylestown, as
deejay and announcer.

Eddie Fisher, former RKO book-
er, now head booker at Republic.

In Universal sales realignment,
Ed Potash made sales manager;
Sieg Hurowitz becomes upstate
salesman, and Richard Melvin, city
salesman.

LOS ANGELES

Continental Pictures established
distrib headquarters on Film Row
here for release of company’s first
picture, “The Wire Tapper.

Warners acquired foreign dis-
tribution rights to the Orson
Welles film, “Confidential Report,”
formerly known as “Mr. Evil.”

Republic closed with Gannaway-
Ver Halen Productions to dis-
tribute the indie’s first two theatri-
cal features, “Hired Guns” and
“Dan’l Boone,” latter currently
shooting in Mexico.

Allied Artists closed distrib deals
for two indies, “Paris Follies of
1956,” Hollywood - made, and
“Wicked JVife,” a Britisher.

ALBANY

United Artists moving from
Filmrow zone to second floor of
downtown Strand Theatre Build-
ing, taking part of space which the
Stanley Warner zone offices used
for several years.

Saul J. Ullman, Albany division
manager for Fabian since 1945 and
with the circuit for 36 years, has
taken six-month leave of absence
because of ill health. Sonny
Schlenger, district manager on
Staten Island, is his replacement.

Earle Rooney promoted from as-
sistant manager at Strand to man-
ager of Ritz,‘ vice ' A1 Sweet, trans-
ferred to Norwich, Conn., as
manager.

SEATTLE

Will J. Conner, executive veepee
Of Hamrick Theaters, announced
appointment .of Will Hudson as
Portland city ’manager 1 , also
manager of the Liberty Theater
there, succeeding Marvin Fox,
resigned. Hudson was manager of
the Music Box and Blue Mouse
here.

Will Connor, general manager
of Hamrick Theatres, booked the
Marciano-Moore fight into two
Seattle houses, Orpheum and Mu-
sic Hpll; the Temple in Tacoma,
and two Portland spots, the
Liberty and Roxy. Scale will be
$3.50 to $6, with all seats reserved.

MINNEAPOLIS

Fred Bachman, St. Paul Para-
mount . manager, a second time
grandpa, a daughter having been
bom to his daughter.

John K. Sherman, Minneapolis
Star drama, music and art critic*
who rarely covers a film, reviewed
“Cinerama Holiday” and “Gates of
Hell,” according both high praise,

Ralph Maw, Metro district man-
ager, holding down chairmanship
of COMPO campaign in this terri-
tory.

L. E. Goldhammer, Allied Art-

ists eastern sales manager, in from
New York and set up “Wichita”
with United Paramount circuit.

Herb Baschmann, promoted from
salesman at Denver branch, here to
supplant Abbott Swartz as United
Artists branch manager.

Joseph Prill resigned from Para-*
mount sales staff to acquire and
operate a hardtop and a drive-in
at Madison, S.D.

“Cinerama” brought crew and
equipment here to film and record
Apollo club, local choral society
comprising 100 businessmen, for its
forthcoming, “Seven Wonders of
Modern World,” Lowell Thomas
having caught the club while here
for “Cinerama Holiday” preem.

Jose Ferrer and Jack Webb in
town to plug their “The Shrike”
and “Pete Kelly’s Blues,” respec-
tively.

.Chick Evans, 20th-Fox exploiter,
in from K.C. to address Harold
Field’s Pioneer Circuit’s 25th anni
convention.

PITTSBURGH j

Robert Johnstone is the. new !
Cinerama treasurer at the Warner,
replacing Bob Blatz, who goes back
to his ticket agency business.

Lee McFerren, formerly assist-
ant manager at the Fulton, ap-
pointed manager of Shea’s State in
Conneaut, O.

V. L. (Doc) Wadkins resigned as
booker for Manos circuit and will
open a concession on a highway
near Richmond, Va., as soon as his
health permits. Wadkins was re-
cently stricken with a heart attack.

Floyd Klingensmith, who re-
signed sales post with Col, is now
the sports director and an an-
nouncer at Station WKPA in near-
by- New Kensington.

Orpheum in Clarksburg, W. Va.,
acquired from Sol Burka by Earl
Young, Crafton and Philppi exhib,
who- formerly was manager War-
ner Circuits Ritz.

Herbert Joseph, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Abe Joseph, who operate Tri-
angle Theatre in East Liberty,
joined the Internal Revenue De°
partment in Newark.

The Auto Open-Air Theatre
near Titusville sold by Art Kunes
to Samuel Yakish, who recently
sold his partnership interest in
Lakeside ozoner at Conneaut Lake,
to F. Elmer Hasley.

MEXICO CITY

Luis Sanchez-Tello preparing
San Miguel .Allende for incoming
“Serenade” troupe from WB.

A1 Lewirt huddling with Gre-
gorio Wallerstein and Ed Fitz-
gerald over his forthcoming “Liv-
ing Idol” for Metro. Film is to
shoot in Yucatan.

Herb Kline, back to Hollywood
but returns shortly to direct Bob
Franklyns’ “Adam and Eve” in
Cuernavaca.

Court forced Maria Felix to re-
turn all her jewels and her dis-
puted necklace plus Jorge Ne-
grete's guns to his family, or else
pay heavy indemnity.^

GREENSBORO, N. C.

C. A. Tumage, who owned the
two theatres in Washington, N. C.,
for years, announced that he had
sold controlling interest to Stewart
and Everett Theatre Co. of Char-
lotte.

Jim Jellico of Charleston, S. C.,
made manager of Center Theatre
at Salisbury, N. C., He goes to
Salisbury from Newton, N. C.,
Where he was manager of the State
and Newton for Stewart and
Everett Theatres for 14 years.

Upper!

Continued from page 3

nually are 'projected for major re-
lease. #

Meanwhile, Edward J. Baumgar-
ten, prexy of Lippert. Pictures, has
formed Associated Film Releasing
Corp., a new production-distribu-
tion company which will make out-
door actioners in the $100,000
class. While remaining in his
present post with Lippert during
the liquidation period, Baumgar-
ten also will film a program of
from eight to 10 plx, to be released
every six weeks starting in Octo-
ber. Lippert has no interest in
! the new company, Baumgarten set-
ting his own bank- financing and
[already having arranged with Lip-
I pert’s former franchise holders to
handle the new product.

One film, “Two Gun Lady,” al-
ready has been completed and a
second, “Last of the Desperados,”
is now in work.

Lippert has just acquired the J.
Arthur Rank production, “Simba,”
which goes out in national release
next month.

BALTIMORE

(Continued from page 9)
Opens tomorrow (Wed.). “Lady and
Tramp” (BVJ* (8th wk), fine $5,600.

Keith’s (Fruchtman). (2,400; 35-
$1)-— “Came From Beneath Sea”
(Col) and “Creature Atom Brain”
(Col). Brisk $14,000. Last week,
“Tempest In Flesh” (Indie), $8,500.

Little (Rappaport) (310; 50-$l)—
“Angela” (Indie), Fairish $3,500.
Last week, “Laura” (20th) and
“Five Fingers” (20th) (reissues),
$3,300. t-

Mayfair (Hicks) (980; 20-70)—
“Francis In Navy” (U). Starts to-
morrow (IJed.). In ahead, “Last
Command” (Rep) (2d wk), mild
$3,200.

New (Fruchtman) (1,600; 25-
$1.25)— “Virgin Queen” (20th). Dis-
appointing $8,000. Last week, “How
to Be Popular” (20th) (2d wk),
$7,000.

Playhouse (Schwaber) (320; 50-
$1)— “Marty” (UA) .(llth-final wk).
Okay*$2,200. Last week, $2,500.

Stanley (WB) (3,200; 35-80-$1.25)
— “Mister Roberts” (WB) (7th-final
wk). Fancy $7,500 after $9,500 in
sixth.

Town (Rappaport) (1,400; 35-
$1.25)— -“Love Is Many Splendored
Thing” (20th). Opens tomorrow
(Wed). Seventh week of “Not As
Stranger” (UA), big $6,500.

WASHINGTON

(Continued from, page 8)

(6th wk). Solid $6,500. Last week, '
$7,600, and holds.

Capitol (L’oew) (3,434; 85-$1.25)
—“To Catch Thief” (Par) (2d wk).
Wow $28,000 after $41,000 last
week. Holds again.

Columbia (Loew) (1,174; 60-85)
— “Came From Beneath Sea” (Col)
and “Creature Atom Brain” (Col)
(2d wk-6 days). Okay $7,000 after
$13,000 last week.

Dupont (Lopert) (372; 75-$1.10)
— “Summertime” (UA). Smash
Jt9, 000 day-date with Playhouse.
Stays, natch! Last week, “Fan Fan
Tulip” (UA) and “Beauties of
Night”- (UA) (reissues), $3,200.

Keith’s (RKO) (1,939; 75-$1.25)
— “Ladv and Tramp” (BV) (7th
wk). Steady $8,000 after $9,000.
Stays.

Metropolitan (SW) (1,200; 90-
$1.25) — “Mister Roberts” (WB)
6th wk). Sock $12,000. Last week,
$13,000.

Palace (Loew) (2,360; 85-J61.25) —
“Not as Stranger” (UA) (5th-final
wk). Fine $10,000 after $14,000
last week.

Playhouse (Lopert) (435; 75-

$1.10) — “Summertime” (UA). Daz-
zling $11,000 and close to “High
Noon” (UA) record. Stays on.

Trans-Lux (T-LV (600; 70-$l) —
“Man From Laramie” (Col) (6th
wk). Trim $5,000 for second con-
secutive week.

Warner (SW) (1,300; $1.20-$2.40)
— “Cinerama” (Indie) ' (94th wk).
Bullish reaction to news that end
of run was near is stepping up
matinee schedule to seven Der
wefek. Amazing $22,000 after $20,-
000 last week. Stays four more
(veeks.

LOS ANGELES

(Continued from page 8) .

(9th wk). Oke $6,500. Last week,
$7,000.

Egyptian (UATC) (1,536; $1-

$1.50)— “We’re No Angels” (Par)
(6th wk). Modest $6,500. Last
week, $8,460.

Warner Downtown, Hollywood
(SW-FWX) (1,757; 756; 90-S1.50)—
“Pete Kelly’s Blues” (WB) and
“Five Guns West” (Indie) (3d wk).
Nice $13,500. Last week, $17,200.

Fine Arts (FWC) (631; $1-$1.50)
—“Marty” (UA) (7th wk). Smooth
$6,500. Last week, $7,200.

Los Angeles, New Fox, Uptown,
Loyola (FWC) (2,097; 965; 1,715;
1,248; $1-$1.50)— “How Be Popu-
lar” (20th) and “Good Die Young”
(UA). Average $25,000. Last week,
Los Angeles, Uptown and Loyola,
“Seven Year Itch” (20th) and “Ad-
ventures of Sadie” (20th), $20,500;
New Fox, “Kentuckian” (UA) and
“Break to Freedom” (UA), $7,100.

Globe (FWC) (782; * 80-$I.25>—
“Seven Year Itch” (20th) and “Ad-
ventures Sadie” (20th), Neat $3,-
700. Last week in different units.
Last week, “Wichita” (AA), $4,300.

Warner* Hollywood (SW) (1,364:
$1.20-$2.65) — “Cinerama” (Indie)
(122d wk). Into current frame
Sunday (28) after hefty $28,900
i last week.

‘Lore’ Dan# $10,000 In
Seattle; Thief’ Big 14G

Seattle, Aug. 30.

Standout here this session is “To
Catch a Thief,” smash at Para-
mount. “Love Is Splendored
Thing” also is rated fine at Fifth
Avenue. “Man From Laramie”
still is robust In third .Coliseum
round while “Mister Roberts** con-
tinues great in fifth* Music Hall
week.

Estimates for This Week

B*ne Mouse (Hamrick) (800; 90-
$L25) — “Pearl South Pacific”
(RKO) and “\Vakambo” (RKO).
Thin $3,000. Last week, “Santa
Fe Passage” (Ren) and “Square
Ring” (Rep), $3,100.

Coliseum (Evergreen) (1.870; 551-
$1.25)— “Man From Laramie” (Col)
and “Red Monkey” (AA) (3d v-k).
Trim $9,000. Last week, $13,200.

Fifth Avenue (Evergreen) (2,500;
$1-$1.25) — “Love Is Splendored
Thing” (20th) and “Life in Bal-
ance” (20th). Fine $10,000 or
close. Last week, “Virgin Queen”
(20th) and ‘“Skahenza” (AA) (2d
wk), $5,300.

Music Box (Hamrick) (850; 90-
>$1.25)— “Not as Stranger” (UA)
(9th wk). Big $3,800. Last week,
$4,200.

Music Hall (Hamrick) (2,300; 90-
$1.25)— “Mister Roberts” (WB) (5th
wk). Great $8,500. Last week,
$10,700.

Orpheum (Hamrick) (2.700; 90-
$1.25)— “Kelly’s Blues” (WB) and
“Dam Busters” (WB) (3d wk). Okay
$6,500. Last week, $11,700.

"Paramount (Evergreen) (3,039;
$1-$1.25) — “To Catch Thief” (Par).
Great $14,000 or near. Last week,
“We’re No Angels” (Par) and “Ad-
ventures Sadie” (20th), $6,200.

BOSTON

. (Continued from page 8)

day (28). Last week, “Cocktails in
Kitchen” (Indie) (3d wk),‘ $4,000.

Fenway (NETA) (1,373; 60-$l)—
“Pete Kelly’s Blues” (WB) (2d wk).
Mild $4,000, Last week, $7,000.

Kenmore (Indie) (700; 85-$1.25)
—“Marty” (UA) (4th wk). Great
$14,000 despite flood kayo of air-
conditioning for three days, and
refunds at the b.o. Last week,
$13,500.

Memorial (RKO) (3,000; 60-75-
$1)— “Love Is Splendored Thing”
(20th) arifl “Life in Balance” (20th)
(2d wk). Terrific $18,000. House
cuts “Love” tonight (Tues.) to
preem “To Hell and Back” with
personal appearance of Audie Mur-
phy, star of film, in town for VFW
convention. “Love” resumes to-
morrow and holds through Sept. 6.
“To Hell and Back” opens Sept. 7.
Last week over expectations at
$25,000.

Metropolitan (NET) (4,357; 75-
90-$l. 25)— “Mister Roberts” (WB)
(6th wk). Good $9,000. Last week,
$ 11 , 000 .

Mayflower (ATC) (689; 75-90-
$1.25)— “Virgin Queen” (20th) (2d
wk). Sluggish $5,000. Last week,
$7,300.

Paramount (NET) (1,700; 60-$l)
—“Pete Kelly’s Blues” (WB) (2d
wk). Okay $8,000. Last week,
$ 11 , 000 .

, Pilgrim (ATC) (1.900; 50-60-$l)
— “Pearl South Pacific” (RKO) and
“Rage at Dawn” (RKO) (2d wk).
Fair $4,000: Last week, $7,200.

Orphenm (Loew) (3,000; 60-75-
$1) — “Man From Laramie” (Col)
and “Bring Smile Along” (Col) (2d
Wk). Fancy $15,000.- Last week,
$17,000.

State' (Loew) (3,500; 50-60-75-$l)
—“Man from Laramie” (Col) and
“Bring Smile Along” (Col) (2d wk).
Nice $8,000. Last week, $11, Uov.

INDIANAPOLIS

(Continued from page 8)

wk). Nifty $9,000 after $15,000
opening stahza.

Indiana (C-D) (3,200; 50-85)—
“Private War Major Benson” (U).
Slick $10,000. Last week, ’Mister
Roberts” (WB) (3d wk), $8,500 in
5 days at 75e-95c scale.

Keith's (C-D) (1,300; 50-75) —
“Naked Amazon” (Indie) and “Be-
trayed Women” (AA). Mild $4,500.
Last week, “Purple Mask” (U) and
“Thunder Over' Sangoland” (Lip),
$5,000.

Loew’s (Loew) (2,427; 50-80) —
“Kentuckian” (UA) and “Bullet for
Joey” (UA). Good $10,000. Last
week, “Man From Laramie” (Col)
and “Bring Your Smile Along”
(Col), ditto.

Wednesday, August 31, 1955

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THERE’S MONEY WRITTEN ALL OVER IT!

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STILL TERRIFIC*

ITS 7t. WEEK AT THE
WOODS THEATRE, CHICAGO!

THE NATION'S
SENSATION in
LIFE,. LOOK and
> SAT. EVE. POST!

'&£$$$

"Running neck and neck with “Blackboard Jungle” and “On The Waterfront
figures and surpassing such hits as “Moon Is Blue” and “Mogambo”!

A TOWy. V/, 1 V

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pF 5 OPEHIHG AT
W LOEW’S STATE, N. Y. SEPT. 2*

SB FOLLOWING SUCH GIANT ATTRACTIONS AS
■1&, "BLACKBOARD JUNGLEWSEVEN YEAR ITCH”!

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AND All SET FOR BOXOFFICE ACTION AT THE NATION'S TOP THEATRES!

STANLEY, Philadelphia • HIPPODROME, Cleveland • PALMS STATE, Detroit • PARAMOUNT and FENWAY, Boston • PALACE,
Cincinnati • ORPHEUM, New Orleans • PARAMOUNT, Atlanta * FOX, St. Louis • PARAMOUNT, New Haven * MALCO, Memphis

PARAMOUNT, Springfield * CAPITOL, Washington • CAPITOL, Worcester • CAPITOL, Macon • LINCOLN, Trenton • STRAND, Lowell

j4Uied wilt 6eefr Summe%-*i¥ot <Ui 'pallf

Produced by

Directed by Screenplay by

PHIL KARLSON • CRANE WH,i

tuning

DANE MAIMING • John MclNIlRE-Rictiard KILEY-Kathryn GRANT Edward Andrews- M eg myles - lames Edwards

RADIO-TELEVISION

Wednesdays August 31, 1953

4 *-

Hottest ♦'talk item’* around the
Madison Ave marts is whether
D’Arcy agency has already "blown”
its two biggest accounts, Coca-Cola
and Anheuser-Busch (Budweiser),
with total billings in excess of
$22,000,000, or if not-^how soon?
Nobody wants to be pinned down
yet, but reports are that Kenyon
& Eckhardt would fall heir to the
Coke billings. It would be K & E’s
first soft drink account, although
its’ had some past experience with
handling of the Welch Gtape Juice
biz. On the other hand K & E
says: “We haven’t got it, but we
understand Young & Rubicam’s
getting it.”

Talk also has it that J. Walter
Thompson is in line for the. Bud-
weiser biz, which wouldn't come
as any great surprise in view of
JWT’a past experience on the suds
front. Up to about six months ago
it had the Ballahtine biz. It’s
known that Budweiser has been
soliciting prospective agencies with
a view toward throwing in the
D’Arcy sponge.

•Agency also has General Tire
and Bayuk Cigars, but with $22,-
000,000 in billings flying the coop it
would unquestionably remove
D’Arcy from the bigtime agency
competition.

Cancels Out on TV

Hollywood, Aug. 30.

Louella Parsons has ( bowed out
of her proposed television series
on NBC-TV for Viceroy *clgs and
Toni, which was to have started
Oct. 2. Gabber asked and was
granted her release from half-
hour program, to have been filmed
by Filmcraft under tag of "See
Hollywood With Louella Parsons.”

Wynn Rocamora, her agent, re-
ported she "wants to devote her-
self to the column in the Hearst
papers and magazine writing.” No
mention was made of her health
as being the reason /for with-
drawal, although it’s known she
had been seriously ill recently.
Show was slotted for 10:30 p.m.
Sunday nights, and was to have
included interviews with stars and
show clips from current fHm re-
leases. •

Radio-TV’s All-Out Aid
On Fund-Raising For
Flood-Stricken Areas

Radio-television industry in the
northeast, from the smallest inde-
pendents. to the largest networks,

went all-out last week to aid in
fundraising for flood-stricken areas
•and victims. Stations did anything

Seek Flood Aid Talent

Five Springfield (Mass.)
stations .staging a fundraising
drive tomorrow night (Thurs.)
for flood victims via a pooled
four and one-half hour radio
show have Issued a call for
talent to coirie jip and help
out. Stations have lined up
all of their local talent and
several personalities from Bos-
ton, including Don Kerr of
WCOP, who' will emcee the
show, but need more from
New York, chiefly recording
stsrs*

Stations have asked that all
talent who can participate con-
tact Gordie Raker at W SPR.

and everything from public service
spots to telethons, from steady
pitches for donations to the Red
Cross to outright solicitations of
their own.

Three networks pitched in —
NBC-TV sending a crew of enter-
tainers and web personalities to its
WNBK-TV in New Britain Wednes-
day (24) in a 16-hour telethon that
raised $147,064; ABC-TV with a
network pickup of a flood docu-
mentary Sunday night (28) from
8-9 originating in WHNC-TV, New
Haven,- with the web’s Quincy
Howe, - Arlene Frances .and others
participating; and CBS-TV last
night (Tues.), telecasting a docu-
mentary with Jackie Gleason nar-
rating of "Flood — the story of

(Continued on page 34)

WINCHELL TO PREEM
ON MUTUAL SEPT. 11

Walter Winchell will start his
new career on Mutual on Sept. li.
Though he hasn’t yet signed a con-
tract, the columnist has assured
the web that he’ll go on, and fur-
thermore has deemed "‘satisfac-
tory” the insurance arrangements
Mutual has provided for him. Win-
cliell quit ABC after 22 years last
spring with the charge that the net-
work had not" provided the insur :
ance protection against lawsuits
which it had promised him.

Mutual, thus Certain of Win-
chelTs premiere datb, has already
sold the Sunday 6:15 p. m. quarter-
hour following Winchell, with Air-
Wick snapping it up. Plan is to fol-
low WW's specialized commen-
tary With a straight news, seg-
ment. No sale on Winchell himself
3 r et, but this would await the final-
ization of his contract plus a talent
figure ‘ on the show, Air-Wick deal
was set via Norman, Craig - 6c Kum-
mel.

Understood Winchell’s share will
pyramid with the number of sta-
tions added from time, to time.
MBS’ saturation hookup is. 580 sta-
tions.

Grigfer’s New WM Stabs

Ben Grief er has been named
head of the William Morris Agency
comedy-variety tv program devel-
opment department. Griefer had-
been In charge of the Milton Berle
and Red Buttons shows last sea-
son. Berle moved out to the Coast
and Buttons is now off the air. Har-
old Franklin Is in charge of devel-
opment of dramatic programs.

Griefer will take over jfie duties
of Les Colodny, head of comedy
writing development at the office.
Colodny left the agency last week
to go to the Coast, where he will
resume comedy writing.

You Can Be Sure It’s
Westinghouse Covering
GOP Convention in S.F.

San. Francisco, Aug. 30.

Choice of San Francisco for the
Republican National Convention
apparently is a boon for Westing-
house.

Reason is that four of the five
Westinghouse tv stations are NBC
affiliates, but the fifth, KPIX, is
CBS’ San Francisco outlet.

KPIX, according to General
Manager Philip G. Lasky, is al-
ready planning active participa-
tion in CBS coverage of the con-,
vention together with coverage for
the Westinghouse stations in Bos-
ton, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and
Fort Wayne (and the Westing-
house-ABC radio station, KEX, in
Porland, Ore.).

Assistant KPIX Manager George
Matlriesen will be in charge of
coverage and plans to mesh half
the station’s facilities into special
equipment CBS will bring here.

And, of course, Westingh ouse's
manufacturing division will pick
up the sponsorship tab for the CBS
coverage.

NBC Joins TvB

NBC and its owned stations- last
week joined the Television Bu/cau
of Advertising, thus becoming the
second network (CBS-TV is a char-
ter member) in the organization.
Addition of the web lifts TvB’s an-
nual revenues over the $500,000
mark, with a membe ship of 152
stations, two networks and eight
station rep firms.

Charles "R. Denny, NBC-TV v.p.
over q&o’s and Spot Sales, will sit
bn the TvB board in accqidance
with the by-laws.

TV Network Premieres

(Aug, 31-Sept. 10)

° WEDNESDAY, AUG. 31 ~

Coke Time (Eddie Fisher).) Music, NBC, Wednesdays and Fri-
days, 7:30 to 7:45 p.m., Coca-Cola, via D’Arcy.

Father Knows Best (film). Situation comedy, NBC, 8:30 to 9 p.m.,
Scott Paper, via J, Walter Thompson.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 1

Dragnet (film). Mystery, NBC, 9 to 9:30 p.m., Liggett & Myers,
via Cunningham & Walsh.

Outside U. S. A. (Quincy Howe). Commentary, ABC, 10 to 10:30
p.m., sustaining.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 2

Dollar a Second (Jan Murray). Audience participation, ABC
9 to 9:30 p.m,, Mogen David Wine, via Weiss & Geller.

Person to Person (Ed Murrow). -Interviews, CBS, 10:30 to 11
p.m.; Elgin Watch via Young & Rubicam (alt. wks;); American Oil
(East) via Joseph Katz and Hamm Beer (West) via Campbell-
Mithun (alt. wks.).

Calvalcade of Sports. Boxing, NBC, 10 to 10:45 p.m., Gillette,
via Maxon.

Red Barber’s Corner. Sports, NBC, 10:45 to 11 p.m., State Farm
Insurance, via Needham, Louis & Brorby.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 3

Tales of the Texas Rangers; (film).- Western^ CBS/ 11:30 a.m. to
12 nOori, General Mills, via.'Tatham^aird.. \ »

MONDAY; SEPT. 5

Tony Martin - Show. Music,. NBC, 7:30 to 7:45 p.m., Webster-
Chicago Corp. via John W. Shaw, Associated Products via Grey
(alt. wks.).

Medic (film). Drama, NBC, 9 to 9:30. p.m., Dow Chemical via
MacManus, John & Adams, General Electric via Young & Rubicam
(alt. wks.).

TUESDAY, SEPT; 6

Wyatt Earp (film). Western, ABC, 8:30 to 9 p.m., General Mills
via Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample, Parker Pen via Tatham-Laird (alt,
(alt. wks.).

FRIDAY, SEPT.* 9

Adventures 'of Bin Tin Tin (film). Adventure, ABC, 7:30 to
8 p.m., National Biscuit, via Kenyon & Eckhardt.

The Big, Story. Drama, NBC, 9 to 9:30 p.ih., American Tobacco,
Simoniz (alt. wks.), both via SSC&B,

Star Stage (live and film). Drama, NBC, 9:30 to 10 p.m., Camp-
bell Soup via BBD&O, Pond's Extract via J. Walter Thompson.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 10

Mr. Wizard (Don Herbert). .Science, NBC, 11:30 a.m. to 12 noon,
sustaining.

Two for the Money (Herb Shriner). Quiz, CBS, 9 to 9:30 p.m,.
P. Lorillard, via Lennen & Newell.

It’s Always Jan (Janis Paige) (film). Situation comedy, CBS,
9:30 to 10 p.m., Procter & Gamble, via Compton.

Gunsmoke (film). Western, CBS, 10 to 10:30 p.m., Liggett Sc
, Myers, via Cunningham Sc Walsh.

Your Hit Parade. Music, NBC, 10:30 to 11 p.m., American To-
bacco via RBD&Q, Warner-Hudnut via Kenyon & Eckhardt.

Hub's Rub

Since CBS practically invented the situtatioq comedy, in its
various degrees of mood, plot and tempo, program chieftain Hub*
bell Robinson’s comments at last week’s closed circuit “preview”
of new entries could well be interpreted a* administering a spank-
ing for self-inflicted past inequities.

Robinson, in appraising the previewed Phil. Silvers Show and
“Joe and Mabel”: “I ask you to bear in mind four things they have
in common: (1) There are no jokes; the fun comes from characters
apd situations; (2). They are not typical American families;. (3) The
stories are not located in that heretofore inevitable typical Ameri-
can town; (4) They are ndt wholesome to the point of revulsion.”

Robinson on “our dramas vs. theirs”; Studio One ... I honestly be-
lieve has the most impressive lineup of stories in its history — none
of them incidentally written from a psychiatrist's couch— none of
• them dedicated to. modern man’s doom and disaster.”

Robinson’s concept on programming: “There is nothing basically
wrong with the situation comedy. Situation comedy 4s not dead.
Only the bad situation comedies are dead . . , Formula is noth-
ing. 1 Execution is. everything . . ; The CBS-TV schedule this fall
contains half-hour shows, hour shows and hour-and-hatf shows of
every category. You. will find no one formula, no otie approach
dominating our schedUlel You will find nothing on the schedule
because of any preconceived philosophical, job-lot commitment to
produce to order a certain kind of entertainment In a certain form
—regardless of length, form, or frequency ... The only flexibility
in which we believe is that every show on. the ajft is there because
of its own creative merit and capability to entertain, to inform
or to educate. Reduced to its simplest, it means an insistent at-
tempt to bring the middle up to the best. . .

. Frieda's B’cast Client

Washington, Aug. 30:

Former FCC Comr. Frieda Hen-
nock will probably make her first
appearance as an attorney before
the agency in behalf of the Day-
time -Broadcasters Assn., which
represents about 900 daytime ra-
dio stations; The organization, at
a board meeting last week in Chi-
cago,. voted to retain Miss Hen-
nock’s fifm, Davies, Tydings, Rich-
berg, Beebe Sc Landa, as . their at-
torneys. It’s Miss Hennock’s first
broadcast client.

Miss Hennock said she Was high-
ly pleased By the DBA action and
the opportunity It presents to con-
tinue the fight she waged on the
Commission for the small broad-
casters, The organization has been
trying for years to persuade FCC
to. relax its rules to permit day-
timers to operate beyond the sun-
set signoff.

Ted Oberfelder was handed his
walking papers as v. p. and general
manager of WABC-TV, the ABC-
TV flagship in New York, after 11
years with the network, the last
three of them as a veepee. Blow-
off came Friday (26), when Ober-
felder was summoned to ABC prez
Bob Kintner’s office at noon and
told he was through. Oberfelder
says no reason was given, but there
were reports that his administra-
tion of the station smacked
of favoritism and -too-frequent
plugolas.

No successor will be announced
for at least three weeks, with Slo-
cum (Buzz) Chapin, v. p. over tv
network sales, taking on additional
chores as supervisor of the station
until a g.m. is named. Chapin was
at one time v. p. over o&o televi-
sion stations until the o&o division
was dissolved and is therefore fa-
miliar with the local operation.
Web is understood to be looking
for a "nationally known broadcast-
ing figure” to take over. /

Oberfelder’S dismissal, which
was sudden and unexpected, came
after 11 years with ABC in a va-
riety of capacities. He joined the
web. after stints with Hearst Radio
and indies in Philadelphia, work-
ing his way up from an advertising
copywriter to director of advertis-
ing-promotion-research. He was
then made general manager of the-
then WJZ jn N. Y., then director.

(Continued on page 36)

Something new In program pre-
views was Inaugurated by CBS-TV
last week when network program
chieftain Hubbell Robinson brought
together thfi N. Y. press for a
briefing on “Operations ’55-’56”
while at the same time affiliates
around the country were hosting
the local press for si pickup of the
closed-circuit ceremonies. In addi-
tion to Robinson spelling out the
highlights of the new season, three
new half-hour entries were un-
veiled, including a complete in-
stallment' of Phil Silvers' “You’ll
Never Get Rich” situation comedy.
The others were “Joe and Mabel”
and “Gunsmoke.”

Robinson tipped the thus-far
complete schedule on the net-
work’s specs. In addition to the
Judy Garland opener for the Sat-
urday night “Ford Star Jubilee”
series, starting Sept. 24, and the
Noel Coward-Mary Martin musi-
cal, there will be two other Cow-
ard entries (in . “Blithe Spirit” and
“Peace In Our Time”); the musi-
cal version of “High Tor” by
Arthur Schwartz and Maxwell An-
derson starring Biiig Crosby; three
Paul Gregory productions, among
them Jim Bishop’s "The Day That
Lincoln Was Shot” and "The Big
Banjo,” the story of rhythm in
America. „

There will, be a Christmas pres-
entation of* Maeterlinck’s "The
Blue Bird” produced by Arthur
Schwartz and a new revue by
Schwartz and Howard Dietz called
"Wonderful World.” Jack Benny
will do five "Shower of Stars”
Thursday night specs, two of them
musicals and three original com-
edies specially written for this se-
ries. Sam and Bella Spewack, Rob-
inson disclosed, are preparing an
original libretto set to the hour
and a half of Tschaikovsky’s “Nut-
j cracker Suite.”

The Phil Silvers show and "Joe
and Mabel,” latter starring Larry
Blyden and Nita Talbot, go in
back-to-back Tuesday nights 8:30
to 9:30, With “Gunsmtke” set for
Saturday night at 10 (with one a
month preemptions for the Ford
specs). •

Menkin’s ‘Wide World’
Assignment in N.Y.

Larry Menkin, who only last
week pulled up stakes for the
Coast to prep for his producer-
director role in the upcoming
"NBC Matinee” color dramas which
will originate from Burbank, was
.notified by the network that he’s
to report back to N. Y. pronto.

Menkin ha$ been given a major
assignment in the tv network in
connection with the "Wide Wide
World” series. He’ll produce six
or seven of them during the com-
ing season.

PAPP VICE FLEMING
IN HELMING ‘MONITOR’

NBC has tapped Frank Papp to
take on the executive producer
chores On "Monitor,” replacing

‘Jim Fleming, who’s resigned the
web effective Sept. 12, Papp has
been supervisory producer of the
Sunday segments on “Monitor.”

Papp was with NBC in Chicago
and New York as a producer-di-
rector from 1939 to 1947, when he
left to go to Europe as a producer
for the World Council of Churches
and the American Friends Service
Committee, taping the "To You in
America” series. In 1949, he pro-
duced "The Aldrich Family” on
! NBC-TV and freelanced, rejoining
the web when “Monitor” was start-
ed last May.

Wednesday, August 31, 1955

RADIO-TELEVISION 23

% '

4 : -y

The United Nations public relations office has given its blessing
and full cooperation to a proposal for a tv spectacular "Around the
World In 90 Days,” to commemorate the anniversary of the

* Declaration of Human Eights as adopted by the member nations
of the UN 10 years ago on Dec. 10, Idea behind the spec is to orig-
inate it direct from the United Nations headquarters in New York,
with the East Biver as its background and utilizing the meeting
halls, conference rooms, lobbies, terraces, dining .rooms; in fact,
the entire building would be its stage.

Idea for the Human Bights spec was presented to the UN reps
by George Wallach, of NBC, who,’having received the go-ahead, is
now pitching it Up to prexy Pat Weaver for a December showcas-
ing. UN would not be averse to sponsorship auspices if NBC so
desires.

UN, in addition, says, it'll deliver the' top artists and dignitaries

* from all quarters of the world, including, among others, Dimitri
Shostakovich, the Bussian composer, to conduct a 100-piece or-
chestra.

Sir Laurence Olivier would be on hand for recital of the Human

r Bights declaration from the General Assembly Hall, and, says the
UN blueprint, "the guide takes the viewer through the lobby,, to,

* the escalator; riding into camera range is the Don Cossack Chorus
Ringing as it- approaches . . . Then visualize the lobby of UN head-
quarters as down the curved stairway seems suspended, hr midair

’stream the ballerinas of, Sadler Wells or Ballet Busse. -They demon- •
strate a freedom of expression that, is as old as time— the Dance.”

UN's recital of names it can deliver reads like a Whos' Who in
the world of arts’.

Mass* Station’s Heroic Efforts to Stay on Air During

Flood Cited by Governor

Southbridge, Mass., Aug. 30.

WESO Was cited by Gov. Herter
for its heroic effort in a five-day
battle to stay . on the air in flooded
Quinebaug Valley and relay 12,000
phone calls to separate families in
the hardest hit area in the state.

It was. the only radio station op-
erating in the' section and stayed
’on the air 24 hours each day. The
‘governor termed it "A blessing to
hundreds of thousands of people."

WESO Was kept on the. air by
three men when all the other sta-
tions failed: Robert Nims, station
manager; William . Mendes, disc
jockey; John Duda, engineer.

To get t}ie station on the air,
regular power wa$ out, they had
to use three gallons of gasoline to
start an emergency power unit.
"When the three gallons gave out,
Duda, the engineer, figured out a
method of getting gasoline from
an automobile. *

He removed the carburetor and
took out a cupful at a time to
feed it to the emergency power
unit. A farmer heard the broadcast
for help and got through with five
.gallons of gas which kept the sta-.
tion going for three hours. Farm-
ers also brought food to the staff.

Normal audience of the station
Is around 500,000, but at flood
height with only portables and car
radios working, it was estimated
the listening audience was 1,500,-

ooq.

Just as the station was about to
conk out for lack of gasoline, an-
other farmer showed up with 50
gallons. After 100 hours, help ar-

( Continued on page 36)

Talk a Swap Deal

Creation ,of an international
packaging liaison, involving "Om-
nibus” in - this country , and pro-
gramming to be showcased on the
new British commercial tv setup,
is understood to be in the talking
stage.

It’s reported that ITA (Inde-
pendent Television Authority), the
gentry charged with delivering
commercial tv to England, has
been sounding otit Bobert Saudek,
head of the Ford Foundation Ra-
dio-TV Workshop and exec pro-
ducer of "Omnibus,” with an eye
toward making available some of
the programming patterns and
techniques in return for "Omni-
bus” sharing some of the ITA
product.

British-U.S. affinity has already
been established ‘Via Alistair
Cooke's emceeing of "Omnibus.”

Laine, 10.2; Disney 9.2

Frankie Laine show, summer re-
placement If or Arthur Godfrey’s
Wednesday /flight 8 to 9 show on
CBS-TV, was able to accomplish
what Godfrey himself couldn’t do
. — top "Disneyland” on the Tren-
dex ratings, last week. Laine
copped a 10.2 for the 8 to 8:30
segment which finds him pitted
against "Disneyland,” with the lat-
ter getting a 9.2. , .

Laine’s share of audience, 31.7;
Disneyland's, 28.3. • The Lester
Gottlieb-produced Laine entry, do-
ing eight-week summer duty, got
a 12.6 for its full 8 to 9 hour while
best "Disneyland” could do for its
7:30 to 8:30 stretch was 10.6. "Dis-
neyland” is doing third runs dur-
ing the hot montlisr

Trendex Tours’

Of Major Talent

NBC-TV, which is becoming in-
creasingly exploitation - minded
since A1 Ryiander left Columbia
Pictures to join the network, is

embarking on a new tack. Web is
setting up what it calls "Trendex
Tours” whereby major talent, par-;
ticularly those involved in the
specs, will make a swing around
the' 15 Trendex cities for personal
appearances as part of the NBC
bally campaigns,

Initial. 15-city, tour will be un-
dertaken by Jeannie Carson, the
! British star, prior to the NBC-TV
production of "Heidi” in which
she'll star. (It's on the Max Lieb-
man production schedule for the
night of Oct. 1). Stars of the up-
I coming "Constant Husband,” Brit-
ish-made pic which has its world
preem as a NBC-TV spec, may fol-
(Continued on page 38)

CLAIRE BLOOM SIGNED
FOR NBC-TV ‘CYRANO’

Claire Bloom, the British actress
who appeared opposite Charles
Chaplin in "Limelight,” has been
signed by NBC-TV for her first
American tv appearance.

She’ll appear as Boxanne oppo-
site Jose Ferrer in the upcoming
"Producer's Showcase” tint pres-
entation of "Cyrano de Bergerac”
on Oct. 17. Miss Bloom Is currently
appearing in London with John
Gielgud in "King Lear.” She’ll fly
over immediately upon closing of
the "Lear” production.

By BOB CHANDLER

The major motion picture studios
aren't finding producing for tele-
vision the easy pickings they be-
lieved it to be; All three majors
preparing network programs for
the fall have run into a bog of
difficulties that have cued person-
nel changes; delays or both. On
the network side, the process of
disillusionment with the studios as
impeccable purveyors of entertain-
ment in any medium has already
set 4n.

Troubles broke last week on two
fronts, at 20th-Fox and Warner
Bros. Latter, due to premiere its
"Warner Bros. Presents” series on
ABC-TV in just two weeks, fired
Gary Stevens as general manager
of its television operation and sub-
stituted studio exec BilL Orr. Un-
official explanation was that Stev-
ens, who's operated on the pub-
licity ‘ and semi-packaging end of
tv r didn’t have the: background for
the job, but the appointment of
Orr, a key studio aide for years,
points up the importance which
Warners now attaches to the situa-
tion.

At 20th, studio topper Darryl F.
Zanuck himself had to step in per-
sonally, at the request of spon-
sors, to survey the situation at
TCF Television Productions, the
20th tv subsid, in regard to TCF's
hour series for. General Electric.-
Besult was the addition of vet pro-
ducer Otto Lang as supervisor, the
addition of two script editors and
the promise of retakes arid a gen-
eral overhauling. A further result
was the postponement of' the prem-
iere date of the show for two
weeks, until Oct. 5. CBS-TV had
the postponement to contend with,
along with the fact that 20th’s “My
Friend Flicka” series, which the
network purchased, wa$ reportedly
so bad that it will be reshot en-
tirely and the present in-the-cari
episodes junked.

Metro, where the situation has
been clarified over the past two
weeks after a couple of months of
uncertainty, nonetheless may yet
prove the sorest spot of all in net-
work-studio relations. Studio fi-
nally set its format for the half-
hour "MGM Parade” series, due to
start Sept. 14 on ABC-TV, and
from the description, it's all one
big half-hour plug for the studio,
with the possible exception of one
short subject per show. ‘ABC had
signed its deal with Metro on the
basis of "blind faith,” that Metro,
"the Tiffany of the entertainment
business" (as AB-PT prexy Leon-
ard Goldenson had put it) wouldn’t
jeopardize its prestige by produc-
ing a show lacking in entertainment
elements. Now, officials at the
network are privately doing a burn
over the fact that Metro has gone
ahead With an all-plug format,
largely neglecting the entertain-
ment elements in favor of "look,
ma, we're Metro” ballyhooing.

Such has been the situation that
Columbia, which is exploring the*
matter of a network showcases f Of :
its own, has been holding off oq
any deals, both because it wants
to make sure of the right format
and because it figures it can prof-
it through the mistakes of the oth-
er majors. At that, Columbia is
probably the best-equipped to de-
liver a top show, since its. Screen
Gems telefilm subsid is a pioneer
in the ousiness and one of the busi-
est and most profitable of the tele-
pix production’ outfits. Screen
Gems, however, doesn't maintain
the parent company identity for

(Continued on page 36)

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR

1905-1955

Ask And You Get

The forthcoming British
made (Bank) film series going
on ABC-TV in the fall in com-
petition with the. "Ed Sullivan
Show” and "Colgate Variety
Hour” is something in the na-
ture of a "boomerang action”
as'far as Sullivan id concerned.

Emcee of "Toast of the
Town” has been one of the
staunchest champions of inte-
grating pix studio product into
programming, practically pi-
oneering’ the movement. As
such he’s been largely respon-
sible for making tv viewers
piX-conscious.

Now he's bucking 'em.

V.P. Study 1st

Ed Murrow's "See It Now,” fig-
ures to bounce .back to major sta-
tus both as an "Introspectacular” j
vehicle for CBS and as an im- i
portant commercial commodity.
Pontiac this week signed on for
sponsorship of six 60- or 90-min-
ute "See It Now” introspe'cs, and'
at the, same time CBS-TV board,
chairman Bill Paley has sent down
orders; that "See Yt” will preempt
prime programming in the week-

night 8-1 0 area instead of fringe
times ‘ previously considered for
the Murrow specials. In addition,
"See It Now” is slated for once-a-
month exposure next year.

Murrow will do seven or eight
specials this season, starting With
“The Heart Beat of a Vice-Presi-
dent,” a one-hour study of the
status* of V.P.’s of the United
States in an Atomic Era. It’s set
for the Wednesday 9-10 hour on
Oct. 26. Team of Murrow and
Fred W, Friendly have nine more
shows In various,, stages of work,
among them E. B. White's /"Here
Is New York,” "The State of Hol-
lywood,” "Africa” and studies on
traffic and educational problems.

The "See It” introspecs will be
aired on we -knights, with the ex-
ception of Tuesday, that being the
night that Pontiac sponsors the
Fred Coe hour dramas on NBC-TV.
Couple of months ago, when CBS
and Murrow agreed to pull "See
It” out of its regular. Tuesday at
10:30 period find give it a "spec”
status, the specific number of
shows Murrow would do was not
mentioned and the time allotment
was referred to as between 7:30
and 11:30 at night. Since then,
Paley; it's understood, has gan-
>dered the work-in-progress and is
convinced that "See It,” its new
framework, pnd content, is "it.”

MANSFIELD TO PRODUCE
ROBT. Q. TV DAYTIMER

Initial assignment for Irving
Mansfield under his new CBS-TV
deal, will be a complete revamping
of the* Bobert Q. Lewis 2 to 2:30

afternoon cross-.the-board show-
case. Although there was talk of
Lewis shifting over to NBC, Co-
lumbia has renegotiated a new
contract with him and his re-
vamped entry bows on Sept. 12.

A succession of sponsor cutbacks
on the Lewis show (leaving but two
sponsored segments) cued the de-
cision of Lester Gottlieb, CBS/TV’s
new daytime program head, to
move Mansfield into the produc-
tion helm. Eventually CBS may
open up. 60 minutes of daytime for
a Mansfield - produced spec-type
show cross-the-board. However,
nothing’s definite about this.

•. *

rl MUVU VtVt

Washington, Aug. 30.

The most elaborate single station
news and public affairs operation
in town's broadcasting history and
probably largest of its kind for
any individual station in the coun-
try, will be launched by WTOP
Oct. 30. The 10-mari division, a
complete city room in itself, work-
ing hand-in-glove with it$ parent
organization, Washington Post St
Tlmes-Herald,* will be beaded by
Edward F. Ryari, veteran Post po-
litical writer,.

Simultaneously with announce-
ment of new setup, CBS News,
which formerly covered jointly for
web and for station, whittled its
staff from 20 to 15 newsmen and
editors. Axed in . the shakeup was
veteran newscaster Bill Costello, a
CBS staffer since 1941, and a
former, network Far East corre-
spondent who hag been based -in
the Capital for past three years.
Also on the casualty list which be-
comes effective Oct. 1, were th«
following: « farm expert Claude
Mahoney; former CBS London cor-
respondent Paul Niven; web com-
mentator Peter Haqkes; writer
Stephen Cushing. ' •

CBS News and Public Affairs,
headed by Ted Koop, Will continue
to function from Broadcast House,
new h.q. of WTOP. Despite* cut' in
staff, it will maintain same amount
of space as previously, a factor,
which, combined with visit past
' week by CBS v.p, Sig Mickelson,
has given rise to speculation that
herein lies more than meets the
eye, Informed sources hint that
cuts may herald reorganization in
CBS news arid public affairs line-
up, and that < Washington Bureau
will eventually be built back to
original size with new personnel.

Meantime, WTOP boss John S.
Hayes, who fathered the idea for
an autonomous news division ac-
centing .local coverage, is going
ahead with plans encompassing the
entire world. In addition to regu-
lar White House, Capitol Hill, and
government agency reporters, all
out for local rather than national
angles, Hayes already has two
overseas junkets blueprinted. He
will send a reporter and, lenser to
Ankara to . film a 30-minute show
based on the life of an Embassy
staffer, a direct pitch for the vast
audience of government girls in
the WTOP area. He . also plans
three shows, one each from Lon-

(Continued on page 38)

Keeshan CBS-TV
Kangeroo’ Show

Bob Keeshan, the erstwhile
Clarabelle on "Howdy Doody” who*
hit his stride as a tv personality
with his "Tinker's Workshop” on

WABC-TV, has been signed to a
contract by CBS-TV and will get
a morning buildup with an hour
show of his own.

Pacting of Keeshan for a cross-
the-board "Capt. Kangaroo” show
is one of the more immediate solu-
tions to the web’s desperate bid to
resolve its two-hour "Morning
Show” problem. As it now shapes
up, ‘Dick Van Dyke, who heads up
the two-hour wakerupper, will get
the 7 to 8 slotting, with Keeshan
taking over 8 to 9. Eventually CBS
hopes to blueprint a whole new
format as the web’s permanent
morning entry.

BRISTOL-MYERS’ 60G
‘MONITOR’ RADIO BUY

Bristol-Myers has made its first
purchase on NBC Radio in nearly
10 years, pacting for a 16-wk. try
on the network’s weekend "Moni-
tor.” Bristol-Myers will use four
30-second spots a week on the
show for its Minit-Rub, starting
Sept. 10. Deal was set via SSC&B.

Total allocation for the NBC buy
runs around $60,000.

24 RABIO-TELJEVISWN

Wednesday, August 31, 1935

Scripter in W<

New York.

Editor, Variety:

I read with interest your edi-
torial: "Anybody Got a 'Good
Script?” in which you state that
the producers of the three major
video networks are presently on a
frantic prowl for suitable script
material, . All they want are some
solid pro guys with a feeling for
the medium. But from all indica-
tions there aren’t enough of them
to go around for the ’55-56 sched-
ules.

Please forgive a direct, frank
and seriously meant question: Are
they kidding?

All our opinions are based on
personal experiences, therefore I
am offering my own as an example
for, 1 am certain, a hundred good
writer* who may have had the
same or similar experiences.

I am a producer and writer.
Under my former name, I have
written, produced and directed 187
dramatic radio shows for major
networks in New York. Then I left'
New York to produce 28 legitimate
shows. When I returned after three
years, the whole picture had
changed. I am certain you know
that the best names are forgotten
after three years, aside from the
point that hardly any of the execu-
tives I knew were any longer con*
nected with the networks. Since I
had a book published last winter by
Victor Gollancz in Lonon which
was excellently received. I figured
I still had something positive to
offer in the field of writing. Need-
less to say that, after being con-
nected with theatre and radio all
my life, I had "a feeling for the
medium.” I also have a special
talent for adaptations, which I had
occasion to prove in adapting for-
eign plays to English and then
successfully producing* them on
stage, I .tried "making the rounds”
like a' novice. I swallowed more
/’brushes” than Fuller ever pro-
duced; cheerfully so, regarding the
whole campaign as research valu-
able enough to write a hook on
should nothing else materialize.

I wrote 48 letters for appointments
and experienced the record of
receiving not a single answer.

Last summer, a friend of mine
gave me "an introduction” to the
executive of a package outfit which,
at the time, had eight 'major tv
packages. The experience there
was so enlightening to my own
sense of humor, that F thought you
would be interested in reading
about it;

Treatment Fit for a Queen

I was received like a queen. The
executive explained their urgent
need for scripts and asked if I
would write a sample script for a
-particular show, for which they
wanted new writers when the show
returned to the air in the fall. I
did. T*cy were delighted, wanted
just a little change made. I made

(Continued on page 39 >

'Down You Go’

ABC-TV plugged a hole in its
Thursday night commercial lineup
by selling off the alternate-week
sponsorship of "Down You Go” to
Procter & Gamble and American
Home Products, who will share the
skip-a-week sponsorship. Western
Union is in for the other week, hav-
ing brought the show over from
DuMont on an alternate-week spon-
sorship basis. Both P&G and
American Home were agented by
Biow-Beirne-Toigo.

"Down You Go” wrapup leaves
the network with just a couple of
holes to fill in its Thursday night
lineup. There’s a quarter-hour
open alternate weeks on "Stop the
Music,” with Necchi taking on only
half of its skip-week, and there’s
a 10-10:30 sustaining hole that’s
due to be filled programwise by
Quincy Howe and "Outside U.S.A.”
Otherwise, the sked is solid, with
John Daly kicking it off at 7:15 for
Tide Water Oil, General Mills and
American Dairy sharing "Lone
Banger” at 7:30, Admiral sticking
with Bishop Sheen at 8, Quality
Goods Mfg. and Necchi accounting
for three-fourths of "Music” at
8:30 and Brillo holding down "Star
Tonight” at 9.

London All Set For

I Hollywood, Aug. 3Q.

Red Skelton will adopt political
campaign tactics to drum up inter*
est among viewers for his- new
video fall program, bowing in N.Y.-
on Sept. 27. Via a deal made with
the Santa Fe Railroad, he’ll make
speeehes from the back platform
of his observation car in key stop-
overs, on a two-week tour.

On behalf. of the railroad sup-
plying .the "Red Skelton Special,”
comic will devote the first 15 min-
utes of his opening show to plug it
in a skit. *

Hartmann Lament

Hollywood, Aug. 30.

Busy Sked on Tap

London, Aug. 30.

More than 60 American tv edi-
tors are due here tomorrow (Wed.)
on a junket hosted by Johnson &
Johnson and Wildroot, sponsors of
"The Adventures of Robin Hood,”
the British-made vidpic series now
being completed at Nettlefold Stu-
dios. The trip has been arranged
in conjunction with CBS-TV,

Within a few hours of their ar-
rival, the U. S. newsmen will be
luncheon guests of AssociatedrRe*
diffusion, one of the two London
commercial tv programmers. Their
schedule includes a tour of the
radio and tv exhibition at Earl’s
Court, a visit to the BBC Tele-
vision Centre and an afternoon at
the "Robin Hood” lot at Nettlefold,
followed by an Elizabethan party;
On Sunday there’s to be a day’s
excursion to Sherwood Forest, Not-
tingham.

The main business sessions in-
clude a "Robin Hood” p roduction
seminar at which the studios will
be repped by Hannah Weinstein,
producer, and Ralph Smart, co-
producer and director; and a press
conference at Claridges with Sir
Robert Fraser, director-general of
the Independent Television Au-
thority, the government agency re-
sponsible for the new network.

More than three-quarter of the respondent* in an Advertest sur-
vey covering commercials feel that television is a more effective;
advertising medium than any other. Main reason for their belief,
specified by one third of this group, was that people watch tele-
vision more and a*e more aware of tv-advertised products because
the combination of sight and sound tend to make remembrance
easier. Dissenters felt that people tend to pay more attention to
printed ads.

* Finding is one of several in the Advertest survey of 745 television
homes contacted during June. Survey is the latest in a continuing
. series on "The Television Audience of Today.” Survey also found
that more than 40% of the families contacted reported. having pur-
. chased products during the previous four weeks as a direct result
of having seen them advertised on tv, mentioned among others
such products as Gleem, Pillshury Cake Mix and Hazel Bishop.

Lucky, Strike topped the list of tv-advertised products for the
second year both as the best remembered and host liked commer-
cial, with 10% naming it best liked and 11% best remembered.
Westinghouse was second end Chesterfield third in best remem*
bered, while Westinghouse again took second and Kraft third in
best liked. The 745 families named 2,000 individual commercials,
describing over 90% of them accurately, when queried about 'com-
mercials they had seen recently. They expressed a preference for
animated -commercials, blurbs with information about new prod-
ucts, and amusing commercials. They expressed dislike for too
frequent program interruptions, too much advertising and repe-
tition. •

Study covered' 11 categories, showing Lincoln-Mercury the leader
in automobile commercials for the second year, Knickerbocker
displacing Ballantine in the beer category, RCA knocking DuMont
out of first in television sets, and Lucky Strike edging Chester-
field in cigarets.

Joan MacDonald To
Cast ‘Producers Showcase’

Edmund Hartmann, who Is prexy
of Writers Guild of America West,
and also producer-writer ior u CBS-
TV of the revamped "My Favorite
Husband” series, complains "I find
it’s tough to get good writers, and
their prlce.has gone up.” Adds the
prez-producer: “I find myself in
the unique position of being presi-
dent of the writers guild, and a
producer who finds it difficult to
get good writers.”

The producer-writer “of "My Fa-
vorite Husband” attributed the
shortage of good scribblers to two
factors: (l) a record demand from
pix and tv for such writers; (2)
"for tv, you want experienced spe-
cialists who can- write fast, and that
narrows the field considerably.”

In view of the shortage created
by the demands from pix and tv for
writers, Hartmann opines new op-
portunities are provided for now,
young writers today. "This is the
ideal time for them to break in;
one young' writer I’d never heard
of brought a script idea for "My
Favorite Husband” to me the Other
day, I liked it and signed* him.”

Ha/tmann said he disagrees com-
pletely with the labeling, or typing
of scribblers as "a tv writer” or "a
movie writer,” declaring "There is
no reason for this. As I see it,
working in one medium is an ad
for the other. And today more and
more of the major film studios are
| signing N. Y. writers of the hour-
long tv shows, men such as Paddy
[Chaycfsky, Rod Setting and Gore
Vidal. On the writer level,, the
two businesses — movies and tv —
are Intermingling.”

The WGAW prez said he was
much encouraged over the demand
for writers today because "when
you’ve got this demand it encour-
ages supply.” He pointed out the
writers guild, in the financial dol-
drums just a few years ago, is head-
ing for a record year with scrib-
blers due to earn about $13,000,000
this year from tv and pix.

Cincinnati, Aug. 30.

Crosley’s WLW-T enters the
baseball picture next year. It will
telecast Cincy Redlegs’ games, on
- > i -ncte-ti .)'*-:•• •* >:>«• r *\

for co-spohsoring Hudepohl beer
and Ford Dealers.

New contract removes S.riops-
Howard WCPO-TV from Cincy
baseball. Station’s radio affiliate
was dropped this season after more
than 30 years, the broadcasting
co''cra'*e ’ * g t> .'lir e i .

Berger Brewing Co., which has
had exclusive radio /md tv rights
of Redlegs’ games, continues radio
coverage on WSAI and wi h link-
ings in several states for all games.

Telecasts in 1955 w ll be of 23
■ weekday afternoon games and 30
-road games; in eluding jll_*t night
and 10 on Sundays.

Mortimer C. Watters, WCPO-Ty
general manager, who was bidding
for the 1955 contract, was peeved
over outcome. Claimed his sta-
tion would have cleared to carry
all 77 away-from-home games, as
desired J>y Gabe Paul, general man-
ager of the hall club, along with
23 home games.

Bethlehem Steel Buys
Wismer Sports in N. Y.

Bethlehem Steel has moved Into
the New York television sponsor-
ship picture, placing a quarter-
houjr weekly sports wrapup featur-
ing Harry Wismer on WRCA-TV,
the NBC flagship. Series, slated
for the Wednesday night 6:30-6:45
slot, will be titled “Bethlehem
Sports Time” and will he a filmed
recap of the week’s top events.
Telenews is producing.

Radio Reports agency handled
the deal for -Bethlehem.

Joan MacDonald, daughter of J.
Carlisle MacDonald, who is asst,
to the president of U. S: Steel,
has been identified with the “U. S.
Steel Hour” productions, has
joined NBC-TV. She becomes cast-
ing director for "Producers Show-
case.”

Previously Miss MacDonald was
casting director for "Robert Mont-
gomery Presents” and also worked
at ABC-TV.

With" FM radio given a vital re-
scusitator via the FCC’s recent
okay on multiplexing, Storecast
Corp. of America is unveiling a new
FM store music package combin-
ing music, news and weather with
a general indoor advertising sys-
tem and general product mer-
chandising under the tag of “Su-
pravision.” Storecast, which re-
ports that the multiplexing okay
has resulted in more inquiries in
recent weeks than ( at any other
time since it was established nearly
10 years ago, is unveiling the Su-
pra vision system in Acme Super-
markets in the Syracuse area, using
the facilities of five FM stations
of the Rural Radio Network,

Five stations— WRRA, Ithlca;
WRRC, Cherry Valley; WRRD,
DeRuyter; WRRL, - Wethersfield-
Bliss and WRRE, Bristol Center-
will feed in music, news and
weather to 36 supermarkets in
cities and towns on 100 miles on
each side of Syracuse. Integral
unit of the Supravision setup is
a "music lantern” which acts as a
hi-fi music transmitter, a lighting
fixture, a section market and an
in-the-aisle display medium. ‘In-
troductory rate^ for the setup in
the Syracuse operation is $50 a
week for 26-week participation.
Of the 781 space units available
to advertisers (serving a weekly
customer traffic of 150,000), 551
have already been sold to top gro-
cery manufacturers.

Storecast, headed by Stanley
Joseloff, has been the country’s
largest single user of FM time
during the past- decade. Aside
from the Rural Radio Network
setup, it uses programs of such
FM outlets as WHOM, N. Y.,
WFMF, Chicago, WIBG, Philadel-
phia and WMMW, Meriden, Conn.

Amana’s Grid Buy

* Chicago, Aug. 30,

Amana Freezers, one of the
sponsors last year on ABC-TV’s
college gridcasts, is returning to
the sport this fall via CBSTV’S
regional beamings of the Big '10
and the Pacific Coast League
games. Amana has ordered half
of each of the five contests in the
two conferences.

Agency is Maury, Lee & Mar-
shall,

ARB’s Top 25 for August

Rank Program- Network Rating

1. $64,000 Question * CBS 48,4

2. Toast of the Town. CBS 29.4

3. Robert Montgomery Presents. .NBC 28.8

4. Two for the Money CBS 28.1

5. What’s My Line CBS 28.1

6. Best of Groucho NBC 27.9

7. Climax CBS 27.8

8. I’ve Got a Secret CBS 27.2

9. Four Star Playhouse CBS 26.6

10. Lux Video Theatre . NBC 25.9

11. Wednesday Night Fights ABC 25.9

12. The Medic ; NBC 24.8

13. Godfrey’s Talent Scouts.; CBS 24.7

14. Dragnet NBC 24.3

15. U. S. Steel Hour CBS 24.0

16. Disneyland ABC 23.7

17. G. E. Theatre CBS 22.9

18* Ford Theatre NBC 22.7

19. Private Secretary ; . .CBS . 22.6

20. Life of Riley NBC 22.3

21. Stage 7 ....CBS 21.7

22. Those Whiting . Girls CBS 21.7

23. Playhouse of Stars CBS 21.5

24. Variety Hour , . NBC 20.8

25. Break the Bank ABC 20.1

High Is Up On

Washington, Aug; 30.

Bombarded with strong opposi-
tion to its order allowing VHF sta-
tions in the east to raise their
towers 250 feet higher than the
present 1,000 feet limit, the FCC
is expeepted to give top priority
tomorrow (Wed.) at Its first meet*
ing in a month to demands that the
effective date (Aug. 31) for the
order be stayed.

Leading the opposition to the
1,250 feet towers is the UHF In-
dustry Coordinating Committee,
headed by. Harold H. Thomas,
which told the Commission last
week that the order, if not set
aside, "may.be the very last straw
that increases to the* breaking point
the load* of all affected UHF opera-
tions.”

The order was attacked last week
by three other sources. The, As-
sistant Secretary of Defense ’told
the Commission he does not agree
that the effect of the higher tower*
on air safety will be negligible. The
Air Transport Assn, expressed fear
that the increase in antenna
heights wiH be a menace to air
navigation. It urged that the Com-
mission stay its action pending a
study by the Air Coordinating
Committee.

Reconsideration of the order was
also requested by station WNHC-
TV in New Haven, Conn., which
claimed it would suffer interfer-
ence by two New York stations
operating on adjacent channels.

The UHF Committee told the
Commission that the higher towersi
(Continued on page 36)

MBS Picks Burnett

Mutual has tapped Jack Burnett
as its. new sports director to replace
Paul Jonas, who resigned two
yveeks ago. Barnett, a veteran
sports-special events director and
a onetime publicist, takes over
.after the World Series, Jonas re-
maining on to supervise Mutual’s
Series coverage before leaving.

Burnett most recently has been,
with D’Arcy agency as writer-pro-
ducer of all the Harry Wismer
sportscasts for General Tire &
Rubber, on which D’Arcy holds the
account. Burnett goes back to the
late ’20’s, when he was a sports-
writer and director at WHB in
Kansas City, KWK, St. Louis, and
WGN, Chicago. For a year before
joining WBBM, Chicago, as sports
and special events director in 1940*
he was promotion director for
Sonja Henie’s "Hollywood Ice Re-
view.” In . 1944, he became p.r,
chief for Foote, Cone & Belding,
and after a stint with his own pub-
licity firm, he returned in 1948 to
•sports by producing the pre-N.Y.
Yankee baseball game telecasts for
Leo Burnett agency.

Wednesday, August 31, 1955 ■ , II APIQ»TE1JB VISION 25

ABC-TV enters the fall season this week with the brightest
financial picture in its history. From Jan. X to date, the network
has hit a new. high in sales, with a* total of $69,737,937 in the kitty.
Though Sales and billings are two distinctly separate things, the
web's vast expansion can be pinpointed , by the fact that for all
bf 1954, the network billed a total of $34,500,000, or half the
present sales total. " v

Pointing up the stepped-up business in another respect is the
fact that of the near-$70,000,000 in sales, $44,835,995 or 64.3% is
in hew business, Which means that the web has written more new
business- alone than it billed all of last year. $24,901,942 stems
from renewals, or 33.7% of the total. While much of the business
included in the total runs into 1956, the network seems a sure bet
to top the $60,000,000 mark in billings for 1955.-

As of the moment, the network still has just a few holes to plug
in its nighttime schedule. On Monday, there’s an alternate week
hall-hour open at 7:30 on the “Topper” reruns, a half-hour at 9
and a half-hour at 10. Just one half-hour is open Tuesdays, at 10.
Wednesday is sold solid. On Thursday, there’s one-quarter of
“Stop the Music” open at 8:30 and a half-hour at 10. On Friday,
there’s one-quarter of “Ozzie & Harriet” still open at 8, plus the
-10-10:30 period. Weekend picture has Saturday night 8-10 period
in the commercial category for the first time, although three weeks
out of four are open at 8-9. Sunday nights, the only opening, from
7 to 10:30 is the “Famous Film Festival” from 7:30 to 9, with con-
siderable sponsor interest but no contracts in the house yet.

London, Aug. 30.

The two London contractors for
the new competitive tv station last
week announced their program
schedules in readiness for their
Sept. 22 launchings. Separate an-
nouncements were made by Associ-
ated-Rediffusion, who will have air
time from Mondays to Fridays,
and Associated Broadcasting Co.,
who will run the outlet on week-
ends.

Apart from the special opening
night gala. Which will tee off with
a banquet given by the Lord Mayor
of- London, and whiclrmay be at-
tended by Sir Anthony Eden and
other members of the cabinet, the
schedule is to follow a definite pat-
tern with main emphasis on series
programs, which will be featured
either weekly or fortnightly. On
the opening night, advertisers are
being charged double the normal
* rate up to a maximum of $5,600
a minute for their commercials
and the entire proceeds will be
deyoted to charity.

The opening night program Is
to be a joint effort by A-R and
ABC and the attractions will in-
clude a boxing tournament pro-
moted by Jack Solomons. The
routine programming gets under-
way the following morning when
A-R take the air at 10:45 with a
“Morning Magazine” and a 15
minute program for “Under Fives.”
They are off the air from 12:30
until 5, when for an hour they
will presept “Tea-V-Time” fol-
lowed by evening transmissions
starting at seven. One of the key
programs each Friday will be
“Dragnet” and other attraction?
will be an Orson Welles feature
and “The Jack Hilton Half Hour.”

For their first weekend on the
alt, ABC start off with “Weekend
Magazine” at 10 in the morning.

(Continued oh page 34)

“World’

Young & Rubicam last week put
In a bid for Don Becker’s switch-
over from head of daytime tv on
NBC to the agency, to ride herd
on the Borden-sponsored “Way of
the .World” cross-the-board day-
time show as exec producer of the
NBC-TV stanza. As an alternative,
Y R proposed that NBC lend-
lease Becker to the agency, for 13
weeks in a bid to upgrade the
show.

Overtures followed in the wake
of trade reports that Borden hasn’t
been too happy with the flve-times-
a-week showcase and that the com-
pany’s hillings "were at stake.

Becker, it’s understood, will give
priority to the stanza in his pres-
ent capacity, , but won’t leave the

networks ii ; ij « t.L : . 1 i! ^

Radio Luxembourg
SRO for Next Season
Despite Brit. CornTTV

London, Aug. 23.
Apparently undeterred by the
prospect of competition for com-
mercial television, Radio Luxem-
bourg last week announced an ex-
tended fall program for its com-
mercial radio station.

As the only radio outlet for Brit-
ish advertisers, the Luxembourg
station estimates that its listening
audience last wjnter was in the
region of 10,000,000 nightly, pro-
viding an alternative program for
British listeners. Its entire air time
for the coming Beason has been
sold in advance, .and almost 100
sponsors will be broadcasting each
week.

Schedule of the programming for
the fall season indicates a grow-
ing use of name U. S. performers.
Among those already listed are
Frankie Laine, Jo Stafford,' Bing
Crosby, the Deep River Boys arid
Mario Lanza.

It looks like Nat . Wolff gets his
long-expressed wish-r-a job that
will shake him lhostf from those
administrative paper details that
are part & parcel of the radio-tv
directorship at Young & Rubicam
(or any other agency, for that mat-
ter) and permit him to spend a lot
of time on the Coast. Thus the an-
nouncement that Wolff would
henceforth be veepee and director
of program development to devote
his full time to “creation, develop-
ment, evaluation and • selection of
radio and tv shows” didn’t come as
too big a surprise. For that's the
type of • free-wheeling assignment .|
that’s got' Hollywood written all
over it.

Taking over Wolff's job is Robert
P. Mountain, who headed up the
agency’s No. 1 account-— General
Foods." Since he’s on top of every
GF buy, involving all types of pro-
gramming, he’s considered a natu-
ral for the job.

Wolff switchover, nonetheless,
coming on the -heels of the pre-
vious week’s, announcement that
Danny Seymour was quitting the
agency Oct. 1 to move oyer to J.
Walter Thompson, has raised’ the
question in some quarters Whether
the Wolff-Seymour relocations
haven't deeper implications. Sey-
mour, as veepee in charge of pro-
gramming and production, was
Wolff’s key aid at Y & R.

Some are mindful of the recent
“battle for media control” which
saw the Wolff-Seymour teamup
score a stunning win over the
media boys. Nobody’s intimating,
or even suggesting— they’re only
asking; could the Wolff transfer
and the Seymour resignation mean
that the Y & R media boys have
reversed the tables and won the
fight after all?

Nobody at Y & R wants tfl talk
about it, except to express an em-
phatic denial that the media joust
has any connection. They point to
Wolff’s expressed wish to spend
more time on the Coast; to the fact
that Seymour is moving into a key
spot at’ JWT to take over the ac-
counts handled by Dick deKoche-
mont, who resigned, and that it
could even be the prelude to Sey-
mour moving into the radio-tv di-
rectorship at the agency should
JWT play it like most of the other
agencies instead of the present
practice of letting ■each account
man be responsible for the client’s
shows.

Sid Rubin to CBS

Sid Rubin, who has been heading
up the merchandising unit for NBC
Radio, is leaving the network.

He moves over to CBS — to over-
see merchandising there.

ABC-TV racked: -up three more
quarter-hour segments .of Walt Dis-
ney’s “Mickey Mouse Club” day-
timer, leaving the hourlong cross-
the-boarder just one quarter-hour
short of SRQ and posting a total
billyag figure on the property of
$14,000,000 to date. Sale of the
final quarter-hour could bring the
figure to $15,000,000.

Three sales went to Coca-Cola,
which picked up two quarter-hours
a week, and to General Mills and
Vicks, which will share the other
segment. General Mills had pre-
viously purchased six quarter-
hours a Week through the Knox
Reeves agency, but this latter pur-
chase was via William Esty, while
Vicks was repped by BBD&O. Web
made a fourth sale, bringing in an
unnamed client to share one quar-
ter-hour with TV Time Popcorn,
previously pacted.

Sales on “Mickey Mouse” have
been jumping ever since a month
ago, when the web modified its
stand on 52-week-minimum con-
tracts enough to allow two bank-
rollers to share a 52-week period.
At that time sales had been at a
standstill after 13 quarter-hours had
been accounted for; then Mattell
Toys and SOS Magic Cleansers
broke the ice with a share-a-year
pact.

Miles Labs and Johnson’s Wax
pitched in for the 15th quarter-
hour sold week before last, while
the web firmed still another quar-
ter-hour by matching TV Time
Popcorn to the still-under-wra’ps
client. Last three sales bring the
sponsorship tip to 19 quarter-hours
out of a possible"20, with all the
sponsors in for at least 52 weeks.

*+ With most radio Advertisers now
operating under a pattern of buy-
ing “minutes” or participations in-
stead of complete network pro-
grams, ABC Radio is inaugurating
a new technique in selling its
morning soap opera block. Web
is now selling the opening and clos-
ing announcements in the soaps to
individual clients, and has hung
up the SRO sign on the first show
sold under the new technique,
“When a Girl Marries.”

Sponsors in under the new pat-
tern are Dromedary . and Tintex,
whp've bought opening announce-
ments on the show cross-the-board,
and • Stokely-Van Camp, which in
its first daytime radio buy, has
purchased the entire Monday-thru-
Friday sked of closing announce-
ments. Under the hew plan, per-
announcement, price is $1,200,
which means under sellout condi-
tions a weekly take of $12,000.
This is a good deal less than the
regular time-and-talent tab on a
full sponsorship because full spon-
sorship is sold on the basis of
three minutes of commercial time,
with the three minutes divided at
opening and closing with no inter-
ruption in between. Since the hew
sales pattern is aimed at the bank-
rollers after minute participations,
and the story can’t be interrupted
at midway, the web is forced to sell
on the basis of only two minutes
instead of three, accounting for the
difference. Nonetheless, it's SRO
under the new pattern, whereas it
was virtually sustaining under the
old.

Sales treatment will be extended
to other properties in . the net-
work’s daytime sked, with “My
True Story” • arid “Breakfast
Club” the next properties desig-
nated for the change. Tw<r one-
minute openings Tuesday and

Kefauver Committee Isn’t Quite Sure

TV Inciting Kids To Delinquency

Washington, Aug. 30.

The Kefauver Committee on
Juvenile delinquency can’t prove
conclusively that tv programs in-
cite to juvenile delinqency, but be-
lieves they may have a' lot to do
With it just the same, and people
shouldn’t take chances with: this
potentiality for harm.

This 'is the kernel of the com-
mittee lengthy report issued last
Friday (26). Hence the committee
called for a tightening tip and
extension of the industry’s self-
regulation, plus greater power for
the FCC over programming.

Analyzing the programs of crime
and violence shown during the
hours when children watch video,
the Senate group, a subcommittee
of the Senate Judiciary Committee,
admitted it had “been unable to
gather -proof of a direct casual
relationship between the viewing
of acts oficr-ime and violence and
the actual performance of criminal
deeds.”

On the other hand, the • sub-
committee “has not found irrefu-
table evidence that young people
may not be .negatively influenced
in their present day behavior by
the saturated exposure they pow
receive to picture and drama based
on an underlying theme of lawless-
ness and crime which depict hu-
man violence.

“In the light of the evidence that
there is a calculated risk incurred
through the repeated exposure Of \

young boys and girls, even of ten-
der age, to ruthless, unethical
forms of behavior, the subcommit-
tee believes it would be wise to
minimize this risk insofar as pos-
sible.”

The potency- of tv is Such, said
the report, that , JUthgre J&Lrfiasfifi
to believe that television crime
programs are potentially much
more injurious to .-children arid
young people thait ' motion pic-
tures, radio, or . comic books.

“Attending ,<a movie requires
money and the physical effort of
leaving the home, so an average
child’s exposure to films in the
theatre tends to be limited to a
few . hours a week. Comic books
demand strong imaginary projec-
tions. Also they must be sought
out and purchased. But television,
available at a flick of a knob and
combining visual and audible as-
pects into a ‘live’ story, has a
greater impact upon its child audi-
ence.”

Five-Point Program

The committee puts forth a five-
point program to combat programs
which are undesirable for children.

1. Creation of citizens’ listening
councils at the local level, “sober,
unbiased adults, maintaining steady
watch over the programs offered
to children and promptly report-
ing offensive material to respon-
sible sources.”

* 2. Stricter control over tv pro-
gramming 'by- FCC, plus authority

to levy fines and revoke licenses
of stations which violate an “es-
tablished” code. It was recom-
mended that FCC should create
minimal standards “both in terms
of prohibiting the presentation to
children of certain -materials in
j5uch a manner as to be damaging
tothem, and in setting forth cri-
eria as to what constitutes, 'in
nimgl tferms, balance in pro-
gramming:” & '

3. Hundred percent membership
of tv broadcasters in NARTB or
some similar group, as a step to-
ward collective responsibility in
the industry and to tie up the
entire industry under a single code
of programming practice: It is rec-
ommended that producers of films
for video also suberibe to the
NARTB code.

4. Extension of the NARTB code,
particularly by precensorship of all
films offered to stations' and webs,
with the code seal issued to ap-
proved pictures, iri the manner of
the motion picture code. Other pro-
posed amendments to the code:
that each subscriber send to NRTB
headquarters copies of all com-
plaints and criticisms received by
the subscriber; that the good, taste
provisions of the code he made as
stringent as those of the motion
picture industry code; that the seal
be displayed on the air from time
to time with an explanation of
what it is; that minimal standard?

(Continued on patfe 3$) 1 '

Thursday on “Story” will be put up
for sale at $1,250 per minute, while
a price for “Breakfast,” which at
this point is wide open for sponsor-
ship, has yet to be decided. Web
is setting up some conditions for
such sale, however, with a mini-
mum of two spots pfer week on
“Story” and a “bulk buying” ar-
rangement on “Breakfast Club.”

. Stress on “cosponsorship” and
“participating sponsorship” by ad-
vertisers and timebuyers has ex-
tended from nighttime and week-
ends into the daytime areas, and
that’s what’s primarily behind
ABC's decision to sell announce-
ments Instead of programs, which
is what the new pattern amount*
to. Although the price setup mean*
that the potential return on the
soaps is cut down, it’s designed to
he competitive with the other nets
(particularly CBS, which is selling
on per-announcement basis), and
at the same time be enough to
cover the cost of good program-
ming.

Denver, Aug. 30.

One of the major industry sur-
prises of the week was the sud-
den exiting of Don Searle as gen-
eral manager (he's also a 10%
owner) of KOA-TV, the NBC affil-
iate here. This is the station, the
tv arm of KOA and once an NBC
o & o. possession, which is owned
by Bob Hope, together with Den-
ver business interests.

The choice management plum
goes to Bill Grant. He’s a Denver
lawyer-businessman, with no pre-
vious background in broadcasting.
While not too much is being said
about Searle’s exit, it’s understood
that pressure from local ownership
interests to give the station more
of a local Identity forced Hope &
Co. to act. Searle, it was main-
tained by the local group, applied
too much “Coast-type” thinking to
the operation.

Searle has a longtime track Tec-
ord as a big league West Coast
broadcasted.

V ‘ i 1 \i i

26 HABIO-TEUmSip PffiSB&j

1 l-l— — WWPWBW

Wednesday, August 31, 1953

Boston. 4-

Editor, Variety:

To contend & station is on the.
decline because it is 50,000 watts is
like saying the Cadillac is doomed.
In today's bullish radio market, the
industry needs the prestige of the
larger, more stable operations tp
offset many of the “fast buck”
^operators who have cheapened the
business with 50 cent spots. I don’t
mean that all low powered sta-
tions are in this category, but the
offenders are seldom operators of
what we liketo refer to ^s a Vpub-
lie service” facility.

To say that some*50 kw boys'
would trade their shingles for a
5,000 watt transmitter except for
the high ‘cqst . of conversion is a
lot of hogwash. Anytime an opera-
tor applied to the FCC for such
a reduction, someone a lot smarter
than he would apply for the same
frequency to maintain it at its fully
licensed power.

“Regional” signals are not the
only effect of 50 kw outlets* In-
creased power serves other pur-
poses. For example, 50,000 watts of
power is almost a requirement to
adequately serve the five counties
of the Boston market area with a
reliable signal. The effect of power
is related to the conductivity of
the soil. There is only one poorer
area of conductive soil in the
United States than New England—
and that’s the Rocky Mountains. As
a result, the primary area of many
of the lower powered, stations in
Maine, New Hampshire, Massachu-
setts and Vermont will, extend no
further than ten miles from the
transmitter.

There are four principle stations
in Boston. Three are 50 kw and .the
fourth is 5,000 watts on an excel-
lent frequency which gives it al-
most equal coverage. These four
stations will do over 70% of the
local retail business and pver 81%
of the national spot business. As
far as network revenue is con-
cerned, that’s no longer a factor to
any station no matter what its
power. (You yourself have com-
mented many times on how much
more the network affiliates are
sounding an<^ operating like inde-
pendents every day).

I would like to know where that
“recent dip in national spot busi-
ness” is. While we always do less
in the summer months than at
other times, the national spot busi-
ness on WHDH is at an alltime
high — 12% ahead of 1954. And
from listening to the other three
stations previously mentioned, I
don’t think 5 they’re crying the
blues.

As far as reps not selling 50 kw
stations on their powerful regional
signals anymore — that just isn’t
generally true. We don’t use 0.5
millivolt lines as much as we did
before the advent of area studies
and the total circulation figures of
surveys such as A. C. Nielsen. As
far as I know, time-buyers are still
using cost-per-thousand figures that

(Continued on page 34)

WOR-TV’# ‘Spectacular’

The North Bergen, N. J.,
transmitter of WOR-TV, N. Y.,
has been a headache to the
station ever since it moved its
transmitter operation to the
tower of the . Empire State
Bldg. First, residents of North
Bergen clamored “for it to be
razed, claiming it was a safety
menace. Then, the station dis-
covered that even though it
was only being used for emer-
gency purposes as an auxiliary
transmitter, the tax rap on the
site would continue to stand
at $100,000 a .year. Finally,
with no reason to keep it
standing, the station under-
took to have it torn down, only
to find that the fee for raising
would be prohibitive fortune.

.{Some smart broadcasting
exec (probably a onetime space
salesman) came iip'with a par-
tial solution. Station installed
neon signs on the tower and
rented spectacular space, with
■the site a natural since the
signs were in Constant sight of
motorists On the busy West
Side Highway on the N. Y.
side of the Hudson. Clients
have included Esso, .Pan Am
and TWA. Though no figure
is available 6n the gross rent-*
als, it’s understood they al-
most,' but not .quite, cover the
tax* fee. .

Mutual has landed one of the big-
gest orders ever on its Multi-Mes-
sage pattern, with Benton &
Bowles handing . over a $750,000
bundle involving three clients. Trio
of sponsors is Florida Citrus Com-
mission,. Grove Labs and Norwich
Pharmacal, all of which will take
eight participations a week on the
morning and evening Multi-Mes-
sage shows.

Total 0 of 24 participations a
week runs a minimum of 26 weeks
for Grove and Norwich, with Flor-
ida Citrus 0 in for a 32-week mini-
mum. Spots are divided between
the 11-11:25 a. m. “Story Time”
and the 8-8:30 p. m. mystery strip
in the evening Multi-Message set-
up. .Order is effective Sept. 19.

Gaire Mann, Paula Stone
Added WABC-TV Starters;
■Entertamment’ Axed

Claire. Mann, the beauty-and-
health gal who for the past three
years has been doing her afternoon
show on DuMont’s WABD in New
York, shifts over to WABC-TV, the
ABC flagship, come Sept. 5, mark-
ing a return to the station.- Also
islated for WABC-TV. for its new
fall lineup is actress-commentator
Paula Stone, who is bringing in an
hour package, “Paula Stone’s Toy
Shop ” for Sunday afternoons at
4, starting Oct. 2. Miss Mann’s
show will air Monday-thorugh-Fri-
day at 10:30 a. m.

Major change is the decision this
week to drop “Entertainment,” the
two and one-half hour cross-the-
board variety segment. Slocum
(Buzz) Chapin, ABC-TV Veep in
charge of network sales, who is
running the station temporarily,
said the summer schedule will re-
main in effect in “Entertainment’s”
12:30-3 p.m. time slot until a new
general manager for the station is
selected, with the current sum-
mertime half-hour version of “Enr
tertainment” being replaced by a
film show. “Entertainment” was
the. major project of Ted Ober-
felder, who was ousted last week j
as v.p.-g.m. of the outlet. A boat
ride for some 400 press and agency
guests heralding the preem of
“Entertainment” will go on as
scheduled, being . coverted, how-
ever, to an “WABC-TV party.”

Schedule bears little changes
from lhst season, except for the
shows with Misses Mann and Stone*
plus a new N. Y. City Board of
Education Saturday 1142 hour
show stressing teenage extra-cur-
ricular activities. ’Also bn the. slate
to. continue are “Step This Way”
and Harriet Van Horne as a Satur*
day evening 7-8 block.

“Tinker's Workshop” remains in
the 8-9 a.m. period, despite the
departure of Bob Keeshan to CBS-
TV, with the station auditioning a
replacement. Todd Russell follows
at 9, and he’s followed by hour
feature films leading into Miss
Mann’s 10:30 stint. “Romper
Room” returns to the 11-12 period,
followed- by Joe Bova’s “Corny the
Clown.” After the “Entertain-
ment” spot is an hour feature film,
with “Memory Lane” at 4 and 4:30
allocated to the network. Web’s
“Mickey Mouse Club” is in at 5-6,
and the 6-7 block has been repro-
grammed with “Gene Autry” and
“Cisco Kid” vidpix in a strip pat-
tern. Late evening isn’t finalized,
except for a George, Hamilton
Combs 15 -minute newscast at
11*: 30 p.m.

Inside Stuff— -Radio-TV

Frank Sinatra couldn’t quite see how he was in a position to tie him-
self down contractually over a seven-year span for NBC-TV specs
In view of his multiplying commitments in all show biz areas. That’s
the basic reason why he Walked away from the NBC overtures to pin
him down, since the network wanted it a longrange thing or nothing.

However, Sinatra’s “Our Town” starring role as the Initial “Pro-
ducers Showcase” production Sept. 19 was an individual one-shot nego-
tiation for which Sinatra, incidentally, will get $25,000 as his share of
the overall $250,000 show cost.

Boston, Aug. 23.

Disk jock shows are taking over
in the Hub with- more and more
stations giving the greenlight to
the music patter stuff and knocking
out the soap operas.

Coming of platter spinner Norm
Prescott to WBZ-WBZA on Sept.
5 from WNEW, New York, is ex-
pected to make big changes in the
station’s programming.

In the meantime, WEEI is step-
ping up its platter shows, WORL
put four deejays together on one
show, calling it the “Big Four”,
from 2 to 3 p.m., feaaturing Alan
Dary, Dave Maynard, Norm Tulin
and Hank Elliott. WNAC is mak-
ing programming changes and
WVDA is going practically round
the clock with the high riding
jocks of the round table.

WNAC spokesmen said that &
new policy just inaugurated fea-
tures “easy listening” music and

cuts out rock V roll, r&b and 10
top tune bits which are now “old
hat” in the Hub.

Music and news seems to be the
format now coming to the fore on
aiiH^ jtki6fts Mm HjM * J * j

Unusual interview “because of public interest” was AP drama editor
Jack Gaver’s closeup on vet radio-tv maestro-composer Harry Sosnik,
strictly because of the latter’s theme for “Producer’s Showcase.” Gayer
said people had. been writing in to. his 4^8 £0ryicfc-\ Sosnik also com-
posed “Lazy Rhapsody” for the •NB^T't’J^ , ^lae^idp. v l^orld” show
and* in fact, may shift over from-’ “Producer’s” to VWprld” as the
permanent maestro. “Lazy Rhapsody,” incidentally, is not as new a
work as the “Producer's Showcase” theme.

The copyrights are vested in Harbet Music Corp., an ASCAP affiliate
which Sosnik set up; corporate title is a blend of Harry and Betty
(Mrs.) Sosnik.

He may also officiate on “Skin of Our Teeth” Sept. 11, which would
necessitate shuttling between L.A. and N.Y. Manie Sacks, g.m. and v.p.
of RCA Victor, plans issuing a Sosnik album of his tv themes, recorded
by the maestro-composer.

4 >

Wendy Barrie ad in last week's Variety erratumed in one respect;
copy mentioned her stint doing commercials for Revlon on “$64,000
Question” and stated the show is. on NBC. 'T’aint so; it’s on CBS-TV.

Recent story citing Don Becker as writer for 17 years on “Life Can
Be Beautiful” didn’t tell the whole story. Actually, Carl Bixby got top
billing as writer on the show, with the credit reading: “Written by
Carl Bixby— and Don Becker,” writes Bixby. Latter states that Becker
did write scripts and handled writing of several other soaps, but that he
was not “the” writer.

Recent piece on Mrs. David Reque, wife of the Washington News
television columnist, pointed out that as. a promotion writer On the
rival Post, she does promotion for the Post’s tv columnist, Larry
.kaurent. Mrs. IJetjue woij^ qp J ,% t P9St> > ppo^apfoai*

1 ftn ‘ Itf.) tfft it It i Ml. * .10 bw l i !•>!)>

uauiciu. iviia*

IN NEW YORK CITY .. .

Hcarst Magazines appointed Grey Advertising its agency for Good
Housekeeping for advertising promotion and circulation, with Ander-
son & Cairns continuing to handle campaigns in the fashion field . . .
Leigh Kamman back at his dee jay chores at WOV after a hometown,
visit to St. Paul . . . Bob Nicholson of the “Howdy D<jody”sh6w takes
over, the A^RCA early-morning chores for a second week . * . John H.
Morris, formerly a v.p. with Kelly Nason, joined Benton & Bowles as
v.p, and account supervisor • . . Frank Stanton, CBS prexy,. to Europe
for several weeks? vacation . . , Bob Haymes taped his two WCBS shows
three weeks in advance and took off for France with ;his wife for a
vacationrhe’s due -back Sept. 1.9., . . Singer Jerry Vale. On a Godfrey
spree— just finished up a week on Arthur Godfrey’s morning show and
now booked for Kathy Godfrey Segment On CBS Sept, 4 , . . John
Thomas begins a run on NBC’s “Right to Happiness” tomorrow.' (Thurs.)

-. , i Martin Weldon . starts his third year as producer-moderator of
“Port of New York” Sept. 10 and his second as moderator of “Let’s
Find Out” Sept, 18 , , . BUI Leonard’s been having some family prob-
lems, two broken arms And a broken leg among his six sons in last -
month . . . WCBS program topper Sam Slate awarded citation by United
Cerebral Phlsy for “humanitarian service and outstanding cooperation'*

, * . The Chordettes, who wind a four-day date at the Ohio State Fair
in Columbus today (Wed.), .set for the Riviera Club hi Geneva, Wise,;
Sept. 2-4 and return to Robert Q. Lewis CBS show Sept. IQ , . . Herman
Hickman and his wife leave for a one-week - vacation in Florida and
Tennessee . , , John Newhovse celebrates his fourth year as exec pro*
ducer of Jack Sterling’s WCBS wakerupper and his 20th year in radio
on Sept. 12 , .For the third successive year, WMGM is substituting the
“Miss Rheingold Contest” station breaks for its regular “call letters
of the stars” Metro idents.

Leo Miller of the Bridgeport Herald and Roland Lindbloom of the *
Newark News won portable, radios from WRCA for the best column
pieces on ideal qualifications for a disk jockey . Jocko Maxwell back
at his sportscastlng chores at WNJR, Newark, and WWRL, Woodside
(L. I.) after a two-week vacation . . . Helen Gerald set for the cast of '
“The Adventures of Brady Kaye” on Mutual tomorrow (Thurs.) . . „
'WAAT dee jay Paul Brenner off on vacation, with Dave Millerand, for-
merly with KYW in Philadelphia and now a WAAT staffer, spelling
him. ‘ ‘

IN CHICAGO . . .

Norm Heyne is resigning as Ruthra„uff & Ryan's veepee in charge of
radio-tv production to join Robert Wesley and James Cuca in the for-
mation of a hew ad agency, Wesley Will be prez 6f the new firm which
bows Oct. 1 as Wesley, Heyne & Cuca . . . Paul Mensing of Chi NBC
Radio spot sales oxi a biz junket to KOMO, Seattle . .. : Chi’s oldest tv '
variety show, Jim Moran’s “Courtesy Hours,” extended into its seventh
year via a hew 52-week pack with WBKB . . . WMAQ sales manager
Rvdi Neubauer vacationing this week . . General Teleradio’s film
division sales manager Peter Robeck checked in at the firm’s Chi of-
fices enroute back to the Coast . * . Zenith Radio directors handed
veepee stripes to its distribution topper Norman Owent ... CBS-TV’s.
WXIX, Milwaukee, bought the “Championship Bowling” telepix series
for a year run via the Walt Schwimmer distribbery . . . C. Eduardo R #
Moreira, radio-tv director of Emissoras Unidas, Santa Paulo, Brazil,
heading up a South-of-the-Border delegation of visiting firemen scan*
ning the Windy City plants , William Wyatt new central division
manager of A-. C. Nielsen's Station Index and George Blechta dittoing
in New York as eastern sales manager . * . Jack Hess has replaced
Hal Stark as host .of WBBM’s thrice weekly remotes from the Club
Waikiki , . . Allis-CItalmers, sponsor of NBC’s “National Fran & Home
Hour” for the past decade, has renewed the Saturday, morning airer
for another year . . , WTTW, Chi’s educational station, due to hit the
air Sept. 19 with a two-day-a-week slate of test programs.

IN DETROIT ...

WJBK-TV will originate’ for the CBS net former President Harry S.
Truman’s Labor Day address in Detroit'. . . Three promotions at WWJ*
TV: Wendell B. Panttelee, former national sales manager for tv, be-
comes tv sales development manager; Ray W. Colie, of sales staff, takes
Parmelee’s former job, and assistant tv sales manager Douglas L* Sinn
becomes local tv sales manager . . . “Integration” — or something — is
now so important that dresses are designed to harmonize and compli-
ment the new auto fashions. Thus, Edythe Fern Melrose, WXYZ-TV’s
“Lady of Charm,” has featured the “Chrysler Imperial Fashion Show'*
and given milady another reason for billing the old man for a frock
—not to mention a new car to go with it.

IN PHILADELPHIA , . .

Roger W. Clipp, g.m. of the radio-tv division of Triangle Publica-
tions, Inc., . reappointed to the domestic distribution dep’t committee
of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce . . . WCAU-TV’s Ed McMahon on
duty with Marines again for two weeks to assist with publicity for
National Aircraft Show (Sept. 3-5). “Mitch Thomas” Show” on WPFH
(Sat.), teenage dancing session, first tv stanza in area -slanted to Negro
audience ... Merrill Panitt, TV Guide; Bob Williams, Philadelphia
Bulletin: and Mitch Schwartz, Daily News, guests of “Robin Hood of
Sherwood Forest” (CBS-TV) on 10-day junket to England (30) * * *
WCAU-TV cowboy star Jack Valentine cut “Gunsmoke,” theme of new
tv show, on M-G-M label . . * Donn Bennett, producer of “The Big
Idea,” tv showcase for inventors, in Clean, N. Y. (23) for 50th wedding
anni of parents . . . Thieves broke into the station wagon, parked near '
station, of WPTZ singing cowboy Rex Trailer, escaping with loot worth
$400 . . . Sam Elber, WPEN special events director, performing in
"South Pacific ” at Valley Forge Music Fair . . . Tom Reddy tor originate
his WIP jazz session “Reddy's Roost” from the Hotel Taft . . . Cris
Harwood joins Jerry Williams on Saturdays in the WIP-Mutual variety
show.

IN CINCINNATI . . .

Katherine Fox has resigned as Crosley Broadcasting Corp.’s director
of special broadcast services for 14 years. Says she expects to an*
nounce her future plans after Labor Day . . . WSAI now starting and
ending daily broadcasting with prayer rotated by Protestant, Catholic
and Jewish clergymen . . . WCKY’S platter spinners Leo Underhill and
Rex Dale teaming in series of Saturday a.m. half-hour comedy pro-
grams , . . Grace Payne has been upped as film director for WLW-TV.
Betty Poole replaces her as tv traffic head of Crosley stations.

in Boston . . .

Westlnghouse Broadcasting facilities In New England aided the Red
Cross* in their fund appeal for the thousands of families in the area
who suffered from the devastating floods left by Hurricane Diane.
On. Friday (26), WBZA and WBZ-TV, skedded a simulcast of “Swan*
boat Program” and “Carl De Suze Show.” Rod.MacLeish, WBZ and
WBZA radio news director; Leo Egan, WBZ and WBZA spurts editor;

ri> \Iuiiin *>t>u

Wednesday, August 'SI*. 1955

TBLEVISlOiV REVIEWS

-A A A ■

TTr

j: Tele Follow-Up Comment j

< 1 ♦ > ♦ » »♦ ♦ » ♦ » > 4 » » + ♦»+♦♦♦♦ »♦+»♦»<*»»♦*♦♦♦♦♦»♦♦

CBS-TV’s "Climax” was a not- 1 Perhaps he tended to be too grim

able occasion Thursday (25) for its
^production of "Deal a Blow” by
Robert Dozier marked the debut
of James MacArthur, 17-year-old
son of Helen Hayes and Charles
MaCArthur, in his first big thesp-
ingrole. . While the part of an ar-
rogant teenager 1 entered on a po-
lice blotter as a delinquent was a
difficult one, young. MacArthur’s
portrayal was crisp, forceful and
moving; '

Dozier’s script was no thunder-
ous expose of juvenile delinquency,
but skillfully probed the emotional
stresses which torture a higbschool
boy wheii he becomes involved in
a jam with a theatre manager. Son
of a Hollywood producer, he’s an
intelligent” and mentally alert lad
who doggedly defends a principle
regardless of the consequences.

When a theatre patron objects
to the boy placing nis feet on a
seat, he resists the manager and
an usher who attempt to subdue
him. Later he’s charged with as-
sault and battery, and no one —
not even his father — believes his
story that he struck the manager
solely in self-defense. Truth is
eventually ferretted out by a sharp
witted police lieutenant who sees
the lad as no hoodlum but as a
son partially neglected by his
father

Dozier (son of CBS exec pro-
ducer William Dozier) wrote ‘-Deal
a Blow” especially for "Climax.”
His characters, such as the boy
and the theatre manager, repre-
sent. exceptions to the norm for
few theatre officials Would act as
abruptly and tastelessly as did the
manager in this instance. More-
over, a smart teener from a good
home probably would realize that
tact would accomplish a lot more
in a jam than pursuing a “wise
guy” attitude. But if We ignore
the exceptions, then author pozier
would have, no story.

Not only was MacArtliur’s per-
formance topnotch, but Macdonald
Carey was good as the father who
gave his son “money instead of his
time”; Margaret Hayes contribbed
a warm ^interpretation as the
mother, Edward Arnold made the
most of his role as the lieutenant
and Whit Blssell registered nicely
as the manager who lacked sym-
pathy and understanding. John
Frankenheimer’s direction was
creditable as was Martin Manulis’
production in this hour-long drama
which originated live from the
Coast. Gilb.

Jazz turns up in the strangest
places on tv. Last Sunday on CBS-
TV’s morning show, “Look Up And
Live,” jazz was used as the text for
a religious sermon which is about
as far removed as one can get
from its earthy beginnings in the
Storeyville section of New Orleans.
But despite the rather highsound-
ing title • of the show, “The The-
ology Of Jazz,” it was an excellent
session of music as furnished by
the standout modern jazz combo,
the Dave Brubeck Quartet. There
was also an intelligent- interview
of Brubeck by Rev. Lawrence Mc-
Master, of the Oxford, . Pa., Pres-
byterian Church, who used the jazz
form as a parallel to religious
ideas, The theology was neatly
woven into the show ag'Brubeck’s
crew illustrated various fugal and
rhythmic patterns typical of its
style. The basic idea was to show
that jazz, like religion permitted 1
man to express fully bis Individ
uality. Harm. .

"Goodyear TV Playhouse” did a
repeat of “Spring Reunion” Sun-
day (28) over NBC-TV and those
who didn't catch the Robert Alan
Aurthur play a year ago were in
for one bi those rare tv treats, for
“Spring Reunion” easily rates
among the best the Playhouse has
-ever- put on.

Aurthur, who’s also associate
producer of the show, has an un-
canny ear for dialog. Every line he
writes rings true and contributes
to one’s knowledge about the peo-
ple with whom he is dealing. Add
io this a crew of extremely capable
actors and a director with a fine,
sensitive touch, and thd result is
drama of true Broadway quality.

“Spring Reunion,” telling the
story of two lonely people who
take a chance on one another,
emerged as one of those adult
heartbreakers that fairly glow with
realism. Kathleen Maguire, giving
a superb and beautifully balanced

S erformance, played the girl on the
oorstep of spinsterhood who had
to choose between her father and
the man she loved. Her every move
and voice inflection added to the
validity of her characterization.

Opposite her, Philip Abbott came
through With a strong, determined
performance that caught „ ever

at some moments, but on the whole
he did the part- proud. Robert
Simon as the doting father, who
seeks in. his daughter the compan-
ionship of a son, Ruth White as the
mother and Sally Grade as Miss
Maguire’s friend, all did excel-
lently in the supporting parts.

Apart from the script, much of-
the play’s substance must be cred
ited to director Robert Mulligan
who caught in it every breath of
hope ana* despair and all the fine,
emotional shadings. Hift.

Scripter Shirley Peterson re-
hashed, on old plot line and Co-
lumbia Records introduced a new
pop 'disk on CBS-TV's “Studio One
Summer Theatre” Monday (29).
Both were tagged “A Chance At
Love.”

Although Miss Peterson’s theme
of yokel boy Who meets yokel girl
in the Big City and tries to con-
vince her that marriage is more
important than a career only to
discover that love is not a one-
sided affair is time-worn, it was
developed with a quiet charm that
made the stanza appealing. Much
of the credit, belongs to Richard
Kiley and Georgianna Johnson
who carried off the parts of the
young lovers with assurance and
warmth.

Director Alan Cooke was in com-
plete control throughout and never
let the thesps or. the* camera de-
stroy the comfortable, easygoing
pace. The work of Jena Rowlands,
Bram Mosser and Chris Gampel,
in lesser roles, helped sustain the
mood.

The Col disk (Paul Weston orch
with thrush Berhadine Read) got a
full spin at the opening and clos-
ing of the show and a partial play
midway. It’s a pleasant enough
side but the exposure didn’t seem
strong enough to send it skyrock-
eting into the hit brackets as “Stu-
dio One’s” kickoff of “Let. Me Go
Lover” last November. Tune was v
composed by Eugene Ciries; net’s
director of program music. Carl
Sigman did the lyric. Gros.

nuance of a lonely, tormeri

DAVIS CUP MATCHES

In this era of big* scope screens
and lush color, there still remains
a. reactionary group of producers
who still Insist that stories and
stars are the prime necessities. But
when video gets a hot script like
the Davis Cup matches, that’s
enough to build a shooting venture
with some excellent results. With

the locale of the West Side Tennis
Club at Forest Hills, N.Y., and a
cast which had on its first day Vic
Seixas vs. Ken Rosewall, and Tony
Trabert vs. Lewis Hoad there was
enough excitement to reach even
thbse that have only a casual in-
terest in tennis.

NBC-TV brought out a compat-
ible color crew to the Long Island
stadium. The crewmen were able
to follow the match excellently
and to transmit the excitement and
color that prevailed at the matches.
The realism of being there, how-
ever, was carried a bit too far. The
viewing ’was interrupted frequently
by spectators passing in front of
the lenses. It wouldn’t have done
the homeviewers any^ good to yell
“down in front.”

. Viewed under a setup which had
a black & white screen alongside
the color set, there seemed to he
a superiority of clarity in the
b&w version. . The color stood out
and this caused a loss of the Illu-
sion of- depth. There was also a
disconcerting color breakup in the
longshots, and at times, this fault
seemed to apply to the fleshtones
in the foreground. But this is only
carping_-£riticism since NBC had
a terrific script going for them.

The narration was generally un-
obtrusive. 1 Jack Kramer, onetime
member of the Davis Cup team,
delivered some inside points dur-
ing intermission that provided a
better understanding of the game.
Partnered with Lindsay Nelson
and Budd Palmer, the running com-
mentary was of great assistance.
However, there was one point they
brought up that needs a lot of go-
ing into. Kramer got on the sub-
ject of Seixas’ advanced age of 32
then changed it since his 32d
birthday was still three days away,
and therefore fie was still a youth-
ful 31. Just how much of his vigor
wpuld be., lost after three days

TENNIS OF CHAMPIONS
With Sandy Becker, . Don Budge,

Jack Kramer, Bill Talbert, Ted

Harris, Harry Hopman, others
Producer: A1 Hollander
Director: Jim Saunders
.129 Mins., Tues. (23), 9 p.m,
PEPSICOLA
WABD, New York

( Biow-Beirne-Toigo)

Ted Cott, DuMont o&o factotum,
brought wrestling into the huge
studio at DuMont’s Tele-Centre on
E. 67th St., last week. Timed for
the Davis Cup play over the week-
end, he brought in exhibition ten-
nis, and for two hours, on the floor
and clustered around the micro-
phone, he had a “Who’s Who” in
the works. For' tennis fans, it must
have been a terrific show, for the
mildly interested viewer, it had a
goodly share of action..

Indoor tennis, of course, is noth-
ing newj but tennis- originating
from a studio is, and WABD set up
a linoleum floor (very fast for serv-
ice, said the experts, but Seeming-
ly highly slippery when viewed
from home), black backdrops at
either end of the studio (good for
the players,, since the ball stood
out, said the experts), and stands
along the side. Lighting, of course^
was studio-controlled, and good ex-
cept in one sense — . the net was
difficult to seel and often it was
impossible to tell whether a hard
smash had gone into the net or
over.

As for the camera coverage,
with studio control possible, Jim
Saunders’ crew got some fine
angles, particularly on service. But
one fault showed up quickly — the
studio, large as =it is, still wasn’t
big enough to permit a camera to
cover both players in action ht the
same time. This was particularly
apparent on the- singles ( matches,
with the doubles better because at
least one player on each side was
up at the net,- in the camera’s
range. Generally, the Widest shot
showed the player at the far court
and his returns to the neaf, but
the near court player was invisi
ble. Action was, generally top. fast
to correct the situation by switch-
ing cameras, except on the serve,
when it switched" for the return.

Station did an excellent job in
corralling talent— on-court and off
— for the exhibitions, America's
Gil Shea doubled with Don Budge
to face Neale Fraser and Ashley
Cooper of the Australian Davis Cup
team in the doubles; Shea (net
Cooper in a singles match, and
Curt Nielsen played Herb Flamm
in a final singles set. to round out
the evening. At the. mike, the sta-
tions Sandy Becker presided, but
top tennis personalities like
Budge, Jack Kramer, Bill Talbert,
Vic Seixas and Tony Trabert-]
shared the mike, With Kramer,
Budge and Talbert also calling the
play in fine fashion. .Couple of ad-
ditional treats were the calls by
Australian Davis Cup captain- Har-
ry Hopman and by Aussie sports
announcer Ted Harris, the latter
.working in a Wonderful radio style
that nobody in America can match
when it comes to tennis. Apart
from the visual exhibition, the
audio provided some fascinating
inside stuff, both on the person-
alities and on the Davis Cup race
itself.

Commercials (station sold the
exhibition to the N. Y. Pepsi-Cola
bottling company a couple of days
before) represented something of'
a problem, since the only time
t,hey could be presented was when
the players changed courts. The
one-minute spots were running in-
to the beginnings of new games
(one even ran the full length of a
game) until somebody realized that
there was no rush in the contests,
and then the referee began cueing
the players to start after the com-
mercial ran through. At that, the
blunbs came much too .p£tmi», and
an irritation factor was ‘mtroa^o.
via the fact that"fliey , ‘ ajll \yer?T
filmed blurbs featuring PolVyH&rg- 1
en.” Anyone who watched all two
hours will never forget her.

Chan.

THE LORETTA YOUNG SHOW
(Fear Mo Not)

With Rosalind Russell, host; Phyllis

Thaxter, Robert Preston
Producer: Bert Granet
Director;. Harry Keller.

Writer; Gene Levitt
30 Mins., Sun., 10 p.m,

PROCTER Sc GAMBLE
NBC-TV (film)

{Benton & Bowles)

When Loretta Young hosted and
starred, in her “Loretta Young
Show,” the program, though the
.epitome of the daytime soap trans-
lated to the nighttime half-hour,
[had an identity of its own through
Miss Young’s essay al of the lead
role in whatever the story. Though
the stories were strictly from the
tearjerkers, Miss Young had a
romp through a variety of roles,
replete* with $ different color
hairdo and character every week.
There was a certain ‘fascination to
the show, despite its maudlin
themes.

But with Miss Young out ill, the
show, which started its fall cycle
last week, mow assumes the monot-
onous anonymity of the standard
half-hour anthology series. Miss
Young’s “many Hollywood friends,”
as the billing goes, are pinchhltting
for her, with Rosalind! Russell tak-
ing over 'the first couple of weeks
as the program’s hostess. But Miss
Russell’s role is strictly perfunc-
tory; the first play in the series,
“Fear Me Not,” was enacted by
Phyllis Thaxter and Robert Preston,
with Miss Russell merely doing the
intro and close and pitching away
for clear old Tide;

As for the play, one wonders
whether Miss Young’s heart-throb-
bers wouldn't have been preferable
to this socalled chiller. Strictly
from . the cliche, “Fear Me Not ■
combined the old standard -ingre-
dients— a woman alone during a
storm and an escaped inmate of an
.asylum. Scripter Gene .Levitt
added a Closing twist— the .guy
turned out to be her huband— but
with clumsy acting and direction
and a downright dull script, the
ending was hardly worth waiting
for,.' Preston, who can do a fine
thesping job when occasion de-
mands, gave his stint the bewil-
dered treatment, but it must have
been the script that produced the
state of shock. Miss Thaxter just
looked scared, which probably Was
enough. The “action” consisted of
such weatherbeaten devices as
Preston’s touching Miss Thaxter’s
hair (remember “Of Mice and
Men?”).

Harry Keller’s direction was
static and pointless, but it's pro-
ducer Bert Granet who’s got. to
hcar- the responsibility for picking
the property in the first place.
Miss Young, who together with
hubby Tom Lewis, owns the show
as Lewislor Productions, had better
get well -and back fast if only to
protect her investment. Chan.

. (‘wairi’t answered, Jose.

YOU ARE THERE
(The Attack on Pearl Harbor)
With Walter-. Cronkite, Hayden
Roarke, De Forest Kelley, Roy
Lhinert, Stanley Farrar, Vivi
Janiss, Kara. Tong, Edward
Earle, others
Producer; James Fonda
Director: Bernard Girard
30 Mins.; Sun., 6:30 p.m.
ELECTRIC COS., PRUDENTIAL
CBS-TV (film)

(N. W. Ayer * Calkins & Holden)
For its fall season return Sun-
day (28), “You Are There” went
back to Dec, 7, 1941, the day Japan
attacked Pearl Harbor. Although
within recent memory of the ma-
jority of viewers, the subject can
still pack a wallop if handled
properly. Unfortunately, the “You
Are There” boys did little more
than retrieve some of the sight-
worn newsreel clips and the show
just ' added -up to a pasteup job

(Continued on page 39)

KUKLA, FRAN Sc OLLIE
With Burr Tillstrom, Fran Allison,
. Carolyn Gilbert
Producer: Beulah Zachary
Director: Lewis Gomavitz
15 Mins,; Mon.-thru-Fri., 6 p.m.
GORDON BAKING -
ABC-TV, from Chicago
( D’Arcy )

Television’s durable veterans,
Burr Tillstrom and his puppets, and
Fran Allison, started their ninth
year of Kukla, Fran Bi Ollie with
the same happy formula of de-
lightful whimsy, gentle satire and

expert vocalizing which character-
ized their past eight video years.

Opening show (29) had a couple
of trade items (including a name
mention of William S. Paley and
CBS), a rehash of vacation doings,
some -reading of fan mail (with
Ktfkl&jnow wearing glasses), a visit
with Delores Dragon, Ollie’s young
epusin who now sports a couple of
teeth, and some fine harmonizing
between Kukla and Miss Allison,
and of course, Ollie bit Kukla’s
nose at least once. It all added up
to a nicely paced, entertaining
quarter hour.

Kukla gave effective pitches for
Silvercup Bread, which sponsors
the show in four cities. On the rest
of the network KFO rides as an
ABC-TV Co-op Package. Don.

TEEN PINNERS
With Ray Rayner
Producer-director: Joe Byrne
60 Mins.; Sat., 4. p.m.

Sustaining .

WBBM-TV, Chicago
With bowling displays popping
up all., over the local spectrum,
WBBM-TV is the first to make a
play for the younger keglers. This
Saturday afternoon series from
the Marigold Arcade shapes as
good fun for the teenage tossers
being showcased in the roundrobin
contests and for the fans watching
at home,

ONE TOUCH OF VENUS
With Janet Blair, Russell Nype
. George Gaynes, Laurel Shelby,

Adnia Rice, Mildred Trares,

Mort Marshall, Iggie Wolfington,

Glenn Kezer, others
Producer: Jack Rayel
Director: George Schaefer'

Music; Kurt Weill

Lyrics: Ogden Nash

Original Book: S. J. Perelman,

Nash

TV Adaptation; Schaefer, John

Gerstad

Music Director; Gino Smart
Choreographer: Edmund Balin
90 Minn, Sat. 27); pm,
OLDSMOBILE -
NBC-TV, from New York
CD. P. Brother)

NBC turned up with a tv produc-
tion of Kurt Weill’s “One Touch
of Venus” as last Saturday night's
(27) Oldsmobile-sponsored spec.
Originally presented on Broadway
back in ’43 with Mary Martin,
Kenny Baker and John Boles as
the leads, the tv adaptation starred
Janet Blair, Russell Nype, and
George Gaynes. For a good part
of the 90 minutes, It was diverting
and enjoyable video fare.

This was the same production
that had just concluded a run at
the Dallas State Fair, brought in-
to New York (with an origination
from the NBC Bklyn Studios) for
the coast-to-coast Olds showcasing.
As a forerunner to NBC’s ambi-
tious plans to bring in Stage-tested
out-of-town productions for spec
airings, “Venus” at least demon-
strated that the . Idea is not without
its rewards.

The Ogden Nash-S; J. Perelman
book isn’t exactly an inspired crea-
tion. There are. long stretches in
this , fable of the barber and the
Venus statue corae-to-llfe that are
downright talky and go howhere,.
when one waits patiently for some
of that Weill score. But when it
comes, as when It does more fre-
quently in the second and third
acts, along with -some inventive
choreography for the dance rou- *
tines, then “Venus” more than
makes up for its .book shortcom-
ings, Such numbers as “Speak
Low,” “Foolish Heart,” “I’m A
Stranger Here Myself,” “Wooden
Wedding,” are gems of their kind
and as rendered by Miss Blair and
Nype either in duet or solo again
reminded the viewer of the inde-
structible quality of some of the
late composer’s showtunes,

Thanks to this Jack Rayel pro-
duction, along with George Schaef-
er’s direction .(latter, along with
John Gerstad, did the tv adapta-
tion), plus a fine assist from Gino.
Smart as music director, and Ed-
mund Balin’s choreography (with
Agnes deMille’s original Broadway
creations still hovering over it),,
this video “Venus” spec with re-
duced to a living-rdom viewing
framework in commendable fash-
ion. It’s just unfortunate that
“Venus'. tired libretto couldn’t
keep pace with the show’s other
attributes.

On the basis of her performance,
Miss Blair deserves more than her
present destiny, seemingly that of
a “road company Mary. Martin”
(she also did a three-year ■ stint as
Nellie Forbush '.4n the national
company of “South Pacific.”) On
Saturday’s spec she' was delightful
in her Galatea role, capturing the
essence of this improbable part.
Her voice was ideally suited to
Weill’s somewhat offbeat yet
haunting score (her renditions of
“I’m A Stranger Here Myself” and
“Speak Low” were especially
standout), and her verve and light-
hearted charm were the show’s
major attributes in carrying the
rather heavy-handed story.

Nype did well by Rodney Hatch,
the barber who could dream no
higher than Ozohe Heights, Staten
Island, He, too, got into the spirit
of Venus Revisited and was in
good voice. George Gaynes as the
Savory Museum of Art director,
was a less happy choice.

“Venus” frequently turned some
Stunning magic, with the dissolves
and the superimpositions all blend-
ed with a technical perfection. The
last-act “Ozone Heights Ballet”
was imaginative and smoothly-
wrought choreography — all too
brief. The. production itself could
have benefitted from less book and
more dances. Rose.

friendly rivalry comes across po-
tently. Three match games are
run off each session with the
youngsters vying for the $25 check
which goes to the individual win-
ners and the $500 prize for the
top scorer over the 13-week span.
To assure the kids’ amateur status
all checks go to charities of their
choice.

Ray Rayner hosts the affair in a
genial fashion that nicely fits the
format. Producer - director Joe

Byrne and crew did a neat job of

Wednesday, August 31, 1955

• ' - 9

TV-FILMS

Wednesday,* August 31, 1955

- ARB City-By-City Syndicated and National Spot Film Chart

VARIETY’S weekly chart of city-by-cily ratings of syndicated and na-
tional spot film covers 40 to fiO cities reported by American Research Bureau
on a monthly basis . Cities will be rotated each week , with the 10 top-rated
film shorn listed in each cqse 9 and their competition shown opposite . All
ratings are furnished by ARB? based on the latest reports .

This VARIETY chart represents a. gathering of all pertinent 'informa-
tion about film in each market, which can be used by distributors, agencies,
stations and clients as an aid in determining the effectiveness of a filmed
show in the specific market . Attention should he paid to time— day and

w *

time factors , since sets-in-use and audience composition vary according to
time slot, i.e., a Saturday afternoon children’s show , with a low rating, may '
have a large share and an audience composed largely of children, with cor-
responding results for the sponsor aiming at the children’s market* Abbre-
viations and symbols are as fallows ; ( Adv ), adventure; (Ch), children’s ;
(Co), comedy; (Dr), drama ; (Doc), documentary; ( Mus ), musical ;
(Myst), mystery;* (Q), quiz; ($p), sports; (W), western; /Worn),
women’s . Numbered symbols next to station call letters represent the sta-
tion’s channel; all channels above 1$ are UHF. Those ad agencies V^*ed as
distributors rep the national spot sponsor for whom the film is aired.

TOP 10 PROGRAMS
AND TYPE

STATION

DISTRIB.

DAY AND
TIME

. JULY*
RATING

(•41

SOTS INI . T<

USE f PROGRAM

TOP COMPETING PROGRAM

STA. RATING

PHILADELPHIA

Approx. Set Count — 2,000,000

Stations — WPTZ (3), WFIL (6), WCAU (10)

3. Superman (Adv) . , . . . WCAU

7. Liberace (Mus) WPTZ .

8. Badge 714 (Myst) ...... WCAU

8. Hopalong Cassidy (W) ........ WFIL .

. .Sun. 6:30-7:00

.16.1 ...

22.2

Science Fiction Theatre.

. . . WFIL .

• * i » « i 3*5

, .Tues. 10:30-*ll:00 ......

1R. R

42.0

The Search

. . . WCAU

;i5.5

• 1 « «

. , . Flamingo.

. Mon. 7:00-7:30 ........

■ 12«6 *+••*••♦•

73....

*17.3

Award Theatre . . .......

. . . WPTZ

• • « •

. .Thurs. 10:30-11:00

• 10.8 *••»•«••«

37.2

/Mystery Hour. ..........

. WPTZ

..... Ziv

. Wed. 7:00-7:30

.10.3 .

44. ,

23.2

Award Theatre ..........

. . . WPTZ

, Award Theatre; News. ,

. t AVJPTZ

i*» « i • » *11*1

. . . . . MCA

. Sat 10:30-il:0rt

i n. n

30 .;......

33.2

Ford Plavhouse .........

...WFIL .

....... 14.5

• • • 4

. Sat. 11:00-11:30 .......

i 9*9 < • i • < • • .i <

a4...^

29.0

Ford. Playhouse

. . . WFIL .

NBC . . ,

. Fri 7 *00-7 *30

• 9.2

.21.4

Award Thpflti*p

... . WPTZ

n.o

Award Theatre; News.

. . . WPTZ

NBC . .

. Wed. 5:00-5:30

P Q

19.3

Penky Lee

. . . WPTZ

....... 6.0

• • • •

......MCA*

.Mon. 10:30-11:00 ......

• 8.9 **••••••»

34.9

Summer Theatre ........

. . . WCAU

DETROIT

Approx. Set Count— 1,470,000 Stations — WJBK (2), WJ (4), WXYZ (7), CKLW (9)

1. Badge 714 (Myst)

.WWJ..

...NBC. ,.v

Sun. 10:00-10:30 .

93 It

. . . . 68

34.7

Bandstand Revue . . . . .......

WJBK

7 7

2. Mr, District Attorney (Myst).

.WWJ. .

Ziv

.Wed. 9:30-10:00 .

17 Q

. ... 36.

49'4

US Steel Hour.

WJBK

3. I Led 3 Lives (Dr) ,

.WJBK.

Fri. 9:30-10:00 ..

• • • ^ • • •16*1 • • ♦

.... 53...,....,

30.4

So This Is Hollywood. ......

WWJ .

6.6

3. Amos *n’ Andy (Com) . .

WWJ. .

CBS.

.Wed. 10:00-10:30

i it i

36.9

Famous Plavhouse . . .

WXYZ

5. Man Behind the Badge (Myst)

.WJBK.

. .MCA

.Sat. 9:30-10:00 . .

lli Q

, . . , ■ 59

26.9

Your Plav Timfe ............

wwj V

5.8

6. Mayor of the Town (Com) ....

WWJ. .

.........MCA

.Mon. 10:00-10:30

iR'n

.... 35

42.0

Hot Rod Racer

WXYZ

,18.1

7. Death Valley Days (W) ......

.WJBK.

.Tues. 10:00-10:30

»*»«•• • 13*1

43.5

Stage 7 — Waterfront. .......

WXYZ

8. Inspector Mark Sabor (Adv).

.WJBK.

Thurs. 10:00-10:30

*••••> 12.4 , » • • •

35. ........

35.8

Michigan Outdoors . ........

WWJ .

9. Guy Lombardo (Mus)

.CKLW.

.Tues. 9:30-10:00 .

• •••••• 11*7 • • »,* *

.... 25

45.8

Damon Runyon * Theatre . . , .

WTBK

16.6

10. Secret File, USA (Doc). . ...

.WWJ. ,

Official

•Mon. 9:30-10*00 .

. . . . . -.10.8

22.

49.0

Hot Rod Racer.

WXYZ

16.1

SAN FRANCISCO

Approx. Set Count —

Stations — KRON (4)

, KPIX (5), KGO (7),

KOVR (13)

1. Mr. District , Attorney (Myst).

KRON.

Fri. 10:30-11:00 .

25.1

31.9

San Francisco Tonight. . , . . .

KGO .

2. City Detective (Myst)

. KRON.

. Fri. 10:00-10:30 ,

...... .21 9 .... .

; . . 57

38.3

Undercurrent

KPIX

2. Badge 714 (Myst). .

. KPIX . .

NBC*. .

Wed. 9:00-9:30 ..

21.9

.... 38

57.2

Kraft TV Theatre

KRON

4. Passport to Danger (Adv) ....

.KRON.

Tues. 10:30-11:00

21.5 . ...

.... 67

31.8

San Francisco Tonight

KGO .

*•••*. t « 6*6

5. The Whistler (Myst)

.KRON.

Wed. 10:30-11:00

...... .19.5

.... 71

27.5

San Francisco Tonierht. . . . . .

KGO .

....... 3 7

6. I Led 3 Lives (Dr)

.KRON.

Ziv

Mon. 10*30-11:00

19 1

26.3

San Francisco Tonight TCOO 4.0

7. Victory at Sea (Doc)

.KRON.

Sun. 10:30-11:00 .

18.5

.... 68

27.1

Stage 7

KPIX

8. Waterfront (Adv) . . '.

. KRON.

MCA...

.Fri. 8:30-9:00 ...

18.4. . . . .

.... 37

49.5

Topper

KPIX

21,6

9. Life of Riley (Com)

.KPIX..

Thurs. 7:00-7:30 .

17.2

. . . . 51 ........ .

33.5

Star and the Story

KRON

6.7

10. Superman (Adv)

. KGO. .

.Wed. 6:30-7:00 ..

...... -16.2.....

.... 56..

29.0

Bob Cummings

KRON

8.1

INDIANAPOLIS

Approx . Set Count— 665,000

Stations r-

-WTTV (4), WFBM (6), WISH (8)

1. City Detective (Myst) . . ; . .

. WFBM.

...MCA

. Sat. 9:00-9:3B 5 '.'. .

59. 7

.... 54

40.7

TV Top Tunes

WISH

11.8

2. Man Behind the Badge (Myst)

.WFBM.

.Mon. 8:30-9:0();, *,

« * • » i' 18,7 •••’••

.... 48...

38.7

Ethel & Albert .

WISH,

3. Waterfront (Adv)

. WTTV.

...MCA. .

.Tues. 8:30-9:00 Vi

b *•"•*• • • -« 16*4 « • • # •

.... 37. .

43.8

Spotlight Playhouse. . . . . . .

WISH

3. Wild BillJHickok (W) ...... .

.WFBM.

Flamingo. » . . . .>

.Sat. 5:30-6:00 ...

*«••»(< 16*4 r • | | •

77.........

21.3

Early Show.

WISH

5. Passport to Danger (Adv) ....

.WFBM.

Thurs,9:00-9:30 ,

*••••#* 13*8 • • • • •

.... 25

53.8

Lux Video Theatre

WTTV

6. Hopalong Cassidy .(W)

.WFBM.

Sat. 10:30-11:00 .

,*•••*, 13*2 •***.*

.... 70. ........

17.5

Captain Midnight . ...... ...

WISH

3.8

7. Little Rascals (Ch)

.WTTV.

, Fri. 5*00-5:30 ...

25.3

• Chuckwagon Tales

WFBM

...... 6.9

7. Eddie Cantor (Com)

. WFBM

Tues. 9:30-10:00 .

• •• • * • *12*4 •• ••«

.... 24.........

50.2 '

Damon Runyon Theatre ....

WISH

9. Annie Oakley (W) \ . . .

. WFBM

.Wed. 5:30-6:00 . .

: 12.2

19.3

Early Show

WISH

... 6.2

10. Meet Corliss Archer (Com) . .

.WFBM,

Ziv

Thurs. 9:30-10:00

.12.0

.... 23/ :.

52.0

Lux Video Theatre . . i

WTTV

27.4

HOUSTON AREA Approx. Set Count— 380,000 Stations — KPRC (2), KGUL (11), KTRK (13)

•

1. Racket Squad (Myst)

.KPRC. ..*

. .ABC

..... Sun. 9:00-9:30

. 40.1

85.

47.2

Sunday News Special.

. KGUL

4.8*

Bill Robert's Camera . . . .

.KGUL

2. Amos V Andy (Com)

. KPRC ........

. .CBS

Fri. 8:30-9:00

.37.8.

78.

*••'•*••• 48*5

Science Fiction Theatre . . . .

. KGUL

3, Star and the Story (Dr) ....

.KPRC

. .Official

. 28.3

65.

43.7

Hollywood Off-Beat

. KTRK

7.9

4. I Led 3 Lives (Dr) . .

.KPRC

. .Ziv.

•‘28*2 »

61.

46.3

Damon Runyon Theatre . . . .

. KGUL

5. Soldiers of Fortune (Adv) . . .

.KPRC........

. .MCA. .......

. Fri. 8:00-8:30

.26.3

69.

37.8

Undercurrent

. KGUL

8.1

6. Heart of the City (Adv) ....

.KPRC

. .MCA

Sat. 9:00-9:30

» 26*2 *•••••••»

66.

39.8

Dangerous Assignment .....

.KGUL

7. City Detective (Myst) ......

.IfcPRC

. .MCA

Wed. 10:00-10:30 !.....

.24,1 * •,• •«•«•*

70.

• ••«•••» 34*5

Late Show No, 1

.KGUL

8. Badge 714 (Myst) ..........

.KPRC

, NBC

Thurs. 10:00-10:30

99 9

73.

30.4

Late Show No. 1.

. KGUL

6.9

9. Ramar of the Jungle (Adv).

KPRC ........

. TPA . • ... • i • . .

Sat. 5:30-6:00 .........

• 21*7 * * * , * * i < «

70.

....««*, 30,8

Show Wagon

.KTRK

«**«,!« 4*9

9 * ; {KIprc

•Tziv*,

* w ' __J, • 4 ^ *» tf * . \ t. • lu • * *

. 21.7 . . j | .

*58.

37.5

^ate i . . V. V. *.

! KGtJL

• • *,)iH ( 1^4 5

Wednesday, Angnsl 31, 1953

PfiitlEff

TV-FILMS St

*—+ — " 4

k/Vl V V1K UVIII0 * UIIUI^ VI VI 11 11*

Screen Gems is reported Jn final stages of negotiation for the
. outright purchase of Television Programs of America. Should
the deal go through — and most of the financial details it’s under-
stood nave been finalized — the Columbia telefilm subsidiary would
become the most powerful independent packager in the telefilm
field, 3 and at the same time would acquire a large field sales
force .which would make it preeminent in syndication.

Understood the purchase woiild come in the form of a capital
gains deal for. the three principals in TPA, Edward Small, Milton
Cordon and Miehael M. Sillerman, who founded TPA in Septem-
ber of '1953. TPA would continue tentatively as a separate operat-
ing coVnpany under the management of the same trio, but eventually
would be absorbed by Screen Gems. During the transition period,
TPA’s network programs presumably would go under the Screen
Gems roof, while the TPA sales force would handle its own and
, Screen ’Gems', properties for syndication. •

At present, Screen Gems leads the pack in terms of telefilm
programs sold on a network basis, with TPA also highly successful
in 'that category. Screen Gems list of network entries includes
"Ford Theatre,” “Father-Knows Best,” “Damon Runyon Theatre,”
“Rin Tin Tin,” “Captain Midnight” and “Tales of the Texas
Rangers.” In addition, it has national spot deals on “Celebrity
Playhouse” and the Patti Page show, TPA has network entries
in “Lassie,” “Halls of Ivy,” “Captain Gallant of the Foreign
Legion” and "Fury;”

Screen Gems^mg weakness has been its lack of a syndicated
sales force of any dimension, with a. small force handling local
Sales of its network reruns and non-network firStruns of its series, >
At the same time TPA has had a problem in that it has maintained
a large syndicated sales* setup but by virtue of its network sales
has been unable to supply the field force with enough product.
Under the transition period, the TPA force would presumably be
reinforced product-wise with the. Screen Gems replays.

• „ •

vidoic Fete at Edinburgh Pic rest

Edinburgh, Aug. 23. 4

With -the Edinburgh Film Festi-
val vying currently with the big-
ger music-drama fest for attention, ]
the new British . focus on tv is
spotlighted by a Festival section
catering purely for films for tv.
Many companies have entered
films under this head, including
“Atlantic Night,” produced by the
Douglas Fairbanks Ltd. organiza-
tion. This is a 26-minute film,
about the California, which watch-
ed the sinking of the Titanic after
she hit an iceberg in the Atlantic
with the loss of 1,503 lives.

“Atlantic Night” is a represent-
ative short from the Current year's
series of 39 such films produced
by the Fairbanks group. Subject
matter varies from drama and sus-
pense stories to melodrama and
sophisticated comedy.

. Other films for television sked-j
ded for inclusion here are “Trans-
atlantic Teleview,” the series aim-!
ed at tv distribution in the U.S. by
British Information Services, -N.Y-,, I
“The Wallace Collection” (Great
Britain, BBC Television Service),
“Toby and the Tall Corn” (U.S.;
TV Radio Workshop), “Snowdrift
at Bleath Gill” (Great Britain) and
“The Lark” (Rumania; ' Studio of
Feature Films Bucuresti).

A Soviet contribution to the
television section is “Devotion,” a
film lasting 107 minutes, in- Sov-
color, and made by Mosfijm Studio
tinder direction of I, Pyriev. Set
in present-day Moscow, it follows
the story of an average working-
class Soviet family, and has good
backgrounds of dally life in Mos-
cow plus absorbing sequences of
the Arctic wastelands.

A French tv entry, made by
(Continued on page 34)

Promotions, V.P. Stripes

MCA-TV Film Syndication has
lipped three execs to vicepresiden-
cies and at the same time set up a
new divisional sales operation with
one of the new veeps in charge.
Hank Long, western sales manager,
Will move to Cleveland as v.p. over
the new Mid-Eastern Regional
Sales division, joining' . D'Arv G.
Bhrton, _v,p* over station sales for
the midwest in running the new
mid-east operation, which covers
five MCA offices.

Two other promotions to v.p. are
Tom McManus, who’s been eastern
sales chief for the past nine
months, and Ray Wild, southwest
regional sales manager. Robert
Greenberg, v.p. in charge of west-
ern station sales, will assume the
additional duties of western sales
manager left by .Dong's Shift to
Cleveland. • 1 - * * * • • » • 1

It V Little Leo for TV

■Hollywood, Aug. 30.

Leo the Lion has a little
brother.

Metro’s vidpix series, the
MGM Parade, will be trade-
marked with a “Little Leo,”
emulating studio’s Leo the
Lion stamp on all pix from
the Culver City lot.

Lion cub will mascot the
ABC-TV telefilm series start-
ing Sept. 14. Daws Butler will
do voice and manipulation of
the dummy of '“Little Leo.”

SGs O’seas Splash
With Lotsa Sales

Screen Gems* international sales
setup, which was heralded a couple
of months ago with the appoint-
ment of John B. Cron as director
of European sales, got off - the
ground last week with finalization
of the sale of “Ford Theatre” to
the ITA in Great Britain on a 52-
week basis, along with sales- of 13
“Fords,” 13 “Rin Tin Tin” shows
and 13 “Captain Midnights” to
Italy and 52 "Rinnies* to France.
French deal was with Radiodiffu-
sion Francaise and . Italian sales to
Radio TeleviSione Italiana, with
dubbing to be done in those two
countries.

In the works are sales in Hol-
land, Thailand, Australia and other
countries. “Father Knows Best” is
being sold to Holland, where an
“electronic dubbing” setup will be
used experimentally. “Rin Tin Tin”
and “Jungle Jim” are almost firm
for Thailand, while negotiations
are current on seven Screen Gems
properties for Australia.

ABC Film Syndication
In 3 New Rank Sales

ABC Film Syndication has
wrapped up three additional deals
on its “Anniversary Package.” of

15 J. Arthur Rank features, two of
them directly to sponsors. Schlitz
Beer bought the package for its
feature film showcase on WTMJ-
TV in Milwaukee via Lennen &
Newell, while Thorofare Supermar-
kets, via Ketchum, MacLeod &
Groye, bought the films for show-
ing on KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh.
Other .sale was to WBZ-TV, Boston.

Sales bring the total up to 12
I foaritttS. • • • *3

Availability of large rerun pack-
ages hot off the network griddles
has stimulated a new rush toward
daytime stripping of telefilm. Back
of the inclination of stations
toward greater use of half-hour
syndicated properties in the day-
time is a drive toward recapturing
much of the national spot coin
that has gone into the network
participating shows, such as
NBC-TV’s “Today”-“Home”-“Tp-
night” “magazine concept” spot
carriers.

Lack of top local programming
in the daytime has caused 'national
spot bankrolled to veer away
from local timebuying in many
instances in favor of the network
spot carriers. Stations feel that
with top-name film packages, even
though they are network rerun
shows, they can bring back some
of that national spot coin. Where
a spot buyer previously shied away
-from a local cooking show, he
shows no hesitancy in ordering a
schedule for a nationally-known
property like “My Little Margie,”
which recently hit the syndicated
marts.

Indicative of the big rush toward
daytime stripping are some of the
“Margie” sales under the Official
Films Banner. In on the five-a-
week banner- are WGN-TV in
-Chicago; WNAC-TV in. Boston;
KMBC-TV, Kansas City; KEYD-
TV, Minneapolis; WPTZ, Philadel-
phia; WXYZ-TV, Detroit; WSIX-
TV, Nashville; WFAA-TV, Dallas;
KGUL-TV, Galveston and several
others. Many of these outlets are
going one step further ancl buying
other series to play them back-to-
back covering an hour, 90 minutes
or even two hours of daytime
blocks, \

- Apart from the availability of
the network packages, which in-
clude “Trouble With Father,” “The
Ray Bolger Show,” “Public De-
fender,” and the once-nationaliy-
fepotted ‘Foreign Intrigue,” there’s
the factor that most of these
properties contain at least two
years' product, anywhere from 65
films up, with the “Margie.” list
as high as 126 pix and “Intrigue”
having 156 in the can. Stations
can strip without too many repeats
when there are that many avail-
able. In ■ the past, stripping has
been limited because .of that fac-
tor, with “Racket Squad,” which
was one' of the first rerun pack-
ages available, getting most of the
strip treatment by virtue of the
fact that it had 98 films in the
can,

- From the distribution stand-
point, the strip technique is ideal,
both as a fast method of recoup-
ment and because, since the films
are sold for daytime, doesn’t cre-
ate any time availability problems
as some nighttime rerun sales do.
Pricing is so arranged that the
distrlb can recoup faster than he
would were the shows sold once-a-
week, yet so that the station can

(Continued on pag$;34), i; , ...

OF NAMES JAFFE
EXEC V.P.; OP RUSH

Herb Jaffe has been named ex-
ecutive v.p. of Official Films, with
Herman Rush, already a v.p., mov-
ing into Jaffe’s spot as veep over
sales. Rush, who has been Coast
veep for Official, will relocate in
New York, with frequent Coast
visits on his slate*

Jaffe, an MCA vet, joined Offi-
cial about a year and a half ago as
national sales manager after a stint
as eastern sales chief of Motion Pic-
tures for Television’s syndication
setup. He got his v.p. stripes short-
ly thereafter, handling administra-
tive matters as well as sales. Exec
vicepresidency is a new position
for the company. Rush, who has
been with Official virtually since
its formation, has operated in all
areas, at one time handling all
syndicated sales and latterly be-
coming v.p. Both Jaffe and Rush
are board members of the com-
pany. ■ ■ ? J ^ (t ;u * - J') 1 1 .< '-•()

Raycroft Ankles Orr
For V.P. Post at R-G-K

Russ Raycroft has resigned as
radio-tv director of the Robert W.
Orr agency to join the new Roland
Reed-Gross-Krasne TV Commer-
cials Incn- operation has head of
sales in N. Y. Raycroft gets a v.p,
stripe in the new operation and
will represent the firm on commer-
cial deals with the Gotham agen-
cies/

Raycroft is opening new Fifth
Ave. offices for the firm after La-
bor Day and wilt be joined by
Hamp Howard, Roland Reed Pro-
ductions veep in charge of N. Y.
industrial sales. Howard's and Ray-
croft’s operations will be complete-
ly divorced, but they ’ll share the
new space.

131 British Fibs

Newly reactivated Cinema- Vue
Corp.' has made its first big prod-
uct acquisition via two deals for

distribution of 131 British features

from American-British TV Movies.
Inc. Deals involve 100 features
from American-British, plus a pack-
age of 31 additional features from
Clift .TV Films, an American-Brit-
ish subsid. All of the features are
of late vintage, with the Clift pack-
age including four Alexander Kor-
da pix ma'de in 1953 and 1954.

Deals were set between Ameri-
can-British and Clift prez Nathan
Kramer and Cinema-Vue’s Joseph
P. Smith. Smith recently reacti-
vated Cinema- Vue after exiting
Guild Films, where he was v. p.
over syndicated sales. Cinema-
Vue’s rights to the films under the
deals are straight distribution
pacts, with American-British and
Clift retaining distribution in some
markets where they have already
sold the packages.

Most of the pix In the group are
out *>t Eros Films, with which Kra-
mer has a close theatrical and tv
tie, having set some new product
on tv even before their theatrical
bows. The Korda group consists of
“The Elusive Pimpernel” (David
Niven), “Mr. Denning Drives
North” (John Mills, Phyllis Cal-
vert, Sam Wanamaker), “Home At
Seven” (Ralph Richardson) and
“The Holly and the Ivy”. (Richard-
son). Other pix in the package in-
clude such theatrically-distribbed
films as “Scotch on the Rocks/’
“Brandy for the Parson” and “No
Orchids for Miss Blandish.”

Smith left this week on a six-
week tour of 12 key cities, both
to start selling the package and
to set personnel and open branches
,in those markets. Tour will take
in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Fran-
cisco, Portland, Dallas and Atlanta,
among others.

SUNSHINE BISCUIT x
SMILES ON WOR-TV

WOR-TV/ N. Y., has latched onto
the first client for the two new
availabilities it has created in
“Million Dollar Movie” by ex-
panding. the setup from seven
sponsor? to nine. It’s Sunshine
Biscuits, which via Cunningham &
Walsh, is dropping its station break
schedule on WCBS-TV. Interest-
ing facet to the deal is the fact that
Sunshine is dropping 20-second ad-
jacencies to Jack Benny, Jackie
Gleason, “I Love Lucy” and “Our
Miss Brooks” to take on the MMM
schedule, for the reason that it
will get one-minute announcements
on the feature show, while the 20-
second adjacencies it possessed
weren’t long enough to tell Jh^

Hollywood, Aug. 30. ,

Hollywood's telepix producers
are buying fewer stories from New
York because Gotham literary
agents representing virtually all
top published material are banding
together to demand, restrictive
terms, and are showing favoritism
toward the major film studios. So
says Warren Lewis, Four Star Pro-
ductions producer, who points out
that the agents won't allow .the
indie telefilm producers to option
motion picture rights to the prop-
erties they buy for telefilm produc-
tion.

Another restriction imposed by
the N. Y> agents,, says Lewis, is;
their, demand for contracts pro-
hibiting the producer from show-
ing the vidpic after five or. seven
years, “Distributors and banks —
the latter active as financiers of
telefilms— won’t finance production
unless the producers, have the per-
petual Use of the pictures,” Lewis
said. “But the. N. Y. agents want
to limit usage of these films which
are the only security for banks and
distributors.”

Lewis reported that the top
Gotham agents have grouped to-
gether in the Society of Authors*
Representative?. But when he
wrote to its exec secretary, Don W.
Rumsey, outlining his complaints,
Lewis’ letter was referred to some-
one at the Brandt & Brandt agency
and he never received a reply.
Lewis said he “only got the brush”
after two trips to N. Y. in an at-
tempt .to straighten out the mat-
ter.

Four Star dropped plans for a
series, Lewis said, due to restric-
tive terms sought by the N. Y.
agents* “The agents Won’t estab-
lish a pattern of purchase so that
the independent producer can get
motion picture rights, With major
studios, the- reverse is true. They
buy the picture rights and get the
tv rights too. We feel that if we

(Continued on page 34)

GUILD TRIMS STAFF;

18 CLERKS GET AXE

Guild Films did some economic
retrenfhmen L k r ast week,
dropping a total of 18 clerical em-
ployees: Guild president Reub
Kaufman said the firings were
made to eliminate overlapping of
functions, particularly in the fea-
ture film operation. He said that
when Guild took over distribution
of the Motion Pictures for Televi-
sion feature library, some 30-odd
MPTV clerical personnel were
brought over to handle booking,
etc. Since that time, Guild person-
nel have learned the routine and
many of the functions of the MPTV
people have been absorbed, leaving
duplication in several departments.

No executive or sales personnel
were involved.

‘Oprjr’s’ Second Sponsor;
Sold in 90 Markets

Flamingo Films landed its Sec-
ond large regional deal on “Stars
of the Grand Ole Opry,” selling
the show to Golden State Dairies
for all California markets except
three. Total excludes Santa Bar-
bara, San Diego and Los Angeles,
with the series sold in L. A. to
KCOP, which is taking the unusual
step of backing the pix with each
other to create an hour show. Gold-
en State deal, involving about 10
markets, was set via Guild, Bas-
comb & Bonfigli agency of San
Francisco.

Armstrong Packing Co., a divi-
sion of Swift & Co. which had al-
ready picked “Opry” up in Dallas,
extended its sponsorship, buying it
in Austin and Longview, with an
eye on additional markets. Pills-
bury, the show's first big regional
client, is also eyeing additional
markets after only three weeks on
the^ air in most situations. Total
markets in which the show is sold
rose to 90 this week, with indi-
vidual sales to KEYD-TV in Min-
neapolis and a Denver, sponsorship
- Heal* f the 'fegTdna-l A * ^

AJjR/fiFr

Wednesday, August 31, 1955

Wednesday, August 31, 1953

rifc

Mid-America always gets news-making excitement from WMAQ s
NIGHT DESK program, Monday through Friday from 10:00

* i . -i

to 10:30 p.m. But on August 18th, listeners really hit the jackpot.

• 9 • ••

On that night, police were closing in on an accused cop-killer, object

of the biggest manhunt in Chicago in two decades. NIGHT DESK

<■

reporter John Chancellor was right there -*■ the only broadcaster
who was at the scene to give listeners an exclusive description
of the action as it developed.

Within minutes, bulletins informed the station's audience of the

gunmahs capture. They were the to know of it. And at

10:00 p.m., WMAQ’s NIGHT DESK listeners heard Chancellor's

on-the-spot tape-recording.

* *

The scoop didn't end there. Chancellor scored his second news
beat of the evening when his microphone caught the interrogation
of the wounded gunman by Chicago detectives.

variety called NIGHT DESK's performance of August 18th
“one of the top radio reporting jobs of this or any other year,"

By keeping on top of events like this, as they're happening ,

NIGHT DESK has become one of the most listened-to

* * * *

and talked-about programs in Chicago. It's only one of the
many reasons WMAQ is what it is — the station
advertisers turn to for their strongest radio impact oh' •

America's second-richest market.

RADIO IN CHICAGO
represented by NBC Spot Sales

RADIO-TELEVISION

P^SistETr

Wednesday, August 31, 1955

The 50 kw. Boys

Continued from pare 26

are derived from coverage and cost
information.

The statement that 50 kw outlets
can’t complete for local business
sounds like it came from a 1935
Variety instead of August, 1955.
WHDH is a 50 kw outlet that is
estimated will do 50% more local
business as its nearest competitor,
three times as the third station and
almost 28% of the total market.

As far as costs of operations are
concerned, of the four top stations,
the staffs are about equal, the
union . scales similar, and talent
costs about the same. True there
are other stations in the area that
operate at half the cost or less but
they are no factor in the local or
national spot picture.

I think your article, “How the
Mighty Have Fallen,” is misleading
and detrimental to the radio busi-
ness in general.

William B. McGrath
Managing Direqtor, WHDH

Philly, Speaks Out

Philadelphia.

Editor, Variety:

In the case of most 50 KW sta-
tions and WCAU in particular,
your article could rather have read,
“50 KW's continue K.O.-ing com-
petition,” inasmuch as WCAU’s
story is in direct refutation of your
case for small-station radio. This
claim is based on two points: first
sales in 1954 on WCAU radio
marked an alltime high in its 32-
year history for local business, and
in the first seven periods of 1955
is 60% ahead of last year’s record.
This is the sixth consecutive year
of increased local billings, proving
not only the competitiveness of
WCAU, but its ability to satisfy a
local as well as regional network
advertiser.

Second, programming. WCAU
has not fallen “into a lethargy,
program-wise,” by any means. Un-
like many other stations, WCAU
has not adopted an economical
news-record-news-record program-
ming, but has successfully com-
peted for audience and maintained
its sales appeal by. continuing to
produce a variety of big, live, ex-
citing shows, covering music,
drama, sports, elections, commun
ity service and audience participa-
tion.

Another point in your story ac-
cents the “A” county superiority
of smaller stations, A metropolitan
market like Philadelpthia is not
the typical “A” county market.
Pulse defines it as an eight county
market. This ties in with the tre-
mendous decentralization program

being carried on by almost every
big department store, .(following
Wanamaker’s New York lead) shop-
ping center, industry, bank, etc.
Branches of all types of retailing
operations are springing up in the.
counties surrounding Philadelphia
at an unparalleled .rate'. Therefore
it is fallacious to say, that merch-
ants are not interested in prospects
outside the “A” county. In our own
instance, it turns out that big radio
is the only way to reach all of their
prospects. Newspaper penetration
in surrounding counties as well as
Philadelphia county has steadily
declined, while advertising rates
have increased. The Philadelphia
Inquirer, for example, has in-
creased rates 15.7% since 1950
with a 6% drop in circulation.

With all this, we do not. feel that
WCAU radio is an exception to
other 50 kw clear channel stations.
The situation in radio broadcasting
has changed every five years in one
way or another. Since its inception,
alert aggressive management has
always been necessary and while
news-records programming might
be a successful formula, right now
for some stations, we are not con-
tent With it and it is our firm be-
lief that our sales record prove we
are right. There are too many sta-
tions competing for the total audi-
ence with that formula. It is not,
by any means a panacea for radio’s
problems, rather it is an easy way
out which threatens to reduce radio
to the mediocrity of sameness. The
news and music formula is fre-
quently operated with a skeleton
staff and the “Rip and Read” tech-
nique. At WCAU, the host of an-
nouncers, sales merchandising and
promotion counselors available to
every client is immeasurable in
terms of added value received to
national and local advertisers.

Joseph T. Connolly
(V. P. In Charge Radio
Programming, WCAU.)

program featuring Michaela and
Armand Denis,

The studios close from 6 to 7,
(to ,give parents a chance to put
their children to bed), and .after
a brief newscast, the evening pro-
gram includes Boris Karloff as
“Colonel March of Scotland Yard,”
a vaude feature from the Wood
Green Television Theatre, and
“The Jack Jackson Show” from
the Embassy Club.

Sunday transmissions start at 2
with the Liberace program, to be
followed by “Free Speech” a dis-
cussion on current affairs by key
political personalities. For the next
half-hour, they will telecast the
Ford Playhouse series under the
title *‘J3tage 55.” Other Sunday
afternoon features include The Roy
Rogers series and “The Adventures
of Robin Hood.”

On Sundays, the afternoon-to-
evening shutdown extends to 7:30
and the evening programs include
three major attractions — “Sunday
Night at the Palladium,” “The
Theatre Royal” series, which will
tee off with “Bardell v. Pickwick,”
and “I Love Lucy.”

A-R start their first full week
of telecasting on Sept. 26 and dur-
ing that week, their programs will
include “Four Star Theatre,” “The
Hilton Hour,” “The Scarlet Pim-
pernel” and Sir John Barbirolli
with the Halle orch.

Edinburgh

Continued from page 31

Brit. Com’l TV Preem

Continued from page 25

This runs an hour and then the
studios . go dark until 3 in the
afternoon, when they stage the
“ABC Music Show.” That is fol-
lowed by the U. S. import, “My
Hero,” starring Robert Cummings.
Other afternoon features include
“The ABC Childrens Club,” a
HansfChristian Andersen film series
lensed in Denmark and a jungle

Telefilms of France, is “Monsieur
et Madame Curie,” story of the
discovery of radium by Pierre and
Marie Curie. Text is an extract
from the book of Marie Curie on
“Pierre Curie.”

A native tv entry is “Festival in
Edinburgh,” a 14-minute color pic
about Edinburgh in August, and
showing such Festival types as
Ann Todd, Margot Fonteyn, orchs,
singers and dancers. Commentary
is by Scot-born actor Alastair Sim.
It is aimed at the U.S. tv market.

Opening entry was “Der Letzte
Akt” (The Last Act), a two-hour
Austrian feature, directed by G. W.
Pabst, who made “Kameradschaft”
and “The Loves of Jeanne Ney.”
It traces, grimly and realistically,
but always in absorbing fashion,
the story of the last 10 days of
Adolf Hitler.

Pic, welcomed by crix, is script-
ed by novelist Erich Maria Remar-
que, author of “All Quiet on the
Western Front.” It is based on the
novel, “Ten Days to Die,” by M. A.
Musmanno, and is released through
Columbia Pictures.

LEE SEGALL

Creator-Owner of

DR. I.Q.

and the BIG BOARD — SING
For Dough — Catch as Catch CAN

HAS ANOTHER ONE!

“Let's Try Again”

Here's How ft Works:

Monitors watch the leading quiz pro-
grams on the networks — they note the
questions missed on each program and
the amount of money each question was
valued.

LET'S TRY AGAIN then asks the con-
testants the questions that were missed
and the original amount offered is paid
if answered correctly.

Think of the possibilities that this
unique and simple program offers!

It reviews for the listener the top quiz
programs of the week and offers an*
other chance!

It has appeal!

It has variety!'

It offers laughs, music, novelty, and
real entertainment.

It offers EVERY element that insures
a rating!

If You Want " Something Different 11
Here It Is!

tit

Contact: LEE SEGALL

Shadywood Lane

All-Out Flood Aid

Continued from page 2Z

Main St.” Both the ABC and CBS
shows were coupled with appeals
for donations.-

On , the local level, stations
throughout the northeast were
staging their own fundraising
drives. In Springfield, Mass., the
five normally-competitive stations
— WSPR, WHYN, WACE, WMAS
and WTXL — are pooling their tal-
ents arid facilities tomorrow night
(Thurs.) for a 7:3Q-midnight fund-
raising show- which all five stations
will carry. In New York, indie
WINS is staging a solicitation drive
in conjunction with WGTH in
Hartford and WVPO in Strouds-
burg, handing all its collections
over to the two outlets to distribute
as ttfey see fit. WABC, the ABC
Radio flagship, has “adopted” An-
sonia, Conn., while WPIX, the
Daily, News television outlet, has
done the same with Winsted,- Conn.
WMGM,’ the Loew’s-owned indie,
has prepared a 16-hour “Floodo-

Hurricane Network

A “Hurricane Network” cov-
ering the entire east coast
with stations cooperating to
give each other radio and
phoned bulletins in ca"es of
hurricane and flood disaster
has been organized by WINS,
N.Y. and WVEC in Norfolk,
Idea stems from WINS’ highly
effective improvised phone
hookup weekend before last
during the floods created by
Hurricane Diane.

Network, organized by WINS’
Bob Leder and WVEC’s Thom-
as P. Chisman, will intercon-
nect by beeper phone stations
as far south as Vero Beach,
Fla., and north to Boston.
WVEC will act as central in-
formation point for the middle
and south coastal areas, while'
WINS will be the focussing
point for the northern an,d
New England states. Many of
the same stations which- par-
ticipated in the WINS hookup
on the floods will participate
and more will be added. Serv-
ice will maintain liaison with
government and disaster
groups, exchanging informa-
tion where needed.

thon” which was originally to be
staged today' (Wed) but which the
station 'is holding off on a stand-by
basis at the request of the Red
Cross.

Networks presumably will con-
tinue throughout this week and
next with special programs and ap-
peals for flood relief. Tonight
(Wed.), CBS-TV’s "U.S. Steel
Hour,” will devote a portion of its
time for a fund appeal from Fed-
.eral Civil . Defense . Administrator
Val Peterson. Tomorrow (Thurs.)
at 8 p.m., CBS Radio will present
a special documentary, “The Ter-
rible Rain,” covering the flood
story of Putnam, Conn., based on
interviews and tapes taken by Lou
Cioffi and Jay McMullen.

WBZ-TV Raises $5,000

Boston, Aug. 30.

More than $5,000 was raised for
flood relief in a 24-hour telethon
conducted by WBZ-TV and radio
with studio performers auctioning
off their clothing and all kinds of
items, ranging from apples to elec-
tric broilers. The. simulcast appeal
to all New England went on Friday
night (19) and finished Saturday
morning (20).

Nelson Bragg, star of the tv sta-
tion’s “Swanboat” show auctioned
off- his suspenders; Carl De Suze
of WBZ-WBZA’s morning show,
auctioned off his shirt and belt;
and Rod MacLeish, news director
of WBZ-WBZA, auctioned off the
necktie he had worn .through the
floods. All the personal items
went at fancy prices.

WTIC's $260,000

Hartford, Aug. 30.

In a “Flood Bank” drive, started
with the first floods and carried
on for three days and three nights
of continuous broadcasting, WTIC
here raised over $260,000 in tele-
phoned pledges for the American
Red Cross disaster relief fund.

Requests for donations by mail
are continuing throughout WTIC’s
regular schedule. A total of ,$260*-

KOVR Circumvents
'Get Into Frisco' Nix

San Francisco, Aug. 30.
KOVR, Stockton tv Channel 13,
will open auxiliary studios is San
Francisco next month; despite the
FCC denying the independent out-
let permission to identify itself as
a San Francisco station. - ;

. Terry H. Lee, KOVR's general
manager, said the move would en-
able the 'station to telecast live
San Francisco programs “to cap-
ture some of the spirit of the city
and the Bay Area.” «

In addition to the; studios,
KOVR will move its general of-
fices, sales and promotion depart-
ments to the new quarters in the
Mark Hopkins Hotel.

Literary Agents

Continued from page .31

develop a property for tv, we‘ are
entitled to first refusal on, picture
rights. Some of these agents want
cutoff periods' on tv rights, from
five to seven years, demanding th£
telefilms not be shown after this
period elapses.

“It’s an impossible situation. The
better tv companies want to branch
into motion picture production and
thus sfeek story options, but the
agents won’t allow that the way
they’re operating.” Both the
Writers Guild and the Dramatists
Guild, Lewis pointed out, allow
granting of - options for limited
times, but the N. Y.’ agents refuse
to dq this.

Strips in the Aft.

Continued from page 31

afford t<J use them as spot carriers.
Official’s sales pattern calls for a

per-picture price for two to four
runs of each of about 150% higher
than the established price for a
one-time use on a once*a-week
basis. In other words, where oxtee-
a-week deal would cost a- station
$100 per film, the strip, setup costs
it $150 a. film for- three runs, nr
$50 per run per pic. Stations, how-
ever, must buy a minimum of two
and' a maximum of four runs per
pic in any stripping deal. Sum total
of the price structure, then, is that
for five-a-week, 'multiple run pack-
age sales, the distrib gets about
50% more than he would on a
one-run, once-weekly deal, but the
station gets . the films for about
half the price, buying volume to
make up the difference.

ADVERTISING agencies

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SATURDAY NIGHT— N.B.C.

Mgt.r William Morris Agency

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iSiiiiiiimjiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiimiliiliifiiiiiiiiiiiiiHmmiiiiiiiimiiiMiiuiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiHii;,

4,500 Sq. Ft.
Penthouse

Hotel Great Northern

118 WEST 57lh STREET

• Ideal for TV rehearsals

• Ballet School

• Dance Instruction

• Photographic or Art Studio

• Or living quarters

24>hour «l«vat«r and iwltohboard itrvles

..-Inspection invited. By pppt.

i, CL 7*1900

Wednesday, August 31, 1955

Pfa&mfY

BIG MARKETS! SMALL. MARKETS! ALL MARKETS!

if.

doooooooooooooooooooooooooooobooooooooooob

fD^@WD[E[L^K]®1

ooooooooooo oooooo'ooooooooooWoooooooooooo

HURRY! HURftY! HURRY!
Frankly, we’re overwhelmed!
Ihe response to MOVIELAND has
been great... far greater
than even we expected.

; Q

Within ten days after our
opening announcement, dozens
of contracts have been signed!
So hop on the MOVIELAND
bandwagon - it’s really
rolling! Station after station
.is getting associated with
‘ ASSOCIATED. Put Your Order
In NOW! Wrap Up Your Market!

XI-TV

into

KDAL-TV

Duluth, Minn.

W-TV

oin

KTVH-TV

Hutchinson, Kan.

50-TV

f It f ft * t i f f if I I

RADIO-TELEVISION

Wednesday,; August 31* 1955

New York

Ziv’s telefilm production is cen-
tered on the. Coast, but the firm’s
New York headquarters didn’t do
badly on the production end last
week. Two execs’' wives gave birth
within 15 minutes of each other
last Tuesday (23). Operations man-
ager A. Frank Reel became father
of a girl, Leu . Firestone of the
N. Y. sales staff a son.

Frank Burns joined Transfilm in
N.Y. as head of shipping and pur-
chasing for the commercials pro-
duction outfit . . . Broadway press-
agent Arthur Cantor, who already
reps. Steve Allen and the Talent
Associates operation, will handle
the Armstrong-Pontiac hour dramas
on NBC-TV when they bow Sept.
2 . . . ATV Film Productions aban-
doning its mid-town executive and
editing offices and moving them
out to the ATV studios in Long
Island City . . . Otis Freeman, chief
engineer at WPIX, elected treas-
urer of the TV Broadcasters All
Industry Committee, which serves
as liaison with the city government
in the effort to maintain the radio-
tv industry’s top status in N.Y. He
succeeds Charles Singer, former
chief engineer- at Mutual . . .
Charles Carshon and Delores De
Lasho have joined Jay-Kay Pro-
ductions as coproducers of “The
Decor-Analyst,” decorating show
which stars Gregg Juarez and bows
on WABD Sept. 14 . . . Phil Bloom
is now coordinator of the “Colgate
Variety Hour” . . . Barbara Joyce
has the starring role in “Trifles,”
by Susan Glaspell, on "Star To-
night” on ABC-TV tomorrow
(Thurs.) . . . Dr. Bruno Furst, mem-
ory expert, booked for a pair of
guesters on W ABC-TV, for a dem-
onstration on Sept. Id and a spot
on the network “You Asked for It”
Sept. 18 . . . MCA’s Dick Rubin on
a belated honeymoon in Hawaii
. . . Transfilm, which has been do-
ing the Miss Rheingold election
spots for Foote, Cone & Belding
for the past six years* wrapped up
shooting on the three for this year
(four and a half minutes each),
starring Guy Lombardo and Jinx
Falkenburg McCrary . . . Animated
Productions wrapped - up two spots
for Coty’s new lipstick . . . CBS
Television Film Sales veep Leslie
Harris off for a week in Maine .
The Trio Schmeed, Swiss yodeling
group currently making their
American debut at the Blue Angel,
signed by Max Liebman for “Heidf
on NBC-TV Oct. 1. . Charles H.

Green exiting Doyle, Dane, Bem-
bach as production manager of the
radio-tv department to join George
Blake Enterprises as an account
exec . . . Dick Heffner, producer-

narrator-scripter of WRCA-TV’s
“Man of the Year” and WMCA’s
“History in the News,” back from
a seven-week tour of Europe. The
history professor-turned-television
producer-performer at work on a
new edition of bis bestselling
paperback, “The American Heri-
tage” . . . Jerry Vale, Columbia
Records vocalist set for “Strike It
Rich” as the “helping hand”
Sept. 6.

Hugh J. McDermott now a direc-
tor at NBC-TV, with his first as-
signment the Steve Allen show . . -
Back to the tv circuit from summer
stock are Peggy Lobbin, who had
leads in “Angel Street” and “Pic-
nic” at Myrtle Beach, S.C., and
TfceVa Frazee, who starred in “Bom
Yesterday” at Traverse City, Mich,,
and “Wonderful Town” at Skanea-
teles, N.Y. . Teldfcast of the Mrs.
America finals in Dayton Beach
is being negotiated, with Philco
having expressed interest but
ruled out because the American
Gas Assn, is involved in the con-
test. Dave Alber handling video
negotiations ... Dave Moore and
Bob Sammon to Coast to handle
the Dick Powell-June Allyson visit
on “Person to Person” preem Fri-
day (2) , . . Milton Berle has signed
Ann Sothem to costar with him in
the second of his new series of 13
tinted NBC-TVers, on Oct. 18. , . .
Samuel Cummins, general manager
of Jewel Productions, due back
from Europe. around Sept. 15 with
pilot films of threg 26 half-hour
series tagged “It Happened in
Paris,” “It Happened ill Rome” and
“It Happened in Vienna.”

William Connelly, formerly with
the Pittsburgh Press, joined MCA-
TV Film Syndication’s sales staff,
working out of Pitt- . . . The Chords
just completed stints in Walt
Disney’s “Mickev Mouse Club”
vidpix for ABC-TV and are back
from the Coast ... Sol Cornberg,
NBC’s director of studio and plant
planning, back after a two-month
stay in England. He helped Sidney
L. Bernstein, chairman of Grana-
da Television Ltd., design a televi-
sion City in Manchester, which is
scheduled to begin operations early
next year . . . Ginger MacManus,
of the “Let’s Take a Trip” show, in
Doctor’s Hospital after . an appen-
dectomy over the weekend . . .
“Adventure!’ producer Robert
Northshield to Tulsa to gather ma-
terial for the CBS-TV’er , . .
WATV’s “Garden State. Jamboree,”
country music segment starring
Shorty Warren, has been picked up
by National Food Clubs for spon-
sorship and goes to a full hour,
Sundays 6-7, starting Sept. 11, with
the new title of “National Jambo-

Roach Studio Jumpin’

Hollywood, Aug, 30.

Busiest day in the history of
the Hal Roach lot, founded in
1920, and probably in the history
of' any rental studio, was racked
up last week,

A total of eight Separate and
complete production units were at
work, simultaneously lensing seven
telefilms and one tv commercial.

Tower Poser

"Kansas City Proud Of
Its Wyatt Earp; Fancy
Hoopla for TV Kickoff

Kansas City, Aug. 30.
ABC is kicking off its new fall
series’, “Wyatt Earp,” with a major
promotion here, the starting point
of Marshall Earp’s career. Gov-
ernors of both Kansas and Missouri
have proclaimed “Wyatt Earp
Week” as Aug. 27-Sept. 2 for the
show which begins nationally
Sept. 6.

Campaign here is being Worked
out with KMBC-TV, which goes
ABC Sept. 28 ,but will begin car-
rying the show from the opening
week. Milt Mohr, of the New York
exploitation office, is handling here
with Don Davis and staff of KMBC-
TV.

First “Law and Order Award”
was given to John 'B. Gage, former
mayor of Kansas City credited with
the cleanup following the riotous
’30’s here. It was presented at a
luncheon Sat. (27) at the Hotel
Muehlebach with Mayor Roe Bar-
tie, City Manager L. P. Cooking-
ham, members of* the Citizen’s
Committee, police officials, press,
radio and tv on' hand.

Biggest public event was a west-
ern parade' Saturday morning
through the downtown area with a
stage coach robbery being enacted
every few blocks. Hugh O'Brian,
playing the lead in the filmed
series, ended the thievery in true
tv-film fashion by rounding up the
robbers at the end of the parade.
He also made several other public
appearances before returning to
Hollywood Sunday.

ree.

WMGM’s Pro Grid Sale

Miller High Life Beer will again
sponsor broadcasts of the New
York Giants pro football schedule
via WMGM, K.Y. Station will
carry the regular schedule of 12
games plus three exhibition games,
with kickoff date on the exhibi-
tions Sept, 6, when the Jints meet
the Baltimore Colts in Minneapolis.

Marty Glickman and Johnny
Most will handle the commentary.

ssaig Continued from pace 24 ■ — -

with, maximum power, “substan-
tially worsens” $he plight of the
ultra highs. “It is Obvious,” the
Committee declared? “that an in-
crease of power further, increases
the existing ‘disparities between
VHF and UHF stations by enabling |
VHF stations to further encroach
on and overlap UHF operations,”
Existing handicaps of UHF oper-
ation would he aggravated by the
higher towers, said the Committee,
with the result that network affilia-
tions would be less likely, conver-
sions more difficult, disadvantages
in coverage accentuated, and ad r
vertiser and agency resistance in-
creased. “On every level of com-
parison (with VHF) the desperate
plight of UHF is made more criti-
cal,” the Committee asserted.

If the order is allowed to stand,
the Committee warned, New Jer-
sey, which has been assigned 14
UHF channels, may never have a
single tv station, VHF or UHF,
because of the coverage capabili-
ties of "“super-power” VHF stations
in New York and Philadelphia.

Connecticut's UHF stations “may
well join the 49 other UHF stations
which have ceased operations” and
the same fate threatens ultra highs
in Pennsylvania which would be
faced with greater competition
from dominant VHF outlets in New
York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and

“And it is inevitable,” the Com-
mittee said, “that a power increase
by. a VHF station- In one market
will force not only other competi-
tive VHF stations in the same mar-
ket to do likewise, but also VHF
stations in adjacent and distant
markets, thus setting off a chain
reaction which must inevitably
spread beyond Zone I and beyond.
Surely,* UHF stations can only be
crushed in the squeeze of a frantic
power race among the VHF sta-
tions which engulf them on all
sides.*-’

The Committee found it “almost
incredible” that an order of such
magnitude was v o" t e d with only
three _of the seven commissioners
present.

AUGUST 27, 1955

THE BILLBOARD

MUSIC-RADIO

RIDDLE LEADS PACK

Arranger Is Unsung Hero,—

By JUNE BUNDY

NEW YORK, Aug. 20— Capitol’s NELSON RID-
DLE scored more records in the top 10 best sell-
ing categories this year than any other arranger,
according to a survey of arranger credits on rec-
ords that have appeared in the top 10 slots of The
Billboard's pop best selling retail record charts
since January 1.

Five out of 52 records in the top 10 this year
were arranged by RIDDLE.

NELSON RIDDLE

Scoring and Conducting THE tIBC-TV MUSICAL VERSION OF

"OUR TOWN”

Starring

FRANK SINATRA - EVE MARIE SAINT - PAUL NEWMAN

SEPT. 19. 1955

Oberfelder

Continued from pace 22

Also

THE BETTY HUTTON
NBC-TV SHOW OCT. 25, 1955

* - *&**•«*€***«*»** s

a utlttftii * » tee iti

of o&o radio stations, subsequent-
ly becoming v. p., over the o&o’s.
When the owned stations were
given autonomy and the o&o divi-
sion dissolved, he became v. p.«
general manager of WABC, moving
over to WABC-TV last fall when
v. p.-general manager John Mit-
chell moved Into the network side
as v. p. over the tv web.

WAfiC-TV general .managership
has been 5 sore spot with the net-
work over several years. The late
Trevor Adams at one time was
g. m., subsequently dropping down
to sales manager with Paul Mow-
rey assuming the • managerial man-
tle. Mowrey, now running a lucra-
tive consultancy business, was
dropped to make way for Mitchell
in 1953, when Mitchell was brought
in from Chicago where he had
made WBKB a solid moneymaker.
When Mitchell moved up to the
network side, Oberfelder was
switched over. As for Oberfelder,
he bluntly states his plans are “to
find a" job.”

Seems Like- Writing
Problem Isn’t Confined
To U.S. Video Alone

Great Britain will launch com-
mercial television next month with
he same basic problem that exists
n the U. S. as far as dramatic
showcaaers are concerned. That
problem, on^the authority of David
Susskind, is scripts. Susskind, part-
nered with A1 Levy in Talent As-
sociates Philco-Goodyear “TV Play-
house,” “Appointment With Ad-
venture,” etc., has just returned
from England after serving for
hree weeks as consultant to the
drama sector of Associated Broad-
casting which is charged with .
turning out the weekday, fare un-
der the. Independent Television
Authority.

Susskind said last week that the
shortage of worthwhile originals
Will be relieved ' somewhat by the
fact that Britain’s . Monday-to-Fri-
day operation (there’s a separate
company for weekend formats) will
embrace only 35 hours. There will
be three hours of fare the after-
noon, a break from 6 to 7 o’clock
to ' get the kids off to bed or en-
gaged in their homework, and re-
sumption at 7 until 11 p.m. The
majqr formats will consists of
soapers, plays, panel games,
tnusicales, - sports (with boxing
bouts from White City Stadium.
Susskind said that Roland Gillette,
director of programming,, is work-
ing out ambitious schedules. Gil-
lette has worked over here, with
CBS and Young Sc Rubicam among
his affiliations a few years ago.

Susskind was amused, but also
impressed, by tke fact that all
the TD’s — television directors— are
femmes. It "seems that in British
video the distaffers are considered
superior on “emotional balance”
and “psychological factors.” „

The producing, partner of the
packaging firm said he had to do
considerable browsing up on British
tv jargon to become hep in his con-
versations with various officials.
For instance, the aforementioned
TD’S are not called that, they’re
referred to as “visual mixers.”
Heads of continuity are called
“chiefs of the .spoken word.”

Boston — Henry W. Lundquist,
veteran of 20 years in radio, was
named ‘educational and public
service director of WBZ-WBZA by
Paul E. Mills, general manager of
the station, this frame. Assignment
is in addition to Lundquist’s regu-
lar duties as program supervisor
for the station.

WESO

Continued from pace 23

rived and WESO was able to get
back on regular transmission.

The reports from Y. r ESO were
being picked up by radio stations
in Connecticut, Worcester and the
Worcester County area. Station
was on the air for five days with-
out a break.

A civilian defense headquarters
was set up in the WESO building
and gave the station warnings
about isolated areas, typhoid shots,
special passes military information
and special messages.

Most of the broadcasting was
done on direct line to the trans-
mitter. It took messengers 20 miles
because of the flood to make a
usual three mile trip to the trans-
mitter. WESO’s studios fn Webster
were out of operation.

Am honored that some of the
greats of show basinets have be-
come my clients In the matter of
stocks and bonds. Yon, too, ora
welcome to write or call me— NO
obligation.

JESSE BLOCK

Registered Representative

IRA HAUFT & CO. -
Investmont Brokers

501 7th Ave., New York 18, N .Y.
LOngdcre 5-6262

New Orleans — H.. J. Heinz Co.
has renewed for another year its

1$$*^ “ stud i° ‘ 57 ”* °wr

Will You Go For A

"GOPHER"

with a solid film-TV background?

PRODUCERS! EXECUTIVES!

Ideal assistant— says “Yes”
or “No” In six languages! I

Call'LU 7-1317. Now York ’

Box V 8293, VARIETY, 134 W. 46 8t., N.Y.O.

EXECUTIVE FILM EDITOR WANTED
for New Orlosno film company, to organize
and 'dlroet cutting dipt., train aulotanto,
ouporvlio production of 16mm and 39mm TV
epmmerolali, builnoi* and documentary Aims,
newsreels. Permanent position- With profit
participation to rifht man. 8and raauma,
salary requirements to Qortl. Mpr.. Villon
£llm, w lnc-r 3/!$ pjyft, 8t^.K«Y Orleans, La.

Wednesday, August SI, 1955

P&RIETY

TO ALL THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE
WHO MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR OUR SHOW
TO RECEIVE THE PRAISES OF THE PRESS.

«*

W - 0 t

“S^e,

L 1( \° ule nt ’ J 1 s ucc eS ^

essas.*— *

tor TONI and FRIGIDAIRE

CBS-TV

Wednesday, 8 P.A 4 ,

SAniETf

••Frankie Laine Time" le a solid

which will bo supplemented ^
wpeklv* guests. The nrst snow a
lineup added up to a neatly blend^
ed hour of songs, hoofing end
comedy. s

COLUMBIA

RECORDS

DA ,LY NEWS, New York ^

“FranWe lyjj n ? n Frankie Lame,

Sen withof bie ^I'Jnv Side J«

vva couldn t sio«f days*

^ ran Sltpot *’ we knew this wa, ^

T unw S v« eouldn’t sleep Vg° A % s :

fnd tSs saying » ^‘.Gardella.

?el/-~6o(h mano e bv k ',e and ‘
X*aine ri as 3 jj Pn f toe st;
Shmor

eerttv buried to

add V?* a

- p to th,

. Daily - Te,eViSi ° n e 0 u?^ tU
a d.o po V came P t t &

HELEN FERGUSON PUBLIC RELATIONS
Press Relations; jewel Smith

GENERAL ARTISTS CORPORATION

Personal Manager

CRESS COURTNEY

RADIO-TELEVISION

Wednesday, August 31, 1955

+ > »»»»»»♦♦ ♦ ♦ m ♦ » »♦♦»»»♦»»♦♦♦»»♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦»

Radio Reviews

EDWARD R. MURROW AND THE

NEWS

15 Mins., Mon.-throufh-Fri., 7:45

AMERICAN OIL CO.

CBS, from 'New York

( Jos* Katz)

Ed Marrow is back in his 7:45-8
cross-board cost on CBS ' Radio
after an eight-week vacation, mark-
ing the ninth straight year in the
time slot. His program again con-
sists of straight news followed by
commentary, but something seems
missing— television. Murrow is

perhaps the only newsman whose
commentary the television picture
has broadened and deepened. He’s
no longer as effective on radio, as
' he is on television, where, the mas-
terful use of the video has backed
up his -frame of news commentary
and given it greater significance
and meaning.

The two subjects of commentary
on Monday’s (29) opening show, for
example, were the cold war as
seen after eight weeks on the
farm, arid the.reemphasls on the
provisions of the Bill of Rights, On
the first subject, Murrow ex-
pounded on a “let’s-not-kid-our-
selves-a b o u t-the-Bu$sians” “post-
Geneva theme; on the- second, he
asserted that the continual under-
mining of the Bill of Rights could
prove disastrous in the long pull of
a cold war. MurroW has dealt with
both subjects, particularly the lat-
ter, with greater effect on tv. His
radio verbiage, sincere and straight-
shouldered though it may be,
Sounds at times a little 'pompous
and certainly less forceful than a
Murrow-with-pictures. Perhaps
this is the time for the phrase-
maker on radio— certainly an Eric
Sevareid will never lose his aural
punch. . But there’s a flatness now
about Murrow’s commentary.

He didn’t fare well on his
straight ' news segment either,
looking a little silly at one, point,
when talking about the Moroccan
settlement. No announcement has
been made about the dismissal of

Gen.Grandval, he said, “but I am
informed from abroad” that Gen.
Grandval will be removed and re-
placed by Gen. d e Latour. After-
noon papers a few hours earlier
had carried the same information
via United Press.

It’s somewhat paradoxical to look
back on the efforts to transpose
radio hews to tv, efforts which for
the most part have met with fail-
ure, and to note that the one com-
mentator who has made the tran-
sition successfully has suffered on
the radio end because of it:, 'It’s
not due to any change in Murrow —
simply in the reactions of the au-
dience which has both looked and
listened. Chan.

EAR QN CHICAGO
With Fahey Flynn
Producer-Writer: Kirk Logie
30 Mins.; Sun., 5:30 pm.

WBBM, Chicago

Taking its cue from Its sister
WBBM-TV’s ’’Eye On Chicago”
filmed scrutiny of the hometown,
WBBM has unveiled a taped doc-
umentary series stressing the in-
teresting sounds of the city. It’s
a joint effort with the Illinois In-
stitute Of Technology and is being
produced and written toy IIT’s
radio-tv director Kirk Logie. Off
the session heard (21) it should
earn credit for all involved as a
uniquely -adroit use of AM tools
to effectively spin an aural yard.

On this go, “Ear” visited brie of
the numerous anti-aircraft installa-
tions hereabouts. While narrator
Fahey Flynn did his usual top job
With the interviews, It was the on-
the-spot sounds that gave the story
its punch arid distinctiveness. Neat-
ly caught were the “Cannondeers’
Hop” as the crew went through its
sing-song paces oh the 90 MM
guns and the clipped commands
and the mechanical background
hum in the radar van. Handling
provided a strong “You Are There”
sense of participation that realized
the full dimensions of the sound-
only medium. ' Dave.

^RICA’S 10th TV MARK*”*

Lj^tt^OOChmitty

NBC and CBS)

STEINMAN STATION:

Clafr McColiough, Pr*t.

Representatives;

MCCITCD Tlf IUA ne/7 YOPK • L0S angeies

Iwl C EL IV CL rt IV, I IM Lr , Chicago • san francisco

WGAL-TV

LANCASTER, PA.';

Bloom’s 50G Slut, Claims
Philco Infringement

A $50,000 infringement suit was
filed in N, Y. federal court last
week against Philco Corp. t NBC-
TV and Bernard .Wolfe by writer
Murray Teigb Bloom, who charges
that Wolfe’s teleplay, “Assassin,”
performed on NBC’s “Philco Play-
house” last February, was an in-
fringement on a piece he did for
True mag in 1952.

Wolfe’s teleplay was about the
murder* of Leon Trotzky, and
Bloom alleges that portions of the
teleplay were copied from his
True piece. Mag article was titled
“Stalin’s No. 1 Killer,” and Faw-
cett Publications assigned all
rights to Bloom in 1953. Bloom
also seeks an injunction.

Jesse! Prod. Setup Preps
‘Guestof Honor’ Vidpix;
Emcies BBC-TV Show

Jessel-Roberts stock issue, un-
derwritten by Baruch Bros., a Wall
St. house, has been oversubscribed
and the producer plans putting the
$350,000 in capital into^: vidpix
pronto. It’s a series titled “Guest
of Honor,” with pseudo-testimonial
dinners feting one or another g.
of h. It could embrace personalities
like Eddie Cantor, George N.
Burns, Jack Benny, Sophie Tucker,
or could include personalities like
William Zeckendorf and Bernard
Baruch. George Jessel and Bob
Roberts head the producing com-
pany.

Jessel would “toastmaster” the
filmed “banquet,” with any num-
ber of other “guests” (acts) con-
tributing the “show,” capped by
the honored “guest” doing a stint
or making a speech.

Jessel, in London last week,
emceed Richard Afton’s “This Is
The Show,” regular BBC vaudeo
originating from Shepherd’s Bush.
He admired the “modern” dressing
rooms— “At least I think they’re
modern because back of the . dress-
ing table I found note to David
Garrick ‘be of good cheer tonight’
and it was signed Oliver Crom-
well.”

Jessel returns to the Savoy Ho-
tel, London, for a three-week stint
in the grill and also to do another
BBC telecast. ,

It marks Jessel’s first .British en-
gagement in his almost. 50 years
in show business, having never
played abroad until now when he
also emceed a gala at the Palm
Beach Casino in Cannes.

Jessel, incidentally, in a London
Daily Dispatch interview made
reference to Sir George Jessel, his
ancestor, and the account foot-
noted: “Sir George Jessel (1824-83)
was a Liberal M.P. (1868). Solic-
itor-General (1871).”

Patton Exiting ’Circus’

For Own Package Setup

Chicago, Aug. 30.

Phil Patton, executive producer
of ABC-TV’s Sunday afternoon
“Super Circus,” is checking off
the network to launch a Chi-based
tele packaging shop. Patton has
been riding herd on the show since
shortly after its Inception back in
1948. .

His first project as an indie pro-
ducer will be. a filmed moppet-
angled-klds show,, already in the
blueprint stage. His final “Cir-
cus” show will be Sept. 18. Chi
ABC-TY operations chief Jim
Beach hasn’t named a replace-
ment as yet.

Front The Production Centres

Continued from Age .{SC

“Swanboat” in the simulcast in an appeal to all New England. Because
of early response, station officials extended .marathon appeal on WBZ
radio 24 hours through Sat. (27) morning to* 8:30 a.m. First excerpt of
the film; “Disaster-1955,” was televised Mon. (29) at 7:3Q p.m. A second
film is' skedded for Thursday night (1) at the same time. Verne: Wil-
liams, WBZ staff announcer, is narrator on both . . . Bob Emery resumes
his “Big Brother” show over WBZ-TV, Saturday, Sept. 10, from 12:15 to
1, suspended for the summer, to make it six across the board for the
fall and winter season . . , First in a new series of programs, “Made in '
New England” preemed at 10 p.m. Friday night (26) by WHDH with
announcer Bill Harrington following the process of making a Ford in i
.the Somerville plant. He interviewed the plant manager, foreman and
others, all of whom contribute to the, building of 460 Fords a day at
the plant . , . Norm Prescott, who left the Hub to disk jock qn WNEW,
New York, returns to Boston to join the staff of WBZ-WBZA on Mon-
day (29). He begins his own daily three hour Mondaj? through Friday
radio program over the station On Sept. 5 from 12:15 to 3 pm. and a
second show from 6:30 to 6:45 pm.

IN SAN FRANCISCO . . .

Don Sherwood gets sick, George Lemont takes his place on KGO-
TV for a night, so what happens? When it comes time to poilr the
beer out of the can, the beer won’t budge-— frozen. And the second
try— with a bottle— results in beer all over the place. The trials of
live tv ... Martha Smith,., KPIX publicity assistant for three years,
departs in mid-September for marriage . . Ruth Dwyer welcoming

“The Line-Up” crew back to town . . . Bill Dempsey, KPIX program
manager, mighty proud of eliminating the old-fashioned “Christmas-
in- January” schedule — only five hours out of 120 weekly will be de-
layed this fall compared to 41 V6 a year ago * . . Producer John Guedel
dropped into Fack’s to catch the Tattle Tales, Wound up inking the
combo for a spec in January , . •. Bill Winter’s weekly news half-hour
renewed for seventh straight year on KPIX . . . New KGO-TV sales-
man is Mae Lean Chandler, ex-manager of CBS-TV spot sales in S. F.
and Chicago : < , KRON manager Harold P. See On the docket with ,
“TV and Marketing” for local members of the American Marketing
Association , . . BilLMcGraw, late of KGO-TV, on verge of .signing a
sponsor for his own interview show . . . Carmen McRae, just opened
at the Blackhawk, scheduled for a Del Courtney videbut and, a bit
later, for her first network appearance via Stan Kenton’s Hollywood
show. '

IN MINNEAPOLIS ...

Larry Haeg, WCCO Radio general manager, cites as evidence of
audio’s continued pull here his station’s receipt of 4,911 listener mail
pieces after a single premiere broadcast of a Cedric Adams’ prize. Con-
test. It set a new high record In the station’s 31-year history . . .
KSTP-TV televising* its “Main Street” variety show from the Minnne-
sota State Fair currently . . . Father of Charles McCuen, WCCO-TV
newscaster, passed away . . . WCCO-TV and CBS hosts at cocktail patty
on occasion of special closed circuit showing of network’s new fall tV
program Thursday (25) . Boh Ryan, KSTP radio and tv newscaster,

off on 17-day European trip during which he’ll take photos to be used
in- conjunction with a, lecture series next fall . . . Lee Whiting, KEYD
president, recuperating from. an ulcer operation. Robert Purcell, for-
merly with KKTV, Los Angeles, named the station’s managing director
. . . Randy Merriman, “Big Payoff” emcee, back to New York following
his appearance on the Aquatennial radio show* and- a vacation' here , , ,
WCCO Radio set Sept. 11 for annual station picnic.

Kefauver TV Study

Continued from page 25

of program balance be laid down,
especially during the listening
hours of childen; that NARTB in-
crease the monitoring activities of
is code committee.

5. Further -research by public
and private foundations “on the
role of the mass media of commu-
nications in shaping anti-social be-
havior.”

The Kefauver Committee also
recommended immediate establish-
ment by law, of a presidential
Commission to study the mass
media and report periodically on
practices and materials used by
the mass media, which might have
detrimental effects on children and
youth.

The committee denies any desire
for government censorship hut
adds, “it Is the subcommittee’s
hope that through the activities
of such a Presidential Commission
any practices potentially harmful
to children and youth Can be called
to the attention not only of the
President, the .Congress and the
people of the United States, , but
also to those engaged in, them, so

OMAHA!

To “take
audiences

over” bigger television
• • • get in touch with

NO SURPRISE, says Cisco's pal "Pancho” who adds,
f| plenty of surprise action to the Cisco Kid show • • • i
|| helps keep Cisco pulling ratings like 29.3 in Omaha, •

|| 28.9 in Baltimore, 29.9 in Detroit. (* Telepulse, March !

If 1955)

WWW ,

CINCINNATI, NIW YOMC, -HOILYWOOD, i . u.tut

1 — Ifi yiea ’ F) 1 ■ M i l '-9 s i ' ■ 1 i ’ j ■ .T. l r rr , f ' I ' IT 1 iwv ill.

that they may take steps to elim-
inate or change them.”

Following conclusions were
drawn from a survey of some of
the programs offered during the
hours -when children most pften
watch tv:

“Life is cheap; death, suffering,
sadism and brutality are subjects
of callous Indifference; and judges,
lawyers and law-enforcement offi-
cers are too often dishonest, in-
competent and stupid.

Trendex ToUrs’

Continued from page 23

low Miss Carson on the Trendex-
city junketing.

Network has approached Eddie
Fisher with a view toward falling *
in with the exploitation idea. He’s
expressed interest. It’s figured
there will be a certain amount of
resistance from some stars in
hitting the road, just as the pix
companies encounter their trou-
bles, but thus far the few approach-
ed have been agreeable about it.

NBC specs- have been hitting it
big on the Nielsens. But those
overnight 15-city Trendex reports
haven’t, been too flattering, hence
the tour idea. <

Continue^ from page 23

don, Paris and Oslo, for. a pictorial
report on the integration of the
city governments of these capitals
with the federal government, a
perennial political hot potato here.

Claude Mahoney is slated to
move his farm reports to WTOP,
a chore he previously combined
with CBS, Also likely to move
over to WTOP are Paul Niven,
who would handle foreign cover-
age, and Steve Cushing. .

WTOP, town’s. only 50,000-watt
-station, was formerly 45% CBS
owned* . Washington v Post
sole! owner* -within* <past ?«Ir. *

Wednesday, August 31, 1955

RADIO-TELEVISION

‘Who's Kidding Whom ?’

Continued from pace 24

the change and, in the opinion of
the script editor, the script was
“perfect." (In my opinion it was
trash, but of course I had to some-
what follow the pattern they
wanted). They were, now waiting
for the new producer to cpme In,
in order to. O.K. the script, then
they wanted to sign a contract with
me to write a certain amount of
scripts for the show. He asked me
if I had any other scripts suitable for
a one hour show. I looked through
my files which ..were bulging with
“suitable material.’* Since the out-
fit paid high fees for an hour
script,. I. decided to go the way of
least resistance and not submit
anything new, I chose a script that
had been produced 10 years ago
on a major network, had won
acclaim from listeners and press,
and for which I had retained the
rights. I transposed it from radio
to television, - because this script
was more suitable for tv. than radio.

I also enclosed a short story
which had been published and ex-,
tremely well received. I had been
offered a "lot' of money for this
6tory from radio producers, but
had always refused, to sell it be-
cause I intended to rewrite it later
as- a stage play. However, the fees
offered by this, tv outfit were too
tempting and I submitted the story
with the other script. The execu-
tive called to tell me of his “tre-
mendous disappointment.’’ He had
judged me to be a brilliant writer
and now, reading these two stories
he was doubtful. Whereas the as-
signment had turned out beauti-
fully, these two stories were
nothing “with which he could
identify himself.” And as long as
he could not do that, the tv viewer
would not be -able to do that either.
Six weeks later he called to let me
know . that , the producer had de-
cided to use the same set of writ-
ers they had been working with
the past season, since he didn’t
want to take any chances. He
didn't. The show never returned
before the camera. I ' suppose the
sponsors could not identify them-
selves with the rating,

Cliques?

This story, in a thousand varia-
tions, is the experience of those-
writers who are not a part of a
certain clique recommending each
other over and over again. The
medium is so new that no one
knows yet what will really go. That
Is perfectly all right. The Writer
is intelligent enough to realize that

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and gamble along. The very least,
however, a writer. can expect is a
certain . basic respect and the
shadow of a doubt that he might
be right. Ip our history of the
whole world, it was the writer Who
often determined the course tof
thinking of a whole people. The
writings of Voltaire* Robespierre,
Balzac, etc, have influenced .the
history of France. Whoever re-
members any of their theatre pro-
ducers? Perhaps producers and
network executives should some-
times. invite a volunteer group of
writers to a few monthly meetings,
listen to their suggestions, tape
the meetings and later on, in their
own time, listen to the tape again.
Out of the conglomerate sugges-
tions, they might not only find a
gro.up of good writers who. have an
excellent “feeling for the media”
and sound psychological knowledge
of people called viewers, but might
come up with a number of good
positive thoughts for new pro-
grams. In my effort to make such
a suggestion during a personal dis-
cussion with .some executives, I
could not get beyond their second
secretaries, leave alone an appoint-
ment! "

Why 'should I experience most
Labusive, brushoff treatment as
though I wished to borrow a dollar
—just be punished because I am
a -writer who wishes to sell creative
thoughts and mental compositions
instead of soap or underwear? .

The book publisher can also not
accept every book offered, but he
sees his writers if they desire ah
appointment. . Ten might have
nothing to offer, the 3.1th might be
the one personality, he was. looking
for. Publishers know 'the hardship
.and personal sacrifice each writer
brings and they will do their best
tb encourage talent when they see
it. But, at least in the majority of
the cases, they can recognize talent.

I thought you might be inter-
ested in the ideas of one who has
gone through the mill, has proven
that he has something to offer, and
who simply can’t find the places
where network executives franti-
cally search for offerings.

Use F. Stanley

Tele Reviews

Continued from page 27

COSTUMES

1 M'U'.n

that; did little to restimulate inter-
est.

To get some dramatic action in
between the shots of diving planes,
burning ships and the smiling
Japanese ambassador in Washing-
ton, show interspersed some dra-
matic sequences that were stilted
and phony. An interview with «a
family viewing the attack from
their home nearby didn’t ring true
and a sequence iii a press service
newsroom was yawn-provoking.

Cast for the most part was in-
adequate. Trapped by the banali-
ties of the script, the thesps
seemed to do little. to bring any
lifts to the stanza. An exception
was Hayden Roarke, who por-
trayed the CBS newsman with
credibility. Walter Cronkite again
was the anchor man and handled
the post with assurance.

Series tab Is picked up on alter-
nate weeks by the Electric Cos.
and Prudential Insurance Co.

Gros.

WE ARE PROUD TO HELP
With Taylor Grant
Producer-writer: Grant
Director: Jack Bidus
30. Mins.; Sun. (38),- 6 p.ra. .

WPTZ, Philadelphia
. WPTZ, using Taylor Grant as
on-the-spot reporter, has developed
good documentary technique for
graphically recording major events
and disasters. As in the recent
dope raid reports, Grant and cam-
eramen Carl Lopatin and Leroy
Bell worked a 24-hour day, cover-
ing the Delaware Valley area,
wading in flood waters when pos-
sible and leiising more inundated
f r Morts from the air. Surrealist
s ts.of debris had easily grasped
significance. In combination with
interviews of the old and homeless
pictures of children sleeping in
barracks packed plenty wallop.

Beginning with the “We are
relatively lucky” scenes In Phila-
delphia, a floating cottage, a sub-
merged car, pictorial story moved
to the devastating floods at Yard-
ley and Stroudsburg. Newscaster
made several pleas to “give to the
Red Cross” and interviewed an of-
ficial of the Southeastern Penna.
branch, who made emphatic denial
of the oft-heard slander that the
organization charges for services.

9 4 {Session “ended ‘wtth-a* rertmr vf \

impromptu 'beginning of President
Elsenhower’s address before the
Bar Association, which gave tele-
cast its title. Grant na$ good
sense of editing and intensity of
delivery which adds color and. au-
thority to the factual program-
ming. .. Gagfr.

ASK THE CAMERA
With Jess Cain, narrator
Producer: Ted Lloyd
Writer: Sandy Sheldon
Sustaining

15 Mins.; Mon., Wed., Fri., 6:30 p.m,
WRCA-TV, N.Y.

“Ask the Camera,” making a re-
turn trip to this station, is an in-
teresting, informative and seem-
ingly legitimate quasi for informa-
tion. At least, the questions seem
honest and. the' film clips attempt
to give a complete answer to the
info: requested. On show caught,
there was a query on the status of
Ellis Island and the answer gave
not only the current situation on
that port of. entry; but the back-
ground of. the events that made it
practically useless as the first stop
for immigrants.

Qf course, there are some seem-
ingly hoked ■ up questions and an-
swers, but the majority are in-
formative. Presumably, the queries
selected would depend on the
availability of film clips for the
'answer parts. Prizes, generally U.S.
Bonds, are given for selected ques-
tions. Narration is good. Jose

WP1X GOING FULL

Buying and selling splurge . in
vidpix by WPIX, the Daily News
indie In N f Y., continues at full
blast, with the station posting al-
ternate-week clients on three more
syndicated shows and purchasing
still another stanza, for- a fall
prdem. O’Cedar Corp. bought in
on two shows, picking up alternate
weeks on “San Francisco Beat? and
“The Whistler,’’ with the former
now sold out via Paul Masson
Wines* skip-a-week buy previously.
And Television Programs of Amer-
ica sold West Disinfecting alternate
weeks on its “Ellery Queen” series
on WPIX, the other half of which
the station had already' sold to Car-
ter Products.

On the purchasing side, the sta-
tion bought “Police Call” from Na-
tional Telefilm Associates for a fall
bow.

Ziv’s Top-Level Sales
Powwows Set lor N. Y.

Ziv Television Programs is
holding a series of top-level meet-
ings in New York involving na-
tional sales policies, the first such
meeting since the firm initiated its
new national sales 'setup. Huddles
will cover expansion of the sales
operation, establishment of mer-
chandising-promotion operations in
the national field and pre-prpduc-
tion discussions on the five new
propertied Ziv is readying for na-
tional-only sale.

Participating in' the discussions
are Ziv prez John L. Sinn, sales
v. p. M. J. Rifkiii, national sales
division sales, manager Walter
Kingsley, western manager of na-
tional sales Allen Johnstone and
N. Y. national sales rep Russ
Clancy.

Ted Lloyd’s AA Telepix

Agent-packager Ted Lloyd has
acquired rights to the files of Al-
coholics Anonymous and is de-
veloping a telefilm series dealing
with AA case histories. Lloyd is
currently talking to CBS Televi-
sion Film Sales about a possible
coproduction-distribution deal.

Also in the works at CBS Film,
with Lloyd involved too, are nego-
tiations for an hourlong, once-a-
month syndicated “service spec-
tacular” which would be produced
in collaboration with Good House-
keeping mag. Show would feature
“how-to-do-it” suggestions, cook-
ing hints, fashions and all other
fields in the' service show cate-
gory.

‘Gildersleeve’ Sale

WRCA-TV, the NBC flag in N.Y.,
has gotten off half the hook' on the
“Great Gildersleeve” vidpix series
which it purchased a couple of
weeks ago from the NBC Film Di-
vision, R o n z o n i Macaroni has
bought alternate weeks on .the
show in the Tuesday at 7 Spot, and
has also bought full sponsorship
of Ray Forrest’s “Children’s Thea-
tre,” combining educational films
and cartoons for kiddies, in the

- ^GHdersieeve^^bew* 'Sept/- 27,- - 4

in’t Minor

Continued from pane 23

public consumption, and so the
studio still wants that exploitation
prestige enjoyed by a program with
a “Columbia Pictures Presents” la-
bel.

Of all the studios active in net-
work television, only Walt Disney
Productions is moving smoothly.
Disney hit upon the right formula
for his ABC-TV “Disneyland”
show from the start last season,
when he produced 20 shows in the
series. This year, he’s turning out
26 “Disneylands” plus 100 hours
of the new “Mickey Mouse Club”

daytime show for the network, all
apparently without too groat a
strain on his resources, since his
feature production schedule has
been expanded for this year also,

Ottawa— Billy O’Connor Show,
a standout item on Canadian
Broadcasting Corp/s television
web last season, scheduled to re-
turn to its late (11 p.m.) Saturday
web slot in September. O’Connor
will again have canary Juliette and’
the O'Connor instrument trio, and
will add 88er Bill Isbister and
chanter-aper Jack Duffy.

BOSTON EVENING AMERICAN. TUESDAY, AUOUST 2I, MSI

By ANTHONY AA CAMERA
A BREATH OF FRESH AIR; One of the most com-
mon expressions heard about the house these days is "Shut
off that radio!” — with or without ac^appropriate adjective,
to describe what is becoming

more and more; an insufferable
noise-box.

There is. at least one station,
thank goodness, to which that ex-.]
pression does not apply. l am
referring to radio station WNAC,
which has emerged by far as
Boston’s finest daytime outlet for
truly popular music.

While other stations are knock-
ing themselves out to air the
latest records, no matter how
Blaring or how ugly, WNAC
steadfastly is holding t6 a for-
mula of “easy listening.” One
can turn to 686 on the dial and
feel ■ reasonably sure that he or
she- won’t be driven out of the
house. The WNAC emphasis is
on melody, not on Unintelligible
sounds.

If you’re the- type who can
survive the ' day . without “Gum
Drop” or “I Want You to Be My
Baby” then let me call your at-
tention especially to two after/
noon programs on WNAC. One
is the new “Gus Saunders Show,”
from 2 to 3, and the other is Fred
Lang’s “Easy Listening,” from
3:05 to 5, both on a Monday-
through-Friday basis.

While these boys do play the
better records fr6pt today’s out-
put, they also take advantage of
the many great standards avail-
able to them from the WNAC rec-
ord library. They won’t spin the
latest recording of.. the Four
Goofs, or what have you, just be-
cause 20,374 cards from the Four
Goofs Fan Club arrived in the
morning mail ...

Their norm Is the interest of
the listening public at large, and
thfelr selections indicate a healthy
respect for adult intelligence.
They’re not afraid to spin an old
show .tune, .a .Percy Faith album,
or a pretty melody which un-
fortunately didn’t make yester-
day’s “Top 10” •

Wonderfully, refreshing, too, is
the absence of meaningless chat-
ter ' oh ' both ' ihdiVfc; Ohiy yester*
day morning I heard a disk-jockey
pitc’Kmah ' m anOthfet' station ask
his listeners for “just. 30 or 40
seconds” of their time. By my
trusty vva t'ch', his SUbtfeqUehtspiel
consumed ail of two-and-a-half
minutes. |

Needless to say, the “Gus Saun-
ders Show’’ and “Easy Listening”
deserve the solid support of all
those listeners whb’ve been crying
out, in understandable protest,
against the generally revolting
state of radio music. And if there
is such a thing as an award for
p o p u 1 a r-music • broadcasts, it
should go here >and now to Sta-
tion WNAC, .......

BRINGING ’EM. BACK
ALIVETTeTevision, ever desperate
for material, has hit upon a new
way to make' use of old* movies:
Rewriting their scripts into “live”
TV plays.

Actually, the method Isn't ex-
actly new, because “Lux Video
Theater”, had been doing it for
the past season as the gimmick
for its weekly format. But now
other dramatic series are resur-
recting old picture scripts, and
suddenly “Video Theater” finds
itself with a format that Is no
logger exclusive.

A couple at weeks ago, for ex-
ample, “U. B. Steel Hour” did a’
video version of “The Seventh
Veil.” Tomorrow night,, “Front
Row Center” will;, be reviving
“Guest in the House,” which still J
is making the TV rounds as a*
movie co-starring Ralph Bellamy,
and Ann Baxter.

When Robert Montgomery’s!
dramatic hour enters its fifth sea-
son on the Monday night of Sept.
12,. it will launch a new policy of
featuring “live” versions of Hol-
lywood films seen over the past (
decade. Its opening vehtcle will
be “Woman in the -Window,'
which once starred Joan Bennett
A later adaptation will be “Along

Came Jones,” originally a Gary
Cooper starrer.

There’s nothing wrong with '
this policy, I suppose, if (a) the
revised scripts lend themselves
to good TV fare, (b) it isn’t!
overdone and (c) it doesn’t im-
pair the development of original
video drama. For those of V s
who’ve been suffering through
all the unrelated, plotless film
cljps on “Toast of the Town” and
“Variety Hour.” it should be «
welcome relief to .see an actual
movie story unfold before out]
very eyes.

So what if the script is 30
years old and not being presented
in movie form? At least its
chances of providing actual en<
tertainment afe infinitely supe-
rior to anything the “Toast” and]
“Variety Hour” trailers can bring.

If those trailers keep sneaking
up on our television screens, no|
home will be considered complete!
without a popcorn stand to take
care of viewer needs while they’re
being shown. You might call it
hunger by association.

music

Wdneidiy, August 31, 1955

Rj mike gross

Alan Dale: “Rockln,’ The Cha-j
Cha”-“Wham” (Coral). Blending of
the rock ’n* roll and cha-cha beat
is a natural, for current disk tastes
and Alan Dale plays it to big ad-
vantage. He sings it with an excit-
ing drive and gets plenty of help

from a. solid choral backing. It's
a -shoo-in on all levels. “Wham” is
also in* the cha-cha groove but it
will have trouble pushing its mate
off the tqrntables.

Joni Janies: “You Are My Love”-
“I Lay Me Down to Sleep” (MGM).
“You Are My Love” looks like an-
other big one for Joni James.
Thrush's wax demeanor on this
side is more polished and she de-

cially on the juke level. Laine
gives quite a dramatic perform-
ance on “Your Love” but tune is
much too intricate to catch on for
a pOp ride.

Sammy Davis Jr.t “It's Bigger
Than You and Me”-“Back Track”
(Decca). “It’s Bigger Than You and
Me,” 1 from the upcoming Col
filmusical, “My Sister Eileen,” gets
a lively workover by Sammy Davis
Jr. and should- rack up plenty of
spins.. It's got a catching beat, a
good lyric line and a classy Davis
delineation. “Back Track” is an
overly dramatic piece which Davis
pulls out all stops to get it across.
It doesn't work out, however.

Lou Monte; “King of the River”-
“Yaller, Yaller Gold” (RCA Vic-

Best Bets

ALAN DALE . , ... . . ... . . ..... .ROCKIN' THE CHA-CHA

( Coral) ......... .Wfiam

JONI JAMES YOU ARE MY LOVE

(MGM) ............. .v .1 Lay Me Down to Sleep

D0RI ANNE GREY LEARNING TO LOVE

• ( Mercury ) Smokey Mountain Walts

GOGI GRANT SUDDENLY THERE'S A VALLEY

(Era) ......... ... . . 1 .Love Is

livers with impact. Tune is the kind
of ballad that takes hold fast and
. lasts long. Ballad on the reverse
is just a moderate item that’s
given a fair treatment. David
Terry’s orch and chorus helps Miss
James on both sides.

Dori Anne" Grey; “Learning to
Love”-“Smokey Mountain Waltz”
(Mercury). Newcomer Dori Anne
Grey gets a strong crack at the hit
lists with “Learning to Love.” It’s
a fast moving rhythm number with
a predominate banjo backing and
she belts it home- with an appealing
fervor. She changes pace on the
reverse for a smooth workover of
a folk-styled ballad.

Gogi Grant: “Suddenly There’s
a Valley”-“Love Is” .(Era). Gogi
• Grant stirred up a storm of cover
disks with her kickoff of “Sud-
denly There’s a Valley” and her
#lice has a good chance of beating
such strong disk competition as Jo
Stafford (Columbia) and Julius La
Rosa (Cadence). Her stirring treat-
ment of the strong ballad piece will
keep her on the deejay tables.
“Love Is” is a frothy item worth,
some spinning attention.

Frankie Laine: “Hawk-Eye”-
“Your Love” (Columbia). There’s
enough beat in “Hawk-Eye” to give
Frankie Laine one of kis loudest
sides in some time. It's & definite
noisemaker and should pull e^pe-

tor). Although “King of the River”
is another “Disneyland” creation,
it’s no “King of the Wild Frontier,”
better known as “Davy Crockett.”
Tune is in the folksy groove and
Lou Monte gives the proper spirit-
ed treatment* but it’ll be a hard
pull even with the tele exposure.
The. novel beat and lyric of “Yal-
ler, Yaller Gold," also from the
Walt Disney show, will help push
it in the market.

The Mariners: “I Love You Fair
Dinkum”-“Steamboat River Ball”
(Cadence). The novelty flavor and
attractive marching beat of “I Love
You Fair Dinkum” could rack up
a good score for The Mariners’
first Cadence slice. The hoys are
also in good shape on the oldie,
“Steamboat River Ball.” Their har-
mony technique here is tops,

Eileen Rodgers: “Just a Little
Bit More”-“Now. Is the Time”
(Columbia), Eileen Rodgers -makes
a good impresh on her initial . Col
coupling. She’s especially strong
on “Just a Little Bit More,” a
rhythm number which really
jumps in her hands. It’S headed for
hefty spinning time, “Now Is the
Time” is another rhythmic item
that stands a good chance to catch
on.

Don ° Cherry - Gordon Jenkins
Orch: “Sip of Moonlight”-“Home
Again” (Decca). “Sip of Moon-

LAWRENCE WELK

and his

CHAMPAGNE MUSIC

210th Consecutive Week
Aragon Ballroom — Ocean Park, Cal.
ABC-TV— Sat, 8-10 P. M. EDT
Sponsored by
Dodge Dealers of America

light” is an ingratiating little
ballad item that Cherry croons
attractively against a flavorsome
orch and chorus backing batoned
by Gordon Jenkins. 'Home Again,”
the back side, offers nothing new
in the melody or lyric department.
Since this side was cut, both artists
have exited the Decca roster.
Cherry is now waxing for Colum-
bia and Jenkins is with Label X.

John Greer: “Come Back Mabel-
lene”-“Night Crawlin'”) (Groove):
“Come Back Maybellene” is a
rhythm 8c blues paraphrasing of a
current rhythm & blues noise-
maker, “Maybellene.” It’s got the
zip of the original arid John Greer
takes it on an uninhibited vocal
spree. 1 Due for lots of action in
the r&b territories, Greer goes
strictly instrumental on. the flip
side with a highly rhythmic work-
over of a piece tagged “Night
Crawlin’.”

Homer 8c Jethro: “Yaller Rose
of Texas-You All”-“Listen To The
Gooney Bird”. (RCA Victor).
There’s no resemblance between
“Yaller Rose of Texas-You AH”
and the clicko “Yellow Rose of
Texas” and that’s probably where
Homer & Jethro made a mistake.
As it stand it’s no parody of the hit
tune and only adds up to just
another comedy wax try that comes
off for only moderate returns. The
boys give “The Gooney Bird,” on
the flip side, a breezy workover.

Jerry Vale, Columbia Records
singer, booked for a repeat stand
at the Blue Moon, Lowell, Mass.,
Sept.. 5.

, 10 Best Sellers on Coin-Machines

1. YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS (4)

2. AIN'T THAT A SHAME (5) ...

I 3. SEVENTEEN (3)

( Mitch Miller Columbia

"{ Johnny Desmond .Coral ^

( Pat Boone Dot +

. , ( Fats Domino ........ . Imperial

\ Ronnie Gaylord Wing

J Fontane Sisters ... Dot 4

, . -{ Boyd Bennett ............ King * ’

(Rusty Draper,.. Mercury ,,

4. LEARNIN' THE BLUES (13) ........A............ Frank Sinatra Capitol $

5. ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK (14) Bill Haley's. Comets Decca

6. HARD TO GET (11) Gisele MacKenzie. Label X

j Alan Dale Coral

...... ^ G eor gia Gibbs .M ercury f

j Roy Hamilton ........... ■ Epic * ’

8. UNCHAINED MELODY (20) j Al. Hibblet . Decca +

\ Le$ Baxter Capitol

7. SWEET AND GENTLE (8)

9. WAKE THE TOWN AND TELL THE PEOPLE (1)

( Les Baxter

. Capitol T

n 1 , i •

( Mindy Carson ........ Columbia X

10. IT’S A SIN TO TELL A LIE (10) Somethin' Smith Epic

Second Group

X LONGEST WALK Jaye P. Morgan

. Victor
. Victor +

:: SONG OF THE DKEAMER | | i | 1 ^Columbia ;

HONEY BABE Art Mooney MGM

? DOMANI (Julius LaRosa Cadence

Tony Martin ............ Victor

MAN IN A RAINCOAT j Marion Marlowe ; Cadence "

) Priscilla Wright ........ Unique * *

HUMMINGBIRD . . „ ,« v . ........ - Les Paul-Mary JFord ....Capitol

LOVE IS A MANY*— SPLENDORED 'THING ...... Four Aces .Decca

| A BLOSSOM FELL \ / Ki V?) ••••*• Capitol

♦ ................. j jptcfcig Valentine London X

* • { Doris Day . Columbia

j Les Baxter Capitol f

^ HOUSE OF BLUE LIGHTS . . Chuck Miller ......... Mercury * ’

f Figures v a* fn theses indicate number oj weeks song has been in the Top 10)

I I'LL NEVER STOP LOVING YOU

Ethel Merman sure belts 'em
out * in Decca's “Memories’* (DL
9028), not as colorful a billing as
the subtitled “40 Great Songs from
the Gay '90s to the Roaring ’20s.”

And that’s what they are — two
score terrific popular standards,
batoned by Jay Blackton who also
arranged the score. While Miss
Merman technically has the Mitch-
ell Boys Choir and The Old Timers
Quartet as vocal aids, it’s all The
Merm, as she unspools a galaxy of
greats from the 1890 period to the
1920-30 era. -They run the gamut
from “Ta-ra-ra-boom-der-e” and
“HeUo My Baby” to “Smiles” and
“Oh Johnny Oh.”

Incidentally, what would the al-
bum biz be these days without
these great popular standards? To
paraphrase one G. Gobel, some
how they don’t hardly make them
like that no more. Abel.

Harry Geller Orch: “New York,
New York” (RCA Victor) Harry
Geller’s musical tribute to Manhat-
tan has been handsomely packaged
by RCA Victor. The attractive
photo shots of Gotham that make"
up the cover set the tone for what
Geller has put into the groove. His
musical moods are as varied as the
sections of N.Y. His instrumental
odes have been inspired by. such
typical N.Y. items as the rivers, the
subways, Shubert Alley, Central
Park, the Statue of Liberty and
the U.N. building. The music is
gay or serious as befits the topic
and at all times it’s rich arid color-
ful. Its appeal is wide enough to
appeal to the yokels as Well as the
locals^ Meyer Berger, N. Y. Times
scribe, has supplied some interest-
ing liner notes.

Eartha Kittr “Down to Eartha”

(RCA Victor). There’s a solid
helping of Eartha Kitt’s vocal man-
nerisms in this set of a dozen tunes,
some previously released as singles
and some new. It’s .a lot to take at
one hearing but in ‘small doses, it
makes for okay listening. Among
the strong items in the packages
are “Mambo De Paree,” “Looking
For A Boy” and “I’ve Got That
Loving Bug Itch.” Henri Rene has
applied a tasteful orch and* chorus
backinj. An attractive cover
showing thrush in a sultry mood
on a tiger skin should help ped-
dle the package. Liner notes,
mostly a rundown of Miss Kitt’s
career, are by N.Y. Journal- Amer-*
ican radio-tv columnist Jack
O’Brian.

Mantovaril Orch: “Rhapsody In
Blue”-“Concerto in F” (London)
Mantovani enters the classical field
in this set but not far enough to
lose his . pop fans. Fof with these
Gershwin works, he can hold on
to his pop cult as well as develop
new devotees among the long-
hairs. Both pieces are delivered
with brilliance and flash. Julius
Katchen stands out with, his key-
board solo work.

Jack ..Sheldon Quintet: (Jazz:
West). The fr ^-wheeling and un-
inhibited quality that many jazz
platters strive for is in evidence
throughout this 10-inch LP set cut
by the Jack Sheldon Quintet. With
the maestro’s horn and Zoot
Simms* tenor sax leading the way,
the boys take off on some vivid
and exciting instrumental inter-
pretations pf oldies and newies.
Other 'sidemen in the combo are
Walter Norris, piano; Bob Whit-
lock, bass, and Lawrence Marable,
drums.

The top 30 songs of week ( more -in case of ties), based on
copyrighted Audience Coverage Index ft Audience Trend Index,
Published by Of f ice of Research , Inc., Dr. John Gray Peatman,
Director. Alphabetically listed. * Legit musical . t Film,

Survey Week of Aug. 19-25, 1955.

Angel Bells Mills

Bible TeHs Me So Paramount

Blue Star Chappell

Cherry Pink, Apple Blossom White — i“Uoderwater”Chappell

Don’t Stay Away Tod Long Bourne

Fooled Harms

Hard to Get Witmark

Heart — +“Damn Yankees” Frank

Hummingbird Jungnlckel

I’ll Never Stop Loving You— t“Love Me, Leave Me” Feist

It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie. ... 1 BVC

It’s All. Right with Me — *“Can-Can” .............. Chappell

Kentuckian Song— t“Kentuckian” Frank

Learnin* the Blues Barton

Longest Walk ' Advanced

Love Is Many^Splendored — 1“Love Is Splendored”. Miller
•Love Me or Leave Me — t“Love Me or Leave Me”. . BVC

Mamin a Raincoat BMI '

May I Never Love Again Broadcast

Rock Around the Clock — t “Blackboard Jungle” ...Myers

Sailor Boys Have Talk to. Me in English Mortis >

Seventeen ......Lois

Something's -Gotta Give — f “Daddy Long Legs” . . .Robbins

Sweet and Gentle . f Peer

That Old Black Magic— +“Bus Stop” Famous

Toy Tiger— 1“Priyate War of Major Benson”, .... .Northern

Trdpical Merengue Marks

Unchained Melody— t“Unchained” .............. Frank

Wake the Town and Tell the People joy

Yellow Rose of Texas Planetary

Young Ideas ..... Harms

Top 30 Songs on TV

(More In Case of Ties)

An Occasional Man Saunders

Bible Tells Me. So .Paramount

Birmin’ham — t“Girl Rush” Saunders

Blue Star ...... ..................... ChappeU

Champagne— t “Girl Rush” Saunders

Fooled .-. ... .Harms

Girl Rush— ! “Girl Rush” Saunders

Homesick Hillbilly— t “Girl Rush” Saunders

X Belong tp You — t“The Racers”. ................ .Peist

I Want You to Be My Baby . . ... . . . .... ....... . . Victory

If I May Roosevelt

Longest Walk Advanced

Love is Many-Splendored — 1“Love Is Splendored” . . Miller

Mama Rosa Shapiro-B

Moment I Saw You Mellin

Out of Doors — t “Girl Rush” Saunders

Rock Around the Clock — t “Blackboard Jungle”. ... Myers

Sailor Boys Have Talk to Me in English ., Morris

Something’s Gotta Give— 1 “Daddy Long Legs” .... Robbins

Suddenly There’s a Valley Warmen

Sweet and Gentle ' Peer

Take a Chance — t“Girl Rush” Saunders

That Old Black Magic— *“Bus Stop” ............... Famous

Tropical Merengue Marks

Unchained Melody — t“Unchained” Frank

Wake the Town and Tell the People Joy

" What Do You See in Her .Evans

What Is the Secret of Your Success Harms .

Where Is That Someone for Me— *“7th Heaven” . . . Chappell
Young Ideas . , ; Harpas

I, u > „ , * I I Vi; i j r , t ij -fr ii i) ; a., ; , , i>> IN I i .i , M I ri i f l i y . ^ .a.4 - -I !i .

Wednesday, August SI* 1955

MUSIC 41

‘BATTLE FOR

Bravo for the Road Co. Blackouts

The music business thrives on property rights. /That’s the
very - essence of writerAiser relations. If there, were ho basic
copyright protection for the material, no amount of ethical con-
sideration would produce a sou for the creators, of the song mate-
rial. In fact, that is the crux of a new technological claim which
music creators have against certain, music users, meaning the
Jukebox industry.

But the lack of honor in the music biz was never as flagrant
as among the diskeries with the out-and-out thefting of arrange-
ments and styles by one label from another,. Stagehands in;the
old* tradition would protect vaudeville creators from Copy acts
by ’their own vigilante, system, like dropping a sandbag bacfc»
stage— "accidentally on purpose”— just to ‘jpue” the thefting
thesplan that it ain't, cricket.

Nothing like it in the record business. Paradoxically, the
'offenders have almost invariably been the majors. The independ-
ents, as recent history has evidenced, were compelled to resource-
fulness and a certain amount of "Impudence” in their disk styles
in order to compete with the majors. To their, credit, the Indies
have outsold the bigger companies more than once.

Instead of the majors accepting the challenge and creating
new values, there has cropped up the(« .practice of openly and
brazenly stealing the arrangement down to the last echo cham-
ber from the pioneering independents. It's not enough that some
of the majors, having nothing but money, hired away some of
their best talent from their lesser colleagues.

Prom out of nowhere comes WINS (N.Y.) program manager
Bob Smith with his own concept of wrist-slapping the copyists
and recognition for the creators. It takes the form of giving
voice to the originals only— period. It has nothing to do with a
label which “covers” a tune with its own artists and its own
techniques. It’s forthrightly aimed at those who don’t concede
common-law protection for an originator. For, unfortunately,
only ethics can provide the protective cloak. The Copyright
statutes, for some reason that quite doesn't make sense, can’t
protect a recorded interpretation.

In actuality, all components of the disk biz should be allied
in the common cause if only against those scavengers who un-
derprice them, cutrate them, and ultimately mulct both the
business and the public. This has to do with merchandisers of
those “latest hits” in package form which (1) are out-and-out
carbons of whichever is the hit version; (2), undermines the
sales potential of the recognized version, because of the price
differential; and (3), invariably creates a copyright accounting
haz'ard for the publishers and writers. In effect, legitimate music
aspects on two fronts — the diskmakers and the copyright owners
—are victimized by this brand of shoddy carbon-copy.

Bob Smith may prove to be a Daniel Boone (or should it be.
Davy Crockett?) in this jungle of waxworks. skullduggery by his
firm stand on at least one front which he can control— the "road
company” recording. Abel.

Conkling Claims 88% Back Club

Far U.S. Catalogs; Harry Fox to Eng.

Kickoff of commercial televisions
In Britain on Sept. 22 spotlights
a new source of revenue that is de-
veloping overseas for U. S. music
publishers. With the opening up
of the European tv market, the
world rights to times have now
taken on added Values for the film-
tv syndicators making musical
films.*

Up. to now, the syndicates have
only bought the U. S. and Can-
adian rights for synchronization.
Usual deal calls for a blanket fee of
about $250 for a three-year period
or $75 per use in any given
market. Such synchronization deals
bring in about $500,000 annually
to publishers, in addition to in-
creasing the tune’s performance
credits whenever a 1 syndicated pic
is played on tv.

Harry Fox, publishers’ agent and
trustee, is setting up . a scale for
world: rights to tunes that will be
about 50% of the U. S. and Canad-
ian rights. Fox stated that most
U. S. publishers are cooperating
with the film syndicators in set-
ting up reasonable deals to en-
courage the growth of this phase
(Continued on page 48)

CADENCE NOW ONE BIG
EX-GODFREY FAMILY

Ex-Godfreyites are finding a
home on tv with Ed Sullivan’s
"Toast of the Town” and on rec-
ords with Archie Bley er 's' Cadence
label. Latest in the Godfrey to
Bleyer trek are the Mariners who
wetfe pacted to a longterm deal
last week.

Other former friends of God-
frey on the Cadence label are
Julius LaRosa, Marion Marlowe,
The Chordettes and Bleyer, him-
self.

Third Man Theme

Due to new contractual set-
up with Capitol Records, it’s
understood that Joe "Fingers”
Carr is the only recording ar-
tist ever to be pacted by a
diskery under three names.

Under terms of new Con-
tracts inked by Carr, he will
appear on the Cap label as
Joe (Fingers) Carr for ragtime
piano disks, as Joe Carr and
the Joy Riders for novelty
tunes backed by an orch; and
as Lou Busch when he records
sides as a conductor-arranger.

tast Albums
On 2 Musicals

RCA Victor will again be promi-
nent in the legit original cast
album market for the 1955-56 sea-
son, Last week, the diskery wrap-
ped up the rights to two major
musicals in "Pipe Dream” and
"Delilah.”

"Delilah,” the Carol Channing
starrer which has been booked into
the Winter Garden, N. Y., for a

Nov. 10 preem, has a score by John
Latouche and James Mundy, Rob-
bins-Wise, Is publishing the score.

Upcoming Rodgers-Hammerstein
legituner, "Pipe Dream,” is con-
sidered in the trade as one of the
hot properties of the 1955-56 sea-

(Continuqd on page 48)

* Echoing the "battle of the
speeds” which rocked the disk in-
dustry in the postwar years, .Co-
lumbia Records and RCA Victor
are once again .engaging in a bat-
tle— a "battle for the dealers.”
The fight was sparked a couple of
weeks ago by Columbia’s launching
of its record club and siems from
radically different ' merchandising
outlooks in both companies.

While Columbia Is attempting to
strengthen its position among the
dealers by clarifying and amend-
ing its club setup (see separate
story), Victor is now driving along
a course that’s plainly outspoken
against club operations. Victor,
in fact, has revamped an ad cam-
paign that’s due to break in 40
cities next month, in order to point
up its opposition to the club idea.
No mention of Col’s club wil\ of
course, be made, but .the implica-
tion will be clear for the retailers.

Whil$ Columbia claims that it or-
ganized its club to save the deal-
ers from the inroads of disk clubs
which completely bypass the deal-
er, Victor contends that clubs a.*e
bad because they take traffic out
of the store, cut' down potential
sales of other merchandise and
generally weaken the retailer by
getting the customer habituated to
the idea of ordering through t\e
mails.

Columbia -execs contend that the
response from the dealers to their
(Continued on page 48)

Render Unto Caesar

Roland Drayer orch, cur-
rently touring the south, has
dug into Gilbert A Sullivan’s
"Mikado” for a special salute
to its AFM boss, James. Caesar
Petrillo.

The GAS paraphrase is used
as the band’s cignoff with the
entire crew crooning "Let’s
give a toast to the man ‘We
love most— Petrillo, Petrillo,
Petrillo!”

To Music Trust

Fall Drive With

Coral Records is kicking off its
fall sales drive with the biggest
release of packaged goods since the
Decca subsid was organized. In-
cluded in .the release will be 14.
12-inch LPs in addition to 10 EP
sets, all newly recorded material.

As part of its fall program, Coral
has also come up with . a special
discount plan whereby dealers can
get additional discounts on orders
placedijfeetween Sept. 1 and Oct. 15.
Sliding scale of extra discounts,
ranging from 5% to 10%, depend
on the amount of the orders with
the biggest cut* obtainable on or-
ders of over $1,000.

On the promotional level, Coral
Is cuffoing ' eight of the LPs to
key disk jockeys around the coun-
try. Diskery has also launched a
sales contest for distributors and
salesmen to spark the sales, drive.

New albums include packages in
the jazz, pop, mood music, film
soundtrack, vocal and comedy
veins. Program includes sets by
Georgie Auld; Ulpio Mlnucci (pre-
sented by Gina Lollobrlgida); Law-
rence Welk; Mel Torme; the UA
pic soundtrack from "Gentlemen
Marry Brunettes”; a mood music
set by Roberto, an English band-
leader; Steve Allen; Alfredo An-
tonin!; Dick Marx and John Frigo.
There will also be some reissue
packages.

Coral's fall plan was kicked off
in New York ove* last weekend
by Norm Weinsjtroer, general sales
manager, and Frank Holland; eastfr
era division* manager, J£>€ner
meets will be held in major dis-
trib cities.

The Music Performance Trust
Fund, which is administered by
the disk industry under terms of
its -pact with the American Fed-
eration of -Musicians, collected $2,-
343,000 .from disk royalties last
year, a boost .of over $400,000 from
the previous year. Coin from the
fund, of which Samuel R. Rosen-
baum is trustee, is allocated to var-
ious AFM locals around the coun-
try for cuffo concerts in parks,
hospitals, schools, etc., for the re-
lief of unemployed musicians.

In addition to the disk royalties,
the Fund also received $377,900
from television film producers.
Latter work through another set’
up, called Musicians Performance
Trust Fund No. 2, but the funds
are amalgamated for allocation
purposes. The coin collected dur-
ing 1954 represents royalties
earned under- the old agreement,
which expired at the end of 1953,
and the new pact which went into
effect at the outset of 1954. The
new Fund agreement hiked the old
royalty rate by V/ 2 %.

As of June, 1955, the total num-
her of signatories to the 1948 and
new ' five-year Fund agreements
was 1,778 diskeries and 245 tran-
scription companies.' However,
SOipe 1,500 diskeries reported no
sales during the. last half of last
year. The Fund has 253 film-tv
signatories under the 1948 pact
and 201 signatories under the new
contract.

As of July 1, the Fund made an
allocation of $2,350,000 to musi-
cians for the past 12 months. A
big part of the coin went to spon-
sor youth dances in various parts
of the country.

The Fund, incidentally, is now
engaged in litigation brought by
stockholders of all the major disk
companies on grounds that it vio-
lates the Taft-Hartley Act.

♦ The smoke hasn’t yet cleared'
from the record club bombshell
dropped on the disk industry two
weeks ago by Columbia Records.
There’s still plenty of confusion on
the retailer level as to the long-
range implications of the plan, and
Col prexy James B. Conkling and
national sales director Hal B. Cook
have been In Constant touch with
dealers around the country * via
phone and correspondence trying
to clarify the plan and lower some
of the dealer resistance to the
plan.

Expressing confidence Conkling
reports that "88% of the dealers
are going along with our record
plan.” He’s also impressed, with
the number of members that "are
being recruited via the dealers,”
He claims that it’s too eatly to esti-
mate an accurate proportion of the
direct mail membership to dealer
membership, but he said the first
weeks of the program indicate that
dealers may become the key to a
new mail order concept. He figures
that it will take between three and
four months before the ratio be-
tween dealer and direct mail mem-
bership can be ascertained.

Both Conkling and Cook are
making themselves available to any
dealer group that wants a first-
hand rundown and/pr explanation
of the record club program. Duo
is heading out to Long Island to-
morrow (Thurs. > to be on hand
when the dealers in that area get
together for a confab on the rec-
ord club program. Neither Conk-
ling. or Cook want tp pass the buck
to their local field men, whom they
feel aren’t as equipped as they are
(Continued on page 48)

Soviets Giving West
An Earful of Its Disks

Stockholm, Aug. 23.

For the first time, Russia has en-
tered the annual big international
merchandise exhibition known as
Stockholm’s World Fair, which ,1s
opening here shortly. Among the
many goods the Russians will show
will be phonograph records. Small
imports have taken place , from
time to time, by individual record
dealers, but it is reported that the
Russians now are looking for a

representative for whole of Swe-T inventories wiped out.

- r r» • .i - 1‘

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR

1905 • 1955

den.

In the past few years, labels have
been contacted by the Ministry of
Culture in Moscow, who asked for
the possibilities of buying Swedish
masters for release jp Soviet. Dur-
ing the last two years there has also
been an exchange of entertainment
artists between Sweden and Russia
during the summer outdoor sea-
sons. This summer, the Russians
declared that they would appreci-
ate if the Swedish troupe also in-
cluded a jazz' vocalist. Russian
record catalogs deal to 99% with
classic music.

Quartet of RCA Execs
Takes Off for Europe
To Expand Disk Mart

After a two-week delay, Manie
Sacks, RCA v.p. and general man-
ager of the Victor disk division,
sails today (Wed.) on the Queen
Elizabeth for an extensive 0 . 0 . of
the European disk market. Sacks,
who will be accomped by three
other company execs, will probably
stay overseas for five or six weeks.

The RCA contingent* also in-
cludes Albert F, Watters, y,p. and
operations manager of the RCA
International division; Howard
Letts, manager of the record op-
erations department; and Alan
Kayes, Red Seal artists & reper-
toire manager.

Key targets of the trip will be to
develop a mass market for disks in
Europe, especially for the 45s; to
build up a roster of native talent
in each country where Victor now
operates or plans to set up its own
factory; to arrange for another set-
up in Britain when Electric & Musi-
cal Industries (EMI) gives its HMV
catalog in the U. S. to Capitol Rec-
ords which is now EMI-owned; and
to study superior acoustical tech-
niques used in Gex*man record. ng
studios.

REMINGTON N.E. PUNT
BADLY Hit BY ROOD

Remington Records, low-priced
labels with a pressing plant in
Webster, Mass., was badly hit by
the floods that swept through New
England recently. Remington
prexy Donald H. Gabor etsimated
the damages at over $250,000 with
70% of the label’s production and

Remington has applied for a dis-
aster loan and expected to be back
in production within 60 days.

Folsom Shuttling

RCA prexy Frank M. Folsom
paid a flying trip to the company’s
Canadian operations last week,
and before veepee Manie Sacks
leaves for Europe today (Wed.)
both also quickied to Indianapolis
for the same purpose.

Folsom shuttles among all RCA
operations frequently with an eye
to efficiency anch production.

Top Record Talent and Tunes

MUSIC

Wednesday, August 31 , 1955

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511

'Wednesday, August 31 v 1955

PSSSIEty

MUSIC

Inside Stuff— Musi

When the RQA Victor disk department moves from the International
Bldg, in Rockefeller Center to its new headquarters on East 24th Street,
K Y., Sept. 6, it will be the first time in the company’s 55-year history
that every operation, except for pressing and recording studios, will
be centralized in one location. Some 300 staffers of Victor and the
subsid labels, Camden, Groove and Label X, in addition to the custom
records division will occupy : the first three floors of the 24th Street
building. Other tenants will have space on the upper four floors.

The 24th Street structure was originally built in 1007 by a firm of
horse dealers who held weekly horse auctions on the next-door prem-
ises, now a garage. Lord & Taylor subsequently used the building
as a warehouse up to the late 1920s when they moved uptown. The
Victor Talking Machine Co. moved its activities to 24th Street from
Leiderkranz Hall. Only two men were needed to handle the engineer-
ing' then., After the market crash of 1929, there Was not sufficient
work to keep them busy all the time so they did other odd jobs. Paul
'Whiteman and Nathaniel Shilkret were the most active disk -artists
during this period. Grace Moore also cut disks at the 24th Street
studios in the late ’20s. At. the present time, most of Victor’s N. Y,
recording sessions are held at Webster Hall and Manhattan Center.

Vet songsmith Pat Ballard recently read a piece by Ward Morehouse
anent missing Broadway and the thought built up to a sudden decision
on the cleffer’s part to ' sell his Sears-Roebuck clothes ahd leave his
rural property in Troy, Pa., for another fling at Lindy’s. Ballard reports
the transition is stimulating in case other stix-retirers miss the stem.
A quick trip to Brooks Bros., Ballard reports, put him back in the Tin
Pan' Alley swim and he’s placed several new tunes since pitching a tent
'in Westchester where you can’t hear cows at 6 : a.m.

MGM Pact* Hillbilly

Hillbilly crooner Marvin Rain-
water has been added to the MGM
Records roster. Facting is in line
with label’s campaign to bolster its
country & western division.

Rainwater, who’s currently fea-
tured on ABC-TV's '‘Ozark Jubi-
lee,” has sliced “Sticks and Stones”
and “Albino” for his first MGM
release.

“Moose” Charlap and Chuck"' Sweeny, who. authored the songs for.
the NBC-TVer, “The King and Mrs. Candle,” have a fascination name-
wise for the music men. It develops that “Moose” . is a Til chap, hence
the reverse name, square-handled firstname is Morris. Nobody knows
—yet — whether Chuck is for Charles in Sweeny. Both are RCA veep
Manie Sacks’ protegees.

H’WOOD NITERY PACTS
GRAY BAND TO HYPO B.O.

Hollywood, Aug. 30.

In. a move tp stimulate more
dancing at the Moulin Rouge,
Frank Sennes operator of the
nitery,* has signed Jerry Gray and
his orch as house band supplanting
Bob Snyder current batoneer.
Gray was inked on the belief that
a name band policy for the club
Will draw more of the dancing
public.

Sennes is also negotiating with
NBC and CBS anent a remote
across-the-board tv show to be
called “Luncheon at the Moulin
Rouge.” Gray who opens at the
Rouge Sept. 27, will also be fea-
tured oh the “Luncheon” show.
Incidentally, Sennes’ nitery is
right across-the-street from the
Hollywood Palladium, which too
recently installed a house-band
policy with Orrin Tucker.

Best British Sheet Sellers-

(Week ending Aug, 20)

London, Aug. 23.
Unchained Melody. . . , Frank
Evermore . ^ . Rogers
Dreamboat .‘Leeds

I Wonder ...... .Macmelodies

Ev’rywhere Bron

Stranger in Paradise. . .Frank

Cherry Pink Maddox

Where pimple Be...Cinephonic

Stowaway Morris

Every Day .......... Robbihs

You, My Love .Dash

Learnin’ the Blues . . Connelly

Second 12

Don ? t Worry Wright

Softly Cavendish

Mama- Macmelodies 1

John and Julie Toff

. Bridges of Paris .... Southern

Stars Shine ....... i .Maurice

Love Song Was Born..phappell

Sincerely : Dash

Earth Angel ....... Chappell

Blue Star ........... .Victoria

Melody of Love. . .. .Connelly

Cool Water . . Feldman

RETAIL DISK BEST KELLERS

yAKIETY ‘

Survey of retail disk best
sellers based on reports ob
tained from leading stores in
18 cities and showing com’
parative salejs rating for this
and last i peek.

National
. Rating
Thlft Last
wk. wk.

Artist, Label, Title

0
to

•H

•U

«o

■3

.©

. ns

»d

©-

tUO

■M

&
. o

»I-

•s

*
B
. o
re
T3

1
fcJD
re
o

'rt

, B

c e

»d

r o

«•

S’

■9

•N

•H

0
U.

fi-

•o

4 )

MITCH MILLER (Columbia)

“Yellow Rose of* Texas”

• 4

128

PAT. BOONE (Dot)

. “Ain’t That. a Shame”.

« 4

• 4

1 .

t 4

• rf

2 100

2B.

BILL HALEY’S COMETS (Decca)

“Rock Around the Clock’'

« *

4 4 *

' • 4

6 -

• * f

100

FRANK SINATRA (Capitol)

“Leamin’ the Blues” ,

* •

• •

« «

4 4

• 4

' 4 4

4 •

• ' 4

FOUR ACES (Decca)

“Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing”,

« •'

4 4

» •

*4 4

* 4

LES BAXTER (Capitol)

“Wake the Town and Tell the People”

* 4 •

4 4

©’

4 4

“CHUCK BERRY (Chess)

“MaybeRene”

• •

« •

■ * * i

• 4

4 4

CHUCK MILLER (Mercury)

“House of Blue Lights”

• «

• •

4 4

4 •

4 4

•

4 4

• 4

. GISELE MacKENZIE (Label X)

“Hard to Get”

4 •

« , 4

4 '•

, \

4 •

• *'

4 4

« 4

ROGER WILLIAM (Kapp)

“Autumn Leaves”

4 •

« •

• •

•

• 4

4 4

“ BOYD BENNETT (King)

“Seventeen”

• •

* 4

10'

•

• •

31*

CREW-CUTS (Mercury) '

“Gum Drop”

• 4 4

• 4

4 4

LES BAXTER (Capitol)

“Unchained Melody”

4 4 ' • •

4 •

NAT (KING) COLE . (Capitol)

“A Blossom Fell”.

4 4

4 •

4 4

4 •

V 4

4 4

• ' 4

* 4

FOUR LADS (Columbia) .

“Moments to. Remember”. .

...

4 4

• 4

4 «

• 4

4 4

JOHNNY DESMOND (Coral)

“Yellow Rose of Texas” .

• ' •

4 «

4 4 -

4 4 .

• •

4 4

■ • 4

4 4 -

4 4

...

4 4

JAYE P; MORGAN (Victor) .

“Longest Walk” . ^ ,

• 4

4 4

FONTANE SISTERS (Dot)

“Seventeen”

• «

. * *

* *•

• •

19A

EDDIE FISHER (Victor)

“Song of the Dreamer”

* 4

• 4

* 4 .

• 4

. « 4 -

4 •

4 4

•

19B

RUSTY DRAPER (Mercury)

“Seventeen”

• 4

4 •

4 4

4 • ■

1 •

* 4

...

DORIS DAY (Columbia)

“I’ll Never Stop Loving You”. . . . ..........

• •

• 4

...

4 4

4 ■ 4

...

4 4

SOMETHIN’ SMITH (Epic)

“It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie”.

• 4

* •

4 4

• *

• •

• i

4 '

• «

4 4

NICK NOBLE (Wing)

“Bible Tells Me So”

A •

4 •

4 4

4 t

• 4

4 •

4 4

. 4 •

24A

4 4

LES PAUL-MAKY FORD (Capitol) *
“Hummingbird”

• •

« +

4 4

4 •

4 4

4 *

4 •

4 4 -

24B

RAVENS (Jubilee)

“Green Eves”

SIX TOP
ALBUMS

IOVE ME OR

LONESOME ECHO

STARRING

IN THE WEE,

OKLAHOMA

PETE KELLY'S

LEAVE ME

Joctrfo Cloaion

SAMMY DAVIS JR.

SMALL HOURS

Film Soundtrack

BLUES

Doris Day

Sammy Davit Jr.

Frank Sinatra

lot-Fitzgortild

Pnlumhf a

Capitol

Decca

Capitol

Decca

LUl UlUUld

” CL 710

W 627

DL 8118

W 581

SOA 595

DL 8166

B 2090

EBF 1, 2-627

ED 2214-5-6

EBF 1, 2-581

FDM 1, 2-595

ED 758

-f . A project, to promote wider
showcasing of modern . American
longhair music on all levels is now
being pitched to the country’s ma-
jor cultural bgnk?oliers t the ' foun-
dations. The plan, called the Guild
of American Composers, was
drawn up by vet publisher Jack
Robbins, who has been active over :
the years in the standard-educa-
tional field as well as in. pops.

. Under the Guild setup, com-
posers would have the opportunity
to record their works for demon-
stration purposes for symphony
conductors who Would thus be
saved the time needed to study a
new score. Although some of the
major companies have been record-
ing modern American longhair
works, the high costs involved in
such ventures have more frequent-
ly prevented diskings of new
works.

The works would be cut under
the Guild label and the .platters
would be sent to the heads of mu-
sic departments at all leading Col-'
leges, to ballet troupes and, if suit-
able, to picture companies as pos-
sible production numbers. Robbins,
sees big possibilities for promoting
modern American longhair works
on the 150 educational radio and
video outlets and then on the key
taidio Stations.

While the coin angles for the '
Guild have not been completely
worked out, support for the project
may come from one of the big
Institutional funds, such as the :
Ford Foundation. Latter has been,
underwriting several Important
cultural projects and It’s hoped
that the Guild’s program will rate
an okay for similar bankrolling. '
Top disk companies have also
^hown interest in the Guild. ~
Robbins pointed out that there
are some 500 symphony orchs now
operating in the U. S. of which ap-
proximately 32 are major groups.'
By studying the typical repertoire ,
played by major symphs over one *
season, Robbins concluded that an
average of three minutes per con-
cert is allotted to new music — both
American and European— -for a
grand total of three hours and 20
minutes for the combined season
of the 32 orchestras. He stated that
over 2,000 European and American
composers are tryipg to crowd into '
this time.

Robbins asserted that a good
beginning was made during the
past few years in d concert series
at Cooper Union, N. Y., under Da-
vid Brockman’s leadership. In 14
concerts, 54 new works by Ameri-
can composers were performed.
The Music Performance Trust Fund
paid for 12 of the concerts and
Broadcast Music Inc. paid for the
other two.

The Guild project also envisages
the use of modern American works
as “ambassadors” to the rest of the
world to counteract the recent ex-
ports of cultural missions from
Russia.

Also part of the plan is a nation-
wide contest in the colleges for
outstanding works in various long-
hair symphonic, choral and oper-
atic formats. The Guild will guar-
antee publication of the winning
works and also guarantee record-
ings. Such conductors, composers
and music teachers as Don Voor-
hees, Leonard Bernstein, Andre
Kostelanetz, Frederick Fennell,
Prof. Harry R. JVilson, Broekman
and others have already indicated
they would cooperate in such a
plan.

First work to be published by
the Guild will be Broekman’s piano
concerto, “A Parisian In New
York,” in the modern longhair
idiom and, as the title suggests, a
sequel to George Gershwin’s “An
American in Paris.”

Robbins, incidentally, pitched up
the whole Guild idea to the Ameri-
can Society of Composers, Authors
& Publishers which has agreed to
take over the contest phase of the
program.

MGM Extends LP Drive

MGM Records is^ extending its
special summer sales promotion of
new LPs another 15 days. The LP*
i hypo, which was kicked off in mid-
I July, will now run through Sept.

| 15 instead of the previously set
i Aug. 31 closing date,
j Campaign consists of a cuffo LP
| for every • dozen LPs ordered, a
special return privilege set against
a quota system, and a bonus award

thA rUctHhntnr’fl tnn salesman.

I 1 .

Wednesday » August 31, 1955

Memberships pouring in by the thousands as dealers
all over the country start cashing in on extra, club profits

Here is the Big Success Story in Dealers’ Own Words:

WILL CREATE MORE INTEREST IN RECORDS IN
GENERAL AND HELP ALL COLUMBIA RECORDS
FOR THE DEALER AND ALSO HELP CREATE NEW
CUSTOMERS. WE THINK A NEW ERA iN RECORDS

IS HERE.

RUSSELL. OWNER, RECORD SHOP

e CHATTANOOGA, TENN.

THE COLUMBIA "LP" RECORD CLUB WILL KEEP
THE RECORD BUSINESS WITH THE LEGITIMATE
DEALERS WHERE IT BELONGS. WE WILL GET
MORE THAN OUR SHARE OF MEMBERSHIPS.

' BILL FEEK, SALOON OF MUSIC

PALM BEACH, FLA.

WE THINK COLUMBIA IS THE ONLY MANUFAC-
TURER TO RECOGNIZE AND DO SOMETHING
ABOUT THE TRENDS IN THE RECORD BUSINESS
TODAY. WE ARE PROMOTING THE CLUB ALL THE
WAY.

JOE LESTER, LESTER °MUSIC SHOP
ST. PETERSBURG, FLA.

CONGRATULATIONS TO COLUMBIA MANAGE-
MENT FOR KEEPING PACE WITH CONSUMER
BUYING HABITS AND HELPING ME TOO.* WE ARE
WITH YOU 100%.

JACK HEIN. HEIN'S MUSIC SHOP
CLEARWATER, FLA.

ONE NEW MEMBER A DAY FOR FIVE YEARS WILL
BRING ME AN ANNUAL INCOME OF OVER $5.000 .
BASED ON MINIMUM OF FOUR PURCHASES PER
MEMBER PER YEAR. THIS IS TERRIFIC PLUS BUSI-
NESS FOR ANY AGGRESSIVE RECORD DEALER.
COLUMBIA IS THE GREATEST.

. "CHAZ" HARRIS,

CHAZ HARRIS RECORD SHOP
JACKSONVILLE, FLA.

HAVE 200 SUBSCRIBERS TO DATE.

MARVIN GRIBBLE, 6th AVENUE RECORDS
PORTLAND, ORE.

COLUMBIA "LP" RECORD CLUB PLAN IS TERRIFIC
AS TRAFFIC BUILDER FOR RECORD DEPARTMENT.
PLAN ON USING CIRCULARS IN MAILING LIST TO
GET SUBSCRIBERS.

DOROTHY JENSON. BUYER, DAVISON-PAXON

ATLANTA, GA.

EXCELLENT METHOD FOR SECURING NEW CUS-
TOMERS AND MAINTAINING CONTACT WITH
OLD CUSTOMERS FOR LONG PERIOD OF TIME,
MANY REGULAR CUSTOMERS SOMETIMES GEf
OUT OF THE RECORD BUYING HABIT, THEREFORE,
CONSTANT REMINDERS FROM COLUMBIA REC-
ORDS SHOULD KEEP THEIR BUYING INTERESTS
STIMULATED.

MAX JOHNSON. OWNER. JOHNSON'S

HARRIMAN, TENN.

THE COLUMBIA "LP" RECORD CLUB SHOULD EX-
POSE COUNTLESS THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO RE-
CORDINGS, AND IN SO DOING, SHOULD PROVE
MOST -BENEFICAL TO RETAIL RECORD DEALERS.
WE, ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO A VERY SUB-
STANTIAL INCREASE IN BUSINESS.

HUMES, HUMES MUSIC SHOP
COLUMBUS, GA.

COLUMBIA "LP" RECORD CLUB WONDERFUL
PLAN TO GAIN NEW RECORD BUYERS AND THUS
INCREASE STORE TRAFFIC. COUNTER CIRCU-
LARS AND MAILING PIECES BIGGEST AID IN
GAINING SUBSCRIBERS.

SAM FELDMAN, MANAGER
THE BROWSE SHOP
ATLANTA, GA.

COLUMBIA "LP" RECORD CLUB WILL BE TERRIFIC
BOOST TO MY STORE TRAFFIC PLAN TO MER-
CHANDISE THIS. BY DOOR TO DOOR SOLICITAi
TION AND ADVERTISING POINTED TOWARD SUB-
URBAN AND RURAL CUSTOMERS. COLUMBIA
PLAN NOT ONLY GOOD FROM DEALER PARTIC-
IPATION STANDPOINT BUT ALSO FOR COMBAT.
ING PRESENT CLUBS BY OFFERING A BETTER
PRODUCT.

JIM SALLE, OWNER, SALLE RECORD SHOP

ATLANTA, GA.

WE AT GRAYMAT FEEL THAT COLUMBIA "LP"
RECORD CLUB IS A GRE AT JN NOVATION IN THE
RECORD BUSINESS. IT AFFORDS AN OPPORTU-
NITY TO CURTAIL FURTHER GROWTH OF IN-
DEPENDENT RECORD CLUBS WHICH COMPLETELY
BYPASS THE DEALER.

MATT CARNEVALE-GRAY CORBIN,
GRAYMAT
MORRISTOWN, N. J.

FAMOUS BARR HAS PUT ON AN ALL OUT DRIVE
FOR EXTRA BUSINESS THAT THE COLUMBIA "LP" *
RECORD CLUB CAN BRING.

MANAGEMENT, RECORD DEPARTMENT,

FAMOUS BARR
ST. LOUIS, MO.

WE ARE BEHIND THE COLUMBIA "LP" RECORD
CLUB 100% IN ALL OF OUR STORES.

‘ BROADHURST, ADVERTISING MANAGER,
JENKINS MUSIC
KANSAS CITY, TOPEKA,

OKLAHOMA CITY AND TULSA

COLUMBIA "LP" RECORD CLUB IS THE THING
NEEDED TO BRING BACK TO THE DEALERS THE
CUSTOMERS LOST TO THE DISCOUNT HOUSES.
A GREAT STEP FORWARD.

FRANK NORGER, OWNER, THE MUSIC ROOM

DES MOINES, IA.

COLUMBIA "LP" RECORD CLUB HAS CREATED A
NEW INTEREST IN RECORDS RESPONSE TQ. INITIAL
AD TERRIFIC.

TED HOHTANZ, DES MOINES MUSIC

DES MOINES, IA.

•

THINK COLUMBIA "LP" RECORD CLUB WILL BE
EXCELLENT FOR EXTRA BUSINESS FOR DEALERS.
AM FOR IT 100%.

BILL MITCHELL, OWNER,

MARY'S RECORD SHOP
GREENVILLE, S. C.

THINK COLUMBIA HAS COME UP WITH EXCEL.
LENT ANSWER TO RECORD CLUB THREAT. HOW-
EVER, FEEL YOU MUST HAVE DEALER SUPPORT i
100 %.

MRS. "PAT" SNOOK, SNOOK BROTHERS

CHARLOTTE, N. C.

THE CLUB IS BEING WELL ACCEPTED BY CON-
SUMERS. THE MAIL ORDER BUSINESS IS HERE TO
STAY AND COLUMBIA HAS COME UP WITH A
GREAT PLAN WHEREBY THE DEALER CAN SHARE
IN PROFITS OF MAIL ORDER BUSINESS.

BERNIE STRICKLER, OWNER,
HARMANY HALL
CHICAGO, ILL.

.. «/

Wednesday, August 31, 1955

REPORT

AM 100% IN FAVOR OF CLUB; AS I FAVOR ANY
PROMOTION TO INCREASE PUBLIC INTEREST IN
RECORDS. HOW CAN YOU LOSE? NO WORK,
NO INVESTMENT, JUST SIGN THEM UP AND COL-

lect the Money, the advertising will drive

CUSTOMERS INTO STORES, ALSO NEW MARKETS
WILL OPEN UP.

STU CLASSMAN, OWNER, -RADIO DOCTORS

MILWAUKEE, WiS.

WE ARE SOLD ON THE COLUMBIA "LP" RECORD
CLUB AS A PROMOTION WHICH WILL HELP US
OBTAIN NEW INTEREST AND INCREASE OUR BUSI-
NESS. CONGRATULATIONS TO COLUMBIA.

HAMILTON BRYAN, CURLEY'S FOR MUSIC

RICHMOND, VA.

THE CLUB WILL PROVE A BONANZA FOR AGGRES-
SIVE DEALERS IN FORM OF PLUS BUSINESS.

MIKE LEVIN, GROOVE RECORD SHOP

NORFOLK, VA.

1AM 100% IN FAVOR OF COLUMBIA "LP" RECORD
CLUB. IT IS THE ONLY LOGICAL METHOD OR
KEEPING OUR CUSTOMERS FROM THE IN-
DEPENDENT RECORD CLUBS AND ASSURES US OF
KEEPING MAJOR ARTISTS IN OUR STORE.

BUGGY BRILL, RECORD MART
PASSAIC, N. J.

THE COLUMBIA "LP" RECORD CLUB GIVES US
THE CONSISTANT PROMOTION WITH RECORD
BUYERS THAT WE ARE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN
OURSELVES. IT WILL HELP STIMULATE THE RECORD
BUYING HABIT: WE EXPECT TO SELL TWO REC-
ORDS FOR EVERY ONE RECORD OUR CLUB MEM-
BERS BUY THROUGH THE CLUB.

IRVING. TARLOW, ENCORE MUSIC

NEWARK, N. J.

WE CAN SELL -ANYTHING INCLUDING MEMBER-
SHIPS TO OUR NEW "LP" RECORD CLUB. WE'RE
FOR MODERN AGGRESSIVE IDEAS TO BUILD OUR
RECORD BUSINESS. THANKS AND GOOD LUCK.

IRVING ALBERT
WICHITA, KANSAS

CONGRATULATIONS ON GIVING OUR BUSINESS
A SHOT IN THE ARM. RECORD' CLUB IS A BOON
TO OUR INDUSTRY. SIGNED 20 MEMBERS WITHOUT
ADVERTISING.

,< a

DICK KOVNER. CENTRAL MUSIC
BROCKTON, MASS.

RECORD CLUB IS REALLY GOING TO TOWN.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR FORESIGHTEDNESS
TO STIMULATE OUR BUSINESS.

FRED MOSHER, MOSHER MUSIC COMPANY

BOSTON, MASS,

THANKS FOR THE LIFT. THE RECORD CLUB IS
REALLY WHAT WE NEED TO BRING MORE TRAFFIC
TO OUR STORES. CONGRATULATIONS AND CON-
TINUED SUCCESS.

SIDNEY RITVO, MUSIC BOX
CAMBRIDGE, MASS.

"LP" CLUB 'GREAT FORWARD STEP, WE'RE ALL
FOR IT.

AL STRAUSS, WILLIAM M. WHITNEY CO.
ALBANY, N. Y.

COLUMBIA "LP" RECORD CLUB GOOD THING. I
THINK IT WILL INCREASE TRAFFIC AND BUSINESS
IN RECORD SHOPS. FEEL RECORD LISTINGS IN
COLUMBIA "LP" RECORD CLUB MAGAZINE LIST-
ING ALBUMS NOT AVAILABLE THROUGH CLUB
WILL BRING IN ADDITIONAL SALES AND CUS-
TOMERS.

JOE WEISS. WEISS RHYTHM AND RHYME
MILWAUKEE, WIS.

AM IN FAVOR OF COMBATING OTHER RECORD
CLUBS THROUGH COLUMBIA "LP" RECORD CLUB.-
EVERY DEALER HAS TO BENEFIT FROM TREMEN-
DOUS, ADVERTISING DESIGNED TO INCREASE IN-
TEREST >N RECORDS.

BARN'iY KUEHN, OWNER, MUSIC MART

MILWAUKEE, WIS.

OUR NEWSPAPER AND TV CAMPAIGN ON NEW
"LP" RECORD CLUB PULLED IN OVER 100 BRAND
NEW CUSTOMERS TO DATE. WE'LL PAY FOR
EXTRA ADVERTISING FROM CLUB COMMISSIONS.
PLEASED TO STATE MOST CUSTOMERS WHO COME
IN TO SIGN UP FOR CLUB BOUGHT OTHER REC-
ORDS FROM US.

McMILAN, MODERN MUSIC
MEMPHIS, TENN.

CONGRATULATIONS . ON THE SUCCESSFUL IN-
AUGURATION OF YOUR RECORD CLUB.

LEVIS MUSIC STORES
ROCHESTER, N, Y.

CONGRATULATIONS. "LP" CLUB GREATEST THING
EVER FOR RECORD DEALER.

TENEYCK RECORD SHOP
ALBANY, N. Y.

ENTHUSIASTIC RESPONSE TO YOUR NEW COLUM-
BIA "LP" RECORD CLUB BRINGS HEARTY CON-
GRATULATIONS- ON OUR BEHALF.

A. T. JACK
KENNEBUNK, MAINE

GREAT RESULTS ON RECORD CLUB MEMBERSHIPS
AS RESULT OF LOCAL TIE IN WITH NATIONAL
ADVERTISING. C’ONGRATULATIONS ON A BOLD
NEW STEP IN BEHALF OF RECORD DEALERS ALL
OVER THE COUNTRY.

PORTEOUS, MITCHELL AND BRAUN
PORTLAND, ME.

CONGRATULATIONS ON THE GREATEST NEW
SALES BUILDING IDEA SINCE THE INNOVATION OF
"LP." MEMBERSHIPS ARE RISING RAPIDLY.

CRESSEY AND ALLEN
PORTLAND. ME.

On and on they come— enthusiastic reports like the above from dealers across the country. Results speak for themselves.
Already the Columbia “LP” Record Club has scored a sensational success for alert dealers everywhere. It is bringing
new customers into stores, stepping up store traffic, stimulating sales of records, equipment, record players. Commis-
sions on membership subscriptions are building extra dealer profits for years to come. Now is. the time to push YOUR
Columbia “LP” Record Club. Give prominent display to the promotion material provided. Call upon your Columbia
Records distributor for additional supplies and for further information.

COLUMBIA. RECORDS I

The Oldest Label With the Newest Ideas ,,.ih Our 66th Year

•O **

799 SEVENTH AVENUE

NEW YORK 19, N. Y.

MUSIC

Wednesday, August 31, 1955

Alex M. Kramer, Veteran ‘
Tin Pan Tune Detective.
Dies in Queens Hospital

Alex M. Kramer, 61, vet Tin Tin
Alley writer and tune detective in
numerous plagiarism suits, died
Aug. 25 in Forest Hills Hospital,
Queens, N. Y. Kramer, who is not
to ' be confused with another
ASCAP writer, Alex C. Kramer
(who also lives in Forest Hills), had
been supplying the “mystery mel-
ody" for the “Stop the Music"
radio-tv show since its launching
in 1948.

Kramer was noted in the music
business both for his extensive
library of sheet music, numbering
over 40,000 compositions, and his
memory for melodies. He was fre-
quently consulted as an expert in
tune piracy suits and would work
either for the plaintiff or de-
fendant in such cases if he thought
the side was right. If a publisher
was uncertain about whether a
tune sounded too much like some-
thing else, Kramer was called in
for his opinion* -

Kramer originally worked as a
cellist in various theatre orcfis,
and later became arranger and
librarian for Major Bowes’ “Ama-
teur Hour." He also wrote numer-
ous songs, including “Everybody
Clap Hands," “Dear Old Donegal,”
“Nickel Serenade." '-‘The Band
Begins to Play" and “Over the
Garden Wall.”

He is survived by his wife, father
and two brothers.

Spartan to Handle

Am-Par Disks in Can.

Having set distributors in 33 key
areas in the U, S., Am-Par has
now tied up with Spartan for dis-
tribution & its line in Canada.
Spartan’s disk division, headed up
by Rupert Huntley ' and Hrrold
Pounds, formerly handled Colum-
bia Records in Canada.

The 33 U. S. distribs will be the
basis of the network to kick off
the “Mickey Mouse*Club" line set
for release early this month. How-
ever, the label is aiming for close
to 70 distribs by the time it ge s
going with its regular pop line.
Target date for the pop disk re-
lease was originally set fcr the first
of the year but Sid Feller, label’s
artists & repertory chief, is gear-
ing his activities for an earlier re-
lease date. Am-Par is the newly
launched disk subsid of American
Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres.

Harry James To Tour ,

Hollywood, Aug. 30.
Harry James is currently ready-
ing a six-week one-nite dance trek
across the country. '

James, who kicks off the dance j
jaunt Sept. 13, plans a stopover in i
N.Y. Sept. 24 to guest on CBS-TV’s \
“America's Greatest Bands" show.

PROGRAM TO-DAY

YESTERDAY'S

JUST YOU, JUST ME

Music by

JESSE GREER

ROBBINS MUSIC CO.
799 7th Ave. New York

TOP TALENT AND TUNES

Compiled from Statistical Reports of Distribution
Encompassing the Three Major Outlets

Coin Machine*; Retail Disks Retail Sheet Music

as Published iri the Current Issue

NOTE ; The current comparative sales strength of the Artists and Tunes listed hereunder Is
arrived , at under a statistical system comprising each of the three major sates outlets erne-
'merated above. These findings are correlated with data from wider sources, which are exclusive
with Variety. The positions resulting from these findings denote the OVERALL IMPACT de*
ve loped from the ratio of points scored, two ways in the case of talent (coin machines , retail
disks) and three ways in the case of tunes (com . machines, retail disks and retail sheet music K

TALENT

POSITIONS
Tills Last
Week Week

8
9

10.

3
2

ARTIST AND LABEL

MITCH JVIILLER (Columbia)

PAT BOONE (Dot) ,

BILL HALEY’S COMETS (Decca)

FRANK SINATRA (Capitol)

y***

LES BAXTER . (Capitol) .*.

GISELE MacKENZIE (Label X)

FOTJR ACES (Decca)

CHUCK MILLER (Mercury) . . . .

JOHNNY DESMOND (Coral)

CHUCK BERRY (Chess) ,

TUNE

Yellow Rose of Texas

Ain’t That a Shame

(Rock Around the Clock
) Razzle-Dazzle

( Learnin’ the Blues
]Not as a Stranger

Wake the Town
- Unchained Melody
I’ll Never Stop Loving You

Hard to Get

Love Is Many-Splendored
House of Blue Lights
Yellow Rose of Texas
Maybellene

POSITIONS
This Last .
Week 1^'eek

8
9

3
8

6
7
9

TUNES

(♦ASCAP. fBMI)

TUNE PUBLISHER

* YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS f. . . Planetary

*ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK Myers

f AIN’T THAT A SHAME Commodore

fSEVENTEEN • Lois

^EARNIN’ THE BLUES Barton

*H ARD TO GET . . : Witmark

*UNCIIAINED MELODY Frank

*I’LL NEVER STOP LOVING YOU Feist

*WAKE THE TOWN AND TELL THE PEOPLE Joy

*LOVE IS A MANY-SPLENDORED THING Miller

RCA Victor Has Flair
For Offbeat P’kgjng

Album packaging, which has
evolved since the advent of long-
play platters from the simple card-
board jackets to elaborate multi-
colored .productions, is now getting
a few wrinkles to attract the cus-
tomers. Borrowing a leaf from
the now-defunct mag, Flair, RCA
Victor has come up with jackets

The Horn* of C harm

All Girl Orchestra and Choir *

Featuring EVELYN and her Magic Violin
Under the direction of PHIL SPITALNY

Just Concluded

Palac*, N»w York and Sfttl Pier, Atlantic City

Starting Sept. 3-NEW YORK STATE FAIR
and then ROYAL NEVADA, LAS VEGAS

ASSOCIATED BOOKING CORPORATION

JOE GLASER , Pres.

New York | C h i c a q o

o j:.. Asi PL V.H00 | 201 No. Woba^h

Hollywood

06 1 V 5un*t>t Blvd.

that fold out into display pieces
on retail counters.

This type of packaging was used
on Harry Geller’s album, “New
York, New York," which was re-
leased this month and will be fol-
lowed up by a similar idea for the
upcoming “Disney Song Carousel”
set cut by Joe Reisman.

Harry Roy Switches To
Stork Club in London

London, Aug. 30.

Harry Roy, one’ of Britain’s lead-
ing bandleaders for over 20 years,
will take his band into the Stork
Club, Streatham, London, for a
permanent Stand starting Sept 12.

He is now playing at the Mecca
Lyceum in the Strand. He and his
band then travel for the music
company to the Glen Dance Hall in
Bristol, after which they go on to
the Stork Club.

Zulu Joins Parnell

London, Aug. 30.

A new singer flew in from Jo-
hannesburg last week to join Jack
Parnell’s orch. He is a 25-year-old
Zulu, Gene Williams, who is tak-
ing the place of Dennis Hale, who
embarks on a solo tour in Septem-
ber.

Williams was a schoolteacher by
profession, singing at nightclubs in
his spare time. He was heard by
Jack Parnell during his orbhestra’s
recent tour of South Africa and
vvas signed up immediately.

Whitfield Gets Gold
Platter for ’Cara Mia’

London, Aug. 30.

Singer David Whitfield is to be
presented with a gold record at
Blackpool on Saturday (3) for his
British Decca’s slice of “Cara Mia."

Orch leader Mantovani (who
composed “Cara Mia” and accom-
panied David Whitfield on that ) is
also shortly to receive a gold rec-
ord for his million sales of “Char-
maine."

Cafe Rouge of the Hotel Statler
(N. Y.) kicks off its new season
next Friday (9) with the Les Elgart
orch.

RCA in' Birdland Tie
For New Album Series
With Indie Jazzmen

RCA Victor has tied up Bird*
land, New York jazz nitery, for a:
pew jazz album series which will
be launched after the first of the
year. Deal with Birdland is part
of Victor's jazz expansion program.

Albums in the pew series will
be released under the Victor ban-
ner but with- a Birdland imprint,
yet to be decided upon. The sets
will primarily feature jazz artists
associated With the nitery but not
tied down to other disk companies.
The Birdland project was initiated
by label’s pop a&r chief Joe Carl-
ton. The disk sessions will be cut
by Jack Lewis.

The Birdland program will be
pegged mainly at the album field
but there’s a possibility that single
disks may be culled from the pack-
ages. Deal was consummated at
the Victor offices in New York
Monday (29) with Birdland op Mor-
ris Levy.

Welk Invades Midwest
On One-Niter Junket

Chicago, Aug. 30.

The. Joe Kayser Agency here has
set the Lawrence Welk orchestra
for a series of one-niters in the
midwest territory in September.
Opening at the Prom, St. Paul,
Sept. 11, the band goes *on to do
dates in Detroit, Sept. 12; the Les-
Buzz ballroom, Spring Valley, 111.,
Sept. 13; th$ Val Air ballroom,
Des Moines, Sept. 14; the Armar
ballroom, Marion, la., Sept. 15;
the Aragon ballroom, Chicago,
with the ABC-TV show originating
there, Sept. 16-17; George Devine’s
ballroom, Milwaukee, Sept. 18; the
Arkota ballroom, Sioux Falls,
S. D., Sept. 19.

Kayser was formerly a one-nite
band booker with Music Corpora-
tion of America in Chicago for 15
years. He ankled MCA last year
to set up his own percentery,

— +

Femme Law Consultant
Wins $500 ASCAP Prize

Mrs. Raya S. Dreben, qpnsultant
of law at Chicago U., has been
awarded first prize of $500 in
ASCAP’s annual Nathan Burkan
Memorial essay competition. Prize-
winning paper was entitled “Pub-
lication and the British Copyright
Law," written while she attended
Harvard Law School. This, and
five other papers receiving hon-
orable mention, will be published
by Columbia U. Press in a volume
titled “Seventh Copyright Law
Symposium."

The competition has been spon-
sored annually by .ASCAP for the
past 16 years in memory of the So-
ciety’s first general counsel.

nngel

Bells

MILLS MUSIC, INC.

PIANIST

Young Man In Lote 20’*
Desires Position
Botween Hours 6-11 P.M.,
Good Reftroncos, Box V 8265

Variety, 154 West 46th St.,
Now York City

THE HIT OF THE WEEK

ACQUAVIVA and his ORCHESTRA

PRAYER alone

FOR PEACE WITH YOU

MGM 30884 K 30884

Wednesday, August, 51, 1955

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THERE’S NOTHIN’ LIKE LOVE

(FROM COLUMBIA .PICTURE “MY SISTER EILEEN”) 20/47-6224

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MUSIC *

Wednesday, August 31, 1955

New York

The Chordettes go longhair for
the first time when they headline
in . a concert with the Cincinnati
Symphony in*Cincy Nov. 19 . . .
Murray Kaufman, WMCA (N. Y.)
deejay devoting his Friday night
shows from Palisades Park (N. J.),
has worked out a deal whereby
teenagers are admitted to the park
cuffo to o.o. the guest singers on
the show . . . Murray Singer, who
recently ankled Bethlehem Rec-
ords, organizing a new jazz label
. , . Earl Bostic begins a two-week
stand at the Hi*Hat Club, Boston,
Sept. 12 . . . George Shearing’s
Quintet into Basin Street for a
special two-day gig starting Sept.
9 , . . Mitzi Mason does the Wilson
Line bit in Washington Sept. 1
and in Boston Sept. 2-3. On Sept.
8 thrush moves into the Elegante,
Brooklyn . .* . Joni James set for
the State Fair, Detroit, Sept. 2-5.

. Richard Hayman on a five-week
trek through Europe prowling for
new material . . . Tommy Mara,
MGM Records pactee, slotted for
the Wilcox Pier Restaurant, West
Haven, Conn., Sept. 2.

Stan Rubin and his Tiger Town
Five set fbr Herb McCarthy’s Bow-
den Square (Southampton) Sept. 6
, . . Steve Allen due in town from
the Coast in a couple of weeks to
cut an album of tunes from “The
Benny Goodman Story” for Coral
. * . Sylvia Sims cut her first LP
for Decca . . . Chris Connor guests
'bn CBS-Radio’s “Woolworth Hour”
Sept. 11 . . . The Modern Jazz
Quartet slated for Philly’s Blue
Note Sept. 5-10 . . . Thrush Lucy
Reed currently at El Morocco,
Montreal , , . J» J. Johnson & Kai
Winding into the Cotton Club,
Cleveland, Sept. 5.

London

London, Aug. 30.
The Skyrockets,* .dance orch
which recently left the London
Palladium after nine years there,
has been signed for “Pajama
Game,” which opens at the Lon-
don Coliseum on October 11 . . .
The BBC Show Band and the BBC
Symphony Orchestra, jointly con-
ducted by Eugene GoOssens, are
to give Rolf Lieberman’s “Con-
certo for Jazz Band and Symphony
Orchestra” its first British per-
formance at the* Royal Festival
Hall on Oct. 2$ . . .. Songstress
Alma Cogan is to appear in pan-
tomime this winter in a special
role in the Will Collins and Lew
& ' Leslie Grade presentation of
“Aladdin” at the Chiswick Empire,
opening on Dec. 26.

Hollywood

Bob Stephens, organist-pianist at I
Phil Aim's Moongate Restaurant,
inked to cut some sides for Rama
Records . . . Frankie Laine inked
to open a three^week date Oct. 1 at
the Latin Quarter . .' . Skip Martin
signed by Connie Moore to prep
her song material . . . Russ Mor-
gan’s. personal manager, Sam
Rosey, has signed Ada Leonard’s

FOR YOUR PROGRAM
MONDAY THRU SUNDAY

Styne and Cahn's

"SATURDAY NIGHT
IS THE

LONLIEST NIGHT
IN THE WEEK"

CAHN MUSIC, Inc.

all-girl orch to a management pact.

Katherine Dunham troupe open
a week’s stand at Ciro’s Sept. 3 , . .
A. J, Gock, retired chairman of the
board of directors of the Bank of
America, elected to the board of
directors at Capitol Records . . .
The Johnnie Arch quartet opens a
four-week engagement at Palm
Springs Ranch Club, Sept. 16.

Champ Butler, former Columbia
Records pactee, has waxed his in-
itial disk, “Someone on Your
Mind,” for Coral Records . . . Page
Cavanaugh Trio has waxed 12 sides
on the Vaya label for an upcoming
LP album titled “The Girl.” , . .
Julie London has completed a new
popular album entitled “Julie Is
My Name” for Liberty Records. *

Chicago

Bob Scobey’s Dixieland band,
featuring Clancy Hayes, and the
Salty Dogs open at Chi’s Blue Note
tonight (Wed.) for a two-week run
. . . Russ Carlyle orch set for the
Oh Henry ballroom, Chi, Sept, 7 for
four frames ... Ralph Sutton trio
pacted for the Encore Room, St.
Louis, Sept. 26 for six rounds .

. Sonny Thompson into Chi’s
Crown Propeller Lounge next
Tuesday (6) . . . Art Blakey opens
at the Bee-Hive, Chi, Friday (2)

. . Bob Cross currently at the
Hotel San Antonio, San* Antonio.

Omaha

Les Brown (26) and Russ Carlyle
(27-28) week-ended at Peony Park,
with Russ Anthony coming in to-
night (31) and Mai Dunn playing
for WOW-TV Night tomorrow (1)

. . . Ray Pearl is slated for Joe
Malec’s spot this week end (2-4),
then the fall policy will begin with
dancing on Saturdays and Sundays
only. Upcoming on the new deal
are Jack Swanson (10-11), Jimmy
Palmer (17-18), Lawrence We T k
(20), Skeets Mahoney (24), Freddy
Martin (2) and Wayne King, Oct.
1.

Scotland

Dennis Hale, former singer with
the Jack Parnell Orch, opening in
vaude as a single at Empire Thea-
tre, Glasgow, Sept. 5 . . . Four Jones
Boys made disk debut for Decca
with “A Real Romance” and
“When I Let You Go” . . . Slim
Whitman’s rendition of “Rose
Marie” topping current list of
bestselling disks, with Frankie
Laine in second and third positions
with “Strange Lady in Town” and
“Cool Water” respectively.

Ckffer Sues Apollo,

Bess Pub for $17,000

Tunesmith Lowman. Pawling has
slapped a suit jfor non-payment of
royalties in N. Y. Federal Court
against Apollo Records and Bess
Music. Pawling claims that he re-
ceived only $2,765 on royalties to-
talling $20,000 due him.

He’s asking for payment of
$17,235 and an accounting of
profits. Suit is based on 10 songs,
published and recorded by Bess
and Apollo, respectively. Pawling
claims that 500,000 disk sales were
racked up by the 10 tunes.

Cafe Bohemia’s Jazz Sked

Lucky Thompson’s quintet will
kick off the fall jazz season at the
Cafe Bohemia, new Greenwich Vil-
lage, N. Y., spot, with a- one-week
stand starting Sept. 15.

Booked for subsequent weeks
are The Messengers, the Joe Ro-
land quintet and the Lou Donald-
son combo. George Wallington,
who books the spot, heads the
house trio.

Another BMI % Up' Hit

MAYBELLENE

CHUCK BERRY. *'“’ M *

RALPH MARTERIE. *.*. CAes *

JIM LOWE * Mercury

JOHNNY LONG ORCH ' " '

m t * • Coral

• PablUhed by

ARC MUSIC CORP,

RETAIL SHEET BEST SELLERS

New York — (MDS)

Washington — (Music Sales)

Boston — (Mosher Music Co.)

San Antonio — (Alamo Piano Co.)

Chicago — (Carl Fischer Music)

.2-

.a.

•w'

1
‘3
■is

•

■ 3

• H

■a •

•P- ’

Kansas City — (Jenkins Music Co.)

•§

.a.

■ VI

Cleveland (Grossman Music Co.)

Los Angeles — (Preeman Music)

Seattle — (Capitol Music Co.)

r s.

r/YRIETY

Survey of retail sheet music
best sellers based on reports
obtained from leading stores in
12 cities and showing com •
parative sales rating for this
and last week.

* ASCAP t BMI

✓

National

Rating

This Last 1

wk. wk. Title and Publisher

•** *

* Yellow Rose 'of Texas (Planetary)

♦Rock Around the Clock (Myers) . .

. . *

. .

■m

♦Never Stop Loving You (Feist)..

, .

K % .

, 5

♦Unchained Melody (Frank)

* •

A .

‘52

♦Bible Tells Me So (Paramount). .

•3

. v .

* .

« «

tScventeeh (Lois) .........

. .

» i

. .

■a

♦Hard to Get (Witmark) . . .

. . *

. .

• .

. ..

• *. . !

i Ain’t That a Shame (Commodore)

♦ «

1 . »

- •

• *

• .

♦Blue Star (Young) .....

. .

. -

• *

. *

* .

. .

• «

4 •

♦Wake the Town (Joy)

. .

. V

. •

• .

11 A 8

♦Hummingbird (Jungnickel)

1 ’

. .

. ..

* .

■A

10 -

11B

♦Learnin’ the Blues (Barton)

. .

* .

. *

t »

* .

. 22

♦Love Is Many-Splendored (Miller).

• •

. .

. -

• .

v •

. . 10

14A

vDomani (Montauk) . ......

• • * X • »

A »

• <

- r

• ,<

. .

14B ,

♦Autumn Leaves (Ardmore) . . . V . .

• •

Battle for Dealers

Continued from page 41

club proposal has been’ generally
good: Victor execs, on the other
hand, claim that dealers have
swamped them with worried quer-
ies about whether Victor was go-
ing to set up a similar club. The
dealers, Victor, says, are opposed
to the club plan.

The battle between the two top
diskeries for the dealer actually
broke out early, this year, when
Victor cut its prices on its LP mer-
chandise by one-third and virtually
forced the rest of the industry to
follow suit. Col execs were frank-
ly unhappy about the move at the
time and, even though they sliced
their prices on some LPs, the disk-
ery again hiked them on some lines
a couple of months ago.

The developing conflict between
the diskeries and the concomitant
attempts to put over the Col plan,
on one hand, and Victor’s price
program,, on the other, is. expected
to lead to all-out promotional ef-
forts. Some disk execs hope that
the “battle for the dealer” will
have the same result as the “bat-
tle for the speeds,” when all the
ballyhoo for the rival 33 and 45
rpm speeds by Col and Victor led
to a revitalization of consumer in-
terest in the disk biz and the ulti-
mate. establishment of both speeds
as standards in the industry.

Retailers Sound Off

Pro & Con on Club

Meantime, a roundup of dealer
opinion on the Col club plan indi-
cates a deep cleavage between the
pros and the cons. While many
retailers are zealously soliciting
membership subscriptions for the
club, others are so burned up at
the label that they declare they
will no longer buy Columbia rec-
ords. "

In several cities, such as Phila-
delphia and Los Angeles, dealers
reported that few applicants were
joining through their stores. There
was some fear expressed that di-
rect applications to Columbia, on
which .the retailers get no cut,
would be overwhelmingly higher
than applications through the deal-
er’s.

Col execs have already stated
that they needed 20% direct ap-
plications to cover the cost, of op-
erating the club. They refused to
disclose how many direct applica-
tions they received in the first
week of the club operation. They
have promised, however, to mpke
adjustments in their promotion if
the ratio of direct applications
goes higher than they planned.

Gonkling

Continued from page 41

to handle the intricate ramifica-
tions of the program, and will meet
with any dealer group that asks for
them.

.According to Cook, the record
club needs only one direct mem-

bership out of every five to support
the operation. ’ If the dealer mem-
bership runs below the 80% level,
he Says, a plan will be worked out
so that the dealers won’t suffer
any losses. Although no program
has yet been formalized, Col cur-
rently is kicking around < several
dealer rebate possibilities.

Cook also stresses the point that
only. Col dealers (and only those
handling the album line) are au-
thorized to peddle the club certifi-
cates. Due to faulty screening on
the part of Col’s distribs the orig-
inal solicitations were sent virtual-
ly to all disk buying outlets.
They’ve since been rescinded and
Col has been turning down rack
jobbers, door-to-door dealers and
encyclopedia outfits that want to
handle the record club member-
ship.

Cook claims that the majority of
dealers are going along with the
plan and that the dissidents will
fall into line once all the questions
on the program have been an-
swered. “It’s a new merchandising
technique,” he said, “and it’ll take
time before it can be refined.”

Harry Fox

Continued from page 41

of the tv industry. The short-range
commitments, running to thre e
years, gives the publishers full con-
trol over the situation should it
change radically.

Fox is heading overseas around
Sept. 15 to attend the preem of
Britain’s new Independent Televi-
sion Authority, which is running'
the commercial operation. ITA in-
vited Fox as the U, S. publishers’
representative and while overseas,
Fox will discuss various problems
with English pubs.

Under .usual practice in the
music biz* even though a syndicated
film is shown on an overseas video
station, the U. S. publisher collects
the tune synchronization coin. Con-
versely, synchronization rights on
films shown In the U. S. but made
overseas belong to the European
publisher even though a U. S. pub
may have the tunes in his catalog,

Decca Branch Managers
Shifted to Deejay Spot

Harry Silverstein, formerly
Decca’s Pittsburgh branch man-
ager, has been shifted to the disk
jockey promotion post for the
southern territory. He will work
out of Cincinnati under Mike
Conner, Decca publicity chief.

Vernon Cupples, Decca salesman,
was upped to the Pittsburgh
branch managership spot.

SS S Sm Continued from page 41

son, and the disk companies began
bidding for the rights early this
summer even though the Broad-
way preem is not slated until Nov,
30.

The R&H musical, an adaptation
of John Steinbeck's “Sweet Thurs-
day,” will star Helen Traubel and
Bill Johnson. Victor hasn’t put up
arty coin for the financing of the
show but it’s given a commitment
to cut single sides from the score
with a flock of its top artists.
Victor, incidentally, nabbed the
rights to the last R&H musical,
“Me and Juliet,” and came up with
a hit single in Perry Como’s “No
Other Love.”

Earlier this month Columbia tied
up the musical adaptation of
George Bernard Shaw’s “Pygmal-
ion” by Alan Jay Lerner and Fred-
erick Loewe. Musical will star Rex
Harrison and Julie Andrews. Chap-
pell is publishing this and the
R&H scores.

From The 2 0 1 h Century Fox
> ".emeScopo Production

’love is a many splendored thing

V LOVE IS *
, A MANY- .

SPLENDORED
k THING

MILLER MUSIC CORPORATION

TONY

MARTIN

rC A V, c,o. 70147-6209

harms, in-;.

America's-Fastest
^ SellingRecords!

Wednesday, August 31, 1955 .

Hildegarde’ s $25,000 Compromise
Averts Strike at Riviera, Las Vegas

A strike was averted yesterday 4-
(Tues.) at the Riviera, Hotel, Las

Vegas, when the hotel agreed to a
$25,000 settlement of its four-week
contract with Hildegarde. CharV-
toosey was slated to ^pen tomor-
row (Thurs.) at $10,000 per frame,
hut hostel decided, that it would
like to hook Chico .& Harpo
Marx and Billy . Daniels to headline
the show instead. Pact with
Hildegarde. was made last May
when she played an eight-day date
at that spot. ;

. Jackie Bright, national adminis-
trative secretary of the American'
Guild of Variety Artists on Mon-
day (29) had wired the Riviera that
it would forbid its talent to r open
unless a satisfactory settlement
was arrived at with Hildegarde.
Agencies were being notified not
to permit their acts to open at the
Riviera. Wire was sent to Irwin
Mazzei, Coast regional director ofj
XGVA who is in charge of the Las
Vegas area. After a discussion with
hotel officials, * Riviera agreed ‘ to
pony up the $25,000. Had the ho-
tel waited after Tuesday, Bright
stated that the hotel would be 1 a-
ble for the face value of the- pact,
$40,000.

The,, Riviera ops had reportedly
consented to paying her the $25,-
000, but wanted 'to shell out the
sum in 10 monthly payments Of
$2,500 each. This was unaccept-
able to all concerned including the
union.

The Riviera has the Marx Bros,
and Billy Daniels headlining: the
new show. According to the inter-
pretation by the union, the Riviera
by booking these two performers
over Hildegarde who is to have
100% billing, has ’ breached the
contract. Therefore, the chantoosey
doesn’t have to report, in order;
to collect full salary. In all pre-
vious . interpretations of contracts,
the act has had to show up every
night ready and willing to work,
.before being eligible to collect for
a breach. This' procedure prevailed
in the case of Wally Cox, who was
cancelled out of the Dunes re-
cently. '

If the Riviera failed to put .up
the money or failed to play ililde-
garde, this coilld have been the first
strike pulled by AGVA in Las Ve-
gas, the strike would have come at
an extremely inopportune . time
since all hotel space in Las Vegas
has been sold out for the Labor
Day weekend.

pi- •*- , —

Vaude loyalists’ Cue
New Palace Bill Even
Tho Pic Is Held Over

The regular/ customers at the
Palace Theatre* N. Y. f would be
disappointed to miss any week, ac-
cording to Danny Friendly, there-
fore there’s a new stageshow even

When a film holds over. According
to Friendly, there have been sev-
eral occasions when a picture has
remained a "second week, and each
time the' repeaters that have come
back to see the new stageshow
have given an added lift to the box-
office.

The strength of vaudeville was
especially evident, Friendly said,
at the time when nothing but in-
ferior pictures were available to
them. On their own, these films
could never have given, the house
anything near the breakeven fig-
ure. ....

The current film, /‘Female on the
Beach,” a Joan Crawford starrer,
was booked in for.two weeks, but
Friendly held to the established
policy of installing new stager for
each week of the run. The policy
of getting a new vaude bill for the
second week, also helps authenti-
cate the claim that the film is so
good it’s being held over. Publici-
ty generally indicates that previous
commitments forced several of the
performers out of the bill, and
therefore management felt that un-
der these circumstances a com-
plete new layout was advisable.

. Friendly says that the same cus-
tomers are to be seen every week.
They are loyal to Vaudeville in this
nouse, the last outpost of that kind
of entertainment in New York, and
he can’t stand them up by having
- a holdover stage bill.

Sept 15 Under Lee Mele

Le Ruban Bleu, N. y., is slate,d
to reopen . Sept. 15. Initial bill
Hasn't yet been lined up by^Lee
Mele, who'll be' . in charge o£ the
nitery this season. The building ,
housing the nitery as well as Theo-
dore’s Restaurant, also operated bjf
the Mele family, has recently been
acquired by the realty; firm of
Webb Knapp. Their plans for
this site haven’t been' fully formu-
lated as yet. • . ...

. .Nitery was givefi an advance shot
of publicity with the , hosting . of a
cocktail, party for Gino Prato, the
cobbler-rmuslcologist, whp recently
won $32,000 on the’ teleshow,
”$64,000 Question/* Occasion was
the eve. of ' his planing to Italy
for a visit to his father.

Las Vegas, Aug. 30.

Creditors of the RivlCra Hotel
are expected to ratify an agree-
ment made Saturday (27) whereby
ihe. spa’s new owners will pay in
full an . estimated $1,000,000 in
debts incurred by the inn's orig-
inal operators. The plan was out-
lined during a series of confer-
ences between representatives of
the creditors and the syndicate
headed by Gus Greenbaum which
has taken over the hotel’s opera-
tions. , ’

The agreement becomes effec-
I tive when the lease of the hotel to
Qreenbaum's group is approved
by the state and county licensing
boards. Initial approval is antici-
pated at the meeting, of the Nevada
Tax - Commission which convenes
tomorrow (31), and it is expected
the Clark County licensing agency
•will follow Suit immediately be-
cause of the urgency of the situa-
tion. .

• The first substantial payment to
the creditors will be made imme-
diately upon the lqase becoming
effective. The agreement also spec-
ifies that the majority of credi-
tors, whose claims' amount to ,$500
gr less, will be paid in full.as soon
as the agreement takes effect,

The creditor’s committee stated
they felt the Riviera is ; presently
in sound financial status, and the
outlook for the future, is bright,
providing no . independent ', bank-
ruptcy. action is taken by any of
the individual creditors, which
would have an adverse effect on
the entire plan. The committee,
also pointed out that in the event
pf any independent action against
the Riviera for money owed, the
Government would exercise its.
lien, which in turn would destroy
the rights of the creditors to col-
lect on their claims.

The local office of the Bureau of
Internal Revenue .last Week slap-
ped, a $240,000 lien against .the
original 'Riviera operating group
for failure to turn- over employer
withholding checks, and taxes due
on liquor and other excise con-
trolled " sales. The • group, from
Which Greenbaum and his asso-
ciates have taken over the hotel,
are negotiating with the Govern-
ment for settlement of the tax
lien.

The agreement entered into by
the creditor’s committee is being
mailed to all individual creditors,
asking for ratification of the ac-
tion,

Schlicht Seeks To

Spark Hotel Rooms

Erwin Schlicht, managing di-
rector of the Hampshire House and
Warwick Hotels, N. Y., is seeking
to rejuvenate the Hampshire House
Fountain Room and the Warwick
Room. He’s currently seeking a
personality to front both opera-
tions.

Meanwhile, publicist Ted How-
ard has been retained to give these
spots a buildup.

VAUDEVILLE 49

■ — - * - -* - •

Eartha Kitt Hits Big
$5,300 in Asbury Park

. t Asbury Park, Aug. 30.
Eartha Kitt hit a strong $5,300
4n her one-night stand at the Con-
vention Hall; . here,, on Saturday
(27). Sonny Dunham orch .shared
the marquee.

„ Convention Hall has been using
names on weekends for the sum-
mer season. Leonard Roinm books.

Pitch has been made for -the
rights to “Arabian Nights,” water
and stage spec, current at the Ma-
rine Stadium, Jones Beach, N. Y.,
by Barnes & Carruthers. Outdoor
outfit presumably wants the show
as a grandstand attraction for
fairs. However, William Morris
Agency, entrusted with the ped-
dling of the rights to the Guy Lom-
bardo production, is nixing the
deal.

Nonetheless, the* negotiations are
being kept alive, on the possibility
that Sam Levy, B&C head, might
want the show for a fall tour of
arenas. Partners in Barnes & Car-
ruthers are Arthur M. Wirtz and
Bill Burke. Wirtz, of course, is'
the arena operator and ice show
producer. There is the likelihood
that through this deal, Wirtz might
Want the show .for a round 'of
arenas. On that basis, the Morris
office is interested.

“Arabian Nights” was originally
scheduled to make a. tour of arenas
affiliated with the Arena Managers
Assn. A lineup of 20 weeks was
completed, but failure of Lom-
bardo's staff to supply advertising
arid publicity material in time for
the proper exploitation of the show
forced AMA to halt the deal.

_ “Arabian Nights” has been hav-
ing a disastrous season at the sum-
mer stand, primarily because of
bad weather breaks. Although the
number of cancellations due to rain
■has been 'slightly more than usual,
the show got its bumps from the
fact that- N. Y. newspapers carried
almost nightly predictions of rain
during the protracted dry spell.
Incidentally, the weatherman made
good on very few of these threats,
but the- possibility of . a downpour
kept the customers from New York
City away.

DUNES SETTLES PACT
WITH LOU WALTERS

Lou Walters, operator of the
Latin Quarters in New York and
Miami Beach, has completed a set-
tlement of his production contract
with the Dunes Hotel, Las Vegas.
Settlement was made over the
weekend by Walters and Joe Sulli-
van, one of the owners of the
Dunes. Amount wasn’t disclosed
but Walters was reimbursed for
his expenses in making a couple
of trips to Las Vegas, and payoffs
to the acts involved, plus an un-
specified compensation for the con-
tract breach.

Walters was originally pacted to
provide a show for 12 weeks at
that inn for $25,000 weekly. A
couple of Weeks ago, the Dunes
was taken over by Jake Freedman
and Jack Entratter, operators of*
the nearby Sands.

• The owners of the Dunes are
still A1 Gottesman and Sullivan.
They leased the inn to the Sands
ops at a reported $600,000 a year.
During .their tenure as operators,
they lost a vast chunk of coin,
mainly in the casino.

Angel Lopez, operator of the
Chateau Madrid, N. Y., returns,
from a six-week tour of Spain, Fri-
day (2).

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR

1905 * 1955

• •

Vaude in Chi Theatre

The Chicago Theatre, Chicago,
will drop stageshows temporarily
for the second time In a little more
than a year to make way for a top

S icture. House will get “Guys pnd
lolls” starting Nov. II for an in-
definite run,

. . Theatre will resume stageshows
booked by Harry Levine from New
York as soon as the film completes
1 its run. .

\ Boston, Aug. 30.

Hub. niteries readying for the
upcoming season, here look to good
biz. All have gone in for extensive
refurbishings and enlarging of
seating capacities wherever pos-
sible.

Surprise opening of the eld
Mayfair as the Music Bar in a>
short" lived partnership between
Mort Casway pf the- Celebrity
Room* Philadelphia, and boniface
at the Moulin Rouge in the Hotel
Vendome, and Izzy Ort, operator of
a string of cafes, came Wednesday
night (24). Casway was understood
to have bowed out on opening
hight and to have returned to
Philadelphia, after wiring Ort that
he- would not be able to join him.

Chirp Jan MarviS headlined the
show, Which was supported by a
line of Bob Conrad girls and in-
cluded dancer Lane Barton, singer
Joan Rogers,- singer Sammy Man-
nis and Ihe Clyde Jones trio.

Blinstrub’s has signed a hefty
list of star names for its season,
including Hildegarde. A new front
and interior decorations have been
polished by Boniface Stanley Blin-
strub. ^

Bradford Roof, open all summer,
closes Labor Day weekend for ex-
tensive renovations. Owner Ralph
Snider and boniface A1 Taxier are
seeking big names.

George Wein is readying Story-
ville in the Copley Square Hotel
for opening Sept. 7 with Gerry
Mulligan and his band. The room
is being enlarged and wilLgain 150
seats, making it a 375-seater.

Latin Quarter, which folded last
season, has not been set yet al-
though several deals are reported
cooking around town.

INN. STATE FAIR
OPENS TO PEAK BIZ

Minneapolis, Aug. 30.

Opening day (27) attendance at
the 10-day Minnesota State Fair
here hit a. new ail time high of
88,813. Previous high was last year
when 88,448 admissions were
racked up. With stock car auto
racing as the attraction, the after-
noon grandstand crowd numbered
24,708 paid. Management of the
exposition, one of the nation’s
largest of its kind, is aiming for a
1,000,000 attendance, a mark which
was barely missed in.,1954.

Minnesota State Fair, is one of
the few in the nation which rarely
fails to show ’ a substantial yearly
profit. Royal American Shows again
supplies the Midway and Carruth-
ers & Barnes provides the grand-
stand night variety entertainment.
Afternoon grandstand offerings in-
clude the usual variety of auto
races and thrill presentations.

Ted Saucier to Handle
Ambassador, N.Y., Press

Ted Saucier has been named
press representative for the Am-
bassador Hotel, N. Y., arid its allied
operation. Ambassador Interna-
tional Inc., which Operates a num-
ber of foreign hostels.

Saucier was press director for
the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria for 21
years until its. takeover by the Hil-
ton chain. He also served in simi-
lar capacities with the Sherry
Netherland, N. Y., and the Louis
Sherry interests.

Merriel Abbott* who had been
acting as booker for the entile
chain of Hilton Hotels* has stepped
out of that post .to concentrate on
booking of the central division of
the Chain. Joseph P. Binns, v.p.
and general manager of the Hotel
Waldorf-Astoria, N. Y„ and execu-
tive veepee of the Hilton chain in
charge of the eastern division, .arid
Sperl Ellison, of the Beverly Hilton
Hotel, and exec vice-president ‘ of
the Western diylsion, will super-
vise the talent aspects directly in
their territories.

The decentralization of hooking
is figured to gear regional .talent
tastes, to local; . standards. Miss
Abbott, who had been acting as
talent buyer .for all the Hilton out-
lets and whp was , also given 4he
Statler bookings when Hilton’ took
over that chain, has long wanted
to be relieved of some of the load;

As it now stands,- Miss Abbott
will do the buying*’ for the Palmer
House and the Conrad N. Hilton
(former Stevens); both Chicago; and
the Statler Hotels in Detroit and
Cleveland. In the Central division
are • also the Deshler Hilton, Co-
lumbus; Biltmore, Dayton; . and -the
Jefferson arid Statler Hotels, St.
Louis.. Shows at those spots are
very infrequent.

The eastern division is the mosl
important link in the Hilton chain;

, Claude : C, Philippe, Waldorf-
Astoria v.p.,* is expected to work
with Binns in the lining up of tal-
ent for this key inn. In the east-
ern sector are the five NV Y. Hilton
spots — the Waldorf-Astoria, Plaza,
Statler and Roosevelt (both on a
band policy), and the New Yorker
which presently has only a lounge;
operation. The other inns in that
division are the Mayflower and
Statler, Washington; and the Stat-
ler Hotels, in Buffalo, Boston and
Hartford.

The Waldorf and' Plaza are ex-
pected to move into different
grooves as . a result of more in-
dependent hooking policies. For
example, they’ll look for more
bookings . along the line of ' Mau-
rice Chevalier, who will go in
qn an. eight-show-a?week, basis at
the Waldorf after completing his
run in a legit house for Gilbert
Miller. He’ll do one show nightly
and two on Fridays and Saturdays.
Gilbert Becaude, who was on the
opening show at the Beverly Hil-
ton,. Beverly Hills, will be given
a solo slotting at the Plaza Sept.
15. Last season he. entertained at
the “April in Paris” ball at the
Waldorf-Astoria. ■.

: The Coast? bookings, ’ under El-*”
lison’s direction,' will be made
for the Beverly Hilton and
Statler, Los Angeles; Shamrock
Hilton, Houston; the Hilton Hotels
in Albuquerque, El Paso and Ft.
Worth; Statler-Hilton, Dallas,
which is still under construction; ’
and the Palacio Hilton, Chihuahua.
Latter is the sole Hilton foreign
operation not under Hilton Inter-
national Hotels. The Internation-
al division has the Carib.e-Hilton,
San Juan, P. R.; Hilton-Istanbul,
Istanbul; and the .Casteffana Hil-
ton, Madrid. John W. Houser is
exec v.p. of that sector.

Floods, Polio Epidemic
Slough Mass, Fair Biz
At Height of Season

• Boston, Aug. 30.

Hurricane Diane's backlash of
floods and a polio epidemic have
comboed to slough Massachusetts'
big annual fair season. r Milton
Danziger, general manager , of the
State Fair at Weymouth, which was
conked out by Diane, reported the
loss at $100,000. The fair, running
from Aug. 13-20, had six days of
horseracing lost the last four days
to the rain, hurricane and flood.
Route to the fair was washed out.

Officials of the big Brockton
Fair, skedded Sept. 10-17, were de-
bating with health officials whether
or not to suspend because of the v
polio epidemic and the emergency^
situation in the state because of the
floods.

Outlook for the many annual
fairs in central* and western Mas-
sachusetts is slim because of the .
flood mopup, unemployment and
emergency status of the state. With
farmers hard hit because of crop
losses, indications were that many
of the fairs would suspend.

50 VAIJBEVnJtE

By ROBERT J. LANDRY

Copenhaven, Aug. 30.

This might seem a late date in
circus history to bring up again,
and debate again, the pros and
cons of Europe’s standard one-

ring style as against America’s
long devotion to three-rrngs-and-
two-platforms. But seeing the Cir-
kus Schumann here in Copenhagen
recalls to notice some of the very
considerable advantages of a sin-
gle ring where each turn has a full
. opportunity to score, and does, and
the viewer misses nothing but the
dubious, exercise of his neck mus-
cles.

Best of all, as to the physical
advantages, are two circumstances
related to a single ring: in the
high-ceilinged, sharply banked and
quasi-octagonal theatre, which is
the summer home of the Schu-
mann show, nobSdy occupies a bad
seat. This is true two ways. First
as .to. clear, unimpeded view. Sec-
ond, the seats themselves are new,
upholstered plush and for sheer
sit-down comfort make American
arenas seem like sadistic tests of
endurance. All this, too, at popular
prices ranging from three Kroner
(about 42c) to 10 Kroner (about
$1.50) for the V.I.P. enclosure.
There’s a nightly performance at
8, matinees weekends at 4. „

And this is a fast, amusing and
first-class show though limited to
one ring, two clowns <more than
enough for some people's taste) and
three elephants (exceptionally
clever pachyderms, worked by
“Miss Margaret’’ and spotted No.
16 in a 19-item routine). No cats

TED MILLER

and

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203 N. Wabash .Avo., Chicago

in cages. No girls in spangles. No
teethy butterflies revolving in the
rigging. Only one perch act, for
the finale, Les Dinats. In Danish
circus descriptive they are “Eu-
ropa’s nyeste luft sensation.” The
final jump is made in total dark-
ness with only the luminous har-
ness of the three men showing,
The gasper, with the man falling
in the dark, is a hoax, he being
on a dark rope. How often could
he kill himself?

Horses form the mainstay of
Cirkus Schumann. The present
generation of owner-operators is
trained to this department. There
is lots of horse stuff, invariably
well-executed and one routine in-
volving six zebras, always tough
beasts to accept discipline. In ad-
dition to the equination of Ernst,
Paulina and Max Schumann, there
are the Four Bratuchins, who open
the performance with a yipee dis-
play of Cossack-style riding.

Mflie. Cabriella. opens on rol-
ler skates pulled about by a St. Ber-
nard, then forgets the skates and
snaps through a diverting dog turn
which could play any country in
the world. So it’s horses, zebras,
ponies, dogs and elephants— for
the cirsusy tone — plus the Dinets
act in the high rigging. Plus the
silvered body beautiful posing of
“Viril.”

* Feats of Balancing

Nino Rubio, No. 15 in the run-
ning Order, is also a typical circus
headliner whose feats of balancing
wow the clientele. The Two Os-
winos, early in the show, likewise
stir up enthusiasm with their foot-
balancing and juggling. The point
again is that such acts can bring
the house down in single-ring cir-
cus but might fare much more
mildly in the American setting.

What the atmosphere of sheer,
unspoiled delight in circus , enter-
tainment provided by the Copen-
hagen audience may add to the
(Continued on page 52)

DESERT INN BUY OF
ROYAL NEV. UP IN AIR

Las Vegas, Aug. 30.

No decision on whether the
Desert Inn will take over the
Royal Nevada Hotel will be made
for about a month. A1 Moll and
Franks Fishman, principal owners
of the Royal Nevada, have .refused
to comment on the pending sale
as have execs in the Desert Inn.

Deal has been reportedly in the
works for more-than a month.

Embassy Club Reopens

The Embassy Club of the Am-
bassador Hotel, N. Y., as well as
the Knight Box in that inn -will
open for the season next Tuesday
(6). Chauncey Gray Will play for
late dinner and supper dancing
in the Embassy starting at 10 p. m.
with Quintero 'Latin band alternat-
ing.

Janl Sarkozi heading a Gypsy
fiddle outfit will work the ■ early
dinner sessions.' Minimums of
$3.50 and $5 will prevail, which
is a departure for hotel rooms
since most of them operate with
cover charges.

AVAILABLE

• SEATS 1,100 PEOPLE *

• FULLY FURNISHED «

• AIR CONDITIONED ®

Location:

49th Street and Broadway, N. Y.

Contact:

PAUL SCHLOSSER

311 West 34 Street, N. Y.

BRyant 9-7740

. .

Mexico’s ANDA Seeks
AGVA, World Pacts

Mexico City, Aug. 30.

Worldwide mutual aid pact for
thespians and showfolk in general
is the ultimate aim of the National
Actors Assn. (ANDA) in arranging
talks along that line with players
unions of Puerto Rico- and Colum-
bia. The union has such link with
their fellow unionists in Chile,
Venezuela and Cuba, and is dick-
ering with the American Guild of
Variety Artists ’and the Spanish
Artists Assn, of New York.

Making this - pact worldwide
would be “a forward step in main-
taining close unity of all in the
same profession,” explained Con-
gressman Rodolfo Landa, ANDA
secretary general.

Chi AGVA Unit Preps
Drive for 3-Point Plan
Ys. Hotel, Vaude House

Chicago, AUg. 30,

As a result of American Guild,
of Variety Artists topper Jackie
Bright’s visit here recently, Chi
hotels, mnjind . the Chicago Theatre,
only- vaudfilmery left here, will be
asked to comply with AGVA’s ;
three-point contractual program, j
for the first time in their history. :
In addition to the minimum basic
agreement setting Salary scales 1
and working conditions, the hotels
and the Chicago Theatre will he
asked to post cash . bond of a -
week’s salary for each entertainer
as well as . contribute $2.50 perj
week per entertainer to the union’s
welfare fund.

Before the Bright administration,
such talent employers were con-
sidered to be good enough credit
risks that posting of salary bonds
was deemed unnecessary. How-
ever, in accordance with Bright’s
instructions, AGVA midwest re-
gional director Ernie Fast is going
ahead with the precedent-shatter-
ing move. When all bonds have
been posted by the employers in
this area, a considerable amount
of money will be tied up, lying idle.
The question has arisen whether
or not to give the employers some
kind of return on their frozen
dough, in some form of investment
plan. Fast has not as yet tackled
the hotels or theatres, but the ques-
tion is sure to come up . when he
does.

Hildy Boff in Longhair
Bow Despite Bad Breaks

Bridgeport, Aug. 30.

Hildegarde’s . just as incompara-
ble in front of a symphony orches-
tra as she is everywhere else. The
Milwaukee chantoosie’s longhair
debut with the Connecticut Pops at
Fairfield a week ago Saturday (20)
was so successful audience-wise
that Hildy’s definitely in as a con-,
cert attraction. '

Conditions for the date couldn’t,
have been more rugged. The Pops’’
previous attraction, Victor Borge,
performed only a few nights prior,
because of Connie. And the Diane
catastrophe made the Connecticut
public anything but entertainment-
minded. Result was a losing 2,500
attendance against a 12,000 poten-
tial.

Hildegarde’s enjoyment of the
new experience was effectively
demonstrated throughput her re-
pertoire, singing, talking, walking,
in her standard routine and the
adaptations to the 65 musicians ba-
toned by Gustave Haenschen in the
background.. Martin Freed accom-
panied, of course, and special ar-
rangements were by Martin Denny
and Earl Sheldon of the Haenschen
organization: Elem. I

Johnnie Ray Adds To
U.S. Roster Touring U.K.

London, Aug. 30.

Johnnie Ray, who comes to Bri-
tain to make, an appearance in the
commercial tv “Sunday Night at
the London Palladium” series On
Oct. 2, will then embark on another
variety tour starting the following
day at the Newcastle Empire,
Britain’s Vic Lewis orch Will ap- '
pear with Ray. Guy Mitchell’s
variety tour, meantime, has been
extended and he will now stay in
this country until the end of No-
vember. A1 Martino is making a :
guest appearance with the BBC
Show Band on Sept. 12 and also
hhs.a.tv “Off the Record” date.
JwfifcttL JMUOfi LJ&. -I — . w.

Wednesday, August 31 , T 95 ff

New. York

Frankie Lalne signed' for the
Latin Quarter, N. Y., for three
weeks starting Oct. 8 . , . Benny
Youn&man goes into La Vie, Sept.
8 . . . Robert Clary signed for Con-
gress Hotel, St. Lpuis, Oct, 14 . . .
Imogene Coca tapped for Sham-
rock, Houston, Oct. 15 . . . Earths
Kitt pacted for a February date at
Blinstrub’s, Boston . . ? "Willie So-
lar, in. retirement for many years,
is working up a new act . . . New
show at th*e Village Bam, N. Y„
starting Sept. 5 will comprise
George Hopkins, Jim Lowe, Ron-
nie Hayden and Pamela Dennis.

Marion Marlowe signed for the
Elwood Hotel, Windsor, Ont., Nov.
24 . . . Marquis Family into Moulin
Rouge, Los Angeles, Sept. 26 . . .
Maureen Cannon .slated for the
Charmant, Juarez, Mexico, starting
tomorrow. (Thurs.) and is then
slotted for Roosevelt Hotel, New
Oleans, Sept ’15.

Hollywood

Julie Wilson opens at N. Y.’s
Copacabana Sept. 8 . . . Kitt Car-
son returns to Bar of Music to-
morrow' (Thurs.) ... Nancy Lowe
into Hollow Egg, Frisco, Friday (2)
... Three Dons & Deena tee off
tomorrow (Thurs:) at Riviera Hotel,
Vegas, for. indefinite stand . .

Jana Mason back at the Mocambo,
opening last night (Tues.) with
Olivette Miller, harpist, and Bert
Gibson, dancer . . . Henry Reese
and Joe Flynn set for principal
roles in Cabaret Concert’s “Go
East, Young Man,” breaking in
mid-September . . . Phyllis Inez
at Crescendo with The Robins and
Renee 'Touzet orch . . . Red Noryo
Trio holdover at newly-remodeled
and additioned Captain’s Table . , .
Bob Reed Started piano-singing
turn yesterday (Tues.) at Fair-
child’s Restaurant , . . Gilbert
Renaud heads for Plaza Hotel in
N. Y. after winding current en-
gagement at Bali’ Room in .Beverly
Hilton.

CLASS EATERY UPBEAT
IN THE HAMPTONS, L. I.

Henri Soule’s The Hedges, East
Hampton, L. I., the summer coun-
terpart of his Le Pavilion, mid-
town Manhattan class eatery, will
become thq scene annually of the
restaurateur’s “premiere invita-
tion.” Thus, instead of the Sept.
15 kickoff for Le Pavilion being
strongly on the “invitation” side
for VIPs and other favored guests,
Soule figures he will make his
Long Island restaurant-inn (he has
about a dozen rooms for transient
and seasonal rental) the focal
point.

Frank Law’s Fourth Estate Is a
new roadhouse in the Hamptons
this year, with strong accent on
the pressroom decor. Ex-Broadway
p.a. and his wife Betty have the sun-
dry rooms set up according to slick
mags, newspapers, the columnists,
and even an “overseas room” (for-
eign press).. Variety is appropri-
ately perched over the the band-
stand from whence the entertain-
ment originates.

A curious billihg at another new
operation at Brldgehampton is
“Tony Trouville Presents Franklin
Guiterman’s East Colony House,"
about the first time that a head-
waiter got billing over the boss.
Tony Trouville is a contrived name,
to identify Tony, formerly of the
now defunct Trouville, N. Y„ bis-
tro, who is headwaiter for Gutter-
man’s operation, —

Ray, Haley to Headline
B’klyn Par Stage Show

A second show has been lined
up for the Paramount Theatre,
Brooklyn, by Par circuit booker
Harry Levine. Johnnie Ray and
Bill Haley & his Comets have been
inked for Thanksgiving week
starting Nov. 22, Other acts are
still to be set.

Levine had previously set Tony
Bennett on top of a rock ’n’ roll
show starting Sept. 2 for the Labor
Day week. The Alan Freed unit
in that layout vfill include Lillian
Briggs, Nappy Brown, Harp-Tones,
Chuck Berry, Rhythmettes, Sam
Taylor Band, Red Prysock, Four
Voices, Cardinals, Nutmegs and
others.

Par policy is apparently to book
stageshows around holidays’ in or-
der to Insure super takes. Previous,
stand by a Freed unit scored

Chicago

Lola Dee booked into Chi’s Chez
Paree after Patti Andrews can-
celled out;, singer plays there till
Sept. 6 . , , Julius LaRosa to head
stageshow at Chicago Theatre, Chi,
Sept. 30, for two frames . . . Lillian
Briggs, Gary Morton, Clark Born,
will play for Chicago Sept. 16,
with Nat (King) Cole topping the
bll for two rounds . . Nip Nelson,

Paula & Paulette, Roger Ray, The
Six Vocalovelles, Buddy Whalen,
and Yvette booked for the show at
the Red River Exhibition, Winni-
peg, Ont., Oct. 22-29; Pogo, the
Boxing Kangaroo, is set for the
sideshow . . . Morey Amsterdam
in to the Town House, Indianapo-
lis, Sept. 12 for two rounds.

Atlanta

Singer June Valli opened Mon-
day (29) at Joe Cotton’s Steak
Ranch with Wes Baxter orch . . ,
Gypsy Room introduced anew show
Monday (29) headed by Jimmy
Leeds Revue (3). Snooky DeWitt,
exotic dancer, rounds out the bill
. . . Current at Henry Grady Hotel’s
Paradise Room is the comedy-song
team of Walter Long & Sonny
Richards, plus Jean Merritt, ac-
cordionist, the Paulette Sisters,
singers, and Parker Ltmd'band . . .
pianist Randy Jones heads up the
new band which opened Monday
(29) at Jennings Rose Room, dine
and dance spot , . . Harry- the Hip-
ster, comic-pianist, at Imperial
Hotel’s Domino Lounge. Gene
Corber is emcee with Jeanna, exo-
tic terper, featured music by the
Toky Trio and Dave Townsend
orch for dancing.

the

Currently Appearing

PALACE, New York

CARL GAVEL ASSOCIATES, LTD,
1650 Broadway, Now York City
Clrclo 7-2373

FRANKIE SCOTT

Amputir. Undernourished Comedian

Currently

KA SEE'S
NIGHT CLUB

, Tolodo, Ohio

PETLP J I'JDlCE
P v-t 7 ' ci * >- ■ C'dr; . D‘ 'fi '*

Wednesday, August 31, 1955

VAUDEVILLE 51

N.Y. Niteries (ffhats Left of 'Em)
Going in Heavily for Top Names

Although the number ^ol New

York cafes is down to the lowest
point in many years, the remain-
ing spots will be going in heavily
for names. The Copacabana, which
kicks off for the season Sept. 8,
after being shuttered for extensive
alterations, will start with Joe E.
Lewis, Julie Wilson and Billy Ward
and his Dominoes, as the first
show, with the production accoutre-
ments topped by the Doug Coudy
line girls. Spot will be on a name
policy throughout the season.

The major Broadway spot, the
Latin Quarter, will be going in for
headliners to a greater extent than
ever before. On Sept. 15 spot will
get the Treniers and Alan King for
three weeks. Frankie Laine, Frank
Libuse and Chiquita & Johnson
move in Oct. 6. Cab Calloway will
headline Oct. 27, and Carl Ravazza
and The Goofers headline Nov. 17.

For the first time in many years,
Hazel Scott will play a N. Y. nitery.
She’ll start at the LQ Dec. 8 on
the bill with Romo Vincent. It’s
her first Broadway cafe booking.
Once a regular on the nitery cir-
cuit with her shuttling between, the
Cafe Society Uptown and. .Down-
town, she has devoted most of her
recent work to the concert circuit.

Tlie Versailles will desert its unit
format for the • first time in some
years for Edith Piaf who comes in
Sept. 14. Miss Piaf, had been slated

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to come into the spot several times
during the past several years, but
illness prevented her appearance
during one season and she elected
to tour in a two-a-day vaude show
in another season.*

Monte Proser’s La Vie is still to
get its full share of ; cafe coin.
Henrty Youngman is due there
Sept. 7 and Connie Francis goes
on Oct. 6. There is some possibil-
ity that Proser may go in for musi-
cal units, in the fall, but the policy
isn’t" fully formulated.

A Cool Coup

Jakarta, Indonesia, Aug. 30,

For the first timerin Indonesia,
an ice show has been used to ad-
vance the cause of the U. S. Under
auspices of the U. S. State Dept.,
the '’’Holiday On Ice’’ show bedaz-
zled the natives of this country at
the Jakarta International Trade
Fair. It was the first time that
most of the natives of this tropical
country had seen anything resem-
bling an ice show. This, is a coun-
try where the majority of the peo-
ple’ see ice only on holidays when
a handful is* distributed for cooling
drinks. Such vast amounts as con-
tained in the ice rink measuring
50 x 100 ft. therefore was a tre-
mendous novelty and many natives
before and after the show bent
down to touch the frappe.

Tour for “Holiday” was arranged
by the State Dept., which was the
only way the company could get
around the intricate Indonesian
currency requirements.

The opening was marred by an
accident which made the start of
the* show several hours late, but
the American technicians were
filially 'able to overcome the dam-
age caused to the refrigeration
unit when the dock parted from
the ship during the time a cable
lowered the ice plant and the crash
damaged the unit. The mechanics
got the machinery to run and man-
ufactured enough crushed ice .to
get the cooling process in the rink
started.

The show was produced by Mor-
ris Chalfen and most of the casting
was done in Europe. Gary Keran,
of Long Island, is one of the Amer-
icans in the show in a top role.

A. C. Spot Books Talent

Atlantic City, Aug. 30.

Dude Ranch, without talent all
season in its ' uptown boardwalk
night spot, has shifted policy and
brought in show featuring Leon
Fields with Ben Cotey as emoee.
Supporting Fields are Marc Tanno,
Gilrone and Starr, Dolores Leigh,
Mme. Queen, Haraldo with Bob
Kersey orch.

Spot will feature square dances,
hobby horse races, and games plus
dancing on its big floor. No cover
and admission policy will be fol-
lowed.

, ' v

1 ‘•Ar.

CAB CALLOWAY

■ifc- : f ■

Continuing

! ■in

INTERNATIONAL THEATRE TOUR

Currently

PALACE, Manchester

Mgt. BILL MITTLER, 1619 Broadway, New York

Blue Angel, N.Y., to Add
Combo for Cocktails

The Blue Angel, !NL Y., now op-
erating as restaurant and supper
club, plans enlarging its entertain-
ment scope with inauguration of
a cocktail hour. A pianist or mu-
sical combo will be installed.

, It’s figured td start ' the opera-
tion after Labor Day*

Philadelphia, Aug. 30.

Amusement permits for four
night clubs were suspended for
failure to pay city taxes by License
Commissioner Walter S, Pytko.
The cafes are the Embassy Club,
oldest of the midtown' spots; the
Wedge, the Cabana Club and the
Knotty Bar, this last in Northeast
Philly.

The four, spots owe a total of
$34,000, mostly in amusement
taxes, for periods running back as
far as 1952. Under the action the
clubs will not be permitted to
stage any shows and police were
posted at each place to see that
no. performances were, given. The
action was academic in the case
of the Cabana, as the Market St.
cafe has been shuttered four
months.

The decision to suspend the
amusement permits was reached
at a.; conference between Pytko and
Commissioner of Revenue George
S. Forde. The four clubs, accord-
ing to Forde, were the worst of-
fenders of 15 niteries in' the city
that have been consistently under-
paying their taxes. Court actions
will also be taken against the cafes
to collect the back taxes.

Two Spots Relight

Philadelphia’s two midtown
showcases resume activities next
month and have made bookings far
into the season. The Celebrity
Room relights Sept. 7, with the
team of Pepper Davis and Tony
Reese as the initial headliner.
The Latin Casino opening is sked-
ded for Sept. 28.

The opening bill hasn’t been set
for the Latin Casino, but acts al-
ready pacted include Nat “King”
Cole, Oct. 10; the Vagabonds, Oct.
19; Joe E. Lewis, Oct. 31; Billy
Eckstine, Nov. 7, and Sophie
Tucker, Nov. 15. Agreements for
1956 appearances have been
reached with Johnnie Ray, Eartha
Kitt, Sammy Davis Jr., the date
depending upon his Broadway
show; Peggy Lee, Frankie Laine,
Lena Horne, Tony Martin and Ju-
lius LaRosa.

Lily Christine will make her first
Philadelphia cafe appearance at
the Celebrity Room, Oct. 21. Two
acts that did smash business at
the spot last season have been
inked for return dates Phil
Foster, Oct. 27, and Jack E. Leon-
ard, Nov. 10. Lili St. Cyr, another
click of last season, is due back
Nov. 23.

Ottawa, Aug. 30. -

Central Canada Exhibition at
Ottawa broke all attendance rec-
ords this year. Total attendance
for the week’s stand (20-27) was
431,797, greatest in the fair’s 62
years of existence and 40,055 more
than the previous record set in
1953.

One of the biggest breaks for
the 1955 edition of the CCE was
the ending of eastern Canada’s
longest and hottest hot spell in
the last quarter century just as
the exhibition preemed, Besides
weather, gate attractions included
giveaways of ah automobile a day.
Local dailies carried pictures, fea-
ture stories and agricultural com-
petition results, averaging an es-
timated 40 to* 50 columns a day,
with radio and television publicity
clicko.

World of Mirth midway, which
left tonight (27) for Burlington,
Vt„ played only one booking in
Canada this year— Ottawa. Previ-

Toast’ Booked for Fall
1-Niters in Midwest

Chicago, Aug. 30.
Ed Sullivan’s “Toast of the
Town” CBS-TV show has been
booked for a series of one-niters
in the midwest, -beginning in late
October and lasting through early
November.

Booked by Paramount Attrac-
tions, Chij the tour will be split
up into two segments for a planned
total of up to 12 dates. Dates set
so far are: Columbus, Ind., Nov. 1;
Green Bay, Nov. 2; Duluth, Nov. 3;
Evanston, 111., Nov* 4; and Lafay-
ette, Ind., Nov. 5.

— — ^ 1 1 i

Las Vegas, Aug. 30.

The hostelry subsidizing of the
Dunes: b$ the Sands has set up
producer Jack Entratter as the
biggest talent buyer on this bistro
circuit. Budget for the Sands over
the past 12 months has been a
shade under $1,500,000. Entratter
says the additional Sands budget
for the purchasing of talent at the
Dunes will be $1,000,000.

Approval of the Sands-Dunes
lease was inked by the Nevada Tax
Commission at its meeting last
week (25) if) Carson City, and
plans got underway immediately to
relaunch the new multi-million dol-
lar resort. Entratter has pacted
Frank Sinatra to introduce the new
operation of the Dunes in a formal
opening that will see the hotel host
media reps -from all important
points of the country.

Entratter’s first official act as
Dunes booker was to bill Dave
Barry and the Clark Bros, beneath
the topline currently held by Mar-
ion Marlowe.

Entratter says he wall offer ad-
ditional weeks to his regular lineup
of topliners, i.e., Danny ^Thomas,
Sinatra, Lena Horne, Robert Mer-
rill, Louis Armstrong, ‘ Talullah
E mkhead, etc. Ordinarily, these
.si.trs appeared once per annum at
the Sands under Entratter’s tight
schedule.

ous years It had played fairs in
three other eastern Canadian loca-
tions but passed them up this year
because of complicated tax and
other problems. With minor set-up
changes from .past years, World
of Mirth did good business.

Midway was topped by the
Dancing Waters show, here for its
second year and given a better
lot location near the,, centre , of
the show section. Gay New Or-
leans, a Negro girly show, pro-
duced and staged by Mr. and
Mrs, pavid Wiles, did solid busi-
ness but top boxoffice was recorded
by Club 18, a midway revue, which
garnered local attention by featur-
ing an Ottawa male chant trio
called The Bobbysoxers. Club 18
is produced and choreographed by
Dixie Gordon.

N. H. Fairs Hit
Manchester, N. H., Aug. 30.

Two of New Hampshire’s earli-
est fairs took it on the chin when
inclement weather cut down at-
tendance figures.

... Northwood Fair continued to run
through Aug. 13, but the Cornish
Fair closed Aug. 14.

Attendance - slumped at the Fair
as the threat of Hurrican Connie
kept many folks at home, although
as things turned out, heavy rain
and some wind were the only ef-
fects of the storm in New Hamp-
shire. The Northwood “gate” was
reported to have been "very low,”
compared with .past years.

‘:WSsi>:v

v.yly

Eileen BARTON

loteif Coral Roloato

Apollo Umberto Silvano
Roberto Romano

Dir.; WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY

JACK POWELL

and his Educated Drum Sticks
Under tha Personal Management of
MARK LEDDY and LEON NEWMAN
48 West 48th St„ New York 19, N. Y.
Phone— JUdson 4-2740

THANKS AGAIN !

DICK and EDITH BARSTOW

for featuring

"MISS

BILLIE MAHONEY”

In GENERAL MOTORS

POWERAMA

"Twirling, boffol AUG.31 THRU SEPT, 25, CHICAGO

Terp stuff socko ."-Variety

Portonal Mgr.s MILTON BLACKSTONE, 565 Fifth Ave., N. Y. ELdorodo 5-1540

• SONGS * IMPRESSIONS • COMEDY •

BUDDY CLAYTON

Opening SEPT. 2nd PALACE* NfeW York

Opening OCT. 16— REUBAN BLEU, New York

Personal Management: LOU WALTERS ENTERPRISES, Inc., Cass Franklin, Mgr,

52 DOUSE REVIEWS PtS&tETr

. . ... ^ — • — 1 H»

Palace, IV. ¥•

Church & Hale, Ted Lawrie,
Strawberry Russell & Julia, Cleo-
patra & Co. (3), Chords (2),
Valenos (2),. Larry Best* Ferdinand
& Gerri, Mike Loran Orch; “Fe-
male on the Beach” (VI) (holdr
over).

• The current layout at the Main
Stem’s vaude stronghold is a stand-
ard potpourri. Although the pic is
a holdover, the house has made
no special pitch to get its regular
clientele beyond changing the pre-
vious week's bill.

Standard turn in this show is
The Chords, a couple of guys with
trick pipes that can carbon virtu-
ally any kind of musical instru-
ment. Although this has been done
before. The Chords have developed
a socko routine of freewheeling
comedy to set their impressions off.
Their fiddle and trumpet takeoffs
get them off fast and they accel-
erate with imitations of the zither,
brass bands, harps and a break-it-
up finale aping of Kathryn. Gray-
son and Howard Keel Singing
“Sweetheart,” It's a begoff.

In the next-to-closing slot, Larry
Best, a Vet comic on the vaude-cafe
circuit, has an uneven routine.
Some of his gags are funny, some
are not 'and at least one of them,
a joke about Venetian gondoliers
which Jack Carter also uses,
doesn’t belong on the stage .of a
family theatre. Best scores most
-strongly with his various dialect
impressions and. gets off at a peak
with a funny sneezing bit.

Church & Hale open the bill with
some of their slide fapology. It’s i
a nicely-paced act with that nos-,
talgic vaudeville quality. In the j
deuce, Ted Lawrie delivers some I
songs (New Acts), while another
repeat act in this house, Straw-
berry Russell & Julia, score with
their song-and-comedy antics. It's
another solid vaude act.

Cleopatra,, assisted by a man
and a woman, follows with her
rhythmic magico stunting. Al-
though her disappearing ahd re-
appearing tricks sire standard,
Cleopatra has a twist in doing her
stuff with, a sexy strut. It helps a
lot, even though her buildup to her
knotted handkerchief trick is some-
what too slow. *

The Chords click in the No. 5
spot with The Valenos . (New Acts)
next. For the closer, Ferdinand &
Gerri impress with their acro-bal-
ancing act, best bit being their
head-to-head stands while he’s try-
ing to balance himself on a rolling
pin.

Mike Loran, who’s filling the j
maestro spot vacated by Jo Lom-
bardi, who switched to the Latin !
Quarter, gives* the downbeat au-
thoritatively and cuts the show
snappily. Herrri.

Radiocentro, Havana

Havana, Aug. 23.
Chiquita & Johnson , Ana Glorut
& Rolando , Pino Barati, ManOlin
& Shilinski, Radiocentro Orq ; “The
Kettles in Hawaii” (17 -Z) and
“ Dawn at Socorro” (17=1),'

This appears to be the season for
the return of wandering talent. The
Chavales de Espana Grq returned
to Cuba (Variety, July 20) after
engagements in the States, and now
Chiquita & Johnson have also come
back for a brief stay here. (Oddly,
both the Chavales and Chiquita &
Johnson originally played at Tropi-
cana, but’* on their returns played
at Radiocentro and nearby Mont-
martre.)

Tiny Chiquita is tossed around
by the mighty JohflRy (a former
acrobat) like a leaf m a wind. She
d o e s incredible splits in midair
while held aloft by her partner.
Chiquita’s hardly clad figure adds
visual splendor to the beauty of
their dancing.

Until Ana Gloria decided
to marry the son of Havana’s mayor,
a few years ago, she and Rolando
were just about the best rumba
dancers in a land where everyone
dances the rumba. Recently she di-
vorced' her husband (who is now a
congressman) and decided to re-
turn to the stage. Rolando quickly
dropped his new partner Nancy
(who won the sympathy of the local 1
press) and took Ana Gloria back, j
Fleet feet and a body controlled
not by nerves but by musical notes
make Rolando the Jose Greco of
rumba dancers. She has her old
pixy charm and effervescent sex,
but her hoofing shows a certain
stiffness due to her layoff. Un-
doubtedly, however, dancing with
the maestro, Rolando, will soon
knock out the kinks.

Pino Barati. has a nice solid
voice. When he sings songs from
his native land, Italy, he is especial-
ly good. Customarily good young
singers are going places — and in
the case of ambitious Europeans
this usually means the States.

As comics, comics Manolin &
£J>ilin§ki/a(re>a ljiught; Rutjtheyjiim-
prove .considerably when; theyrl pDa^i

' I

tunes on their .strange assortment
of musical “instruments”! six Coca-
Cola bottles, a bicycle pump and a
weird one-chord something. They
actually make music with these
things. Jay.

Apollo* N. Y.

The Moonglows (5), ' Jimmie
Smith, Leonard Reed, Rastus Mur-
ray ,- Edna Mae, Eddie Jefferson,
Baby Dee, Leon Collins, James
Moody Band ( 11 ) ; “ Night People”
(20 th-Fox).

The Harlem vaude flagship con-
tinues in its familiar groove this
session. The offering shows no
originality, showcasing the same
type of acts and music that have
just about become cliche at this
spot.

The Moonglows, who headline
the current show, are, no doubt,
competent performers and record-
ing artists. But their style and
mannerisms, gyrations and hand
movements, song arrangements and
selections, are cut from the familiar
quintet rhythm and blues pattern,
and could just as well as be one* of
a hundred other similar song
groups now around. This is not x a.
rap of The Moonglows, per se.
What they do, they do well. But
isn’t it about time somebody did
something different?

In general, the same may be said
of the James Moody band. It's loud
and brassy. The maestro , takes a
solo, on sax this time, and couple
of the boys back him up. The music
gets louder and louder and more
incomprehensible as a muted trum-
pet squeaks in accompaniment.

Featured with the band are Baby
Dee and Eddie Jefferson;- An off-
beat pair of. singers. Miss Dee
whispers, cajoles, muggs, uses her
body and hands, gyrates, and .
shouts. It’s difficult to comprehend
what Jefferson sought to accom-
plish — all that seemed to emerge
was rapidly-shouted words.

Leon Collins, at least, is on
orthodox territory, featuring a fine
style of tapology. It’s not sensa-.
tional stuff, but quiet patter
stressing glides and graceful slides.
Unfortunately, Collins gets mixed
up in an unfunny burlesque black-
out, spotlighting the house steadies
— Leonard Reed, Rastus Murray
and Edna Mae.

Jimmie Smith deserves “A” for
effort for his novelty turn. He
dances on a home-made xylophone-
type instrument/ eifiploying the
choreography to obtain the musical
sounds. It’s good for one fast out-
ing, but wears on repetition. A
musical sound emerges all right,
but it’s not for extended listening.

Holl.

Empire, Glasgow

Glasgow, Aug. 25.
Cab Calloway ( with Vic Ash
Quartet), Larenty Troupe (5),
Marion & Eddie Rose, Chevalier
Bros. (2), Joe Crosbie,- Rusty, Bea
& Zelda Marvi, Bobby Dowds Orch.

Despite smallness of audience at
show caught, Cab Calloway scores
solidly with entertaining 40-minute
songalog, backed by. the Vic Ash
quartet (clarinet, piano, drums and
bass). Unfortunately, the support-
ing acts given the w.k. scat singer
comprise one of the weakest lay-
outs seen at this theatre for weeks.

Calloway, last here 21 years ago
with his orch, opens with “Got My
Love to Keep Me Warm,” then
goes into the current pop, “Un-
chained Melody.” He follows with
a dance and “That Ole Black
Magic,” and then he gamers mit-
ting for “Summertime,” “Learnin*
the Blues” and “St. James In-
firmary Blues.”

Gabbing comes a bit late in act,
and he makes conventional move of
describing customers as “wonder-
ful, wonderful,” a description
played to hackneyed death by U.S,
acts hereabouts.

After the Ash combo does a jam
session, Calloway returns to sing
“Can’t Give You Anything But
Love,” and he then asks stubhold-
ers to join up with him in “Minnie'
the Moocher,” which gains solid
mitting. Segues with an r&b num-
ber ‘.‘Shake, Rattle and Roll,” which
rouses enthusiasm, then he dances,
twirls and shakes before making
exit, returning to gab about his
“Sportin’ Life” role in the Qersh-
wing opera “Porgy & Bess,” staged
in London 1942. From this he
offers “It Ain’t Necessarily So”
’and winds with another r&b toov-
elty, “Get Out the Car.”

Bea &. Zelda Marvi please with
tap-dance opening. The Chevalier
Bros., in second slotting, spoil their
aero comedy with weak material,
gaining most palming for their one-
foot-on-head exit balance. Duo
need new gags..

Joe Crosbie, comedian garbed in
outsize drape suit, tells nls.g. Irish
stories. Larenty Troupe are strong
springboard aepo quintet of threg
males and two femmes, winding
the first segment with . energetic
joaps; from board jto (traihpoliue.i.

z > i‘I . d'Uf* cd > vGotfda

Palladium, Edinburgh

Edinburgh, Aug. 30.

Linnit dr Dunfee Ltd. ( with D.
Park) presentation of “After the
Show.” Directed by Michael
Charnley; words by Peter Myers,
Alec Grahame, David Climie;
music, John Pritchett, Ronald Cass;
features —Rachel Roberts, Jimmy
Thompson, Patricia Lancaster, Her -
mione, Harvey, Charles Ross, Peter
Reeves, Marcia Ashton, Richard
Waring.

A talented company of eight
players romp briskly through this
lightsome fodder show, attuned for
Edinburgh Festival patrons seeking
relief from heavier drama and
operatic events. Result is a more
satisfying and entertaining result
than the mediocre offerings of pre-
vious years in this category.

Song and dance scenes follow
rapidly atop each other, and much
humor is made of the Scottish,
English ^and American way of life,
with particular tilts* at such long-
hair Festival trends as poet-play-
wright T. S. Eliot’s verse-dramas,
foreign lingoes, Highland terping
and opera. Show has the asset of
slicker scripting and tuneful num-
bers,. and sets -a fairly intimate
atmosphere for its late-night stag-
ing.

“Caledonian Calypso, 1955” is
a skit on Auld Lang Syne ideas*
posing the situation of how a festi-
val would look and sound if it were
performed in grimy industrial low-
brow Glasgow as contrasted With
the highbrow dignity of Edinburgh.
First-half finale is a travesty on
Scot musicals as done a la Holly-
wood, with the style of doggerel
native poet McGonagall interwoven
into Rodgers and Hart tunalog.

Seven members, of the, small
company, all English, take part in
a pointed sketch, “From Bed to
Verse.” It hits cleverly at the Fes-
tival plays of T. S. Eliot, imagining
how that scribe would treat a bed-
room farce in halt-at-the-end-of-
lines verse. Travel snags that arise
when two tourists from Yorkshire,
Eng., try spouting to each other in
pidgeon French are amusingly hit
off in “Ici En Parle,” a good veili-
n' e for Marcia Ashton and Jimmy
Thompson.

Patricia Lancaster, an appealing
flaxen beauty, scores in “The One
That Got Away,” number with a
trick tagline, and shapes up as one
with future potential. Jimmy
Thompson, another youthful thes-
per, also impresses, particularly in
flair for dialects, and Charles Ross
garners strong palming for his
operatic comedy bit,' “Largo U
Barbiere.” Much comedy skill in
the work of Rachel Roberts, and
Hermione Harvey, a looker, is best
with Peter Reeves in the pleasant
“Soft Shoe Shuffle” flashback.

Gord.

Copenhagen .

Continued from page 50 *

sum total would be hard to esti-
mate. Suffice that this veteran'
critic has not in a long while en- 1
countered an audience of such
honest appreciation. Not that they
lack discrimination. Rather that
first and last they are happily ex-
cited and pleased — a dream audi-
ence. They break into- clapping to
the tempo of the music but this is
always gay and friendly, never
smartalecky. They are. playing be-
ing at the circus! \

Incidentally, the 11-man orches-
tra above the ring-entrance' is of
almost dazzling circus music com-
petence under “Kapelmester” Eu-
gen Petersen. There’s a piano!
And he doubles for dramatic ef-
fects, on a jazz organ. . .

It doesn’t take a crystal ball to
arrive at the clue to the Schumann
format — this is circus built, rou-
tined and paced like vaudeville in
an arena. There is a considerable
amount of talk. Comics are discov-
ered * in ’the audience. Stooges pop
out of the aisles,. The top banana is
Charly Cossy, from Holland, who
requires a rubber tarpaulin for his
turn — straight slapstick involving
buckets and buckets and buckets
of water. He slides, prattf alls and
continuously gets the water in-
tended for the stooge. In the end
he dunks the dignified ringmaster.
It’s all good solid belly laugh stuff
—right out of vaudeville, or, some
may say, right out of burlesque.

The vaudeville touch is also evi-
dent in the act of Arno & Rita Van
Bolen (they speak only English)
who offer a neatly executed bit of
body-escape-and-replacement mag-
ic. And of the eccentric knock-
abouts; Tipsy & Brow, Les Crad-
docks, Three Steckels, all of whom
hit the line hard for the yocks.

But circus or vaudeville, or a
mixture of both, this is, in the
Obvious, pun* - good .“Scbpmapjn-
fcfcip/'f. ) v * 8 > c 0 3i \ '( 19 i i' 9 i

Wednesday, August 31, 1955

TOMMY NOONAN WITH

CAROLE
Comedy
20 Mins.

Latin Quarter, N. Y.

Tommy Noonan has been on the
20th-Fox payroll for some time
and has been a steady employee
in the film firm's musicals. He’s
now retracing some of the routes
he travelled while a working mem-
ber of the comedy team of Noonan.
& Marshall, this time, he’s picked
out a new partner, his wife Carole,
who provides him only minor as-
sists in this turn.

Noonan has a pair of routines,
which he did previously, that are
capable of helping him out of any
tight situation. His comedy chef
is a howler, and his bit on British
film making provides *a steady
round of laughs. Some of his gab
prior to these bits needs a bit of
strengthening, but there's nothing
wrong with his act that these two
bits cannot cure. On his LQ
preem, he hit excellent results.

■», Ji.se.

RUSTY
Animal
10 Mins.

Empire, Glasgow
Dog act succeeds in baffling the
customers through adding and
subtracting numbers, and picking
out requested film stars when their
names are called out. Pooch opens
by being shown blackboard with a
number on it, then running to
metal indicator carrying digits and
tipping-up the particular number.
Similarly picks out the correct
numbers as answers to subtraction
sums posed by male trainer, in one
case deceiving the apdience by
selecting a number short by one
digit and then immediately tipping

«im Inilinof at» marl (, ATU1 ”

Also, on requests from audience,
pooch runs to correct dovecotes
marked with names of such -as
Marilyn Monroe, Janie Russell,
Billy Daniels, Rita Hayworth and
Zsa Zsa Gabor/ and releases
pigeons of varied hues. The birds
bound out in flight and board a
toy taxi-bus pulled on by Rusty.

Gord.

MARION & EDDIE ROSE .

Joggling

10 Mins.

Empire, Glasgow

Mixed pair start off with con-
ventional juggling, but quickly
segue into slicker routines. They
interchange six clubs at speed, and
then he alternates with distaffer
as both move forward, one in front
Of the other, while juggling with
clubs. .

Act’s highlight comes when male
balances on one leg and tosses five
saucers and five cups on to his
head with other foot, landing them
all atop each other, and completes
the trick by similarly tossing up
a teaspoon and a lump of sugar.
Winds by routine -trick of spinning
nine plates simultaneously on
lengthy table.

Okay act for U.S. vauderies, but
feat of saucer-tossing should be
reserved for finale. Gord.

TED LAWRIE
Songs
10 Mins.

Palace, N. Y.

Ted Lawrie, young baritone Wdio
has been playing spots on the Con-
tinent, has impressive pipes which
he exercises to the utmost. His
turn, however, needs more style
and less volume before it can step
out. Lawrie tends to blast instead
of employing the vocal shadings
which are easier on the customers’
ears, Maybe it's a bad microphone
setup or a defective mike tech-
ique on his part.

The repertoire is standard.
Lawrie opens with the uptempo
“Sing, Hallelujah,” seguing into
“Singing in the Rain,” with some
modest but neat softshoe routine,
and then essaying a revivalist type
number. For a closer, there’s
“Granada,” another typical, bari-
tone showcase. Hem.

THE VALENOS (2)

Adagio
9 Mins.

Palace, N. Y.

The .> Valenos, European duo,
have okay turn in the acro-adagio
genre. Most impressive part . of
this team is the girl’s contortionist
capabilities. Tljese are demon-
strated in a series of odd-shaped
body positions which are often-
times more offbeat than esthetic.

Opening has the male member
Walking on stage, followed by a
moving duffle bag from which the
girl emerges. From there they
work into the splits and body spins
r whichi gar«er»considerable/ mitting,

flam** I

ENID MOSIER & TRINIDAD

STEEL BAND (3)

Songs, Instrumental
25 Mins.

Village Vanguard, N. Y.

Enid M osier, combined with 5 ” a
trio playing steel drums made
from tops of oil drums, has a pic-
turesque turn. This unit had been
featured in the late musical,
“House of Flowers,” ahd seems to
be one of the more permanent re-
sults of* that musical.

This Negro outfit has a lot of
lift and verve. Miss Mosier, who
had been a single working this
Max Gordon spot as well as a
myriad of European cafes, has at*
tained the point where she can
successfuly project a saucy man-
ner and infuse a lot of humor into
a tune andjrt times indicate that,
she. can do" well in straight bal-
ladeering.

The Steel Band makes with a
sound akin to marimbas. They
carry a terrific beat, have some
marching routines and also chime
in with vocal background. It’s a
versatile group that can stand on
its own In many cafe situations.
They give off a lot of excitement
during their turn on the floor.

Most of the numbers are in the
West Indian vein. In combination
with Miss Mosier they calypso with
a song assortment easy to take.
The' turn is rich in atmosphere and
extremely expressive in the native
department. Miss Mosier helps by'
giving the act an air of literacy
and a bit of novelty by working in
Bermuda shorts. Jose.

RIH-ARUSO
Cycle Balancing
7 Mins.

Empire, Glasgow

Quaintly-named Austrian offers
a cycle-balancing act that starts off
like most contemporaries and de-
velops into a thrill-rousing item,
done high above stage minus safety
of a net.

Opens by balancing on hands
above saddle and handlebars, and
segues by conventional backward
riding astride machine. Skill be-
comes apparent when he rides the
velocipede while balanced upside
down on saddle. Novelty gimmick
is production of a miniature bicy-
cle, the size of his hand, which he
proceeds to maneuver over stage
with aid of adjusting saddle.

At finale, he climbs atop high
bulb-lit pedestal and balances on
his bicycle levered to upright bal-
ancing position, each wheel on
either bulb, while a third-* bulb
carrying' map of the world moves
round and round.

Okay act for vaude bookings in
all locations. Gord,

HACKFORD & DOYLE

Comedy

10 Mins.

Empire, Glasgow

Comedy twosome comprises on*
well-built male and, a smaller,
slighter partner, the letter s skilful
goofiness creating yocks as he
emits one absurdity after the other
in speech, sound, hip-wiggling,
body-shimmying and falls.

Taller male is solid foil to antics
of partner, Who offers an enter-
taining balmy style of comedy with
continued interruptions. His part-
ner does xylophone solo while he
departs from crazy humor to give
-out in trumpet single. Timing of
the pair is slick, bearing out their
vaude experience. Okay act for
general run of vauderies, with
especial appeal to Commonwealth
locations. Gord.

MARY ELLEN TRIO
Comedy, Songs
27 Mins.

Chaudiere, Ottawa

Mary Ellen, socko femme comic,
is the whole show in the Mary
Ellen Trio stanza, using male part-
ners solely as chant and instru-
mental backing for her standout
stint. Attractive and blond, pert
gal works a series of gab, gim-
mick, some canarying to solid and
constant impact, getting the most
out of good material* and exhibit-
ing boff stage savvy. Routine is
timed for biggest effect and gets
it without a halt, the tablesitters
handing out kudos unstintingly.

This comic, with or without part-
ners, can please in nitery, tele-
vision or film work. Gorm.

Houston Club Bows

Houston, Aug. 30.

The Normandie Club . has been
opened here by Steven Dounis,
owner of the Normandie Restau-
rant; on the lower level of the res-
taurant site. The club can seat 240
persons. Dance music will be pro-
vided, by the Albino Torres orch,
featuring Joy Phoenix as vocalist,
KtJohjn, Panteze ris the

► jiewqsprtt^c V9in>l O') J 1

Wedneaday, August 31; 1955

NIGHT CLUB REVIEWS S3

- 1 1 * l' 11 ' — i ■ i iwy— ^

Latin Quarter, N.Y. •

Lou Walters presentation, " Ma -
demoiselle de Paris** featuring
Tommy Noonan vnth Carole; Jer-
ome Courtland, Lucienne & Ashour,
Nicoli & Knight , Stuart Morgan
Dancers , Tina & C oca Ramirez with
Val Buttingol, Miguel Trevino;
Lynn Christie, Roger * Stef fan, Jo
Lombardi Orch, Buddy Harlowe
Oreh. Production, Mme: Kama’
rova; costumes, Freddy Wittop;
minimum $6.

Lou Walters’ fall extravaganza
is ' in the true Latin Quarter
groove, being endowed with slick
production, lush costuming and
populated with some capable per-
formers. Some of the ideas in this
bill were displayed in previous
sessions, but * they have fresh
facades so that complete interest
is maintained. -

Being the only major nitery in
the Broadway area gives Walters
a lot of responsibility. He pre-
sumably has a compulsion to pro-
duce a show that is in .keeping
with the tourist concept of a
Broadway cafe, and at the same
time cater to the New Yorkers who
have been around. Walters accorri-
plishes these two missions ad-
mirably. He has splurged . With
breathtaking costumes and opulent
production and the acts collected
here fill their particular spots ad-
mirably. A few sapient cuts, prob-
ably made by now, will give the
show the usual LQ pacing.

Topping the bill Is Tommy
Noonan,- aided by Carole (New
Acts), who appeared here as part
of the team of Noonan & Marshall.
In the secondary slotting is Jerome
Courtland, a handsome Singer
whose previous N. Y. try was at
the Maisonette, of the St. Regis
Hotel. Courtland apparently, seems
more accustomed to intimate spots,
and largeseaters, such as, this, are
a novelty to him. However, this
seems 1 to be a minor problem for
him to overcome and it’s expected
that soon as he finds the range,
lie’ll be at home here. As it is, the
, voice is big and at times command-
ing, and his song selections are
easily assimilated by the audi-
ences. He gets Off to hearty, palms.

New to this spot are^Nicoli &
Knight, puppeteers, who manipu-
late the strings well and who en-
dow the dolls with a lot of person-
ality. Act is well turned to nitery
needs. The femme does most of
s*the maneuvering. The strip con-
ception, dog and the devil routines
fill, the bill.

A frequent turn here is Lucienne
& Ashour, the apache terpers, who
dispense a lot of commercial may-
hem that goes over. Holding over
are the Stuart Morgan Dancers,
two huskies and a slight girl, who
gets hurled all over the place.
They get healthy returns. Roger
Steffan does some lithe production
dancing to give an added lift to
the girl numbers. Lynne Christie
does production vocals nicely.

Giving a lift to Castilian routine
are Coco & Tina Ramirez with as-
sistance by Val Buttingol and
Miguel Trevino. The girls are
cuties and have lively numbers
that are well staged. The boys
step up the pace of the terping
considerably, and their routines
wind up as applause winners. The
surrounding production has the
linegirls in toreador outfits that
are at once picturesque and pro-
vocative.

An important newcomer to the
Latin Quarter is Jo Lombardi who
stepped out of the pit at the near-
by Palace Theatre to assume
maestro duties at this spot. His
backstopping was sharp and con-
cise, and surprisigly for a guy
who has confined nis activities of
late to house bands, his dance
tempos are inviting. Jose.

£00 Cluli? Atlantic City

. Atlantic City, Aug. 27.

Mickey Rooney with Joey Fore-
man; The Dunhills, Karen Chand-
ler, Laino & Campbell, Boots Mc-
Kenna Dancers (8), Jack Curtiss,
Pete Miller Orch (14) with Joe
Frasetto; $5 minimum Saturdays,
$3 weekdays.

Mickey Rooneyi backed by Joey
Foreman, moves inlt> the east and
the smart Vermillion room of the
500 Club with an uneven routine.

Rooney offers “Once in a Life-
time,” in passable voice and then
fishes Joey Foreman, tv partner,
from audience, the pair offering
carbons and skits for 30-minutes
for mixed returns, reception rang-
ing from good to not so good.

Best is skit based on tv shows
with Foreman . the smooth an-
nouncer and Mickey tlie rube with
a ridiculous reddish wig and vary-
ing makeups apearing first as a
Ted Mack contestant; then a “Can-
did Camera” subject and finally as
Horatio « Blabber mouth f "* the po T
litico. Rooney here agriin *p vtmi

his ability to mimic and gets maxi-
mum audience reception.

His best is a “Stardust” number
where he carbons in song the
greats he has worked with for so
many years in the picture studios.
Foreman too shows his ability to
mimic, taking as' subjects a Win-
ched newscast, the rich Texan
pushing his way through a Los
Vegas crowd to get at a gaming
table, and a Chicago mobster los-
ing a roll ip the same spot.

Pair neatly work patter through
act, Mickey on theme of his many
marriages and effect on -his ' bank-
roll. While Rooney offering may
improve as it is repeated through
Week, first night show caught was
below calibre.

Karen Chandler, from her open-
ing “Hold': Me,” holds them for
seven numbers ranging from bop
to the nostalgic. Parody based on
“Two Sleepy People,” slightly
bluish, got nice reception and such
faves as “What Lola Wants,” “Oh,
My Love*” “My Baby Cares for
Mm” “My Old Flame,” and “Won’t
You Come Home, Bill Bailey”
keep them with her all the while,
plenty of milting as she begs off.

The Dunhills, three, good' tap-
sters, in teeoff spot with nicely
paced act of soft shoe and ’tap
which was wed received/ Girls
had two spots with Laino and
Campbell featured. Jack Curtiss is
back from hospital seige to do em-
ceeing. Walk.

Sands, Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Aug: 24.
Lena Horne, Hal LeRoy, Harvey
Allen , Sandmen (4), Copa Girls
(16), Antonio Morelli Orch (14);
$2 minimum.

Lena Horne will have the Copa
Room ops hanging out the SRO
shingle for the next^ three frames.
Miss Horne, who has . become a
Sands regular, embraces a 30-min-
ute repertoire which, musically
speaking, is not burdened by top
heavy orchestration, thus pointing,
up the effectiveness she injects into
every syllable Of each song.

Openers, “It’s Love” and “Love
Is The Thing,” pretty well estab-
lish her songology. She gives sly
merit to “New Fangled Tango.”
Next is her current disk, “It’s^All
Right With Me,” followed by
“Anything.” Standards’ medley
unfolds “Everything I’ve Got Be-
longs TO You,” “Funny Valentine,”
“Thou Swell” and “Lady Is A
Tramp.” Salvos soar with w.k.
“Love Me Or Leave Me” and “Life
Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries.” Beg-
off sees her emote “I Love To
Love.” Majority of Miss Home’s
musical backd.rop is provided by
subtle rhythm section made up of
hubby Lennie Hayton, piano; Dave
Black, percussion; and George Du-
Vivier, bass.

Hal LeRoy is a fellow who never
seems to age. Nbr does his terp-
ing which he turns to kick off
show. High spot is “Tea For Two”
softshoe and comedy-dance capper.

Harvey Allen vocally leads Copa
Girls and Sandmen through “Hey!
Looka There, Ain’t She Pretty?”
for. curtain lifter. Centerpiece is
revival of tom-tom paced “Indian
Summer.” Antonio Morelli waves
precise baton throughout. Alan.
■ - s >

Xew (ioldon, ttono

Reno, Aug. 24.

Jaye P. Morgan, Jimmy Ames,
Dorothy -Kramer Dancers (5), Will
Osborne Orch; no cover or mini-
mum.

Jaye P. Morgan is one name
they recognize in the long parade
of chanters appearing here recent-
ly. Ropes are up for her first ap-
pearance and she has every pros-
pect of keeping them up.

Mijs Morgan, in her short pe-
riod in the disk spotlight under
the RCA Victor banner, has waxed
several stand out sides and she
reprises tfiem here. “Danger,
Heartbreak Ahead,” “Life Is Just
A Bowl of Cherries,” “That’s All I
Want From YOU,” and “The Long-
est Walk” comprise her repertoire.

Miss Morgan exhibits plenty of
savvy and even manages to get
response from some tired gab. But
canned chatter she does not need.
Her big payoff is a “way down
south” collection of tunes for
which she breaks out in a nice pair
of legs, plus a red tophat. Then
with cane she dances and sings
through “Goodbye My Lady Love,”
“Rockaby My Baby,” and “Waitin’
For The Robert E. Lee.”

Comic Jimmy Ames is complete-
ly zany in a med melange of stuff
which is not exactly material. Ames
has the greatest success doing ab-
solutely nothing. But he finally
works up to that “which you’ve all
been waiting for.” He's gonna
swallow a chair and saw off his leg.
By this time the room is his and
he could probably get away wlfh it.

Dorothy Kramer’s line opens the
show. ..with® a * simple* tap -dancing
setjfciOhi , Mark, j

Cocoanut Grove, L. A*

Los Angeles, Aug. 24.
Dick Haymes, Hamilton Trio,
Freddy Martin’s Orch (16);
cover $2; ' ' ^

A tidal wave of sentimental
frenzy without parallel in supper
clubs swept over Cocoanut Grove
Tuesday night (23) to acclahfi the
return of Dick Haymes, Packed
to its over-extended Capacity, the
tab-lifters accorded the singer a
reception that would normally be
reserved for a hero or martyr.
Surely on pure talent he didn’t rate
such a demonstration— -no reflec-
tion intended— so it can be sur-
mised that the crowd was more
sympathetic to him than the Gov-
ernment that sought to deport him
and siding with him in his highly
publicized domestic problems.

After each song he' was forced to
extend a restraining hand to re-
duce the mileage of applause that
rocked the room and shook, the
palms. The plaudits were so fre-
quent and sustained that it- re-
quired nearly 40 minutes for him
to get, through nine numbers. He
took it all in good grace with but
one jarring note, when on the re-
peated caU-backs, he cracked to
the band, “what .the hell are we
gonna do?”

• Haymes has always been a good,
straight singer without "any dis-
tinctive style. His only departure
from normal baritoning is an Occa-
sional whisper gradually dimin-
ished from full strength lung
power as with liis dramatic into-
nation of “Old Man River.” To Rita
Hayworth (Mrs. Haymes) at ring-
side he sang, “I’m Gonna Love
You, Come Rain, Cpme Shine,”
then called on her for a bow. On
his song intros lie was too occupied
with his own surprise at the recep-
tion to try for anything but straight
narration at his gratitude. He kept
repeating “you’re wonderful” and
to his piano accompanist and musi-'
cal director, Ian • Bernard, “he’s
two-thirds of the show.” Freddy
Martin’s crew also ‘drew an acco-
lade.

For a report on the Hamilton
Trio of- dancers ringsiders will
have to be consulted. Covering
hoofers requires more than a view
of their shoulders. Helm.

Fairmont. San Francisco

Harry Bclafonte (with Millard
Thomas), Ernie Heckscher Band;
$2 cover.

Harry Belafonte, clad in slacks
and a ’ pumpkin-colored, long -
sleeyed sports shirt, clicks "in a 50-
minute routine in the - Venetian
Room of the Fairmont Hotel.

His voice is good, but light, and
he sells as mu£h with his theatri-
calism as with his actual singing.
Belafonte tends to posture a bit,
particularly on sad ballads such as
“Shenandoah,” His slow ballads,
aided by good . spotlighting, are
highly effective, but it is in his
quasi-calypso that he hits his peak,
Plenty of spur-of-the-moment in-
terpolation and his fine sense of
rhythm make these numbers most
entertaining.

Belafonte induces audience par-
ticipation in “Matilda” and kids
the audience as he leads it — a neat
trick which he pulls off success-
fully.

Millard Thomas accompanies
nicely on the' guitar and Tony
Scott, Belafonte’s arranger, works
well with Ernie Heckscher’s hofise
band. Teif.

Flamingo, Las Vegas

Pearl Bailey, Dick Contino, Four
Joes, Ron Fletcher’s Flamingo Star-
lets (12) with Maureen Sullivan,
Don McKay, Teddy Phillips Orch
(12 ).; $2 minimum .

At the Flamingo they’ve changed
the old song to “Won’t You. Gome
Home Pearl Bailey,” and for obvi-
ous reasons. La Bailey, the very
most relaxed entertainer in show
biz, doesn’t offer much relaxation
for table fiction in the casino. She’ll
have it moving pretty fast for the
next three frames.

Her 40 minutes of freewheeling
songalog has everything paced to
hold interest and ; . keep it riding
high all the Way.iFrom. a jouncy
“Almost Like Being in Love” cata-
pulter. she swings a sly “Strike
While the Iron’s Hot,” the hit-parad-
ing “Something’s Gotta Give,” and
,a threesome of comedy . chirps,
“Nobody,” “It’s Not as Hard as
You Think,” “Runnin’ Wild,” with
some lerps tossed in the latter for
good measure. A special is con-
trived around her recent role as
a madame in “House of Flowers,”
and the delivery of this highlight
entitled “Ole” is socko. She sits on
a stool while dishing out droll ad-
vice to femmes. More jive with
ringsiders continues in “Laziest Gal
in Town,” and “He’s Gone,” before
heading for home in “Cabin in the
Sky”* medleys dotted *byi “Fnv For-j
ever Blowing Bubbles” with”. a tottl

of “Charleston” legwork to get off
for terrif mitts,

The overlbng show of one hour
and 45 minutes contains a midspot
Dick Contino razzle-dazzle on ac-
cordion. He . holds attention
throughout his entire segment,
squeezing out heavily kudosed
faves like “Cherry Pink,” “Un-
chained Melody,” plus a vocal on
Learnin’ the Blues.” Contino’s dis-
play. pieces include "Two Guitars,”
“Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2,” and
flash finish of “Lady of Spain.”
Prior to this, he reveals another
facet by romping up and down the
38s to ’.‘Bumble Boogie” with rock
’n* roll coda.

Hampered somewhat by having
to hit at outset without usual line
routine warmup, the Four Joes
nevertheless build into closing
huzzahs, Warblirig varied fare
sliced with light comedy antics,
aided by own accomps (accordion
& guitar), lads win best palms for
“Dry Bones,” “Only in My Dreams.’
“Make Love to Me,” “Don’t Let the
Stars,” and rousing “Hold That
Tiger” for getoff.

Ron Fletcher’s Flamingo Starlets
are ingratiatingly fetching in their
two production sallies, spotlighting
Maureen Suliivan’s adagio flings
with three male terpers. ; Don Mc-
Kay doubles from this exercise to
the , vocalizing of themes. Teddy
Phillips takes his orch through
paces right down the line. Will,

Mapos Skyroom,Roiio

RCno, Aug. 25. .
Anna Maria Alberghetti & Fam-
ily, Los Barrancos, Eddie Fitzpat-
rick Orch; $2 minimum.

The entire Alberghetti clan
makes an impressive concert hour
with Anna and -sister Carla’s sing-
ing, mother’s piano, brother Paul’s
Conducting, and the supervision
arid conducting of father Al-
berghetti. Except for a short lapse
when Anna Maria steps out of her
league with “Tweedle Dee” and
brother Paul dons six guns and
Davy Crockett hat to lead a sym-
phonic Crockett, the program is
jure socko. True, without these
;wo departures, the program would
entirely serious, but perhaps
humor arid pranks are not a part
of such a clan, commercial or not.

Supplemented by 15 musicians
on violins, harp, cello, flute, et al,
Eddie Fitzpatrick is a 25-pieee or-
chestra which blows some magnifi-
cent music.

Miss Alberghetti is - a mature
performer and beautiful woman
now, enchanting to watch and hear.
And sister Carla impresses with
her clear lilting voice. Young Paul,
in short pants and on top a plat-
form, clearly knows what he’s
about and has the-respect and at-
tention of his musicians as he puts
them through “William Tell Over-
ture.” Members of the family are
not in the show because they're
related to the star, but because of
their own distinct talents.

Since the? chorus line is not in
this show, evidently it was felt
something should precede, the con-
cert. It is doubtful whether the
excellent mamba team, Los Bar-
rancosy is the proper opener.

Mark.

Hotel IKadisson, M|»ls.

Minneapolis, Aug. 20.

' Sonny Howard, Don McGrane’s
Orch .(8); $2.50 minimum.

It’s undoubtedly to Sonny How-
ard’s advantage to be one of the
infrequent new faces to play this
tony Flame Room where an estab-
lished policy is to bring back fa-
vorites perennially. It also doesn’t
hurt his chances to be offering en-
tertainment somewhat different
from the usually served up
straight voealistics, pianistics or
terpsichore.

Howard convincingly demon-
strated that his impressions of
Various singing Styles/ and their
purveyors 'have a market with this
bistro’s cafe society present on the
occasion, just as they have proved
to have with the clientele of two
other local spots played by him in
recent years.

He copped especially heavy re-
sponse from the well-filled tables
with his takeoff of Eddie Jackson
doing the familiar tv strutting
cakewalk and also with a carbon
copy of the entire Four Ink Spots
group. Other well received impres-
sions are those of Mario Lanza
and Ted Lewis.' /

Howard also chalks up chuckles
by lampooning some of his sub*
jects and burlesquing a few others
and by dabbling into a few amus-
ing parodies. Working hard and
vigorously, there’s an intense ef-
fort to please. He penetrated fur-
ther into the good graces of cus-
tomers at the act’s finish when he
invites them to dance while he
sings on the platform with the or-
chestra. It’s a departure and grac-
ious gesture.

Don McGrane’s orch plays the

show* -and t fori pritnoni’ , logjliakiag

inUtffl always hangup style. Rees.

Chozparoe? Cbl

Chicago, Aug. 30.

Jimmy Nelson, Lola Dee, Gaby
Monet, Chez Paree Adorables (6)
(with. Jimmy Lee & Nancinc),
Brian Farhon Orch; $1*50 cover,
$3.75 minimum, :

This two-weeker should do. only
mild biz considering the time of
year, which finds many of the
regular patrons vacationing. Show
opened originally Sunday (21), but
midweek saw Patty Andrews ank-
ling over billing, with Lola Dee
brought in to fill the second slot.

Jimmy Nelson tops the card here
and entertains handily with a
virtuoso display of ventriloquism.
Nelson is a poised, affable enter-
tainer and his deftness with the
voice-throwing pleases mightily.
Nelson starts off with his basic
dummy; Danny O’Day, and does a
standard vent turn to begin with,
joking with hi$ wooden-headed
friend, having him sing while the
boss smokes, etc. ; Then, for a
switch, Nelson makes like he’s the
dummy and ha§ his pal Danny '
appear to do the venting. At this
point, a talking dog appears, for
what is easily the howlingest bit
in the turn. After introducing still
another wooden puppet with which
he does an excellently timed ver-
sion of “Rag Mop,” Nelson picks
two moppets out of the audience
and throws his vdlce through them
in what turns out to be a smash
Windup.

Lola Dee handles the distaff
vocal chores here with competence.
Miss Dee has a lusty set of pipes
and a good sense of rhythm; she
is at her best when belting a song
all over the joint. Miss Dee does
“Whatever Lola Wants” and her
Wing disking of “Only You” for
good returns. She has a varied
book and only once is the choice
of a tune not too apt; she does an
overly fancy rendition of “A Good
Man Is Hard To Find.”

Gaby Monet opens the show with
a skilled terp display. She shows
technical excellence but needs
more showmanship; her costuming
is rather drab. If the act were
dressed up a bit and presented
with more fanfare, it would be t
more apparent; that this is hoofing
of a high order. Gabe,

Giitineau, Ottawa

Ottawa, Aug. 26,
Josephine Baker, Johnny Verdi
Treasure Ford, Harry Pozy Orch
(9)'; $1 admission.

Josephine Baker is doing top
business here against strong op-
position from the. annual Central
Canada Exhibition and the semi-
monthly financial doldrum that
preceeds federal payday.

This is Miss Baker's initial ap-
pearance- ’in Ottawa arid She’s
bringing out people Who seldom if
ever turn up at nitery tables.

Supported solely by comic John-
ny Verdi and his pert blond part-
ner Treasure Ford, chanteuse’s
stanza is 60 minutes of class chant,
terps, lavish gowns and strong
staging. Stint is heavily slanted to
Parisien atmosphere, but Miss .
Baker , balances nicely with tunes
like “Unchained Melody” and
“Cha-Cha-Cha,” Latter, cleffed by
her accompanist - music director
Milos Bartek, uses a pair of table-
sitters to feature Chicken Scratch
dance. Gimmick bits such as spray-
ing femme hands and hair and
male bald heads with perfume dur-
ing her “Parfums”. number are
outshone by her straight chirp
items, “J’Attendrai,” “S o 1 e i 1,”
“J’Ai Deux Amours/ “Esto es Fe-
licidad,” and others. Gorm..

Seven Seas, Omaha

Omaha, Aug. 27.
Paul Gilbert, Joan White, Al
Lamm, Trio; no cover, or minimum.

. Poised and possessing fresh
material following his Hollywood
and Vegas stints, Paul Gilbert is
leaving no doubt this trip that he’s
the best single’ comedy act to play
Don Hammond’s Seven Seas, last
of the downtown Qmaha niteries.
Gilbert still retains some of his
familiar trademarks, such as the
forward somersault, spill when he
takes the stage. But this is a wise
move and sets up the payees for
his new stuff. Latter includes a
click “Medic” takeoff and a strip-
tease spoof that is a gem.

Also on the program, is Joan
(Mrs. Gilbert) White, a so-so
singer. Her portion drags until
hubby comes on for the funny bc-
hind-the-back hands bit. She
could be worked into her husband’s
act to much better advantage Ilian
trying a single.

Al Lamm’s Trio docs its usual
fine job of show-cutting and holds
the customers with a betvveen-
shows jam session in which Gilbert
toots ithe itturripet land* bangst away
*6 (the dfumsz • \ i t - so ; iTmmpj i

WEEK OF AUGUST 31

Numerals In connection with bill* below Indicate opening day el show
whether full or split week

Letter in parentheses indicates circuit. (I) Independent; <L) Lo*w; (M) Moss;
tp> Paramount; (It; RKO; <S) Stoll; (T) Tivoli; (W) Warner

NEW YORK CITY
Music Hall (I) 1
Tessa Smallpago .
Marquis 4c Family
Manor & Mignon
Kockette*

Corps de Ballet
Sym Ore

Palace <R) 1 -
stumpy * stumpy
Michael "Chimes
Lee iDavl*

La Lage
Buddy Clayton
Kross Singers _
Frnkln D'Amore Jr.
BROOKLYN
Paramount (P) 1
Rock de Roll Ann!
Rev _

Alart Freed
Tony Bennett
Nappy Brown
Harp-Tones
Chuch Berry
Rhythmettes

Sam Taylor Bd „
Red Prysock
A1 Sears
4 Voices
Lillian Briggs
4 Cardinals
4 Nutmegs

CHICAGO
Chicago (P) I
Patti Page
Jay Lawrence
Nickl de Noel •
Boyd Bennett dc
Rocketa
Regal (P) 2
Rhythm In Blue
Al Benson
.Ella Johnson
La Vern Baker
Buddy Johnson Ore
4 Spaniels
J. B. Lenora
4 Orchids
Lou Mac
4 Fellows
Al Savago

AUSTRALIA

AUCKLAND
tt. Jamas (T) f
Winifred Atwell
Canfield Smith
Eddie Vltch
Joe Church •

Hellos ^
Romalne de Claire
Johnnie Bord
Robert O’Donnell
Fay AgneW-
. Wendy Layton
Maureen Hudson
MELBOURNE
Rlvoll (T) Aug. S
Wiere Bros.

Gypsy '3
Alain Diagora
Upshaw de Cooper
Red Moore

Keen Llttlewood
Robin Hood 4
June Barton .

Jo McCormack
SYDNEY
. Tivoli (T> S
Norma Miller Dncrs.
Michael BentLie
B. Howell de
F.Radcllffe
D NealdtP Newton
Gogia Pasha
Virginia Paris
The Alfreros
Ursula de Gus
Gordon Humphrls
Johnny O’Connor
. John Bluthal
Irene Bevans

BRITAIN

BIRMINGHAM
Hippodrome (M) 29
Senor Wences • -
Klzma & Karen
Arthur Blake
Yolandas
Tony Brent
2 Peters
Scott Sanders
Ron Parry

BLACKPOOL
Opera House (I) It
Jewel de. Warriss
Alma Cogan
Janet Gray

4 Hurricanes
Odette Crystal _

6 Flying De Pauls.
John Tiller Girls
8 Singing Debs
Mayfair Melody

Makers
Fred Kitchen
Dorothy Dampier
Barbara Evans
Natalie Raine
Palace (I) 29
B dc A Pearson
Devine de King
Harry Bailey
Dowle de Kane
B dc M Konyot
Henri Vadden Co
J dc K Stuthard
Tower Circus (I) 29
C. CairoU dc Paul
Harry Bell Lons
Duglas Rosemayer
Guerres Sea Lions
Scipllni Chimpsv
Enies 6 Baby E
Tramp Tampo

5 Amandis
Enies Horses
Cuban Boys

2 Darty Dorrect
Pot Pourrl
Alcetty

3 Orfatis
Frances Duncan
Tower Circusettes
Jimmy Scott
Little Jimmy
Winter Gard. (I) 29
David Whitfield
Semprinl
Dagenheln Girl

Pipers

BUI Waddington
Colville dc Gordon
Susan Irvin ••

Beau Belles
Norma Lowdon
Billy de Haven
BOSCOMBE
Hippodrome (I) 29
. Jack Haig
Sonia Cordeau
Eddie Hart
Tommy Ashworth
Victor Seaforth
Burt Brooks
Charmony 3
S Fisher Girls
BRADFORD:

Alhambr* (M) 29
Issy Bonn
Granger Bros
G H Elliott
Mandy dc Sandy
Walthon dc Dorraine
Joe Crosbie
Pharos dc Marina
Courtneys

BRIGHTON
Hippodrome (M) 29
Ray Burns
Gillian de June
Bonar Colleano
'Jackie

B1U McGuffie
Matanzas
Peter Cavanagh .
Jimmy Jeff dc June

BRISTOL

Hippodrome (S) 29
G & B Bernard
Albert Burdon
Sallcl Puppets
Juggling Brauns
J de J Bentley
Fred LovcUe
Marcias

BRIXTON
Empress (I) 29
Eddie Gordon de N
P de S Sherry
Vogelbeins Bears
Dick Calkin
Kay dc Katrina
CHELSEA
Palace (I) 29
Jimmy Bryant
S dc D Dene
Benny Garcia
Juan de Juanita „
Billy Gay
L Gordon Girls
CHISWICK
Empire '■<*>* 29 ■
BlUy Cotton, > ;; C t

Revel de Fields
Medlock dc Marlowe
Sirdanl

Runty St Clair
Alan Kemble dc C
COVENTRY
Hippodrome (li 29
.Dicjue Valentine
Lane Twins *

Richman dc Jackson
J Laycock de M
Lowe dc Ladd
P de P Page
Rita Martell
EAST. HAM
Grahada (I) 29
Frasers Harmonica
Bd

Hillbilly Polecats
Georgette
Tiny Ross
18 Windsorettes
Metropolitan (0 29
Billy Roche
Jenny Hayes
Shirley Harper
8 Debrett Dancers
FINSBURY PARK
Empire (M) 29
David Hughes
J & B Gee
Marvelloa
Jack Francois
Holger dc Dolores
Fayne dc Evans
Ravic dc Babs
Des O’Connor
Tommy Locky
Pat Rosa

GLASGOW
Empire (M) 29
Richlardl Jr
Balmorals
5 Skyliners
Tommy Burke
Terry HaU
Nino . ‘

B dc B Adams
'..HACKNEY
Empire (S) 29
DSrgle 5
PiccadUiy Kerb*
aiders
Alan. Alan
Hans Bela dc Mary
Hollander dc Hart
Billington
Regency Twins
HANLEY
Royal (M) 29 '
Parks dc Garrett
A dc V Shelley
V4c Perry
Mandos Sis
Stan White . dc Ann
Rey Overbury dc S
Austral

LEEDS

Empire. (M) 29
Danny Purqhes
Reid Twins
Radio Revellers
Connor de Drake
Duncans Collies
Tex McLeod
Moriands

Maurice French Co
LIVERPOOL
Empire (M) 29
Guy MltcheU
.B dc Z Marvi
Jack Watson
Theda Sis
Hackford. dc Doyle
Scotts Sea Lions
Jose Moreno
MANCHESTER
Hippodrome (S) 29
Vic Lewis Ore
4 Jones Boys
Billy Maxam
Morris dc Savage
BaUet Montmartre
Sisto Co
Les Ricards
Palace (M) 29
Cab Calloway
K dc A Alexis
Harry Worth
M dc E Rose
Dickie Dawson
Alexanders Dor Rev
Kazan dc Katz
NORTHAMPTON
New (I) 29
Sid Makin
A dc V Farrell
Doreen Victor
Eric Williams
Mary Harknes*
Pyjama Girls
NORWICH
Hippodrome (0 29
Joe Poynton
Stan Stafford
Danya dc Manova
Remml 2

NOTTINGHAM
.Empire (M| 29
Jimmy <5ai" ; -i ‘ *
iW*

F dc A Prince
Jean Campbell
PORTSMOUTH *
Reyel (M) 29 '

Sabrina

L Gordon Girls
Johnny Lockwood

2 Phyllis

D dc J O'Gorman
-CrLstine GUnvllle

3 Deuces
Paul Howard

SHEFFIELD ■
Empire (M> 29
Nitwits
Cooper Twins
George Lacy
N Mongadors dc A

4 Ramblers.

Manley dc Austin

SOUTHAMPTON
Grand (I) 29
Godfrey dc Dee
Carol Gay
Lyndons
L dc T Kee
Jackson dc Collins -
Don Nichols

Montp’sse Lovelies
SUNDERLAND
Empire (M) 29
Lee Lawrence
Silva .dc Audrey
Chic Murray dc M
J dc J Wins
La Celeste
Joan Hinde
Fred. Atkins
Riki Lingana dc D
WOLVERHAMPTON
Hippodrome <l) 29
Jack Anton
Ross dc Ranaya
Desmond Laiie
Ranorl Bros
Ken Roland
Jane. Shore Co .
Silver Dollar Girls
YORK

Empire (I) 29
PhU Strickland
Gwen Thomas
Pierre Zampa
Johnnie Marsh
Duncan Sis
Dorchester Lovlles

Cabaret Bills

NEW YORK CITY

. Basin St

Dave Brubeck
Blrdtand
Helen. Merrill
J. J. Johnson
Kal Winding
Johnny Smith
Blue Angel
Robert Clary
Vicki Mills
Trio Shmeed
Dick Drake
Jimmy Lyons Trio
Bart Howard .

Chateau Madrid
Hermanos Munoz
Judy Foster .
Cha*Cha*Cha D’cr*
Oscar Calvet Ore
Hando Rodrigue*
Ore

Cemposer

Cy Coleman
Ralph Sharon
Embers
Geo Shearing
No. l Fifth Av#
Donn Gordon
Cook dc Corey
Bob Downey
Harold FonviUe
Hazel Webster
Hefei Roosevelt
Alan Holmes Ore
Hotel Taft
Vincent Lopez Orr
eatin Quarter
Tommy Noonan
Jerome Courtland
Luclenne de Ashour
NicoU dc Knight
Lynn Christie
Jo Lombardi Ore
Patti Ross
B Harlowe Oro
. La Vie
Harvey Stone
Norman Brooks
Mello Larks
Van Smith Ore
Belmonte Ore

Le Cuptdon
Freddie Stewart
Ira Brandt Ore
Armando Federico
Ore

Old Roumanian
Sadie Banks.

Joe Laporte Oro
D’Aqulla Ore
Park Sheraton
Milt Herth Trio
Tina Prescott
Patie

Ann Moray
Rosalinda

Versailles

“Come As You Are*
Connie Sawyer
Charles Manna
Dick Smart
Paul Lynde
Joan Carroll
Bill Mullikin
Jimmie Russell
Betty Logue
Inga Swenson
Johnny Laverty
Franca Baldwin
Salvatore Gloe ore
Panchlto Ore
Viennese Lantern
Sandra Kiraly
Bela Bizony Ore
Ernest Schoen Ore
Village Barn
Ronnie Hayden
Pamela Dennis
Jim Lowe
Geo. Hopkins
D. Davis Ore
Waldorf-Astorls
Xavier Cugat Ore
Abbe Lane
Peiro Bros
Garcias
Mischa . Borr
'Village Vanguard
Enid Mosler
Ruth Price
Steel . Trio
C Williams Trio

CHICAGO

Black Orchid

Carl Ravazza
G. Wesson, dc G.
Polk

Phil Gordon
.Blue Angel
’’Voodoo Calypso”
Obu’ba

Shango Dancers
Venita

Vivi Velasco
Blue' Note
Bob Scobey
Salty Dogs

Chez Paree
Jimmy Nelson
Lola Dee
Gaby Monet
Brian Farnon Ore
Cloister - Inn
Jo Ann Miller'
Lurlene Hunter

Roy Bartram
Dick Marx
Johnny Frlgo
Conrad Hilton
"Carnival Qn Ice”
Victor Charles
LoU Folds
Fred Hirschfeld
Le Due Bros
Johnny Lee
The Ogelvles
Dave Parks
Robert Lenn
The Tattlers
Boulevar-Dears dc
Boulevar-Dons
F Masters Ore
Palmer House
Lisa Kirk
Dominique
Larry Logan
Charlie Fisk Ore

LOS ANGELES

Ambassador Hotel

Dick Haymes
Hamilton Trio
Freddy Martin Ore
Band Box
Billy Gray
Leo Diamond .
Vivianne Lloyd
Volftptua

Larry Greene Trio
Bar of Music .
Skeets Minton
Carol Jarvis
Mack Twins
Beverly Hilton
Will Jordan
Gilbert Becaud,
Augie dc ^Margo,
Bernard Hilda Orch
(16)

Micha Novy Ore (8)
Blltmor* Hotel
Pete Marshall-
Tommy Farrell
Anita Aros
Clifford Guest
Nita dc Peppl
Jimmy Grier Ore
Clro’s
Peggy Lee
Dassie Bros.

Bob Williams
Hal Loman

Dick Stabile Ore
B Ramos Rhumba B

Crescendo

Phyllis Inez
The Robins
Renee Touzet Ore
Mbcambo
Jana Mason '■
Miller dr Gibson
Paul Hebert Oro.
Joe Castro Ore
Moulin Rouge
Frank Libuse
Margot Brander
Miss Malta dc Co
Daubledaters (4)
Mazzone-Abbott
Jerry LaZarre
Ffolliot Charlton
*T6ny Gentry
Gaby Wooldridge
Luis Urbina
Frank Libuse*
Margot Brander
Statler Hotel
Wally Griffin
Eddie dc Lucille
Roberts
Dee de Vince
Abbott

Al Donahue Ore
Belalre Trio

LAS VEGAS

- Dunes

Magic Carpet R’v’e
Ben Blue
Sid Fields
Sammy Wolfe
Siri

Marlon Marlowe
Jose Duval
Jaye Rubanoff oro

Flamingo

Glsele MacKenzle
Alan King
Gooferi

‘■Ron * Fletcher DnC**-
tfje&dy Phillips Ore

Sands
Lena Horne
Hal LeRoy
Copa Girls
Antonio Morelli Ore

Desert Inn

Ted Lewis

Donn Arden Dncrs]
Carlton Hayes Ore
New Frontier
Herb Shrlner
Blackburn Twins
Skylarks
'Venus Vampr
Garwood Van Qjrg >

. Thunderblrd ..
Sauter-Flhegan Orch
Royal Nevada
"Guy* & Dolls”
Jerry Fielding Ore
El Rancho Vega*
Joe E. Lewis
LiU St. dVr.

Mona Knox
Billy Daniel
El Rancho Girls
Ted Flo Rita Ore
. Sahara <■
Vagabond*

Condos dc Brandow
Marin Neglla
Chaz Chase
Saharem Girls
Cee Davidson Ore
Riviera
Billy Daniels
Marx Bras.

■Hal Belfer Dncrs
Ray Sinatra Ore
Showboat
Charlie Carlisle

Zabuda

Rehe Puppets
Garr Nelson
Showboat Girls
Woody Woodbury
Carsonis
Skippers Ore
Golden Nugget -
Harry Ranch Ore
Wingy Manone
Four Dukes
Ray Reynolds ?

Moulin Rouge
Lionel Hampton Rev.

silver Slipper
Hank Henry
Haller Girls
Appleton*

Sparky Kaye
George Redman Ore
El Cortex
Four Tunes
Sonny Mars
Lucky Girls
Sherman Hayes Ore

MIAMI-MIAMI BEACH

Clever Club

Bert Stone
Novelaires
Vera Roberts
Patti Lynn
Eileen McLains
Nino Nazarro
Tony Lopez Ore
Sans laud- Hofei
Hehny Youngman
Morey. Amsterdam
Freddy Calo Ore
Ann Herman Ocre
' Bombay Hotel
Ava Williams
Peter Mack „

" Fontainebleau
Imogene Coca dc. Co.
Sacasas Ore
Balmoral Hotel
Enrica dc Novello
Sonny Kendls Ore
Wayne Carmichael
Nautilus Hotel
Antone & Ina
Buddy Lester
Syd Stanley' Ore
5 O’Clock
Tommy Raft
H. S. Gump
Parisian Rev

empress Hotel

Stuart dt Samara
Mandy Campo Oro
Jack Kerr

Saxony Hotel
Eddie Schaeffer
Elaine Demlng
Ayne Barnett Ore
Johnny Silvers Oro
Sea Isle Hotel
S Hoffman Ore
Patsy Abbott
500 Club
Preacher Rollo S
Sid Kamen
Vanity Fair
Pat Morrlsey .
Sammy Walsh
Mandy Vizoso Ore
Newcomers (3)
Sorrento Hotel
Alan Kole Ore
Jehnlna Hotel
Bill Harris Quintet
Lester Young
Quartet
Roney Plate
Juan de Jose Cortez
Ore

Piece Plgelle

Hilda Fabiola
Ladd Richards
Boy*

Fausto Curbelo Ore

HAVANA

Treplcene

Olga Guillot
Felo Bergaza.
Juan B. Tarraza
Gina Martin
Nelson Plnedo
Ruflrto Q
Troplcana Ballet
S Suarez Orq
A Romeu Orq

Montmartre
Los. Cbavalee
Trlnl Reyes

Juliette dc Sandor
Zenla Lopez
Della Bravo
Montmartre Ballet
Casino Plays Orq
Fajardo Orq

RENO

Map** Sky room

Alberghetti Family
Los Barrancos
Skylets

Eddie Fitzpatrick
New Golden
Jaye P. Morgan

Jimmy Ames
D. Kramer Dcrs.
Will Osborne Oro
Riverside
Ted Lewis
Starlets (8) ■>

Bill Clifford Oro

LAKE TAHOE

Bal tabarin

Ben" Blue

Helene Hughe* dcrs
Dick Foy ore
Cal-Neva

Rltz Bros.

Wonder dc Banks
Don Dellair
Cal NevettCs
Matty Malneck Ore
Colonial
Halfback*

Harrahs Club

Goofers
Mickey Katz
Zlggy Elmon
Cal Tuader
Statelino
Ames Bros.

Leriny Gale
Stateline Girls
Sterling Young Ore
Wagon Wheel
De Castro Sister*
Eastman Trio

Film Code Tabus

Continued from page 1

nothing to prevent a foreign film
(dubbed or with subtitles) today
to play on a major network without
a Code seal. As a matter of fact,
there is nothing — within the
bounds of the broadcasters’ discre-
tion — to prevent an import that
couldn’t get a Code seal from
playing on the air and to millions
of homes.

Issue is apt to arise increasing-
ly this fall with, the sharp accent
on dubbing. The networks are
quite obviously in a receptive
mood as far as dubbed foreign im-
ports are concerned, but they do,
of course, impose their ow.n limi-
tations; which have been known to
go beyond the Code limit.

Example might be the British
"The Man Who Loved Redheads,”
which has a Code seal now. How-
ever, when it was offered to tv
originally, one of the webs turned
it down as "too risque.”

20lh’s Sinatra Suit

Continued from page 2

tually, it’s planned eventually to
shoot only one (55m) film and re-
duce the 35m version from it for
the sake of greater clarity and
better definition.

According to 20th, before leaving
for Maine, Sinatra had recorded
several musical numbers for the
film. His salary for "Carousel”
was put at $150,000 for 15 weeks’
wdrk. Anything over that he was
to be compensated for on a pro
rata basis.

It’s pointed out that none of
the Coast labor unions has ever
made an Issue over dual versions.
However, it stands to reason that— -
should the Court uphold Sinatra —
they would attach very consider-
able importance to such a dec!-
£io|i.

Wednesday, August 31, 1955

Canadtana

(CANADIAN NATIONAL EXPO)
Toronto, Aug. 26.

Jack Arthur production with Ed
Sullivan, Marilyn Bell, Lassie, The
Four Lads , The Wazzan Troupe (8),
Bob Top & Lauren; Willy , West &
McGintyAZ ), Donna Grescoe, Dave
Broadfoot, Elsa tie Waldo, Alan &
Blanche Lund, Will Mahoney, Rose-
mary Bums, The Step Bros. (4);
Wally Koster, Walt & Family (3),
line (28), choral ensemble (38),
orch under direction of Howard
Cable . Setting* by John C. Ray;
costumes, Stuart MacKay ; dance
direction and choreography » Midge
Arthur t Alan & Blanche Lund;
music and lyrics , Howard Cable,
Jackie Rae, Jack Arthur; staging ,
John Maddison; lighting, William
Dale. At the Canadian National
Exhibition Grandstand, Toronto,
Aug. 26, ’55; $3.50 top.

On . stage dimensions fend produc-
tion calibre. Jack Arthur’s "Cana-
distna” in its ’55 edition can bo
summed up as big In all respects.
This whole setup has been astutely
packaged and there are plenty of
interpolated audience Ovations' for
certain production effects.

Set before a 24,000-seater grand-
stand, this production is a gigantic
undertaking especially when the
venture costs around $350,000 and
runs only 14 night performances
for the tenure of the annual Cana-
dian National Exhibition. The
stage dimensions are .themselves
prodigious. The working width Of
the stage is 296 feet, with a depth
of 166 feet; and the scenery is 54
feet high. This year, Arthur has
taken the fullest opportunity of
utilizing this huge space and, in
addition, he is using seven stage
levels for the first time, plus a wide
flight of 16 stairs ior danfce lines,
and flanking tunnels for exits.
With some 500 in the cast, Arthur
gets some stunning effects and has
full scope for those zonal, mass ef-
fects that have always been his
trademark since his earlier thea-
tre-presentation days.

For name draw, Arthur has Ed
Sullivan to lure in those "Toast of
the Town” fans, and Marilyn Bell,
first girl to swim Lake Ontario and
who recently conquered the Eng-
lish Channel. For the youngsters,
he has Lassie; with The Four Lads
coming in the second week.

On imaginativeness, of course,
the kudos go to three big produc-
tion numbers — ^’Inside the C.N.E.,”
"Minstrel eDays” and "This Can-
ada.” In these there a girl line
of 60 and 18 boys, a mixed vocal
ensemble of 38 and an orchestra of
60 men, directed by Howard Cable.
The dances are by Alan and
Blanche - Lund and Midge Arthur
and show plenty of originality
plus nearly faultless precision.

For "Inside the C.N.E.”, he pro-
I vide? an eye-filling three-ring cir-
cus effect, including practically
every animal act on the bill, plus
Bob Top & Lauren roller skating
at the back rftop a 60-foot tower
and The Wazzans for speedy tum-
bling; and the dancers together
with the vocal ensemble, This is
the build-up to Sullivan’s entrance
and he is in and out for emcee for
the rest of the evening and has no
difficulty in getting over.

"The Sandpaper Ballet,” chore-
ographed by Bridge Arthur, is over
big with "Minstrel Days” another
swift-moving spectacle. In this
modernized treatment, The Lunds
are featured in a softshoe routine,
backed by eight other couples, and
here use is made of those many
stage levels. The stroblite finish
makes use of four lines of dancers
on four levels for a flicker exit.

The big finale, "This Canada,”
builds to the appearance of Mari-
lyn. Bell, her swimming act in a
tank 80 feet long and 12 feet wide,
backgrounded by 60 girls in silver
capes and white bathing suits; and
the singing Mouptie chorus, with
Wally Koster as leader. A neat
touch is the parading at various
levels of a group of show girls
costumed as the flowers of the pro-
vinces, with all acts later on for a
company roundup and a smash
tftage picture With the whole cast of
500 getting a terrific reception.

In his formula of something for
everybody, in addition to spectacle,
Jack Arthur has adroitly arranged
change of pace with a variety of
acts ranging from tumblers to ex-
cerpts from “La Traviata," this
sung by Rosemary Burns and en-
semble. “On the comedy end are
Willy West & McGinty in their
standard house- wrecking routine;
Will Mahoney over terrific for his
xylophone dancing and the dress-
snipping .bit .while, .a etatesque.
blonde sings an artJfcBlsa’fr'WRldfr

for a burlesque on ballet; Donna
Grescoe for neat violin work in ex-
cerpts from "Carmen” and her own
arrangement of “The High and the
Mighty”; Dave Broadfoot as a po-
litical windbag; and The Four Step
Bros., for fast solo and challenge
hoofing for top returns.

Nods should also go to the set*
tings of John C. Ray; the costumes
of Stuart MacKay; the music and
lyrics of Howard Cable and Jackie
Rae; the lighting by William Dale.

McStay. '

Stairway to tlie Stars

Ottawa, Aug. 23.

George A. Hamid & Son pro-
duction with Beatrice Dante tit
Charlie , Ben Dova, Lacy Troupe
(6), Simru Duo, Mr. Ralph, El-
kins SiStets (2>, Ramses (4) , Art
Craig Mathues, Three Lesters ,
Wladas Doves (2), New Yorkers
(4)^ Ghezzis ( 3 ) ; Gae Foster
Dancers (20), Sylvia's Kennel*
cades. Flying White Horses (3),
Beatrice Dante Vfc Her Chimp, Two
Mazurs, Mellino dc Hollis, Karpif
Trio, Capt, Albert Vidbel & His
Elephants, Jack Joyce de His
Camels, Hollywood Sky Rockets;
Governor GeneraVs Foot Guards
Band ; direction, George Hamid
"Jr.; music director, Al Youngman;
choreography, Gae Foster under
\ direction of Flo Kelly; lighting ,
i Glen Childers; effects, Meyer-Har-
ris; at Central Canada Exhibition,
Landsdowne Park grandstand, Ot -
tawd, Aug, 22; $1 top.

For all but the first 10, of its
62 years of existence. Central Can-
ada Exhibition in Ottawa has had a
George Hamid show in front of the
grandstand. The 1955 production,
titled "Stairway to the Stars,”
rates high but Hamid has had bet-
ter shows here. Opener (22) was
plagued with high winds, power
failures, mixed cues, jamming
soenery, wandering spotlights; off
timing and -offkey lead brass at
times, plus an emcee who couldn’t
ad lib to cover effectively when
these tribulations turned up, all of
which detracted from the overall
pacing and impact. With one or
two exceptions, acts, are socko in-
dividually and 20-femme Gae Fos-
ter line impresses in four standout
routines, particularly finale, which
has each girl beating parade snart
drum rimmed with lighted bulbs.
Opener has girls on stilts of vary-
ing heights.

Beatrice Dante & Chimp get big
returns in opener, showing several
new ideas in animal work includ-
ing Davy Crockett and Liberace
apings. Ben-Dova’s drunk session,
ending with balancing atop an un-
managable lamp post, garners
heavy guffaws. Crowd pleaser is
Lacy Troupe in aero and balance,
featuring travelling up and down
narrow ramps on large balls. Sim-
du Duo has customers on seat edges
as they do okay adagio on a 100-
foot-high glass platform in gold
costumes, a big thriller. Art Craig
Mathues' emcees and is featured
in revue portion of show with
tenoring plus solo stint later in
bill.

Diminutive Mr. Ralph, an-
nounced as eight years old, does
clicko solo stint on xylophone,
wisely keeping tunes to fast, lively
matches. Unison aero stanza by
Elkins Sisters gets okay mitting.
followed by an Egyptian aero and
balance troupe titled The Ramses,
in socko routine. The Three Les-
ters deliver routine trampoline ses-
sion to good returns, aping the
Marx Bros, only in costume, one
male adding bits of magic.

Chant foursome, billed as The
New Yorkers, is not suited to this
type of show, pipes < being better
suited to concert than pops. Their
"South Pacific” medley is sole ac-
ceptable effort. Wladas Doves is a
class act but slows the show’s gen-
eral pacing, since she’s slotted late
in the show. Ghezzis, three males
in comedy balancing and aero, lift
the pace for smash closer with line
on drums for military finale.

Afternoon grandstand show, also
a Hamid production, uses only
one act from night performance
(Dante & Chimp), keeping as in
past seasons, to the outdoor de-
sign. Slanted to moppet trade with
25c kiddy admission, afternoon
edition has Sylvia’s Kennelcades,
dog act; Flying White Horses, fea-
turing .six-horse tandem riding;
Beatrice Dante & Chimp; Two
Mazurs, teeth-swivel thrill bit;
Mellino - & Hollis, comedy aero;
Karpts Trio, ladder balancing and
risley; Capt. Albert Vidbel & His
Elephants; Jack Joyce Sc His Cam-
els, desert animals in precision
drills, and Hollywood Sky Rackets, .
« i high act on trapeze. Corner, r <

Wednesday, August 31, ^955

New Hope, Pa., Aug. 30

Attempt by Michael Ellis, pro-
ducer of the Bucks County Play-
house, to resume operation this
week following the recent flood
here, has apparently jeopardized
application of Actors Equity’s
“Ait of .God” rule. Fact that he. re-
hearsed a cast last week in “Re-
markable Mr, Pennypacker” may
mean he’ll have to pay salaries for
this week’s scheduled and subse-
quently cancelled . performances.

Matter is expected to be decided
by the Equity council at its regu-
lar meeting in New York today
(Tues,). Earlier, the union’s
governing board had voted to per-
mit strawhat managements not to
pay salaries for shows cancelled
because of the recent floods
caused by the torrential. Connie-
fringe rains, provided Equity execs
approved it.

The producer decided, however,
to reopen his Bucks Playhouse for
performances this week’, with
“Pennypacker,” despite extensive
damage remaining: from the flood
waters that swept down the; Dela-
ware River valley. With 'bridges
still out, streets only partly pass-
able, stores and homes clogged
with mud and National Guardsmen
patrolling the town at night to
prevent looting, the local council
ruled against reopening the the-
atre.

If he gets a break 'from the
Equity council and can persuade
local authorities to okay it, Ellis
may reopen Friday night (2) for
a behefit performance of “Penny-
packer,” followed by two perform-
ances Saturday (3) and a final one
Sunday night (4). He may also
open next Monday (5) with . a mu-

(Oontinued on page 59)

. . +'

Show Trains & Planes
Increasing This Fait
Flock Already Boohed

Volume of show tourist trips to
New York is taking a. marked in-
crease this season. There are seven
trips already set for this fall by
Theatre Trains & Planes alone,
with four more tentatively set by
the same agency for next spring.
This is in addition to the efforts
by the Council of the Riving The-
atre committee to arrange similar,
excursions; the activities of Alex-
ander H. Cohen’s Theatrical Sub-
sidiaries, Inc., and Martin Snyder,
who already has four trips lined
up.

A novel excursion visited New
York last week, arranged by TTP in
cooperation with the Evansville
Press*.. > It was headed by Frances
Golden, 80-year-61d former Broad-
way musical comedy performer
now living in New Harmony, Ind.,
near .Evansville.

There were 44 patrons . who
traveled by plane, spending three
days in town and seeing “Bus
Stop,” “Teahouse of the August
Moon,” “Damn Yankees” and
“Fanny.” In the party were Carl
Hitt, managing editor of the Press,
and Byron R. Scott, a staff photog-
rapher.

Another TTP excursion is due
Sept, 27-Oct. -2 from Indianapolis,
with 200 patrons seeing “Plain
and Fancy,” “Witness for v the
Prosecution,” “Bus Stop,” “Damn
Yankees” and “Silk Stockings,”
plus the usual television shows,
studio tours, boat trip around Man-
hattan, etc. Later trips are sched-
uled from Detroit,- 1 Birmingham,
Cincinnati, Baltimore, Toledo and
St. Louis.

In the works are additional TTP
excursions next spring from Wash-
ington, Minneapolis, Oklahoma
City, Kansas City, Denver, Peoria
and Jackson, Miss.

Book Atwater-Dekker

‘Company* Readings

“Two’s a Company,” a program
pf dramatic readings and sketches
to costar Edith Atwater and Albert
Dekker, is being booked by Para-
mount Attractions for a tour of
one-nighters.

Plan is to- open in the east in
mid-October, play through the mid-
west in November and, after a
Christmas layoff, go through the
north central states and finally into '
the. south ,and- .southwest next
spring.?* c£> 9 41 ;-i 3) t: jl d

Stratford, Ont., Fest
Plans for Next Year

Stratford, Ont., AUg. 30.

Michael Langham, who. staged
this year’s production of “Julius
Caesar,” will be , artistic director
next season for the- Stratford

Shakespeare Festival here. Tyrone
Guthrie, who was artistic director
the first three seasons, will be
artistic consultant for the 1956 op-
eration. London designer Tanya
Moiseiwitsch will again create the
costumes.

A building campaign will be
launched to raise funds to erect a
permanent structure to replace the
tent playhouse that has housed the
.festival the first three seasons, but
it’s figured the new theatre won’t
be ready before 1957.

‘Liberty a Slow
Motion Payoff

. “Miss Liberty,” which became a
delayed hit last year with the sale
of the screen rights to Irving -Ber-
lin, has just distributed $1,500 in
additional profits. That brings the
total , distributed' profit to $19,000.
thus far, for a $9,500 net to the
backers on their $200,000 invest-
ment. ;

According to a statement accom-
panying the new payoff, the Berlin-
Robert E. SherwOod musical rep-
resented a net loss of $54,769 as
Of Aug. '31. 1951. In the ensuing
four years there was $628 account-
ing and Secretarial expense,, but
during the same period income in-
cluded $72,182 share of the film
sale, $1,401 refund of film sale ne-
gotiator’s fee, $1,102 record album
royalty and $900 from radio rights.

That brought the total receipts
for the four-year period to $75,584
and left a net profit of $20,187. Af-
ter profit distribution, there is a.
balance of $1,187 available.

The show, produced by Berlin,
Sherwood and Moss Hart, opened
on Broadway during the summer
of 1949 and had a 308-performance
run. It rated as a failure until
Berlin acquired the screen rights,
as an investment. Thus far, the
composer-lyricist has revealed no
immedaite plans for actual filmiza-
tion.

FAMILY GETTING IN ON
BARN MUSICAL TRYOUT

Baltimore, Aug. 30.

The family of Don Swann, who
operates the Hilltop Theatre at
Hilltop Theatre at Lutherville, Md.,
Will team up to do a new play with
music, “What Ever Happened?”
The book was written by Francis
Swann, brother of the producer,
and will be tried out at the straw-
hat with a possible Broadway pro-
duction in mind by Don Swanri and
his sister, Lyn Swann Wagnon.

The music and lyrics for the
show are by A1 Moritfc who will
also stage. The tiyout is set for
two weeks, starting Sept. 13, as
the final bill at the Hilltop,

Harmons Fold Conn. Barn
Early and Slip Away

Clinton, Conn., Aug. 30.

Charlotte and Lewis Harmon,
who had a relatively mild season
at the Clinton Playhouse this sum-
mer, quietly shuttered the straw-

hat Aug. 20 and returned to New
York. They had the final two weeks
unbooked, and just didn’t bother
signing any touring packages or
producing anything.

Harmon, a Broadway pressagent
during the regular legit season,
and his wife, a novelist-playwright,
had booked a Caribbean cruise,
but with the hurricane season un-
derway, they changed plans and
went, to New • Hampshire- for. sey-
tral > tvalattbd. u a 3 1 g t l t <

LEGITIMATE

Literal-Minded

Minneapolis, Aug. 30. „
With temperatures in the
high 90s during last week’s
“Solid Gold Cadillac'-’ engage-
ment here, a patron, aware
that the Lyceum isn’t air con-
ditioned, telephoned the the-
atre to inquire if he could
bring along a fan. Thinking
the caller meant a hand fan,
the boxoffice attendant replied
in the affirmative.

That night the customer ap-
peared with , an electric .fan
and asked where and how it
could be attached near his
seat. When told it was “no
go” he seemed perturbed, but
still stayed, to see the show.

At mm l«ss

“Dear Charles,” the Tallulah
Bankhead starrer of last season,
lost $44,978 on its 675,000 invest-
ment. The backers have been re-
paid. $25,000 and there is a $5,022
balance available.

The Richard Aldrich & Richard
Myers presentation, which cost
$60,225 to produce, was taken off
after a disappoint origin? 1 try-
out tour during the spring of 1954.
It was subsequently recast with
Miss Bankhead as femme lead and
opened . on Broadway ear y last
fall. The cost at' that time had in-
creased to $81,301.

The Frederick Jackson -Marc
Gilbert Sauvajon-Alrn Melville
comedy, previously a hit in. Lon-
don with Yvonne Arnaud as star,
recouped $39*178 during its 154-
performance Broadway run. For
the first 10 weeks on tour the show
earned $10,547 operating profit,
tout for the final 14 weeks through
last June 11, when it folded ip San
Francisco, it lost $10,060: Addition,
al debits of $1,734 repayment to
the producers of an advance, plus
$1,608 closing expense, brought
the final deficit to the $44,978
total.

Since no financial accounting for
the final 14 weeks’ operation was
issued to the backers until a forth-
night ago, the closing statement
covers that’ entire period. It re-
veals that “Dear. Charles” operat-
ed in ,tlie black only five of the
last 14 weeks (there was a $4,531
deficit on the Holy Weel* layoff.)
The statement indicates that Miss
Bankhead’s original 15% of the
gross was revised to a sliding scale
for the same period.

It’s also indicated that the au-
thor royalties varied from toeing
entirely waived when the gross
went below $17,500 to about
11^% when receipts topped $25,-
000, that the flat $150 director roy-
alty was waived entirely during
the tour, but the $50 designer roy-
alty was not affected. Also, the
management’s $300 weekly office
expense fee was retained through-
out the tour (including the' Holy
Week layoff).

2 Actors Killed, Others
Hurt in Pa. Auto Crash

Philadelphia, Aug. 30.

Two actors were killed last week
and four other members of the
Children’s World Theatre, of New
York, were injured when the Sta-
tion wagon in which they were rid-
ing wept out of control and
plunged over an embankment on
the Pennsylvania Turnpike, near
Downingtown, Pa.

The dead were James Powell
Buys, 30; and George Curtis Paul,
31, both of New York. Those in-
jured were Monte Meacham, 40;
his son, William, 14, and Joseph
Diaz, 25, all of New York, afid
Dolores Piggott, 25, of Philadel-
phia. The injured were treated at
thfe Chester County Hospital, W e§i
Chester, Pa.

Police said Buys, who was kpown
professionally as Jimmy Powell,
was the driver of the car. The
troupe was en route to Minnesota
for an engagement.

GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR

1 * 05-1955

Mrs. Bob Breen Better
After Brussels Siege

Wilva Davis, wife and business
aide of producer-director Robert
Breen, is- convalescing at the home
of friends in Brussels, after a criti-
cal hospital sieze. She became ill
in the Belgian capital during the
recent engagement there of the in-
ternational touring “Porgy and
Bess.”

Breen is currently in New
York for negotiations with NBC
for a telecast of the folk opera.
Which is now touring South Amer-
ica. He intends to plane back to
Brussels next week,

The 48th Street Theatre, N. Y.,
Wrecked last week When a 10-ton
water tower fell through the roof
into the^udittorium, may be torn
down to^ii.ake #ay for a parking
lot. The Leblangs, owners of the
property, are considering several
such offers.

Although precise estimates
haven’t been obtained, it’s roughly
figured that it would cost about
$60,000 or so to put the theatre
back into its former condition, and
around $150,000 to “modernize” it
satisfactorily. The latter step would
involve basic alterations such as
substantially increasing the .seating
capacity "and making various back-
stage and -front-cf-the-house reno-
vations.

Even the larger investment
would not be prohibitive if 1 the
theatre could be* assured pf desir-
able bookings, as. the theatre’s
share of. the gross from a single
longrun smash hit could conceiv-
ably recoup that amount. As an
independent 1 house, the 48th Street
has had lean bookings and is fig-
ured to have operated at a deficit
in recent seasons, however. The
owners are therefore inclined to
dispose of the property and limit
their theatrical .activity to their
Leblang’s ticket agency.

Saul Lancourt, manager pf the
48th Street as well as the ticket
agency, is trying to work out some
sort of arrangement whereby the
theatre can be rebuilt according to
up-to-date economic requirements.

DICKERING FILM DEAL
FOR ‘THE FRAGILE FOX’

Deal is in the works 'for the sale
of the screen 'rights to “The
Fragile Fox” to independent pro-
ducer Robert Aldrich, The Nor-
man Brooks war melodrama was
produced on Broadway last season
by Paul Vroom, in association with.
Barnard S. Straus, with Dane Clark
and Don Taylor co-starred. It had
-a 55-performance run.

If the deal goes through, Aldrich
intends doing the film with United
Artists financing and for UA re-
lease. The film company has al-
ready gone through the routine
procedure of registering the title
with the Motion Picture Assn.

Ottawa Stock Troupe
Seeking New Theatre

Ottawa, Aug. 30.

Canadian Repertory Theatre Is
looking for new quarters so it can
vacate the LaSalle Academy hall it
has used for the last six years. The
latter spot is poorly located, not too
suitable for theatrical production
and entails church consershop,
which has prevented the per-
formance of some shows and ex-
purgated others.

The Imperial, mid-town thriller
house, operated by 20th Century
Theatres, and Fred Leavens’ semi-
art Glebe, farther out, are both
available at rental understood to
be around $12,000 a year, with an
option to buy. Imperial was built
for vaude in the old days, but
Glebe would need its shallow
stage rebuilt afld dressing. ^'ppmsJ

' Boston, Aug. 30.

Prospects arc for a lively legit
season in the Hub. With the musi-.
clans’ union situation settled, the
way is cleared for booking of all
shows. Local theatre r:en- also fig-
ure that legit may .get A bopst from
new patrons recruited through at-
tendance at the 85-odd. strawhats
in New England this summer.

Bookings for the various local
houses include the following:

Shubert: “Reuben* Reuben,” Oqt,
10, for three weeks;’ “Pipe Dream,”
Oct. 31, four weeks; Tyrone Power
in “A Quiet Place,” Nov. 28;
D’Oyly Carte Opera Co,, Dec. 26,
two weeks; “Pygmalion,” Jail. 9
(tentative).

Colonial: “A Vie\y From the
Bridge,” Sept. 12, three weeks;
“No Time for Sergeants,” Oct. 3.

Plymouth: “Desk Set,” Sept. 13;
“Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?”
Sept. 26; “The Lark,” Oct. 24; “Red
Roses for Me,” Nov. 21 (tentative);
Japanese Kabuki Dancers and Mu-
sicians, Jan. 21, single week.

Wilbur: “Young and Beautiful,”
Sept. 14, for 10 days; “Chalk Gar-
den,” Sept. 26; “Anastasia,” Oct.
17; “Bad Seed ” Nov. 21; “Hot Cor-
ner,” Dec. 10.

The Theatre Guild-American
Theatre Society list thus far in-
cludes Lunt and Fontanne in “The
Great Sebastions,” “Pipe Dream,”
“View from the Bridge,” “Child of
Fortune” and “Bad Seed.” Four
others committed halve not yet
been named.

Union Tiff In Philly
Philadelphia, Aug. 30.
With the musicians’ union situa-
tion still stalemated, no song and
dance shows are being' booked into
Philly for the hew season. In the
straight play category, however,
the fall lineup is beginning to take
impressive shape.

The list thus far includes “Diary
of Anne Frank-” Sept, 15, Walnut;
“Desk Set,” Sept. 26, Forrest;
“Hatful of Rain,” Oct. 10, Forrest;
“Chalk Garden,” same date, Wal-
nut; “Matchmaker,” Oct. 17, Shu-
bert. Mentioned without specific
dates- or theatres are “Heavenly
Twins,” late September; “Child of
Fortune,” early October, and
“Great Sebastions,” late October.

’Teahouse’ May Sidestep
Chi Ticket Hullabaloo
With Strict B O. Policy

Chicago, Aug. 30.

“Teahouse of the August Moon,”
which opens here in a touring edi-
tion Sept. 7, isn’t going to be
caught in the current uproar over
ticket scalping, the management
hopes.

The Erlanger Theatre, where the
Burgess Meredith-Scott McKay
starrer will play an extended run,
makes it 1 standard practice to “po-
lice” the ticket- brokers when it
has hits. The house is operated by
Marcus Heiman, presidefit of
United Booking Office, in New
York.

The Erlanger and the manage-
ment of “Teahouse of the August
Moon” had the machinery set up
in advance to- give first priority to
mail orders and window buyers
seeking tickets for the Howard
Lindsay & Russel Crouse-proddced
road show, which is not only ex-
pected to be a big draw on * its
own, but is also the initial Theatre
Guild-American Theatre Society
subscription item of the season.

That means that for the first
three weeks the bulk of the seats
automatically go to Guild subscrib-
ers. During that stretch the Erlan-
ger is having no broker allotments,
so the . remaining tickets can be
routed through the regular box-
office and mail order channels.

For the balance of the run, it’s
stated, the broker allotments will
be controlled by the theatre’s box-
office with the mail requests con-
tinuing to have first call. Advance
ads for “Teahouse” warn that the
first three frames are under Guild
subscription.

A spasmodic drama page subject
for years, the Chi ticket handling
methods at the five Shubert-operat-
edi.. theatres here have recently
been re-ventilated by Sun-Times
columnist Irv Kupcinet, subse-
quently lifted from the opening
plght pre9* v JJsf,i Chfcago

,1 m j. , 1 /<a t« . i-» J- * .1 j . v 1

rriddedl ^ b >* v -j 1 1 a * inr. 'til drama editor Claudia Cassidy) J

LEGITIMATE

A View From the Bridge

■Coonamessett, Mass., Aug. 29.
Robert Whitehead & Kermlt Bloom-

garden production • of dual bill by Arthur
Miller. Stars Van Heflin. J. Carroll Naish;
features Russell Collins, Eileen Heckart,
Gloria Marlowe. Biff McGuire. Tom Pedl,
Leo Penn. Staged by Martin Ritt; scenery,
Richard Mason. At Falmouth Playhouse,

^"VmEMORY 5 OP P TWO MONDAY*

Bert Leo Penn

Raymond . Davld Clarke

Agnes Eileen Heektort

Patricia Gloria

Gus . J.CarrfU, Naish

.Tim .................. Russell Collins

Kenneth Biff

Frank Jack Warden

Jerrv ...... * Richard Davalos

William Anthony Votuo

Tom Curt Conway

Mechanic a • t *•• ••■ •

Mister Eagle

Ralph Bell

FROM UNDCR THE SEA

Louis David Clarke

Mike Tom Pedi

Alfieri j. Carroll Naish

Eddie .Van Heflin

Catherine Gloria Marlowe

Beatrice Eileen Heckart

Marco Jack Warden .

Tony Anthony Vorno

Rodoloho Richard Davalos

Immigration Officers . .... Curt Conway,
Ralph Bell. Leo Tenn, Milton Carhey

Mr; Linar 1 Russell Collins

Mrs. Llparl . . Ann Driscoll

Arthur Miller’s "A View From
the Bridge.” having its preem
here at Falmouth, is a combina-
tion of two one-act plays, each ah
entity in itself. Only connection
between them is that each deals
with the simple annals of the poor,
and both occur in the Brooklyn
Bridge vicinity. Presumably both
are to some extent autobiographi-
cal. . •

First part, “Memory of Two
Mondays,” is seen through the eyes
of a youngster working briefly in
an auto parts warehouse before
going to college.' Kid is. impressed
by the tedious lot of the -warehouse
employees, most of whom have
been around a long time end are
in a dismal rut, with nothing to an-
ticipate except a slow procession of
dull Monday mornings.

Among the workers is a profane,
kind-hearted German, played to
the hilt by J. Carrotf Naish, who,
after his wife’s death, finds noth-
ing left to work for and comes to a
tragic end. Also on hand a are the
drv. crusty old sidekick, played
well by Russell Collins, and a
young Irishman who auotes Walt
Whitman but whose Celtic good
snirits are eventually crushed by
the monotony of warehouse work.
Biff McGuire gives a top portrayal
in the role.

One trouble with “Memory” Is
that it runs too long. Miller has
a good ear for rhythrps of every-
day speech and, .as usual, writes
with power, but the basic theme
doesn’t seem important enough for
so much verbiage.

The second part, “From Under
the Sea,” is by far the more effec-
tive of the two and seems worthy
of expansion lhto full-length work.
It occurs in the Brooklyn apart-
ment of a longshoreman, played by
Van Heflin, who has brought up
his orphaned niece since her baby-
hood. With her emergence into
attractive womanhood he develops
an unnatural love for her.

Matters come to a head with the
arrival of two Italian immigrants
who have entered the country il-
legally. The niece falls for one of
them, _a handsome blond, played
by Richard Davalos. The uncle
nurses an overwhelming case of
jealousy, unsuccessfully ridicules
Davalos, "and Anally informs on the
two newcomers to Immigration
Authorities. Play ends in a pow-
erful, emotion-packed scene, filled
with violence, that is Miller at his
best.

The author's theme is that the
emotion, drive and respect for per-
sonal honor that made Italians
empire builders in ancient times
are still present and that these
dualities come to -the surface , in
hours of crisis.

Heflin gives brilliant, wonder-
fully-shaded portrayal as the long-
shoreman. and he receives fine
support from Davalos and Jack
Warden as the two immigrants.
Right in the groove, too, are Gloria
Marlowe as the niece, Eileen
Heckart as the longshoreman’s
wife, and Naish as the lawyer-nar-
rator.

Double bill runs nearly three
hours and certainly needs pruning.
Martin Rltt’s direction is often
imaginative, and Boris Aronson’s
sets nicely complement the moods
of both plays. Dias.

Lake-'State’ About 5G
In Michigan Sfrawhat

Traverse City, Mich., Aug. 30.

Veronica Lake in “Affairs of
State” grossed about $5,000 last
week at Ruth Bailey Swigart’s
Cherry County Playhouse here.
Sidney Blackmer is current in
•‘Country Girl.”

Barnett Owen Is Tesidept direc-
tcrof'i Wa arena, tent*.

Much Ado Aliont
Nothing ~

Stratford, Conn., Aug. 26.

American Shakespeare Festival produc-
tion of comedy in two acts by William
Shakespeare. Features Francis Bethen-
court, Gwen Anderson, Anthony Kemble
Cooper. Stared by John Burrell; scenery
and costumes, Robert Fletcher; music
arrangements, Donald Mork; production
supervised by Lincoln Kirstein. At Amer-.
Jean Shakespeare Festival Theatre. Strat-
ford, Conn., Aug. 36. '55; S3 top.

Cast: Bern Lenrow, Gwen Anderson,
Rebecca- Lombard, Peter Donat, Anthony
Kemble Cooper, Francis Bethencourt,
Roger Hamilton, Casey Allen, Robert
Geiringer, • Walter Mathews, Dorothy
Whitney, Pola Chasman, Donald Mork,
Rex Everhart, Jonathan Bush, Louis
D' Almeida, Robert Hachar Henry- South-
wick, Joseph Zeigler, Art Alisi, Thomas
Daniels. - _ “—

The third production, of the
American Shakespeare Festival’s
inaugural season, “Much Ado
About Nothing,” is in the special
category, drafting its players from
the Academy of the Stratford
operation and skedding all the per-
formances op matinees apart from
the , regular showings of “Julius
Caesar-' and “The Tempest.”

Under the guidance of John Bur-
rell, the former Old Vic director
who heads the Academy, “Mi ll
Ado” evolves as generally happy
addition to. the Connecticut Shake-
speare list. It demonstrates that
thetheatre can look ahead to the
Academy as an important talent
source.

On its own the comedy stands up
as an enjoyable presentation of the
saucy, talky classic. Incidentally,
production-wise the show lifts been
anything but a financial problem.
The scenery cost was $500, for in-
stdnc6

Mostly on the forestage of the
big. octagonal playhouse and in the
boxes, “Much Ado” brings out par-
ticularly Gwen Anderson and Fran-
cis Bethencourt, as Beatrice and
Benedick, Anthony Kemble Cooper
as Don Pedro, Casey Allen as Don
John and Rex Everhart as the con-
stable Dogberry.

The use of the theatre’s offstage
facilities takes attention from the
scenery of Robert Fletcher, but the
same designer’s bright costumes
enhance the production. Eliza-
bethan music is effectively pro-
vided by two roving troubadours
with mandolin arid flute.

Next Saturday (3) finishes the
Festival’s first season of eight
weeks. Elem.

Sontiinentfil Journey

Lake Hopatcong, N. J., Aug. ‘25.

. Lakeside Summer Theatre production
of comedy in .three acts, by Randolph
Carter, adapted from Henry James' novel,
"The Europeans." Staged by Herbert
Machlz: scenery, Paul Georges. At Lake-
side Theatre, Lake Hopatcong, N.J., Aug.
22, '55: $3 top.

Stella Wentworth Irma Hurley

Charlotte Wentworth ..... Shirley Smith

Felix Da Costa *. . , . Mark Lennnrd

Rev. Alfred Brand William Sheidy

Clifford Wentworth Bill Fletcher

Mr, Wentworth Lake Bobbitt

Eugenia, Baroness Munster

Audrey Barlow

Maria Emy Bosclli

Mr. Acton Michael Clarke Laurence

Elizabeth Acton Carol Brown

It is difficult to make successful
theatre out of the works of that
frustrated playwright, Henry
James. The latest to try is Ran-
dolph 'Carter, his “Sentimental
Journey” being an adaptation of
“The . Europeans”, one of James’
earlier and slighter, novels. The
Lakeside Theatre production man-
ages to generate only sporadic in-
terest.

In connection with his novel.
James allowed that he did not wish
to use “big situations.” He suc-
ceeded and the result is a trifling
yarn . about two Europeanized
Amer i. c a n s who return, with
thoughts of aggrandizement, to visit
their Yankee relatives. James was
particularly interested in contrast-
ing the societies, and Carter has
been unable to bring dramatic
compulsion to this study.

As mounted, there is hope early
that “Journey” will develop into
a pleasing comedy of manners. By
the end of the first act, however,
it is evident that neither adaptor
nor director has been able to sal-
vage enough of moment to make a
play. Enormously skillful actors
might embellish the slim, situa-
tions and Wildean dialog, but it
would be rash to predict good com-
mercial prospects.

The role of the Baroness, who
hopes to strike a lucrative Boston-
ian match, is of star calibre, and
Audrey Barlow carries it with con-
fidence, although losing color from
a rather sing-song vocal pattern
she has adopted. As her brother,
who wins the American girl of his
choice, Mark Lennard is person-
able arid soft-spoken.

Inna Hurley is the gil*l who suc-
cumbs to her Europeanized cou-
sin's blandishments, playing with
reticent charm. As the man who
barely escapes the Baroness' wiles,
Michael Clarke Laurence gives a
mature performance, while Lake
Bobbitt does not similarly succeed
4,*$ the Jiost. ; JTrie, rest .of .tlie com*.

Wednesday, August 31, 1955

Inside Staff-Legit

Broadway may get a boxoffice boost from the following major con-
ventions scheduled for New York during September and October (with
the expected attendance of each indicated in parentheses)! Metropolitan
Juvenile Style Mart, Sept, 3-12 (3,000); National Super Market Non-
Food Exhibit, S.ept. 12-15 (7,000); American Institute-of Plumbing &
Heating Supply Assn*., Sept* 18-21 (1,500); Industrial Packaging & Ma-
terials Handling Engineers, Sept. 19-22 '(2,500); Federation of Paint 6c

Varnish Production Clubs, Oct. 2-6 (1,400); Conference of Employment,
for the Physically Handicapped, Oct. 6-7 (1,000); American Photo-
Engravers Assn., Oct. 9*13 (1,000); National Assn, of Independent Tire
Dealers, Sept. 9-13 (2,000); Order of the Eastern Star-— Grand .N. Y,
Chapter, Oct. 10-13 (2,000); N. Y. Antiques Fair, Oct. 10-15 (60,000);
National Electrical Industries Show, Oct. 11-14 (8,500); Broadcast Ad-
vertisers Bureau, Oct. 13-14 (1,000); National Assn, of Assessing Of-
ficers, Oct. 16-19 (1)000); National Business Show, Oct. 24-28 (130,000)*
and N ational Electrical Contractors Assn., Oct. 30-Nov. 4 ( 1 ,200) .

Harold M. Bone, Variety correspondent in New Haven, has com-
mented on a letter to the editor in last week’s: issue, fi;om Gail Hill-
son, producer of the Triple Cities Playhouse, Binghamton, N. Y. As
the reporter who gathered the original story to which Miss Hillson ob-
jected, Bone points out that the piece did not purport to be a com-
prehensive survey of summer stock for the season, but merely a report
on nine specific spots for part of the season. The reports were based
on conditions before the businessr-crimping heatwave mentioned by
Miss Hillson.

The facts in his story were accurate, he insists, adding that the straw-
hat manager, was not justified in labeling- his piece “phony” and “fic-
tion not fact,” or in impugning the veracity of such barn operators
as Elaine Perry, of the Craggmoore (N. Y.) Playhouse, or William
Miles, of the ^Berkshire Playhouse, Stockbrldge, Mass.

William de Lys is back in N. Y., and has started a mail order business
with an office in Christopher St., a short distance from the Theatre de
Lys, He acquired the off-Broadway legit house several years ago, spent
a small fortune renovating It and named it for himself. However, his
first production in the spot was a flop and the operation failed to pay
off, so the construction firm that held de Lys’ notes took over the
property. They, in turn, recently disposed of the lease to Lucille
Lortel, who already operates the arty White Barn Theatre, Westport,
Conn.

In reference to the increasing news about show trains, Ottawa at-
torney John A. Aylen points out that local concert manager Antonio
TremblCy has been operating such' junkets to -New York for more than
20 years. The lawyer reports that he has been a patron of several of
the trips, which have been highly successful. The operations are lim-
ited to 125 patrons and include about a week in New York for a fixed
fee* covering transportation; hotel accommodations and orchestra seats
for eight or nine Broadway shows. Aylen believes that Tremblay Is the
originator of the show train idea.

fi&jUSTr

Who’d Review It?

Edinburgh, Aug. 30.

With nearly 309 music, legit
and film reviewers from all
part* of the World here for
the annual International Fes-
tival of the arts, the Daily
Scotsman has suggested a
“march of the critics” to be
held in fashionable Princes
Street.

“It Would be quite unlike
any of the countless military
parades which have been seen
here,” the local paper points
out; “If for no other reason
than that critics are "rarely if
ever in step with one another.
There is also .the possibility
that some of them, instead of
being preceded by a b&nd in
the usual manner, might pre-
fer to blow their own trum-
pets.” .

pany comport themselves with ap-
parent, comfort.

Paul Georges suggested cottage
setting is agreeable, if not particu-
larly redolent of New England. It
imposes tough entrance-exit prob-
lems on Herbert Machiz, whose di-
rection has been generally sensi-
tive to the play’s humor and style.

Gcor.

Sign of Winter

Westport, Conn., Aug. 28.

Lucille Lortel production of drains by
Ettore ReUa. Stare Ruth Chatterton.
Staged by Sherwood Arthurs setting.
Stephen G. Saxe; lighting, Marv Gelman.
At White Barn. Westport, Conn.. Aug.
28-29. *55. •

Henrietta Taylor Ruth Chatterton

Ilenry Stone ........... Allan Hancock .

Jackson Thorpe X.. Ian Hunter

Homer Jones Rai Saunders

Jimmie Taylor Roy Bacon

Flora Taylor . . Anne Meacham

Wycherly Perk Richards

Ruth ' Chatterton, star actress-
turned-novelist, has been lured
from theatrical retirement by the
poetic writing of -Ettore Rella, a
young playwright who has a mov-
ing vocabulary and emphatic if
.still uncharted dramatic talent.

“Sign of Winter” has long, soar-
ing monologues of theatrical elo-
quence that identify the play-
wright as one to be watched. In
addition, there is that surefire sit-
uation of a faded beauty with
memories of other days searching
the skies for answers as she tried
to hold a tottering world together.

Miss Chatterton portrays a boozy
chatelaine of a Manhattan room-
ing house that' was her childhood
home. Among her tenants are a
shifty precinct politician, once her
lover; a streetcorner astrogolist.
rung in for symbolic purposes, ana
a young Negro student-handyman.
Widow of a once successful pros-
pector, the heroine has a weakling
son who has become the tool of
the politician and a daughter the
politico covets.

Miss Chatterton is commanding
in the central role/ reminding
Westport of her own past glories
as well as those of the character
she plays. Anne Meacham is par-
ticularly moving as the daughter.
Among the others, Ian Martin is
well cast as. the earstwhile lover
and Rai Saunders has several be-
lievable scenes in an assignment
that paradoxically seems the least
credible.

Sherwood Arthur's direction
builds helpful suspense and has
given the play a generally impres-
sive production Doul.

Stag at Eve

Sharon, Conn., Aug. 23.

Jiidson Philips production of comedy
in three acts by Dennis Hoey, adapted
from Elswytb Thane's hovel. “Melody."
Staged by Atwood Levensaler; setting,
Leon Munier. At Sbaron (Conn.) Play-
house. Aug. 23. '55; <$2 top.

Roberts Dennis Hoey

Adrian Locke Leonard Hicks

Blanche Gordon ........ . DorlB Belack

Caroline Manning Marie Andrews

Madge Forbes. ......... Elizabeth Dewing

Monica Norma Burton

David Gordon Richard Cuyler

Rupert Perry ........ Bradford Dillman

Dorothy Perry Wanda Hutchinson

Sharon Playhouse has moved
Out of the barn into a new theatre.
Built since last summer through
the enterprise of residents of
Sharon and surrounding towns,
some actors also chipping in, the
new Sharon Playhouse is an attrac-
tively comfortable theatre. Accord-
ing to producer Judson Philips, the
project had moved out of the red
into the black until the rains' came:
to western Connecticut.

Committed to a tryout each sea-
son, Philips this year has chosen
“Stag At Eve,” a dramatization by
actor Dennis Hoey of Elswyth
Thane’s “Melody.” The adaptation
(which might also, be called “Stag
At Bay”) is faithful to Miss Thane’s
novel, and as inconsequential.

The idea of an eligible aging
bachelor being besieged by preda-
tory females is hardly new. The
twist of a revered former flame
posirig as her own daughter, and
dropping In for an incognito visit
under a floppy-brimmed hat, may
have been acceptable iq the book,

(CQhtyauqd DriaDAge 5fl) '

NEW HUB TOOTER PACT
SETS $120 BASE PAY

Boston, Aug. 30.

New contract between the Shu-
berts and the Boston Musicians
Assn., Local No. 9, American Fed-
eration of Musicians, represents a
compromise between the original
proposals of the two groups. Terms
of the deal were revealed last
week by Samuel J. Marcus, union
business agent.

The contract calls for a flat rate
of $120 per week per man, a boost
from the old rate of $97 for house-
men and $107 for sidemen. An
increase in rehearsal rate from $3
to $4 per hour is also a feature of
the two-year pact. Hub tooters
will work .on a two-to-one ratio
with musicians who come in with
touring shows.

The new agreement was reached
at a meeting in the Shubert office
in New York. Attending were
Marcus, J. J. Shubert, head of the
Shubert firm, and Michael Cav-
anaugh, Boston rep for Shuberts.
“We found J. J. Shubert very co-
operative,” Marcus reports, “He
showed understanding and sympa-
thy with our problems.”

Basil Langton Stages
Two Classics at Once

British actor-director Basil Lang-
ton is a busy man this week, with a
pair of staging stints coming to a
head almost simultaneously. He’s
been hustling back and forth be-
tween them for the last couple of
weeks.

Langton’s interpretation ' of
“Electra,” by Euripides, opened a
five-performance engagement last
night (Tues;> by the Group 2Q
Players at the Theatre on the
Green, Wellesley, Mass. His other
project for the week, a production
of Shakespeare’s “Tempest,” with
a musical score by Jan Sibelius, is
playing two performances Friday
and Saturday nights (2-3) at the
Empire State Music Festival, Elv
lenville/N. Y,

The Group 20 edition of “Elec-
tra” has a cast including Nahcy
Wickwire, Michael Higgins, Dee
.Victor, Harry Faversham and Tom
Clancy. The Empire State pres-:
entation of “Tempest” will have
Lee Henry, Frederic Warriner, Ray
Boyle, Louis Edmonds, Jeanne
Jerrems, Archie Smith, Robert El-
lenstein and Lloy.clHarrijs a^ pviri"
cipais* •. •

Frisco’s Old Green St.
Slated for Wreckers;
Had Checkered History

• San Francisco, Aug. 30.

The old Green Street Theatre,
where San Francisco snickered at
“Easy for Zee Zee” for 50 weeks
just before the stock market crash,
is going the way of the all-but-
forgotten Orpheum, Tivoli and
Columbia here.

The Bank of America has bought
the old four-story building, with
its 250-seat house, to provide more
room for its adjacent North Beach
branch and a parking lot. Demoli-
tion will start in about three
months.

The Grpen Street Theatre
started life- as a Congregational
Church in 1865 and remained a
church until 1924 (it had been re-
built after the quake and fire of
1906). It was converted into a the-
atre, the Nuovo Teatro Italiano de
Varieta, and presented silent films
together with Italian stage shows.

In 1927, Sidney Goldtree took
over the house and it had its palm-
iest days with a series of farces
bearing such titles as “The Peep-
hole,” “The Married Virgin,” “Ex-
Mistress,” “The Flat Tire” and the
long-lived “Easy for Zee Zee.”
Several times during the Goldtree
era police raided the theatre and
closed it. j

High spot — artistically, at least
— ih the house’s history occurred
in the spring of 1937, when the
San Francisco Theatre Union pre-
sented the first performance of
John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and
Men.” But by the late '30’s legit
was nearly dead ip San Francisco
and the house was operating only
j intermittently.

In 1942, Harry. A. Farros, who
operates a Market Street theatre
specializing in girlie films, bought
the Green Street house and booked
“The Drunkard” into it. That
lasted five years, with much of its
success due to the fact that Farros
kept his cast together during
World Wal* IPs housing pinch by
building rooms for the players on
tlie theatre’s upper floors. In 1947
Farros imported “The Blackguard”
from Hollywood, but it never went
over.

The hquse reopened with a 'curi-
ous mixture of girlie films and
travelogues in 1952, but they failed
to take and the Green Street The-
atre has been dark for, the last

Wednesday, August 31, 1955

uscrrnnATB, 57

LA Continues Perky; 'Sea"

Los Angeles, Aug, 30. -
Local legit was lively last week,
although the D’Oyly Carte Opera
Co„ in the first of three frames of
Gilbert Sc Sullivan at the Biltmore
was. disappointing. The Civic Light
Opera Assn. launched its final sub-
scription presentation' of the sea-
son, “Plain and Fancy,” last night
<Mon.).

, Estimates for Last Week
Day by the Sea, Huntington
Hartford (2d wk) (1,032; $4.95)
(Jessica Tandy,' Hume Cronyn,
Dennis King). Acceptable $20,500;
moves out Saturday (3) for San
Francisco. >

Lunatics and Lovers, Carthay
Circle (2d wk) (1,518; $3.85) (Mel-
ville Cooper, Marjorie Lord, Casey
Adams). Good enough $17,500.

D’Oyly Carte, Biltmore (1st -wk)
($4.4p; 1,636). Gilbert & Sullivan
troupe got a modest $19,500 with
« split of “Mikado” and “Yeomen,
ef the Guard”; local stand ends
Sept. 10.

Washington, Aug. 30.

“King end I” .continued its sen-
sational boxoffice pitch last week,
its fourth- at the National Theatre.
Gross .climbed to nearly $43,800, a
little more than $300 over the pre-
vious semester. The 1,677-seat
house is scaled to a top of $4.95
Friday and Saturday nights and
$4.40 the remainder of the week.

As during the previous week,
the National went clean, with
.standees, for every performance
except Monday and Tuesday
nights. The Rodgers-Hammerstein
opus went into its final week, with
a net advance sale exceeding $25,-
600 and every promise that busi-
ness would hold to the level 0 % the
two previous weeks.

‘Sheba* Mild lO^G, Phila*,
Despite Critical Raves

■ Philadelphia, Aug. 30.

“Gome Back, kittle Sheba” drew
favorable reviews last week at the
Playhouse in the Park, but biz was
a disappointing $10,500. Manage-
ment took special midweek ads
quoting the notices, but apparently
the combination of the extreme
heat at the start of the week and
the heavy character of the play did
the harm. Maureen Stapleton and
Myron McCormick played the
leads in the William Inge drama.

This week’s “Picnic,”, also by
Inge, stars Darren McGavin. Play-
house winds up 4th season next
week with “Caine Mutiny Court
Martial,” starring Jeffrey Lynn.

STARLESS TIME’ $6,500
1ST WEEK AT OLNEY, MD.

Washington, Aug. 30.

Last week’s initial stanza of
“Time, .of Your Life” grossed a
nice $6,500, best of the season so
far, at the Olney Theatre, in
suburban Maryland. The non-star
production, capably staged by
James Waring, received enthusias-
tic reviews in the Washington and
Baltimore papers.

The current holdover week of
the William Saroyan comedy finales
the. season for the’ strawhat.

Colbert to Play B'way
If ’Man’ Revise Is Okay

Claudette Colbert’s deal, with
Walter Fried, producer of the Ar-
thur Kober-George Oppenheimer
comedy, “A Mighty Man Is He,”
was specific in that her continu-
ance with the play on Broadway
depended on its out-of-town tryout.
It opeped fct the Falmouth Play-
house, Coonamessett, Mass., played
the Theatre-by-the-Sea, Matunuck,
R, I., is currently at the Cape Play-
house, Dennis, Mass., and . con-
cludes its barn tour next week at
the Ogunquit (Me.) Playhouse.

Miss. Colbert will return to" her
Hollywood .home until the authors
“make' a few changes,” after which
she may reassume the lead on
Broadway, from which she has
been away 17 years.

Farley Granger $8,100
For ‘Rainmaker’ at Spa

Saratoga, Aug. 30.

Farley Granger grossed a healthy
$8,100 last week in “The Rain-
maker,” at the-587-seat Spa Theatre
here. Frances Heflin was featured.

The John Huntington spot this
week has- “Tender Trap,” with
Sloan Simpson and Jack Manning.

Shelley’s Surgery

Shelley Winters . underwent
emergency surgery over the week-
end at -Mount Sinai Hospital, N. Y.,
forcing the cancellation of Several
scheduled strawhat dates in the
touring package, “Wedding Break-
fast.” Her condition was de-
scribed yesterday (Tues.) as satis-
factory. .

The film-legit actress is slated
to star in “A -Hatful of Rain,” due
-to open Nov. 9 at the Lyceum,
N. Y.

Current British Shows

Current Road Shows j

( Aug. 29 -Sept. 10)

Bua Stop — Opera House. Central *City,
Col. (29-3); Huntington Hartford, L. A.
<6-10). I

Can-Can— Shubert, Chi. (26-10). • j

Day by tho Saa (Jessica Tandy, Humf
Cronyn. Dennis King. Aline MajcMahon) —
Huntington Hartford, L. A. (29-3); Geary,
S. F. (5-10).

Dock Set (tryout) (Shirley Booth)— Play-
house, Wilmington (8-10).

D'Oyly Cart# — Biltmore, Lr. A. (29-10).

' King and I (Patricia Morlson) — National,
Wash. (29-3); Nixon. Pitt. (5-10).

Paiama Game (Fran Warren, .Larry
Douglas,' Buster West) — Curran, S, F.
(29-10).

Solid .Gold Cadillac — Pabst, Milwaukee.
(29-3); Royal Alexandra. .Toronto (5-10). i
Teahoui# of tho August Moon (Burgess
Meredith. Scott -McKay)— Victoria, K. C.
(30-3); Erlanger. Chi (7-10). I

View from tho Bridge (tryout) (Van
Heflin, J. Carroll Naish>— Shubert, New
Haven (8*10) (Strawhat tryout reviewed
in VARIETY this week).

SCHEDULED N.Y. OPENINGS

( Theatres indicated if set)

Othello/ City Center (9-7).

Catch a Star, Plymouth (9-8).

Marcel Marceau, Phoenix (9-20),

Henry IV, City Center (9-21).

Day By the Sea, ANTA (9-26),

D'Oyly CSrte, Shubert- (9-27).

View From Bridge, Coronet (9-20).
Young and Beautiful, Longacre (10-1).
Tiger at Gates, Plymouth (10-3).

Island of ‘Goats,. Fulton (10-4).

Diary of Anno Frank, Cort (10-5).
Sloop of Prisoners (10-5).

V/ooden Dish, Booth (10-6).

Joyce Grenfell Presents, Bijou (10-10).
Carefree Tree, Phoenix (10-11). •

Red Roses For Me (10-12).

Rock Hunter, Belasco (10-12).

Desk Set, Broadhurst (lfl-13). .
Heavenly Twins (10-19).

No Tlmo For Sgts., Alvin (10-20).
Comedle Francalso, B’way (10-25).
Chalk Garden, Barrymore (10-26),
Deadfall, Holiday (10-27).

Reuben, Reuben, ANTA (11-8).

Child of Fortune (11-9).

Hatful of Rein, Lyceum (11-9),

Delilah, Wint. Card. (11-10).

Lark, Longacre (11-17).

JArtus* Plymouth ( 11-24).

LONDON

(Figures denote premiere dates )

■ad Seed, Aldwych (4-14-53).

Boll, Book, Candle, Phoenix (10-5-54).
■oy Friend, Wyndbam's (12-1-53).
Can-Can, Coliseum (10-14-54),

Crexy Gang, Vic. Pal. (12-16-54).

Dead on 9 , Westminster (8-24-55).
Desperate Hours, Hlpp. (4-18-55).

Dry Rot, Whitehall (8-31-54).

Follies Bergofts, Wales (4-9-55).

From Here t. There, Royal Ct. (6-29).
Happy Returns, Now Water (5-19-55).
Intimacy At 1:30, Criterion (4-29-54).
King and I, Drury Lane (10-8-53).'
Kismet, Stoll (4-20-55).

Mr. PennypScker, New (5-18-55).
Mousetrap, Ambus. (11-25-52).

Mrs. Willie, Globe (8-17-55).

My 3 Angels, Lyric (5-12-55).

Nina, Haymarket (7-27-55).

Reluctant -Dab, Cambridge (9-24-55).
Sailor Beware, Strand (2-16-55).

Salad Days, Vaudeville (8-5-54).

Separate Tables, St. James's (9-22-54).
Shadow ef Doubt, Saville (7-7-55).
Shakespeare Rep., Palace (7-21*55).
Spider's Web, Savoy (12-14-54).

Talk of Town, Adelphi (11-17-54).
Teahouse Aug. Moon, Her Maj. (4-22-54).
Tiger At Gatos, Apollo (6-2-55).

20 Mins. South, St. Mart, (7-13-55).
Waiting For Godot, Arts (8-3-55).

SCHEDULED OPENINGS
Water Gypsies, Wint. Gard. (8-31-55).
Kettle A MoOn, Duchess (9-1-55).

• Count of Clerembard, Garrick (9-6-55).
Repertory, Old Vic’ (9-7-55). "

Burnt Flower Bed, Arts (9-9-55).

CLOSED LAST WEEK
Wild Thyme, York's (7-14-55).

TOURING

Book of tho Month
Buccaneer

Count of Clerembard
Double Crossing
Ftorodora

cuys and Dolls
Harvey

Homo and Away
Jan Train
Joy of Living
Klnloch Players
Ladies for Hire
Lilac Time'

Love From Judy .,
Manor of Northstead
Old Vic

Postman's Knock
Romance In Candlelight
Serious Charge
South Pacific
This Happy Home
Wedding in Paris
Women ef Twilight

U.S. Stratford $19,700,
With Extra ‘Ado’ Shows

Stratford, Conn;, Aug. 30.

Two special performances of
“Much - Ado ^bout Nothing”
helped lift the next-to-last week
Of the American Shakespeare Fes-
tival season to $19,700, including
eight showings of “Julius Caesar”
and “Tempest.” ■

Previous week, in spit? of Hurri-
cane Diane’s effect on much of the
area, the gross was $19,500. New
1,460-scater buttons up Saturday
(3).

Chicago, Aug. 30.
Biz improved a bit last week for
“Can-Can,” doing, a. solo on the
Windy City front until “Teahouse
of the August Moon” arrives Sept.
7 at the Erlanger for • “run on
Theatre Guild-American Theatre
Society subscription*

Next up is the D’Oyle Carte
Opera Co. at the Blackstone Sept.
12 for .two weeks; “Solid Gold
Cadillac,’’ Blackstone, Oct. 10 fora
run; “Bad Seed” same date at the
Selwyn, on subscription, and “An-
niversary Waltz,” Harris, Oct. 17,
Estimate for Last Week

Can-Can, Shubert (4th wk)
($5.95; 2,100). Over $35,800 (pre-
vious week, $35,400).

Teahouse’ Huge $71,224,

$592,000 Dallas Season

Dallas, Aug; 30.

State Fair Musicals ended its
record-breaking 14tli . summer sea-
son last Sunday (281 with a hefty
gross of $592,000. The schedule
included . four locally-produced re-
vivals and two touring company
shows during the 12-week season in
the air-conditioned State Fair
Auditorium.

The gross total topped 1954’s
previous high of $515,375. With
an upped budget of $502,000 for
six fortnightly shows this season.
Musicals will show $90,000 on the
plus side, from 190,200 paid admis-
sions. Attendance was some 15,-
000- over the 1954 season. .

Closer, the touring company of
“Teahouse of the August Moon,”
co-starring Burgess Meredith and
Scott McKay, pulled a lusty $71,-
224 in its second stanza, believed
to he a record b.o. for Seven per-
formances of a non-musical. First
week of “Te'ahouse” drew $55,235,
bringing the fortnight total to
$126,459, a straight-play record for
the' 14-performance string.

With scale upped to $3,75 this
year, Musicals had a great weather
break all summer— not hampered
in its 84-night season by heat. Last
year’s run bucked an’ all-time high
heat wave.

Charles R. Meeker, Jr., veepee-
managing director ended his lltli
season as major domo, and his
fourth season as producer. Staff
included George Schaefer, stage
director; Franz Allers, musical, di-
rector; Gino Smart, assistant mu-
sical director; Edmund Balin,
dance director; Mason Johnson,
stage manager and Peter Wolf, art
director for his ninth straight sea-
son.

Season offered the touring com-
pany of “Kismet,” local productions
of “South Pacific,” “Bittersweet,"
“Carousel,” ’One Touch of Venus”
and the touring “Teahouse.”
“Pacific,” produced by Meeker
with Gisele MaeKenzie, John
Brownlee and Fredd Wayne, set a
local record of $140,400 for 14 per-
formances.

‘Ginger’ $4,100, Berkshire;
Flood Damage Hurts B.O.

Stockbridge, Mass., Aug. 30.

The Berkshire Playhouse bowed-
in its final <week of the season, last
night (Mon.) with a benefit per-
formance for the devastated New
England areas. Free list was sus-
pended and the receipts for the
opener go to the Red Cross.

Final offering is “The Caine
Mutiny Court Martial”, starring
Kendall Clark, and featuring Wil-
liam Swan, John Morley, Ben Lack-
land, Earl Rowe and Douglas Park-
hirst. Clark was a resident com-
pany member for four seasons.

A slight improvement in busi-
ness was in evidence last week
when “Time Out for Ginger” to-
taled a $4,100 gross for the session.
Flood damage was still limiting
attendance. Anne Seymour was
starred and Deidre Owens and
Philip Faversham featured.

B’way Biz Picks Up, But Not Much;

Teahouse’ $31,200, 'Anastasia’ $13,100

‘S.P.’ CRASHING $78,000
1ST WK.J.C. STARLIGHT

Kansas City, Aug. 30.
“South Pacific,” tenth and final
production of the Starlight The-
atre’s al fresco season in Swope
Park, got a smasheroo $78,000 last
week and may top that for the cur-
rent finale. Advance sale and gen-
erally peak Interest indicate only
adverse weather can keep the pro-
duction from bringing the Star-
light season into the black,
Officials are estimating that if
no refunds are required because
of a rainout, the production will
very nearly hit the astronomical
$150,000 predicted for its two-week
run. * This would make it a record
holder in both the Starlight, and
in the downtown Qrpheum The-
atre, where the touring, edition
went well over $100,000 in two
weeks several seasons ago.

San Francisco, Aug. 30.

“Pajama Game,” continuing its
Curran run on Civic . Light .Opera
subscription, rolled up another
smash gross of over $52,300 last,
week, its fifth at the 1,758-seat
house at $4.40 top. The musical
will continue through Oct. 2, then
continue its tour. .

“Desperate Hours,” costarring
Nancy Coleman and William Gar-
gan, opened last night (Mon.) at
the Alcazar. “Don Juan in Hell,”
with Edward Arnold* Reginald
Denny, Mary Astor and Ricardo
Montalban, is due Sept. 19 at the
Geary.

‘CADILLAC’ NICE $19,800
SPLITS MPLS -MADISON

r t

Minneapolis, Aug. 30.
“Solid Gold Cadillac” hit a sat-
isfactory $9,700 for its final four
nights and one matinee, Monday
through Thursday (22-25) at the
1.. 850-seat Lyceum at $3.85 top.
That brought the total take for en-
tire local week’s engagement of
seven nights and two- matinees, in-
cluding the previous stanza’s
Thursday - through - Saturday (19-
21), to a good $18,000. For nine
nights and three jmatinees in the
Twin Cities (there were two nights
and a matinee at the St. Paul Audi-
torium) the comedy garnered just
under $25,000;

Gets $10,100 in Madison
Madison, Wis., Aug. 30.

In three performances Friday-
Saturday (26-27) at the University
Theatre, the show grossed $10,100.
That gaye it a total of $19,800 for
the week’s eight - performance
spread.

Stock Tryouts

(Aug. 29-Sept. 11)

Bits and Fleet*, revue with music by
Andy Wuhrer/ lyrics by Pat Van Allen,
sketches, by Pat Wllmot — Gifford Hall,
Norwalk, Conn. (29-4).

Cover to -Cover, revue by *Dede Me.Ver
and Franklin Jacobs— Barn Playhouse,
Now London, N. H. (29-3).

, Debut, by Mary Drayton (Marjorie
Steele, Tom Helmore) — Theatre-by-thc-
Sca, Matunuck, R. I. (29-3) (Original
strawhat tryout reviewed in VARIETY,
Sept. 9, *53).

Difficult Widow, by Conrado Nale
Roxlo. translated by Ruth G. Gillespie —
Hedgerow Theatre, Moylart, Pa. (30-5).

‘ GUest Cottage, by William McClocry —
Boothbay (Me.) Playhouse (30-3).

Kickback, by Marianne- Brown Waters
— Gateway Theatre, Bellport, L. I. (30-3).

Mighy Man Is He, by Arthur Kobcr and
] George Oppenheimer (Claudette Colbert)
—Cape Playhouse, Dennis, Mass. (29-3);

• Ogunquit (Me.) Playhouse (5-10) (Reviewed
| in VARIETY, Aug, 17, '55).

. Mottier Was a Bachelor, by Irving W,
Phillips (Billie Burke) — Lakes Region
Playhouse, Laconia -Gilford, N. H. (29-3)
(Reviewed in VARIETY, June 29, '55),

, Short Passage* by Harold Dexter— ,
i Straight Wharf Theatre, Nantucket, Mass, ;
I (29-4).

! The Guilty, by Harry Granlck — White
] Barn Theatre, Westport, Conn. (3*4).

The Minotaur, by Robert Thom (Fran-
chot Tone) — Westport (Conn.) Country
Playhouse (5-10).

Too Hot to Handle— Frear Park Casino.
Troy, N. Y. (6-10).

Touch of Magic (Slgne Ilasso) — Capri
Theatre, Atlantic Beach, L. I. (30-4). >

View from the Bridge, by Arthur Miller
(Van Heflin) — Falmouth Playhouse, Coo* '
; namessett. Mass. (29-3) (Reviewed in VA- 1
„ RIETY this week), 1

■ expected, attendance on

Broadway Improved a bit last
week* although the night-to-night
pattern tended to be uneven. Re-
ceipts were again offish at week-
end performances.

A pickup of trade is expected
the first part of this week, but the
traditional sag is likely the latter
half with, the pre-Labor Day exod-
dus. There should be .a marked
upturn starting next week.

Estimates for Las Week

Keys: C (Comedy), D (Drama),
CD (Comedy-Drama), R (Revue),
MC ( Musical' Comedy) , MD (Musi-
cal-Drama), Q (Opera), OP (Op-
rettaK

Other parenthetic designations
refer, respectively, to weeks played,
nuiiiber of performances through
last Saturday^ top prices, number
of spats, capacity gross and stars.
Price includes 10% Federal and
5% City tax, hut grosses are net:
i.e., exclusive of tax,

Anastasia, Lyceum (D) (30th wk;
238; $5.75-$4.60; 995) (Viveca Lind-
fors, Cathie en' Nesbitt). Nearly
$13,100 for the first week of the
resumed run; had been grossing
under $10,000 for the last few
weeks before laying off; c lo s_ejL_
Sept. 24, to tour.

Angles Aweigh, Hellinger (MC)
(19th wk; 152; $6.90; 1,513; $55,-
900). Over $14*400 (previous week,
$14,800); may close Sept. 17 to tour.

Anniversary Walts, Booth (C)
(73d wk; 579; $4.60; 766; $20,000).
Over $11,700 on twofers (previous.*
week, $11,200 on twofers); closes
Sept. 24, to tour. „

Bad Seed, Coronet (P) (38th
wk; 301; $5,75-$4.60; 998; $27,700)
(Nancy Kelly). Just over $16,000 on
twofers (previous week, $15,500 on
twofers); tentatively scheduled to
close Sept. 17, to tour. „

Boy Friend, Roy ale (MC) <48th
wk; 379; $6.90; 1,050; $38,200). Over
$22,200 (previous week, $21,200);
closes Nov. 26, to tour.

Bus Stop, Music Box (CD) (26th
wk; 206; $5.75-$4.6G; 1,010; $27,-
811). Over $25,000 (previous week,
$23,900).

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Morosco
(D) (23d wk; 180; $6.90-$5.75; 946;
$31,000) (Barbara Bel Geddes, Burl
Ives). Standees at all performances
as usual, over $31,500 (previous
week, $31,600).

Damn Yankees, 46th St. (MC)
(17th wk; 13Z; $8,05-$7.50; 1,297;
$50,573) (Gwen Verdon), The stand-
ee limit again at over $50,800 (pre-
vious week, $50,800).

Fanny, Majestic (MD) (43d wk;
340; $7.50; 1,655; $62,968) (Ezio
Pinza* Walter Slezak), About $51,-
000 (previous week, $50,300).

Inherit the" Wind, National (D)
(19th wk; 148; $5.75-$4.60; 1,162;
$31,300) (Paul Muni). Just missed
sellout, approached $31,400 (previ-
ous week. $30,600).

Lunatics Sc Lovers, Broadhurst
(C) (37th wk; 296; $5.75-$4.60;
1,182; $29,500). Just topped $13,100
(previous week, $12,000 ontwofers).

pajama Game, St. James (MC)
(68th wk; 540; $6.90; 1,615; $52,118)
(John Raitt, Eddie Foy Jr., Helen
Gallagher). Oyer $51,900 (previous
week, $‘>0*800.

Plain and Fancy, Winter Garden
(MC) (31st wk; 244; $6.90; 1,494;
$55,672). Over $37,900 (previous
week, $33,800).

Silk Stockings, Imperial (MC)
(27th wk; 212; $7,50; 1,427; $57,800)
(Hildegarde "Neff, Don Ameche).
Nearly $48,100 (previous week,
$48,200).

Skin of Our Teeth, ANTA Thea-
tre (CD) (2d wk; 14; $5.75; 1,347;
$38,000) Helen Hayes, Mary Martin,
George Abbott, Florence Reed).
Got the standee limit at nearly
$38,400 (previous week, $32,100 for
first six performances and one
preview).; limited engagement ends
next Saturday (3).

Teahouse of the August Moon,
Beck tC) (98th wk; 789; $6.22-
$4.60; 1,214; $33,608) (Eli Wallach,
John Beal). Over $31,200 (previous
week, $27,900).

Witness for the Prosecution,
Miller <D) (37th wk; 292*/ $5.75-
$4.60; 946; $23,248). Approached
$21,500 (previous week, $21,100).

OFF-BROADWAY

(Figures denote opening dates )

La Ronde, Circle in Square (2-
27-55).

Mornings at Seven, Cherry Lane
(6-22-55); closing Sept. 11.

Shaw Festival, G’n’w'clr Mews
(7-21-55).

Trial, Provincetown (6-14-55),

LEGITIMATE

is&srwii

Wednesday* August 31 * 1955

<€

SHOW

“ TRANSPORTATION

/kmt^^rnU

■ DINNC

t$Q

FOR HELPING
TO ESTABLISH
A NEW IDEA AND
FOR MAKING OUR
FIRST SUMMER
A HAPPY ONE...

THANKS TO

. , . rt j tohn Shubert, Jack I

nMvVhlTTAKER. MAXGlNSBERG I

of The New^YorkT^ H^ ithogiaph . I

lander of A « k ft _ Strauss Sign Co. To 1
Larry Sobel of Artw Macy . Cue Summer I
DAV n, Merrick , * » Vbq ■ theattes I

Festival Booths To all too ■ th eir I

and restaurants that we servicea I

staffs* ■ a .11 and FRED I

Special thanks Blaine Thompson Advertising

Golden of the Blame ^ Bert

.Company. Spec ‘ s Coac H Lines.
'Askwhh of th p iates Se y M our

To Bill Doll ""ueemah for a-great press
. Krawitz and Bob “i" f - .judio-TV Repre-
job . To M^ne KEITH for Rad- ^

sentation. ; 0 _ .fo iss Theatre Tours

charming ilostes i ART To our courteous
Gay-Darlene ■ brotherton and

treaswers THoMAS j. el Mil ton

Murray LANG.io ou^ ^ ^ C.P.A.,
Weir and Edward Col ’ term i na l as-

Murray Hollander To our te«n

■ sistant Clifford Slaughter
Weissberg. overworked

fec?eta^RffMOR.ARTY, GRETA BRENNER

A < warm ? and > very

1 iust wouldn’t have worked.

I Thanks to the Lad^s and Gent league of
A Rosen. *

President

Theatrical Subsidiaries Inc.

SUMMER THEATRE TOURS RE-OPEN JUNE 30, 1956

Strawhat Reviews

Continued from pit* M

Stag at Eve

but on stage it's just a clumsy de-
vice. After this gal appears at the
first act curtain, tyro could finish
the script, despite the complica-
tions of three other women in the
artist's life.

Producer Philips, who writes
whodunit novels under the pseu-
donym Hugh Pentecost, perhaps
counted on Huey's acting presence
to help, as well as on the amiabil-
ity of his Oast. Competent as the
production is, however, the Thane-
Hoey characters prove a dull lot.

Leonard Hicks is handsomely
■ingratiating as the painter, -a part
that would have star potential if
the play were good. Hoey, as a
paternal butler, knows how to de?
liver a laugh or' two, with flashing
dentures

As the victor, Norma Burton
maintains an easy charm, despite
having to cope with the incredible
hat. Elizabeth Dewing is crisply
forthright as a woman who seems
the convenient match, while Doris
Belack is saltily emphatic as an
also-ran. As a sprightly young ac-
tress whose designs are frankly
uninhibited, both in appearance
and attack Marie Andrews bright-
ens her scenes.

Atwood Levensaler’s direction is
assured, and Leon Munier has pro-,
vided the background, a studio in
Chelsea, London. . Geor.

House Guests

Spring Lake, N.J., Aug. 17.

. Ivy Tower Playhouse production of
comedy in three acts by Nicholas* Cosen*
tino (by arrangement with Bertha Klaus-
ner). Stars Claire Luce. Staged by Cosen-
tino; Scenery, Francis Perkins, At Ivy
Tower Playhouse, Spring Lake, N.J., Aug.
15, ’55; $3.65 top.

Berth* Marian Leeds

Expressman Francis Perkins

.Peter Frost Ralph- Purdum

Jennifer Ledbttter. « . . Dorothea Harding
‘Julia Fontayne ..... .Kathleen Mansfield

Agnes Fontayne Claire Luce

-Horace Granville Rea John Powers

Charles Huntington ...... Edwin Stanton

Edward Crawford ........ Joe Campbell*

Ronnie MarshaU Freeman Park*

Fedrico Benvenuto Dino Terranova

“House Guests" is a ‘graceless
effort at comedy by Nicholas Cos-
entino, who once hit the jackpot
with a two-year run of his “Moon
Over Mulberry Street." -• This new
play abounds in bad taste, both
stated and implied. Management
of the Ivy .Tower Playhouse has
shown questionable judgment
here. Gauche in concept and ex-
ecution, the supposedly risque hu-
mor is the kind that has the cus-
tomers looking at each other in
surprise.

If there's a story, it’s of a young
man who has inherited a woman's
magazine from his . enterprising
mother. Devoted to a fault to his
late parent, he gets a mother fixa-
tion on the middleaged editor of a
rival magazine, who is intent on
ruining him. When he learns her
purpose, he imports her ex-lover
from Italy for a confrontation
sc'‘ne, Then be marries her daugh-
ter, the latter having just seduced
: him. * |

Few things are more distressing
than watching actors try- to be com-
fortable in an uncomfortable play.
As the daughter, decorative Kath-
leen Mansfield seems to be at ease,
which is quite a feat. Rea John
Powers, producer at Ivy Tower,
bravely appears in an unidentified
capacity of factotum for both mags,
Dino Terranova is graciously amus-
ing as the Italian import, while
Ralph Purdum signally fails to il-
luminate the part of the. incredi-
bly guileless youth.

Claire Luce stars as the editor
on whom the youngster dotes. In
donning black gloves against a
white stole, she uses a neater piece
of stage distraction than the tradi-
tional handkerchief flaunting de-
vice. Her gowns are a striking
series of red on black and black on
red. Appearing in this play defi-
nitely an indiscretion, for she has
neither a starring part nor a star
vehicle.

Cosentino has abetted his mis-
fortune by attending to the direc-
tion. Incredible is the word for
“House Guests." Geor.

iy&j rr

Leasing of the Ziegfeld Theatre, N. Y., to NBC for use as a
television studio reduces the already slim list of available Broad-
way houses suitable for legit musicals. Billy Rose, owner of the
theatre, is reportedly getting over $6,000 a week rental for a seven-
year lease, with a flv4-year renewal clause. He retains his office
and apartment in the building.

At least two prpposed new musicals, “Shangri-La" and the song
and dance version of “Pygmalion/' had been mentioned as headed
for the Ziegfeld, and the.G. B. Shaw adaptation must now seek
another house, but “Shangri-La" now looks like a doubtful pros-
pect, at least for this winter. Loss of the Ziegfeld to television
leaves the following Broadway theatres suitable for musical shows:
Shubert, Majestic, Imperial, Winter Garden, Broadway and pos-
. sibly Broadhurst and Royale, all operated by the Shuberts; 46th
Street, operated by City Playhouses; Alvin, operated by CBS, and
Mark Heliinger, operated by Anthony B, Farrell.

Legit Bits

Ed Gardner, producer-star of the
“Duffy’s Tavern" alter, has written
.the book of a legit musical, “The
Petunia Peddler," as a Broadway
starring vehicle for himself. 'Jay
Livington- and Ray Evans hays
supplied the songs* Gardner comes
'to New York from the Coast this
week to huddle with Courtney
Burr about a production . . . Henri
Caubisens has returned to his reg-
ular stint as stage manager of
“Silk Stockings" after staging
“Guys and Dolls" in Las Vegas and
vacationing in his hometown, San
Francisco. During his absence, Ira
Bernstein, stage manager of “Boy
Friend," subbed on “Stockings."

The Dublin Players arrived in
New York last week from Eire for
another season’s U. S. tour. On the
same ship- was the Irish actress,
Siobhan McKenna, who will costar
with Gladys Cooper in Irene M.
Selznick’s Broadway production of
Enid Bagnold's. ..“Chalk Garden".

. . . New York U. will offer a grad-
uate course on contemporary
drama, with N. Y. Daily News critic
John Chapman as instructor . » ,
.Johnny ’ Desmond will star in
“Amazing Adele.”

Carl Fisher, general manager of
“Pajama Game" and “Damn Yank-
ees" as well as for the Phoenix
Theatre, still recuperating from a
recent gallstone operation, is back
on the job " after a week's rest in
New Hampshire ... Attorney L.
Arnold Weissberger to the Coast
for several weeks . . , “Jazz Geta-
way," a melQdrama by N. Y. Daily
News columnist Robert Sylwester,
with incidental stan'dard pop
songs, is announced for Broadway
production next February by Ethel
Linder Reiner and Howard Bay.

“The Carefree Tree" is the new
title of the Aldyth Morris play,
previously called ! “The Fourth
Son," which the Phoenix Theatre
has scheduled to open its fall sea-
son, with Farley Granger and Jan-
ioe Rule as , leads . • . Ida OstrO,
secretary to author’s agent Harold
Freedman, sails -Friday (2) for a
month’s vacation in Europe , . ,
Legit pressagent Phillip Bloom has
his first non-show biz client, the
Henri Bendel store, N. Y.

* Courtney purr and John Byram,
whose option on “Shangri-La" calls
for a Broadway production by
Dec. 15, have refunded invest-
ments in the show to the ibackers,
but insist they still plan to do the
Jerome Lawrence-Robert E. Lee-
Harry Warren musical version of
James Hilton's novel before the
deadline . . . Gene Walton Sr., head
of Walton Hauling & Transfer,
recuperating in Overlook Hospital,
Summit, N. J., after major surgery.

Peter Cookson plans to produce
a stage edition of the Don M.
Mankiewicz novel “Trial," to be
dramatized by the author. He also
figures on appearing in it opposite
his wife; Beatrice Straight. Metro's
film version of the yam about a
framed murder charge against a
Mexcan youth is due for release
soon, .

‘Dfead on Nine’ Raticd
As Thin London Entry

London, . Aug. 30.

James P. Sherwood presented
the only new -legit entry in town
last week. “Dead on Nine," which

preemed at the Westminster last
Wednesday; (24), is a contrived
crime meller, authored by Jack
Popplewell, with the leads played
by Hy Hazell and Griffith Jones.

Plot lacks stamina and credibil-
ity to stay the course for three
acts. Lukewarm press added to the
heatwave indicate thin prospects.

Her producer -husband,
Guthrie McClintic, tells
the inside story of one
of the greatest actresses
in the American Theater.

If you like the theatre you won't
want to miss this vivid close-up
of this great husband-wife part-
nership.

You'll go behind the footlights
With Katharine in her climb to
stardom ... be with her in some
of her most famous roles , . .

Learn how they created their un-
equalled performance of “Romeo
and Juliet" ... be there as
Guthrie guides actors, electri-
cians, designers in the little de-
tails that can make or break an
opening.

Be sure you read “Me and Kit"
in the September Journal.

A C U ” T I S MAGAZINE

TOUPEES

THAT DEFY DETECTION

Hollywood - Crowcut • Pompadours
Can ba used for

Sleeping * Swimming
Sports, etc.

FREE CONSULTATION
Samples on Hand

Mall Orders Guaranteed
THEATRICAL WIGS OP ALL TYPES
• COR RENT A SALE

I ETDfTU 67 W. 46 Si NY C.
InCfEl WHI j li 2-399'Z

Bristol, Pa., Aug. 29, 1955

Dear Julie Gibson:

Thank you for breaking our all-time box office record.
Your “Tondeleyo" in “White Cargo" is the high-point
of our long stock career. (Since 1946 we have presented
America's greatest name stars; yet none of them attained
for us your record!)

I know you will join me in thanks to your cast of
players — headed by handsome John Himes, undoubtedly
the smoothest leading man to play for us in many years; 1
Leslie Cutler, Joseph Vispi and Larry Barton.

Please thank your manager. Buddy Ottenberg, and A1
Nirenberg for releasing you from their fabulous “Wedge"
in* Philadelphia for your engagement with us.

We lqve you*

The Kenley Players
' — and specifically
John Kenley

KATHARINE

CORNELL

Wednesday, August 31, 1955

Shows Abroad

A Life In the San

Edinburgh. Aug. 22.

Edinburgh Festival Society (in associa-
tion with Tennent Productions Ltd.) pro*
ductlon of drama in three aets, . toy
Thornton Wilder. Staged toy Tyrone
Guthrie; decor. Tanya -Moiselwitsch. At
Assembly HaU. Edinburgh. Aug 22. '55;
•2' top.

Apollo , Michael David

Death John Kidd

Watchman Laurence' Hardy

Alceatia 'Irene Worth

Aglaia ............... Madeleine Christie

Teireslas ............... Geoffrey Dunn .

Boy ....:. David Gloag

Admetus Robert Hardy

Herdsmen. . . .Philip Guard. John ‘Scholan,
Peter Fox, Peter DUguid
Hercules ................. Rupert Davies

2d Watchman Peter Beyliss

Eplmenes Alexander Davlon

Cheriandcr Michael Bates

Agls Robert Spealeht

Guards ...... Michael Allison, Timothy

Findley, John Grelg, David Saxby
Servants . Jennifer Wright, Mary Wylie

People .of. Thessaly: William Robertson,
John MacDonald, william Lyon Brown,
Joyce Allan, Betty Thorburn, Joyce C.
Kerr, Ann Tlrard, Helena Gloag, Ann
Gibson, Peter Smallwood, Pat Magee.

Thornton Wilder might almost
take out Auld Lang SyriS citizen-
ship by virtue of his link with the
. Edinburgh International. Festival.
His latest play, “A Life in the
Sun,” a far from sunshiny pieces
about Gods and mortals, is the
major dramatic offering of this

• year’s art junket* following his
elicko. of last summer in “The
Matchmaker.”

“Life in the Sun,” specially com*
missioned for the Festival and only
completed within recent weeks, is
a prestige item, but from a com-
' merclal viewpoint, it will be lim-
ited through its planned produc-
tion for only the apron style" of
stage. The audience is used as part
of the proceedings in the 400 B.C.
courtyard of Admetus, King of
Thessaly. Wilder himself concedes
that the play would lose much in
the ordinary theatre. He visualizes
its' staging in churches because of
its unusual structure.

“Life” is a distinguished play
with a sound cast, some confusing
patches, an inconclusive third act.
following an action highlight In the
second act, a quota of naive' and
humorously conversational dialog,
and standout thesping ,by the lead-
ing femme, Nebraska-bora Irene
Worth.

The tale of King Admetus and
Queen Alcestis is played on an
alternatively dark and bright open
Stage. Doors of the uncomfortable
and ancient Assembly Hn \ nor-
mally used for church jnfabs,
serve as courtyard 'gates, and the
support players enter and exit
through the aisles, giving custom-
ers. a feeling of being centered in
midst of the busy action.

Lighting is cleverly used to con-
vey gloom and sunlight,. Offstage
crying and knocking is fairly effec-
tive and several characters make
aside speeches to the three-sided
audience.

The story, out of Euripides, is
the familiar one of sacrifice by
Alcestis when King Admetus must
die, her return from Hades through
•the efforts of the muscular Her-
cules, and her eventual banish-
ment to mere serfdom under the
usurping King Agis. Transition of
the femme from hopeful bride and
princess through queenship to
death and tragedy and burdened

• old age is skilfully managed by a
depth of acting by Miss Worth.

Tyrone Guthrie, a master at
apron stage style, groups his play-
ers cleverly, uses effective pauses
and silences, and always has a busy
lived-in atmosphere. His move-
ments of the players in the third
Ret, when pestilence has driven
plague And desperation on Thes-
saly, are especially good.

In a part originally planned for
Montgomery Clift, who backed out
because he disagreed about the
characterization, Robert Hardy
brings genteel refinement and
. pleasant style to the relatively
King Admetus. Madeleine Christie

shows suitable anguish as the
nurse,, and Rupert Daviess tosses
muscular strength around as a
hearty Hercules. •

As . the messenger- Teireslas,
Geoffrey Dunn conveys the mood
of ancient forgetfulness spiced
with nonchalant humor, and Rob-
ert Speaight is virile as. King Agis.
Michael Philip Guard’s first herds-
man is well conceived, and Lau-
rence Hardy offers a richly comic
cameo ws the philosophising Watch-
man who , begs mortals not to
ruminate on the facts of life at
three in the morning.

Michael David has diction clarity
and youth as a sunny god Apollo,
John Kidd makes a fearsome fig-
ure of Death, and Alexander
Davion and Michael Bates are con-
vincing as the two sons.

Simple set of the- Thessaly pal*
ace is admirably contrived by
Tanya Moiseiwitsch, and the light-
ing is notable. Gord. ,

Bead on Nine

London, Aug. 25. .

James P. Sherwood production of melo-
drama in three acts, by Jack Fopplewell.
Stars Griffith Jones, Hy Hazell, Andrew
Cruickshank. Stated by Geoffrey Ward-
well. At Westminster Theatre, London,
Aug. 24, '55: 12.15 top.

Robert Leigh Griffith .Tones

Esmeralda Leigh Hy Hazell

Richard FarroW ... Andrew Cruickshank

Marlcn Dale Jean Lodge

Gladys Gabrielle Hamilton

Leslie Booth Anthony SneU

Tom Hammond ...... Maurice Kaufmann.

Despite its modest overhead —
there’s only a small cast and a
single sdt— 'Dead on Nine” lacks
the punch to Stay the course, par-
ticularly opening in the middle of
a heatwave. Jack Popplewell’s new
crime meller, too obviously con-
trived, fails on several counts and
can only hope for a limited run.

The setting is a cottagcron the
south coast of England and the
principal characters are a writer
of thrillers and his wealthy wife
who no longer loves him but re-
fuses a divorce. On the scene, also,
Is the writer’s attractive secretary-
mistress. They plan the perfect
murder and as the husband would
be' the- obvious suspect, the actual
killing is left to the girl while he
establishes an alibi by being away
from home with a neighboring
Scotland Yard officer. The plot
misfires, however, and the rela-
tionship between husband and wife
becomes «ven more strained. Fi-
nally, there’s another murder, and
retribution comes when each is
charged with the crime committed
by the other.

The plot withstands analysis
during the first act, but as it must
be consi4ered unlikely for a play-<
wrlght to eliminate his leading
lady before the first curtain, there
is little doubt that the plan to
dispose of the wife will go awry.
Thereafter, the happenings defy
conviction. The situations, like

PS&tfflFr

New ‘Don Juan’ Quartet
Opens Sept. 19, Frisco

San Francisco, Aug. 30.

G. B, Shaw’s “Don Juan in Hell”
will open at the Geary here Sept.
19 as the start of a North American
tour. Sharing billing will be Ed-
ward Arnold, Reginald Denny,.
Maty Astor and . Ricardo Montal-
ban. Agnes Moorhead, who ap-
peared in Paul Gregory’s original
platform edition of the drama, is
directing.

After a week here, the company
will go on to Seattle and into Can-
ada.

Post-Flood Rehearsals

aaa Continued from, p&ge 5 $ ss

sical, Cole Porter’s oldie “You
Never Know,” possibly as the sea-
son finale. Otherwise, he’ll just
call it quits for the season; as of
Aug. 19, when the flood occurred.

. Ellis estimates his expenses
from the flood at about $30,000, ex-
cluding Whatever he may have to
pay as salaries; The loss includes
damage to . the playhouse, plus de-
struction of equipment, . scenery,
costumes and props, etc.

Equity’s Flood Stance

Equity officials notified all stack
managements last spring that be-
cause the hurricane season in the
eastern U. S. is now a predictable
hazard for which insurance is ob-
tainable, the union might not rec-
ognise such storms under the
“Act of Gpd” clause in its “ per-
formances Idst” rule. However,
the union council voted last week
to permit its officials to accept
such claims in the case of Hurri-
cane Connie and the subsequent
floods.

It's understood that in. the ab-
sence of executive secretary Angus
Duncan, who was on vacation, as-
sistant exec-sec Ben Irving argued
that the “Act of God ” clause should
not apply to Hurricane Connie
flood claims, while assistant exec-
sec Paul Ross . favored allowing
union officials to decide each
claim on its merits.

too much of the dialog, are cliche-
ridden. ' v

The play is adequately acted and
staged. Griffith Jones and Hy
Hazell are a reliable pair of leads.
Andrew Cruickshank impresses as
the. neighbor from Scotland Yard,
and Jean Lodge has a nice presence
as the secretary., Anthony Snell
walks away with his only scene,
Maurice Kufmann does a standard
job as a neighboring farmer who
also comes to a sticky end, and
Gabrieli .Hamilton easily copes
with a small part as a domestic.

Myro.

LEGITIMATE

Douglas-Gahagan Gabber
Opens Atlanta’s Season

' Atlanta, Aug. 30.

Melvyn ■ Douglas, and Helen Gar
hagan (Douglas) will 6pen the local
theatre season Oct. 22 in “One
Plus One,” a program of readings
from the classics. The show,
booked by Famous Artists, Inc.,
will play the Roxy.

Other bookings set by the same
agency include Cornelia Otis Skin-
ner in her one-woman show, Dec.
6; “Don Juan in Hell,” with Ed-
ward Arnold, Reginald Denny-
Mary Astor and Ricardo Montal-
ban, Jan. 20; Dublin Players in
Oscar Wilde’s “Ideal Husband,”
March 2, and two concert offerings.

S. Russell Bridges, vet local
booker, is prez of Famous Artists,
with Ralph P. Bridges as treasurer
and J. Paget Rudolph secretary.

Wm. Morris Booking Tour

Melvyn Douglas and Helen Ga-
hagan will play an initial'series of

25 one-nighters in “One Plus One.”
Couple will open their tour Sept.

26 in Omaha, with subsequent
dates including Oct. 6 at the
Brooklyn Academy of Music and
a solo two-nighter Nov. 1-2 in Chi-
cago.

The William Morris agency is
lining up the tour.

Baltimore, Ayg. 30.

Baltimore, one of the key cen-
ters in the little theatre movement
of the ’20s, is still a beehive of
non-pro legit activity. Commu-
nity groups flourish in this locale,
with one operation, the Vagabonds,
going into its. 40th season in Oc-
tober, and another, the Playshop,
approaching its 35tii semester.

The Playshop operates on. the
campus of John Hopkins U. An-
other college operation, which an-
tedates the more experimental
Playshop group. Is the Barnstorm-
ers. The Vagabonds have been per-
forming in arena style at the Con-
gress Hotel in recent years follow-
ing the loss of its intimate theatre.

The Stagecrafters, comparative-
ly young with only 12 seasons un-
der its belt, recently severed its
original connection with the Balti-
more Municipal Dept, of Recrea-
tion. A nucleus of 35 members
contributed sufficient coin : to lease
and remodel a 200-seat auditorium
in downtown Baltimore, formerly
broadcasting headquarters for
WBMD.

Other groups in operation at
least 10 years include the Valley
Players, Ruxton Players and the
Dramatic Workshop of the Jew-
ish Community Center. The Enoch
Pratt Free Library instituted a
series of dramatic readings last
winter, with a repeat skedded for
the fall. Incidentally, Borah Z.
Burman, Baltimore correspondent
for Variety, is boning up on di-
rection with the Stagecrafters. ’

JEANNE

JERREMS

Miranda

The Tempestl

EMPIRE STATE
MUSIC FESTIVAL
September 2nd & 3rd

FOR SALE: TENT

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J THE MUNICIPAL OPERA

“Richard Eastham, the formar St. Louisan who rota to fame in tha rola
of Emiio da Becque, had tha rola again and did it superbjy. His bass-
baritone, if anything, was batter than bafora — vibrant, virila, resonant,
of tremendous volume, yet so fluid it slides smoothly into piano modula-
tion. As an actor, he surcharges the rola with intensity. Tha man ha
shows has sura dignity, depth and stature.”

L Dl , P

Richard Eastham. Ha is impressive as singer end actor, making Emile
da Becque^n entrancing character and "Soma Enchanted Evening”

RICHARD EASTHAM

Note to Messrs. RODGERS, HAMMER-
STEIN, LOGAN and HAYWARD! We've
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CONCERT - OPERA

'Wednesday, August 31,

Capri' Aug. 23. +

Gian-Carlo Menotti is resting
here and putting finishing touches
on an opera before heading . for
Rpme and Venice. Menotti is doing
the libretto only for a new opera,
with music by Samuel Barber.
Called “Fun Essor,” this will have
a Danish background and is the ,
result of a longstanding promise,
between Menotti. and. Barber, to
do an opera together. Meanwhile,
Menotti has a new opera ready,
plus two original flint scripts and ]
a play.

Menotti is lookseeing the Eu-
ropean music field and feels that,
at present, the most virile music
is coming from the U.S., mainly
from the pens of Aaron Copland
and Barber. He likes many Con-
tinental composers, but feels that
intrinsically American music is
stronger, with public interest in
music about the same on both
sides. Menotti, whose main theme
has usually been tHe clash between
faith and skepticism, again em-
ploys this on a more social basis
for his new opera, “The Last Su-
perman.” It concerns a bored wo-
man who brings a savage to Amer-
ica. It is here that he is completely
debauched and made primitive.

Menotti said that many critics
have accused him of eclecticism,
but that most composers have no
definite recognizable ’style and
work through creative aspects, or,
in opera, in conjunction with a
dramatic story. He feels that the
essence of art is memory and that
the artist expresses certain formu-
lated attitudes in creative, lyric
terms.

He is somewhat bitter at the b.o.
failure of the film version of “The
Medium” (though it was a prestige
success and won a kudo at the
Cannes Film Fest of '53), and
wants to try again In film. He will
prpbably do one of his originals in
the near future. So far he has not
accepted any offers to attend any
of the various music fests around
Europe in an official capacity, but
may be at the Bordeaux Fest next
year conducting his own works.

Short to Stage ‘Widow’
Ballet for Chi Opera;
Other Preems Planned

Chicago, Aug. 30.

Dance adjunct of Chi’s new Lyric
Theatre, under ballet mistress Ruth
Page, is growing apace. For the
opera, outfit’s second season, begin-
ning Get. 31 at the Civic Opera
House, Miss Page has set up an
ambitious ballet program, as well
as added some top name assists.

Hassard Short, Broadway direc-
tor, will supervise production of
“The Merry Widow,” a 50-minute *
ballet, with Miss Page choreograph-
ing and Rolf Gerard, from Broad-
way and the Met Opera, doing the
sets. Miss Page choreo’d the orig-
inal version, which was first per-
formed by the London Festival
Ballet in London for the Corona-
tion. Ballet is being recreated by
Miss Page for its Chi bow.

Miss Page will also present the
American preem of Monteverdi’s
masque, “IP Ballo Delle Ingrrfte,”
and a revise of the ballet work,
"Revanche,” to Verdi music, which
she choreo’d in Paris for Ballet des
Champs Ely sees. These ballet
works will each form part of a
double-bill the Lyric Theatre will
present, other half comprising a
short opera. .

Ballet Theatre’s Sonia Arova has
joined the company. Alicia Marko-
va, Vera Zorina and Oleg Briansky
are listed as guest stars, v

N. Y. C. Met 62G, S. F.

San Francisco, Aug. 30.
The New York City Ballet im-
proved its take mightily , in its sec-
ond frame at the Opera House
here last week. Troupe presented
. its full-length ballet, “Nutcracker,”

• ■ and drew $02,000 in the 3,250-seat

Bayreuth Sets Record; I Previous stanza, in straight rep-

Spanish Tour Off for ’56 i»a<i ,

Bayreuth* Aug. 30. « n «v m

The 1055 season of the Richard l$t bOmUM UEUCO IrOUpC
Wagner Festival in Bayreuth a* «i i\ • r 11

closed on a record of 50,000 spec- dmCe WET I)UC 1U Tall

tutors for the 25 performances. _ i

ScSs to 1 S 0n 12-Week Nat 1 Tour

both direct and by delayed tape First German dance troupe to
transmission. „ come to the U. S, since the war, the

Examination of press reaction to Dance Theatre-Berlin, will qrrive
the “new Bavreuth style” of Sept. 30 by air for a three-month
Wagner presentation indicates ,,c$>astwide tour. Company of 14,.
that the Wagner grandchildren, plus two pianists, is being pre-
Wolfgang and Wieland, are in the sented by A 1 b e r t Morini. Group
process of revolutionizing the tech- will ■■•be under sponsorship of the
niqtie of operatic staging. The Bay- West Berlin Senate and the Bonn
reuth style is seen as bound to government’s cultural division, the
have strong effects on other opera two sharing in part of. the passage
houses, even in non-Wagnerian m oney.

productions. Morini has booked ai 12-week

As for the much-discussed guest tour of 63 dates, with 36 of these
tour in Spain, Bayreuth officials dates having been set with Colum-
announce a definite nixing of any bia Artists Mgt. for its Community
such plans for the 1956 season, series, especially on the Coast,
while negotiations with Barcelona Tour Will open in Easton, Md., Oct.
continue for 1957. 1, and Include Baltimore, Waishing-

— ; — : — ; — — ton, and other big cities, heaiding

0 'west. Only Greater New York ap-

WT* n in. pearance will be at the Academy

Longhair Disk Reviews

Concert Bits

Ltfben Vichey, Met Opera basso
who bought the National Concert
& Artists Corp. this summer, is re-
turning to N.Y. Friday (2) after a
trip to Europe.

^harles E. Green, prez Of Con-
solidated Artists, back from his
summer’s biz trip to Japan.

Kenneth Allen preparing a road
trip for the month of September,
to fill in gaps in his artists’ book-
ing sked.

American organist E. Power
Biggs hrs keen making guest ap-
pearance this ir?::t’i with the Mo-
zarteum Orch n i r.'Vjurg, Ernst
Marzcndorfer conducting.

of Music, Brooklyn, at end of the
- - x tour, on Dec. 21-22. Average fee

for the troupe runs from $1,750 to

For 250G U S’ Tour *.»

I UI LOW V.U. 1UU1 has drawn from the ballet of the

Stadtische Opera in Berlin. Reper-
Tlie Vienna Philharmonic will toire is somewhat similar to the
make its first visit to the U. S., j 00ss Ballet, comprising modern,
m November, 1956, for a 33-day comic and classic dance.' Featured
tour involving 25. to 28 concerts. ls to be a version of “Hamlet,”
^. ew Chicago, Boston and choreo’d by the group’s director,

Washington will get two concerts Tatjana Gsovsky, to niusic by the
each. Take can go up to $9/10,000 contemporary German composer,
a concert (depending on seating ]j or j s Blacher. Company stars Gi-

C ? P \ C oS’a J lth D a P° tel } tial g ros | sela Deege and Gert’Reinholm.

Budget is Morini’s other big ventures this

ahnnV° 0 «fi non^pno^pr? 1 nr season include the Irish Festival

f week to b/eak even. $ ’° "&L^S r S n s g If-

* - ti * ^ ^ % l * o * week tour, and the Virtuosi di

n'nrt Roma, coming back for their fourth

U. S. and back. Tour is being hit*

handled here by National Concert "f felc® Xluh rS.I^hi! b T?I
& Artists Corp., with most nego-
tiations having been handled per-

sonally, by NCAC prez M^rks ^ Monm, « > °A g ? they haVe
Levine, who refers to the tour a s s ^! ne Community dates.

“my last gesture to the music pro- ' •

fession.” (Levine and co-owner w L * rv* l n •

O. O. Bottorff sold NCAC to Luben LORgnRir lllSK K6Y1CWS

Vichey, as of Oct. 1, but may 9

stay on as consultants). NCAC L— —————— — —

guaranteed about $150,000 to the Elgar: Enigma Variations, Cock-
orch for the tour. * . .... aigne Overture, Serenade for

Orch was supposed to visit the strings (Columbia). Sir Thomas
U. S. in 1954 under Sol Hurok’s Beeeham and Royal Philharmonic
management, but deal fell through in very persuasive, authoritative
when orch insisted on being eon- readings of the brilliant “Enigma,”
ducted by the late and contro- vivid “Cockaigne” and lyric, Sere-
verSial Wilhelm Furtwangler. Ear- nade. Choice disk,
lier this year it had been an- Critic’^- Choice (RCA Victor),
nounced that Karl Boehm* direc- Fine memorabilia and nostalgia in
tor of the Vienna Opera, would these pickings from the past by
conduct the ’56 tour. Austrian D C - music critic Paul Hume, with
Erich Kleiber and Belgian Andre Alexander Kipnis, Rosa Raisa and
Cluytens have been finally set as Feodor Chaliapin selections stand-

conductors, Kleiber for 15 con- ou £; ^ . .

certs, Cluytens for about 10. t> Dalibar * (Colosseum).

Kleiber who conducted the nrp Rarely-heard heroic opera is 1 m-

liSJrS pressive, with stirring, .martial
^ lecently quit c h 0ruses an( j. fl ne solos. The

as director .of the opera in _East p rague National Theatre negoti-
Berlin in a fight with the Reds. ates it in high style.

Cluytens, musical director of the Family of Man (Vanguard.) This
Paris Opera-Comique, has never i s an unusual collection of folk
conducted here. The Vienna Phil- music. The*Russiaft Folk Songs al-
harmonic was founded in 1842, 11 bum is outstanding, with fresh,
days before the N. Y.. Philhar- vigorous music interpreted by fine
monic, and is one of the top orchs artists. Also fine is Austrian Folk
in Europe. Music, with’ yodels, marching songs

— and Village tunes in vernacular.

.... ' n mi Basque Folk Songs is also good.

I\|Y llfv flnArA v>wir Argentiha, Africa and Brazil are

11. 1. l/Iiy upcid GC15 J VTIU also included; the last-named tends

Fall Tour After Home Stay a SSl i*. An a

The N: X City Ope» Co., pre- l^Z.e'a.S ? :££& &
senting a fall season of five weeks f ave s and pop Spanish music. Sec-
at City Center, N, Y., starting Oct. ond (Joys and Sorrows) seems to

5, will follow this with a three- )? e ,^ e stnmge 1 ' collection, with

’ .. , . _ ... familiar Granados and Albeniz m-

week tour, beginning Nov. 7 in c i u ded. Spirited performances by

Boston. Tour will be shorter than t be Madrid Orquestra Zarzuela un-
last fall, management finding that jjer Torroba.
one-night stands don’t pay off. Other disks of interest: Igor
Boston will get seven perform- Oistrakh Recital (Vanguard) the
ances Nov. 7-12; Detroit eight from gifted youngster fiddling an im-
Nov. 14-20, plus another Nov. 23; pressive way through some appeal-
East Lansing two, Nov. 21-22, and standards; Menotti s dramatic
Cleveland four Nov. 25-27, for 22 Sebastian’ Suite and Gould
performances in all. _Dane e Variations,^ sparked by

General director Joseph Rosen- L 0 \v e as pianists in the latter (RCA
stock returns to N. Y. Friday (2) victor); a generous helping of
after a couple of weeks’ vacation Roussel, in his Petite Suite, Con-
in Maine, following conducting certos and Sinfonietta, robust
stints here, and abroad this sum- pieces thfiugh impressionistic in
mer. Regular rehearsals start Sept. - erivation are well played by .the
18, although the chorus begins re- Lamoureux Orch under Saeher
I hearsing- after Labor Day. '• I (Epic). Bron .

Olin Downes, music critic of the N, Y. Times for 31 years, who died
a week ago Moqday (22), was severally honored last week. An Olin
Downes Fellowship w^s created at the MacDowell Colony in Peter-
borough, N. H„ enabling a .composer annually to live and work at the
Colony during the summer or winter season. The N. Y. Philharmonic
announced that it would dedicate its concerts of Oct, 27-28 to the
critic's memory, with special music scheduled, and the tribute so ‘com-
memorated in the published programs. A memorial* program to the
vet reviewer was aired over WNYC, N, Y., Gotham’s municipal radio
station, Thursday afternoon (25). There'll also be a Coast tribute, when,.
Leopold Stokowski conducts Stravinski’s Mass in Downes' memory
during the closing copiert of the Pacific Coast Festival at Santa
Barbara Sept. 18, -

The San Francisco Examiner has hired a ballet manager-pressagent
td review the Visiting New York City Ballet's current run at the Opera
House, while Alexander. Fried, the paper’s regular critic, is in Europe.
The substitute critic is James Graham-Lujan, who not only manages
Lew Christensen's San Francisco Ballet Co. school but also serves as
the ballet cpmpany's pressagent. Christensen doubles as director of
the S. F. troupe and as associate director under George Balanchine
of the N. Y. City Ballet in Gotham. There is interchange of choreog-
raphy and performers between the two companies, Graham-Lujan’s
^reviews have been favorable,

Harry Draper, Nashville/musician and manager, has been appointed
general manager of the Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, succeeding Mrs.
Lulu C. Naff, who has retired after 51 years with the hall, -most of
them as manager. Mrs. Naff, a Nashville celebrity and impresario, who
presented legit and longhair personalities at the Auditorium for dec-
ades, is being honored with a reception at the Hermitage Hotel, Nash-
ville, tomorrow (Tliurs.), with, leading political, . civic and show biz
figures in attendance. Auditorium hoard elected Mrs. Naff general
manager emeritus in honor of her lengthy service.

“A/ Man and His Music,” featuring concert artists in an informal,
variety-program format, will be presented on the WRCA-TV, N. Y.,
experimental program series, “Television Workshop,” this Sunday (3).
Program, aimed to hypo appeal of longhair music on tv, is being offered
in cooperation with Columbia Artists Mgt. Artists participating in-
clude Met contralto Martha Lipton, duo-piano team of Whittemore Se
Lowe, and the Songmasters, male quartet. Skitch Henderson* will' be
emcee. James Elson is producer-director. Format and set will be
deliberately simple, with Henderson casually strolling through the set
introducing each artist in turn, in a relaxed, informal atmosphere un-
like the concert hall.

Sec. of State John Foster Dulles has written a letter of appreciation
to Lincoln Kirstein, general director of the New York City Ballet;
on behalf of the troupe’s European tour, which was sponsored by the
State Dept. “It is apparent from the highly favorable, reports received
by the Dept, that the New York' City- Ballet did much to^win recogni-
tion and respect for the quality of American ballet,” saidDulles.

New Werner Egk Opera, 'Legend/ In
Salzburg Bow; Music Defers to Plot

By PAUL PIMSLEDR

Salzburg, Aug. 23,

The premiere of a new opera at
the Salzburg Festival is a big event
in the musical world. This season’s
new work is “Irish Legend,” with
text and music by the German com-
poser Werner Egk. It preemed
here Aug. 17, with 20 curtain calls
at the close from enthused audi-
ence.

The opera’s biggest plus value
is its fine libretto, based, an a play
by W. B. Yeats. The play was
specifically Irish in character, but
Egk, in making an opera of it* has
generalized and made it meaning-
ful for all mankind.

The story, begins in the demon-
forest, the home of evil, where the
demons plan to bring all men under
their power by means of fear and
hunger. The Countess Cathleen
sells all her possessions to- bring
aid to her people. When no other
way remains, she offers her own
soul to the demons. They joyfully
accept, but the angels intercede
and Cathleen is borne to finale
salvation:

The text is full of fascinating
philosophical implications, which
comprise the opera’s chief excel-
lence. It poses (in symbolic fash-
ion) the eternal problem of free
will versus determinism. It asks
whether the artist is a responsible
citizen who must Share his society’s
trials and sorrows, or is he a priv-
ileged being, not concerned by
mundane affairs? The opera is
highly pertinent to today’s prob-
lems, for ,the desolation which
comes' over the land resembles
closely the effects of the . atom
bomb plast at Hiroshima.

The music isn’t on as high a
plane as the text. It’s wonderfully
effective in expressing suspense,
excitement or anxiety. But almost
completely lacking is a note of
lyricism; which ls sorely missed.
Certain moments are potentially
very touching in the opera, but
they are never fully realized. Only
Cathleen has a few passages where
some tenderness come forth. But
this quality is almost completely
Tacking in the poet. Aleel, where it
is ipbst needed,.

The thickness and noisiness of
the instrumentation sometimes
blankets the text completely. How-
ever, Egk’s music has the impor-
tant virtue of making its point

clearly and understandably. He
writes for the general public, fend
not for other musicians.

“Irish Legend” has been staged
by a team consisting of director
Oscar Fritz Schuh, designer Caspar
Neher and conductor George Szell.
Nelier has designed the costumes
as well as the sets, and the former .
are uniformly excellent. The direc-
tion of Schuh lends reality and
dramatic impact to this ’ operatic
legend, which is almost classical in
its economy of means, despite its
rich symbolism.

As for the conducting; Szell
seems to handle the score wonder-
fully well, though this is hard to
judge in a new work. He uses the
Vienna Philharmonc, with the Vi-
enna State Opera chorus to assist*

A newcomer to the festival*
soprano Inge Borkh, sings the main
role of Cathleen. She succeeds
in enhancing the somewhat cold
music and extracting what, little
pathos the score allows. The poet
Aleel is sung yvith intelligence by
Kurt Boehme, but the role calls
for an Italian baritone and
Boehme’s German voice and im-
posing frame seem miscast . at
times.*

American soprano Chloe ‘Owen
is one of the owls. The function of
the two owls is to provide a mock-
ing commentary upon the proceed-
ings, and this ls one of the most
successful elements in the score. A
special word must be said about
dancer Maria Litto, who portrays
a snake, writhing her way through-
out the opera in a skintight cos-
tume. The interpretation is re-
markable, though the idea is of
questionable taste and draws atten-
tion away from the rest of the ac-
tion:

“Irish Legend” is one of the rare
operas whose text ^superior to its
music. Though excellent in many
respects, it doesn’t seem destined
to enter the classical operatic
repertory,

Greco $54,000, L.A.

Los Angeles, Aug. 30.

Jose Greco & Go. grossed a fine
$54,000 at the Greek Theatre here
last week, at a $4 top.

This wound up the season for
the al fresco 4,400-seater. which
racked up a gigantic $425,000 for
its nine-week summer run. . ■>. 1

Wednesday, August 31, 1953

Mrs. Luce's Venice Nix

sssssssssm Continued front pace 2 a— t.

constituted “flagrant political cen-
sorship, ’* Schary held.

Special Foreword

It was pointed out further by
Metro that “Juiigle,” which inci-
dentally is due for showing at the
Edinburgh film fest Sept. 11, has
a special foreword for foreign re-
lease. It states that the scenes and
incidents depicted' are fictional
and that “The U.S. is fortunate in
having a school system that is a
tribute to its faith in youth.

“Since World War II, many
countries are concerned with ju-
venile delinquency . . . its cause
. . . and its effects. They are es-
pecially concerned when this de-
linquency boils over into the
schools. We believe that public
awareness is always a remedy for
any problem. It is in this spirit
and with this faith' that ‘Black-
board JungleV. was “produced.”

Question of how to handle films
accenting unfavorable aspects of
American life has always haunted
Hollywood. Except for a short
period immediately after the war,
there has never actually been any
control imposed on the companies
by either the Government or their
own org, the Motion Picture Assn,
of America.

“Screening” of undesirable films
is being done, and has been done
in the past, by the distribs them-
selves. This has led to some mis-
understandings and disagreements.
It's recalled that Warner Bros, at
one point raised a storm by re-
leasing a war pic in Japan. Some
of the other distribs protested, but
WB screened the film for the State
Dept, and the Pentagon and went
ahead anyway.

Issue was raised again, with the
export of “Salt of the Earth,” an
anti-management film backed by a
Bed-tainted union. Despite the “dis-
cussion, the pic was shown abroad.

'Most of those in the industry
seem to feel that, in allowing films
to be shown abroad' that are critical"
of the U.S., this country stands to
gain rather than lose with audi-
ences "that admire the American
capacity for self-criticism. At the
same time, it’s realized that Com-
munist and other elements outside
the U.S. cite such pix as proof of
their own distorted version of
American life and problems.

The only area where the indus-
try itself has taken a firm stand On.
this question is in the sale of pix
to Russia or her satellites. When
the Motion Picture Export Assn,
was still functioning, the list of
films offered to those countries
was screened strictly with a view
to eliminating pictures that might
lend themselves — possibly via ju-
dicious editing — to anti-American
propaganda.

Tactful — And Not

In the days after the war, with
occupation armies in Germany and
Japan, American film companies
did consult Washington quite ex-
tensively on the suitability of cer-
tain films for local showing. In
other instances, too, the distribs
use tact and discretion. For in-
stance, 20th-Fox never released its
“Rommel” film in France. On the
Olher hand, it put “Viva Zapata”
Into Mexico (and immediately ran
into a lot of trouble).

Venice incident strikes observers
as interesting since, over the years,
both Vertices and Cannes fest offi-
cials have been accused of inviting
pix deliberately picked for their
Critical (of the U.S.) content.

There are two official American
entries in Venice — “The Kentuo*
kian” and “To Catch a Thief.” Sev-
eral other pix, including “Black-
board Jungle,” were invited by the
Italians, who thus also had the
right to “disinvite” them.

Classic, and oft-cited, example
Of a pic boomeranging on foreign
critics was “Grapes of Wrath,”
which somehow found its way into
Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia. In-
stead of commiserating with the
dowrt-at-the-heel “Okies,” audi-
ences were much impressed with
the fact that these itinerant labor-
ers traveled around in automobiles.

Metro, while upset by Ambassa-
dor Luce’s action, nevertheless
isn’t unaware that the resultant
publicity for “Jungle” isn’t going
to harm it in its European release.
Pic is rolling up an impressive
gross in the U.S.

One . aspect of the release abroad
of pix critical of U.S.* conditions

is the importance to the distributor
of the foreign revenue. In- the case
of most films, the foreign earnings
represent the profit on a film, and
in some" cases it couldn’t even
break even without the foreign
coin.

More Fest. Pix Yanked

Venice, Aug. 30.

What looked like it was going
to be a peaceful festival here* in
the cadre of the 16th International
Venice Film festival, was sudden-
ly made somewhat stormy by some
political gambit just on the' eve
of the fest beginning! The first
casualty was the prime U. S. prize-
winning hope, “The Blackboard
Jungle” (M-G), when Ambassador
Clare Boothe Luce decided it was
not a fitting film to be shown as
an official entry at an international
[film exhibition, since it showed
America in a derogatory light. .

MOanwhile, a Czechoslovakian
film entry,. “Jan Hus,” was also'
yanked by the fest authorities, for
it. was considered anti-Catholic and
against one of .the principles of the
fest to avoid any slurs against other
participants, French Minister of
I Industry and Finance Andre
Morice nixed the Alexandre Astruc
[film, “Les Mauvaises Rencontres,”

! (The Bad Liaisons) as an official
entry, and it was replaced by an-
other pic, but invited by the fest
| heads and will show here in com-
petition anyway. Its theme is abor-
tion. As fest opened, the tourist
draw was demonstrated by the sud-
den mobbing of the Lido by visitors
and pic personalities. . Though
Venice is having its top tourist
season in decades, the Lido was
j usually uncrowded at night and is
now SRO.

U. S. Contingent In

Ilya Lopert is in and being
lauded as an honorary Venetian
for his exemplary tourist work
with his “Summertime” (UA),
Richard Davis and John G. Mc-
Carthy are in to ogle pix for their
new distrib outfit in the U. S. of
foreign pix, and Victor Saville,
Rouben Mamoulian and Arthur
Hornblow Jr. are exchanging
stories between /beach and pix. Ex-
pected are Burt .Lancaster, Mel
Ferrer, Jose Ferrer, Audrey Hep-
burn, Olivia De Havillan<j, Diana
Dors, Emlyn Williams, Yves Mont-
and, Siren Arjemova, Brigitte
Bardot, Jack Hawkins, Richard
Todd, Anouk Aimee, Jeanne
Moreau, Jean-Claude Pascal, Dirk
Bogarde and Ida Lupino. Lancaster
will come down, if he can leave
his “Trapeze” chores in Paris, to
inaugurate a square dance party
thrown by UA after the showing
of “The Kentuckian” (UA) Sept. 3.

“Jungle” was regarded as one
of the > leading prize contenders
here and with it out, it looks like
the Japanese are the top favorites,
with many sleepers probably In the
offing. “The Big Knife” (UA) looks
to cut itself into attention and Carl,
Dreyer’s first pic in 10 years from
Denmark in “Ordet” is another to
be watched. There are also solid
French, Italian, U. S. and smaller
country entries and it looks like
anybody’s fest at this writing, but
the loss of “Jungle” will be felt.

Laew Blasts Mrs. Luce’s
‘Personal Censorship’

In Venice ‘Jungle’ Nix

Arthur Loew, prexy of Loew’s
International, yesterday (Tues.)
denounced the action of Clare
Boothe Luce, U. S. Ambassador to
Italy, in forcing withdrawal of
“Blackboard Jungle” from the Ven-
ice film fest, as posing “a funda-
mental threat to the very existence
of the motion picture industry.”

In a strong statement,. Loew dis-
closed he had filed “a vigorous pro-
test with Sec. of State John Foster
Dulles” in the hope that the indus-
try would , “never again be sub-
jected to such unwarranted per-
sonal censorship at the hands of
our diplomatic representatives."

“The basie question is' whether
any American representative
abroad may enforce censorship by
threat and by the exercise of the
power of his political office,” Loew
held. “It is my firm conviction
that censorship, always undesir-
able, is most dangerous when en-
forced through usurpation of pow-
er. That is the road which leads
inevitably to the .curbing of free-
dom of expression and eventually

LITERATI

to the stultifying of all creative
thought.”

Loew quoted Mrs, Luce as saying
that Italian failure to comply with
her- wishes re “Jungle” would re-
sult in her stalking out as a guest
of the festival and that, in such
an event,, she would “create the
biggest scandal in motion picture
history.”

“I was both shocked and sur-
prised by Mrs. Luce’s precipitous
action in furthering censorship by
threat,” Loew stated, “M-G-M will
never confine its production activi-
ties to stories of smiling, happy
peasants— the path to which the
Ambassador’s action would inexor-
ably lead!” He added he sympa-
thized with the dilemma confront-
ing the Venice authorities.

Literati

Flooded Out

Harper’s was a post-Diane hur-
ricane casualty because its Scran-
ton, Pa., printing plant was inun-
dated by the floods.

It has set back the fall lists sev-
eral weeks because of the damage.

Spaeth Testimonial

Harry Kerschfield will join Ben
Grauer ..and James Fassett as mas-
ters of ceremonies, at the Sigmund
Spaeth Testimonial Concert at
Town Hall, N.Y., Oct. 4. Among
otters who will appear are Met
Opera contralto • Martha Lipton and
singer 1 Martha Wright.

Proceeds of the concert will go
to the Louis Braille Music Insti-
tute, publisher of The Braille Mu-
sician, America’s only music maga-
zine for the blind, and distributor^
of standard phonograph records
with Braille labels and Braille
jackets. Spaeth, now editor of
Music Journal, is president - of the
Institute.

‘American Salesman* Bows

Reportedly the first mag of V its ,
kind dedicated to salesmanship as :
a profession, The American Sales- 1
man bowed this week as a sub-
scription only publication. With a
digest-size format, the mag aims !
to “improve selling techniques
and, at the same time,- to raise the
salesman’s pride in his own pro-
fession.”

. Publisher is Michael Gore,
known as a “million-dollar book
salesman,” while Dr. Frank King-
don, author and lecturer, is editor.
Other execs include Louis A. Falk,
v.p. - treasurer; Shirley Merzon,
secretary; Arthur H. Little, asso-
ciate editor, and Lynn Rockwell,
art director.

Sherwood-Chapman’s Footnote

Garrison P. Sherwood and. John
Chapman have compiled and edit-
ed “The Best Plays of 1894-1899”
(Dodd, Mead, $5) which, added to
the series of the late Burns Man-
tle Yearbooks, fills the gap be-
tween Vol. XV of Prof. George C.
D. Odell’s “Annals of the New
York Stage” and the earliest book
in the Mantle series, which here-
tofore commenced with the 1899
season.

Odell hoped to carry his work to
the 1900 season, and thus, with
the work of Mantle and his asso-
ciates, to offer a complete record
of major stage productions in New
York from the beginning, to the
present. Odell died in 1949, and his
monumental works, published by
Columbia University Press, were
concluded.

Sherwood and Chapman had al-
ready worked backward from Man-
tle’s original one-season yearbook
(1919-20), and had produced two
voluihes, covering the seasons of
1899-1909 and 1909-1919. With
their newest effort, the tremendous
task is completed, and it remains
only for annual yearbooks to con-
tinue Manhattan’s theatre record.

In keeping with Mantle’s “Best
Plays” format, the editors have
selected five outstanding plays,
one from each year of the era
covered. Presented in digest form,
these include “The Case of Re-
bellious Susan” by 'Henry Arthur
Jones, “The Heart of Maryland”
by David Belasco, “Secret Service”
by Wiliam Gillette, “The Little
Minister” by James M. Barrie, and
“Trelawny of the Wells” by Arthur
Wing Pinero. Balance of the book
includes complete production sta-
tistics for the period. Do ton.

CHATTER

Playwright Ed Bronner appointed
drama critic of the magazine,
Films In Review.

Charles Lazarus, who joined the
Newark Star-Ledger two years ago
as editorial writer and editor of
•TV Time, is returning to his native
Montreal for an editorship with
British United Ppess, Canadian
branch of UP.

SCULLY'S SCRAPBOOK I

By Frank Scully

Hollywood.

From Detroit comes well-sustained reports that beginning in 1956,
a few models are going to be equipped with safety belts. This won’t
do much to save the lives of those; doomed to sudden death over the
Labor Day holidays, Jbut it should mean quite a decrease by 1957, now
that the nations have decided to put off indefinitely the disintegration

and radiation of whole countries,

When this improvement is made in cars; due recognition should be
made of -Hubert Pryor (Rudy) Vallee’s long campaign along these
lines. His primary interest, of course, was in himself and his con-
freres in show biz who travel at high speed from one nitery to an-
other. But he was not unmindful of the well-heeled peasants who are
responsible for boxoffice records.

Scarcely a week goes by but what some figure in the entertainment
world gets his on the open road. Usually it’s. the driver who gets the
worst of it. He has not only a steering wheel to face but a windshield
and two soft shoulders. One resting on his, and the other on the side
of the road. J

. Sometimes, as happened recently to Birig Crosby's kid, he is driving
alone and gets sleepy. He hits a soft shoulder and rolls over a couple
of times. If thrown clear, he may end- with nothing more than a
broken back. Strapped in, however, he might come out of. the mishap
with no serious injuries whatever.

The reason Detroit designers have ducked Safety belts as standard
equipment to date is that th’e sales psychologists argued that the
things wer.e bad for biz. To point out that a car had enough power to
do 120 m.p.h, in areas of the world where, 25 milci zones seem to
abound, appealed to the scofflaw instinct of buyers. But to add “and
here’s your safety belt to keep you from being killed” was felt to be a
sure way to kill a sale.

Vallee, Pioneer of Safety Belts

Vallee, ' whose humor on this subject is something less than side-
splitting* would have a Federal law making it a criminal offense to
drive one block without a fastened safety belt. He even has argued
that the belt should be fastened the moment any one steps into a car,’
since lots of people have had their cars slammed into while standirig
still and some have been even heaved through a windshield from a
standing start.

His own phobia began seemingly with his first T Model Ford. That
was 30 years ago. He would wake up in the middle of the night
screaming and pulling on the springs of his bed, believing they were
the emergency brake.

He got into no trouble, however, until he moved above Fords, Whip-
pets and Chevrdlets into the big. car field. He bought a Packard of
eggshell blue, so he could travel around the country on one-night
stands. Big cars supposedly held to the road and in a smashup would
come out as untroubled as a -modern tank. This was before it was
realized’ that the greater the weight and speed, the worse the wreck.

Though he had some mighty .narrow escapes with the Packard, he
didn’t really get into trouble till he bought into an exclusive set — the
Cadillac 16.

Actually, there were more than 16 owners in this set.. The company
said they had built 400 of these cars and stuck a gold plate on the
dashboard of each of them. They were big and fast and did about
eight miles to the gallon.

This was about the time that Vallee was grooming Alice Faye as a
singer. One summer’s morning, driving to Virginia Beach from Atlan-
tic City in a pouring rain, Vallee and his Cadillac struck a soft shoul-
der. The car shot off between two telegraph poles and rolled over
twice. Vallee came out of it practically unhurt. Miss Faye was found
some feet from the car bleeding badly from one eye. ' Vallee found
his glasses 15 feet from the car.

Six- weeks later our old Vagabond Lover, had another accident. Miss
Faye, still wearing a patch over her eye, was again in the suicide seat.
A small car chugging along at about 30 was holding up their progress.
Vallee swung out to pass the crate on the left when the car about to
be passed suffered a blowout. Vallee’s rear right mudguard was
swiped, throwing his car out of control. He managed to get between
two ...telegraph poles and pull up in a muddy soil. Miss Faye fainted'
dead away. Another gal in the back seat went through the left rear
window.

Though obviously Vallee couldn’t be held responsible, he found him-
self involved in a suit because, then as now, names were duck soup
to ambulance-chasers.

Miss Faye must have figured she couldn’t succeed as a singer unless
she took these risks ori the open road, for once again she got herself
tossed around with Vallee as the driver. This time it was in a low-
slung convertible. They were driving through New England and the
roads were pretty muddy. They were doing about 40. On a slow curve
the car suddenly took off the road, ripped into a white fence and
bumped into a telephone pole.

This was their lucky break. If the pole hadn’t been there they
would have dropped 20 or 30 feet over large rocks into a brook below
and drowned If they hadn’t been crushed to death. After that, Miss
Faye decided that she preferred to ride in another car with the trum-
pet player. Thus, behind Vallee in a safer car, they watched him roll
over again. He came out of this dne practically unhurt.

How To Stay Alive

' It was about, this time, I suspect, that he decided that since people
Seemed to come out of accidents much worse than cars, the thing to
do was to get yourself practically welded into the car. But like all of
us, he didn’t turn the suspicion into a firm resolution, until another
accident years later really gave him the fright of his' life.

In Omaha he found he could buy seat belts, They ran about $10 or
$15 per person. Being standard in all the airplanes, he discovered the
belts were made around Hollywood. He got himself a set, and to this
day it’s mighty difficult to offer Valley a lift without his looking to.
see if your car is equipped with safety belts.

Daredevils who make loop the loops in automobiles, hop off with
their cars through flaming hoops .and otherwise seemingly take their
lives in their hands every time they start out,' always see to it they
are strapped in- with safety belts. What’s good enough for daredevils
certainly should be good enough for the rest of us.

Of course, outside any town you can see graveyards of automobiles
and it doesn’t take much imagination to believe that the occupants of
those cars would not have been saved by, safety belts. But a rough
guess would be that half of those who get smashed up in automobile
accidents would have come out with nothing worse than a feeling that
they had been caressed too tightly if they had been wearing belts.

The economic factor is so small that it can’t be the issue of why
they are not standard equipment. Actually, insurance companies prob-
ably would take up the slack by reducing rates. In time these belts,
made of cotton webbing, could be reduced to about $1 apiece, and
since doctors are now more and mare working on a five-day week and
taking Saturdays and Sundays off to play golf, this should please
them too. ut

Admonitions to stay off the roads during holidays or to drive care-
fully won’t do it. Everybody, thinks he drives carefully, but the other
guy’s a fool with an engine of death in his hands. Those who have
survived these holiday death tolls may find it consoling to learn that
the figures announced before. the holidays are borne out afterwards,
but it would be even more consoling if these depressing estimates
were- cut. in -half.

Safety belts can do it.

y •

62 CHATTER

Wednesday, August 31, 1955

Broadway

Jerilynn Jessel, : 13 -year- old
daughter of the comedian, working
in. Paris in a Charles Boyer vidpic.

Francis L. Sullivan, radio-tv
commentator Robert Trout and ty
producer Charles Peck back from
Europe last week on the Flandre.

Mony Dalmes (Mrs. Claude C.
Philippe), on a sabbatical from her
Comedie Francaise chores, in from
Paris for a visit with her Waldorf-
Astoria veepee-husband,

Nate B. Spingold, Columbia
Pictures v.p. who underwent sur-
gery several months ago, improv-
ing to the point where he can dine
out occasionally and spend a few
hours at the office.

The Lambs Club defeated the
Friars 7 to 2 in the annual golf
tournament at the Engelwood.
NBC’s Bill Martin took low gross
honors with a 72. Ed Wiener and
Nat Kahn tied for second with 81.

Quite a turnout at Oscar A.
Doob's farewell toasting at “21”
Monday (29)., including Nick
Schenck and Charles C. Moskowitz.
The Lep (Ruth) Friedmans just got
in that morning in time to make
the party.

Annual Variety Club of N. Y.
golf tournament is set for Sept. 15
at the Vernon Hills Country Club,
Tuckahoe, N. Y. Per usual, it's an
all-day affair — 18 Roles in the
morning and 18 holes after lunch;
$20 covers golf, lunch and dinner.

Jules Alberti’s Endorsements
Inc., with the current (Sept.) For-
tune “profile,” got its fourth-in-a-
row plug in printer’s ink this sum-
mer, starting with a New Yorker
piece, then Forbes and Cue; Page-
ant and the American mag upcom-
ing.

Groucho Marx has entered into
an exclusive deal with Max. Udell
& Sons (Gramercy Park Clothes)
for merchandising of a Groucho
Marx 1 sport coat and ensemble, with
the campaign including, j>lugs on
his “You Bet Your Life*’ NBC-TV
show and a possible tiein with
DeSoto-PIymouth Dealers, the
show’s sponsors.

Paris

By Gene Moskowitz

(28 Rue Huchette; Odeon 49-44)

Gerard Landy, Gallic actor, into
“Trapeze” (UA).

Manie Sacks through on a biz
looksee and also finding time to
ogle talent for possible addition
to the RCA roster.

Film being made on Pablo Picas-
so, by director H. G. Clouzot in
Nice, is the 14th pic 'to be done
about the artist and his work. A
60-minute production was just
completed by Luciano Emmer.

Richard Condon, head of the
United- Artists publicity setup on
the Continent, taking time to
script Richard Sale’s next pic,
“Hugger Mugger At The Louvre,”
which will be made here next sea-
son for UA.

In conjunction with the visit of
the Comedie-Francaise to New
New York in October, a special
exhib of C-F documents, paintings
and historical costumes, etc., will
be held in N. Y. from October
through December.

Robert Hossein preparing a pic
adaptation of the U. S. novel by Hor-
ace McCoy, “They Shoot Horses
Don’t They?.” He is now winding
his first film, “Les Salauds Vont
En Enfer” (Heels Go To Hell), in
which he also acts.

Martine Carol, now playing in
the Preston Sturges pic, “Le Car-
nets De Major Thompson,” will do
a film with Vittorio De Sica before
heading for America for her U. S,
film for 20th-Fox which will be
about a French woman who dis-
covers the American way of things,

Olympia Music Hall did not.
make an all-summer holdover of
its magic show and has gone back
to regular house standards. New
show has oldtime headliners with
Marie Dubas arid Dahlia, prewar
song tragedienne, with chanter Ro-
land Gerbeau topping second piart
of a full bill.

Capri

Jane Kean here from Rome.

Johnnie Ray returned for his
second visit.

Mario Perrone’s hot piano and
Nyta Dover’s singing are the at-
traction at Number Two.

Jacques Sernay, Mara Lane, di-
rector Hugo Fregonese among film
names at Canzone del Mare.

Hotel Caesar Augustus was scene
of big party for selection of “Mr.
Capri,” combo male beauty and
popularity set.

John Mather, Roman arm of Lon-
don’s Routledge & White, agents,
here on first vacation in 15 months
of Italian duty.

Robert Q. Lewis here on yacht
to make Ischia, Elba and Italian
and French Rivieras before em-
barking from France for home.

Rome’s No. 1 Host, Tony Pratera
of the Hysteria dell’Orso, has taken
over an old local spot and renamed

it the Cabala for his Eternal City
nightclub.

• Screenwriter Guy Elmes and Eve
Alapy chartered a sailboat to take
party to Positano for all-night cele-
bration oft “The Rape of the Sara-
cens,” traditional fete.

Dancer Sandra Francis prepar-
ing for rehearsals with Walter
Chiara and Colette Majrcbarid in
new Italian stage revue opening
♦Eliseo, Rome, in late September.

Grade Fields entertained on
British frigate Meaon. Her plans
including opening British commer-
cial tv from Palladium Sept. 23,
thence to US for postponed Buf-
falo night club’, date and tv.

San Francisco

By Bill Steif

Lena Horne broke all records at
the Fairmont’s Venetian Room.

Deedy Irwin left the “Pajama
Game” company for “Shangri-la.”

Howard Freeman took over as
Cow Palace flack, replacing Fred
Gray.

Don Ewell, Tin Angel’s pianist,
heard that Burt Bales, pianist at
Pier 23 across the street, was sick,
so he sat in for him between sets.

Tally Brown of “Pajama Game”
signed to cut sbirie platters for
Cavalier while Ripple Lewis arid
Gene Varrone, of same cast, are
doubling at the 440 Club with two
late shows.

Minneapolis

By Lee Rees

“Accent on Youth” on tap at
Edyth Bush Theatre.

Song-stylist Carol Jo Jackson at
Williams’ nitery new Stork Room.

Hotel Radisson Flame Room held
Hildegarde over for two additional
days.

Lyceum will follow “Solid Gold
Cadillac,” its opening show, with
“Don Juan in Hell” (third time
here), Oct. 12-15.

Minnesota State Fair grandstand
show includes “King and Queen
of Sky,” “Sky Kings,” Seven Ash-
tons, Baudy’s Great Danes, Three
Bruises. Gaffney Bros., Happy
Kellems, Tumbling Rudells, Voca-
Lovelies, Bill Wade, Tom & Jerry,
Ted Miller & Smile and emcee
Preston Lambfert.

Atlantic City

By Joe W. Walker

Jack Curtiss back in 500 Club
show after 17-day hospital siege.

Bob Hope planed in Friday and
watched Mickey Rooney open Sat-
urday (28).

Hotelman Ezra>. Bell host to
amusement and hotel luminaries,
at his Lagoon boathouse Aug. 25.

Angelo Del Rossi into Mill
Players’ “Three Men On A Horse”
at nearby Pleasant Mills playhouse.

“Peter Pan” with Donna Atwood
as star, at Convention Hall where
payees are offered sneak preview
'’prior to New York opening of
John Harris’ “Ice Capades.”

Ben Cotey, producer of show at
Dude ranch, emceed, at big board-
walk spot for first time this season
on Friday (26). Cotey was . badly
injured in auto accident last
Winter

lenver Manager

^ Continued from, pace 5

atres to remodel to handle the new
process, the new schegie. driving
the cost of remodeling down from
the usual $25,000 to $40,000 to a
mere $5,000, according to Evans.

The only remodeling necessary
is in the installation of a semi-cir-
cular screen, leaving the booth
practically as is, with the excep-
tion of putting on the new lens.
Evans’ lens development enlarges
and spreads the ordinary film
image, , changing its height ratio
and bringing it into a semi-circular
effect. He estimates the lenses
could be manufactured and sold to
theatres for around $200 each.
The 3-D lens Evans made was prac-
tical, producing the 3-D effect with
one machine and one film, and he
sold several of them while the de-
mand was on. His cost Was about
a third what others were selling
for at the time.

Blues

ssssm Continued from page 1

items that have been dusted off for
a 1955 push are Pine Top Smith’s
“Boogie Woogie,” which is now
called “Pine Top’s Boogie,”
“Weary Blues,” “King Porter
Stomp” and “Maple Leaf Rag.” A
couple of years ago the instru-
mental, “Tin Roof Blues,” was
given a lyric treatment and re-
tagged “Make Love to Me.” It de-
veloped into a big disk hit for Jo
Stafford on Columbia.

(Temple Bar 5041/9952)

Gypsy Markoff inked for cabaret
ruri at EmbassyJClub next month,

Helga Moray joined team of new
BBC-TV panel show, “Who Said
That?”

Spyros P. Skouras flying in from
Singapore to meet Darryl F.
Zanuck, who is due in with Joseph
H. Moskowitz. . r-

AB-Pathe trying out a hew
screen process, known as Dynamic
Frame, which has been devised by
Glenn H, Alvey.

Irving H. Lewin and William
F. Pizor arrived ’ in London last
weekend to look over- the British
production scene; will stay a week.

Scoreboard of “The . Mousetrap”
reaches 1,150 tonight (Wed.). Peter
Saunders, who presents, celebrates
by launching “Water Gypsies” at
Winter Garden.

Ray Milland, here for the preem
of “A Man Alone” and to discuss
casting of his tfpeoming production
of “Lisbon,” was bosted at Repub-
lic Pix cocktailery.

Arthur Blake is following his
qne-man show at the Duchess The-
atre with provincial vaude tour,
and subsequently fills a cabaret
date at the Savoy Hotel.

Martita Hunt took over Margaret
Rutherford role in “The March
Hare,” a British C’Scoper being
lensed at Shepperton. Miss Ruther-
ford exited because of illness.

Recent visitors from U.S. include
Michael Davirson. Don Sharpe,
Arnold Picker and Wayne Morris.
To the. U.S., via the Queen Eliza-
beth: Jeannie Carson for her NBC-
TV commitments,

Richard Lewis, one of principal
tenors of Covent Garden opera, is
to appear in first American produc-
tion of “Troilus & Cressida,” which
opens in San Francisco in October.
He left London last week for N.Y.

Chicago

Joyce Greller signed on with
Max Cooper’s flackery.

Pressagent Danny Newman and
actress wife Dina Halpert back
from a summer sojourn in Israel.

Dorothy Towne (Mrs. Jack
Webb) got the greenlight from
Passavant Hospital to rejoin star’s
cross-country junket for his “Pete
Kelly Blues ■ pic.

Singer Lisa Kirk planes to the
Coast Sept. 14 after closing at Em-
pire Room to appear in a film: with
Jimmy Durante for his NBC-TV
series. She then returns to N. Y. to
consider legit bids.

Philadelphia

By Jerry Gaghan
Ethel ' Rider, local chanteuse,
featured at the Shamrock-Hilton in
Houston. .

Eddie White, who sold his Drury
Lane recently, now heading Car-
roll’s 22d anrii show.

Blue Note ropoens with Billy
Holiday (29) after shuttering for
week staff’s vacation.

Philadelphia Orchestra plans to
feature Emil Guilels, top .Soviet
pianist, as soloist early in season.

Sammy White, member of the
original “Show Boat” (1927), has
same role of “Frank” in the Val-
ley Forge Music Fair’s revivSl.

Berlin

By Hans Hoehn

(76-02-64)

Columbia released the Brazilian
film, “Sinha Moca” (Black Skin),
here.

Algefa will remake “Courier of
the Tsar,” this time as a tinter,
in Yugoslavia.

Opening of the reconstructed
State Opera in East Berlin set for
Sept. 4, with Richard. Wagner’s
“Meistersinger.”

Austrian O. W. Fischer, Ger-,
many's popular filmstar, will be di-
rector, seripter and star of “The
Smiling God,” after a stage play
by A, J. Cronin.

American soldier cinemas iri
town are currently showing “Tim-
berjack” (Rep), “Heartbreak
Ridge” (French), “Seminole Up-
rising” (Col), “Chicago Syndicate”
(Col) and “Passion.”

Ireland

By Maxwell Sweeney

(22 Farney Pk,; Dublin 64506)

Siobhan McKenna pacted for
lead in new Irish comedy, “Kath-
leen,” by Michael Sayers.

Censor scissored the J. Arthur
Rank production, “Doctor at Se^a,”
before Irish' preem at Metropole,
Dublin.

Walt Disney's “20,000 Leagues
Under Sea” preemed at reopening
of Regal cinema, Dublin, after
house got facelift.

Trinity Players to Edinburgh for
season of W. B. Yeats’s plays at
Lauriston Hall as part of current
Edinburgh Festival.

George Brown and Roy Baker

due in to gander talent for “Grand
Man” to be lensed in Belfast for
J. Arthur Rarik Organization.

Two new plays' skedded for Ab-
bey production this, fall, “Twilight
of a Warrior,” by Walter Maeken,
and “Will and Way,” by M. J.
Molloy.

Angel records completed cutting
disks of Sean O’Casey’s “Juno, and
the Paycock” here with Siobhan
McKenna, Cyril Cusack and Abbey
players in lead roles..

Australia

By Eric Gorrick
(Tel. MA 7778, Sydney)
David Martin’s “Colored Rhap-
sody” is a smash hit at Tivoli,'
Sydney.

Metro ' reviving “Gone With
Wind” over own nabe circuit to
solid biz.

Walter Boxer, attached to United
Artists' N.Y, office, here to study
the Aussie scene for 12 months.

David Lloyd Jones, son-in-law
of Ernest Turnbull, Hoyts’ chief,
was sole survivor of plane accident.
, Garnet. Carroll has real hit on
his hands with "The Little Hut,”
at the Princess, Melbourne, star-
ring Marsha Hunt,

“Man Called Peter” (20th) Is beat-
ing records set b^ such toppers as
“The Robe”’ and “Three Coins in
Fountain,” also from 20th-Fox
Georgia Withers and John Mc-
Callum will appear in “Winter
Journey” and “Deep Blue Sea,”
after current, .hit “Simon and
Laura” for J. C. Williamson.

Cleveland

By Glenn C. Pullen

Jimmy and Marian McPartlarid
trio standing ’em up at Theatrical
Grill on three-week stand.

Fred Strauss, personal business
manager of Crew Cuts, flying
them to England in Mid-October
for singing tour.

Variety Club members jockeyed
a benefit affair at Grandview race-
track to raise funds for Cerebral
Palsy Foundation School here in
which it's interested.

Bill Buetel leaving local MCA
office to supervise firm’s bands-
and-acts bureau in N.Y., covering
territory from Maine to Florida.
After George Claire from Pitts-
burg steps into Buetel’s former
job, Myron Hanley will be ihade
manager of MCA. office here.

Bermuda.

By AI Wagstaff

Denise Parcel vacationing at
Fourways Inn in Paget.

Forrest Tucker, on days off,
pointing toward Bermuda golf
championships.

“Crflhch & Des” tv-series rolling
again at Darrells Island after SAG
strike, Perry Lafferty directing.

Why Go Abroad

Continued from page 1 ;

at an unspecified theatre, and “The
Lark,” Lillian Heilman's adapta-
tion of Anouilh’s drama about Joan
of Arc, to star Julie Harris, due
Nov. 17 at the Longacre.

Other French derivations an-
nounced but without specific open-
ing dates as yet include “Clerem-
bard,” adapted by Leo Kerz and
Willem Van Loon from Marcel
Pagnol; “Lafcadio’s Adventures,”
adapted by Arthur WilmUrt from
the novel by Andre Gide; “Time
Remembered,” adapted by Patricia
Moyes from Anouilh; “School For
Wives,” adapted by George Tabori
from Moliere; “Dazzling Hours,”
adapted by Nancy Mitford, and
...^mazing Adele,” a musical with
book by Anita Loos and songs by
Albert Selden, adapted from a
straight play by Jean Barriellet
and Jean Pierre Gredy.

The Comedie Francaise, offering
plays from its repertory, will open
Oct. 25 at the Broadway,

Comedie Francaise Will
Play Montreal Pre-BNvay

Montreal, Aug.* 30.

Comedie Francaise, playing
Montreal for the first time, opens
Sept. 24 arid continues through
Oct.. 9 at the 2,500-seat St. Denis
Theatre. House is scaled from'.' $6.

Company will offer five plays
while here including “Le Barbier
de Seville,”' “Un Caprice,” “Le
Bourgeois Gentilhomme,” “Arle-
quin Poli Par L’Amour” and “Le
Jeu de L’Amour et du Hasard.”

Canadian Concerts & Artists are
handling Canadian section of
North American tour for Sol
Hurok, who presents the French
troupe on Broadway later in the
fall.

. Hollywood

Johnnie Ray in from N. Y;

Harry M. Warners celebrated
their 43d wedding anni.

Samuel Goldwyn celebrated his
73d birthday on vacation at Del
Monte.

John Wayne checked into the
Scripps Clinic in La Jolla for rest
and checkup.

Edmund Grainger returned to
his RKO desk after checking loca-
tions in Colorado.

Arthur Franklin re-elected com-
mander of American Legion Post
557 at Paramount studios.

Gordon Douglas honored by the
U. S. Air Force for. his direction
of “The McConnell Story.”.

Gilda Gray to her native Mil-
waukee for a Sept. 9-24 date at a
new spot called the White Pub.

Bing Crosby, Walter Pidgeoii
and George Murphy to rep Holly-
wood in United Gemmunity Cam-
paigns of America.

Edward Dukoff enroute to Lon-
don for confabs with John Schles-
inger and Richard Harmel on their
“African Drumbeats” vidpix series.

■Jill Schary, Stanford U sopho-
more-daughter of Metro production
chief Dore Schary, engaged, to
Navy Lieut, John Courrier Zimmer,

By Guy Livingston
Hub show biz planning benefits
to aid flood sufferers. ,

Story ville opens Sept. 7 with
Gerry Mulligan and . his band.
George Wein has redecorated and
enlarged seating to 375.

Will Mastiri Trio, starring Sam-
my Davis Jr., current at Salisbury
Beach Frolics to wind season for
Boniface Dennie Mulcahy.

City Greeter Jack Brown, for-
mer bandleader, had a big week-
end mitting Vice President Nixon,
Billy Graham and- Audie Murphy
in for VFW convention.

Arnold Van Leer, Paramount
flack, extricated the Boston refu-
gees stranded in the flood at
Waterbury, Conn., where they had
gone for preem qf “Girl Rush” and
Ros Russell ballyhoo, and Al Bar-
ney got them home safe although
state police said there was no way
to get through. Train the Hub
writers went down on was buried
in water.

By John Quinn

Jack Eichman, KCKN disk jock-
ey, has about 200 listeners enrolled
in his new record fan club, “Jazz,
K.C.”

Jay McShann orch being hon-
ored by Johnny Baker for three
straight years crew has played his
club.

Four Lads and Cell Block Seven
outfit held over at Wildwood
Lakes, second stand for both acts
at the amusement park.

Bob Whitlow, KCMO-TV pro-
ducer, celebrating reunions with
pals Webb Tilton, Ted Beniades
and Evans Thornton during 2-week
stand of “South Pacific” at the
Starlight. Whitlow played Lt, Ca-
ble with the national company.

By Lewis Garyo

Singer Rodrigues Casanova off
to Brazil to work in Radio, tele and
niteries. . .

The German Ballet Kalsky to
appear in a revue at the Teatro
Monumental.

The J, Arthur Rank organiation
has opened its -own distributing
unit here.

* Singer Augusto Gill off to Ma-
drid . to work for Radio National
and to wax some of his songs.

Portuguese film star. Maria
Dulce still under Contract to Span-
ish impresarios and works in Ma-
drid.

Carmen Mendes off to Madrid
under contract to Cesareo Gonzales
to co-star in a film directed by
Mur Oti, *

Barcelona

By Joaquina C. Vldal-Gomis *
(Angli. 43; 24-00-18) '

“Cleopatra” (Par) out on reis-
sue at the Borras and Principal
Palacio cinemas. “Limelight” (UA)
in its fourth month at the Cris-
tina.

As usual the Globe Trotters unit,
in town only for two performances
at the new Palacio Municipal del
Deporte, was sold out at this 20,-
000 capacity spot.

“North Wind,” 1950 novel, made
into a pic by director Antonio
Momplet at the Sevilla Studios in
Madrid. Stars Maria Piazzai and
Enrique A. Diosdado.

Conchita Panades, operetta Sing-
er, retires after a long and suc-
cessful career. She gives her three
last performances at the Calderon
wherd she will receive the homage
of her publ } c..

Wednesdays August 3I» 1955

ALEX M. KRAMER
Alex M. Kramer, 61, vet Tin Pan
Alley writer and tune detective,
died Aug. 25 in Forest Hills, N.Y.
Details in Music Section.

BOB MILLER

Bob Miller, 59, vet music man,
died Aug. 26 in Nyack, N. Y. ■- He
wrote hillbilly songs primarily and
is best known for such tunes as
“There’s a Star-Spangled Banner
Waving Somewhere,” “’Leven-C.ent
’Cotton, Forty Cent Meat,” “Rockin’
Alone in an Old Rockin’ Chair/’
“Gonna Have a Big Time Tonight,”
“In the Blue Hills of Virginia”
and “Never River’ Train,”

The Memphis-born, composer;
author and publisher had his first
song published at the age of 11
and he organized bis first band at
the age of 13. . Bp the time he was
20, Miller had organized the
Steamer Idlewild Orchestra as a
showboat band and did pioneer
work from Memphis* first radio
station. He went to New York in
1922 and was made a member of
ASCAP in 1933.

He is not to be confused with the
Bob Miller who is president of the
Music Publishers Contact Em-
ployees, the songpluggers’ union.

HAROLD LEWIS

Harold (Lefty) Lewis, 63, song-
writer who defied such tunes as
“This Little Piggie Went to Mar-
ket,” died Aug. 23 in Hollywood
following a heart attack. A mem-
ber of the American Society of
Authors, Composers and Publishers
since 1934, he was once under
contract to Universal International.

A native of Connecticut, Lewis
Was educated at Syracuse U. and
went on to compose a number of
ppps including “There ? s Something
in the Air,” “Sophisticated Baby,”
“Down in Old Santa Fe.” ands“What
About You and Me?” His last
screen, credit was “Man in the
Saddle,” a Randolph Scott western
for Columbia release in 1951.

Three daughters and a brother
survive.

WILLIAM M. TORPEY
William. M. Torpey, 79, w.k. in

such yesteryear productions as
“Running for Office.” and “Tailor
Made Man.” She trouped for three
years in A1 Woods’ “Girl in a.
Taxi” and appeared in David
Belasco’s “Sun-Daughter.” She re-
tired from the stage in 1934 after
acting with Billie Burke in a Holly-
wood production of “Her Masters.
Voice.”

ROBERT H. HARDAWAY -
Robert Hamilton Hardaway, 72,
actor and radio producer, died
Aug, 22 'in Phoenix, Ariz. Born in
Thomasville, Ga., he was an actor
for some 50 years and appeared on
Broadway with such stars of yester-
year as Richard Mansfield; Con-
stance Collier, Richard Bennett,
George Arliss and Leiiore Ulric.

Hardaway was active as a radio
producer in Kansas City before
moving to Chicago in 1938 for
similar chores.^

• Surviving are hiS wife* two sons,
three sisters and two brothers.

REGINALD TATE

Reginald Tate, 57, veteran actor,
died Aug. 23 ih London. He was
stricken at his home, just after
returning from the Pinewood
Studios, where he, was appearing
in a film.

Tate, who was seen in many
legit productions following his
debut in 1922, more** recently had
been active in tv. Since last
March he had been a narrator on
the_ BBC network and was set to
appear in a new crime series next
month.

His wife and daughter survive.

WALTER A. VOGLER
Walter A. Vogler, 58, screen ac~.
tor and technical adviser on war
pictures, died Aug. 26 at Sawtelle
(Cal.) Veterans Hospital following
a heart attack. Prominent among
the military films on which he
worked was . “All Quiet on the
Western Front.”

His wife survives. *

EDWIN B. GARRIGUES
Edwin Burk' Garrigues, 91, for-
mer secretary and director of the
Theodore Presser Co., music pub-

(N MEMORIAM

Marcus Loew

September 5th, 1927

legit for the past 67 years, died
Aug. 25 in the Bronx, N. Y. Known
as Lucky Billy to theatrical in-
siders,, he had worked in legit as
an actor, stage manager and stage-
doorman. He began his career in
1886 in Philadelphia as a callboy
at the Walnut Street Theatre. His
last job was as stage-doorman for
“Tea and Sympathy” . at the 48th
Street Theatre, N. Yi

Several years after his callboy
>chore, he, became stage manager
for the extravaganza “1492.” He
later was associated with such
shows ‘ as “The Great Waltz,”
“Roberta,” “The Cat and the Fid-
dle,” “Pink Lady,” “DuBarry Was
a Lady,” “Panama Hattie” and
“Catharine Was Great.” He worked
for only five : managers in his en-
tire career. They were George W.
Lederer, Klaw & Erlanger, Florenz
Ziegfeld, Charles B. Dillingham
and Max Gordon.

Surviving are his son and two
brothers.

frank CONLAN

Peter Murphy, 81, retired char-
acter actor known professionally
as Frank Conlan, died Aug. 24 at
the Percy Williams Home, "East
Islip, L. I. He made his initial
Broadway appearance in 1914 in
“The Dummy.” He also played in
“June Moon” in 1929 and in “You
Can’t Take It With You” in 1936.
His last Broadway appearances
were in 1942 in “All in Favor” and
“Vickie.”

Among other shows in which
Conlan had roles were “Front
Page,” “When We Were Twenty-
One,” “Inspector General,” “Bit-
ter Stream,” “Seven Keys to Bald-
pate,” “Ladies, and Gentlemen,”
“Come Angel Band” and “House-
warming.” A versatile actor and
supporting comic, he once played
six roles in a revue, “Strike Me
Pink.”

A sister survives.

GERTRUDE N. LE BRANDT
Gertrude Norris LeBrandt, 92,
retired actress, died Aug. 28 in
Hollywood. On Broadway for
years, she appeared with George
M. Cohan in “Little Johnny Jones”
and was cast in the Shuherts’
bracked 'Around the World.”. *"
Miss LeBrandt also was seed in

lishers, died Aug. 22 in Philadel-
phia. He was president of the
Presser Home for Retired Music
Teachers for more than 20 years.

Survived by nephew and two
nieces.

HENRY M. HERBEL

Henry Meritt Herbel, 58, vrest-
ern district manager for Warners,
died of a heart attack Aug. 23 in
Chatsworth, Cal. Before joining
Warners in 1940, he had been with
UI for 20 years.

He left three sons and three
daughters.

JOHN CICERO

John Cicero, 54, production
chief of Paramount Pictures’ ad-
vertising department in New York
since 1929, died Aug. 26 in Bronx-
ville, N. Y., aftei* a two-month ill-
ness.

His wife survives.

JAMES C. MCMAHON
James C. McMahon, 60, longtime
assistant director, died of a heart
attack Aug. 26 in Hollywood after
an eight-week illness. He was with
Warners for years. ■

His. wife and three sisters sur-
vive.

CYRUS' «. LEWIS
Cyrus H. Lewis, 63, composer,
died Aug. 24 in Hollywood. He had
arranged music for many of the
early Deanna Durbin musical
films.

Three daughters and a brother
survive.

Wife, 5.1, of James H. Nixon,
former manager of the Orpheum
and Shubert Theatres in Kansas
City, Mo., and legit booker in K.C.
for years, died there Aug. 25 after
a year’s illness. Also surviving are
two sons, three daughters and a
brother.

Harvie R. Johnson, 60, owner of
the Bernie Theatre, Bernie, Mo.,
died of cancer Aug. 17 in Sikeston,
Mo. H4s daughter and a son, who
manages the house, survive.

Bertram Harrison, 78, former
production manager for scores of
Tegit shows and a stage manager
for the Henry Miller Co. at one

time, died Aug. 23 in Hammond
River, N. B., Canada.

Robert Gordon, 27, baritone-sax
player pacted by Pacific Jazz rec-
ords, died Aug. 28 in an auto acci-
dent en route to San Diego for a
jazz concert. His wife and two
children survive.

Mrs. Irene" Fiblay Sansone, 59,
who teamed in vaude with her sis-
ter, Marion Finlay Gates, in an act
known as the Finlay Sisters, died
Aug. 21 in Seffrier, Fla. Surviving
are her husband and sister.

Monte Meachan, 40, actor, died
Aug. 26 in West Chester, Pa.* of
injuries sustained in an auto acci-
dent on the Pennsylvania Turn-
pike. . He was with the Children's
World Theatre Group.

Allen George Palmer,. 76, circus
property man and poster designer
for years, died Aug. 28 of a heart
attack in Yonkers, N.Y. Surviving
are a brother and two sisters.

Louis R. Strohm, 77, retired lo-
cation manager for Metro, died
Aug. 23 in Hollywood. His wife,
son and daughter survive. '

Ruth Gloria Libott, wife of
screen writer Robert Yale Libott,
died Aug. 17 in West Los Angeles.
A son also survives.

Edward Zacker, 105, who han-
dled elephants for Barnum &
Bailey in the 1880s, died Aug. 16
in Oakland, Cal. •

George Prince,' 73, pioneer ex-
hibitor, * died Aug. 15 in Bootle,
Eng. .

Mother, 84, of screen director
George Seaton, died Aug. 18 in
Beverly Hills,, Cal.

Mother of Metro designer Helen
Rose died Aug. 11 in Hollywood.

(Frank .Sinatra in “Our Town”;
Jose Ferrer in “Cyrano de Ber-
gerac/’ etc.) could well end CBS’
longtime Mqnday night dominance.

Tuesday is real hot In the com-
petitive parlay, and the Nielsen
chips could fall anywhere. CBS Is
pinning high hopes on its new
Phil Silvers 8:30 entry, but Milton
Berle (8 to 9) goes color with some
major showcases, along with
Martha Raye, Dinah Shore* Bob
Hope and Betty Hutton sharing the
same hour. The big noise, of course,
^Columbia's $64,000 Question” at 10
o’clock, but NBC is banking on the
9:30 entrance of the Fred Coe-pro-
duced full-hour “Pontiac "Theatre”
(alternating with ^Armstrong The-
4trc**)*

ABC-TV's “Disneyland” doesn’t
appear to be in any danger in rul-
ing the Wednesday roost (it’ll be
followed, this reason by "MGM Pa 1 *
rade”j, and majo.r' interest centers
on the competitive 10 o’clock battle
pitting ABC’s Pabst fights opposite
the alternating U. S. Steel and
20th-Fox pix for General Electric
on CBS.

Thursday presents an “up for
grabs” three-network picture. CBS’
“Climax” (with Jack Benny going
into the one-a-month “Shower 1 of
Stars”! has given a lift to
Chrysler’s ambitions end even Jack
Webb in the competing NBC slot
is envisioning the day when "Drag-
net” can fold its tents. NBC’s still
got Groucho Marx’s “You Bet Your
Life” and is satisfied with “Lux
Video Theatre” advances. Three-
way parlajr of “Lone Ranger,”
“Bishop Sheen” and “Stop the
Music,” as diversified a back-to-
back triumvirate as tv could ever
offer, rides for ABC.

Friday never did get moving for
tv in a big-big way. It’s just about
where it 'was last year, with some
variation on a half-hour theme.

Capri Rockin’

New TV Season

Continued from page 1

the 8:30 midway mark, but fore or
aft, to prevent tuneouts and switch-
overs to Gleason. Whether Gleason
in 30-minute form, restricted to
the “Honeymooner,” and on film,
will enjoy the same impact ahd
audience hold as last year, particu-
larly in the face of the Como com-
petition, has everybody in the trade
guessing. CBS and General Motors,
which backed up its faith in the
comic with $11,000,000 and by toss-
over NBC and Milton Berle, feel
he can’t miss. NBC is equally con-
vinced they’ve now got the Satur-
day night formula to turn the trick.

There’s Always Gobel

George GobeJ, with his Top 10
popularity, won’t exactly hurt the
NBC Saturday cause. But this is
the season when CBS gets the
spec-bug, and <is training its big
one-a-month color guns opposite
Gobel. That CBS means business is
apparent’ from the Judy Garland
kickoff, the Mary Martin-Noel
Coward musical as the followup,
and with Bing Crosby in the third
slotting. That’s bigtime tv.

Back in radio's heyday, it wag*]
tough to get a rating on a Satur-
day night. In a tv-happy era, it’s
as hot as a pistol.

The Sunday picture js only
slightly less revealing, with CBS
appearing to have the distinct ad-
vantage. “Ed Sullivan Show” (nee
“Toast of the Town”) still looms as
the big noise, with the competing
“Colgate Variety Hour” a major
NBC problem child. Further, Co-
lumbia’s post-Sullivan “General
Electric Theatre” is riding wide
and handsome these days, with
its top . film star showcasings, and
the new “Alfred Hitchcock The-
atre” series bows back-to-back with
GE. With Philco out of the NBC
9 to 10 “TV Playhouse” series and
Alcoa moving in, the web is pour-
ing additional coin into the hour
segment in a bid for greater audi-
ence recognition. But the . real
Sunday punch may come from an
eritirely new direction— ABC-TV,
whose top British-made (Rank) pix
going into the 7:30 to 9 period
(bucking such formidable competi-
tion as Jack Benny, Sullivan, Col-
gate and the new Tony Miner
“Frontier” series, could well pull
off the season’s Sabbath surprise.

Monday on CBS remains Burns
& Allen, Godfrey’s Talent Scouts,
“Lucy,” “December Bride,” and
“Studio One” vs. NBC’s Sid Caesar
show, “Medic” and “Robert Mont-
gomery Presents.” The big ques-
tion here is: "Has Lucy’ had it?”
now that "$64,000 Question” pro-
jects itself as * the No. 1 entry
through next season. Also, the
zingy pattern for NBC’s “Pro-
ducers Showcase,” the most poten-
tially bright spec on the spectrum

Continued Jrom page 2

are in hotels, and this gives the
top terp music with a reasonable
tab of about 95c. Others are Gatto
Bianco, Buuco I Bacco, Tabou,
Eden and La Palma. Usual practice
is to sit and ogle in the piazza until
about 11 p.m., and then head for
one of the 'spots.

Blue Grotto is another the tour-
ist must see as is the ski lift that
takes one up over the -island for a
looksee. A sign in the piazza, ad-
vertising a coming pic, and a re-
ligious picture hung nearby seem
to symbolize this idyllic spot. Pic
is "Symphonia Di Amore” (Sym-
phony of Love) with a light, stud-
ded Saint’s picture on the nearby
church. Girls are not 10 to one as
the lip service says, but they are
numerous as are oglers of all na-
tionalities.

An American youth was met
here Who left California for a trip
around Europe by auto. He hit
Capri first and has been here for
four years. The new foreign auto
is a mass of rust, but he is content
on the isle. It is a constant tempta-
tion to those who Stay for awhile.

In fact, Robert 4 Q. Lewis was
jetting in the piazza bemoaning the
fact he only had a day, due to his
tight sked, to stay in Capri. He
was sporting a multicolored shan-
tung blazer which got eyes in this
spot where hardly anyone ever
dons a jacket. Trevor Hov^arS was
ijji for an evening that he probably
will never remember much about.
Qian-Carlo Menotti and Samuel
Barber are actually working here
on a new opera with a Danish
background. It is hard to believe
that anyone can sit down to hours,
of intensive work here. Richard
Llewelyn is also going against the
trend by polishing’ off a novel.

Positano Nearby. Rival

Positano, an hour's ride by boat,
tried to steal Capri’s thunder by
staging its annual recreation of
the raids of the Barbary Pirates
of the 17th century. A cardboard
castle was fired and maids were
carried off, but this did not carry
away many of the Capri , visitors.
Although the weather has clouded
of late, the many beaches around
the isle are always full, and the
many paths lead to stunning vistas.

A “Mister Capri” contest is be-
ing pegged now, but the wags have
it that a woman will wifi- Though
there are some limp wristers and
husky voiced femmes, they are pri-
marily of curio and looksee appeal,
and only a small part of this tight,
bright little island, now known as
one of the most unusual, offbeat
vacation spots on the Continent.
It is so crowded that Samuel Stein-
man, columnist of the Rome Daily
American, had to be shunted off,
to a remote corner of the isle and
'4s muttering revenge, • '

German Orch

5=3 Continued from page 2

place June 10 at the Musikhalle,
to an SRO house* with 300 extra
chairs behind the orch, and 500
turnaways/ Repeat concert had to'
be skedded for June 24, which
was also a sellout. The works were
recorded two days later.

Several managements hit on the
idea of a tour, with the same pro-
gram, as result .-of the Hamburg
success. The fall West Germany
tour may be ^extended to other
countries. Orch, established in
1932, consists normally of 44 play-
ers, but was extended to 70 for
the Gershwin diskings. It will tour
1 with 70 players.

MARRIAGES

Mamie Van Doren to Ray An-
thony, Toledo, Aug. 29. Bride’S a
film actress; he’s an orch leader.

Sara E. Andrews to- Boardman
O’Connor, Cambridge, Mass., Aug,
27, Bride is associated with the
San Diego (Cal.) Junior Theatre;,
he’s desigrier-technicaVdirector.for
the San Diego Community Theatre,

Janet Carol Spiegelberg to Ste-
ven J. Hyman, New York, Aug. 28,
Bride is the stepdaughter of violin-
ist Jascha Heifetz. ..

Carolyn Michael to Merriman
Holtz Jr., Princeton, Mass., Aug. 29. '
Groom works for father Merriman
Holtz Sr., feature film and telefilm
distributor in Portland, Ore.

Lila Greenspan to Basil Heatter,
New York, Aug.-21. He’s a com-
mentator on Mutual as well as an
author, and soiuof -vet broadcaster
Gabriel Heatter,

Veronica Lake to Joseph’ Allan
McCarthy, Traverse* City, Mich.,.
Aug. 28. Bride is an actress; he’s
a songwriter-publisher and son of
ASCAP founder-member Joe Mc-
Carthy.

Hope Louise Lininger to Bela
Lugosi, Hollywood, Aug. 24.
Bride’s a studio cutting room
clerk; he’s an actor.

Judith Nyman to Dr. Peter
Hildebrand, London, Aug. 28.
Bride’s on staff of Variety’s Lon-
don bureau.

Phyllis Coates to Norman Tokar,
Hollywood, Aug. 27, Bride’s an
actress; he’s a producer-director at
CBS.

Anita Hendricks to Ray Bonzen-
ski, Amsterdam, N. Y., Aug. 28.
He’s a pianist with WRGB-TV,
Schenectady.

Patricia Kirkpatrick to Pvt. Ed-
ward Walsh, College Park, Md.»
Aug. 27. Bride is an NBC secre-
tary; he’s in tv division of the Sig-
nal Corps Pictorial Center, As-
toria, L. I.

Diane Lefton to Tony McCoy,
Westwood, Cal., Aug. 20. Bride is
receptionist-switchboard girl at
DaiitSt Variety; he’s an actor.

Joan Barton to Doye O’Dell, San
Fernando, Cal., Aug. 27. Bride’s
a singer; he’s a radio emcee.

Vera Melrose to Somie Marshall,
Lake of Menteith, Scotland, Aug.
27. Bride’s a model; he’s a 20th-
Fox publicist.

Ruth Anne Binns to James
Selfridge Cairns, Aug. 28, Pebble
Beach, Cal. She is the daughter of
Joseph P. Binns, executive v.p. and
g.m. of the Waldorf-Astoria, N.Y.,
and exec veep of Hilton Hotels.

BIRTHS

Mr. and Mrs. James G. Stevens,
daughter, Santa, Monica, Cal., Aug.
19. Father is a film publicist.

Mr. and Mrs. Barnard Hughes,
son, Aug. 15, Palm Springs, Cal.
Mother is an actress known pro-
fessionally as Helen Stenborg;
father is an actor.

Mr. and Mrs. Bob Church,
daughter, Los Angeles, Aug. 14.
Father is KTTV field merchandis-
ing rep.

Mr. and Mrs. John Chulay,
daughter, Hollywood, Aug. 25.
Father is an assistant director at
Columbia.

Mr. and Mrs. Bob Collier, son,
Philadelphia, Aug. 9. Father is
WCAU-TV announcer.

Mr. and Mrs. Bill Hart, son,
Philadelphia, Aug. 20/ Father is
WCAU-TV star and-* clown in “Big
Top” (CBS-TV).

Mr. and Mrs. Ray Schreiner,
daughter, Richmond, Va. f Aug. 16.
Father’s a dee jay with WRNL in
that city.

Mit and Mrs. Jack Schaindlin,
son, New York, Aug. 23. Father’s
a music composer-conductor-ar-
rariger.

Mr. and Mrs. Alan North, daugh-
ter, Aug. 27, N.Y. Father is assist-
ant stage manager of “Plain and
Fancy”; mother is actress June
Ilindert.

Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Pepper, son,
New York, Aug. 36. . Father’s as-
sistant treasurer,, of Paramount In-1
ternatibnall '

OPENING 4 WEEK ENGAGEMENT
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5th

NEW FRONTIER HOTEL

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

★

CORAL RECORDING ARTISTS

Current Release

“IT TAKES A HEAP OF LIVING"
b/w “IT SHOULDN’T HURT TO LOVE YOU"

★

Direction: CLIFf ARONSON

MILTON DEUTSCH AGENCY, 9157 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood 46, Calif.

★

Personal Management: RAY COOPER

Scanned from microfilm from the collections of
The Library of Congress
National Audio Conservation Center

Coordinated and sponsored by

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A search of the records of the United States Copyright Office
has determined that this work is in the public domain.

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Full text of "Variety (August 1955)"

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