1905 - GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR - 1955 ETY Vol. 200 No. 9 Published Weekly at 134 West 46th Street. New York 36, N. Y., by Variety. Inc. Annual subscription, 610. Single copies, 25 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. Anterea as secunu-u«« COPYRIGHT. 1953, BY VARIETY, INC., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1955 PRICE 25 CENTS MUM MAKING LIE LAS VEGAS Israeli May Take Nazi Reparations In German Motion Picture Gear Provided the Israeli film Indus-4 try creates proper studio facilities, the government of Israel has in¬ dicated it may ask the Germans to include modern lensing equipment as part of the reparation payments, Zvi Kolitz, Israeli producer of “Hill 24 Doesn't Answer,” said in N. Y. Monday (31). Picture opens at the World The¬ atre, N. Y., today (Wed.) against a backdrop of headlines telling of serious new flareups along the Is- rael-Egypt frontier. It’ll preem in Chicago and Washington later in the week. Kolitz, who both scripted and produced “Hill,” a Continental Distributing (Walter Reade-Frank Kassler) release, said only the lack of adequate facilities was keeping more Israeli pictures from being made. He’s at the moment hud¬ dling with Reade on the possibility of coproduction in Israel. There’s been a good deal of interest in go¬ ing' on location in Israel, Kolitz reported, but it is dissipated by the unavailability of proper studios. “It took us more than a year to make ‘Hill 24 Doesn’t Answer,’ ” said Kolitz. “Most of it was done on location. Wnen we had indoor shots to do, we had to l^erally create our own stages. It became too hot to shoot during the day, so we did a lot of our work at night. But that brought new prob¬ lems.” Kolitz said he felt “Hill” would put the Israeli motion picture in¬ dustry “on the map.” Pic, made with the cooperation and financial assistance of the Israeli govern¬ ment, had a great success in Israel where, according to its producer, some 450,000 persons saw it out (Continued on page 78) $2,000,000 Budgeted By GOP for TV & Radio In’56 Politico Campaign Washington, Nov. 1. The Republican National Com- mittee and Republican Senatorial and Congressional committees will spend upwards of $1,600,000 on Tmc Wor k television programs in the 1956 campaign. All three major webs will get some of the business. In addition, the GOP plans to Pat least $400,000 into network radio programs, divided four ways among the national webs. The time has been arranged for and contracts will be signed within the next fortnight; explained a spokesman for the Republican Na¬ tional Committee. In addition to the $2,000,000 to he contracted for, the GOP will ■pd. back “contingency money” the purchase of any other time that might be necessary. The con- tracts will cover the period imme¬ diately following the Republican Convention up to election day. Breaking Sound Barriers Times have changed. Concert of the Philharmonia Orchestra of London, under Herbert von Karajan, with Da¬ vid Oistrakh as violin soloist, at Carnegie Hall, N. Y., Nov. 13, will present an unusual picture—a top Soviet artist, appearing in New York as so¬ loist with a British symphony under an Austrian conductor who was a top figure in Nazi Germany. Catholic Laymen Set Up Finn For Religious Songs Backed by a group of Catholic laymen, a new music publishing operation, called the Religious Song Guild, has been launched in New York. Songwriter Johnny Redmond set up the firm with the assistance of Father Timothy Flynn, radio-tv director of the New York Archdiocese. George F. Foley is attorney for the Guild. First songs of the outfit, “I’m a‘ Soldier in Christ’s Army” and “The 10 Commandments Song,” have been cut with the St. Bartholo¬ mew’s Boys Choir and Joe Leahy’s orch for Unique Records. Redmond and Jack Ward wrote the songs and will write eight other relig- iosos. The initial songs will be fea¬ tured on the NBC-TV “Catholic Hour” stanza and other Catholic shows throughout the country. The . Guild will not specialize ex¬ clusively in Catholic songs. “The 10 Commandments,” for instance, has been arranged for choral use by Methodist groups. The Guild will license through the American Society of Composers, Authors & Gleason as Tops’? The Paul Whiteman biopic is up again, and this time Jackie Gleason is being cast in the role of “The King of Jazz.” While that title was utilized by Universal in the pioneer days of the talkers, and supposedly was a film biog .of the prime exponent of sym¬ phonic syncopation, Whiteman’s saga has matured . considerably since then. * Gleason, apart from his comedic prowess, is no slouch as a batoneer; his -Capitol “mood music” recordings have been male-, ing the bestseller lists. CAFES A HOTELS BATTLE F00 ACTS By LAKY SOLLOWAY Miami Beach, Nov. 1. The winter of ’55-’56 promises to be the most turbulent in the his¬ tory of this ever-growing pastel paradise vith competition among the hoteliers more fierce than ever for the patronage needed to fill their new, near-new and re¬ furbished establishments. As a lure, they’re going all-out for en¬ tertainment features, making it a bonanza year for talent and the bookers, with a prospective dozen big hotel-cafes going and five top straight niteries fighting for the vacationers’ amusem*nt buck. Result to date has been a tighten¬ ing of act availabilities. In one case a currently building hotel tried to buy some of the supporting acts already pacted or verbally committed to one of the big spots Others, as noted in recent Variety stories, are buying on a return-date basis to insure the more established —in this ?rea—acts playing their room exclusively, instead of, as in former years, making several clubs through the season. Entrance of the Eden Roc, Se¬ ville, Lucerne, Monte Carlo and Versailles Hotels to the cafe ranks has spurred the already established after-dark emporiums to earlier contracting than in former years. The Fontainebleau is almost set on its roster with Peter Lind Hayes & Mary Healy, Edith Piaf, Margue¬ rite Piazza and Tony Marlin leading their parade. Bowout of Xavier Cugat for the year-end holiday period has left the only serious gap, with a replacement currently (Continued on page 60) ‘Sergeants’Pays Off Next Week “No Time for Sergeaqts” will recoup by the end of next week, after less than four weeks’ opera¬ tion. That’s believed to be one of the fastest payoffs in recent Broad¬ way history. It is netting about $12,000 a week operating profit, exclusive of income from ■ pre-pro¬ duction film deal. The Maurice Evans-Emmett Rog¬ ers production was capitalized at $100,000 and cost around $84,000 to bring in, excluding bonds. The ■Ira Levin adaptation of Mac Hy¬ man’s novel can gross about $39,- 000 weekly with standees at the Alvin, N. Y., where it opened Oct. 20 to smash reviews. ! Besides its operating profit, the show gets $36,000 from Warner Bros, at the end of its first 21 per- j formances on Broadway. That; represents the production’s share, less 10 % commissions, of a $100,- 000 down payment on the studio’s ; (Continued on page 66) I H’wood’s Peak Price for TV Play; UA-Kirk’s lOOG-PIus for ‘Champ Crack at Video Neither professional cour¬ tesy nor any sense of delicacy will deter some exhibitors in their downbeating of that lat¬ ter-day medium, television. A group of Florida theatremen recently promoted a full-page ad in the Orlando Evening Star, all of it text about the joys of film-going and set under this head: “If you are tired of the banalities of tv—GO TO A MOVIE TONIGHT.” ' States the message: “The pictures are better, stories are better, there are no advertis¬ ing interruptions.” N Y. Polo Grounds As ‘Big Top’ For Ringling Circus? John Ringling North, prez and operating head of the Ringling Bros.-Barnum & Bailey Circus, may for the first time play under a mid-20th century version of a Big Top in a ballpark, as, when and if lie doesn’t come to terms with Madison Square Garden. In that case the opening-of-the-season New York stand would be in the Polo Grounds to a 24,000 capacity poten¬ tial as against the Garden’s 15,000, and would be in a portable en¬ closes structure which the Kaiser ■ Aluminum Co. is designing espe- I cially for similar outdoor-indoor j engagements. I It’s a nylon superstructure, port able and readily erected and taken down. Since the Ringling show 1 would have to open its season, very early, on March 15, obviously \ the ballpark would (1) have to be j enclosed and (2) heated. There ; are provisions for the latter also in ! the Kaiser construction plans. ■ Apart from the considerably (Continued on page 66) Mary Garden Biopic Aberdeen, Scot., Nov. 1. i Mary Garden, Scot-born onetime 1 . opera singer who now lives here, 1 ! plans another trip to the U. S. Now \ \ 79. she will talk over plans to make j ' a film based on her life. Miss Gar- : ! den has been shuttling back and. forth across the Atlantic since the ( war on regular lecture tours. She • has made the trip 66 times. ! Born in Aberdeen, she first went to America with her family when she was six. She sang for 20 years ; with New York Met and Chicago | Grand Opera. The highest fee ever paid for a television package-play has gone to Jonathan Productions, with United Artists shelling out $100,- 000 for “Shadow of a Champ.” This is the drama by Robert Alan Aurthur done on NBC’s “TV Playr house” last season. Aurthur, along with David Susskind and A1 Levy, formed the Jonathan company a few weeks ago, functioning in part as an independent “subsidiary” of Metro Pictures assigned to pro¬ duce Aurthur’s more recent pro¬ duction, “A Man Is 10 Feet Tall,” to be shot in New York with M-G financing and facilities and with Susskind producing. It had been understood at time of company’s formation that Metro would have first refusal on “Champ.” which it has exercised by allowing Jonathan (o negotiate elsewhere for a better money deal than it could give. The timing is ideal. “Ten Feet Tall” scenario by Aurthur will start filming late next spring, with “Champ” to be shot on the Coast and in N. Y. beginning next fall. As with “Tall,” Aurthur will pro¬ vide his own screen transfer. “Champ” is budgeted -in the $1,000.000-plus groove under the banner of UA and Kirk Douglas' Bryna Productions, with Douglas starring. (He’s just finished “In¬ dian Fighter,” his first of six UA releases.) Latter’s first smash film was in another prizefight themer, “The Champion.” done by Stanley Kramer. But “Shadow of Champ,” while it also concerns a titleholding fisticuffor, has less of the ring than of the “Shadow” character basking in reflected glory with no life that lie can call his own. Douglas will be one of three top players, the others (the “Shadow” and his girlfriend) being scouted currently. Strangely, the Douglas role is secondary, but emphasis will not be changed, it’s reported. Jonathan's $100,000 hoodie is not . (Continued on page 66) Tennessee Williams’ Taxes May Mar Waliis-Magnani Ideas on ‘Orpheus’ Play Hollywood, Nov. 1. Hal Wallis is trying to wrap up the new Tennessee Williams prop¬ erty, “Orpheus Descending,” for a two-way Broadway-IIollywood tieup with Anna Magnani to star in both film and stage versions. Wallis has a deal with her for another pic. She has expressed a strong desire to make a Broad¬ way appearance. The Wallis-Wil- Jiams-Miss Magnani combination is currently represented by the film version of “Rose Tattoo.” In “Orpheus” screen version Wallis would re-team her with Burt Lancaster. Author Williams is reluctant to make deal because of. his tax situation. 2 MISCELLAXY PfaRIETY Wednesday, November 2, I955 Weavers ‘Wide Wide World' Hop Just A Briefing Tour (or Things to Come Hollywood, Nov. 1. -f* "I’ve always wanted to see whai tfce rest of the world looked.like,” said Sylvester L. (Pat) Weaver, NBC prexy, who was on his way again yesterday (Mon.) after a five-week girdle of the globe. But he made it a point that it wasn’t all in the spirit of his pet spectacular, "Wide, Wide World.” He’d much rather describe it as "a tour of in¬ formation and good will.” After being in on the inaugural of commercial tv in London, he took off from there and passed a few days at nearly every key cap¬ ital in the world. He made con¬ tacts, speeches and passed the time of day with RCA distributors and dealers. Did he stake out any lo¬ cations for the eventual expansion of “Wide, Wide World?” he was asked. “Perhaps mentally but nothing definite or committed.” He felt . the trip was well worthwhile (“October is a nice time to take it When the shows are all set and no problems till November”) as it brought him closer to the peoples he may have to deal with in later years when cameras will be poised for immediacy of broadcasting world wide events. In Europe he found television moving fast but once off the European continent the progress was slow and labored. “What I accomplished more than anything else was information that will come in mighty handy,” he declared, brushing off all refer¬ ences to “Wide, Wide World” as an immediate consideration. “When the time conies that we want to do things in Pakistan or Japan I will know the temper and mood of the people and something about the country itself. Whether it’s a documentary or spectacular we now will be able to set it up in New York.” Being out of touch with domes- (Continued on page 74) Broadway Stage Angle, Young Writer Buildup In Mankiewicz Deal Hollywood, Nov. 1. Deal for Figaro Inc., indie out¬ fit headed by Joseph L. Mankie¬ wicz, to turn out nine pictures over the next four years for United Art¬ ists release has been set between Arthur B. Krim, UA prexy, and Robert LAntz, exec veepee of Figa¬ ro. Pact calls for Mankiewicz to produce, direct and write five of The programs. Under contract’s terms, two of the remaining four films will be produced initially as stage plays before their adaption to the screen, for enhanced value of their Broad¬ way presentation. Unique aspect of agreement, it is stressed, pro¬ vides for the development of young writers, producers and directors. Deal will be upped in number of pix if these can be recruited in sufficient numbers, joint statement revealed. Mankiewicz made “The Barefoot Ask the Cameraman Boston, Nov. 1. Aldo Ray, in Hub to bally¬ hoo “Three Stripes in the Sun” current at. the Pilgrim Theatre, declared that “actors out of dramatic school have an Emily Post attitude toward films.” “I don’t bother about what you learn in the books on act¬ ing,” he stated. “I just, sling the bull with the cameramen and the electricians and they tell me when I don’t look right. Then I ask the director . to do it over.” Weeper Draws Critical Brit. Press Eye; Police To Crack Down on Hoopla London, Nov. 1. Why do young girls become hysr terical when they hear Johnnie Ray sing? The issue, brought to the fore in London as a result of disturbances by teenagers outside his dressing room, and which has led to police warnings, was taken up by the editor of the Sunday Ex¬ press and the BBC-TV ® “Brain’s Trust.” On the tv program, Dr. J. Bronowski, a noted psychologist, thought he had the peculiar trick of looking at girls as if he were making love to them individually. Hester Chapman, a novelist, thought that girls had to work' off their hysteria on something, and. it-was better to work off on Ray, “who has a posse of policemen to look after him,” than on mother doing the cooking. In the Sunday Express, John Gordon, the editor, referred to him as an “odd phenomenon who emits vocal noises of a peculiar kind, while in a delirium, of quiv¬ ers and contortions that gives au¬ dience .'quite a thrilling emotional exoerience.” Outside the theatre, however, Gordon thought his exhibitionism was becoming a public nuisance. “The police, tired of this nonsense, have warned him that if there is any more of it, he will be ar¬ rested.” ESSO BLDG. AS‘PROP’ FOR‘GOLD CADILLAC’ Tenants and office staffers in the Esso Building in Rockefeller Center did a double take when they reported, for work Monday (31) morning. Emblazoned across the entrance of the building in brass letters was International Products instead of the usual Esso identification. International Products is the name of the firm in Columbia’s film version of “The Solid Gold Cadillac.” The Col location crew had hoped to complete the scenes Contessa’ for UA under the Figaro in front of the building on Sunday banner._(Continued on page 66) Mkiety GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR 1905-1955 1 U2 Subscription Order Form Enclosed find check for $ One Year Two Years Please send VARIETY for To .. Street City . , (Pleas* Print Name) . . Zone .... State Regular Subscription Rates One Year-—$10.00 Two Years—$18.00 Canada and Foreign—$1 Additional Per Year 154 West 46th Street P'SlilETY Inc. N«w York 34. N. Y. FRANK DE VOL Composed and Conducted Music for U.A.'s “The Big Knife.” Colgate Variety Hour on NBC-TV. Preparing — for TV — “DO YOU TRUST YOUR . WIFE?" starring EDGAR BERGEN, "BETTY WHITE SHOW.” New Arg. Regime Okays Anti-Nazi Pix; Long Banned Buenos Aires, Oct. 25. The Entertainment Board . has cancelled the ban imposed by the deposed Peron regime against a number of films dealing with Nazi or Fascist ideologies, which would have pointed up strongly the sim¬ ilarity between Peron’s “ism” and other forms of totalitarianism. Under ex-Press Minister Apold, Peron’s loyal henchman, blue- pencilling officially worked over¬ time. Also, pictures could be “de¬ layed” by holding up issue of re¬ lease certificates. In this way, “Tempi Difficile,” the Italian film describing the vi- (Continued on page 66) ROYAL COMMAND FILM OPENSSANSMARGARET London, Nov. 1. . On the eve of Princess Mar¬ garet’s renunciation of her love in deference to the Church of Eng¬ land the Royal Command Per¬ formance for film charity was held Monday (31) at the Odeon, Leicester Square. Princess and her mother were notably absent but Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edin¬ burgh were on hand to see Para¬ mount’s “To Catch a Thief” with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. Com¬ ment was that the lightweight and escapist nature of the film was Ideal for the circ*mstance. Proceeds as usual will go to the Cinematograph Trade Benevolent Fund and the event is expected to yield over $80,000. Advertise¬ ments in the souvenir program have alone netted over $30,000. Admissions .ranged from a ceil- (Continued on page 76) VIVA VIDEO'S VIDAL Another Young Blood Moves to Conquer All Fields Another young blood from tele¬ vision is being given the big en¬ couragement build by Hollywood. Gore Vidal, only 30, has been com¬ mitted for one screenplay annually for four years at Metro, This will require his presence on the west coast about four months, leave him free rest of each year for stage and video chores in New York. New MGM deal follows Vidal’s two adaptation chores, at Metro, “The Catered Affair” and “Cap¬ tain Dreyfus,” on which he is cur¬ rently at work in Culver City. Vidal has had eight novels pub¬ lished, the first at age 20, and his play based upon his tv original, “A Visit to A Small Planet” will be the first Broadway legit producing venture of another young alumnus of video, George Axelrod (“Itch” and “Rock Hudson”) with Cyril Ritchard staging and starring. A March, 1956, opening Is planned. Vidal has still another ambition .—to direct motion pictures and | Metro has promised to give him a ! t.y sometime. >♦»»»»♦ » ♦♦♦! Yes, We Have No Morgue Back in the still-good ole vaude¬ ville days when Max Hart sued E. F. Albee and the Keith office and lost on the ground that, as the late great Charles Evans Hughes proved, vaudeville was not in in¬ terstate commerce, Variety was an important prop in the legal proceedings. Both sides subpoe¬ naed the bound files and what hap¬ pened to them shouldn’t happen to an old Police Gazette, as bar¬ risters, law clerks, court attend¬ ants, et al., thumbed their collec¬ tive “10 little fingers” through the old issues. .. On other occasions the bound files were made available to re¬ searchers, authors and “old friends of the paper” until on one occasion founder Sime Silverman, when looking back at an old New Act review, found a small pair of shears accidentally left therein; and a staffer found a razor- blade. To this day the files in the home-office are not complete, thanks to such abuses of courtesy. The hard and fast rule now ob¬ tains “go to . the N. Y. Public Li¬ brary at 42d St. and 5th Ave.,” where there are five or six com¬ plete sets of the paper for just such consultation purposes. The Library, too, avers that the paper seems to be one of the most con¬ stantly consulted. The N. Y. Public Library has been compelled to mi¬ crofilm its files of Variety for preservation purposes. Our back files, in short, are for staffers’ usage only, and this, too, has become a hazard. Seems that the vets as well as the newer men become so engrossed in something out of the files that it encroaches on current time. Some of the old stories are startling in foresight; some amusing in reverse. The back issues have a strange fascina¬ tion for all of us—and the sam¬ plings carefully culled in the year .1955 assure high readership inter¬ est in the now fast-upcoming Gold¬ en Jubilee Edition. What, No Morgue! Since this,is the big year of self-confession, let it be added for the record that Variety has never bothered, during 50 years, to set up a conventional “morgue.” Hard¬ ly any newspaperman can credit this stupendous omission. How ex¬ plain it? The original staff was too small and too busy. That’s part of the tale. Then there were the ties for sheer survival of the sh*t when anything so cct-and-dried a morgue of clippings seemed as effete as a. ballet act at B t Keith’s Colonial. Reviews h a l been carefully indexed and cross filed through the, years—and Amen to that blessing—but morgue W e ain’t got. It has its disadvantages Of course, but maybe there are good points since, no reporter to day could fake a story by doing the research in the morgue We’ll add that many of the staffers are walking encyclopedias of show hi? lore. About that Max Hart suit—this is a strange legal commentary Hart’s equally distinguished spe¬ cial counsel, the late Martin W Littleton, sought to bring out that* like baseball, the show couldn’t go on without props; Powers’ Ele¬ phants, Swain’s Cats & Rats, Fink’s Mules, Al*, LoyaFs. Dogs, or an elaborate vaudeville “flash” act, needed its properties, equipment! menagerie, and the like, for best performances. And since these props were carried across state lines, Vaudeville was a business in Interstate Commerce, and as such the Federal Courts should si t in judgment. Albee, Keith, et al., meantime had called in the distinguished Charles Evans Hughes who, upon reexamination 'of- Eddie Cantor (among others), accented that Hart was an important agent; that he did, too, take Cantor from $350 a week in vaudeville to-$3,500 a week into .the “Ziegfeld Follies.” Hughes then asked Cantor, and the other stars, who were equally, in Hart’s corner: "Now, suppose, Mr. Cantor that your blackface cork was lost in transit, and- so Were your gog¬ gles, or checkered suit, and the like, could you still come out on the stage of the Palace Theatre, Chicago, or the Orpheum, San Francisco, let us say, and enter¬ tain the audiences in your ordi¬ nary street suit, even though you lacked these 'props’?” Cantor, et al., surmised that, yes, maybe they could do their stuff until the wardrpbe did catch up with them. This was all. Hughes needed to prove his point that in¬ terstate trafficking of props was not indigenous to the vaudeville business; that the talent alone, traveling from city to city, mat¬ tered. The case was thrown out. Has Code Opened the Door? Metro Gets Kidnap Theme Okay—Raises Question About Preminger’s Narcotics Film -----+ __ Chevalier Sued for 285G By Lesser in Pact Tiff Maurice Chevalier, currently on his one-man show at the Lyceum Theatre, N. Y., is being sued for $285,000 by his former manager, Arthur Lesser. The percenter claims that he had signed Cheva¬ lier to a deal in 1950 for the mak¬ ing of a telefilm series and the en¬ tertainer breached this pact. Les¬ ser, now in. Paris, had his N. Y. at, torneys bring suit. Lesser also claims in this suit, filed in N. Y. Federal Court, that he inked Chevalier to another con¬ tract under which he was to have made arrangements for a personal appearances tour in the U. S. as well as a series of guestshots. Lesser asks $260,000 damages on the claimed vidpix breach, and re¬ mainder for the alleged sloughoff of the p.a. package. BRITAIN ECHOES U.S. RE WORLD COPYRIGHT London, Nov. 1. Britain is to fall in line with America on copyright procedure and is introducing legislation which which will ratify the Univer¬ sal Copyright of 1952, sponsored by UNESCO, which has already been accepted by the United States. A new bill was published last week and is expected to be promoted during the present Parliamentary session. The new legislation calls for the (Continued on page 66) Hollywood, Nov. 1. Setting what may turn out to be a significant precedent, the Pro¬ duction Code Administration has backed Metro’s appeal against the original nix by the Code of “Fear¬ ful Decision,” a story purchased by the studio from tv. Yarn has a kid¬ nap theme. On strictly technical grounds, the Code would have to. turn thumbs down on any script dealing with kidnapping, one of its taboos. It did so at the start, but then took the unusual step of supporting Metro’s appeal, the reasoning be¬ ing that the film would be a power¬ ful preachment of the futility of paying ransom. It’s pointed out that, once the Code starts making exceptions, it opens the door to future moves along similar lines. For instance, Otto Preminger would like to get Code okay for his “The Man with the Golden Arm.” Here the sub¬ ject is dope addiction, another Code taboo. Preminger argues— and U.S. Narcotics Commissioner Harry Anslinger disagrees — that “Man” would have a beneficial ef¬ fect. The argument is virtually the same as in the instance of “Fear¬ ful Decision.” Neilson Quits RKO Veteran film publicist Rutgers Neilson has resigned as RKO’s for¬ eign publicity manager, a post he’s held since 1951. .Previously he had been the company’s domestic pub¬ licity manager for 20 years. Neilson will take a vacation be¬ fore announcing his future plans. Wednesday, November 2 , 1953 PtfmETr PICTURES ‘UNITE OR ELSE’: JOHNSTON Dulles Favors Filins for USSR Tf the American industry has been in any doubt about the atti¬ tude of th? U. S. State Dept, re the sale of pictures to Russia, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles in Geneva this week made it plain that he considered the exchange of films part of his plan for broader contact with the Russians. ■» ■ Speaking of the American desire to step up the exchange of in¬ formation and ideas, Dulles said: , distribution of “We wish also to advance proposals for the aistribunon oj American films in the Soviet Union and lor the on a reciprocal basis, of information centers m the respective Motion Picture Export Assn, so far has refused to discuss any film deals with the Soviets. • __ ' ‘Oscar Backers Kill TV Show For COMPO Poll; Press Dinner Replaces Elmer C. Rhoden, chairman of- the Council of Motion Picture Or¬ ganizations’ first Audience Awards project, has given up on plans for a special television program as the setting for announcement of the poll’s winners. Rhoden threw in the sponge on his much desired one-shot television program when it made clear to him that Oscar- loving Hollywoodites were dead- against it. The tv plan had been advanced, to the point where fllm^company execs agreed to ante up a $150,- 000 budget on condition that Acad¬ emy Awards interests, including the Coast guilds, would go along too. Subsequent to this, Rhoden came into immediate contact with the Coast sentiment. Studio pub¬ licity officials, sitting in at last week’s Panhandle Dinner of the Publicists Assn, at the Beverly Hil¬ ton Hotel, which was addressed by Rhoden, buzzed the exec on the side on the advisability of a switch in the program. As a result, the Awards trophies will be presented at a kingsize dinner for the press, to be held in Hollywood early in December. Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has many supporters who felt the COMPO tv’er would have taken the edge from the Acad’s Oscar airing in March. (Continued on page 19) NICK RUTGERS’PIC BIZ BOW VIA INDIE OATER Nicholas (Nicky) G. Rutgers Jr., of the New Jersey clan (Rutgers U., Johnson & Johnson pharmaceu¬ ticals) is in the picture business to the extent that he and a few asso¬ ciates have produced a western and • are now angling to sell it outright. Warners and RKO reportedly are showing some interest. Feature-length oater is “Summer Game,’’ produced in Salida, Colo., with Doris Dowling and Arthur Franz in the leads. Producing com¬ pany is Canyon Films, headed by Conrad Hall, son of author James Norman Hall (“Mutiny on the Bounty”), and Marvin Weinstein and Jack Couffer, who had studied cinematography with Hall at the U. of Southern California. Rutgers, who provided the fi¬ nancing. is credited as associate to Hall, who produced. Steve Frazce, who authored “Many Rivers to Cross,” did the “Game” script. FORMULA RUMPUS T Press to Get Break In deference to. the press, states COMPO, the outfit’s Au- . dience Awards poll will be cli¬ maxed with a mammoth Holly¬ wood dinner for correspon¬ dents covering the film colony. The fourth estaters, it’s to be noted, have felt left out of the Academy Awards ritual, which “breaks” on television, and COMPO won’t permit this to happen with its project. But what if tv interests, de¬ manding “equal coverage rights,” want to set up cam¬ eras at the COMPO ceremony? Shirley Booth Probably Repeats Desk’ on Screen Shirley Booth is practically set to repeat her legit characterization in 20th-Fox’s film version of “The Desk Set,” which opened on Broadway last week. William Marchant, the author of the play, has already been signed to do tlie screen adaptation. Marchant will do considerable rewriting, telescoping the role of the efficiency expert and the male love interest into one character. Under terms of the pre-Broadway Production deal with 20th, the film won’t be ready for release until late 1956 or early. 1957. The film company obtained the picture rights for a $250,000 ceiling, the exact payment depending pn the length of the Broadway run. Paramount Pkge. Of 2,000 Shorts Up for Video In one of the most extensive such deals yet projected, Para¬ mount is engaged in negotiations for the sale of nearly 2,000 short subjects for television. Basis of the talks is a price of about $4,500,000. A. W. Schwalbcrg, who resigned six months ago as Par v.p. in charge of domestic distribution, now operating on his own as pro¬ ducers’ and artists' representative in the theatrical film field, is rep¬ resenting the prospective buying group. Both Schwalberg and Par execs are clamming on the details, pre¬ ferring to await conclusion of the arrangement before making any announcements. Chances are the buyers, presuming the deal goes- through, would license the shorts to various tv outlets instead of peddling the entire package to one network. The films represent virtually Par's entire library of back-num¬ ber reels. They’re mostly one reel- ers and include about 200 “Popeye” subjects along with other cartoons and musical and sports items. ILYA LOPERT FILMING EHRLICH’S‘BABYLON’ “The First Train to Babylon,” just published novel by Max Ehr¬ lich, has been acquired by Ilya Lopert for production in New York. Lopert, whose last production was “Summertime,” said that, un¬ less he acquired another property, “Babylon” would roll in March. He’ll lens it in black-and-white. It’s a story about a young couple whose happiness is threatened when a letter is delivered ten years later. Obviously nettled by the compa¬ nies’ wrangling over a “master” formula, Motion Picture Export Assn, prez Eric Johnston Monday (31) told a meet of the presidents and their foreign toppers that he couldn’t adequately represent a divided association. Emphatically, but without anger, Johnston de'clared that, if everyone insisted on going off in a different direction, there was little use hav¬ ing an MPEA in the first place. He made it clear that dissension among the companies weakened his position vis-a-vis foreign gov¬ ernments, Johnston, in a fervent pica for industry unity, said the MPEA suc¬ cess abroad had been due in large part to the united front approach. To some at the meeting, Johnston’s comments sounded almost like an ultimatum, suggesting that, unless the distribs got together on their foreign policies and views, he may no longer have a taste for fronting for them. Company toppers and their for¬ eign managers, made little head way in their quest for a “mas¬ ter” formula to be applied to the divvying up of foreign import li¬ censes. However, two items were established: (1) Universal wants a basic 24 permits in Italy (it now has 22) and won't discuss a formula unless it's based on that premise. (2) Warner Bros., to date flatly opposed to a formula or participa¬ tion in talks to create one, has soft¬ ened somewhat and now is at least willing to sit in on discussions. From that point of view, the meeting did represent a step for¬ ward, even though the extent of the WB concession—if any—is an unknown quantity. The New York powwow, under the chairmanship of Johnston agreed to renewed examination of the formula originally hammered out by the Motion Picture Export Assn.’s Griffith Johnson and a com mittee of four company reps. This time, all the companies will be in on the deliberations which are to (Continued on page 24» [odd Exits Magna and Todd-AO; Sells His Stock (or $2,000,000; Says Tm Only a Producer Now’ 3-D's Lingering Echo When “Ulysses” was first mapped by Ponti-de Lauren- tiis Productions in Rome, the plan was to make the film in both conventional and third dimension versions. But William Schorr, having been called in to produce the feature in association with the Italian company, mean¬ while had become convinced that 3-D was no longer in vogue. He related this week he had a tough time in con¬ vincing Ponti and de Lauren- tiis that the extra D was not w T oi’th the effort. 61% In Color, Record in 1955; More B&Ws Due While there’s been talk of late about the possibility of a swing back to good old breath-taking black-and-white, the film compa¬ nies’ 1955 releases indicate that Hollywood continues to look at the world through tinted glasses. Yet, despite the current year’s record, there are straws in the wind to substantiate the feeling that the studios are becoming more selective in their application of color and don’t hesitate to switch to monochrome when they think the subject is well served. Rundown of the distribs’ skeds for 1955 (in one or two cases not quite complete) shows 246 features released or due for release through Dec. 31. Of these, 152 are in color and 94 in black-and-white. (Continued on page 78) Mike Todd (from the Todd-AO of the same name) has bowed out of both Magna Theatre Corp., the parent and releasing company of “Oklahoma,” and the Todd-AO Corp. Seeking additional financing for his “Around the World in 80 Days,” and at odds with Magna toppers Joseph M. Schenck and George P. Skouras, Todd yesterday (Tues.) sold 346.000 shares of his Magna stock, plus 128,000 warrants, for a take of close to $2,000,000. lie has also resigned from both the Magna and Todd-AO boards. Todd’s only direct relalion with either Magna or Todd-AO is his Todd-AO franchise, under which he can make 10 pix in the Todd- AO process over the next five years, and his post, as consultant to Magna. The Todd holdings in Magna were bought up by Charles Allen & Co., Wall St. underwriters. Mag- * na toppers have acquired a report¬ ed 60,000 shares Via the Allen Co. buyup. Todd got $5 a share, for his 346,000 shares of Magna and $1.50 per for 128.000 warrants. According to Todd, this doesn’t leave him with a single share of (Continued on page 20) National Boxoffice Survey Biz Stays Very Spotty; Trial' No. 1, 'Holiday' 2d, 'Rebel' 3d, 'Swing' 4th, 'Men' 5th, 'Hours' 6th Forrest Heads Script Sups Hollywood, Nov. 3. Robert Forrest of Universal was named new president of the Script Supervisors Guild at the annual election. Other officers selected were Kay Thackrey, Hal Roach Studios, first veepee; Meta Rabncr, Warners, second veepee; Charlie Bryant, Columbia, secretary; Dor¬ othy Yetsi, Paramount, treasurer, I Thelma Preece remains business 1 agent for the Guild. While some of the bigger pix had little difficulty in doing well, biz at firstruns in many key cities covered by Variety this session is sluggish. In some spots, trade is hitting rock bottom. The weather, opposition attractions, and even early Xmas buying are blamed in varying degrees by exhibitors. New champ at wickets is “Trial” (M-G). It is closely followed by “Cinerama Holiday” (Indie), which was third a week ago. “Rebel Without Cause” (WB) is taking third money. “Girl in Red Velvet Swing” (20th) is finishing fourth as against fifth last session. “Tall Men” (20th) is capturing fifth position while “Desperate Hours” (Par) is finishing sixth. Latter was ninth last round. “To Hell and Back” (U), first for four consecutive weeks, is winding up seventh. “Sister Eileen” (Col) is landing eighth place. “Blood Alley” (WB), seventh last stanza, is ninth. “I Am ALLIED ARTISTS NABS ‘LARK,’ DUE ON B’WAY Allied Artists has closed deal with legit producer Kcrmit Bloom- garden relating to the acquisition of the film rights to “The Lark,” the Lillian Heilman adaptation of the Jean Anouilh play. “The Lark” opens on Broadway on Nov, 17 with Julie Harris in the starring role. It’s a Joan of Arc story with a “happy" ending. A previous adaptation of the Anouilh play by Christopher Fry was a big success in London. GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR PAfUETY 1905-1955 Camera” (DCA) rounds out the Top 10. “Lucy Gallant” (Par), “Night of Hunter” (UA) and “Sheep Has Five Legs” (Indie) are runner-up pix. “Big Knife” (UA) is one of the strong new entries. It is okay in L.A. and sharp in Denver. “Tender Trap” (M-G), which is due at the I N. Y. Music Hall next week, | preemed socko in Detroit. "Trcas- l ure of Pancho Villa” (RKO) is ! rated good in Buffalo and modest | in L.A. “Phenix City Story” lAA), ■ potent in Cleveland, is only fairish | in Balto. It’s rated slow in Wash- ! ington and L.A. | "Ulysses” (Par), good in N. Y., 1 looms brisk in Cleveland. "Gcn- j tlemen Marry Brunettes” (UA), fine in Frisco, shapes solid in N.Y. . “Illegal” (WB) looks sturdy in ! : N.Y. “The Shrike” (U) looms good j .in Prov’lence. “Wichita” (AA) is; smart in Omaha. i I “Count Three and Pray” (Col) is i rated okay in Frisco and Philly. , 1 “Marty” (UA), fancy in Boston and j I N.Y., is good in Philly. “Divided i ! Heart’’ (Rep) shapes oke in Boston. ; 1 “Quentin Durward” (M-G>, mild! in Buffalo and Louisville, looks ; dull in Denver. “Man From Bit- I • ter. Ridge” (U) is okay in Balto. | "Last Command” (Rep) is pass- > I ably good in Buffalo. “Queen Bee” | (Col) shapes fairish in Chi and Philly. | "Lady Godiva’’ (U> looks modest in Detroit. "Three Stripes in Sun” (Col> is rated happy in Boston. ■ (Complete Boxoffice Reports on i Papes 8-9) TffiRiETY Trade Mark Registered FOUNDED BY SIME SILVERMAN Published Weekly by VARIETY. INC Harold Erichs, President 154 West 4Uth St. New York 30, N. Y JUdson 2-2700 Hollywood 28 6311 Yucca Street Hollywood 91141 Washington 4 1292 National Press Building STerling 3-0443 Chicago 11 612 No. Michigan Avo. DElaware 7-4984 London WC2 8 St. Marlin's PL, Tratnlgnt Sq. Temple Bar 5041 SUBSCRIPTION • Annual $10 Foreign $11 Single Copies .. 25 Cents ABEL GREEN. Editor Vol. 200 No. 9 INDEX Bills . . . .. . 66 Chattel’ . ... 77 Concert Ballet . ... 74 Film Reviews. ... 6 House Reviews. ... 67 Inside Music. . . . 53 Inside Legit . ... 68 Inside Pictures. ... 19 Insicle Radio-Tv. ... 46 International . ... 14 Legitimate . ... 68 Literati .. ... 76 Music . . . . 49 New Acts . ... 62 Night Club Reviews. . ... 64 Obituaries . ... 79 Pictures . ... 3 Radio Reviews . ... 30 Radio-Television .... ... 26 Record Reviews. ... 50 Television Reviews . . . . . 34 TV Films. ... 33 Unit Review . ... 67 Vaiubwi))'' . - - - ... 59 Wall Street. ... 10 daily variety (Published in Hollywood by Dally Variety, Lld.i 815 a year $20 Foreign_ 4 PICTURES t^SniETY Wednesday, November 2 , 1955 Huston’s 'Moby Dick,’ Harpooned By Delays, Now Set (or Spring Release +• -,-- 3-D CASE NO CASE . The latest making of “Moby Dick” into a moving picture has become as much a saga as the Her¬ man Melville epic itself. Release of the film is now set for late spring, which is two years after the cameras started rolling. John Huston’s production over this long haul rolled up a negative cost of $4,100,000. Background material was first lensed in the late spring of 1954, followed by location shooting in Ireland in July of the same year. Then to off the coast of Madeira, Cardiff, Wales, studio shooting in London, and finally to the Canary Islands for whaling sequences and other open sea shots. Holding up the feature, which stars Gregory Peck, have been de¬ lays due to weather conditions from time to time and an elabo¬ rate, time-wise, effort to create new color shadings in collaboration with Technicolor. As a. result of the latter, Techni will charge Moulin Productions, owner of “Moby,” a price exceeding the standard rate for release prints. Unlike Moulin’s previous entry, “Moulin Rouge,” which achieved special color effects via a filter in the camera, the tinting for “Moby” is being handled on the laboratory end. To the three separate color matrices used in the Techni proc¬ ess, a fourth printing facility is being added. This latter film, terming it broadly, is a strip of black-and-white positive taken from the original color negative. For a few scenes, b-w dupe negative is used as the fourth fa- (Continued on page 20) Schnee: Just Love Real-Flesh Heroes By WHITNEY WILLIAMS Hollywood, Nov. 1. Films based on real-life persons give added dimension to a picture not found in fiction,, Metro produ¬ cer Charles Schnee reports, as reason for his constant search for colorful personalities to translate to the screen. Schnee, who acted as executive producer of 22 picures over a 16- month span at Metro before turn¬ ing to active production, currently is prepping a trio of, biopics as followup to his current release, “Trial,” based also on actual in¬ cidents. Additionally, he is dickering with an Argentine journalist for a story on Juan and the late Eva Peron, backdropped by their polit¬ ical regime which finally was smashed during the revolt last month in Buenos Aires. While still in the negotiating stage, pro¬ ducer is confident of acquiring property. It will be the first time the Peron dictatorship ever has been dealt with on the screen. There’s the problem of main¬ taining reality to conform to dramatics, the producer points out, but given a personality whose life has been colorful enough this solves itself. He cites Rocky Grazi- ano, whose “Somebody Up There Likes Me,” he is readying, as an example. Reared in one of the toughest neighborhoods in the world, Grazi- ano’s life provides workable drama, Schnee says, because of his asso¬ ciates and his continuous struggle to survive. Another case in point is Comdr. Frank “Spig" Wead, who will be biofilmed in “The Wings of (Continued on page 74) RELIGIOSO SATURATION Butterfield Circuit Books Fried¬ rich’s ‘Day of Triumph* Hollywood, Nov. 1. Butterfield circuit of Michigan has booked “Day of Triumph,” religioso produced by James K. Friedrich, George J. Schaefer, who is personally distributing the fea¬ ture, reported here. Bookings in¬ clude virtually every key city in the state except Detroit, where the film already as in first run at the Krim Theatre. Schaefer is distributing pic on a territorial basis with 100 prints. But Judge Orders Audit of Fees Due Schaefer Hollywood, Nov. 1. I Federal Judge Ben Harrison tossed George Schaefer’s partner¬ ship claim against Milton Gunz- burg out of court after three weeks of trial, but ordered both sides to prepare figures on coin due Schae¬ fer for services rendered. Judge didn’t wait for final arguments in ruling that the preponderance of evidence did not prove a contrac¬ tual relationship. Schaefer had sued for a share of the profits of Natural Vision 3-D, claiming he had an agreement that he was to be a partner in the firm. Easing in Latin Lands Possible Some easeup on long-standing restrictive conditions imposed on American film companies in South America may be forthcoming. “There are no assurances but pros¬ pects are better,” according to Herb Golden, assistant v.p. in charge of the amusem*nt indus¬ tries division for N. Y.’s Bankers Trust Co. Latin lands have been one of the toughest foreign areas for the Yank outfits via- their curbs on admission prices and remittances of earnings. Golden is back in N, Y: following a five-week tour of the territory. Improvement in Argentina is expected under the new Leonardi government, he related, including some film-making by Yank inter¬ ests. “This is the most advanced country and would be a logical place for co-production,” according to Golden. Facilities are short of the Hollywood standard but could still serve the purpose, Under the Peron regime the American distributors had it plenty rough. Eric A. Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Assn, of America negotiated a deal five years ago providing for the (Continued on page 66) UNIVERSAL READYING ATATURK BIOPIC Universal is going on location in Turkey to film the life of Kernel Ataturk, “father of modern Tur¬ key,” who died in 1938. Aaron Rosenberg will produce and Bor¬ den Chase will script. Film, envisioned as being on a large scale, is a top item on U’s 1956 production sked, according to Edward Muhl, U production v.p. Rosenberg, U production man¬ ager Gilbert Kurland and unit manager Lew Leary leave for Is¬ tanbul today (Wed.) and expect to stay in Turkey for three weeks, scouting locations and conferring with officials. U. S. Host First Time To Producers’ International; Shurlock’s Code Spiel What amounts to a symposium on .he foreign film in the U. S. market will be one of the features highlighting next week’s Washing¬ ton meet of the International Fed¬ eration of Film Producers Assns. which gets under way Nov. 7. ’ Group meeting is, the adminis¬ trative council., of the Federation. ■ This will be the first time the body has been convened in America. *Renato Gualino of Italy is the Fed¬ eration prexy. Discussion of the American mar¬ ket for imports, a topic of prime interest to producers abroad, will be enlivened by the appearance of Geoffrey Shurlock, head of 'the Production Code, who will fly from the Coast to brief delegates on the workings of the Code, particularly in relation to foreign pix. Among the countries definitely attending will be Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, the U. S. and Switzerland. Items on the agenda so far include discussion of new membership applications, approval of next year’s film fests and general problem of interna¬ tional film exchange. Asked whether the European film pool might be taken up, a Mo¬ tion Picture Assn, of America spokesman said it definitely would not. “They aren’t going to talk about that kind Of thing at a meet¬ ing where Eric Johnston is pres¬ ent,” he emphasized. Johnston has been a stout opponent of any pool idea. It’s indicated that, for the dis¬ cussion of the American market, the meet may also hear from some exhibitors so as to give the dele¬ gates a complete picture of the situation. DOWNING SETS MGM’S ‘KISMET’FOR CHRISTMAS Metro’s “Kismet” has been set as the N.Y. Music Hall’s Christmas picture. Deal was finalized last Friday (28) by Russell V. Downing, Hall’s managing director. He had seen the production on the Coast among 17 or more other produc* tions from principal Hollywood Studios he glimpsed while on the Coast last month. Contract for “Kismet” was working out in N.Y. after Downing’s return from the Coast about 10 days ago. It likely will open early in December. Downing went to Hollywood after a month’s vacation and rest in the far west in October and Septem¬ ber. He was on the Coast for near¬ ly a week looking at new product and rushes from latest pix. Branson as V.P. Walter E. Branson, RKO world¬ wide sales manager, was handed veepee chevrons by the board of directors yesterday (Tues.), prexy Daniel T. O’Shea revealed. Branson started his film biz career with Pathe in 1922 and moved to RKO in 1932 when the two firms lfierged. He became glo¬ bal sales chief about two years ago. Tony Martin Wins in Tax Court Internal Revenue Had Disallowed Loss Claim On < Casbah > Film Washington, Nov. 1. Tony Martin won his appeal in the U.S. Tax Court last week against an Internal Revenue Serv¬ ice ruling that the entertainer owed an additional $4,506 income tax for 1949. Legal battle revolved about Martin’s losses in the film “Casbah,” indie production in which he was starred. Pic lost coin and Martin contended tills was “a business bad debt deductible in full in the year of the loss.” In¬ ternal Revenue didn’t see it that way. The Tax Court opinion explained that Nat C. Goldstone, Martin’s agent, set up the production “to rehabilitate petitioner’s career and to reestablish him in the entertain¬ ment field.” Martin had been in the Armed Forces 1942-45 during which time he had “received some unfavorable publicity.” Marston Pictures Inc., a collapsi¬ ble corporation, was set up to make the picture, a musical ver¬ sion of “Pepe Le Moko.” Costs were $1,300,000, of which Bank of America supplied $900,000 first money. To provide second money, Gold- stone advanced $41,500; Tony Mar¬ tin lent $12,000 and the remainder came from other sources. Com¬ mented the court: “The picture was not a financial success. Nevertheless the picture benefited petitioner and in large measure reestablishd petitioner and rehabilitated his career in the motion picture industry and in the entertainment field generally.” The court then found that Martin’s loan to the company constituted a non-recurring business bad debt. ♦ . .. :i New York Sound Track T ttttttttttttt+tit ♦+■»+ + ++Witt ft One of Metro’s promotion pieces shows a set of characters who look like lammisters from the Sphinx and the translation of the Arabic legend reads: “Variety says “Guys and Dolls” will be boff boxoffice at Loew’s Cairo,” Metro’s reading “The Big Burner,” story by erstwhile television pro. ducer Hal Friedman and ex-Army public information specialist Ralph Schoenstein . . . Allied Artists pushed back the release of “Gunpoint” nearly two months, to January 10, to develop the ad-pub campaign John E. Durkin bowed out of the Louis de Rochemont; company, now that the sale of “Martin Luther” has been concluded . . . Walter Wald- man left Paramount to write the blurbs for United Artists . . . Para¬ mount’s angling school tieups for “Ulysses.” “The Billy Bishop Victoria Cross Story” indie to be made in Canada will have veteran director E. H. Griffith, co-producer with LeRoy Prinz, . . . writers will be Ainsworth Morgan arid Jack DeWitt. Producer Charles Sehnee and director Robert Wise due in N. Y. Nov. 15 to set locations and castings for Metro’s “Somebody Up There Likes Me” . . . Sheldon Reynolds leased Svensk Filmindustri Studios in Stockholm to assure European stage space for upcoming program. It will be father pitted against son in Chicago shortly when Samuel Goldwyn’s “Guys and Dolls,” a Metro release, opens at the Chicago Theatre, Chi, Nov. 10. Samuel Goldwyn Jr.’s first production, “Man With the Gun,” United Artists release, opens at the Roosevelt Theatre, same city, six days later. Kelly Hope, Bob Hope’s nine-year-old son, makes his acting debut in Paramount’s “That Certain Feeling,” in which his father, co-stars with Eva Marie Saint and George Sanders . . . First femme cast for the Le- land Hayward-Billy Wilder-Wamer Bros, production of “The Spirit of St. Louis” is Broadway actress Patricia Smith . . . Sol Lesser Produc¬ tions signed Edith Smith as story editor . . . Charles Martin reports he’ll make “Splash of Water,” from his own teleplay, as his second independent production, following “Death of a Scoundrel” . . . William S. Kent, formerly v.p. of Calhoun Studios, industrial and telepix pro¬ ducers, last week joined National Screen Service in a sales and pro¬ duction capacity. He’ll enlarge NSS activities in the field of business films and tv commercials. Add Arthur Rosen to the “sons of the pioneers” in exhibition. He’s the son of Stanley Warner executive veepep Samuel Rosen and grand¬ son of the late Jacob Fabian, founder of the Fabian chain, Young Rosen holds down the post of aide to the v.p. in charge of Cinerama production at SW . . . Ralph W. Budd, Warner Bros, personnel director, to speak on ‘‘What Is a Motion Picture” tomorrow. (Thurs.) as part of New School . . . Don Mankiewicz, author of “Trial,” back in N. Y. from a Metro writing assignment ... Ed Sullivan, who will make his first feature, for Warner Bros., will reach the nation’s screens next January in a five-minute trailer for Metro’s Samuel Goldwyn’s “Guys and Dolls.” Willmark agency has been retained by the individual U. S. distribs to check the Canadian theatres. Sargoy & Stein also has been engaged to check receipts. Last week’s Variety erroneously stated that Will- mark was working for S & S . . . Richard Egan will be master of cere¬ monies at the Allied conventiQn banquet in Chicago Nov. 9 . . . Isadora “Ike” Ehrlichman, Universal’s Washington sales manager, goes to Buf¬ falo to become branch manager for the company. Robert L. Friedman, salesman for U in Albany, replaces Ehrlichman in Washington . . . Dis¬ cussion on experimental films launches Gideon Bachmann’s “Film Forum” over WFUV-FM, N. Y., Friday (4). Kirk Douglas signed Jerry Bresler as producer and general mana¬ ger of Bryna Productions . . . Leo Genn, dissatisfied with the script rewrite, pulled out of Russ-Field’s “Run for the Sun,” Richard Wid- mark-Jane Greer starrer which goes before the cameras today (Tues.) in Mexico . . . Columbia signed veteran scripter Harry Kleiner to a producer contract . . . Lizabeth Scott hopped to London for costar role with Steve Cochran in Filmakers’ “The Weapon,” for United Artists release. . COUNT BONZI’S CANNES WINNER GOES TO IFE “Lost Continent,” Italo documen¬ tary on Indonesia lensed in Cin¬ emascope* has been acquired by IFE Release Corp. for the U. S. Produced by Count Leonardo Bonzi and a special award winner at this year’s Cannes film fest, this is the first non-major C’Scope pic to reach the U. S. from abroad. Bidding on the film, which is in color, had been heavy among the indies. Apart from C’Scope, it also has stereophonic sound. L. A. to N. Y. Fritz Bamberger Louis Berg Marlon Brando Linda Christian John Conte Leo Durocher Catherine Edwards Mel Ferrer Philip Gerard Audrey Hepburn Stubby Kaye Joe King Jarma Lewis David A. Lipton Joshua Logan Don M. Mankiewicz Robert McAndrews Mort Meyerson Ed Miller Robert Mitchum Hildy Parks Joel Preston Billy Redfield Lizabeth Scott Jean Simmons Spyros P. Skouras Florence Sommers Arnold Stang Mark Stevens Kay Sullivan Joan Woodward Europe to N. Y. Boleslaw Barlog Johnny Brandon Betty Brown A. Burke Crotty Charles Delac Florence Eldridge Hazel Franklin Hermione Gingold Sonja Henie Charles Laughton Mary Jane Lenihan Fredric March Alicia Markova Joseph Maternati Ken Pitt RossanaPodesta Robert Richardson Ann Rutherford Joe Schoenfeld Fritz Stiedry N. Y. to Europe David O. Alber Victoria de los Angeles Edward Dry hurst Claire Bloom Francis Curtis William Demarest Eloise English Andor Foldes Kathryn Grayson Jorgen S. Jorgensen William Liebling Larry Mack Mary Murphy Wynn Nathan Vera Ralston Fritz Reiner Josh White Herbert J. Yates N. Y.toL. A. Fred Clark Ralph Curtis Arlene Dahl Meyer Davis Nat D. Fellman L. Wolfe Gilbert Felice Orlandi Terry Turner Benay Venuta Wcdricaday, November 2, 1955 PfiRIETY PICTURES NEW PROCESSES’ SLOW PAYOFF Neglect of Technical Side Could Leave Theatres With Only Popcorn; Color TV Real Threat—Reeves If the film business wants to*- compete successfully with other forms of Entertainment, particu¬ larly television, it cannot allow it¬ self to compromise on technical perfection. That's the view of Hazard E. Reeves, president of Cinerama Inc. Reeves, whose com¬ pany manufactures and installs the Cinerama equipment, feels that there is a great future for all the new film processes if the film com¬ panies and theatres continue ■ to work meticulously on perfecting the photographic quality of pic r tures, the sound reception, and the projection technique. Reeves contended that there is still widespread neglect in present¬ ing films in the best technical man¬ ner possible, a vital, point if the¬ atres want to hold old and attract new customers. Color television “is breathing down the necks” of exhibitors. It's not enough to pro¬ vide places "to eat popcorn and peanuts,” he declared. He deplored the neglect in per¬ fecting theatre sound reception and accused the film companies of sabotaging 20th-Fox's efforts to give audiences better sound via the stereophonic magnetic method. He feels that optical sound tracks cannot equal the quality of mag¬ netic tracks. In refuting arguments relating to the public’s lack of in¬ terest in better sound, he pointed to the widespread interest in home hi-fi equipment. Trade Passing By VistaVision The industry is giving Para¬ mount’s VistaVision the brush. Un¬ like 20th-Fox’s Cinemascope pro¬ cess, which has been adopted for numerous films by all other com¬ panies, the Par system has been employed only by Universal and this for a single pic, ‘‘Away All Boats.” At Par, of course, the com¬ plete lineup is in V’Vision. Key point made by some produc¬ tion sources is that 20th was first to market with a system that was a definite departure from the con¬ ventional. Par came later, and while its process concededly repre¬ sents an improvement in pictorial quality, the difference hasn’t been so marked as to be so recognizable to the public as was C’Scope. Par doesn’t feel put out, though. This company right from the start contended that the area of nega¬ tive must be enlarged if quality is to be preserved in widescreen pro¬ jection. Principle of V’Vision is the exposure of two frames of .film in the place of one. Now, it’s pointed out, other com¬ panies, including 20th, are adopt¬ ing wider-gauge negative, up to 70m. Par feels this is simply a vari¬ ation of V'Vision, only by another name. BASEHART-MURPHYPAIR FOR‘ALL MY HEART’ Hollywood, Nov. 1. ‘‘With All My Heart,” starring Richard Basehart and Mary Mur- Phy, will be the next Todon Pro¬ duction for RKO release. Film will be made in London, beginning Nov. 14 with Tony Owen (who owns the indie unit with Donna Reed) producing and Joseph Wil¬ ton directing. “Heart” will be the third film lor RKO release under the exist¬ ing distribution agreement. Firm has already complete4 “Alison,” starring Terry Moore, Robert Beat¬ ty and William' Sylvester, and “The Out,” starring Gene Nelson and Mona Freeman. Projectionists’ Angle Los Angeles, Nov. 1. Upped scales are being de¬ manded by Projectionists Lo¬ cal 150, IATSE, for the .han¬ dling for Todd-AO pictures, along with a third man in the booth until composite prints containing the sdund track are available. Notice to that effect has been given United Artists The¬ atre Circuit, which now has its Egyptian theatre, as well as the United Artists in down- • town Los Angeles,, being read¬ ied for the bigscreen projec¬ tion of “Oklahoma.” - Todd-AO Needs 11 Boothmen At Rivoli; Up Rate Rivoli Theatre, N.Y., as result of the installation of the Todd-AO equipment, is operating under a new deal with the Projectionists Union, Local 306, International Al¬ liance of Theatrical .Stage Em¬ ployees. New pact calls for the employment of 11 boothmen at $130 per week as compared to the previous $117 week. Projection¬ ists also have a shorter work week, the schedule calling for three days for each man. Union argues that the new widescreen equipment requires special handling and “endless supervision.” Hence, the demand for extra manpower and a larger pay scale. Local 306 is also ask¬ ing for a revised scale for the handling of horizontal VistaVision (Continued on page 24) TODD-AO [CHOI The launching of a new film process, particularly by a group not associated with a major film company, is a hazardous under¬ taking. Development and installa¬ tion costs are astronomical and the payoff is slow and complicated. Despite the reports of phenomenal boxoffice takes, the shareholder often wonders why his investment has not paid off as quickly as an¬ ticipated. Unlike investments in oil and uranium, a strike, via a hit picture or a widely acclaimed new film technique, is not a sign of ap¬ proaching ■ riches. Stockholders of both Cinerama Productions Corp. and Cinerama, Inc., can at¬ test to this. Although it’s still too early to tell, the investors in Todd- AO will probably have a long haul before their initial coin outlays be¬ gin to pay dividends. Since a new film process plus the fact that anything pertaining to the entertainment field repre¬ sents an uncertain risk, the financ¬ ing is intricate and involves quite a few hands in the pie. Operat¬ ing costs are high and the repay¬ ment of the initial investments takes time. Therefore considerable time elapses before^the profit pos¬ sibilities are seen. Despite “This Is Cinerama's” over $22,000,000 gross and “Cine¬ rama Holiday’s” over $5,000,000 take, investors in the various Cinerama companies have yet to receive a sizeable payoff for their risk capital. An analysis of the complicated division of the box- office dollar points up the prob¬ lems involved. Complex Cinerama For the operation of 15 domestic theatres displaying the Cinerama process, Stanley Warner Corp. re¬ ceives 5% of the gross as a super¬ vision fee after the deduction of operating "'•expenses. Cinerama Inc., the patent holder and manu¬ facturing company, obtains 10% of the net. The remainder is used by SW to repay the cost of opening each theatre—about $250,000 to $300,000 including Installation and (Continued on page 24) HelTn’ Back’ October’s Top Wallop; Tall Men’ and Trial’ Standouts; Allied’s ‘Phenix City” Registers’ GOLDElt DOZEN (In October) 1. “To Hell and Back” (U). 2. “Cinerama holiday.” 3 “Tall Men” (20th). 4 “Trial” (M-G). 5. “Blood Alley” (WB). 6. “Ulysses” (Par). 7. “Left Hand of God” (20th). 8. “Sister Eileen” (Col). 9. “G’tlemen Brunettes” (UA>. 10. “I Am Camera” (DCA). 11. “Phenix City Story” (AA). 12. “To Catch Thief” (Par). Boxoffice Winds And Whims Hard To Prognosticate Concern over whims of the box- office is in evidence again. A flock of new and important features is providing film company executives with both heartening and sadden¬ ing surprises. And the incoming revenue, either up or down, is mak¬ ing it further apparent to the trade that it’s more difficult than ever to predict the gross on any individ¬ ual entry in advance. Paramount’s “Desperate Hours,” Metro’s “Trial” and 20th-Fox’s “Tall Men” are strong contenders in the b.o. sweepstakes for the most part but nonetheless all three are slipping in certain areas after hefty opening wefeks at the first-runs. This is particularly curious since the press notices have been largely favorable, especially with “Hours” and “Trial,” and word-of-mouth on all three has been upbeat. Curious to film officials, on the other hand, has been the b.o. reae- (Continued* on page 78) OUT SOON! The GOLDEN JUBILEE 50th Anniversary Number Of Forms closing shortly Usual Advertising rates prevail ( Special exploitation advantages Copy and space reservations may be sent to any Variety office NEW YORK 36 HOLLYWOOD 28 6311 Yucca St. CHICAGO 11 612 N. Michigan Ave. LONDON. W. C. 2 8 St. Martin*! Place Trafalgar Square Business at firstrun theatres last month was not up to advance hopes. Exhibitors had to contend witli unusually late warm weather, several storms along the Atlantic seaboard and a surplus of torren¬ tial rains. Considering these handicaps and that there were not enough topflight pictures to go around, the month of October was not too far off stride for such an early fall month. | “To Hell and Back” (UV was first last month, according to reports from Variety correspondents in some 25 representative key cities. The Audie Murphy starrer, which started showing its strength in the final week of September, took over first place the first week in Octo¬ ber and never relinquished al¬ though hotly pursued in the final slanza. The Universal thriller grossed nearly $1,300,000 in the four weeks listed last month. ‘‘Cinerama Holiday” (Indie) won second position, the same as in September, and racked up better than $1,000,000 in grosses. Third place goes to “Tall Men” (20th), this western-type opus hitting $845,000 in the three weeks it was out in release to any extent. “Trial” (M-G) copped fourth money although moving up to sec- (Continued on page 22) Allied Vanguard In Chi Friday By HY HOLLINGER Vanguard of Allied States Assn, leaders will hit Chicago Friday (4) for closed door sessions in advance of the national convention which gets under way at the Morrison Hotel Nov. 7. Meeting of the Emergency De¬ fense Committee, which will pre¬ sent resolutions to the convention, is regarded as topmost importance to the industry as a whole. The EDC is the group organized by Allied to weigh Government regu¬ lation of film rentals. The commit¬ tee is headed by Bennie Berger, of Minneapolis, a strong Allied spokesman In favor of Government intervention. Berger has already had a number of talks with Sen. Hubert Humphrey, Minnesota Democrat, and is said to have Humphrey's assurance of a Senate committee hearing on industry practices when the exhibitors re¬ quest the session. Following the EDC conclave on Friday, the board of directors will meet on Saturday and Sunday to prepare the agenda for the con¬ vention as well as reports and res-r olutions /or submission to the gen¬ eral membership. The national convention this year is being held In conjunction with the trade show of the Theatre Equipment & Supply Manufac¬ turers Assn, the Theatre Dealers Assn., and the International Pop¬ corn Assn. More than 57 booths have been rented by equipment firms and concession suppliers. An equipment clinic will also be part of the convention which will run for three days ending Wednes¬ day (9). Makelim’s 2d to Roll Hollywood, Nov. 1. Second of the Makelim Plan pic- ; tures will go before the cameras ; early in . December. Initialer, “The Peacemaker,” has already been completed for the Hal’ R. 1 Makelim Plan of guaranteed thea¬ tre bookings. Under the plan, Makelim will turn out one film a month. Second ‘ starter will be “The Case of Julia Watson,” to be followed early in 1956 by “The Gay Primitive” and “Desperate Men.” FILM REVIEWS MsmTr Wednesday, November 2, I955 Gays and Rolls (MUSICAL—C'SCOPE—COLOR) Lush, marquee-loaded filmusi¬ cal for socko b.o. A Goldwyn (old mine. Metro release of Samuel Goldwyn’s production. Stars Marlon Brando. Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra, Vivian Blaine: features Robert Keith, Stubby Kaye, B. S. Pully, Johnny Silver. Directed and screen¬ play by Joseph L. Manklewicz. Based on Feuer & Martin legit musical, book by Jo Swerllng & Abe Burrows, from a Damon Runyon story; songs, Frank Loes- ser; dahces, Michael Kidd; music. Jay Blackton and Cyril Mockridge; camera (Eastmancolor), Harry Stradling; special effects, Warren Newcombe; asst, director, Arthur S. Black Jr.; orchestrations. Skip Martin, Nelson Riddle, Alexander Cour¬ age, A1 Sendrey; editor, Daniel Mandell. Previewed at Loew's 72d St. Theatre, N.Y., Oct. 25, 1955. Running time, 150 MINS. Sky Masterson .Marlon Brando Sarah Brown .Jean Simmons Nathan Detroit . Frank Sinatra Miss Adelaide . Vivian Blaine Lt. Brannlgan . Robert Keith Nlcely-Nicely Johnson....... Stubby Kaye Big Jule . .. B. S. Pully Benny Southstrect Johnny Silver Harry the Horse . Sheldon Leonard Rusty Charlie . Dan Dayton Society Max . George E. Stone Arvid -Abernathy . Regis Toomey General Cartwright.Kathryn Glvney Laverne ..... Veda Ann Borg Agatha ....; Mary Alan Hokanson Angie the Ox .. Joe McTurk Calvin. Kay Kuter Mission Member . Stapleton Kent Cuban Singer .,.... Renee Renor Louis . John Indnsnno Pitch Man . Earle Hodgins Waiter . Barry Tyler Goldwyn Girls Reuben De Fuentes Orch. "Guys and Dolls” is a hangup filmusical, made-to-order for the young dolls & guys out front, and for the general family trade as well. It is in the modem idiom; insured by a strong marquee quar¬ tet in Marlon Brando, Jean Sim¬ mons, Frank Sinatra and Vivian Blaine; and fortified by a good set of songs, old and new. As a showmanship picture it is well endowed. Besides the cast, the good-penetration job on the $1,000,000 property buy for pic¬ tures, plus the Eunyonesque val¬ ues, there is the overall impact of this being a lush musical in the topdrawer Goldwyn manner, in¬ cluding a resurrection of the Gold¬ wyn Girls, another okay item for the ballyhoo. Film has some minor shortcom¬ ings, even now correctable if the producer-distributor will it. One is the obvious overlength and the latitude for cutting, especially in the forepart. The other is indige¬ nous to the basic production, not as readily corrected although there, too, if cuttirtg is desired, some of the closeups of the drab Times Square street scenes might be elided. Apart from the fact that perhaps only the Broadway deni¬ zens might be sensitive to the lack of realism, especially where the locale is in the immediate prox¬ imity of Runyon’s favored "Min¬ dy’s,” anybody at all familiar with the environs of the Lindy’s res¬ taurants (whether the "old” or the "new” Lindy’s, diagonally across Broadway) may wax captious on that score. If the street scenes were primed for fantasy they look what they are fundamentally—studio sets. I But filmusical license permits for a lot of things. As soon as the auditor permits himself to get lost in the "nicely-nicely” Runyon world and its "characters” it is al¬ ways palatable entertainment. The casting is good all the way. Much interest will focus, of course, around Marlon Brando in the Rob¬ ert Alda original and Jean Sim¬ mons as the Salvation Army sergeant (created by Isabel Bigley), and they deport themselves in in¬ spired manner. They’re as compe¬ tent song-and-dance people as in their past straight romantic cred¬ its. They make believable the offbeat romance between the gambler and the spirited servant of the gospel. Vivian Blaine is capital in her original stage role which is well- nigh performance-proof consider¬ ing her longruns both on Broadway and in the West End. Sinatra is an effective vis-a-vis in the Sam Lcvene original of "Nathan De¬ troit” and among the four they handle the burden of the score. However, Stubby Kaye (also of the Broadway original) whams ’em again with "Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” and he and Johnny Silver are vocal assists in a couple of other opportunities. T)ie Frank Loesser songs con¬ stitute one of those durable scores which were not singularly boffo even in the original, despite the long runs, but have the plus value I of being pleasantly lilting without being overly familiar. What’s more, his new songs will probably eclipse the stage originals for substance and general popularity. Among these are "Pet Me, Poppa,” "Ade¬ laide” and "A Woman In Love.” Of the basic legit score, there arc still reprises of "Fugue for T*n Horns,” "The Oldest Established,” the title song, "I’ll Know,” "If I Were a Bell,” "Take Back Your Mink,” “Luck Be a Lady” and "Sue Me.” Square street scenes to the Havana idyll, where Brando had . taken the mission doll ("on a bet”); to the sundry floating crap games (with Robert Keith, as the Nemesis of a police lieutenant always on their tail); in and out of the mission; and finaleing with the double- wedding block party. In addition to the able thesping of Robert Keith, as the harassed police lieutenant; B. S. Pully as the gravel-voiced "Big Jule,” Shel¬ don Leonard as "Harry the Horse” and other Runyon-type characters, depicted by Dan Dayton, George E. Stone and Joe McTurk, register, Regis Toomey and Kathryn Giv- ney, as fellow soul-savers at the mission, plus Veda Ann Borg, Mary Alan Hokanson, Kay Kuter and Stapleton Kent are others adding flavor. The general* proceedings have pace and bounce in the modern idiom yet adhering to the now somewhat historical Runyon "pe¬ riod.” Director-scripter Mankiewicz has paced the production with verve and imagination, giving it the proper tongue-in-cheek when needed and playing it straight as the situation warranted. In this he is most ably assisted by the knowledgeable cast of seasoned troupers. The pacing is such that the in¬ tegration of the musical numbers and the noteworthy Michael Kidd dances generally constitute a smooth segue in the general over¬ all unspooling of the footage. Kidd’s terp staging is a highlight credit. .Functioning importantly in get¬ ting this plushy pic on film are any number of technical credits. Harry Stradling’s Cinemascope lensing in Eastmancolor is one of them, as is the Oliver Smith pro¬ duction design, the art direction by Joseph Wright and Irene Shar- aff's costumes. Tuneup of the pic under the baton of Jay Blackton, the fourway contribution to or¬ chestrations by Skip Martin, Nel¬ son Riddle, Alexander Courage and A1 Sendrey, and the back¬ ground music adaptation .by Cyril J. Mockridge all help take care of the tune quality. The Havana scenes give "Guys and Dolls” a nice atmospheric fillip, not to mention (1), Renee Renor, an effective Cubanola- palooza, backed by the Ruben De Fuentes rhumband, and (2), Kidd’s unique staging, with a somewhat daring terp staging. Also in the ultramodern spirit is the mission belle’s frank pitch to Brando to "miss the plane back to Havana” and his noble decision not to play with what ho calls "loaded dice.” It is not amiss, too, as part of a trade review to accent the return to the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer fold of the producer whose name was lent to the original setup, although he bowed out almost at the very start to remain the independent that Sam Goldwyn .has been all these years. However, in this in¬ stance Metro, instead of RKO as for many years, is handling the physical distribution of “Guy# and Dolls.” It will be a highly lucra¬ tive reunion for both. Abel. but tied to the story. The latter half is a remake of the 1932 George Arliss starrer, "The Man Who Played God,” and the two parts segue neatly as scripted by Irving Wallace. The Henry Blanke production for Warners tells a sentimental tale of a popular pianist who dreams Of a longhair concert at Carnegie Hall. He goes deaf the night of the big date and hides away in his penthouse ^overlooking Central Park. Learning lip-read¬ ing, he spies on, and discovers the problems of, various people in the park and helps them. By so doing he gains the courage' to go through I moan9 with the operation that will save his hearing and finale finds him filling the delayed Carnegie Hall date. Gordon Douglas’ direction does a good job of keeping the senti¬ mental hokum from becoming too sticky and in drawing a credible performane from Liberace, Same is true of his work with the two femmes who figure in the pianist’s life—Joanne Dru, excellent as the secretary who loves the boss but doesn’t press the point, and Dor¬ othy Malone, also splendid' as the rich girl wo becomes his fiancee but who is released by him so she can marry a young composer, well- played by Alex Nicol. William Demarest contributes good trouping as Liberace’s man¬ ager, while others seen to advan¬ tage include Lori Nelson, very good; Lurene Tuttle, moppet Rich¬ ard Eyer, James Bell, Herbert Heyes and Edward Platt. Footage is considerably longer than necessary at 114 minutes. The Liberace keyboarding that gets the show rolling in the first half is extremely good, but there’s just too much of it—an observation likely to be disputed by true Li- beraceans. Film could stand trim¬ ming throughout, especially some closeups of the star in the mental- torment scenes, during which the camera remains uncomfortably long on his face. Picture contains the new title tune cleffed by Liberace and Paul Francis Webster, which the star vocals acceptably. Musical advice by George Liberace and arrange¬ ments by Gordon Robinson are as¬ sets. Also adding polish are Wil¬ liam H. Clothier’s WamerColor lensing, the smart art direction by Edward Carrere, set decorations by George James Hopkins, and the femme costuming by Howard Shoup. Brog. The Rose Tattoo (VISTAVISION) .Sincerely Yours (MUSIC—COLOR) Sentimental and over-long but promising film star debut for Liberace. Ties in plot of the 1932 "Man Who Played God,” with pianist’s regular key¬ board catalog. Hollywood, Oct. 28. . Warner Bros, release of Henry Blanke (International Artist Ltd.) production. Stars Liberace, Joanne Dru, Dorothy ' Malone, Alex 'Nicol; features William Demarest. Lori Nelson, Lurene Tuttle, Richard Eyer, James Bell. Directed by Gordon Douglas, Screenplay, Irving Wal¬ lace; camera (WamerColor), William H. Clothier; editor. Owen Marks; music ad¬ visor, George Liberace; song, Liberace and Paul Francis Webster. Previewed Oct. 18, *53. Running time, 114 MINS. Anthony Warrin ..Liberace. Marion Moore .. Joanne Dru Linda Curtis-........ Dorothy Malone Howard Ferguson . Alex Nicol S am iPH nne .William Demarest Sarah Cosgrove .Lori Nelson Mrs. McGinley . Lurene Tuttle Alvie Hunt . Richard Eyer Grandfather Hunt . James Bell •J- R. Aldrich . Herbert Heyes Dr. Eubank . Edward Platt P. ,<:k „ C< ) s<;rov ® . Gu y Williams Mr. Rojeck . Ian Wolfe /wollnski . Otto Waldls Mrs. Cosgrove . Barbara Brown Selling Tennessee Williams to the masses can be a problem. Paramount release of Hal Wallis pro¬ duction. Stars Anna Magnanl, Burt Lan¬ caster; features Marisa Pavan, Ben Cooper. Directed, by Daniel Mann. Screen¬ play, Tennessee Williams, based on Wil¬ liams’ play and adaptation by Hal Kanter; camera, James Won* Howe; editor, War¬ ren Low; music, Alex North. Previewed Oct. 27, '55. Running time, 117 MINS. Serafina Delle Rose.. Anna Magnanl Alvaro Marglacavallo Burt Lancaster Rosa Delle Rose ....Marisa Pavan Jack Hunter . Ben Cooper Estelle Hohengarten...Virginia Grey Bessie .,...Jo Van Fleet Father De Leo .Sandro Gigllo Assunta .:. MimL Aguglia Flora . Florence Sundstrom Schoolteacher. Dorrit Kelton Peppina . Rossana San Marco Guiseppina . Augusta Merighi Mariella . . Rosa Rey Strega . Georgia Simmons Miss Mangiacavallo.Zolya Talma Pop Mangiacavallo. .Margherita Pasquero Mamma Shigura .... Mary Lee Taxi Driver . Lewis Charles Rosario Delle Rose.Larry Chance Violetta . Jean Hart Doctor .... Roger Gunderson Salvatore. Roland Vlldo Taxi Driver.Virgil Osborne Cashier . Fred Taylor course; there’s no reaching for shock values. - But the story and its characters are not particularly appealing.* Don’t charge Williams with dis¬ honesty in bis script, nor Wallis with any compromise with integ¬ rity in his production. The moth¬ er and daughter, Miss Magnanl and Marisa Pavan, perhaps behave con¬ sistent with Sicilian tradition. ^ It’s the very appearance of authenticity that renders "Tattoo” foreign. “The characters inspire little sympathy. Miss Magnanl has ani¬ malistic drive and no beauty. She moans the loss of her husband solely because he was a robust, virile mate and she thought he was hers alone. Lancaster, as the vil¬ lage idiot by inheritance, is called upon to take on a role bordering on the absurdity. In the case of Miss Magnani lavish displays of emotionality convince, show no exaggeration. Lancaster, on the other hand, is over his head and overboard as a moron whose bravyi attracts Miss Magnani to him. It’s difficult to accept Lan¬ caster in the part. Otherwise Daniel Mann . does fine in the directing. He provides Dace where some situations might have been static. And the'subtle¬ ties and shadings in the staging es¬ tablish motivation without undue emphasis. (Can’t tell to what ex¬ tent he directed Miss Magnani or how much free rein she had in chewing up the scenery in this, her first English-speaking assignment). Williams’ screenplay, from his own legiter. sets the plot founda¬ tion with the death of Miss Mag- nani’s husband. She has him cre¬ mated, in violation of her Catho¬ lic religion, so that she may keep his ashes. The locale seems to be a remote parish not far from where Williams’ "Streetcar Nanied Desire” rode the rails. Miss Pavan takes up with a Nordic-type young sailor. Ben Cooper, who himself looks the pic¬ ture of innocence. Ever mindful of wordliness Miss Magnani, in a richly humorous scene, makes the bewildered Cooper go through the ritual of his hands-off vow. Lancaster enters late. He’s a banana hauler, as was Magnani’s husband. And in making his crude play for Miss Magnani, he has a rose tattooed on his chest, just as the husband had. Superstition reinforces sex but it’s only at the final fade, after coming face to face with her husband’s extra¬ marital blonde, Virginia Grey, that Miss Magnani invites Lancaster to the romance that he had been seeking. Much of this is gotten across with amusing effect. Miss Mag¬ nani’s frank mutterings, vocal out¬ bursts, sometimes falling back on Italian dialog, and uninhibited gesticulations often make for rare good fun. Miss Pavan is delicate and attractive as the youngster who craves adult carressing. Miss Grey, Sando Giglio as the Catho¬ lic priest and others in the lesser spots are competent. Alex North’s score fittingly backs up the dramatics. Warren Low’s editing is sharp for the most part and all other technical as¬ signments have been handled well. Gene. Liberace makes his starring de¬ but in films in a handily handled pic. The "Sincerely Yours” tag aptly expresses his personality and what he puts into his perform¬ ances, be they television, concert personals or film. Release looks like a winner at the boxoffice, thanks in part to a readymade fol¬ lowing in other media which should carry over to celluloid. While it’s not set forth that the pianist-performer is playing him- ( self, that’s what happens. Footage j can be divided into two parts. Ini¬ tially, it’s a re-run of Liberace’s standard act—a go at the piano King’s Rhapsody (BRITISH—C’SCOPE—COLOR) Filmization of Ivor Novello’s last Ruritanian musical, with Errol Flynn, Patrice Wymore, Anna Neagle starred; strong marquee values give exploita¬ tion possibilities. x . , if j with classics, semi-classics, pop t motherhood. The action shifts from the Tunes : and boogie, mixed with patter—i handled as a The Rose Tattoo” creates realistic Italiano atmosphere in the bayou country of the south, estab¬ lishes vivid characters with one glaring exception and dwells upon a story that is important only be¬ cause it gives its key character a jumping-off point for fascinating histrionics. Anna Magnanl gives "Tattoo” its substance; she’s spellbinding as the signora content with the mem¬ ory of the fidelity of her husband until she discovers he had a blonde on the side before his banana truck carried him to death. With Burt Lancaster established as a boxoffice name, and Tennes¬ see Williams credit line possibly another "sell” point plus, and the sensuality of Williams’ "Tattoo” people probably provocative of word-of-mouth, this is an offbeat “A” that must be sold hard. Hal Wallis’ production is Amer¬ ican cousin to exports from the boot country circa post-World War II. It’s "earthy.” Miss Magnani and her associates on screen con¬ cern themselves with sex without blanching. She impels the young sailor to swear he won't "violate the innocence” of her daughter. The latter, at 15, declares to her suitor she’s ready for marriage and Such situations are matter of natural TT , A London, Nov, 1. United Artists release of Herbert Wil¬ cox production. Stars Anna Neagle. Errol * P ^ ri , ce i Vymore: Matures wwt ta Y Hun i: Finla 7 Currie. Francis de Wolff. Jean Benham. Reginald Tate. Miles Malleson. Directed by Herbert Wilcox. Pam f la Bower, and Chris¬ topher Hassall; additional dialogue, A. P. Herbert; original book and music by Ivor Novello; camera (Eastmancolor). Max Greene: editor. Reginald Beck; music, ** a ™ ed and conducted, Robert Farnon. n - Theatre, London, starting Oct. 2b, 55. Running time, 43 MINS. Y V. Anna Neagle Richard. King of Laurentia Errol Flynn Princess Christiane.Patrice Wymore Q.ueen Mother . Martlta Hunt nri ng .Finlay Currie The Prime Minister... Francis de Wolff Cciuntess Astrid . Joan Benham King Peter . Reginald Tate Jules . Miles Malleson Herbert Wilcox is the first Brit¬ ish independent producer to film in Cinemascope and he has en¬ deavored to play safe by choosing Ivor Novello r s last musical which was also one of his greatest suc¬ cesses. The Novello tag and music will be a major ticket-selling-factor for the home market. Overseas, the picture will have to Vcly mainly on marquee strength found in Errol Flynn, Patrice Wymore and Anna Neagle names. The production was filmed largely- on location in Spain and the handsome natural backgrounds are matched by lush decor and opulent costuming. The picture is expensively mounted. Big crowd scenes are freely used to.givc point original, using; prolonged flach backs to illustrate the events which led to Errol Flynn’s banishment from his own country, his eventual return to sit on the throne hiJ forced marriage with Patrice’Wv- more and his eventual exile The king is always more concerned with his illicit affair with Anna Neagle; and has her on hand in a convenient love nest even after the birth of a son and heir. ■ Novello’s music has a saccharine charm and a hummable, quality The tunes are pleasantly sung bv Anna Neagle. Surprisingly Miss Wymore has quite an acceptable pair of pipes, too. Edmund Hock- ridge (now starring in "Pajama Game”) also adds his vocal skill although he does not appear. Miss Wymore is also quite a graceful terper who does adequately in a dream sequence. This number is boldly staged with simple decor and is designed to emphasize her frustration at being deserted on her wedding night. Technically, the film is of valu¬ ing quality. Max Greene’s East¬ mancolor lensing is occasionally uneven and there are signs of fringing. Robert Farnon, however, has skillfully arranged the score and reproduction is improved by the bold use^of directional sound. The three principals dominate the cast. While the femme stars radi¬ ate a measure of charm, Flynn appears to lack the enthusiasm his role demands. Supporting roles are well filled, notably by Martita Hunt and Finlay Currie as the king and queen; Miles Malleson as a faithful servant and Francis de Wolff as a bearded, intriguing Prime Minister. Myro. Running Wild Meller . around some not-so- Juvenile car thieves. Okay sec¬ ondary actioner. Hollywood, Nov. 1. Universal release of Howard Pine pro¬ duction. Stars William CampbeU,- Mamie Van Doren, Keenan Wynn, Kathleen Case; features Jan Merlin, John Saxon, Walter Coy, Grace MiUs, Chris Randall, Michael Fox. Directed by Abner Biber- man. Screenplay, Leo Townsend; from a novel by Ben Benson; camera. Ellis W. Carter; editors, Edward Curtiss, Ray Sny¬ der; music supervision, Joseph Gershen- son. Previewed Oct. 25, '55. Running time, • 1 MINS. Ralph . William Campbell Ii'nia .Mamie Van Doron Ken Osanger... Keenan Wynn Leta Novak .. Kathleen Casa Scotty Cluett . Jan Merlin Vince Pomeroy ..John Saxon Lt. Newpoie . Walter Coy Osanger's Mother . Grace Mills Arkie Nodecker.Chris Randall Delmar Graves . Michael Fox State Trooper...Will J. White Herbie ... Richard Castle Leta's Father . Otto Waldis Not-so-juvenile delinquents are involved in this actioner about a rookie cop assigned to get the goods on a car-stealing gang. It figures as an okay entry for the general situations. Howard Pine production makes use of a rock-’n’-roll type of musical background to further emphasize juve appeal. Several jukebox hot spot scenes also are in keeping. Cast capably performs what is asked of it by Abner Biberman’s direction. William Campbell is excellent as the rookie cop who poses as*a 19- year-rold tough to get into the 1 car- stealing gang masterminded by Keenan Wynn, who draws a menac¬ ing portrait. Kathleen Case shows up well as Wynn’s girl, forced into that unchaste role because he threatens to expose the fact her father, Otto Waldis, a Nazi persecu¬ tion victim, is in the country ille¬ gally. By the time the Ben Benson story, scripted by Leo Townsend, is over, Wynn has his just desserts and Campbell has Miss Case. Abetting the overall youthful tone are Mamie Van Doren, tough blonde girl friend of equally tough Jan Merlin, . Wynn’s right-hand man; John Saxon, Walter Coy, Grace Mills, Chris Randall and others in the cast. Technical credits, including Ellis W. Carter’s lensing* the music su¬ pervision by Joseph Gershenson, editing and art direction are com¬ petent. Brog. Adventure in Warsaw (COLOR—SONGS) Best feature from Poland since before war. Good for¬ eign language prospects. Artkino release of Film Polskl produc¬ tion. Stars Lidia Korsak, Tadeusz Schmidt. Directed by Leonard Buczkowski. Screen¬ play, Ludwjk Starski; camera. Sewer.vn Kruszynki. Franclszek f*cks; music, Tadeusz Sygletynski. At Stanley, N. Y.. starting Oct. 22, '55. Running time, MINS. IIank.i Ruezaj. Lidia Korsak Jan Slarlinskl . Tadeusz Schmidt Leon Ciepielcwski ...Adam Mikolajewski Wladystaw Dobrzyniec Tadeusz Kondrat fin Polish; English Titles) "Adventure in Warsaw,” which is intended to. show how Poland’s (Continued on page 18) Wednesday, November 2 , 1955 By KAY CAMPBELL Del Mar, Cal., Nov. 1. The big news in periodicals to- dav is the comeback of fiction, and this is closely related to recent motion picture buys of magazine stories as well as the multiplying tieups between the Hollywood stu¬ dios and th* publishers and edi¬ tors of magazines back east. Magazine editors were impressed no little when Metro filmed “Black¬ board Jungle” out of the Ladies Home Journal. Good Housekeep¬ ing Magazine’s recent contribu¬ tions to screen fare have included “Five Against the House,” “Lucy Gallant” and “The Amazing Nellie Bly.” The latter may not techni¬ cally bq fiction but it .still points up magazine affinity for film prop¬ erty scouts. Cosmopolitan was the source of “The Glass Web” for Universal and “All Through the Night” for Warners. Collier’s has racked up two at Universal, “Six Bridges, to Cross” and “Far Country” and one to Paramount, “Desperate Hours” and “The Man in the Gray Flan¬ nel Suit” to 20th-Fox. Ladies Home Journal was the proving ground for . “Good Morn¬ ing, Miss Dove,” which was sold to 20th; of “The Giant,” currently in production ^at Warner’s; and “Melville Goodwin, USA,” another WB film. “Old Man of the Sea” (WB) had its roots in Life. “Left Hand of God” (20th) was a Red- book story. Warner’s will release several Sateyepost stories, including “Mir- Sat$vepost Deal Hollywood, Nov. 1. Metro production topper Dore Schary and editors of Saturday Evening Post have agreed upon “52 Miles of Ter¬ ror” as the title of an upcom¬ ing SEP yarn which the studio purchased from galley proofs. One of the conditions of the purchase was that the studio have approval of the final title so that a tag suitable for pic use could get the fullest pos¬ sible penetration. Yarn by Alex Gaby originally tagged “The Red Car” is about juve delinquency on the high¬ ways is now slated to run either in December or January in the 5,000,000 circulation mag. acle in the Rain,” “The Searchers” and “Spirit of St. Louis.” Although Allen Rivkin has written an origi¬ nal film play for MGM, Corey Ford is readying “The Air Fofce Story” for the Post, which will precede the picture’s' release. An¬ other MGM-Post story is “The Red Car.” Universal picked up two stories from Blue Book, namely, “Three Were Renegades” and “Yellow Mountain.” “Drums Across the River” came from Western Maga¬ zine, and “Back Trail” from Popu¬ lar Western. “The Good Shepherd,” serial¬ ized in Life, was purchased by Columbia; and Gordon and Mil- dren Gordon’s stories which de¬ buted in American Magazine are among the magazine fiction pur¬ chased by this studio. “Underworld, USA,” “Tribute to a Bad Man,” “The Old Army Game.” “Protection for a Tough Racket,” “Goodbye My Lady,” are among other magazine prose in Production. Richard Connell's “Run for the Sun” will be a Harry Tatel- luan release for RKO. Step-Child Treatment The comeback of magazine fic- ll0n is not without continuing Paradox as regards the fiction writ¬ ers themselves since fiction prices have not risen in anything like the proportion of inflation accorded hy editors to article writers. This *s partly because . article writers j* 1 !® ln frequent personal contact ni editors > but not altogether. , Magazine fiction being a finan¬ cial hazard to start with, writers (Continued on page 78) Conversion „of televisions dramatic material to feature length films has become an almost com¬ monplace occurence. With all the major studios in search of suitable story material, film story buy¬ ers are staying home nights to catch the video dra¬ matic shows. In addition, many deals are made prior to the airing and the actual vidcast serves as a preview of the potential screen material. A change in the relationship between agents and film story purchasers has also taken place. The picture representatives are now wooing the agents who no longer have to stand hat in hand at the picture company’s door. . Of the major studios, Metro appears to be the most active buyer of video material. A total of seven properties, originally performed on television, are on M-G’s screening schedule. The most recent acquisition by the studio is “The Last Notch'” a teleplay by Frank Gilroy. M-G signed Clarence Greene and Russell Rouse, independent producer- writer-director team to produce the film for Metro release. Other video-born properties on M-G’s slate include “Operation Home,” “Fearful Decision,” “The Rack,” “The Cattered Affair,” “The Return of Johnny Burro,” and “Man Is Ten Feet Tall.” * While Metro has concentrated on tv dramatic material, WB has taken the leadership in bringing television personalities to the screen either in series popularized on tv or as star performers of specially- written films. Liberace, for example, makes his screen debut in WB’s “Sincerely Yours.” Previ¬ ously, Jack Webb appeared in a film version of “Dragnet” and in the original “Pete Kelly’s Blues.” On the company’s future slate is Eve Arden in a film versipn of “Our Miss Brook^”; a feature-length “The Lone Ranger,” and the film debut of Ed Sul¬ livan in “The Ed Sullivan Story.” Television ‘Convertibles' Hollywood,. Nov. 1. Television is now covered methodically by the majority of motion picture companies. Such pro¬ gram as the “U. S. Steel Hour,” “Stage One,” Robert Montgomery Presents” and “Alcoa Playhouse” are among the weekly shows scouted. ’ Teleseries, with an already established viewing public, rate as “con¬ vertibles” Warner Bros, supplementing “Dragnet,” picked up Eve Arden's “Our Miss Brooks” and “The Lone Ranger.” Both recently were completed. Additionally, studio is committed for a film based on Ed Sullivan’s “Toast of the Town” format, with Sullivan starred. European Studios Now Mesh Publicity (for U.S.) With Actual Shooting Hollywood, Nov. 1. European production companies are earmarking large sums of coin for promotion of pre-release and release campaigns of their pictures in America, according to Ted Loeff, veepee of the Rogers & Cowan publicity firm, who has just returned from a European junket. Producers in England, France and Italy are now better educated to the realities of the American "■film market, he opined. A year ago it was difficult to get a producer to provide more than the minimum standard 'requirement of 100 stills. Today, however, it isn’t unusual for a film of major stature to emerge with 5,000 stills to be used in the selling of the production. In the case of Ponti-de Lauren- tiis’ “War and Peace,” producer Dino de Laurentiis made provisions for five still photographers to cover his sets. More than 10,000 negatives are ready for selection by Paramount, which will distrib¬ ute feature in this country. De Laurentiis produced seven tv sub¬ jects, additionally, to be used in the selling of the picture. For use by United Artists in merchandising “Foreign Intrigue,” adapted from his telepix series of the same title, producer Sheldon Reynolds turned out 11 video films of lengths from one minute to 27 minutes. Denise Tual, French pro¬ duction chief of Norman Krasna’s “The Ambassador’s daughter,” also for UA release, now shooting in Paris, has likewise planned nine tv trailers on the production budget. In England, Loeff found the J. Arthur Rank Organization has a complete setup for servicing American needs. There, under ad- pub chief Theo Cowan, Rank’s Pinewood Studios has a special de¬ partment for the creation of 16m tv material and magnetic tapes to be employed for radio spots. This department not only has the crea¬ tive manpower but also has a nar¬ row-gauge lenser assigned along with a sound engineer. A general budget review indi¬ cates that those making pictures in Europe now are spending from $25,000 to $50,000 more than they did a year ago to make certain that their films will be exploited more effectively in America. WARNERS’BOOK UPBEAT VIA 850G ‘MARJORIE’ Hollywood, Nov. 1. Warners, which each year has purchased more and more novels from which to make its features, goes all-out on the book beat for 1956. Firm expects to devote most of its releasing program to books with pre-sold audiences. At least 13 of 1956 slate will be novels. Latest purchase is Herman Wouk’s “Marjorie Morningstar” Wouk’s No. 1 bestseller has brought what • some sources be¬ lieve to be in neighborhood of $850,000. SO-BUSY MARK STEVENS A Possible Venture Is Theatre Version of TV ‘Big Town’ Hollywood, Nov. 1. Among projects actor-prod ucer- director Mark Stevens has on his planning board is a possible Cine¬ mascope version of his NBC-TV “Big Town” vidpix series. Talks are on with two studios to release such a feature, should he make it. He is also discussing with RKO the release of his feature, “Time Table,” filmed last summer. Additionally, he is prepping at least three more properties for theatrical films, including his “Eyes of Father Tomasino,” aired on NBC-TV “Lux Video Theatre.” Writer-tv host Turnley Walker has been assigned adaptation duties on Aben Kandel’s “Black Sun,” and Stevens himself has penned a 100- page original treatment for a Chi¬ cago crime story, “Nicky Aluzzo.” Hollywood’s Big November: 31 Pix Hollywood, Nov. 1. November will be Hollywood’s busiest month this year with 31 feature pictures going before the cameras at studios around town. Columbia heads the list for No¬ vember with six starters, edging out 20th-Fox and Allied Artists, each of which will have five films starting. Republic will launch three, Universal and Metro, two each; and Paramount and Warners, one each. Remaining six produc¬ tions will be indies. Tally of 31 is a sharp upsurge from the October total of 11, the I lowest of the year. i Allusions to Nazis Very Embarrassing to German Motion Picture Industry Munich, Nov. 1. The Nazi past continues to haunt the German film industry and the government which would rather not have it revived. Having been a Nazi—big or small—is no longer an obstacle to employment here in Germany. Certainly not in the film business. Example might be Ernst, von Salo¬ mon, chief scripter for the Gloria Film of Berlin who was involved in the Walter von Rathenau mur¬ der by the hrownshirts back in 1922. Salomon, who spent a year in prison following the war, wrote “08/15.” a big German screen hit, and the two 1 sequels to that pic¬ ture. Not only are his films a success, but so also is his controversial book, “Der Fragebogen” (The Question¬ naire) in which he accuses the American G. I.’s of war crimes greater than those committed by the Germans. Ascribed to him, too, is the cynical quote: “Democ¬ racy—I do not know what it is.” Salomon was an f “offcially ap¬ proved” writer under tfre Nazis and a close friend of the SS bosses. The third “08/15” sequel is. said to clearly reveal Salomon’s anti- American slant, even though, iron¬ ically, it was made with American Army equipment on loan. ■ Example number two: Kurt Zie- sel and his “Daniel in the Lion's Den.” Actress Maria Schell is burned up over the fact that the Ziesel book hasn’t been made into a film as planned. In fact, she wants to star in it without pay. It’s a story about a Gentile who goes to live in the Jewish ghetto (Continued on page 20) Dore Schary s Credo Re Writers Dore Schary, Metro production chief who started his Hollywood career as a writer, said M-G is making every possible effort to bring outstanding and promising writers to the studio for film assignments. In New York, to confer with prexy Nicholas M. Schenck and other liomeoffice executives, Schary stated that his company is offering scripters attractive deals in the hope that they would recognize the value of writing for the film medium. Metro’s contracts with writers, Schary indicated, are flexible and are designed to meet the needs of each individual scripter. “If a writer feels that he’d like time to devote to other writing projects, we’re willing to accept a 26-week arrangement,” the pro¬ duction topper said. “However, we’re hopeful that an exposure to screen writing will induce the writer to continue to write for pictures in the same manner as he writes books, plays or television scripts.” Hollywood, Schary reported, is in the midst of its greatest scramble for suitabie screen materials, making the development of writing talent all the more important. Metro, he said, is tap¬ ping all sources and is paying careful attention to television for both properties and writers. The studio has already purchased five teleplays and has on its payroll two video-developed authors —Rod Serling and Gore Vidal. The live dramatic shows on tele¬ vision, Schary said, provides the film studios with an excellent preview peek at potential screen material. Schary declined to take any credit for the topical picture, of which Metro has been the leading exponent recently with such pictures as “The Blackboard Jungle,” “Trial,” and the upcoming “The Rack” and “Fearful Decision.” “They’re nothing new,” he maintained. “If one is successful, there are many imitators. How¬ ever, if one fails, there’s a feeling that audiences won’t go for them any more. The history of the industry proves that the public will buy them as long as they are good pictures.” By ROBERT J. LANDRY If magazine editors are truly turning back to fiction as a staple of reader appeal, they are doing more than eating their words of occasionally-phoney regret at fic¬ tion’s graveside. Moving picture buys and tie-ups have certainly in¬ creased of late as interestingly de¬ tailed by Kay Campbell in an ad¬ joining column. But the shift and drift; if full-fledged, at the maga¬ zines has to be related to even broader show business factors. The magazines have shared with the Hollywood studios a wonder about and a dread of television. Actually this is much closer to home, and that’s the right word, with the periodicals. What price reading time in the television-ob¬ sessed homes of America? Or pan to a long-distance view, the day of color television: this carries a further threat of minimizing a great advertising advantage long enjoyed by the magazines namely, four-color engravings. With color- plus produet-in-use demonstration tv will powerfully appeal to mer¬ chandisers. Without bringing into the dis¬ cussion the significance of many recent behind-scene changes in magazine distribution politics, or the constant skull practice going on in publishing sanctorums, it be¬ comes very apparent that maga¬ zines. worried about inflation, com¬ petition and the future, are cur¬ rently re-evaluating fiction as part of an over-all appraisal of them¬ selves as an entertainment me¬ dium. A Classic Emphasis Not lost upon the publishers and editors is the complete dominance of fiction in the popularity of both theatre films and television pro¬ grams. Hollywood’s latter day ac¬ cent on biography in no way weak¬ ens the point, since such biopics get fictional treatment and trap¬ pings. Equally preponderant in television is plotted prose, despite the importance of personality as such and the inclusion of news, public affairs, sports, ad lib, and even some do-it-yourself material. During and since the war too many magazines have been workr ing the same side of the reader appeal street, concentrating on the catchphrase of reader “identifica¬ tion,” assuming that everybody just loved hunting and fishing, baseball and babies, power tools in the basem*nt and family picnics, in the backyard. Magazines were so busy being “useful” or going for press agent stunts and new miracle drug reports that enter¬ tainment—while certainly never forgotten, underwent a radical change in definition and got far, far away, from Shakespeare’s dic¬ tum—“the play’s the thing.” Accepting television as the mala¬ ria which is giving the magazine people the shakes every afternoon, they naturally detest such glib cracks as may be heard along New York’s Ad Row nowadays: “A mag¬ azine that doesn’t tell people how to live hasn’t got any real function in the modern world and will ex¬ pire” or, more subtle, in implica¬ tion, “A national advertiser with only $3,000,000 a year can now only afford television and a sched¬ ule in Life Magazine.” Oddly enough it has been Life, practically a magazine industry all by itself, which gave a real leg-up to neglected fiction by publishing Ernest Hemingway’s “Old Man of the Sea” and James Michener’s “Bridges of Toko-Ri” and hence gave its stamp of approval to this once gold standard of magazine entertainment. The prime expo¬ nent of pictures-and-captions ran entire novellas, and hang the space. Stanley’s 25c Divvy Board of directors of Stanley Warner Corp. declared a dividend last week of 25c. per share on the company’s common slock. Slice is payable Nov. 25 to stock¬ holders of record Nov. 7, 1955. PICTURE GROSSES Variety Wednesday, November 2, 1953 L.A. on Skids But Knife’ OK 17G; ‘Pancho’Mild 20G,‘Phenix’Slow 30G, M Hot 13G, 3d, ‘Camera’ 7G, 7th Los Angeles, Nov. 1. Firstrun boxoffice is on the skids here currently, with bottom- of-barrel takes the rule. Only new opener above light mark is “Big Knife” which is rated okay $17,- 000 or near on initial session at Hollywood Paramount. Both “Pan- j cho Villa” and “Phenix City Story,” each in three locations, are slow. “Pancho” looks like $20,000 and latter $30,000. “Summertime,” on popscale run, shapes dull $16,000 in four houses Third and final week of “To Hell and Back,” now in two spots, still is nice $13,000. „ _ , “Cinerama” is hefty $25,400 for 130th week as it nears end of run here. Estimates for This Week Hollywood Paramount <F&M) (1,430; $1-$1.50)—“Big- Knife” (UA). Okay $17,000 or near. Last week, “Private War Major Ben¬ son” (U) <4th wk), $4,700. Los Angeles, Vogue, Uptown, Loyola (FWC) (2,097; 885; 1,715; 1 248; 90-$1.50) — “Summertime (UA) and “Killer’s Kiss” iUA>. Dull $16,000. Last week, ‘ Love Is Splendored Thing” (20th) and ‘ Heartbreak Ridge” (U) (2d wk), $21,400. Ilillstreet, Pantages, Wiltern (RKO-SW) (2,752; 2,812; 2.344; 80- ci dm_“Phenix Citv Story” <AA) Broadway Grosses Estimated Total Gross This Week .$508,100 (Based on 22 theatres) Last Year .. $642,700 (Based on 22 theatres) $1.50)—“Phenix City Story’ and “Bobby Ware Is Missing (AA). Slow $30,000. Last week, Pantages, with Downtown Para¬ mount, “Ulysses” (Par) $24,400, plus $42,700 in 1 nabe, 7 ozoners; others with units. ^ Downtown Paramount, Fox Ritz, New Fox (ABPT-FWC) <3.300; 1,363; 965; 90-$1.50) — “Treasure Pancho Villa” (RKO) and This Man Dangerous” (Indie). Modest $20,000. Last week,-New Fox, “Teenage Crime Wave” (Col) and “Apache Ambush” (Col) (2d wk), $3,100. State, Hawaii (UATC-G&S) <2- 404; 1,106; 90-$1.50)) — “Trial (M-G) (2d wk). Light $13,000. Last week, $23,700, plus $44,100 in 2 nabes, 7 ozoners. El Rey (JSWC) (861; 70-$1.25)— “Divided Heart” (Rep) and “Chance Meeting” (Jjidie) (2d wk). So-so $1,000. Last week, $1,600. Warner Beverly, Orpheum <SW- Metropolitan)- (1,612; 2,213; $1- $1.75)—“Desperate Hours” (Par) (3d wk). Slim $8,500. Last week, $12,700. Fox Wilshire (FWC) (2,296; $1- $1.80)—“Girl Red Velvet Swing” (20th) (3d wk). Slow $6,500. Last week, $7,400. Fine Arts (FWC) (631; $1-$1.50) —“African Lion” (BV) (3d wk), Fair $5,500. Last week, $6,400. Warner Downtown, Hollywood (SW-FWC) <1,757; 756; 90-$1.50)— “Hell and Back” (U) and “Apache Woman” (Indie) (3d wk). Nice $13,- 000. Last week, with Wiltern, $24,100, plus $42,500 in 7 ozoners. Iris (FWC) (816; 80-$1.25)— “Catch Thief” (Par) and “Techman Mvstery” (Indie) (3d wk). Mild $3,200. Last week, with Hillstreet, $8,900. Chinese (FWC) (1.908; $l-$2)— “Tall Men” (20th) (5th wk). Fair $8,000. Last week, $9,900. Four Star (UATC) (900; $1.25- $1.80)—“I Am Camera” (Indie) (7th wk). Good $7,000. Last week, $7,600. Warner Hollywood (SW) (1,364; $1.20-$2.65) — “Cinerama” (Indie) < 131st wk). Into current frame Sunday (30) after hefty $25,400 last week. ‘Rebel’Balto Ace, 15G; ‘Swing’8G 2d Baltimore, Nov. 1. “Rebel Without A Cause” is the big ace here this week, being brisk at the Stanley. “Phenix City Story” is fairish in second round at Cen¬ tury. "Girl In Red Velvet Swing” is hefty at the Town in second. “Treasure of Pancho Villa” looms mild at Keith’s. Estimates for This Week Century (Fruchtman) (3,000; 25- 65-95)—“Phenix City Story” (AA) (2d wk). Fairish $7,000 after $9,000 opener. Cinema (Schwaber) (460;; 50-$l) —"Sheep Has Five Legs” (Indie) (2d wk). Pleasing $3,000. Last week, $4,000. Film Centre (Rappaport) (960; 50-$l) — “Scarlet Coat” (M-G). Opens tomorrow (Wed.). Second week of “Footsteps In Fog” (Col), dullish $3,500. Hippodrome (Rappaport) (2,100; ?5-$1.25>—“Always Fair Weather” (M-G) (2d wk). Moderate $8,000. Last week, $9,500. Keith’s' (Fruchtman) (2,400; 35- $1) — “Treasure of Pancho Villa” (RKO). Sluggish $6,000. Last week, “Music Land” (RKO) and “Ben- gazi” (RKO), $5,500. Little (Rappaport) (310; 50-$l)— 'African Lion” (BV). Starts tomor¬ row (Wed.). In ahead, “Man Who Loved Redheads” (UA) (2d wk), nice $3,000. Mayfair (Hicks) (980; 20-70) — “Man From Bitter Ridge” (U) and “Cult Of Cobra” <U). Okay $4,500. Last week, “Kiss Of Fire” (U), $4,000. New (Fruchtman) (1,600; 35-$l) ■ “Tall Men” (20th) (4th wk). F.bbing to fair $5,000. Last week, $ 6 , 000 . Playhouse (Schwaber) (320; 50- $1) — “Court Martial” (Indie). Sturdy $4,000. Last week, “We’re No Angels” (Par) (8th wk), $2,000. Stanley (WB) (3,200; 35-$l) — Rebel Without Cause” (WB). Tall $15,000. Last week, “Blood Alley” (WB) (2d wk), $6,500. Town (Rappaport) (1,400; 35-$l) — “Girl In Red Velvet Swing” (20th) (2d wk). Hefty $8,000. Last week, $11,000. ‘Trial’Whopping $12,000, Port.; ‘Men’ Big 7G, 4th Portland, Ore., Nov. I. - Grosses at downtown houses are on the skids here this round, with lack of product blamed. Both the Paramount and Liberty have oldies but neither is too exciting. “Tall Men” at Fox moves into a hefty fourth week. “Eileen” is warm in second frame at Orpheum. “Trial’ only, new pic to preem this session is great at Broadway. Estimates for This Week Broadway (Parker) (1,890; 90- $1.25)—“Trial” (M-G) and “Las Vegas Shakedown” (AA). Great $12,000. Last week, “Treasure Pancho Villa” (RKO) and “Night Freight” (AA), $7,800. Fox (Evergreen) (1.536; $1-$1.25) —“Tall Men” (20th) (4th wk). Hefty $7,000. Last week, $8,200. Guild (Indie) (400; $1)—“Sum¬ mertime” (UA) (3d wk). Ok5y $2,000. Last week, $3,600 after big opener. Liberty (Hamrick) (1,875; 75-$l) —“Kiss Blood Off Hands” (UHand “Johnny Stool Pigeon” (U) (reis¬ sues). Modest $4,000 in 5 days. Last week, “I Am A Camera” (DCA) and “Apache Woman” (Col), $5,900. Orpheum (Evergreen) <1,600; $1- $1.25)—“Sister Eileen” (Col) and “Special Delivery” (Col) (2d wk). Warm $7,000 or better. Last week, $ 10 , 100 . Paramount (Port-Par) (3,400; 75- $1)—“Trail Lonesome Pine” (Par) and “Shepherd of Hills” (Par) (re¬ issues. So-so $6,000. Last week, “Lucy Gallant” (Par) and “Break To Freedom” (UA), $7,000. * ‘Knife’ Sharp 11G, Denver;‘Men’22G Denver, Nov, 1. Tall money here currently is go¬ ing to “Tall Men,” .great at the Denver. “Big Knife” looks sharp at Paramount while “Girl in Red Velvet Swing” shapes good in sec¬ ond Centre round. “Quentin Dur- ward” looms dull at Orpheum. Estimates for This Week Centre (Fox) (1,247; 60-$l) — “Girl in Red Velvet Swing” (20th) (2d wk). Good $12,000. Last week, $16,000. Denham (co*ckrill) (1,750; 60-$l) —“Ulysses” (Par) (3d wk). Slow $6,000. Last week, $8,500. Denver (Fox) (2,525; 60-$l) — Tall Men” (20th). Big $22,000. Staiys. Last week, “Count Three and Pray” (Col) and “Special De¬ livery” (Col), $12,000. Esquire (Fox) (742; 75-$l) — “Great Adventure” (Indie) 1 (2d wk). Good $2,500. Holds. Last week, $3,500. Orpheum (RKO) (2,600; 60-$l)— “Quentin Durward” (M-G). Slow $8,000. Last week, “Phenix City Story” (AA) and “Green Scarf” (Indie) (2d wk), $6,500. Paramount (Wolfberg) (2,200; 60- $1)—“Big Knife” (UA). Sharp $11,- 000. Last week, “Gentlemen Marry Brunettes” <U). $15,500. Vogue (Wolfberg) 421; 75-90)— “Chance Meeting” (Indie) (2d wk). Fine $2,100. Stays. Last week, $1,600. ‘Trap’ Sockeroo $18,000, Det.; ‘Hours’ Hep 15G, ‘Godiva’ Mild 8G, ‘Hell’ 14G Key City Grasses Estimated Total Gross This Week .$2,415,800 (Based on 24 cities and 234 theatres, chiefly first runs, in¬ cluding N. Y.) Total Gross Same Week Last Year .$2,688,700 (Based on 23 cities and 216 theatres.) ‘Swing’ Stout 13G, St. L* ‘Eileen’ 12G St. Louis, Nov. 1. Cold, windy weather with rain over the past weekend is blamed in part for slower turnstile activity at firstruns here this session. How¬ ever, this is partly counter-bal¬ anced by 10,000 school teachers here for a convention. “Girl in Red Velvet Swing” at the St. Louis and “Sister Eileen” at Loew’S' arc the best of new films but neither are sensational by any means. Estimates for This Week Ambassador (Indie) (1,400; $1.20- $2.40)—“Cinerama Holiday” (Indie) (37th wk). Fast $13,500. Last week, $12,500. Fox (F&M) (5,000; 51-90) — “Rebel Without Cause” (WB) and “Illegal” (WB). Opened today (Tues.). Last week, “Blood Alley” (WB) and “Bangazi” (RKO), nice $14,000. Loew's (Loew) (3,172; 50-85) — “Sister Eileen” (Col) and “Five Against The House” (Col). Fair $12,000. Last week, “Trial” (M-G) and “Tight Shot” (Col) (3d wk), $9,000. • Orpheum (Loew) (1,462; 50-85)^- “Seminole Uprising” (Col) ahcl “Apache Ambush” (Col). Limp $4,000. Last week, “Simba” (Lip) and “King Dinosaur” (Eip), $4,500. Pageant (St. L. Amus.) (1,000; 51-90)—“I Am Camera” (DCA) (2d wk). Hep $3,500 following $4,000 for teeoff frame. Richmond (St. L. Amus.) (400; $1.10)—“I Am Camera” (DCA) (2d wk). Hot $3,000 after $3,500 open¬ ing stanza. St. Louis (St. L. Amus.) (4,000; 51-90)—“Girl In Red Velvet Swing” (20th). Trim $13,000 or close. Last week, “Female On Beach” (U) and “One Desire” <U), $11,500. Shady Oak (St. L. Amus.) (800; $1.10) —“The Bed” (Indie). Fine $3,500. Last week “Will Gentleman” (AA), $2,500. ‘Rebel’ Wham $30,000, Hub; ‘Trial’ Torrid 34G, ‘3 Stripes’ Sturdy 8G Detroit, Nov. l Biz is on a fairly even keel among the downtowners this week. “Tender Trap” looks very snappy at the Adams where it is world preeming. “Sister Eileen” shapes fairly good at the Michigan. "Dos perate Hours” is fast at the Madi¬ son. “Lady Godiva” is having a rough ride at the Broadwav-Capi- tol, however. Best of holdovers looks to be “To Hell and Back” sock in third round at the Palm’s “Cinerama Holiday” looms smasli in 38th week at Music Hall. Estimates for This Week Fox (Fox-Detroit) <5,000; $ 1 . $1.25)—“Tall Men” (20th) <4lh wk) Down to $14,000. Last week $16,000. Michigan (United Detroit) (4,000* $1-$1.25)—“Sister Eileen” tColj and “Big Bluff” (UA). Good S18- 000. Last week, “Blood Alley” i\VB) and “Life at Stake” (Indie) $19,000. Palms (UD) (2,961; $1-S1.25)— “To Hell and Back” (U) and “Girl Rush” (Par) (3d wk). Socko $14- 000. Last week, $20,000. Madison (UD) (1,900; $1-$1.25)— “Desperate frours” (Par), Fast $15.- 000. Last week, “Kiss Blood Off. Hands” (U) and “Johnny Stool Pigeon” (U) (reissues),'$10,000. Broadway-Capitol (UD) (3.500; $l-$1.25)—“Lady Godiva” (U) and “Secret Venture” (Indie). Slow $8,000. Last week, “Man Alone’’ (Rep) and “Cross Channel” (Indie), same. United Artists (UA) (1.939; $1- $.1.25)—"Trial” (M-G) (4th wk). Oke $8,000. Lase week, $12,200. Adams (Balaban) (1,700; 81-$1.25) —"Tender Trap” (M-G). Big $18,- 000. Last week, “Quentin Dur¬ ward” (M-G) (2d wk), $7,200. Music Hall (Cinerama Pioduc- tions) (1,194; $1.40-$2.65)—“Cine¬ rama Holiday” (Indie) (38th wk>. Smash $20,200. Last week, 822.500. Krim (Krim) (1.000; ' $1.25)— “Day of Triumph” (Indie) (3d wk). Slow $6,000. Last week, $12,000. Any Trial’ Swift $17,000, Philly; ‘Swing’Jlig 19G, ‘Hours’ Okay 13G, 2d Philadelphia, Nov. 1. Claimed by some exhibitors here that early Xmas shopping is start¬ ing to hurt the local cinema box- office. Weekend was okay but far from boffo. “Trial” started out fast, aided by church block-ticket buying. “Girl in Red Velvet Swing” looms smooth at Viking. “Naked Dawn” is rated good at -Stanton. “Tall Men” still is fine in fourth Fox week but many other hold¬ overs are offish currently! Estimates for This Week Arcadia (S&S) (625; 99-$1.40)— “Trial” (M-G). Great $17,000. Last week, “Always Fair Feather” (M-G) (5th wk) $5,500. Boyd (SW) 1,430; $1.25-$2.60)— ‘HOURS’ FAST $8,000, K. C.; ‘MEN’ BIG 5G, 4TH Kansas City, Nov. 1. Biz generally is at a low ebb currently, brightest spot being “Desperate Hours” at the Roxy. Others are moderate to light, in¬ cluding “Seven Cities of Gold” in four Fox Midwest houses, “Ten¬ nessee’s Partner” at the MissoiTH, and “Night Holds Terror” at Mid¬ land. "Tall Men” in fourth week at the Orpheum looks okay. Weather turned chilly over the weekend after weeks of Indian summer. Boston, Nov. 1. Biz picked up considerably this frame after last week’s slump. Drizzle Saturday afternoon (29) helped some at the b.o. in many instances. Two newcomers are do¬ ing well. “Trial” at the State and Orpheum looks sockeroo. “Rebel Without Cause” shapes smash at Paramount and Fenway. “Cinerama Holiday” is torrid in its 10th stan¬ za. “Three Stripes in Sun” is okay at Pilgrim, “Tall Men” holding great in third round at Memorial. Estimates for This Week Astor (B & Q) U.500; 75-$1.25)— “Night of Hunter” (UA) (2d wk). Mild $7,000. Last week, $8,000. Beacon Hill (Beacon Hill) (678; 74-$1.25)—“Game of Love” (Indie) 1 14 111 wk). Fine $7,500. Last week, $ 8 , 200 . Cinerama (Cinerama Produc¬ tions) <1,354; $1.25-$2.85)—“Cine- (Indie) <10th wk). Estimates for This Week _ _ _ Apollo iFox Midwest) (1,085; 85) ; rama Holiday’ ... —“I Am Camera” (DCA) «4th wk). j still racking up torrid biz at $28,- Oke $2,800. Last week, $3,500. ; 000. Last Week, $30,000. Glen (Dickinson) (750; 75-$D—j Exeter (Indie) (1,300; 60-$l)— “Divided Heart” (Rep). Modest “Divided Heart” (Rep) and “Day , $1,500; holds. Last week, “Mile. ; to Remember” (Rep) <2d wk). Okayjuk), $10,000 in 5 days. Gobette” rTndiei. $700. $7,000. Last week, $9,000. State (Loew) (3,400; 50-$l)— Kimo (Dickinson) <504; 7o-$D— Fenway (NETA) <1,373; 60-$!)—! Trial” (M-G). Fat $14,000. Last “Svengnli” «M-Gi. Medium 81,900. “Rebel Without Cause” <WB> and week. “Sister Eileen” (Col) (2d (Continued on page 24; (“Cross Channel” 'Rep). Smash - wk), $6,500 In 5 days. $12,000. Last week, “Desperate Hours” (Par) (2d wk), $6,000. Kenmorc (Indie) (700; $5-$1.25) —“Marty” (UA) (13th wk). Fancy $7,000. Last week, $6,500. Memorial (RKO) (3,000; 60-$l)— ‘Tall Men” (20th) and “Siam” (BV) (3d wk). Good $13,000. Last week, $ 20 , 000 . Metropolitan (NET) (4,357; 60-$l) —“Gii*l on Red Velvet Swing” (20th) and “Finger Man” (AA) (2d wk). Nice $12,000. Last week, $18,000. Mayflower (ATC) (689; 65-85-$l) “The Bed” (Indie) (3d wk). Okay $4,000. Last week, $4,500. Paramount (NET) (1,700; 60-$l) —“Rebel Without Cause” (WB) and “Cross Channel” (Rep). Great $18,000. Last week, “Desperate Hours” (Par) (2d wk), $12,000. Pilgrim (ATC) (1,838; 60-75-95) “Three Stripes in Sun” (Col) and “Teen Age Crime Wave” (Col). Happy $8,000. Returns house to firstrun. Orpheum (Loew) (3,000; 60-$l)— “Trial” (M-G). Socko $20,000. Last ! week, “SiSslcr Eileen” (Col) (2d ‘Hours’ Rousing $13,000, Frisco; ‘Swing’ Sluggish 12G, ‘Brunettes’ Big S San Francisco, Nov. 1. Film biz is generally spotty here this week, with a slight downbeat in evidence. Holdovers are espe¬ cially offish. “Girl in Red Velvet Swing” is only fair at the Fox while “Desperate Hours” shapes socko at St. Francis. “Gentlemen Marry Brunettes” looms nice at United Artists. “Count Three and Pray” is just okay at Paramount. “Trial” still is big in fifth War- field stanza. - Estimates for This Week Golden Gate (RKO) (2,859; 80- $1)—“Blood Alley” (WB) and “Skabenga” <AA) (2d wk). Okay $10,000. Last week, $24,000. Fox (FWC) (4,651; $1.25-$1.50)— “Girl In Red Velvet Swing” (20th) and “Night Freight” (AA). Fair $12,000 or near. Last week, “Tall Men” (20th). (4th wk), $6,500 in 5 days. Warfield (Loew) (2,656; 65-90) —“Trial” (M-G) (5th wk). Holding at big $7,000. Last week, same. Paramount (Par) (2,646; 90-$l) —“Count Three and Pray” (Col). Oke $12,500. Last week. “Lucy Gallant” (Par) and “Gun That Won West” (WB), $11,000. St. Francis (Par (1,400; $1-$1.25) —“Desperate Hours” (Par). Sock $13,000. Last week, “Man Alone” (Rep) and “Green Buddha” (Rep), $6,500 for 5-day week. Orpheum (Cinerama Theatre Calif.) (1,458; $1.75-$2.65)—“Cine¬ rama Holiday” (Indie) (14th wk). The 13th week ended Sunday (30) was smash $25,000. Last week, $31,500; United Artists (No. Coast) (1.- 207; 70-$ 1):—“Gentlemen Marry Brunettes” (UA) and “Good Die Young” (UAh Fine $10,000 (Continued on page 24) $ 12 , 000 . Fox (20th) (2,250; 90-$1.491— “Tall Men” (20th) (4th wk). Fine $13,000. Last week, same. Goldman (Goldman) (1,250; 65- $1.35)—“Count Three and Pray” (Col). Okay $12,000. Last week, “Illegal” (WB), $14,000. Green Hill (Serena) (750; 65-99) “Chance Meeting” (Indie). Bright $3,800. Last week, “One Wild Oal” (Indie) (2d wk), $2,000. Mastbaum (SW) (4,370; 99-$1.49) —“Last Command” (Rep). Dull $12,000. Last week, “Left Hand of God” (20th) (4th wk), $10,000. Midtown (Goldman) (1,200; 75- $1.49)—“Desperate Hours” (Par) (2d v'k), Oke $13,000 but not as big as hoped for. Last week, $ 19 , 000 . Randolph (Goldman) (2.500; 75- $1.49)—“Queen Bee” (Col) (2d wk). No honey, $11,500. Last week, $18,000. Stanley (SW) (2,900; 74-$l,40)— “Sister Eileen” (Col) (2d wk). Fair $12,000. Last week, $17,000. Stanton (SW) (1,483; 75-99)— “Naked Dawn” (U) and “Hunters of Deep” (Indie). Good $8,000. Last week, "Return Jack Slade” (AA) and “Jail Busters” (AA>, $7,600. Studio (Goldberg) (400; 90-$1.49) —“Marty” (UA) (20th wk). Wind¬ ing at $2,700. Last week, $3;500. Trans-Lux (T-L) (500; 80-$1-80) —“To Catch Thief” (Par) (13th wk). Mild $4,000. Last ’ week, $4,000. Viking (Sley) (1,000; 74-$1.80»-— “Girl in Red Velvet Swing” <20Lh>. Smooth $19,000. Last week, “Lucy Gallant” (Par) (3d wk). $6,800. Trans-Lux World (T-L) (604; 99- $1.50)—“Immortal City” (Indie 1 ; Fine $6,500. Last week, “Simba j (Lip), $3,700. l^AtilETY Wednesday, November 2, 1955 PICTURE GROSSES 9 ‘Yours’-Hilltoppers Okay $53,000, Chi; ‘Swing’ Slow 22G, ‘Bee’ Sluggish 13G; MSock2Clen Lofty22G,3d Chicago, Nov. 1. Rain and cold over the weekend are proving no help to biz, with b o slump continuing despite some new entries. “Sincerely Yours, helped by an opening day Liberace personal, with the Hilltoppers head- in" stage bill, should hit just okay $53,000 in first round at the Chi¬ cago. “Girl in Red Velvet Swing’ shapes dullish .$22,000 at the Ori¬ ental. “Queen Bee” looks slow $13 000. also in first, at McVickers. “Magnificent Matador” looms good $12,000 at the Grand. “Night ofHunter” and “Robber’s Roost” combo is sluggish in second round at the Roosevelt. “To Hell and Back” continues smash for third week at United Artists while “The Tall Men” is dropping in third at the State-Lake. “Left Hand of God” is holding nicely in fourth week at the Woods. “Cinerama Holiday” continues big in 20th week at the Palace. Estimates for This Week Carnegie (Telem’t) (480; 951 — “Teckman Mystery” (Indie). Nice $3,600. Last week, subsequent-run. Chicago (B&K) (3,900; 98-$1.50) —“Sincerely Yours” (WB) with the Hilltoppers onstage. Disappoint¬ ing $53,000. Last week, “Sister Eileen” (Col) with Joni James top¬ ping stageshow (2d wk), $38,000. Grand (Nomikos) (1,200; 98-$l)— “Magnificent Matador” (20th). Good $12,000. Last week, “Ulysses” (Pari 4th wk), $6,500. Loop (Telem’t) (606; 90-$1.25)— “African Lion” (BV) (5th wk). Okay $7,000. Last week, $8,500. McVickers (JL&S) (2,200; 65- $1.25)—“Queen Bee” (Col). Dull $13,000. Last week, “Lucy Gallant” (Pan '2d wk), $2,500. ” Oriental (Indie) (3,400; 98-$1.25> —“Girl in Red Velvet Swing” (20th). Slow $22,000. Lust week, “Alwavs Fair Weather” (M-G) (2d wk), $19,000. Palace (Eitel) (1,484; $1.25-$3.40) — “Cinerama Holiday” (Indie) (20th wk). Hefty $40,200. Last Week, $42,000. Roosevelt (B&K) (1,400; 65-98)— “Night of Hunter” (UA) and “Rob¬ ber’s Roost” (UA) (2d wk). Dull $9,500. Last week, $15,000.. State-Lake (B&K) (2,400; 65-98) —“Tall Men” (20th) (3d wk). Lofty $22,000. Last week, $35,000. Surf (H&E Balaban) (685; 95)— “Man Who Loved Redheads” (UA) (5th wk). Good $3,200. Last week, $3,800. United Artists (B&K) (1,700; 65- 98)—“To Hell and Back” (U) (3d \vk>. Torrid $24,000,' helped by great exploitation campaign. Last week, $32,000. Woods (Essaness) (1,206; 98- $1.25 .-“Left Hand of God” (20th) (4th wk). Strong $15,000. Last week. $21,000. World (Indie) (697; 98)— “Othel¬ lo (Indie) (2d wk). Sluggish $2,600. Last week, $3,400. (L °Pert) (430; 98) — White Line” (IFE) and “Strange ?o n oL t Indie) (reissues). Fair EV 20 °; week * “Beauties of Night (UA) and “Intimate Rela¬ tions- (Indie) (reissues), $3,100. ‘REBEI? MIGHTY 17G, PROV.; ‘TRIAL’ OK 15G Providence, Nov. 1. , A ?’ ainy .Sunday is credited with boosting biz among the main-stem- niers to give a healthy glow to H ac i® f . or weie k. Leading the field % Majestic’s “Rebel Without A ^Vi Se ’. smash. State is also doing ftvi 1 “Trial.” On the fair side £r® T 5, e Shrike” at Albee and Lucy Gallant.” Estimates for This Week lb ® e (RKO) (2,200; 50-75)— the Shrike” (U) and “Trouble In ^toie (AA). Fairly good $7,000. pff '\eek, “Private. War Major and “Treasure Ruby u • sa roe. ? s . tic (Fay > ^2,200; 50-75)— A y ith °ut Cause” (WB) and l®. 1 'wink le In God’s Eye” (Rep). kVnM 1 J 1 ?, 000 - Last week, “Tall ul nori 20t 1 h) (2d wk) * $10,000 at upped scale. ( Loew) (3,200; 65-90)— and “Bullet F wpol ( .H A) - Smooth $15,000. Li ami' Durward” (M- SlV ff " (UA) * $9,500. strand (Silverman) (2,200; 50-7 SO nnn C r GnUant” (Par). Fi (I' M. 0, Last . wee k, “Mad At Worl iitia and Thunder Pass” (FR Estimates Are Net Film gross estimates as re¬ ported herewith from the vari¬ ous key cities, are net; i.e., without usual tax. Distrib¬ utors share on net take, when playing percentage, hence the estimated figures are net in¬ come. . The parenthetic admission prices, however, as indicated, include the U. S. amusem*nt tax. ‘Rebel’ Smart 17C Pitt; ‘Swing’ 8V?G Pittsburgh, Nov. 1. Stanley is riding ahead of every¬ thing this week with “Rebel With¬ out A Case,” headed for smash re¬ turns. Stays another round. “Girl In Red Velvet Swing,” while not outstanding, is doing well enough to hold at the Fulton. “Night of Hunter” is going nowhere at Penn and “Tall Men” is winding up month’s stay strongly at Harris. Estimates for This Week Fulton (Shea) (1,700; 65-$l)— “Girl in Red Velvet Swing” (20th), No help from notices but local an¬ gle on Thaw family is helping. Looks like $8,500, and sticks. Last week. “To Hell and Back” (U) (4th wk), $6,000. with upped scale. Guild (Green) (500; 65-$l)— “Court Martial” .(Indie) (3d wk). Slipping to rock-bottom and lucky to wind up with $1,500. Last week, $1,900. Harris (Harris) (2,165; 75-$1.25) —“Tall Men” (20th) (4th wk). Still farily good at $7,000. Last week, $8,500. Penn (UA) (3,300; 65-$l)— “Night of Hunter” (UA). Crix hopped all over this one. Coming out after 6 days and probably won’t top sad $6,500. Last week, “Gentle¬ men Marry Brunette's” (UA), $9,500. Squirrel Hill” (SW) (900; 65-$l) —“Divided Heart” (Rep) (2d wk). One of seasons disappointments here. Fine reviews but doing little. 'Coming out this week with barely $2,000. Last week, $2,500. Stanley (SW) (3,800; 65-$l)— “Rebel Without Cause” (WB). Got away fast and shapes big $17,000 or near, best here in some time. Slays, naturally. Last week, “Luly Gallant” (Par), $9,000. Warner (SW) (1,365; $1.25-$2.40) —“Cinerama Holiday” (Indie) (37th wk). Slipping some but still running ■ahead of first Cinerama feature here and may run longer than it did too. Looks like big $11,000. Last week, $12,400. ’Eileen’ Sweet $14,000, Cincy; 'Rebel' Fine 13G, .‘Lucy’ 12G,‘Hell’ 7|G .Cincinnati, Nov. 1. “My Sister Eileen,” shaping solid at Keith’s, leads the three new bills here this round. Close behind are “Rebel Without a Cause” at the Palace and “Lucy Gallant” in the Albee. “To Hell and Back” continues fat in third frame on moveover to the Grand. Exhibitors generally are pleased with down¬ town trade in view, of local elec¬ tion campaigning plus college and high school weekend football. Estimates for This Week Albee (RKO) (3,100;. 75-$1.25) —“Lucy Gallant” (Par). Pleasing $12,000 or over. Last week, “To Hell and Back” (U) (2d wk), $13,000. Capitol ,(Ohio Cinema Corp.) (1,376; $1.20-$2.65) — “Cinerama Holiday” (Indie) (19th wk). Hugging hotsy $24,500, same as last week. Grand (RKO) (1,400; 75-$1.25)— “To Hell and .Back” (U) (m.o.). Sturdy $7,500 for thrid downtown session. Last week, “End of Af¬ fair” (Col) and “New Orleans” (Col), at 75-$l scale, $5,500. Keith’s (Shor) (1,500; 75-$1.25)— “Sister Eileen” (Col). Sweet $14,- 000. Holds on. Last week, “Tall Men” (20th) (4th wk), $7,500. Palace (RKO) (2,600; 75-$1.10)— “Rebel Without Cause” (WB). Sharp $13,000. Last week, “Trial” (M-G), $14,000. • Rebel’ Ropes Smash $35,000, B’way; ‘Brunettes’ Brisk 26G, ‘Illegal’-Vaude Fine 27G, Oklahoma’ 54^G, Men’ 21G ‘Eileen’ Fancy $14,000, Toronto; ‘Hunter’ 17G _ Toronto, Nov. 1. Because of plenty of outside competition, film biz currently is offish. “Night of Hunter” looks good in two spots. “Sister Eileen” shapes fine at Shea's. “To Hell and Back” is rated heat in third Up¬ town frame. Estimates for This Week Christie, Hyland (Rank) (848; 1,- 354; 75-$l)—-“I am Camera" (DCA) (5th wk). Nice $6,000. Last week, same. Downtown, Glendale, Scarboro, State, Westwood (Taylor) (1,059; 955; 696; 694; 975; 40-75)—“Pearl South Pacific” (RKO) and “Sa- baka” (UA). Light $10,500. Last week, “Five Against House” (Col) and “Night Holds Terror” (Col), $13,500. Eglinton, University (FP) (1,088; 1,558; 60-$.1)—“Love Is Splendored Thing” (20th) (5th wk). Okay $10,- 000. Last week, $12,000. Fairlawn, Odeon (Rank) (1,165; 2,580; 60-$l)—“Night of Hunter” (UA). Good $17,000. Last week, “7 Cities of Gold” (20th), $14,000. Imperial (FP) (3,373; 60-$l)— “Mister Roberts” (WB) (5th wk). Okay $10,000. Last week, $12,500. Loew’s (Loew) (2,090; 60-$l)— “Kentuckian” (UA (2d wk). Good $11,000 after last week’s $18,000. Shea’s (FP) (2,386; 60-$l)—“Sis¬ ter Eileen” (Coir. Fine $14,000. Last week, “Left Hand of God” (20th) (2d wk), $9,500. Towne (Taylor) (695; 75-$ D— “Great Adventure” (IFD) (3d wk). Fair $3,500. Last week, $4,500. Uptown (Loew) (2,745; 60-$l)— “To Hell and Back” (U) (5th wk). Neat $8,000. Last week, $12,000. ‘Swing’ Dull 6J4G, Mpls.; ‘Alley’ 9G Minneapolis, Nov. 1. Holdovers continued to outnum¬ ber newcomers here, with few of new pix calculated to cause much excitement. However, “Blood Al¬ ley” is good at Orpheum. “Girl in Red Velvet Swing” looks slight at Radio City. “Count Three and Pray” is very sad. It’s 15th week foi “Cinerama Holiday” which shows no diminuition of draw “To Hell and Back” still is great on third downtown week. “Trial” is rated tall at Gopher in fourth. Estimates for This Week Century (S-W) (1,150; $1.75- $2.65)—“Cinerama Holiday” (In¬ die) (15th wk)) Doesn't slip much from fast pace. Hefty $17,000. Last week, $20,000. Gopher (Berger) (1,000; 85-$l)— “Trial” (M-G) (4th wk). Still in im¬ portant money. Tall $5,000. Last week, $6,000. Lyric (Par) (1,000; 95-$l)—“Sis¬ ter Eileen” (Col) (m.o.). Here after a Radio City session. Smooth $5,000. Last week, “Tall Men’' (20th) (3d wk), $5,500. Radio City (Par) (4.100; 85-$ D— “Girl in Red Velvet Swing” (20th). Evelyn Thaw story apparently doesn’t mean too much here to this generation of film patrons. Poor $6,500 in 6 day's. Last week, “Sis¬ ter Eileen” (Col), $11,500. RKO-Orpheum (RKO) (2,800; 75- $1)—“Blood Alley” (WB). Good $9,000. Last week, “To Hell and Back” (U) (2d wk), $10,000. RKO-Pan (RKO) (1,600; 75-$l)— “To Hell and Back’ ? (U) -(m.o.L It’s third loop week for this high-step¬ per. Tall $7,500. Last week, “Life in Balance” (20th) and “Out¬ law's Daughter” (20th i, $3,500 at 65-85c. State (Par) (2,300; 85-$l)— “Count Three and Pray” (Col). Very sad $5,000. Last week, “Fe¬ male on Beach” (U>, $6,000. World (Mann) (400; 75-$1.20)— “I Am a Camera” (DCA) (5th wk). Strong $4,000. Last week, $4,500. ‘Fog’ Forte $7,500 In Seattle; ‘Trial’ 6G, 3d Seattle, Nov. 1. It’S a fifth good week for “To Hell and Back at the Blue Mouse. Top newcomer looks like # “Foot¬ steps in Fog,” rated okay at Coli¬ seum. “Lucy Gallant” looms mild at Fifth Avenue. “Trial” at Or¬ pheum in second round is only fair. Estimates for This Week Blue Mouse (Hamrick) (800; 90- $1.25)—“Hell and Back” (U) and “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (U» (5th wk). Good $3,800. Last week, $4,800. Coliseum (Evergreen) (1,870; 90- $1.25)—“Footsteps in Fog” (Col) and “Teen-Age Crime Wave” (Col). Okay $7,500. Last week, “Girl in Velvet Swing” (20th) and “Gun That Won West” (Col). $8,200. Fifth Avenue (Evergreen) (2,500; $1-$1.25>—“Lucy Gallant” (Par). (Continued on page 24) , After racking up one of the strongest Saturday totals in many weeks, Broadway firstrun theatre trade was slowed down Sunday (30) by a heavy rain which lasted until late in the afternoon. And biz re¬ mained slow on Monday (31). Several new entries shaped up en¬ couragingly but a number of larger houses are beginning to complain about offish trade on weekdays. Top newcomer is “Rebel With¬ out a Cause,” which hit a smash $35,000 opening week at the Astor. “Gentlemen Marry Brunettes” headed for a lively $26,000 or thereabouts in first stanza at the Mayfair. "Illegal” with vaude¬ ville looks to hit a tull $27,000 at the Palace. Pic is being plugged via large lobby cutout and pictures of Jayne Mansfield, starring pres¬ ently in “Rock Hunter” legiler, who is in the film. “Frisky” landed a fine $10,000 opening round at the Trans-Lux 52d Street. “Gate of Hell” finally is winding its great longrun at the Guild after 47 weeks. Distrib was anxious to get it out into subsc- quents, and the Guild is bringing in “Umberto D” on Nov. 7. Second round (9 days) of “Girl in Red Velvet Swing” lool s to fin¬ ish with a good $40,500 at the Roxy. “View From Pompey’s Head” opens Friday. “The Trouble With Harry” held at big $14,300 in sec¬ ond frame at the Paris. “Oklahoma” is holding with a socko $54,500 in third session at the Rivoli, and stays on indefinite¬ ly, of course. “Cinerama Holiday” held at smash $41,200 in 38th round at the Warner, and con¬ tinues on. “Trial” with stageshow likely will wind its third week with a good $120,000 at the Music Hall. It stays a fourth. “Tall Men” is holding with smart $21,000 in third round at the State. “Des¬ perate Hours” is headed for a smooth $19,000 jn fourth stanza at the Criterion. “Sincerely Yours” is being preemed today at the Paramount, with Liberace, star of pic, making personals at all shows opening day. “Guys and Dolls” is being unveiled with a benefit preem tomorrow (Thurs.) night at the Capitol, with regular run starting Friday (4). Estimates for This Week Astor (City Inv.) (1,300; 75-$1.75) — “Rebel Without Cause” (WB) (2d wk). Initial session ended yesterday (Tues.) soared to socko $35,000 or near. In ahead, “Mc¬ Connell Story” (WB) (4th wk-6 days), $9,000, aided by preview of “Rebel” on Tuesday (25). Little Carnegie (L. Carnegie) (550; $1.25-$1.80)—“I Am Camera” (DCA) (13th wk). The 12th stanza ended Sunday (30) was solid $6,000 after $6,500 in 11th week. Con¬ tinues on. Baronet (Reade) (430; 90-$1.55) — “Philadelphia Story” (M-G) (reissue) (5th-final wk). Current frame ending tomorrow (Thurs.) looks like okay $3,300 after $4,500 in fourth. “Cyrano de Bergerac” (UA) (reissue) opens Friday (4). Capitol (Loew’s) (4,820; 85-$2.20) —“To Hell and Back” (U) (6th-final wk). Current round winding up today (Wed.) looks to reach modest $14,000 or close after $20,000 in fifth week. “Guys and Dolls” (M-G) opens with Will Rogers Memorial benefit tomorrow (Thurs.) night. .Regular run starts Nov. 4. Criterion (Moss) (1,700; 75-$2.20) — “Desperate Hours” (Par) (4th v/k). Present session finishing today (Wed.) is heading for dandy $19,- 000 or a bit over after $22,000 in third week. Stays on. Fine Arts (Davis) (468; 90-$1.80) —“Sheep Has Five Legs” (Indie) (13th wk). The 12th stanza ended Monday (31) was lively $7,500 after $7,800 in 11th week. Continues on indef. Globe (Brandt)" (1,500; 70-$1.50) —“Ulysses” (Par) (12th wk). The 11th round concluded last night (Tues.) was good $8,500 after $10,- 000 in 10th week. “I Died a Thousand Times” (WB) opens here next, but date not set. Guild (Guild) (450; $1-$1.75) — “Gate of Hell” (Indie) (47th-final wk). The 46th round ended Mon¬ day (31) pushed to big $6,500 after $6,000 in 45th week. Continues until Nov. 7 when “Umberto D” (Indie) opens. Mayfair (Brandt) (1,736; 79-$1.80) — “Gentlemen Marry Brunettes” (UA)). This is heading for a solid $26,000 or close in first round ending Friday (4). Holding. In ahead, “Night of Hunter” (UA) (4th wk-9 days). $8,200. Normandie (Trans-Lux) (592; 95-1 $i.80)—“African Lion” (BV) (8th wk). Seventh round finished yester¬ day (Tues.) was sturdy $6,000 after $5,600 in sixth week. Continues. Pala.ce (RKO) (1,700; 50-$1.60)— “Illegal” (WB) with vaudeville. Week ending tomorrow (Thurs.) looks to hit smooth $27,000 or bet¬ ter. Last week, “Simba” (Lip) and vaude, $22,500. Paramount (ABC-Par) (3.664; $1- $2) — “Sincerely Yours” (WB). Opens today (Wed.) with personals by Liberace, star of pic. In ahead, “Blood Alley” (WB) (4th \vk», dipped to mild $22,000 in session ended last night (Tues.) after $28,- 000 in third week. Paris (Pathe Cinema) (568; 90- $1.80) — “Trouble With Harry” il’ar) (3d wk). Held with smash $14,300 in first holdover round ended Sunday (30» alter $15,900 in opening week. Stays on indef. Radio City Music Hi-11 (Rockefel¬ lers) (6,200; 95-$2.75> — "Trial” (M-G) and stageshow (3d wk). Present week winding todiiy (Wed.) looks to hit good $120,000. Second week was $137,000. Stays a fourth. “Tender Trap’’ (M-G) set to follow opening Nov. 10. Rivoli (UAT) (L545; $L.50-$3.50) — “Oklahoma” (Magna) (3d wki. Current round ending today (Wed.) is holding at $54,500 for 16 per¬ formances. Second week, $54,400. Stays on indef, with advance sale soon to go into year-end holidays. Theatre parties are starting to bolster matinees, which have been somewhat <J£. a problem especially on Mondays, Tuesday and Wednes¬ days. House has installed 31 extra seats in balcony to.make the ca¬ pacity now 1,545. Plaza (Breeker) (556; $1.50-$1.80) —“Deep Blue Sea” (20th) (4th wk). Third round ended last night (Tues.) was big $8,000 or close after $11,200 in. second week. Roxy (Nat’l. Th.) (5,717; 65- $2.40)—“Girl in Red Velvet Swing” (20th) (2d-final wk). Holding two extra days to bring in “View From Pompey’s Head” (20th) on Friday (4). Looks to reach good $40,500, being boosted by all-day preview of “Head” plus one night preview of same. First week of “Girl” was $52,500. State (Loew’s) (3.450; 78-$1.75) —“Tail Men” (20th) (4th wk). Third session finished Monday (31) was smart $21,000 after $29,500 in second wefek. Stays. Sutton (R&B) (561; $1-$1.80)— “Marty” (UA) (30th wk). The 29th session finished Saturday (30) was fancy $7,800 after $6,900 in 28th week. Continues. Trans-Lux 52d St. (T-L) (540; $1- $1.50)—“Frisky” • (DCA) (2d wk). Initial round concluded Sunday t30) was fine $10,000. In ahead, “Svengali” (M-G) (4th wk-9 days), $2,600. Victoria (City Inv.) (1,060; 50- $1.75)—“Lucy Gallant” (Par) (2d wk). First holdover stanza finish¬ ing today (Wed.) looks like mild $10,000 or near after $17,000 open¬ ing week. Holds. Warner (Cinerama Prod.) (1,600; $1.20-$3.30) — “Cinerma Holiday” (Indie) (39th wk). The session end¬ ed Saturday (29) held with smash $41,200 after $42,000 in. 37th week. Continues on. Wash. Lags But ‘Rebel’ Terrif $22,000; ‘Swing’ Nice 14G,‘Holiday 22G Washington, Nov. 1. Weekend grid contests, unsea¬ sonably warm weather and lack of much sock new product are com¬ bining to take a boxoffice toll here this session. However, “Rebel Without Cause,” day dating Metro¬ politan and Ambassador is smash. “Girl in Red Velvet Swing” at Palace, socked by crix, looms nice but below hopes. Other bright spots on current b.o. scoreboard are two holdovers, “Cinerama Holiday,” in fourth stanza at Warner, and , “Sheep Has Five Legs,” in third week at Dupont. Estimates for This Week Ambassador (SW) (1.490; 75-$l) -- “Rebel Without Cause” (SW). Socko $7,000 or near. Last week, "Blood Alley” (WB) (2d wk). $4,000. Capitol (Loew) (3,434; 70-95) — “Phenix City” (AA) (2d wk). Slow $7,000 in final 4 days. Last week, $13,000. Columbia (Loew) (1,174; 70-95) — “Trial” (M-G> (4th wk). Fine $7,000 after $9,500 in third. Holds. Dupont (Lopert) (372; 75-$1.10) —“Sheep Has Five-Legs" (Indie) (Continued on page 24) 10 PICTURES VAfUETY Wednesday, November 2, 1955 ONCE DUD, NJ. HOUSE REAPS PROFITS, PROTESTS ON FOREIGN FILM POLICY __ 4- Catholic protests against the playing of “C” rated pictures by the Queen Anne Theatre in Bogo¬ ta, N.J., late last week assumed the familiar censorship pattern. However, in a sudden development Monday night (31), the borough council rejected all notions of cen¬ sorship, merely urging the house to stick to “clean” films. Exhibitor David. Frankl, when asked whether he would continue playing “C” pix, told the Police Commissioner and Chief of Police that he would book anything that constituted good, inoffensive en¬ tertainment and that Catholic Le¬ gion condemnation alone would not stop him from playing a film. Over the weekend, Catholic parishioners were told from the pulpits that ‘the Queen Anne was “off limits” for them. There were indications that the ban might be extended to all of Bergen county. The next step, if Catholic prece¬ dent is followed, would be to bar Catholics from the theatre for a year or more, regardless of what the house is playing. Frankl, who reopened the Queen Anne last April after it had been dark for five years, said the Catho¬ lic protest was based on three “C” rated films out of a total of 43 he has played, “C” stands for “Con¬ demned” by the Legion of De¬ cency, the Catholic reviewing body. Trio involved are “The Bed,” “Game of Love” and “One Summer of Happiness.” » But, Searching—„ Frankl originally was to have appeared before the borough council today (Wed.). However, he was visited by the Police Chief and Commissioner Monday night. They told him that there was no thought of censorship. Earlier, borough attorney Irving Evers readily acknowledged he was searching the books for a statute under which censorship might be imposed. As the controversy raged in Bogota, Frankl received an ava¬ lanche of phone calls from all over the county, including a num¬ ber of Protestant organizations, pledging support. “People have offered me everything frt>m money to coming to help me sweep my theatre,” the exhib said. - He emphasized that, unless he could show foreign imports, he couldn’t do business in his loca¬ tion. When he first opened up, he tried American fare but fell flat with it. “Since we switched to foreign pictures, we are getting a good patronage from all over the county,” he reported. “People like to have a place where they can see foreign films without having to go into New York.” Proceeded Tactfully Aware of the existing sensitivi¬ ties, Frankl said he had always j been extra-carcful about his dis¬ play and his ads to avoid giving offense. In some instances, he had his own ads made up for that rea¬ son. The Independent Motion Picture Distributors Assn, in N. Y. has pledged Frankl its support, the Queen Anne being the only Ber¬ gen County house to show imports on a regular basis. Impression gotten * is that the objections in Bogota actually go beyond “C” tagged pix and extend to all for¬ eign films. Bogota is about half Catholic. In the rest of the county, the percentage of Catholics is considerably lower. Frankl’s headaches started when he was visited by a delegation of three men from St. Joseph parish. They expressed concern over the type of film he was showing but left with the understanding that the exhib wouldn’t object to their occasionally dropping by to in¬ spect his bookings. Very soon /hereafter, however, Mrs. Lester Searfoss, prez of St. Joseph’s School PTA, got together a peti¬ tion to the council criticizing the showing of the three “C” pix. This was followed by a second Catholic petition. Other PTA orgs said they’d start investigating, too. Franklsaid yesterday (Tues.) that he was convinced the borough council didn’t want censorship. He said he had offered the Police Chief to show him "One Summer of Happiness” “to prove to him how ridiculous this whole thing is.” He reminded him, too, ,that j pressures. B. O. LIGHTNING, PLEASE! Remarque's World War II Tale To U—Which Did His ‘All Quiet' Hollywood, Nov. 1. Universal has acquired Erich Maria Remarque’s “A Time to Live, a Time to Die,” and set it for top budget production 1956. It’s a Literary Guild selection about young German soldier’s World War II romance. Universal in 1929 produced Re¬ marque’s “All Quiet on Western Front,” and cleaned up. Andre Debrie: Theatres Rate Oscars, Too Hollywood, Oct. 25. An international award compe¬ tition for a hitherto neglected seg¬ ment of the industry—exhibition— has been suggested by Andre De¬ brie, pioneer French film inventor and manufacturer. Debrie broached the idea of an exhibition award during a meeting at Paramount with Y. Frank Freeman, Don Hart¬ man and Cecil B. DeMille, as guest of studio engineering-recording chief Loren L. Ryder, and got an immediate enthusiastic response. French exec wants a “Grand Prix” for the best picture pres¬ entation in a theatre, the winner . to be decided by an international committee representing official or¬ ganizations in the field. “It would give merited recogni¬ tion to theatre presentation,” De¬ brie pointed out, “including the important factor of projection, as an integral part of entertainment and equal in importance to the making of the picture. * “The studios are. spending mil¬ lions to get the best picture on the screen, for the best returns for all concerned — producer, distributor and exhibitor. Such an interna¬ tional ‘Oscar’ would be an incen¬ tive to the theatre operator, man¬ ager and projectionist to match this quality in the presentation. The deciding factor in the award would be the end result of presen¬ tation, regardless of the equip¬ ment or process used.” * Debrie said he had discussed the idea in Germany befe :e com¬ ing to the U. S. and engineers there endorsed the project. Faked Robbery Hoping To Cover Embezzlement; Pen Looms for 3 Men Philadelphia, Nov. 1. Two men, who admitted taking part in the “faked” $8,200 holdup of the first-run Arcadia Theatre last Feb. 27, have received jail terms in Quarter Sessions Court here. Robert E. Caldwell, 24, was sen¬ tenced to two and a half to nine years in Eastern State Peniten¬ tary; and James W. McFarland, 32, received an 11% month to 23 month term. Both pleaded guilty to charges of larceny and con¬ spiracy. Sentence was deferred in the case of a third man, Joseph J. Cul- linan, 29, the theatre manager who allegedly set up the robbery to cover .embezzlements over a period of time. FILM CRITICS VOTING BEST-EDITED FEATURE Hollywood, Nov. 1. Ballobs go out to the press today for voting* in the second annual American Cinema Editors Critic Awards. Five feature films and five vidfilms have been nominated. Ballots are returnable Nov. 10 and the accounting firm of Price Waterhouse will announce results at a co*cktail party Nov. 15 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Feature film nominees are: “A Star Is Born,” edited by Fol-mar Blangsted; “Bridges at Toko-Ri,” Alma Macrorie; “Country Girl,” Ellsworth Hoagland; “Strategic Air Command,” Eda Warren; “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” Elmo Williams. Vidpic series nominees are “Dragnet,” Robert Leeds and Lynn Harrison; “Four Star Playhouse,” Bernard Burton, Samuel Beetley, Roland Gross; “Medic,” Robert Seiter, Harvey Manger; “Schlitz Playhouse of Stars,” George Amy, Joseph Gluck, Samuel Gold, John Hali; “The Loretta Young Show,” Joseph Dervin, Philip Cahn, Frank Sullivan. Amusem*nt Stock Quotations (IV. Y. Stock Exchange) For Week Ending Tuesday (1) 1955 Weekly Vol.Weekly Weekly Tues. Net Change High Low in 100s High Low Close for week 331/2 22% Am Br-Par Th 68 28 27 27 —1 32 221^2 CBS “A” ... 117 24% 23 24% + 34 31 22% CBS “B” ... 64 24% 23% 24% • + 34 26 3 8 23% Col. Pix _ 25 243/4 24% 241/4 - 3-8 18% 14% Decca . 51 16 15% 15% + % 87 67 Eastman Kdk 85 80 77% 791%' — % 5% 3 EMI. 154 334 3% 3% ~ % 24% 17% Loew’s . 245 20% 193/4 20 — % 121/4 9 Nat. Thea. .. 143 9% 83/4 8% ~ 1/4 44% 36 Paramount .. 30 38% 37% 38 43% 30 Philco ..... 158 31% 30 31% — % 55% 36% RCA . 281 43% 40% 42% - % 10% 6% RKO Piets. . 43 7% 7% 7% - • 12 8% RKO Thea. .. 95 9% 93% 93/8 ■— 5 8 11% 5% Republic' .... 147 10% 8% 9% + % 15% 1334 Rep., pfd. ... 6 15% 15 —T5% + % 22% 163 4 Stanley War. 111 "17% 163,4 17 + % 31% 25% 20th-Fox .... 54 27% 26% 26% - % 31 , 26 3 4 Univ. Pix ... 11 29% 29% 29% 22% 18% Warner Bros. 100 20% 191/2 20 + % 134 86 Zenith. 16 125 119 120% ■—6 7% 4 American Stock Exchange Allied Artists. 27 63/ 8 6% 6% — % . 1534 934 AUd Art. pfd. 5 13% 13% 13% + % 17V8 12% Du Mont .... 60 13% 12% 12% — % 8 3 Skiatron .... 53 3% 3 3 — % 16% 13% Technicolor . 166 133/4 13% ‘ 13% — % Over-the-Counter Securities Bid Ask Chesapeake Industries .. . 3% 4% 1% 5 70 13% 35 Cinerama Inc. .. .. 1% Cinerama Prod. Polaroid . U. A. Theatres .... Walt Disney .. — % —2% (Quotations furnished by Dreyfus A Co. i Shortage of Product, Late Prints Still Migraine Film Exploiteers GENERAL PRECISION EARNINGS EQUAL $2.02 General Precision Equipment Corp., holding company whose 20 subsidiaries engage in manufacture and sale of theatre and television equipment among other products, had net earnings of $2,375,000 for the first nine months of 1955, equal to $2.02 per share on 1,031,644 common shares outstanding. ’In the corresponding period of 1954 the net was $3,603,000, or $4,44 per share on the 753,790 shares out at the end of the period. The third quarter net profit fell from $1,061,000 ($1.15 per share) in 1954 to $202,000 (8c per share) in 1955. Herman Place, GPE pres¬ ident, attributed the sharp drop to a number of factors "of a tempo¬ rary nature,” including a strike in two plants. Backlog of orders as of Sept. 30, 1955, amounted to $110,809,000, compared with $105,230,000 three months earlier, according to Place. Spotlight Charity Pledges By Respective Guilds Hollywood, Nov. 1. I Screen Directors Guild mem¬ bers have subscribed r 91.38% of last year's quota in the first two weeks of the Permanent Charities Committee’s 1955 drive, chairman Walter Pidgeon reported, with $62,726 pledged. Last year’s tally for directors was $71,594. . Second best record to date was achieved by the Writers Guild of America, West, which has pledged 87.61% of last year’s $58,771. Screen Producers Guild hit 85.31% of last year’s total. Other group pledges, in compari¬ son to last year include Depart¬ ment Heads and Assistants, 83.68%; Executives and Executive Producers, 64.3%; Screen Actors Guild, 73.95%; and Artists Man¬ agers Guild, 5.6%. Paramount tops the studio list with 1,645 out of 1,930 already con¬ tributing. Labor’s Executive Com¬ mittee has pledged $365,374, or 89.35% of last year’s $408,92-3. Total pledged in the first two weeks reached $816,074. ‘Oklahoma’ Rated ‘B’ “Oklahoma!” Richard Rod- gers-Oscar Hammerstein 2d musical produced in the Todd- AO process, has been handed a “B” rating by the National Legion of Decency. The Cath¬ olic reviewing, group tabs the picture as “morally objection¬ able in part for all” because of “suggestive song, dialog and situations.” Also rated “B” by the Le¬ gion are United Artists’ “Fort Yum a” and Paramount’s “Rose Tattoo” and “The Trou¬ ble with Harry.” Turks Get Filins 'On Approval’But Wont Return’Em American exporters are doing a burn over their treatment by Turkish industryites. Several of the indies sent in films “on approv¬ al” and now have trouble getting their prints back. Tale of woe was related last week by Sam Cummins of Jewel Productions who sent “Interna¬ tional Burlesque” to Turkey at the request of a local importer. Latter, taking a gamble on the Turkish censors, deposited $1,000 with the local forwarding agent. Picture didn’t pass, and now the agent won’t return the print unless Cum¬ mins pays him more money. He’s also turning a deaf ear to Cummins’ demands for the $1,000 in advance royalties. As a side issue, Cummins also is involved in a law suit for $125 which Barnett International For¬ warders claims is due them for shipping “Burlesque” to Turkey. Cummins disputes the claim. He said other exporters had had similar experiences with the Turks who asked for certain films which, later, weren’t being returned to N. Y. by the shipping agents. Republic’s 5% Divvy , Republic Pictures last week de- . .. . - MAC continue to operate its dared a 5% stock dividend on the and that he will urge him to go* Austin “A” house, the Paramount, company’s common stock, slow m responding to Catholic Town a.' o has an independent j Melon is payable- Jan. 3 to it was within the powers of a po¬ lice to stop any lewd film from be¬ ing shown. “I told him I could match my good taste with theirs,” said Frankl. “But good taste isn’t something that is determined by a Catholic Legion rating.” It’s understood that the Bergen County attorney is to meet with the Bogota police head this week 1 THEATRE AS LAW OFFICE United Par Sells ‘B’ House Austin, Minn. In Minneapolis, Nov. 1. In line with its past several years’ policy of confining opera¬ tions to one theatre in most single towns of less than 20,000.in the territory, the Minnesota Amuse¬ ment Co. (United Paramount Thea¬ tres) has sold Its “B” house in Aus¬ tin, Minn. Purchasers, the Baudler Bros., a law partnership, will convert the showhou.se into offices for them¬ selves. Close timing of print deliveries to the New York homeoffices is a headache to the advertising-pub¬ licity fraternity many of whom feel this to be a serious deterrent in the launching of releases. Situation is particularly tigTit at 20th-Fox and has been that way ever since Cinemascope was first introduced. In varying degrees, the problem also exists at the other distributors, “When you keep pushing new films into theatres almost the min¬ ute of arrival from the studio, it may maintain the velocity of dis¬ tribution and give exhibitors prod¬ uct, but it just doesn’t provide ade¬ quate time to do a good publicity job,” complained one ad-pubber. “Nor is there time for word-of- mouth to get around prior to a picture’s launching.” In the case of 20th’s “Good Morning Miss Dove,” for instance, with advance screenings for opin¬ ion makers skedded in key cities, some of the branches will receive their print the day of the showing —if they’re lucky. There’s a general feeling that, eventually, the situation will ease as more'films are put into produc¬ tion by the majors, thus creating more of a backlog. But this hasn’t happened and pix are going into release hot off the studio griddle. “I suppose we could hold up on the release of some of our top pic¬ tures,” commented another 20th man, “but, believe it or not, this company* has a conscience. We know the exhibitors need the prod¬ uct. That’s the primary reality. And we don’t feel right pidgeonhol- ing films if they’re ready. It would serve our purpose, but it just doesn’t seem right to further com¬ plicate the difficulties of the exhibitor.” , Jour-wall theatre and an ozoner. | holders of record on Dec. 7. TOA’s St. Louis Meet St. Louis, Nov. 1. The Missouri-Illinois" Theatre Owners, a Theatre Owners of America affiliate, will hold its an¬ nual meeting at the Chase Hotel here Nov. 21-22. Scheduled to address the meet¬ ing are Myron Blank, TOA prexy; Herman M. Levy, general counsel, and George Gaughan, field repre¬ sentative. Wednesday, November 2, 1955. PfiRIETY PICTURES 11 Germany’s Had It on the Rough Stuff; Hence Dislikes Sadism in U. S. Pix German objections to American*- films focus on violence and bru-' tality in many of them,, according to Mrs. Annie Hensler-Moering, alternate member of Germany’s self-regulatory censor body which headquarters at Schloss Biebrich near Wiesbaden: Mrs. Hensler, in the . United States on an extended visit and studying the operations of the American Production Code, said the German body’s standards dif¬ fered from the Gode in only one important respect—the attitude vs. what she called “massive bru¬ tality.” The German board, con¬ sisting of eight members (including four from the industry), also is ex¬ tremely sensitive when it comes to films which, it feels, show * tendency to glorify war. “Our public has gone through, a great deal. There has been enough violence already. We don’t want to see it on the screen,” she said. Many American imports featuring exaggerated screen sadism are cut by the German board which consti¬ tutes a censor and Code rolled into one. Any film not approved by the unit cannot play in Germany. Mrs. Hensler said the U. S. dis¬ tribs so far, had the “tact” not to send in many war films involving the Germans. Those that have been sent into Germany primarily involve the war in the Pacific. “We accept them,” Mrs. Hensler ob¬ served, “but I don’t think our pub¬ lic really likes them. We had one or two instances Where we cut such films because they made the Japa¬ nese look like silly little men.” While the Germans have a very simple code, one of its taboos is subject matter that could hurt the feelings of other nationalities, she added. The board hands out “adult” tags for pix, particularly imports. In the case of “La Ronde,” for in¬ stance, the film’was okayed, but in the French version only, thus more or less automatically restricting it to adults. Following confabs with Motion Picture Assn, of America execs in N. Y., Mrs. Hensler said one of the most important things she had learned was that American pro¬ ducers submitted their scripts in advance to the Code office. “It’s something we should - encourage our producers to do, too,” she commented. “We have a great deal of trouble because our studios tend to show us the finished product. That makes it so much more dif¬ ficult to make cuts.” Mrs. Hensler expressed the con¬ viction that the German product would improve and She thought the revival of the UFA, acting as a central body, would constitute an important step in that direction, c Ger man board—the Film Selbst-Kontrolle—there is rotating representation of clergymen of the Protestant, Catholic and Jewish faiths. “They speak their piece, out they only have a single vote.” she noted. Mrs. Hensler said the board was so sensitive to film brutality, it ^ f , use d to v ! ew Pictures in black- and-white if, eventually, they 7 re to be shown in color. “A lot of detail becomes obvious when a nim is in color,” she commented. PAR MAKES MACY'S parade Danny Kaye on a Float To Bally ‘Court Jeeter’ Paramount has engineered itself Macy’s Thanksgiving Day pa¬ rade Nov. 24. It's a tieup conceded oy all companies as a particularly nutritious publicity plum. Par pays none-of the bills, but Jands its upcoming pic, “The Court Jester,” in the.spotlight. Highspot ox the department store’s annual larch is to be a float carrying f>aye, star of the film,* in his Jester ’ costume. The pic will given ample billing on the con- veyance. NBC-TV stations and af¬ filiates, 100 in all, will cover. ■fnwu- only *° deliver Kaye lor this. Also, the comedian had jo appear at Macy’s last week for xtensiyc photography work, also tiemg m with “Jester.” All Macy’s aic,? 1 * centerin g on the parade will also focus on the pic, as will the rnm GS 5 re "Christmas promotional c °Py and merchandising. HENRY GINSBERG’S N.Y. BUILDUP FOR ‘GIANT’ Henry Ginsberg, producer of Edna Ferber’s “Giant” in associa¬ tion with George Stevens for War¬ ner Bros., is in New York to super¬ vise personally the longrange sell¬ ing job on the film. Ginsberg, former Paramount production chief, “is doing a Sam Goldwyn” in personally “carrying the can of film” in building up advance interest in the property. Although the film won’t be re¬ leased by WB for at least six or seven months, Ginsberg will con¬ fer with exhibitors, meet the press, check the advertising and publicity campaign, go over the sales plan with, WB distribution chief Ben Kalmenson, and generally stir up interest in “Giant.” His current Gotham visit is for a month. Sans New Laws, Italy Likely To Up Dubbing Fees With the Italian film industry anxiously awaiting materialization of a new film law, it’s believed that the Americans can expect concrete proposals for a new relationship with Rome within the^very near fu¬ ture. They’re expected to involve an increase in the dubbing certifi¬ cate fees which would serve this double purpose: 1. It would give the Italian in¬ dustry some badly needed coin. 2. It would cut down on the num¬ ber of secondary Hollywood prod¬ uct which, Italo producers claim, is “swamping” their market and is keeping Italian pix from being shown. All this would keep intact the inflow of strong American films which, the Italians are fully aware of, are a local bread-and-butter necessity. A side-product of such arrange¬ ments would be increased Italo- (Continued on page 78) Exit Binford Memphis, Nov. 1. Lloyd T. Binford, 88-year- old Memphis censor boss, in¬ forms Variety that he will “resign on Jan. 1” when his .present term expires and not accept reappointment. He’s headed board since 1928. Said Binford; “I’ve served my time, and I’m getting old¬ er. I have resigned half a dozen times and they didn’t pay any attention to it. Thig" time I would not accept reap¬ pointment if it were offered.” Blank, in Rome, Offers Italians an American Exhib’s How-to Advice Rome, Nov. 1. Foreign film producers can suc¬ cessfully crash the mass market in the United States if they better understand the needs of the Amer¬ ican public, Myron Blank, presi¬ dent of Theatre Owners of Amer¬ ica, told the Union Internationale de l’Exploitation Cinemagraphique here last week. With U.S. theatres facing a short supply of product because of the production cutdown by U.S. producers, Blank said thea- treowners are anxious to accept good pictures from other sources. He urged the foreign film-mak¬ ers to gear their films for the Amer¬ ican market and pointed out what the American public wants. “Our moviegoers love action and sus- spense,” Blank noted. “They like pictures that have sex if it is kept on a plane that does not bring criticism to the theatre and meets our Production Code require¬ ments. They generally do not like operas or pictures with classical musical themes. They do not like costume or period pictures. They like comedies, but we all know that the humor that is accepted in one country may not be considered hu¬ morous in another country.” To successfully enter the Amer¬ ican market, Blank suggested that the foreign film-makers must prop¬ erly exploit their talent in the U.S. He noted that “casting Amer¬ ican stars with your stars can has¬ ten this,” “You must better understand the types of pictures that will be suc¬ cessful in our market,” Blank stated, “and if you do, you will develop an industry in your coun¬ try stronger than anything we have seen in Hollywood.” Blank stressed that the market is ready and waiting in America. Yanks-Italians Near Settlement; Wipe Out Old Tax Claims While Clean Lines Ahead ! ---+ Virtual agreement has been NO SMOKING BAN IN N. H. ! Ef “TS against the American distributors in Italy. 01 the nine U. S. com¬ panies involved, only Republic is still shy of agreeing to the compro¬ mise which stands to cost the American outfits about $3,500,000 in retroactive taxes. ! Basis of the agreement is Mo- j tion Picture Export Assn, accep- j t-ance of a plan under which the 1 Italians would assume 27% of the New York share to be profit. That NEEDS LEGAL STATUS Concord, N. H., Nov. 1. Legislation which would enforce a no-smoking ban in New Hamp¬ shire theatres was recommended by Aubrey G. Robinson, state fire marshal, at the annual fall meet¬ ing of the New Hampshire Farm & Home Safety Council here. Under present state laws, the marshal pointed out, rules against j portion of American earnings smoking in theatres cannot be'en-; #ould bo subjec( , aIs0 . t0 the 28% forced, although many theatie iLalian income tax on the net of owners and managers are cooper- the local y. s . corap;inies . ating 100% to stop the practice. * .. . , . . However, it is on a voluntary basis, ! ,, A,s '' orks ou t in tlie lonR be stated i the settlement involves a 1W, ' I tax The fire marshal also stressed the need for legislation to forbid smoking in Large stores. Germans Quick With Bum Rap; U. S. Resentful Bonn, Oct. 25. The United States Embassy here and American film companies in Germany are much upset by the effect of a report giveh by the West German Ministry of Eco¬ nomics before the German Parlia¬ mentary Subcommittee on Film, Press and Radio, which has been widely quoted in the German press and film trade. Interpretation of this report has been that the German government feels that the American request for film" compensation as payment for permitting the Germans to with¬ draw from their GATT commit¬ ment of 27% on screen quota limits is unreasonable and excessive. The American request had confined its compensation for the German with¬ drawal to the field of films alone, (Continued on page 78) ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦*♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦* ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦» ♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦ ♦♦♦I Jack Warner: ‘Can J Write , Direct or Act 9 ♦♦♦***♦*♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ By MIKE KAPLAN Hollywood, Nov. 1. hH Friendly vilification and genuine tributes were blended at the Masquers Friday night (28) when Jack L. Warner sat in the hot seat of a testimonial dinner that attracted an overflow crowd and a bar¬ rage of quips. Top film executives and actors stud¬ ded the dais for the shindig which hailed Warner as a master of film production from the days of “Peril of the Plains” in 1912 and continuing through even such Items as “The Horn Blows At Midnight.” Serious note in an evening of ribald merriment was struck by Darryl F. Zanuck, whom Warner.- made a producer 30 years ago, who listed the War¬ ner Brothers studio chief as “more than just a credit to the industry. He’s a man who’s there because he belongs there.” Zanuck, in a difficult next-to-closing spot after an evening of shafts from Jack Benny, Pat O’Brien, John Wayne and others, paid tribute to Warner’s film acumen over the years. “He can’t direct, he can’t write—and he can’t even act, even though he thinks he can. But he plays pictures by ear. And he has a magic smell for what’s good.” Zanuck noted that there were more actors than producers on the dais. “That,” he said, “means he’s quite a man.” Hilarity started with the screening of a two- reeler composed entirely of “blow-ups” from WB films of 1937 and 1938. It was a swift collection of laughs, highlighted by scenes in w-hich both Pat O’Brien and Dick Foran had difficulty with equine actors—and the presence of those thesps on the dais added to the merriment. • Jack Benny toastmastered the first half of the evening before turning the program over to Pat O’Brien because of an early call. Benny, who called Warner “The Ben Blue of Burbank,” eschewed more than a passing reference to “The Horn Blows At Midnight,” to delve into the production chief’s character. * Loves Bad Jokes “This is a man,” said Benny, “who would rather tell a bad joke than make a good movie. And he often proves this. He’s a-millionaire and a great figure in the industry. But he envies Jerry Lester. He’d give anything in the world if he could only be a comedian—apd he doesn’t realize that he is.”. Succession of speakers who roasted and toasted Warner included Mervyn LeRoy, Y. Frank Freeman, Joe E. Brown, Michael Curtiz, John Wayne, Bryan Foy, Will Rogers Jr., Bob Fellows, Jack Carson, Dick Foran, Bert Wheeler and Jesse L. Lasky. Wayne drew some of the best laughs of the eve¬ ning with a terse description of the “cowman’s code” including the injunction “never spur a pregnant .horse.” He paid tribute to Warner as a man with an enviable ’reputation—“not good, but enviable”— and declared that there was considerable conjec¬ ture on the Burbank lot as to “who Jack Warner thinks he is.” “That’s easy,” Wayne gibed. “He thinks he’s Darryl F. Zanuck.” Warner’s One Boffola Naturally most of the humor was In keeping with the stag atmosphere and Warner himself contribut¬ ed to the ribaldry when he finally closed out the evening. Production exec delivered a lengthy comic (but fact-studded) autobiography ranging back to his days in the family meat market in Youngstown, Ohio. “I’ve got this marked,” he said, holding up a sheaf of papers, “for turning points in my career. Under that, I’ve written Jack L. Warner, so I’ll be sure w r ho I’m talking about. Warner traced his career through the early days of exhibition with such attractions as “Hale’s Tours' the taxable part of the N. Y. share. The tax is retroac¬ tive to 1951 and approximates what the American distribs had been paying up to that year. Coin is to be handed to the Italians in six equal installments — payable two months apart—starting in February, 1956. However, the tax bite for 1954 isn’t due to be paid for one year and the 1955 taxes are in doubt. At the moment, a double taxa¬ tion treaty between the U. S. and Italy is in the works and the out¬ look for it is good. If it goes through, it would con lain a mutual exemption clause and that would eliminate any Italian levies on the N. Y. share. Conclusion of the Italo tax talks was negotiated in Rome by an MPEA tax committee consisting of A1 Fisher of Metro and Thomas O’Sullivan of Warner Bros. It fol¬ lows in the wake of a $500,000 tax settlement in France where the American distribs faced a $10,000,- 000 tax rap. The Italian deal is considered very satisfactory by MPEA whose members hadn’t been paying taxes on the N. Y. share since 1951 when Italy passed its Vanoni law which proposed to change the base of the tax structure. Prior to 1951, the companies paid tax on 25% of the gross. Earlier this year, the Italians no¬ tified the American distribs that they proposed to collect back taxes on the basis of a $12,000 exemp¬ tion for each picture. The re¬ mainder was to be considered tax¬ able profit. Later, the Italians proposed a plan under which they would consider 40% of the N. Y. share as taxable profit. This was nixed by MPEA and a compromise was finally reached on 27%. While Republic said it would have to refer the agreement back to its Italo rep, general opinion is that, even if Rep doesn’t go along, the proposed settlement will be¬ come effective. STANDARDIZE! Cry Raised in Italy Re Various Projection Systems Rome, Nov. 1. Italo Gemini, prez of the Inter¬ national Film Exhibitors' Assn., as well as the Italian AGIS org, has called for standardization of the various projection systems. In a letter to Ralph Hetzel, Mo¬ tion Picture Assn, of America exec v. p., Gemini, recently re¬ turned from the U. S. where he attended the Los Angeles TOA conclave, said the rash of new methods had created confusion and hesitancy among European the- atremen and he observed that this to the beginnings of the giant Warner film enter-i.., . ,. . „ ... . .. prises. He recalled that at one point, he and his i g ' prog ' brothers “hocked a horse” to buy projection equip- 1 s 111 ae - ment and recalled how in the early days of the Warner operation erf radio station KFWB he look to the air as a singer under the name of Leon Zouardo. “It didn’t last long,” he said, “and I saved the world from another Lanza.” “We didn’t make much money,” he said of the days before sound came in, “but we had a lot of fun. Then we made ‘Lights of New York,’ the first all-talking picture. And then came the agents.” Others on the dais included. Steve Trilling, LeRoy Prinz, Jack Mulhall, Lee Duncan, chairman Harry Joe Brown, Monte Blue and Leo Carrillo. Duncan brought with him Rin Tin Tin, descendant of the canine that was one of the top WB stars. Program began with the recitation of the Masquers Creed by Dick Elliott. ! Speaking for the international group, Gemini urged agreement on a projection standard as soon as possible and said studies towards that end should start immediately.* Gemini called on the U. S. distribs to provide standard version prints in addition to the anamorphic ones to protect those exhibs who, for various reasons, still rely on the normal screen for their trade. Standardization also was a prime topic at the. first general assembly of the international exhibitors’ union which met in Rome Octo¬ ber 27. • Variety Wednesday, November 2, 1955 What a Glorious Triumph fora Recently, I sat in on the screening of a rough work print of “Good Morning, Miss Dove.” Even in its crude, incomplete form, it reached out to me as few pictures have. In the projection room with me were about a hundred men and women, com¬ prising representatives of the Board of Education, heads of national women's clubs, parent-teacher groups, men of the cloth, civic leaders, Rotarians, Important people all, with widespread influence — molders of public opinion. When the picture ended, there was an outburst of spontaneous applause. These people loved it! They’re ready to call attention to the picture in every community throughout the United States. It impressed me as the ideal picture for Thanksgiving. We couldn't have produced a better picture for the occasion. It's perfect! Wednesday, November 2, 1955 P^RIETY 13 Thanksgiving is a family holiday. It’s a joyous holiday! It is most im¬ portant that you book the right picture for Thanksgiving Week-one that will appeal to every member of the family; in fact, every member of your , community. Good Morning, Miss Dove” depicts life in a typical American com¬ munity, such as yours. It can appropriately be called “a picture of everybody for everybody!” Miss Jennifer Jones is the star. You are familiar with her Academy Award performance in “Bernadette,” and recently in "Love Is a Many- Splendored Thing.” Her deeply moving portrayal in “Good Morning, Miss Dove” is different from either of her two previoqs characterizations. We believe it to be the crowning achievement of her glorious career. Producer Sam Engel, Director Henry Koster and Scenarist Eleanore Griffin have given it an even greater quality than was true of their wonderful production, “A Man Galled Peter.” Release prints of "Good Morning, Miss Dove ” will not be ready until November 14th. For this reason, I ask you to book the picture NOW!'— even before you are able to see it. _ Take my word for it, this' CinemaScope production is one of the finest entertainments our company has ever produced. You will thank me for suggesting “Good Morning, Miss Dove” for Thanksgiving. 14 INTERNATIONAL P'SrIETy 'VANITY'S' LONDON OFFICI • St. Martin'* Pt«c«, Trafalgar Iqu«r» New British Emergency Budget Seen Ultimately Hurting All Show Biz +-:-:- Prod. Hardships Seen Placing Korea’s Pix Industry on High Realism Plane , London, Nov. 1. The emergency budget, intro¬ duced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the House of Com¬ mons last Wednesday <26), in¬ volves an all-round rise in the cost of living and must inevitably hit all sections of show biz. His main objective was to curb excess spend¬ ing in the domestic market and he has applied the brake by upping the rate of sales tax by 20%. The new rate of duties came into force immediately. In contrast to the annual budget presented last April, just a month before the general election, R. A. Butler, the Chancellor, had no concessions to offer the British tax¬ payer. The picture industry had no hopes of securing any relief on admission tax and is saving up its representations until next spring’s budget. The new rate of purchase tax may well price many luxury goods out of the domestic market. The sale of television and radio re- ceivers must inevitably suffer, but most important of all, the new duties may result in a substantial cut in advertising budgets for the new commercial tv network. There would not be much point in buying time at the rate of $2,800 a min¬ ute to advertise goods which the public could no longer afford to buy. While there was no increase in direct taxation, the new measures will affect almost every taxpayer In the country. Telephone serv¬ ices are to cost more, there is a 5% rise on the tax of distributed profits and the withdrawal of Ex¬ chequer subsidies for housing may result in increased rents through¬ out the country. This onslaught on the entire population may well accentuate the current downward trend in boxoffice receipts throughout the United Kingdom. These cuts in the purchasing power will leave a smaller surplus to be spent on entertainment. Unless there are early wage increases to compen¬ sate for the loss of spending power (which in turn would defeat the Chancellor’s objective), cinemas and legitimate tlireatres will be affected inevitably. The music profession, of course, suffered a blow by the increase in purchase tax announced by the Chancellor. Musical instruments, radios, tele sets, radiograms and records will all go up in price. Only pianos are exempt from the increase. Records had a purchase tax of 50% on them, and this has now been increased to 60%. The mu¬ sical instruments trade has been hoping for years to get a reduc¬ tion in purchase tax since they point out that these are not luxury goods as they seem to be rated. The new budget and its increase in tax, hence, has a double blow to the industry. Mexico Hosted 4,000,000 Tourists in Last 10 Yrs.; Only’53 Saw No Climb Mexico City, Oct. 25. Tourism has profited Mexico by $1,000,000,000 during the last 10 years, this representing the spend¬ ing here by 4,000,000 visitors dur-° ing that period. Excepting 1953 (there was a slight drop in tour¬ ism), each year saw more tourist visitors and more money spent. This was announced by Daniel Sanchez, proxy of the -Tourism Board in Acapulco and head of that city’s hotelmen’s group. The report by the Mexican Tourist Assn, showed that foreign visitors spent $32,270,000 during the past August. Tourists numbered 64,- 147 in August. In July, 68,091 tourists left behind $32,900,000, the Association announced. Sanchez asserted that Mexico’s hotels are playing a top role in this land’s tourist trade. However, he averred that only 197o of every tourist dollar went to hotels. The slice of general business is 26%, restaurants, 25%; transportation, Tr%; amusem*nts, 9%. Hotelmen are cordially subscrib¬ ing to the request of Gustavo Ortiz Hernan, chief of the government’s tourist department, that every tourist be made the best advertiser of Mexico and her charms. >io Disney Brit. Pix Takes Over Pearce Prod. Setup London, Nov. 1. Walt Disney British Films is to take . over the production activity of Perce Pearce Productions. Lat¬ ter outfit is a subsidiary of the Disney organization and was orig¬ inally formed to produce certain picture material under the super¬ vision of Perce Pearce, who died last July. Douglas Peirce, who has been associated with Disney in the pro¬ duction of live action features in the United Kingdon for a number of years, will be in full charge of this new production. Theatre National Returns to Paris Paris, Nov. 1. The fifth Parisian season of the much - traveled state - subsidized Theatre National Populairc, under the direction of Jean Vilar, bows here Nov. 3, for a four-month run. Four classics will be added to the repertoire during this stay. The attempts of this troupe to bring great theatre to the masses will be heightened by further innovations allowing for easier attendance by the masses who usually do not have the time or expenses for ex¬ tensive theatregoing. First new entry will be Victor Hugo’s romantic opus, "Marie Tudor,” with Maria Casares play¬ ing the queen. Then comes a?re- prise of Moliere’s "Don Juan,” and a new Moliere revival of "L’Etour- di” (The Madcap), directed by Daniel Sorano. Alain Cuny joins the company to play Shakespeare’s "Macbeth,” which was put on last season with Vilar in the role. In December, another new addi¬ tion appears with the late Paul Claudel’s "La Ville” (The City), with Cuny, Vilar and Miss Casarep, and then the first Marivaux play to be done by TNP with "Le Tri- omphe De L’Amour” (The Triumph of Love). Another Moliere will round out the sked with "Les Fem¬ mes Savantes” (The Wise Women), to be directed by Jean-Paul Mou- linot. 'WAR AND PEACE' TEMPEST Settle Row Over Use of Italo Army Units in Pic Rome, Oct. 25. Use of Italian Army units for the Borodino Battle scenes in the Ponti-DeLaurentiis production of "War and' Peace,” which Para¬ mount will release, has precipitat¬ ed a two-pronged controversy here, now settled to general satisfaction. Protests against the use of local troops—all volunteers—for the combat sequences which are cur¬ rently being shot on location out¬ side of Rome have come both from the Italian Parliament and from the Italian film workers unions. Latter group claimed the use of troops instead of unionized extras unjustly deprived these industry workers of their livelihood and was against agreements set up in intra¬ industry relations by the three unions (FILS, FULS, and FIALS) in question. At a subsequent meet-1 ing called by ANICA, the Italo Producers Assn., and attended by reps of the contesting groups, as W'ell as by Dino LeLaurentiis, for the producers, the situation w-as discussed and finally settled. The unions recognized the necessity of using trained troops for certain sequences of large scope, it was agreed as well that a certain num¬ ber of film extras would be used in addition to the troops, thus ful¬ filling union agreements. Protest in the Italian House arose from a group of representatives who asked that in the future per¬ mission for such use of troops "the use of which as film extras is not contemplated under current mili¬ tary procedure” be denied by the compenent ministry. Following as¬ surances that the permission would not be granted in the future, the incident was considered closed. j ‘Ml *.1 i A"* u - * >-i‘* Cugat, Lane Sign For Italian C’Scope Film Rome, Oct. 25. , Both Xavier Cugat and Abb'e ! Lane have been signed to do an Italian film by Roberto Amoroso. Pact was set during their recent local stay. Pic likely will be titled, "Donatella,” and will be shot in CinemaScope with Piero Tellini directing. Other leads announced for the item are Elsa Martinelli, Louis Jourdan, Walter Chiari and Aldo Fabrizi. Cugat is set to play an orchestra director in the picture while Miss Lane is slated for a lead. British Unions Still Trying to Halt Ealing Studios Sale to BBC Lqndon, Nov. 1. British film unions have refused to accept the governments ruling that there is nothing to /be done to stop the sale of Ealing Studios to BBC-TV. The Boai;d of Trade, in reply to a protest telegram from the Assn, of Cine Technicians, has intimated that it regards this a private matter between the two parties concerned. All the unions in the industry have joined in a new protest, in¬ sisting that the BOT prexy, Peter Thorneycroft, received a united deputation. They w an l to urge the minister to make immediate repre¬ sentations to both parties, asking them voluntarily to tear up the contracts of sale. Unofficially, the unions have had intimation from the BBC that while it is happy with the deal, it would seriously consider any pressure exerted by the government department to stop the actual takeover. According to present arrange¬ ments, the BBC is due to take possession of Ealing Studios early next year. Contents and equipment are being put up for auction in January. Although losing this lot, Ealing has stated.publicly that it will con¬ tinue as a production outfit and will use outside studios. However, operations likely would be on a restricted scale and annual output may be substantially below present schedule o/ around seven per year. U.S. PIX STILL BIG AT BERLIN PREEM SPOTS Berlin, Oct. 25. The second half of October sees Hollywood features still playing the dominating role in West Ber¬ lin’s preem house area. Current breakdown reveals that seven out of 14 top cinemas are ‘ showing films of American origin as against four domestic pix, two from the United Kingdom and one from Italy. Besides "Gone With Wind” (M-G), which is due to complete a two-year run at the Kurbel Dec. 4, there is still another American pic which has been causing quite a stir. It is "The* Seven Year Itch” (20th), now past its sixth week at Filmbuehne Wien and probably to remain there for some weeks. George Axelrod’s same- titled stage comedy, incidentally, is currently a success at the Renais¬ sance Theatre. Of the new American crop, neither "Violent Saturday” (20th), simultaneously preemed at Delphi and Titania Palast, nor "Chicago Syndicate” (Col) and "New York Confidential” (WB) received spe¬ cial press appraisal. .However, all three are obviously going extreme¬ ly well with the local juve and ac¬ tion trade. The British film, "Sum¬ mer Madness” (London/Lopert), drew particular praise because of the outstanding performances turned in by Katharine Hepburn and Isa Miranda. Of the new Teutonic films, pub¬ lic and crix obviously went for "Operation Sleeping-Bag” (Real/- Rank). It’s another farce center¬ ing around German soldiers of the last World War. Several weeks back, "Heroism After Shutting Up Shop,” a similar German pix, emerged also as a strong grosser. Another big German success is still "Hanussen” released by Deutsche London, which is in its sixth week at the Marmorhaus. O. W. Fischer, Germany’s most popular male filmstar at present, is luring the masses to this one. Several new entries soon will be "Strategic Air Command” (Par), day-date at Delphi and Titania Pal¬ ast, "Mambo” (Par) and "Des- try” (U). First German C’Scoper Dies on 2 Preem Dates Cologne, Nov. 1. The big race among the German producers to come out with the first all-German CinemaScope film was won by Gloria Films, with "Crash Around Jolanthe,” remake of an old classic. The film itself turned out to be not worth all the terrific race. It ran for two performances in Mu¬ nich and one in Cologne, and was yanked at both theatres. The pro¬ ducers, unhappy over the diolog, said the entire ijlm would be re¬ dubbed before any more showings. Aussie Ozoners Stir Politico Row Sydney, Oct. 25. Granting of six licenses for drive-ins in New South Wales to the Hoyts-Greater Union Theatres’ operating setup (the number ap¬ plied for) lias created a storm in political circles here. Independents seeking art ozoner grcenlight are asking why they' got no okay from the Films Commission, headed by William Harrop. long union secre¬ tary prior to his appointment to the Commission, and F. R. Lake, executive member. Politicians of the Opposition Liberal Party are now seeking a statement from the Labor Party in Parliament why the combine, back¬ ed by U.S. and British finance, was given a clean slate on its six appli¬ cations. A1 Rosen, an American longtime in this territory, in asso¬ ciation with Sir William McKell, a former Governor-General of Aus¬ tralia, applied for five licenses, four of which were refused and one granted. Rosen said he was puzzled to know why the combine bought sites in the same areas as he had and got the okay while he had been refused permission. Rosen added that he had bought his sites before the GU-Hoyts set¬ up moved into the same territory. "Just because I’m an American shouldn’t make any difference. Hoyts is owned by 20th-Fox and Greater Union Theatres has a 50% tieup with’ J. Arthur Rank,” Rosen said. Understood that the Indepen¬ dents refused a drive-in license will affpeal to the Supreme Court here against the decision of the Films Comn.’ssioh. It looks rather certain that it will be several months before finality is reached covering the appeals. New South Wales, the major Aussie state, is the only one where drive-ins are not operating so far. New Indie Prod. Group In Mex Sets Big Sked Mexico City, Oct. 25. Unipromex, new independent production group, swings into real action this month now that its first film, "Morir de Pie” (Dead on His Feet), has been completed. Next on schedule is "Las Influences de Mi Mujer”'.(My Wife’s Influences) which went before the cameras last week and "Sublime Melody” scheduled to go this week or next. "Nos Veamos en El Cielo” (We’ll See You in Heaven) will start shooting on Nov. 7 followed by "Apartamiento Vacio” (Empty Apartment) with Dolores Del Rio starring. Listed for future production are "En El Mar” (In the Sea) from the novel by Vincente Blasco Ibanez and Pedro Armendariz starring in "El Gesticulador” (The Gcsticula- tor). Also listed is a coproduction deal with the government of the Dominican Republic for "Masca- rada” (Masquerade). Biggest pro¬ duction will be done early in 1956 when Ollao Rubia Jr., in conjunc¬ tion with Robert Lippert Jr. will do a remake on "Four Horsem*n of the Apocalypse.” "Unipromex” (Union of Mexican Producers) is composed of 10 inde¬ pendent producers, with Francisco de P. Cabrera, dean of the Mexi¬ can film industry, heading the com¬ bine. Seoul, Oct. 25. Production hardships, including lack of equipment, studios and sets plus high costs, may bring fii m from the infant Korean picture industry which may equal or sur¬ pass the famed realism achieved by the Italian film makers during the early postwar years. At least this is the opinion of one Ameri¬ can film expert here, Ted Conant, film and radio production chief of the United Nations Korean Re¬ habilitation Agency. Conant, son of James Conant, U,S. ambassador to West Germany, says the latest Korean films are technically and. artistically equal to those produced in any other Asian country with the exception ot Japan. Given the right equip¬ ment, the Korean industry can go places, Conant says. Currently before the cameras is the Korean industry’s first "colos¬ sal,” a story about the persecution of early Korean Christians entitled "The Eternal Love.” It is budget¬ ed at $50,000, more than any other film ever made here. The cost of most pix is under $30,000. Use Old Warehouse Interior shots are being filmed in a battered warehouse in this capital city, while the arfient temples aind shrines and the Ko¬ rean hills form most of the back¬ drops for the Dukleep Productions film. "Love” will have the largest cast ever assembled for a Korean film with one scene using more than 1,000 extras. ■ There is no film processing lab¬ oratory here, all. of the raw stock being sent to laboratories in Japan for processing. There are only a few ancient and dilapidated cam¬ eras available. Production is fre¬ quently delayed as long as' a year while the companies, organized for one picture at a time, drop work to dig up loans to continue. Directors frequently make less than $1,000 a picture and stars are lucky if they collect $700 per film. Most of them supplement their in¬ come with radio and stage work. About 10 directors,. 50 actors and 30 actresses make up the fledgling industry, banding together for a picture at a time made on rented equipment from a government sub¬ sidized company. The government turned over to the company about $100,000 worth of cameras, lights and other equip¬ ment in 1953 to serve as a pool for the industry. There is one small recording studio available to all. Prints a Real Problem While the industry is able to supply the 50 odd theatres in South Korea with the three prints per picture required for servicing the houses, it faces a real problem in exporting to other Asian coun¬ tries because prints cost about $800 each, plus the cost of sub¬ titling. One bright spot in the future is possibility of a $1,000,000-studio being built here wtih U.S. aid funds. Also under consideration by UNKRA is a purchase of new sound equipment for the record¬ ing studio. Korean producers hope their films will be accepted in other countries of Asia as heartily as they have been here. A recent lo¬ cal b.o. smash is "Pee-ah-Col,” a guerrilla picture which includes 10 murders and four rapes in its 80 minutes. The censor cuts all scenes of passion or sexual activity from the 100 or so foreign films imported into Korea. But Korean directors manage to get sex into their pix with a subtlety that Would make other foreign film makers blush. In last year’s b.o. success, "Dream,” a story of a monk’s love for a princess, the couple are shown meeting in the woods beside a stream. The camera pans from the couple to the stream upon which the princess’ undergarments are seen floating. Switch ‘Little Women’ Into Scot Musical Edinburgh, Nov. 1. "A Girl Called Jo,” musical based on Louisa M. Alcott’s novel, "Little Women,” will be produced at the Lyceum Theatre here for the Christmas and New Year holi¬ day season. Joan Heal, English revue actress, recently in "Intimacy at 8:30” at the Criterion Theatre, London, will be featured. 'VAWiTV'*' LONDON. OPFICI • *t. Martini PUf/ Trafalgar Squara IS&riety INTERNATIONAL 15 Currency Devaluation in Colombia, Argentina Causes Yankee Anxiety Bogota, Nov, 1. ** New government decree places motion picture rentals in difficult nosition By requiring purchase of dollars at free market rate (cur¬ rently 4.20 pesos to the dollar) in¬ stead of ?t official rate (2.50 pesos to the dollar) as before. This measure means cutting, value of dollar remittances from this territory almost in half. Local film board (MPEA) is .reacting strongly and lodging, protests with ail government agencies concerned. New York Reaction Continuing devaluation in Latin America is worrying the U.S. dis¬ tributors. Latest countries to de¬ value their currency are Argen¬ tina and Colombia, both important markets. At the same time, the companies are beginning to be concerned over a new pact with the provisional Argentine government which would regulate film trade with that country. Robert Corkery, head of the Motion Picture, Export Assn.’s Latin-American division, is expected to initiate such talks later this year, Argentina last week devalued Its peso from 14 to 18 to the dollar. However,- the, American companies weren’t too hard hit since, unlike some , other industries, they-ve been able to remit good chunks of coin (about $4,000,000) over the past two years. About $1,000,- 000 came out at the official rate of exchange and the rest via a compensation deal. There is money left in Argen¬ tina. pre-dating the 1950 U.S.-Ar¬ gentine film agreement . under which $1,100,000 was supnosed to be remittable. annually. The new Argentine government is Under¬ stood to be planning liberalization of trade following an economic sur¬ vey. As of last week, profits made by American corporations in Ar¬ gentina were supposed to be free¬ ly remittable. Furthermore, the goyernment Intends to set up quotas to pay off its dollar debts. In Colombia, the currency has been devalued by about 40%. In the instance of the film companies, this was done by simply shifting remittances from the official rate to the free market rate. Where the distribs in the past could remit at 2.50 pesos to the dollar, they'll now have to figure on between 3.80 and 4.10 pesos to the dollar. MEPA has lodged loud protests with the government. French Film Week In Moscow Brings Praise For France's Pix Work Paris, Oct. 25. The French Film Week in Mos¬ cow ends tomorrow (Wed.) in what Sees More German Pix, Stars for U. S. Market Frankfurt, Oct. 25, Hollywood agent Paul Kohner, who was here recently, has sparked the interest of the German film, industry in bringing its pix and stars for major release in the U. S. Stressing that German films and stars deserve a better break than given them via, arty theatres or German-language houses in Ameri¬ ca, Kohner won many friends in the German industry. With Universal’s signing of O. W. Fischer for a film following their recent pact with German actress Cornell Borchers, with the news that WB will release the German NDF pic, “Solange Du da bist,” (So Long as You Are There), and that UI will distribute “Bildniss einer Unbekannten” (Picture of an Unknown), the Schorcht film,' in the U. S., the trend seems to favor the U. S. accepting more German proper¬ ties. Mex Film Gross $23,000,000 in’54 Mexico City, Oct. 25. The National Financiersa, the government’s fiscal agency, which has not directly interested itself in the pic trade*, speaking from a coin standpoint, for some time, has just released an annual sur¬ vey of the industry as viewed en¬ tirely from an exhibitor’s view¬ point. Financiera’s figures cover 1954. They show that Mexico had 2,453 cinemas of which 135 located in this metropolis, operating as of last Dec. 31 and that the grand gross for the year was 259,400,000 pesos. It is necessary to report the take in pesos, because in April last year the. peso was devaluated to 8c from the 11.6c price held during the previous six years. Therefore, the 1954 gross was around $23,000,000. This city alone accounted for half that total. Pix exhibited in Mexico last year totaled 385 but only 85 were Mexican. Financiera reported Holly¬ wood getting less from’ Mexico last year or only 51.7% of total gross against 61.2% in 1953. European pix took 10% less from Mexico last year than in 1953. Financiera echoed the old com¬ plaint that not enough Mexican pix were released last year be¬ cause so many were kept on the shelves. Also that the Yanks prac¬ tically control several top local cinemas. papers here have termed to be a triumph. Reports coming in have placed the Russo welcome to a point of delirium. Tabs were sold in the streets, for the three theatres which housed the films, at exorbi¬ tant black market prices, and at¬ tending actors were mobbed by f Opening film was Rene Clair’s “Les Grandes Maneouvres” (with subtitles), which was cheered by the Russians and even liked by the crix. Other films were shown in the Russian dubbed version and have all already been bought for dis¬ tribution. This is the biggest batch of Occidental films to be taken by Russia since the warming bp of the Cold War. Among them are ‘Wages of Fear,” “Therese Raquin,” “Les Evadees” (The Fugi¬ tives) “Julietta” and “Black and the Red.” Gerard Philipe was the most popular actor and at one point spectators broke a balcony a theatre trying to get auto¬ graphs. Russo dignitaries made speeches ^ulogizmg the French cinema and Grigory Alexandroff, Russo direc- and assistant to Eisenstein, tt c- " a< * s P en * some time in the u. S., declared the French film was °ne of the most talented and pro¬ gressive in the world today. . A Russian Film Week will be neid here, to reciprocate, in De- cember. Most of the films to be PiH. U n ,f lread y have been seen at uiier the Cannes or Venice Fests. FURTHER DECLINE IN BRITISH PIX RENTALS London, Nov. 1. A further fall in British film rentals is shown in the latest Eady returns for the eight weeks ended last Sept. 24, showing a decline of $627,000. A release from the Brit¬ ish Film Production Fund, the authority responsible for adminis¬ tration of the Eady levy, revealed that rentals submitted for the four weeks ended Sept. 24 were around $1,688,000 for features and over $180,000 for shorts. Cumulative total of all rentals for the eight weeks period was $2,- 839,000 against $3,466,000 in 1954. Levy collections in the same pe¬ riod were in excess of $1,155,000, an improvement of almost $98,000 for the comparable period in the previous year, when a lower rate was in operation. Ready Novel Mex Nitery Mexico City, Oct. 25. Novel nitery is being readied for here by Tin-Tan (Jorge Vel- dez), vet slapstick stage-film com¬ ic. Offbeat idea is an “interplane¬ tary” spot, with waiters and others help garbed as Martians. Comic is reported to have spent $5,000 for costumes alone. Spot is skedded to open just be¬ fore Yuletide. Tin-Tan is skedded to feature the floorshow until the place gets going. Yates on European Trek London, Nov. 1. Herbert J. Yates is due here Nov. 2, his week’s stay coinciding with the-fifth anni of the setting up of Republic’s own distribution organization in Britain. He will subquently go on to Germany, Lis¬ bon and Italy, accompanied by his wife, Vera Ralston, One of the main objects of Yates’ visit to London will be to confer with John Davis, prior to the latter’s departure for Washing¬ ton. Some of the Rank product is being released in the U. S. through Republic. In Portugal, Yates will huddle with Ray Mil- land on the script of his upcoming production for Rep release. New Formula On Eady Plan May Hit U.S. Filins I By HAROLD MYERS London, Nov. 1. A new formula for the division of the money paid into the Eady Fund is being actively canvassed by British film-makers during the present all-industry talks for a concerted campaign on admission t&x relief. One of the key sugges¬ tions now being tossed around is that productions financed and made by American companies should be excluded from any Eady revenue. Because of the Importance of the talks, the British Film Producers Assn, is devoting all day tomorrow (Wed.) for a special council meet¬ ing at which it will frame the pol¬ icy which will be the basis of fu¬ ture negotiations with other trade organizations inside the All-Indus¬ try‘Tax Committee. British film producers are still smarting at the way their requests for a minimum Eady yield of $8,- 400,000 annually has been side¬ stepped, notably by some exhibit¬ ing interests. Despite the modest relief accorded to the industry in last year’s budget, they are still a long way from their target; the current year’s return may well be off around $1,000,000. As a safeguard, the BFPA may insist on a minimum yield of $8,- 400,000 to the Eady pool as a con¬ dition for support for any united industry agitation. Some inde¬ pendents now feel that if there is any resistance within the trade it¬ self, the producers should seek statutory legislation guaranteeing them that amount. But quite apart from insuring an adequate flow of coin into the fund, many British producers feel that too large a proportion is not being ploughed back into British production. They feel this, par¬ ticularly, in the case of American sponsored or American financed production. If some of the indies have their way, the BFPA will ask for a graded scale of Eady distribu¬ tion, with the greatest slice being allocated to the wholly-owned Brit¬ ish units whose Eady income is re¬ invested in future production. Rodriguez to Expand Mex Distrib Setup Mexico City, Oct. 25. Decision to invest more than $4,000,000 in more theatres, film production and distribution gen¬ erally has been announced by Gen¬ eral Abelardo Rodriguez and his associates, Theodore G i 1 d r e d, Miguel Bujazan and Guillermo Santos Martinez. New plan calls for enlarging distribution facilities by Distribudora Mexicana de Peli- culas, sales outlet owned by the group and a big hike in the pro¬ duction lineup of Producciories Tepeyac and Dyana Films, produc¬ ing outfits of the setup. Construction of new cinemas is already in the works with 15 thea¬ tres planned for the coming year. Five are already in the final stages of completion in Guadalajara, Du¬ rango, Monterrey, Jalapa and Tam¬ pico. Cine Alcazar managed by the group in the last-named town, was badly smashed by Hurricane Hilda and will be rebuilt. Now under construction, the Plaza was inun¬ dated. Censorship at Large: Mexico City Bans ‘Cat,’ Church Raps ‘Sympathy’ Piccadilly Cabaret In London to Get Facelift London, Oct. 25. The Pigalle Piccadilly, recently taken over by A1 Burnett, is to un¬ dergo a structural transformation as well as a change of name. It is to shutter for a few days next month and will reopen early in December when the cabaret will be staged on an electrically rising floor. Among innovations to be introduced will be a bar of music behind the stage, which will be open for continuous entertainment between 6 p.m. and midnight. As part of the policy, the new management is aiming at top im¬ portations for its cabaret. A1 Bur¬ nett has just returned from a quick¬ ie to New York, and he was foU lowed by Bernard Delfont, who has begun negotiations for a major Broadway name to head the re¬ opening show. Would Halt Sale Of Ealing to TV London, Oct. 25. The Board of Trade has been urged to stop the sale of Ealing Studios to BBC-TV. Within a few hours of the announcement last Wednesday (19) that a. deal had been concluded, the executive com¬ mittee of the Assn, of Cine Tech¬ nicians was in session and sent protest telegrams to the BOT; Sir Michael Balcon and Regi¬ nald P. Baker, the Ealing Stu¬ dio toppers; and Sir Ian Jacob, di¬ rector general of BBC. In its telegram to the BOT, the union appealed for official govern¬ ment intervention to persuade both Ealing Studios and the BBC to re¬ lease each other from their con¬ tracts, This pointed out that if the deal went through, only three ma¬ jor British-controlled studios would remain and insisted that the gov¬ ernment must act to save British film production. The telegram to the BBC also contained ah appeal to release Ealing from the contract. While welcoming the development of British tv, it urged that it should not be at the expense of British films. Also requested the BBC to make alternative plans so that; tv and films could develop together instead of one at the expense of the other. M0NTALBANSETF0R MEX C’SCOPE TINTER Mexico City, Oct. 25. •Ricardo Montalban is scheduled to return here in December to play opposite Lola Flores, topdrawer Spanish actress-hoofer in a C’Scope tinter to cost more than $160,000. Called “The Golden Dream of a Gypsy,” it will be made by Pro- ducciones Zacarias. Miss Flores, who has just finished a film here, was sock on a long playdate at the swanky nitery Versailles here. Miss Flores leaves Nov. 4 for a stage tour of Central and South America. She is due back here around Dec. 25. Scale Cutting of Yank TV Producer Protested London, Nov. 1. A work permit for an American tv producer, who was being offered only half the British union rate and less than half of the Ameri¬ can scale, has been opposed by the Assn, of Cine Technicians. It told the Ministry of Labor that the same policy should apply for tele as operates In films, namely that applicants must receive at least the standard rate of payment. The producer concerned is F. R. Selch and application on his be¬ half was made by the J. Walter Thompson agency. According to the latest survey by ACT, there are currently 12 key American technicians working in British stu¬ dios and all but one have received the union's blessings. i Mexico City, Nov. 1. Intensified censorship campaign by local authorities is now affect¬ ing importations of translated stage plays. Latest tabu prevents local performance of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” anywhere in Mexico City. Ruling asserts that the cur¬ rent Broadway drama “attempts to utilize an unhealthy theme for commercial purposes.” Plans by actor-producer Angel Merino to open his new Teatre Moderno with the Tennessee Wil¬ liams drama have been stymied and a delayed start, offering an¬ other play, will be set for Janu¬ ary. “Cat” was already in rehear¬ sal when the ban was announced. The censorship of the Williams work follows directly on the clos¬ ing of the Sala Chopin, the experi¬ mental playhouse where Carmen lVIontejo was forced to shutter her “Conflicto Entre Mujeres” (“Con¬ flict Between Women”) on similar grounds. The latter show dealt with off-beat sex themes. According to Authorities, such works “are becoming too popular among local experimental theatre groups and are perverting public tastes instead of elevating ‘them.” Substitution of another play by the Montejo company was also banned, as .the theatre sought to continue use of the original title for the replacement show. Catholics Hit 'Sympathy' ' Burlington, Vt. ,Nov. 1. A scheduled local presentation of “Tea and Sympathy” under the sponsorship of Vermont U., has been sharply criticized by Our Sunday Visitor, official Catholic Diocese publication. The perform¬ ance is part of the George Bishop Lane Series, a student project un¬ der the direction of a faculty member. The sectarian paper, charging that the Robert Anderson drama “runs the gamut from hom*osexual¬ ity to adultery,” continued, "The theme, no matter how cleverly clothed in language, is scarcely cultural or entertainment fare. It seems likewise a poor vehicle for consumption by college students whose discernment may not be as mature as frequently attributed to them.” Mex Femme Playwright Wins Right to Present New Play; First Banned Mexico City, Oct. 25. Carmen Montejo, a top actress who is also a playwright, won half a victory over the city amusem*nts supervision department. Chief of the department Adolfo Fernandez Bustamante forbade Miss Mon- tejo’s play, “Conflict Among Women.” at the Sola Chopin, intimate theatre here, on the ground that the production was “utterly immoral.” Bustamante announced that his decision is definite and final. It is reported that official objection to “Women” is that it is more than a little inclined to portraying lesbianism. Miss Montejo staunch¬ ly avers that there is nothing what¬ soever immoral about “Women.” Theatre crix state the play leaves it up to the audience to decide just what it’s all about. Bustamante allowed Miss Mon¬ tejo to present another play, with a similar title, “Caluminated Wom¬ en,” but the plot is not classified as immoral. Sala Chopin will re¬ open with “Women.” Miss Monte¬ jo hopes to retrieve with this sec¬ ond venture the $2,400 she lost on the other. It appears that the pub¬ licity on the banned “Conflict” may help boost biz for the sanctioned “Women,” Colonna on Brit. Tour London, Oct. 25. Jerry Colonna has been booked for a four-week vaude tour on the Moss Empires circuit. He opens in Liverpool and subsequent dates include Finsbury Park, Glasgow and Birmingham. The deal, negotiated through the London office of MCA, may also include a starring date on the “Sunday Night At Palladium” tv program. 'PfililETY Wednesday, November 2, 1955 IB PICTURES Wednesday, November 2, 1955 Film Reviews ; Continued from page f ; Adventure in Warsaw capital city has risen from the ashes of the second World War, also marks a big rise in the Polish film production effort. It is prob¬ ably the best feature from that country since before the war. It is ready-made for any theatre which the underworld; it is all or nothing so far as she’s concerned. As the story unfolds, he. lacks the stamina which her campaign demands for the top role and, finally, it is noth¬ ing for either of them. The lead role makes substantial demands on Douglas but he can attract Polish patronage and J emerges with honorable distinc- is potentially a grosser for U.S. tor ’” f,nT ’ ' ,hantroc foreign-language houses. This has pace, a well-conceived tion. His characterization changes naturally from the confident henchman to the domineering and . . .. , . .frightened bully. Miss Roman has script, excellent casting and in- the B look s ahd talent to give a gen- telligent, deft directing. Even when depicting the agonies of ‘ a regimented visitors’ tour of War¬ saw, this moves swiftly, always striving (and usually attaining) for the lighter touch. When the Soviet "work competition drive” is dragged into the plot, it is not with the usual propaganda hammering. Rather, it is kicked around and often kidded for laughs. Starting out with the usual "boy meets girl” plot formula, this com¬ edy soon develops into a "man ver¬ sus woman” on . the labor front story. It pits a dogmatic foreman against a. femme unit working on a city building project—with the women eventually winning out. Lidia Korsak is the girl of "War¬ saw” who masterminds the femme triumph in building while her sweetheart, Tadeusz Schmidt, the unwilling competitor working under the woman-hating foreman, Adam Mikolajewski. Tadeusz Kon- drat gets‘top billing as the blun- . dering plumber, who is Mikolajew- • ski’s buddy. But there are some 12 to 15'other types who go far in putting over an obviously not high- • ly original story. Miss Korsak, while not a raving beauty, goes far in making this yarn jell. She is ably assisted by Schmidt, a husky individual, who caught her eye because he has a rep as a champ bricklayer and skilled worker.. Mikolajewski is excellent as an obstinate, femme- hating foreman who thinks a wom¬ an’s place is in the 'home. Kendrat suffices in his droll comic way. The music is tuneful with sev¬ eral unbilled songs and a single solo dance enlivening proceedings. Leonard Buczkowskl’s direction is about the best thing to come from behind the Iron Curtain in many months. Lensing by Seweryn Krus- zynski and Franciszek f*cks is top¬ flight. This is done in Polcolor, the tinting process whipped up in Poland. It shapes as an improve¬ ment over Sovcolor and ranks alongside of Eastmancolor in many respects. Wear. uine veneer to her performance as his wife. Bonar Colleano, an over- sentimentalized character, is one of the mob who eventually brings about Macbeth’s downfall after his father (Sidney James) and his wife (Kay Callard), have been eliminated by the gangster. Harry Green stands out as a rival gang leader, who is poisoned out of existence, and Minerva Pious gives a colorful interpreta¬ tion of a flower seller who dabbles in fortune telling. Waltear Cris- ham, as a butler, and Robert Ar¬ den, Bill Nagy and Nicholas Stu¬ art are,among the tough looking gangsters in prominent support. Most technical credits are above average standards. Myro. Chiens Perdiis Sans Colliers (Lost Dogs Without Collars) (FRENCH) Venice, Oct. 4. Cocinor release of Franco London Filin production. Stars Jean Gabin. Directed by Jean Delannoy. Screenplay, Francois Boyer, Pierre Bost, Jean Aurenche, from novel by Gilbert Cesbron; camera, Pierre Montazcl; editor, Borys Lewin; music, Paul Misraki. At Venice Film Festival. Running time, 90 MINS. . Lamy . Jean Gabin Sylvette ... Anne Doat Francis . Serge Lecointe Gerard . Jacques Mouliere Alain Robert .. Jimmy Urbain Mother .. Dora Doll Grandmother .Renee S. Passeur Joe Macbeth Modern gangster story loose¬ ly based on "Macbeth.” Tough entertainment, with adequate marquee appeal and distinct b.o. prospects. London, Oct. 19. Columbia (Mike Frankovich) production and release. Stars Paul Douglas, Ruth Roman; features Bonar Colleano, Gregoire Aslan, Sidney James. Directed by Ken Hughes. Screenplay, Philip Yordan; cam¬ era, Basil Emmott; editor, Peter Rolfe Johnson; music, Richard Taylor.. At Leicester Square Theatre, London, Oct. 18, '55. Running time, 90 MINS. Joe Macbeth . Paul Douglas Lily . Ruth Roman Lennie . Bonar Colleano Duce . Gregoire Aslan Banky . Sidney James Duffy .Nicholas Stuart Ross . Robert Arden Rosie . Minerva. Pious Dutch . Harry Green Marty .. Bill Nagy Ruth . Kay Callard Angus . Walter Crisham Benny . Mark Baker 1st Assassin .. Alfred Mulock 2nd Assassin . George Margo Juvenile delinquency is the theme of this rather conventional film. All pivots around a humahe chil¬ dren’s judge whose homespun feelings and interest in the chil¬ dren help some in this, but lead to tragedy in other cases. Film is soberly recounted, but never really ignites much drama in this story of three delinquents and how they grew up. It is primarily for special slotting in the U.S. Much in the public eye now, the theme may be a good exploitation peg. Judge, played by Jean Gabin, feels that the main problems are the adults plus the need of chil¬ dren to love as well as be loved. There is the hardboiled, wiseguyish youth from a bad home, an unloved youth who burns down a farm be¬ cause mistreated, and the son of lady of easy virtue. Tragedy ensues with the toughguy who escapes to see his girl, who is preg¬ nant. ^ Gabin plays his judge too "off the cuff,” and seems bored with the role rather than a tender man who is interested more in children than adults. Moppets are some¬ what self-conscious. Director Jean Delannoy has given this a slick mounting but rarely the fervor and feeling it needs. Lensing is properly stark and editing is fine. Mosk. of the characteristic charm of pro¬ ductions like "Passport to Pimlico’ and "Tight Little Island,” this is downright comedy with a lashing of sentiment and occasionally bor¬ dering on farce. It is a well-knit yarn, with bright dialog passages, good all round performances and a reasonable quota of laugh situa¬ tions. , In this domestic comedy, Haw¬ kins is cast as a furniture designer who quits his job as a protest against his firm’s old-fashioned ideas and decides to emigrate with his family to Australia, Two. days, before their departure, his daugh¬ ter (charmingly played by June Thorburn), falls in love with a young engineering student, and the wife (Margaret Johnston), has seri¬ ous misgivings. Almost the entire incident is devoted to their last 48 hours. Michael Truman has handled his first directorial assignment with confidence. He ke f eps the action moving and maintains a vigorous pace. Hawkins gives a thoroughly pleasing performance in the main role and his parental handling of his daughter’s romantic complica¬ tions is one of the acting high¬ lights. Miss Johnston is admirably cast as his wife while John Fraser gives a satisfying study as the shy youth who falls in love with Miss Thorburn. Roland Culver, one of Britain’s most reliable performers, justifies his rating with a smooth and suave performance. Subsidiary parts are expertly played by a handpicked team. Myro. II Birfone (The Swindler) (FRANCO-ITALIAN) Rome, Oct. 18. Titnnus production and release. Stars Broderick Crawford, Guilietta Masina, Richard Basehart, Franco Fabrizi; features Irene Cefaro. Sue Ellen Blake, Xenia Valdieri, Lorella DeLuca, Giocomo Gabri- elli, Mario Passante, Lucletta Muratori. Directed by Federico Fellini. Screenplay, Fellini, Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli; ■ from story by Fellini and Flaiano; camera, Otello Martielli. At Barberini, Rome. Run¬ ning time, 100 MII^S. Augusto ...Broderick Crawford Picasso ...'..Richard Basehart Roberto . Franco Fabrizi Guilietta ..Guilietta..Masiha Hollywood Production Pulse ALLIED ARTISTS Starts, This Year . ....25 This Date, Last Year .23 Touch and Go (BRITISH-COLOR) Brightly scripted domestic comedy with Jack Hawkins starring in light role; average prospects in home market but limited hopes in U.S. a) m "Joe Macbeth” is far removed from the famous Shakespearean character, but there is an analogy between this modem gangster story and the bard’s classic play The purists may be taken aback by the approach in Mike Franko- vich’s production, but, as sheer drama, it has the elementary box- office requirements. Paul Douglas and Ruth Roman provide the front-of-house appeal. Having stuck his neck out thus far in attempting to modernize "Macbeth,” Frankovich has gone most of the way in his treatment. There are obvious flaws in the story line, which oddly enough, appear comparitively unimportant; j;he emphasis all the way along the ■ine is on tough unrelenting melo¬ drama, using the struggle for power as the main theme. Although made in Britain, the film has an American setting. It is expensively mounted, expertly staged and directed with a keen sense of tension. The plot is basi¬ cally a' battle for supremacy, waged by Paul Douglas, in the title'role, and egged on by his de¬ termined bride, Ruth Roman, She’s not content for him to be just No. 1 man to the king-pin of London, Oct. 4. J. Arthur Rank release of Michael Bal- con-Ealing production. Stars Jack Haw¬ kins, Margaret Johnston, Roland Culver. Directed by Michael Truman. Screenplay, William Rose; camera (Technicolor), Douglas Slocombe; editor, Peter Tanner; music, John Addison; "The Very Thought of You," Ray Noble. At Odeon, Marble Arch, London, Oct. 3, '55. Running time, 85 MINS. Fletcher . Jack Hawkins Helen . Margaret Johnston Peggy . June Thorburn Richard . John Fraser Fairbright . Roland Culver Alice Fairbright.Alison Leggatt Mrs. Pritchett ....... Margaret Halstan Mr. Pritchett . Henry Longhurst Kimball . James Hayter Stevens . Basil Dignam Mrs. Baxter .. Bessie Love Waitress . Gabrielle Brune Policeman . Warwick Ashton "THE FRIENDLY" PERSUASION" Prod.-Dir.—William Wyler Gary Cooper, Dorothy McGuire, Mar- . ,jorie Main, Anthony Perkins, Robert Middleton, Phyllis Love, Mark Rich- man, Richard Eyer, Joel Fluellen, Edna Skinner, Dorothy. Ford, John Hoyt, John Pickard, Henry Rowland, John Smith, Walter Catlett (Started. Sept. 7) "THE FOUR SEASONS" (LaSalle Productions i (Shooting at ‘Republic) Prod.-Dir.—Josef Shaftel. David Wayne, Keenan, Wynn, Jim Back¬ us, James Barton, Marcia Henderson, Myrna Dell, Denver Pyle (Started Oct, 1) "THE COME-ON" Prod.—Lindsley Parsons Dir.—Russell Birdwell, Anne Baxter, Sterling Hayden, Jphn Hoyt, Paul Picerni, Alex Gerry, Steve Dawner, Walter Cassell, Gloria Saun¬ ders (Started Oct. 10) "THE FIRST TEXAN". Prod.—Walter Mirisch Dir.—Byron Haskin Joel McCrea, Felicia Farr, Jeff Morrow, Wallace Ford, Abraham Sofaer, Ru- dolfo Hoyas, Carl Bentonr'Reid, Da¬ vid Silva, William Hopper, Chubby Johnson, Salvadore Baquez (Started Oct. 14) COLUMBIA Starts, This Year.........35 This Date, Last Year .27 Controversial pic has been con¬ siderably trimmed since its recent Venice Film Festival showing. It now runs smoother while packing a bigger punch. Strictly an arty or special item abroad, where the Broderick CrawfoFd name will add marquee values. Its home market appeal is problematical. May rate some U.S. spots on cast .weight. But it may have to overcome handi¬ caps, mainly its downbeat charac¬ ter. Story tells of three smalltime swindlers and some of their ex¬ ploits in fleecing gullible Romans of their hard-earned coin. But more than in the telling these tales, some of them amusing, pic centers on the sad loneliness which charac¬ terizes. the liyes of these men, and especially that of Augusto (Craw¬ ford). For while Roberto (Franco Fabrizi), the youngest, progresses in the "trade” and moves on to bigger exploits in Milan, and Picasso (Richard *Basehart) gives it up while he still can, Augusto is killed by his own men in his first serious attempt to go straight. Film is full of symbolisms and contains some powerful moments, well as: some bitingly satirical sequences such as the co*cktail party brawl in the rich swindler’s apartment. Yet despite the arty slant, general audiences are bound to note a general tediousness, only here and there relieved by a hu¬ morous or human touch. It is a bitter pic on a bitter subject. Acting is good, with Crawford turning in a somber performance as Augusto, though his choice for the role is debatable. Basehart’s Picasso is unclearly defined in the script while Fabrizi comes off best as the carefree member of the group. There is a fine bit by Sue Ellen Blake as the crippled girl who triggers Crawfords final deci¬ sion to go straight. Giacomo Ga- brielli turns in a competent per¬ formance as the rich, highclass swindler. Technical credits are ex¬ cellent. Hawk. "PORT AFRIQUE" (Coronado Productions) (Shooting in Tangiers) Prod.—David E. Rose Dir.—Rudy Mate Kathryn Grayson, Phil Carey . (Started Oct. 24) "OD6NCO" (Warwick Productions) (Shooting in Africa) Exec. Prods.—Irving Allen, A. R. Broc¬ coli Prod.—Max Varnell Difc—John Gilling Rhoda Fleming, Macdonald Carey, Juma (Started Oct, 24) ** "SOLID GOLD CADILLAC" (Shooting in Washington, D. C.) Prod.—Fred Kohlmar Dir.—Richard Quine tfi Judy Holliday, Paul Douglas, Fred Clark, Hiram Sherman, Arthur O'Con¬ nell, Ray Collins . (Started Oct. 24) I "THE HARDER THEY FALL" Prod.—Philip Yordan . Dir.—Mark Robson Humphrey Bogart, Rod Steiger, Mike Lane, Joe Walcott, Carlos Montalban, Harold Stone, Felicio Orlandi, Nehe- mlah Persoff, Max Baer (Started Oct. 31) METRO Starts, This Year . . .16 This Date, Last Year . 16 William Rose, whose screenplay of "Genevieve” resulted in one of Britain’s most successful produc¬ tions, has fashioned a lightweight script as a comedy vehicle for Jack Hawkins. This represents a major policy switch for the star, who is normally cast in highly dramatic roles. The result is a pleasant enougfi entertainment, which should do steady biz in the home market, but has limited chances in the U.S. "Touch and Go” is also a break from the traditional comedy asso¬ ciated with Ealing Studios. Instead Disney Prize Salesmen Hollywood, Nov. 1. Sales accomplishments on four Disney films brought cash prizes in excess of $10,000 to delegates to the first Buena Vista sales con¬ clave here. Awards were for sales on "Vanishing Prairie,” "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” "Davy Crockett” and "Lady and the Tramp.” Winners were Dave Burkan, NY salesman; Marty Perlberg, NY booker; Charles Weiner, Minne¬ apolis salesman; Arthur Rose, Buf¬ falo salesman, and Peter Thorn, Los Angeles salesman. Prizes were presented by BV prexy Leo F. Samuels who also tendered similar awards to the national exploitation staff. "LUST FOR LIFE" Prod.—John Houseman Dir,—Vincent Minnelli Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, Nlall MacGinnis. Pamela Brown, Roger Livesey (Started Aug. 2) "FEARFUL DECISION" Prod.—Nicholas Nayfack Dir.—Alex Segal Glenn Ford, Donna Reed, Leslie Nielsen, Juano Hernandez, Robert Keith. Rob¬ ert Burton, Ainslie Pryor, Richard Gaines (Started Sept. 26) 'THE SWAN" Prod.—Dore Schary Dir.—Charles Vidor Grace Kelly, Alex Guinness, Louis Jour- dan, Brian Aherne, Agnes Morehead, Jesse Royce Landis, Leo G. Carroll, Estelle Wlnwood, Robert Coote (Started Sept. 26) PARAMOUNT Starts, This Year .. 10 This Date t Last Year . .16 REPUBLIC Starts, This Year .72 This Date, Last Year. . q 20th CENTURY-FOX Starts, This Year ,. . ..... ,77 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 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 Vandervcen, Francis Mc¬ Donald (Started Oct. 14) "THE MOUNTAIN" Prod.-Dir.—Edward Dmytryk Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner, Claire Trevor, Barbara Darrow, Anna Kashfi, Richard Arlen, William Demarest, Onslow Stevens, E. G. Marshall, Richard Garrick, Harry Townes (Started Aug. 29) "THAT CERTAIN FEELING" Pi’ods.-Dlrs.—Norman- Panama, Melvin Frank Bob Hope, George Sanders, Eva Marie Saint, Pearl Bailey, Ai Capp, Jerry Mathers (Started Oct. 3) RKO Starts, This Year .. 72 This Date, Last Year ...... 6 'CAROUSEL" Prod.—Henry Ephron Dir.—Henry King Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones, Came¬ ron Mitchell, Barbara Ruick, Clara Mae .Turner, Audrey Christie, Robert Rounseville, Suzanne- Lackey (Started Aug. 22) • BOTTOM OF THE BOTTLE" ’ Prod.—Buddy Adler Dir.—Henry Hathaway Van Johnson, Joseph Cotten, Ruth Roman. Jack Carson. Margaret Hayes, Brad Dexter, Jim Davis, Bruce Ben¬ nett, Peggy Knudsen, Margaret Lind¬ say, Gonzales-Gonzales (Starred Sept. 26)' UNIVERSAL Starts, This Year ..26 This Date, Last Year..... .27 CONGO CROSSING" Prod.—Howard Christie Dir.—Joseph Pevney Virginia Mayo, George Nader, Peter Lorre,- Michael Pate, Rex Ingram, Tonio Stewart, Kathryn Givney, Ray¬ mond Bailey (Started Sept. 29) 'RAW EDGE" Prod.—Albert Zugsmlth Dir.—John Sherwood Rory Calhoun, Yvonne De Carlo, Rex Reason, Mara Corday, Meville Brand, Herbert Rudley, Robert Wilkie (Started Oct. 25) CRY INNOCENT" Prod.—Howard Christie Dir.—Abner Biberman Merle Oberon, Lex Barker (Started Oct. 29) W ARNER BROS. Starts, This Year. .,20 This Date, Last Year .15 "THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS" Prod.—Leland Hayward Dir.—Billy Wilder James Stewart (Started Aug. 8) ’SERENADE" Prod.—Henry Blanks Dir.—Anthony Mann Mario Lanza, Joan Fontaine, > Santa Montiel, Vincent Price, Vince Edwards (Started Sept. 14) THE BAD SEED" Prod.-Dir.—Mervyn LeRoy Nancy Kelly, Patty McCormack, Wil¬ liam Hopper, Evelyn Vafden, Henry Jones, EUeen Heckart, Jesse White, Gage Clarke, Joan Croydon, Paul Fix (Started Sept. 30) A CRY IN THE. NIGHT" (Jaguar Productions) AssoC. Prod.—George Bertholon Dir.—Frank Tuttle Edmond O'Brien, Natalie Wood, Brian Donlevy, Richard Anderson, Ray¬ mond Burr (Started Oct, 27) INDEPENDENT "WAR AND PEACE" (Ponti-de Laurentiis Productions) (Paramount Release) (Shooting in Rome)' Prod.—Dino de Laurentiis Dir.—King Vidor ■ , Audrey Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Mel Ferrer, Milly Vitale, Barry Jones, Jeremy. Brett, May Britt, Oscar Ho- molka, Herbert Lorn, Lea Seidel (Started July 4) 'TRAPEZE" (Hecht-Lancaster's Joanna 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) "AROUND THE WORLD IN SO DAYS" (Michael Todd Productions) Prod.—Michael Todd Assoc. Prod.—William Cameron Menzies Dir.—Michael Anderson David Niven, Cantlnflas, Shirley. Mac- Laine, Robert Newton, Joe E. Brown, Martine Carol, Noel Coward, John Carradine, Sir Cedric Hardwicke; Fin¬ lay Currie, Luis Dominguin, Fernandel, Sir John Gielgud, Hermione Gingold, Jose Greco Sc Trpe, Trevor Howard, Glynis Johns, Beatrice Lillie, A. E. Matthews, John Mills, Robert Morley. Tim McCoy, Ronald Squires, Basil Sidney, Harcourt WiUiams, Buster Keaton (Started Aug. 9) "THE AMBASSADOR'S DAUGHTER". (Norman Krasna Productions) (For UA Release) (Shooting in Paris) Prod.-Dir.—Norman Krasna Olivia de Havilland, John Forsythe, Myrna Loy, Adolph Menjou. Tommy Noonan, Edward Arnold, Minor Wat- ** son, Francis Lederer . (Started Oct. 3) "HUK" (Pan Pacific Pictures) (UA Release) (Shooting- in Manila) Prod.—Collier Young Dir.—John Barnwell George Montgomery, Mona Freeman, John Baer, James Bell (Started Oct. 5) "SWAMP WOMEN" (Woolner Bros. Productions) (Shooting in Louisiana) Prod.—Barney Woolner Dir.—Roger Corman Cnrole Mathews, Marie Windsor, Touch Connors, Jill Jarmyn, Susan Cum¬ mings, Beverly Garland (Started Oct. 17) "NIGHTMARE" (Plne-Thomas-Shane) (UA Release) Dir.—Maxwell Shane Erlward G. Robinson, Kevin McCarthy, Connie Russell (Started Oct. 31) Wednesday, November 2, 1955 PICTURES 19 Inside Stuff-Pictures Bartholomew House, a subsidiary or Macfadden Publications, has issued a one-shot magazine-size 50c publication devoted to "Screen Lovers—From Garbo-Valentino to Monroe-Brando.” Author of the "pleasant picture history of Hollywood's kisses and clinches, 1896- 1956" is John Springer, RKO’s national magazine contact. Springer has done a remarkable job of search and research in fer- retting out the many photographs to accompany his text. Screen lovers from the silent to the widescreen era are featured in both text and pictures. Springer has made a careful study of his subject and has divided his Hollywood loves into various categories, starting with an historical survey of "Hollywood learns how to love,” in which he details the technique of the early pioneers, the Latin lovers, other silent Don Juans, and the greatest "great lover," John Gilbert. Other sections are* devoted to young lovers, rough lovers, smooth lovers, dangerous lovers, femmes fatales, historical lovers, musical lovers, etc. Springer has not omitted a single type of love, covering everything in the 105-page volume from “love for sale" to family love. Metro has slated 50 features for production between now and Sep¬ tember of 1957, with' the total production budget involved estimated around $100,000,000. M-G studio production chief Dore Schary, will not confirm the outlay estimate but commented that Metro’s bullish attitude was due to the fact that "all studios are concentrating and working harder on better pictures. The routine picture doesn’t have much of a chance in this competitive market. But we have a mag¬ nificent pool of creative manpower, and I see improved quality in the industry's future.” , ...... Schary said that story-wise there will be less accent at Metro on original material, since the studios are seeking pre-sold properties. He said, however, that any promising original still will be acquired. The exec said there has been much emphasis about pix competing with tv, but years ago he predicted the reverse would be true. This has now actually transpired, evidenced by video's accent on the costly spectaculars in its effort to rival Hollywood’s better product, he stated. "Ulysses” is being billed the Greek Davy Crockett by a Paramount exec. Point is that the Par release of the Italian-made story of the traveling warrior (Kirk Douglas) has struck the fancy of Yank audi¬ ences. Film, made by Ponti-De Laurentiis Productions, picked up $250,000 in distribution revenue in its first 50 dates. It appears headed for a $3,000,000 total. This would be fair coin for a solid "A” entry but "Ulysees” didn’t figure in that category at the start. It has its commercial elements but the press notices were for the most part mild. Some Par-ites had it tabbed as a $2,000,000 grosser. Par advanced $500,000 to the Italian producers, plus some Italo lire, for the Western Hemisphere rights. Deal provides that Par will take its distribution cut from the top, recoup on its 500G investment, and thereafter a split with Ponti-De Laurentiis who are to receive close to 50%. Meaning a fancy profit for Par. Automobile Old Timers, an organization similar to the Motion Pic¬ ture Pioneers, held its 16th anniversary dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria, N. Y. on Friday (28). Executive vice president of the group is Frederick H. Elliott, organizer and former executive secretary of Na¬ tional Assn, of the Motion Picture Industry. Automotive group publishes a quarterly Old Timers News, in which it reports the activities of the veteran industryites. Each year it awards distinguished service citations to its prominent members, a practice which Elliott hopes the Motion Picture Pioneers will follow. The Pioneers, which will hold its'“annual dinner Friday (4), selects one industryite annually for a top honor. This year’s "pioneer of the year” is Herman Robbins of National Screen Service. Stephen Mitchell, brother of and attorney for the late Margaret Mitchell March, points out that of 23 international infringements On the copyright to "Gone with the Wind” only two were brought to court and both lawsuits were won. And in 17 of the remaining 21 instances the author, whose book was later turned into the top-grossing Hollywood pic, eventually drew agreements either to pay or stop publishing by foreign book companies. In an article on recent copyright protection provided by UNESCO, it discussed Miss Mitchell’s international publishing problems, and erred in saying that there were 23 court cases and only two were won. Projection and taking lenses capable of delivering normal or squeeze prints in everything from 65m down to 16m are now available from Panavision Inc., the Coast firm announced this week coincident with the disclosure that the firm is manufacturing the lenses for the MGM Panavision superroadshow print of 65m with a 1.33 squeeze. Accord¬ ing to prexy Robert Gottschalk, Panavision printing lens gives 16m reductions of Cinemascope pix a 1.5 anamorphic squeeze instead of the usual 2 power. The result, he said, is a better looking screen aspect ratio for small screens (2x1 size) and less image degradation. "I Am A Camera," adaptation of the John van Druten play with Julie Harris as the focal character, has been refused Production Code sanction and condemned by the National Legion of Decency but has escaped trouble with official censor boards in nearly all situations so far. Only Memphis has banned it. The City of Chicago okayed it for adults. These cities have passed the film without qualification: Seattle, Portland, Ore., Atlanta, Detroit, Kansas City and Milwaukee. These states have passed it: Kansas, N. Y., Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. In an arrangement that may be extended to a long-term, multiple- pic basis, David O. Selznick and A. W. Schwalberg have concluded a deal for the latter to supervise the merchandising and distribution of Selznick’s “Rebecca," which is to be reissued by RKO shortly. This is the first of a group of the producer’s old properties slated for re-dis¬ tribution via his new alignment with RKO. Schwalberg resigned as Paramount general sales manager early this year and shortly after formed Artists-Producers Associates. Batjac Productions, which started with Warners in 1952 under its original corporate name Wayne-Fellows Productions, is negotiating a new multiple picture releasing deal with WB. Discussions are being carried on by John Wayne and Robert Fellows, representing the indie, and Jack L. Warner. Batjac is currently completing its 10th film, “Seven Men From Now,” last of the pictures due under the present WB commitment. Indie began operations with “Big Jim McLain.” Mechanical galloping horses to replace seats in picture houses with side screens showing the countryside racing past, designed exclusively for the moppet trade, are ideas for theatre owners just patented in Washington by a Boston man. Inventor is Frank E. Leahan. "The Fabulous Originals” by Irving Wallace (Knopf; $3.95), is a col¬ lection of short biographies of "extraordinary people Who inspired memorable characters in fiction.” Since many .of the subjects were transplanted to the stage, the book bas interest for the theatrical reader. Sherlock Holmes, Camille, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Marie Roget are some of the prototypes examined in this unusual and reward¬ ing literary sampler. Author is scenarist and magazine writer who served under Col. Frank Capra in the Signal Corps. * William H. Henry, Washington correspondent of the Los Angeles Times and CBS radio-tv commentator, will serve in a consulting Arbitration in New Relapse; So. California Nix Real Setback; Dept, of Justice Okay Dubious ---:-+ To Date ‘Moon Is Blue’ Not Showing; Kansas Sees Its Censorship Intact Kansas City, Nov. 1. Censorship of mqtion pictures in Kansas is going ahead as usual, fol¬ lowing the recent decision of the United States Supreme Court which reversed a ruling of Kansas courts and told them the state could not ban "The Moon Is Blue.” Attorney General Harold Fatzer has advised the Kansas Board of Review that it can legally screen all films to be shown in the state and exercise its choice of approv¬ ing or rejecting pictures. Mrs. Frances Vaughn, Bonner Springs, chairman of the three woman board, and Paul Wilson, assistant attorney general and attorney for the board, concurred in the opinion. Only the one picture, "Moon,” is affected, but that will still wait on litigation before it will be cleared for showing. Fatzer indicated an appeal will be made on grounds more credence should be given to the highest court of a state in pass¬ ing oil validity of a statute, and the validity and constitutionality of the Kansas act have been upheld previously in court. ✓ Kansas exhibs willing to show the film are still held up by legal strings. DUBBING PRESTIGE? New System Touted In DCA Im¬ port, ‘Wages of Fear’ Dubbed foreign pictures may get another whirl when Distribu¬ tors Corp. of America releases "Wages of Fear” next month. Film is regarded as the first prestige offering since IFE's "Anna” hit general situations in a dubbed ver¬ sion. Results obtained on "Wages” will serve, to a degree, as an ex¬ ample to the industry and may have an effect in determining the immediate future of lip-sync prod¬ uct. "Wages” will also be watched from another aspect, top, since a new dubbing process, devised by Film-Sync Inc., has been employed on the film. Technique, the brain¬ child of Jack Curtis and Terry Van Tell, is said to eliminate the synthetic effect usually associated with dubbed product. Curtis and Miss Van Tell have recorded en¬ tire scenes, allowing actors to play against each other in a manner similar toTfadioT ‘ This is at vari¬ ance with the technique of at¬ tempting to synchronize the lip movements while watching a scene on the screen. "Wages” also marks the first use of accents in a dubbed film. This factor is said to give the French-made picture a more realistic touch, eliminating the in¬ congruity of obvious foreigners speaking perfect accent-less Eng¬ lish. ° ' , ‘Best-Directed' Nominees Hollywood, Nov. 1. Only two new pictures -were added to the Screen Directors Guild list of nominees for the best directed picture during the July- August-September period, presi¬ dent George Sidney disclosed. Guild rules stipulate that a film is eligible for re-nomination during each quarter of its run. As a result, directors re-nomi¬ nated "Bad Day at Black Rock,” MGM, ' directed by John Sturges with Joel Freeman as assistant and "East of Eden,” Warners, Elia Ka¬ zan, Don Page and Horace Hough, for the third time each; and gave second time nominations to "Blackboard Jungle/’ MGM, Rich¬ ard Brooks, Joel Freeman and "Love Me Or Leave Me,” MGM, Charles Vidor and Ridgeway Cal¬ low. Only new pix nominated were: "Marty.” Hecht-Lancaster Uni¬ ted Artists, Delbert Mann and Paul Helmick; and “Mister Rob¬ erts,” Warners, John Ford and Mervyn LeRoy and Wingate Smith. Fly Scribes In for ‘Dolls' As an advance hinterland, build¬ up for Samuel Goldwyn’s "Guys and Dolls,” Metro is flying in to New York 30 newspapermen for the world premiere of the film at the Capitol Theatre tomorrow (Thurs.). The newsmen are from, cities where the picture has been booked during November and De¬ cember. Fourth estaters will be coming from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Chicago, Detroit, Mont¬ real, Toronto, Philadelphia and Washington. Full COMPO List For Audience Poll Paramount has seven features, topping all other companies, among the nominees in the Council of Mo¬ tion Picture Organizations' Audi¬ ence Awards poll, which covers pictures (and their players) re¬ leased in the Oct. 1, 1954-Sept. 30, 1955, period. ' Candidates for the best pic trophy: Paramount: “Bridges of Toko - Rl," “Country Girl," “Rear Window," “Sabri¬ na," "Strategic Air Command," “To Catch A Thief" and “White Christmas." 20th- Fox: "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing," “A Man Called Peter," “Seven Year Itch” and “There's No Business Like Show Business." Metro: "Blackboard Jungle/' "Love Me Or Leave Me" and “Interrupted Melody." Warners: “Battle Cry,” “Mister Roberts" and “A Star Is Born." Colutnbia: "The Long Grey Line." United Artists: “Not As A Stranger." Walt Disney: “20,000 Leagues Under tha Sea." For the best performance, male: Hum¬ phrey Bogart, “Left Hand of God"; Mar¬ lon Brando, "Desiree”; James Cagney, “Love Or Leave Me"; Gary Cooper, “Vera Cruz”; Bing Crosby, “Country Girl"; James Dean, “East of Eden"; Tom Ewell. “Itch"; Henry Fonda, "Roberts"; Glenn* Ford, "Jungle" and "Melody”; William Holden, “Toko-Rl" and “Splendored Thing"; Burt Lancaster. "Vera Cruz"; James Mason, “Star Is Born"; Tyrone Power, "Grey Line”; .Tames Stewart, “Man from Laramie," “Command" and “Window"; Richard Todd, “Peter"; Spen¬ cer Tracy, “Bad Day at Black Rock." Best performance, femme: June Ally- son, “Woman's World," “Command" and “McConnell Story"; Leslie Caron. “Daddy Long Legs"; Dorothy Dandrldge, “Car¬ men Jones"; Doris Day, "Young at Heart" and “Love Or Leave Me'*; Olivia De Havllland, “Stranger"; Ava Gardner, “Barefoot Contessa"; Judy Garland, “Star Born"; Susan Hayward, “Untamed"; Audrey Hepburn, “Sabrina"; Jennifer Jones, “Splendid Thing"; Grace Kelly, "Country Girl" and "Catch Thief"; Mari¬ lyn Monroe, “Itch"; Maureen O'Hara. ''Grey Line"; Eleanor Parker, "Melody"; Jean Peters, “Map Peter"; Elizabeth Parker, "Last Time I Saw Paris." Most promising new personality, male: Harry Belafonte, Ernest Borgnine, Kos- sano Brazzi, William Campbell, John Derek, Richard Egan, John Ericson, Tom Ewell, Tim Hovey. Tab Hunter, Brian Keith, Jack Lemmon, Dewey Martin. Cameron Mitchell, George Nader. Jack Palance, Fess Parker, Russ Tamblyn, James Whitmore and Gig Young. Most promising personality, femme: Anne Bancroft, Betsy Blair, Marge Cham¬ pion, tfoan Collins, Mara Corday, Dorothy Dandrldge, Dianne Foster, Anne Francis, Peggy Lee, Dorothy Malone, Cleo Moore, Terry Moore, Rita Moreno, Mary Murphy, Lori Nelson, Sheree North, Kim Novak, Barbara Rush, Milly Vitale and May Wynn. ‘Oscar’ Backers Continued from page 3 Their sensitivity is reflected in the fact that some Acad reps did a burn recently when a COMPO ad in Editor & Publisher did little more than mention the Acad’s Os¬ car in text that mainly was de¬ voted to the COMPO poll. The now-planned dinner is de¬ signed to "glorify the union of films and the press,” according to COMPO sources. Point is made that 360 correspondents cover the film colony and, out of allegiance to them, they should be on hand and given the results of the COMPO balloting directly. On-and-off so many times that nobody has the full record, the proposed industry arbitration sys¬ tem again appears doomed. It suf¬ fered a crusher when the Southern California Thdatre Owners Assn, rejected the draft agreed upon last month by a distributor-exhibitor committee. Unlike Allied States Assn, which refused to participate in the arbitration talks, SCTOA took part in the preliminary arbi¬ tration discussions although it did not have a member of its group as part of the drafting committee. With both Allied and the Cal¬ ifornia group refusing to "touch” arbitration, it's regarded as doubt¬ ful that the remaining participants will be able to receive the go-ahead signal from the Dept, of Justice whose approval is required to place it in operation. Harry. *C. Arthur, chairman of the California exhibi¬ tors group, said in New York last week that SCOTA nixed the plan because it "doesn’t accomplish what is needed.” He stressed that it does nothing "to minimize the complaints or cure the ills” of ex¬ hibitors. Arthuivsaid that SCOTA will do nothing? to prevent the Dept, of Justice from okaying the plan. "We want nothing to do with it,” he said. “However, if anybody wants to make use' of It, they’re welcome to it. We acted solely on our own.” Arthur, in revealing SCOTA’s re¬ jection of the plan, said the lead¬ ing exhibitor groups should either merge or have a working agree¬ ment before considering an arbitra¬ tion plan. "The plan at this point is a step, but only a feeble step in the right direction,” he declared. "It makes slight concessions for the sake of having an arbitration draft, but does not get to the heart of the problem. Approval of the present plan by the exhibitor-dis¬ tributor committee at this point has only delayed the reaching of an accord on a truly worthwhile basis.” Allied Comment SCOTA’s rejection of the plan also served as the impetus for a renewed Allied attack on the pro¬ visions. Said an Allied leader: "It’s a big theatre proposition. I don’t know what Herman Levy was thinking about it' when he drafted it. I wouldn’t buy it in a million years.” Levy. Theatre Owners of Amer¬ ica general counsel, authored the plan in collaboration with Adolph Schimel, Universal general counsel and representative of the distribu¬ tors committee. Previously, Abram F. Myers, Allied general counsel, had charged that the arbitration plan’s clause regarding prereleases served to legalize something that the consent decrees had barred. "The present "clearance and pre¬ release provisions,” said another Allied leader, "sterilizes the whole thing. It’s ridiculous as it is now written.” Allied, meanwhile, has not de¬ cided whether to ignore the plan completely or to oppose it actively when it comes up for consideration before the Dept, of Justice. Deci¬ sion on this matter will be made at Allied’s national convention in Chicago next week. Art Directors’ Board Hollywood, Nov, 1. New board of directors of the Society of Motion Picture Art Di¬ rectors. per prexy Stephen Goos- son, who automatically becomes chairman is as follows: Robert 'Peterson, Walter Hol- scher, Columbia; Lewis Greber, Addison He hr, 20th-Fox; Merrill Pye, Lynden Sparhawk, Metro; Henry Bumstead, J. McMillan Johnson, Paramount; Robert Boyle, Robert E. Smith, UI; Frank Ar- rigo, Martin Obzina, Republic; John Mansbridge, RKO; Leo E. Kuter, Edw'ard Carrere, Malcolm Bert. Warners. Indies include: Serge Krizman, Goldwyn; John Meehan, George Patrick, Revue. Assistant-at- large; Howard Hollander, Colum¬ bia. Live televisions: Lawrence Klein, NBC; James D. Vamce, CBS. capacity on the forthcoming feature-length Cinerama production deal¬ ing with the peacetime uses of atomic energy. Picture is being pro¬ duced by Grant Leenhouts and is a project of Cinerama Inc., the equipment manufacturing firm". Distribution sked of American Releasing Corp., which has put out seven features during its first year of operation, will be upped to one-a-month, starting in mid-1956, per prexy James H. Nicholson; 20 PICTURES PfiMETY Wednesday, November 2, * 1955 Harry Brandt, Maverick Exhibitor, Raps, and Rapped by Compatriots ‘Similarity-On Same Lot Hollywood, Nov. 1. Plot similarities at differents studios have been a Hollywood headache for years, but now it has become an intramural affair. Producer William F. Broidy had to call off his scheduled start of “Sweet Violence” for Allied Artists last week because it was too much like another AA film, “Crime in the Streets” which goes before the cameras Thursday (3). Latter will star John Cassa¬ vetes, tv actor who was in the teleplay on which the film is based with Don Siegel directing. Broidy, meanwhile, is hunting another property to replace “Violence.” In the perennial cat and dog fight between the distribution and exhibition ends of . the film indus¬ try, Harry Brandt, president of the Independent Theatres Owners Assn.—an unaffiliated New York area exhibitor group—and head of the Brandt Theatre chain, has emerged as a top controversial fig¬ ure. The large exhibitor organiza¬ tions consider Brandt a maverick in that he inevitably adopts the viewpoint of the major film com¬ panies in all disputes between the two branches of the industry. Al¬ lied States Assn., in particular, has lashed out at Brandt for his various statements condemning actions contemplated by Allied. Last week Brandt aimed a barb at a Theatre Owners of America leader. In a sharply-worded let¬ ter, he rapped. Alfred Starr, a former TOA prexy, for his alleged statement that the anamorphic sys¬ tem of projection, as represented by Cinemascope, is “just about done.” Pointing out the statement of 20th-Fox prexy Spyros Skouras that there were 15,750 Cinema- Scope installations in the United States and that the current rate of installations is from 90 to 100 a week, Brandt declared that “all of these exhibitors couldn’t possibly have such dulled vision for the future of their business to make these investments if there were any possibility of your being right.” Brandt also cited statistics of foreign installations and regarded Starr’s condemnation as almost sacriligious. Starr, in his refer¬ ences to CinemaScope, had pre¬ dicted the end of the widescreen systems because of a “built-in-dis¬ ability and because Hollywood direc¬ tors hate CinemaScope, since they cannot compose their pictures properly with it.” Brandt de¬ manded that Starr list the directors who hate CinemaScope. “The facts, Mr. Starr,” Brandt concluded, speak for themselves. Obviously, too, you are ^peaking for yourself for I hear no second to your mo¬ tion. Parliamentary procedure, sir, would dictate that you withdraw it for the common good of all of us who depend on the boxoffice for the sustenance of those we love.” Brandt is also a staunch sup¬ porter of an industry system of arbitration. Last week he also rapped the Southern California Theatre Owners Assn, for turning down the plan, terming the action as “shortsighted.” He declared that “the arbitration formula gives the exhibitor a place for a quick hearing and a quick decision on his daily problems. It is a step forward for the industry.” . Brandt’s fights with Allied have largely stemmed from his state¬ ments regarding Allied's efforts to obtain rental relief via Govern¬ ment intervention. In general, Al¬ lied leaders have tended to dismiss Brandt’s comments meaningless, seeking to create the impression that his opinions carry little weight in exhibition quarters. Moby Dick , Continued from page 4 — cility, rather the b-&-w positive strip. The aim is to achieve a darker and harder effect in keeping with the robust nature of the “Moby” yarn. First finished print is due in the U. S. from Techni in London next February 1. Warners, which holds distribution rights, reportedly wants to release the film shortly after and as a result a hassle has developed with Moulin. Latter is insisting on the late spring selling. WB picked up the worldwide rights via its role in the capitaliza¬ tion for “Moby.” Company set up a $1,000,000 loan which it guar¬ antees until the negative is deliv¬ ered. At this point, Moulin takes on the guarantee. WB also pro¬ vided a straight loan of $500,000. Associated British Pictures Corp. provided a loan of $280,000. Balance of the required coin came from Moulin and this represented the indie outfit’s return on “Rouge” along with “Duel in the Jungle” and “Beachhead.” Partners in Moulin are Eliot Hyman, Harold Mirisch, Ralph Branton, A. W. Crown and David . Stillman. ‘Good Will’ Xmaser Cartoon subject, designed to instill a feeling of brother¬ ly love among men, has been prepared by Metro for distri¬ bution during the Christmas season. The eight-minute reel, produced by Fred Quimby, is being backed by religious groups. Titled “Good Will to Men,” the film depicts in cartoon fashion the destruction of man by the new' implements of war. A creature of the forest lectures other animal survivors on the importance of the context of the Bible for maintaining peace on earth and brotherly love. Joe Barbara and William Hanna, of Metro’s cartoon staff, did the animation. TOA’s Arbitration Stand Endorsed By Tri-State Exhibs at Memphis Meet By MATTY BRESCIA Memphis, Nov. 1. Tri-State Theatre Owners (Ar¬ kansas, Mississippi, Tennessee) went on record here at Hotel Gay- oso opening session of its 46th an¬ nual convention to approve an ar¬ bitration stand as outlined in an action and clraft adopted by na¬ tional body, Theatre Owners of America, at recent powwow in Los Angeles. Nathan Flexer, outgoing prexy and incoming board chairman, enunciated the board's endorse¬ ment. Some 300 delegates went along with board’s recommenda¬ tion. Board also expressed a some¬ what cryptic admonition of “no more outside interference from Allied.” Charles Eudy of Houston, Miss., was elected new prexy. Leon Roun¬ tree of Holly Springs, Miss., Alton Sims of Memphis and Doyle Brans- com of Harrison, Ark., vice-presi¬ dents. TOA delegates elected in¬ clude R. B. Cox, M. A. Lightman Jr., K. K. King. Roy Cochran of Little Rock is new secretary- treasurer. Speakers addressing delegates on final day of meet were George G. Kerasotes of Springfield, Ill., representing TOA chief Myron Blank; Alex Harrison, western and southern division chief of 20th- Fox, and Bob Coyne of COMPO. Delegates visited Universal’s new swank branch office here with top brass from U’s New York home office on scene as host along With local branch chief Dick Settoon. Return of An Amateur Latest Dean Martin Role Pittsburgh, Nov. 1. Premiere here at Penn next Thursday night (10) of “Artists and Models” will be for benefit of Boys Town of Italy and is bringing Dean Martin back to Pittsburgh for the first time since he and Jerry Lewis first broke in their cafe -act at the old Bachelors Club. Martin is from nearby Steuben¬ ville, O., and his first taste of show biz came when he won second prize singing on the Wilkens Jewelry’s radio “Amateur Hour” 17 years ago. He’s coming here without Lewis. In addition to Martin and Msgr. John Patrick, Carroll-Abbing, the founder of the Italian Boys Town, celebs skedded to take part in the doings are Linda Darnell, Joe Di- Maggio and Ann Miller. Houston Lab Merger * Houston, Nov. 1. Purchase of the Southwest Film Productions by the Photographic Laboratories of Houston at an un¬ disclosed sum has been consum¬ mated. Bill Taylor and Jack Zilker, part¬ ner in Photographic Laboratories, said the purchase will enable to provide a complete motion pic service, including sound record¬ ing, processing and printing. Pre¬ viously producers in this area had to send fheir films out of state for completion. Steve Allen Chosen As Tersonality of Year’ Washington, NovT 1. TV figure Steve Allen has been selected by the Variety Club of Washington as the show business “Personality of the Year.” Allen, who is starred on the NBC-TV show, “Tonight,” and who has just completed a film, "The Benny Goodman Story” for Universal, will be honored at Variety Club’s annual dinner-dance Nov. 19. It will be the club’s 20th annual dinner dance and the seventh year in which it has honored a “Per¬ sonality of the Year.” Among win¬ ners have been such figures as the late A1 Jolson, Arthur Godfrey, Perry Como, etc. Ballyhooligans Wedding In Times Square New York. With considerable trepidation Metro undertook an outdoor Times Square wedding. Wed. (26) to bal¬ lyhoo “Guys and Dolls.” The mar¬ riage, staged in the traffic island at Broadway and W. 46th St., was prompted by the fact that similar nuptials take place in the final scene of the picture. The bride, Adele Welcher from Santiago, Chile, and the groom, Jerome Selzer, an ex-GI New Yorker, wtfre selected, as a result of a letter writing contest. Several thousand pedestrians stopped to witness the ceremony and the po¬ lice had their hands full in con¬ trolling the crowd as it broke through the lines in an effort to get a piece of the wedding cake. More than 25 photographers from local newspapers, syndicates, and tv stations turned out for the event. Fortunately for Metro, it was a light day on the cityside and news photos of the marriage broke in all the Gotham gazettes with the exception of the Times and the World Telegram & Sun. How¬ ever, Broadway columnist Frank Farrell made up for the WT&S’s neglect. The couple got $5,000 in cash and prizes, including a religious ceremony, a reception, -and a Ha¬ vana honeymoon. Actual coin out¬ lay for Metro ran to about $1,000. Macy’s cooperated with the film company for the stunt, promoting the wedding attire, luggage, and other items, and running a series of ads tieing in with the picture. Bus-To-Airport Stunt Pittsburgh. SW circuit officials in Pitts¬ burgh, disappointed when Liber- ace’s itinerary didn’t include that city after it had originally been inked in, are going to get as much mileage as they can anyway out of a nearly two-hour stopover “Sincerely Yours” star will make at the Greater Pittsburgh Airport next Tuesday (8) on his way to Cleveland. They’re running sev¬ eral busses, out to the Airport for the Liber&ce fans, free of charge, to get a look at the pianist and an¬ nounced that the transportation would be limited to the first 150 to apply. Reservations were snatched up almost immediately and newspaper coverage on stunt is figured to be almost as extensive as if Liberace had played SW Stanley in town for one day, as called for in plans when his tour was first set up. Can’t Buy It— Or Take Credit San Francisco. “The Desperate Hours” opened at the' St. Francis last Wednesday (26) and promptly got the kind of ballyhoo money can’t buy. * A San Quentin convict, serving a robbery term, escaped, terrorized a suburban family for a half-hour shortly before ipidnight and fled with the family car. Frisco papers noted the “startling similarity” to the Joseph Hayes’ film and pointed out the picture had just opened. Trading Stamps at B.O. Boston. ATC theatres joined the stamp plan gimmick that has been bally- hooed by a Hub area food chain for the past few weeks. The 13 suburban houses of chain in co¬ operation with Stop & Shop super¬ markets and other local merchants are giving free Top Value trading stamps to all patrons. Stamps, redeemable for nation¬ ally advertised free gifts, are given at the boxoffice at all perform¬ ances with each purchase of a ticket. Indiana Allied Attaches Conditions to Continued Endorsem*nt of COMPO Indianapolis, Nov. 1. Allied Theatre Owners of In¬ diana at board meeting here in¬ structed Trueman Rembusch, na¬ tional director, to vote for con¬ tinued membership in COMPO, with reservations, at Allied States board meeting in Chicago Nov. 5-6. Among conditions attached were that no COMPO programs or poli¬ cies be initiated until after ap¬ proval by the nine charter organi¬ zations that constitute COMPO, including, national Allied. “It should further be assured that COMPO works in closer liaison with all” component groups, Rem- busch’s instructions stated. Allied would require COMPO to release a compete financial state¬ ment regularly to all its members, showing operating costs, balance of funds, allocation of money for future programs, etc. This, it was stated, “would prevent the charge, being made by many that the op- { eration has. been extravagant and wasteful.” Todd Exits —— Continued from page ' 3 Magna which is currently quoted at between $6 and $7. However, at Magna, it’s *>aid that he does re¬ tain a small block of stock. Todd is currently completing his “Around the World in 80 Days” with an estimated budget running', to as high as $6,000,000. He em¬ phasized yesterday (Tues.) that he had not entered into any distribu¬ tion deal with anyone for the pic¬ ture. It’ll be- handled by his own Michael Todd Productions. Longtime Feuding * Todd and his former associates in Magna and Todd-AO, notably George P. Skouras and Joseph M. Schenck, have been feuding. At one time Schenck, in turn, re¬ signed or offered to resign as board chairman but changed his mind. Along with both, others interested in the setup are showmen like / Lee Shubert, Edward Small, and Rodg¬ ers & Hammerstein. Arthur Horn- blow Jr., who produced “Oklaho¬ ma,” also at one time owned stock. Small got a large block for agenting some equipment, said to include some of Paramount’s old 65m equipment, and reportedly sold out at the $13-$14 price, tak¬ ing a capital gain. Mrs. Lorraine Manville Baxter, a close friend of Todd’s, has been a sizable investor in Todd Produc¬ tions and has Bernard Rice, invest¬ ment counsellor, representing her. Dave Stillman (& Stillman), Todd’s attorneys, represents him. Rice is secretary-treasurer of Todd Prods. The Magna sellout would be for the purpose of continuing Todd’s film production, financing of “80 Days.” Film is about 65% complet¬ ed. He’s on schedule, and was par¬ ticularly au courant with the shooting days on the Spanish, French and British location shots. Todd fell behind three days Jn Colorado but has caught, up since working in Hollywood. He is using the RKO studio facilities on a rental basis. Talks of Todd’s exit from Magna have been going on on both coasts. During the “Oklahoma” premiere it was apparent that he (Todd) and the Magna management (Skouras) were not seeing eye-to-eye. In fact, Todd was quite outspoken about the film’s alleged shortcomings (grainy print, etc.) and had to be quieted by pals Who stressed that next to R&H, the only other im¬ portant name on the marquee was Todd, from the Todd-AO of the same name, and whether he was displeased with whatever he thought were technical deficiencies, this was not the time to air his views. Phil Reisman Exits Todd Corp. Phil Reisman is due to resign this week as president of Michael Todd Productions, effective imme¬ diately, although he may stay on a week or two, at Todd’s request, to assist on distribution details at¬ tendant tojiis currently-in-produc- tion “Around the World in 30 Days.” The Jules Verne spectacu¬ lar is being shot in Todd-AO, as an individual Todd Corp. produc¬ tion, separate and apart from “Oklahoma!”, the first in that process. Reisman wants to go into pro¬ duction and distribution on his own, and will lean to several co¬ production deals, involving foreign as-well as domestic financing. Todd is expected to become prexy of his own company. As an indie, Reisman would join the Todd account as special sales rep. As longtime veepee in charge of RKO’s foreign distribution, until the Koolish-Skolkin-Arnold Grant abortive takeover and reshuffle of the company, which ousted Reis¬ man and kicked prexy Ned Depinet upstairs into a “consultation” job, Reisman has wide international ex¬ perience. However, while essen¬ tially a distribution man, his ex¬ perience embraces a knowledge of production with ah eye to the con¬ sumer market.- After resigning RKO, Reisman shifted to his longtime friend Joseph P. Kennedy as veepee of the former U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain’s interests. He left Kennedy Enterprises Inc. to be¬ come prez of Todd Productions Inc., the company separate and apart from Todd’s interest in Magna Theatre Corp., the produc- ‘ing-distributing outfit which turned out the filmization (in Todd-AO process) of the Rodgers & Ham¬ merstein alltime Broadway legit musical hit. Nazi-Allusions —^ Continued from page 7 and, although she has a chance to leave, prefers to perish with the Jewish inhabitants. Ziesel, onetime Nazi writer and a follower of Hitler, in 1935 and later published a series of violent¬ ly anti-Semitic articles. He is also on record as stating that Thomas Mann and the late President Roose¬ velt were “unscrupulous barbar¬ ians.” After the war, like most Nazis, Ziesel was “converted” to democracy. When the film script was sub¬ mitted to the German govern¬ ment for financial aid, it was turned down, partly because the men in Bonn felt that the picture —as written—could turn into one with definite anti-Semitic over¬ tones, and partly because German officialdom prefers not to remind the world of the Nazi atrocities. Miss Schell, a very popular ac¬ tress here and currently at work on a French film, feels that a strong anti-Nazi picture could be made from the book. It’s almost certain now that, if such a film is produced, it won’t be shot in Ger¬ many. There is a possibility that it may be made in France. The Ziesel novel is to be published in pocketbook form in the U. S. Swope Jr. at 20th-Fox Hollywood, Nov. 1. In the continuing recruitment of talent from video, 20th-Fox has signed television producer-director Herbert Bayard Swope Jr. as pro¬ ducer-director. He’ll begin with “Hilda Crane,” film version of the Samson Raphaelson 1951 Broadway play, on which Swope will be pro¬ ducer. Studio is hunting two additional properties which Swope will pro¬ duce and direct. Wednesday, November 2, 1955 USriety 21 GOING Ji* f Word-of-mouth! "Blackboard Jungle” sock! Controversy builds business! Terrific campaign! Zooming up-up-up! The "must-see" attraction! ^ Proven nationally! Book it fast! M-G-M presents “TRIAL'* starring Glenn VJ --; Ford • Dorothy McGuire • Arthur Kennedy John Hodiak • Katy Jurado • with Rafael Campos • Juano Hernandez • Written by W Don M, Mankiewicz from his Harper's § Prize " novel • Directed by Mark Robson ; Produced by Charles Schnee tfffi Celeste Holm It’s just beginning! And HOT already! Detroit premiere WOW! Confirms Audience Test! Highest rating ever! Its fame sweeps nation! Headed for big money! Get your share! M-G-M presents m CinemaScope » “THE TENDER TRAP ” starring Frank Sinatra Debbie Reynolds • David Wayne • Celeste Holm • with Jarma Lewis • Screen Play by Julius Epstein • Based on the play by Max Shulman and Robert Paul Smith • And presented on the New York Stage by Clinton Wilder • Photographed in Eastman Color Directed by Charles Walters • Produced by Lawrence Wemgarten PICTCKES VARIETY VcJneiJay, November Z, 1955 22 Clips From Film Row E+++4+44< M ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦+♦♦4+♦♦44♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦4. CHICAGO Edward Conrad is new manager at Balaban & Katz" Berwyn Thea- tre, Berwyn, Ill.; replaces the late William G. Methe. Jerome Cohen appointed man¬ ager of B&K’s -Will Rogers Thea¬ tre, Chi. . Balaban & Katz subsid, Great States, sold the Auburn, Rockford, Ill. to G. J. Johnson, owner of a Lovejoy, Ill. theatre. The Loop’s low-price policy As- tor Theatre due to come down soon to make way for building of a synagogue. Universal’s publicity chief Ben Katz here handled exploitation campaign for “To Hell and Back.” Pic racked up record-bxeaking opening day gross. Chi’s B’nai B’rith Cinema Lodge installed new officers at a dinner in the Congress Hotel here Sunday (30). MINNEAPOLIS Abbott Swartz, long-time United Artists branch manager here untiF| he was succeeded by Herb Busch- man, salesman out of Denver, has opened his own independent ex¬ change and will distribute arty films out of Minneapolis, Milwau¬ kee and Des Moines. He has “To Paris With Love” to Sftart. Salesman Bob Brapton promoted to office manager at Warner Bros, where he succeeds Gene Meredith, resigned to enter another field. Bill Mussman, who quit as Para¬ mount salesman last year to be¬ come an exhib, sold his theatre and joined Frank Mantzke’s North¬ west Theatre Service here. Joe Hawk an addition in Repub¬ lic sales staff, replacing Dick Stahl, resigned. Stan McCullough resigned from Paramount booking department to rejoin RKO, this time as a sales¬ man. Peter Bossaltis quit as Warner Bros, booker to enter another line ' of biz. First United Artists pictures to go into Minneapolis and St. Paul RKO Orpheums in more than a year is “Gentlemen Marry Brun- Bob Haugan resigned as local Ra¬ dio City house manager. to take similar post under “Cinerama Holi¬ day” managing director Phil Jasen at Century. KANSAS CITY Shift of top execs at Commonr wealth Theatres brings two new veepees into ircuit official align¬ ment, Elmer C. Rhoden Jr. and Richard H. Orear being named to such posts. Rhoden will assume the duties formerly handled by Robert Shelton, prexy, now on leave recuperating from an illness. Orear serves as general adminis¬ trative assistant to Rhoden. Matt Plunkett in east for vaca¬ tion, visiting Chi and Ohio spots. His desk at the RKO Missouri is being looked after by Frank Smith, down from circuit’s Chicago offices for the stint. Don Scriven resigned as mana¬ ger of Fox Midwest Uptown, mid¬ town firstrun. He takes over Giles Theatre, a west side nabe, buying the house from Shreve Theatre Supply. John Cochran veterans* hospital here. Charles Wittenburg, operating lessee of the Strand, Poplar Bluff, Mo., set Thanksgiving Day for re¬ lighting the Jewel in same town. Turner-Farrar Theatres, Harris¬ burg, Ill., shuttering its Majestic and reopening the Hollywood there. Latter house has been equipped with apparatus for Cinemascope presentations. With the closing of its ozoners the Frisina Amus. Co., Springfield, Ill., reopened the following hard- tops: Rex, Mexico, Mo.; Kincaid, Kincaid, Ill.; New Frisina, Taylor- ville, III.; Charleston, Ill.; and the Effingham, Effingham, Ill. Sam Levin, co-owner of the Esquire and Norside, discharged from hospital after major surgery. PITTSBURGH Charles Mason resigned from Dinty Moore office on Film Row to become head booker for the Basle-Laskey circuit, replacing Joe Fecheck. William Walters, recently dis¬ charged from the Army, appointed assistant manager of Kenyon The¬ atre here. Dave Leff, former local film salesman who has been selling the¬ atre printing here for some time, returned to Buffalo, where he for¬ merly headed the UA exchange. Republic exchange added a new salesman, Joe Krenitz, who has been in Cleveland for years. Kren¬ itz will alternate every two weeks between the Rep branch here and the one in Cleveland. In SW shifts, Tommy Leach to Victor in McKeesport from Strand in Oakland; Tommy Morris goe£ from Victor to Harris in Tarentum, replacing Paul Blumer, transferred to Liberty in New Kensington. There he succeeds Dick Kline, who resigned to Join Selected Theatres in Lorain, O., as city manager. Rube Harris, relief man, goes to the Strand. Mabel Maluty promoted to cash¬ ier at Par exchange, succeeding Minnie Gable Nixon, who resigned. Charles Reitz named manager of the Arcadia in New Bethlehem, replacing William Blatt Jr., who has joined the faculty of Redbank Valley highschool; - Don DAquila resigned from SW circuit booking department to go with Hertz drlve-it-yourself com¬ pany here. General coijipany meeting of Shea circuit here last week had a surprise guest, Dana Wynter, 20th- Fox, star of “View From Pompey’s Head,” who was introduced to exhibs right after picture had been screened. Hotel Football Football fed to a specialized audience on closed-circuit tel¬ evision drew some 7,000 Notre Dame and Navy fans at $4 a head in 11 hotels in 10 cities last Saturday (29). Estimated gross of $28,000, all of Which went to the South Bend uni¬ versity, was only part of the overall take. It’s figured that the hotels, which provide their facilities free in return for the food and liquor business, took in about $15,000. __ ARMY CHIEFS URGED TO AID 'STRIPES IN SUN’ Washington, Nov. 1. A Dept, of the Army directive sent to all domestic and overseas commands asks Army installation commanders to aid Columbia Pic¬ tures reps arid exhibs in the U.S. and abroad in the exploitation of “Three Stripes in the Sun,” a No¬ vember release. “Sun” was filmed entirely in Japan, with the cooperation of the Departments of Defense and the Army and is based on an actual happening. In its directive, the Army stated: “The film portrays the heart- warming story of the assis¬ tance rendered by M/Sgt . Hugh O’Reilly and the officers and enlisted men of the 27th Infantry ( Wolfhound) Regi¬ ment to raise funds and actu¬ ally build an orphanage for Japanese children in Osaka , Japan .” Overseas, the Army recommends its commanders to cooperate with embassy and information agency reps on promotion of the film. ‘Oklahoma’ Opens Nov. 17 At Egyptian, Hollywood Opening date for “Oklahoma” on the Coast is Nov. 17. Todd-AO musical will preem at the Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood. Exhibition policy at the Egyptian will be the same as at the Rivoli, N.Y., with all seats reserved and on sale eight weeks in advance. “Oklahoma” will play 50 U.S. theatres in the roadshow version by next summer. Briefs From the Lots SAN FRANCISCO The Stagedoor, 400-seat arty house in downtown Frisco, serving as a moveover house for United Artists for second time in three months. This time, the UA played "Summertime” two weeks, and now the Stagedoor is picking up the film for a m.o. New manager of the Paramount here is Harold F. Borresen, from Minnesota. m ST. LOUIS George Barber, relighted his Gem, Villa Grove, Ill.; house shut¬ tered since last June. The Lyric, Farina, Ill., shuttered for several months, relighted by Arthur Madden. J. G. Golloday succeeded Wil¬ liam J. Souttar *as manager of Fox-Lincoln, Springfield, Ill. Gol¬ loday recently managed the Ken¬ nedy and Princess houses, Kirks- ville. Mo. for Fox-Midwest Theatres which owns the Springfield house. Mrs. Zelma Unger succeeded Louis Magner, resigned, as man¬ ager of the Belasco, Quincy, Ill., a unit of Dickinson Operating Co. Luther R. Ausbrook again op¬ erating the Granada, West Salem, III., and installed Willard Lemke as manager. Managerial staff switches for Fox Midwest Theatres in St. Louis area include upping of Leon Koch, lanager of the Grand, DuQuoin, 1., to manager of the Capitol, lenton, Ill. He will be succeeded by Harold Smythe, assistant man¬ ager of Lincoln, Belleville; Ill, Dale Thornhill, manager of Capi¬ tol, Benton, Ill., replaced Pete Pekarek as manager of the Illinois, Centralia, Ill. Pekarek succeeds W. W. Hilsabeck, resigned as top j man of the Illinois, Jacksonville, I Ill. Houston Now Exchange; IATSE Charters Local With Houston established as new film, exchange center, the In¬ ternational Alliance of Theatrical Exchange Employees has chartered a new film exchange employees lo¬ cal in the Texas city. It’ll be known as Local B-63. Forty char¬ ter members are enrolled in the new union. .» Similar IA exchange locals are located in 32 other cities in the United States and four cities in Canada. The Houston charter will be installed in the near future by E. J. Miller, Houston IA represen¬ tative. Prior to its organization as an exchange center, Houston was serviced by the film companies out of Dallas. ‘Dolls’ Pre-Xmas Dates Metro has set three additional pre-Christmas openings for Sam¬ uel Goldwyn’s “Guys and Dolls, bringing the total number of book¬ ings for November and December to' 14. New dates are in Charlotte, N. C., Oklahoma City, and Cleve¬ land, all Dec. 23. Other Dec. 23 openings will take place in Holly¬ wood, New Orleans, Milwaukee and Cincinnati. The world premiere is set for the Capitol Theatre on Broadway on Nov. 3. Other dates include Boston, Nov. 10; Chicago, Nov. 11; Philadelphia and Washington, Nov. 16; San-Francisco, Nov. 17, and Detroit, Nov. 24. John Dugan, St. Louis manager for Buena Vista, discharged from Ben Rosen New Del Barker Detroit, Nov. 1. Benjamin Rosen has been named Chief Barker of the Variety Club here. Other officers are William Wetsman, first assistant chief barker; Walter Norris, second as¬ sistant; Alden Smith, doughguy; j Ernest T. Conlon, property mana- Jacksonville, I ^ er - and directors Irving Belinsky, ’ • Milton Zimmerman, Lew Wisper, William Clark, Joseph Lee. John Pival and Hollywood, Nov. 1. Metro decided to rush “The Rack” into production this month and was forced to pull Glenn Ford from the cast since he is tied up in “Fearful Decision,” also on the Culver lot . . . Paramount lifted its option on Jody, Lawrance . . . Warners signed Veija Miles for the femme lead opposite Henry Fonda in “The Wrong Man,” which rolls in January with Alfred Hitchco*ck directing . . . 20'th-Fox renewed the contract of actress Gloria Gor¬ don who has been with the studio since 1951 . . . Columbia signed Montgomery Clift to star in “Sons and Lovers,” film version of the D. H. Lawrence novel to be made in England next summer . . . Silent screen star Madge Kennedy was signed to play Kirk Douglas’ moth¬ er in “Lust for Life,” the Vincent Van Gogh biopic. Batjac Productions signed Budd Boetticher to direct "The Captives” which starts early in December . . . Charles Drake won a top role in “Cry Innocent” at U . ... William Perlberg and George Seaton will produce and direct “The Golden Journey,” based on the Agnes Sligh Turnbull story for Para¬ mount . . . Nancy Gates will play Van Johnson’s wife in “Bottom of the Bottle” at 20th-Fox . . . Lenser Jess Kicis arrived from the east to aid Movietone West Coast chief Arthur DeTitta in making a midget football short ... Metro assigned Lee Marvin to a top role in “The Rack” ... Bartlett Robinson shifts from Broadway to films for a' key role in “The Spirit of St. Louis” at Warners . . . NBC radio-tv com¬ mentator Shirley Thomas makes her film debut playing herself in Columbia’s “Over-Exposed,” star¬ ring Cleo Moore. Andrew and Virginia Stone will produce “If I Can’t Have You” in association with Edward Small Productions for United Artists re¬ lease . . . William Holden will star in “Toward the Unknown” for Warner Bros., as first picture for his newly-formed Toluca Produc¬ tions Co. Mcrvyn LeRoy will pro¬ duce and direct . . Joe Swavely upped to assistant production ex¬ ecutive fo:* United World Films, subsidiary of UI. ‘Hell V Back'Top a Continued from page 3 = ond spot in weekly ratings the final week in October. “Blood Alley” (WB) wound up in fifth spot, the pic not measuring up to the usual high ratings expected of a John Wayne starrer. “Ulysses” (Par) took sixth posi¬ tion, being a consistent money¬ maker all four weeks in. October. Pic also displayed good staying power. “Left Hand of God” (20th), which was fourth in Sep¬ tember, captured seventh place while “My Sister Eileen’* (Col) took eighth. “Gentlemen Marry Brunettes” (UA), mainly active only the firSt two weeks in bigger key cities, was ninth. “I Am Camera” (DCA) cap¬ tured 10th" slot, with “Phenix City Story” (AA) in 11th. “To Catch Thief” (Par), which was first in September, rounded out the Golden Dozen for the month. As the month moved to a close, there were indications that further nice returns would be coming in on “Ulysses,” “Trial” and “Men.” Of the crop of newcomers, “Des¬ perate Hours” (Par) shapes as one of the most promising based on scattered showings to date. It was big enough to cop ninth place; in Weekly ratings the final session of the month. “Oklahoma” (Magna), which preemed in N. Y. late in the month, shapes as a strong money-getter via the Todd-AO process in which originally released. Bulk of cr(x plaudits were for “Oklahoma” as a screen musicaL “Girl in Red Vel¬ vet Swing” (20th), also new, hinted nice potential and sufficient to take fifth place in the final week. “Lucy Gallant” (Par) was inclined to be spotty to date. “Man Alone” (Rep) cashed in with some excellent showings early in October. “Illegal” (BW), also new, showed up a bit unevenly, seldom showing marked strength. “Footsteps in Fog” (Col) did well enough on some initial dates. “McConnell Story” (WB), 10th in September, managed to get up among the first 10 in a single week’s listing last month. “Seven Cities of Gold” (20th) was a run¬ ner-up pic one week. “Summer¬ time” (UA) wound up 11th another round. “Female on Beach” (U), which added sizeable additional coin last month, finished 12th one session. “Marty” (UA), a top runner-up film in September, added some $100,000 in gross in key cities cov¬ ered by Variety. “Sheep Has Five Legs” (Indie) shaped up as one of the bigger grossing pix for arty theatres dur¬ ing the month. “African Lion” (BV) was in much the same cate¬ gory. “Kiss of Fire” (U) garnered some stout additional grosses. “Mister Roberts” (BW), long a high-ranking pic and champ one recent month, showed up with some more fine grosses in scat¬ tered playdates in the main keys. “Wichita” (AA) did well enough in some weeks. “The Shrike” (U). ninth in September, wound up in ninth position one stanza. Bothwell Succeeds Idzal Detroit, Nov. 1. Bob Bothwell, managing director of the Denver Theatre, in the city of the same name, has been named managing director of the Fox The¬ atre here, succeeding David Idzal, after 27 years of service. Idzal remains in an advisory ca¬ pacity pending final plans for his retirement. Bothwell, in liis 20 years in the biz, has managed theatres in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, in addi¬ tion to Colorado. Metro Vs. 20th On Sound Issue (First to actively challenge 20th- Fox’s position re-magnetic sound, Metro has told its field force that starting Jan. 1, 1956, all of its do¬ mestic widescreen prints will be made available in the new com¬ bination magnetic-optical version. Other distribs are expected to follow suit. Universal, for in¬ stance, says its studio technicians are still studying the problem of merged tracks, but are close to a solution. All the studios, with the exception of 20th, worked together on the development of a print that would carry three or four mag¬ netic and one optical track. Position of 20th is that such a print would cut down on the 2.55 to 1 Cinemascope ratio. 20th is plugging $800 units which, if at¬ tached to the projection machine, would allow a house that is not equipped for stereo sound to use either the optical track or a mag¬ netic one. This, of course, isn’t stereophonic sound, but 20th views it as an improvement anyway since it maintains that better sound can be had from a magnetic track. Even at 20th, therfc are execs who are eager to avoid the com¬ pany’s unhappy experiences early last year when it insisted that its films couidn’t be booked into drive-ins unless the ozoners equipped for stereo sound. Some theatres actually came through, but most of them didn’t. Rpsult: 20th’s drive-in biz took a serious dip. When the company finally dropped the bars, it was too late in the season to make up for the loss. It’s now feared that something similar might happen with the combo prints, should the rest of the dfstribs go for them, leaving 20th the sole dissenter. At the moment, by providing both stereo and optical prints, 20th is~out some $3,000,000 a year. A good chunk of that could be saved “by switch¬ ing to a print with merged tracks. “Frankly, if that combination , print is as practical as they say, I don’t see how we can pass it up,” noted a 20th exec. This, however, emphatically is not the official po¬ sition of the company. Meanwhile, 20th hasn’t yet made good on its expectation to make dupe negatives on its C’Scopers and strike optical prints from them for domestic use. The dupes are being used for foreign prints, but not the domestic ones, resulting in a continued delay in the availabil¬ ity of optical versions on given pix. It’s been understood in the past that the process of obtaining the dupes hasn’t as yet been per¬ fected to the point where quality prints for the U. S. and Canada can be gotten from them. Even as they look forward to the combination prints, the other distribs have drastically reduced the number of stereophonic ver¬ sions they make available. “It’s just too expensive considering their limited use,” commented one exec. Altec Service Holding 3-Day Sales Clinic Altec Service Corp. will hold a three-day sales meeting, at the Drake Hotel in Chicago Nov. 10- 12 following the close of the Thea¬ tre Equipment fc Supply Manufac¬ turers Assn, convention. Topics slated for discussion are new screen techniques, installation problems, merchandising, drive-in sound, repair and replacement of equipment parts. Altec executive v.p. II. M. Bessey will preside at the sessions. Zagrans Heads Associates Philadelphia, Nov. 1. Charles Zagrans, branch man¬ ager of RKO Radio Pictures, was named president of Motion Picture Associates of Philadelphia for one year term. Others elected were Norman Silverman, Republic branch manager, vice president; David Law, WB, secretary; Eddie Adelman, New Jersey Messenger Service, treasurer. Named to the board of directors were George Beattie, Eli Epstein, Jack Greenberg, David Supowitz, Lester Wurtele, Joseph Schaeffer, John Turner, Lou Formato and Sam Diamond! MORE PEOPLE READ LIFE THAN ANY OTHER WEEKLY MAGAZINE We cl lies day, November 2, 1955 PftftlETY PICTURES 25 Bumed-And Not (or First Time Distribution execs, who often burn over what Abram Myers says or does, are now blowing off steam because the Allied States board chairman has attacked the practice of “pre-releasing pictures. in an addrtss before Independent Exhibitors Inc., in Winchenson, Mass., last week, Myers accused the film companies of violating court decrees with limited sale of films in advance of national re¬ lease. He further accused the Department of Justice of softness in its policing of such distribution. Film execs, however, say they’re riled because Myejrs is rapping something that he actually had consented to a couple of years ago. The Allied topper, they say, okayed up to two. “pre-releases” a year from each company, this being one of the provisions of the pro¬ jected industry arbitration system to which Allied at the time was a party. __ * _ Techni Price Rise Consequences; Kalmus Gives Views; Eastman s Stand Technicolor price increase, ex-f' pected to be made official within the very near future, considerably narrows the gap between the re¬ lease print cost of Technicolor and Eastman color and is seen fur¬ ther tipping the scale in favor of the Eastman process. Techni is boosting its imbibition reiease print ^price from 5.23c per foot to 5.48c. Most labs are now able to quote Eastman color at six cents on volume orders. The half cent difference is made up for further by the -initial print cost which, according to the film companies in N. Y., is $10,000 for Techni and only $5,000 for East¬ man. Lab execs Say that, if and when Eastman Kodak drops the price of its tint rawstock, Eastman color and the Techni imbibition process may be on a, par cost-wise. Techni does a limited amount of work in the Eastman process and it charges more for it. On the other hand, the regular 5.23c per foot price now prevails when the lab processes an Eastman tint nega¬ tive in the regular imbibition Techni process. Herbert T. Kalmus, Techni prexy, last week took issue with a story "that appeared in Variety to the effect that the Techni price boost would cost the industry over $3,000,000. On the basis of a re¬ lease print volume of about 550,- 000,000 feet for Techni, the quar- ter-of-a-cent increase would up the industry’s expenses for color by only $1,400,000 or $1,500,000. Kalmus emphasized also that, as of last week, none of the studios had been officially notified of the rise which, however, is fully ex¬ pected. Lab execs in N. Y., noting the Techni price boost, were quick to point out that while they, too, had taken it on the chin via labor in¬ creases, they had absorbed the upped costs and had not passed I hem on to the customers. Techni generally is considered to be in a sound position due to its reported half-cent per foot profit margin. By raising the price in line with labor costs, the lab has maintained that margin. At the same time, in the future, the competish feels that, if squeezed too hard, Techni is al¬ ways in a position to drop its price and sacrifice some of the profit. None of the other labs is said to have such a profit margin. Swing to Eastman, which came in part, as a result of Cinemascope, has hurt Techni even though the lab’s volume continues high. 20tji- Fox does practically of its work at its own De Luxe labs now and Metro and Warner Bros, also have their own labs going. However, Techni has been engaged in ex¬ tensive research in widearea nega¬ tive photography. Lab is expected to come across with a greatly im¬ proved Techni method for the wide screen soon. It is also ex¬ panding abroad. Harry Arthur Dickers For 'Oklahoma' Date At Missouri, St. Louis Fanchon & Marco chain is put- ing in a bid to obtain the Todd-AO ''{•'“Oklahoma” for its Missouri The¬ atre in St. Louis. Harry C. Arthur, F&M topper, was in New York last week to negotiate with Magna Theatre Corp. executives. Arthur, who brought F&M engi¬ neers along to look over the Rivoli Theatre, N.Y., where “Oklahoma” is on display,* said it would prob¬ ably cost between $60,000 and $100,000 to convert the Missouri to Todd-AO. “It requires an almost complete reconstruction of the theatre,” Arthur declared. “We’re studying the problems with which we’ll be faced.” SCREEN ACTORS GUILD SLATE UNOPPOSED Hollywood, Nov. 1. Annual membership meeting of Screen Actors Guild will be held Nov. 20, with the guild’s slate of officers picked by its nominating committee automatically elected, since there were no indie petitions filed opposing the regular slate. Officers will be installed at the membership session. Walter Pidgeon has been re¬ elected prexy, and other officers are Leon Ames, first v.p.; Dana Andrews, second v.p.; William Lundigan, .third veepee; Paul Har¬ vey, recording secretary; George Chandler, treasurer. Board mem¬ bers, for three-year terms, are Sal¬ ly Blane, Ward Bond, James Cag¬ ney,* Macdonald Carey, Fred Clark, John Howard, John Hubbard, How¬ ard Keel, John Litel, Jimmy Ly- don, Ronald Reagan; A-J board members, three-year terms, George Sowards and Bert Stevens. Upcoming negotiations with the major film studios will be dis¬ cussed at the membership meet¬ ing also. Shi -Mollvujoo!) KllKKtRBOCKtR GERMAN FILM Will a 9 || German fall Jangth mavia— i u,t arrived—Interested in distribution #r outright sale—minimum cash notes- tary—financing available. Box V-11155, Variety, 154 W. 44th Street, New York 34 Y. Frank Freeman Still Chairs Research Council Hollywood, Nov. 1. Y. Frank Freeman has been re¬ elected board chairman of the Mo¬ tion Picture Research Council. Group also re-elected William Kel¬ ley as secretary and treasurer. Other officers named were William Mueller, vice chairman, and Eric Stacey, veepee. Board of Directors consists of Richard Heermance, Allied Artists; Jerald Rackett, Columbia; Ub Iwerks, Walt Disney; Douglas Shearer, Metro; Farciot Edouart, Paramount; Daniel Bloomberg, Re¬ public; John Aalberg, RKO; Sol Halprin, 20th-Fox; Alexander Golit- zen, U, and William Mueller, War¬ ners. GAEL SULLIVAN'S SPOT Gael Sullivan, former executive director of Theatre Owners of America, has been elected to the board of Century Ribbon Mills Inc. Prior to taking the TOA post, Sullivan was Assistant Postmaster General in the Truman Adminis¬ tration from 1945 to 1947 and vice chairman of the National Demo¬ cratic Committee from 1947 to 1949. He is currently v.p. of Uni¬ corn- Publishers Inc. • New Bernard Reich Move To Collect Lawyer Fees In Tangled Hughes Action Los Angeles, Nov. 1. Almost three years after it was originally filed, the complicated minority stockholder suit brought by Eli B. Castleman and- Louis Feu- erman against Howard Hughes and RKO moved into a new phase with arguments on an appeal from the original decision and the filing of a new $751,550.37, suit against Hughes by attorney Bernard Reich. Latter, an action in tort to deprive an attorney of fees, stems from the involved manner in which the original suit ended. Reich,’ attorney of record for the plaintiffs in the original action, ar¬ gued the appeal before the Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday (Mon.) contending that the defense vic¬ tory in the Los Angeles suit was based on the settlement of a simi¬ lar action in Nevada after Hughes' offer to buy up all existing stocks at the equivalent of $6 per share, or a total of $23,489,478. Attorney contended that Federal. Judge Ben Harrison had postponed action lo¬ cally on the theory of waiting for the Nevada action to be completed and then did not continue the case here on the grounds that it was too late. Reich’s own action against Hughes also names New York at¬ torney's Louis Kipnis and Leo B. Mittleman, who had originally au¬ thorized him to commence the Castleman suit in California. The attorney’s suit is based on the orig¬ inal claim that RKO had been damaged to the extent of more than $38,000,000 by Hughes’ man¬ agement of the film company and contends that the New York at¬ torneys had “planned and schemed to sacrifice the interests of the stockholders to their own pecuniary interest.” Reich said the attorneys got $160,000 in fees and costs for the Nevada Settlement. Involved in the action is the claim that the Hughes’ purchase for $23,48,478 still fell short of the $38,000,000 by which stockholders had been damaged. Attorney is asking for $501,- 550.37 in compensatory damages, of which. $500,000 represents fees and $1,550.37 represents disburse¬ ments, and $250,000 in punitive damages. Action, which has been assigned to Federal Judge James M. Carter, asks that each of the defendants be held responsible for the payment of the sum. Kill That Tax! Winchendon, Mass., Nov. 1. The 10% tax reduction on ad¬ mission “is not enough” and “yours is a sick industry,” Congressman Joseph W, Martin Jr., Republican floor leader, told the Independent Exhibitors. Addressing the annual banquet Martin declared, “The burdensome excise taxes must be relieved. With floods, polio, heat and other adversities this summer, particularly in New England, your business was seriously affected.” He said further: “I believe it would be an advantage to the U. S. Treasury itself if there was a fur¬ ther reduction on theatre taxes. Allied’s national treasurer, Irv¬ ing Dollinger, in keynote address on “Know Your Enemy” stressed uniting and raising a fund of a minimum of $200,000 with which to fight against distributors’ il¬ legalities. He urged five methods of combat, pointing out “our pow¬ er is in buying pictures.” The five points were: (1.) Get together a well or¬ ganized group such as Allied as an army to fight together. (2.) Use proper information and intelligence as a weapon. “The first moment there is a sign of a company change of policy, the whole country should know about it and it should be made known through the local exhibitor org. :> (3.) Raise funds to fight attacks and sot up a minimum exhibitor fund of $200,000 Jc-r use in proper action against illegalities. (4.) Call in “the umpire—the U. S. Government .’ (5.) Set up sentries in each local unit so that when the attack comes it ca?i be made known local¬ ly and x nationally. Jack Warner Accents Reissue Values In Telling Court of Pix-for-TV Nix Los Angeles, Nov. 1. Release of. theatrical features to television would ruin “common practice” of. remakes, Jack L. Warner declared as government's 16m antitrust suit entered final lap in Federal Court. Warner said that studios, faced with demands by authors of up to $1,000,000 for properties, have adopted prac¬ tice of every “three, five or 15 years to make a dramatic property into musical.” Television release would cause studio to lose a great deal of commercial value of prop¬ erty. Warner Bros, policy, 1948-50, was flatly against giving television any pix “irrespective of price” now it Was “wait and see.” War¬ ners made 1,200 silents. 800 talk¬ ers, 100 remakes in 40 years. Warner v.p. Ben Kalmcnson, after Warner on stand, said tv had “drastic effect” on boxoffice. that it would be inconceivable lo release pix to video then try sell them, “and I’m against entire idea of en¬ tertainment for nothing.” Highlighted by Spyros Skouras’ flat assertion that lie would “sell any picture to television if the price was right,” last week’s pa- xade of witnesses stressed the de¬ fense position that it was a matter of cash, not conspiracy, that kept feature films off television. All told the court of surveys made by the various studios which in¬ dicated prices as low as $400 for a feature film—a figure which con¬ vinced the studios that it was not economically sound to deal with video until prices increased. Skouras, key witness of the pro¬ ceedings thus far, insisted that he has never refused to sell to video but that prices have been “ridicu¬ lous.” He urged government at¬ torney Samuel Flatow to fix that fact in his mind and get on “the right track.” Judge’s Evaluation “He doesn’t want to,” observed Federal Judge Leon R. Yankwich tartly, “because that is contrary to the theory on which he is trying the lawsuit.” Skouras opined that “flat” pix eventually will be available for television when all of the 23,000 situations in the U. S. and Canada are equipped for Cinemascope. About 18,000 situations now have C’Scope, he added. Peter Levathes, formerly Skou¬ ras’ assistant and now a veepee of Young & Rubicam, declared that continuing studies proved that re¬ lease of films to video would ‘ have deflated the grosses of films then in release and make the re-issuance of telecast pictures impossible.” The re-issue value, he declared, was one of great importance since it is never obvious when a film has played out its time. He cited the re-release of “Jesse James,” which grossed almost one million dollars, as an example. “Once we released a picture to television,” he said, “we wouldn’t be able to re-release it since the public won’t pay for something it could see for nothing.” Columbia reached a similar con¬ clusion, according to Screen Gems prexy Ralph Cohn. Firm had ex¬ perimented with cutting down old oaters for television, he revealed, but it turned out to be a “beauti¬ ful dream. We spent . more than the value we created. So we shelved it.” Cohn’s references to the 600 to 750 vidpix the Columbia subsid¬ iary has turned out brought objec¬ tions from Flatow, but ' Judge Yankwich declared he wanted to allow witnesses as wide a latitude as possible in order to determine how policy was set. Won’t Throttle Views clashes between Judge Yankwich and Flatow with the jurist fre¬ quently admonishing the attorney not to argue with witnesses. Another complicating factor in the release of films to television was tlrA legalities of the situation, former RKO studio chief C. J. Tcvlin declared. Tevlin, who head¬ ed the studio during the Hughes regime, said the sale of pix to tv had been frequently discussed but always rejected because of the “extremely diverse contract com¬ plications” with actors, directors, writers, producers and others in¬ volved in the production of the pix. Allied Hits Paramount's Full Week Minimum For 35-Day Subsequents Minneapolis, Nov. 1. Calling it another form of “non¬ cooperation with exhibitors,” North Central Allied has blasted Para¬ mount because of the latter’s al¬ legedly “outrageous” subsequent- run deal here for “To Catch a Thief.” Allied objects to the pic¬ ture's 40% terms in both the local 28 and 35-day subsequent run slots, but its ire has been particularly aroused because the distributor demands a week's playing time in the 35-day as well as the 28-day houses. This is the first time. Allied points out, that the 35-day theatres have ever been required to book any picture the full week. H’s an “entirely unreasonable” term and rather than go for such a deal a number of the 35-day houses, in¬ cluding his own local neighbor¬ hood Paradise, will pass up the picture, Berger asserts. In the case of “Mister Roberts” Warner Bros.’ terms were 40% for the 35 as well as 28-day local neighborhood and suburban the¬ atres, but there was no insistence upon the full week dating. COINCIDENTAL EXITS OF CINERAMA TRIO San Francisco, Nov. 1. Jackson Miller, managing direc¬ tor of the Cinerama : operation at the Orpheum since its start more than two years--ago, has resigned to go into non-theatrical business in Los Angeles. Resignation was confirmed by Cliff Giesseman, Cinerama’s assis¬ tant national director of exhibition, who is here for a week before go¬ ing to the Los Angeles opening of “Cinerama Holiday.” Also quitting are Lou Williams, the house manager, and Charles Minehart, who’s been handling group sales. Giesseman said Paul Swater, formerly Cinerama boss at the Melba, Dallas, and then at the Teck, Buffalo, was coming to Fris¬ co to take over as managing direc¬ tor. Giesseman praised Miller and the profitable Frisco operation, calling it “one of the finest in the country.” He said the timing of the three resignations was “coinci¬ dental.” ‘BODDE’ The Original All Plastic Seamless Screen Any Size 47 ' X 97' Contact Your Favorite Theater Supply Dealer or Contact Us “You brought them into court,” he told Flatow, “and the defense must be as broad as the attack. All aspects of the studio thinking is important. If a man is distribut¬ ing his merchandise, he doesn’t have to give that merchandise to someone else to distribute.” Other Columbia witnesses, sales chief Abe Montague and exec B. B. Kahane, stressed the studio’s con¬ tinuing surveys into the economics of television release. These re¬ ports, they said, “had a great *deal to do with the determination of policy.” Week was marked by several ll'.ll llr.idlri Si. S;iri F iTiiiindn, (iulif. New York Theatre •RADIO CUT MUSIC HALL—» Rockefeller Center TRIAL starring _ turn FMI . IIMTW BcWlrt AriwKHH if . W* JMlik • an m-g-m picture and mmcmx sna nuunmii 26 HAMO-TIXIiVISIO.V yAHlETY ■Wednesday, November 2, 1055 ABC-TV s Got That Spec Gleam, Too; First Entry to Be on Film ABC-TV will make its plunge into the 90-minute spectacular arena next fall, but as per current practice, its initial entry will be on film and will be produced outside the network. Project, as it’s now being discussed with the. projected producers—not a motion picture company is the only tipoff ABC will give—calls for a dramatic an¬ thology series based on top play and motion picture properties, with . ABC calling the shots as to stars and scripts. According to Bob Weitman, the network's programs-talent v. p. the project is still in the discussion stages and a deal won’t -be consum¬ mated for a while. But Weitman states that the network is serious about 90 minute shows and that it may do more than, one in the fall. As of the moment, the dramatic anthology in film is the only proj¬ ect in the negotiating stage, but there have been serious discus¬ sions on other spec formulas. The network believes it can sell the 90- minuters, hence its entrance into the field. Specs will only be part of the network’s 1956 programming plans, which are already in the works, reason for the early start being that Weitman wants to make sure that the new properties are “right” from the viewpoints of casting,, scripts and overall production. Hence the early coproduction deals with Four Star Productions for the one-hour filmed "Wire Serv- (Continued on page 47) f---- KDKA's 35th Anni Pittsburgh, Nov. 1. KDKA in Pittsburgh celebrated its 35th birthday, which also co¬ incided with the 35th anni of radio broadcasting, with an hour-long program last night (Tuesday) lined in nostalgia. The highlight was the recreation of the Harding-Cox election returns in 1920, a broad¬ cast that marked the beginning of radio, and it included Graham MacNamee in an interview with Lindbergh on the Lone Eagle’s re¬ turn from Paris; the voice of S. L. (Roxy) Rothafel; reminiscences by former KDKA announcers like Dave Garroway and Glenn Riggs and vignettes from “Easy Aces,” “Lights Out” and other shows of long ago. Throughout the week, local KDKA shows will be spiced with excerpts from 25 old programs, among them Amos ’n’ Andy, Phil Baker and Harry McNaughton, Honey Bun and Sassafrass, Ben Bernie, Rudy Vallee, A. and "P. Gypsies, Lum and Abner, Town Hall, Major Bowes and Clara Lu and Em, L&M Filters Into NBC-TV‘Matinee’; $4,509,000 in Till ‘Wyatt Earp’ Grabs Off Some Residual Plugolas, Even From Rival Webs ABC-TV’s “Wyatt Earp” segment continues to garner inter-network publicity breaks, with both NBC and CBS chiming in last week to give the adult western some in¬ valuable word-of-mouth pushes. In the instance of CBS, it was the announcement that “You Are There” would soon do a pictoriali- zation of the “real” Wyatt Earp, painting him as not the true-blue western hero portrayed in the ABC-TV series and the Stuart Lake biography on which the series is based. NBC put in its big plug over the weekend on “Wide Wide World” with a visit to the Helldorado Week festival in Tombstone, feature of which was a reenactment of the “Battle of the OK Corral” in which the Earp brothers downed the Clanton gang. Tombstone Epitaph editor, recalling the story . from clippings in the newspaper at the time, said the Earp boys were justi¬ fied, and so did the town’s oldest resident. NBC seemed to be neutral. Battle over whether Earp was a hero or heavy has given ABC some of the best breaks on any of its shows in years. Just before the series preemed, Argosy mag pulled otf a yarn picturing Earp as a heavy. Meanwhile, interest has been high enough to cause Hough- ton-Mifflin to reprint Lake’s “Wyatt Earp, Frontier Marshal,” first published some 25 years ago. Amer. Chicle Flavors Up NBC’s PEP Plan American Chicle has become the second sponsor to climb aboard NBC-TV’s PER (Program Exten¬ sion Plan). Already spreading into 12 of the 44 outlets included in the projected, the company added an¬ other dozen for the “Caesar Hour.” Last week, Liggett & Myers came in with extensions on “Dragnet.” In the Case of American Chicle, since only one-third of the com¬ mercial phase of show is involved, it’s assumed that the stations oon- cerned will carry local announce¬ ment in lieu of the sponsor mes¬ sages not bought on PEP by Rem¬ ington Rand and Helene Curtis. In another play toward PEP, Whitehall Pharmacal and AVCO take eight of the smalltown out¬ lets to add to their “Midwestern Hayride” lineup. “Hayride” is an interim show but with no closing date posted as-yet: Liggett & Myers moved in on the Monday (31) launching of NBC-TV’s “Matinee Theatre” color crossboarder in what was undoubt¬ edly the fastest coast-t.o-coast-and- back-again alert in the medium’s history. Apparently L & M’s ad agency, Cunningham & Walsh, was aroused at the 11th hour to get in on the ground floor “charter” plan with the incentives encompassed. The phones and wires started to burn from that point. The result, a $650,000 order for four-a-week participations over 26 semesters, is, to be sure, the largest single outlay for the Albert McCleery daydrama showcase, which now lays claim to $4,500,000 in billings ordered in advance of the preem. But parallel to this coup was the “Operation Mercury.” Hollywood office of the agency started the ball rolling with N.Y. hq Monday morning only a few hours before the “Matinee” kickoff at 3 p.m. It was during this “des¬ perately” brief period that all the manifold details were worked out. Opening intro of host John Conte was cut to the bone, as were the credits and trailer for next day’s (Tues.) show, to provide “approxi¬ mate” room for the L & M blurbs. In fact, at the dress, McCleery “took a shot” and left open a 90- second “hold” for the commer¬ cials, which were in the making at that very m&ment. Conte' actually was briefed on the phone, was obliged to memorize his pitch. The opening and closing lines were vir¬ tually improvised out of NBC’s Burbank color studios. As for the commercials themselves, they were recruited from the sponsor’s film blurb on the “Warner Presents” show (ABC-TV) in black and white. In addition to the L & M order, “Matinee” clients so far booked are Block Drug (25 participations), Sylvania (32), Bates Fabrics (13), Procter & Gamble (quarter-hours cross-the-board for 13 weeks), Alcoa (one-shotter Dec. 6), Mo¬ torola (13) and Bab-0 (13). 3 A. C. Originations j Atlantic City, Nov. 1. ' Three television shows will be aired from Atlantic City’s big Con¬ vention hall Nov. 3 in connection with the four day Mid-Atlantic Farm and Home Show. Camera crews from WCAU-TV will televise “Shop 'n Save,” “Cinderella Week¬ end” and “Please Find” direct from the auditorium. This is a first time that a Phila¬ delphia station has planned to tele¬ vise so many of its regularly sched- lude programs from the resort. Ex¬ hibitors, winners of contests and many visitors to show will find . themselves part of the WCAU-TV j programs* b , CHARGE NETS STIFLE TRADE .t - Zenith Tells NARTB It’s Anti- Competition Board of the National Assn, of Radio & Television Broadcasters is trying to “stifle competition,” Zenith charged last week. Zenith letter to NARTB prez Harold E. Fellows followed in the wake of an NARTB booklet titled “On Record Against Pay-TV” and excerpting nine anti-toll comments filed with the Federal Communi¬ cations Commission. “Unless we have subscription-tv to provide supplementary revenue for small market and non-network stations, a thousand or more broad¬ casters will be unable to operate tv stations in the channels pro¬ vided for them by the FCC,” Ze¬ nith stated. “This would be just fine for the networks, but no good at all for the small broadcasters.” ToIl-WIreat ‘For Real: Swezey When a Lassie Dleets a Veep Washington; Nov. T. A four-legged tv star is center of the most elaborate series of promotional events staged by U. S. Treasury’s Savings Bond divi¬ sion since the drum-beating days of World War II. Lassie, star of the teleseries, will be central figure in a two-day series of con¬ fabs and events in which such national celebs as Vice-President Nixon, Under Secretary of Treasury W. Randolph Burgess, author- huAiorist Bennett Cerf, and Life publisher Andrew Heiskell will play supporting roles. * . Lassie, who will be accompanied by supporting players Tommy Rettig, his tv master; Jan Clayton, who plays the mother on the show; and George Cleveland, the “Gramps” of the CBS series, will kick off .a school thrift program. The pooch will get the red' carpet treatment from top drawer government and local officials in an effort to launch a “Lassie Club” movement for moppets all ovet the U. S. His appearance here will coincide with a meeting of state and regional savings bonds sales directors from all over the country.*. In addition to the Lassie chores, there will be a number of sessions to be addressed by the Vice-President, CBS’ chief European corre¬ spondent Howard K, Smith, Bennett Cerf, and others. But the social lion of this huddle of biggies will be Lassie. He will hold a press conference; be guest of honor at a luncheon hosted by Assistant Secretary of Treasury Andrew, Overby; receive the keys to the capital; make school and tv personal appearances; be guest of honor at a tea tossed by Under Secretary of Treasury and Mrs. W. Randolph Burgess; be presented to Secretary of Treasury George M. Humphrey. And, finally, the canine star will put on a show for about 4,000 of his young fans at a mammoth Saturday (5) morning bond rally at Constitution Hall. San Francisco, Nov. 1. Robert D. Swezey, executive vice-president and general mana¬ ger of WDSU-TV, New Orleans, warned some 200 radio-tv execs here last week that the threat of toll-tv 1 is a real one which can’t be ignored. Anything the public would pay a nickel to see would be reserved for pay-tv,” he told the Western regional meeting of the National Association of Radio and Televi¬ sion Broadcasters. Failure to op¬ pose toll-tv, claimed Swezey, “may well have the most disastrous re¬ sults for the television industry.” Earlier, the radio-tv men. heard from: FCC Commissioner Edward M. Webster, who asked that the in¬ dustry have patience with the ‘time-consuming procedures” of FCC because they are necessary for the mutual protection of the industry and the public. Webster also said London telecasters have a “more soothing” approach to commercials “than some of the shouting and ranting which often comes from our loudspeakers and screens-. . . I dare say they would claim to have learned more what not to do than what to do” from the U. S.; Ex-Federal Judge Justin Miller, Broadcasters’ Association board chairman, who suggested televising trials using the latest, unobtrusive techniques — after convincing judges and lawyers that tv wouldn’t upset court dignity; Philip G. Lasky, general mana¬ ger of KPIX here, who remarked that “television is a good business because it is commercial, and to keep it commercial it’s got to be kept acceptable to the public”; Mai Hansen, farm service direc¬ tor for WOW, Omaha, who pointed out that radio is still the most popular medium in farm- areas of the U. S. Pontiac's Spec Com’l Pontiac put a spectacular flavor in its one commercial last week on its NBC-TV “Playwrights ’56” dramatic entry, even hiring a hall for the occasion. The “hall” was the 101st Armored Cavalry Arm¬ ory on upper Madison Ave., and the occasion was the un¬ veiling of the automaker’s new 1956 line. The Armory, the 28- piece orch, the 40-man crew and models, announcer and lighting cost Pontiac some¬ thing like $16,000. Adding to the uniqueness of the commercial were the fol¬ lowing incidentals: the pro¬ gram itself (Edmund O’Brien starring in an Arnold Schul- man original) came from the Coast, with thq commercial in N. Y.; there was only one com¬ mercial on the entire hour, that from the armory; crew took 10 hours to set up shop for the eight autos used (all driven by models); lighting tab alone ran to $5,000. Topper was the fact that 30 seconds before the cue for the com¬ mercial, two fuses in the arm¬ ory blew and all power was gone. An elert electrician saved the day by jamming two new fuses into the sockets and suffering second-degree burns «in ilio process.. Court Nixes ABC Bid To Toss Out Winchell Suit Walter Winchell won a partial victory in the first round of his $7,000,000 suit against ABC in New. York Supreme Court last week. Justice Samuel H. Hofstadter de¬ nied a motion by the network to dismiss the complaint, but at the same time ordered Winchell to sub¬ mit a rewritten complaint within n 20 days, recasting it within the rules of pleading of the Rules of Civil Practice. ABC moved to have the com¬ plaint dismissed on grounds of in¬ sufficiency, but Justice Hofstadter ruled that the complaint “is not vulnerable for insufficiency though it seems lacking in particularity.” He directed Winchell to submit a new complaint separately * articu¬ lating the several legal theories in¬ volved, separately listing the vari¬ ous causes of action and .contain¬ ing direct affirmations. Too Many TV Critics By PARKE LEVY Hollywood, Nov. I. For a long time there has been a general cry to do something about the quality of television. To this I would like to add a fervent plea, let’s do something about the quality of television critics—and if not the quality, the quantity. May I elucidate? The producer of a Broadway play knows his show must please eight or 10 critics on “Murderers Row,” two or three more on the trade papers and he will have a fairly definite" verdict on his play. The producer of a motion picture knows his product must pass the approval- of six or seven key metro¬ politan critics, several on the trades, and a few more in each of the key cities. But the television producer—alas, pity the poor tele¬ vision producer. Never, but never, have so many people written so divergently about any single medi¬ um of {he entertainment business. Perhaps t^ere is a reason for this. Good dramatic criticism de¬ mands that the reviewer have a knowledge of a theatre that is hun¬ dreds of years old. The motion picture industry has been with us for some time and has established a pattern of what the public will or will not accept. Television, un¬ fortunately, is comparatively brand new and it seems the mere pos¬ session ' of a television set makes many a person feel he is qualified to be a critic. This, to put it mildly, is an un¬ happy state of affairs. The aver¬ age television producer wants and needs guidance, but in the plethora of material being written about television he finds little unanimity of opinion. True, the ratings could give him some indication of how bis program is being received, but there are now so many different rating services it only adds to the confusion. All this might be tolerable If only the designated television • ■ • ■ * LConUuuud on.page.46) b . „ , ■ WNEWs Doubling The Ante Neatest Trick of the Year Considered the neatest trick of the year in independent radio was the sale of WNEW, N. Y., for $4,076,887—the same station, that fetched $2,100,000 no more than 18 months ago. Initial sale in ’54 is now labelled “the big steal.” Purchase was made by Jack Wrather and John L. Loeb, each taking over 37%%. of the met area station. Remaining 25% goes to Richard D. Buckley, who had a like share in the previous setup. Wrather, former owner of KOTV, Tulsa., is now backing KFMB-and- tv, San Diego; the company packag¬ ing-merchandising “The Lone Ranger” on radio and tv and in. theatrical pic form, and has tv station grants in two other towns* Loeb is the senior partner in Carl M. Loeb & Rhoades, investrhent house which has recently taken ah active part in the helming of Du¬ Mont Labs and DuMont Broadcast¬ ing. Evidently when Ira Herbert And his wife Bernice . J.udis sold the N. Y. radio station in April of ’54 to Buckley and some St. Peters¬ burg and Washington supporters, it was a-real “steal.” For in 1951 the station’s gross sales were $2,730,900, The outlet is not cur¬ rently releasing any other money figures on yearly take, but it did say that fiscal income (Oct. to Oct.) for this past year was 32% higher than under the last fiscal year of the Herbert-Judis adminis¬ tration. This percentage is sup¬ posed to represent the best year' the station ever had. Unlike their network brethren, the local station ops generally are anything but feeling blue. Though there are said to be any number of groups searching for radio proper¬ ties, few owners are willing to sell, and when they are the prices are high (not quite as high as WNEW’s, however). Voice of America Preems New AM Show Inspired by ‘Monitor’ Washington, Nov. 1, * “Panorama.. .USA,” a one-hour daily radio show modeled on NBC’s “Monitor,” was launched yesterday (31) by Voice of Amer¬ ica. It is being beamed to Europe. “Panorama” Is an English-lan¬ guage program which will be heard in most of Europe 7-8 p.m. It will consist of news, music, and numerous short features, none longer than seven minutes. Much of the material - will be recorded in smaller U.S. towns to give an idea of American life. MUsic and many special features will be obtained from the four U.S. radio networks,' indie stations, in¬ dividual artists, and various labor unions. Wednesday, November 2, 1955 PfifZlETY RABIO-TELEVISIOIV 27 TV’S SUCKER BUY: HALF-HOUR Toil Can’t Tell the Players...’ That Tuesday 8 to 9 competitive tv byplay is becoming so com¬ plicated and unpredictable in the week-to-week Trendex grada¬ tions that NBC, CBS and now even ABC find they can’t keep up with the zig-zag pace. Three weeks ago when it was Bob Hope’s turn in the NBC Tues¬ day hour, he clobbered Phil Silvers. “Wyatt Earp,” as the ABC competition, didn’t even show. Two weeks ago, with Milton Berle in the NBC hour, Silvers came within four points of knocking him out of the box—something nobody’s done since way back in 1947. Along came last Tuesday, when Betty Hutton staged her “tv comeback” (first time up since the ill-fated “Satins and Spurs” spec) and, in company with Jimmy Durante and Bob Hope, not only nearly doubled the Silvers rating, but even “Wyatt Earp” moved ahead of Silvers. Trendex scoreboard: Betty Hutton, 25.1; “Wyatt Earp,” 14.0; Silvers, 13.6. La Hutton got 45.4 share of the audience; “Earp,” 25.3 share and Silvers, 24.8 share. Meanwhile, Silvers and “Navy Log’ ; changed places, effective last night (Tues.), Silvers going 8 o’clock and “Navy Log” at 8:30. Prato Wows’Em in Pitt *$64,000’ Opera Expert Gets the Red Carpet Treat¬ ment During Four-Day Visit 4 - : - ANA Gets a Kintner Bird’s Eye View of TV Patterns & Trends Pittsburgh, Nov. 1. Pull of “$64,000 Question” being conclusively demonstrated here presently with weeklong appear¬ ances of Gino Prato, the little shoe¬ maker who captured the imagina¬ tion of almost everybody when he won $32,000 with his knowledge of opera. He’s in town for four days and no visiting potentate, movie star or international celebrity has ever been covered so extensively or been more in demand. Specifically, Prato’s supposed to be the guest of the Pittsburgh Opera Co., although actually in un¬ der auspices of the American Bilt- rite Rubber Co., for whom he’s now a traveling ambassador of goodwill, and he'll be introduced on stage at two performances of opera troupe’s opener, “The Masked Ball.” Ticket sale jumped immediately on an¬ nouncement that he would be there and picked up again after man¬ agement arranged for Prato to meet the entire audience at a kof- fee klatch in Syria Mosque follow¬ ing the performances. * He’s also been snagged as the No. 1 guest at the grand opening of Kaufmann’s department store an¬ nex; radio and tv shows have been bending every effort to snag him exclusively; newspapers are treat¬ ing him like a genuine dignitary and he has receptions, vocational school appearances and parties lined up galore. Latter include a kingsize luncheon at swanky Pitts¬ burgh Athletic Association given by women’s auxiliary of Pittsburgh Opera Association. Studebaker Rides AM on ’56 Models Studebaker ig playing it big on two radio networks for one week this month to bally its 1956 nwd- els. As result, ABC has snagged its first kingsize order for the new nighttime “new sounds” pattern, with the automaker picking up the invoice for 31 five-minute shows in the 7:30-10 span from Nov. 21-25. For thus plugging its new line, Studie will shell out about $22,000, and with NBC’s order make a total of about $122,000. At NBC, Studebaker will take 78 positions for a seven-day horizon¬ tal hoorah (20-26). Embraced are programs in the “Top 10” plus ‘Monitor,” latter getting 49 spots (25 minutes and two dozen 30-sec¬ onders). Specific shows are “One Man’s Family,” “Fibber & Molly,” F e °ple Are Funny,” “Dragnet,” Radio Theatre,” “Great Gildei> sleeve.” In addition, sponsor, has chosen six news capsules. Benton & Bowles is agency, „ Only other bankroller on ABC’s new sounds” pattern was Buick, also on a ’56 kick, but only to the tune of $3,500 for a one-night stand. Not So Amateur “Original Amateur Hour” which preemed in the 9:30 slot on ABC- TV pulled one of the “fasties” of the weekend, knocking the NBC- TV “Alcoa Hour” out of the Tren¬ dex box. Tyro show, budgeted at $15,000, copped 11.0. Alcoa, budgeted at $52,000, trailed with 9.3. The com¬ peting Alfred Hitchco*ck show on CBS got the lion’s share—30.0. Marilyn Monroe, Skelton As Co-Grand Marshals Of Thanksgiving Eve Parade Marilyn Monroe and Red Skel- 1 ton will be co-grand marshals of the Thanksgiving Eve Parade being staged by Bamberger’s, New¬ ark, N. J., and which will be spon¬ sored by General Electric on a coast-to-coast CBS-TV hookup. Originally it was planned to use Jackie Gleason as grand marshal, but General Motors, sponsors of Gleason’s Saturday night “Honey- mooners,” registered a squawk be¬ cause GM and GE are involved in some areas in a product conflict. LOOKS LIKEf&G GAMBLED WRONG By GEORGE ROSEN Only one brief season ago the tv spectacular was considered the most dangerous buy in television. Procter & Gamble, tv’s biggest spender ($40,000,000 a year), along with General Foods and some other major clients, wanted no part of it. P & G was moving in on established 30-minute shows and grabbing off half-hour fran¬ chises wherever possible. “Mass circulation” was P & G’s battle cry. Today, in perhaps the most revo¬ lutionary turn of events in so brief a span, there’s been a complete reversal of form. As incredible as it sounds, the half-hour has be¬ come the most speculative buy in tv; the spec is becoming the safe- est in terms of mass audience ex¬ posure. A look at the Sept, national Nielsens told part of the story: Only one half-hour show in the Top 10 (and that was “$64,000 Question,” considered a once-in-a- lifetime freak attraction). All the others were in the 60-minute and 90-minute program category, in¬ cluding every spec, whether NBC or CBS, to hit the air within the Nielsen tally period. The telling evidence came a couple weeks back when Jose Ferrer’s “Cyrano de Bergerac” spec knocked off a higher Trendex average than Burns & Allen and Godfrey’s Tal¬ ent Scouts on CBS. And these are mainstays of the heretofore in¬ vincible Monday night lineup on Columbia. And the newest Niel¬ sen’s out this week only give *$64,000 Question,” “Lucy” and George Gobel a look-in on the Top 10. All the others are “big” shows. Whether a P & G or a General Foods is willing to accept it or not, the guaranteed circulation (33,000,000 viewers and plus, say the networks) Is coming out of the specs; the new half-hour shows hitting the tv bigtime are today a rarity (only two last season: George Gobel and “December Bride,” latter enjoying an audi¬ ence pickup from the preceding “I Love Lucy.”) This season no (Continued on page 32) Oops, Wrong Cigar WPIX, Daily News tv station, filed an action in N. Y. Supreme Court to keep sportsgabber John (Bud) Palmer from doing either radio or video chores for anybody else. Seems the legalities have grown out of Palmer’s pitching Bayuk Cigars on rival WRCA-TV when he-has a contract with WPIX to do telecasts from Madison Square Garden, which are partial¬ ly sponsored by Robert Burns Cigars. WPIX claims in the action 'that it has contract for the 1955-56 season with Palmer to do Garden sports. WPIX alleges he violated the contract by appearing for Bayuk. Gleason to Stay 8:30; ‘Stage Show’ To Be Bolstered CBS-TV had a meeting of the program. minds last week for the sole purpose of determining the what’s what about Jackie Gleason in view of the fact that Perry Como in the competing NBC slot is catch¬ ing up with him on the Trendex returns. Gleason, it’s reported, was all in favor of switching from 8:30 to the preceding 8 o’clock slot in an exchange of time periods with the Gleason-packaged Dorsey Bros. “Stage Show.” Also under consid¬ eration was the wisdom of tossing the Electronicam filmed shows out the window and reverting to a live stanza. (Eighteen Installments are already in the can.) CBS decided to stay put with the Gleason stanza at 8:30 and retain the film show. It was fur¬ ther decided that major concentra- (Continued on page 32) Issue of network control over programs “is becoming more and more academic” because of the ac¬ celerated trend toward multiple sponsorship,” ABC president Rob- bert E. Kintner told the annual meeting of the Assn, of National Advertisers yesterday (Tues.) in New York. The multiple-sponsor¬ ship pattern is causing the net¬ works to be handed more and. more responsibility of direct program¬ ming, Kintner stated. His personal preference, he said, is to pool “every creative force—whether it is from the networks, the adver¬ tisers, the agencies or the pack¬ agers—” but because of the share- sponsorship pattern the networks “are being put in the position of calling, the shots in the great pre¬ ponderance of network time slots.” Stating that the share-sponsor¬ ship pattern has both its advan¬ tages and disadvantages, Kintner called for greater research efforts in consumer motivation to deter¬ mine the effectiveness or lack of it in share-sponsorship situations. “Proper research may, in truth, revive the desire to sponsor indi¬ vidual programs exclusively and may well reverse this present par¬ ticipation trend. In any event, I think it is a field where the ad¬ vertiser, the agency and the net¬ work must spend substantial sums.” Reviewing the trend, Kin¬ tner stated that 76% of all net¬ work advertisers are now partici¬ pating “in some form of multiple sponsorship,” as compared with 51% three years ago. In an address covering most of the major problems and trends of video today, Kintner touched on the following high spots: Film. Growing trend to use of film—networks are programming between 40 and 50% of their night¬ time class A hours with celluloid— “will be substantially increased,” particularly with the advent of color.” Kintner cited as advan¬ tages of film the lower costs due to reruns, overseas revenue, abil¬ ity to get performers and produce (Continued on page 74) Sadler’s 90G Fee For ‘Beaut’ Spec NBC-TV is turning over $90,000 to the Sadler’s Wells Ballet Co. as its “lock, stock and barrel” fee for the upcoming “Sleeping Beau¬ ty” spectacular, which will be done in December as Sol Hurok's initial contribution as “Producers Showcase” concert spec impresario. The 90G is more or less an approxi¬ mation of a weekly gross during the ballet’s recent Metropolitan Opera House season in N. Y. However, the $90,000 is only the “stepping off” place in terms of total cost of putting on the spec since so many other productional facets (technicians, NBC staffers, etc.) are involved. Total cost will come closer to $200,000. Overseas Press Club’s Dream Cast for Nov. 14 TV Producers Showcase Cast of performers for the Over¬ seas Press Club spectacular, which goes on Producers Showcase Nov. 14, continues to grow. Lined up thus .far are John Wayne, Greer Garson, Martha Raye, • Charlton Heston, Milton Berle, Bill Mauldin, the Scots Guards (which last week played a one-night stand at Madi¬ son Square Garden, N. Y.) and with Danny Kaye and Gary Cooper as possibilities. If Kaye agrees to go on it’ll mark his tv bow. Contributing material for the 90-minute spec are Robert E. Sher¬ wood, John Steinbeck and Irving Berlin. Practically all the perform¬ ers and writers are cuffoing their- services. Donald Davis and Dorothy Mat¬ hews (Mrs. Davis) will co-produce, with Alan Handley; directing, > l L out soon; The GOLDEN JUBILEE 50th Anniversary Number Of Forms closing shortly Usual Advertising rates prevail Special exploitation advantages Copy and space reservations may be sent to any Variety office NEW YORK 36 HOLLYWOOD 28 CHICAGO 11 LONDON, W. C. 2 154 W. 46th St. 6311 Yucca St. 612 N. Michigan Ave. 8 St. Martin'i Placa Trafalgar Square 23 RADIO-TELEVISIOX P&ttlETY Wednesday, November 2, 1.955 Ruppert Raises a Rumpus Re Ballantine in Giants-WPIX Buy WPIX, tlie Daily News tv outlet 4 in N. Y., landed Ruppert brewery ' to ‘bankroll the Giants ballcasts upon the defection of Chesterfields after an eight-year residency. Sale had immediate repercussions with suds rival Pabst and left plenty of room for fireworks with Ballan¬ tine Beer. Russ Hodges, who has been pact- ed to continue as play-by-play an¬ nouncer for the Giant games on WPIX, will have to ankle the Pabst boxing coverage on ABC-TV on the “earliest possible occasion.” Ballantine is co-sponsor of the N. Y. Yankee games which comple¬ ment the Giant schedule carried on WPIX. After learning of the Ruppert deal with the tv station on Monday (31), a spokesman from William Esty, agency for Ballan¬ tine, said he didn’t think his ac¬ count had any recourse but to ac¬ cept the competitive brand. He said that the Ballantine contract (co-sponsoring with White Owl cigars) wasn’t signed for next sea¬ son, "but we have an understand¬ ing with WPIX.” Esty didh’t believe that Ballan¬ tine had any right to dictate bar¬ ring of a competitive brand so long as it sponsored another show. However* one source figures that Ballantine is bound to be dis¬ pleased with the “conflict”; many viewers associate given sponsors coverage of the Giants and Yan- ' kees because both are carried on the same station. Ruppert-WPIX contract, via Biow-Beirn-Toigo, recalls the spon¬ sor’s longtime history in baseball. The late Jacob Ruppert owned the Yankees ballclub for many years. At the time, his firm was “restrict¬ ed” from sponsoring Yankee broad¬ casts (radio) on possible monopoly. As a result, Ruppert was caused to place itself last on the list of potential radio clients for the Yan¬ kee games. Chesterfield has carried the whole Giant game since the team moved into N. Y. tv in ’48. Ciggie had the right of first refusal on the telecasts, but it has slowly been dropping its baseball tele¬ casts over the past few years. It decreased its team coverage from 10 clubs in 1953 to eight clubs in 1954. (some in minor leagues). Cunningham & Walsh, cig’s agency, says the sponsor will go into next season backing only home games of Boston Red Sox. WPIX is now the only station in the country to air the entire home game! schedule of two major league clubs. DECKS CLEARED FOR PRESBREY STATION Washington, Nov. 1 Fight between the Presbreys (Oliver and Martha Rountree) and local country music impresario Connie 1J. Gay to start a radio sta¬ tion in nearby Warrentown, Va., was resolved last week when Gay withdrew his application. This left the field clear to the Presbreys who plan a 5,000 watt daytime op¬ eration. Gay had originally applied for the 1490 kc spot but the Presbreys filed a competitive application. Rather than go through hearings, Gay amended to specify the 1260 kc frequency. The Presbreys then challenged Gay’s financial qualifi¬ cations whereupon Gay did vice versa. The Presbreys now live in Warrenton. Gay told the Commission his new ihree-hour country music jam¬ boree show on WMAL-TV here, in addition to his radio stations in Ashland, Ky., and' Fairmont, W. Va., is taking up too much of his time to go ahead with a station in Warrenton. ‘Game Of Week’ Ballcasts Loom As TV Rhubarb ffhite-Collarite Union Courts MBS Mutual Broadcasting’s remaining office staffers, unsteadied by the big personnel slashes of several days ago, have been approached by the. Office Employees Interna¬ tional Union (AFL) in N. Y. Union organizers spent part of last Fri¬ day (28) making, their first try at lining up. the web’s white eollar- Sorne inter-network friction is in the offing insofar as “Game of the Week” baseball is concerned. NBC-TV is bidding for its own weekly ballcasts for next summer to compete with CBS-TV’s week¬ end major league programming. Since CBS already has a contract with the same five ballclubs for next semester that it had last year, NBC has been investigating a rival telecast using other major league teams. As for the ’57 season, an NBC spokesman said it is likely that his network will enter into competition with CBS to sign on some of the current “Game” teams since they are considered the best available. “Game” would make a nifty co¬ op sales plum for NBC in addition to any regional deal that might come along. Such plans coincide with appointment by NBC last week of Ludwig Simmel as one of the web’s corps of daytime “sales specialists,” his emphasis being on sports sales whether network or co-op. Fact that Simmel is an old hand at co-op sales for NBC is thought a strong indication of the network’s increased interest in that area of selling for sports shows. Besides his new duties, he’ll oversee (as he has all along) co-op sales for other types of day¬ time programming. In its rivalry for a “Game” of its own, there’s no chance that NBC can get Falstaff away from CBS for the next season. Brewery, which underwrote the CBS week- end series on an extensive region- ! al basis last summer, has already ropactcd with the network for ites. Donald Blake, the union’s bix! with — ___ rep, said that he got calls from \ to^-by-play on the same five big Mutual- personnel after the cut-! Jca ^ ue °’. u , s . nex .t -season. Diffi- back, in which some 50% of the network was axed, complaining of a “lack of security.” The network office workers have never been unionized before, although an un¬ successful attempt was made in 1946. culty of inking a comparable re¬ gional deal in ’56 for its “lesser” teams might stand in the way of NBC getting its plan into opera¬ tion before ’57. Simmel, who will report to John ; Lanigan, manager of daytime Union handed out circulars to i s, ? ( oi ; ts M . and s P L \ cial , events, will Mutual emplovees ,on Friday ' p) ' C>1 thls year s ba skelbaU for net- Blake said on Monday (31) that h? I NV01 ‘ k sponsorship. If the hoop en- hadn’t counted replies as vet lie 1 £ oun I tl), . s aren t bought nationally said that the union “usually i ^ m a target datC ’ th<i * hc liked” support of 50% of any staff i divide it up for co-op. Most before attempting actual unioni- 1)rcv, P us 4t N ^ C c0 '? p sports deals zation. He said he liadn’t time to | - V ° re ! n , the ! 0Vm oi om '^ots, that investigate the size of the office Y? c ™ d stall0ns evenly staff at Mutual, although it has 1 J pht ab . out $5° 0 * 000 ™ co-op coin been variously quoted at boin" ! J?,™ ; sae .°, f 1 ie asl ' fl ual 'L er () f the between 100 and 125 stron" since ! jNCA V gnd gamcs lhis season. It the slash a fortnight back ° ' 1 vvas tbls take is believed to Sources at the radio network py liave openod NBC’s eyes and arms pect the new attempt to unionize ' VJdcr to co ~ op deaJs * white collar workers will have I n n - T~a - . , more success due to the rpppni 1 W4l,las —Guy Anderson has taken cutbacks than the 1946 effort did du I ti ? I s wnew WFAA mu- Offiee Fmnlnvppc /i - * I sic and band director. He rep aces iP* * sawarte indies » and CBS on the Pampa, Tex, which he has pur- Coast. t .chased. If Your Face Gets Into A TV News Shot You Can’t Sue, Court Rules Miami, Nov. 1. Florida Sjiprefoe Court ruled this week that a person photo¬ graphed at the scene of a news event cannot recover damages from a television station for in¬ vasion of privacy. It is believed the first opinion of its kind to be handed down by a state tribunal. The unanimous decision was en¬ gendered by a suit brought against WTVJ here for $500,000 damages by John Jacova of Miami Beach. The suit resulted from a telecast showing Jacova on the scene of a raid by state and federal officers of a hotel cigar shop where they sought evidence of gambling ac¬ tivities. Jacova claimed his repu¬ tation was damaged by being shown on the premises photo¬ graphed and used in the telecast. . The court ruled, however, that they recognized “that a television newscaster must, like a newspaper reporter, attempt to get before the public ‘today’s’ news today.” An¬ other ruling in the decision writ¬ ten by Justice B. K.. Roberts, said that “the right of privacy does not necessarily protect a person against publication of his name or photograph in connection with the dissemination of legitimate news j items or other matters of public interest. We hold that a televi¬ sion company—as in the case of a" newspaper, newsreel or other com¬ munication medium—has a quali¬ fied privilege to use in its. telecast, the name or photograph of a per¬ son who has become an ‘actor’ in a newsworthy event.” ARB Planning TV Coverage Study American Research Bureau is throwing its hat in the competitive ring with the A. C. Nielsen Co. in a bid to networks and agencies to produce its own 3,100-county tele¬ vision coverage study. Preliminary plan is being submitted to agencies and webs this week, and on the basis of the predominance toward , Nielsen or ARB, one of the two companies will proceed with the survey. The ARB study, which will cover every county in the nation, will take anywhere from eight to 12 months to complete and will cost upwards of $1,000,000 to complete, if undertaken. Survey will cover set count, station reception and frequency of reception in each county. Study will be based on 500,000 personal family interviews in 1,000-county “clusters,” or 500 interviews for each area. In effect, the study when complete would af¬ ford agencies and networks com¬ plete information for each area as to station coverage, frequency of viewers in each county, etc. Study is separate and apart from ARB’s annual Abilene-Zanesville (A-Z) Metropolitan Area Coverage Studies, which it began last March with” a study of 163 city areas with the next one /out in January with an expanded list of 250 cities. The county coverage study will be done in cooperation with the U. S. Cen¬ sus Bureau. Last national coverage study to be dope was achieved by Nielsen in 1952, with the post¬ freeze demand for county infor¬ mation causing the present Niel- sen-ARB race. It s not likely to be a money-maker for either outfit, but is a first-class prestige opera¬ tion. Max Shulman Due On Coast for f Dobey Gillis’ Hollywood, Nov. 1. Max Shulman is due here from N. Y. in about a month to begin production of a telefilm scries, “Loves of Dobcy Gillis,” to be made in association with Burns & Alien’s MacCaddon Productions. Humorist will also write the se¬ ries, due to begin shooting near the end of the year. George Burns, head of his telefilmcry, will be exec producer of the new televen- ture. ‘A Newspaper Isn’t A Popcorn Stand* Boston, Nov. 1. The “$64,000 Question” caught newspaper editors with their an¬ tennas down and they played it “out of all proportions to its true newsworthiness,” Forrest W. Seymour, editor of the Worcester, Mass. Telegram and Evening Gazette, told the annual meeting of the New England Newspaper Advertising. Executives'. Assn, at the Parker House last week. % “Most of them have come to. their senses more recently,” he said. He explained the “$64,000” hassle this way: “I am sometimes asked: Why do editors give such a big play to the ‘$64,000 Question’ when local advertisers can’t get in a line of publicity? . , . The ‘$64,000 Question’ aroused a spon¬ taneous and almost universal interest in the nation just because it was shrewdly handled to provoke popular emotions, and wholly aside from the fact that it had a commercial connection. “Half the people who watch it can’t even tell you what it was advertising. I myself think newspapers generally got taken in by this stunt, and played it out of all-proportion to its true news- worthiness. , “But the fact remains that when hundreds of subscribers wore telephoning the newspaper to ask questions about the little Negro girl or the Marine who were featured on the program, no news¬ paper could ignore the subject, or pretend that it didn’t exist. To the average member of the television audience, this was not com¬ mercialism; it was high adventure.” Seymour told the group that “a newspaper is not a popcorn stand. It is not just a business corporation organized for the pur¬ pose of making money. By its very origin, it is an institution dedicated to something larger than this. It must make a profit, in order to preserve its independence and self respect. But, it must also tell people the truth, or its soils the noble tradition and limits its capacity to be a free press and obliterates its pri¬ mary reason for existence. “If you want the maximum from advertising expenditures, don’t ask the newspaper to peddle riioddy. It is working for Ihe adver¬ tiser too, when it sets high standards of behavior and perform¬ ance, and refuses to let anybody—including the advertiser him¬ self—soil and besmirch the quality of the product.” Clergy's Trouble-Shooting Role as Motivation For ‘Crossroads’ TV Series New York. Editor, Variety; At our conference last week, th'e attention of. Father George B. Ford, Captain Maurice M. Wither¬ spoon and myself, as Religious Consultants to “Crossroads” was called to your review of the Fri¬ day night premiere. We read your comments with interest and appre¬ ciation of your general commenda¬ tion of its aim. I have been asked, for the Committee, to comment on one phase of your criticism which, it seems to us, does not take into account what the American clergy¬ men really is and does. It is just to correct the impres¬ sion that the clergy concerns itself only with prayer and preaching and pastoral visitation that this show was conceived. It may seem strange to the average layman but the American rabbi, minister or priest is called upon day after day for just the kind of “trouble shoot¬ ing” which “The Shadow of God” portrayed. This, and the episodes to follow, are taken from real life. They reveal hoxv ofteji the clergy¬ man is the “person of last resort” to whom the deeply disturbed, the falsely accused, the conscience rid¬ den have to come for succor and solution; that though they are re¬ puted to deal wim.salvation in the hereafter alone they perform great miracles of helping people to find peace of mind right here. The American clergyman of to¬ day has to be a combination of preacher, teacher, lawyer, psychia¬ trist, domestic relations counsel and even “investigator and detec¬ tive” and a dozen other “special¬ ties” because people still put* so much faith in him. They do so because they believe that his faith in God will somehow serve to make things come out just right. This may not be easy to put over on the tv screen but it is an ideal to which we are committed and (Continued on page 32) Wilkey’sKMOXBowout In Prepping for TV Grant St. Louis, Nov. 1. Anticipating that FCC will okay the recommendation of Thomas II. Donahue that the application of KMOX, local CBS outlet, for. the allocation of Channel 11 be grant¬ ed, Eugene Wilkey is relinquishing his duties as general manager of the station in order to devote full time to planning and preparing for the operation of the tv facilities. Wilkey will be succeeded as head man of the station by Robert Hy¬ land, who has been Wilkey’s as¬ sistant and sales manager. . KMOX was one of five appli¬ cants for the Channel 11 award but FCC has granted time to the other four to present additional reasons why they should receive the certificate before a final de¬ cision is rendered. , ,, J More DuM Ex-Key Aides Lopped As Facilities Shrink WABD,DuMont N. Y. owned and operated station, has shaved off two men who. were key personnel under the old administration, and other top man has quit for a job at NBC. Notified were Al Hol¬ lander, director of operations, and Miokey Celentano, music depart¬ ment bass. Chief announcer for the station, Don Russell, officially moves over to NBC to continue in “Monitor” and “do other things” as of Friday (4). Hollander’s exit was believed prompted by the great shrinkage of DuMont facilities. They had been managed by him. He made all the deals for rental of studio space in the large 67th. Street plaqt In Manhattan and for one of the two theatres used by the de¬ funct DuMont network for tele¬ casting. Four of the Telecentres studios which he controlled are be¬ ing used for actual tv work, the fifth is said to be a storage space mainly. Studio 5, largest DuMont (Continued on page 32) . TV Staging & Auditioning From the Horses’ Mouths (Kaufman, Begley-M'Crae) Like the man said, with an IBM machine you can do it better and faster. Some take months and years to make with the great Amer¬ ican thisa or the international thata; others are more facile. Bill Kaufman (precise handle, William I. Kaufman), currently an NBC co-op program sales hand but formerly in program-casting-talent at the web and a quondam (1953) legit producer (Steve Allen in “Pink Elephant,” which even the pachyderms want to forgot), lias been batting ’em out so far to the number of seven. His IBM or Uni- vac (that other'* company) is pretty slick: be an anthologist, round up name contributors and have your¬ self a work between covers. The tough chore is to (1), got the idea; (2), have enough prestige to cor¬ ral up the best of the biz, be it tv or cookery; and (3), be unafraid of hard work. Kaufman’s latest effulgence (that’s what we mean, hard work, like lifting a dictionary and not .being cowed by the riffling) is “How to Direct lor Television” .(Hasting House; $2.50), part of that pub’s Communication Art Books scrijfci. His ye ed previosities are Vols, I-II-III of “Best Television JPlays” (Merlin); co-author of “Your Career in Television” (Merlin); “How to Write for Television” (Hastings); and, changing the pace, “Cooking With the Experts” (Ran- (Contjnueji on page 32) Wednesday, November 2, 1955 PSxSIEfY It ADIO-TEI JR VISION 29 CBS’ ‘SO WHO NEEDS COLOR’ AFTRA’s “When Is Film Live?’ Attempt by American Federation o£ TV-Radio Artists to wrest control of DuMont’s Electronicam from Screen Actors Guild is believed only the first step the live actors union to take over be¬ tween 10 and 15 programs heretofore considered as vidfilm. AFTRA wants to take over all performing done via Electroni¬ cam including the Jackie Gleason show, because it is “done in the manner of a live broadcast.” Though an AFTRA spokesman vesterday (Tues.) refused to clarify what the term meant, it ip considered the crux of an anticipated AFTRA assault on programs such as Phil Silvers’, “It’s Always Jan,” “Those Whiting Girls,” “I Love Lucy,” Danny Thomas’ and several others. All of these films are reportedly made with three cameras in operation simul¬ taneously. A. DuMont source indicated that though cameras on the Silvers stanza, for instance, are not Electronicams, he under¬ stood AFTRA to be interested in assuming jurisdiction. Such being the case, AFTRA is assumed to interpret “in the manner of a live broadcast” to mean any program shot with a multiple set of cameras, so that filming is carried from start to finish in a somewhat unbroken fashion. On the other hand, film shows lensed in the traditionally slower stop and start method AFTRA is said to feel should remain in SAG’s bailiwick. AFTRA shied from defining “live manner” because it has been served with a notification that DuMont has petitioned The Ameri¬ can Arbitration Assn, to rule in favor of SAG control of acting done before the Electronicam. Union, it is said, will also use as an argument favoring its com trol of many SAG-controlled programs that they are filmed before a live audience. This audience factor antedates the three camera film operation and therefore is felt in some quarters to be more important in driving the AFTRA wedge. 'Operation Extra-Curricular Radio-TV Performers in a ‘Fall Festival’ of Public Relations Coward & Martin Abandon 1-Niter Tour of TV Show As Too Arduous ---- Come autumn and radio-tv sets the wheels in motion for some of its performers and personalities to invade the banquet and civic do¬ mains to make speeches, entertain and partake of cakes & ale. CBS-TV’s Jack Paar, to whom these extra-added duties have been admittedly abhorrent, has capitulated. He’s “booked” to en¬ tertain the American Marketing Assn, at the Biltmore Hotel, New York, Dec. 21. Other Columbians in on “foreign "affairs” are Phil Silvers, who’ll be at' Cleveland’s Page One Ball in the Cleveland Hotel this week (5), and Johnny Carson, who appeared yesterday (Tues.) at the Assn, of National Advertisers at the Plaza Hotel, N. Y. . Not to be outdone, CBS Radio is in there too. Music chief Jim Fas- .sett is back from Cleveland, where he addressed luncheon honoring symph conductor George Szell. Galen Drake and cast members Stu Foster and Sandy Stewart- are headed for Richmond, Va., today (Wed.) to perform at WRVA’s 30th anni celebration. Bobby Alford of “My Son Jeep” was host to Cub Scouts at Halloween party at N. Y.’s Rockaways’ Playland (29). Eve Arden, head girl of “Our Miss Brooks” (radio-tv), will be doing a bit of travelin’ since she’s been se¬ lected radio chairman for Ameri¬ can Education Week, Nov. 6-12. Red Barber emceed Bergdorf- Goodman fashion show for benefit of new Nurses Hqme Fund of Phelps Memorial hosp in Scar¬ borough, N. Y., yesterday (Tues.) (Barber lives in that town). Among the N. Y. locals, Jack (Continued on page 32) WCBS-TV’s $30,000 New Year’s Hoopla A New-Year’s-Eve-in-New-York package is up for grabs in a rec¬ ord coupling of price, players and span. For the second year, WCBS- TV has blueprinted a holiday eve show, running from 11:15 p.m. to 1 a.m., as result of which the CBS flagship will keep going until about 4 o’clock with the regularly carded- “Late” and “Late Late” film grinds. Station is asking a gross fee of $30,000, but recent experience in¬ dicates that cutting up the 105 niinutes will prove a better pay- offer all around. The show would be segmented sponsorwise from start to midnight and from then until the finale. Cut- (Continued on page 32) i Wynn Exits WABC-TV Larry Wynn, for the past ,10 months sales manager at WABC- TV, N. Y., has ankled the ABC-TV flagship station. He’s being suc¬ ceeded by Joseph Stamler, a sales staffer there for the past three years. Wynn joined WABC-TV last year after a four-year stand as sales manager of WABD, the Du¬ Mont flag in N. Y. He’ll shortly announce a new affiliation. Stam¬ ler, named over the weekend to the sales spot by Bob Stone, the station’s recently-appointed gen¬ eral manager, was manager of WNDR, Syracuse, before coming to N. Y. as an account exec at WMGM, the Loew’s indie radio outlet. He joined WABC-TV in 1952. Chas. Ayres Shifts From ABC to Boss NBC Radio Setup After taking a long and hard look at the sound side of the net¬ work, NBC has gone outside its own sphere to recruit a* bossman in Charles T. Ayres, V.p. of ABC Radio. It’s a foregone conclusion that the shift over from the rival will not affect Ayres’ v.p. stripes, being technically subject to a vote of NBC’s board of directors. The NBC “in charge” post has been vacant since resignations of Bill Fineshriber, the official top radio man, some months ago, fol-. lowed by that of Ted Cott,'who doubled over partly into the Fine¬ shriber domain during a period (last year and previously) when the jurisdiction was not too clearly defined. It’s known that NBC, whose radio destinies have been residing in the lap of Robert W. Sarnoff, exec v.p. of the overall company, has been pnxious for some time to pinpoint the responsibility. The younger Sarnoff not only has radio and tv under his wing but long- range public relations type of problems and blueprints, and is, of course, interested more than academically in RCA, of which his father, Brig. Gen. David Sarnoff, is board chairman (as he is of the broadcasting divisions). Department* heads working di¬ rectly under Sarnoff until Ayres came in this week, but on levels not necessarily in the order named, (Continued on page 32) NETWORK PLANS TO DROP TINTERS With the exception of those shows to which it is contractually committed, namely the Thursday night one-a-month series of Chrys- ler-sponsofed “Shower of Stars” and the one-monthly “Ford Star Jubilee,” CJBS is seriously contem¬ plating dropping color program¬ ming from its tv schedule. Frank Stanton, president of Columbia, has, it’s known, already issued a memorandum alerting the program staff to the possibility of the net¬ work folding its tint tents within the next 30 days. More than 60 shows, on an aver¬ age of two a week (over and above the Chrysler and Ford series which will be continued) have been scheduled for the “rainbow treat¬ ment,” all of them at CBS’ ex¬ pense, and budgeted at approxi¬ mately $6,000,000 for the season. But CBS takes the viewpoint “what’s the use” when set sales are at a virtual standstill and with 10,000 receivers, at the most, in circulation. However, what concerns the net¬ work is not only the fact that the color shows are restricted to such a small audience, and with little prospects of any appreciable gains in the foreseeable future, but that playing to a few thousand is be¬ ing done at the expense of view¬ ers on the 39,000,000 black-and- white tv sets, because of what the network describes as “soft pic¬ tures” registered on b & w by the tinted shows. ' Only a Reprise CBS’ downbeat attitude toward color and its immediate future is actually a reprise of the sentiment shared by. the web last season, when it also soft-pedalled its tint¬ ing up the spectrum. However, its bullishness was revived at the start of the season when it mapped an unusually heavy schedule of “rainbow shows” to keep pace with the NBC rosters. However, Columbia now takes the position that color seems to be going nowhere; there doesn't seem to be any appreciable set price de¬ cline in sight to bring it within reasonable range for the consumer, and since the tinting process rep¬ resents such a heavy investment, with many shows costing half as much again in below-the-line pro¬ duction costs, it just doesn’t make sense. With the one-a-month “Shower of Stars” entry originating on the Coast, it would leave only the Ford Saturday night series as the sole tenant of the new CBS-TV color studios on upper Broadway, JL Y., (Continued on page 32) TV As Medical Science Aid to Ferret Out Sleep Habits, Human Behavior Swampscott, Mass., Nov. 1. Medical science is using tv to record hitherto unknown facts about sleep habits and human be¬ havior it was revealed at the 66th annual meeting of the Association of American Medical Colleges at the New Ocean House here last week. TV cameras are concealed in homes, behind one way mirrors or in total darkness, where use of in¬ fra-red light makes possible sleep habit revelations. Delegates viewed films showing how tv can be ap¬ plied to medical teaching and re¬ search a.t the session, which was dominated by the subject o‘f tele¬ vision. Color tv opens possibility of medical information not available through other techniques it was disclosed. Previously unrecorded facts about the interior of the eye have been documented by televi¬ sion, the delegates learned. TV has provided a means for the opthalmologist to look into the back of the eye and record the condition of the optic nerve, pulsa¬ tion of blood vessels and pre-reti- nal hemorrhage. Sarnoff’s ‘Alert’ NBC has sent out an alert setting forth that board chair¬ man David Sarnoff would make “an important announce¬ ment” concerning future growth of television tomorrow (Thurs.) at what is called the “firs't closed circuit color tv press conference ever held.” Gathering will be at web’s Colonial Theatre tint studio on Broadway and 62d St., with a feed at noon followed by the conference an hour later. Durgin Gets ABC Top Radio Berth In 4-Man Shuffle Shift of Charles Ayres from his v.p.-in-charge-of-radio ABC post to a similar one at NBC (see separate story) has cued a four-man reshuf¬ fling at ABC, With Don Durgin as the kingpin. Durgin, presently di¬ rector of sales development and research, moves into Ayres spot as v.p. in charge of radio, with the other shuffles stemming from his shift. Replacing Durgin as director of sales development and research is Gene Accas, presently the web’s director of advertising, promotion and publicity. Latter department is once again being divided into two i autonomous groups, with Accas’ assistant, John H. Eckstein, be¬ coming director of ad-promotion and A1 Seton, presently manager of publicity, retaining that title but becoming headman of the autono¬ mous groups, with Accas’ assistant, John H. Eckstein, becoming di¬ rector of ad-promotion and A1 Seton, presently manager of pub¬ licity, retaining that title but be¬ coming headman of the autono¬ mous department and reporting di¬ rectly (as do the others) to ABC prez Bob Kintner. Sales development & research post has been a key step-off point in the past. Ollie Treyz, before becoming president of the Televi¬ sion Bureau of Advertising, moved up to director of the radio network (No. 2 man under Ayres) from the sales development-research job, where he was succeeded by Dur¬ gin. Now Durgin, who played a key role in the development of the web’s new v nightime “new sounds” radio pattern, gets the No. 1 radio post., Durgin’s one of (Continued on page 48) ‘QUEEN FOR A DAY’ IN NBC-TV JAN. BOW “Queen For A Day,” the long- running Mutual network radio show, is finally going tv on a coast-to-coast basis. It's been booked into a late afternoon cross- the-board slot on NBC-TV starting in January. . Colgate sponsorship coin appears to be on tap. Thus far “Queen” has had only limited tv exposure, with several Coast stations carrying it with some fancy rating returns. Lennen & Newell agency has been dicker¬ ing the network deal. Belafonte’s GE 1-Shot Singer Harry Belafonte makes his initial dramatic appearance on television on'“General Electric Theatre” Nov. 6, costarring with Ethel Waters in “Winner by Deci¬ sion,” based on a Budd Schulberg story. It’s a boxing yarn, adapted for television by Bill ALtaway. There were discussions between Mary Martin, Noel Coward and the latter’s London managers, Charles Russell and Lance Hamilton, as to “salvaging” the stars’ CBS-TV “Together- With Music” spec as a touring one-niter legit unit which would cover some of the nation’s key cities. Plan was to start on the Coast and work east, winding up with a one-nite stand in New York. However, both Miss Martin and Coward decided to abandon the idea as too arduous, with result that Coward left over the week¬ end for his home in Jamaica, to resume work on the novel he has in preparation. Meanwhile, the managerial Russell-Hamilton duo left for the Coast to begin pre¬ paration for Coward’s second CBS spec. This will be a video adapta- Mary’s ‘Annie’ Spec Look f6r a Mary Martin spectacular on "Annie Get Your Gun” before the season rqns out. Miss Martin is no stranger to the role, having stepped into the Ethel Mer¬ man part when the legiter went on tour. Spec will probably be don® around April or May in ’56. Whether or not NBC -or CBS gets it will depend on where Miss Martin chooses to go, since she’s strictly a freelance operator where tv is con¬ cerned, except for NBC’s ex¬ clusivity on her “Peter Pan” repeat. , tion of his “Blithe Spirit,” which will be done the night of Jan. 14 as another “Ford Star Jubilee” 90- minute attraction. Preliminary talks are being held with Lauren Bacall and Edna Best as possible femme leads. This time Coward wants a kinescope of the completed show three days before its airing so that he can give it minute study. Coward does his third spec for Columbia next May. This will be his “Peace In ,Our Time,” a cops ’n’ robbers type of vehicle of a Nazi invasion of England. It had a season’s run in London. Between his second and third tv excursion Coward returns to Jamaica to com¬ plete his novel and is due back in London for a Palladium engage¬ ment after winding up his third tv spec. Miss Martin is resting at her Connecticut home before starting rehearsals for a January repeat of her “Peter Pan” NBC-TV spec. Chi Zoo, NBC-TV Agree in 60G Deal Chicago, Nov. L Except for an occasional growl from Nero the lion, all is peace and quiet on the Lincoln Park Zoo front after the park board last week “welcomed” Marlin Perkins back as zoo director and signed a new pact with NBC-TV for rights to use the animal park for its Sun¬ day afternoon “Zoo Parade,” con¬ ducted by Perkins. In a deal worked out by public affairs' exec Ben Park, NBC-TV will shell out $60,000 for use of the zoo for up¬ wards of 20 shows on a flexible basis over the ’55-’56 season. While on leave the past sum¬ mer to head up the NBC-TV financed film expedition in Africa, Perkins sent back a letter of resig¬ nation to the park officials after they had, in effect, asked him to choose between his tv career and his Lincoln Park job. At that time negotiations between the network and the park execs had broken down over money matters! The inter-continental hassle be¬ tween Perkins and the park board was quickly ironed out upon his return to Chicago last week when he was reinstated as the zoo’s headman and the NBC pact was finalized. RADIO REVIEWS so VARlt'tf Wednesday, November 2, 1955 ABC Radio Preems Its ‘New Sounds’ Pattern & It Makes a Lot of Sense By BOB CHANDLER ABC Radio, with a courage bom of desperation and destitution in the nighttime, has finally made its bid to bring back advertisers, au¬ dience and basic programming to after-dark network radio with a “new sounds for you” concept (that is strictly an unofficial title, for reasons to be discussed later). Whether the advertisers and audi¬ ence will return, is a matter of con¬ cern to all networks, not just ABC; but here let it be recorded that interest is certainly going to be stirred. For the network’s pro¬ grammers, long inert for want of money and direction, have be¬ stirred themselves and come up with a formula that’s as good from the entertainment-communications and economic viewpoints as yet has been discovered for the solu¬ tion of the nighttime programming dilemma. The formula, regardless of the final payoff, shows initiative, im¬ agination and a heap of effort, which is more than can be said for the state of network radio in gen¬ eral. There are dull spots, to be sure, inconsistencies, mistakes and a couple of ludicrous bits, but overall the “new sounds” pattern makes a lot of sense and a lot of good listening. Considering the fact that the entire project was on NEW SOUNDS FOR YOU (Events of the Day, The World & You, Your Better Tomorrow, Soundmirror, Offbeat—each 25 minutes followed by five—min¬ ute news) With Les Griffith, John Daly, Charles Woods, Yale Newman, Bob Sturdevant, John Edwards, Martin Agronsky, Gunnar Back, Bryson Rash, Richard Rendell, Paul Harvey, Quincy Howe, John MacVane, Dick Heffner, Ed Jordan, Felix Grant, Don God¬ dard, Bess Myerson, Dr. Paul Popenoe, David Ross, Morey Amsterdam, others; guests, Dore Schary, Ernie Kovacs, Georgiana Carhart, others Exec producer: Drex Hines Asst exec producer: Nancy Mazur Production manager: Bill Mac- Callum News & Special Events producer: Fred Sheehan Program supervisors: Lawrence Dorn, Jim Colligan, Beth Hol- linger, Richard Rendely, Bob Clarkson Directors: Bob Greiner, Bill Dem- arest, Ray Campbell Writers: Arlene Woods, Sheldon Stark, Don Witty 150 Mins., Mon.-thru-Fri., 7:30 p.m. Participating ABC, from New York the air three weeks after it was put into work, the first night (26) was good and by Friday (28), at second listening, the improvement was remarkable. What this brainchild of ABC prez Bob Kintner, radio veep Charles Ayres, programmingrtalent veep Bob Weitman and program director Ray Diaz actually amounts to is a “segmentized” concept of radio’s personalized role as a com¬ munications and service medium, with only minor but not upneg- lected emphasis on entertainment. The entire pattern (it cannot be given an overall title for the two and one-half hours or AFTRA rates would become prohibitive since the entire period would form the basis of minimum fees is di¬ vided into five segments of'25 min¬ utes each, each followed by five- minute news segments. Each of these 25-minute periods covers a general- category—“Events of the Day,” “The World and You,” “Your Better Tomorrow,” “Soundmirror” and “Offbeat”—and each of these is further subdivided into five-and 10-minute segments. Balm For Affiliates It’s this breakdown to five-min¬ ute segments that provides the sales pattern for the concept. Shows are sold in five-minute strips, at a base rate of $800 per five-minute segment (one minute of commercial) and $4,000 for a strip. Suffice it to state that this is the lowest-priced radio formula yet on a network basis, and it shapes as a good cost-per-thou- sand buy, even if the ratings don’t go up. Probability is that with the proper grassroots, promotional, push, they will. Pattern is a balm for affiliates too, since they can cut m and out after each five-minute segment at will. The first hour—“Events of the Day” and “The World and You”— are a real effort to take advantage of radio’s mobility and portability. Overseas broadcasts, affiliate fa¬ cilities and the never-quite-realized potential of the tape recorder are freely used in bringing both hard news and features to the audience. It’s an admirable supplement to the web’s regular newscasts and gives the network’s news staff a chance to really spread its wings and get down to some digging. Top straight news coverage on nights caught were Bryson Rash’s analy¬ sis of Republican campaign plans and Martin Agronsky’s interview with tjie Israeli ambassador to the U. S., but there were plenty of other quickie pickups from Geneva, London, Washington, Denver, and other key points. Second segment, “The World & You,” is more on the feature side, with pickups from the firstnight of the Rodgers & Hammerstein “Pipe Dream” open¬ ing in New Haven (interviews with the composers and starlet Judy Tyler), a taped feature on the last steam locomotive leaving the Long* Island R.R.’s Jamaica station, a pickup of the N. Y. Yankees arriv¬ ing in Honolulu, the N. Y. Stock Exchange at midnight (plus tapes of daytime activity). Good, color¬ ful stuff and extremely listenable. Third segment, "Your Better To¬ morrow,” falls in the service vein and is somewhat apt to be duller and stuffier than the rest. This particularly applies to the first capsule, “Words of Guidance and Philosophy,” which uses clergy¬ men in a quickie sermon. It slows up the pacing and is apt to chase listeners back to their television sets. Other segments are brighter —Dr. Paul Popenoe’s marriage counselling has a light approach; Bess Myerson did nicely on inspir¬ ation to the handicapped; a visit to the A1 Roon Gym (reducing for women) was a funny segment; and a closing how-to-do-it capsule seemed to have some good advice for the housefraus. Fourth period, “Soundmirror,” is also in the feature vein, and of course, is pegged on radio’s ability to communicate orally. Standing feature is about the best—“Unit 99,” a taped pickup from a Sacra¬ mento Police prowl car. Segment caught, a woman hit-and-run driver confronted by the cops, had dramatic impact and punch that no staged version could approach. There’s “Sounds of No Impor¬ tance” (a concession or rib to the oysters on “Monitor”?), with man-, hole covers” and a clever visit to the “indestructible toy company” assembly line as the segments caught. “Sounds of Yesterday” had a honey of a remembrance with the “America’s Town Meet¬ ing” 1939 radio debate between Harold L. Ickes and Gen. Hugh s. Johnston, with both the Old Cur¬ mudgeon and the onetime NRA ad¬ ministrator at their caustic ,best. Final segment, a letdown, is a “man in the street” turn. ^ Closer, "Offbeat,” is just that, up to a point. Trouble is it isn’t offbeat enough. Opening segment, which features w.k. humorists (Er¬ nie Kovacs and Morey Amsterdam) varies with the material, but so far has been fine (could be a pretty good place for comics to develop material). Less effective is the 10- minute “futurscope,” or look into the future. As a closer, David Ross does readings in the inimitable Ross manner, and very relaxing they are. This final segment comes closest to the entertainment con¬ cept, and could be programmed with this as a definite goal rather than an incidental. Overall, at the risk of a critical broken arm, it’s obligatory to state that “new sounds” is much like NBCrs “Monitor” in that both have sought to -get out into the world and free radio from the studio. There’s a basic difference which Kintner has pointed up, however, and that’s the fact that with the “segmentized” formula there’s the element of expectancy and repeti¬ tiveness and permanency—^the au¬ diences are enabled to know what and when to look for — which “Monitor” does not have. This ele¬ ment, however, can be a double- edged sword. There were a couple of glaring cases of fitting the foot to fit the shoe, or stewing in their own titles. On the first, “Yester¬ day at Midnight,” in the “World & You” segment, the subject was a visit to the Maryknoll Seminary and had nothing to do with the title (Friday segment was legiti¬ mate—the Stock Exchange at mid¬ night). There’s such a thing as be¬ ing too rigid, and these permanent titles (which aren't completely nec¬ essary, since the 25-minute title is good enough) may prove to be cumbersome. On the minor-critique side, a couple of objections: for a “per¬ sonalized” show, as this is touted to be, there’s too much anonymity in the matter of credits, A “this is your host on this half-hour without further identification doesn’t help the audience rapport, particularly in this day of the per¬ sonality. Another matter is the networks hew “listen, listen, lis¬ ten” ID, which also serves as a cue to stations coming on and off the net. Thing is repeated after every five-minute segment, and becomes pretty jarring, particularly since there's no musical bridge or cre¬ scendo to indicate the end of the segment and the cue comes right up out of the blue. These problems, and that of rig¬ idity of format, will undoubtedly be worked out in time. Meantime, ABC has had the courage to get down to grips with network radio S basic problem today—if its func¬ tion as an entertainment medium has been usurped by tv, what can network radio offer as an alterna¬ tive service that local radio sta¬ tions themselves can’t produce. “New sounds” shapes up as the best answer to that problem yet. WCBS Doesn’t Find Out Much From Mayor Wagner Re 1/ Affaire Video File’ Mayor Robert F. Wagner of New York admitted on WCBS’, “Let’s Find Out” Sunday (30) that his “directive” opening up the city s files to radio-tv producers in gen¬ eral and to his tv producer friend Ted Granik in particular might have been a mistake. The city s newspapers thought the “mistake had a retroactive color, since the “directive” (now'only a memory in view of the fact that a city group has been formed to look into radio- tv deals with producers) was issued Oct. 11 but not made public then. It might have been held from the public X number of months or years had not an alert newspaper (World-Telegram & Sun) broken the story 10 days later (21) to cause consternation that resulted in dead- 1 pigeonholing the “directive” and ] bringing even more to the fore Police Commissioner Kennedy, i The latter, with characteristic : toughness, said the producers : would get into the constabulary’s i confidential files over his dead : body. (It is well known that Com¬ missioner Kennedy loves life, hates crime, took the job as cop-in-chief on promise from city hall that they’d go away and not bother hifn.) First third or sb of “Let’s Find Out” was on the hot potato issue. Mayor Wagner got trapped into' equating non-secret information given to newspapers, magazines, etc., by city servants with informa¬ tion to radio-tv producers, pack¬ agers or their spokesmen. As has been brought out previously, printed media are largely in the domain of public service; commer¬ cial films or live shows treating of civic subjects are usually enter¬ tainment first, or at least that is their chief reason for being since comparable “stories” in the black- and-whites may be as dull as dish¬ water and would be read, whereas civic virtues of the lack thereof, when dramatized, must have some¬ thing other than information If they are not to be subject to whole¬ sale tuneouts. (No one reads two or more newspapers at a time; in radio-tv, the set has knobs.) Anyway, moderator Martin Wel¬ don and interviewers Herbert Kamm (World-Telly) and David Wise (Herald Tribune) couldn’t find out very much that was new re the burning issue. They might have asked the mayor the what- about of his earlier statement W.8 months or more ago, not long after taking office) on how he was going to help television in New York to be interested in staying in New York instead of becoming a poten¬ tial exile; but it’s the old story: put veteran observers of the city scene on a show where one of the main topics happens to fall into the maze and mores of broadcast¬ ing and they are forgivably lost, recovering when they get back to administrative and political facets, where they are experts. One would have thought that it’s part of a moderator’s job to turn the question bee into a groove where it does the most good, and since Weldon is a tradester, in a manner of speaking, he had the op¬ portunity but didn’t grasp it. One of the prime disadvantages in a public servicer of the “Find Out” type is that they can’t find out very much when, as and if there’s a weekend (late Saturday, early Sunday) development hitched to what they’re supposed to en¬ compass on the program. Meaning that the 25-minuter is one of those transcribed affairs, and hence often the kiss of death for topical shows of this type. Trau. J FEW WORLD A-COMING (New Shoes) ' With Mason Adams, Ethel Everett, Margaret Draper, Rock Rogers, Ann Pitoniak, Lawsfoi Zerbe, Ann Loring, Earl Hammond; Sidney Paul, narrator Director: Howard Phillips Writer: Hannibal Towle 30 Mins., Tues., 9:30 p.m. WMCA, New York WMCA, N.Y., returned to the air a week ago Tuesday (25) with the 13th year of “New World A-Com- Ing,” series of live dramas on a variety of social themes. Program is the highlight of the station’s 9:30 to 10 strip which consists en¬ tirely of public service features. It!s laudable in an era when most independent radio is given to econo¬ mies that one qf its number is spending cold cash on a live dra¬ matic feature that is dedicatedly non - commercial. One problem facing WMCA is that the show is anchored in a time berth that is prominently. video’s domain in the seven-channel metropolitan market and hence much of listenership goes the other way. However, since a tape of each half-hour is normal¬ ly etched for the file it could be used for replays during other hours to catch a further chunk of the audience. (Saturday and/or Sunday might suffice due to large auto tune-in then.) First stanza of season for “New World” made every effort to work up public steam over what it felt was a genuine social injustice. Hannibal Towle, basing his yarn on a tour of European refugee centres, penned an angry piece in “New Shoes.” He was after the hide on the McCarran-Walter Act on immigration. Rather than a plot, Towle wrote a series of related frustrations suffered by refugees who for five years had tried for admission to the U.S. He wanted to get across that some groups, such as these people, a batch of Czechs who quit their Communist homeland after 1948 and therefore weren’t considered displaced persons, were arbitrarily restricted from entry here. Objectively there were many damning points scored against the refugee act, but Towle didn’t muster genuine sympathy for his characters who were by and large symbolic representations of suffer¬ ing. Outcome was on the meller side; Mason Adams played Pavel, a young man who finally went insane and literally threw himself to the lions (inva European zoo) after being blocked from migrat¬ ing to the U.S. once too often. He, his father, his sister and his mother had spent all their time in the refugee centre learning one trade after another in anticipation of coming' to America, and Pavel could take no more. The boredom embittered everyone. Symbolism of “New Shoes” was an interesting way to approach the subject: As each refugee lost hope of reaching this country, he put on the new shoes he had been sav¬ ing for the big day. If Towle could have developed his story as well as he did this moral and some of his extremely beautiful dialog he might have had a really-forceful drama. Art THE LEADING QUESTION With Stuart Novins, moderator; Paul Douglas, Walter Williams, guests Producer: Nancy Hanschman 30 Mins., Sun., 10:30 a.m. CBS, from Washington After quitting an administrative Job with CBS, Stuart Novins re¬ turned to moderating. He has two stanzas on the air right now, “Face the Nation” on CBS-TV (with CBS Radio rebroadcasting later on) and “The Leading Question” on CBS Radio. “Leading Question,” un¬ der discussion here, is miscast as a 10:30 ayem Sunday entry because at that time many listeners who still haven’t rubbed Saturday night out of their ears might find its complex politics hard to digest. Nevertheless, Novins’ on-the-air handling and his choice of excel¬ lent guests, Sen. Paul Douglas and Under Secretary of Commerce Walter Wiliams, gave last Sunday’s (Oct. 30) show a partial boost. “Leading Question” this time was: How healthy is the national economy? Douglas and Williams took the lists as opponents. When it came to finding fault with things, Douglas was a smoothie at putting the blame on the Eisenhower ad¬ ministration, and Williams was just as eloquent, and maybe a minute bit more vociferous, about con¬ demning the other team. When the argument got hot, Novins asked new queries and kept tempers from getting way out of hand. It was clearly a time for reps of both major political parties to make ac¬ cusations so as to influence next] THEY TALKED TO A STRANGER With Len O’Connor; George Stone, announcer < Producer-Writer: O’Connor 30 Mins.; Mon.-thru-Fri., 10:30 p.m Sustaining * ' WMAQ, Chicago If, as suspected, the Windy City is unusually blase about the grow¬ ing problem of juvenile delin¬ quency, this series of 10 half-hour “conversations” between Chi NBC newsman Len O’Connor and 10 teenage underworld initiates should do much to dispel the complacent myth that delinquency is just largely a matter of young bucks letting off some steam. The one theme running through these 10 case histories was succinctly put by O’Connor as examples of “major crime with a juvenile label.” In one listener’s memory at least, radio has never before been used to unfold such a grimly sordid, yet completely engrossing slice of con¬ temporary Americana. It’s doubted a better job of sounding a com¬ munity alarm could have been done by any other medium than this AM “This Is My Life” accounting by the young lawbreakers them¬ selves. Television couldn’t have been used because of the need for cloaking the youths’ identities and the printed word would have been a flat substitute- for the actual voices of the subjects. Aside from the fact these taped hunks of realism should be valur able material for the. professional students of delinquency, they are also classic demonstrations of how a newsman with a mission works. O’Connor’s persistent, just short of relentless, probing into the fouled-up psychics of his inter¬ views added much to the almost horribly fascinating stories. He made no preachments and supplied no conclusions, leaving the attempt at the latter to such experts as Judge Harold O’Connell of Family Court, Sheriff Joseph Lohman, his juvenile officer Capt. Richard Boone and Stateville warden Jo¬ seph Regan. No small share of the credit must go to WMAQ general manager Jules Herbuveaux and news direc¬ tor Bill Ray for their allout back¬ ing of a series that naturally aroused a wonderment about the sensativities involved. The tapes were edited to remove the blasphemies and the obsceni¬ ties but enough “damns” and “hells” were left in for the kind of realism radio traditionally ducks. But even beyond these minor em¬ bellishments, it was- the detailed chronologies of crime almost cas¬ ually unfolded by the teensters that must have sent a shiver of fright down the spines of a lot of parents. In practically every case the in¬ trospections went back to when the kids first got into trouble at the ages of eight or nine. Their trails led through foster homes, parental institutions, St. Charles and Sheri¬ dan Boys Schools (medium secur¬ ity) with a lot of them apparently resigned to making the state peni¬ tentiaries their next stop once they become eligible as 21-year-olds. The pattern was often the same. Broken homes: “My foster parents used to beat me for always wetting the bed.” First it was smalltime burglary: “I was eight when I first got picked up for robbing a candy store.” Next came car stealing: “Was picked up at 14 in a hot car and pulled four and a half years at Sheridan.” Then came armed robbery: “First one I pulled a gun on was a little old lady, must’ve been about 90. But I was more scared than she was.” Dope and booze were early factors: “Sure, I’veiused marijuana.” Usually there were girls: “Na^, girls don’t care where you get your.money. 1 was making $200-$300 some days writ¬ ing bad checks.” O’Connor ended the half-hour asking the listeners to be the judge Whether the kids were telling the truth. If they weren’t they were the best non-pro actors radio has ever heard. And even if they em¬ broidered the yarns “for kicks” that would say much about the direction of their imaginations. The first-person stories on the eight chapters heard varied in degrees of sordinCss, were some¬ times starkly dramatic and all fundamentally tragic. Had this been handled by less responsible hands it could well have been sheer sensationalism, but what emerged was a moving document that should have a proud place in the archives of radio journalism and perhaps even in sociological libraries. Dave. week’s election. It would have been fine listening, considering the crossed words and all, if.the “indirect controls,” “farmers’ trad¬ ing areas” palaver hadn’t slowed show down for the poorly initiated. Art. Wednesday, November 2, 1955 J^AKIETY ' RADIO-TELE VISION " The Weekend Trendex The key tv rivalry as it shaped up on the Trendex 15-city score- board over the past weekend (29-30): SATURDAY . CBS NBC ABC 7:30 Beat Clock Big Surprise Ozark Jubilee 19.5 15.3 4.8 8:00 Stage Show Perry Como 9.8 . 14.4 24.3 8:30 J. Gleason 24.5 .. 22.8 6.6 10:00 Gunsmoke Geo. Gobel 15.5 28.9 SUNDAY 5:00 Omnibus Wide Wide World 7.5 14.1 — 7:30 Private Sec. Frontier Famous Films 22.9 15.4 10.5 8-9 Ed Sullivan Variety Hour 6.0 37.4 15.0 Perry Como's hour must watched more than ever vs. the 30-min¬ ute Jackie Gleason since the singer’s latest is less than two mark¬ ers behind, his best since the rivalry was touched off. Beyond that, Como’s average against Gleason and the up-ahead Stage Show is getting serious (for Columbia), 23.5 vs. 19.5, and the full hour is the thing to watch even more from here in. Big Surprise made a big. comeback, nearly doubling its previous score, while Beat the Clock declined about three points. George Gobel is well ahead of. Gunsmoke, but latter’s 15.5 is respectable. Frontier picked up more than four pegs, but. Private Secretary (Ann Sothern) is still ahead and was not far behind previous week’s. Jack Benny, the alternating show. Ed Sullivan opened up an even greater gap against Variety Hour. In the Wide Wide World-Omnibus competition (for the first-half hour of the latter), the NBC’er nearly doubled the “spec pioneer,” 90-minute Ford Foundation show, with WWW’s score better than that made by last week’s star-studded Alice in Wonderland. WCBS-TVs ‘Quartered, 5-Drawn Pix CBS Flagship Cuts Up ‘Late Late Show’ Into 5 Quarters and Lures 5 Buyers New sales concept covering WCBS-TV’s “Late Late Show,” that of offering the feature film stanza, beamed at New York’s stay¬ er-uppers as well as second shift workers, in quarter-hour segments, is paying off to the extent of five for-five bankrollers. Some time back “LL” had a sponsor or two for the approximately 75-minute grind, ■but this didn’t last very long. Sev¬ eral weeks ago, Craig Lawrence, former general manager of the CBS-TV flagship who’s now a fac¬ totum in the web’s owned & op¬ erated administration, got together with his successor at the outlet, Sam Digges, and framed the “new concept” for the livingroom night prowlers. Thus “Late Late” was divided into five quarters for $1,500 each cross-the-board (mean¬ ing all the way since the pix ses¬ sion runs seven nights). Result to date, five out of the five availabilities wrapped up in Block Drug, Revlon, Brown & Wil¬ liamson (Raleigh Cigs) and “house accounts” CBS-Columbia and CBS Records., (Subsidiaries need plug¬ ging, too.) The $1,500 weekly rate contrasts with the old $240 per announce¬ ment for year round exposure, or $1,680 per week;- but the new deal includes an opening and closing blurb, and hence an even better bargain. The old $240 rate was more or less academic, however, since “LL” never got that many buyers, while holding its own in consideration of the fact that it kicks off after “Late Show” (ap¬ proximately 12:30 a.m.) and runs near to 2 o’clock. Matter of fact, it has a nifty “objective” Septem¬ ber Nielsen (“objective” because there’s no competition except for (Continued on page 46) CBS-TV Film Sales ‘Controversy’ Series Hollywood, Nov. 1. Negotiations are under way for ,9®S-TV Film Sales to distribute Controversy,” new vidfilm series being produced by George Draine. George Putnam, KTTV staff an¬ nouncer, is narrator and Lennie Blondheim director of the behind- tne-headlines series. Controversial news stories of the past are spotlighted in series and then filmed on location, where they actually occurred. , 4,649 Theatre Features Total TV Availabilities Latest count on theatrical fea¬ ture films available to television is 4,649, comprising 3,362 features and 1,287 westerns. Compilation comes from the Broadcast Infor¬ mation Bureau. BIB asserts that frequency of features-to-tv has been slowing down in recent months, except for westerns and foreign-made pix. Latter category is predominantly British. Reason for the slowdown on American features is the re¬ strictions. imposed by the Ameri¬ can Federation of Musicians, ac¬ cording to BIB. Son of MacPhail CBS’ Answer To NBC’s Durocher William MacPhail, son of Larry MacPhail, the ex-baseball impre¬ sario (Dodgers, Yankees), is nego¬ tiating a deal with CBS, with ex¬ pectancy that he’ll become the network’s sports director. Contract hasn’t been finalized, but deal is imminent, with Dan Topping, co¬ owner of the N. Y. Yankees and intimate friend of CBS board chairman William S. Paley, among those pitching up MacPhail for the post. While in a sense this is CBS’ answer to NBC’s hiring of Leo Du¬ rocher, actually MlacPhail’s job will more closely approximate that of NBC's Tom Gallery, since it will involve negotiating sports deals, principally in the area of baseball and football, and setting sports schedules. CBS has been functioning without a sports direc¬ tor as such, with Larry Lowman, one of the upper echelon veepees, and business administrator Jim Seward, along with several others, stepping into the breach wherever and whenever necessary. John Deer becomes exec prod¬ ucer of sports broadcasts (radio) and Judson Bailey remains at the tv helm. i LONG-PULL VALUE OF m SHOWS By LEONARD TRAUBE With the Nielsen tv returns now In on last month's World Series jousts between the Brooklyn Dodg¬ ers and the New York Yankees, the research outfit, it|s understopd, may find reason the better part of valor in “capitulating” to the en¬ treaties of networks and others on certain rating values. The baseball fray almost matched the ’54 string of games (Giants vs. Cleveland) in beating, the top regular show (this year it would be, of course, “$64,- 000 Question”). In special programming wherein the span is from two to three hours (or more) and the viewers in a huge number of cases are in and out of the revolving door on such outsized periods, as important as the “rating” and “share of audi¬ ence,” etc.—and perhaps more so currently and in the immediate future—is the matter of “average audience.” This is a classification that, while it has been a regular feature in the Nielsen house, has rarely, if ever, been largely ac¬ centuated. But for some time now, networks, ad agencies, sponsors, and important performers, when the situation called for it, have been pressing Nielsen to bear down heavily on “average audi¬ ence” to bring it more to the fore as far as the trade and some parts of the “borderline” public are concerned. AA the Big Target The reasoning behind the little known drive is intriguing. In a “special” show or a spectacular, whether running an hour, 90 min¬ utes, two hours, etc., the “AA” becames in some ways the No. 1 target, commercially and other¬ wise. A Noel Coward-Mary Martin dish may be close to poison from 10 to 11 on a Saturday, when George Gobel and "Hit Parade” pasted the Ford Company’s “two- act” on the overnight Trendexes (with the duo ahead only at the 9:30 half-hour). Similarly, Ed Sullivan’s almost continuous drub¬ bing of Colgate “Variety Hour” in the overnight marksmanship may have a counterpoint in “average audience” under which, for the hour as a whole (or large segments of it), the Colgate stanza may show up more favorably The same applies equally or nearly so to a great number of other pro¬ grams, whether “time for time” or cutting across “fractionally” in television’s “Great Divide” opera¬ tion calculated to leave the rivals playing hide-and-go-seek and go- away-you-bother-me. One day it might be NBC; an¬ other day, CBS. Last fall, when (Continued on page 48) ‘MOUSE’ MONOPOLIZES TV AS SUBSTITUTE Making its first appearance in the national Nielsen ratings, ABC- TV’s “Mickey Mouse Club” made all but a clean sweep of the day¬ time tv picture, emerging as the top regularly scheduled daytimer with a five-day average of 14.9 and a 50.6% share of audience in the October 1 Nielsen. “Mouse” was topped only by the World Series, which ran away with a 38.9 rating. Indicative of the sweep was the fact that the Nielsen daytime Top 10 listed the Series as No. 1, with all other nine spots occupied by “Mouse” segments sponsored by different bankrollers. No. 2 was the Carnation Tuesday 5:45-6 seg¬ ment, with a 17,9 rating, and “Mouse” filled in the list down to No. 10, occupied by Welch in Tues¬ day 5:15-5:30, whiqh was low man on the Top 10 totem pole with a 14.7. Re the competitive situation, “Mouse’s” 14.9 stacked against a 9.1 average for NBC’s “Howdy Doody” and 6.9 for Pinky Lee, 31 ON ‘AA’ f Looks Like Don McNeill’s Also Leaving Chi, Leaving But Nobody Nielsen Top 10 (2 Wks. Ending Oct. 8) $64,000 Question (CBS)... 58.2 World Series (Sun.) (NBC) .56.1 Ed Sullivan (CBS).48.6 World Series (Sat.) (NBCM8.5 I Love Lucy (CBS).46.3 Bob Hope (NBC).....44.8 Milton Berle (NBC).40.5 Disneyland (ABC) .40.4 George Gobel (NBC).39.8 Climax (CBS) ..39.5 MOO Sellout For (M WBBM-TV Late Nile In Town’ Chicago, Nov. 1. ^Fow that the WBBM-TV sales force has hung the SRO tag on the “In Town Tonight” slice of the CBS-TV station’s 10 to 11 weeknight block, the Monday- thru-Friday 60 minutes have emerged as undoubtedly the big¬ gest individual grossers in the Windy City tv competition. With the forging of the last sponsorship link on “In Town” and with the other three strips in the hour and the intervening breaks full-up, it’s calculated the four-show across- the-board panel is grossing close to $2,000,000 on an annual basis. The four quarter-hours that round out the segmentized hour fetch a time and talent weekly gross of approximately $25,000, and another $15,000 comes in from the station breaks. The period boasts a robust roster of the tablift- ers. Standard Oil bankrolls Fahey Flynn and P. J. Hoff’s news and weather leadoff band. The follow¬ ing “In Town” carries the banner of Mdgikist, Holloway House, Hamilton Glass, Toastmaster and Old Golds. John Harrington’s news and sports recap goes for the Chi Ford dealers, and Irv Kup- cinet’s windup “Chicago Story” in¬ terview session is running at ca¬ pacity as a spot carrier. It’s typical of CBS veepee H. Leslie Atlass’ “spend money to make money” managerial philos¬ ophy that when it was decided to (Continued on page 48) TV AS SUBSTITUE FOR MEX TEACHERS Mexico City, Nov. 1. A new tv station will be set up here at the start of next month us¬ ing facilities just acquired by the National University of Mexico. Ten-year lease has been obtained on rarely used Channel No. 5 be¬ longing to Radio Cadena National. University was unable to swing deal so various Government big¬ gies headed by J. Angel Ceniceros. Secretary for Public Education in the Mexican cabinet, came to its assistance with added financing. Station plans to transmit directly to the 1,400 primary schools lo¬ cated throughout Mexico City, broadcasting cultural programs on a daily morning basis. Entire plan is under the auspices of the.public .education setup of the local gov¬ ernment. Arrangements are also being made to put a tv set in every school in the Federal District area, thus alleviating somewhat the heavy teacher shortage which has become more apparent yearly. Over 80,000 youngsters now attend¬ ing lower schools will be getting the best educational facilities that the government has to offer, with less teachers needed to handle spe¬ cific educational needs. Schooling program is expected to be in full swing by the middle of the coming year with sporadic broadcasts start¬ ing as soon as the station begins to function. * Chicago, Nov. 1. After plying his trade in the Windy City for more than two decades, Don McNeil has reluct¬ antly reconciled himself to the likelihood he’ll have to move his base of operations to New York if he’s to stay in the mainstream of the radio-tv scheme of things. Conversations are underway with ABC headquarters on the feasibil¬ ity of shifting Gotham McNeil’s “Breakfast Club,” something of a Chi landmark for over 22 years. Move is not planned for the im¬ mediate future. However, the “Club” cast is to be apprised today (Tues.) of the possibility, Variety learned. McNeill’s decision to pull up stakes if need be springs primarily from his determination to get back in the television sweep- stakes. According to Ralph Bergstein, veepee of McNeill Enterprises, the toastmaster has some .definite tv offers on the fire, contingent upon his doing the show out of N. Y. It’s understood one of the offers is for a nighttime berth on a net¬ work other than ABC-TV. Mc¬ Neill’s ABC radio pact gives him the right to make outside video deals. The AM “Breakfast Club” re¬ mains McNeill’s No. 1 project and apparently has a brand new lease on life under the recently incepted participation sales formula which, with the orders in the house, has projected the hour crossboarder into 50% soldout status. Aside from the fact that McNeill is per¬ sonally eager to have another go at tv with the right vehicle after two abortive attempts, he’s con¬ vinced video exposure, especially at the nighttime audience, would focus added attention toward his morning radio enterprise. That’s why it’s believed likely the N. Y. ABC radio brass will go along with the shift even though McNeill pledges his tv allegiance to an¬ other network. With ABC-TV’s “Super Circus” slated to wind up its seven-year Chi stand Dec. 18 to be berthed in Manhattan starting New Year’s Day the Windy City exodus con¬ tinues apace. Educational B’casters’ Plea to FCC: ‘Leave Our FM Channels Alone’ Chicago, Nov. 1. National Assn, of Educational Broadcasters is more than a little alarmed over the possibility edu¬ cation’s stake in FM and televi¬ sion may be lost in any shuffle arising from the FCC’s current study of the UHF problem. At its 31st annual convention which end¬ ed here Saturday (29) the NAEB went on record opposing any changes in the FM band and asked that the principle of channel res¬ ervations for educational tele sta¬ tions be retained in any new allo¬ cation blueprint the FCC might devise. Schoolmasters also asked that they be counted in on any plans* the commission may evolve for sub¬ scription tv. Interest in toll-tv was sparked by a speech by Ze¬ nith Radio spokesman Millard C. Faught with the thesis that the educators could use pay-as-you-see video as a pay-as-you-learn source of revenue. Fact that there axe 95 non-com¬ mercial FM stations operating un¬ der the educational broadcasting setup across the country makes any suggestions that the 88-108 mega¬ cycle -band be reassigned a source of prime concern to the educators. Likewise, although only a handful of educational video channels have so far been activated, the NAEB has asked the FCC, in effect via convention resolution, that there be no cutback in the 200-plus channel allotment or any time limit put on implementation of these reserved- for-education frequencies. 32 RADIO-TELEVISION P^RIETY Wednesday, November 2 , I 955 Britain Preps for Second Link (Midlands) in Com ! TV Setup By HAROLD MYERS London, Nov. 1. The second link in the commer¬ cial tv chain in Britain is due to be forged next February when the Midlands station will go on the air. Three months later, the North¬ ern outlet will start its transmis¬ sions and by that time, almost one half of the British Isles will be re¬ ceiving an alternative program. • During the past week, test trans¬ missions have been made daily from the Lichfield transmitter, primari’y to enable dealers to make receiver conversions and to plan, new antenna installations. Preliminary results are beyond an¬ ticipation and the test card is re¬ ceived well outside the normal 30- miles range. The Birmingham station, like that in London, will be manned by two separate program contractors. Weekday time from Monday to Friday will be taken care of by Associated Television (formally known as Associated Broadcasting), and Associated British Cinemas will be- responsible for weekend transmissions. Latter company will also have weekend time on the up¬ coming Northern station from Manchester. The London commercial station has now been on the air for more than one month,, and is just be¬ ginning to emerge from many of its teething troubles. Equipment, which was installed in a race against the clock, is being adjusted to meet, the heavy demands of 50- hours a week programming and the personnel, about 78% of which was untrained, is getting to know something of the tricks of the trade. Although Sir Kenneth Clark in his opening statement from the Guildhall Banquet intimated that the two London programmers had heavily raided BBC-TV personnel, the majority of technicians respon¬ sible for the transmissions had never before had practical experi¬ ence inside a tv studio. For ex¬ ample, the operator of the master control of Associated-Rediffusion had been a truck driver in Lon¬ don, and had had no practical ex¬ perience of the mechanics of tele¬ vision. Admittedly, the teething prob¬ lems in London are not restricted to technical difficulties. Associ¬ ated-Rediffusion who operate the web on weekdays, are fighting a battle to persuade advertisers that there is something to be gained from buying time on the morning and afternoon programs. Up till now, most of them are fighting shy—and this is a case of history repeating itself. In the early days of American tv, there was the same sales resistance by advertis¬ ers in regard to daytime. They all wanted to get peak hour pro¬ grams. Advertising time on evening programs is virtually fully booked and has been so ever since the new station began. Weekend spots are virtually at capacity level, and weekday bookings from 7 p.m. on¬ wards are running at about 94% of the maximum permitted by law. The Television Act allows six min¬ utes of advertising in every hour. TV Staging S— a. Continued from page 28 ■ — 1 dom). Coming up (next spring) are “How to Act” and “How to An¬ nounce” (for tv), and after that no doubt “How to Doodle-Doo.” Kauf¬ man promises no more this calen¬ dar year in a. threat calculated to endear him to reviewers. Seems only yesterday — and wasn’t much afore that—that the third of “Best TV Plays” was ap¬ praised. So now it’s “How to Direct,” which comes better from the mouths of the craftsmen than from the academicians with bleary theory; , or as Kaufman puts it, the Doers, not the Sayers. In trying to figure the merit, you gotta fig¬ ure the experience of the contribs. They line up with Garry Simpson, Herbert Swope Jr., .Sidney Lumet, William Corrigan, Delbert Mann, Peter Birch, Stanley J Quinn, Clark Jones, Donald Stuart Hillman, who have directed some of the top shows in tv, drama and variety, experimental and actioner, pan- eller and musical, though not all with stunning success in a 52-week game of hearts and heartbreak. Read It and you, too, can be a director. Another 'How To’ (Audition) Of more general value consider¬ ing there are feyver directors than actors, and many more fewer than the tyro-on-the-make, is “Aucntion- ing for TV,” also from Hastings ($3.50) and strictly - purely from the nag’s mouth; in fact, from a couple of jockeys who’ve made both the weight and the grade— Martin Begley, casting director of NBC-TV, and Douglas MacCrae, tv writer. Begley's career in show biz is as long as the Cardiff Giant’s arm (and those foolish enough to engage him in billiards-d’-poquette at the Lambs Club know about his pretty fair hands). MacCrae has been batting ’em out for tv since ’49, wrote for radio before that, plus mags, and been an editor and foreign correspondent. If there’s anything of a major character left out vis-a-vis prepar¬ ing material and stance for the fierce and cynical eyes of a casting head or producer, it will have to be tracked down by someone else. In addition to “how to” and the whatnot of the “do nots,” there are complete scripts (two bf ’em), a tv glossary for the thesp and a card file for the same. It’s practically IBM also in this regard—and most of all, a “brainwash” under which the climber is brought down to earth through citation of the what- to-forget before being inducted into the-what-to-remember Trau. ject to cliange” in the so-called transitional state of radio itself. Ayres, via ABC, is familiar with that kind of segmentation ^and presumably will step in pronto on sales factors as well as on general economics in view of the fact that much of his success is related to affecting economies where they will hurt the least. Ayres is a veteran of radio and salesmanship. His ABC affiliation dates from 1948, from which time he rose in rather rapid stages, tak¬ ing hold as veep-head of the “third network” in April, 1952, af¬ ter serving as eastern sales man¬ ager, director of sales, v.p. over sales, etc. From 1935 to 1948, he was with Ruthrauff & Ryan, part of the time as v.p.-general man¬ ager of radio-tv; from 1928-35, he was with Hanff-Metzger, and from 1924-28, with National Carbon. More DuM fixings m a mmm a Continued from page 28 has, was just inked by CBS, through Hollander, for full time use on the Phil Silvers and “Joe and Mabel” telefilm series. Web will evidently handle its own fa¬ cilities problems hereafter. Last year Hollander closed a rental agreement with NBC for the Ambassador Theatre in which that web housed Ted Mack’s showcase, but now that Mack has gone to ABC, report has it that the Am¬ bassador might be returned to the legit theatre fold. The Adelphi deal with CBS and Jackie Gleason Enterprises was not handled by Hollander, since parent DuMont Labs, which controls the Electroni- cam Gleason uses to film his show, also made the theatre rental deal. Hollander had little left to play with, it seems. There is studio 1, two-thirds the size of studio 5. There are also two smaller studios, 2 and 3, under WABD aegis. ‘Crossroads’ Continued from page 28 which we feel our producer, direc¬ tor and actors are conveying to the millions who are watching the program. You say “the lead might well have been a teacher, scientist, or just plain Joe without making any difference in the story” but the fact is that the teacher, scientist and plain Joe, as a rule, confine themselves to their own particular job while the rabbi, minister or priest considers it his ordinary task to concern himself with the problems of people no matter what the special help asked or needed. Whether it be someone from Bailey’s Beach or Skid Row, whether it be the primmest of his church women or the “scarlet sin¬ ner,” the normal, the sub-normal, the abnormal, all find their way to the clergy and the clergy finds the way to them. “The Shadow of God” tells a true story. Others felt that the ac¬ cused “gimpy” was innocent but Father Rigge, once they came to him, did not rest until he had turned the darkness of public dis¬ like and suspicion for the man into the light of justice and freedom. •We wanted that story told, as we want others told about our priests, ministers and. rabbis so that peo¬ ple might know how ordinary it is for clergymen to undertake the extraordinary when our faith in God prompts us to have faith in a fellow human, being, no matter what the score for him or the odds against him. Rev. Dr. Wm. F. Roseriblum Chairman Religious Con¬ sultants to “Crossroads” CBS’ Color Frown — Continued from page 29 ^ which represented an investment of approximately $2,000,000. At the same time, RCA over the weekend released a statement to the effect that there’s an “unprece¬ dented demand for color tv ceivers developing throughout the nation” because of RCA’s stepped- up ad campaign coupled with NBC’s color programming, sparked particularly by ' the World Series and NCAA tintcasts grid schedule, RCA translates it into the fol¬ lowing figures: Total of 08 color sets sold during World Series period by Ohio Ap¬ pliances, Cincinnati; 28 sets sold to consumers and seven to public places by RCA distrib in Washing¬ ton; 333 sets moved by Raymond Rosen & Co. in Philadelphia in a three-week period before, during and after World Series; total of 181 receivers sold in L. A. during 10-day period before and during Series, and generally “mounting public interest and excitement being generated.” NewYear’s Hoopla -: Continued from page 29 == ins from Times Sq. would apply on each segment; ’ Already booked for the hoorah are Dick Haymes, Mindy Carson, Gene Krupa Trio, George DeWitt, Roger Ray, Bob Eberly, Eleanor Russell, Martha Davis & Spouse, Mayo Bros., Honey Dreamers (5); Robert Trout (functioning at Times Sq.), George Bryan (host), Peter Thomas (announcer) and Alfredo Antonini orch (20). The 30G in¬ cludes time, talent, production, re- searsal and remotes, but not com¬ mercial handling (such as a film, etc.). First part (45 minutes) is up for $17,500; second part (one hour), $12,500. Piel’s Beer under¬ wrote the show last year, starting at 11:30. Ayres to NBC “ Continued from page 29 = are Fred Horton (sales) John P. Cleary (programs), Alfred R. Stern (participating programs). It 1 assumed the "reporting to” will find Ayres as liaison between the foregoing and Bob Sarnoff, with latter still topdog. Ayres comes upon the scene af¬ ter the pattern for the weeltend “Monitor” had been worked out, since the show has been going for some four months; coming up, however, is the cross-the-board “Weekday” (next week), though here, too, the blueprint is cast, though hardly one that is not “sub- MpkJocksonA 'New Sound’Kick Minneapolis, Nov. 1. In a heavy way here as the prob¬ lem of meeting tv competition con¬ tinues to loom large for audio, even the leading radio stations, the top networks’ outlets are going in¬ creasingly for platter spinning and making such canned music the main local entertainment dish. It stacks up as a sudden big scale rush to the platter spinning as the stations assign their top per¬ sonalities to disk jockey stints. As always has been the case for the small town and lesser stations, these important establishments seem en route to wholesale adop¬ tion of recorded melodies. Latest in line is KSTP which has launched what is calls a “New Sound” policy “with emphasis on music—plenty of it.” Instead of labeling its top personalities on the new lineup of shows’ disk jockies, the station is designating them as hosts and hostesses. KSTP and WCCO, local NBC and CBS outlets, respectively, also operate the two most prosperous video stations here along with their audio. Several months ago WCCO Radio teed off with a locally pro¬ duced five-nights-a-week 60-minute show, “Radio as You Like It,” in its choicest 7 p.m. night slot. On this show its five ace personalities, including even Cedric Adams, this area’s leading airlane luminary, take turns starring. The show largely comprises recordings and on it the stars actually do a lot of disk jockeying. Shows have cap¬ tured bankrollers and built up size¬ able audiences. In the instance of KSTP’.s “New Sound” it has been announced that “the station’s extensive music li¬ brary has been completely torn apart.” Station states that the changeover’s basic idea is “to pres¬ ent the right music as recorded by the right artists” and that it will survey record stores daily to find the five top tunes which will be played. KSTP Radio programming will continue to include, too, the full NBC “Monitor” network^ schedule and will take on the forthcoming “Weekday.” And, as in the case of WCCO, there’ll be no stinting of news, public service, sports and other especially produced shows from time to time, it’s made clear. TV’s Sucker Buy Continued from page 27 new 30-minute entry has made it, excepting “$64,000 Question.” Even a Jackie Gleason, trimmed to a half-hour, is having his trou¬ bles. If there’s some unrest within the P & G camp and the soap com¬ pany’s assorted agencies, it’s be¬ cause what was regarded as “mass circulation” and a sure thing a year ago has become today’s gam¬ ble. Since P & G has almost a storied history in broadcasting as shrewd buyer of programs through the years (as in radio before tv), major speculation today centers on how long it will con¬ tinue to remain a holdout in em¬ bracing -the “big show” concept. Last season P & G moved in on “Lucy,” which is shared with Gen¬ eral . Foods, and “This Is Your Life,” for which it paid a fancy price to co-sponsor with Hazel Bishop. Neither today has the pulling power enjoyed last season, with “Lucy” dumped from its long¬ time No. 1 status. P & G’s Tues¬ day at 9 “Fireside Theatre” longer benefits from the dream audience siphoned off from the Milton Berle (etc.) 8 to 9 hour (which ain’t what it used to be) although l^st week’s seven point “Fireside” rise on the Trendex has heartened the client, and its Saturday night “It Always Jan 1 and Sunday night “Loretta Young Show” have, at best, 4 so-so batting averages. As one network exec put it: “P & G’s too smart to settle for this.” -In contrast to the P & G and General Foods’ downbeat attitude toward the specs, the auto compa¬ nies, notably Ford, Chrysler and General Motors, have gone whole- hog into the spec formula. Said an Oldsmobile (GM) topper to an NBC exec last week: “We’re not even too concerned over our ratings, and we’ll gladly settle for our guaranteed 33,000,000 audi¬ ence. More important, we know we’re part of something big that's happened to television.” Mpls. Mayor Grapples With TV’s Effect on The Kiddies Minneapolis, Nov. 1 Mayor Eric Hoyer here has gone on record in favor of having par¬ ents stop their children from Watching tv wrestling because “it doesn’t teach fair play.” At the same time a city council move to ban the further use of the municipal auditorium and armory for the Minneapolis promoters’ heavily attended year-around once- a-week wrestling cards has failed Move was the result of numer¬ ous complaints received by the mayor and aldermen from people indignant because of the shows’ “roughness” and “brutality.” The mayor said he receives many complaining telephone calls after every • auditorium and armory cards and he’s also bombarded with protesting letters following tv wrestling. But he declined to make any recommendation to the city council. “If it’s a particularly rough match, With a lot of kicking and gouging, I have to unplug my home telephone because the calls are so numerous,” says the mayor who apparently, unlike the pro¬ tester’s doesn’t take the ring “may¬ hem” seriously. Seattle’s Tom Franklin’s Book on Newscasting Tom Franklin, news editor, news¬ caster and television emcee at KING, Seattle, has written a prac¬ tical handbook for radio news¬ casters in “Broadcasting the News” (Pageant Press, $3). Book stresses the importance of local and regional news, how to dig it 'up and how to handle it once it is obtained. In addition to writing and editing the news¬ cast, tips on effective reading and broadcasting are included, plus a workaday-level chapter on legal angles—defamation, libel and slan¬ der laws which must be reckoned with when on the air. Franklin has spiced the book with anecdotes, stories of radio “beats” and suggested news for¬ mats, all of use and interest' to both the tyro and veteran news¬ caster. He certainly knows where¬ of he speaks, having been in the business for 14 years, chiefly on the Coast, but including a foui'- year stint with the U. S. Signal Corps during the war and a period as hews arid program director for KXYZ, Houston, and as radio and television director of Kaiser. Motors. Franklin’s know-how and af¬ fable personality comes through well in this volume, which can b6 a ready stimulator in any radio newsroom. Reed. BONDED SETS UP A CENTRALIZED SERVICE New centralized service for ad agencies, covering everything from lab work to shipping and print con¬ trol on their filmed commercials, has been established by Bonded Film Exchange in collaboration with 17 producers of the celluloid blurbs. Operation, which is term-, ed “post-production print con¬ trol,” involves centralized price, standards and responsibilities on all commercial prints. Plan was worked out by Bonded and the 17 producers, all of them members of the Film Producers Assn. Extra-Curricular =—■; Continued from page 29 ■ / Sterling (WCBS-plus-radio-tv webs) ' will serve as auctioneer (sixth con- sec year) at gavel gala of Admen’s Post of American Legion, Dec. 17. In an emergency extra, Peter Thomas took care of 17 refugees at his Stamford, Conn., home as result of the flash flood. One youngster remained at his home until Oct. 26, and many of the 17 were put up for three days. A1 “Jazzbo” Collins (WRCA) is conducting jazz concert Nov. 7 at Pythian Temple, with ducats cuffo to listeners writing in. Bill Berns (news and special events chief), is to speak Nov. 30 at workshop of Metropolitan Public Relations Council at New York U. Gleason Continued from pSge 27 - tion would be put on the preceding “Stage Show” entry in an effort to bolster it. Understood under con¬ sideration is a plan to bring in a top name personality as a weekly regular and revise the format. A total of $11,000,000 in Buick coin, over a longrange period, is riding on the trimmed Gleason entry. With so much at stake, the Como-NBC threat has obviously alerted all parties concerned to the shifting patterns. Meanwhile, Joe Bigelow, pres¬ ently under contract to CBS, is re¬ turning to the Gleason fold as story editor (reprising his rple when Gleason was doing the “Cavaloade” show on DuMont). With a he’fty backlog of stanzas, Gleason & Co. are now on a six- week hiatus. Wednesday, November 2, 1955 PSriety TV-FILMS 33 TELEFILMS’ ‘GET OUT OF TOWN’ ‘Code of Ethics’ for TV Films * Beverly Hills, Nov. 1. Proposal to set up a "code of ethics" to guide producers in making vidpix was placed last week in the hands of a six-man committee, headed by Martin Leeds, exec v.p. of Desilu Produc¬ tions; for study and possible report to the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. Committee was selected at meet of various telefilm producer and civic groups, including National Society of TV Producers and National Audience Board, co-sponsors of gathering; Alliance of TV Film Producers and ATAS. Also present, in unofficial capacities, were Harold See, manager of KEON-TV, San Francisco, and chair¬ man of the National Assn, of Radio and TV Broadcasters film com¬ mittee, and Jack Warner Jr., topper of Warner Bros, telefilm operation. Members of committee include Leeds and Warner; Richard St. John, counsel of ATFP; Thomas Freebairn-Smith, exec secretary of ATAS; Judge D. Brandon Bernstein, NAB counsel; and Max Gilford, NSTF general counsel. When and if committee reaches agreement on content and termitiolbgy, "code" will be submitted to ATAS for possible "implementation." Highlights of proposed code: Brutality and horror with reference to murder shall be avoided. Details of the execution of such crimes as arson, safe-cracking, theft, smuggling, burglary and robbery, etc., which might inspire imitation, shall not be presented. Any reference to the use of illegal drugs or their effects should be scrupulously avoided so as to stimulate no curiosity concerning traffic in or use of such drugs. Except where required for plot of characterization, use of liquor in television scenes shall be avoided. The use of gambling devices or scenes shall be used only when a neceessary part of the plot and any use shall be with discretion and moderation. Racial types shall not be shown on television, in such a manner as to provoke ridicule or embarrassment to the viewer. The portrayal of professions or trades shall not be portrayed in an unfavorable light unless such portrayal is essential to the scene or to the development of the plot. The flags, histories and backgrounds of all peoples of all nations shall be presented fairly and with proper respect. Because of the intimate impact of television on the home, the producer must exercise the most careful discretion and good taste in presenting scenes of passion, undue exposure and other matters pertaining to sex behavior. The Serious Side of Laughter Edelman’s Got Some Theories About Watching Up’ Laughter on Film - V- Laughter is not to be taken lightly—not where a filmed com¬ edy show is concerned. Apart from the hot-and-cold controversy about "canned" laughter, the pub¬ lic confusion over whether a laugh- track is "canned" or "live” (taken from an in-person studio audience at the time of filming) and the frenetic despair of comedy pro¬ ducers, the matter of filmed laugh¬ ter has at least in one respect de¬ veloped into a series editing art. The art is that of "matching” laughter in the case of a’ “live’ laughtrack. And the authority on the new technique is Louis F. Edelman, producer of ABC-TV’s Danny Thomas starrer, "Make Room for Daddy." Show, which uses the three-camera system, is shot before a live audience whose spontaneous laughter is recorded along with the dialog and com¬ prises the film’s laughtrack. "Canned,” or pre-recorded laugh¬ ter, is rarely inserted in the track, and the rarity above-mentioned is an editing technique that calls for exactness and patience. This technique comes about be¬ cause the shows are filmed over¬ length by several minutes, and must be cut down. Best cutting (Continued on page 48) Plan ‘Raffles’ As Brit-Made Vidpix "Raffles," the "famed amateur cracksman, would reach the screen again via a telepix series planned by Herald Pictures, newly-organ¬ ized British firm. Deal for Amer¬ ican distribution is now in the ne¬ gotiation stage according to Ed¬ ward Pryhurst, who is partnered in Herald with Col. John Roberts and Lionel Tomlinson, Dryhurst, who leaves for Mon¬ treal today (Wed.) for confabs "with officials of the Canadian Mar¬ coni Co., disclosed this week that he’s been dickering with reps of the three major U. S. networks with a view to working out an ar- (Continued on page 48) Lear Plans ‘Chi Story’ As Anthology Series Chicago, Nov. 1. Packager Les Lear is sounding out civic leaders on building a telepix documentary series on the Windy City. Lear envisions a dra¬ matic anthology designed to tell the "Chicago Story" and hopes to get in production on a pilot reel by the first of the year. Reynolds Dickers 4 O’seas Series For OF Stable "Foreign Intrigue" producer Sheldon Reynolds is negotiating with Official Films to produce four separate telefilm series abroad, England being probable lensing locale. Packages will include one serioso anthology, a situation com¬ edy and two adventure series, ac¬ cording to plan in formation. Comedy and anthology are ex¬ pected to go into production almost simultaneously by Feb. or March at latest. Official, helping supply financing for the four Reynolds vidfilm series, is understood to be asking control of overseas as well as domestic distribution rights. Production in England gives the Reynolds-Official shows the oppor¬ tunity to avoid the unofficial quota that allegedly hangs over Ameri¬ can tv film importation. Because of the strong tie Official has with (Continued on page 42) Cinema-Vue's Latino Sales Cinema-Vue Corp. has sold its package of Charlie Chaplin shorts in Caracas and San Juan. The group of 34 Chaplins, made be¬ tween 1910 and 1916, w r as sold to Latin-American Radio & TV Corp. for Venezuela and to WKAQ-TV in the Puerto Rico deal. WKAQ-TV also picked up Cine- ma-Vue’s 100-cartoon "Whimsey- land" package in the deal. SEEK TO GET OFF By BOB CHANDLER Hollywood’s telefilm industry, like New York’s live video, is ex¬ periencing a "get out of town" era. The Coast producers and their Gotham distributors, ever sensitive to the critical charges of "same¬ ness" in the half-hour filmed drama sphere, are looking to "widen their scope” and to frame their dramatic entries in new and different surroundings. Above and beyond the growing trend towards wholesale produc¬ tion in Europe and elsewhere, the permanently-based telefilmmakers in Hollywood are looking beyond their own borders to film any¬ where from two to 26 pictures of a regular Coast-based series in for¬ eign locales. In some cases, the pix are shot overseas to take ad¬ vantage of a foreign star; in others, to suit the convenience of an American star; but in most in¬ stances, the reason is one of lo¬ cale and backgrounds. Deal just concluded between Harry Alan Towers and Screen Gems is an example, under which Incorporated Television Programs Co. Ltd. will shoot eight "Ford Theatre” episodes in London. It’s no secret that Screen Gems has been looking to shoot some epi¬ sodes overseas, nor is it any con¬ fidential matter that one of the reasons the Columbia Pictures subsid has sought to do so is to latch on to British stars like Alec Guinness. Latter hasn’t been signed yet for any of the eight episodes, but unquestionably Screen had him in mind when inking the deal. Four Star Productions is another case where overseas filming is and has been in the works. Four Star already has shot two episodes of its "Four Star Playhouse” in Paris. The pair starred Charles Boyer, one of the owners of the Company, and - exec producer Don Sharpe said that the films were shot in Paris for a dual reason—because Boyer had to go over there during shooting time and because the Parisian backgrounds tended to "widen the scope” of the series. Moreover, Four Star is planning more overseas locationing in its new series of hour-long dramas for ABC-TV, "Wire Service," which bows next fall. Present plans call for filming in London and Paris as well as on the Coast. Sharpe is involved in still another series with extensive foreign exposure, "Sheena, Queen of the Jungle,” for which backgrounds were shot especially in Africa and location¬ ing in Mexico. The John Gibbs-William Self- (Continued on page 42) NBC FILM DIVISION’S SALES EXEC SHUFFLE Fullscale reshuffling of the top sales echelon were completed at NBC Film Division last week by national sales chief Jake Keever, with the new setup to take effect Nov. 7. Key changes involve the post of eastern sales manager, with Daniel M. Curtis moving into the post from Chicago, . where he was central sales chief. Leonard C. Warager, who’s held down the eastern post, moves up to admin¬ istrative sales manager under Keever, * Replacing Curtis in Chi as cen¬ tral sales manager will be Edward A. Monlanus, currently central sales supervisor under Curtis, while Seymour (Hap) Eaton, a Chi account exec* spells Montanus as central supervisor. On the Coast, staffer James,A. Strain has been upped to western sales supervisor, reporting to western sales manager Cliff Ogden, and in N. Y., John M. Burns Jr. joins an expanded sales Staff. More TV Film Newt On Page 39 O’Neil Selling Off RKO Stockpile In Series of Test Market Deals In Bid to Recoup $15,000,000 Pfaflf Puffy on ‘Opry* Pfaff Sewing Machine Co., the German company which has been making its mark on the American market with a low-priced machine, has been using television considerably on a spot basis over the past couple of years. Last week, it entered the ranks of telefilm sponsors with a regional buy encompassing six western mar¬ kets, biggest of which is Salt Lake City. Show was an un-Teutonic as anything can be — Flamingo Films’ "Stars of the Grand Ole Opry.” ‘Mobil Theatre’s 60-Market Spread On Fairbanks Pix Socony-Mobil Oil Co., one of the 10 largest corporations in the U.S., has taken the televison plunge on a large scale with a 60-market buy on ABC Film Syndication’s “Doug¬ las Fairbanks Presents” series and will air the dramas under the title of “Mobil Theatre.” Deal, made through the Compton agency and covering the midwest, is for 26 pictures, 13 of which will come out of this year’s production and 13 out of the new series currently in work. None of the pix will have Fairbanks, either as star or host, with actor Gordon Oliver being cut in as host-narrator. Fairbanks, of course, will produce. Starting date for the series is mid-November, with Compton cur¬ rently engaged in clearing time in the 60 markets involved. Deal creates a tricky booking problem for ABC Syndication, since Soco¬ ny-Mobil will have an exclusive on its 26 films in all its markets. Sponsors and stations carrying the syndicated “Douglas Fairbanks Presents" in Socony markets will use other segments from the three- year backlog of the show. Same episodes as Socony uses, however, will be used by Rheingold, which sponsors the show regionally in the east and on the Coast under the title "Rheingold Theatre” with Fairbanks as host. Socony in the past has tried tel¬ evision sporadically on a spot basis with announcements and news shows, but this is its first major investment in programming. ABC Syndication has been wbrking on the company for nearly a year and a half, but one of the factors pre¬ cluding a deal up to now has been the company’s change of name, from Socony-Vacuum to Socorty- Mobil Oil. Products to be pitched on the shows are Mobiloil and Mo- bilgas, with the flying red horse, of course, serving as the backdrop to Oliver, who’ll also deliver the commercials. Deal, incidentally, is ABC Syndication’s biggest to date. Boy Scouts Series, But Gotta Be Right Sponsor Derel Producing Associates, which is whipping up an Overseas Press Club telefilm series, last week secured the cooperation of the Boy Scouts of America for a new series on the scouts, “For God and Country.” Only hitch in the deal, according to Derel exec pro¬ ducer Gene Feldman, is that the Boy Scouts requires that the spon¬ sorship be either institutional or a foundation. Packaging outfit is currently searching out sponsorship possi¬ bilities fitting the requirements and drawing up scripts. Series would depict feats of heroism by Boy Scouts. Hollywood, Nov. 1. General Teleradio Is selling off its vast stockpile of old RKO pic¬ tures in test markets and has pro¬ posed deals to at least three sta¬ tions. Station owners and operators in Salt Lake, Phoenix and Stock- ton have admitted being overtured by reps of Teleradio on block buys running deep into six figures. As far as is known no deals have been closed on these markets because of refusal of station owners to tie up such large investments in vin¬ tage films. In the recent annual statement of General Tire & Rubber to its stockholders, it was stated that the RKO.backlog of pictures produced between 1932 and 1948 was as¬ signed to GTR to secure $15,000,- 000 of the $25,000,000 loan made to Tom O’Neil, prexy of General Tel¬ eradio for purchase of the RKO studio and inventory of pictures. Both Matty Fox and Eliot Hy¬ man had long discussions with O’Neil for takeover of the com¬ plete backlog, said to be 750 fea¬ tures .and 950 shorts, but the $15,000,000 price tag stymied the deal. Failing in this maneuver, O’Neil reportedly told his Telera¬ dio toppers to "test” station own¬ ers and perhaps $15,000,000 could be accumulated with individual sales. O’Neil has still another trump card to play—his original plan— to string together chain of stations across the country that would show only films. Number of pictures varies in dif¬ ferent markets. Bennett Larson, partnered with Time, Inc., in the operation of KDYL-TV, Salt Lake, was offered a block of 500, while Richard Rawls, general manager of KPHO-TV, Phoenix, and KOVR, Stockton, 752. On breakdown, price per picture was $1,250,.with unlimited runs for five years. It is believed Stockton negotiations were incepted when none of the Frisco stations showed interest in ticing up such vast sums of money. KOVR’s signal carries strongly into the Bay cities. Teleradio is making mandatory purchase of complete block and (Continued on page 42) 4 Star’s Banner ,000 Budget Hollywood, Nov. 1. Four Star Productions is head¬ ing into a record year with ap¬ proximately $6,000,000 allocated for production of four separate series. Firm is owned by David Niven, Dick Powell, Charles Boyer, with Don Sharpe as prexy. Sharpe said new series, "Wire Service," an hour-long show for ABC-TV involves $100,000 for each of 26 shows series to have rotating stars. Web has option on 13 beyond original 26. Firm’s deal for 39 "Stage 7” vidpix in¬ volves $1,170,000; "Four Star" (also 30 films) $1,150,000; "Caval¬ cade Theatre" (originally 26 but Dupont upped it to 30) $1,000,000. McMANUS NAMED FOR MCA-TV INT’L SETUP MCA-TV has confirmed Tom Mc¬ Manus as head of the international telefilm sales organization. He’s charged with sales in the MCA Toronto, Paris, London and Rome offices, and he'll control-the Mexi¬ can operationHiKe coihpany is es¬ tablishing. Prior to being named interna¬ tional sales manager, McManus was eastern sales chief under Wynn Nathan, head of MCA syn¬ dication. McManus was elected to the board and given a'veep stripe by MCA-TV two months ago. TELEVISION REVIEWS t'A'filETv Wednesday, November 2, 1955 S* TWO OF THE MOST With Peter Marshall & Tommy Farrell, Marilynn, Lovell, Mel Powell Trio, guests Producer-director: Bill Dodson Writer: Bob Arbogast ' 60. Mins., Mon.-thrfu-Fri., 12:30 p.m. Participating WABC-TV, New York With Bob Stone in as the new general manager of the ABC-TV flagship in New York; 'the station is just beginning to find its way into a daytime programming schedule. It’s necessarily a late date for this, • because Stone only took over a* month ago'. With the installation of the “Million Dollar Movies" reruns into the 1:30-3:15 slot and “Two of the Most” in 12:30-1:30, the afternoon sked is now just about firm. How long it will stay that way, however, is another question. “TWo t)f the Most;” which stars the com¬ edy team of Peter Marshall & Tommy Farrell, is a loosely-hung, slow-moving and only slightly en¬ tertaining hour. It needs some re^l sharpening if it’s to make any kind Of dent in the daytime sweepstakes in Gotham, particularly against the strong network programming at the time. ' Seemingly, the chief trouble with the show appears*to be a lack of direction. Is it variety, comedy, audience participation or a com¬ bination of the three? Marshall & Farrell go out in the audience, presumably to cavort, but they aren’t particularly funny and the guests seem to be discomfited. On¬ stage, there’s banter without rou¬ tining, and the ad-libs don’t click. On the other hand, the time de¬ voted to chirp Marilynn Lovell and the Mel Powell trio is insignificant, and so the vicious circle once again turns on Marshall & Farrell. Comedy team has made the rounds of niteries and should have some rmaterial stashed away some¬ where. Obviously an- hour a day would consume this in no time, but at least they can space some of it out over an extended period. But there seemed, at least on the show caught, to be no effort whatsoever to come up with comedy routines (with the exception of the old ear¬ plug bit and an inexcusably bad vaude-blirley sketch which was apologized for in advance). Boys aren’t much as ad-libbers, and there’s got to be an effort toward more discipline and preparation. Fact that Miss Lovell and Powell’s combo are pretty much brushed doesn’t help the comics, making the burden on them even greater. Marshall’s a goodlooking gent who- briefly displayed a pleasing voice and who acts as straightman for Farrell. Latter’s largely a phys¬ ical comic who looks as though he can handle any kind of a situa¬ tion. As a team, they sometimes step on each other’s lines, but they appear to have some strong poten¬ tial. Only trouble is, they didn’t show any of it on the show caught. Miss Lovell is personable, has an offbeat type of voice that shows a good deal of promise, and appar¬ ently has a flair for comedy of which the show might make greater use. Powell, of course, is a gifted pianist from way back, and has a couple of good sidemen on guitar and bass. He, too, showed a brief feel for comedy that could be used to take some of the burden off. the comics. Guest on day caught was hoofer Jack Williams, who turned in some creditable soft-shoe and tup work.and helped out in the Eketches. Interview with Williams took the form of a series of private jokes about their wartime periences which really didn’t sourd as funny as they may have been when they first happened. The onus here is going to have to be on producer-director Bill Dodson and scripter Bob Arbogast, who must bring in the rest of the cast to a larger extent and work on material for the comics. If this isn’t done, it’s a good bet that WABC-TV’s role in the early after¬ noon will be strictly from the bush- leagues. Program, incidentally, mercilessly unrelieved by com¬ mercials. Chan. Tele Follow-Up Comment Warner Bros, made a couple of basic changes in last night’: (Tues.) “Warner Bros, Presents’ on ABC-TV, and the improvement was so rtiarked. as to be astonish¬ ing. For. one thing, the studio put a little thought into its “Behind the Scenes” segment, making the trailer fo£ “Rebel Without a Cause” fairly palatable; more important, it came up with a script for “Chey¬ enne”- that though resembling a watered-down' “Treasure of Sierra Madre,” packed plenty of punch in the telling and was about the most adult of the “adult westerns” sepn this seasomon tv. •With Clint Walker in the lead as Cheyenne, the D. D. Beauchamp screenplay from a B. Traven novel put him in the company of a cou¬ ple of prospectors, one of whom, played by Ed Andrews, as mean a critter as has graced the home- screens in a long time. Theme of the stanza, as in “Treasure,” was the effect gold can have on. normal human beings. And Beauchamp played it up big, what with Indian attacks, a mine cave-in, some gun¬ play and a windup duststorm that wafted the hard-earned gold to the desert sands. Yet, the story stood up well, and backed by some topflight production and some fine thesping by Andrews and Bob Tay¬ lor as the other prospector, it em¬ erged as a fine entry and easily the best Warners effort thus- far. Give a nod to Richard L. Bare, the director, for giving the story action and movement and manag¬ ing to balance some of the more catastrophic elements into a be¬ lievable entity. And producer Roy Huggins rates a b.ow for moving into this type of offbeat (for tv) story area and for stinting nothing in the production. On the thesp¬ ing side, Walker works strictly in a strong-silent-cowpoke vein, but Andrews, though overdoing things at times, delivered a strong per¬ formance as the heavy while Tay¬ lor's fair-and-square characteriza¬ tion was impressive. Back at the ranch—the studio, that is, the “Behind the Camera” segment hosted by Gig Young made lots more sense in its ap¬ proach to trailerizing theatrical features than in the past. This time, the plug was centered in an overall commentary on juvenile delinquency, with clips from “Rebel” used to illustrate the points being made. As such, it had more effect as a teaser than other trailerizing techniques and was easier to watch. Warners story chief Walter MacEwen served as the peg on which the plug was in- troed, while Jim Backus provided an okay but orthodox interview on his role in the pic to close things out. Chan. CBS Radio Spot Sales Shifts to Larger Hdqs. Expansion of CBS Radio Spot Sales has dictated a move from general and New York hq at 501 Madison Ave., N. Y., to larger space in recently completed Marion Davies Bldg, on Park Ave. Wendell Campbell, recently stalled v.p. in charge, said the move represents a further consoli¬ dation of all the factors which have given spot sales a consider¬ able upbeat in the last few months. The SS division was formed in 1932 with six staffers and now has 103 employees in five other offices across the country—Chicago, At¬ lanta, Detroit, L. A., Frisco. Repped also are 14 stations and two re¬ gional networks. Would it be . presumptuous to to suggest that the pooled facilities of -creative network talent can pro¬ duce a show that far exceeds even the grandiose dreams of its cre¬ ator? Remark is framed as a tim¬ orous question because the cre¬ ator is the president of the net¬ work, NBC’s Pat Weaver, and the show is his special brainchild, Wide Wide World.” But it’s not likely that in his inspired moments Weaver envisioned the masterfully integrated admixture of sightsee¬ ing, history, folklore and general visual enlightenment as was pooled under the catchall title “The West” on Sunday’s (30) WWW presentation. Where this week’s WWW dif¬ fered from previous exposur< and was much superior—was ... the overall thematic approach. Lou Salaman and Charles. Andrews, who turned in a topnotch scripting job, and producer Robert Bendick pinned this WWW on a historical- folklore approach, and for a warm¬ up starting with wagon trains leav¬ ing Ft. Leavenworth, took a birds- eye westward preliminary tour all the way to the Santa Barbara Mis¬ sion, where as host Dave Garroway put it, they (the pioneers) couldn’t go any further west. Garroway contrasted the then-and-now time- it-takes (wagons vs. tv signal) to ante up the effect. With the this- is-what-you’ll see formalities (an excellent preface), out of the way, Garroway and the WWW staff pro¬ ceeded to enlarge on their subject. First stop was Tombstone, for the annual Helldorado Week Fes¬ tival, complete with reenactments of the famous gun duels, among them an on-location “Battle of the OK Corral,” where the Earps (Wy¬ att, of current ABC-TV fame, among them) downed the Clantons and their gang and a visit to some picturesquely-worded headstones on the town’s Boot Hill. Then on to a modern-day legend, that of Las Vegas and specifically t’hc Golden Nugget, where the intent gamesters not only managed to drown out the band and some hard¬ working chorines, but the lieuten¬ ant governor of Nevada and guest Jimmy Wakely. Credit the NBC gang with some fine pictorial cov¬ erage of the various tables (and characters). Thence to Hoover Dam on the Colorado for a camera tour of the giant installation (plus as a the¬ matic tiein, reference to the ford¬ ing of the river by the wagon trains;. Microwave trouble upset the WWW applecart a couple of times at this visit, but the sight- plus - statistically - slanted - sound made for an awesome appreciation of the engineering feats involved. It was also a tv “first” in terms of a guided tour of the jernt. Okla¬ homa City’s oil ventures, subject of a brief stopover on the prefa¬ tory segment (with Oklahoma’s Governor explaining the presence of a rig right in front of the cap¬ ital lawn), got an extended treat¬ ment with an explanation of the drilling apparatus and a well-staged quickie exit via a “Geronimb” (similar to a shipboard breeches buoy) from the top of one of the derricks by a worker. In' modern-day Houston, WWW pulled another first with a lookin on Leopold Stokowski’s rehearsal of the Houston Symphony in prep¬ aration for the world preem of Alan Hovahness’ “The Mysterious Mountain” symphony. ' Here the NBC-KPRC cameras were at their best with some wonderful shots of Stoky and the orch, while com¬ mentary-wise, the conductor had some pertinent things to say about grassroots appreciation of classical music. A switch to San Francisco’s Cow Palace brought on the Grand National Rodeo’s bronc - busting events, with some exciting riding by cowpokes from all over the west plus an informative commentary by an unbilled KRON-T-V staffer. To the southwest, a group of Apaches performed what was de¬ scribed as a wild dance but one! which seemed rather listless. More interesting was the “flying pole dance” of members of the Otomi tribe from Mexico, also performed back at Tombstone. Wrapup, also a “first tv visit,” was the impressive Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, complete with demonstrations of the unique acoustics and a final chorale from the auditorium, audio of which (“America the Beautiful”) was con¬ tinued as the cameras once more did a quickie review of the 90 min¬ utes. Garroway performed an un¬ usually - intelligent - for - tv chore with the explanation that no pre¬ tensions were made that this had been an intensive tour of the west -it was just a “ripple” was the way he put it, not only giving video a change-of-pace in modesty but whetting the appetite for a look at more. Chan. they’d been made—in many in¬ stances a word-for-word repetition —didn’t help-any either. It might be assumed that, if someone is interested enough to tune in on the Forum, he’s also intelligent enough to grasp what is being said without having it hammered in twice. Hift. The “Let’s Take A Trip” excur¬ sion through Columbia Records’ 30th St. <N. Y.) studios Sunday (30) over CBS-TV provided enough sur¬ face revelation to give viewers a feeling of being “inside” on the making of a record. Stanza was wrapped into a plug for a Col kidisk cut by the show’s regulars, Sonny Fox. Ginger MacManus and Pud Flanagan but the commercial never got out of hand. With Hecky Krasnow, Col’s kidi- vision chief, acting as guide,' the trio was. shown through the studio while Art Carney was cutting ‘ a new platter tagged “Mama.” Kras¬ now didn’t get too involved in ex¬ plaining the mechanics of mikes, sound controls and tapes. He kept the info at a level to be understood by juves ' and the points came across easily. Krasnow also traced the history of the trio’s first platter release,, a coupling of “Whoopsie Doo” and “Let’s Take A Trip.” Tunesmith Bob Allen started the ball rolling taking the tune “Whoopsie Doo” from’ its inspiration state to the actual writing. Arranger Ray Car¬ ter-then took over and showed how the original melody, he called it “a stick drawing,” was orchestrat¬ ed to give it color and depth. This section was the most informative part of the show. The visiting trio did a “live” version of “Whoopsie Doo” and then Krasnow turntabled the bot¬ tom side. It was a solid promotion for the record company and the disk which “will be in the stores tomorrow morning,” everybody seemed to be repeating. Gros. The New York Times Youth Forum over WABD, N. Y., Sunday (30), in discussing juvenile delin¬ quency, made a laudable attempt to go to the source of the trouble, i.e. the delinquents themselves, but despite the potential drama—the four boys and girls appeared in silhouette only—the idea somehow didn’t come off. In fact, it was a rather labored and uninformative show. Guest for this session was Jacob K. Javits, New York’s attorney general. He and Dorothy Gordon, the moderator, kept throwing ques¬ tions at the “delinquents” who had come from N.Y. State training schools. Perhaps there was some¬ thing wrong with the selection of the panelists (Miss Gordon indi¬ cated there had been difficulties), and then again it may have been that it’s expecting too much for them to come across with intelli¬ gent solutions regarding their own dilemma. At any rate, apart from repeated references to love and affection and how the lack of them would turn youths, to delinquency, “Delinquent Youth States Its Case” hit few highlights and Javits acted as little more than an interested spectator. He did, near the end, indicate that the state was trying to make changes by Varyifig the type of in¬ stitution available so that youthful offenders wouldn’t be thrown in with hardened criminals. He pointed out, too, that—in 1954— some 41,000 youths came to the attention of the authorities in New York. There was some disagreement among the panelists on whether or not discipline at the state insti¬ tutions was too severe and also on the treatment meted out to offend¬ ers by the courts. But somehow the comments didn’t focus intelli¬ gently, and Mi.sS Gordon’s habit of “summing up” statements after Remember “The Winslow Boy,” the British-made film starring Sir Cedric Hardwicke and Robert Donat which made the arthouse circuit a few years back and now is making the television rounds in an Associated Artists feature pack¬ age? The very same.story, in "half- hour form and by an odd coin¬ cidence also starring Hardwicke, made its appearance on ABC-TV’s “TV Reader’s Digest” Monday (31) night. This time, the real names were used under the title of “The Archer-Shee Case,” and it was a legit story deal too, since the Wells Root teleplay was based on a 1939 Digest piece on the case by none other than Alexander Woollcott. Story was the 1908 case in which a youngster was summarily dis¬ missed from naval college after having been accused but never tried of having stolen a money or¬ der from a locker at the school. Naturally, with a 90-minute-plus screen treatment, “The Winslow Boy” made quite a production of it, pictorializing the real Sir Ed¬ ward Carson, as played by Robert Donat, into quite a Parliamentary character, politically and person¬ ally, with Donat in that role. It also built up quite a suspenseful ending. The 30-minute “Reader’s Digest,” however, stuck pretty close to the facts, having little time for shenanigans such as these. Within its limitations, therefore, “The Archer-Shee Case” made for an engrossing half-hour of tele¬ viewing, but hardly a very dramaP-' ic^ one. The treatment* was almost documentary in style, since the en¬ tire half-hour was needed for the purposes of plot. Little was left for characterization; nor did the story build in terms , of impact and dramatic values. As a subject, the “Archer-Shee Case” was interest¬ ing; as a tv drama, it was unin¬ spired. On the basis of a couple of “Digest” shows viewed this season, It would seem that producer Ches-: ter Erskine is tending to pick out properties that are too long on story and too short on dramatic values. Perhaps some of the short¬ er pieces might have more poten¬ tial for dramatic treatment. Hardwicke was proper and cor¬ rect as the youngster’s father, who carries the case along. The script and time limitations left little but a straightlaced thesping job for him; Christopher Cook was good as the youngster and Henry Daniell impressive as Sir Edward, though here too the script requirements called for little in the way of emot¬ ing. Supporting cast, headed by Sara Selby,' Paul Cavanaugh and Anthony Eustrel. were competent. Harry Horner directed in brisk style, but it was just a matter of getting the story told. Chan. FACE THE NATION With Stuart Novins, moderator* Henry A. Wallace, guest; Carle- ton Kent, John Madigan, Ray¬ mond Brandt, reporters Producer: Te4 Ayers f Director: Robert Quinn 30 Mins., Sun., ,4 p.m. CBS-TV, from Washington Video’s critics have always main¬ tained that the . medium has not improved on radio’s coverage of panel discussions. In that these stanzas are loaded with dialog but no action, they are right; in' that the tv camera ..can’t do much to liven up the situation, they have yet to be proved wrong. Neverthe¬ less, when • “Face the Nation,” CBS-TV’s answer .to “Meet the Press,” Was ,viewed last Sunday (Oct. 30) afternoon it had some¬ thing that the repeat radio broad¬ cast of later in the day did not have. . Lensing on “Press” didn’t get much motion into the session be¬ tween Henry A. Wallace and the reportorial triad facing him. Stanza was confined to closeups, but some of these closeups were telling. .. Personalities came through on tv, but when the radio repeat came on at 10:05 p.m. the people involved became sort of anonymous,? their unidentified voices sounding:.alike. Otherwise, the radio an4 tv editions of the j^anel program wertj different only in that five-miriuteS were neatly .edited from the audio version. .. When you could look at the re- porters who did the questioning, they each assumed’ distinct char¬ acteristics. Viewer even felt after awhile he could tell, without knowing the policies of 4 their p u b 1 i c at i o' n s, which of the re¬ porters was at least person¬ ally opposed to Wallace. On radio, belligerence of Newsweek's John Madigan wasn’t evident. Nor was Carleton Kent’s (Chi Sun- Times) seeming slyness, nor Ray- mon Brandt’s (Sfc Louis Post-Dis¬ patch) “elder journalist” role. And via audio alone it was obvious that Wallace’s even-tempered answers didn’t betray, his feelings, yet tele¬ vision occasionally . gives a hint, through its tight shots, of the ex¬ veep’s discomfort or displeasure over some of the questions. Stuart Novins, who hosts the panel, showed both here and on the CBS Radio show earlier that Sunday, “The Leading Question,” that he is capable of complete ob¬ jectively and that his questions suggested mastery of the many political subjects at hand. Some¬ times, though, that mastery lead to questions that' were beyond the ordinary man’s appreciation. Art. FIGHTING WORDS With Nathan Cohen, mentor Producer: Cliff Solway 30 Mins., Wed., 10:30 p.m. CBC-TV, from Toronto „ “Fighting Words,” which is not sponsored because the State-oper¬ ated Canadian Broadcasting Corp. does not allow this’ on “opinion” programs, is a panel discussion series that, for the past three sea¬ sons, has been the top CBC talks program, according to trans-Canada listener ratings. Panel members have freedom of speech and the verdict is left to the viewer-listen¬ er. In addition to the full CBC-TV treatment, “Fighting.Words” ^lso goes across the Dominion radio network of 48 stations. As combo discussion with celebrity spokes¬ men on current events, this series has built on such recent con¬ temporary topics as racial equality, divorce laws, temperance, morals, criticism of the arts, education, etc.; such controversial subjects enlisting experts to present their opinions in a completely unre¬ hearsed show. With Nathan Cohen continuing as mentor since the series was launched three seasons ago, “Fight¬ ing Words” is not only the oldest "opinion” program on the CBC but the most popular spokesman- outlet for the intelligentsia minor¬ ity in getting experts to express theirs and the listeners’ viewpoints on current controversies. “Fighting Words” got off with the present blocking of musical concerts in Canada on Sundays be¬ cause officials of the Lord’s Day Alliance have invoked the regula¬ tions of an earlier bylaw, despite lusty minority protests. Opposi¬ tion squawk is. that one can buy tickets to baseball and hockey in Canada on Sunday but listening to Bach or Beethoven is banned. On pro and con, Dr. William Blatz of the U. of Toronto, pointed out that-sprofesslonal singers are hired by church choirs on Sundays in combination of proper worship with secular activities; with Dr. Douglas Wilson, columnist on The Montreal Star, charging that base¬ ball and football players, plus preachers, get paid for Sunday (Continued on page 48) Wednesday, November 2, 1955 P'SrWty TELEVISION REVIEWS 35 ORIGINAL AMATEUR HOUR With Ted Mack, others producer: Lou Griham Directors: Eddie Nugent, Lloyd Marks 30 Mins., Sun. 9:30 p.m. pharmaceuticals, INC. ABC-TV, from N. Y. (Edward Kletter ) “Original Amateur Hour/' an in¬ stitution started by the late Major Bowes, is a show that Just doesn't get lost. There seems to be a valid need for this kind of entertain¬ ment by those who feel that show biz has passed "them. by. Thus the doorman at A1 Schacht’s who has a yen to sing got on for a solo; as did the couple fram a Westchester, N. Y., delicatessen who apparently spend hours upon end in practic¬ ing taps in hopes.of being discov¬ ered, and there’s an elderly lady, trumpeter who bangs out the per¬ ennial “Carnival of Venice. ’ It’s a show for people who--live in hopes that the entertainment iiir dustry will find a place for them. Of course, it’s almost criminal to tell them that vaudeville has all but disappeared and there would be very few calls for their services in other entertainment media. So “Original . Amateur Hour” lets them keep their illusions, and who, is anybody to say whether the show is doing right by them. The tyro period has now shifted to ABC-TV. It's a program that re¬ fuses to die. The mail and phone response is tremendous and both sponsors and networks somehow manage to find space for them. Ted Mack handles the simon- pures gently. There is none of the cruelty of the original radio show. There is no gong, each performer is accorded respect by being per¬ mitted to finish the number. Even the guy who clucks out a tap on his teeth (a more useless type of entertainment isn’t known) got his full share of the spotlight. However, the commercial is something tremendous. Geritol and Niron, a couple of patent medi¬ cines, share the plugs. The Niron spiel was one of the funniest con¬ ceivable. It showed a slight girl, who must have had a terrific time mugging. The announcer „ asks “Are you skinny and under¬ weight?” and then shows a more fully developed girl, all smiles. Latter apparently broken up by the antics of the little one. Well—any¬ one who takes the show seriously, may do the same for this kind of commercial. Jose. REPORT CARD With Dr. Lyman Bryson, modera¬ tor Producer: Bill Weinstein Director: Irving Gitlin 30 Mins.; Sun., 2:30 p.m. Sustaining CBS-TV, from N.Y. “Report Card,” a special series of five Sunday shows which will ex¬ plore various phases of the school system in preparation for the forthcoming White House Confer¬ ence on Education, promises to be a stimulating discussion program on one of the nation’s most vital problems. Opening session, which focussed on the desirable aims of education, had a highly articulate panel consisting of Dr. James Kil¬ lian, president of the Massachu¬ setts Institute of Technology; Dean Francis Keppel, of Harvard U.’s School of Education; Msgr. William McManus, a Catholic educator; and Norman Cousins, editor of the Saturday Review. While the talk was generally provocative it was also at times irritating in its failure to come to grips with some of the differences in outlook among the panelists. That was due mainly to the method in which Dr. Lyman Bryson as mod¬ erator, channelled the discussion. He attempted to smooth out the controversial issues in favor of get¬ ting some general agreement on the issues at hand. That method often leads to more confusion than clarity. Dr. Killian urged that the schools gear to handle the “excep¬ tional child.” There seemed to be some resistance to this idea by some of the other panel members, but it was never made explicit. Msgr. McManus urged that religi¬ ous instruction be made an essen¬ tial part of education, but Dr. Bry¬ son rephrased it as “ethical in¬ struction” before this concept could be discussed. Challenging viewpoints were also presented by Cousins, who urged that the schools adopt a global perspective, an idea that was sec¬ onded by Dean Keppel. All in all. an intelligent, adult half-hour of talk that may raise more questions than it answers, but at least, gives listeners something intellectually substantial to chew on. Herm. BETTY HUTTON (The Chevy Show) With Bob Hope, Jimmy Durante, Milton Frome, Harold Peary, Paul Dubov, Iris Adrian. Julius Matthews, Sandy White, Bob Morgan Producer: Ernest Glucksman Stager: Sheldon Leonard Director: Kevin Jo Jonson Writers: Stanley Shapiro, Fred Fox, Maurice Rlchlin; special material by Jay Livingston, Ray Evans Mills., Tues., 8 P.m. CHEVROLET NBC-TV, from Hollywood ( Campbell-Ewald) Betty Hutton must’ve stored up a bottomless reservoir of nervous energy since she last appeared in television more than a year ago. All this she unleashed with bound¬ less fury; last Tuesday in what well may have been billed a one-woman show. Other than a kinnied mono- log by Bob Hope that rocked with laughs she was on stage all the way and a more exhausting per¬ formance is unmatched in tv. She must have worn out the watchers, too, but it was a rewarding evening for the. explosive blonde even though the level of entertainment rose and fell and at . times sagged. Even a Hutton with all the fre¬ netics of a clown in perpetual mo¬ tion may have been wearing on the home lookers, who have come to expect more ^variation in these highly publicized network specials. Intro’d as “Miss Dynamite,” she lived up to the sobriquet with all the drive of a dervish and rarely- gave herself time to catch her breath. In the closing bit with Hope and Jimmy Durante she was so W'inded and confused that it became a muddle of dialog before a sympathetic timekeeper for NBC ticked off the final seconds. No performer ever tried to do so much in one show, both quali¬ tatively long and short. She came out in a flouncy gown to ringing applause and then went two-gun with shots fired to accent the character. From this point on she took off on a maddening pace that subsided not even for her costume changes. A coterie of male dancers did some time steps and she was off again on another orgy of lu¬ nacies. She hashed in the Automat, was thrown out from backstage, donned short skirts for a Charles¬ ton romp and sang herself hoarse in impersonations of Sophie Tucker (in training for the- filmed bio, perhaps). Benny Fields, Blossom Seeley and Jimmy Durante. But it was still Hutton and the im¬ pressions were more in mimicry than facsimile. Her. skit with Durante was a comedy high spot, with the Schnoz lighting up most of the laughs. They clowned around the piano* and then paddled away in a “Row Row'?’ number to resounding ap¬ plause. The show’s laugh special, natch, was Hope’s standup which was a gem of topical wit. Every line won a laugh, and the show’ needed it to keep spirits high. Miss Hutton’s asides in coarse voice rarely raised a titter. Her lead-ins needed sharper w'riting. 1 What laughs she dredged stemmed from her physical efforts and the plau¬ dits for her frantic agitation in enveloping such a broad scope of seeming tireless caricature. Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, who wrote the original score for Miss Hutton’s teledebut in “Satins and Spurs.” contributed special material that wasn’t particularly impressive and the production of Ernest Glucksman, staging by Shel¬ don Leonard and direction of Kevin Jo Jonson passably fair. Nelson Riddle directed the music and early in the show' a beat was missed twice on a Hutton chant. Chevrolet took its time w'ith ani¬ mation and to boast about winning the Pike’s Peak run. Helm. CARDINALS QUARTERBACK CLUB With Bob FJson Producer: Ray Geraci Director: Roger Coelos 30 <Mins.; Mon., 8:30 p.m. GENERAL FINANCE WGN-TV, Chicago (Gordon Best) WGN-TV levels a potent one-two punch Monday nights at the pro football fans with the “Cardinals Quarterback Club” back-to-back with the “Bears Quarterback Club.” Vet gabber Bob Elson, billed as the “dean of Chicago sports- casters,” this year is hosting the Card’s video layout which like the pioneering Bears’ spread is built around the filmed highlights of the previous Sunday’s game plus in¬ terviews with a couple of the play¬ ers. Although the South Side team hasn’t the loyal fandom the size of the Bears’, they have the flashy stars to make for some interesting games with the resultant payoff for the Monday night series. Film, shot by Douglas Produc¬ tions, w r as crisp and clear oh the installment vkwved and Elson’s play-by-play experience was evi¬ OTHELLO (Camera Three) With Earle Hyman, Lee Henry, Nancy Wickwire, Wally Math¬ ews, John Mackwood, Gubi Mann; moderator, James Macandrew; Tom Scott, composer, conductor Producer: Robert Herridge Director: Francis Moriarty Writer: Shakespeare (adaptation, Herridge) Consultant: Dr. Ward C. Bowen 60 Mins.; Sat. (29), 2 p.m. WCBS-TV, N.Y. In “Othello” Shakespeare put together what is perhaps one of the basically minor of his foremost tragedies. The Stratfordian stylist might be said to have overreached himself, to have oversimplified evil and perfidy, but he was too much of a showman to have reduced his orchestration to “Desdcmona & The Handkerchief.” This would be a title for an A. H. Woods presenta¬ tion when the late producer was knocking Broadway dead with his bedroom farces and such. The centuries since the flowering of the Bard have shown that “Othello” has come in mighty handy as a central plot, whether latched on to by Maugham or soapopera; as indeed both have along w'ith hundreds of authors in a craft where such appropriation is all part of the protocol and never given a second thought. It shouldn't, be¬ cause plots are limited, and Shake¬ speare himself might well have fabricated his famous w’ork from helpful antecedents. He brought home the Bacon, but presumably, not out of Francis this time. Highly questionable whether “Camera Three,” with Its “theatre of the imagination” approach, is not. actually gilding the lily, since “Othello” does not lend itself as easily to the technique as have • thers in the series’ class reper¬ toire. There’s a large latterday revival of Interest In the Moor, his lady, and the notorious Iago, who has his counterpart in every known' pursuit, public and private. Shake¬ spearean scholars would undoubt¬ edly object, but one not so endowed can say freely that a too zealous dedication to the strict construction of the work can impede both the “imagination” and the ear that seems necessary as the simultane¬ ous accompaniment. “Camera Three” might have hit upon a graceful reworking of some of the passages without doing violence to the poetry or the .thought, save perhaps in the “arias” where, it is agreed, the original phrasing should stand as w'rit; even so, there are plenty of liberties to be taken in staging and stance, and there are lots of other clusters of words that can stand clarity for swift video. “Othello,” the second of WCBS- TV’s two skip-week “little spec¬ taculars” in the 60-minute groove (now r the series returns to its half- hour Elba), w'as again brought in by Robert Herridge, who also, as before, did the adaptation, and directed by Francis Moriarty. As in some other interpretations of the work, this is largely Iago’s play with an "as is” on the universal power play of perfidy and intrigue. In last Saturday’s version, it w-as no less Iago’s as reflected in the performance by Lee Henry. Against him, Earle Human, the gifted Negro, looked small in his towering stature. Trouble may have been here that while Othello is a strong VIP in the field of military action and week as a spouse, he lacked a little of the commanding presence that the title character must have oi. the occasions where at least Shakespeare thought he should have it. For the trade records—and the trade records only—Hyman, about 29 years of age. was the sole Negro in the cast, and committed himself well aside from the negative factor indicated, which may have been related to the staging rather than the-mam,Hyman has played Othello before, ditto other Bardian works. The other parts were competently filled by Nancy Wickwire as Desde- mona, Wally Mathews as Cassio, John Mackwood as Rodrigo dou¬ bling on Ludovico, and Gubi Mann as Emilia. Tran. dent as he instilled some narrative excitements into the runoff without attempting to hoke it up too much. His enthusiasm for < the Cards’ prospects was legit in view of their upset win over the New York Giants, just so they-don’t let him hanging with it in subsequent games. Interviewees halfback Dave Mann and end Leo Sugar were about par for the course as club ambassadors. Chin session might have been stronger if they’d deplt in game specifics. The set in which Elson works the General Finance Loan Co.’s commercials is one of the busiest in local tv with the gabber flanked and topped by the “painless bor¬ rowing” billboards. Dave . NBC-TV Gets Daytime Spec Bug As Full Hour Dramas Bow in Tint SEE IT NOW With Ed Murrow, Harry S. Truman, Alben W. Barkley, Henry A. Wallace, Carl Sandburg, Victor Moore, others * Producers: Murrow, Fred W. Friendly 6« Mins., Wed. (26), 9 p.m. MAYBELLINE, CBS-COLUMBIA, COLUMBIA RECORDS CBS-TV (film) ( Gordon^Best; Ted Bates ) , Ed Murrow’s initial contributin' to the realm of “introspectaculars,” under the expanded once-in-a-while “See It Now” presentations, went on the air last Wednesday (26 >. This was the hour show dealing with “The Vice Presidency—The Great American Lpttery” and from which the Pontiac Division of Gen¬ eral Motors had beat a hasty re¬ treat after some reconsideration, for fear that it might embarrass the Administration in general and Vice President Nixon in particular. Actually what it turned out to be was a purely objective review of the nation’s veepee stewardships. Unquestionally commendable in intent, it was informative, factual, sometimes interesting, sometimes dull. It w r as packed with cold facts and figures, stills and jphoto repro¬ ductions, interviews with surviving Vice Presidents, even dramatic vignettes, spanning 166 years of American political history — all designed to create a national awareness that the Vice President is “just a heartbeat away from the world’s most important office.” As a tv documentation of the subject, it was fast, smooth, adroit¬ ly edited and with fine continuity. Yet for the most part the full body of the show' as it w’as sandwiched between Murrow’s effective pream¬ ble and equally effective afterpiece was cold and detached, intellec¬ tually divorced from the viewer. Murrow’s own personal summation of the problem was the only real and telling link between the facts and the problem posed; making certain the Vice Presidency is occupied by the second best man. If the show r failed to fire the viewer w'ith the necessary need fdr action, perhaps the fault lies in the method of presentation utilized. It could be that, in place of the kaleidoscopic Adams-lo- Nixon montage of posters, cartoons, news records and other symbolic samples (including a pointless re¬ enacting of Victor Moore’s Throttle- bottom from “Of Thee I Sing”), a straightforward dramatization of a Vice-Presidential floperoo might have made the analogy with greater force. Or it could be that this is a subject not to be treated objective¬ ly, nor subtly for that matter, since so much is at stake. Even a debate presenting both sides on the im¬ portance of the post and the method of selection would arouse more heat and excitement, and so involve the audience. The program needed anger—and there was none. Pontiac had nothing to fear. Stepping into the General Mot ors breach in a last-minute sponsor deal was Maybelline and two divi¬ sions of CBS—Columbia Records and CBS-Columbia on behalf of tv sets. Rose. WAYNE & SHUSTER SHOW’ W'ith Johnny Wayne, Frank Shuster, Margot Christie, Joe Austin, Herb May Producer: Drew Crossan Writers: Wayne & Shuster 30 Mins.; Fri., 8 p.m. CHRISTIE BISCUITS CBS-TV, from Toronto ( MacLaren) Oil their second season in tele¬ vision, now every second Friday night instead of last year’s once-a- month, Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster continue to get the full trans-Canada network treatment of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. As the country’s top comedy team, via viewer and previous radio rat¬ ings, plus their high-priced sti¬ pends, Wayne & Shuster meet with little Canadian competition and are continuing their trademarked slap¬ stick antics and own writing chores. For stanza’s guffaws, it’s what happens when the sponsor and his wire call upon the comics in their apartment so that the lady can evaluate the ’private lives of the pair of performers her husband is bankrolling. On situation, this in¬ volves the preparation of an eve¬ ning snack, complete w’ith seltzer- bottle squirting, the slopping of comestibles over her evening gown, a cake in the face, etc., the falling of a life-like prop dummy NBC prexy Pat Weaver has now transferred his “big big” pattern of programming to the daytime. The network’s full Jjpur cross-the- board series of dramas tin color, yet) w'hich premiered with appropri¬ ate fanfare Monday (31) is a move born of desperation, the culmina¬ tion of years of unsuccessful effort on the part of the NBC sales boys to get daytime television off the ground (and affiliates off the necks of the execs). Showcasing 60-minute dramas in the middle of the afternoon (only noon on the Coast) on approxi¬ mately the same production plateau as the major nighttime dramatic entries is something unprece¬ dented in tv or radio annals. On the basis of NBC’s claims that .‘‘.100,000 a w'eek is being poured into the shows, it adds up to a 85,000,000 gamble per annum. But on the basis of pre-premiere sales acceptance, it looks like the Weaver luck (and touch) may still pay off, since the network is al¬ ready heralding a $4,000,000 spon¬ sor participation, along with a 112- station acceptance. The residual intra-trade payoffs on “Matinee Theatre” are enor- NBC MATINEE THEATRE (Beginning Now) With Louis Hayward, Frances Reid, Philip Bourneuf, Julie Bennett, Mike Miller, Addison Richards, John Conte, host Executive Producer: Albert Mc- Cleery TV Adaptation (of J, P. Marquand story): Frank Gilroy 60 Mins., Mon.-thru-Frl., 3 p.m. PARTICIPATING NBC-TV, from Hollywood (color) mous,. with the NBC Burbank stu¬ dios on the Coast today probably boasting the biggest show biz tal- cut employment office In the world. Since many of the hour scripts written for nighttime drama (“Studio One,” “Robert Mont¬ gomery Presents,” etc.) are get¬ ting a reprise “Matinee” treatment, it’s a veritable windfall for the tv plaj wrights. As for actors, NBC is even contemplating a mass west¬ ward migration for the kingsized project. Initial entry was a Frank Gilroy adaptation of a J. P. Marquand story, “Beginning Now’.” (This otic, how'ever, was a tv first.) It boasted Louis Hayward in the lead and w'ith such stalwarts as Philip Bourneuf, Frances Reid. Addison Richards, among others in support. As literature it was far from Grade-A Marquand. As tv, it was hardly a cut above the conventional soap opera in story material. ‘Per¬ haps. if this is indicative of fu¬ ture shows, this might be good for- the afternoon hausfrau viewer to whom, obviously, NBC is playing. The story of how a father (a real despicable heel who even cheats on his w'ife in front of his son) warps the boy’s owm life, looked and sounded like it went through the same suds ringer that must in¬ evitably bring on a Tide commer¬ cial, which, natch, it did. Despite the big fat $4,000,000 sales advance, “Matiuee” nonethe¬ less remains a gamble; strictly from the standpoint that the day¬ time viewer is accustomed to his tv in small segments of quarter- hours or half-hours at the most. A lot of daytime tv is tailored for the ears alone, a prerequisite for the housewife. And that 3 to 4 in the afternoon in the east can be murder; that's when the kids are getting home from school. Hour dramas require concentration. This demands a whole repatterning of life. Thai's why those upcoming Nielsens will be worth watching. More than just plain tv viewing is at stake. Production-w'ise, Albert Mc- Cleery treads with a sure foot. The tinting-up process is a dubious one, at best. Most dramas are just as exciting—and just as dull—in. black-and-white. Rose. of a clothes closet, the peri- tic entrances of a stooge in costume slated for future re- vsals. t the target for deadpan in- ies of the two idiots, Margot istie is the patsy as the haughty ager w r ho believes that her hus- i should sponsor a cultural es dealing with music, art and kespeare. Miss Christie takes >t of .punishment that is brash slapstick expectedness, with me & Shuster back in the old aula that keeps them favorites everything in the world for women on WEEKDAY companion and counselor to America's women There’s never been anything like weekday! weekday marks a fascinating departure from all previous patterns of daytime radio programming! It is brought to America’s millions of homemakers by hosts Margaret Truman and Mike Wallace, and co¬ hosts Martha Scott and Walter Kiernan. Every bit of weekday is tailor-made for Her Majesty, Mrs. Home¬ maker—whose interests are as broad as the whole world: • She’ll enjoy weekday’s fresh new kind of dramatic entertainment: an absorbing short-story heard in its entirety each day, and serializa¬ tions of best-selling books, both fiction and non-fiction. • She’ll learn more about the things that interest her most, from an unusual group of experts. Most of them are men.—men whom she rec¬ ognizes as authorities: Richard Willis on Beauty; Jim Beard on Food; John Peter on Home; Meredith Willson on Music Appreciation; Bert Bachrach on Men’s Apparel; Ashley Montagu on Education; and many, many others. • She’ll get a new, intimate slant on headline personalities—through refreshingly different interviews with the wives of celebrities. • She’ll find her household chores are. lighter, pleasanter—with weekday’s easy-to-listen-to music. And she’ll look forward to each, day’s different top performing star. • She’ll hear a different kind of hourly news report. From all over the world, events will be made more meaningful because they’re in¬ terpreted from her own point of view as a woman. WEEKDAY will be a relaxed and rewarding accompaniment to the daily activities of America’s housewives. And weekday is about to become a regular part of the buying pattern of America’s advertisers. Never before has it been possible to reach such a concentrated mass market^ so flexibly and economically, weekday’s Charter Clients will have, two extra bonuses—the profitable association with an explosively ex¬ citing programming development, and the special savings possible through the Introductory Dividend Plan. Your NBC representative has all the facts. Call him today about on the NBC RADIO NET^AfORR a service of ^ TV-FILMS ussnsff Wednesday, November 2, 1955 38 J$RIEH ■ ARB City-By-City Syndicated and National Spot Film Chart VARIETY’S weekly chart of city-hy-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. 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 be paid to time—day and time factors, since sets-in-use and audience composition vary according to time slot, he., 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 follows: (Adv), adventure; (Ch), children’s; (Co), comedy; (Dr), drama; (Doc), documentary; (Mus), musical; (Myst), mystery; (Q), quiz; (Sp), sports; (W ), western; (TFoni), 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 • TOP 10 PROGRAMS AND TYPR STATION DISTRIt. DAY AND TIMI SEPTEMBER RATING SHARI SITS IN I TOP COMPETING PROGRAM <%) USE 1 PROGRAM STA. s RATING DETROIT Approx . Set Count— -1,470,000 Stations — —WJBK (2), WWJ (4), WXYZ (7), CKLW (9) 1. Badge 714 (Myst).WWJ.... .NBC . . . Sun. 10:00-10:30 ... ....30.4.. .. .... 76.5. .39.8 Bandstand Revue. ..WJBK ... . 4.1 2. Waterfront (Adv).WXYZ... ...... MCA..... Tues. 10:00-10:30 .. ....21.4.... .... 48.5. .... 44.3 Motor City Fights. ..WWJ .... .. ..12.1 3. Inspector Mark Saber (Myst) WJBK.. . . Fri. 10:00-10:30 .. . ... .21.0. .... 68.0. .... 31.0 Harness Racing.. .. WWJ .... .... 4.8 4. Secret File, USA (Adv)..WWJ. ... .Official. . Mon. 9:30-10:00 . .. ....19.6. .... 39.6. . ... 49.6 Summer Theatre. ..WJBK ... ....13.8 fi. I Led 3 Lives (Dr). WJBK... . Fri. 9:30-10:00 .... ... .19.3 .... .... 44.0. .... 43.7 Cavalcade of Sports. .. WWJ .... ....11.4 * Red Barber’s Corner.. .. WWJ .... ....11.4 0. Mr. District Attorney (Myst) WWJ ... .Ziv. .. Wed. 9:30-10:00 ... .17.8. . .*. .... 35.8. .... 49.7 US Steel Hour.. .. WJBK .. . . .. .27 2 7. Mayor of the Town (Com) . . WWJ.... .MCA. . .Mon. 10:00-10:30 .. .....17.2.... .... 44.5. .... 38.4 Hot Rods. .. WXYZ .. . .... 10.2 8. I Am the Law (Myst).WJBK... MCA. ..Wed. 10:00-10:30 .. .16.9.... .... 47.0. .... 36.2 Amos ’n’ Andy.. ..WWJ .... ....14.5 9. Soldiers of Fortune (Adv). . . WWJ.... .MCA. . .Sat. 10:00-10:30 ... .15.4.... .... 43.5. .... 35.3 Big Town.. ..WJBK ... ...14.8 10. Man Behind the Badge (Myst) WJBK. . . ,..... MCA. . Sat. 9:30-10:00 .... .15.1 .... ... . 33.4. .... 45.3 Your Hit Parade. .. WWJ . . .. . . . .24.2 CINCINNATI Approx. Set Count— 525,000 Stations— WLW-T (5), WCPO (9), WKRC (12) 1. Racket Squad (Myst). WKRC. .. .ABC. ... Wed. 8:00-8:3(1 .... .....21.7. ....37.4. .... 58.1 Kraft TV Theatre. WLW-T .. .. .20.2 2. Stories of the Century (W) . . . WKRC . .. .HTS... ... Tues. 9:30-10:00 ... .....21.2.... 37.4. . . . ; 56.8 Baseball . WCPO ... .. .27.4 2, Mr. District Attorney (Myst) WLW r -T. . .Ziv.... ,.. Wed. 9:30-10;00 ... .21.2.. .. .... 40.5..... .... 52.3 US Steel Hour.... WKRC ... .. .24.3 4. Science Fiction Theatre (Adv) WLW-T. . Ziv.. ... Sat. 10:00-10:30 ... .17.4.... .... 39.2. .... 44.4 Best of Hollywood. WKRC ... .. .14.5 Front Page News; Weather, WKRC ... .. .14.5 5. Eddie Cantor (Com). . WLW-T. . ... Fri. 8:30-9:00 . .17.2.... .... 33.6. .... 48.3 Ray Milland. . WKRC ... .. .22.8 6. Cisco Kid (W). . WCPO. .. -Sun. 5:00-5:30 __ .16.0.... .... -42.0. .... 34.0 Sunday Lucy Show.. . WKRC ... ... 9.4 7. Boston Blackie (Myst). .WLW-T.. .ziv. ,... Sat. 10:30-11:00 ... .... ,15.1.... .... 39.0. .... 38.8 Movie of the Week. WCPO ... ...11.7 8. I Led 3 Lives (Dr). .WLW-T.. .Ziv. .... Thurs. 7:30-8:00 ... .14.5.... -29.0. .... 50.1 Climax . . WKRC ... .. .29.2 9. Championship Bowling (Sp). . . WKRC... ... Sun. 1:00-1:30 . .....13.7.... ....54,5. .... 25.4 National Tennis. .WLW-T .. ... 7.4 10. City Detective (Myst). WKRC. .. .MCA. .Fri. 10:30-11:00 ... .11.9.... .... 41.5. .... 28.5 Tonight . .WLW-T .. ...is!i SEATTLE-TACOMA Approx. Set Count— 400,000 ' Stations— KOMO (4), KING (5), KTNT (11), KTVW (13) 1. Mr. District Attorney (Myst) KING. . . .Ziv. ...... Fri. 9:00-9:30 . ...25.0.. ... 47.5. .. . . 52.6 Great Gildersleeve. ..KOMO . , . . .15.0 2. Waterfront (Adv). KOMO . ^ ... .. .MCA. -Fri. 7:30-8:00 .. ... .23.6. ... 40.5. .... 58.4 T-Men in Action. . . KING .. . .. .18.7 2. Badge 714 (Myst).. KING. . ..NBC. .Fri. 9:30-10:00 .... . . .. .23.6. ... 54.5... .... 43.3 Curtain Time. 4 . ..KOMO .. ... 7.1 4. Annie Oakley (W).. KING. ... CBS. .Thurs. 7:00-7:30 .. . .23.1 .. ., ... 40.5. .... 57.2 BoS Cummings. ..KTNT ... ...20.7 5. Eddie Cantor (Com). KING. ... Ziv. ...... Wed. 8:30-9:00 .... .23.0. ... 39.8. .... 57.8 I’ve Got a Secret. ..KTNT ... .. .19.9 6. Science Fiction Theatre (Adv) KING_ ... Ziv. .Thurs. 8:30-9:00 ... .21.6. ... 35.4. .... 61.1 Four Star Playhouse. .. KTNT ... .. .19.0 7. City Detective (Myst). KING. ...MCA.. .Fri. 8:30-9:00 . .19.2. ... 36.6. .... 52.5 Ray Milland. ..KTNT ... ...16.4 8. Superman (Adv). KING. . .. Flamingo. .Mon. 6:00-6:30 .... .17.8. ... 53.5. .... 33.3 Summer Theatre... ..KTNT .. . ... 9.2 9. The Whistler (Myst). KING. . ..CBS..... .Fri. 10:00-10:30 ... .17.6. .. 46.5..... .... 37.8 Curtain Time. ..KOMO .. ... 12.1 10. Soldiers of Fortune (Adv) KING. .. ..MCA. ..Tues. 6:00-6:30 .... .....17.2..... .... 60.0. .... 28.7 Deadline ... ..KOMO .. ... 8.3 \ COLUMBUS Approx. Set Count— 310,000 Stations — WLW-C (4), WTVN (6),-WBNS (10) 1. I Led 3 Lives (Dr). WBNS. . . . Ziv. .... Tues. 9:30-10:00 . .30.9. . ... 51.5. .. 59.8 City Detective. WLW-C . .. .26.6 2. Passport to Danger (Adv) . . . WBNS. ... ABC. .27.3. .... 51.0. .. 53.3 TV Playhouse. WLW-C . .. .16.7 3, City Detective (Myst). WLW-C.... .. .. MCA. .Tues. 9:30-10:00 . ..26.6. _44.5. .. 59,8 WBNS 30 9 4. Man Behind the Badge (Myst) WBNS. _MCA. .Fri. 8:30-9:00 .. .24.8. _60.0...... .. 41 4 WTVN 9 2 5. Waterfront (Adv)/. WBNS. . ... .MC A. .Fri. 10:30-11:00 .20.5. _57,3. . 35 6 The Vice WTVN 7 7 6. Science Fiction Theatre (Adv) WLW-C .. . .. .. Ziv. ...... Sat. 10:00-10:30 .,20.1. . . i. . 48.0...... .. 41.8 9 O’Clnck Theatre WTVN 44.5 7. Superman (Adv).. .WBNS. .... Flamingo. .Wed. 6:00-6:30 . .19.8. .... 83.0. . . 23.8 News; John Daly. . WTVN ... ... 2.3 News; Joe Hill; Weather. .WTVN ... ... 2.3 8 . Annie Oakley (W). .WTVN. .... CBS. .Sun. 5:30-6:00 .. .18.0. .... 61.5. .. 29.3 Roy Rogers:.. . WLW-C . ... 8.1 9. Mr. District Attorney (Myst). .WLW-C ... . ... Ziv. .Wed. 9:30-10:00 .,16.0. .... 30.4. .. 52.5 US Steel Hour. .WBNS ... . . .31.2 10. My Hero (Com)... . WBNS. .Official. .Sun. 9:00-9:30 . . ......45.6. .... 25.4. .. 61.4 Loretta Young. .WLW-C . .. .30.4 Wednesday, November 2, 1955_ f^RIETY _ TV-FILMS &9 TPA Bent on Making Like UA On Financing, Distrib, Co-Producing - ; --— ♦ Interstate Dickers BCE Distrib Deal Hollywood, Nov. 1. Negotiations are under way whereby Interstate Television may distribute all Bing Crosby Enter¬ prises vidpix, currently syndicated by MCA-TV Film Syndication. Three-way talks are being held be-‘ tween Interstate, BCE and MCA. Under deal being- talked, MCA would release the 126 BCE vidpix it has to BCE, which in turn would hand distribution over to Inter¬ state, Allied Artists tv subsidiary. Involved in the negotiations are BCE’s Crown , theatre, Counter Point and Royal Playhouse series and “Where Were You?,” which stars Ken Murray. BCE is not now and hasn’t been in active production for some time. Bing Crosby, who owns the com¬ pany, at one time considered tak¬ ing an active hand in it as pro¬ ducer, but this failed to material¬ ize, apparently because he is too busy with his other commitments. ASHER VICE ROGELL IN 20TH-F0X SHIFT Hollywood, Nov. 1. Vet film producer Irving Asher has been brought in by 20th-Fox as general manager of all the studio’s tv operations,' succeeding Sid Rogell, who’s headed TCF Productions, the 20th tv subsid, since its inception. Rogell, though now removed from the video scene, continues as executive pro¬ duction manager at 20th. Asher, brought in by 20th prez Spyros Skouros and studio chief Darryl F. Zanuck, was most recent¬ ly at Paramount, where he was a producer for the past five years. Under Asher, Otto Lang will con¬ tinue as exec producer on the *‘20th-Century-Fox Hour” for Gen¬ eral Electric, and work with Asher on the overall tv picture. Peoria — Edward Kash,'latterly senior producer for Henri, Hurst & McDonald, becomes station manager of WEEK. HV-TV ADDS 3 TO TOP SALES BERTHS Ziv Television Programs last week added three top sales execs to its staff last wfeek, two to its na¬ tional sales operation and one to head up new business development among selected New York agency. Latter is Bernard Musnik, who re¬ signed as eastern sales, v.p. of Crosley Broadcasting Corp. to take the post, while the two new na¬ tional. sales execs are James T. Shaw, former radio-tv director for the- Henri, Hurst & McDonald agency in Chi, and Andrew P. Jaeger, vet telefilm sales exec. ' Musnik, who’s been with Crosley for 15 years, the past two of them as a v.p., will concentrate his work on top agencies, spelling out the flexibility and advantages of tele¬ film buys. He’ll also work to es¬ tablish closer liaison with the sta¬ tion rep firms. He reports to M. J. (Bud) Rifkin, Ziv sales v.p. Shaw, who was with the Chi agency for the past five years as an account exec as well as radio-tv chief, will work out of Ziv’s new Chi office under v.p. A1 Unger. Jaeger, who has been sales v.p. for the erst¬ while Prockter Television Enter¬ prises and N. Y. sales topper for Screen Gems, among other posts, will headquarter in N. Y. NTA Conclave Briefs Execs on New Shows National Telefilms Associates held a sales meeting in New York over the weekend to brief its re¬ gional execs on the firm’s new properties, the Harry Alan Towers hour-long “TV Theatre” series, the “Lilli Palmer Presents” shorties and “The Mad Whirl,” a roller derby series. Ely Landau, NTA prez; Oliver Unger, exec v.p. and Harold Gold¬ man, sales v.p. presided over the meetings. Attending were Edward M. Gray, western sales director; E. Johnny Graff, midwest sales chief; Pete Rodgers and Bernie Tabakin, Coast sales staffers; Don Swartz, Minneapolis; Jerry Corwin, Kansas City; Nick Russo, Boston, and N. Vaillancourt, Montreal. ‘Johnny Moccasin’ Tinters | Hollywood, Nov. 1. NBC-TV will bankroll pilot for a proposed color telefilm series. “Johnny Moccasin,” in deal nego¬ tiated last week between net and Edward Mosk, attorney-secretary of Johnny Moccasin Inc., firm headed by idea-creator Frederick H. Rice. Western series revolves about young white man brought up by indians. Sid Kuller will be exec produ¬ cer, which Robert Boyle pro¬ ducing. Lazio Benedek will direct. Bowling Vidpix TVs Top Grosser In Sports Realm Chicago, Nov. 1. “Championship Bowling,” tele- pix series produced and financed by Pete Demet, a Chi auto dealer, and distributed by Walter Schwirn- mer, has emerged as likely the No. 1 grosser along the sports cir¬ cuit. Packet has really caught fire this season, running on 137 sta¬ tions, with the October sales alone past the $225,000 mark for a total gross take so far this year in ex¬ cess of $800,000. Now that Schwimmer has cracked New York with a sale to WRCA-TV last week, one or both of the two 26-week bundles' is getting full major-market exposure across the country. The eastern seaboard, known in the bowling trade as duck pin country, had heretofore been rather tough terri¬ tory ip which to stir up much ex¬ citement about a series built around standard bowling, a red- hot sport in the midwest. In the works in a third cycle, probably to be lensed in Chicago. First series, sent into distribution last year, was shot here in Matt Niesen’s alleys where DeMet got the idea as sponsor of a live bowl¬ ing show via WNBQ to underwrite (Continued on page 48) HACKETT REELECTED AS OFFICIAL PREXY Proxies representing 1,879,000 shares of 70 % of the shares out¬ standing, reelected Hal Hackett president-board chairman of Offi¬ cial Films at the company’s annual meeting Monday (31) at Ridgefield. N.J. Meeting also reelected all other members of the board and approved a change in the charter permitting the company to issue an additional 1,000,000 shares of 10c. par common stock, which would bring total authorized stock to 3,000,000 shares. Hackett said approval of the additional shares would permit Official to take advantage of “profitable opportunities which present themselves” in the highly competitive and changeable tele¬ film market. He said that on the basis of current returns, the first fiscal quarter should far exceed the same period last year. On the foreign front, he discussed Offi¬ cial’s sales in Britain and Canada and stated he now looks to Aus¬ tralia as the next source of over¬ seas coin. ‘CristoY Dept Store Coin Couple of unusual sponsorship deals were inked this week in the syndicated telefilm marts. One in¬ volves a department store buy, with Maison Blanche in New Or¬ leans picking up TPA’s “Count of Monte Cristo” for airing via WDSU-TV there. Department store sponsorship on a program level is still unusual, although Maison Blanche is said to have done it before on occasion. Other was the sale of “Douglas Fairbanks Presents” in Mobile for airing on WKRG-TV there. Show I was sold to the Radcliffe Gravel 'Co. With its projected purchase by Screen Gems now a dead issue, Television Programs of America is embarking on a rapid expansion program under which it plans to achieve major telefilm status under an operation paralleling that of United Artists in the motion pic¬ ture industry. TPA, according to 1 its president, Miltpn Gordon, is prepared to finance and coproduce as well as distribute properties by the top independent telefilm pro¬ ducers in the country. Firm is currently aiming at an annual turnover of eight series, four of them to be sold nationally and four in syndication* according to Gordon. But the basis of this program is the relationship to be built up with independent pro¬ ducers. a financing-distribution re¬ lationship which Gordon believes will result in the acquisition of the best talent and properties available. The parallel with that of UA is an apt one, says Gordon, who was active in the reorganiza¬ tion of the theatrical distribution company before founding TPA with Edward Small (who’s also had some experience with the UA pat¬ tern) and Michael M. Sillcrman two years ago. First deal under the new pattern has already been consummated, and is a financing-partnership-dis¬ tribution arrangement with Don Sharpe and Four Star Productions on the “Stage Seven” series, which had a brief network run on CBS-TV for Bristol-Myers. Under the deal, TPA will finance and dis¬ tribute (in syndication) new “Stage Seven” productions which get underway in a couple of weeks for release in March. TPA and Four Star will share in the profits. Flock of Financing Deals Deal of a similar nature was set a week ago with Jack Chertok, who was signed to film the “Tug¬ boat Annie” series for the com¬ pany. Chertok deal differs in that TPA owns the property, but Cher¬ tok was not simply signed on a (Continued on page 42) THERE IS NO SECOND CHANCE IN LIVE TELEVISION be sure EVERY time- with now used on over J00 network shows weekly . . . and you can be sure when you buy TelePrompTer equipped stations like WCAU-TV Philadelphia the *SkyTower 9 station WABI-TV Bangor ‘First in Maine? TelePromp/er Corporaiion NEW YORK 300 W. 43rd Street JUdson‘2-3800 Network and Film Don Redell ? Bart Swift ) Bill Marsh, Staging Service Warren Abrams, Stations Division CHICAGO Ted Boisumeau, Manager 177 North State Street FRanklin 2-8826 LOS ANGELES George Kane, Manager 6151 Santa Monica Boulevard Hollywood 9-6239 WASHINGTON, D. C. > Ray Tyrrell, Manager 1346 Connecticut Avenue COlumbus 5-3161 TORONTO S. W. Caldwell, Ltd. 447 Jarvis Street WAlnut 2-2103 TELEPROMPTER OF ENGLAND c/o Towers of London 84 Hallam Street London WI • • • TelePrompTer service now available in all principal cities throughout the United States, Canada and many foreign countries. women! ... spend more money for more things than all other members of the family combined. Wednesday, November 2, 1955 UAtuety v .. spend more daytime hours The place to sell more of your product to women, your best customers, is on WCBS-TV.* *CBS OWNED V Channel 2 New York Represented by CBS Television Spot Sales 42 Rmo-mm$iox VARIETY Wednesday, November 2; I 955 Telefilms’ 'Get Out of Town’ ——.s Continued from page 33 ■— — packaged “Schlitz Playhouse of Stars” (Meridian Productions) is in the wrapup stages of moving pro¬ duction on 13 “Schlitz” stanzas to Bermuda, where Gibbs is one * of the factotums of the telefilm pro¬ duction setup. An entire series, “Crunch & Des,” is currently shooting there and is earmarked for the NBC Film Division, but there’s room for another produc¬ tion' shooting simultaneously, and undoubtedly that’s in back of Gibbs’ mind. But also a predominant fac¬ tor is the offbeat Bermudian back¬ grounds offered by the setup. An¬ other “get out of town” case is Television Programs of America’s “Count of Monte Cristo,” which after completing 15 episodes on the Coast to meet the fall pro¬ gramming deadline moved lock- stock-and-barrel to Britain, where it will shoot interiors, and to France, Spain and Italy for loca- tioning. Move was made spe¬ cifically to take advantage of those Continental locations, with basing- in-Britain a consequence. Above-mentioned list of produc¬ tions—and more are in the works —doesn’t include the long list of series shot overseas in thfcir en¬ tirety. It does reflect the new itch of the telepix producers who have permanently based in Hollywood, a desire to broaden their produc¬ tion horizons in the hope of add¬ ing something fresh and different to their half-hour entries. .Nor does it include the growing “see America” trend under which the Coast producers likewise have be¬ gun locationing all over the coun¬ try. Walt Disney has probably made the biggest strides in this di¬ rection, shooting his tv-earmarked "Davy Crockett” trilogy and his this-season’s “Legends of Davy Crockett” in the Carolinas, Ten¬ nessee and up and down the Mis¬ sissippi and of course his “True- Life Adventures” all over the country. Louis Edelman, for his “This Is Your Country” series for ABC-TV, has indicated to prospec¬ tive sponsors that specific episodes will be shot in their own home territories if they so wish, so flex¬ ible is his on-location format. O’Neil’s RKO Pix Continued from page 33 .» so far has refused to yield to in¬ dividual picture buys. As an in¬ centive to purchaser, GTR is add¬ ing a “bonus” of first refusal on 950 shorts soon to be marketed. It was pointed out to Rawls that in addition to pictures made from 1932 to 1948 there will be new ones made since 1948 but not to be shown for 18 months because of union restrictions which, it is indicated, would be removed by that time. It is no trade secret that RKO is holding back for theatrical re¬ issue most of its best money¬ makers over the years and this is said to have cooled many pros¬ pective purchasers in Los Angeles, New York, Boston and other key cities where O’Neil ow r ns stations. \ TPA Makes Like UA - Continued from page 39 — subcontracting basis, but was given a partnership deal in the property because of what Gordon calls his proven ability to produce comedy shows.” In the works are three additional series which will go into production by February of 1956 under the same financing pattern, one of which is definitely ear¬ marked as a western. This will either be “The Last of the Mohi¬ cans” or “Daniel Boone,” and it’s understood that if it’s the latter, it will be produced in collaboration with Martin Stone, who has tied up patentable merchandising rights to the character. This would mark Stone’s return to production since selling the Kagran Corp. to NBC. The “UA approach” has long been under consideration at TPA (in fact was used in the case of the “Lassie” series under which TPA finances and is in partnership with producer Bob Maxwell) but recent developments, chief among them the Screen Gems talks, held it up. Gordon feels that it’s well- nigh impossible to bring in the best creative talent under one roof on a salary basis—“even MGM can’t do it.” If a distributor in- sists on handling his own produc¬ tion, he does so at the risk of using mediocre creative talent or devel¬ oping a ^stylized” approach to pro¬ duction that’s clearly identifiable with the company and therefore puts limitations both on its crea¬ tive efforts and its sales potentials Gordon avers. ’ Align Indies The way to get a lineup of diver¬ sified and top-quality .properties, Gordon states, is to encourage in¬ dependent creative talent. He points out that in the three deals already set, each producer is tops in his specialty, and that if TPA had attempted to produce the shows with its own limited staff, inferior quality would have result¬ ed. “Sharpe has no peer as a producer of dramatic anthologies,” Gordon declares; “Maxwell has a long and^ successful production record in juvenile-family entertain¬ ments shows,” and Ghertok’s abil¬ ity in the Comedy field is shown by the three : year run of “Private Sec¬ retary.” The New Petry Pocketpiece 11811 of TV Market Data :Now available to Executives and Personnel of Advertisers and Agencies TELEVISION STATIONS REPRESENTED 1 ttY EDWARD R*rtRY D CD., INC, T his handsome new research tool provides you with updated TV set count and mar¬ ket data on each of the 3,071 U. S. Counties. For the first time in handy booklet form you will have Television Magazine's latest TV family estimates combined with Sales Man• agement’s 1955 Survey of Buying Power data on Population, Families and Retail Sales, You’ll find the county-by-county, state and regional breakdown an effective aid in your national and regional TV advertising plan¬ ning. TO GET YOUR COPY OF THIS HELPFUL TV MARKET FACT BOOKLET, CALL OR WRITE YOUR NEAREST PET^Y OFFICE, WSB-TV Atlanta WSM-TV Nashvillqi WBAL-TV Baltimore WTAR-TV .Norfolk. WFAA-TV Dallas KMTV Omaha 1 v KOA-TV Denver WTVH . Peoria WTVD ' Durham-Raleigh KCRA-TV Sacramento wicu : v Erie WOAI-TV San Antonio KPRC-TV Houston KFMB-TV San Diego • WHTN-TV Huntington KGO-TV San Francisco WJIM-TV Lansing KTBS-TV Shreveport. KARK-TV Little Rock KREM-TV Spokane KABC-TV Los Angeles KOTV Tulsa WISN-TV Milwaukee KARD-TV Wichita KSTP-TV Minn.-St. Paul ABC Pacific Television Regional Network Edward Petry & Co., Inc. NEW YORK • CHICAGO • IOS ANGELES • DETROIT • ST. LOUIS ♦ SAN FRANCISCO • ATLANTA TPA has allocated no specific fund for financing—“we’ve got plenty of money on hand coming in from our network'accounts and residuals sales and we’ll allocate it as we need it,” says Gordon. In most cases, the financing-partner¬ ship arrangements will be on a 50- 50 basis. In cases where TPA con¬ tributes 100% financing and the producer brings in the property, it will be on a 50-50 basis, that is, the producer and TPA will share equally in the returns after TPA’s distribution fee is taken off the top. In cases where TPA brings in the property and contributes 100 % financing, its share will be higher than half. If it contributes toss than 100% and the producer brings in the property, it will share in less than a 50% ratio. “Each deal is different,” says Gordon, “depending on the financing, the producer and the property. If Jackie Gleason walked in and wanted to do a show, I’m sure we would take much less than 50% even if we contributed 100% fi¬ nancing.” On another front, TPA indicated its expansion plans with the addi¬ tion of six salesmen. New men come just as TPA is preparing to launch a heavy rerun sales cam¬ paign on the 104 “Susie” (“Pri¬ vate Secretary”) pix and the “Halls of Ivy” reruns. New men are Crenshaw Bonner, formerly with MCA-TV and Ziv, who re¬ places Barry Winston (who’s joined WUSN in Charleston) in the south¬ east; Len Corwin, who ankled WWOR-TV in Worcester to take over the New England territory; Jack Skinner, ex-Ziv Radio, for Denver; Julian P. Bernard and Ed¬ ward P. Simmel (ex-MCA-TV), who’ll have roving assignments; and E. L. (Spike) Colburn, who returns to TPA after a six-month stint as sales manager of KBTV, Denver, and who'll handle the southwest. Reynolds m. Continued from page 33 —^ British commercial tv interests, the trade senses that the latter will be in on production of the films. (Official owns 25% of Nettlefold Studios, outside of London, Incor¬ porated TV Program Co. Ltd., pro¬ duction outfit whose ownership is represented in direction of a com¬ mercial telecast company, also owns a share of the studio.) In ad¬ dition to England, some of stanzas will be produced in other Euro¬ pean countries. After Reynolds finishes his “Foreign Intrigue” feature film for United Artists, he hopes to return to producing “FI” vidpix. After four years, production on the series was called to a halt. If he returns to grinding out “FI” half- hours, it is not believed that pres¬ ent plan calls for them to be in¬ cluded in the Official four-package deal. Milwaukee — Wendell Palmer has moved up from the continuity manager post at WTMJ and WTMJ- TV to become assistant to Bruce Wallace, the Milwaukee Journal station’s public service and promo¬ tion chief. Bill McCormack takes over the continuity slot. Wednesday, November 2, 1955 PjfcRIEfY 43 It*S SO very personal! Once upon a time, radio listening was a “family affair.” The family had one radio! The family listened as one. Nowadays, you catch radio by yourself. In your car. Your kitchen. Your bedroom. Your cellar workshop. In short, radio has become the personal medium. And ABC Radio is the one major network that has developed an entirely new, entirely sensible concept of personalized nighttime programing! NPw n 11NDfi BAB vnII mim Umm WW *5SP m*m mm? mSm m iPm V LISTEN I A brand-new idea in radio programing, designed for today's listening habits. • LISTEN I It's the up-to-the-minute way to buy network radio . . . full sponsorship of regularly scheduled program segments. • LISTEN ! Only $800 buys a complete program unit, on the full ABC Radio Network. • LISTEN to the full details by calling us right now. On the phone or in person your ABC Radio Network salesman can give you the exciting story of personalized^ listening—the new sounds for you. the new sound of ABC Radio 44 RADIO-TELEVISION Wednesday, November 2, 1955 1 »»»♦»» > »»»♦•»♦♦♦ ♦•♦♦♦+»»♦»» ■ ♦♦♦»♦»♦»»♦»»»♦ »♦♦ ♦ ♦♦♦»! From the Production Centres l IiV NEr YORK CITY ... Radio Ad Bureau move from 270 Park to poshier 460 Park got under¬ way last week, with outfit boss Kevin Sweeney conveniently on road at the time . . . Alan Jay, WNYC gabber, married a short time back to Judith Resnick, Philly non-tradster . . . Jessie Middlemast doing homemaker show on WHLI, L. I. indie . . . Bill Edmonds, WMGM “Barnyard Jamboree” emcee, dabbling in strawhat promotion, donating his time to Valley Community Theatre Players at Pascack Theatre in Westwood, N. J.. (Proceeds to Pascack Valley Hospital . . . Ted Schneider, WMGM station operations manager, now district captain 'of Community Fund Drive in Bronxville, N. Y. area. Ken Joseph upped to divisional manager of the New York office and James Weathers ditto for Atlanta with the creation of the two new sales divisions at World Broadcasting. Both are currently in the World stable, similarly Bill Pennell moves to World’s Coast office to become western division sales rep. . . . IN CHICAGO ... Michael McCarthy, ex-Geoffrey Wade, moved over to Erwin, Wasey as radio-tv director, filling the spot held by the late Robert Zellens . . . WNG new'S director Spence Allen guestspoke at the annual get-together of the Iowa Radio-Television News Editors Assn, in Des Moines Satur¬ day (29) . . . Lou Kravitz, formerly sales veep at Filmack Studios, named sales director at Lewis & Martin Films . . . Standard Radio prez Milt Blink on the Coast this week setting up recording dates with the Lawrence Welk and Billy Wells orchs for Standard’s Shorty Tunes library service . . . Deejay Eddie Hubbard tabbed as CARE's official radio-tv Chi “crusader” . . . That’s Chi NBC network news chief Chet Hagen at the mike on those Saturday afternoon “Monitor” pickups of the Sportsman Park nag sprints ... Foote, Cone & Belding radio-tv topper Jack Simpson and Dial account exec Jim Cameron in Hollywood this week supervising a new batch of tele blurbs . . . Tribune’s gossip columnist Herb Lyon doubling into tv with a Sunday night half-hour via WGN-TV . . . Weiss & Geller media director Jack Bard upped to a vice-presidency . . . Norm Spaulding, manager of the disk department of the Gamble Hinged music store, back as a deejay, this time Wednes¬ day nights on WGN . . . Kling veep Fred Niles addresses the luncheon session of the Chi chapter of the American Women in Radio & Tele¬ vision today (Wed.). IN HOLLYWOOD . . . Harry Maizlish put KFWB on round-the-clock schedule, with long re¬ motes from a Cadillac agency and hourly bulletins from Mirror-News city room . . . AI Kabaker, late of Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample, heads up the Compton agency, relieving Jim Pollack for production duties on two of the agency’s shows for Procter & Gamble . . . J. Hugh E. Davis, onetime second in command at Foote, ,Cone & Belding in Chicago, now consultant for the Esty agency on Colgate Variety .Hour. It’s just one of his many activities as an independent operator-contractor . . . NBC's John West and Leo Durocher broke bread with Danny Kaye but it was passed off as a “social” meeting. Kaye has insisted that he’s not yet ready to tackle tv but that day he is NBC would like to spectacularize him in “Pied Piper of Hamlin” . . . Ted Pittenger, copy chief at Calkins & Holden, is out with his first book, “Warrior’s Return.” That’s right, It’s about the ad biz . , . Two program units of the ABC Radio “New Sound for You,” nighttime programming start locally on KABC. Seg¬ ments to be heard include “Events of the Day,” Mondays, Tuesdays and At last-the fabulous redhead himself * tells the whole Godfrey story! “I am sick and tired of the fantastic tales that have been *concocted for gullible newspapermen by the press agents of my former associates . 1 think it is about time that folks heard the true story!* y „ Millions of words, friendly and otherwise, have been written about Godfrey. But this is the first time Arthur HIMSELF has told his story. The fabulous redhead tells it all in the style that has become his trademark. He pulls no punches. He tells of liis troubles as well as his triumphs. You can start reading the whole fascinating Godfrey story today in The Saturday Evening Post. It’s on the newsstands right now'. So be sure to get your copy before they’re sold out. Out today on all newsstands The Saturday Evening POST November.". IH55 * />< A CURTIS MAGAZINE P%fiIETY Thursdays* and “Soundmirror,” Mondays through Fridays , . . KBIG Avalonreports a 21% gain for the first nine months of this year, over the same 1954 period, for the highest income year in station s lnstoiy. Sept., 1955, outstripped same 1954 month by 40 /o. IN WASHINGTON Theodore Koop, CBS director of Washington news and public affairs, named to Alexander Hamilton Bicentennial Commission s Advisory. Committee on public relations, by Sen. Karl M un <Jt P llp ^ man of commission.. Koop joined with NARTB s Fred Garngue, and Father Dan Power, of fadio-tv department of Georgetown U, in a _J e j e ’ vision -panel highlighting meeting of American College Public Rela¬ tions Association . . . NBC v.p. Sig Eiges speaker at last week s meet¬ ing of American Public Relations Society . . . WWDC sportscaslei Bob Wolff inked by WPIX, N. Y., to repeat his last chores, of covering 60 Madison Square Garden events . . . Hazel Markel, NBC femmecaster, is first woman to emcee welcoming ceremonies for a visiting head of state, a stint she performed Monday (31) for the Guatamelan Presi¬ dent . . • WTTG carried a special memorial telecast, narrated by Bob Wolff and Mhtthew Warren, less than three hours after death of Wash¬ ington National’s baseball boss Clark’Griffith . . . WWDC vet Art uic voiiv nn inu-n’c radio scene uast week. IN SAN FRANCISCO . Don Mozley, KCBS news director, was on the air with a flash about the recent Frisco quake within 30 seconds, as was announcer Bill Hill¬ man at KPIX. Hillman broke into the Ed Sullivan Show to get the news out, and had an eyewitness account on the air in a few minutes . . . Harold P. See, KRON manager, trekked to Clear Lake for four days for the Redwood Empire Association meeting . . . KGO’s Dick Parks planed to New York to clean up some NABE-ABC contraclural details. His ballerina wife, Carolyn, has been asked to teach the Texas Associa¬ tion of Dancing Teachers how to get up on its toes . . . Al Masters, Stanford’s athletic director and chairman of Pacific Coast Conference’s TV committee, was boilipg mad over the last-minute televising of the USC-California football game in Berkeley . . . New promotion assistant at KPIX is Louise Jorjorian . . . Dean Maddox Jr,, son of Frisco’s late "sidewalk reporter,” got a role in “The Lineup,” thanks to Ruth Dwyer, whom Dean Sr. had helped in troubled times . , . KSFO and KCBS landed a saturation campaign for Cribari Wines. IN PITTSBURGH . . . Tommy Monahan, son of Kap Monahan, drama-movie critic of Scripps- Howard Press, has gone to work at WBVP in nearby Beaver Falls as a transmitter engineer following his graduation from electronics school . . . Jean Dreschler has transferred from KDKA service department to publicity as Girl Friday to Jack Williams. She replaces Lorraine Rychick, now secretary to June Buzzelli, assistant promotion manager . . . Sid Dickler slotted by WAKU, Latrobe, in a daily record show . . . William Connelly, Jr., former WENS salesman and husband of Jean Connelly," KDKA-TV producer, has joined MCA as its syndicated vidpix representatives in this area . . . “Off the Podium” series featuring William Steinberg, conductor of Pittsburgh Symphony, and John Gibbs, KQV program director, has been shifted to an earlier weekly slot on Thursday night, 10:30 p.m. IN DETROIT . . . “Sepia Sensations” is a new offering on WXYZ-TV with disk jockey Jack Surrell hosting top Negro talent, local and national, playing the many black-and-tan niteries. Show, sponsored by an auto dealer, will be an hour long following late Saturday night movie, meaning it be¬ gins’at 12:45 a.m. each Sunday . . . WJR newscaster Jim Vinall has readied a special report “Age of Sedation,” interviewing top specialists in the sedatjve-barbiturate field . . . Fran Harris, WWJ-TV’s woman's editor, returns after a short hiatus with a five-minute Wednesday- through-Friday movie and stage review show . .. CKLW has abandoned all-night broadcasting, quits now at 1:30 a.m. . . . Local billings at WWJ for first three quarters were up 51% over same period last year, with national billings increasing 7% . . . Worth Kramer, veepee and general manager of WJR, was principal radio speaker for region seven conference of the National Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters in Colorado Springs Tuesday (1). IN MINNEAPOLIS . . . Paul Coates here from Los Angeles for WCCO-TV’s launching of his “Confidential File” show . . . Don Cornell one of stars of WTCN-TV's all-night United Cerebral Palsy telethon this week .'. . Maurice “Clip¬ per” Smith, former noted college and pro football coach and a WTCN- TV staffer the past year, takes over as promotion and public relations director following- resignation of Jerry LaRouque who reenters edu¬ cational work in Chicago. Smith also continues to appear on a num¬ ber of football shows . , . Father of Doug Melgis, veteran KSTP an¬ nouncer, died at age of 83 . . . With WMIN abandoning all sports activities and devoting itself entire to music and news, Hal Newell, its sports director who has been airing St. Paul American Association baseball games the past several years play by play, steps out. He at one time was the Cleveland Indians’ tv baseball * announcer . . . Tv’s “Super Circus” brought into town by Junior Chamber of Commerce for two performances scaled at $1.50 top. IN CINCINNATI . . . Crosley tv station in Cincy, Dayton and Columbus dropping pro¬ duction of their own Saturday wrestling shows after several years . . . WLW bolstering staff of writers, announcers and production workers for the station’s new monitor series, titled World Now . . . WKRC-TV additions are Dave Bailey, announcer, from WCAW, Charleston, W. Va., and Ray Watson, producer-director, back after a two-year Army stint. Barry Hersh has returned to the station as film director, with switch of Emil Bergdolt to sales department . . . Bob Davis, tenor, now Cros¬ ley staffer, on Ruth Lyons’ WLW-T show. IN PHILADELPHIA . . . . NBC-TV’s “March of Medicine” on alcoholism (29) to be filmed here by WPTZ crews under supervision of Cal Jones, station’s exec director . . . Jack Valentine and the Tommy Ferguson Trio, WCAU-TV stars, set for Garry Moore Show (11) . . . Ed Sullivan at Mask and Wig re¬ hearsal (27) to select numbers for “Toast” appearance ... Ed Mahon starts two-hour late night session on WIBG, while continuing as WCAU- TV personality . . . Bob Knox, WIBG broadcaster, taken to hospital after collapse at station . . . Star Phillies hurler debuts “The Robin Roberts Show” on WCAU-TV (19) , . . Phila. Division of Aviation spon¬ sored a disk jockey show (30) with Ed Harvey (WCAU), Jack Pyle (KYW), Joe McCauley (WIP), Cal Milner and Larry Brown (WPEN), Sally Starr (WJMJ), and Bernice Thompson (WDAS). Magnavox’s 70% Hike Fort Wayne, Nov. 1. The Magnavox Co. has a 70% profits increase for the quarter ending Sept. 30 as against the same period last year. Pre-income tax profits were $1,084,807 against $671,729, After taxes, latest take was $564,807. pat McDermott quits cbs Hollywood, Nov. 1. Resignation of Miss Pat McDer¬ mott, manager of CBS-TV press info department and with net press department for past five years, was disclosed last * week, effective Dec. 1. She will reveal her new affili¬ ation within two W’eeks. Lowell Thomas’ Albany Buy Upheld Washington, Nov. l. An FCC examiner yesterday (Mon.) held that CBS commentator Lowell Thomas is “talent” and not a network official and that the Commission was justified in allow¬ ing him and his associates to pur¬ chase WROW-TV in Albany, N. Y., a year ago. Commission approval of the transfer was protested by Van Curler Broadcasting Co., whose tv station, WTRI, lost its CBS affiliation to WROW-TV and went off the air as a result. After hearings on the protest, Examiner James D. Cunningham found that Thomas is employed un¬ der contract by CBS as talent and that FCC policy, which prohibits ownership of tv stations by net¬ work officials, w r as not violated by the transfer. Contrary to allegations by Van Curler, Examiner Cunningham also held that the Thomas group’s purchase of WROW-TV “did not have the effect of placing CBS in virtual control of the station” in violation of FCC multiple owner¬ ship rules. Moreover, Cunning¬ ham held, Thomas is not consid¬ ered under control of CBS by rea¬ son of his talent contract. AMERICA’S 10™ TV MARKET WGAL-TV LANCASTER, PENNA., NBC and CBS SUtnman Station Clair McColloufh, Pre». The WGAL-TV multi- city market area In comprised of 912,950 TV sets owned by 3’/a million people who have $5 V% billion to spend each year. For maximum sales In a multi-city market, ad¬ vertise on WGAL-TV, ! ftcpr«ientatfv«n' MEEKER TV, INC Wednesday, November 2, 1955 MSiikff Once again we thank you For $510,000 Pledged On behalf of the tens of thousands of Cerebral Palsied Children and Adults of the greater New York area, we extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Jackie Gleason and the many others who helped make the 19-hour fifth annual "Celebrity Parade for Cerebral Palsy", Saturday, October 22nd - Sunday, October 23rd, the success that it was. flack cMauiman President, United Cerebral Palsy Association PRODUCTION COMMITTEE Ray Abel Dave Evans Hal Melvin Bob Bell Ralph Giffen ' Ivan Reiner Robert Eberle Steve Harris Gene Renza Dave Alber Fred Allen American Broodcaittng Co. AFM Local 802 Don Anthony Toni Arden Solvotore Baccolonl Eileen Barton Eugenie Baird John Beal ~ Orson Bean Ed Begley Carol Bennett Polly Bergen Al Bernie Joey Bishop Archie Bleytr Larry Blyden Bonamere Sheila Bond Pat Boone Connie Boswell Bobby Brandt Barbara Britton Geraldine Brooks Ted Brown Stuffy Bryant * Henry Burbick Stan Burns Art Carney Tony Cabot Igor Cassini ChaseoManh'attan Bank Chordettes Nat "King" Cole Dorothy Collins * Raphael Compos Conover Models Shirl Conway Cook and Brown Betty Cox Nancy Craig Alan Dale Mickey Reed Davis Sylvia Da Gras Mat Dennis Dorothy Donnegan Stephen Douglass Chuck Dreyfuss Paul Duke Dumont Television Network Jerry Ellis Nat Fields Fire Dept., NYC Eddie Fisher Walter Fitzgerald Gloria Flood Betty Furness > Tommy Furtado Martin Gabel Eva Gabor Rita Gam Goldwyn Girls Eydie Gorme Lee Graham Virginia Graham Farley Granger Jack Grimes Henry Grossman Carol Haney Hartford Models Florence Henderson Ed Herlihy Al Hodge (•f• u t V i TALENT COMMITTEE HERB ROSENTHAL, Chairman Lenny Ditson Harry Levine Lee Shep Moe Gale Harry Romm Aaron Steiner Lou Leslie Lester Schurr Joe Sully B * M * .■ h p Warren Hull IATSE IJ.E.W. Ink Spots International Business Machines Corp. Dick Jackson Hal Jackson Patricia Jessed Candy Jones Nick Kenny Rev. Virginia Kreyer Frankie Laine Steve Lawrence S. D. Leidesdorf & Co. Monica Lewis Shari Lewis Joe Loco Bobby Lukas Gene Lyons Ted Mack Mamba Aces Jayne Mansfield Ken Mapes Hal March Martin Brothers Marrow Bones Walter Matthau Eloise McElhone Biff McGuire Maggi McNellis Lee Ann Merriwether Richard Miller Jaye P. Morgan Mutual Broadcasting System Bess Myerson J. Carroll Naish National Broadcasting Co. Jimmy Nelson Cliff Norton Geraldine Page Paulette Sisters Cuban Pete & Millie Brad Phillips The Platters Police Dept., NYC Pope & Wesson Davy Powell Tito Puente & Orch Tony Randall Aldo Ray Mitch Reed Debbie Reynolds Fred Robbins Janice Rule Eddie Safranski Dorothy Sarnoff Joseph Schildkraut Stephen Schultz Vince Scully Dr. Samuel Segal Bobby Sherwood Herb Shriner Bill Silbert Phil Silvers George Skinner Sydney Smith Margot Stevenson Susan Strasberg Paul Sydell & Spotty TelePrompTer Theatre Authority U. S. Air Force Gwen Verdon Eli Wallach Joey Walsh Jack Warden Annette Warren Robert M. Weitman Western Union Josh White Derby Wilson Earl Wilson Paul Winched WOR-TV Jim Wyler Zippy the Monkey • . . And, a special thank you to William S. Paley, CBS, for making the facilities at CBS TV Studio 51 available, and to Gordon Gray, WOR-TV, for making this Telethon possible . We hope we have thanked everybody. If any names were omitted, we are very sorry. Please forgive us. RADIO-TELEVISION - Jy -- **y Inside Stuff—Radio-TV -—---wide Stuff—Radio-TV *1*1 • • /'ll mm Harry Wismer joins Bud Palmer lUOIUt/ ■-'lllll 1UIUIU I I television Lhdtter “no^ndng MC batt« y t °o™ U WPI# ^or the time in the history of the National Invitation Tourna. Garden sports coverage . . . Wynn men t, the basketball games will get nationwide tv’ing, over CBS. The ... . . ■■ < ■ ■■■■— . — Nathan, MCA-TV syndication head, colleg( > tourney features Big 10 encounters in the Western loop p i Us New York Screen Service’s Herman Robbins returns to Coast homeoKice . — of NIT contests and an appearance by the fancy-dan Harlem „ .. T7 . 1 „ : • • ABC veep Bob Wettman named Bishop Fulto^J. Smen ^ for „ total o£ 18 dates kicking, off the Saturday sen” L^hM'srt up e perm n anent 1 V omc U c"’ Retarded Children's Week in the Day) luncheon .. • on Dec. 3. Slot of 3 to 4:45 p.m. No games are skedded for Dec. 24 New York with Mel Gold, lifetime president Greater New York area . . . Re*i- WHLl music c ’ WATV kicks 0 fl of the organization and head of his nald Gardiner set as guest celeb ^Ine Show” this Sun- own production company, in charge on “I’ve Got a Secret’’ tonight 1 »>e ^^fth Jack Taub pio . . .Jim McNear, formerly with (Wed.) ... Robert Merrill guests on RaiTasco TPA, and Jim Stern, ex-Zivite, the Perry Como show Nov 12 joined Official Films' sales force doubling over from rehearsals at into. J. yh %av* nfcl*t : . . Arthur Lerner, onetime head the Metopfcra. . . Llectnc Theatre Sunday nignt of Columbia Pictures’ foreign ac- Hubbell Robinson, CBS-TV pro- counting department, has joined gram v.p., to the Coast end of this V 1 1 IT *1 Guild Films as assistant treasurer we ek . Franklin Schaffner (“Stu- Hjtchlian KOGHK UI1V611S under Aaron Katz . . . Robert Noah, dio One,” “Person to Person,” etc.) who has been associate producer to direct the H’wood originating k <U n f fnlnrlnnA * (inlV and writer on the “Winky Dink & "Caine Mutiny Court Martial” on Jt\ 1101 \/010InlUC f VFU1J .You” show, named head of pro- Ford's “Star Jubilee” Nov. 19. As a ii ■■■ gram development for the Barry & result, his next “Studio One” as- AD 110111 1111161601131 Enright packaging firm . . . Perry signment is delayed to Nov. 28 . , AT v , B. Frank, ex-DuMont sales, joined when he’ll stage “Man Who Caught Rochester N. Y., Nov. 1. ABC-TV as an account exec . . . the Ball at Coogan’s Bluff.”. . . Eastman Kodak demonstrated a Kim Hunter planes for the Coast Nine-year-old Beverly Lunsford, "new method of kinescope record- ■ ffgo yeare Chief ’wATV° kick-off and Dec. 31, the near-Eve days. Jack Dreeif will do the commentary, t “The Stampazine Show” this Sun- Another departure for the NIT is that heretofore the top games r, dav (6) with Jack Taub, pro were telecast at night. New wrinkle has been added to the giveaway craze by. Dodge, spon¬ sors of the ABC-TV “Lawrence Welk Show.” It’s a new-car-every-year- of-your-ll£e prize to four winners of a quiz feature of the show "which starts Nov. 12. Runnersup will get a new car, but for the four jack- potters,, it means a new Dodge every year for as long as they live Quiz Is part of a campaign, for highway safety, in which contestants submit safety slogans to their local Dodge dealers starting Oct. 31. Three winners will be picked for each of four Welk shows, starting with that of Nov. 12, and flown to the Coast to appear on the quiz segment of the show. ' . ^01.11051116 4uui . . . signmeni is ueiayeu uu nuv. „ xt v xir.™ i ;_— B. Frank, ex-DuMont sales, joined when he’ll stage “Man Who Caught Rochester N. Y., Nov. 1. ABC-TV as an account exec . . . the Ball at Coogan’s Bluff.”. . . Eastman Kodak demonstrated a Arthur Hull Hayes, prexy of CBS Radio, W'as speaker on “Church Kim Hunter planes for the Coast Nine-year-old Beverly Lunsford, "new method of kinescope record- 0 f the Air” Sunday (30) marking program’s 25th year. It w r as first next week to prepare for a Thanks r having been on Sid Caesar’s show ing of color tv” here last week. i n series of eight special airers marking showy’s 25th anni. Hayes re¬ giving Day appearance on the Monday (31), is booked for Perry it was pitched at reps of major tv viewed the history of “Church of the Air” and presented three speak- CBS-TV “Climax” and to film Como show (5) and “Steel Hour” webs as a speed-up processing of e rs of the major faiths, represented when the program was launched “Hello Sweetheart,” a mystery in o) ..Nina Reader, B’way and tv “hot kines” developed at com- . i n October, 1931. Dr. Abba Hillel Silver spoke for the Jewish faith- which she's costarred with Ronald moppet, added to Ben Pratt's pro- pa ny’s research labs, said to make jviost. Rev. Richard J. Cushing, Archbishop of Boston, the Catholic for n-SSVfSaM motion-biz rep stable . ; Garry poss ible recording of a color tv faith, with the Rt. Rev. Joseph S. Minnis, Episcopal Bishop of Colorado, Theatre . . . Helen Gerald on the Moore show' (CBS-TV) loses Sim- nroeram on snecial black & white ti 1P P™tP<;tant snokpsman Coast for a family visit and a role 0 niz and Scott Paper end of month ^(called lraticula? fito» and Protestant spokesman. In “Bible on the Table” in produc- . . .Lo, the rich horse: Colgate J - f ^ t tion for Family Films at Kling takes “Adventures .©f Champion,” lor rc-wjecast in xini, wnoie pirn. . Eight on the production side and seven technicians have been as- studios. She’s also doing a role in the Gene Autry CBS kiddeo, for ess taxing aDout an noui. signed t<rWRCA’s (N.Y.) updated and revised Bill Cullen (“New York the transcribed “You Were There” three pickups which started Fri- Formeily, kinnie recoiding or Pulse with”) show under exec producer Draper Lewis. Latter's aide radio series for the Red Cross . . . day (28). colorcasts had been handled only j Bud Ford and asst pro d U cers are Larry Untermeyer, Bob Warner, i _ . . . nn an aYnpvimpnral hnsis wherein _ . _ ~ 1 radio series for the Red Cross . . . day (28). colorcasts had been handled only ls Bud Ford and asst producers are Larry Untermeyer, Bob Warner, Bernard J. O’Rourke has joined Ron Cochran started second ° n an f" J v Pn S S a v n r Howard Bayha, Howard Brady, roving reporter Ray Wilson and sec- ex2c n in'The NY^office “janct year yesterday (Tues.) as WCBS- moreTo complete k J?BC “fwled retary Caro1 . ® ur ® es ?' W ( ls ? n . is formerradioreporter for WCTC, deGore on t^Coastfor a lead In TV's 'caster on "Late News." But wUh a eolorkine a year ^ew Brunswick, N J and joins as “the rov- the Dec. 2 "Schlitz Playhouse" vld- “" 1 ot I h «^ of the^^pole is veteran or s0 ^ but i3 said to have f ound m »! kind with Wilson on human Interest and offbeat features and de Gore on the Coast for a lead In TV ®, caster on Late _ i arouuu wim « tjuiuiikijitj a ^cai the Dec. 2 “Schlitz Playhouse” vid- 2/?.. 0 , 1 * en ^ of l f‘ ie P 0 ’® 1S veteran Qr go but is ga - d to bave f oun d , film entry and for live roles in ®U 1 Leonard, who needs a rest, so « bugs »» in the pr 0 cess. Kodak sys- P ressman on s P ot news. “NBC Matinee Theatre’s” “The taking a week or so off to go . reportedly yields good quality - Mak J Relieve Mother” this week subs 1 on°varfous reproduction at “reasonable” cost, General Teleradio topper Thomas F. O’Neil is turning Dwight Martin • • -. AT Y Film Productions doing a -VH s, with nis suds ori yanous recorded via conven- mto more of a “free wheeling” exec than ever. Martin is being removed ton & Bowles and^ Flakes for Drake, «?d Jim tional soundtrack methods. Devel- from his chief Job of the last year and a half, the helmsmanship of GT. Comnton^ both P&G Soductf Key... Dr. Frank C. Baxter, the opment is based on “quiekine” Film Divismn, to look m to corporate maUers for RKO as well as GT. sSrGori Grant (ridine with'a Shakespeare-on-tv scholar - educa- routing of color progi-ams to help The RKO matters to be handled for O’Neil “were not completely disk hit in “Suddenly There’s tor from the Coast, in town this overcome time zone differentials, decided,” Martin said last week. He will remain a staff v.p. (title he’s a Valley”) set for the Milton Berle week to spiel at AAAA at the Plaza Kodak announcement said that had all along) at GT. Meantime, Pete Roebuck, sales manager for the show r Nov .’8 ... A. Burke Crotty, .-•••Jay Barney signed for another ‘‘film processing procedures under film division, will take over the tv celluloid operation and oversee it Ellington agency radio-tv exec, * n “The Goldbergs vidpix senes, this system are relatively simple, back from a 10-week visit to Europe with Young & Beauti- and addition, 16m kodachrome o.o.’ing locations for a telefilm | U 1 legiter and crossboard F^rst pr i n ts can be made from the 35 m from his Coast headquarters. WYNC (N.Y.) boss Seymour Siegel, violinist Yehudi Menuhin and and Audiences Inc. Company Is doing a series of five 30-minute tv films for a educational programming. Telefilm production, coin is from the kitty of Educational Television and Radio Centre formed by the Fund for Adult Education. Menuhin, appearing in one of AAA’s films, and Warburg are veeps in the com- o.o.’ing locations for a telefilm P rints can be made from the 35m WYNC (N.Y.) boss Seymour Siegel, violinist xenuui ivienumn ana scries and researching the Euro- Duve and, top it off, writ up by embossed film original for later cellist Gerald Warburg head a new non-profit vidfilm company, Arts all-around chronicler of the N Y s y ndication duplicate. The 16m an( i Audiences Inc. Company is doing a series tation in the 7th annual Motion Times Vet publicist SamBlake P r ‘ nt can ^ USlng films f » r * ^ucational programming. Picture Pioneers dinner at the Wal- named nat’l radio-tv p.r. chief for °7 l nl Sf r n Vwpr ?nn tP^hni^l Telefilm production, coin is from the kitty of I dorf Friday (4) honoring National Canine Coutunere, vhateverthatis A numbei ot wlu top tecnnicai and Radio Centre forme d by the Fund for Adult .. ■ ■■ -- • • Canadian edition of Time mag brass were present, including v.p. appearing in one of AAA » S filinS( and Warburg ; B ran piece on-Joseph Schull (who’s Robert E. Shelby, chief engineer; and Siegel is its president from up there), who scripted “Black RCA’s pioneer engineer-inventor. pany ’ ana &iegel 1S l ts P resiQent - _ Wings,” first in the Alcoa drama O. B. Hanson and tw r o other engi- "" series...Sam Schwartz, lead in neers. It was reported that they Taa Maau PrillAe HPHHHI touring “Guys & Dolls,” has role viewed the new' system as “inter- I 0" IflflUy III IIlwS in Max Liebman’s Sat (5) spec, esting,” but that it was “too early _ 9 « _ H "Great Waltz.".. .WMCA-TV’s “Jr. to tell" at this point. However, at - Continued from p. S o n = ■ . p|AI Champs” doubly kudosed, from another Eastman demonstration critics wrote about a show'. But ■ • q R < Cardinal Spellman and upcoming here nex t wee k the NBC experts no, television is a bright, shiny, ■ wil1 take a second look, with v.p. bouncing, new baby and every col- ■ • CELI pvitl PRq tv Nnv Cartoons John West coming in from the umnist, every journalist, every re- ■ B|| exits CBS -1 V Nov. 25. : Coast to transmit the information porter has suddenly become its B Rll Joe Loco and his mambo five- colleagues there. self-appointed guardian. H Too Many Critics S Continued from page £6 NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVEl High earnings, your fund* avail¬ able, insured, safe. You save postage both ways on our Save- By-Mail Kits. Start Now! Farley. . . “Barker Bill’s Cartoons” exits CBS-TV Nov. 25. PIANO ORGAN CELESTE Joe Loco and his mambo five- some guesting tomorrow' (Thurs.) on the Ted Steele WOR-TV after¬ noon stanza.. . Robert Mandeville, lately of Everett-McKinney, and Calvin Cass, of Hoag-Blair, join H-R station reps as account execs . . . John Russell, fronter for MCA’s “Soldiers of Fortune” vid- fllm, w'as in town last week to push Gut Up ‘Late Show’ — Continued from page 31 = self-appointed guardian. You think I’m exaggerating? Let’s say you produce a show called, “Harry Glick’s Crisis” (not a bad title), and you want to know how it's going. Open your news¬ paper. The local critic says “ ‘Harry Glick’s Crisis’ is an enter- BILLY NALLE John F. Domelor, Fr*». 1001 Lake Street, Oak Park, Illinois KTTV - L. A. is off and running with good availabilities, get in touch MCA’s “Soldiers of Fortune” vid- a small portion of Steve Allen’s “ ‘Harry Glick’s Crisis’ is an enter- film, w'as in town last week to push “Tonight” on NBC-TV which runs taining show.” From New York series which gets its met area to 1 o’clock; there’ve been a cou- three syndicated columnists write ■plays via WPIX... Jane Pickens to pie occasions when “Late Late” that “Harry Glick’s Crisis” is serve as entertainment chairman started at or around that time, either wonderful, fair, or will for the Cerebral Palsy annual con- and in rare instances later). Aver- bring back radio. Undismayed, you clave at Boston’s Hotel Statler, age f or the Nielsen period was turn to the Woman’s Page. Helen , Nov. 11-13...WPIX cameras are 5 -^ wR h p eaks of 8.2 and 8.3 Fri- Box writes, “I saw the most ador- I picking up three nights of the dav-Saturdav and low's of 4.4. able two pieces outfit on ‘Harry - • .— 1 ^_ ~ Monday-through-Wednesday. Sun- Glick’s Crisis,' a new situation 11 day and Thursday w'ere about comedy, w'hich bored me, and I’m , equal at 5.3 and 5.2. definitely in favor of shorter E As autumn turns to winter and skirts.” A little more confused the dialers warm their tootsies at you turn to the column of Hedda the homeside hearth, “LL” is fig- Parsons who wrote, “Last night at ured to rate even better. It all the Fried Weasel, I saw Agatha depends on the product, but “LL” Klump holding hands with Aly as well as the station’s other cel- Klismire, who incidentally is very luloiders, the prime “Late Show” good in ‘Harry Glick’s Crisis.’ ” By and “Early Show,” plus “Late now you reach for your aspirin be- Matinee,” etc., are currently on a cause your eyes have scanned the rotary circuit wherein each stanza cooking page where you read, gets into the “big picture” act “Yesterday, w'hile watching ‘Harry £ // by virtue of recent buyups. Sep- Glick’s Crisis,’ a superlative com- / i nil tember got into upsweep as result edy, I found a recipe for the most / ( l\ I of station's “Fall Film Festival” elegant ham hocks you ever I \\l ■ of top pix mixed with the backlog, tasted.” \ \ Jm and there’s sufficient good product Yes—that’s bow it goes. And iff \ I in film manager BUI Lacey’s arse- if the present trend continues, in \J ^/iJ na * to Provide virtually a whole the Weather Report you’ll proba- /T \ , /£/ season when properly staggered, bly find something like this: “Last dMMM JB«# J Two new aquisitions, for instance, night, Hurricane Rifka destroyed are “The Pennywhistle Blues” the community Ocelot, Vt., where u A | (South African “amateur cast” lo- incidentally ‘Harry Glick’s Crisis’ cationer and a ’53 Edinburgh Fes- was a very popular show.” And I , N \ tival prize-copper) and “The Hitch- would not be surprised to read on Hiker” (RKO '53, with Edmond the Financial Pages that, “The Dow • | / O'Brien, Frank Lovejoy). These Jones averages are down but ‘Har- - LeS» I / / are added tfo a cluster of previous- ry Glick’s Crisis’ ratings went up.” KJ f ly acquired top films such as “Fall- Yes, it’s almost that bad. Some- S N. en Idol” and “Quartet,” which will thing’s got to be done. But I doubt ^ V "“V l - be unspooled starting December. if it will. Perhaps some day the /A A" " ’ ~ jn/Q Digges & Co. know that, to judge novelty of television will wear off 'rf fl/ from the ratings, the scores vary and the world will go back to nor- ^ nightly. This Is provided for spon- malcy and only the television sorwise by rotating the blurbs each critics—only the qualified ones— • V night. Under this scheme, * the will be writing about television and sponsor's Nielsen returns are helping the ^uys who look for equalized over a given period. guidance. REMEMB1: MAMA" CBS-TV 4k Don't Buy A New Car Until You Talk to SAM ANGER F©r The Best Dog! On A FORD or FORD THUNDERBIRD Call me o' TED ROWLAND. Inc 250 W. 57th St. (FISK! ILDS.) Air Conditioned Furnished .Officoi Mail - Telephone Services Telephone Answering TELESERVICE (sin c# 192$) JU 2-1957 COME TO HOLLYWOOD'S NEW¬ EST SUNSET STRIP MOTEL APTS. 3 in an Apt.—$6 m Day on Me. Rat* Heated Peel — TV Writ# Rental Ag»nt 0265 Sunttt Blvd. *r fh*n« Hollywood 7-6234 WedneBtlay, November 2, 1955 t^ARIETY RADIO-TELEVISION 47 TV Faces Its First Court Test On Community Antenna Rebroadcasts British Com! TV’s Six-Spec Gleam London, Nov. 1. • British commerical tv : is to in¬ vade the “spectacular” field. Ber¬ nard Delfont announced last week the formation of a new television production company, which will niake at least six specs a year, plus a variety of. other series which will be staged both live .and on film. Robert .Nesbitt has ■ returned from America to be. managing di¬ rector of the new Delfont com¬ pany, and distribution of their out¬ put will be through Incorporated Television Program Co„ the br- ganization headed by Prince Lit- tler and Val Parnell. At a press conference last week, Delfont said this new enterprise was a separate entity from the or¬ ganization he has just seit up in association with Herbert Wilcox, but they would probably use- the same facilities and distributing machinery for both companies.' Among the immediate projects revealed by. Delfont is a series starring Norman Wisdom, which would initially be beamed live and would subsequently be filmecl for : world, wide distribution. They are aiming at 13 subjects each running about 45 minutes. They are also lining up a further series starring Winifred Atwell, Ruby Murray and Joan Regan, and were plan¬ ning a monthly live telecast of a gala floor show from the Pigalle nitery. Val Parnell told Variety that the “spectaculars’' would proba¬ bly be delayed until the Birming¬ ham commercial station is ready to functon around Feb. next. Costs of production, estimated at around $25,000 per show, would be uneco¬ nomic for a single live transmis¬ sion on the London outlet, but the same program could be transmitted in Birmingham via a coaxial link between the two cities. St. Louis—Chet Thomas, general manager of KXOK, has been elected president of the Missouri Broadcasters’ Association at its an¬ nual meeting in Jefferson City. Another AA Confessional, Now It’s WMGM’s *Big Joe’ Big Joe Rosenfield Jr., who con¬ ducts , the “Happiness Exchange Foundation” over WMGM, the Loew’s indie radio station in N. Y., has produced an unvar¬ nished, candid autobiography in "The Happiest Man in the World” (Doubleday; $3,95). This confes¬ sional, like some of its more recent predecessors (viz., Lillian Roth’s “I’ll Cry Tomorrow” and “This Is Norman Brokenshire”) won’t rank with Rousseau and DeQuincey, but should certainly provide realistic reading and serve as a warning to incipient lushes. More than any¬ thing else, “The Happiest Man in the World” is a firstrate tribute to the extraordinary missionary work performed by Alcoholics Anonymous, Rosenfield’s saga relates how he started, to guzzle in his younger days, in Memphis, but was able to carry his liquor for a considerable period, while he served as a suc¬ cessful,, .high-voltage advertising and promotion man for. several Dixie dailies. Heavy drinking eventually brought, him. to skid row in New Orleans and subse¬ quent, return to a more civilized society. He recounts his first radio experience on WNOE, New Or¬ leans,, where he and his son, launched “The Two . Joes,” .an after-midnight affair that eventu¬ ally became a vehicle for ..aiding the maimed in body and mind. Particularly outstanding was his feat of getting the New Orleans citizenry to fill a freighter full ai food and other supplies for needy France. This achievement led Rosenfield to expand the idea of “The Happiness Exchange” and eventually to hit New York, where he now works out of the New Am¬ sterdam Theatre Bldg, in an office formerly occupied by the late Flo- renz Ziegfeld Jr. Gone are the stately showgirls of yesteryear and in their place you see a steady procession of Gotham’s depressed society getting a helping hand from Big Joe. The , conductor of the “Happiness . Ex¬ change” salutes a number of New I York radio-tv critics for their plugs of his program, but most of his admiration is reserved for the A.A. and his helpmate, Dollie, better known as Choo-Choo, on the after¬ midnight kilocycles. There’s a ready audience for this book among Big Joe’s many listeners. They won’t be disappointed in the intimate revelations of Joe’s fren¬ zied and tortured past. Ran. ABC’s Spec Gleam ■■in ■ Continued from page 26 • ice” series, with Jack Chertok for “Circuit Judge” (working title of the western series) and with Desi- lu Productions for “Fast Freight”/ and “Tales of Alan Pinkerton.” More deals are in the works, Weit¬ man states, for half-hour and full- hour filmed dramatic shows. A* per current operating for¬ mula, the network by and large will stick to the pattern of partner¬ ing with indie packager? in new productions, with filming being done outside the ABC house, al¬ though Weitman declares it’s not inconceivable that ABC might use staff on some projects. The Four Star, Chertok and Desilu deals fol¬ low such a pattern, as does the web’s deal on Lou Edelman’s “It’s a Great Countx*y,” another filmed series slated for the fall. Web will have pilots on the above-named properties by January to peddle for a fall start, and it’s not bound to any of the properties if they prove unsalable. Weitman says the web’s pro¬ gramming approach for ’56 calls for ai balance and diversity of all types of programming, without emphasis on any particular cate¬ gory “as long as .they're good.” What will be a factor—as yet un¬ developed—will be the slotting of the new properties in relation to existing programming. Each pro¬ gram acquisition and casting will be made .with the thought of bol¬ stering a-specific time period and with adjacent programs in mind in the fall. At this point, how¬ ever, ho specifics can be men¬ tioned, since cancellations, etc., will figure heavily in the planning. As to whether new properties will “bump” some of the weaker sis¬ ters off the network in the fall, Weitman refused to speculate. Washington, Nov. 1. The right of community anten¬ nas to rebroadcast a station’s pro¬ grams without permission appears to be headed for its first court test. The question of private rights involved and also that of the FCC’s authority may be thrashed out as a result of the plans of WGBI-TV in Scranton, Pa., for superpower to feed off the *air or through a microwave link its CBS programs to projected UHF stations in Wil¬ liamsport, Pa., and Sunbury, Pa. . Since WGBI’s programs are now being brought to Williamsport and Sunbury through community an¬ tennas, it is expected that the Scranton station will attempt to stop the c.a. systems from con¬ tinuing the rebroadcasts once the UHF stations are ready to com¬ mence operations. Should the c.o.’s refuse, which is considered a likely possibility, WGBI would find itself in the unique situation of compet¬ ing against facilities which carry its own programs. To protect its investment, WGBI may well go to court on the issue. This would mean a real fight on the question of property rights in programs broadcast by a station. A court decision favoring WGBI would undoubtedly be contested by the community antennas. An opposite ruling would certainly be challenged by WGBI. The question could well go to the Supreme Court. The WGBI plan, which appears to involve some arrangement with the Williamsport (WRAK-TV) and Sunbury (WKOK-TV) permit hold¬ ers, also poses a possible duopoly question. It’s recalled that when the U. S. Court of Appeals last June ordered the FCC to recon¬ sider its grant of channel 12 in Clarksburg, W. Va.. to the Ohio Valley Broadcasting Co. it took the agency "to task for failure to de¬ termine whether the existence of c.a. systems which carry programs of an Ohio Valley affiliated station in Wheeling into Clarksburg would create an overlap issue. The fact , that the Commission hasn’t asserted jurisdiction over c.a.’s, the Court said, doesn’t mean the systems aren’t “service” and to the extent that, in the Clarksburg case, they would give Ohio Valley another “voice”' they would' be in violation of the multiple owner¬ ship rules. Significantly, the Court observed that the fact that Ohio Valley doesn’t exercise control of the pro¬ grams carried by the Clarksburg c.a.’s “does not tell us whether Ohio Valley may prevent the sys¬ tems from carrying its programs free of charge or whether it has elected to tolerate the system for the additional audience it brings and the consequently increased value of the station to advertisers.” In view of this decision, it’s ex¬ pected that whatever arrangement’ has been entered into between WGBI and the Williamsburg and Sunbury stations will get close FCC scrutiny. The three-station hookup is contingent on Commis¬ sion approval of an application by WGBI to operate with 2 m.vv <2,000,000 watts) power with equip¬ ment recently ordered from Gen¬ eral Electric which would make it the most powerful UHF station in the.country. Both WRAK and WKOK plap to be on the air next Spring. In addition to rebroadcasting WGBI’s CBS programs, they plan several hours of local programming. Lovejoy Set for ‘Mutiny’ Frank Lovejoy has been pacted by Paul Gregory to. replace the late John Hodiak in the CBS-TV Ford Jubilee spec version of “The Caine Mutiny Court Martial” Nov. 19. Lovejoy takes over the role of Lt. Maryk, which Hodiak created on Broadway, and joins original N. Y. cast, including Lloyd Nolan as Capt. Queeg and Barry Sullivan as Lt. Greenwald. RADIO-TELEVISION Serious Side of Laughter Continued from page 33 ; opportunities, according to Edel- man, comes in the “spreads,” the moments when the audience is en¬ gaged in prolonged laughter and the cast is waiting for the laugh to register before continuing their dialog. Trouble is this editing technique is that a laugh tends to be cut off right in the middle, a highly unnatural sound. So the job of the editor and director and mixer is to “match” a shorter length of fading laughter to that piece cut off, Here’s where the tricky part comes in. For each audience’s laughter—the audience averages about 300—is different in volume, tonal quality and pitch. Also, varying lengths of fading laughter are needed. The result is that Marterto Productions, which turns out the show, maintains an actual “library” of laughter, taken off the tracks of previous shows and categorized as to length, volume and tone. This laugh “library” runs over 4,000 feet and is used in most cutting cases. Apart from this, there’s only one other instance where it’s necessary to borrow from the “li¬ brary.” That’s when somebody with an unusual irritating laugh or a cough or cold shows up in the audience. Because there are some 30 microphones planted above the audience, these irrita¬ tions are picked up and interfere not only with the laughtrack but with the dialog. Problem cases are usually spotted right away and re¬ quested to leave, but sometimes an entire scene has to be remade be¬ cause of them. Then a “laugh- clip” is used. Edelman (Thomas, too, he says) believes that the use of canned laughter inserted after what the writer or comic thinks is a sock line but evokes no audience re¬ sponse is simply a matter of cheat¬ ing—“and they’re fooling nobody but themselves.” There’s nothing so irritating to him as a viewer to be jarred by some shrieks that the line or situation doesn't merit. But even in the case of “Daddy,” the show at one time was held sus¬ pect. Reminded of the recent case when critics unknowingly accused Phil Silvers’ “You’ll Never Get Rich” of using canned laughter when a live audience was actually employed, Edelman recalled the early days of “Daddy,” when the sponsor and agency were highly disturbed by the laughtrack. It took a week’s visit by an agency exec who sat through every phase of production and editing to con¬ vince the folks back in N. Y. that the laughs were for real. JOHN GART Composer-Conductor Radio Registry Am honored that some of the greats of show business have be¬ come my clients in the matter of stocks and bonds. You, too, arc 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 [VERY DAY ON EVERY CHANNEL BROOKS COSTUMES 1 W..161,1 SI., N.Y.C.’T*!. PL. 7-5100 TV’s ‘AA’ __ Continued from page 31 . NBC came through with the first of its specolas, its booms of ex¬ pectancy were lowered as the Trendexes torpedoed in with a rush; and it was only when Niel¬ sen, four to five weeks late as per the usual processing, showed a dif¬ ferent score that Pat Weaver & Sons-of-the-Pioneer had found that their advance enthusiasm was jus¬ tified. For the spec season as a whole, the Nielsen tabulation gave NBC all the best of it,, regardless of the fluctuations on the over¬ night scorecard. That “average audience” is no mere overworked idiom is reflected in the fact that, as all - industry- ites know, certain types of shows, regardless of qualitative angles, have more “holding power” than others; all things being equal—and even unequal, to make the argu¬ ment stronger—a 60-minute (or more) dramatic series will have more of that “holding power” than a variety show. What figures stra¬ tegically here is “continuity”—a built-in factor when it comes to the drama programs but almost wholly lacking in so-called variety excursions. On the straight money side, the show with the “holders” will do more for the sponsor in at least one particular: where a drama show is 'concerned, the viewer is inclined to stay with the closing commercial in order to be filled in on the cast and technical credits in the final crawl. It is a “wind¬ fall audience of not inconsider¬ able proportions, especially when considering that a large majority of “drama lovers” want to know who played what or who executed what in addition to the easily iden- Pft&IETY _ tifiable name players, directors, etc. It’s an old story with inter¬ changeable terms: one man’s av¬ erage audience is another man’s bi¬ chloride of mercury (or name your own potion). Chi’s ‘In Town’ Continued from page 31 experiment along new local pro¬ gramming trails by launching a post-10 p.m. musical display, the financial support was there for a bigleague effort. A year ago‘when a name guest policy was adopted as an additional hypo, the budget¬ ary faucet for “In Town” was given another twist. Just how much talent booker George Ramsby is spending for such visiting talent as Nat (King) Cole, Dorothy Collins, Georgia Gibbs, Johnny Desmond, the Crew Cuts and Dagmar, to name only a few recent “In Town” guests, isn’t disclosed since each case is in¬ dividually negotiated. (As a side¬ light, it is known that many from- out-of-own recording names con¬ sider “In Town” a welcome Windy City exposure, thanks in no small part to director Barry McKinley’s careful showcasing.) Despite the fact the show is now fully sponsored it’s understood it’s still not completely paying its own way. But that is not a source of too much dismay in WBBM-TV cir¬ cles. The nightly 15-minute ex¬ travaganza (by hometown standards) hosted by Jim Conway and featur¬ ing as regulars singers Patricia Scot and Den Dresslar plus Caesar Petrillo and the staff orch is viewed as the pivotal lure in the hour. Theory, as outlined, by Frank Atlass, who has played a key role in charting the “In Town” course the past two years, and eXec pro¬ ducer Les Weinrott, is that the pro¬ gram gives that “extra added at¬ traction” plus the roundrobin name values to the entire WBBM-TV 10 to 11 sequence. Flynn & Hoff, Harrington and Kupcinet all have their respective followings, to be sure, but it’s hoped the generously billboarded “In Town” guests will bring in the dialer strays. Wednesday, November 2, 1955 Tele Reviews I Closed-Circuit TV Continued from page 34 .— a *v ■ » and Frank Tumpane, colum- ll I ll/»17 »n The Toronto Telegram, ** 1 ftlUOLCUl V/IlLA Durgin _ Continued from page 29 — the “bright young men” at the web who’s sat in on all top-level policy meetings over the past cou¬ ple of years. Similarly, Accas, who was given the ad-prom-pub post slightly more than-a year ago, has been one of the web’s group of younger execs who’ve been given a big chunk of responsibility, and those at the web prone to master¬ minding the moves figure Accas is first in line for the next top- level opening. Split in ad-prom-pub comes after just a year of combined operation, made so because of economy rea¬ sons last September, Eckstein, who was once in sales development, had been moved into the combined de¬ partment at that time, shortly thereafter becoming assistant to Accas. In publicity, the headman would have been Ernie Stern had he not gone to the Coast a few weeks ago to head up the ■ ad-pub office there. Seton, who was trade editor until a couple of months ago and was named manager of public¬ ity to succeed Stern, now heads up the once-again-indie operation. Continued from page 34 duties; and Frank Tumpane, colum¬ nist on The Toronto Telegram, pointing out that permission of music concerts in Canada versus Sunday sports must result in change of present laws. Speaking for the Lord’s Day Alliance, Wil¬ liam Temple believed that paid ad¬ mission concerts in Canada would be the opening wedge for Sunday movie and theatrical performances, other than Quebec province, the latter which permits. This is the type of vocal con¬ troversy that has made “Fighting Words” the most popular tv and radio talk series on the Canadian electronic setup on combo quiz discussion. Program is an outlet for the unorganized minority that has swiftly built up a majority hearing of opinion expression that gets plenty of listener-viewer mail in Canada^s most popular discus¬ sion series. McStay. DECOR ANALYST With Gr tgg Juarez, Nancy Nahon guests Producer: Diana Green Director: Wes Kenny 30 Mins., Wed., 12:30 p.m. Participating ' WABD, N.Y. This new WABD half-hour entry, which offers tips on interior deco¬ rating, is an okay show for the housewives. It has a sound premise and would probably be more effec¬ tive in color. Decor analyst on the program is Gregg Juarez, who did a satisfactory job on the opener last Wednesday (26). Sketches and scale models of rooms were used to illustrate suggestions made by Juaraz. Business of having guests appear on the stanza and ask for advice on certain decorative problems is un¬ necessary. Juarez could cover the same problems without having the in-person requests, which came off. awkwardly on the initial stanza. Interwoven into Juarez’s, analyti¬ cal comments are plugs for the show’s various sponsors, Stroheim & Romann (fabrics), Laverne Orig¬ inals (Wallpaper). Kenmore Carpet Corp., Barclay Square Furniture and the Metropolitan Painting Corp. Aspects of interior design that were worked over on the preem included doctoring up a home in¬ expensively, brightening up a kitchen, setting up living room fur¬ niture to attain an intimate feeling and dressing up a one room apart¬ ment. Giving Juarez a competent assist on the program was Nancy Nahon. Jess. Washington, Nov l Hit of the Karachi Industrial Fair, in Pakistan, was closed cir cuit television presented by the United States in exhibition pavil¬ ion. It was the first opportunity for the Pakistani to witness tv and an estimated 868,000 took advan¬ tage of it, a larger crowd than was clocked by the exhibits of any other country. The Chinese exhibit ...was second in attendance and Russia was third, reports the U. S. Informa¬ tion Agency. Fair ran from Seut 16 through Oct. 15. The television programs were shown nightly from 7 to 11:30 p m They included appearances by lol eal artists, forum shows, plus American films and kinescopes. One of the most popular programs was a Pakistan version of “Meet the Press,” with Amjad Ali, for¬ mer Ambassador to the United States, interviewed by four provin¬ cial journalists. Other features in¬ cluded appearances by former Gov Tom Dewey, of New York, and Syl¬ vester L. Weaver, president of NBC. The closed circuit operation was set up and handled by RCA engineers. Philadelphia— Wilmington, Del.. TV Station WPFH has lined up a j sports exclusive by signing all five major colleges in the Philadelphia area for basketball coverage. | TEXACO STAR THEATRE SATURDAY n NIGHT—N.B.C. Mflt.i William Morris Agoncy SQUa* To get bigger TV audiences, get in touch with < San Francjsco, Canny buy in ’Frisco, This “Cisco”! *ARB, in January 1955 (a period of in¬ tense TV activity) rates Ziv’s Cisco Kid at 23.3 . . . practically double the next highest rating at the same hour (Ponds Theatre, 12.4). . . out- ■ scoring many other na- | tional favorites includ- j; ing Danny Thomas* § Godfrey & Friends, If Robt. Montgomery, etc. If. f CINCINNATI CHICAGO MW YO*K HOLLYWOOD ‘Raffles’ ■ !■ Continued from page 33 rangement on “Raffles.” Story of the gentleman crook, incidentally;" * was last filmed by Samuel Gold- wyn for United Artists release in 1940. British studio space is scarce, Dryhurst said, but Herald will have its own production facilities in Brighton where the Grand The¬ atre is being converted into a four- sound stage plant. Company ex¬ pects to start shooting by Febru¬ ary and facilities will be entirely ready by May. Also on Herald’s production agenda are some “Scot¬ land Yard” features which will be distributed theatrically through As- tor Pictures. Following his talks with Cana¬ dian Marconi execs, Dryhurst will return to London the end of the week from Montreal. Bowling Vidpix =3 Continued from page 39 the film project, featuring top toss- ers in head and head contests. Second batch was shot in New Jersey. Series has apparent appeal to beer sponsors with nine brewery outfits aboard in 36 cities. Hamms, for example, has the vidpixer in eight midwest markets and Greise- dieck.in six. Genesse foots the tab on nine stations in its eastern ter¬ ritory. Time clearance problems being what they are makes the “Cham¬ pionship Bowling” station score all the more unique since the shows are a full hour rather than the usual 30-minute pattern for syndi¬ cated product. Johnson City, Tenn. — WJHL here has become an affiliate of CBS Radio, effective Jan. 1, bring¬ ing to 219 the number of such affils under William A. Schudt, CBS v.p. over station relations. I 2,500 Sq. Ft. Penthouse Penthouse Offices from $95 Month Hotel Great Northern 118 WEST 57th STREET e Ideal for TV rehearsals • Ballet School e Dance Instruction e Photographic or Art Studio • Or living quarters 24-hour elevator and switchboard lervln IN AMERICA'S 9th MARKET it's TV’s 'Hew tZuew \ \\W// I 316,000 watts of V. H. F. power WHTN -TV “ab£ c Greeter Huntington Theatre Corp. Huntington, W. Va. Huntington 3-0185 WANTED Active Producer to interview appli¬ cant for assistant and/or executive secretary's job. Heavy TV, .Radio and Legit background, including 18 Equity stock seasons in all business capaci¬ ties. Phone DO 3-3427. Wednesday, November 2, 1955 USttlETY MUSIC 49 U.S. ARMY’S GLOBAL MUSIC WAR Victor Singles Unit Speeds Up Pop Operation Via Sales, A&R Integration Under its revamped setup which has split up the album and singles operation, RCA Victor is now being geared to move with the speed of an independent in the pop market. W. W. Bullock, general manager of the' single record de¬ partment, is putting the accent on flexibility and speed in recording, pressing and shipping to get there the firstest with the mostest. In some cases Victor’s plant in the past, via the custom record divi¬ sion orders, were pressing other companies’ platters on a higher priority than Victor’s. Victor’s pop artists & repertoire department is now closely integrat¬ ed with the sales department and the field staff. In many cases,..the a&r department is following' the suggestions from sales which is getting a more direct grass #oots reaction on what and who to record. The single records division is also laying the groundwork for greater local penetration via deal¬ er and disk jockey contacting. In this respect, Victor will be in there pitching with its special field staff allocated to the singles de¬ partment. In the past, before the divorcement from the album divi¬ sion, pop singles tended to get brushed off by the field represen¬ tatives, who tended to favor the album promotions. Accent on speed has already been evidenced on a couple of re¬ cent releases which were cut only a few days before they were on the dealers’ shelves. Under the split operation, moreover, execs in the single division are gearing up the whole chain of operation, in¬ cluding the"key distrib links, for an allout push on the single pops. Houston Drops JATP Rap, Granz Spends $2,000 To Retrieve Mis $30 Bond Houston, Nov. 1. Gambling charges filed early last month against Ella Fitzgerald and other members of the “Jazz at the Philharmonic” troupe were dismissed last week in Corporation Court here. Reasons for the dis¬ missals were not announced, but police chief Jack Heard earlier had ordered an investigation of the arrests made in Miss Fitzgerald’s Music Hall dressing room. The arrests were made during an intermission between two per¬ formances by the JATP troupe during its one-niter at the Music Hall. JATP promoter Norman Granz, Dizzy Gillespie, Illinois Jacquet and Miss Fitzgerald’s sec¬ retary Georganne Johnson were also arrested. It’s reported that Granz shelled out close to $2,000 in attorney’s lees, phone calls, etc. to win the dismissals and retrieve the $30 for the three $10 bonds posted by Miss Fitzgerald, her secretary and him¬ self. Similiar bonds for Jacquet and Gillespie were forfeited. Abe Herman, Fort Worth attorney who repped the late newspaper pub¬ lisher /Amon Carter, handled the case for Granz. DECCA COMES UP WITH COLOR PHONO DEVICE Without a video attachment, Decca Records is adding a visual angle to a new phonograph model ’Which has been titled the Picturola. Set features a precision-made opti¬ cal device which flashes color pat¬ terns on a screen. The color pat¬ tern keeps varying as the disk spins and in accordance with the changing volume. It’s a three-speed manual ma¬ chine which will retail for $69.95, THORP FRACTURES RIBS Jerry. Thorp, RCA Victor disk publicity manager, is bedded in New York Hospital, N. Y., with a case of fractured ribs suffered, in a f all at home. Thorp has been recovering from an eye operation. Tito Puente to Victor In a move to strengthen its in¬ ternational division, RCA Victor has inked Tito Puente and his band, a leading Latin group. Puente formerly cut for Tico Records, indie outfit specializing in the south-of-the-border musical idioms. Nip Song Import Mills Music pulled an oldfash- ioned, traffic-jamming ballyhoo stunt in New York yesterday fTues.) to plug its latest tune, “The Japanese Farewell Song.” A rick¬ shaw, imported from Japan, was pulled down Broadway by Bobby Mills, who was decked out in Jap¬ anese garb. In the rickshaw was a Japanese girl also in native Geisha costume. The rickshaw was^parked-in front of the Brill Bldg, for most of the day where the music firm handed out disks and professional copies of the tune. Number, written by Ansegawa Yoshida, a Japanese, with English lyrics by Freddy Morgan, was originally cut on Mills’ own disk label, Marquee Records, by Kay Cee Jones. Leroy Holmes has since sliced it for MGM with other majors also planning to cover. MGM Packages Gershwin Set Recorded in Germany MGM Records is releasing an¬ other 12-inch LP of Sandra Bian¬ ca’s pianistics recorded at a con¬ cert in Germany. The American keyboardist plays “An American in ‘ Paris” and “Porgy and Bess.” Recordings were made during a concert in which Miss Bianca was accom¬ panied by the Philharmonia Or¬ chestra of Hamburg. REFUSES TO PAY O’SEAS SOCIETIES The U. S. Army’s overseas radio outlets for foreign-based Ameri¬ can soldiers have become an inter¬ national irritant to foreign music licensing societies. The latter have been repeatedly seeking to collect performance money for the Army overseas music broadcasts, but the Defense Dept, has been turning thenj down flatly. It’s understood that the State Dept., anxious to mollify U. S. allies on the issue, has been urging the Army to make a deal with the foreign performing rights societies, especially in view of the fact that the coin involved is relatively insignificant. Eng¬ land’s Performance Rights Society, ['for instance, is asking for only $5,000 a year for a blanket license. . The Army’s turndown is based on several grounds: (1) It claims it has a license from the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers for the free use of the Society’s catalog; (2) the Army in this case is operating on the prin¬ ciple of extra-territoriality under which the laws of the U. S. pertain even though the base is in a for¬ eign country; and (3), the Army claims it has no appropriation for the payment of performance funds. ASCAP is not directly involved in the dispute between the Army overseas installations and the for¬ eign societies, although ASCAP would stand to collect additional coin for the foreign performances. ASCAP, however, has offered to return to the Army all coin col¬ lected from foreign performance societies if a deal were to be made. Embarrassing The question has become slight¬ ly embarrassing to the State Dept., because the Russians have been conspicously flaunting their “sponsorship” of composers, au¬ thors and creators in general. The Russians, for instance, are paying for the use of music in their sec¬ tors of Germany and Austria, and have been able to exploit the fact that the U. S. Army has been brushing off the foreign societies (Continued on page 76) Composers Guild, AFM Team to Set U.S. Tariff on O’seas Canned Music So ‘Sue Me’ Music biz attorney Lee East¬ man, who was the inspiration for Frank Loesser’s “Scarsdale Galahad” phrase from the tune “I’ll Know” in the legit ver¬ sion of “Guys and Dolls,” has lost the “inside” plug in the Samuel Goldwyn filmization of the tuner. The .phrase has been switched to “out-of-town Galahad,” Trade dopesters figure that the line was changed because hinterlanders aren’t hep to Scarsdale (N.Y.) or Eastman-. Damone Exits Mercury for Co! After several months of - disk company dickering, Vic Damone finally cut his ties with Mercury Records and switched to the Co¬ lumbia label. Damone’s pact with Merc had a few more months to run but label agreed to give him the greenlight for the moveover. Crooner had been with the label for more than three years at a hefty annual guarantee. It’s report¬ ed that his deal with Columbia in¬ cludes some tv tieups. Diskery is a subsid of CBS-TV. Damone will cut his first sides for the label in about two weeks. AFTRA Tags Coast Diskery As ‘Unfair’ * Hollywood, Nov. 1. Modern Records, local indie diskery, has been declared unfair by the national board of American Federation of Television and Radio Artists at request of local board Diskery, with Martha Tilton its top pactee, is owned by Jules Bihari. According to AFTRA’s Holly¬ wood exec secretary Claude Mc^ Cue, union action follows failure of Modern to pay a $320 claim for services of four union members. OUT SOON! The GOLDEN JUBILEE 50th Anniversary Number Oi Forms closing shortly Usual Advertising rates prevail Special exploitation advantages Copy and space reservations may be sent to any Variety Office ....... MAI ■ Ulifnnn oo ruirAcn 11 lAMnnu \AI e* •> NEW YORK 36 154 W. 46th St. HOLLYWOOD 28 6311 Yucca St. CHICAGO 11 612 N. Michigan Ave. LONDON, W. C. 2 8 St. Martin's Place Trafalgar Square ■*" Hollywood, Nov. 1. The Composers and Lyricists Guild, of America has joined up with the American Federation of Musicians in latter’s fight to estab¬ lish a tariff regulation on the im¬ portation of canned music from Europe, it was disclosed by Leith Stevens, Guild prexy. According to Stevens, if the Gov¬ ernment’s tariff commission passes this regulation, an extra fee would be added to all imported canned music. As the situation stands, many producers primarily in the tv field are importing this canned music for as little as 2 cents per foot. “It’s these men that are keeping many musicians and. composers out of work,” Stevens declared. Ho claims that since 1947 the import¬ ing of canned music has jumped 300%. “I can understand why some radio-tv-pic indie producers who turn out low-budget projects will use this type of music, but when most of the top network powers follow suit, then it’s time to call a halt.,” the Guild prexy stated. Some of the programs he cited as using foreign canned music in¬ cluded “Climax,” “Reader’s Di¬ gest,” “The Lineup,” “The Million¬ aire,” “Jane Wyman’s Fireside- Theatre,” "Alfred Hitchco*ck Pre¬ sents,” “Big Town,” “You Are There” and all of the Screen Gems shows. Stevens estimates that in tele¬ vision alone 50% of the music heard is imported resulting in “hundreds of thousand’s of dollars” being thrown into a foreign mar¬ ket. “There’s no reason why that money can’t be spent here. We certainly have the talent, and many of our music people could use the work.” Stevens believes that the reason for the 300% increase of imported canned music in tv is due to the fact that these producers save an average of $3,000-$5,000 per tele¬ film. “In many cases,” he said, “the imported canned music on a tele-show is less than the minimum pay scale for an.actor. The CLGA prexy feels that pro¬ ducers aren’t taking enough inter¬ est in the musical backing of their shows because they’re more inter¬ ested in saving a dollar. "After all,” he declared, “it’s the music that establishes the mood of your story, and without the proper musical backing, your viewer doesn’t get in the mood.” Vidor to Stage Outdoor Recording Session & Dance At Detroit U. Field House In an offbeat pop promotion goodwill stunt, RCA Victor will hold an outdoor recording session at the Detroit U. Field House in Detroit Nov. 13 before an esti¬ mated capacity audience of 11,000 persons who will be admitted cuffo. Victor execs plan to cut two sides apiece with songstress Jaye P. Morgan and The Rhythm- elles, a vocal combo, in the al fresco setting. Following the ses¬ sion, Hugo Winterhalter’s orch and Mike Pedicin’s combo will provide music for a onc-hour dance ses¬ sion. Disk jockey Bill. Randle is com¬ ing in from Cleveland to emcee the affair. Joe Carlton, Victor’s pop artists & repertoire chief, will supervise the session. Bill Bul¬ lock, general manager of the Vic¬ tor single records division, will also be on hand along with Bill " Miltenberg, the diskery’s chief en¬ gineer. Session will get a .simultaneous video plug on the NBC-TV series, j“Wide, Wide World,” in a pickup . from the Detroit arena. Modern Jazz Society kicks off the first in a scries of concerts at A Town Hall (N. Y.) Nov. 19. Pro- \ gram will include the proems of compositions by John Lewis. Gun¬ ther Schuller and Luigi NonO. 50 MUSIC U&RIETr Wednesday, November 2, 1955 Jocks, Jukes and Disks -By HERM SCHOENFELD— Don Cherry: “Band of Gold”- “Rumble Boogie” (Columbia). This is Don Cherry’s best entry in some time. “Band of Gold” (which to¬ gether with the recent “Cross of Gold,” adds up to a big free plug for the jewelers' industry), is an excellent ballad which Cherry pro¬ jects with sock commercial impact. Kit Caran, for Capitol Records, also has a solid reading, of this number. “Rumble Boogie” is an okay standard rhythm item in a boogie-woogie format. Eydie Gormc: “Sincerely Yours”- “Come Home” (ABC-Paramount). bluesy pipes. Reverse is a more conventionally styled ballad. Allen Swift: “Johnny Podres Has A Halo ’Round His Head”- “Tem¬ per Is A Terrible Thing” (Jubilee). Maybe some Brooklyn fans will buy this “Johnny Podres” tribute which, in actuality, is a bigger plug for the N. Y. Yankees, because, ac¬ cording to this tune, it took a real miracle to beat the Yanks. In any case, it’ll be a greater miracle if this side is a hit. Reverse is an¬ other piece of special material without much to recommend it. Leroy Holmes Orch & Chorus: “The Japanese Farewell Song”- Best Bets DON CHERRY _ ( Columbia ) . EYDIE GORME _ ( ABC-Paramount ) HAMISH MENZIES ( Kapp ) . DORIS DAY.i.. ( Columbia ) ...... TERESA BREWER . (Coral) .. .BAND OF GOLD .. ....Bumble Boogie .SINCERELY YOURS . Come Home ..SKYE BOAT SONG ,... Over The Sea to Skye .. . JIMMY UNKNOWN . Ooh Bang .SHOOT IT AGAIN .You're Telling Our Secret Album Reviews LAWRENCE WELK and His CHAMPAGNE MUSIC 219th Consecutive Week Aragon Ballroom—Ocean Park, Cal. ABC-TV—Sat. 9-10 P. M. EDT. Sponsored by Dodge Dealers of America Eydie .Gorme, a fine songstress who has been around on a couple of other labels without being able to break through with that big hit, rates a change of luck with her debut disk for the new company, ABC-Paramount Records. “Sin¬ cerely Yours,” title song from the Warner Bros, pic, is an attractive ballad which Miss Gorme handles with effective simplicity. It could stay around a long time. “Come | Home” is a fair torch ballad. Hamish Menzies: “Skye Boat Song”-“Over The Sea To Skye” (Kapp). This is an unusual two- sided presentation of the same number featuring Hamish Menzies on a piano solo with chorus on one deck and his vocal on the other. Sides have a highly melodic lilt which stands up under repeated spins. Big potential. Doris Day: “Jimmy Unknown”- “Ooh Bang” (Columbia). “Jimmy Unknown” is a good ballad with an offbeat, idea. Doris Day delivers it in her most effective style and could ride this one among the frontrunners. Flip is a snappy nov¬ elty item also with a hefty com¬ mercial punch. Teresa Brewer: “Shoot It Again”- “You’re Telling Our Secret” (Coral). With a benefit of a na¬ tional video plug on the “Steel Hour” show, Teresa Brewer’s “Shoot It Again” is due to make some noise. A novelty rhythm tune with a happy beat and a fair lyric, number gets a strong push by Miss Brewer’s bright workover. Flip could be the sleeper. It's a ballad that may give Miss Brewer chance to duplicate her click on “Till I Waltz Again With You.” Stan Wilson: “They Call The Wind Maria”-“0 Ken-Karangae” (Clef). “They Call The Wind Maria,” a standout oatune, makes an excellent showcase for Stan Wilson, Coast singer-guitarist with an attractive folk quality in his pipes. Version merits plenty of spins while the flip is a change-of- pace African calypso tune which Wilson swings. Joe Reisman Orch & Chorus: “Robin Hood”-“His Name Was Judas” (RCA Victor). Joe Reisman, one of the. more talented disk ar¬ rangers now around, has come up with a stirring version of “Robin Hood,” a tune which is trying to duplicate the “Davy Crockett” saga on wax. The lyric is slanted for the kids who may find the message on the flip tune a bit too adult. In fact, this coupling of a juve tune with the two-timing yarn in “His Name Was Judas” would be equiv¬ alent of pairing “Davy Crockett” with “Frankie and Johnnie.” U Johnny Desmond: “Ballo/ Itali V ano”-“Sixtcen Tons” (Coral). “Bal¬ lo Italiano” is a lovely ballad which can take its place among the top of the flock of Italo numbers which have hit the market in recent years. Johnny Desmond gives it a superb workout. “Sixteen Tons’ is a catching number. Adrienne Kent: “I Like It" “Without You” (York). “I Like It” is a smart song smartly done by Adrienne Kent. It’s a solid piece of material, perhaps best suited for nitery performances. Miss Kent delivers it with the right kind of “Until” (MGM). Leroy Holmes has a pretty ballad in “Japanese Fare¬ well Song,” a tune in a quasi-Ori- ental idiom that lends to the ap¬ peal. It could be a big one... Flip is a swinging side with a fine orch and choral treatment. Charity Bailey to Decca Charity Bailey, who conducts a Sunday ayem show on WRCA-TV (N.Y.) for kids, has been signed by Decca Records for juve.platters. Her first sides will have the same title as her video show, “Sing A Song,” and Miss Bailey will be accomped by the group of juves who appear on the program series. BETTY BENNETT'S ATLANTIC SET Hollywood, Nov. 1. Betty Bennett cut a 12-inch LP for Atlantic Records, using ar¬ rangements by Andre Previn, her husband, and Shorty Rogers. Pack¬ age is divided between numbers with a woodwind background and tunes with a jazz backing. Previn wrote the former, utiliz¬ ing woodwinds, a harp and a rhythm section. Wemar Sues Meridian On 'Pledging My Love’ Wemar Music filed suit against Meridian Music for an alleged in¬ fringement of ‘ its tune “Pledging My Love” in N. Y. Federal Court last" week. Wemar claims that on Jan. 15 it made an agreement with Lion Musical Publishing Co. to receive a 50% interest in the tune for lining up a top'pop artist to wax it. Wemar also claims giving Lion a $500 advance on royalties. Plaintiff claims that Teresa Brewer was secured to wax the song for Coral as well as other pop artists. The complaint alleges that the copyright was secured on Jan. 31 and charges that Meridian infringed on the tune and that Lion, in violation of the agree¬ ment, assigned the publishing rights to Meridian. Goldsen Inks Hawaiian Hollywood, Nov. 1. Music publisher Mickey Goldsen returned from a Hawaiian trek with a new tunesmith in his stable. Goldsen signed Alvin Kaleolani Isaacs, cleffer of the Nat (King) Cole disk “Nalani,” to a contract with Criterion Music. While in the islands, Goldsen also, recorded several sides of Hawaiian music for his indie diskery, Cri¬ terion Records. RCA Victor’s packaging of the late Glenn Miller’s Army Air Force Band broadcast tapes of the 1943-44 wartime years into a de luxe five 12-inch LP set continues the phe¬ nomenal post-mortem boom in the late bandleader’s diskings. It’s the third such multi-platter set to hit the market in the last few years and this one should parallel the sales marks hit by its predecessors. Working with a large crew of top¬ flight sidemen (recruited and paid for by Uncle Sam), Miller obtained a big sound in a swinging frame¬ work that, in many respects, make this package superior to the previ¬ ous Miller sets. Among the vocal¬ ists working for this outfit were Johnny Desmond, Ray McKinley, Artie Malvin and Carmen Mastren, with Desmond handling most of the assignments. The repertoire covers the w.k. standards (“Don’t Be That Way,” “Star Dust,” “My Ideal,” “Suddenly It’s Spring,” etc.); the songs of that era (“Pistol Packin’ Mama”), and some war- inspired numbers “Over There,” ‘There Are Yanks,” “The G:I. Jive,” etc.). Good geographical notes by George T. Simon and photos of the Miller band are in¬ cluded in the leather-bound set, which has a “wild blue yonder” j art motif.. - Jeri Southern: “The Southern Style” (Decca). Coast thrush Jeri Southern, who plays a solid piano, is excellently showcased in this collection of tunes. Miss Southern’s delicate phrasing and stylistic simplicity give her renditions a distinctive quality which already has come to the attention of the jazz cognoscenti. Fortunately, the backgrounds ift this LP are simple, with Miss Southern accompanying herself with the help of a rhythm combo. Billie Holiday: “Mdsic For Torch¬ ing” (Clef). When Billie Holiday is in good form, she undoubtedly ranks among the three or four top jazz stylists since the birth of the blues. In this latest album, Miss Holiday has hit the mark-and the result is as overpowering in its dramatic- impact as anything she’s .done. Miss Holiday, backed by an able group of sidemen, delivers such oldies as “Come Rain or Come Shine,” “Ghost of a Chance,” “I Get A Kick out of You,” “Isn’t It A Lovely Day” and others. How¬ ever, the candid photos on the cover back are n.s.g. Jo Stafford: “Happy Holiday” (Columbia). With Christmas a short time off, release of holiday albums is being stepped up. Columbia has a highly pleasing one in this collection of Xmas pops, traditional and old folk songs de- Rvered in lucid style by Jo Stafford with able backing by Paul Weston’s orch and the Stajrlighters, a vocal ensemble. Set ranges from, “March $ the Toys” to “I Wonder As A Wander,” a beautiful folk religioso Jazz m every idiom continues to roll off the presses. Among the latest top releases are collections of recent vocals made by' Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald packaged by Decca under the titles of “Satchmo Sings” and “Sweet and Hot.” Also in the jazz vocal vein are sets by. A1 Hibbler in his familiar style for Marterry Rec¬ ords and by Jane Fielding, a Coast songstress, for Jazz: West, the lat¬ ter introducing a promising per¬ former. In the instrumental vein the J. J. Johnson-Kai Winding combo has a' superb modern jazz session for Columbia under the title of “Trombone For Two.” With a more pyrotechnical display of their instruments, trumpeters Roy Eldrige and Dizzy Gillespie team up on a “Roy and Diz” set for Clef, In the big band genre, there’s "Lionel Hampton’s Big Band” on Clef and a collection of oldies by the Woody Herman orch, “Wood- chopper’s Ball,” for Decca, an ex¬ cellent reissue. PSkiett 10 Best Sellers on Coin-Machines ^^ 1. AUTUMN LEAVES (5) . 2. MOMENTS TO REMEMBER (7) .. 3 LOVE IS A MANY-SPLENDORED THING (8) 4. HE (3) 5. SUDDENLY THERE’S A VALLEY (4) 6. YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS (13) . 7. SHIFTING, WHISPERING SANDS (2) 8. ONLY YOU (3) . 9. I HEAR YOU KNOCKIN’ (1) 10. LONGEST WALK (9) .... Second Group . Roger Williams .Kapp t . Four Lads . Columbia J ( Four Aces . Decca ; ( Don Cornell .. Coral (Al Hibbler . Decca ‘\ McGuire Sisters . Coral f Julius LaRosa . Cadence + . -( Gogi Grant . Era 2 [Jo Stafford . Columbia + ( Mitch Miller . Columbia ’ \ Johnny Desmond . Coral $ Rusty Draper . Mercury ' \ Billy Vaughn . Dot -f f Platters . Mercury . -{ Lola Dee ... .Wing [Hilltoppers . Dot . Gale Storm..... . Dot . Jaye P. Morgan .. Victor 4- BLACK DENIM TROUSERS SEVENTEEN .. WAKE THE TOWN AND TELL THE PEOPLE TINA IWARIE . . ... BIBLE TELLS ME SO. f Cheers . Capitol «■ ' \ Vaughn Monroe . Victor ( Fontane Sisters .Dot < ’ . -J Boyd Bennett ... King - - \ Rusty Draper . Mercury ( Les Baxter . Capitol * ’ 1 ( Mindy Carson . Columbia - » . Perry Como . Victor <« . Wing . Coral AIN’T THAT A SHAME MY BOY FLATTOP .... CROCE DI ORO ...... YOU ARE MY LOVE ., AT MY FRONT DOOR fFigures in parentheses Indicate number of weeks song ( Nick Noble .. * \ Dick Cornell . j Pat Boone . Dot . Fats Domino . Imperial \ Ronnie Gaylord . .Wing . Boyd Bennett . King f Patti Page . Mercury l Joan Regan... . . London Joni James . MGM £ (Pat Boone... .Dot ( El Dorados . Vee-Jay has been in the Top 10] 'Jerome Kern Song Book’ Readymade for Xmas One of the handsomest Xmas gift potentials is “The Jerome Kern Song Book,” jointly pub¬ lished by Simon & Schuster with the T. B. Harms Co. at $7.50, edit¬ ed and with an introduction and text by Oscar Hammerstein 2d, and includes the words and music of 50 best beloved Kern songs. Most prolific of Kern’s lyric collabora¬ tors, even exceeding P. G. Wode- house and Guy Bolton of the early Princess Theatre (N. Y.) days, has been Hammerstein himself, whose lyrical -flights have made as warm an impact on the world as Kern’s music. Parring Hammerstein’s prolific output is the equally liter¬ ate Otto Harbach, and in fact both have collaborated on many a Kern tune. To “review” such an attractive package calls for little gilding of the lily. In truth, Kern's melodies already have been most indelibly written on the minds ’ and warm memories of millions who have been exposed to his operettas. But it is fitting that this little anecdote, from Hammerstein’s text, cap off this record. It has to do with the sad news that a man had been stricken on Park Ave. near 57th St. in the late fall of 1945 and had been taken to the N„ Y. City Hospital at. Welfare Is¬ land. Only an ASCAP card helped the police identify him. Says Ham¬ merstein : “He lay unconscious, in the same institution in which Stephen Fos¬ ter had died. The critical nature of Jerry’s condition did not per¬ mit his removal to a private hos¬ pital. He was in a ward with some 50 or 60 other patients— mental cases, drunks and derelicts for the most part. The doctors had gathered this heterogenous group together and explained to them slowly and clearly who the new patient was, and asked them to be very quiet and not create the usual disturbances that character¬ ized this room. Not one man dis¬ obeyed. The nurse in charge did not go home that night. She ex¬ tended her duty for that day to 24 hours. When Mrs. Kern expressed her gratitude, the nurse answered simply that he had given so much pleasure to her and to the world that she thought she would like to" give up something for him. It was clear to us all that special considei’ation and loving care were being granted this man in a public hospital not because he was wealthy or powerful but because he had devoted almost all his lifetime to giving the world something it needs and knows it needs—beauty.” Hammerstein has broken up the Kern cavalcade into three seg¬ ments. Part I is the Princess The¬ atre and up to “Sally” and “Ka- Lu-A.” Part II covers “the new team” (Harbach, Hammerstein, et al.) and Part III, “The Movies,” when he took up residence on the Coast and collaborated with sun¬ dry lyricists while writing for the new filmusical vogue. It’s a handsome, nostalgic, per¬ sonalized Hit Parade, between hard covers, with full piano ar¬ rangements, for anybody’s library or Steinway. Abel. Wednesday, November 2, 1955» MSkn&ft MUSIC 51 SCRAMBLE FOR SHOW SCORES Ballroom Biz Bouncing Back With Showmanship, Music With a Beat Des Moines, Nov. 1. T. H. Archer, who has just com¬ pleted a two-year tenure as presi¬ dent of the National Ballroom Operators’ Assn., says dancing has bounced —or mamboed — back to new heights in Des Moines in a little more than a year. He credits the current boom to better ball¬ rooms and the return to “music with a beat.” When Archer closed his Tromar ballroom in January, 1954 and .it became a roller rink, there were ballrooms closing, everywhere in the country and many believed public dancing was dead. Archer blamed “progressive” music be¬ cause “the masses ceased to under¬ stand it and bands lost the beat to which the public enjoyed dancing.” However, since operators started to modernize their ballrooms and give customers danceable music, business has started to zoom. Archer said, “it used to be that four walls, benches, a band stand and check room were all that were needed. People today want a dif¬ ferent type of ballroom—you must have tables and booths.” * Archer is president of the Archer Ballroom Co. which owns ball¬ rooms in Sioux City, Cedar Rapids and Sioux Falls in addition to the Val Air here which was converted from an outdoor to an indoor oper¬ ation and was reopened June 26. Archer said competition for na¬ tional recognition remains rugged and predicts fewer bands will develop into “names.” He said that in the 1930’s many bands rocketed because of their radio programs. T(levision is of little help to un¬ known bands because only big name bands appear on national programs, he said. MARTIN-COWARD SPEC BOOSTS‘LAS VEGAS’LP Effect of a tele plug on the disk industry was evidenced again last week with an upsurge in the sales of the Columbia album, “Noel Cow¬ ard at Las Vegas,” after Coward's showcasing on a CBS-TV spectac¬ ular Oct. 22. The package had been moving at a comfortable sales pace, racking up about 10,000 sales in close to three weeks on the mar¬ ket, before the telecast. The week following the telecast orders for the set poured in from all over the country and it’s now shaping as one of the diskery’s hottest album items. In a move to keep the momen¬ tum in high gear, Col has prepped a special 45 r.p.m. slicing of Cow¬ ard singing “Let’s Do It" for the dealers. Tune was taken from the package. It wasn’t done on the specola, though, since CBS execs were wary of its spicy innuendo. Col is still undecided whether it will release an album of tapings taken off the show. Coward ap¬ peared on the staza with Mary Martin. It’s Bleyer’s Label So He’ll Sing On It Archie Bleyer, a&r topper at Cadence Records, turns full- fledged crooner on the label’s up¬ coming release “Nothin’ To Do.” In the past, Bleyer has put him¬ self into the groove with some off¬ beat sound backing for his regular pactees, but this will mark the first time he’s got the Vocal all to him¬ self. Tune, which was written by Johnny Parker, is being published by Sheraton Music. Kenton 6G in Houston Houston, Nov. 1. Stan Kenton orch drew a crowd ?t 2,000 at a one-nighter concert m 3,000-seat Music Hall Oct. 28, grossing over $6,000. Spotted in the one-show event were trombonist Carl Fontana, tenor man Bill Perkins, and chirper Ann Richards. Weiii Eyes Jazz Bashes For Iron Curtain Cats Boston, Nov. 1. George Wein, operator of Story- ville club here and director of the Newport Jazz Festival, re¬ turned to the Hub this frame after a European jaunt with Louis Loril- lard, headman of the Newport jazz bash, to arrange a number of jazz wing-dings in foreign lands. He said that they hope for a “cultural penetration” of the Iron Curtain. The pair were in Lon¬ don, Paris, Holland and Spain, Big confab was with Clayton Smith, cultural charge de affaires of the American Embassy in Mos¬ cow, now in Washington, awaiting reports on the cultural benefits to be derived from such an expedi¬ tion. Four or five European jazz fes¬ tivals are in. process of being ar¬ ranged. PRESTIGE FACTOR |ASCAP Publisher Roster Zooms Over 750; Writer Members Total 3,200 The showtune field is opening up to new publishers. The entry of young writers into the tuner biz is paving the way for smaller firms to crack into the field which has long been dominated by the old line firms. Chappell Music, of course, con¬ tinues to have a dominating posi¬ tion with such top showtune writers as Richard Rodgers & Oscar Ham- merstein 2d, Cole Porter, Harold Rome, Alan Jay Lerner, etc., but] in the past couple of years other | Tin Pan Alley publishers have been steadily eyeing the new writ- I ing crop to cash in oh the legituner | gravy. Prime example is. Frank Music, tunesmith Frank Loesser’s firm, which latched on to rookies Dick Adler and Jerry Ross and racked up two clicks in a row with “The Pajama Game” and “Damn Yankees.” Now Loesser has tagged 26-year old pop tunesmith Arthur j (Continued on page 56) Cool Jazz Combos Get D.C. Hotel Showcasing The Sheraton Park Hotel, Wash¬ ington, will underwrite a jazz pro¬ motion which will be staged Nov. 9 in the main ballroom. Deal was made with Joe Glaser’s Associated Booking Corp. for a group of units comprising Dave Brubeck, Gerry Mulligan, Carmen McRae and the Australian Jazz Quartet. Originally, ABC approached the hotel to rent the ballroom for the shindig, but hotel decided to pro¬ mote the package themselves. Victor Pact* Jazz 88er Lou Levy, Coast pianist (who is not to be confused with the music publisher of the same name), has been inked to RCA Victor’s jazz roster. He’ll be billed on wax as “The Gray Fox.” PtfRhfir Scoreboard OF 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 disksJ and three ways in the case of tunes (coin machines, retail disks and retail sheet music). POSITIONS This Last Week Week 1 - 2 4 9 10 POSITIONS This Last Week Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 TALENT ARTIST AND LABEL TUNE ROGER WILLIAMS (Kapp).. Autumn Leaves FOUR ACES (Decca).Love Is Many-Splendored FOUR LADS (Columbia).. Moments to Remember it/rn-Ti-n tr* i u* \ (Yellow Rose of Texas MITCH MILLER (Columbia).j Bonnie Blue Gal AL HIBBLER (Decca)... He CHEERS (Capitol).... Black Denim Trousers PAT BOONE (Dot) ,....jiffihat ^Shame RUSTY DRAPER (Mercury).jleven n tfen WhiSPering ^ BILLY VAUGHN (Dot)...Shifting, Whispering Sands AMES BROS. (Victor).My Bonnie Lassie TUNES (•ASCAP. fBMI) tune publisher “AUTUMN LEAVES. Ardmore “LOVE IS A MANY-SPLENDORED THING.Miller * YELLOW ROSE OF TEXAS. Planetary “MOMENTS TO REMEMBER. Beaver fHE . Avas “SHIFTING, WHISPERING SANDS . MDS •[SUDDENLY THERE’S A VALLEY ...Hill & Range “BIBLE TELLS ME SO . Paramount fBLACK DENIM- TROUSERS .. Hill & Range “MY BONNIE LASSIE. Leeds Reflecting the “new” music biz in which anybody from out of left field or even foul territory can come up with a hit is the tremend¬ ous increase in the number of pub¬ lishers on the roster of the Ameri¬ can Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers. In the last five or six years, the publisher members of ASCAP have virtually doubled, climbing from 400 to a present total of 763. The songwriter mem¬ bership of ASCAP has also in¬ creased, but not so sharplv, to a current figure of 3.200 defiers. Big increase of the ASCAP rolls is due to the “open door” policy novv followed by the Society. Whereas before the consent decree, a tunesmith found considerable dif¬ ficulty to gaining full membership status in ASCAP, currently all that’s needed to get in is a pub¬ lished song and an application blank. Similarly with publisher applicants to ASCAP who can vir¬ tually get into the Society merely by applying. That’s especially true of the many ASCAP writers who have opened up their own publishing firms in recent years. The Society’s revenue has been keeping pace with the increase in membership over the past few years. However, the bulk of the new publisher and writer members receive little or no revenue from ASCAP since they have to come up with sufficient performances to register in jhe ASCAP log. The voting strength of the new mem¬ bers also is negligible since ASCAP’s ballots are weighted ac¬ cording to the members’ earning capacities. FORD’S‘16 TONS’BREAK AS CAP’S FASTEST DISK Tennessee Ernie Ford’s "Sixteen Tons” has broken wide open for the fastest-selling song disking in Capitol's history. Folk ballad has sold 400,000 copies in the first II days of release and Capitol has geared all its facilities for single records to meet mounting orders for the platter. “Tons,” a story of the Pennsyl- vania-Ohio coal mine area, was first used by Ford on his tv show about three months ago and sub¬ sequently repeated. It pulled such response that Capitol rushed the disk version. Previous champ in the fast-selling department was Capitol’s “St. George and the Dragonet,” Stan Freberg satire which hit 1,000,000 copies in 40 days. Merle Travis wrote the words and music for the number which is being published by American Music. Pubbery reports the sheet sale also hitting a hefty clip, with 1,000 copies sold in the first six days. Padlocked La Vie Hit By ASCAP Pub Claim Monte Proser’s La Vie, N.Y., which was padlocked last week by a U.S. marshal for failure to pay ovej $10,000 In cabaret taxes, took an¬ other rap on the chin when-a flock of ASCAP publishers filed a com¬ bined infringement action vs. tin club for the public performance oi tunes without a license. Tunes involved are “Begin Thu Beguine” and “Zing Went Th« String of My Heart” (Harms), “Em- braceable You” (New World) and “People Will Say We’re In Love” (Williamson). Action, which asks for damages of not less than $250 for each infringement was filed in N. Y. Federal Court. Mooney Expands 1-Niters Art Mooney orch has added 14 more one-nighters to his touring schedule which will take it from The Bronx (N. Y.) starting Nov. 2 to Spartanburg, S. C., Dec. 13. Orch stops off at the Brooklyn Par¬ amount Nov. 23-29. Mooney is currently plugging his MGM etching of “Give Me A Band and My Baby.” 52 MUSIC JS&riety Wednesday, November 2 y 1955 Majors on Gift Coupon Kick For Bigger Yule B.O. The disk companies are going on a gift certificate binge to help stimulate dealer traffic. RCA Vic¬ tor and Decca Records already have instituted their own gift cer¬ tificate plans and nbw Col is hop¬ ping on the bandwagon with its own program as part of its No¬ vember sales push. The Col gift certificate is made up in a sim'ple checkbook form and will be sent cuffo to dealers. Re¬ cipient of the certificate can only purchase the disks through the dealer making the original sale either in-person or via the mails. In a goodwill gesture, Col isn’t confining its certificates to its own output. Diskery execs, however, figure that the certificate plan will bring in enough new business to make the effort worthwhile for the label. Col is also launching a gift wrap¬ ping service for its November pro¬ gram. The service includes spe¬ cially designed wrapping paper and containers for 7”, 10” and 12” disks. The wrapping kits are being peddled to the distributor at $7.95 with a suggested dealer price of $9.95. Although both programs are be¬ ing kicked off in time for the pre- Yule sales splurge, Col plans to keep ’em going on a year-round basis. Col’s wax push for November will be centered on a flock of new album releases topped off by the soundtrack set of “Sincerely Yours,” the Warner Bros, pic star¬ ring Liberace, and the fourth set in the “I Can Hear It Now” series featuring Winston Churchill. BETAH DISK BEST SELLERS Mmhety Survey of retail disk best sellers based on reports ob tained from leading stores in 21 cities and shovnng com¬ parative sales rating for this and last week. National Rating This Last wk. wk. Artist, Label, Title ‘■a i 2 1 2 FOUR ACES (Decca) “ Love Is a Many-Splendor ed Thing” 2 1 2 12 8 1 ROGER WILLIAMS (Kapp) “Autumn Leaves”... 12 12 1.. 2 2 12 1.. 1 8 3 3 1 2 3.. 3 5 1 2 _5 3 6 o w n •a CJ 3 .« o S IS E 0 as D ti O o O Q u B as I s <u > c aj or B <u A CO B 7 7 2. xg CO b 4) ► B M a £ CO 2 2 1 1 168 1 1 .... 153 3 4 FOUR LADS (Columbia) “Moments to Remember”. .. 4 4 7 7 .. 5 .. 3 6 10 2 .. 4 6 5 10 4 3 7 4 96 4 3 MITCH MILLER (Columbia) “Yellow Rose of Texas”. .. 3 4 3 3 9 4 4 4 5 .. 1 .. 1 10 4 6 .. 93 5A 6 CHEERS (Capitol) “Black Denim Trousers”. .. 6 6 2 7 5 7 7 .. .. . 6 7 9 ..- 48 5B 7 AL HIBtfLER (Decca) “He” . .. 8 3 3 .. .. 7 2- 6* .. . 1. 10 48 BILLY VAUGHN (Dot) 7 ■ 8 “Shifting, Whispering Sands”.. , . 5 6 .. . 5 1 .. 3 .. 5 ... .. 41 8 5 RUSTY DRAPER (Mercury). “Shifting, Whispering Sands”- 5 .. .. .. 6 . . 6 .. 4 4 .. 2 39 9 10 AMES BROS (Victor) “My Bonnie Lassie”. .. .. 44. . ' 8 .. 8 8 .. .. 5 3 37 10 TENN. ERNIE FORD (Capitol) “Sixteen Tons”. . 1 . 9 .. 1 .. 7 .. .... 2 35 11 17 GALE STORM (Dot) “I Hear You Knockin' ”. . 10 ... 6 2 .. 4 .. .. .. 5 _28 12 14 GOGI GRANT (Era) “Suddenly There’s a Valley”. .. .. 9 4 .. 7 4 .. .. 6 _25 13A 9 PERRY COMO (Victor) “Tina Marie”.. • & 9 9 5 6 .. 8 8 _23 13B PLATTERS (Mercury) “Only You”.. . 10 10 5 9. . .. 7 2 # 23 PAT BOONE (Dot) 15 20 “At My Front Door” 4 7 .. .. 9 5 8 22 16A 12 PAT BOONE (Dot) “Ain’t That a Shame”. .. 7. .... 7 . .. 2. . 17 16B 23 JO STAFFORD (Columbia) “Suddenly There’s a Valley”. 6 .. . 6 4 . . 17 18 12 FONTANE SISTERS (Dot) “Seventeen” . . 10 7 . . 10 . 5 .. . 9 . .. 9 . . 16 19A 14 McGUIRE SISTERS (Coral) “He” . . 3 .. 8 . 9 .. .. . . 13 19B 22 JAYE P. MORGAN (Victor) “Longest Walk”. 5 .. 10 .. .. .. . . 13 21A 18 NAT (KING) COLE (Capitol) “Someone You Love”. .. .. 8 .. .. .. 10 .. 3 .. .. . . 12 21B 20 STAN FREBERG (Capitol) “Yellow Rose of Texas”. .. .. 8 . .. .. 8 . .... 5 ... .. . . 12 23A LES BAXTER (Capitol) “Wake the Town”. 6 . .. 9 .. . 9 9 23B 16 DON CORNELL (Coral) “Bible Tells Me So”. 5 . 9 ,. . 10 . 9 23C JONI JAMES (MGM) “You Are My Love”. .. .. 7 .. 8 9 . 9 1 2 3 4 5 LOVE ME OR OKLAHOMAI MISS SHOW BUSINESS IN THE WEE, SO SMOOTH SIX TOP LEAVE ME Film Soundtrack Judy Garland SMALL HOURS Frank Sinatra Porry Como ALBUMS Doris Day Columbia CL 710 Capitol Capitol Capitol Victor SOA 595 W 581 LPM 1085 B 2090 FDM 1, 2-595 W 676 EBF 1, 2-581 EPB 1085 LONESOME ECHO Jackio Gleason Capitol W 627 EBF 1, 2-627 BRIT. SINGER BRANDON TOU.S. FOR PERSONALS Ken Pitt, personal rep for Brit¬ ish diskery singer (Polyglon label) Johnny Brandon, is in New York huddling with William. Morris agency’s Sol Shapiro on U.S. dates. Brandon arrives this week¬ end aboard the SS Nieu Amster¬ dam. He is preceded by two MGM platters, “Don’t Worry” and “Sing Me Something Soft and Sentimental,” first released in England on Polyglon, backed by the Norman Warren orch. Bran¬ don is also a prolific songsmith, waxing his own tunes but, because of his own disk and BBC promi¬ nence, frequently resorting to multiple noms-de-plume. Accompanying Brandon back to the U.S. is American Ttfegro actor Robert Richardson, who went abroad with the Air Force and re¬ mained on to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. What makes Richardson unique is the fact that he is the first American to be elected president of the stu¬ dent council at the famed Royal Academy. He, like his friend Brandon, is seeking U. S. dates after his longtime studies abroad. Joe Marsala Spreads Into Pub, Wax Fields Jazz clarinetist and composer Joe Marsala is spreading out into the diskery and publishing fields. Tootler is kicking off an indie la¬ bel, tagged Rex Records, and his Beatrice Music publishing firm this week. First release on Rex is a cou¬ pling of Bill Darnel’s slicing of “Champagne and Tears” and “Walking On a Tightrope.” Both tunes are published by Beatrice. Marsala also expects to move into the jazz album field and al¬ ready has lined up such tootlers as Pee Wee Russell, Mike Crane and Frank Signorelli. He’s also prep- ping an album with his wife, Adele- Gerard. New Jazz Troupe Tours Shaw Artists has packaged a new jazz and blues unit to tour the south and southwest. Package will feature Count Basie, Joe Wil¬ liams, Ruth Brown, George Shear¬ ing, The Orioles, T-Bone Walker and The Jacks, The tour kicks off in Lake Charles, La., Nov. 16 and will run for 19 da^s. Ralph Peer Sees No Hypo For Late Jimmy Rodgers; Dalhart Not a Hillbilly London. Editor, Variety: The letter from Jim Walsh at¬ tempting to establish Vernon Dal¬ hart as the prime hillbilly artist came to my attention at this far distant point. As the person re¬ sponsible for the discovery and development of the hillbilly busi¬ ness, I deem that a word of ex¬ planation and perhaps a few cor¬ rections are necessary. I am not personally acquainted with Mr. Walsh but obviously he has ac¬ quired from various. sources con¬ siderable information about this subject. In the first place, it is well to point out that nobody has at¬ tempted to produce any artificial propaganda to make Jimmy Rodg¬ ers any bigger than he really is. As a matter of fact, if any effort of this kind had been m^de, it would automatically fail—you can¬ not fool the record-buying public, Jimmy Rodgers is especially hon¬ ored and respected throughout the southern and western areas as well as in many foreign countries because his recordings,, crudely made in temporary studios through¬ out the country, have become J’stajidard.J’^ ^ JHe js m ^he, ,ojne w Jndll- * billy recording artist who after the passage of 20 years is still in great demand. This is the basis for the Jimm.v^ Rodgers celebration at Meridian,- Miss., each year—when the gen¬ eral public gets tired of Rodgers, the attendance at the celebration will drop to nothing. As it is, this attendance builds every year and it is noteworthy that the number of recording artists in attendance increases from year to year. There is no doubt that the most successful of the hillbilly artists was the now forgotten Fiddlin’ John Carson. He was the first such artist and reaped the benefit. Furthermore, he had a repertoire of more than 250 compositions not previously recorded and this gave him a great advantage over all competitors. The mitacle of Jimmy Rodgers is that although a very sick man at all times during his recording career, he composed, sang and ‘Hit Parade’ Lineup (On Oct. 29 NBC-TV Show) 1. Autumn Leaves.. .Ardmore 2. Love Is Splendored. . Miller . 3, Rose of Texas.. . .Planetary 4. Suddenly A Valley .. .H&R 5. Seventeen.Lois 6. Bible Tells Me. .Paramount . A JBWifT. played his own accompaniment < producing a group of selections still earning very appreciable sums for his heirs. Vernon Dalhart was never a hillbilly and never a hillbilly artist. Dalhart had the peculiar ability to adapt hillbilly music to suit the taste of the non-hillbilly population. Perhaps we could characterize him as pseudo-hill¬ billy. Dalhart was extremely suc¬ cessful as a recording artist be¬ cause he was a profitable substi¬ tute for a real hillbilly. To some extent, his records Cjuld be sold in hillbilly territory and' they were usually sure-fire elsewhere. If, however, one could determine the number of Dalhart records sold south of the Mason Dixon. Line, his comparative showing will be bad. “In the interest of historical ac¬ curacy,” let me conclude by stat¬ ing that Vernon Dalhart may not be classified as a hillbilly artist. He was a popular artist who sang hillbilly songs for the northern and central western population The total sale of Jimmy Rodgers' records is far in excess of 5,000,- 000 and total sales of records by the Carter Family are consider¬ ably less than a third of Rodgers. Jimmy Rodgers is remembered and honored because he is the only hillbilly artist whose record¬ ings and compositions have lived , in a commercial sense. *.. . Rhlpl} _ Pegr._ _ j Mickey Mouse Music’ Bigger Than Ever Via Disney TV Cleffers Hollywood, Nov. 1. “Mickey Mouse music” no longer has a derogatory connotation on the Coast. It has come to mean peak activity in the music field. Switch, of course, is due to the tremendous amount of work being done at Disney in connection with the mushrooming television shows, particularly the Mickey Mouse Club. Music department, under manager Bob Jackman, has been working at top speed since Feb¬ ruary on the project and in the last nine months, composers have turned out, page for page, as much work as the Disney music depart¬ ment has had in the last five years. Much of the work has been done by Buddy Baker, who has been at Disney a year but has only been on the staff since May. Promotion was as a result of the increased output, since he has worked with the first unit as a composer-con¬ ductor, finishing the first 100 shows. Others who have contributed heavi¬ ly include Bill Lava and Frank Marks who have worked on news¬ reel material and Joe Dubin. In all, the music department now' has 11 composers at work, meeting the ,n.ee_d3_qf, Jhe _t§ljp_visjQi; _shpy’s. Wednesday, November 2, 1955 Inside Stuff-Music A little frank airing of the music business’ dirty linen occurred one nosl-midnight last week on Barry Gray’s. WMCA (N. Y.) “open forum” \vhen BMI’s Donald Wolf and ASCAP’s Johnny Loeb and Allen Roberts did a little preview on that long-pending multimillion songwriters’ suit Uainst the broadcasters. One side accented that since BMI is radio station-bankrolled “naturally when a deejay sees a label marked BMI or ASCAP there is an ’inclination’ to favor BMI.” The BMIite stated that this label identification was merely (1) to assist in “clearance,” and cited how a “Guys and Dolls” song might have been aired pre¬ maturely and brooked legal complications, and <2), to identity the run¬ ning-time, per disk selection. The payola, the a&r men’s autocracy, and the rest of it got aired also. Gray cited he has heard of these things but had yet to be ap¬ proached with payola. To which the ASCAPer footnoted, “That’s be¬ cause New 'fork is notoriously a poor place to start songs. A town like Cleveland is a more ideal ‘song centre’.” Gray cut it short just in Tune from Kurt Weill’s German jazz opera, “Die Dreigroschenoper,” penned more than two decades ago, has been given a U.. S. jazz treat¬ ment by Louis Armstrong and Turk Murphy. Both jazzsters have etched “Mack The Knife” for Columbia. Murphy’s is strictly instru¬ mental while Armstrong croons the lyrics penned by Marc Blitzstein. The original German lyrics were written by Berthold Brecht. The Weill opera, known in the U. S. as “The Threepenny Opera,” was adapted for legit by Blitzstein and is currently running at the Theatre De Lys, in New York’s Greenwich Village. George Avakian, Col's pop album and jazz a&r topper, had Murphy prepare the jazz arrangement. Latter then insisted that Armstrong was the only one could handle the vocal properly. Armstrong regularly records for Decca but he’s on a per disk deal with the plattery which permits excursions to rival companies. He recently, etched a couple of jazz albums for Columbia. In order to round out its biographied data, ASCAP is compiling com¬ plete records on its members’ service in the Armed Services. Each writer and publisher member is being asked to list his branch of service in the two World Wars, his rank and his citations. Question¬ naire is being ^handled by the Society’s public relations committee cliairmanned by Paul Cunningham. The hassle between Cadence Records and Columbia Records over Die soundtrack version of “I Never Knew,” from the Jack Webb pic production, “Pete Kelly’s Blues,” involves a complex question of what (Continued on page 56) Songs With Largest Radio Audience 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 Oct. 21-Oct. 27, 1955 | Adelaide—l“Guys and s Dolls” .Frank All at Qnce You Love Her—*“Pipe Dream”..... ..Williamson Amukiriki—t“Amukiriki” ..Famous Autumn Leaves ..Ardmore Bible Tells Me So...Paramount Croce Di Oro ..... Shapiro-B Cry Me a River ...... Saunders Forgive My Heart ...BVC Hummingbird ......Jungnickel I Like Them All.. Broadcast In Paree ...Southern It’s All Right with Me— ^“Can-Can” ..Chappell Kwela Kwela ..Peer Longest Walk .Advanced Love. And Marriage .Barton Love Is Many-Splendored—(“Love Is Splendored” Miller Miracle in the Rain—( “Miracle in'the Rain” .Remick Moments to Remember ..Beaver No Arms Can Ever Hold You.Gil Only . You ...Wildwood Pepper Hot Baby ..Sheldon Rose Tattoo—i “Rose Tattoo” .Paramount Seventeen . .Lois Suddenly There’s a Valley .H&R Then I’ll Be Happy ..Bourne There Should be Rules ...;_Witmark «! n , a Marie .’...Roncom Wake the Town and Tell the People .. Joy Yellow Rose of Texas . Planetary You Are My Love .Jubilee l&RIETY Best British Sheet Sellers (Week ending Oct. 22) , London, Oct. 25. : B ^e Star .Chappell 5 Man From Laramie.. Chappell t Rose of Texas .Maddox ! Hey There .Frank | Ev’rywhere ..Bron , Ilernapdo’s Hideaway. . .Frank . Everrhore . Roger? I’ll Come When You Call. Reine Close the Door.duch*ess 1 Every Day .Robbins Learnin’ the Blues.. Connelly . Stars Shine .Maurice i Second 12 Unchained Melody.Frank Love Me or Leave Me...Prowse Go On By ..Bluebird I Wonder ...... .Macmelodies Cool Water . Feldman Softly .Cavendish Dambust.crs March.. .Chappell John and Julie . Toff Never Stop Loving. .. .Robbins 20 Tiny Fingers .F.D.&II. Banjo’s Back in Town. Leeds Ever Been Lonely. ... .Wright Coast Ballroom Aims For Juves With Diskers, Bands, Jazz & co*ke Hollywood, Nov. 1. A new weekly ballroom opera¬ tion for the younger generation, utilizing name talent, teed off-at the Valley Ballroom in San Fer¬ nando Valley Friday (28) with Herb Jeffries and Anita O’Day headlining the bill. . Alan Marlowe band will be the steady attraction at the spot. Weekly sessions will be staged by Startime Revue Productions. Attendance won’t be limited to kids, but the ballroom will oper¬ ate on a soft-drink only policy. It’s patterned after similar, successful teenage terperies around the country. In addition to the Marlowe band, the Roger Babco*ck Dixie- landers and the Doris O’Brien dancers will be a regular part of every presentation. There will be a half-hour teleshow over KCOP, local indie, emanating from the ballroom. Capitol Records’ Dallas Frazier will be on hand, weekly as an em¬ cee and talent already booked for successive weeks includes Champ Butler, the Platters, the Pied Pipers, Dinah Washington and Woody Herman. Operation already has grabbed a top New Year's Eve -attraction in Dave Brubcck. Terpery can accommodate 3.000 dancers. It will operate on a flat $1.50 per head admission basis. Pat Kirby to Decca Pat Kirby, thrush on the Steve Allen NBC-TV “Tonight” show, | has been tagged by Decca Records. Diskery has also purchased ■ some masters by Buddy Laine’s i orch from Howard Christianson, of , Chicago, who sliced them inde- ; pendently. i MUSIC On The Upbeat New York two night appearances Nov. 12-13 MGM Records picked up Robbia Hood’s option . . . Publisher Herb ly at the Hollow Egg, San Francis- Reis hitting midwest deejays with 00 • • • Ella Fitzgerald opened a 'Jo Stafford's Columbia slicing of l) vo_ " eek . stan ? .yesterday (4) at ••re v T „ . , the Flamingo, Las Vegas . . . Paul If You Want lo Love . . . Jonah Dunlap signed by Lindsley Parsons Jones pacted to a 10-year deal by to score his upcoming Allied Art- the Embers, eastside jazz nitcry ts'ts production “The Come On” . . . Joe Loco Quintet heading for Daymen Alme Baxter and Sterling the Coast for a two-month tour Songstress Gloria Wood has starting at Los Angeles’ Zenda signed a personal management Ballroom Saturday (5) . . . Dan "’Mb Gabbe. Lutz and Heller Hinton, cx-Sauter-Finegan pianist, J* ji ft \ v v, ba ? k J n . t . own . .. T . “ ' . louovving two-months of one-niters, currently at the Louis Petite key- James orch opens a three-week board . . . Crooner Johnny Hart- stinl-at the Palladium Nov, 9 . . , man inked to Bethlehem Records Ereddy Martin set for a four- Sid Bernstein Hkim/ nver roonHr stay at the Boca Raton Club, . mu uernstem taking ovci the Miami Beach, Fla Jerry Field- acts department at Shaw Artists ing. current at the Royal Nevada, . . . The Modem Jam Quartet stars Las Vegas, has _been signed by a two-week stand at the Cafe Bo- CBS for a weekly radio show. Pro- hernia tomorrow (Thurs.). Combo gram will he aired from the hotel will be followed by The Messengers knd fed to the network. due in for one week ... Harry - Porr, Variety staffer, named his ^ daughter Patti’. . . Izler Solomon. ynicago MGM Records pacf.ee, to tour with Jo Ann Miller cut four sides for rorr. variety starrer, named his * daughter Patti’. . . Izler Solomon. ynicago MGM Records pacf.ee, to tour with Jo Ann Miller cut four sides for tlie Indianapolis Symph . . . John Scope Records this week . . . Ralph l-liuiajraii, now on onc-nile,, to the in to New York last, week to-catch » JJ d v vcs1, tours the Texas territory the pianist’s concert date in Syra- banning Nov. 14 and is set for euse Sunday (30k He’ll remain in ‘ ( r H,r Vv‘V ks nt i he Roosevelt. Hotel, Gotham for the pmm of the Lib- () }!. ear ™ Dec. 8 . . - Ray An- erace pic, “Sincerely Yours” at thony bits the midwest Friday (4) the Paramount today iWed.). 011 a 1 ? no ,"P lt S! 1 V lj Ur endl . n 8 Nov. 26. . • • • Herbie Fields opening at Chi’s dnte at^Leheigh' U.’ Friday ^ Si Spaniel l,ous id ‘be Blue Note Chi, for Mlrh ay sll °™ on \\ALJ, Adiuin, ;i two round stint tonight (Wed.). hf^crin c" »■ ^? b a - • • Alex Kallao trio into'the Lon- begins & t\vo-v\ock slnnd nt Die don IIou°c Chicit^o noxt Wprf- Saxony Hntel, Miami Bead, Mon- nos( , lv ’! 91 C ' rounds with , J} • •. Crawfoid Susan Fordanf 88ing at in- l thAl d hpn/infi s H-rinissions . . . The Commanders, ab( ViS dq currently at the Hollywood Pal- i?din? e wiVh ’ now k,(lju m. to be in Chicago Nov. 13- „ w,tb /, be eheko Autumn on thoir way East. Leaves” on the Kapp label, set _ for the Km-Wa-Lo Club, Toledo. _ Nov. 7-13. He then moves to the Pittsburgh .. f*r« Gibson & Redcapa booked Paul debuting on the indie Abbott * 0) ( °P n week of Nov. 21 . . . label. . Richard Maltby orch be- Maurice Spitalny orch playing Du¬ gins a four-week stand at the Hotel ! quesne U. alumni dinner-dance at Statler’s Cafe Rouge Friday (4). j Gateway plaza Saturday (5) . . . - i Bob Oiabe) Rhodes, who had a u ii i i band <>f his own for years, now Hollywood j playing sax with Luke Riley at Russ Morgan orch opened a one- Holiday House. He’s also emceeing niter trek rvn qatnrrinv ( 9 Qi fn* thfi floor shows . . . Pee Wee Lewis niter trek on Satmday (29 at the b;ick lo Pittsburgh after six years Mum Aud, Riverside, with -other in ri Paso to organize another gigs set at Chico Friday (5); March dance orch. He’ll use the name, Air Field Base, Nov. 19; Mission Lew Burton, that has identified Mmr nuK. ,nm in Texas . . . Frank Jarema Beach Ballioom Nov. 26 . . . Billj 1)and j )as i an( j e d Policemen’s Ball May will clef the score for the at William Penn Hotel Nov. 23 . . . Pine - Thomas - Shane production Deuces Wild have switched from “Nightmare” . . . Jack Teagarden Hidc-A-Way i nn to Crawford Grill, opened bis first headline date in VStaS Las Vegas Thursday (3) in the tions . . . Eddie Koch, sax player- arranger, has joined the Baron Flamingo lounge with a six-piece EJliolt outfit . ? . Lennv Litman, combo including Ray Bauduc . . . nitcry owner, and Nick Lomakin, Jack Tucker’s Tiffany Club ro- music store owner, bringing “Bird- opened Friday C28» after redecorat- land Revue,” with Count Basie and ing job, with Shelly Manne combo Sarah Vaughan, to Svria Mosque on tap . . . Jerry Adams opens a for a one-nighter in February . . . two-day singing stint Saturday (5) Frances Gill, organist; into Han- at the South East Turners Club, na’s Grill for a run . . . Paul Car- Erie, Pa., and then goes onto the roll and Jimmy Wager at Dore’s State Theatre, Hartford, Conn., for for two weeks RETAIL SHEET BEST SELLERS Top 30 Songs on TV (More In Case of Ties) A Satisfied Mind .Starrite Ain t That a Shame . .Commodore All at Once You Love Her—*“Pipe Dream”_...Williamson Autumn Leaves .;........Ardmore Bible Tells Me So ...Paramount Compare .T......Tee-Pee Forgive My Heart......’. BVC Hollywood Soliloquy ...Rooney I Want You To Be My Baby .Victory Learnin’ the Blues ...Barton Longest Walk...Advanced Love and Marriage ..Barton kove -Is Many-Splendored—v“Love Is Splendored”. Miller wuTy a Rich Woman ....Cadenza Moments to Remember ...Beaver My Bonnie Lassie . ... Leeds loople Will Say We’re in Love—(“‘Oklahoma” _Williamson ’epper Hot Baby ..Sheldon Rockin’ the Cha-Cha ....Porgie ^ame Old Saturday Night ..Barton Seventeen ..Lois Shoot It Again ....Miller Someone You Love ..Bradshaw stompin’ Down- Broadway .Embassy Suddenly There’s a Valley .... H&R sweet Kentucky Rose ..Schwartz sweethearts on Parade .Mayfair Be Happy .Bourne wake The Town And Tell The People.Joy i ellow Rose of Texas . >...Planetary iou Gotta Be Different .L&E - PftRIETY --- 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 This Last wk. wk. Title and Publisher 1 1 *AuUmn Leaves (Ardmore)^_2 ~2 3~ *Love Is Splendored (Miller). 5 "3 2 ‘^Rose of Texas (Planetary).. 3 ~4 7 '-He (Avas) . . 1_ 5 5 *Moments_Rcinember (Beavert_ 8_ "6 4 ^Sudde’nly~a~Valley (H&R)'. . . 10 7 6 :: 'Bibie Tells Me (Paramdunt). 4 8 R ^Shifting Sands (M DS) . 6_ 9 9 ^‘Waice the Town (Joy). 9 id - 12 ^Longest Walk ( Adva nced ).. . . ■ liXTd 5i, Love and Marriage (Barton). 7 ilB * My Bonnie L ass i e (Leeds). 13 A 11 ■•Seventeen (Lois) ... . . . ■. 13B .. INo Arms Can Hold You (Oil) 1 _ 2 _ 1 _ 1 _ 1 _ ~8 6_4__3_2_ J _3_2_2_4_ . ._1_7_ 7_ _6_ " 3 5 - 6 8_5_ '5 7 3 4 8 .._4_8 5 7 2 _8_5 6 9_ “7 9 10 10 10 . .__10_9_ L _ 9 .: .. 9 Record Talent and Tunes (Copyright Yartotp, In*. All Right* R*terv«4D ^Vdneaday, November 2, 1955 K&riety 55 BIG SOUNDS ...BIG HITS 56 MUSIC PSSfETf Wednesday, November 2 , 195 Scramble For Show Scores ; Continued from page 51 ; Hamilton to an exclusive pact with tuner assignments in mind. Early next year publisher Tommy Yalando will take his first crack at a legitune score with “Mr. Wonder¬ ful/’ penned • by George Weiss, Larry Holofcener and Jerry Boch. Show, which will star Sammy Davis Jr., is being produced by Jule Styne. Another firm looking for an entry into the field is Planetary Music, headed up by Phil Kahl. Firm, which is a little more than two years old, is now negotiating for the score of “60'x 100',” musi¬ cal being propped for a spring prcem. Score was written by Arthur Katz, a novice tunesmith. George Weiner is another pub¬ lisher readying a tuner score. He’s in as a producer of the Eddie Davis show, “Diz Muz Be Der Plaze,” and he’ll publish the score via his Wemar Music firm. Writers have not yet been assigned. Robbins (Big Three) Music is also hopping on the Broadway musical bandwagon this season. It’s publish¬ ing the score for “Strip For Action” which was penned by Jimmy Mc¬ Hugh and Harold Adamson. Score marks Robbins’ first showtune effort in more than 14 years. Vet publisher Jack Robbins is also in the running this season with the James Mundy-John Latouche score for “The Vamp.” Score is in the newly formed Robbins-(Herb) Wise firm. The publishers point out that a show score gives ’em added weight with the disk companies. It’s a prestige property that carries great bargaining power when deals are being set for original cast sets | and single releases. Some of the I Tin Pan Alleyites say that a Broad- j way score can also be used as a I wedge to help get their pop catalog 1 on wax. Add Tune to MGM Set Of ‘Kismet’ Soundtrack Hollywood, Nov. 1. Soundtrack album from the filmusical “Kismet” will contain one song more than the original cast album of the Broadway show. New tune, “Bored,” is sung by Do¬ lores Gray and was written spe¬ cially 1 for the picture. MGM Records will issue the 11- tune LP late In December. The picture, starring Howard Keel, Ann Blythe, Dolores Gray and Vic Damone, is due in January. M'G'Rf WHUS OF THE WEEK THE TENDER TRAP —• and —. CANOODLIN' RAG MGM 12086 K 12086 GIVE ME A BAND AND MY BABY ■— and THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME M G M RECORDS Inside Stuff-Music ; Continued from pzt* 53 ; constitutes a performance. Cadence, which has an exclusive pact with Jay Lawrence Cook, claims that it should have the rights to the sound, track disk since Cook made the soundtrack for Webb. Cook denioc the Cadence allegation. He says that he only made the music roil which, was inserted into the orchestrion, a nickelodeon-type machine which was used in the pic. In short, the machine made the music rmf Cook. Cook, incidentally, makes the oldfashioned piano rolls for perial Industries in N. Y. Inside info on the operation of the music biz will be given at a New School for Social Research, N. Y., course on show business Miff Gabler, Decca artists & repertoire chief, will lecture Nov. 14, and Redd Evans, publisher and songwriter, will give his slant on what makes a pop hit the following week. Bill Smith conducts the course. 3 Up in Boston, the Rev. Norman O’Connor, Catholic chaplain at Boston U., disk jock and jazz authority, heads-a panel discussion and appraisal of the jazz program at the 1955 Boston Arts Festival tomorrow (Thurs) night at the Boston Public Library. Other panel members are Cyrus Durgin, Boston Globe music and drama editor; Nicholas Slominskv musicologist; and Nat Hentoff, jazz critic. Peter Temple, director of the arts festival, will be moderator. George Burns’ autobiog “I Love Her, That’s Why” (Simon & Schuster) has been lined up for a special disk push by the New Disc label, a S&S affiliate. Diskery etched Burns and his wife Gracie Allen on a song taken from the-title of the tome and are plugging it in con¬ junction with the book. Backing is by Frank Comstock orch. The tune, “I Love Her, That’s Why,” was written by A1 Hoffman and Dick Manning and not Mack Gordon as erroneously reported in last week’s -Variety. It’s set for a tele plug o'n the Burns Sc Allen Show (CBS-TV) next Monday (7). --+ ■ HOW TO WRITE A HIT IS SOAP OPERA THEME The disk biz is now moving in to the soap opera field for its plugs. “Modern Romance,” cross-the- board soaper on NBC-TV, has skedded a yarn about a young songwriter’s efforts to get a tune recorded during the week of Nov. 15. Disking to be integrated in the series is Connie Francis’ work- over of “My Treasure” on the MGM label. Miss Francis will appear in act¬ ing part during one of the segments and the windup stanza will feature the MGM slice. Tune was written by Bill Templeton and Cy Coben. Songsmiths Music, Jackie Gleason’s music firm, is publishing.. Victor Pacts 19-Yr.-01d Jockey for Hillbilly Sides Dave Rich, a 19-year-old disk jockey from Central City, Ky., has been corraled for RCA Victor's country & western artists roster. Rich will record out of Victor’s Nashville office under Steve Sholes, diskery's c&w chief. Sholes, incidentally, headed for Toronto this week to cut an album with Ted Smith, piano accompanist for revivalist preacher Billy Gra¬ ham. Marks Buys Folk Tune E. B. Marks Music, which has recently become active in the hill¬ billy field, has picked up a new country tune, “I Forgot to Remem¬ ber to Forget,” which has stirred some noise on an indie platter. Tune, which was written by Stanley Kesler and Charlie Feath¬ er, was bought from the Hi-Lo Music firm of .Memphis. THE PERFECT AFTER-VACATION SONG Styne and Cahn'i “THE THINGS WE DID LAST SUMMER” Styne and Cahn Music Co., Inc. PROGRAM TO-DAY YESTERDAY'S “SLEEPY HEAD” Mule by JESSE GREER SHAPIRO-BERNSTEIN 1270 Sixth Av«. N«w York 20 Santa Claus Is Cornin' To Town k. - MSJPtt 1 (BROUGHT SUNSHINE) By PAT BALLARD - E. H. MORRIS FOUR KNIGHTS - Capitol BEN LIGHT - Label X LAWRENCE WELK - Coral 58 MUSIC PfitRIETY Wednesday, November 2 , 1955 Those Rebel Yells Are Now Sounding In the Brill Bldg. The Civil War has become fair game for the disk companies. The diskers are tapping the music and history of the period for pop and album workovers and in several cases the waxing have stepped out for a big payoff. Latest in the wax rebirth of the Confederacy is a deluxer from MGM Records tagged “The Rebel¬ lion — The Tale of the Confed¬ eracy.” Package was produced by Lawrence Miller, who bills himself as the. Rebel Bard. Set includes one 12-inch LP and 12 color reproduc¬ tions from original oils by John Fulton Royal. It’s being peddled at $10. Disk relates the story of the rebellion in verse narrated by Victor Jory and Marian Primont. Last year, Columbia Records cashed in on the Civil War with its deluxe set “The Confederacy.” Produced, by Col’s exec veepee Goddard Lieberson, it became one of the diskery’s biggest money¬ making packages of the year. It, too, was priced at $10. From “The Confederacy” pack¬ age, Mitch Miller, Col’s pop a&r chief, culled the clicko, “The Yel¬ low Rose of Texas” and the cur¬ rent “My Bonnie Blue Gal.” Other pop disks with Civil War connota¬ tions have been Rusty Draper’s Mercury slicing of “Goober Peas” and the Hugo & Luigi (Mercury) and Don Cornell (Coral) etching of “Young Abe Lincoln.” Hampton, in Hospital, Preps New O’seas Tour Although still hospitalized from injuries received in a bus crash in New Mexico several weeks ago. Lionel Hampton is beginning to reeruit new personnel for his oren to take off on a European tour beginning Jan. 19. The trek kicks off at the Olympia Theatre, Paris, and takes in spots in Switzerland, Belgium and Holland. He’s also set for a tour of Israel in April. Hampton is hospitalized at St. Joseph’s, Alburauerque. He’s ex¬ pected to be discharged in about four weeks. OF /I 4 y RECORD RATINGS BY THE TRADE PRESS Billboard Cash Box Variety ALL 1 WANT IS YOU (Median) TERRI STEVENS (Victor) 77 (Good) Best Bet AS LONG AS 1 LIVE (Barclay) JOANNE WHEATLEY (Kapp) 75 (Good) C+ Good BALL0 ITALIAN0 (Montauk) JOHNNY DESMOND (Coral) 73 (Good) Sleeper of BURN THAT CANDLE (Roo.ev.io the Week BILL HALEY (Decca) Be.t Buy Disk of Good the Week * THE CUES (Capitol) R&B DADDY-0 (Lou) Sleeper - THE FONTANE SISTERS (Dot) Spotlight Disk of the Week BONNIE LOU (King) Satisfactory B (Very Good) FROG ON A LOG (R^no THE BON-BONS (London) 76 (Good) B (Very Good)" Very Good LA MACARENA (Peer Inter’l) PEREZ PRADO ORCH. (Victor) 74 (Good) B (Very Good) LIKE 1 LOVE NOBODY BEFORE (E. B. Mark.) MICKI MARLO (Capitol) 73 (Good) B-f- (Excellent) Excellent ■ ONLY YOU (Wildwood) THE HILLTOPPERS (Dot) 81 (Excellent) Be.t Bet THE PLATTERS (Mercury) R&B R&B Be.t Buy Sure Shot LOLA DEE (Wing) 70 (Good) B-|- (Excellent) Good PARTY-PARTY <«« BACK BAY GANG ("X") B (Very Good) Very Good PRETTY DOLL (Peer Inter'l) • PEREZ PRADO ORCH. (Victor) 75 (Good) B (Very Good) SIXTEEN TONS (American) JOHNNY DESMOND (Coral) 76 (Good) Sleeper of the Week (TENNESSEE) ERNIE FORD (Capitol) 78 (Good) Sleeper of TAMBORA (E B. Mark.) the Week PERCY FAITH ORCH. (Columbia) 75(Good) B (Very Good) Very Good THIRTY DAYS (Aro CHUCK BERRY (Chest) R&B Sleeper of THIS LOVE OF MINE (Emba.. y) Best Buy the Week FIVE DE MARCO SISTERS (Decca) 77 (Good) B (Very Good) AL HIBBLER - JOHNNY HODGES ORCH. (Norgran) 70 (Good) B (Very Good) YOU GOTTA GIVE ALAN DALE (Coral) 73 (Good) Sleeper of Very Good YOU’RE TELLING OUR SECRETS the Week (Lowell) TERESA BREWER (Coral) 76 (Good) Sleeper of 1 Non-Exclu.ively Licensed by BMI the Week BRO\l)CAST Ml SIC. [\< More Cradle Snatching Disk companies' are again rob¬ bing the cradle to nab new artists. Last week King Records inked eight-year old Joe Ward while MGM latched on to six-year-old Barry Gordon. Latter cut several slices with the Art Money orch while Ward etched a Yule tune, “Nuttin’ For'Christmas.” Both moppets are recruits from television. Ward appears on “Ju¬ venile Jury” while Gordon is fea¬ tured on "Star Time Kids.” There was another moppet craze.a.couple of years ago following Jimmy Boyd’s click on “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.” Decca A Snake In The Grass With Flock Of Hawaiian Names Inked Hollywood, Nov. 1. Taking note of the increased in¬ terest in Hawaii and the tourist reaction to the opening of Henry Kaiser’s Hawaiian Village, Decca has embarked on the biggest island push in its history and will re¬ lease a total of 52 sides during the coming months, all based on the Hawaiian theme. Disks were cut during the first expedition the label ever sent to Hawaii and were supervised by Joe Perry and Bonny Burke. Perry went over to launch. the all-out campaign and found such a wealth of material and artists that he put in a call to Burke, label’s Coast recording chief, to come to the islands and rush the sessions. First batch of material has been issued as an entry in Decca’s tieup with Holiday Maga¬ zine and will be tagged “Holiday in Hawaii.” Approximately half of the mate¬ rial is new to disks, rest consists pf Hawaiian standards and some p.d. material Perry unearthed dur¬ ing extensive research. For the sessions, he signed 11 artists to do the job and when Burke arrived, the Decca reps put on whirlwind campaign to cut all 52 sides in nine days. Backbone of the material will be work by Alfred Apaka, Decca con- tractee, and he’s heard bn some special sides in which he duets with his father, Alfred Apaka Senior. Others inked were Benny Kaiama, Andy Cummings, Freckles Lyons, Honey Kalima, Sterling Mossman, George Keoki, Mahi Beamer, Splash Lyons and Rosalie Stephenson. Many of these art¬ ists are employed in fields other than showbusiness normally; Moss- man, for example, is a Honolulu detective. Decca Picks Up Two Greta Keller Sides Greta Keller, German thrush who arrived in New York Friday (21), from an overseas, trek, has sold two sides cut abroad to Decca Records. The tunes are “Goodbye Lieber Johnny” and “Apollo Um¬ berto Romano Is His Name.” Decca plans to put the platter on release by the end of November. While she was overseas, Miss Keller also cut an album for Brit¬ ish Decca. It’ll be released in the U.S. in several weeks under the London banner. “Lieber Johnny,” which is a hit in Germany, has been acquired by Chappell Music for publication in the U.S. Tune was written by Bruno Uher (mu¬ sic) and Lex Richards and Miss Keller (words). Mantovani $6,200, Omaha Omaha, Nov. 1. Dick Walter Attractions opened the local concert season with a bang last week, scoring both with Mantovani Oct. 23 and the Obern- kirchen Children’s Choir Thursday (27).- Mantovani grossed $6,200 at a $3.85 top and the kids grossed $4,700 with the house scaled at $3.30. Both were in at the 2,652- scat Music Hall and attracted three-quarter houses. Religioso Tapes Words Records, Texas disk out¬ fit, is entering the pre-recorded tape market with its catalog of re¬ ligioso works. Widespread installation of tape machines In churches cued the move. CBS-TV LOADING UP WITH GLEASON TUNES CBS-TV is loading itself up with Jackie Gleason melodies. Comedi¬ an has penned the theme music for his own tele series, “The Honeymooners,” the Dorsey Bros.’ “Stage Show,” and the recent “Studio One” show,’ in which he played a dramatic role, and for his upcoming specola shot on the net. Gleason has assigned a flock of writers to pen words for his melo¬ dies. Lyric to “The Honeymooners” theme,.called “You’re My Greatest Love,” was written by Bill Temple¬ ton. Words to the “Stage Show” . theme, “This Is a Wonderful Night,” was written by Lyn Duddy and Jerry Besler, while Sammy Gallop put the words to the “Stu¬ dio One” melody, “Good Night, Sweet Nightingale.” The theme for the spectacular stanza is tagged “Melancholy Serenade,” with a lyric by Duke Enston. Gleason, incidentally, is publish¬ ing all the tunes via his Songsmiths firm. Brit Tooters Block Chet Baker Video Date London, Nov. 1. American trumpet player Chet Baker was unable to fulfill an “In Town Tonight” tv date last week as the result of a Musicians’ Union decree. Although Baker is not al¬ lowed to play his trumpet here by union rules, and appeared at a London concert last Sunday (23) as a vocalist only, it had been announced that he would play his trumpet on the “In Town Tonight” program. This program, by its docu¬ mentary nature, is given a great deal of .latitude by unions and managements here so it would have been in accordance with prec¬ edence for Baker to play his other¬ wise forbidden . trumpet. How¬ ever, in stepped the union and out stepped Baker as a protest. Tune Title Too Close So Cleffers Ask 25G Hollywood, Nov. 1. One word doesn’t constitute enough of a difference in a song, writers Frank Jones and Leroy Goddard decided, so they went into Federal Court here last weekv to file a $25,000 damage suit against RCA Victor, Cedarwood Publishing Co., Cowboy Songs Magazine, Country Song Round¬ up Magazine, James R. Denny, Hank Snow, Kim Smith, D. Hill, C. Stewart and Frank Brown. Plaintiffs' do business as Dart Music in whose name they filed the action charging unfair compe¬ tition and copyright infringement. Suit charges that Jones wrote a .tune called “Cryin’, Prayin*-, Waitin’, and Hopin’,” and that the defendants subsequently came out with “Cryin’, Prayin’, Wishin’ and Waitin’,” which was copied from their material. Deejay Danceries Under AFM Attack The encroachment of disk w. oys into the dance band field under attack by Local 34 of the American Federation of Musicians here. The practice by record sDin ners of hiring themselves out to schools and clubs and playW records for dances is the objec¬ tive of the musicians union. Ted Dreher, president of Local 34, said the pro musician tradi- tionally regards the furnishing 0 f music for dances as his domain and the disk-hop idea intrudes dangerously into the bread-and- butter musician’s employment op- portunities. An agreement between the local and the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists here as described in a letter from AFTRA secretary Don Roberts, admits the disk-hop is a deplor* able practice and properly such jockeys should be ordered to cease and desist, Dreher said. Fees charged on the disk-hop are lower than minimum union scale for live music, Dreher point¬ ed out, and he also declared the practice of -jockeys and stations giving free plugs (as promotion) for such affairs to be unfair com¬ petition. Eileen BARTON LATEST CORAL RELEASE CRY ME A RIVER i/w COME HOME Dir.: WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY DIRECT From The Orient.... ou r HEW HIT j THE | /APANESE ; FAREWELL " SONG i IS Svn^ilTr ill / . i'C .;rdcd 0 / KAY CEE JONES on Marquee . i'nl | RANGER MUSIC, INC. iff ZXH n. v. I. 25 Consecutive Concert Dates Starting Nov. 4 at Columbus, Ohio MODERN JAZZ SHOW of 1955 DAVE BRUBECK QUARTETTE GERRY MULLIGAN SEXTETTE AUSTRALIAN JAZZ QUARTETTE CARMEN McRAE ASSOCIATED BOOKING CORPORATION JOE GLASER, Pres. New York \ Chicago |i Hollywood ' o A.,. P’, 9..1600 ii ?03 No Wabash | 9619 Blvd 60 VA17BEVIIJLE Wednesday, November 2, 1955 Miami Making Like Vegas ■ - ■ ■ .-? Continued from pape 1 two-week terms will be the policy, with the comedy slots featuring the younger comics who’ve been work¬ ing the better cafes and on the tv- guester route. The Saxony has switched from, the band unit and name policy ad¬ hered to for some time and will feature an ice show for a 10-12 week run. George Sax, owner of the hospice, decided to get out of the high-budget competition, con¬ centrating on fine food and serv¬ ice to buttress the new policy. The others, however, are thinking along “draw value" lines. Sans Souci Hotel was first to book on the return plan. Myron Cohen, al¬ ways a strong puller in this sec¬ tor, is inked for three dates, teeing off the season at Xmas. List also has Lenny. Kent for a two-date deal ditto Cab Calloway, Blossom Seeley & Benny Fields, Harvey Stone and Joyce Bryant. Gale’s New Stint Morris Lansburgh, owner of the Sans Souci and the Versailles a few blocks further north, has added a 400-seater in the latter hostel with Alan Gale, another powerful draw hereabouts, coming in to host-entertain for the season. Gale will adhere to his one-show nightly pattern, with second shows to feature names. Thus far, Eartha Kitt has made the only firm com¬ mitment, with Lansburgh for a late January date. The Monte Carlo, which attempt¬ ed a show policy several years ago, is back on the scene. Bookings in¬ clude Jackie Miles, Phil Foster and Lillian Roth, for their 250- aeat room. The Nautilus, whicli played many of the acts listed above, has been shopping around for replacements, having finally de¬ cided to stay in the race. Question mark c.t the moment is the Casablanca, which normally sets up a six to eight-week lineup for its Club Morocco. There’s also the Waldman-Crown (formerly the Lord Tarleton), which is adding a wing to the building and enlarging the Jolson Corner. Understood that the new owners, who operate on a strict dietary law polidy, are seek¬ ing acts that would fit that type of operation, such as Menaslie Skulnik. On the same line, Label Speigel, former topper of the Golden Slipper clubs in Philadel¬ phia and a few seasons ago at the KEN DAVIS Currently Touring with The Longine Symphonette As Dance Soloist (Juat Completed 5th Week) Thank, to FOSTER AGENCY o Contact: KEN GRAYSON 1595 Broadway Circle 6-1974 Now York 19, N.Y. LEW BLACK and PAT DUNDEE (Beauty and the Least) Opening Nov. 7 PALUMBO'S Philadelphia Mgt.: NAT DUNN 1650 Broadway, New York WILLOSBORNE AND HIS ORCH. Now 85th Wook New Golden Hotel, Reno Mgt.: MILTON DEUTSCH old Kitty Davis’, is dickering for takeover of the Cromwell Hotel’s lounge and restaurant, with Mickey Katz coming in to install a “Borschtcapades” revue. The Eden-Roc, which is to be run on a super-plush motif, will premiere with Harry Belafonte, i and follow with Howard Keel, Joe E. Lewis, Gloria DeHaven and the like. This will mark the first time Lewis has ever played a hotel here, his usual haunts being the late-hour cafes such as the Latin Quarter, Beachcomber, et al. At the Eden Roc he’ll be all through at 2 a.m. The Seville will boast a large cafe with Charles Reader, former impresario-maestro in swank Pierre Hotel, N, Y., guiding matters. For his premeire show Reader has set Mimi Benzcll. Understood that Robert Merrill may also be set, indicating the thinking on talent for this newery. Booking Quandary The Lucerne is in a quandary on bookings. Of the new hotels, the owners of this mid-Beach edi¬ fice are finding it difficult to buy the talent they think will fit their spot, viz.: a Monte Carlo or Sans Souci lineup. The Colony (former Emerald Isle) up Bal Harbour way, recently acquired by the Martels (of the Balmoral), is being refitted with a small theatre-cafe and, also faced with “what type of shows will we play," is mulling a small unit idea patterned after the Ver¬ sailles, N. Y., revues. Biggest headaches face the night club group. Going on recent sea¬ sons, their late business has been nil, only a hot attraction such as a Sammy Davis Jr. able to pull con¬ sistently enough to bring a club out of the red. Withal, there’ll be four top spots going again this year: There’s the Latin Quarter, where Lou Walters will again pre¬ sent his resplendent potpourri of handsome showgals, novelty acts, Continental importations and an occasional headliner such as John¬ nie Ray. His Palm Island palace is consistent on first show patron¬ age, but last season the second sessions were way off. Norman Schuyler is definitely reopening the Beachcomber. Back again will be Sophie Tucker, with Kay Starr on the roster and Betty Hutton pondering another return. He’ll fill out the lineup with what¬ ever top acts he can buy, and go after them with a budget .that al¬ lows for the heaviest expenditure for talent in the area. Sound Lineup Ciro’s will be back in action and with one of the soundest basic lineups around: Sammy Davis Jr., Billy Daniels, the Treniers, Frances Faye and tentatively, Jimmy Du¬ rante. Plans*for Copa City are up in the air at the moment. Murray Weinger has been ailing, but still feels he’ll be ready to resume come mid-December. There have been reports that the largeseaterhas been offered to other bonifaces, but Weinger evidently has first call on the place if he decides to return to the hectic seasonal competition. The Vagabonds are expected to reopen their mainland club end of December, but no official an¬ nouncements have been made. They’ll probably be back and per usual, do well, thanks to a huge, faithful following in Miami and the fact that they have no “big" name problem; they feature them¬ selves and a strong group>uf young supporting acts. Where the hotels have the up¬ per hand is in the important room factor that allows the owners to mark off a loss as promotion, the high seasonal rates absorbing any debit figures. The clubs must de¬ pend, as always, on coming up as the “must-go-to place” this season. It works out that way every year, with one or two managing to fin¬ ish in healthy financial shape at the end of the season. Odd factor noted this year as re- BQfe CAB CALLOWAY Ik TR |J Currently LATIN QUARTER New York | ;iwl Mgt. BILL M1TTLER, 1619 Broadway. NeW York P'Sriety gards talent-buying is that most operators, especially among the hotels, shy away from a good many of the Hollywood stars and other name acts that are reported big clicks in Las Vegas. A glance at the acts booked here this winter reaffirms that facet. As one hotel owher puts it: “We can’t.afford to pay out that crazy money for a one-shot appearance or to break in a so-called star, who Is actually breaking in an act at our expense." Burley Circuits On 4-A’s Unfair List Hollywood, Nov. 1. Burlesque houses controlled by Midwest Circuit, I. Hirst Enter¬ prises and Harold Minsky, have all been placed on the unfair list of the 4-A’s, AFL International parent of all actors unions, for re¬ fusal to recognize and negotiate pacts with Burlesque Artists Assn., AFL union repping hurley per¬ formers. Screen Actors Guild has notified membership of the action and told members who work in burlesque to keep away from the¬ atres involved. No SAG member can appear in following theatres except on con¬ ditions okayed and under pacts ap¬ proved by BAA: Palace Theatre, Buffalo; Casino, Boston; Empire, Newark; Globe, Atlantic City; Fol¬ ly, Kansas City; Lyric, Allentown, Pa.; Gayety, Detroit; Adams, New¬ ark; Howard, Boston; Casino, Pitts¬ burgh; Trocadero, Philadelphia; Grand, St. Louis; Roxy, Cleveland; Hudson, Union City, N. J., and Gayety, Baltimore. SAG members who work in bur¬ lesque were advised to join BAA. Scots Guards $14,900 In Philly After 40GN.Y. • The Scots Guards hit a $14,900 net in the Philadelphia Arena last Friday (28) following tlie $40,000 take the night previous at Madison Square Garden, N. Y. The Sol Hurok import is due for repeat dates in both spots. It plays two more stands at the Garden, Dec. 5 and 11, and has been booked for encores in Philadelphia, Dec. 8 Washington, Dec. 9. Philadelphia Arena officials couldn’t sell tickets for the second engagement there on Friday be¬ cause the ducats hadn't been print¬ ed as yet. Booking was made only two days before. The N. Y. ad¬ vance for the second date hit $3,500 on the night of the showing. Vaude, Cafe Dates New York Billy Daniels goes into the Copacabana, N.Y., Jan. 5 and fol¬ lows with the Beachcomber, Miami Beach, Feb. 28 . \ . Peiro Bros, pacted for a season in Blackpool, England, starting in May...Senor Wences goes into the Latin Quar¬ ter, N.Y., Jan. 5 . . . The Treniers tapped for Cafe Society, N.Y., Nov. 10 and are set for Town & Coun¬ try, Brooklyn, Dec. 1 . . . Luis Russell named manager of the Town Hill, Brooklyn . . . Frank Greenfield has joined the Mel Gold Agency . . . Buddy Allen named talent buyer for the Monte SEEK MERGER OF VAF, BRITISH EQUITY ANEW London, Oct. 25. A new bid to bring about a fu¬ sion between British Actors Equity Ass’n and the Variety Artists Fed¬ eration was made last Week. Pre¬ liminary talks were opened be¬ tween the two organizations last Thursday (20) and are to be con¬ tinued in the near future. Drive for new merger bid, it Is reported, -was taken at a recent VAF meeting by Wee Georgie Wood. He is reported to have threatened to walk out of the fed¬ eration and suggested that other key members would join him un¬ less new steps were taken to bring the two performing unions closer together. There have been several abor¬ tive attempts over the years to bring about a merger, and most of them collapsed on the question of representation on executive bodies. Although they have a considerably smaller membership than Equity, VAF had pressed for 50-50 mem¬ bership on the national executive committee and other policy mak¬ ing committees. MIXTURE AS BEFORE Charlotte Officials Ignore Ice Show Segregation Protest Saranac Lake By Happy Benway Saranac Lake, N. Y., Nov. 1. Staff and personnel of Will Rogers Hospital handed Dr. Wil¬ liam K. Stern -a going-away party. He resigned after 15 years as house doctor here. Dr. .D M. Brumfiel, vet medico of the .downtown actors’ colony, replaces him. Sam Senseney, manager of Miner Theatre, Moran, Kans., emergen- cied into the general hospital. After two attempts to take the remainder routine here, Murray Geffner, Randforce Theatres staffer, left for Brooklyn where he will continue the “cure.” Jack Danzi in from Montreal for a bedside chat with his wife, Muriel (Four Eddy Sisters). Danzi was told that she got green light to go home early in spring. Former patients, who came in for yearly checkup and rated 100% or better rating, include Marie and Dolly (Warner Bros.) Gallagher, Philadelphia; Robert J. Goldstein, of Plainfield, N.J.; Bob (IATSE) Hall & Delphin (RKO) Streder; May Taft, Rosedale, N.Y., and Johnny (IATSE) Nolan and his wife of Camden, N.J. Write to those who are ill. Piaf May Play Carnegie Deal is in the works for Edith Piaf to play a one-night stand at Carnegie Hall, N.Y., sometime in January. Felix G. Gerstman is currently negotiating to promote the affair. Lew & Leslie Grade Agency represent the chanteuse. Miss Piaf is currently at the Versailles, N.Y., and is expected to wind up there in December. Eddy Howard into Lake Club, Springfield, Ill., Nov. 5 for one frame; Dorothy Dandridge follows for four days (12-15); Vagabonds set for stanza (18-26). Charlotte, N. C., Nov. 1. ’ Segregated seating has become an issue at Charlotte’s new coli¬ seum. Local chapter of the Na¬ tional Association for the Advance¬ ment of Colored People has com¬ plained to the Charlotte Kiwanis Club protesting proposed segrega¬ tion at an ice show the club is sponsoring. Printed on the ticket order blanks Is “Check here for colored reserve section.” Judge Hugh B. Campbell, Ki¬ wanis president, said he did not plan to reply to the NAACP letter. Chairman C. A. Cochran of the Auditorium - Coliseum Authority passed the buck, saying its policy is to leave seating arrangements to organizations which rent the buildings. AGYA Fee - - • Continued from pace 59 chaplains council, with a clergy |«man from each of the major faiths on the boat'd. Board also voted to eliminate the grievance commit¬ tee which aired complaints of branch managers and other union employees. Another action stipu¬ lated that once a judgment against a performer, agent or operator is appealed, the matter will be shift¬ ed to the jurisdiction of the na¬ tional office, which can avail itself of legal counsel. Chairman of the meet was Joe Campo, union’s second veepee. Allan Walker, first veepee, is in Las Vegas forking with Red But¬ tons, and prexy Joe E. Lewis is -recovering from the effects of throat surgery. Jerry Colonna is to open his first British tour at Glasgow Empire Nov. 14. He will then play con¬ secutive weeks at Liverpool; Fins¬ bury Park Empire, London, and Birmingham. Carlo Hotel, Miami,Beach, which opens Dec. 20, cn - Terry and the Macs on a fmn- weeker at the Elmwood Casing Windsor, Ont., starting Nov 7 ’ John Lastfogel has been assigned the booking of the Dec. 23 eiS of the S.S. Homeric . . . Irvin? Fields Trio moves back to the p a ,5 Sheraton, N.Y., Friday (4) . b?* ton Bros, begin a stint at Arele’I New Roumanian, N.Y., Fridav with Trini & Manolo and Harry Kane in support . . . Harriet Kaplan and Lily Veidt joined the Henry n Brown-Agency, Monday (3D. Chicago Low, Hite & Stanley set for 26 weeks on the Tivoli circuit in Aus¬ tralia... Della Reese opens at the Orchid Room, Kansas City, tonight (Wed.) for a single... The Dyna- tones currently at the Chiro, Chi¬ cago . . . Morey Amsterdam and Betty Hutton at Chicago’s Chez Paree Nov. 11-26. . Georgia Gibbs into the Dunes, Las Vegas, Nov. 14 for three weeks, and set for the Statler Hotel, Los Angeles, Dec. 15 for three more...The Mary Rave Trio pacted for the Chez Paree Chicago, Dec. 28 for three rounds! Hollywood Helen Humes and the Red Norvo Trio have been set for a series of one-niters in Australia. Group planes out Friday (4) for the dates, to cover three weeks.. .Marguerite Piazza opened a three-week stand at the Sands, Las Vegas, teeing off her new contract of two stints an¬ nually over a three-year period... Paul Gilbert and Estelita headline the bill that opened Monday (3) at the Hotel Statler. De Mattiazzis, dancing doll act, are featured. Al Donahue orch holds over...Gogi Grant opens at the New Frontier, Las Vegas, Dec. 8. Omaha Len Carrie and his Krackerjacks next into Don Hammond’s Seven Seas... Betty B Duo held over at the Blackstone Hotel’s Cottonwood Room... Pianist Walter Scott in at Omaha Airport Hayden House. JUDY MARSH "SLUE FOOT SUE" Appearing "GOLDEN HORSESHOE" DISNEYLAND Pub. Dick Troutman BE SURE THEY REMEMBER YOU! Smart act* aro loaving behind adver¬ tising specialties and gifta a* remind- •ra and to Bay "thank you" to those who halpod thorn. Writo today for our catalog of Imprlntod and plain apaclaltioB and gifta of all typaa ond pricaa. "Th« Showman's Adman" YIC MORAN ADVERTISING Dopt. 9 Bradford. Pa. RALPH CURTIS Carrantly thunderbird Las Yagas, Navada NOV. 3. ta NOV. 23 Peraonal Management: ETHEL BURNS EVERS and DOLOREZ CURRENTLY WITH ED SULLIVAN IN A SERIES OF PERSONAL APPEARANCES Thanks to MARK LEDDY and MATTY ROSEN Wednesday, November 2, 1955 re u V 0tX °^ me - iV .. .nrr I \TTI r -{HREfc UTTLE GlRES ^ *|AH®^"“SSSl \ ^0 ^ to ' t " E ^ \ * ,S^ ««> \ 6 ' -DRfcNN^o VO^^C c^ a * .tfe?wf^'sr „ ***• \ cW'"^ Ho'"”"'"' \ *->»' c ^Off' Ct ^ WN V The mcguire sisters Opening NOVEMBER 10th COPACABANA NEW YORK Exclusively CORAL R E C OR D 5 Personal Management MURRAY KANE 720 Fifth Avenue New York City JUdson 6-4411 .;■■ : S- .•■••,•■•••• ••?>.':'.• » ■<■.. %V* /■■ r\ :? ■> .■ ■ -v ■ 62 VAUOEVILUB USkIEFy 'Wednesday, November 2, 1955 New Acts FAY DE WITT Songs-Comedy 12 Mins. Palace, N. Y. Fay De Witt, a trim blonde co¬ medienne who’s making her Palace debut, has been around the tv and nitery scene but curiously had not been previously documented in Variety’s New Act files. For the record, she’s a talented femme who has a way with a lyric via a pleas¬ ant voice and a nice sense of tim¬ ing. For her brief Palace stint— which hardly affords her time to warm up—Miss De Witt oTpens with an operatic aria but quickly shifts to a hillbillyesque number. “They Can’t Make a Lady Out of Me.’’ From there on the shapely songstress unwraps a bundle of special material that has her spoof¬ ing opera and tossing off a medley covering show biz in general. Withal, Miss De Witt is an ener¬ getic comedienne with a catchy style and approach that should serve her well in most any visual media. . Gilb. TOBI REYNOLDS Songs 20 Mins. Le Ruban Bleu, N. Y. Tobi Reynolds, a shapely, ath¬ letic-looking sandy-haired gal with a sexy quality, displays potential as a song stylist. She has an au¬ thoritative voice that can attract and hold an audience. Miss Rey¬ nolds describes her material as' folks songs and her definition is a broad one, her material encom¬ passing blues, spirituals, calypso, and hillbilly offerings. Her man¬ ner is dramatic, although her ges¬ tures require better selectivity and sharpening. Her only accompani¬ ment is an electric guitar. She can switch easily from the blues to a spiritual and gives to each the appropriate styling. She has a big, contralto voice, with es-. pecially good tone in the lower range. Introing her act- from the sidelines with a few bars of “Green Sleeves,’’ she segues into a bluesey “I’m Evil—As Evil as a Girl Can Be.’’ Follows with a spiritual, a calypso tune, and an Ozark “talk¬ ing” blues, latter getting the best, and reception. Returns with an okay “Frankie & Johnnie” for a closer. Holl. 'Twirlingc boffol T#rp ttuff aockol" VARIETY BILLIE MAHONEY Guest Appearance OCT. 31st ■ CAESAR'S HOUR" NBC-TV Personal Manager: MILTON BLACKSTONE 565 Fifth Av«., New York EUlorado 5-1540 MARIE KNIGHT Songs 12 Mins. Apollo, N. Y. Marie Knight and Sister Rosetta Tharpe were reviewed less than a year ago as a new team, Variety having caught them after a swing through the country with their robust, tuneful and generally ap- preeiated spiritual harmonies. There is no question, calculating bv her presence at the Apollo this week, that Miss Knight also knows her way around as a solo star too. But as a loner she can’t hope to match the distinctiveness she bore as a member of that nifty duo. She has deep, rich lungpower, and sepia femme switches from the vigorous to the easygoing without a hitch. Her log consists of “Watch Your Step,” solid and loud; “My Man’s Gone,” comfortably soft, and “Black Magic,” which as No. 3 got best results of all. This popular idiom had little connection with the mostly religioso -material used when the thrush was paired with Miss Tharpe. Miss Knight’s costumery is befit¬ ting the vaude stand she makes on 125th St. Art. NICK NOBLE Songs 10 Mins. Chicago, Chi With a disk smash to his credit, Nick Noble looms a promising new voice in his maiden theatre date here. With the house already warmed up to him, via his Wing recording of “The Bible Tells Me So,” Noble has little difficulty win¬ ning and keeping the customers. He’s a nice looking lad with a di¬ rect manner and a direct, clear voice. Voice lacks a certain mel¬ lowness which can only come with more work and the manner is per¬ haps too direct. With time, he should pick up the more casual mannerisms and bits of patter that identify the sea¬ soned trouper. „ Gabe. THE LASSIES (3) Songs 10 Mins. Chicago, Chi This vocal trio is making its pro¬ fessional debut at one of the na¬ tion’s top—and Chicago’s only— vaudfilmeries, but they aren’t quite ready for such a topdrawer date. The Lassies are young, pretty, and have girlish charm in abun¬ dance. They exhibited good har¬ monizing and change of pace at the show caught (29), with “Seven¬ teen,” “Paradise” and “Daddy-Oh.” The trio came to attention of Bala- ban & Katz execs via their Klick recording of “Magic Carpet Man,” which has had plenty of d.j. action in the Chicago area, yet that num¬ ber wasn’t used on stage. Understandably, since this is the first pro date for these teenagers, the girls need training and experi¬ ence. The basic ingredients are there. Gabs. COMEDY MATERIAL For All Branches of Theatricals FUN-MASTER THE ORIGINAL SHOW-112 GAG ME (Th* Service of the STARS) first 13 Files $7.00-All 35 issues $25 Singly; S1.05 per script. • 3 Ska. PARODIES, per book. $10 • • MINSTREL BUDGET.$25 • • 4 BLACKOUT BKS., ea. bk. $25 • • BLUE BOOK (Gags for Stags) $50 • HOW TO MASTER THE CEREMONIES $3.00 GIANT CLASSIFIED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GAGS, $300. Worth over a thousand No C.O.D.'a BILLY GLASON 200 W 54th St., New York 1*—Dept. V Clrdo 7-1130 EARL KING Songs 8 Mins. Apollo, N. Y. Earl King is a lanky colored bar¬ itone in the rock ’n’ roll domain. Like some of the other new acts which share the Apollo card with him, he has trouble loosening up. His voice is moderately good but style is ennervating. Since pewsters have lapses in attention even in King’s short haul, maybe a shift from listless tunes, “Lonely, Lonely Nights” and "Don’t Take It So Hard,” to rhythm numbers will aid an okay voice. Art. satire. The pixie-like femme vis-a- vis her forceful partner make for a sock blending of unusual comedy talent. . Phyliss comes on with an all the men I could have married” bit, with Alan enacting all the rejected suitors. There’s the rich boy. the Brando type, the silent cowboy, and a former member of their singing trio. In Harvey-like fash¬ ion, pair reconstructs the tribula¬ tions of performing with their soused trio-ite, building to suc¬ cessively louder laffs. Male singles for a short “imita¬ tions of people you never heard of,” also a socko bit, and scores again as a canine expert lecturing to a woman’s club. For the finale, pair team for a jivey Japanese Red Riding Hood; Sues doing the nar- ; ration to his v'ife’s interpretive.' dance. Holl. THE SPELLBINDERS (5) Songs 15 Mins. Le Ruban Bleu. N. Y. Quintet, three guys and two gals, needs beaucoup polishing before it can tackle the class nitery circuit. Just In from the midwest, the group has youthful enthusiasm but insufficient savvy in their styling and arrangements to back it up. The choreography has a cliche flavor. In its desire to obtain move¬ ment, the unit has been misguided in the use of choreography, result¬ ing in a mishmash of in-and-outs and back-and-forths. Further work on blend and arrangements also is in order. Opening with “Bye, Bye Black¬ bird,” team follows with an ad lib, a cappella “Try A Little Tender¬ ness,” which emerges as the best number of the repertoire. “Pass the Peace Pipe” is too bogged down with verbiage and movement to be effective. Group is an All-American type, but distaffers need slicking up in the gown department. Holl. JACK DUPREE Songs-Piano 10 Mins. t Apollo, N. Y. Jack Dupree has the attitude of a veteran, but he somehow has es¬ caped Variety’s New Act files. No¬ body on the current Apollo bill has much time to perform since man¬ agement rilns the mostly musical talent on and off assembly-line style, but of the many new acts this week Dupree is one of the few who would be pleasing in addition¬ al exposure. Negro singer-pianist has lusty manner of delivering his first rhythm & blues selections,_ “Ooh Wee.” In his second, “Walking the Blues,” the nearing-middle ager suggests he’s done his share of nitery chores. Stomping time with his feet, he talks out the lyrics, making a nice impression on stub- holders. Art. ALAN & PHYLISS SUES Comedy 20 Mins. Le Ruban Bleu, N. Y. Husband-and-wife team bow on singing -the usual “Hello, Hello” opener which doesn’t come up to the fresh originality of the rest of the act. Youthful pair have a dis¬ tinctive style and the material to go with it, being based on clever characterization Combined with RAJAH RABOID Greatest Mystic on Earth More Laughs Than a Comic CURRENTLY ATLANTA; GA. Atlanta Biltmora Hotel R«p.: N.Y., Miles Ingalls Canada, Mae Johnsen TERRACE & GRAY Dancing 7 Mins. Palace, N. Y. Michael Terrace and Barbara. Ann Gray, billed as. “exponents of modern ballet jazz dancing,” dish up some routines that register as fresh and original. Femme, who was a Metopera ballerina, disports with finesse on the floor while her partner is equally adept. Duo opens with a bit that hints of a ballroom turn but this is soon disjpelled when they move into their modernistic choreography. It’s vaguely reminiscent of Jack Cole at times. While the couple’s routines are interesting, their style isn’t sufficiently dashing and color¬ ful as yet to win them bookings in the better boites and bills. Gilb. HAT, CANE & TRAY Dance 8 Mins. Apollo, N.Y. Hat. Cane & Tray, an odd look¬ ing assortment of young Negro tap dancers, are zealous but anything but relaxed performers in their bow at the Harlem key. They open with precision tapping which isn’t very precise since they have trou¬ ble getting in step. They do better in brief solos, each dallying with the respective prop for which he is named—hat, cane, tray. Inability to relax could be passed off as freshman jitters, but it goes beyond that. Trio is plenty fre¬ netic, alright, but not graceful enough to make a mtirk on vaude terping. Art. THE DIAMONDS (4) Songs 35 Mins. Chaudierc, Ottawa Out of Toronto (but not out of St. Michael’s Choir School) comes another chant foursome to the nit¬ ery circuits, following The Four Lads and the Crew Cuts. -But The Diamonds differ from other sim¬ ilar groups in several ways. Al¬ though this is their initial circuit tour, they have a professional slick¬ ness usually acquired only after a year or two In the clubs. Then they have a different style, bordering on barbershop, that gives top show¬ casing to their soft, .less frantic chanting. Staging is pleasant and mitting' was big on Chaudiere opener. Besides offering nice ar¬ rangements of “I Never Knew,” “Blue Denim,” “Never Walk Alone,” group uses' a standout a cappella arrangement of “I Ran All the Way Home” and r&b bit with “I Want You To Be My Baby.” A little more tightening of pro¬ duction would make The Diamonds strong for niteries, tv and disks. Gorm. ELKIN SISTERS Acrobatic 15 Mins. Chaudiere, Ottawa Elkin Sisters, a pair of seeming¬ ly boneless Austrian femme look¬ ers, have one of the slickest aero acts to hit the nitery rounds. Work¬ ing sometimes on the floor but mostly on different levels, gals twist, lift, balance and bend in uni¬ son, an expertly routined stint timed to a split-second, to a tail- Dred score. In spite of difficult aero throughout, well-stacked El¬ kins make no show of muscles or strain during a socko staging. Act is more effective in niteries than on large-stage 'fairs (they played fairs last summer with a Hamid unit), requiring closer view¬ ing for full impact. As it stands, the stanza is big for clubs, video, theatres. Gorm. OTIS WILLIAMS' CHARMS (5) Songs 8 Mins. Apollo, N. Y. ■Of the so many young teams choraleering rhythm & blues, Otis Williams’ Charms appear the youngest. Colored quintet seem to be tottering on the brink of high- school graduation. Their youth is the cause of their greatest faults, yet it will, on the other hand, give them plenty of time to develop more fully. They understand the rudiments of singing, thus stick right on tune. But they don’t develop any “plus” musical angles, not saying that many r&b troupes do, but since they have the vocal quality of young boys their collective sound has no resonance. Leader Williams, scat for the team, is nasal but satisfactory. Charms’ best in trilogy offering is closing “Gum Drops.” Art. GEORGIE SMITH Songs-Harmonica 6 Mins. Apollo, N. Y. Georgie Smith isn’t distinguished looking yet he is tall and is gray¬ ing at the temples. Negro furrows his small expanse of forehead when he belts out a brand of rhythm & blues that is reminiscent of the “lowdown and dirty” school, yet with cleaned-up lyrics for the vaude situation. He makes okay, mark on custom¬ ers, splitting his brief time be¬ tween thickly-sung vocals and hard- blowing harmonica playing. Art. Hab Unionist 1 - Continued from page 59 s—i Castland was an official of the Ft. Lauderdale local and denied that his acts were sanctioned by the local or international group. The union recently signed the Monte Carlo and Vanderbilt hotels to recognition agreements and, ac¬ cording to Ross, are in process of adding several other oceanfront hospices. However, the Miami Beach Hotel Assn, is remaining adamant on the situation, insisting that the two hotels pacted are not members of the association. Attor¬ ney for the hotelmen is pressing charges under a local law which makes stinkbombing a misdemean¬ or, subject to fine and imprison¬ ment. They also will file a state charge against McCastland. Walden's Midwest Rep Chicago, Nov. 1. Paramount Attractions, Chi con¬ cert and special attractions per- centery, has taken over midwest representation for Walden Pro¬ grams Inc., lecture bookers. The Walden roster includes Major George Fielding Eliot, Bob Considine, et al. Melton $9,700, Toronto Toronto, Nov. 1. James Melton in his revue, “Words and Music,” grossed a light $9,700 at the Royal Alexan¬ dria Theatre heift, last week. The 1,525-scater was scaled at $3.50 top. HUGE PINERY LOOMS FOR NEW HAVEN AREA Berlin, Conn., Nov. i. Ground was broken here Si,na„ (30) for one of New En&I most ambitious restaurant under takings. Group headed by Alh!rf M. Levett of New Haven is behfnd the venture, which plans to have m operation next summer a com bmed restaurant and banquet hail that will seat 3.Q00 and provide » parking area for 2,000 cars. One feature of the new spot will be an exclusive clubroom with membership, at $1,000 annual due* restricted to 100. s ’ To be known as The Laurel (Connecticut’s, state flower), dinerv will make a pitch for fund-raisin* banquets (political $100-a-plale affairs, etc.) at which big sums can be realized via large-seating ca¬ pacity. Architects, engineers and de¬ signers of project are Raymond Loewy Co. of New York, and Kane & Fairchild of Hartford. Yen for TV Spot Costs Keeper a Jail Term Desire to be seen on video cost the elephant keeper in “Arabian Nights,” which appeared at the Marine Theatre, Jones Beach, N.Y., this past summer, a nine-month jail term. James Marshall Showers was sentenced last week in N.Y. to the Federal penitentiary for transport¬ ing stolen cars from Michigan to New York. He had appeared this summer on the vidshow “What’s My Line” and was recognized as being wanted by Federal authori¬ ties by several residents in Royal Oak, Mich., who notified the Fed¬ eral Bureau of Investigation. $1,500 Award to Dancer Buffalo, Nov. 1. Helene Drake, 30, of Hollywood, won a $1,500 award in the State Compensation Court here for a back injury sustained while re¬ hearsing a dance routine at the Town Casino . chorus line in Sep¬ tember, 1952. She testified she sprained her back while practicing the can-can, but that she had no lasting effects from the injury. DIR: IRVIN ARTHUR ASSOCIATES HARBERS f MONTH OF NOVEMBER DELHI PALACE Hambarg, Gormany J DALE WHEN IN BOSTON I ft iht HOTEL AVERY The Home of Show Folk Amy ft Washington Sts. Radio In Evary Room Wednesday, November 2, 1955 Name acts that were made in then niteries have an obligation to the cnfes and should do their best to k ‘eep them going, according to Harry Altman, operator of the Town Casino, Buffalo. Altman spent the better part of last week in New York in an attempt to book names'’ for his largeseater, but came up with little of the heavy artillery. Altman said that the nation’s niteries have been instrumental in developing more names than most other entertainment media. Many of those who rose to bigtime via television prepared for the big chance in cafes. Now that the heavy names are needed, most of them alternate only between Las Vegas and video, Altman claimed. The nations’ cafes, are left with¬ out a supply of headliners'to heip them not only to remain open, but to develop other names. At this pointy Altman noted, British vaudeville is able to com¬ mandeer more names that Ameri¬ can nightclubs, other than the Las Vegasaries. He pointed out that Johnnie Ray, among others, is now working in the British Isles, and thus is doing his share in keeping English vaude alive. How¬ ever’-the U. S. cafe can also use their assistance. In lieu of attractions, Altman has been attempting combinations.’ Frequently, the talent budget on these forays goes to $10,000 week¬ ly, including his production and bands, but he would give them up for. one. substantial name. • Agen¬ cies are helpful, said Altman, but there’s little they can do unless the toppers cooperate. Altman cited the fact that in view of the present-day tax struc¬ ture, the top names, between tele¬ vision and a few weeks in Las Vegas, can only do a certain num¬ ber of weeks. Unfortunately, he pointed out this process is not only diminishing the supply of head¬ liners, but cuts down the number of available spawning ^grounds for fledgling performers. Midway Is Missing For S. Carolina Negro Fair Greehsborb, N. C., Nov. 1. The show did go on, minus’.the usual midway attractions, as the Piedmont Fair for Negroes opened at the Southern States Fairgrounds at Charlotte Oct. 18. Several, hun¬ dred persons filed, into the area as the gates opened at noon, but the Midway was missing. ,The carni¬ val company which contracted to appear at the week-long fair has not been heard from. Lem Long Jr., manager of the Piedmont Fair Assn., said he signed a non-bond contract with the carnival company last January. The whereabouts of the show was not known. 400G PAGEANT SUIT SETTLED OUT OF COURT Atlantic City, Oct. 25. A breach of contract suit and counterclaim in which damages totaling $400,000 were sought with the Miss America Pageant Inc., and Alfred Patricelli, of Hamden, Conn., involved, was settled on the eve of its trial here. PatriceHi, who for a number of years had been given a franchise by the Pageant Corp. for the selec¬ tion of the annual Miss Connecti¬ cut, started the. court action when the Pageant Corp. withdrew- his franchise late in 1953, favoring the state’s Junior Chamber of Commerce. Charging that he had sustained heavy losses because of the withdrawal of. the franchise, Patricelli sought $200,000. . In its counterclaim, Pageant Corp. in turn sought $200,000 for expenses it said were inc urred by the plaintiff’s alleged, wrongful acts as the Pageant’s agent in Con¬ necticut after his contract was not renewed late in 1953. __ Blackburn to Head Up Lubbock, Tex., Halls Lubbock, Tex., Nov. 1. David Blackburn, assistant to Charles R. Meeker, managing di¬ rector of the State Fair Musicals at Dallas, has been named manager of the local Municipal Auditorium, which is nearing completion. Blackburn will take over duties on Jan. 1, 1956. The Auditorium and Coliseum will be completed on April 1, 1956. The auditorium will seat 3,200 and the Coliseum will accommodate 10 , 000 . Injured Terp Teacher Wins $5,500 From A. C. Steel Pier After Suit Atlantic City, Nov. 1. Abel Holding.Co. Inc., controlled by George A. Hamid as the owner and operator of Steel Pier, must pay a Philadelphia dancing tech- er $5,500 as a result of a suit in the Atlantic County courts where the instructor sued for injuries suf-' fered allegedly in an accident on the big pier in August, 1952. Award was made by jury verdict (28) to Ethel Q. Phillips. A danc¬ ing instructress for the Tony Grant show, tot attraction in one of the pier’s theatres, Miss Phillips al¬ leged that while coaching she tripped and fell on the stage of the theatre. She claimed injuries she suffered handicapped her in her profession as dancing teacher. She alleged the stage was dark and im¬ properly lighted and otherwise maintained in a dangerous condi¬ tion. During the trial several teen¬ agers in the Tony Grant company danced the can-can, rhumba and arabesque in the courtroom demon¬ strating how Miss Phillips taught the steps before being injured. Defense made a general denial and charged contributory negli¬ gence by the teacher, who is 62. Defense claimed her injuries re¬ sulted from an accident in 1947 and another in November, 1952, rather than from a fall on the pier. VAUDEVILLE Smadbeck Group to Run N. Y. Coliseum When Ready; Bookings Already Heavy Chevalier to Do One-Man Show at Carthay in L. A. Maurice Chevalier will offer his one-man show at the Carthay Cir¬ cle Theatre, Los Angeles, in April. Chevalier is currently at the Ly¬ ceum, N. Y., where he scored $11,- .335 for the week ended Saturday (29). He winds up at that house Sunday (6) with a performance for the benefit of the Actors Fund. Chevalier will go to the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria, N. Y., on a one- show-nightly basis starting Thurs¬ day (10) for six weeks. SEE RECEIVERS FOR VEGAS MOULIN ROUGE Las Vegas, Nov. 1. Although attorneys for the Mou¬ lin Rouge said they have several “deals” under consideration which may result in reopening the closed interracial resort, bankruptcy ref¬ eree John Mowbray last Friday (28) recommended appointment of a receiver for the defunct spa. In Federal Court, Mowbray suggested that the creditors get together within 30 days and agree on a per¬ son to be named receiver. Mow¬ bray said his action was taken to “protect the creditors.” The Federal hearing was the re¬ sult of a show cause order, issued in Carson,City last week by Fed¬ eral Judge John Ross; He ordered representatives of Rosehedge Co. and LeRoy Investment Co. to show why they should not be enjoined from proceeding with a trust deed auction of the Moulin Rouge prop¬ erty. Upshot of the hearing had Mow¬ bray continuing the matter pend¬ ing submission of briefs from the attorneys within 10 days. Operation of the N. Y. Coliseum, now under construction, has been assigned to the N. Y. Exhibition Corp., opeiated by Arthur Smad¬ beck, who owns the Grand Cen¬ tral Palace, N. Y. Contract provides that the Triborough Bridge & Tun¬ nel Authority, owner of the. struc¬ ture, gets the first $300,000 profit, 60% of the second $300,000 profit, and 85% of all additional profit. In the event of a deficit, a mini¬ mum $300,000 rental payable in monthly installments will be re¬ quired. Bookings already indicate that the Coliseum will be running at a fair¬ ly profitable gait. Opening April 28, the spot has already booked the International Sports Car Show, Philatelic Show and Photography Show. Rentals set up call for $15,- 000 a floor for two weeks 4 or $60,- 000 for the entire building, plus percentage of gross sales by con¬ cessionaires. Coliseum is capable of grossing $1,650,000 from'rentals annually, with operating costs , set at $750,000 annually. The Coliseum is part of a project that will include a 20-story apart¬ ment building and a parking ga¬ rage. Cost, borne by the Federal housing funds, is expected to run to $22,000,000 for the entire proj¬ ect. The completion of the Coliseum will not affect the status of arena showings in New York. Triborough Authority has an agreement with Madison Square Garden stipulat¬ ing that it will not compete with the Garden for theatrical events. The Coliseum will concentrate on exhibitions, and need for such a structure is seen by the fact that all but two weeks are spoken for in 1956. Associated with Smadbeck in the Coliseum operation will be Peter Grimm, board chairman of the realty firm of William A. White & Sons, and Howard Sloan, Smad- beck’s son-in-law. Thank you MIAMI BEACH ...says SaHl Soucl Jfotel t , 3Ut to 32nd St.., MInnH FI ° rIJ * OM.n Front ... 3 0c , ob , r l«» Mr. Allen Drake 63-60 102 Sh Rego Park, Long l*V»nd New York un d .7voo wdib. ** «-•* “ ,,h * z zz .**.«■.» p.*— ^ TS. b .,t man.fo.totion .<F~.ft. z^X'^Z***'* your schedule of appearances. Again, thank you tor a ' ob ‘ Sincerely. flea* «>• General Manager Opening November 8th 5th RETURN ENGAGEMENT ELEGANTE Brooklyn, New York Special Material: FRANK LEE, SHERRY NORTH Personal Management: BUDDY ALLEN Direction: G.A.C, MIAMI SUN Allan Drake had everything a good comedian needs on an opening night: a receptive audience, a fine foil, lots of friends, and fast-paced, clever material. Allan is aD enthusiastic worker, punching . his lines across with an air of excitement that gives a solid lift to his audience. Not that the material needs ''punching." His stuff is sharp and clever, very well done. This boy is a top-line comic all the way through. During his first show ih the Blue Sails Room, Drake had a willing foil —an exhuberant American Legionnaire who came up with some perfect quips during Drake's routine. It was so per¬ fect that at show's end, the comic went over, shook hands and embraced the happy veteran. Drake's gags range from family situa¬ tions to birthday celebrations. He cele¬ brates Dillinger's, by the way. He went swimming,.as a lad, while the other kids were ice-skating! Drake is daffy; hap¬ pily so, and he completely captivated the Blue Sails Room. Paul M. Bruun yftRIETY ALLAN DRAKE Miami Beach, Oct. 14. Alan Drake, formerly a Nautilus Hotel regular returnee, has switched his wag¬ gery to the Sans Souci Blue Sails Room roster, with results on the plus side throughout his highly improved stint. Working with assurance that stems irom a sound array of gags and situation bits, he keeps reaction mounting, topping matters with a horse-player routine that mixes pathos and comedy adroitly. Insert of straight rhythm songs to keep the up¬ tempo pace adds to impact. Roslta Cadiz, a Cuban import, concen¬ trates on a series of flamenco-accented routines to garner fair returns. Lary. MIAMI HERALD Drake 'Most Improved' of Year Anyone who was around on Tuesday night will agree that it was a good night for ducks. And for Drakes, too., if the Drake was Alan Drake, comedian, who chose that night to open his current stand at the Blue Sails Room of the Sans Souci Hotel. It was a good night for Drake. About the best thing we can say for Alan is to quote a comedy confrere, Charlie Carl¬ isle, who, like us, hadn't seen Drake in over a year. Said Charles: "Alan Is the most im¬ proved performer I've seen this year.” when one comedian speaks nicely about another (who doesn’t owe him money) it’s not only nice—it's gotta be true. And it is In this instance. Drake, after several years of warming up, has finally found himself. The way he won over a *'show-me" audience, decimated by the Legion convention parade and the rain, proved him a top entertainer. George BoUrke. 64 NIGIIT CXUIt UK VIEWS JSariety Wednesday, November 2 , I 955 Hotel Pierre, N. Y. Yma Sumac, Stanley Melba Orch; cover, $2 weekdays, $2.50 Saturdays. Yma Sumac takes the floor as the only turn in the Hotel Pierre's Cotillion Room, excepting of course her Andean drummers ( 2 ) and dancers ( 2 ), who come on to build the atmosphere, and a group of violinists who step down from Stanley Melba’s orchestral perch to serve soma musical introduc¬ tion. The Peruvian voice is out to prove more versatility than ever, for now on the repertoire is “Love Is a Many Splendored Thing,” in top- form soprano. Top of the range, too, is an interpretation of De¬ bussy's “Clair De Lune,” done with marked, spiritual feeling. Cotillion is a class room that needs an act in keeping with the apparent sensitivity .of its sophisti¬ cated partisans. Mme. Ambassador of the Andes fits well, maintain¬ ing goddess demeanor while lilt¬ ing the familiar airs of her native land, going contralto with “Ro¬ many Life” (from Victor Herbert's “The Fortune Teller”) and scoring a vibrant beat with a few Latino rhythms. In between, Miss Sumac flexes her larynx from low to high and intermediate vocal points with¬ out effort, although no such proof was needfed to establish that she’s home on any part of the range. Moises Vivanco produced and di¬ rected the layout and Melba’s men, as per usual, are fine for dancing. Gene. . provides an agreeable starting sesh, although his warbling novel¬ ties and r.&b. frenetics fail to gen¬ erate any show of keen enthusiasm. Femme vocalist Dottie Smith is not too forceful in her “What. Do You See In Her?” and Danny Knight shows an Eckstine deriva¬ tive in “Funny Valentine.” The Bob Gilbert & Renee Stew¬ art line productions are holdovers, utilizing the expert vocal harmonics of the Beachcombers with Natalie. Antonio Morelli’s orch, augmented with strings for Miss Piazza, per¬ forms excellently. Will. Sands, Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nov. 1. Marguerite Piazza (with John Bunch, John Cali), Lquis Jordan Tympany Five ( 6 ); Beachcombers (3) with Natalie, Dottie Smith, Danny Knight, Copa Girls (12), Sandmen (4), Antonio Morelli Orch (16); $2 minimum. Mocambo, Hollywood Hollywood, Oct. 26. Rudy Vallee (with Clyde Vulch), Marco Rizo Latin Trio; cover $2. > In Marguerite Piazza, producer Jack Entratter has a good bet for the next three frames in the Copa Room. As an ex-Metopera tril- ler, she should receive plenty of word-of-mouth recognition along the rialto, owing to her commend¬ able acquisition of nitery knowhow, although at one time leagues re¬ moved from such surroundings. Already comparisons have been made as to relative merits of Miss Piazza vs. Patrice 'Munsel, who re¬ cently finished her “one and only” cafe sortie and who, as a matter of record, packed ’em in for three frames down-Strip at the New Frontier. Both divas have been given the old s.a. treatment in all newspaper ads—Miss Munsel’s was a shocker to be exact, and Miss Pi¬ azza’s current pic-art zinc is a come-on of cleavage and gams. They have much the same format, the good old levelling routine of Opera or Concert Hall vs. Jazz. But where Miss Munsell made every turn of the tune a dramatic and obviously startling piece of business. Miss Piazza relies upon warmth, charm and straightfor¬ wardness. Her sudden burst upon the floor is in a waltz with harlequin part¬ ner, Jack Bunch, and as he makes terp postures of adoration, she goes into her opening medley de¬ rived from the concert hall—"La Danza,” “La Paloma,” “D’Marie,” “Columbelta,” “Sorrento.” and “Chiribiribin.” A medieval setting of heraldic banners on metal poles lends artful, though simple class, and the onstage presence of her mandolinist. John Cali, in modern dinner jacket suit is a neat touch. For the switch of costume and mood from this melodic plateau into Cole Porter’s “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” Miss Piazza is aided once more by Bunch who scampers about placing the poles and peek-a-boo hangings for the peeling of the short bouffant dress into a molded gown. Dialog be¬ tween maestro Antonio Morelli and the diva sets the switch and Mother Goose songpatter covers the change. From Porter, she moves into a lullaby, then (thanks be to Puccini’s opera melodies suit¬ able for niteries) sings a superb “Un bel di,” from “Butterfly.” Flinging oil the trailing skirt of her gown into the w.k. flesh dis¬ play a la the ads, she takes the tack to New Orleans and the jazz se¬ quence. A quintet, including Cali on banjo, steps down from the orch tiers to back her “jazzy” chirps of “Basin St. Blues,” “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans,” “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” cakewalk illustration in lobster- scope with Bunch, “Birth of the Blues,” and all-stops-out “When the Saints Go Marching In.” She is called back many times for bows. Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five, or six to be exact and no tym- pani in the drummer’s battery, Rudy Vallee holds forth on a pleasantly nostalgic note in his current two-week Mocambo stint, relying much upon the vocal exer¬ cises which have become his spe¬ cialty, and supplemented by tart observations on his growing years. Delivered with easy grace, both his warbling and his wry com¬ ments provide a high grade of re¬ laxed entertainment. His collec¬ tion of stories evokes appreciative chuckles from the* Mocambo deni¬ zens, especially in •■the subtle tell¬ ing. Vallee, a master of the dead¬ pan throwaway, has much to offer the younger generation of comics as an object lesson in the fine art of telling a blue or racial joke without giving offense. His crooning style, unchanged through the years, is an able ve¬ hicle to carry out his vocal assign¬ ments, which he does with con¬ siderable style and self-deprecat¬ ing ease. He amply compensates for his warbling deficiencies with that rare ingredient known as showmanship. Clyde Vulch provides him with able accompaniment, backed by the Marco Rizo Latin Trio. Trio offers eminently danceable music as well for the terpsichorean in¬ clined. Kove. Harrala’s. Lake Talioe Lake Tahoe, Oct. 14. Mary Kaye Trio, Harry Ranch Grch ( 8 ); no cover or minimum.' According to all the rules, there isn’t supposed to be any entertain¬ ment at Lake Tahoe after Labor Day. This date officially ends the season and anyone who ventures beyond it is looked upon as some¬ thing of a dunce. This is the way it’s been ever since Tahoe was dis¬ covered to be a resort area. Evidently Bill Harrah, who runs a thriving club in Reno, wasn’t told. All summer long he did the Lake’s biggest business with co*cktail units, round-the-clock operation, count¬ less slot machines and fairly-priced meals. Came the end of the season and all the clubs shuttered as usual, and he began booking his biggest names. . The Mary Kaye Trio is the sort of entertainment which makes the whole trip worthwhile, even if everyone goes home losers. Launching with one of those mod¬ ern arrangements, like “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.” even the uncertain are swept up in the ex¬ citement. This seems to be the sort of room which allows complete freedom of clowning if not music. Limited mostly to novelty arrangements, or the straightest ballad types this trio can do, the road is narrow. But there are certainly no restric¬ tions on comedy, and Frank Ross and Norman Kaye make every show kind of . house party. Norman Kaye, once almost a straight man for Ross, has devel¬ oped into an acute humorist who latches quickly onto any situation. His Liberace number just keeps blooming. If anything, this has made Ross peddle his stuff even harder. He’s quick to promote impromptu situations, too. Of course, out of this- whole thing still emerges the earnest piping of Mary Kaye and brother. Their duets on things like “I Love Paris” are as concert as pop music can get. Harry Ranch and a crew of mad people start this thrice-nitely show. What it adds up to is about eight people slugging it out for slapstick honors and With all the effort, it’s about an eight-way tie. While the jokes are old, and the ideas greying, this can be ration¬ alized by the fact that the group seldom covers the same ground twice. Music is incidental and plenty loud. Although ,the management hesi¬ tates to say definitely how long the “winter operation” can continue, they sjy that they will carry on in some manner through the whole year. Entertainment may not be a part of the year-round format, but shows are scheduled for a * 1 '' her month anyway. Mark. Latin Quarter, IV.V. (FOLLOWUP) Stepping into an otherwise intact Latin Quarter revue in the head¬ line spot is Cab Calloway, who follows Frankie Laine after the latter’s three-week stint. Calloway, the redoutable Sportin’ Life of “Porgy & Bess,” is no stranger to the site, as he’s quick to remind the customers, the 47th-48th & Broad¬ way block being the location of the old Cotton Club. Insofar as the L. Q. itself is concerned, it’s a rare date for Calloway, but on the basis of his reception, ought to become a more frequent one. As a straight nitery performer, Calloway leaves a good deal to be desired. He’s got mP single talent that’s standout—his singing, though effective enough, doesn’t have a great deal of impact; his dancing is strictly out of the time-step book. The old cavorting is still aoparent, though. But the thing that makes Calloway a click is the repertoire of standbys he’s built up over the years, the songs he does that nobody can do the same way. It’s the remembrances and re¬ hearings of the Calloway-styled “St. James Infirmary Blues” and “Minnie the Moocher” and “Jim Jam Jump” that set him apart as a clearly identifiable personality and in that sense a much-liked and much-honored one. And to Callo¬ way’s credit, he still puts those numbers over with lots of punch and vitality. Bedecked in his standard white tails, Calloway kicks things off with just-okay renditions of “Learnin’ the Blues” and "Summertime,” but begins to move with “ ‘Taint Nec¬ essarily So,” seguing into a comic version of “Old Black Magic.” It’s the “St. James Infirmary” of band¬ leader days that really warms up. the crowd, and with “Minnie the Moocher” he gets the whole house in the responses. “Cha Cha” is an offbeat item and “Jim Jam Jump” serves as a closer with a quickie encore comprising some frenetic baton-waving in the Calloway pre¬ war bandleader style. Tourist trade or native, Calloway proves a unique attraction, and he seems assured of a return. Rest of the show is stet, and it’s a topflight layout. Chiquita & Johnson continue to stun ’em via some amazing lifts and balancing stints, while Frank Libuse with Margot Brander offer topflight comedy in the blue-tinted slapstick vein. Mazzone & Abbott Dancers, another L.Q. regular, are ideal for the house with an Apache stint. Production numbers are as lavish as ever, girls are plentiful and pulchritudinous, Piroska is out-of- the-ordinary as a production dancer and Howard Mann and Lynn Christie provide good vocalistics in the ensemble groupings. Jo Lom¬ bardi does a honey of a showcut- ting,/ particularly with Libuse, and provides smooth dansapation, as does the Buddy Marlowe relief unit. Chan. Leaves” (in French and English) and “Love Is a Many Splendored Thing,” both done with taste and infectious feeling. Tops in her up¬ tempo numbers is an arresting “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” arranged to rhumba tempo. ; . Forced, thin quality creeps into some of her offerings like the torchy “What Kind of Woman” and “Great Day.” Lou Pagani ac¬ companies deftly. Bode. Xew Frontier- Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nov. 1. Red Buttons (with Allen Walk¬ er), Four Aces, Step Bros. (4), Venus Starlets (20), Garwood Van Orch (18); $2 minimum. There’s double insurance in hav¬ ing Red Buttons and the Four Aces on the Venus Room standard for the next three weeks. Capacity crowds should keep the bustle go¬ ing where such action really counts—in the casino. Buttons hasn’t been around these parts for 15 months, having been immersed in eastern vid chores and more recently in a swing through Europe. With similar material and routining as remem¬ bered from other visits, he never¬ theless has lost none of his potent appeal. Yocks pour in for his clowning, this type of humor the outgrowth from many years in burley, and. the first solid punch, “Let’s Bring Burlesque Back to New York,” aptly illustrates to the background. • The lower East Side tour lead¬ ing into a ribtickling “Autograph Book” sequel never fails to grab laughs and kudosing, where the followup, “You Gotta Have Heart,” a new piece of material, tugs the heart yet contains chuckles. The biggest tug on the auricles and ventricles comes with the poignant characterization of the slaphappy fighter, Rocky Buttons, with his writer Allen Walker giving a neat assist as straight. After this, there is left only the fitting Buttons’ of “Ho Ho” song to bow off. The w.k. songshadings of the Four Aces put the act into a con¬ sistent drawing power bracket. Their succession of disk hits is all all to the good, and this time around it’s “Love Is A Many Splendored Thing” that rakes in the big mitts. Step Bros, are in flash form and make an excellent kickoff to the order of stageside events. Their speedy unison and challenge tap- istry, droll comedy insertions, “Charleston” and “Mambo” leg- mania, all receive salvos. Dorothy Dorben’s sintillating line displays are holdovers, and Garwood Van orch is in top form, from sock “Jimmy McHugh Medley” over¬ ture to Buttons’ bow music. Will. Shamrock, Houston Houston, Oct. 27. Jackie Miles, Monica Lewis, Paul Neighbors Orch; $2-$3; no mini¬ mum. The hungry, wry, canny horse- follower type Jackie Miles trans¬ plants to Texas in his stint at the Shamrock Hilton hits a warm spot with the payees. Comic’s poised word-spinning, marked by casual cigaret in hand and top timing, yields steady yocks from the be¬ ginning. He even scores with vin¬ tage gags, likewise with some low- pressure, fairly unpointed offer¬ ings, demonstrating his success lies in audience rapport and snell- bindeiv, skill as much as material. Secret is, he sticks to a type, building steadily within the «Las Vegas-turfdom framework. Even when his comments wander to Lit¬ tle Orphan Annie, they are from the mouth of a Racing Form stu¬ dent. Maybe authenticity explains why he can get away with the well-travelled oldies:\ He departs briefly from the checked-suit groove to do a neat characterization of a Texas-type, “Big Bill Thompson From Dallas,” a natural for the room that scores big. Headliner dips into song and patter for variety on “Just Be¬ cause” and a Bing-Satchmo novel¬ ty. Latter is a fanciful bit on how Crosby first started “bub-ba-ba- boing” when he dropped sheet music at the mike, and how Arm¬ strong started scatting because he had to sing “Confessin’ ” while suffering from laryngitis and toothache. Voice carbons are close, particularly on Armstrong. Monica Lewis opens the show with a brace of tunes that could be edited for stronger returns. Her savvy phrasing, pretty middle range and sell technique show to best advantage oh “Autumn Henry Hudson H’l, N.Y. Three Sons, Joan Bishop; no minimymor cover.. Chez JParee, Chf ' ' Chicago, Oct. 28. Dick Hdyrties, Betty & j ane Kean, Chez Paree Adorables, Brian Farnon Orch; $1.50 cover, $3 75 minimum. Biz loonfts only fair for the dura¬ tion of this two-weeker, although it drew a nice-sized crowd for the opening show. But then the Chez has its problems getting winning combinations for the runs between the currently big b.o. clicks. Dick Haymes never reallv catchps fire here, and betrays a lack of assurance that robs his stint of deserved impact. Haymes is presentable and experienced enough to know his way around in front of a nitery audience. But somehow a palpable lack of con¬ fidence underlying his presentation becomes more obvious because of the strong effort put out to appear calm and relaxed. The pipes are still okay, but are somewhat bereft of the rich sonor¬ ity that tingles the spine and makes the customers sit up. When Haymes intros “It Might As Well Be Spring,” a number closely iden¬ tified with him in the past, it sounds as if he were trying to re¬ capture the stature that was his some 10 years ago. Unfortunately the customers are not too im¬ pressed by past performance. Haymes has the charm to win an audience, and a pleasing voice; all he needs is a more relaxed, sure approach and a little morer show¬ manship to build a top nitery act. As the act stands now, it isn’t. Betty & Jane Kean handle come¬ dienne chores here with good re¬ sponse. Setting the pattern for the turn, Betty, who does the broad comedy and takes the pratfalls, comes on with a big cigar and a kind of Groucho Marx approach, with overtones of Bryn Mawr. Sis¬ ter Jane plays it sweet and demure for good contrast. The gags are not subtle, the delivery is raucous and the props are obvious (balloon- filled sweaters and bagel earrings), but the sisters score big with the crowd. They lampoon Marilyn Monroe and. Jane Russell, Eartha Kitt and the can-can, all with good impact. In between and during, Betty flings herself around in a series of zany antics, taking a drink, a cigaret and a bottle of milk from the ring- siders and winding up . with a drinkful of her ice cubes down her decollete. Pretty, broad stuff, but it garners plenty yocks. ilie Chez Paree Adorables space and intro this bill with a couple of well-costumed, well-executed pro¬ duction numbers that are a good excuse to throw some leggy, chesty femininity around. Jimmy Lee sings the backing for the girls in more than acceptable style. The Brian Farnon orch obliges with the usual expert support. Gabe. With the; giant Coliseum project on Columbus. Circle due to be opened some time in 1956, there’s a good possibility that some sup- per-dancing-nitery biz will shift into that area. In anticipation of that eventuality, the Henry Hud¬ son Hotel on West 57th St., a cou¬ ple of blocks south of the Coli¬ seum (now being topped out), is getting into gear with a couple of new rooms and co*cktail lounges. First step in the hotel’s innova¬ tion program was the opening of The Voyager last week. This is a fairly large, square room, decked out in a tasteful decor and featur¬ ing excellent cuisine and ‘ service. Adjoining is .a co*cktail lounge for late-hour imbibing, while another lounge has Joan Bishop on piano for the background music. The hotel is also planning another lounge on the 58th St. side. . The Voyager gets off to a. strong start with the booking of the Three Suns for an indefinite stand, which will probably extend into next year. This combo, which has played the top hotel rooms across the country and was last seen in New York at the Hotel Astor, de¬ livers a highly pleasing brand of music. Trio, an RCA Victor recording group, consists of Artie Dunn on the organ, Mortie Nevins on ac¬ cordion and piano, and John Buck on guitar. Latter is the replace¬ ment for A1 Nevins, who exited the combo about two years ago be¬ cause of illness and now manages it. The personnel change hasn’t affected the brightness of the com¬ bo’s sound. In addition to the danceable instrumentals, group also engages in smooth vocal har¬ monies for a neat change of pace. While this room isn’t likely to draw capacity biz because of its newness and its temporarily out- of-the-way location, the hotel management plans to stay with it until the Coliseum boom starts to roll. llcrm. Alpine Village, Eleve. Cleveland, Oct. 26. Jay Jayson, Kurtis Marionettes, Novellos (2),- Lindsay Ladies (7), Dave Ennis Orch; $1.50 minimum. Jay Jayson’s rapid-fire patter and humorous informality build up a pleasureably heavy mittful of yocks in proving that the Alpine Village, biggest downtown nitery here, should use comedy acts more often. Spot, operated by Herman 'Pirchner, usually specializes in aero, song or dance turns which look flashy but miss the disarming impact that quipsters like Jayson give its new edition. He virtually grew up in Cleve¬ land’s pre-war niteries and knows localite tastes. With a contagious air of jocularity, he throws three gag quickies out of window to build up laughs for a real kicker. He also works in a lot of intimate byplay, picking several ringsiders as vic¬ tims for surefire bon mots. Al¬ though his material used to be pretty blue, his lightly spicy cracks now seem grinningly inoffensive as he pours out wacky song paro¬ dies and quick-witted nonsense. There’s some corn-shucking in his Memory Lane routine but he car¬ ries off this ballad-shouting with good, brisk effect. Kurtis Marionettes, back for an¬ other return visit, go over as di- vertingly as evfer. Craftsmanship and humor are mixed with the right color by Frank Brown and Kurtis Wollgien, who later brings out his quaint nickelodeon song- slides to drum up an audience songfest that also clicks. Two No¬ vellos provide a very neat circus novelty by using a French poodle dog in balancing feats on steel ladders and miniature flying trap¬ eze. . Show is dressed up attractively by seven dancing Lindsay Ladies doing a Cuban fantasy in fluores¬ cent costumes and a smarter .iazz version of “Old Black Magic,” Dave Ennis Orch carries off all cues effectively, doubling in dance scs- I sions just as well. Wednesday, November 2, 1955 PSi&IEff NIGHT CIXTI REVIEWS 65 Town & Country* B’klyn Tony Bennett, Joey Bishop, Johnny Conrad Dancers (5), John - ny Morris Orch; minimum* $3.50, $5.00, _ Brooklyn continues to be one of the more amazing boroughs in New York. This part of the coun¬ try now has one of the country’s largest niteries, an institution that was raised by Ben Maksik vir¬ tually from a roadside eatery, and now is one of the major employers of name talent in the country. Maksik has rebuilt the entire establishment so that the capacity is now over 1,700, and all this with skillful cantilever construction so that there isn’t a pole in the joint. The decor is modern and the cus¬ tomers are greeted with vast ex¬ panses of lobbies, a co*cktail lounge and a view of the room suf¬ ficient to inspire awe. As is the case with any nitery of dimension, it’s rarely com¬ pleted in time for the advertised preem. At the opening (Fri.) the terrazo floors hadn’t yet been smoothed down, there were some bald areas where the decorators couldn’t get to, and there were some additional incompletions, probably including the kitchen and the rehearsal of the service staffs. But these are items that will be eliminated with a few working days. However, the first show suffered greatly because the stage lighting system hadn’t yet been Installed. Architects provided a well for overhead lights, but that area was vacant. There was only house illumination or spots, and in a room of that size, this was insuf¬ ficient. Tony Bennett, headlining the preem show, sized up the situ¬ ation rapidly. When a part of the house liehts went on, he yelled for a kill and worked only with the spot. Although this presented a lack of variety, in that respect, it was the only sound method of operation during his stint. During the other acts, it appeared that the electricians hadn't yet found the right buttons to push, so that the proceedings were somewhat messy. Bennett pulled out his too tunes, which was exactly the fodder for a vast number of supporters in the area. He punched his wav through his "Rags to Riches,” "Cold, Cold Heart” and "Because of You.” He made a potent impression on the pewholders with a showmanly flair, sensitive interpretations (con¬ sidering the arena-like proportions of the Town & Country), and a strong musical backing from the Johnny Morris orch, augmented by several key-men brought in by the. singer. Fact that the spot was filled is due, to a great measure, to his pull in this part of the world. The major victim of the lighting was Joey Bishop, who has made good in virtually every top spot ‘ in New York. He is a clever comic with a skilled delivery. However, working with full house lights and the awkward fumbling of the elec¬ tricians, he had to fight too many elements. He has scored much more heavily, and had he worked with a single spot, the rewards would have been considerably greater. The Johnny Conrad Dancers ( 5 ) made their strongest bid in the second half of their presentation. Their first bit, which opened the show, was done 1 under house lights, but the later stint brought out their strong dancing and dis¬ ciplined choreography. It’s a sexily-costumed and well-drilled act suitable for the bulk of visual situations. Jose, Holiday House, PiU Pittsburgh, Oct. 20. Wally Griffin , Rosemary O’Reil¬ ly, Vivian .Cook, Luke Riley Orch (7); no cover or minimum. John Bertera, who operated big Vogue Terrace for a couplt years and cleaned up, should h another winner in this one. the town’s first brand new nit m a long time, a combination ] tel, restaurant, oasis and cafe. ’ location’s good, right on heav traveled Route 22, two miles v trorrt the Pittsburgh interchangi the Pennsylvania Turnpike an *0-rmnute drive from the Gol Triangle downtown, most of distance by freeway express. i. Holiday House is probably ot the best-looking places betw New York and Las Vegas. A matter of fact, it closely reseml some of the plushier Vegas roo •it can seat around 600, but ha series of sliding wall panels 1 can shut in the spot when atl dance is slim, to give it the nec feeling of intimacy. The light is warm, and so is the decor. 1 stage at the far end is elevated a u V1 ?ible from everywhere, each side of the stage, when panels are closed, there’s a private dining room. Opened, the dining corners become parts of the club proper. For his shows, Bertera is appar¬ ently sticking at the moment to the middle-ground. When his crews are sufficiently'organized to take care of turnaway biz, he says, there will be top names. At his capacity, Bertera can stand the bite. Right now he has no cover or minimum, but is feeling his way to a definite policy. Probably the bite will come later when, his entertainment costs more. Right now the attention is more or. the room itself than on the show, but the show’s all right, too. Wally Griffin is headlining it. He’s a glib young man with a parody and a piano-playing singing joke- smith with an infectious sense of humor. Griffin goes down easily all the way, but he. could shorten his running time a bit and do even better. With him is Rosemary O’Reilly, a local girl who jumped straight from Pittsburgh radio and Play¬ house musicals into'"New Faces” on Broadway, Miss O’Reilly has matured spectacularly as a singer and performer since she left her home town not too long ago. She’s bigtime now, a singing single with charm, authority and knowhow. Opener is Vivian Cook, dancer and a feal looker but rather limit¬ ed so far as a hoofer. With her visual equipment, if she had some¬ thing more to go. with it, Miss Cook would go places. Not yet, however. Cohen. Colony* Condon London, Oct. 20. Shirley Abicair (with Sidney Wright), Felix King & Don Carlos Orchs; $5 minimum. . There is something quite appeal¬ ing in the artless charm which Shirley Abicair exploits in sophis¬ ticated nightspots. Everything about her act and appearance is designed' to underline sweetness and simplicity and it is a routine that appears to pay off. She has a regular weekly, program on tv, is a frequent broadcaster and. has made quite a name for herself in the few years she has been in London. As she opened in Motor Show week, there was never any doubt about the sort of business the cafe would experience. It is a case of capacity nightly, but it must be conceded that the ringsiders appear to be charmed by her naivete and the folksy pattern of her routine. She appears to have dug deeply into the archives for many of her songs, and for a number Of them accompanies herself on the zither.- Typical specimens of her song- alog are "Just a Little Girl (who is looking for a little boy),” “My Heart Belongs to Daddy,” "Let Him Go, Let Him Tarry” and "The Foggy Dew.” She sings pleasantly, but her delivery always accents the unsophisticated angles. This is slightly overdone at times, notably in some comedy byplay with the male customers. Sidney Wright is the 88 ’er, sitting in with the resi¬ dent Felix King orch, which gives its usual polished accompaniment. Latune dance sessions are provided in lively style by the Don Carlos combo. Myro. Down Bent, Montreal Montreal, Oct. 26. Jackie Winston, Sandu Scott, Hi- Lights (3), Madge & Carr, Dino Vale, Bob Harrington Orch (5), Perry Carmen Quartet; no cover or minimum. With almost a formula type of show week after week, the Down Beat continues to attract its share and more of Montreal’s cafe tz’ade, and present layout is no exception. Headliner Jackie Winston, who has played this town m&ny times be-, fore, turns in yeoman service on the closing spot as he whams over, at machine-gun speed, an endless succession of jokes, ad libs and general buffoonery that score with the regulars of‘ this 'particular saloon. Despite some questionable material, Winston’s glib patter and self-assured manner sharpen the old stuff and take some of the color out of the blue items. . Madge & Carr, with their standard tap and challenge rou¬ tines. garner fair attention, and the Hi-Lights click with their youth and vitality. Femme vocals •on this show go to Sandu Scott, an attractive blonde, who played this room several months. Handsomely gowned and with a stage presence better than average, Miss Scott has a way with a song that sug¬ gests solid possibilities, whether she is working as part of a big show or as a single in the smaller cafes. Arrangements are good and her stylized gestures and vo¬ cal clarity do much to enhance and current faves .or the torchants. tween shovvs. Newt. Le Roll an Bleu, ]\ T . Y. Joey Carter, Tobi Reynolds, Alan & Phyllis Sues, Spellbinders (5), Norman Paris Trio, Bob Mayberry; $5 minimum. With pictures, television and the large niteries competing for the highpriced name talent to satisfy the yen of showwise audiences, the intime boite appears to be the last stand for the showcasing of young talent. Le Ruban Bleu’s current show points up this trend, featur¬ ing as it does a group of young¬ sters, none of whom is over 30. Although the talent on display show's the need of additional sea¬ soning, it does in the main impress the entertainment seeker with its fresh approach and desire to eschew the commonplace. If some of the acts fail to meet the exact¬ ing professional standards of to¬ day’s market, the showcasing nevertheless provides them with the experience and know-how that will help to pay off in the future. Three of Le Ruban’s offerings— comedy team of Alan & Phyliss Sues, singer Tobi Reynolds, and comic Joey Carter—show consid¬ erable promise. Given the proper training and additional outings, they can break through for im¬ portant dates. (See New Acts). The Spellbinders, a singing quintet of three men and two gals, display youthful exuberance but their stint lacks the novelty and sharp¬ ness required in the highly-com- petitive group singing field. (Also New Acts). Carter, a holdover from the pre¬ vious show 7 , reveals a fine comic ability. However, his comedy sense doesn’t always jibe with his mate¬ rial which is only occasionally clever, especially several one- liners. Carter is not the pushy type-^-a factor in his favor. He tosses off his lines in a quiet, conversational manner. It encom¬ passes. shaggy dog stories, gag im¬ pressions and satires. He clicks especially with a Shakespearean bit. Carter has a good sense of timing, and if he can obtain the material to go with his personality, he’ll be able to command wider acceptance. The Norman Paris Trio, as per usual, provides a neat en’tre-acte beat. Bob Mayberry handles the emcee chores adequately. HoII. Dunes, Las Vegas ’ Las Vegas, Nov. 1. Sam Leve"h son, Lilo, Dunes Dancers (24), Bill Woods, Vocal Quartet, Jaye Rubanoff Orch (12); $2 minimum. There is no assumption from any Vegas quarter that Sam. Lev- enson and Lilo are upper-strato¬ sphere marquee lures on this spa- lined Strip. Yet for those spend¬ ers seeking to be entertained, not dazzled, the Dunes bill will fulfill such a requirement for the next three weeks. Levenson always leaves a de¬ lightful impression. His delivery of "remember - whens,” autobio¬ graphical in the main, is a study in candor. He leavens many of the yockworthy stories with schmaltz, but always maintains a showmanly pace. It is no secret that many of the ex-schoolteacher’s most hilari¬ ous moppet tales have found their way into other comedians’ files, yet the original telling always emerges as definitive. From his opening nostalgia yarn to the last ..exclamation point, he ropes chuckles, guffaws and warm palm¬ pounding, plus an ovation at walk- off. Lilo. Gallic chanteuse v-ho opened the orbs of many on these shores during the run of "Can- Can,” swings into her second nitery booking this date. She is not the expected smash; but then no femme from the banks of the Seine has ever been a big click in Vegas. Patachou approached that level a few seasons ago, although her name attraction casino-wise was not of sufficient strength. Patachou and Piaf do not sell sex per se—one has an electric vitality, the other a lachrymose, gamin charm, whereas Lilo over- exploits the stereotyped Parisienne tunes in the manner to which most cafe-haunting Americans are ac¬ customed. Her idiom songs do have a certain brassy appeal which makes an appeasem*nt of a special ditty, "Where Are the Gentlemen Who Prefer Blondes?” The de¬ parture from the stage for a ring¬ siding amble to smooch, ruffle hair and give torso close-ups to males while warbling "Desiree” is a brief boon for those in the down- front section. It is perhaps less interesting to distant tablers. Following this, Lilo should bow off with her Cole Porter tribute. "I Love Paris,” rather than pad the remaining portion with the street scene melee by line guys and gals to cover costume change and prepping song vehicle honor¬ ing French greats, Lucienne Boyer, Mistinguette, Chevalier,. et al. Lilo could be given some lush buildup via a production, instead of having to walk on cold. The opening calypso is far and away from a Paris setting. Midway "Fan” exhibit created by Bob Gil¬ bert & Renee Stewart is also a holdover, and never fails to pull mitts all the way during various postures. Jaye Rubanoff orch is a worthy partner to all musical activity, having added assists from production-warbler Bill Woods and a vocal quartet backing some of Lilo’s tunes. Will. Slpiibcn’s, Boston Boston, Oct. 26. Jimmy Cesar, Jennie Collins, Carlos & Linda, Marjorie & Lee Murray, Don Dennis, Tony Bruno Orch ( 6 ), Harry Fink Trio; $1.50- $2.50 minimum. Biz is pleasant at this popular 350-seater in the heart of the Hub’s theatrical district. It’s sparked by party biz, a big legit season and the presence of singing emcee Don Dennis, permanent fix¬ ture at the Joe and Max Schneider enterprise, where boniface Arnold Benak has the ropes up this frame. Show format has been enlarged from three acts to four, plus Den¬ nis. ’ Jimmy Cesar, standup comic, goes over big with nicely-etched carbons of Stan Laurel, Pinky Lee, Arthur Godfrey, Jimmy Stewart, Humphrey Bogart and Gabby Hayes. Aud is taking to comics here this season and Cesar, who re¬ sembles Laurel, gets heavy mitting on all turns. Bouncing out with a Pinky Lee bit, he shows plenty of versatility in miming. His Al Jol- son carbon with songs is fine and his James Mason bit, with authen¬ tic British accent, is a crowd pleaser. Marjorie & Lee Murray open the show brighV w-ith nice ballet specialties. Auburn-haired femme impresses in ballet abstracts and team scores in a country dance bit. Jennie Collins, coloratura, is a standout with her handling of light operatic numbers, making them productions. Femme, dramatically attired, has tiny Scottish type crown on her black hair and takes it off to let down her hair for boffo gypsy number. Aud gives top re¬ action, to her "Caro Nome,” and applauds vigorously for her duet with Dennis. Carlos & Linda, hot Cuban rhumba dancers, use an aud parti¬ cipation bit that registers big. Two couples are brought from the tables and learn tne mambo on¬ stage with the team instructing. Dennis cuts his stint short in deference to the long bill, although patrons clamor for more. His "Jezebel” is sock and piping of "Tina Marie,” only other number, registers nicely. Tony Bruno cuts a great show and Harry Fink Trio pleases in the interludes. Guy. Gatinoau, Ottawa Ottawa, Oct. 28. Josephine Baker, Johnny Verdi & Treasure, Gatineau Lovelies (5) (with Kenny Davis), Harry Pozy Orch; $1 admission. Back for a return booking after tW’o months of other eastern Can¬ ada appearances and a fast trip to her home in France, Josephine Baker is bringing new faces into the Gatineau Club’s big room. Cus¬ tomers from the Capital’s diplo¬ matic row, to whom la Baker is legend, come and bring their parties to see this boffo perform¬ ance of top rung showmanship savvy. Flashing several sets of dazzling gowns, even a fashion writer wouldn’t do justice to the Baker session; it’s not what she wears, but what she does to, for and in the gowns. Using every inch of the Gati¬ neau’s spacious floor to her ad¬ vantage, Miss Baker mixes a force¬ ful concoction of dramatic gab, gesture, movement and superb warbling into a standout display of showmanship, getting to each tablesitter individually and, if the mob shows any sign of lethargy, working on them like a producer on a slow’-reacting cast until she has them at the pitch she wants. Against powerful backing by her 88 er, Milos Bartek, and the Harry Pozy house band, Miss Ba^er gives smash handling to "Esto e$ .Felici- dad,” "J’Ai Deux Amours;” and a Bartok original, "Petit a Petit.” Filling the waits between La Baker appearances are Johnny Verdi & Treasure, a slick episode of chant and gab with situation gags and a gimmick or two plus mitt-getting impressions. Male car¬ ries the load but the stint needs more of pert blond Treasure Ford, a looker with good staging and clicko pipes. Gatineau Lovelies, with Kenny Davis, are on twice. Gorm. Desert Inn, Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nov. 1. Dorothy Shay, Charlivel Trio, Donn Arden Dancers (12), Art Johnson, Carlton Hayes Orch (12); $2 minimum. In order to make way for Marge & Gower Champion, the New Fron¬ tier’s producer, Sammy Lewis, put Dorothy Shay on "loanout” to the Desert Inn. There will be no com¬ plaints from this quarter for the next month as to their borrowed headliner. She’ll pack ’em in. The big surprise is che new Shay repertoire, which no longer dwells from start to finish with the lusty doings of agreeable gals and nitwit males from the hill country. In¬ stead, she moves into other regions for inspiration, coming out with "I Wanna Get Married,” "Take Back Your Mink,” the latter in quite passable Brooklynese, and “In Love With a Married Man,” a torchant with a triple-take tagline. Another departure is the Shay "life story based on fiction,” hav¬ ing a tune melange containing a quickie "Carmen” parody, a figura¬ tive if not too literal sex-selling chantootsie doing "All of Me,” frantic chick on a song kick, with the ultimate segue into her own "Feudin,’ Fussin,’ F i g h 11 n’.” Throughout the segment she splices in such twang staples as "Nellie Jane,” "Don’t You Think You Should Have Mentioned It Be¬ fore” and the inevitable "Uncle Fud.” Dick Emmons handles her 88 ing and conducting of the Carl¬ ton Hayes orch. with surety. . Charlivel Trio amazed the very first niters of the Desert Inn over five years ago when the spa opened, and have been doing it ever since in periodic returns. With each trip, there are new and seemingly more difficult acro-terps added, yet the act is never over¬ loaded with demonstrations and tablers are never allowed to be¬ come sated. In fact, the tumul¬ tous reception at the finish is a tribute to the hard-working Gallic lads, who not only whip themselves into a frenzy of flips, spins and spot butterflies, but warble, take turns playing clarinet, piano, vio¬ lin and alto sax, and combine in- strumentally on "C Jam Blues” before the wild tag of backflips and cartoff. Donn Arden drapes his line look¬ ers in mink to make an opulent ex¬ hibit in opener "Love’s the Fash¬ ion.” Later he uses a story-line in “Magic Lamp” with bary Art Johnson as the genii, the guys as sailors asking the lamp to produce a harem filled witn the usual shapely-femme trimmings. Both routines are richly mounted and provide plenty of eyefilling mo¬ ments. Will. Kttiulani, Honolulu Honolulu, Oct. 24. Bcrnie Hal-Mann Orch (4); no cover or minimum. Mauna Kea Room of Matson’s Princess Kaiulani Hotel has switched from co*cktail hour piano entertainment to dancing, and it may ring the bell for this 11 th floor lounge. Three assets stand out: the sub¬ dued but danceable tempos; the no-cover, no-minimum policy, and the beauty of the widely-windowed sky level room. It’s a happy com¬ bination that should establish the Kaiulani among home-towners as well as tourists. The invitation to dance should keep the three elevators busy. True, it’s low-budget entertain¬ ment, but it’s going to pay off in bar business and goodwill for Mat¬ son’s newest, hotel. The Bernie Hal-Mann group is developing into a versatile combo, staffed by island-born musicians whose flair extends far beyond the usual "Hawaiian” brackets. Lead¬ er’s real name is Bernie Concep¬ tion, but it presumably was deemed inappropriate for billing purposes. The "Hal-Mann” comes from names of two of the other musicians. DaAcing begins at 7 p.m., which isn’t incongruous in this early-to- bed, early-to-fise town. Walt. llivicra, Las Yogas Las Vegas, Nov. 1. Ames Bros. (4), Larry Best, Birk Twins, Hal Belfer Dancers (13), Barbara Ford, Byron Wood, Ray Sinatra Orch (12); $2 minimum . The exuberant chanting of the Ames Bros, will be the Clover Room’s bid for a month of bullish biz. As a matter of fact, the Ames’ are the show, with comic Larry Best making for a weak midspot, and the Birk Twins gymnastics forming only a brief starter. Vegas has played quite a part in the rise of the Ames’. Long before their platter popularity, the freres were coming in for bookings, yet (Contained on page 67) 66 PS&tETY Wednesday, November *2, 1955 VARIETY BILLS WEEK OF NOVEMBER 2 Numerals In connection with bill* below Indicate opening day of show whether full or split week Letter In parentheses Indicates circuit. (I) Independent; <U Loewi <M) Moss; (P) Paramount; <R> RKO; (S) Stoll; <T> Tivoli; (W) Warner NEW YORK CITY Music Hall (I) 5 Corps de Ballet Lee & Swenson Rockettes Glee Club Evalyn Tyner Less Dassles William Upshaw Kathryn Kelly Palace (P) 5 Grand Ole Opry Roy Acufs Kitty Wells Johnnie & Jack Pap & Jug Band Smokey M’n’t Boys Tenn M’n'tain Boys Ruby Wells Seedar Hill Sq Co CHICAGO Chicago (P) 4 Hilltoppers 3 Lassies Nick Noble Jim Lounsberry Eddie Hubbard Lenny Colyer LOS ANGELES . Paramount (P) 2 Rock & Roll Show Dinah Washington Hunter Hanco*ck Jay McNeeley Band Joe Houston Band Platters Penguins Colts AUSTRALIA CHRISTCHURCH (New Zealand) Malestlc (T) 7 Winifred Atwell Canfield Smith Eddie Vitch Joe Church 3 Hellos Romaine Sc Claire Robert O’Donnell Fay Agnew Wendy' Layton Maureen Hudson MELBOURNE Tivoli (T) 7 Wiere Bros 3 Gypsy Alain Diagora Upshaw & Cooper BRITAIN Red Moore Ken Littlewood 4 Knights June Barton J’s’ph’n McCormack SYDNEY Tivoli (T) 7 Mel Torme A1 Pellegrini Irene Ryan , Bentine & Clementine Bamberger Sc Pam Brox Sc Myrna The Alfreros Gordon Humphris June Salter John Bhithal Frank Ward Jack Baker BIRMINGHAM Hippodrome (M) 31 Crew-Cuts A & V Shelley Bobby Monahan Rusty Musical Elliotts Mundy Sc Earle Des O’Connor Hollander Sc Hart J Sc S Lamonte BLACKPOOL Palace (I) 31 Gladys Morgan Harriott & Evans Harry Dawson Falcons Nordics Joe Black Mandos Sis Georgette Chris Sands Kendall & G BOSCOMBE Hippodrome (I) 31 Duncan Sis Eno & Lane Kat.z Sc Kazan Glyn Thomas Marcias Verdini Juggling Brauns E Sc D Waters BRIGHTON Hippodrome (M) 31 Max Miller Flgck Sc Lucas Kentones El Granadas Nat Gonella J & J Wins Alfred Thripp BRADFORD Alhambra (M) 31 Ramoni. Bros Ross Sc Ramaya Desmond Lane Ken Roland Jack Anton Connor : & Drake CHELSEA Palace (1) 31 Bunny Baron Sonny Farrar Cathie Haigh Cox 2 Miles 2 Harry Arnold Woods St J Kemp Cyril Tyler Bette Gee CHISWICK Empire (M) 31 Kenny Baker Ken Dodd Joan Turner Kordites Dave Gray Eva May Wong Joan Davis Co Joy Harris COVENTRY Hippodrome (I) 31 Harry Secombe Cairoli Sc Paul Peter Sellers Mrs. Shufflewick Spike Milligan Tanner Sis Boyer Sc Ravel Le? Mathurins 6 Flying de Pauls George Mitchell Co 20 Dancing Stars FINSBURY PARK Empire (M) 31 Dickie Valentine Ballet Montmartre Devine & King Skating Meteors Rob Murray Terry Hall Billy Maxam GLASGOW Empire (M )31 Eric Delaney Bd Devel Sc P Dickie Dawson Dowie Sc Kane Dash’s Chimpanzees Demos Bunty St. Clair HANLEY Thea. Royal <M) 31 Peter Brough . Beryl Reid Ronald Chesney Rayner Sc Beity Pellet Moatp-nmasse Graham Stark LEEDS Empire (M) 31 Deep River Boys S Sc R Holland Darly’s Dogs Joe Crosbie Matanzas Allen Sc Albee Sis Sid Plummer Krandon & Karri* LIVERPOOL Empire (M) 31 Ray Burns Clarkson Sc Leslie Bill McGuffie Morlands S Sc M Harrison Vogelbein’s Bears Eddie Ash LONDON Hippodrome (M) 31 Channing Pollock Nitwits Louie Ramsay Latnna Graham Sc Chadel Winters Sc Fielding Katharine Feather George Mitchell Co George Carden Co LONDON Mefropollfan (1) 31 Syd Seymour Co Roy Lester Jenks Sc Joanna Hill Sc Billie Duart Sis Sc Anton E Sc A Garrard MANCHESTER Hippodrome (M) 31 Hylda Baker Jones & R Arnold M Fraser’s Gang Sonny Roy Alexanders Dog Rev Hill Billy Polecats 2 Angelos B Sc Z Marvi NORTHAMPTON New (I) 31 Sandy Powell Norma Meadows Kay White L Sc B Bartell Vicky Fitzpatrick Frank Wilson Marie De Vere 3 NORWICH Hippodrome (I) 31 Jimmy O’Dey Maureen Potter Danny Cummins Vernon Hayden Barry O'Donovan Jimmy Kennedy Gaytime Girls L Sc L Rogers NOTTINGHAM Empire (M) 31 Vic Oliver Valdettes • Leslie Welch Fay Lenore Nemecs Victor Seaforth Harris Sc Christine PORTSMOUTH Thea. Royal (M) 31 Harry Lester's Co Derrick Rosaire Tony Betty Kaye’s Pekes SHEFFIELD Empire (M) 31 Jimmy Gay Iris Poliakova F Sc A Prince Jean Campbell SOUTHAMPTON Grand (I) 31 Tony Dalton Tom Lucas Jules et Julie King Sc Jepson Johnnie Firpo Dale Williams SUNDERLAND Empire (M) 31 David Hughes Francois &. Zandra Morecambe Sc Wise Peggy Cavell Murray Sc Maidie Audrey Jeans Keefe Bros Sc A SWANSEA Empire (M) 31 Duo Palmer Hackford & Doyle Jackson Sc Collins Godfrey Sc Dee Coral Gaye WOLVERHAMPTON Hippodrome (I) 31 Hal Monty Beams 6 girls Babu Rayo Sam Linfield YORK Empire (I) 31 Bol. Gray Barrie Craine Sheila Atha Travis Sc Lee Susan Dene Dabrett Dancers Cafe Society George Shearing Chateau Madrid Pan-American Rev Pancho Ore Copacabana Nat (King) Cole Shecky Greene Paulette Sisters Tony Foster . Fran Leslie Meri Miller Jimmy" Cisco Michael Durso Ore Frank Martin Ore Composer John Mehegan 3 Bernard Pfeiffer . Embers Dorothy Donegan Jonah Jones No. 1 Fifth Au» Cedrone Sc Mitchell Virginia De Luce Bob Downey Harold Fonvill* Hazel Webster Hotel Ambassador Chauncey Gray Ore Jani Sarkozl Quintero Ore Hot'l H'nry Hudson Three Suns Joan Bishop Hotel Plaza Los Chavales Trini Reyes Ted Straeter Ore Mark Monte Ore Hotel Pierre Yma Sumac . Stanley Melba Ore Dornan Bros. Hotel Roosevelt Guy Lombardo Ore Hotel Statler Richard Maltby Ore Hotel Tan Vincent Lopez Ore Hotel St. Regis Fernanda Montel Milt Shaw Ore Ray Bari Ore catln Quarter Cab Calloway Frank Libuse Chiqiiita Sc Johnson Margot Brander Mazzone-Abbott Dcr Tamar Bensamy Lynn Christie Howard Mann Jo Lombardi Ore I B Harlowe Ore Bon Soir 3 ‘ Flames Mae Barnes Portia Nelson Tony Sc Eddie Jimmie Daniels Le Ruban Bleu Tobi Reynolds Spellb ; nders Alan Sc Phyllis Sues Joey Carter Bob Mayberry Norman Paris 3 Le Cupldon Jimmy Komack Jerome Courtland Ira Brandt Ore Armando Federico Old Roumanian Gene Baylos Corday & Triana Danny Mason Sadie Banks Lillian Hayes Joe Laporte Oro D’Aquila Ore Park Sheraton Irving Fields Trio Eddie Layton Two Guitars Olga Karpis Eugene & Sonia Andrei Hamshay Misha Usdanoff Kostya Poliansky Ore Versailles Edith Piaf Salvatore Gioe Ore Pnnchito Ore Viennese Lantern Monica Boyar • Sigrid Ernest Schoen Ore Paul Mann Village Barn Jerry Bergen Ronnie Hayden Larry McMahon Pat Harrington Stella Bergen D. Davis Ore Waldorf-Astoria Harry Belafonte Nat Brandywynne Ore Mischa Borr Ore Village Vanguard Enid Mosier Sylvia Syms Steel Trio C Williams Trio CHICAGO Black Orchid The Mello-larks Terry Haven Celal Inge Blue Angel "Calypso Frolics" Lydia Lora Lord Carlton Vazquez Sisters Dolores Martiniqua King Rudolph Blue Note Muggsy Spanicr Johnny Pate Trio Chez Paree Dick Haymes Betty & Jane Kean Chez Paree AdVb's Brian Far non Ore Cloister Inn Morgana King Lurlean Hunter 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 & Boulevar-Dons F Masters Ore Palmer House “Boast of the Town” Will Jordan Arthur Worsley Augie Sc Margo Gillian Grey Empire Eight Charlie Fisk Ore London House Don Shirley Mr. Kelly's Joe Derise Audrey Morris Jimmy Bowman IOS ANGELES Ambassador Hotel 1 Tony Martin Hal Borne Interludes F Martin Ore (18) Band Box Maxie Rosenbloom Sid Fields Sid Gary Sammy Wolfe Smith Twins Bea Sweet Gerry Doun Trio Bar of Music Larry Allen Loray White Beverly Hilton Jose Greco Troupe Bernard Hilda Orch (16) Micha Novy Ore (8) Biltmore Hotel Henny Youngman Helen Forrest Toy Sc Wing Hal Derwin Ore Ciro's Patty Andrews Wally Weschler Dominique Hal Losian Geri Galian Ore Dick Stabile Ore Crescendo Billy Daniels Rene Touzet Oro Mocambo Rudy Vallee Paul Hebert Ore. Marco Rizo Rhumba Ore Moulin Rouge Peters Sis Marquis Family Andrea Dcrs The Cabots Peiro Bros Ffolliott Charlton Jerry Gray Ore Statler Hotel Allan Jones Gil Lamb Zerbys (2) A1 Donahue Oro Belaire Trio LAS VEGAS NEW YORK CITY Count B Ba d s*e nd I M * rtha Davis & Blue Angel | Spouse Lucienne De Lylo Foursome Dunes Howard Keel Sam Levenson Lilo Dune Dancers Jay RubanofT Ore Flamingo Ella Fitzgerald Johnny Johnston Gene Baylos Teddy Phillips Thunderbird Mickey Shaugnessy Mon Van Vooren Irving Fields 3 Estelita & Chicuclo Thunderbird D’c’r’s Barnet Rawlings A1 Jahns Ore El Rancho vegas Eartha Kitt Lenny Kent Cover Girls Ted Fio Rito Ore Sahara Imogene Coca Amin Bros , Saharem p'c’r’s Cee Davidsbn Oro Sands Marguerite Piazza Louis Jordan Copa Girls Antonio Morrclli Ore Desert inn Don Arden Dncrs Carlton Hayes Ore New Frontier Red Buttons Four Aces Step Bros Garwood Van Oro Riviera Ames . Bros Larry Best Birk Twins Hal Belfer Dncrs Ray Sinatra Ore Showboat Joaquin Garay Dorian Dennis Garr Nelson Music Masters Golden Nugget Harry Ranch Ore Wingy Manone Four Dukes Ray Reynolds 5 Moulin Rouge Lionel Hampton Rev, Silver Slipper Hank Henry ■ Kalantan Darlene Cliff Ferre Sparky Kaye Denise Bennett Jimmy Cavanaugh George Redman Ore El Cortez Dr. Ellen Chris Powell Donna Kaye Helen Boice Sherman Hayes Ore M1AMI-MIAMI BEACH San Souci Hotel Dick Kallman Freddy Calo Ore Ann Herman Dcrs Fontainebleau Toni Arden Ron Eastman Elisa Jayne Sacasas Ore Balmoral Hotel Enrica Sc Novello Sonny Kendis Ore Wayne Carmichael 5 O'clock Tommy Raft H. S. Gump A1 Golden Parisian Rev Clover Club The Continentals (4) Dottle Dagmar Winnie Hoveler Dcs Elena Rankin Benson Duo Len Dawson Ore Empress Hotel Stuart Sc Samara Mandy Campo Ore Jack Kerr Saxony Hotel Lenny Maxwell Rita Constance Nlrma Dave Lester Orch Johnny Silvers Ore Robert Rhodes Sea Isle Hotel S Hoffman Ore Patsy Abbott Vanity Fair Othella Dallas Chico Cuban Boy* Arlene Fontana Sorrento Hotel Alan Kole Ore Johnina Hotel Bill Harris Combo Andy Martin Quartet Roney Plaza Juan Sc Jose Cortez Ore Place Plgalle The Wick-Wacks April Ames Fausto Curbelo Ore Leon & Eddie's Lisa Lynn Darlene Kellar Dagmar Girls Nautilus Hotel Jay Lawrence Phyllis Arnold Antorte Sc Ina Syd Stanley Ore HAVANA Troplcana Gloria & Rolando Meckansant Singers Emelita Dago Nancy Moren Maria Julia Henry Boyer Paul Diaz Troplcana Ballet S Suarez Orq A Romeu Orq Montmartre Manolo Torrent* Montes De Oco Angelita Castany Marcia Marcos P. Godino Casino Playa Orq Fajardo Orq RENO Mapes Skyroom Dave Barry Tippy Sc Cobina Skylets Eddie Fitzpatrick New Goldeti Four Coins Yvonne Moray- Royal Whirlwinds D. Kramer Dcrs. Will Osborne Ore • Riverside Joanne Gilbert Nita Sc Peppi Starlets (8) Bill Clifford Ore New Arg. Regime —— Continued from page 2 —— t cissitudes of a civil servant under Mussolini was stymied as well as with the American documentary, “Could It Happen Again?’' Latter was made by the U. S. Navy Club from pictures confiscated from the Nazi’s own archives. As to “Rome, Open City,” though it had been released in 1947, Apold held up subsequent re¬ issue, to prevent the public mak¬ ing invidious comparisons. A fourth “delayed” production was the Spanish “Lola Montes” biopic. Evidently Apold felt the similarity between the career of Louis of Bavaria’s actress chere amie and that of Eva Peron was too close for comfort, so his ver¬ dict was “no corre” (it doesn’t run) —to use the favorite expression with which he damned careers, lives, newspapers, film productions and American newsreels. Prior to the Peron regime, the Casino at Mar del Plata was oper¬ ated under a concession by film- producer Miguel Machinandiarena, who was expected to devote a heavy proportion of the earnings to encouragement of local indus¬ tries. San Miguel film studios, now shuttered, was built on Casino earnings since the industry which received most encouragement was the picture biz which the conces¬ sionaire understood the most. Eva Duarte de Peron was under contract to San Miguel, and made two pictures, one “Cabalgata de Circo,” being released before the actress became the dictator’s wife. The second pic, “La Prodiga” (The Prodigal), was presented by the producer to Eva Peron when she became first lady, and the print has not yet come to light in all the Peron loot. This gift of an unre¬ leased picture did not serve, as was hoped, to safeguard the lucra¬ tive Casino concession for the film- producer, whose San Miguel stu¬ dios have been shuttered for sev¬ eral years. Now Cinematografica Interamer- icana (Guthmann) is readying re¬ lease of a Mexican picture, “Gran Casino,” in which Eva Peron’s vic¬ tim, Libertad Lamarque, played the lead, shortly after her exile from Argentina. “Casino” will be re¬ leased when Madame Lamarque re¬ turns here shortly. Currently she is working for Filmex in Mexico on “Bodas de Oro” (Golden Wed¬ ding) with Arturo de Cordova, under Tito Davison’s direction. Polo Grounds 1 Continued from page 1 larger capacity, North states the terms are much more advanta¬ geous than the $16,000 a day the Ringling Circus shells out during its N. Y. run at the Garden. Terms are $10,000-a-day flat rental and the “extras”—ushers, charwomen, personnel, etc.—come to $6,000 additionally per week. North says Horace Stoneham has long bid for the Ringling show to play the Polo Grounds, and if the nylon Big Top works out it may set a new pattern for circuses for ballparks and kindred stadia, and in all sorts of weather. The Polo Grounds would cur¬ tail the circus* Gotham run a bit' because it would have to be out by April 15 to make room for the Giants’ advent. Ringling’s open¬ ings are traditionally around Easter. North clarifies a few more things. One, there is no stock-swap deal on, or pending, or even be¬ ing talked about, as regards Ar¬ thur M. Wirtz, Jim Norris, Ned Irish or anybody. The Garden ne¬ gotiation is just for rental-period. (The Garden has mentioned the Clyde Beatty Circus as substitute for Ringling, when and. if negotia¬ tions don’t jell). TV Shows Set As regards Milton Pickman, who formerly supervised the RB&B publicity setup, while he is no longer in that spot he (Pickman) has set up two fancy television deals with General Foods for the Ringling show. One is for Dec. 16, as a pre-Xmas color spec (NBC), and the other is for the opening of the new season, fanfare. .^Torth looks upon tv as an ally, and not as a boxoffice deterrent. Business has been good, says the showman, who’s now in New York for a week and is slated to rejoin the circus on the road some time next week. Pickman recently left the setup in order to devote his time to the television and film activities of the circus. He agented the original deal between the Ringlings and Paramount which resulted in the Academy Award winning film, “Greatest Show on Earth.” He also set up televising the circus opener last spring. Pickman states that his duty with the circus was to supervise all directives given by North. Ac¬ tual execution was entrusted to the Monroe Greenthal Agency. His assumption of ad directorship was done at North’s request after Ro¬ land Butler left the show. Benton & Bowles is now at work setting up the first Ringling spec of the fall season which will orig¬ inate from the show’s winter quar¬ ters at Sarasota, Fla. If the Polo Grounds deal is con¬ summated, it’s likely that a similar deal will be sought with Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, and the circus would resume its annual dates in Long Island. Latter is a much big¬ ger community than it used to be and it’s probable that the Ringling Circus could do a week in some central spot in that area. It’s also figured that while the circus and the Garden can be say¬ ing to each other that I can get along without you very well, they may get together quietly on some compromise arrangement. It hap¬ pens that five years ago during the previous hassle over the rental of the Garden, the Cole Bros. Circus, then owned by Arthur M. Wirtz, an important Garden stockholder, was held in reserve by the Garden, Latin Lands — j. Continued from page 4 flow of some .dollars to N. Y. but Argentina never put this into ef¬ fect and as a result nearly all earnings have remained unthawed. On the production front, it’s noted that American producers have been giving Europe, Africa and Japan a pictorial workout but properties backgrounded in S. A. are rare. In line with this, Gold¬ en observed that Peru particularly has sock scenic values. (In the first such television deal of its kind, Gross-Krasne Productions in association with Marshall Grant and John Rawlins have entered a pact with Peruvian localites, the latter to lens the terrain and landmarks to backdrop G-K mate¬ rial shot in Hollywood). Situation -in Brazil is indicative of the lids placed on ticket prices. First-run admission is 14c and this goes down to only a few pennies in subsequent houses. Only relaxa¬ tion of this came a year ago when 20th-Fox was given an okay for an 18c price in the deluxers for its CinemaScope films. Government sources are now promising a step- up in the scale. But the problem throughout the area is a political one. Pix are the outstanding means of entertain¬ ment and governmental office holders fear the public would rebel (and vote them out of employment) if they were to endorse heftier ad¬ mission costs. Another obstacle for the Yanks to hurdle is the anti- U. S. sentiment throughout S. A. Golden noted this in all countries with the exceptions of Peru and Uruguay. • lOOG-Plus ‘Champ’ cs Continued from page i the ultimate gain, tinder the UA- Bryna deal, the Indie outfit comes in for what’s described as a “sub- P erceQ tage — reportedly 30%—of profits, with Douglas tak¬ ing 50% and UA, 20%. The flat 100G price, however, includes Aurthur’s and Suskind’s services plus the Jonathan staff where re¬ quired. Apparently .this is. partly why the percentage arrangement came into focus as. incentive. Re¬ gardless, it’s still the highest price for a teleplay, far ahead of “Marty,” the Paddy Chayefsky tVer produced by Hecht-Lancaster with author doing the screenplay and his “TV Playhouse” director Delbert Mann, dittoing 6n the film! “Marty,” brought in for approxi¬ mately $250,000, may prove oiit as the indie phenomenon of the last decade or so, based on its current grosses and future gains. “Shadow of a Champ” is in a sihiilar. off¬ beat class. Chayefsky and Aur- thur. .were stablemat.es on “TV Playhouse” when . packaged for years and until recently by Talent Associates, out of which Jonathan has emerged, with the latter title taken from the name of Aurthur’s young son. m .-.W fr ' A ■ ' ... — ‘Sergeants’ Continued from page 1 purchase of the .property. In addi¬ tion, the deal calls for weekly pay¬ ments equal to 10% of the gross on profitable weeks, to a $2.5,000 ceiling. The production gets 40% of that, less commissions (the authors share the customary 60% bal¬ ance), or about $1,30Q a week at capacity. That will give the show a total of about $5,20(f for four weeks. That, plus the approxi¬ mate $48,000 operating profit and $36,000 picture inebme, will bring the total revenue to nearly $90,- 000 for the initial four weeks. Incidentally, WB bougrft “Ser¬ geants” prior to its production and without seeing a script. Other studios also had a chance at the property, but reportedly preferred to wait for the dramatized version. The picture cannot be released un¬ til three years after the show’s Broadway bow. There are no immediate plans for a second company. The produc¬ tion would have to be revamped somewhat for the road because of its complicated scenic and lighting hookup. World Copyright a—. Continued from page 2 =a repeal of the 1911 Act and the in¬ troduction of a new measure which will extend copyright protection to television and sound broadcasts as well as disks and films. In regard to motion pictures, the new bill is designed to clarify the position of individual rights and protection will extend over a per¬ iod of 25 years. Basic copyrights of authors and composers, how¬ ever, will remain as at present. The bill introduces a new prin¬ ciple in according protection for radio and tv, and rights. will be vested in both the BBC and the Independent Television Authority. Both media will be protected against copying or rebroadcasting and, additionally, telecasts will en¬ joy an exhibiting right. This latter provision may make illegal the use of tv receivers in hotels and bars unless a special fee is paid. Esso Bldg. Continued from page 2 (30) but an all-day rain delayed the shooting until Monday. As a result, the Col cameramen were not always sure their film caught the paid extras or the regular stream of office workers going in and out of the building. Judy Holliday and Paul Douglas were on hand for the shooting. Col also has another location crew in town shooting, scenes for “The Harder They Fall” with Humphrey Bpgart. Scenes were shot on Eighth Ave., along the docks, and in Peter Cooper Vil¬ lage. Following the N.Y. scene, “Harder” heads for several days of shooting in Chicago. “Cadillac”, spent a few days in Washington before moving to Gotham- Wednesday, November 2, 1955 PfiRiEfr house REVIEWS 67 Chicago, CHI * Chicago, Oct. 29. Jim Lounsbury, * Eddie Hub- hard, Hilltoppers (4), (with Jimmy Sacc’a), Art Van Damme Quintet, ,Mck Noble, Lenny Colyer, Lassies, lou Basil Orch; "Sincerely Yours" (WB). _^ • This show is emceed by t^o well- known local deejays, Jim Louns- b U ry and Eddie Hubbard, who try steal the show from each other. This d.)e c n’t help the unity of the display at all. They take turns at introducing the acts and both do their own small bits. Hubbard sings a deejay parody ifvo’ving around loPal personali¬ ties and pop hits, garnering a few chuckles. Lounsbury does a clar¬ inet solo while getting into the Lassies’ act, for good returns. The Hilltoppers, featuring Jimmy Sacca, head the bill and turn in a more than acceptable version of the male pop quartet. Sacca leads and dominates the group with a strong voice; the rest provide on- beat rhythmic backing and tuneful harmony. Rep includes their past Dot click, “Till Then,” as well as their interp of “Only You.” Quar¬ tet gets good reaction and goes off to lusty palms. The Art Van Damme Quintet (drums, vibes, electric guitar, ac¬ cordion and bass does cool jazz in- terps of pop faves for okay re¬ sponse. Drum solo on “Rock Around The Clock” goes over big, as does their “Wake the Town.” Group is kind of topheavy with the rhythm instruments, but the sound is modern, and appreciated by the customers. Lenny Colyer is the comic on the bill and gets a goodly number of yocks with carbons of Gary Cooper, Johnnie Ray, Gabby Hayes, Robert Mitchum, et al. His creaky Walter Brennan and snarling Ed¬ ward G. Robinson bits get hefty yocks. Tied in with a gag here and there, Colyer’s routine is bought by the house. The Lassies and Nick Noble are under New Acts. Opening day (28), Liberace and brother George appeared in per¬ son on all six shows, plugging their pic. ~*Liberace played, to the delight of his fans, such widely diverse numbers as “Twelfth Street Ray” and Chopin’s “Polo¬ naise,” with brother George doing a few licks on the fiddle for good measure. House was filled with devotees, natch, and every word of goodnatured banter was devoured by the fans. Lou Basil does the usual fine job of backing. Gabe. Bobino, Paris Paris, Nov. 1. Gilbert Becaud, Ciro Rimac Co. (4), Miss Malta (3), Daniele Du¬ pre, Sim, Marthys (3), Igolen & Rita, Trio Katheryn Orly, Jean Valton; $1.70 top. balancing that underline the gags. This is a tour-de-force number and solid item for ,U. S. vaude and video. Sim is a simian-faced impres¬ sionist whose imitations of trains, auto accidents, etc., bring him on well, and then he proceeds to get heavy yocks with his takeoffs on various types of sopranos in an enticing series of falsettos. He is funny and clever and audience shows its appreciation. Jean Val¬ ton mimics well-known actors and has enough, good material and voiee facsimile to make this a pleasant item of this type. Igolen & Rita supply the magico in a deft series of gimmick and sleight-of- hand work that makes for a snap¬ py entry. Trio Katheryn Orly. is an acro-dance tidbit with a blonde being tossed about by two muscle men. Timing is good and throws daring, for an okay act in this or¬ bit. Putting on the dog is Miss Malta (3), in which wife, hubby and son put some uncanny canines through a series of bright human escapades. Dogs seem to lead men’s lives, and it is a titillating canine act. Mosk, Palace, N. Y. Billy & Ann Stan Harper, Fay De Witt, Milt Douglas & Priscilla, Terrace & Gray, Jaye Bros. (2), Gaudsmith Bros., Wilfred Mae Trio; "Illegal ” (WB) reviewed in Variety Aug. 31, ’55. Bobino booker deserves a pat on the back for the best-balanced show to hit the boards this season. The return of Gilbert Becaud from the U.S. as headliner, plus a bevy of boffo backers, makes for a savvy all-around vauder that should be SRO during its three- week run. It seems almost axiomatic that Gallic chanters, after a sojourn in the U.S., return with some new attitudes and comportment, and Becaud is no exception. Though as dynamic as ever, he has cur¬ tailed his free-wheeling activities into a more savvy pattern and he displays a surety of effect and pacing 'that was not quite at its Peak during the last time he Played a music hall here. He gives a 50-minute stint that is a bright package of solid songs, un¬ forced boyishness, patter and bom- Dast, that leaves 1,he audience stamping for more. Becaud is now a regular bigtime song name here, a nd some new ballads, such as “Les "a’.adiPs,” help maintain his niche Un the other hand, another sing- bb^-ry, Daniele Dupre, does her at the top of her voice. It is a good, strong, belting affair, but she iiov ms ^ s Pli nt er the chande- Tl f, ’ and this house doesn’t even i,, , e , one ! More interpreting of the ♦•> a ir!« ’ A bodice of some more toned-down entries, and . n °i e , care * n Physical presence inni . anc .e. would make this ripe- ooking girl a good singing act. As w,. / ring y- lon e hairdo and a u d sweater combo do not be- her more voluptuous femme , Revamping and style are as bef ° re , this Sirl can rale i S sta P le entry here and as chances possibility for Stateside sidc h ?f ? imac C°- *4) adds a broad- and SL trene S? can0ca rhythming and c d n nCe - Rimac is in fi ne form intPH? 3 ! 15 ^ terp routines and song Mnlt ude s make this a pleasfer comipft S 2 w a * re pair of deadpan tomico acrobats whose fun is ifne, u e to excellent coordination and] Mixture, of new and old faces makes for pleasant entertainment in the Palace bill. There’s nothing, outstanding in the layout but the eight-act sesh has its satisfying mo¬ ments. On hand again for the umpteenth time are the Gaud- smith Bros., whose comedy antics with their uncooperative dogs are still effective. Newcomers include comedienne Fay De Witt and dance team of Terrace & Gray (both reviewed under New Acts), as well as the Jaye Bros., singing-comedy duo. The Jayes, who are promising fugi¬ tives from Philadelphia musical bars, work briskly in mimicking such people as Martin & Lewis and score handily With nostalgic and contemporary song. Show gets underway with the Negro terp team of Billy & Ann. Their stepping is. conventional, but a snappy windup gets them off to okay returns. Stan Harper, in the deuce, is a harmonica virtuoso who embellishes such varied tunes as “Yellow Rose of Texas” and the allegro from Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with /trick effects. He wins a neat reception. Milt Douglas and Priscilla, ver¬ satile comedy turn, click in fast repartee as husband and wife who exchange banter over a breakfast table. Winding up the bill is the Wilfred Mae Trio. Wilfred Greg¬ ory. assisted by two femmes, again registers in his hoop juggling which by now can be regarded as a classic exhibition of the art. Gilb. Apollo, N. Y. Marie Knight, Otis Williams 1 Charms, Nipsey Russell, Willie John, Georgie Smith, Jack' Dupree, Lou Elliott, Crip Heard, Earl King, Hat, Cane & Tray, Hal Singer Band (12); “Ring of Fear" (WB). The Apollo appeal this week is based on the “get it for you whole¬ sale” chant for, instead of the usual six or eight turns, there are 11 playing the boards. Show doesn’t run any longer than reg¬ ularly, hence each act merely has less to do. Value of the few good acts available is aborted by time and weakened by wholesale talent delivery. , Show Is set as sort of a revue, with comedian Nipsey Russell in¬ tegrating the whole. Most of the performances are in the rock ’n’ roll idiom, and therefore it looks as if the theatre is trying, for as lit¬ tle cash as possible, to duplicate the b.o. success of similar many-act re¬ vues packaged by Dr. Jive, Harlem deejay, who, incidentally, moves in one of his shows at the end of this week. Six of the acts are new, and that includes show star Marie Knight, who gained most of her rep here¬ abouts as the partner of Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Miss Knight gives a highly capable performance. New actors Hat, Cane & Tray; Earl King, and Otis Williams’ Charms appear before vet one-legged dancer Crip Heard revitalizes mat¬ ters without wooden-leg or crutch, he does nimble tap, almost making pewsters forget his handicap. He’s followed by Lou Elliott, fe¬ male ex-vocalist for Duke Elling¬ ton and Erskine Hawkins. Femme has a unique style; it’s a real stri¬ dent rumble, and crowd mitts her | heavily for it. Jack Dupree and George Smith, also New Acts, fol¬ low, and then Willie John, teenage r&b belter. John has sprouted a little since last time seen, and with this growth he appears to have lost ingenuousness that was behind his popularity. Throughout, of course, is joke- ster Russell, who does a parody of the Eisenower administration by means of a paraphrased “Lord’s Prayer” that is among the funniest routines at the Apollo in weeks. Every now and again his material is found to need cleaning up for vaude standards, but Russell is one of the few people who give any form to the jumble of values at the Apollo now. Hal Singer band of¬ fers erratic support to the various musical acts. . Art. at the Fair” is a Gay ’90s period choreo with humorous touches, and the finale on a Scotch theme puts the Ames into some Highland flinging. Will. Black Orchid, Chi * Chicago, Oct. 11. Mello-Larks (4), Terry Haven, Celal Inge, Joe Parnello, Al De Marco; $4 minimum. Empire, Glasgow Glasgow, Oct. 27. Ray Bums, Bill McGuffie, Syd & Max Harrison, Albert & Les Ward, Al Richards & Yolanda , Hans Bela & Mary, Krandon & Kama, Renee Dymott, Bobby Dowds Orch. Ray Burns and Bill McGuffie, singer and pianist from the BBC “Show Band” series, top this aver¬ age-quality layout. Support bill is unfair to the polished headliners. Bums, pleasing singer, uses a wise, wide choice of tunes-that ap¬ peal to all tastes. He opens with “Spread a Little Happiness,” then into “Blue Star,” and scores strong¬ ly with “Go On By,” “Give a Fool a Chance” and “Mobile.” Towards close of his act, Bill Mc¬ Guffie (who has Wound the first half of layout) slips into the pian¬ ist’s chair and plays for his col¬ league’s singing of “Tea for Two” and “Name Was Mary.” McGuffie, Glasgow-born, also scores strongly in his piano spot, which includes “This Is My Be¬ loved,” “Learnin’ the Blues” and the oldie, “Blue Danube.” Also clicks with impressions of pianists Charlie Kunz, George Shearing and Winifred’Atwell, and has the customers joining in the local tune, "I Belong to Glasgow.” Albert & Les Ward, comedy-in¬ strumental twosome, are best of the support, and win palming with a cartoon calypso, travesty of film cartoon characters. Syd & Max Harrison -work hard in familiar comedy crosstalk. Richards & Yo¬ landa almost lull the customers to sleep with slow-time knockabout to background of soporific music. A luminous juggling act by Hans Bela & Mary, balancing by the mixed* duo of Krandon & Kama, and mixture of dancing and contor¬ tion by Renee Dymott complete the bill. Showbacking is by the ^f’^by Dowds orch. Gord. Night Club Reviews g—^ Continued from page 65 Riviera, kits Vegas each year found them further along, not only as a quartet dish¬ ing up the latest tunes, but as a highly entertaining unit able to swing a headline slot. The break¬ through into toplining status was concomitant with their disk suc¬ cesses. The act of this Riviera Novem¬ ber is not based upon the singing of record reprises alone, but also spot solos by Ed; Gene and Vic in an old-timey song and dance; Joe’s booming “Toreador Song,” and turns of impreshes. Around these are placed harmony highlights, and the extended conclusion with the sock “Four Brothers” songsaga. Ed is the affable pilot and Vic garners chuckles via some mugging for breakups. Al Simola gives expert keyboard accomping and Harry Geller batons the very solid Ray Sinatra orch with knowing hand. Larry Best gravely tosses his funnyman hat into the formidable Vegas ring, where the going can be plenty rough if material is too familiar or not up to par. First off, he tries with a batch of Vegas gags which fail to arouse much interest, then takes a tune tack into a spe¬ cial “Night Clubs For Me” based Manhattan Tower” theme, in which the only .live joke stems from a Myron Cohen impresh. His scat a . la Danny Kaye comes through very well for approbation, but followup westerner giving di¬ rections to Vegas-bound traveler is pointless. More vocal sound effect gags go into limbo because of in¬ adequate finishes until he does a narrative “City After Midnight” to win best mitting for a closing soaper-lype vignet in Italian dia¬ lect. Birk Twins show tyro character¬ istics in the aero field, via a suc¬ cession of gymnasium exercises rather than a canny development of tricks, to grab utmost effect for applause. They do, however, reveal a fresh, youthful vigor in flash pushups, lifts, aero flings and the two-high and fall is a gasper to merit a good getoff hand. Hal Belfer,. in certain-raising ‘What a Good Life,” sets a glitter¬ ing quasi-Viennese operetta round with Byron Wood and Barbara Ford in the vocal duets. “Sunday, A smash closing act and two not-so smash supporting turns characterize the current bill at this Rush St. intimery. But the total, effect of the card should be to keep biz happily perking' during this three-weeker’s run. The Mello-Larks, three males and a femme, are an on-the-way-up vocal group whose large impact is directly proportional to their savvy showmanship, uncomplicated but effective arrangements and their excellent programming. This turn keeps everybody awake with peppy business to complement the singing. They handle them¬ selves smoothly and confidently on what is a very limited stage; their precise, polished act tells a story of painstaking rehearsal and slickly dovetailed teamwork. The guys surround the doll as admiring swains should, the better to set off her eye-popping looks. Femme is delightfully costumed in an un¬ usual combination of off-the-shoul- der bodice, toreador pants, and billowing skirt. Terry Haven does a comedy stint that never quite gets off the ground here. Miss Haven does carbons of Pearl Bailey, Martha Raye, Sophie Tucker and only the Rave impres¬ sion really scores. Her English-by- foreigners bits in a “Miss Universe” number never really hit the mark and a spate of closing cornball gags don’t either. Celal Inge is billed as a Turkish import who came to the United States seven months ago. This singer has achieved a remarkable degree of fluency in English for one so lately arrived, so much so that at-times one detects an almost colloquial American tone in his songs. Somehow the turn achieves a sameness throughout which de¬ stroys the interest a more varied delivery would command. There is variety enough in programming, with French, Turkish and Ameri¬ can songs included, but the deliv¬ ery has little drama. Competent backing is provided by Joe Parnello at the piano and Al De Marco on the bass. Gabe. Scots Guards (MADISON SQ. GARDEN) Gray’s Band Box, L. A. Los Angeles, Oct. 20. Maxie Rosenbloom, Sid Fields, Sammy Wolfe, Sid Gary, Smith Twins, Bea Sweet, Gerry Dolin yTrio; minimum $3. Familiar material saves the day this new layout which Billy Gray has tagged “Shower of Scars” in honor of star Maxie Rosenbloom. The show generates its best laughs when Rosenbloom is doing his own stuff, as he did in partnership with Max Baer, and when he deviates, intentionally or otherwise, from the sketch mate¬ rial. Remainder of the show is a melange of burlesque humor trouped by Sid Fields and Sammy Wolfe (who have found a new home now that Charley Foy’s has closed) and some so-so music from the Smith Twins and veteran' Sid Gary. Boniface Billy Gray climbed on stage after the initial 100 -minute show and announced he was going to “cut.” What he should do, is get into the show. Fields brings Rosenbloom on for “This Is Your Life” takeoff to start the proceedings, but the sketch has all too few laugh, lines. Maxie, a born clown, rises above it and wins a hand on a "Mr. Brando” song satire pegged around their diction similarities. He’s at his best, though, in the standup stuff with Fields and Wolfe heckling, hurling the lines Baer once had. Bea Sweet, a stripper, is also around for some peeling during a Rosenbloom number, a la Professor Lamberti. Fields provides okay straight work and Wolfe has some more of his vocal impersonations, the best of them being a Liberace item. Song chores are divided between the Smith Twins and Gary, and neither act shows any great dis¬ position to sing the tunes in the keys in which they were written. Gals particularly are off and the overdone staging doesn’t help. Gary tricks it out with a show biz medley, including a takeoff on George Jessel singing “My Moth¬ er’s Eyes” offkey. Latter got up to nail the canard and pounded it over as writ. And Milton Berle, for whom Gary has performed on tv, was also around to steal some laughs. These, however, were strictly opening-night bits and won’t help the show in the weeks ahead. Kap. A lot of celebration has been caused by the Sol Hurok importa¬ tion of the Regimental Band and Massed Pipers of the Scots Guard, one of Queen Elizabeth’s home troops, which is a highlight of the Edinburgh Festival. The boxoffice of this British import has been just short of phenomenal. True, it’s a famous organization in the mother country, and has been in¬ troduced to U.S. audiences via Cinerama. However, it’s b.o. strength has been in areas that have never been touched by the tri-camera process. Consequently, it must be as¬ sumed that there is a considerably deeper reason for its tremendous popularity. The one-night appear¬ ance of this more than 100 -strong contingent at Madison Square Gar¬ den, N.Y., last week (Thurs.) was huzzahed by a packed house loaded even up to the nose-bleed sections. House was sold out four weeks in advance, and at intermission it was announced that repeats would be given Dec. 5 and 11, seats going on sale at intermission and after the show. Advance sales of $3,500 was recorded that nljjht and the gross of Thursday’s performance came to $40,000. The reception of the colorfully- garbed redcoat band and the bag¬ pipers was due to more than thea¬ trical performance. It was an un¬ usual Garden audience. Many of the gents came in with dinner jack¬ ets of ancient vintage and the burr of Scotland was mixed with an Oxonian accent. To a crowd such as this, the formations and band mu¬ sic must have been a living form of greetings from the Empire. To many, it must have recalled the Changing of the Guard at the palace, and the colorful ceremoni¬ als of one of the few royal house¬ holds in Europe. They v'ere ac¬ knowledging more than a per¬ formance, but seemed to be return¬ ing the greetings from abroad, the recollections of a younger day and cheering for the continuation of the traditions and pageantry sur¬ rounding the monarchy. The au¬ dience at the Garden that night would have voted for the return of the colonies to the mother coun¬ try, had anyone brought up the subject. The band and pipers put on a robust display. Everybody had a jolly good time. The band de¬ voted the first half to regimental marches, with Col. Lt. Col S. Rhodes, senior director of Music of Her Majesty's Household Bri¬ gade, wielding the baton. The rhythms, were precise and the mu¬ sic well-disciplined. The band de- parted from the traditional marches to contribute “Swan Lake,” “Marche Slav” and “Sicilian Vespers,” and cornet soloist Sgt. F. Muscroft triple-tongued “II Bacio.” He was joined by musician F. Hargreaves in a display of lip dexterity with "Ida & Dot.” However, the Scots pipers caused the major loss of restraint. It is infrequent that a sweet musical quality and folk-feeling can be detected in the pipes, but this group did it with their traditional marches and formations. How¬ ever, the crowd’s cup of joy just overflowed when an octet of Scot dancers took to the floor with the traditional terps. When yells by the dancers were in order, the en¬ tire house joined them. The dan¬ cers exhibited ballet-like litheness. It was indeed a show that ex¬ hibited a regard for tradition, in¬ strumentation and ancestry and what’s more, the foray of the Scots Guards again demonstrates the practical b.o. values of ties across the sea. This theory was upset, about a year ago when one showman im¬ ported the Irish Guards of the Glyndebourne Festival. This im¬ presario figured that in such Irish strongholds as Boston there would be a veritable bonanza. He forgot to note that the Irish Guards are members of the British Army, and therefore regarded as traitors to the cause of Irish independence. The venture was picketed by Irish groups and there weren’t enough Orangemen left to support it. The Scots Guard has the right appeal, not only to Britons and emigres from that Empire, but for a lot of other national elements. According to the reception ac¬ corded them, the second appear¬ ance at this hall will also probably sell out. Hurok’s kilt-complex is big money. Jose. LEGITIMATE Shows Out of Town The Lark The Matelunakor Philadelphia, Oct. 27. Boston, Oct. 28. Philadelphia, Oct. 27. Kermit Bloomgarden production of Theatre Guild and David Merrick pro¬ drama in two acts, adapted by Lillian duction of comedy in two acts (four Heilman from Jean Anouilh’s "L'Alou- scenes), by Thornton Wilder. Stars Rulh ette.'.’ Stars Julie Harris; features Boris Gordon, Eileen Herlie, Eddie Mayehoff; ste,in. At Plymouth, Boston, Oct. 28, 5 d; At Locust Street Theatre, Phlia., Oct. 27, $4.40 top. '55; $4.80 top. Warwick .. Christopher Plummer Horace Vandergelder.... .Eddie Mayehoff Cauchon .. Boris Karloff Ambrose Kemper.Alexander Davion Joan ... Julie Harris Joe Scanlon . Philip Leeds Her Father.Ward Costello Gertrude .. Charity Grace Mother ... Lois Holmes Cornelius Hackl . Arthur Hill Brother .. John Reese Ermengarde .. Prunella Scales The Promoter.Roger De Koven Malachi Stack .Patrick McAlinney The Inquisitor .. Joseph Wiseman. Mrs. Levi . Ruth Gordon Brother Ladvenu.Michael Higgins Barnaby Tucker.Robert Morse Robert de BeauricOurt... .Theodore Bikel Mrs. Molloy . Eileen Herlie Agnes Sorel .Ann HiUary Minnie Fay .Rosamund Greenwood The Young Queen .Joan Elun Cabman .. Peter Bayliss The Dauphin .. Paul Robeling Rudolph, Waiter .. William Lanteau Queen Yolande . Rita Vale August, Walter .. John Milligan Archbishop of Rheims. .Richard Nicholls Musician . . Philip Leeds Captain La Hire . Bruce Gordon Miss Flora Van Huysen... Esme Church Executioner . Ralph Roberts Cook ...... Christine Thomas English Soldier . Ed Knight _ Court Ladies, Monks, Soldiers: Ruth Maynard. Elizabeth Laurence, Michael Thornton Wilder’s drolly, off- Price, Joe Bernard, Michael Conrad, beat and flavorsome COmedy, “The ward 1 *croWer ards ° n ' MiU ° n Katselas * Ed ' Matchmaker,” seems destined to Choral singers: Russell Oberiin. Pauline repeat in America its artistic ac- Seim. Betty Wilson, Jean Hakes, Charles c l a i m i n Edinburgh and subsequent Bressler. Arthur Burrow,. Broytou Bowls. success in London . But it wiU prob . ‘■The Lark," on its pre-Broadway »«£ b .L a „ 'Tlf?S breakin status, looms as a stirring " as for West En vehicle of hit proportion, which ,, SET. spectacular switch ir/pro^ SSE duction, unconventional in for- M^rriVk 6 rlime^sMuence^irs also iTal- JecTded t^brlng ov^ mlsf of the ^a! l Tor Se & e 4 , S subject a to “•fife °Lill°“# Heilman* adaptation “ u Si?3de b |^n“JmUMttld < ?hi of Jean Anouilh’s “L’Alouette” J § a ?,Vh proves strong drama, with Julie ®, ett ng and author ale a11 Harris in a fervid, impassioned . performance and a brilliant cameo far*Hhmi as Joan of Arc. Her “Joan” is a ! f £ r ®* happy one, all things considered, J? r{ th*» c e 4?* Vw C 'TaMh" P ,!H~ and she scintillates throughout the two acts with a dazzling display of “ la *, mLY ‘S histrionics. ( Anouilh's original “L’Alou- ette” was a major success in Paris, and a British edition, translated by Christopher Fry and titled “The Lark ,” was a click last' season at the non • West s End Lyric, Hammer¬ smith, London, with Dorothy Tutin in the title role .— Ed.) The play makes no attempt to many-faceted talents. Much of it has tlffc flavor of English comedies of the Sheridan-Goldsmith school, but there is also an inevitable parallel to the Irish theatre, plus a touch that is strictly Wilder’s own. Also, there is more than a dash of frankly Hollywood slap¬ stick, which somehow blends neatly with the author’s luminous and often memorable dialog. For American audiences, the solve the mystery of Joan, but news of the occasion, second only dramatizes the travail of a human to the brilliance of Wilder’s writ- } soul. The dialogue is sharp, witty ing, is that Ruth Gordon gives and robust, with plenty of Anglo perhaps the greatest performance Saxon words, including sex, bed- of her career as the conniving but ding and politics, providing heavy lovable Mrs. Levi. This is the role laugh lines. of the Yonkers widow (early 1880’s) This adaptation, although of a who sets her cap for the wealthy sombre tinge, doesn’t get too much Horace Vandergelder, the title so, and rather seeks to present a character of Wilder’s earlier ver- “happv” Joan as much as possible, sion of the play, called ‘.The Mer¬ it’s a‘big production and depends chant of Yonkers,” a Broadway greatly on lighting effects, as flop of 1938-39. ’ flashbacks go on throughout the Miss Gordon is sensational. The trial scene, with judges and prose- actress, generally an exponent of cutor being blacked out onstage. stiff-lipped, realistic under-playing, A single platform stage is used, .here gives a lusty and forthright designed and lighted magnificently performance that is both indescrib- by Jo Mielziner. The play opens able and irresistible, with the trial, reverts to Joan’s Eddie Mayehoff does a bang-up first hearing of the voices all the job as the wealthy merchant, and way through the French court to a personable and infectious British the recantation and the burning, comedienne, Eileen Herlie, gives a It’s an impressive job in lighting knockout repeat of her co-starring and direction. London performance. As a frolic- Boris Karloff turns in an author!- fothe milliner, also a widow. Miss tive, forceful portrayal of the Cau- Herlie has many of the play s best chon, Joan’s prosecutor, who in sc ®P.i s - , . e this treatment is tender and sym- Otheir skillful performances are pathetic, and wishes for the Maid’s 2 lven b Y ®ill as 3 romantlc spiritual deliverance. Outstanding c l er £» Esme Church as a matron is Joseph Wiseman as the Inquisi- far-from Victonan standards, tor. who declares that the enemy Patrick McAllinney as a bibulous of his organization “is the natural fF lsh ' man-of-all-work Peter Bay- man *» liss as a philosophical cabby and Paul Robeling, as the Dauphin, ** ^ S?™ BriUsh stagfr T^one Guthrie has done a brilliant directorial job, ac S %1^ r TTnai?c S h but there are some ends still to be nf Halit e ^ ? ; h caught up, notably the climax of fant and^xtremelv effective ^oer" the re£ >taurant scene, which over- does the slapstick mood. Tanya Moiseiwitsch’s settings and cos- K acting as Robert He tumes are a delight 5 Y , T .„. T , If any one basic theme is charac- This Joan- that Lillian Heilman teristic of “The Matchmaker,” it is hasjwolved is not magnificent, pre- that money is not only the tradi- tentious or spiritual, but rather an tional root of evil, but also of ordinary girl who led an army and pretty much everything else. The delivered France more through various characters’ ideas on this common sense and shrewd manipu- subject; delivered directly to the lations than from instruction on audience from the footlights, is one 111 ® 11 - of the purposely-artificial devices On this basis, the story line is Wilder uses so well. They add im- dei't and entertaining, with the measurably to the warm, friendly superb dialogue ranging from and intimate appeal of a play that ecclesiastical to modern colloquial provides unusual and provocative references to brothels and beds, theatre. Waters. The burning scene is nicely han¬ dled offstage and is neither ma¬ cabre nor horrifying, but rather a natural and sought-for develop- As I S©o It Toronto, Oct. 12 . Strachart-Syndies production of rc\ue i rnent. It is not the finale, as the two acts. Stars Araby Lockhart: features Cast returns to nrp<;ant “flip ban- 5 on . " Jl £;'• Music and lyrics. Robertson e P Davies, Dorothy Watkins. Joan Gray; piest time Of Joan,’ the coronation sketches, .Miss Lockhart. James KniglU; of tile Dauphin, as the curtain. iy us . i( v£l director, Dorothy Watkins. At r, . , ’ . _ tJ _ Hart Theatre, Toronto, Oct. 6, ’55; $3 ton. Costumes by Alvin Colt are fine _1_ and the special musical effects by Araby Lockhart is an established Leonard Bernstein fit the moods comedienne, but tends to be lim- admirably. Lark” is* a superior ited to satiric*! take-offs of the stage offering. It should make a cafe society and station wa«on resounding impression on Broad- set with which she is familiar. This wa Y* Guy . limits her audience appeal, but PfoRIETf _ she has an expressive face and physical mannerisms. Her wealh of material is perhaps best suited to cut-down posh nitery presenta¬ tion and/or television. Sometimes Miss Lockhart works in penetrat¬ ing sketches with Ron Bailey, but she is best on her own. She is light in spirit and very funny, particularly in her impres¬ sion of conversational luncheon patrons, “cultured” clubwomen or ballet devotees. McStay. Two Kilometers Right Hollywood, Oct. 26. Lou 8c Janet Brandt production of a comedy in three acts (five scenes), by Moshe Shamir; translation from Hebrew, Esther Zweig. Staged by Lou Brandt; setting, Moi Solotaroff. At New Play¬ house, Hollywood. Oct. 26, '55: $3.30 top. Kugelman .. Jules Davis Mori Levi . Avram Doryon Rachel .. Janet Brandt Jako . Gilbert Frye Simon Tov ..William Idelson Mazol Tov .. Soemah Wilder Rivka .. Laiola Wendorf Yael . Didi Rnmati Davidka ... Judson Taylor Naphtali . A1 Eben Katzman . Arno 'l’anney Mishka . George Spelvin Moshe . Jack Birnbaum Surveyor. Samuel M. Rosen American producers have for some time been eyeing the bustling vitality of the Israel theatre and pondering the American value of its home-grown product. First script to attract double-barreled attention is Moshe Shamir’s “Sof Haolam” (“End of the World”), which had a two-year run at the Ohel Theatre in Tel Aviv. It is get¬ ting its American prerhiere at the New Playhouse, via a translation by Esther Zweig, as “Two Kilo¬ meters Right,” while another ver¬ sion is being readied for a New York bow next month under the title “Highway Robbery." Opening night, all members of the cast were operating under noticeable tension, and the play proceeded with so many ad-libs and missed cues that the basic script may have been frequently lost. Ap¬ parently, despite the play’s good comedy premise, its appeal here will be largely sectarian. It should have a run locally at the New Play¬ house here, but its New .York prospects are questionable. The Shamir original is a spar¬ kling political satire, but much of its barbed, wit is lost in its new en¬ vironment. Plot concerns a tiny settlement that has waited two years for a road to connect it with the rest of the country. When the road construction crew is instructed to turn two kilometers to the right, the people of the settlement take drastic action, conspiring with the road gang to have the road follow its original course. Under the circ*mstances of the opening, the cast turned ih a re¬ markable job under Lou Brandt’s staging, Although all were notice¬ ably ill at ease, there was good work from Janet Brandt and Lai¬ ola Wendorf as members of the community and Arno Tanney, A1 Eben and Judson Taylor as con¬ struction workers. Latter partic¬ ularly impressed as a good film and tv bet. Moi Solotaroff’s murals provide realistic background. Kap. ‘BUS’PAYOFF NOW 130G FROM 2 COS., PIC SALE Backers of “Bus Stop,” currently .in its 36th week at Music Box, N.Y., have received a 108% profit return thus far on their $60,000 invest¬ ment. As of an Oct. 1 accounting, the total profit on the Robert Whitehead-Roger L. Stevens pro¬ duction was $163,989. Of that amount, $130,000 had been dis¬ tributed with the backers getting the standard 50% share. Income for the five weeks ending Oct. 1 , included $30,097 operating profit on the N. Y. production, plus a. $3,057 payment from 20th-Fox. 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 a $250,000 ceil¬ ing. The author and production split the proceeds on the usual 60-40 basis. The total profit for the five-week period was reduced by $13,037, representing unrecouped produc¬ tion costs on the touring company, currently at the Geary, S. F. Cost of mounting the road edition was $25,467. Of that, $16,279 was re¬ covered during the show’s four- week run in Central City, Colo¬ rado, where its share of the gross was a flat $15,000 per week. The play finished its Colorado stand last Sept. 3, moving to the Hunting- ton Hartford, L.A. where it dropped $3,849 in a four-week stand. Harold Clurman’s 5% share of the five-week profit, which he gets in addition to his regular director royalty of 2 % of the gross of . both companies, was $ 1 , 001 . Wednesday, November 2, 1955 Inside Stuff Legit Jean Kerr, playwright-wife of Walter F. Kerr, legit author-direct™ and drama critic of the N. Y. Herald Tribune, has a funny piece in the current (November) Ladies’ Home Journal, titled “Our Gincer bread Dream House.” It’s about how they bought “the nuttiest hom« we ever saw” at Larchmont Manor, N. Y., overlooking Long Island Sound and how they’ve adjusted (more or less) to it between geltin? home late from Broadway openings, collaborative sessions on scrintq for new shows and routine (for parents) crises with their four small boys. Various references to show biz, while amusing enough for non! pro readers should get especial chuckles from the trade. “The Flower in Drama; and Glamour” by Stark Young (Scribner $3), is a revised edition of two books previously issued by the former drama critic of The New Republic. Containing essays originally contributed to that publication and to Theatre Arts, the updated entries include observations on acting directing, and the translation of drama (Young did the Lunts’ version of Chekhov’s “The Sea Gull,” 1939, which recently has been revived off-Broadway). Book also has pieces on Duse and Chaplin-, Off-Broadway Shows Aincilee Julie Bovasso production of comedy in three acts, by Eugene Ionesco, translated by Derek Frouse and Dominigue Clauyel. Staged by Earl Sennett: Settings and cos¬ tumes, Lester Hackett; teratology (mon¬ ster building), Tom Holland. At Tempo Playhouse. N.Y., Oct. 31, '55; $2.50 top. Cast: William Hickey, Julie Bovasso, Ted Harris. William Strobbe, Troy Wil¬ liams, Mary Troy. Anthony Holland, Ivy Bethune, Charles Idlet, Stanley P. Fried- Those revelling in the obscurely profound (or vice versa) ought to have a whale of a time at “Ame- dee,” Julie Bovasso’s new produc¬ tion at the Tempo Playhouse. This fantasy or farce or allegory or whatnot is sufficiently far off the beaten track to bear a spurious aura of importance, but it should be a case of “let the buyer beware,” for this is not playgoing of a nor¬ mal order. The play’s subtitle is “How to Disentangle Yourself,” and this may be the tipoff to whatever sig¬ nificance playwright Eugene Ion¬ esco intended. If so, it was botched either in translation or production, for the bewildering repetition of phrase, the failure to capitalize on some elements* of fun, the pseudo- intellectualizing, all have an ener¬ vating rather than titillating effect. Baldly, a Parisian couple have secreted in one room of their two- room flat a monstrosity the hus¬ band murdered 15. years ago. Petri¬ fied . at thought of discovery, they have kept . the monster on the premises, even though it keeps growing. Their quarrels over what to do with it, how to curb the mushrooms that sprout in its pres¬ ence, how to normalize their lives, provide the matter of two acts. They then dump the thing out of the window into the square, where it floats off into space with the husband. The obscure today may be the trite of tomorrow, so some con¬ temporary cognoscenti may be able to read much of moment into this macabre tale. The chances are pretty solid, however, that the cas¬ ual playgoer will be ill-at-ease and wondering early in the evening whether the neck-craning in Tempo’s flat auditorium is worth it. Miss Bovasso appears as the wife. There’s no doubt that she’s an actress of emotional acuity, and she gives a convincing air of know¬ ing what it’s all about. As her procrastinating playwright hus¬ band. William Hickey uses a dry, timid delivery, but perhaps only a performer of Fernandel’s calibre could do justice to the dismayed fondness the. man has for tlVe crea¬ ture he has murdered. The opening performance was temporarily the last, the city li¬ censing commissioner having shut¬ tered the theatre on the afternoon preceding the premiere which was conducted by the device of being called a private showing). Miss Bovasso announced that matters will be adjusted for a-reopening within a week to ten days. Why? Geor. C’licrry Orchard David Ross production of drama in four acts (four scenes), by Anton Chekhov, translated by Stark Young. Directed by Ross, Settings, Zvi Geyra; costumes. Al¬ lred Lehman. At 4th Street Theatre, N.Y., Oct. 18, '55; $3.60 top. Cast: George Ebeling, Juleen Compton, Hcrm Dinkin, Pat Malone, Elizabeth Far¬ rar. Hilda Brawner, Sona “Wilson, Nancy Wickwirc. Louis Edmonds. Sunford Recger, Leonardo Cimino, Gerald Hiken, T6ny McGrath, Robert Kelly, Fred Young. This Stark Young translation is the first’ in a four-play Chekhov series at the off-Broadway 4th Street,Theatre. It’s an enjoyable and absorbing production. Doubling as director, producer David Ross has staged the play skillfully and the cast repsonds with a mettle¬ some performance. The play moves at a comfortable pace,' with the gab and characters I holding interest throughout. ' The intimate setup of the small theatre, with the audience sitting on two sides of a thumbnail stage, adds ef¬ fectiveness. Also on the plus side are Zvi Geyra’s simple but im¬ pressive sets. Elizabeth Farrar is fine as'the frivolous owner of the cherry orchard while George Ebeling is" excellent as the peasant’s son who winds up purchasing the property. Louis Edmonds is good as Miss Farrar’s aristocratic brother and Nancy Wickwire gives a sensitive portrayal as the girl faced with spinsterhood. As the perennial student, Gerald Hiken is firstrate' while Herm Din- kin registers humorously as the clumsy clerk. Pat Malone, Leonar¬ do Cimino and Juleen Compton show up well as servants. Sanford Seeger, Hilda Brawner and Sona Wilson also impress. Jess, The Last Minute Showcase Theatre production of drama in three acts, by George Whitney. Staged b y Waher Markey; settings. Lore Baum; lighting, Tom De Gaetani. At Finch Thea¬ tre. N.Y., Oct. 25, '55; $2.50 top. «r C , ast: „ Sylvia Leigh, Myron Ruckstull, Wyley Hanco*ck, Richard Robbins, Fran¬ ces Fallen, William Landis* Trevor Powell, Louisa Palmeri, Tom Gorman. Jock Mac¬ Gregor, Klaus W. Sowade, Mina Levy. There’s many, a slip between the dramatist’s conceptual notion and the- mounted play. In “The Last Minute,” Showcase Theatre’s cur¬ rent effort at the Finch College auditorium, George Whitney is wondering if a would-be suicide learns anything about himself in the final moments before death. It’s a provocative thought, but neither writer nor company has been able to give it sufficient urgency. To test his theory, a doctor ex¬ perimentally hangs himself to within a heartbeat of death. The tension generated by this macabre demonstration (mercifully per¬ formed behind a screen) makes the first-act curtain sufficiently potent to guarantee that nobody will go home at intermission. In the sec¬ ond stanza, the inrlimbo doctor, on a green-lighted stage, ' imagines himself his district-attorney brother, quizzing those who might have wanted his death or. bungled the experiment. Unfortunately, the - * plot is bur¬ dened w'ith a superciliously un¬ faithful wife, an assistant who is said wife’s current squire, and an irrelevant restaurateur who, for a price, will provide incriminating snapshots. Revived from the brink of death, the doctor’s personality adjustment ’proves his theary, en¬ ables him to resolve all his prob¬ lems, and sets him to wooing his doting secretary. Despite story improbabilities, an abundance of cliches, and a too- facile resolution, there’s a modi¬ cum of compulsion in the script that has been lost in production. Walter Markey’s slow-beat direc¬ tion is largely responsible, plus the generally tepid approach of the company. As the beleaguered doc¬ tor, William Landis does his best, as do Wyley Hanco*ck as the sin¬ ister picture peddler and Tom Gorman and Jock MacGregor as senior physicians, but it's mostly in a lost cause. Geor. To Drop Las Palmas, L. A., After 14 Lean Months Hollywood, Nov. 1. After 14 months of operating the Las Palmas Theatre here, Theodore Joy has decided to give up the 400-seater. Cueing the decision was the fact that the house has been dark all but 15 weeks of that time. Joy purchased the house from Paul Schreibman for $80,000 and spent about $11,0Q0 on a new decor. He’s asking $65,000 through a broker. Author-producer acquired the property with the idea of showcas¬ ing some of his own plays. He piesented one, “Rose Petals and Rose ’Petals,” which drew dour notices and barely eked out a fortnight. 70 LEGITIMATE Variety Wednesday, November 2 , 1955 Shows on Broadway The Chalk Garden Irene Mayer Selznick production of drama in three acts, by Enid Bagnold. Stars Gladys Cooper, Siobhan McKenna; features Percy Waram. Fritz Weaver, Marian Seldes, Betsy von Furstenberg. Staged by Albert Marre; scenery and costumes, Cecil Beaton; setting super¬ vision and lighting, Raymond Sovey: cos^ • tu.me supervision, Anna Hill Johnstone. A't Ethel Barrymore, N.Y., Oct. 26, '55; $4.60 top ($5.75 Frlday-Saturday eves; $6.90 opening). 1st Applicant .Siobhan McKenna Maitland . Fritz Weaver 2d Applicant . Georgia Harvey Laurel .. Betsy von Furstenberg 2d Applicant .Eva Leonard-Boyne Mrs. St. Maugham . Gladys Cooper Nurse . Marie Paxton Olivia . Marian Seldes Judge ... i Percy Waram > A play that’s enigmatic had bet¬ ter be very beautiful. A play, like a poem, a painting or a piece of music, may be elusive and still be quite moving. But unless it is genuinely lovely it isn’t likely to be very popular. That could be the case with “The Chalk Garden," an Enid Bagnold comedy - drama which Irene Mayer Selznick has brought to Broadway. Since Paramount has made a pre-production deal for the screen rights, the producer is obviously not the only one for whom the work must have a clear meaning. But to at least some playgoers, “Chalk Garden’’ re¬ mains obscure, though challeng¬ ing. Under the circ*mstances, it seems doubtful boxoffice as stage offering. Aside from its effect as a play, “Chalk Garden" is notable as of¬ fering the Broadway debut of Siobhan (pronounced Shivawn) McKenna, an Irish actress who first drew critical attention in London last season in a revival of Shaw’s “Saint Joan." She is a striking player, with an interesting person¬ ality and unquestionable if un¬ orthodox potentialities for star¬ dom in legit, pictures and tele¬ vision. Apparently somewhat limited In experience, Miss McKenna has un¬ usual looks that suggest beauty, emotional intensity and a quality of registering quietly and even in repose. Her voice is expressive, but possibly due to misdirection or opening night nervousness, she oc¬ casionally bursts into a discon¬ certing declamatory style of play¬ ing. In this new play, novelist- dramatist Bagnold appears to be saying that to know oneself and to have learned to accept life is to flourish in rich soil; but not to have patience and a sense of val¬ ues Is to wither in chalky ground. The provocative, engrossing story Involves a disorganized household In Sussex, England, and the ret¬ icent but passionate stranger who brings it to a sense of reality and stability. Practically everything In the play is as symbolic as the title. The head of the household is a flighty lady who makes a fetish of eccentricity and hides her unhap¬ piness and inadequacy in a sort of frantic gaiety and blundering ef¬ forts to grow exotic flowers in the wom-oUt soil of her garden. She Indulges and thinks she loves Ber obnoxious granddaughter. The latter Is a deliberate hysteric who pretends to be deranged, sets fire to things and fictionalizes havin'* been ravished at the age of 12, all as a form of revenge on the mother she professes to h£te. There is a male servant-of-all- work who served a five-year orison term as a conscientious objector and. who goes to pieces and gives notice whenever he is criticized, Finally, there is a nurse who en¬ ters from time to time to relay gardening instructions from the bedridden butler who tyrannically rules the household from upstairs. All thpse characters tend to be ill- defined and therefore unmoti¬ vated. Miss McKenna plays the mys-| tenous stranger who is hired as companion for the granddaughter. With the wisdom and discipline ac¬ quired while imprisoned under sentence of death on a murder charge (she was released when t.tm verdict was reversed), she straight¬ ens out the family. At the cur¬ tain, the rationalized granddaugh¬ ter goes off with her mother, and thoritative playing is otherwise excellent. Co-starred, Miss McKenna is generally expressive and arresting as the stranger. But first-featured Betsy von Furstenberg, although well cast as the willful, mixed-up granddaughter, seems one-dimen¬ sional and occasionally tends not to be understandable. Fritz Weaver gives color to the meaty supporting role of the “character” general servant, Percy Waram has a professional touch as a judge, an old family friend, who comes for lunch and turns out to be the one who presided as the hired-companion’s murder trial, and Marian Seldes is properly tense as the mother who comes to claim the problem girl. Accepta ble bit performances are given by Eva Leonard-Boyne, Georgia Har¬ vey and Marie Paxton. Albert Marre’s staging seems confused and occasionally jerky, but Cecil Beaton’s interior setting and costumes have an appropriate air of disorganization and quality gone to seed. Hobe . Le Bourgeois Gentilhonuiie (‘The Would-Be Gentleman' S. Hurok (by arrangement with the French government) presentation of Comedie Franoaise production in five acts, by Moliere. Stars Louis Selgner; features Maurice Escande, Jean Meyer, Jacques Chflron, Robert Manuel, Georges Chamarat. Beatrice Bretty, Germaine Rouer, Micheline Boudet, Marie Sabouret. Directed by Meyer; setting, Suzanne Lallque; Lulll music conducted by Andre Cadou. At the Broadway Theatre, N.Y., Oct. 25, '55; $6 top ($10 opening). Count Dorante . Maurice Escande Covielle . Jean Meyer M. Jourdain . Louis Selgner Dancing Instructor . Robert Manuel Philosophy Instructor. .Georges Chamarat Cleonte . Jean Plat Apprentice Tailor . Teddy Bills Master Tailor .. Jean-Louis Jemma Fencing Master . Michel Galabru Lackeys. .Jacques Toja, Arsene Drancourt Nicole . Beatrice Bretty Mme. Jourdain . Germaine Rouor Lucile .. Micheline Boudet Dorimene . Marie Sabouret Singers: MM. Bisson, Gavin. Miles, Gos- selin, Lapointe. Dancers: MM, Lapointe, Quellet. Miles. Zorgo, Pratt, Du Sablon, St. Jean, Ker- ner, Jette. the self-controlled stranger * senjs to stay on to use her bo¬ tanical knowledge tp help the old ladv raise flowers. It Is a wordy, baffling play that never becomes explicit., but is con¬ sistently absorbing. Although the casting seems generally good, the performance tends to be some¬ what uneven, partly because the lines are frequently inaudible or unintelligible. Too-starred Gladvs Cooper, making her first Broad¬ way appearance in about a dozen years, is notably guilty on this score, although her vigorpus, au- The choice of Moliere’s “Le Bour- | geois Gentilhomme” as the Come¬ die Francaise!s -first presentation in this country is a happy one for many reasons. Not only is it de¬ lightful satirical comedy that pro¬ vides excellent theatre but it is the kind of piece on which.this great French acting troupe has been weaned since its inception 275 years ago and in which all its skills and refinements are put to the test. As seen at the Broadway Theatre, the Moliere classic shines and spar¬ kles,in a production that lives up to the high tradition of the Come- die Francaise. There Is something treacherous about the terms “classic" and “tra¬ dition." They seem to imply stuffi¬ ness and a conventionality of ap¬ proach. The way the Comedie Francaise performs “Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme," with Louis Seigner in the title part, the piece has a gloss and finish that make every moment of it worthwhile. If its humor is broad, there is a good deal of subtlety in many of the lines and each individual perform¬ ance has unique merit. ' As the title character, the social climber who aspires to the graces of a “gentleman of 'quality," Seig¬ ner is standout. His buffoonery in¬ jects a sense of pathos that never¬ theless doesn’t interfere with the hearty comedy that is essential to the role. His Jourdain, whether taking fencing lessons or practic¬ ing vowels and consonants, is a study in clumsiness and pompous¬ ness. Jourdain takes . himself with tremendously serious and, while aware of the elements of satire, Seigner’s interpretation is keyed to a realization of Jourdain’s ox-dumb determination to better his social standing which he equates to all the lace-and-ruffles superficiality of the Court. To match the performances, the Comedie Francaise has brought with it a stunning white-and-gold set dominated by graceful floating staircase. It serves as a decorative backdrop and the costumes de¬ signed for both the men and the women are in the order of high elegance. Designer Suzanne La- lique displays excellent taste. Each part of the play is cast to moments as he uncovers to Seigner the secrets of pronunciation and awakens him to the realization that he has been talking “prose" most of his life. Michel Galabru is just fine as the fencing master. As the dancing instructor Jacques Charon is properly dandified and Robert Manuel matches him as the music instructor. Jean Piat, Teddy Bilis and Jean-Louis Jemma are also very good. Play is directed by Jean Meyer, who also doubles in an acting capacity, as Covielle, the valet. It is in Meyer’s direction that “Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme” reveals the greatness of the Comedie Fran¬ caise. Despite some rather long conversational passages, there is a constant impression of fluidity, helped by the charmingly executed little, ballet and the Lulli music, played and sung. Comedie Francaise demonstrates what 275 years of theatrical team¬ work (Government-subsidized vari¬ ety) can accomplish. Hift. Deadfall Martin Goodman (in association with Julius M. Gordon) production of melo¬ drama in two acts (five scenes), by Leonard Lee. Stars Joanne Dru, John Ireland; features Sheila Bond, Jay Jostyn. Clarence Derwent, Paul Huber, Howard Vermilyea, Norman Rose, Mercer McLeod, Theo Goetz, Sam Gray. Staged by Michael Gordon; settings and lighting, Ralph Al- swang. At Holiday. N.Y., Oct. 27, '55; $4.60 top ($5.75 Friday, Saturday eves; $6.90 opening). Defense Attorney.Clarence Derwent Judge Romagna.Harold Vermilyea District Attorney .. Jay Jostyn Court Clerk .. Leslie Barrett Billie Devine . Sheila Bond Quentin Lockridge . Paul Huber Jane Lockridge . Joanne Dru Buck Carpenter . John Ireland Detective ... Norman Rose Edmund Hartley.Mercer McLeod Police Doctor .... Theo Goetz Dentist .... Sam Gray Court Stenographer, Policemen, Court Spectators. One of Broadway’s bromides is that there’s always room for a good meller. The key to that is, of course, the word “good." That’s the snag on which “Deadfall” misses. Virtually the only item of inter- J est.in this Leonard Lee concoction is that Hollywood actors Joanne Dru and John Ireland are co-j starred. Miss Dru is a handsome young woman who might be im- j pressive in a credible play, and her actor-husband might also appear to advantage in a proper vehicle. In ‘'Deadfall," however, they are merely the most prominent in a large company of diligent, helpless players. The occasion is something of an ordeal for everyone. The script, which has been cir¬ culating the managerial offices for several years under the title of “Sweet Poison," is a gimmick who¬ dunit with a plot twist and a theme of implaccable vengeance. Using a flashback from the Los Angeles courtroom where an admitted blackmailer Is on trial for murder, it shows how he has been trapped by the relentless widow of a man he had previously killed. He had been acquitted in that case, but has been framed for a slaying he did not commit—which, in fact, has not taken place at all. It’s all elaborately ingenious, hackneyed, unbelievable and tedious. The costars, having been misled into lending their names and pres¬ ence to the undertaking, are mod¬ erately decorative, if hardly per¬ suasive. The veteran Clarence Der¬ went makes a few credible mo¬ ments of the role of the defense attorney and such familiar players as Sheila Bond, Jay Jostyn (as the District Attorney — what else?), Paul Huber and Harold Vermilyea are other Equity casualties. Michael Gordon gets the rap for the direc¬ tion and Ralph Alswang collects a battle stripe for the pretentious scenery and lighting. A prbgram note explains that the dictionary defines a deadfall as a “trap, especially for large game.’ Without commenting on that, Just chalk up the Martin Goodman (in association with Julius JVL Gordon) production as offering nothing for Broadway, but perhaps the basis for a trick meller half-hour for television and a natural for the paperback book market. The screen rights were bought several years ago by 20th Century-Fox, but it has never been filmed. Hobe, perfection. Maurice Escande plays Dorante, the Count, with the prop¬ er disdain; Germaine Rouer por¬ trays Mme. Jourdain with a vividly down-to-earth approach; Micheline Boudet looks and sounds pert in the small role of the Jourdains’ daughter; Marie Sabouret as Dori¬ mene, the Countess, is a stunner whose looks are matched by the ele¬ gance with which she delivers her lines. Beatrice Bretty’s brash serv¬ ant is a delight. Georges Chamarat, as the dwarf¬ ish philosophy instructor, provides the play, with some of its funniest ’ 13-1 !(.->{ ; 1 • , «l /. t J)- ■ ') Miller, Milwaukee, Opens Repeat Season of Stock Milwaukee, Nov. 1 Fred Miller Theatre opened its second season last week with an advance sale of $55,000 for the slate of 10 productions. Name pol¬ icy is again being used by manag¬ ing director Mary John, with each play running three weeks for a 30- week season. Following “King of Hearts," starring Buff Cobb, as the opener, will be “The Corn Is Green,” star¬ ring Eva LeGallienne, and then Edward Everett Horton in “Nina." Arena-styled theatre seats 346 and is scaled witft, a ,$3,5^0 £oj?., , ) 1 ’ . it -J < !I ». i 1 2 it ! (I i 1.1 Legit Bits Susan Kohner will make her Broadway debut as ingenue-lead in “A Quiet Place," the Julian Claman play to star Tyrone Power, with Leora Dana as femme N lead. Theatrical accountant Charles H. Renthal leaves this week on a month’s vacation in Florida and the Virgin Islands. Geoffrey Lumtf left the cast of the touring “Solid Gold Cadillac" to go into the Broadway meller hit, “Witness for the Prosecution." Ethel Koreman, assistant stage manager of “Witness for the Pros¬ ecution," at the Henry Miller, N.Y., is doubling in the cast this week and next as sub for Dawn Mathison, who is taking a delayed honeymoon in Florida with her husband, Judd. Francis Curtis planed to England this week for another long look at the current London drama, “Shad¬ ow* of a Doubt," which he’s mulling for Broadway production. Warren O’Hara, house manager of the Alvin, N, Y., benched with a broken ankle. He was walking his dog, which suddenly started after a cat, catching O’Hara’s leg in the leash and pulling him off his feet. Leon Lishner, who had featured roles in the Broadway productions of “Consul" and “Saint of Bleecker Street," has withdrawn from the N. Y. City Center Opera Co. Jim McKemie back in N.Y. after a stint as pressagent for the Miller Theatre, Milwaukee. William Gaxton and Victor Moore are to costar in Robert McEnroe's “Mulligan’s Snug," which Harry Jackson and Sam Weston plan to produce on Broadway next Feb¬ ruary. The second production at the reorganized Yiddish Art Theatre will be “The Brothers Ashkenazi," opening Nov. 11. British actress Claire Bloom will make her Broadway bow in Billy Rose's production of Paul Osborn's “Maiden Voyage." Tennessee .Williams and his agent, Audrey Wood, will partner in the production of the play-, wright’s “Orpheus Descending," slated for next September, prob¬ ably in association with another management. Louis Kronenberger, Time mag drama critic, has withdrawn his name as adapter of “Heavenly Twins," which preems at the Booth Theatre, N. Y„ next Friday (4). Designer Peggy Clark plans making her Broadway managerial bow with Neal Dubrock's “Bon Voyage." Berlin director-stage manager Boleslaw Barlog has arrived in the U. S. for a six-week study tour under the State Dept.’s exchange program. Vince McKnlght and Tom Pow¬ ers are respective pressagent and company manager for George Brandt's touring company of “Tea and Sympathy." It’s their fifth con¬ secutive season as a team. Kent Smith will take over as the “Professor" in the Broadway edition of “Bus Stop," succeeding Anthony Ross, who died last week. William Berssen, who joined the Huntington Hartford operation seven years ago and helped formu¬ late plans . for Hartford’s theatre operations on the Coast, checks out this week on an “extended leave of absence." For the time being, he plans a writing sojourn in Mexico. Kaye Ballard, recently in the tryout. closing, “Reuben Reuben," has been signed for one of the leads in the upcoming musical, “Pleasure Dome." Brian Donlevy withdrew from “King of Hearts," due to open next Monday (7) at the Carthay Circle, Hollywood, on the claim that he had never signed a con¬ tract. He’s taking a leading role in the picture, “A Cry in the Night," - currently in production. Thornton Wilder returned from Europe and has gone to Philly for the tryout of his “Matchmaker." He’s reportedly on the final act of a rewrite of “Alcestiad," the com¬ edy based on Greek mythology, produced under the title “A Life in the Sun” last summer at the Edinburgh Festival. French mime Marcel Marceau, currently on tour, is set for a week’s stand opening Dec. 6 at the Huntington Hartford Theatre, Hol¬ lywood. It will be a stop-off en route to the Orient. Understudying in the touring ‘Bus Stop" is Irving Berlin’s daughter. Linda. Mike Wallace, Andrew McCul¬ lough and Don Wolin have can¬ celled plans for a Broadway pro¬ duction of “Debut," which they tried out last summer at Wolin’s Theatre - By - The - Sea, Matunuck, R. I. Jack Root, who formerly oper¬ ated a ticket agency on 8th Ave. and in the Belvedere Hotel, N.Y., l ’ i \ . ’ i ) [ ( l- •> ) i. J I 4 1 1 l <■ ( filed a voluntary bankruptcy no titiort last week, listing $9,250 £ bilities and no assets Watson Barratt has sold hie hotel at Highlands, N.C., and , again devoting full time to scenic designing. c William Dodds and Al Rosen are respective stage manager and com¬ pany manager of the tourine “Anastasia." 6 Foreign Rights Pay Off (So Does Everything) For Smash Teahouse’ Foreign royalties, generally a relatiyely minor item for Broadway hits, can occasionally bring sizable profits. It depends on how ex¬ tensively the show is produced abroad. For example, “Teahouse of the August Moon" is cleaning up from overseas royalties, on the basis of having more alien transplantings than any other New York play in recent years. In the latter connec¬ tion, the fact that the John Patrick- Vern Sneider comedy makes good- natured fun of the military and the U.S. is figured as a sure hook for foreign popular appeal. The Maurice Evans - George Schaefer parent production has been averaging around $600 a week in royalties from abroad. That’s on the basis of a total royalty in¬ come of $12,000 over a 20-week period ended last Sept. 10, includ¬ ing returns from overseas was about $12,000, including royalties from editions of the play in Lon¬ don, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, France, Iceland, Belgium and Israel. The royalty income, incidentally, does not include the New York management’s share of the profits from the London company. OLD HI NOW SEEKING NON-CAMPUS AUDIENCE New Haven, Nov. 1. Yale. School of Drama is wooing general support from local citizen¬ ry as opposed to its former policy of confining Eli productions to invited (non-paying) audiences. Move is in line with a tentative plan to extend the runs of its major productions and thereby make attendance available to general public. First offering under the new Setup is. Sean O’Casey’s “co*ck-a- Doodle Dandy," opening tomorrow night (Wed.), Cleve Mosicarnival Had 24SG Gross, Top Season Cleveland, Nov. 1. Musicarnival, local summer tunetent, pulled a record $245,000 for its 14V6 weeks of operation this year. Attendance of .130,000 was a 40% increase over last summer. Top draw of the season was “South Pacific," with ’$84,000 on its four-week run. Other shows were “Kiss Me Kate," $27,000 in two-and-a-half weeks; “Fleder- mau's,’’ $15,000, one week; “Briga- doon" $26,000, two weeks; “Wish You Were Here," $38,000, two weeks, and “Guys and Dolls," $55,- 000, three weeks. Figures were re¬ vealed by producer John Price Jr. Cain Park's season was reported¬ ly not quite up to 1954, but figures haven’t yet been released. Rabbit Run, which opened in an expanded North Madison house, had one of the best seasons on its history, but Chagrin Falls shuttered two weeks early because of poor biz. Dvorak’s Life Basis For New British Musical London, Oct. 18. A new British musical, based on the life of the Czech -composer Anton Dvorak, is to open at the Princes Theatre here earily m the new year after a two-month tryout at the Opera House, Man¬ chester. The tuner is being pre¬ sented by George and Alfred Black, but the Manchester season will be in association with Jack Hylton. . The production, still untitled, is based on a book by Eric Maschwitz and Hy Kraft. Themes from Dvo¬ rak’s original music are being used in Bernard Grun’s score. Charles Hickman has been signed to di¬ rect and casting is now in prog- Wednesday, November 2, 1955 VARIETY LEGITIMATE 71 Chi Coasts Along; ‘Cadillac’ $15,800, ‘Waltz $15,700, Teahouse’ Still SRO Chicago, Nov. 1. 4 The Windy City’s quartet of' letters generally maintained their boxoffice pace last week, with one notable exception. Moderate weath¬ er and theatre parties helped. Future slate includes “Pajama Game,” Shubert, Nov. 15, for a run- “Bus Stop,” Selwyn, Nov. 21 for five weeks, on subscription, and “Kismet,” Great Northern, Dec. 5 for a run. Estimates for Last Week Anniversary Waltz, Harris (2d wk) ($5; 1,000). Over $15,700 on subscription (previous week, $14,- 3 °Can Can, Shubert, (13th wk) ($5.95; 2.100). Almost $28,900 (pre¬ vious week, $33,200); exits Nov. 12. Solid Gold Cadillac, Blackstone (3d wk) ($4.50; 1,450). Over $15,- 800 (previous week, $16,000). Teahouse of the August Moon, Erl anger (7 th wk) ($5; 1,335) (Bur¬ gess Meredith, Scott McKay). Went dean again at just under $35,500. ‘Janus’ 32G. Phila.; ‘Match’ OK 9G (4) Philadelphia, Nov. 1. Both new legit shows here last week were well reeeived ; by critics and public. Trio of steller names hypoed “Janus,” which , playpd a full week' at Forrest. Another three-star item, “The Matchmaker,” got off to brisk start Thursday (27) in its first half-stanza at the Lo¬ cust. “Janus" got a two-to-one fa¬ vorable critical count, but “Match¬ maker” received unanimous praise. Both newcomers hold for second weeks, and Hedgerow returns to the midtown tonight (Tues.) open¬ ing with T. S. Eliot’s “The Con¬ fidential Clerk,” in the Academy of Music Foyer. Estimates for Last Week Janus, Forrest. (C) ($4.80; 1,760) (Maxgaret Sullavan, Claude Dau¬ phin, Robert Preston). Although still in process of revision, the try¬ out drew favorable reviews; grossed a smash $32,200 on subscription; holds this week. Matchmaker, -Locust (C). ($4.20; 1.580) (Ruth. Gordon. Eileen Her. lie, Eddie Mayehoff). Opened a tryout Thursday night (27); sub¬ scription plus favorable . reaction should keep this one going nicely through next week; first four per¬ formances drew $9,000. ‘PAJAMA’NIFTY $40,000 IN DALLAS-ST. L. WEEK St. Louis, Nov. 1. “Pajama Game,” continuing its sock tour, grossed $40,000 in eight performances last week. That in^ eluded a final matinee Sunday, Oct. 23, winding up an engagement at the State Fair Auditorium, Dal¬ las, and seven performances at the American here, opening last Tues¬ day night (25) through Saturday (29). The musical continues its lo- 'T? 1 run this week and next, at $5.60 top. Fran Warren, Larry Douglas and Buster West are costarred in the show. Parks-Teahouse’ $33,737; New 3-Week Mark, Cleve Cleveland, Nov. 1. Teahouse of the August Moon” set another record last week. The Larry Parks touring company took ™ °T^ r $ 105 hi three weeks at the Hanna, setting a new high for the house. Take for the final *qo n i e tIle $l,515-seater topped $•>3,737. The comedy, which was scaled to a $4.40 top, was the first non-musical to play three weeks at the Hanna since “Abie’s Irish Rose” in 1922. The production is current at the Victory, Dayton. Chatham, Ont., Gets Legit Chatham, Ont., Nov. 1. First local professional theatre, a 200-seater located in a former Baptist church, opens Nov. 21 with thaw’s “Pygmalion.” Mayor Moore, former h6ad of CBS-TV production Jn Toronto, will direct, with Paddy Robertson, localite and former British resident, in the lead, with a professional supporting cast. . Set designer Ralph Hicklin Planned the conversion. ‘King* Healthy $38,000 For 2d Week in Balto Baltimore, Nov. 1. Second round of “King And I” drew an acceptable $38,000 at Ford’s here last week. Holly Har¬ ris has taken over the femme lead for the ailing Patricia Morrison. Third and final week is current for the R & H musical, with no further bookings set for the house. CHANNING $37,500, D.C.; ‘HATFUL’OKAY $15,000 Washington, Nov. 1. “The Vamp” rolled up smash business last week in'the second of its three frames at the National Theatre. ’ However, the opening week of “Hatful of Rain” drew only so-so. Estimates for Last Week Hatful of Rain, Shubert (1,542; $3.85), (Shelley Winters, Ben Gaz- zara).' Tryout drew a fair $15,000 for opening week on subscription; holds over. Vamp, National (2d wk) (1,677; $4.95) (Carol Channing). Big $37,500 and looks just as good for the final week of the tryout stand. ‘Hours’ in 12Finale; ‘Man’ Opens as L.A. Solo Los Angeles,. Nov. 1 Opening of “The Man” at the Huntington Hartford Theatre last night (Mon.) kept Los Angeles from going legit-less this frame, following the departure of “Des¬ perate Hours” after a three-week run at the Carthay Circle Theatre. “Hours” dipped sharply to $12,- 500 for its final frame. Three-week total of $48,500 represented an operating profit for the run, but the production cost for the local and San Francisco production was not recouped. Touring Shows (Oct. 31 -Nov. 13) Anastasia (Eugenie Leontovich, Polly Haas, John Emery)—Nixon, Pitt (31-5); Royal Alexandra, Toronto (7-12). Anniversary Walti-^Harrls. Chi (31-12). ' Bus Stop (2d Co.)—Playhouse, K.C. (1-5); Lyceum, Mpls. (7-12). Can-Cap—Shubert, Chi (31-12). Canadian Players—Wells College Aud., Aurora, N. Y. (31); Brockport (N. Y.) S. T. CoUege (1); Gencseo (N. Y.) S. T. College (2); East H. S. Aud., Pawtucket, R. I. (4); Coolidge Aud., Wash. (7); Ship- pensburg (Pa.) College (8); Duke U., Dur¬ ham, N. C. (10); Madison College Aud., Harrisonburg, Va. (11); Virginia Theatre, Wheeling, W. Va. (13). Great Sebastians (tryout) (Alfred Lunt. Lynn Fontanne)—Playhouse, Wilmington (3-5); Forrest, Philly (7-12). Hatful of Rain (tryout) (Shelley Win¬ ters, Ben Gazzara)—Shubert, Wash. (31-5) (Reviewed in VARIETY, Oct. 12, '55). Janus (tryout) (Margaret Sullavan, Rob¬ ert Preston, Claude Dauphin)—Forrest, Philly (31-5); National, Wash. (7-12) (Re¬ viewed in VARIETY, Oct. 26, '55). King and I (Patricia Morison)—Ford’s Balto (31-5); Shubert, Philly (7-12). Kismet — Hartman, Columbus (31-5); Hanna,' Cleve. (7-12). Lark (tryout) (Julie Harris, Boris Kar¬ loff)-:—Plymouth, Boston (31-12) (Reviewed in VARIETY this week). Little Hut (Veronica Lake)—Aud., Roch¬ ester (31-5); Pabst, Milw’kee (7-9); Para¬ mount, Toledo (10-12). Matchmaker (tryout) (Ruth Gordon, Eileen Herlie, Eddie Mayehoff)—Locust, Philly (31-12) (Reviewed in VARIETY this week). Pa|ama Game (2d Co.) (Fran Warren, Larry Douglas, Buster West)—American, St. L. (31-12). Pipe Dream (tryout) (Helen Traubel, William Johnson)—Shubert, Boston (1-12) (Reviewed in VARIETY, Oct. 20, ’55). Plain and Fancy (2d Co.) (Alexis Smith, Craig Stevens)—Curran, S. F. (31-12). Seven Year Itch (Eddie Brackcn)- Colonial, Boston (31-12). Solid Gold Cadillac—Blackstone. CM (31-12). Tea and Sympathy (Maria Riva, Alan Baxter)—Royal Alexandra, Toronto (31-5); Aud., Rochester (7-9); Shubert, New Haven (10-12). Teahouse of the August Moon (2d Co.) (Burgess Meredith, ' Scott McKay) — Erlanger, Chi (31-12). Teahouse of the August Moon (3d Co.) (Larry Parks)—Victory, Dayton (31-5); Nixon, Pitt (7-12). Tender Trap (Lloyd Bridges. Russell Nypc, K. T. Stevens, Janet Riley)—Al¬ cazar, S. F. (31-5). This Thing Called Love (Magda Gabor) —Erlanger. Buffalo (10-12). Two's Company (Edith Atwater, Albert Dekkcr)—Central H. S. Aud., Kalamazoo, Mich. (1); Lake Forrest (111.) H. S. (2); University Club, Chi (3); College Aud., Ruston, La. (7): Roney Plaza Hotel, Miami Beach, Fla. (9); H. S. Aud., Wausau, Wis. (13). Vamp (tryout) (Carol Channing)—Na¬ tional, Wash. (31-5) (Reviewed in VARI¬ ETY, Sept. 28, '55, under its original title, “Delilah’’). Equity Show (Nov. 2-6) House of Connelly—Lenox Hill Play¬ house, N. Y. Jerry Adler, ^stage manager of the recent Coast production of “Lunatics and Lovers.” is dittoing in that capacity on Herman Levin’s upcoming musical. “My Lady Liza.” BARRYMORE VICE LAKE; ‘HUT’ RICKETY 5G, DET. Detroit, Nov. 1. With Veronica Lake still hospi¬ talized after her collapse last week, Diana Barrymore is reportedly set to take over the sole femme role in the touring “Little Hut.” With understudy Marie Corett subbing last week, the comedy drew a dire $5,000 at the 2,050-seat Shubert, at a $3.50 top, with twofers. Both'local theatres are dark this week, but the Shubert relights next Monday (7) with the Katherine Dunham dance group, and the Cass opens Nov. 21 with “An¬ astasia.” Miss Lake collapsed last Thurs¬ day (27) in the lobby of her hotel and was taken to Receiving Hospi¬ tal, reportedly “suffering from ex¬ haustion.” She was similarly ill, missing three performances, dur¬ ing the show’s Buffalo engagement. The troupe is at the Auditorium, Rochester, this week. ‘Lark’ $7,800 (3), Twins’ 34i/ 2 G, Hub Boston, Nov. 1. Boston is in the midst of a legit splurge, with biz good all around. With “Pipe Dream” opening to¬ night (Tues.) at the Shubert, sold out into the third of its skedded four weeks, lhe Hub has three shows on the boards. Eddie Bracken in “Seven Year Itch” opened at the Colonial last night (Mon.) for a fortnight. Julie Har¬ ris and Boris Karloff opened a tryout of “The Lark” at the Plymouth last Friday (28) to rave reviews. “Anastasia” exited Saturday night (29) for Pittsburgh after a two-week stand and “Heavenly Twins” departed after a fortnight, bound for New York. ‘ Estimates for Last Week Lark, Plymouth (1st wk) ($4.40; 1.200) (Julie Harris). Tryout op¬ ened strong Friday night (28) and' got rave notices. For three per¬ formances did $7,800. Should pick up $20,000 for first full week. Holds through Nov. 14. Heavenly Twins, Colonial (2d wk) ($4.40; 1,590) (Jean Pierre Aumont. Faye Emerson). Racked up nearly $34,500 on the holdover, and exited for New York. Anastasia, Wilbur (2d wk) ($3.85; 1.241) (Dolly Haas, Eugenie Leon¬ tovich). Picked up $20,800, exited for Pittsburgh. Onening This Week Pipe Dream, Shubert (1.717) (Helen Traubel.- William Johnson). New Rodgers-Hammerstein musi¬ cal, based on John Steinbeck’s novel, “Sweet Thursday,” opens a tryout engagement tonight (Tues.) with an almost complete sellout for the first three weeks and is a virtual cinch to go clean the en¬ tire four weeks. Seven Year Itch, Colonial (1,590) (Eddie Bracken), Opened last night (Mon.) for a two-week stand. ‘Fancy’ $41,200, Frisco; ‘ Bus Stop’ Slow $13,500 San Francisco, Nov. 1. “Plain and Fancy” maintained a solid pace in its third frame at the Curran last week, but “Bus Stop” slumped badly in its fourth and final stanza at the Geary. Business at the Alcazar, with the first week of “The Tender Trap,” was so-so. Estimates for This Week Plain and Fancy, Curran (3d wk) ($4.90; 1,752) (Alexis Smith, Craig Stevens). Very good $41,200; con¬ tinues through Nov, 19. Bus Stop, Geary (4th wk) ($4.40; 1,550). Slim $13,500; exited Sat¬ urday (29). Tender Trap, Alcazar (1st wk) j ($3.85: 1,477). Fair $14,000; closes 1 Saturday (5). B’way Dips, But Biz Still Stout; Shirley Big $30,900, Comedie 42G, ‘Garden’ $16,100, Deadfall’ $15,000 SCHEDULED N.Y. OPENINGS ( Theatres. indicated if set) Hatful of Rain, Lyceum Ul-9). Vamp, Wint. Card, (11-10). Lark, Lonfiacrc (11-17). Janus, Plymouth (11-24). Pipe Dream, Shubert (11-30). Matchmaker, Royale (12-5). Fallen Angels (12-29). Great Sebastians (1-5). Tamburlalne the Great, B'way (1-19). Quiet Place (wk. 1-23). Hot Corner (1-24). Middle of Night, ANTA (wk. 1-29). Strip For Action (2-13). My Lady Liza, Hcllingcr (wk. 3-10). Mr, Wonderful (3-16). OFF-BROADWAY Trouble in Mind, G'n’w'ch Mews (ll-3">. Highway Robbery, Pros. (11-7), Dragon's Mouth, Cherry Lane (wk. 11-1(5). . Last Love of Don Juan, Rooftop (11-21), Cradle Song, Circle in Square (12-1). , .Six Characters, Phoenix 02-1). Marching Song, Phoenix (3-8). 1 Broadway stuck to form last week, with the usual end-of-Octobcr dip. Despite substantial drops, most shows remained on firm ground. Bullish biz during the past few weeks lessened the im¬ pact of the sag. Only one show closed last week. That was “Carefree Tree” at the “off-Broadway” Phoenix Theatre. It bowed out after three weeks of a scheduled five-week run. There were four preems last week, while the single “Heavenly Twins,” is set for the current frame. 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- retta). 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. Boy Friend, Royale <MC) (571h wk; 451; $6.90; 1,050; $38,200) (previous week, $32,000; closes Nov. 26 to tour). Last week, over $27,400. Bus Stop, Music Box (CD) (35lh wk; 278; $5.75-$4.60; 1,010; $27- 811) (previous week, $28,000). Last week, nearly $26,800. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Morosco (D) (32d wk; 252; $6.90-$5.75; 946; $31,000) (Barbara Bel Geddes; Bui’l Ives) (previous week, $31,600). Last week over capacity again, nearly $31,600. Chalk Garden, Barrymore (CD) (1st wk; 5; $5.75-$4.60; 1,077; $27,- 811) (Gladys Cooper, Siobhan Mc¬ Kenna). Opened last Wednesday (26) to five favorable reviews (At¬ kinson, Times; Chapman, News; Coleman, Mirror; Kerr. Herald Tribune: McClain, Journal-Ameri- ean) and two unfavorable (Hawkins, World - Telegram; Watts, Post); over $16,100 for first five perform¬ ances and one preview. Comedie Francaise, Broadway (C) (1st wk; 8; $6; 1,900; $50,000). Opened Oct. 25 to unanimous ap¬ proval (Chapman, News; Coleman, Mirror; Hawkins, World-Telegram; Kerr, Herald Tribune; 'Matthews, Times; McClain, Journal-Ameri- can; Watts. Post; around $42,000 for first eight performances. Damn Yankees, 46th St. (MC) (26th wk; 204; $8.05-$7.50; 1.297; $50,573) (Gwen Verdon) (previous week, $50,800). Last week, over capacity again, topped $50,800. Deadfall, Holiday (D) (1st w.k; 4; $5.75; $4.60; 834; $28,000) (.Jo¬ anne' Dru, John Ireland). Opened last Thursday (27) to unanimous pans (Atkinson, Times; Chapman. News; Coleman, Mirror; Hawkins, World - Telegram; Kerr. Herald Tribune; McClain, Journal-Ameri- can; Watts, Post); over $15,000 for first four performances and two previews. Desk Set, Broadhurst (C) (1st) wk; 8; $5.75-$4.60; 1,182; $31,500) (Shirley Booth).. Nearly $30,900 for first eight performances. Diary of Anne Frank, Cort f D) (4th wk; 29; $5.75-$4.60; 1,066; $27,580) (Joseph Schildkraut) (pre¬ vious week, $27,800. Last week, over capacity again, topped $27,800. D'Oyly Carte, Shubert (OP) <5ih wk; 39; $5.75; 1.453; $42,000) (pre¬ vious week, $35,000). Last week, around $32,500. Fanny Majestic (MD) (52d wk:. 412; $7.50; 1,655; $62.96-8) (Ezio Pinza, Walter Slezak) (previous week, $63,500). Last week, almost $62,200, with Nicola Moscana still subbing for Pinza, who’s out ill. Inherit the Wind, National (D) (26th wk; 205; $5.75-$4.6’0; 1,162; $31,300) (Melvyn Douglas) (pre¬ vious week, $31,400). Last week, nearly $29,800, with Douglas out ill lor three performances. Joyce Grenfell Requests the Pleasure, Bijou (R) (3d wk; 24; $5.75; 588; $18,660) (previous week. $15,100). Last week, oVer $14,100, with take again reduced by sub¬ scription. No Time for Sergeants. Alvin <C) (2d wk; 12; $5.75-$4.60; 1,331: $38,500) (previous week, $26,100 for first four performances and one | preview). Last week, over capacity. I topped $37,900, with theatre party commissions cutting into take. Pajama Game, SI. James (MG' (77th wk; 612; $6.90; .1.615; $52,-, 118) (John Raitt, Eddie Foy Jr., I Helen Gallagher) (previous week. I $52,000). Last week, over $50,800. Plain and Fancy, Winter Carden ! (MC) (40th wk; 316; $6.90; 1.494;’ $55,672) (previous week, $53,000). Last week, nearly $48,900. Roomful of Roses, Playhouse (D) (2d wk; 16; $5.75-$4.60; 994; $25,- 500) (Patricia Neal) (previous week, $16,000 for first eight per¬ formances). Last week, almost $11,500. Silk Stockings, Imperial (MC).. (36th wk; 284; $7.50; 1,427; $57,- 800) (Ilildegarde Neff, Don Amc- che) (previous week, $57,700). Last week, over $54,300. Teahouse of the August Moon, Beck (C) (107th wk; 961; $6.22- $4.60; 1,214; $33,608) (Eli Wallach, John Beal) (previous week, $33,- 300). Last week, nearly $32,100. Tiger at the .Gates, Plymouth (D) (4th wk; 32; $5.75; 1,062; $34,- 000) (Michael Redgrave) (previous week, $33,300; moves Nov. 21 to the Fulton). Last week, almost $32,600. View From the Bridge, Coronet (D) (5Lh wk; 36; $6.90-$5.75-$4.60; 998; $30,000) (Van Heflin) <previ¬ ous week, $29,400). Last week, nearly $28,300, with theatre party commissions cutting into take. Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter, Belasco (C) (3d wk; 20; $5.75; 1,- 073; $31,582) (previous week, $28,- 600). Last week, almost $27,200. Witness for the Prosecution, Miller (D) (46th wk; 364; $5.75- $4.60; 946; $23,248) (previous week, $23,300). Last week, over capacity, topped $23,600. Young and Beautiful, Longacre (D) (4th wk; 33; $6.90-$5.75-$4.60; 1 ,101; $28,200) (previous week was underquoted, gross was actually $14,000; moves.next Monday (7) to the ANTA Playhouse). Last week nearly $13,500. Closed Last Week Carefree Tree, Phoenix (D) (3d wk; 24; $3.45; 1,150; $24,067) (pre¬ vious week, $7,500; closed last Sunday (30) after only three weeks instead of. the regular five). Last week, over' $6,000. Opening This Week Heavenly Twins, Booth <C) ($5.75-$5.20; 766; $22,000) (Jean Pierre Aumont, Faye Emerson). Uncredited adaptation (Louis Kron- enbreger recently withdrew his name as adaptor) of Albert IIus- son’s French original, presented by the Theatre Guild; production financed at $65,000; cost about $51,000 to bring in, including an approximate $14,000 tryout profit, but excluding bonds; can break even at an estimated $14,500; opens Friday (4). OFF-BROADWAy (Figures denote opening dates) Amedee, Tempo (10-31). Cherry Orchard, 4th St. (10-18). La Rondc, Circle in Square (2- 27-55); closes next Nov. 7. Macbeth, Jan Hus Aud (10-19). Out of Thr World, Actor’s Play¬ house (10-12-55). Song of Sorrow, Blackfriars (10- 24). Threepenny Opera, de Lys (9-20). ‘PIPE’DREAMY $57,500 FOR 9 IN NEW HAVEN New Haven, Nov. 1. Nine SRO performances at $6 top drew a fantastic $57,500 for (lie broakin of “Pipe Dream” at Shu¬ bert, opening Oct. 22 and playing through last. Saturday (29). The musical tryout was a virtual ad¬ vance sellout. Next booking is a return date of Tea and Sympathy,” Nov. 10-12, this time costarring Maria Riva and Alan Baxter. Original com¬ pany, starring Deborah Kerr, opened here a couple of seasons ago. “Top Man,” starring Ralph Meeker and Polly Bergen, preems Nov. 16-19, followed by Tyrone Power and Leora Dana in a break- in of “A Quiet^Place,” Nov. 23-26; “Boy Friend” for a full stanza Nov. 28-Dec. 3, and then Sean O’Casey’s Red Roses For Me,” Dec. 7-10. ‘Tea’ Tasty $20,000 in 7 For Week in Montreal Montreal, JNov. 1. “Tea and Sympathy,” starring Maria Riva, took in a near-$20.000 in seven performances at Her Ma¬ jesty’s Theatre last week. The George Brandt production opened here Tuesday (25), following a one- niter at the University, Burling¬ ton. Vt. , The Robert Anderson play is current at the Royal Alexandra, Toronto. 70 LEGITIMATE Variety Wednesday, November 2 , 1955 Shows on Broadway The Chalk Garden Irene Mayer Selznick production of drama in three acts, by Enid Bagnold. Stars Gladys Cooper, Siobhan McKenna; features Percy Waram. Fritz Weaver, Marian Seldes, Betsy von Furstenberg. Staged by Albert Marre; scenery and costumes, Cecil Beaton; setting super¬ vision and lighting, Raymond Sovey; cos¬ tume supervision, Anna Hill Johnstone. At Ethel Barrymore, N.Y., Oct. 26, *55; $4.60 top ($5.75 Frlday-Saturday eves; $6.90 opening). 1st Applicant.Siobhan McKenna Maitland . Fritz Weaver 2d Applicant . Georgia Harvey Laurel . Betsy von Furstenberg 2d Applicant .Eva Leonard-Boyne Mrs. St. Maugham . Gladys Cooper Nurse . Marie Paxton Olivia . Marian Seldes Judge . Percy Waram A play that’s enigmatic had bet¬ ter be very beautiful. A play, like a poem, a painting or a piece of music, may be elusive and still be quite moving. But unless it is genuinely lovely it isn’t likely to be very popular. .That could be the case with “The Chalk Garden," an Enid Bagnold comedy - drama which Irene Mayer Selznick has brought to Broadway. Since Paramount has made a pre-production deal for the screen rights, the producer is obviously not the only one for whom the work must have a clear meaning. But to at least some playgoers, "Chalk Garden" re¬ mains obscure, though challeng¬ ing. Under the circ*mstances, it seems doubtful boxoffice j stage offering. Aside from its effect as a play. “Chalk Garden", is notable as of¬ fering the Broadway debut of Siobhan (pronounced Shivawn) McKenna, an Irish actress who first drew critical attention in London last season in a revival of Shaw’s “Saint Joan." She is a striking player, with an interesting person¬ ality and unquestionable if un¬ orthodox potentialities for star¬ dom in legit, pictures and tele¬ vision. Apparently somewhat limited In experience, Miss McKenna has un¬ usual looks that suggest beauty, emotional Intensity and a quality of registering quietly and even in repose. Her voice is expressive, but possibly due to misdirection or opening night nervousness, she oc¬ casionally bursts into a discon¬ certing declamatory style of play¬ ing. In this new play, novelist- dramatist Bagnold appears to be saying that to know oneself and to have learned to accept life is to flourish in rich soil; but not to have patience and a sense of val¬ ues is to wither in chalky ground. The provocative, engrossing story involves a disorganized household in Sussex, England, and the ret¬ icent but passionate stranger who brings it to a sense of reality and stability. Practically everything In the play is as symbolic as the title. The head of the household is flighty lady who makes a fetish of eccentricity and hides her unhap¬ piness and inadequacy in a sort of frantic gaiety and blundering ef¬ forts to grow exotic flowers in the worn-out soil of her gardenr"She Indulges and thinks she loves her obnoxious granddaughter. The latter is a deliberate hysteric who pretends to be deranged, sets Are to things and fictionalizes havin« been ravished at the age of 12 , all as a form of revenge on the mother she professes to hAte. There is a male servant-of-all- work who served a five-year orison term as a conscientious objector and who goes to pieces and gives notice whenever he is criticized. Finally, there - is a nurse who en¬ ters from time to time to relay gardening instructions from the bedridden butler who tyrannically rules the household from upstairs. All thpse characters tend to be ilL defined and therefore unmoti¬ vated. Miss McKenna plays the mys¬ terious stranger who is hired as companion for the granddaughter. With the wisdom and discipline ac¬ quired while imprisoned under sentence of death on a murder I charge (she was released when the verdict was reversed), she straight- 1 ens out the family. At the cur¬ tain, the rationalized granddaugh- ^ tor goes off with her mother, and ■t the self-controlled stranger con- W sents to stay on to use her bo- w tamcal knowledge tp help the old ladv raise flowers. It is a wordy, baffling play that never becomes explicit., but is con¬ sistently absorbing. Although the casting seems generally good, the performance tends to be some¬ what uneven, partly because the lines are frequently inaudible or unintelligible. Too-starred Gladvs Cooper, making her first Broad¬ way appearance in about a dozen years, is notably guilty on this scqve, although her vigorous, au¬ thoritative playing is otherwise excellent. Co-starred, Miss McKenna is generally expressive and arresting as the stranger. But first-featured Betsy von Furstenberg, although well cast as the willful, mixed-up granddaughter, seems one-dimen¬ sional and occasionally tends not to be understandable. Fritz Weaver gives color to the meaty supporting role of the "character” general servant, Percy Waram has a professional touch as a judge, an old family friend, who comes for lunch and turns out to be the one who presided as the hired-companion’s murder trial, and Marian Seldes is properly tense as the mother who comes to claim the problem girl. Accepta¬ ble bit performances are given by Eva Leonard-Boyne, Georgia Har¬ vey and Marie Paxton. Albert Marre’s staging seems confused and occasionally jerky, but Cecil Beaton's interior setting and costumes have an appropriate air of disorganization and quality gone to seed. Hobe. Lc Bourgeois Gentilhoiiiine (‘The Would-Be Gentleman’ S. Hurok (by arrangement with the French government) presentation of Comedie Franoaise production in five acts, by MoUere. Stars Louis Seigner; features Maurice Escande, Jean Meyer, Jacques Chftron, Robert Manuel. Georges Chamarat, Beatrice Bretty, Germaine Rouer, Micheline Boudet, Marie Sabouret. Directed by Meyer; setting, Suzanne Lalique; Lulli music conducted by Andre Cadou. At the Broadway Theatre, N.Y., Oct. 25, *55; $6 top ($10 opening). Count Dorante . Maurice Escande Covielle . Jean Meyer M. Jourdain . Louis Seigner Dancing Instructor . Robert Manuel Philosophy instructor. .Georges Chamarat Cleonte . Jean Piat Apprentice Tailor . Teddy Bills Master Tailor . Jean-Louis Jemma Fencing Master . Michel Galabru Lackeys. .Jacques Toja, Arsene Drancourt Nicole . Beatrice Bretty Mme. Jourdain . Germaine Rouer Lucile . Micheline Boudet Dorimene . Marie Sabouret Singers: MM. Bisson. Gavin. Miles, Gos- selin, Lapointe. Dancers: MM. Lapointe, Quellet. Miles. Zorgo, Pratt, Du Sablou, St. Jean, Ker- ner, Jette. The choice of Moliere’s "Le Bour¬ geois Gentilhomme" as the Come¬ die Francaise’s first presentation in this country is a happy one for many reasons. Not only is it de¬ lightful satirical comedy that pro¬ vides excellent theatre but it is the kind of piece on which. this great French acting troupe has been weaned since its inception 275 years ago and in which all its skills and refinements are put to the test. As seen at the Broadway Theatre, the Moliere classic shines and spar¬ kles ,in a production that lives up to the high tradition of the Come¬ die Francaise. There is something treacherous about the terms "classic” and "tra¬ dition." They seem to imply stuffi¬ ness and a conventionality of ap¬ proach. The way the Comedie Francaise performs "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme," with Louis Seigner in the title part, the piece has a gloss and finish that make every moment of it worthwhile. If its humor is broad, there is a good deal of subtlety in many of the lines and‘each individual perform¬ ance has unique merit. * As the title character, the social climber who aspires to the graces of a "gentleman of 'quality," Seig¬ ner is standout. His buffoonery in¬ jects a sense of pathos that never¬ theless doesn’t interfere with the hearty comedy that is essential to the role. His Jourdain, whether taking fencing lessons or practic¬ ing vowels and consonants, is a study in clumsiness and pompous¬ ness. Jourdain takes . himself with tremendously serious and, while aware of the elements of satire, Seigner’s interpretation is keyed to a realization of Jourdain’s ox-dumb determination to better his social standing which he equates to all the lace-and-ruffles superficiality of the Court. To match the performances, the Comedie Francaise has brought with it a stunning white-and-gold set. dominated by graceful floating staircase. It serves as a decorative ! backdrop and the costumes de¬ signed for both the men and the women are in the order of high elegance. Designer Suzanne La¬ lique displays excellent taste. Each part of the play is cast to perfection. Maurice Escande plays Dorante, the Count, with the prop¬ er disdain; Germaine Rouer por¬ trays Mme. Jourdain with a vividly down-to-earth approach; Micheline Boudet looks and sounds pert in the small role of the Jourdains’ daughter; Marie Sabouret as Dori- mene, the Countess, is a stunner whose looks are matched by the ele¬ gance with which she delivers her lines. Beatrice Bretty’s brash serv¬ ant is a delight. Georges Chamarat, as the dwarf¬ ish philosophy instructor, provides the. play, with some of its funniest ‘ ‘ 1 - 1 i (..if ;) , >1 /, r ) )• ; ' > moments as he uncovers to Seigner the secrets of pronunciation, and awakens him to the realization that he has been talking "prose” most of his life. Michel Galabru is just fine as the fencing master. As the dancing instructor Jacques Charon is properly dandified and Robert Manuel matches him as the music instructor. Jean Piat, Teddy Bills and Jean-Louis Jemma are also very good. Play is directed by Jean Meyer, who also doubles in an acting capacity, as Covielle, the valet. It is in Meyer’s direction that "Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme” reveals the greatness of the Comedie Fran¬ caise. Despite some rather long conversational passages, there is a constant impression of fluidity, helped by the charmingly executed little, ballet and the Lulli music, played and sung. Comedie Francaise demonstrates what 275 years of theatrical team¬ work (Government-subsidized vari¬ ety) can accomplish. Hift. Deadfall Martin Goodman (in association with Julius M. Gordon) production of melo¬ drama in two acts (five scenes), by Leonard Lee. Stars Joanne Dru, John Ireland; features Sheila Bond, Jay Jostyn, Clarence Derwent, Paul Huber, Howard Vermilyea, Norman Rose, Mercer McLeod, Theo Goetz, Sam Gray. Staged by Michael - --“*- J lighting, Ralph Al- Gordon; settings and 1 $4.60 top ($5.75 Friday, Saturday eves; $6.90 opening). Defense Attorney.Clarence Derwent Judge Romagna.Harold Vermilyea District Attorney .. Jay Jostyn Court Clerk . Leslie Barrett Billie Devine ...Sheila Bond Quentin Lockrldge . Paul Huber Jane Lockridge .. Joanne Dru Buck Carpenter . John Ireland Detective . Norman Rose Edmund Hartley .Mercer McLeod Police Doctor . Theo Goetz Dentist . Sam Gray Court Stenographer, Policemen, Court Spectators. One of Broadway’s bromides is that there's always room fop a good meller. The key to that is, of course, the word "good." That’s the snag on which "Deadfall" misses. Virtually the only item of inter¬ est, in this Leonard Lee concoction is that Hollywood actors Joanne Dru and John Ireland are co- starred. Miss Dru is a handsome young woman who might be im¬ pressive in a credible play, and her actor-husband might also appear to advantage in a proper vehicle. In ’Deadfall," however,, they are merely the most prominent in a large company of diligent, helpless players. The occasion is something of an ordeal for everyone. The script, which has been cir¬ culating the managerial offices for several years under the title of "Sweet Poison," is a gimmick who¬ dunit with a plot twist and a theme of implaccable vengeance. Using a flashback from the Los Angeles courtroom where an admitted blackmailer Is on trial for murder, it shows how he has been trapped by the relentless widow of a man he had previously killed. He had been acquitted in that case, but has been framed for a slaying he did not commit—which, in fact, has not taken place at all. It's all elaborately ingenious, hackneyed, unbelievable and tedious. The costars, having been misled into lending their names and pres¬ ence to the undertaking, are mod¬ erately decorative, if hardly per¬ suasive. The veteran Clarence Der¬ went makes a few credible mo¬ ments of the role of the defense attorney and such familiar players as Sheila Bond, Jay Jostyn (as the District Attorney — what else?), Paul Huber and Harold Vermilyea are other Equity casualties. Michael Gordon gets the rap for the direc¬ tion and Ralph Alswang collects a battle stripe for the pretentious scenery and lighting. A prbgram note explains that the dictionary defines a deadfall as a "trap, especially for large game." Without commenting on that, just chalk up the Martin Goodman (in association with Julius JVL Gordon) production as offering nothing for Broadway, but perhaps the basis for a trick meller half-hour for television and a natural for the paperback book market. The screen rights were bought several years ago by 20th Century-Fox, but it has never been filmed. Hobe. Miller, Milwaukee, Opens Repeat Season of Stock Milwaukee, Nov. 1 . Fred Miller Theatre opened its second season last week with an advance sale of $55,000 for the slate of 10 productions. Name pol¬ icy is again being used by manag¬ ing director Mary John, with each play running three weeks for a 30- week season/ Following "King of Hearts," starring Buff Cobb, as the opener, will be "The Corn Is Green," star¬ ring Eva LeGallienne, and then Edward Everett Horton in "Nina.” Arena-styled theatre seats 346 Legit Bits Susan Kohner will make her Broadway debut as ingenue-lead in "A Quiet Place,” the Julian Claman play to star Tyrone Power, with Leora Dana as femme v lead. Theatrical accountant Charles H. Renthal leaves this week on a month’s vacation in Florida and the Virgin Islands. Geoffrey Lumlf left the cast of the touring "Solid Gold Cadillac" to go into the Broadway meller hit, "Witness for the Prosecution." Ethel Koreman, assistant stage manager of "Witness for the Pros¬ ecution," at the Henry Miller, N.Y., is doubling in the cast this week and next as sub for Dawn Mathison, who is taking a delayed honeymoon in Florida with her husband, Judd. Francis Chrtis planed to England this week for another long look at the current London drama, "Shad¬ ow of a Doubt," which he's mulling for Broadway production. I Warren O’Hara, house manager of the Alvin, N. Y., benched with a broken ankle. He was walking his dog, which suddenly started after a cat, catching O’Hara’s leg in the leash and pulling him off his feet. Leon Lishner, who had featured roles in the Broadway productions of "Consul" and "Saint of Bleecker Street," has withdrawn from the N. Y. City Center Opera Co. Jim McKenzie back in N.Y. after a stint as pressagent for the Miller Theatre, Milwaukee. William Gaxton and Victor Moore are to costar in Robert McEnroe’s "Mulligan’s Snug," which Harry Jackson and Sam Weston plan to prqduce on Broadway next Feb¬ ruary. The second production at the reorganized Yiddish Art Theatre will be "The Brothers Ashkenazi," opening Nov. 11. British actress Claire Bloom will make her Broadway bow in Billy Rose’s production of Paul Osborn’s "Maiden Voyage." Tennessee .Williams and his agent, Audrey Wood, will partner in the production of the play-, wright’s "Orpheus Descending," slated for - next September, prob¬ ably in association with another management. Louis Kronenberger, Time mag drama critic, has withdrawn his name as adapter of "Heavenly Twins," which preems at the Booth Theatre, N. Y., next Friday (4). Designer Peggy Clark plans making her Broadway managerial bow with Neal. Dubrock’s "Bon Voyage." Berlin director-stage manager Boleslaw Barlog has arrived in the U. S. for a six-week study tour under the State Dept.’s exchange program. Vince McKnlght and Tom Pow¬ ers are respective pressagent and company manager for George Brandt’s touring company of "Tea and Sympathy." It’s their fifth con¬ secutive season as a team. Kent Smith will take over as the "Professor" in the Broadway edition of "Bus Stop," succeeding Anthony Ross, who died last week. William Berssen, who joined the Huntington Hartford operation seven years ago and helped formu¬ late plans. for Hartford’s theatre operations on the Coast, checks out this week on an "extended leave of absence." For the time being, he plans a writing sojourn in Mexico. Kaye Ballard, recently in the tryout. closing, "Reuben Reuben," has been signed for one of the leads in the upcoming musical, "Pleasure Dome." Brian Donlevy withdrew from “King of Hearts," due to open next Monday (7) at the Carthay Circle, Hollywood, on the claim that he had never signed a con¬ tract. He’s taking a leading role in the picture, "A Cry in the Night," currently in production. Thornton Wilder returned from Europe and has gone to Philly for the tryout of his "Matchmaker." He’s reportedly on the final act of a rewrite of "Alcestiad," the com¬ edy based on Greek mythology, produced under the title "A Life in the Sun" last summer at the Edinburgh Festival. French mime Marcel Marceau, currently on tour, is set for a week’s stand opening Dec. 6 at the Huntington Hartford Theatre, Hol¬ lywood. It will be a stop-off en route to the Orient. Understudying in the touring "Bus Stop" is Irving Berlin’s daughter. Linda. Mike Wallace, Andrew McCul¬ lough and Don Wolin have can¬ celled plans for a Broadway pro¬ duction of "Debut," which they tried out last summer at Wolin's Theatre - By - The - Sea, Matunuck, R. I. Jack Root, who formerly oper¬ ated a ticket agency on 8 th Ave. filed a voluntary bankruptev ™ titioii last week, listing $ 9,250 bilities and no assets. Watson Barratt has sold hie hotel Rt Highlands, N.C., and is again devoting full time to scenio designing, William Dodds and A 1 Rosen are respective stage manager and com. pany manager of the tourinc "Anastasia.” b Foreign Rights Pay Off (So Does Everything) For Smash Teahouse’ Foreign royalties, generally a relatiyely minor item for Broadway hits, can occasionally bring sizable profits. It depends on how ex¬ tensively the show is produced abroad. For example, "Teahouse of the August Moon" is cleaning up from overseas royalties, on the basis of having more alien transplantings than any other New York play in recent years. In the latter connec¬ tion, the fact that the John Patrick- Vern Sneider comedy makes good- natured fun of the military and the U.S. is figured as a sure hook for foreign popular appeal. The Maurice Evans - George Schaefer parent production has been averaging around $600 a week in royalties from abroad. That’s on the basis of a total royalty in¬ come of $ 12,000 over a 20 -week period ended last Sept. 10, includ¬ ing returns from overseas was about $ 12 , 000 , including royalties from editions of the play in Lon¬ don, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, France, Iceland, Belgium and Israel. The royalty income, incidentally, does not include the New York management’s share of the profits from the London company. OLD HI NOW SEEKING NON-CAMPUS AUDIENCE New Haven, Nov. 1. Yale. School of Drama is wooing general support from local citizen¬ ry as opposed to its former policy of confining Eli productions to invited (non-paying) audiences. Move is in line with a tentative plan to extend the runs of its major productions and thereby make attendance available to general public. First offering under the new Setup is. Sean O'Casey’s "co*ck-a- Doodle Dandy," opening tomorrow night (Wed.). and is scaled w.itft. ft ,$3.5,0 Jop., . J and in the Belvedere Hotel, N.Y.j ) 1 .>j -j ii it i l e i' 2 i» 11; i .m r i \.' i ); 1 < I • ■;) a ) t i \ < Cleve Mosicarnival Had 245G Gross, Top Season Cleveland, Nov. 1. Musicarnival, local summer tunetent, pulled a record $245,000 for its 14V£ weeks of operation this year. Attendance of .130,000 was a 40% increase over last summer. Top draw of the season was "South Pacific," with $84,000 on its four-week run. Other shows were "Kiss Me Kate" $27,000 in two-and-a-half weeks; "Fleder- maus," $15,000, one -week; "Briga- doon," $26,000, two weeks; "Wish You Were Here," $38,000, two weeks, and "Guys and Dolls," $55,- 000, three weeks. Figures were re¬ vealed by producer John Price Jr. Cain Park's season was reported¬ ly not quite up to 1954, but figures haven’t yet been released. Rabbit Run, which opened in an expanded North Madison house, had one of the best seasons on its history, but Chagrin Falls shuttered two weeks early because of poor ,biz. Dvorak’s Life Basis For New British Musical London, Oct. 18. A new British musical, based on the life of the Czech' composer Anton Dvorak, Is to open at the Princes Theatre here earily in the new year after a two-montli tryout at the Opera House, Man¬ chester. The tuner is being pre¬ sented by George and Alfred Black, but the Manchester season will be in association with Jack Hylton. . The production, still untitled, is based on a book by Eric Maschwitz and Hy Kraft. Themes from Dvo¬ rak’s original music are being used in Bernard Grun's score. Charles Hickman has been signed to di¬ rect and casting is now in prog¬ ress. Wednesday, November 2, 1955 Chi Coasts Along; 'Cadillac $15,800, j ‘Waltz $15,700, ‘Teahouse’ Still SRO Chicago, Nov. 1. 4- jesters generally maintained their I ‘King’ Healthy $38,000 SiwelxSpUo^Mrdt.reweath- For 2d Week in Balto cr and theatre parties helped. Baltimore, Nov. 1 . Future slate includes “Pajama Second round of “King And I” fiame ” Shubert, Nov. 15, for a drew an acceptable $38,000 at run; “Bus Stop,” Selwyn, Nov. 21 Ford’s here last week. Holly Har- for five weeks, on subscription, and ris has taken over the femme lead "Kismet,” Great Northern, Dec. 5 for the ailing Patricia Morrison. for a run. Estimates for Last Week Third and final week is current for the R & H musical, with no Anniversary. Waltz, Harris (2d further bookings set for the house, wk) ($5; 1,000). Over $15,700 on - subscription (previous week, $14,- (BANNING $37,500, D.C.; <$5*95; 2J00K Almost $28,900 (pre- ‘HATFUL’OKAY $15,000 VI Solid e Goid 3 Cadillac, X ma 1 2kItone Washington, Nov. 1. ( 3 d wk) ($4.50; 1,450). Over $15,- “The Vamp” rolled up smash 800 (previous week, $16,000). business last week in the second of Teahouse of the August Moon, its three frames at the National Solid Gold Cadillac, Blackstone Washington, Nov. 1. (3d wk) ($4.50; 1,450). Over $15,- “The Vamp” rolled up smash 800 (previous week, $16,000). business last week in the second of Teahouse of the August Moon, its three frames at the National Erlangcr ( 7 th wk) ($o, 1,335) (Bur- Theatre. . However, the opening gess Meredith, Scott McKay) Went week of *. Hatful of Ra i n ” dre w clean again at just under $35,500. only so _ so ~~ Estimates for Last Week i I 9 OOP nLT Hatful of Rain, Shubert (1,542; loniie rhll^l • $ 3 - 8 5) (Shelley Winters, Ben Gaz- J (Ill lid t/LvIj 1 IIIICU 9 zara). Tryout drew a fair $15,000 for opening week on subscription; ‘Mafrh’ OK Qf, tt) h 0 V«r r Nation„ ( 2 d wk) (1,677; lYlClU/11 VlV t/U XT/ $4.95) (Carol Channing). Big $37,500 and looks just as good for Philadelphia Nov. 1. the final week of the tryout stand. Philadelphia, Nov. 1. the hnal week ot the tryout sta: Both new legit shows here last . week were well received by critics Hours HI 12 Finale: and public. Trio of steller names <n/r > r\ v a ci i hypoed . “Janus,” which playpd a Man Opens 3S L/.A. OOlO full week' at Forrest. Another L OS Angeles Nov 1 three-star item, “The Matchmaker,” A/ r’ » got off to brisk start Thursday (27) ik i U its first half-stanza at the fo- Hartford Theatre last cust. “Janus” got a two-to-one fa¬ vorable critical count, but “Match¬ maker” received unanimous praise. night (Mon.) kept Los . Angeles from going legit-less this frame, following the departure of “Des- juaivci uiiaumiDuo ux axoc. . •• •• « T i Both newcomers hold for-second P erat « ,? ou " s atter a , thr «t w , eek weeks, and Hedgerow returns to ru S„ at th S Carthay Circle Theatre, the midtown tonight (Tues.) open- “Hours dipped sharply to $12 - ing with T. S. Eliot’s "The Con- 500 for its final frame. Three-week fidential Clerk,” in the Academy h a * nf Mncip Fnvpr operating profit for the run, but i r \ w i the production cost for the local Estimates for Last Week an( j g an Francisco production v'as Janus, Forrest. (C) ($4.80; 1,760) not recouped. (Maugaret Sullavan, Claude Dau- --- phin, Robert Preston). Although m • still in process of revision, the try- lOlirUlfif lMIOWS out drew favorable reviews; grossed , ® a smash $32,200 on subscription; (Oct 31 -Nov. 13) holds this week. -— Touring Shows (Oct 31 -Nov. 13) .1.580) (Ruth Gordon Eileen Her- Royal Alexandra, Toronto (7-12). lie Eddie Mavphnfn Oneneri a Anniversary Waltx^-Harris. Chi <31-12). rln* y n °- hi opened a Bos stop (2d Co .)— Playhouse, K.C. (1-5); tryout Thursday night (27); sub- Lyceum, Mpis. (7-12). scription plus favorable reaction can-cap— shubert, chi m-12). ehnuid keep ‘his one going nicely Au C r* n rlfJ 3 . through next week; first four per- s. t. CoUegc d); Geneseo (N. y.) s. t. formances drew $9,000. £ oll T eg £x {2) A ’S ?* 4 H ; s : AVr d -\. Pa ^ tu ^ et ' v R. I. (4); Coolidge Aud., Wash. (7); Ship* ' ~ pensburg (Pa.) College (8); Duke U., Dur- ‘PAJAMA’NIFTY $40,000 Wheeling, U w’. Va’. (13)! Vufilnia Thcatlc ’ INDALLAS-ST.L. WEEK sSsSS" 1B ' Hatful of Rain (tryout) (Shelley Win- St. LOUIS, Nov. 1. ters, Ben Gazzara)—Shubert, Wash. (31-5) “Paiama Home »* (Reviewed in VARIETY, Oct. 12, '55). me j lts Janus (tryout) (Margaret Sullavan, Rob- SOCk tour, grossed $40,000 in eight ert Preston, Claude Dauphin)—Forrest, performances last week That in- phiI1 y <3i-5); National, Wash. (7-12) (Re¬ el.,dpd a firh.1 Ufirt o viewed in VARIETY, Oct. 26, '55). n + oo 3 • matinee Sunday. King and I (Patricia Movison)—Ford's Uct. 23, winding up an engagement Balto (3i-5); shubert, Phiiiy (7-12). at the,..State Fair Auditorium, Dal- Coll,mbus (31 ’ 5); las, and seven performances at the Lark (tryout) (Julie Harris. Boris Kar- American here ODeriine lnct Thp«. loff)—Plymouth, Boston (31-12) (Reviewed dav nioiif OR) tul ih c * j in VARIETY this week). /!> d m (2 . trough Saturday Little Hut (Veronica Lake)—Aud., Roch- (29). The musical continues its lo- ester (31-5); Pabst, Milw’kee (7-9); Para- cal run this weelr and novt of mount, Toledo (10-12). S " eeiC ana next » at Matchmaker (tryout) (Ruth Gordon, $0.t)U top. Eileen Herlie, Eddie Mayehoff)—Locust, Fran Warren, Larry Douglas and 5£g. rai ‘ ia) (Rcviewed in VAttIETY this Buster West are costarred in the Paiama Game (2d Co.) (Fran Warren, Show. Larry Douglas, Busier West)—American, top. Eileen Herlie, Eddie Mayehoff)—Locust, Fran Warren, Larry Douglas and 5£g. rai ‘ ia) (Rcviewed in variety this Buster West are costarred in the Paiama Game (2d Co.) (Fran Warren, Show. Larry Douglas. Busier West)—American, St. L. (31-12). ’ ■ — Pipe Dream (tryout) (Helen Traubel, F) 1 ztfi i t ihoo Non William Johnson):—Shubert, Boston (1-12) I arks- IPannilCA MS 7\7* (Reviewed in VARIETY. Oct. 26. *55). * CUnd ICdllUUdC Ji . Plain and Fancy (2d Co.) (Alexis Smith, ,- T _ __ _ Craig Stfevens)—Curran, S. F. (31-12). New 3-Week Mark, Cleve co?Sn?ri, Boston &i!W Eddie Brackcn)— V* viviv S oHd Gold Cadillac—Blackstone. Chi Cleveland Nov 1 01 - 12 ). “TeahmieA nf tho Tea * nd Sympathy (Maria Riva, Alan eot 0t A Rg ust Moon Baxter)—Royal Alexandra, Toronto (31-5); sec another record last week. The Aud., Rochester (7-9); Shubert, New $iMnftn r iS^h^ P w.y?it th, Au , u „ M..n cm co.» over $105,000 in three weeks at (Burgess Meredith, Scott McKay) — t ie Hanna, setting a new high for Erianger, Chi 01-12). toe house. Take for the final o,T r “y'•'¥; r k S Yvicf.T’ , Dlrto r 'n <:, r)Sr frame at the $l,515-seater topped Nixon, MurrST y . '' $00,737. The comedv which was Tender Trap (Lloyd Bridges, Russell faled to a $4.40 topf^s the fust Janet Riley) - A1 ‘ non-musical to play three weeks at This Thing Called LoveTMagda Gabor) the Hanna siriPP 11 Ahie’s Irish — Erianger, Buffalo (10-12). Rosp” in inoo S nce AD e s 1 Sn Two's company (Edith Atwater, Albert . ln 1922. Dekkcr)—Central H. S. Aud., Kalamazoo. The production is current at the Mich. (I); Lake Forrest (ill.) If. S. (2); Victory Davtnn University Club, Chi (3); College Aud., ^ayton. Rust.on, La. 17); Roney Plaza Hold. Miami - - -* Beach, Fla. (9); If. S. Aud., Wausau, Wis. Chatham Ont (iPK | AUlt Vamp (tryout) (Carol Channing)—Na- vaiULliam, VliLj UC15 LCgll tional, Wash. (31-5) (Reviewed ln VARI- Chatham, Ont., Nov. 1 . 20> “ s 0,leinl " utte ' Victory, Dayton. gffiSfKu? _ ------ Beach. Fla. ( Chatham, Ont., Gets Legit 2sr w 2s First lo^af t pr^es^ioVal^theaVre, ^ eYlil ^ R)t; ! a 200 -seater located in a former I Baptist church, opens Nov. 21 with J hhaw’s “Pygmalion.” Mayor Moore, tormer h 6 ad of CBS-TV production House of JR Toronto, will direct, with Paddy house ’ N - Y ‘ Robertson, localite and former T pr rv a, British resident, in tbe lead, with a t} ie r ecenl piofessional supporting cast. "Lunatics D]'mLdT? lgner R ^ lph Hicklin in that cap Phinncd the conversion. uncoming i Equity Show (Nov. 2-6) House of Connelly—Lenox Hill Play- Jerry Adler, ^stage manager of the recent Coast production of "Lunatics and Lovers.” is dittoing in that capacity on Herman Levin’s upcoming musical. “My Lady Liza.” Variety BARRYMORE VICE LAKE; ‘HUT’ RICKETY 5G, DET. Detroit, Nov. 1 . With Veronica Lake still hospi¬ talized after her collapse last week, Diana Barrymore is reportedly set to take over the sole femme role in the touring “Little Hut.” With understudy Marie Corett subbing last week, the comedy drew a dire $5,000 at the 2,050-seat Shubert, at a $3.50 top, with twofers. Both'local theatres are dark this week, but the Shubert relights next Monday (7) with the Katherine Dunham dance group, and the Cass opens Nov. 21 with “An¬ astasia.” Miss Lake collapsed last Thurs¬ day (27) in the lobby of her hotel and was taken to Receiving Hospi¬ tal, reportedly “suffering from ex¬ haustion.” She was similarly ill, missing three performances, dur¬ ing the show’s Buffalo engagement. The troupe is at the Auditorium, Rochester, this week. Lark’ $7,809 (3), Twins’ 34y 2 G, Hub Boston, Nov. 1 . Boston is in the midst of a legit splurge, with biz good all around. With “Pipe Dream” opening to¬ night (Tues.) at the Shubert. sold out into the third of its skedded four weeks, the Hub has three shows on the boards. Eddie Bracken in “Seven Year Itch” opened at the Colonial last night (Mon.) for a fortnight. Julie Har¬ ris and Boris Karloff opened a tryout of “The Lark” at the Plymouth last Friday (28) to rave reviews. “Anastasia” exited Saturday night (29) for Pittsburgh after a two-week stand and “Heavenly Twins” departed after a fortnight, bound for New York. Estimates for Last Week Lark, Plymouth (1st wk) ($4.40; 1.200) (Julie Harris). Tryout op¬ ened strong Friday night (28) and got rave notices. For three per¬ formances did $7,800. Should pick ud $20,000 for first full week. Holds through Nov. 14. Heavenly Twins, Colonial (2d wk) ($4.40; 1,590) (Jean Pierre Aumont. Faye Emerson). Racked up nearly $34,500 on the holdover, and exited for New York. Anastasia, Wilbur (2jJ wk) ($3.85; 1.241) (Dolly Haas, Eugenie Leon- tovich). Picked up. $20,800, exited for Pittsburgh. Onening This Week Pipe Dream, Shubert (1.717) (Helen Traubel.- William Johnson). New Rodgers-Hammerstein musi¬ cal, based on John Steinbeck’s novel, “Sweet Thursday,” opens a tryout engagement tonight (Tues.) with an almost complete sellout for the first three weeks and is a virtual cinch to go clean the en¬ tire four weeks. Seven Year Itch, Colonial (1,590) (Eddie Bracken). Opened last night (Mon.) for a two-week stand. ‘Fancy’ $41,200, Frisco; ‘ Bus Stop’ Slow $13,500 San Francisco, Nov. 1. “Plain and Fancy” maintained a solid pace in its third frame at the Curran last week, but “Bus Stop” slumped badly in its fourth and final stanza at the Geary. Business at the Alcazar, with the first week of “The Tender Trap,” was so-so. Estimates for This Week Plain and Fancy, Curran (3d wk) ($4.90; 1,752) (Alexis Smith, Craig Stevens). Very good $41,200; con¬ tinues through Nov. 19. Bus Stop, Geary (4th wk) ($4.40; j 1,550). Slim $13,500; exited Sat-j urday (29). I Tender Trap, Alcazar (1st wk) j ($3.85; 1,477). Fair $14,000; closes Saturday (5). I SCHEDULED N.Y. OPENINGS ( Theatres . indicated if set) Hatful of Rain, Lyceum (11-9). Vamp, Wint. Card. (11-10). Lark, Longacre (11-17). Janus, Plymouth (11-24). Pipe Dream, Shubert <11-30). Matchmaker, Royale (12-5). Fallen Angels (12-29). Great Sebastians (1-5). Tamburlalne the Great, B’way (1-19). Quiet Place (wk. 1-23). Hot Corner (1-24). Middle of Night, ANTA (wk. 1-29). Strip For Action (2-13). My Lady Liza, Hcllingcr (wk. 3-10). Mr. Wonderful (3-16). OFF-BROADWAY Trouble in Mind, G’n’w'ch Mows (11-3). Highway Robbery, Pros. (11-7). Dragon's Mouth, Cherry Lane (wk. 11-16V Last Love of Don Juan, Rooftop (11-21). Cradle Song, Circle in Square (12-1). Six Characters, Phoenix (12-1). Marching Song, Phoenix (3-8). LEGITIMATE B’way Dips, But Biz Still Stout; Shirley Big $30,900, Comedie 42G, ‘Garden’ $16,100, ‘DeadfaD’ $15,009 Broadway stuck to form last week, with the usual end-of-October dip. Despite substantial drops, most shows remained on firm ground. Bullish biz during the past few week's lessened the im¬ pact of the sag. Only one show closed last week. That was “Carefree Tree” at the “off-Broadway” Phoenix Theatre. It bowed out after three weeks of a scheduled five-week run. There were four preems last week, while the single “Heavenly Twins,” is set for the current frame. 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- retta). Other parenthetic designations- refer, respectively, to weeks played, number of performances through last Saturday, top prices, vuniber of seats, capacity gross and stars. Price includes 10% Federal and 5% City tax, but grosses arc net: i.e., exclusive of tax. Boy Friend,' Royale IMO (57th wk; 451; $6.90; 1,050; $38,200) (previous week, $32,000; closes Nov. 26 to tour). Last week, over $27,400. Bus Stop, Music Box (CD) (351 h .wk; 278; $5.75-$4.60; 1,010; $27- 811) (previous week, $28,000). Last week, nearly $26,800. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Morosco (D) (32d wk; 252; $6.90-$5.75; 946; $31,000) (Barbara Bel Gcddes; Burl Ives) (previous week, $31,600). Last week over capacity again, nearly $31,600. Chalk Garden, Barrymore (CD) (1st Wk; 5; $5.75-$4.60; 1.077; $27,- 811) (Glad 3 's Cooper, Siobhan Mc¬ Kenna). Opened last. Wednesday (26) to five favorable reviews (At¬ kinson, Times; Chapman, News; Coleman, Mirror; Kerr. Herald Tribune; McClain, Journal-Ameri- can) and two unfavorable (Hawkins, World - Telegram; Watts. Post); over $16,100 for first five perform¬ ances and one preview. Comedie Francaise, Broadway (C) ( 1 st wk; 8 ; $ 6 ; 1,900; $50,000). Opened Oct. 25 to unanimous ap¬ proval (Chapman, News; Coleman, Mirror; Hawkins, World-Telegram; Kerr, Herald Tribune; Matthews, Times; McClain, Journal-Ameri- can; Watts. Post; around $42,000 lor first eight performances. Damn Yankees, 46th St. (MC) (26th wk; 204; $8.05-$7.50; 1.297; $50,573) (Gwen Verdon) (previous week, $50,800). Last week, over capacity again, topped $50,800. Deadfall, Holiday (D) (1st w.k; 4; $5.75; $4.60; 834; $28,000) <Jo- annd Dm, John Ireland). Opened last Thursday (27) to unanimous pans (Atkinson, Times; Chapman, News; Coleman, Mirror; Hawkins, World - Telegram; Kerr, Herald Tribune; McClain, Journal-Amen- can; Watts, Post); over $15,000 for first four performances and two previews. Desk Set, Broadhurst (C) ( 1 st) wk; 8 ; $5.75-$4.60; 1,182; $31,500) (Shirley Booth).. Nearly $30,900 for first eight performances. Diary of Aline Frank, Cort <D) (4th wk; 29; $5.75-$4.60; 1,066; $27,580) (Joseph Schildkraut) (pre¬ vious week, $27,800. Last week, over capacity again, topped $27,800. D’Oyly Carte, Shubert (OP) <5ih wk; 39; $5.75; 1.453; $42,000) (pre¬ vious week, $35,000). Last week, around $32,500. Fanny Majestic (MD) (52d wk:. 412; $7.50; 1,655; $62,968) (Ezio Pinza, Walter Slezak) (previous week, $63,500). Last week, almost $62,200, with Nicola Moscana still subbing for Pinza, who’s out ill. Inherit the Wind, National iD) (26th wk; 205; $5.75-$4.60; 1,162; $31,300) (Melvyn Douglas) (pre¬ vious week, $31,400). Last week, nearly $29,800, with Douglas out ill lor three performances. Joyce Grenfell Requests the Pleasure, Bijou (R) (3d wk; 24; $5.75; 588; $18,660) (previous week. $15,100). Last week, over $14,100, with take again reduced by sub¬ scription. No Time for Sergeants, yyivin (C) (2d wk; 12 ; $5.75-$4.60; 1,331: $38,500) (previous week, $26,100 for first four performances and one j preview). Last week, over capacity. J topped $37,900, with theatre pyny ; commissions cutting into take. i Pajama Game, St. James iMC'| (77<h wk: 612; $6.90; .1,615; $52,-, 118) (John Raitt, Eddie Foy Jr.. I Helen Gallagher) (previous week.! $52,000). Last week, over $50,800. Plain and Fancy, Winter Harden (MC) 1 40th wk; 316; $6.90; 1.494;' $55,672) (previous week, $53,000). Last week, nearly $48,900. Roomful of Roses, Playhouse (D) (2d wk; 16; $5.75-$4.60; 994; $25,- 500) (Patricia Neal) (previous week, $16,000 for first eight per¬ formances). Last week, almost $11,500. Silk Stockings* Imperial (MC) (36th wk; 284; $7.50; 1,427; $57,- 800) (Hildegarde Neff, Don Amc- che) (previous week, $57,700). Last week, over $54,300. Teahouse of the August Moon, Beck (C) (107th wk; 961; $6.22- $4.60; 1,214; $33,608) (Eli Wallach, John Beal) (previous week, $33,- 300). Last week, nearly $32,100. Tiger at the .Gates, Plymouth (D) (4th wk; 32; $5.75; 1,062; $34,- 000) (Michael Redgrave) (previous week, $33,300; moves Nov. 21 to the Fulton). Last week, almost $32,600. View From the Bridge, Coronet iD) (5th wk; 36; $6.90-$5.75-$4.60; 998; $30,000) (Van Heflin) 'previ¬ ous week, $29,400). Last week, nearly $28,300, with theatre party commissions cutting into take. Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter, Belasco (C) (3d wk; 20; $5.75; 1,- 073; $31,582) (previous week, $28,- 600). Last week, almost $27,200. Witness for the Prosecution, Miller (D) (46th wk; 364; $5.75- $4.60; 946; $23,248) (previous week, $23,300). Last week, over capacity, topped $23,600. Young and Beautiful, Longacre (D) (4th wk; 33; $6.90-$5.75-$4.60; 1 , 101 ; $28,200) (previous week was underquoted, gross was actually $14,000; moves next Monday (7) to the ANTA Playhouse). Last week nearly $13,500. Closed Last Week Carefree Tree, Phoenix (D) (3d wk; 24; $3.45; 1,150; $24,067) (pre¬ vious week, $7,500; closed last Sunday (30) after only three weeks instead of the regular five). Last week, over $ 6 , 000 . Opening This Week Heavenly Twins, Booth <C) ($5.75-$5.20; 766; $22,000) (Jean Pierre Aumont, Faye Emerson). Uncredited adaptation (Louis Kron- enbreger recently withdrew' his name as adaptor) of Albert IIus- son’s French original, presented by the Theatre Guild; production financed at $65,000; cost about $51,000 to bring in, including an approximate $14,000 tryout profit, but excluding bonds; can break even at an estimated $14,500; opens Friday (4). off-broAdway (Figures denote opening dales) Amedee, Tempo (10-31). Cherry Orchard, 4th St. (10-18). La Ronde, Circle in Square (2- 27- 55); closes next Nov. 7. Macbeth, Jan Hus Aud (10-19). Out of Thr World, Actor’s Play¬ house (10-12-55). Song of Sorrow, Blackfriars <10- 24). Threepenny Opera* de Lys (9-20). ‘PIPE’DREAMY $57,500 FOR 9 IN NEW HAVEN New Haven, Nov. 1. Nine SRO performances at $6 top drew a fantastic $57,500 for (he breakin of “Pipe Dream” at Shu¬ bert, opening Oct. 22 and playing through last Saturday (2.9). The musical tryout was a virtual ad¬ vance sellout. Next booking is a return date of "Tea and Sympathy,” Nov. 10-12, this time costarring Maria Riva and Alan Baxter. Original com¬ pany, starring Deborah Kerr, opened here a couple of seasons ago. "Top Man,” starring Ralph Meeker and Polly Bergen, preems Nov. 16-19, followed by Tyrone Power and Leora Dana in a. break- in of “A QuietTPlace,” Nov. 23-26; "Boy Friend” for a full stanza Nov. 28- Dec. 3, and then Sean O’Casey’s “Red Roses For Me,” Dee. 7-10. ‘Tea’ Tasty $20,000 in 7 For Weak in Montreal Montreal, JNov. 1. “Tea and Sympathy,” starring Maria Riva, took in a near-$20.000 in seven performances at Her Ma¬ jesty’s Theatre last week. The George Brandt production opened here Tuesday (25), following a one- niter at the University, Burling¬ ton. Vt. The Robert Anderson play is current at the Royal Alexandra, Toronto. LEGITIMATE Shows Abroad Requiem lor a Nun Zurich* Oct. 23. Scliausplelhaus production of drama in three acts (seven scenes), by William Faulkner; German adaptation, Robert Sclmorr. Staffed by Leopold Llndtberff; sets, Teo Otto; technical direction, Ferdi¬ nand Lanffe; lighting. Walter Gross. At Schausplelhaus. Zurich, Oct. 22, '55; $2.55 top. Judge ... Sigfrit Steiner Nancy Mannigoe.Gisela Mattisbent Temple Stevens Drake Heldemarle Hatheyer Gowan Stevens.Peter Luehr Gavin Stevens . Carl Kuhlmann Governor ... Hanna Krassnltzer Pete.Alfons Hoeckmann Jailer . Erwin Parker Beadle . Paul Buelilmann Here is a phenemonon—a play by a famous American novelist, world-preemed in Switzerland in a German translation. “Requiem for a Nun” has received rave reviews and looks like one of the top hits of the season. But although the drama seems sure to have extensive productions throughout Europe, especially in German, following its Zurich suc¬ cess, there's still considerable question as to its suitability for Broadway. For while “Requiem” offers a meaty role for a star tragedienne, it tends to be rather literary, loaded with murky sym¬ bolism, besides being unrelievedly grim. . Actually the middle piece of the author’s three-part novel of the same name, written as a drama, “Requiem” takes up characters from one of his earlier novels, “Sanctuary.” Told partly in flash¬ backs, it involves the confession of a woman who, years before, had been forced by a mobster to live in a Memphis brothel after having witnessed a murder. She later married a man indi¬ rectly responsible for the course of events. After having her second baby, she hires a Negro girl, a former prostie and drug addict, in order to “have someone to talk to,” but actually because this girl's character matches her own. When she plans running away with a hoodlum, leaving her hus¬ band and children, the Negro girl, in a desperate effort to shock her to reason, kills her younger child and is condemned to hang. Trying to save her, the woman is induced by the defender to confess her en¬ tire story to the Governor, but in vain. This shocker tale is mei*ely the frame for a deeper meaning. Through confession, the heroine is forced to admit to herself her own guilt of never having fought against the evil in her and even secretly Wanting it. And the Negro girl sacrifices her life to enable ADVANCE AGENTS ! COMPANY MANAGERS! We have been serving theatrical shows for over 42 years. Ours is the oldest, most reliable and ex¬ perienced transfer company on the West Coast! • Railroad privilege a for handling shows and theatrical luggage . • Complete ware house facilit-eil • Authorized in California. Equipped to transfer and haul anywhere in U. S.l • RATES ON REQUEST I Atlantic Transfer Company GEORGE CONANT 1100 East 5th Street los Angeles 13, Calif. MUtual 8121 or Oxford 9-4764 PROFESSIONAL CARDS HONORED Theatrical and TV Make Up • All Leading Cosmetic Lines • Imported & Domestic Perfumes • Distinctive Fountain Service. FREE DELIVERY OPEN SUNDAYS The Drug Store of the Stars" HADLEY rexall drugs 1181 6th Ave., Cor. 46 St., NEW YORK Telephone PLaza 7-0023 the woman to rebuild her own—as the colored race, according to Faulkner, always suffers for the “white man.” That is why the author calls her a “nun” and the story a “requiem.” This may be hard to swallow for an audience primarily seeking “entertainment,” especially since it is a. play where every line of dialog counts and even the most attentive listener may have trouble in de¬ ciphering what's really behind all the gruesome happenings. But once the road to understanding is open, this is highly rewarding, timely drama, realistic and even shocking at times, but never tasteless. It is a dramatic actress’ ^ieltl day. The rple of the white woman is terribly demanding, as the char¬ acter is almost constantly onstage and requires a tremendous range of emotions, from restrained under p-laying to violent outbursts. Ger¬ man stage and screen star Heide- marie Hatheyer is perfectly cast here and delivers a sock portrayal. Although the featured parts are relatively minor, they are all bril¬ liantly played by top actors, with special credit to Gisela Mattishent as the Negro girl, Carl Kuhlmann as defense attorney and Peter Luehr as the husband. Leopold Lindtberg’s direction is masterful and Teo Otto’s trans¬ parent sets contribute importantly to a memorable performance. Mezo. Qkppii and the Reltel s London, Oct. 28. Henry Sherck production of melodram;' in two acts, by Ugo Betti, translated by Henry Reed, Stars Irene Worth. Staged by Frank Hauser; setting, Audrey Crud- das. At the Theatre Royal. Hayniarkel, London, Oct. 27, ’55; $2.35 top. Porter .John Kid-1 Engineer . John Gill Traveller . Leo McKern Raim ..* Duncan L-rnont Argia .. Irene Worth Biante . Alan Tilvern Maupa . Brian Wallace Elisabetta . Gwendoline Watford Peasant Woman . Mary Llewellin Peasant . Patrick Magoo Young Peasant . Angela Lloyd There is a rare quality in the lale Ugo Betti’s “The Queen and the Rebels.” Stripped of its trim¬ mings. it’s just a good melodrama, but superb writing and a model translation inject tension and con¬ viction into an unreal situation. Also there is a standout perform¬ ance by i American-bornr Irene Worth. The play should be good for a profitable run. “Queen” is a contemporary play, localed on the frontier of a mythi¬ cal central European country and based on a struggle of revolution¬ aries versus their monarch. The Italian dramatist has chosen an odd assortment of characters. As the story opens, they arrive at a frontier post for a control check by the revolutionaries. The Queen, who has been in hid¬ ing for five years, is suspected of trying to break through the fron¬ tier control. She is there, but effec¬ tively disguised as a peasant, with hands soiled from working in the fields. A prostitute whose hands are clean is mistaken for the mon¬ arch after helping the latter to escape. One of the most impressive scenes in the play is the trial of the prostitute for treason and treachery, with angry villagers, soaked in revolutionary propa¬ ganda, brought in to act as the jury. The spirited stand by the defendant and her refusal to sign a “confession” in return for a par¬ don, provides a powerful climax. Under Frank Hauser’s sympa¬ thetic and intelligent direction there is a . gradual but unmistake- able mounting of suspense, climax¬ ing as the prostitute realises she cannot convince her judges of her real identity, and regally plays the part of the queen. Miss Worth’s performance is full of Warmth, sympathy and understanding. Her delivery and enunciation are ex¬ emplary and she brings conviction to every scene. Alan Tilvern and Brian Wallace, 1 as the principal accusers, play SpsaaL (flcdjLtu to 1 ^ VWJUCOU JUJ - Qv # JhsuxihkaL 'ShoupA*!!! WIW TOiK CITY THE MANGER VANDER6IIT THE MANGER WINDSOR W4SMM0T0R, P.C, THE MANGER ANNAROUS THE MANGER HAT-ADAMJ THE MANGER HAMIITQN M m* THE MANGER ROCHESTER, N.Y- THE MANGER ROCHESTER SB AHP R A PID! THE MANGER ROW! tLEVEUHP THE MANGER SAVIIHUH s ‘i f* •lfMHrHJ.il* •wfM IHHH tm* u, r. r, . •*«■»* Miff fff&rjgrr_ fluently in the accepted style. Dun¬ can Lamont gives a shrewd study of the former lover who is pre¬ pared to sacrifice the prisoner to the firing squad rather than risk his own neck. Gwendoline Watford has" little to do as the queen, but does it acceptably. The rest of the cast sustain the atmosphere. Au¬ drey Cruddas has designed a suit¬ ably bleak- frontier set. Myro. Tomoin a t linrgi* (Witness for the Prosecution) Paris* Oct. 19. Klj/abeth Hijar production or melo¬ drama In four acts* by Agatha Christie, adapted by-Paule de Beaumont and Henry Torres. Stars Yves Massard. Odile Mallet. Staffed by Pierre Valde: settings, Brigitte Jagu. At Edouard VII Theatre, Paris, Oct. «. *55. Greta . Alix Maliieux M. Mayhew . Philippe Dumat •Tames Vole . Yves Massard Sir Wilfred Roberts..Henry Nassiet Romuine . Odile Mallet M. Myers . Raymond Maurel Judge Waimvrlght. Rene Lacourt Janet Mackenzie...Gabrielle Fontan Dr. Wyatt . Aram Stephan M. Clegg.Etienne Aubray Court-room mellers are as popu¬ lar in France as they are else¬ where (“Trial of Mary Dugan” ran three years in Paris and has been revived six times) and there is al¬ ways a public for a good whodunit. “Witness,” being a clever combina¬ tion of both, looks set for a long stay. There have been a dozen at¬ tempts, at Grand Guignol and other houses, to manufacture tricky mystery thrillers since “Dial M for Murder” struck gold here three seasons ago, but none had the potential hit qualities woven into this Agatha Christie exercise in suspense. Atmosphere of British courtroom has been ably carried over in Paule de Beaumont's French ver¬ sion, which gives droll comic, Rene Lacourt, usually seen in bedroom farces, a rewarding role as the fussy judge. Thus, Gallic adapta¬ tion has additional comedy relief. Yves Massard is effective as the weak drifter whose fate hangs in balance and Odile Mallet, who was understudy until the show’s Brus¬ sels tryout, scores in the all-im¬ portant part of the strange wife. Henry Nassiet registers as (he grave, defense attorney and Gabri¬ elle Fontan milks the comedy as¬ signment as the murdered woman’s suspicious companion. Support¬ ing cast contains no outstanding performances, but Pierre Valde’s direction accents suspense values neatly. Henry Torres has collaborated on the adaptation with .Paule de Beaumont, known hei*e for her translations oL*Tennessee Williams and Eugene O'Neill. They have retained the shivers of the original. Curt. British Shows LONDON {Figures denote opening dates) Boll, Book, Candle, Phoenix (10-5-54). Boy Friend, Wyndham’s (12-1-53). Burnt Flower Bed, Arts (9-9-55). Crazy Gang, Vic. Pal. (12-16-54). Dead on 9, Westminster (8-24-55). Dry Rot, Whitehall (8-31-54). Follies Bergeres, Wales (4-9-55). Kettle A Moon, duch*ess (9-1-55). King and I, Drury Lane (10-8-53). Kismet, StoU (4-20-55). Lucky Strike, Apollo (9-14-55). Mr. Pennypacker, New (5-18-55). Mousetrap, Ambas. (11-23-52). Mrs. Willie, Globe (8-17-55). My 3 Angels, Lyric (5-12-55 >. Paiama Game, Coliseum (10-13-55). Periphery, New Water (10-12-55). Punch Revue, Duke (9-28-551. Queen A Rebels, Haymarket (10-26-55). Reluctant Deb, Cambridge (5-24-55). Repertory, Old Vic (9-7-55). Romance In Candlelight, Pic. (9-15-55). 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). Small Hotel, St Martin's (10-12-55). Spider's Web, Savoy (12-14-54). Sun of York, Royal Ct. (10^5-55). Talk of Town, Adelphi (11-17-54). Teahouse Aug. Moon, Her Maj. (4-22-54). Waiting for Godot, Criterion (8-3-55). Water Gypsies, Wint. Gard. (0-31-55). Whole Truth, Aldwych (10*11-55). SCHEDULED OPENINGS Plume de> Tante, Garrick (11-3-55). Komuso, Arts (11-8-55). Summertime, Apollo (11-9-55). CLOSED LAST WEEK Count of Clerembard, Garrick (9 6-55). TOURING All for Mary Anniversary Waltz Call Girl Call of the Dodo Call of the Flesh Can-Can Captain's Lamp Changing Wind Count of Clerembard Doctor Jo Florodora Guys and Dolls Hamlet Hippo Dancing I Am a Camera Intimate Relations Jazz Train Kinloch Players Ladies for Hire Lilac Time Love From Judy Love Her to Death Reluctant Heroes Stratford Memorial Theatre Co. Suspect Tabltha This Happy Home Too Young To Marry 20 Mins. South WeddJns in PsrJs Wednesday, Nove mber 2, I955 B’way Angels Agented Outside Backer Deals, Shareholder Reports Denver. Editor, Variety; As a holder of 400 shares of Broadway Angels stock, I have been especially interested-in the recent news of the corporation, although not losing sleep over whether it should be used as a Sears Roebuck catalog or kept in a bank vault. I assume that most investors went in, as I did, on* a kiss-this-goodbye basis. Sorry to hear that Wallace Gar¬ land’s management of the firm is under investigation. The spread- ■the-risk idea still should work out. Variety’s recent story reports that the trade is “puzzled” over the difference between N. Y. State At¬ torney General Javits’ released fig¬ ures and published lists of back¬ ers. Well, I don’t know. But I was interested in putting small amounts'in some shows of my own picking. You know, to enliven this west-of-the-Hudson monotony. So Broadway Angels, or rather* Wal¬ lace Graydon Garland Productions* said it had just * the thing for me and my like. Under the syndicate arrange¬ ments, they handled the invest¬ ment details and split the melon —if any—for a 5% or 10% han¬ dling charge. I thought that was fair enough. I had no pipeline into any producers' offices. I wasn’t on any lists. And the small investments of $300 or less certain¬ ly weren’t worth any invitations to auditioning, co*cktail parties. I’ve gotten announcements right along, telling about new shows. In February, 1954, came one about ‘iPajama Game.” The' Abbott name on it looked good, so I pulled the sock from the mattress and took the lump down $312.50 worth. Then many other enticing sheets come along, each emphasizing that it was all speculation and your guess is as good as mine. Since Jhen, caution has taken over—and only “investments” through Garland Productions in¬ clude “Hatful of Rain,” “Heavenly Twins,” and “Delilah”—renamed— “The Vamp.” Now, I would have to tell Javits that Garland’s office has always been straight with me on those in¬ vestments outside its regular Broadway Angels ventures. I have gotten the payoffs on “Pajama Game” shortly after the production paid off. As yet, I haven’t been able to stop working and live on these “P. G.” annuities,, but 130% is good interest on anybody's money. Who knows, it may eventually wipe out all the other indiscretions, with the London company now in opera¬ tion. So now, for the gist of the whole letter, here are some questions: 1. Whose money is this listed in the show backers’ lists? Does your reported total of $ 100,000 repre¬ sent money put in by Garland un¬ der these outside arrangements? Javits’ list shows $625 in “P. G.” Does that mean I have half in the pot? 2. What happens if Broadway Angels does prove to have horns? Do the syndicate members then get their return directly from the “P. G.” production? James R. Willis. (The writer indicates that; be¬ sides buying Broadway Angels stock, he was permitted to select specific shows to back, and that Wallace Graydon Garland Produc¬ tions acted as agent for the invest¬ ments, for a service fee of 5 % or 10% of the profits, if any, He was thus distinct from other Broad¬ way Angels shareholders, who are entitled to a share of the overall profits earned by the corporation on its various investments in dif¬ ferent shows. — Ed.) ' I Slezak, Merrick Settle Pay Tiff Walter Slezak, the management of “Fanny” and Actors Equity have quietly settled a wrangle over pay¬ ment for the star for a disputed performance in the current Broad¬ way musical. Rather than g 0 through a long controversy over it co-producer David Merrick paid the actor-singer the amount in question. The coin was first withheld on the ground that Slezak had failed to complete a recent performance Before refusing payment, the man¬ agement had obtained a telephone ruling on the case from Equity. However, upon protest from Slezak the union notified Merrick that the single-performance salary must be paid. There was disagreement about the circ*mstances of the incom- pleted show. Slezak asserted that he had reported that night at the Majestic Theatre, N. Y., with a severe case of laryngitis, but had been persuaded by Merrick to go on. After singing two numbers, he said, he lost his voice completely, and had to let the understudy fin¬ ish the show. The “Fanny” management con¬ tradicted that account of the mat¬ ter, charging that Slezak had never mentioned any indisposit “i of any kind, but had merely winKed off¬ stage after the first couple of num¬ bers and, claiming loss of voice, had refused to finish the perform¬ ance. Upon receiving word from Equity* that it must pay for the disputed performance, the manage¬ ment at first .issued notice that it would take the case to arbitration, but subsequently paid the amount involved. It accompanied pay¬ ment with a protest to the union council, however. The following week, Slezak was out v of the show for a week, being hospitalized because of an infected foot. At the same time, costal* Ezio Pinza was hospitalized with a virus infection and pleurisy. He is still out, but Slezak has returned. TOUPEES THAT DEFY DETECTION Hollywood - Crowcut - Pompodouri Can bo and for Sleeping • Swimming Sports, etc. FREE CONSULTATION Samples on Hand Mail Orders Guaranteed THEATRICAL WIGS OF ALL TYPES FOR RENT A SALE ATT. MALE AND FEMALE SINGERS, ACTORS AND ACTRESSES You can use your spar# or opon time as field manager's assistant of Nation¬ al Vets Publication. Veteran back¬ ground helpful but not necessary; $1 hr minimum guarantee, while training. See Mr. Mosher, Publishers Verified Svce., 5 Beekman St., New York (bet. 9-10 AM and 1-2 PM. BA 7-9115). ENERGETIC — Enthusiastic, Down-to earth Korean vet, 25, With adv., Ra¬ dio News, Newspaper exp., currently, in New York Radio, Wants to channel his energies, personality Into .P. R. Contact, a/o Theatrical Publicity Work. Have tux, will travel, hours unimportant. Box V-1031, Variety, 154 W, 46th St., New York 36, N. Y. THE OWEN M. HOLMES I COURT SQUARE I - THEATRE SPRINGFIELD, MASS. Now available for all types of live shows. Brochure sent upon request. For Information contact: WALLY J. BEACH, Mgr. ^INSURANCE facilities for all THEATRICAL ENTERPRISES D. DAVIDSON CO. INSURANCE BROKERS 167 West 58th St, New York 19, N. Y.. JUdaon 2-9360 Wednesday, November 2, J.955 Z'fi&IETY LEGITIMATE 73 House Manager Assignments House manager assignments in New York and out-of-town for the 1955-56 season, • as listed by the Assn, of Theatrical Press Aeents & Managers, are as follows: 6 NEW YORK Shubert-Operated Barrymore, William Groucher; Belasco, J. Hops Stewart; Booth, Frank O’Connor; Broadhurst; Bernard Clancy; Broadway, William Kurtz; Cort, Harold Hevia; Golden, Ed Dowling; Imperial, Gerson Werner; Longacre, Ed Woods; Majestic, Lawrence S. Lawrence Jr.; National, Milton Pollock; Plymouth, E. Lin Hardy; Royale, Leonard Sang; St. James, Sam Horworth; Shubert, Jack Small; Winter Garden, Norman Light. Independently-Operated. Alvin, Warren O’Hara; ANTA Playhouse, Paul Vroom; Bijou, Elliott. Foreman; Coronet, Mack Hilliard; City Center, Ben Ketchum; 48th St., Saul Lancourt; 46ih St., George Kent; Fulton, Thomas Clarke; HeUjtager, James Troup; Lyceum, Arthur Singer; Henry Miller, George Banyai; Martin Beck, Louis Lotito; ^Morosco, Arthur Lighton; Music Box, Charles Stewart; Playhouse, Ben . Bovar; Ziegfdld, Abel Enkehvitz. : BALTIMORE Ford’s' (Independent), John Little. BOSTON Majestic (Shubert), no assignment; Opera House (Shubert), no as¬ signment; Plymouth (Shubert), Alice McCarthy; Shubert (Shubert), Mike Kavanaugh; Wilbur (Shubert), Sam Funt; Colonial (Independent,) Louis Cline, BUFFALO Erlanger (Independent), Richard Kemper. CHICAGO . ;r. Blackstone (Shubert), Leo McDonald; .Great Northern (Shubert), Milford Haney; Harris (Shubert), Andrew Little;. Selwyn (Shubert), Sam Gerson; Shubert-Majestic (Shubert), Herb Reis; Civic Opera (Shu¬ bert) J. Charles Gilbert; Erlanger (Independent), George Wilmot. CINCINNATI Cox (Slmbert), Noah Schector; Shubert (Shubert), Noah Schecter. CLEVELAND Hanna (Independent), Milton Krantz. COLUMBUS Hartman (Independent), Robert Boda. DETROIT Cass (Independent), Harry McKee; Shubert (Independent), Fred Nederlander. INDIANAPOLIS Murat (Independent), no assignment. , - LOS ANGELES ' Carthay Circle (Independent), Harry Zevin; Biltmore (Independent), C. E: Oliver; Philharmonic Auditorium (Independent), Richard Drew; Huntington Hartford (Independent), Les Thomas. * MINNEAPOLIS Lyceum (Independent), Lgwell Kaplan. •NEW HAVEN Shubert (Independent), Benjamin Witkin. PHILADELPHIA Forrest (Shubert), Lawrence S. Lawrence Sr.; Shubert (Shubert), Harry Mulhern; Walnut (Shubert), Murray Weisberg; Locust (Shubert), Thomas Strain. PITTSBURGH Nixon' (Independent), William Blair. PRINCETON McCarter (Independent), no assignment. SAN FRANCISCO Alcazar (Independent), Emil Bondeson; Curran (Independent), Wil¬ liam Zwissig; Geary (Independent), Tom Eamfred. SEATTLE Moore (Independent), Hugh Beckett. ST. LOUIS American (Independent),. Paul Beisman. WASHINGTON National (Independent), Scott Kirkpatrick; Shubert (Independent), Bernard Ferber. 2 Musicals of ’Caste’ Acquired for West End London, Nov. 1. Two separate musical versions of “Caste,” based on T. W. Robert¬ son’ play, which opened on same day in different Out-Of-town sppts, have been acquired for West End .presentation. One version staged at Windsor has been acquired by Oscar Lew- enstein and Wolf Mankowitz. Mu¬ sic for this production is by Ronnie Hill and lyrics by Bill Owen. Mu¬ sic and lyrics for the other pres¬ entation at Worthing were written by Allon Bacon. This version is to be presented in West End by Don¬ ald Albery. Canada to Export Booming Legit Sending Troupes to U. S. and Scotland, While Planning Ottawa Fest ‘Porgy’ Carpenter Tells Of Technical Problems Of Touring Overseas An illuminating account of the backstage technical difficulties of touring an American legit show in Europe , and North Africa is given in an article in the August issue of the IATSE Official Bulletin, by Lawrence Bland, carpenter with “Porgy and Bess.” The piece is titled "The Unfamiliar Road” and reads in part how the U.S. folk musical played the “Mediterranean and Near East area for 11 weeks be¬ tween our closing in Paris and the next contracted opening, the La Scala Opera House in Milan.” The Local No. 1 member writes, “No one in Europe troupes this area. It is next to impossible commercially, due to transporta¬ tion and currency-exchange diffi¬ culties, so there wasn’t much ac¬ curate information on theatre facilities. The countries were Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt (and the rest of North Africa), Spain and Portugal. - “There are many staging prob¬ lems in Europe not encountered in (Continued on page 78) 3 New British Musicals | HARLOWE HOYT’S OK Preem in London Earl; In ’56, ‘Heather’ First London, Nov. 1. Three new British musicals are in active preparation for West End presentation early in next year. The first, already in rehearsal, is based on J. M. Barrie’s “The Lit¬ tle Minister.” It is to be prepared under Jack Waller’s banner with the title, “Wild Grows the Heath¬ er.” William Clauson has been signed for the romantic lead. The book is by Hugh Ross Williamson. The second, “Summer Song,” is to open in Manchester in Decem¬ ber and is due here in February. 5 ' This is being presented by George & Alfred Black. The book is by Eric Maschwitz and Hy Kraft, .and is based on an important phase in the life of Dvorak. The Czech com¬ poser’s music is being arranged by Bernard Grun. The trio will be completed by a new Bernard Delfont production, in which Jack Hulbcrt and Cicely Courtneidge will costar. This is scheduled to open out of town in January. It will come to the West End a few weeks later. _ Revue For Coast Production Hollywood, Nov. 1. Huntington Hartford and Ray Golden plan a revue, “JOy Ride,” at the Huntington Hartford Thea- Ihe here, to open Christmas night tor a limited local tryout prior to Broadway. Golden will stage. Sketches for the show have been v.-ntten by Paul Webster, Sheldon Harnick, Richard Maury, Danny and Neil Simon and Larry Holof- cener. Music is being defied by Sammy Fain, Phil Charig, Jerry Bock and David Baker, ‘TOWN HALL TONIGHT’ By ROBERT DOWNING ‘“Town Hall Tonight” by Har- flowe R. Hoyt. (Prentice-Hall; $7.50), is an opulent, handsomely-illus¬ trated book out of the personal, grassroots memories of the present drama editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Most of Hoyt’s recollections cen¬ ter around the Beaver Dam (Wis.), Concert Hall operated by his grandfather. Aspects of the road, during Hoyt’s boyhood, are re¬ called—usually with considerable sentiment. Hoyt’s record, in the main, is remarkably complete, and his illustrative material is fresh and unique, making this book the most valuable record of its sort in print. It seems a pity, therefore, that Hoyt skims so lightly over the his¬ tory of showboating, and that “Toby” shows are so fleetingly mentioned. One cannot carp about his thoroughness with “Tom” shows and minstrels. However, in dealing with original Robert Down¬ ing’s famous teippOrance tours in “10 Nights in a Barroom,” Hoyt er¬ roneously refers to the central character in that play, Joe Morgan, as “John.” Hoyt also is apparent¬ ly unaware that more than two German-speaking stock companies existed in the U. S., overlooking several outfits of this type reported by Joseph Shick in his book, “The Early Theatres of Eastern Iowa” (U. of Chi., 1939). Hoyt has been actor, playwright, scenarist and drama critic, lie once advanced a Valeska Surratt tour, and he is a founder of the International Brotherhood of Magi¬ cians. “Town Hall of Tonight” is the first, and will surely be one of the best, of this Yule’s show biz gift books. ‘DEADFALL’TRAPPED BY STOP CLAUSE, ADVANCE Theatre parties and mail orders have backfired on "Deadfall.” TJie Martin Goodman-Julius M. Gor¬ don production, which preemed at the Holiday Theatre, N. Y., last Thursday (27) to unanimous pans, can’t close because the advance from those two sources is boosting its weekly take above the theatre contract $15,000 stop clause. Goodman claims he wanted to wTap up the production last Satur¬ day (29), but wasn’t permitted to do so by Michael Rose, who oper¬ ates the house. According to pro¬ ducer, Rose is sticking to the con¬ tractual $15,000 stop figure and- will keep the house open as long as receipts hit that mank. The the¬ atre’s share of the gross is 30%. The show has to drop below the stop clause take for two successive weeks to be eligible to fold, ac¬ cording to Goodman. Rose, inci¬ dentally, converted the Holiday from a pix house to a legit show¬ case last season and so far has failed to come up with a click booking. He’s a Brooklyn auto dis¬ tributor, who’s operating the thea¬ tre as a sideline. Last week, the Leonard Lee play, which costars Joanne Dru and John Ireland, took in just over $15,000 on its first four perform¬ ances and two previews. The thea¬ tre party advance for the current frame is $9,200, while $14,600 has been racked up on parties for next 'week.' The production will prob¬ ably fold at the windup of that frame, ending Nov. 12, since that’s the end of the guaranteed income and it’s doubtful whether the B.o. scale will warrant a continuation of the run. Goodman wanted to close the show, which was financed at $75,- 000 , to avoid any additional ex¬ penses. Numerous “Deadfall” in¬ vestors, who are active in radio . and tv (Goodman is a tv packager), I are plugging the production on I their shows, while a recording, j bearing the show’s title, is also gcl- ' ting some deejay play. East for Tigers’ Gab ’ Hollywood, Nov. 1. Jack Slier and Sy Gomberg, who , wrote the book for “Three Tigers ! for Tcssic,” have left for Gotham ■ for talks with Hugh Martin and J Ralph Blaine, who scored the mu- ; si cal. Show is being produced by Her- i man Levin and Alan Lerner. ‘Rainmaker’ Got $5,243 On Barn Productions Royalties from strawhat produc¬ tions of “The Rainmaker” last summer brought $5,243 additional revenue for Ethel Linder Reiner’s original Broadway presentation of the N. Richard Nash comedy. That represented a 40% cut, less fees, of the total author’s royalty, which came to $15,395. The play had a total of 65 barn engagements. The summer stock income brought the cash balance on the N. Y. production to $5,501. Of that amount $5,000 was distributed. An additional $150 was allocated’ for mailing and auditing costs. Still forthcoming to the “Rainmaker” venture is $67,500 from the $350- 000 sale of the film rights to Ilal Wallis and Joseph Hazen. The coin from the picture deal is to be .paid at the rate of $22,500 annually for three years beginning in 1956. Yiddish Theatre Still Alive (and Kicking); Claims 400,000 a Year New York. Editor, Variety; The wrap-up burial piece on the Yiddish Theatre in a recent issue is one of the unkindest stories to appear in the paper in some time, and also somewhat inaccurate. A theatre that draws 400,000 people in a short season is far from a dead one. If we may toss some figures about, this total compares well with the general legit attend¬ ance in many a major city in this country. It also far exceeds the total attendance of all the off- Broadway shows in New York for an entire year. As a trade paper, Variety talks in money arid attendance. Over 400,000 attendance and the amount of boxoffice this represents is far from a dead item. The inference that only oldsters attend the Yiddish Theatre is not exactly the truth. A conservative estimate would place the first gen¬ eration Americans’ attendance at the Yiddish Theatre at between 30% and 40% of the whole, and even they read English language newspapers and also speak Eng¬ lish. In fact, without the first gen¬ eration Americans there would be no Yiddish Theatre. To add to this point, Irving Jacobson and his wife Mae Schone- i'eld, and Irving Grossman and his wife Diana Goldberg, the leads and co-producers of “The Wedding March” at the Second Ave. Thea¬ tre, are all American-born and educated. For professionals to be in a hurry to bury a theatre shows poor judgment as well as thoughtless¬ ness. Max Eiscn, Pressagent, Second Avc. Theatre, N.Y. Ottawa, Nov. 1. Canadian legit, which has been surging since the start of the Strat¬ ford (Ont.) Shakespeare Festival three years ago, is going to boom even more next year. It’s spread¬ ing to the U.S. and also to Eng¬ land. An ambitious venture, planned by meal citizens, is the cslnblish- meni of an international dramatic, musical and arts festival in Otta¬ wa, along the lines of the Edin¬ burgh Festival!, Ian Hunter, artis¬ tic director of the Scot project, is now here to confer on the idea. It’s figured likely the proposal will be carried out, if not next summer, at least in 1957. Meanwhile, the Shakespeare Festival company from Stratford lias been invited to appear-at Edin¬ burgh next summer. Michael Lang- ■ bam, artistic director of the Fest, ! will discuss the bid with Edin¬ burgh heads during his cm rent visit to the British Isles. The idea would be to move the regular Stratford season ahead, say open¬ ing June 18 and closing Aug. 18, and then taking the troupe to Scot¬ land. Currently, actors from the Strat¬ ford company, headed by Douglas Campbell and Frances Hyland, making their second lour of Cana¬ da and the U.S. under (lie banner of Canadian Players, offering a repertory of “Saint .loan” • and “Macbeth.” Other members of the Stratford troupe will appear in a screen edition of the Festival re¬ vival of “Oedipus Rex.” to he done in Toronto by Dconid Kipnis, art- film producer. Finally, other Stratford players will appear next January in a Broad¬ way revival of Christopher Mar¬ lowe’s “Tamburlaine the Great,” to be staged by Tyrone Guthrie, with British actor Anthony Quayle as star. Possibility of the proposed inter¬ national festival here competing with the Shakespeare Festival at Stratford is discounted by local spokesmen. It’s pointed out that the Ottawa festival, if the project materializes, would offer shows and musical and art presentations from various countries, as the Edinburgh International Festival ’ does. It might occasionally import a Shake¬ speare revival, but would primarily do shows of a general nature, in¬ cluding the tryout of at least one major new play each year. On that basis, it’s claimed, an Ottawa festival would complement the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, and the two operations would tend to benefit each other. MANN EYES B’WAYSTINT; TO MEG TEAHOUSE’ PIC Film-legit director Daniel Mann, currently east on personal busi¬ ness, is reading scripts for a pos¬ sible Broadway staging assign¬ ment before.returning to the Coast early next spring. His next pic¬ ture stint will be the direction of Metro’s screen edition of “Tea house of the August Moon,” to be shot in Japan with Marlon Brando in the leading role of Sakini, the Okinawan interpreter. Mann’s recent film directing stints have been “Rose Tattoo” and “I’ll Cry Tomorrow.” Before go¬ ing to Hollywood he staged the original legit productions of “Come Back, Little Sheba” and “Rose Tattoo.” ‘WALTZ’ PROFIT $64,560 TO DATE ON 75G NUT “Anniversary Waltz” netted $64,- 560 profit on its 77-week Broadway run, ending last Sept. 24. The Jo¬ seph M. Hyman-Bernard Hart pro¬ duction, currently on tour, was capitalized at $75,000. Of the total profit, $35,000 has thus far been distributed. On the basis of the regular 50-50 split be¬ tween the backers and manage¬ ment, that represents 23.3% profit for the former. The Jerome Chodorov - Joseph Fields comedy is current at the Harris Theatre, Chicago, with Leif Erickson and Phyllis Hill featured in the parts originated on Broad¬ way by Macdonald Carey and Kit¬ ty Carlisle. ! Green Mountain Group 1 Poultney. Vt.. Nov. 1. | Green Mountain Theatre Asso¬ ciates, Inc., a new organization ; dedicated to fostering the devclop- ! menl of all aspects of the theatre, .has been formed by a group which .lias been meeting periodically in j the interests of the Green Moun- : tain Playhouse here. | Mrs. Samuel Sherman, of Rut¬ land, was elected president. New Management Gets ‘Fanny’ for West End , London, Nov. 1. New management firm lias been formed by S. A. Gorlinsky and ! Lovat Fraser to produce shows in 'file West End. • Gorlinsky is an impresario *pe- '' cializing in concert names, includ- ! ing Gigli. Toscanini and Lily Pons, i Fraser is general manager of ! Laurence Olivier Productions, and i prior to that was general manager i of the Old Vic Productions. I Company already has. several j shows lined up, including an Fng- ; lish production of the Broadway ' musical, . “Fanny,” which is sched- i uled for opening here next spring. 72 LEGITIMATE I'Skiety Wednesday, November 2, I955 Shows Abroad Requiem lor a Nun Zurich, Oct. 23. Schausplelhaus production of drama in three acts (seven scenes), by William Faulkner; German adaptation, Robert Schnorr. Staged by Leopold Llndtberff; sets, Teo Otto: technical direction, Ferdi¬ nand Lange; lighting. Walter Gross. At Schausplelhaus, Zurich, Oct. 22, '55; $2.55 top. Judge . Sigfrlt Steiner Nancy Mannigoe.Gisela Mattisbcnt Temple Stevens Drake Heldemarie Hatheyer Gowan Stevens.Peter Luehr Gavin Stcveus . Carl Kuhlmann Governor . Hanna Krassnitzer Pete ..Alfons Hoeckmann Jailer ... Erwin Parker Beadle . Paul Buehlmann Here is a phenemonon—a play by a famous American novelist, world-preemed in Switzerland in a German translation. “Requiem for a Nun” has received rave reviews and looksr like one of the top hits of the season. But although the drama seems sure to have extensive productions throughout Europe, especially in German, following its Zurich suc¬ cess, there’s still considerable question as to its suitability for Broadway. For while “Requiem” offers a meaty role for a star tragedienne, it tends to be rather literary, loaded with murky sym¬ bolism, besides being unrelievedly grim. Actually the middle piece of the author’s three-part novel of the same name, written as a drama, “Requiem” takes up characters from one of his earlier novels, “Sanctuary.” Told partly in flash¬ backs, it involves the confession of a woman who, years before, had been forced by a mobster to live in a Memphis brothel after having witnessed a murder. She later married a man indi¬ rectly responsible for the course of events. After having her second baby, she hires a Negro girl, a former prostie and drug addict, in order to “have someone to talk to,” but actually because this girl’s character matches her o\vn. When she plans running away with a hoodlum, leaving her hus¬ band and children, the Negro girl, in a desperate effort to shock her to reason, kills her younger child and is condemned to hang. Trying to save her, the woman is induced by the defender to confess her en¬ tire story to the Governor, but in vain. This shocker tale is merely the frame for a deeper meaning. Through confession, the heroine is forced to admit to herself her own guilt of never having fought against the evil in her and even secretly wanting it. And the Negro girl sacrifices her life to enable Quocii and the Rebels London, Oct. 28. Henry Sherek production o£ melodram;> in two acts, by TJfro Betti, translated b.v Henry R6cd- Stars Irene Worth. Staged b.v Frank Hauser; setting, Audrey Crud- das. At the Theatre Royal. Haymarket, London, Oct. 27, '55; $2.35 top. Porter ...John Kid-1 Engineer . John Gill Traveller . Leo McKern Raim .-Duncan L-mont Argia . Irene Worth Blante . Alan Tilvevn Maupa . Brian Wallace Elisabetta . Gwendoline Watford Peasant Woman . Mary Lleweilin Peasant . Patrick Magee Young Peasant..,.. Angela Lloyd ADVANCE AGENTS ! COMPANY MANAGERS! We have been serving theatrical shows for over 42 years. Ours is the oldest, most reliable and ex¬ perienced transfer company on tha West Coast! • Railroad privilege* for handling shows and theatrical luggage. • Complete warehouse facilitietl • Authorized in California. Equipped to transfer and haul anywhere in U. S .1 • RATES ON REQUEST I Atlantic Transfer Company GEORGE CONANT 1100 East 5th Street Los Angeles 13, Calif. Mutual 8121 or OXford 9-4764 PROFESSIONAL CARDS HONORED Theatrical and TV Make Up • All Leading Cosmetic Lines • Imported A Domestic Perfumes • Distinctive Fountain Service. FREE DELIVERY OPEN SUNDAYS "The Drug Store of the Stars" HADLEY rexall drugs 11S1 4th Ave„ Cor. 4$ St., NEW YORK Telephone PLaza 7-0023 the woman to rebuild her own—as the colored race, according to Faulkner, always suffers for the “white man.” That is why tho author calls her a “nun” and the story a “requiem.” . This may be hard to swallow for an audience primarily, seeking “entertainment,” especially since it is a,play where every line of dialog counts and even the most attentive listener may have trouble in de¬ ciphering what’s really behind all the gruesome happenings. But once the road to understanding is open, this is highly rewarding, timely drama, realistic and even shocking at times, but never tasteless. It is a dramatic actress’ field day. The rple of the white woman is terribly demanding, as the char¬ acter is almost constantly onstage and requires a tremendous range of emotions, from restrained under playing to violent outbursts. Ger¬ man stage and screen star Heide- marie Hatheyer is perfectly cast here and delivers a sock portrayal. Although the featured parts are relatively minor, they are all bril¬ liantly played by top actors, with special credit to Gisela Mattishent as the Negro girl, Carl Kuhlmann as defense attorney and Peter Luehr as the husband. Leopold Lindtberg’s direction is masterful and Teo Otto’s trans¬ parent sets, contribute importantly to a memorable performance. Mezo. fluently in the accepted style. Dun¬ can Lamont gives a shrewd study of the former lover who is pre¬ pared to sacrifice the prisoner to the firing squad rather than risk his own neck. Gwendoline Watford has" little to do as the queen, but does it acceptably. The rest of the cast sustain the atmosphere. Au¬ drey Cruddas has designed a suit¬ ably bleak- frontier set. Myro. Tonioin a Charge (Witness for the Prosecution) Paris, Oct. 19. Elizabeth Hijar production or melo¬ drama in lour acts, by Agatha Christie, adapted by-Paule de Beaumont and Henry Torres. Stars Yves Massard. Odile Mallet. Staged by Pierre Valde: settings, Brigitte Jagu. At Edouard VII Theatre, Paris, Oct. '55. Greta . Alix Mahicux M. Mayhew. Philippe Dumat .Tames Vole . Yves Massard Sir Wilfred Robert*.Henry Nassiet Romuine . Odile Mallet M. Myers . Raymond Maurel Judge Wainwrlght. Rene Laeourt Janet Mackenzie.Gabrielle Fontan Dr. Wyatt . Aram Stephan M. Clegg .Etienne Aubray There is a rare quality in the late Ugo Betti’s “The Queen, and the Rebels.” Stripped of its trim¬ mings, it’s just a good melodrama, but superb writing and a model translation inject tension and con¬ viction into an unreal situation. Also there is a standout perform¬ ance by American-born Irene Worth. The play should be good for a profitable run. “Queen” is a contemporary play, loCaled on the frontier of a mythi¬ cal central European country and based on a struggle of revolution¬ aries versus their monarch. The Italian dramatist has chosen an. odd assortment of characters. As the story opens, they arrive at a frontier post for a control check by the revolutionaries. The Queen, who has been in hid¬ ing for five years, is suspected of trying to break through the fron¬ tier control. She is there, but effec¬ tively disguised as a peasant, with hands soiled from working in the fields. A prostitute whose hands are clean is mistaken for the mon¬ arch after helping the latter to escape. One of the most impressive scenes in the play is the trial of the prostitute for treason and treachery, with angry villagers, soaked in revolutionary propa¬ ganda, brought in to act as the jury. The spirited stand by the defendant and her refusal to sign a “confession” in return for a par¬ don, provides .a powerful climax. Under Frank Hauser’s sympa¬ thetic and intelligent direction there is a. gradual but unmistake- able mounting of suspense, climax¬ ing as the prostitute realises she cannot convince her judges of her real identity, and regally plays the part of the queen. Miss Worth’s performance is full of Warmth, sympathy and understanding. Her delivery and enunciation are ex¬ emplary and she brings conviction to every scene. Alan Tilvern and Brian Wallace, as the principal accusers, play Court-room mellers are as popu¬ lar in France as they are else¬ where (“Trial of Mary Dugan” ran three years in Paris and has been revived six times) and there is al¬ ways a public for a good whodunit. “Witness” being a clever combina¬ tion of both, looks set for a long stay. There have been a dozen at¬ tempts, at Grand Guignol and other houses, to manufacture tricky mystery thrillers since “Dial M for Murder” struck gold here three seasons ago, but none had the potential hit qualities woven into this Agatha Christie exercise in suspense. Atmosphere of British courtroom has been ably carried over in Paule de Beaumont's French ver¬ sion, which gives droll comic, Rene Laeourt, usually seen in bedroom farces, a rewarding role as the fussy judge. Thus, Gallic adapta¬ tion has additional comedy relief. Yves Massard is effective as the weak drifter whose fate hangs in balance and Odile Mallet, who was understudy until the show's Brus¬ sels tryout, scores in the all-im¬ portant part of the strange wife. Henry Nassiet registers as ^he grave, defense attbrney and Gabri- elle Fontan milks the comedy as¬ signment as the murdered woman’s suspicious companion. Support¬ ing cast contains no outstanding performances, but Pierre Valde’s direction accents suspense values neatly. • Henry Torres has collaborated on the adaptation with Paule de Beaumont, known here for her translations of.Tennessee Williams and Eugene O’Neill. They have retained the shivers of the original. Curt. British Shows ^ SpsudaL flahjL. to ' * ^ 8 lO^ • JhsxdmaL ijjuMfLi, !!J mwmtKtirr THE MANGER VANDERtllT THE MANGER WINDSOR washmgtom, p.c n THE MANGER ANNAFOUS THE MANGER HAY-ADAM3 THE MANGER HAMIITQN ■Mir on THE MANGER ItMHHTIL M.Y. THE MANGER ROCHESTER ***** HMDS THE MANGER ROW( THE MANGER SAVJUHMM fr***x*****xw*^ yywssxmmmx* LONDON (Figures denote opening dates) Bell, Book, Candle,'Phoenix (10-5-54). Boy Friend, Wyndham’s (12-1-53), Burnt Flower Bed, Arts (9-9-55). Crazy Gang, Vic. Pal. (12-16-54). Dead on 9, Westminster (8-24-55). Dry Rot, Whitehall (8-31-54). Follies Bergeres, Wales (4-9-55). Kettle «. Moon, duch*ess (9-1-55). King and I, Drury Lane (10-8-53). Kismet, Stoll (4-20-55). Lucky Strike, Apollo (9-14-55). Mr. Pennypacker, New (5-18-55), Mousetrap, Ambas. (11-25-52). Mrs. Willie, Globe (8-17-55). My 3 Angels, Lyric (5-12-55). Palama Game, Coliseum (10-13-55). Periphery, New Water (10-12-55). Punch Revue, Duke (9-28-55). Queen «. Rebels, Haymarket (10-26-55). Reluctant Deb, Cambridge (5-24-55). Repertory, Old Vic (9-7-55). Romance In Candlelight, Pic. (9-15-55). 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). Small Hotel, St Martin's (10-12-55), Spider's Web, Savoy (12-14-54). Sun of York, Royal Ct. (10^5-55). Talk of Town, Adclphi (11-17-54). Teahouse Aug. Moon, Her Maj. (4-22-54). Waiting for Godot, Criterion (8-3-55). Water Gypsies, Wint. Gard. (8-31-55). Whole Truth, Aldwych (10-11-55). SCHEDULED OPENINGS Plume de Tante, Garrick (11-3-55). Komuso, Arts (11-8-55). Summertime, Apollo (11-9-55). CLOSED LAST WEEK Count of Clerembard, Garrick (9-6-55). TOURING All for Mary Anniversary Waltz Call Girl Call of the Dodo Call of the Flesh Can-Can Captain's Lamp Changing Wind Count of Clerembard Doctor Jo Florodora Guys and Doll* Hamlet Hippo Dancing I Am a Camera Intimate Relations Jazz Train Kinloch Player* Ladles for Hire Lilac Time Love From Judy Love Her tp Death Reluctant Heroes Stratford Memorial theatre Co. Suspect Tabltha This Happy Home Too Young To Marry 20 Mins. South Wedding in Pari* B’way Angels Agented Outside Backer Deals, Shareholder Reports Denver. Editor, Variety; As a holder of 400 shares of Broadway Angels stock, I have been especially interested-in the recent news of the corporation, although not losing sleep over whether it should be used as a Sears Roebuck catalog or kept in a bank vault. I assume that most investors went in, as I did, on- a kiss-this-goodbye basis. Sorry to hear that Wallace Gar¬ land’s management of the firm is under investigation. The spread- the-risk idea still should work out Variety’s recent story reports that the trade is “puzzled” over the difference between N. Y. State At¬ torney General Javits’ released fig¬ ures and published lists of back¬ ers. Well, I don’t know. * But I was interested in putting small amounts in some shows of my own picking. You know, to enliven this west-of-the-Hudson monotony. So Broadway Angels, or rather, Wal¬ lace Graydon Garland Productions, said it had just the thing for me and my like. Under the syndicate arrange¬ ments, they handled the invest¬ ment details and split the melon —if any—for a 5% or 10% han¬ dling charge. I thought that was fair enough. I had no pipeline into any producers’ offices. I wasn’t on any lists. And the small investments of $300 or less certain¬ ly weren't worth any invitations to auditioning, co*cktail parties. I’ve gotten announcements right along, telling about new shows. In February, 1954, came one about ‘IPajama Game.” The Abbott name on it looked good, so I pulled the sock from the mattress and took the lump down $312.50 worth. Then many other enticing sheets come along, each emphasizing that it was all speculation and your guess is as good as mine. Since ;then, caution has taken over—and only “investments” through Garland Productions in¬ clude “Hatful of Rain,” “Heavenly Twins,” and “Delilah”—renamed— “The Vamp.” Now, I would have to tell Javits that Garland’s office has always been straight with me on those in¬ vestments outside its regular Broadway Angels ventures. I have gotten the payoffs on “Pajama Game” shortly after the production paid off. As yet, I haven’t been able to stop working and live on these “P. G.” annuities, but 130% is -good interest on anybody’s money. Who knows, it may eventually wipe out all the other indiscretions, with the London company now in opera¬ tion. So now, for the gist of the whole letter, here are some questions: 1. Whose money is this listed in the show backers’ lists? Does your reported total of $100,000 repre¬ sent money put in by Garland un¬ der these outside arrangements? Javits’ list shows $625 in “P. G.” Does that mean I have half in the pot? 2. What happens if Broadway Angels does prove to have horns? Do the syndicate members then get their return directly from the “P. G.” production? James R. Willis. * (The writer indicates that; be¬ sides buying Broadway Angels stock, he was permitted to select specific shows to back, and that Wallace Graydon Garland Produc¬ tions acted as agent for the invest¬ ments, for a service fee of 5% or 10% of the profits, if any. He was thus distinct from other Broad¬ way Angels shareholders, who are entitled to a share of the overall profits earned by the corporation on its various investments in dif¬ ferent shows. — Ed.) Slezak, Merrick Settle Pay Tiff Walter Slezak, the management of “Fanny” and Actors Equity have quietly settled a wrangle over pay¬ ment for the star for a disputed performance in the current Broad¬ way musical. Rather than g 0 through a long controversy over it co-producer David Merrick paid the actor-singer the amount in question. The coin was first withheld on the ground that Slezak had failed to complete a recent performance. Before refusing payment, the man¬ agement had obtained a telephone ruling on the case from Equity However, upon protest from Slezak! the union notified Merrick that the single-performance salary must be paid. There was disagreement about the circ*mstances of - the incom- pleted show. Slezak asserted-that he had reported that night at the Majestic Theatre, N. Y., with a severe case of laryngitis, but had been persuaded by Merrick to go on. After singing two numbers, he said, he lost his voice completely, and had to let the understudy fin¬ ish the show. The “Fanny” management con¬ tradicted that account of the mat¬ ter, charging that Slezak had never mentioned any indisposition of any kind, but had merely walked off¬ stage after the first couple of num¬ bers and, claiming loss of voice, had refused to finish the perform¬ ance. Upon receiving word from Equity*'that it must pay for the disputed performance, the manage¬ ment at first .issued notice that it would take the case to arbitration, but'subsequently paid the amount involved. It accompanied pay¬ ment with a protest to the union council, however. The following week, Slezak was out s of the show for a week, being hospitalized because of an infected foot. At the same time, costal* Ezio Pinza was hospitalized with a virus infection and pleurisy. He is still out, but Slezak has returned. TOUPEES THAT DEFY DETECTION Hollywood - Crowcut - Pompadour* Con be used for Sleeping • Swimming Sports, etc. FREE CONSULTATION Samples on Hand Mail Orders Guarantied THEATRICAL WIGS OF ALL TYPES FOR RENT A SALE LERCH 67 W 46 St , N. Y. C JU 2-3992 ATT. MALE AND FEMALE SINGERS, ACTORS AND ACTRESSES You can uso your spar# or open tim* as field manager's assistant of Nation¬ al Vots Publication. Votoran back¬ ground helpful but not necessary; $1 hr minimum guarantee, while training. See Mr. Mosher, Publishers Verified Svce., S Beekman St., New York (bet. 9-10 AM and 1-2 PM. BA 7-9115). ENERGETIC — Enthusiastic, Down-to earth Korean vet, 25, With edv.. Ra¬ dio News, Newspeper exp., currently in New York Radio, Wants to channel his energies, personality Into ,P. R. Contact, e/o Theatrical Publicity Work. Havo tux, will travel, hours unimportant. Box V-1031, Variety, 154 W. 44th St., New York 34, N. Y. THE OWEN M. HOLMES COURT SQUARE - THEATRE SPRINGFIELD, MASS. . Nqw available {or all type* of live shows. Brochure sent upon request. For Information contact: WALLY J. BEACH, Mgr. ^INSURANCE facilities for ail THEATRICAL ENTERPRISES . DAVIDSON CO. IHSVRAHCR BROKERS 167 West 58th St, New York 19, N. Y.. JUdaon 2-9360 Wednesday, November 2, J.955 Ua-hiety LEGITIMATE 73 House Manager Assignments House manager assignments in New York and out-of-town for the 1955-56 season, • as listed by the Assn, of Theatrical Press Agents & Managers, are as follows: NEW YORK Shubert-Operated Barrymore, William Groucher; Belasco, J. Ross Stewart; Booth, Frank O’Connor; Broadhurst; Bernard Clancy; Broadway, William Kurtz; Cdrt, Harold Hevia; Golden, Ed Dowling; Imperial, Gerson Werner; Longacrc, Ed Woods; Majestic, Lawrence S. Lawrence Jr.; National, Milton Pollock; Plymouth, E. Lin Hardy; Royale, Leonard Sang; St. James, Sam Horworth; Shubert, Jack Small; Winter Garden, Norman Light. Independently-Operated. Alvin, Warren O’Hara; ANTA Playhouse, Paul Vroom; Bijou, Elliott. Foreman; Coronet, Mack Hilliard; City Center, Ben Ketchum; 48th St., Saul Lancourt; 46ih St., George Kent; Fulton, Thomas Clarke; Hellinger, James Troup; Lyceum, Arthur Singer; Henry Miller, George Banya.i; Martin Beck, Louis Lotito; JMorosco, Arthur Lighton; Music Box, Charles Stewart; Playhouse, Ben Boyar; Ziegfdld, Abel Enkelwitz. ' BALTIMORE Ford's (Independent), John Little. BOSTON Majestic (Shubert), no assignment; Opera House (Shubert); no as¬ signment; Plymouth (Shubert), Alice McCarthy; Shubert (Shubert), Mike Kavanaugh; Wilbur (Shubert), Sam Funt; Colonial (Independent,) Louis Cline. BUFFALO Erlanger (Independent), Richard Kemper. CHICAGO . c. Blackstone (Shubert), Leo McDonald; „Great Northern (Shubert), Milford Haney; Harris (Shubert), Andrew Little; Selwyn (Shubert), Sam Gerson; Shubert-Majestic (Shubert), Herb Reis; Civic Opera (Shu¬ bert), J. Charles Gilbert; Erlanger (Independent), George Wilmot. CINCINNATI Cox (Shubert), Noah Schector; Shubert (Shubert), Noah Schecter. CLEVELAND Hanna (Independent), Milton Krantz. COLUMBUS Hartman (Independent), Robert Boda. DETROIT Cass (Independent), Harry McKee; Shubert (Independent), Fred Nederlander. INDIANAPOLIS Murat (Independent), no assignment. LOS ANGELES ' Carthay Circle (Independent), Harry Zevin; Biltmore (Independent), C. E: Oliver; Philharmonic Auditorium (Independent), Richard Drew; Huntington Hartford (Independent), Les Thomas. MINNEAPOLIS Lyceum (Independent), Lgwell Kaplan. NEW HAVEN Shubert (Independent), Benjamin Witkin. PHILADELPHIA Forrest (Shubert), Lawrence S. Lawrence Sr.; Shubert (Shubert), Harry Mulhern; Walnut (Shubert), Murray Weisberg; Locust (Shubert), Thomas Strain. PITTSBURGH Nixon' (Independent), William Blair. PRINCETON j McCarter (Independent), no assignment. SAN FRANCISCO Alcazar (Independent), Emil Bondeson; Curran (Independent), Wil¬ liam Zwissig; Geary (Independent), Tom Eamfred. SEATTLE Moore (Independent), Hugh Beckett. s ST. LOUIS American (Independent),. Paul Beisman. WASHINGTON National (Independent), Scott Kirkpatrick; Sliubert (Independent), Bernard Ferber. 3 New British Musicals Preem in London Early In '56, ‘Heather’ First London, Nov. 1. Three new British musicals are in active preparation for West End presentation early in next year. The first, already in rehearsal, is ' based on J. M. Barrie’s “The Lit¬ tle Minister.” It is to be prepared under Jack Waller’s banner with the title, “Wild Grows the Heath¬ er.” William Clauson has been signed for the romantic lead. The book is by Hugh Ross Williamson. The second, “Summer Song,” is to open in Manchester in Decem¬ ber and is due here in February. This is being presented by George & Alfred Black. The book is by Eric Maschwitz and Hy Kraft, .and is based on an important phase in the life of Dvorak. The Czech com¬ poser’s music is being arranged by Bernard Grun. The trio will be completed by a new Bernard Delfont production, in which Jack Hulbcrt and Cicely Courtneidge will costar. This is scheduled to open out of town in January. It will come to the West •tnd a few weeks later. Golden Cooking Revue For Coast Production Hollywood, Nov. 1. Huntington Hartford and Ray «V? ei \ plan a revue > “ J6 y Ride,’’ J , 1 u ? e Huntington Hartford Thea- ivf °P en Christmas night ini' a limited local tryout prior to Broadway. Golden will stage. Sketches for the show have been written by Paul Webster, Sheldon 1 , n *ek, Richard Maury, Danny and Neil Simon and Larry Holof- eener. Music is being defied by SP Fain. Phil Charig, Jerry Bock and David Baker. HARLOWE HOYT’S OK ‘TOWN HALL TONIGHT’ By ROBERT DOWNING . “Town Hall Tonight” by Har- fWe R. Hoyt. (Prentice-Hall; $7.50), is an opulent, handsomely-illus¬ trated book out of the personal, grassroots memories of the present drama editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Most of Hoyt’s recollections cen¬ ter around the Beaver Dam (Wis.), Concert. Hall operated by his grandfather. Aspects of the road, during Hoyt’s boyhood, are re¬ called—usually with considerable sentiment. Hoyt’s record, in the main, is remarkably complete, and his illustrative material is fresh and unique, making this book the most valuable record of its sort in print. It seems a pity, therefore, that Hoyt skims so lightly over the his¬ tory of showboating, and that “Toby” shows are so fleetingly mentioned. One cannot carp about his thoroughness with "Tom” shows and minstrels. However, in dealing with original Robert Down¬ ing's famous' teippCrance tours in “10 Nights in a Barroom,” Hoyt er¬ roneously refers to the central character in that play, Joe Morgan, as “John.” Hoyt also is apparent¬ ly unaware that more than two ! German-speaking stock companies existed in the U. S., overlooking several.outfits of this type reported by Joseph Shick in his book, “The Early Theatres of Eastern Iowa” <U. of Chi., 1939). Hoyt has been actor, playwright, scenarist and drama critic. He once advanced a Valeska Surratt tour, and he is a founder of the , ■International Brotherhood of Magi- j cians. “Town Hall of Tonight” is the I first, and will surely be one of the ■ best, of this Yule’s show biz gift | books. i 2 Musicals of ‘Caste’ Aquired for West End London, Nov. 1. Two separate musical versions of “Caste,” based on T. W. Robert¬ son’ play, which opened on same day in different out-of-town spots, have been acquired for West End presentation. One version staged at Windsor has been acquired by Oscar Lew- enstein and Wolf Mankowitz. Mu¬ sic for this production is by Ronnie Hill and lyrics by Bill Owen. Mu¬ sic and lyrics for the other pres¬ entation at Worthing were written by Allon. Bacon. This version is to be presented in West End by Don¬ ald Albery. ‘Porgy’ Carpenter Tells Of Technical Problems Of Touring Overseas An illuminating account of the backstage technical difficulties of touring an American legit show in Europe and North Africa is given in an article in the August issue of the IATSE Official Bulletin, by Lawrence Bland, carpenter with “Porgy and Bess.” The piece is titled “The Unfamiliar Road” and reads in part how the U. S. folk musical played the “Mediterranean and Near East area for 11 weeks be¬ tween our closing in Paris and the next contracted opening, the La Scala Opera House in Milan.” The Local No. 1 member writes, “No one • in Europe troupes this area. It is next to impossible commercially, due to transporta¬ tion and currency-exchange diffi¬ culties, so there wasn’t much ac¬ curate information on theatre facilities. The countries were Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt (and the rest of North Africa), Spain and Portugal. - “There are many staging prob¬ lems in Europe not encountered in (Continued on page 78) Canada to Export Booming Legit Sending Troupes to U. S. and Scotland, While Planning Ottawa Fest ‘Rainmaker’ Got $5,243 On Barn Productions Royalties from strawhat produc¬ tions of “The Rainmaker” last summer brought $5,243 additional revenue for Ethel Linder Reiner’s original Broadway presentation of the N. Richard Nash comedy. That represented a 40% cut, less fees, of the total author’s royalty, which came to $15,395. The play had a total of 65 barn engagements. The summer stock income brought the cash balance on the N. Y. production to $5,501. Of that amount $5,000 was distributed. An additional $150 was allocated for mailing and auditing costs. Still forthcoming to the “Rainmaker” venture is $67,500 from the $350,- 000 sale of the film rights to Hal Wallis and Joseph Hazcn. The coin from the picture deal is to be .paid at the rate of $22,500 Ottawa, Nov. 1. Canadian legit, which has been surging since the start of the Strat¬ ford (Ont.) Shakespeare Festival three years ago, is going to boom even more next year. It’s spread¬ ing to the U.S. and also to Eng¬ land. An ambitious venture, planned by local citizens, is the establish¬ ment of an international dramatic, musical and arts festival in Otta¬ wa, along the lines of the Edin¬ burgh Festival; Ian Hunter, artis¬ tic director of the Scot project, is now here to confer on the idea. It’s figured likely the proposal will be carried out, if not next summer, at least in 1957. Meanwhile, the Shakespeare Festival company from Slralford has been invited to appear at Edin¬ burgh next summer. Michael Lang- ham, artistic director of the Fest, w , mini, iuusuu director or me rest, annually for three years beginning I win discuss the bid with Edin- in 1956 ‘DEADFALL’TRAPPED BY STOP CLAUSE, ADVANCE Theatre parties and mail orders have backfired on “Deadfall.” TJtie Martin Goodman-Julius M. Gor¬ don production, which preemed at the Holiday Theatre, N. Y., last Thursday (27) to unanimous pans, can’t close because the advance from those two sources is boosting its weekly take above the theatre contract $15,000 stop clause: Goodman claims he wanted to wrap up the production last Satur¬ day (29), but wasn’t permitted to do so by Michael Rose, who oper¬ ates the house. According to pro¬ ducer, Rose is sticking to the con¬ tractual $15,000 stop figure and< will keep the house open as long as receipts hit that mark. The the¬ atre’s share of the gross is 30%. The show has to drop below the stop clause take for two successive weeks to be eligible to fold, ac¬ cording to Goodman. Rose, inci¬ dentally, converted the Holiday from a pix house to a legit show¬ case last season and so far has failed to come up with a click booking. He’s a Brooklyn auto dis¬ tributor, who’s operating the thea¬ tre as a sideline. Last week, the Leonard Lee play, which costars Joanne Dru and John Ireland, took in just over $15,000 on its first four perform¬ ances and two previews. The thea¬ tre party advance for the current frame is $9,200, while $14,600 has been racked up on parties for next week. The production will prob¬ ably fold at the windup of that frame, ending Nov. 12, since that’s the end of the guaranteed income and it’s doubtful whether the B.o. I scale will warrant a continuation I of the run. Goodman wanted to close the show, which was financed at $75,- 000, to avoid any additional ex¬ penses. Numerous “Deadfall” in¬ vestors, who are active in radio and tv (Goodman is a tv packager), are plugging the production on their shows, while a recording, bearing the show’s title, is also get¬ ting some deejay play. Yiddish Theatre Still Alive (and Kicking); Claims 400,000 a Year New York. Editor , Variety: The wrap-up burial piece on the Yiddish Theatre in a recent issue is one of the unkindest stories to appear in the paper in some time, and also somewhat inaccurate. A theatre that draws 400,000 people in a short season is far from a dead one. If we may toss some figures about, this total compares well with the general legit attend¬ ance in many a major city in this country. It also far exceeds the total attendance of all the off- Broadway shows in New York for an entire year. As a trade paper, Variety talks in money arid attendance. Over 400,000 attendance and the amount of boxoffice this represents is far from a dead item. The inference that'only oldsters attend the Yiddish Theatre is not exactly the truth. A conservative estimate would place the first gen¬ eration Americans’ attendance at the Yiddish Theatre at between 30% and 40% of the whole, and even they read English language newspapers and also speak Eng¬ lish. In fact, without the first gen¬ eration Americans there would be no Yiddish Theatre. To add to this point, Irving Jacobson and his wife Mae Schone- j feld, and Irving Grossman and his wife Diana Goldberg, the leads and co-producers of “The Wedding March” at the Second Ave. Thea¬ tre, are all American-born and educated. For professionals to be in a hurry to bury a theatre shows poor judgment as well as thoughtless¬ ness. Max Eisen, Pressagent, Second Ave. Theatre, N.Y. huroh heeds during his cui rent visit to the British Isles. The idea would be to move the 'regular SI rat ford season ahead, say open¬ ing June 18 and dosing Aug. 18, and then taking the troupe to Scot¬ land. Currently, actors from the SI rat- lord companv, headed by Douglas Campbell and Frances Hyland, making their second tom' of Cana¬ da and the U.S. under the banner of Canadian Players, offering a repertory of “Saint Joan” and “Macbeth.” Other members of the Stratford troupe will appear in a screen edition of the Festival re¬ vival of “Oedipus Rex,” to lie done in Toronto by Deonid Kipnis, art- film producer. Finally, other Stratford players will appear next January in a Broad¬ way revival of Christopher Mar¬ lowe’s “Tamburlaine the Great,’' to be staged by Tyrone Guthrie, with British actor Anthony Quayle as star. Possibility of the proposed inter¬ national festival here competing with the Shakespeare Festival at Stratford is discounted by local spokesmen. It’s pointed out that the Ottawa festival, if the project materializes, would offer shows and musical and art presentations from various countries, as the Edinburgh International Festival' docs. It might occasionally import a Shake¬ speare revival, but would primarily do shows of a general nature, in¬ cluding the tryout of at least one major new play each year. On that basis, it’s claimed, an Ottawa festival would complement the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, and the two operations would tend to benefit each other. TO MEG TEAHOUSE’ PIC Film-legit director Daniel Mann, currently east on personal busi¬ ness, is reading scripts for a pos¬ sible Broadway staging assign¬ ment before returning to the Coast early next spring. His next pic¬ ture stint will be the direction of Metro’s screen edition of “Tea house of the August Moon,” to be shot in Japan with Marlon Brando in the leading role of Sakini, the Okinawan interpreter. Mann’s recent film directing stints have been “Rose Tattoo” and “I’ll Cry Tomorrow.” Before go¬ ing to Hollywood he staged the original legit productions of “Come Back, Little Sheba” and “Rose Tattoo.” ‘WALTZ’PROFIT $64,560 TO DATE ON 75G NUT “Anniversary Waltz” netted $64,- 560 profit on its 77-week Broadway run, ending last Sept. 24. The Jo¬ seph M. Hyman-Bernard Hart pro¬ duction, currently on tour, was MANN EYES B’WAYSTINT;|'-“r::,“S ... thus far been distributed. On the basis of the regular 50-50 split be¬ tween the backers and manage¬ ment, that represents 23.3% profit for the former. The Jerome Chodorov - Joseph Fields comedy is current at the Harris Theatre, Chicago, with Leif Erickson and Phyllis Hill featured in the parts originated on Broad¬ way by Macdonald Carey and Kit¬ ty Carlisle. East for ‘Tigers’ Gab j 1 Hollywood, Nov. 1. ; Jack Slier and Sy Gomberg, who J wrote the book for “Three Tigers 1 for Tcssic,” have left for Gotham . for talks with Hugh Martin and ; Ralph Blaine, who scored the mu-; sical. 1 Show is being produced by Her- \ man Levin and Alan Lerner. 1 Green Mountain Group Poultney, Vt.. Nov. 1. Green Mountain Theatre Asso- New Management Gets ‘Fanny’ for West End London, Nov. 1. New management firm has boon formed by S. A. Gorlin sky anil I.ovnt Fraser to produce shows in the West End. Gorlinsky is an impresario spe¬ cializing in concert names, includ¬ ing Gigli, Toscanini and Lily Pons. dates, Inc., a new organization i Fraser is general manager of dedicated to fostering the develop-! Laurence Olivier Productions, and ment of all aspects of the theatre, 11 31 ,’ 01 ' to that was general manager has been formed by a group which j ol the Old Vic Productions, has been meeting periodically in | Company already has several the interests of the Green Moun-: shows lined up, including an Eng- tain Playhouse here. ; lish production of the Broadway Mrs. Samuel Sherman, of Rut- ■ musical, “Fanny,” which is sclied- land, was elected president. i uled for opening here next spring. CONCERT - It AIXET Kariety Wednesday, November 2, I955 74 Met Opera Nixes Closed-Circuit Despite Three-Year Pact With TNT of+- Closed-circuit theatre telecast the opening night of the Metro politan Opera Nov. 14 has been called off despite the existence of a three-year pact between the Met and Theatre Network Television. Reason cited by TNT and the Met for axing- this year’s telecast is the inability to lick the technical problems involved in the presenta¬ tion of “Tales of Hoffmann,” the opener, via large screen tv. Cancellation assertedly does not end the pact. Parties declare they “are actively discussing the possi¬ bilities for closed-circuit television for next (1956-57) season.” The statement failed to explain why the Met did not select an opera more suitable for large screen tv presentation. Last year, the Met departed from custom and presented the highlights of seV' eral different operas in an ef¬ fort to cater to popular taste. It ^as subjected to considerable criti¬ cism for sacrificing artistic integ¬ rity for the sake of the closed-cir¬ cuit telecast. Music critics^ in par¬ ticular. regarded the proceedings with disfavor, showing annoyance with the tv cameras and the special lighting. The financial aspect, although not admitted, is also a factor in this year’s cancellation. The 1954 telecast to 27 theatres in 24 cities, while accepted favorably by local opera lovers, was far from a finan¬ cial success. Mozart: Don Giovanni (London). Sumptuous recording of the melo¬ dious classic, with fine cast of Siepi, Corena, Dermota, Danco, della Casa and Gueden, plus the Vienna Philharmonic, reined by Josef Krips. Handsome album with score is added lure. Walton: Troilus & Cressida (Angel). Vivid recreation of love scenes from the new opera, beauti¬ fully sung by Richard Lewis and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, marred by latter’s indistinct lyrics. Philhar- monia under Walton in fine sup¬ port. Haydn: Symphonies No. 94 & 101 (Entre). Graceful readings^of the charming “Surprise” and “Clock’ by the Rochester Philharmonic under Leinsdorf. Good buy. Puccini: Madame Butterfly (RCA Victor). Excellent version. Victoria de los Angeles is a lovely lyric, expressive Butterfly. Tito Gobbi and Giuseppe di Stefano in good support, with Rome Opera House group under Cavazzeni aiding. Other disks of interest: Flavor- some “Don Carlo,” with impressive performances by Tito Gobbi, Boris Christoff, Antonietta Stella (RCA Victor); Mozart’s “Thamos” inciden¬ tal music, warm and plaintive, by Vienna artists (Epic); Beethoven First & Jena Symphonies, spirited¬ ly played by the Janssen Symph (Camden); Sibelius Fifth, in a lush reading by the London Symphony under Collins (London). Bron. BALLET THEATRE CUTS S. AMERICA TOUR SHORT Ballet Theatre troupe of 60, in¬ cluding prima ballerina Nora Kaye and guest choreographer Anthony Tudor, are flying into N. Y. from Brazil tonight (Wed.), to wind up a 4 1 /i-month South American tour. Three weeks in Caracas, Venezuela, as final booking, had to be can¬ celled. Transportation of sets and costumes, which had to go from Brazil via an Argentine line, was snarled due to the recent revolu¬ tion. Company will now be laid off, resuming rehearsals in early De¬ cember for a lengthy U. S. tour, which begins Jan. 7. Concert Bits LA MARCHINA'S L.A. POST Hollywood, Oct. 25. Robert La Marchina, principal cellist, of the Los Angeles Philhar monic Orch, swings over to the Opera Theatre of Los Angeles as musical director. For a series of operas to be pre sented early next year, he also will act as conductor. Chi Symphony conductor Fritz Reiner is flying to Vienna Sunday (6), where he’ll conduct “Meister- singer” Nov. 14 as part of the Vienna State Opera opening fes¬ tivities. He’ll return Dec. 1. Carlo Maria Giulini is subbing as guest maestro in Chi. Met soprano Victoria de los Angeles flew into N.Y. from Buenos Aires Monday morning (31) and flew out that night to Barcelona. She’ll be back at the Met in January. The Met Opera has just added two young American singers to its roster in sopranos Emilia Cundari and Madelaine Chambers. Both have sung with the N.Y. City Opera Co. Martin Taubman, Vienna man¬ ager and agent, is currently in the U. S., arranging tours for Euro¬ pean artists and looking for some U. S. artists to go abroad. Greta Rauch, former Carnegie Hall, N. Y., booker, now with Con¬ stance Hope publicity outfit. Walter Susskind, conductor of the Victoria Symphony, Melbourne, will succeed Sir Ernest MacMillan as maestro of the Toronto Symhony next season. Madelaine Chambers, N.Y. City Opera Co. soprano, left New York Monday (31) for a four-week con¬ cert tour of Alaska. Anna Russell is giving two Town Hall, N.Y., concerts, Nov. 27 and Dec. 17. At the first one she will be assisted by Jimmy Carroll and the Anti Antiqua Musici, an inter¬ esting departure. Dr. Howard Hanson, director of the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, N.Y., has been com¬ missioned by the National Educa¬ tion Assn, to write a composition for chorus and orchestra to honor, NEA’s centennial in 1957. As¬ sociation plans to promote wide playing of the work in 1957. Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Eighth Symphony will get its world preem at Manchester, Eng., by Sir John Barbirolli, next May 2. The 83- year-old composer just completed the work. Bracha Eden and Alexander Wolkowisky, Israeli two - piano team, will make their debut in New York, at the Kaufmann Auditorium, Nov. 20. Cesare Siepi will give his only New York recital at Carnegie Hall Nov. 22, presented by'Felix Gerst- man. Berlin baritone Dietrich Fischer- Dieskau, who did a Wagner stint in Bayreuth this summer, has been signed for two months at Vienna State Opera during the 1956-57 season. AMERICA HAILS THE PHILHARMONIA! IN WASHINGTON: “An orchestra of profound powers ... at they can shade to a whisper so can they cry aloud in triumphant might." Washing on Post. IN NEW YORK: “Great Britain has sent us a superb orchestra . . . and in Von Karajan a virtuoso leader worthy of its power." Taubman, New York Times.. . “It was clear beyond the slightest doubt that the London Philharmonia it in the champion class." Long/ New York Herald Tribune. VON KARAJAN Conducting the .. PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA OF LONDON NOW ON TOUR New Haven — Parkersburg — Huntington — Charleston — Columbus Toledo — Chicago — Grand Rapids — Kalamazoo — Ann Arbor Detroit — Toronto — Baltimore — Philadelphia Amherst —- Burlington — Boston COLUMBIA ARTISTS MANAGEMENT, INC. Personal Direction: JUDSON, O'NEILL & JUDD ~ ANGEL RECORDS — Fiddlers Three Nov. 20 will be fiddlers day at Carnegie Hall, N. Y., in a situation that’s unique. Vio¬ linist Mischa Elman will ap¬ pear with the N. Y. Philhar¬ monic at 2:30 p. m.; Russian fiddler David Oistrakh will give a recital at 5:30 p. m. f and Nathan Milstein will also give a recital, at 8:30 p. m. Never before have three art¬ ists of this stature appeared at Carnegie Hall in one day. Oistrakh’s managers, Co¬ lumbia Artists Mgt., could only find this 5:30 p. m. time open, to squeeze their fiddler in. Date was a sellout on day announced. Inside Stuff-Concerts To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the Metropolitan Opera Guild ic holding an “At Home” at the Met Opera House tonight (Wed.) GueS of honor will be Rudolf ^ing, on the eve of his sixth season as general manager. Met artists will also appear. Entertainment will feature an all-star cast in highlights from the Met’s repertoire of the past 20 years. A supper at Sherry's will follow, for those who want it Guild membership now exceeds 56,000. , Violinist Joseph Szigeti will play with the Cleveland Orchestra George Szell conducting, Nov 24 and. 26. On night between (25)’ Szigeti and Szell (a pianist) will play sonatas together for the first time in public. They have been friends for decades and often have played together, Szell conducting and Szigeti fiddling. They recently recorded Mozart sonatas for Columbia, with Szell making one of his rare appearances as a pianist. On Nov. 25 they will play together for the Cleveland Chamber Music Society, the first time they ever have made a joint live appearance. A contemplated N.Y. appearance this season for the duo was prevented by Szell's heavy schedule. Harriet Johnson, N. Y. Post music critic, has written the libretto and music to a work for soprano, baritone and orch, which -will be premiered by Thomas Scherman and the Little Orchestra Society at Hunter College, N. Y., Jan. 21. Opus, “Pet of the Met,” based on a story by Don and Lydia Freeman, concerns a family of mice at the Met Opera House whose favorite opera is “Magic Flute.” Work, which Miss Johnson is now orchestrating, will also be given in Newark and Greenwich, Conn. Miss Johnson’s first work in this vein, “Chuggy & The~Bliie Caboose,” for narrator, baritone and orch, composed two years ago, ^as/ also premiered by the Little Orchestra Society and subsequently done by the Chi Symph, Philly Orch, etc. Decca Records has been named exclusive distributor in this country of the Archive Production Series of the History of Music Division of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellscliaft. Series covers music from the eighth to the 18th centuries. Span of time is sub-divided into 12 “research periods.” First release for October consisted of 12 records, one record of each period. Next release will be end of November. The Symphony of the Air has inaugurated a committee system to take charge of its operational affairs. Appointed are'Dr. L. W. To- markin, advisory; David Walter, legal; Jascha Rushkin, promotional; Arthur Granick, good and welfare; Alan Shulman, artistic; Leon Fren- gut, executive, and Paul Clement, coordination. The committees will function under the supervision of the orchestra’s board of directors. Five former members of the N. Y. City Opera Co. will rejoin the troupe for this fall’s rdad tour, starting Monday (7) in Boston. These are Dorothy Kirsten and Eugene Conley, of the Metropolitan Opera; Frances Bible and Cornell MacNeil, appearing currently with the San Francisco Opera Co., and Walter Fredericks. On the special invitation of its maestro, Dimitri Mitropoulos, Pierre Monteux will conduct the N. Y. Philharmonic the final two weeks of November in honor of his 80th birthday, which occurred earlier this year. This will mark Monteux’s first appearance with the orchestra since 1944. Kintner’s Bird’s Eye View of TV - Continued from page 27 -- - ■ ■ -- PonseOe Quartet To Preem in Fall Columbia Artists Mgt. is booking a tour of 10 weeks, or about 50 dates, for the newly-formed Rosa Ponselle Quartet next season. Group comprises all pros, who are also pupils of the former Met Opera great, who now resides near Baltimore and does a limited amount of teaching. Quartet will go out next October, .under man¬ agement of Col’s prez, Frederick C. Schang. Schang, who managed Miss Pon¬ selle during her Met career (1918 to 1937), visited the ex-diva recent¬ ly at her Villa Pace, outside of Baltimore, and was approached by her on the quartet idea. Schang went .along after Miss Ponselle agreed to produce the show, ar¬ range the program, okay the name tag, etc. Contract was signed last week, Schang thus resuming a managerial relationship that goes back almost 40 years. Quartet comprises Phyllis Fran- kel, soprano; Barbara Nuthall, con¬ tralto; Joseph Lauderoute, tenor, and Norman Atkins, baritone. Miss Ponselle, who made a record al¬ bum recently for RCA Victor, is also negotiating a disk pact for the group. , Weaver’s Hop Continued from page 2 tic tv for the five weeks, he spent his two'days here getting briefed on current development by John West and Fred Wile, NBC veepees in Hollywood. He was consider¬ ably heartened by the ratings of his color specs (“there’ll be more coming along and not less”) and the quality of the first “Matinee Theatre,” which he called a gamble but “you can’t stand still and keep doing the same things.” He was somewhat disappointed at the rat¬ ings of some of the net’s shows but he rued that it’s that old matter of control again. . “When some¬ thing goes wrong with any of our own shows we pour into it what¬ ever is needed to raise the qual¬ ity,” he offered, “but- agencies are in not the same fortunate posi¬ tion.” Weaver scoffed with a wry smile at all the rumors involving him with the disclaimer, “I’m really out of touch, what have they been say¬ ing?” He didn’t say it but from a “reading” of his mind he was probably thinking, “All this is ri¬ diculous.” Schnee’s Heroes Continued from page 4 Eagles,” with Robert Taylor virtu¬ ally set for leading role. Weed, a pioneer in Naval Aviation, was a vi¬ tal figure in World War II, as. he planned strategic Naval operations in the South Pacific. More import¬ ant, however, is his personal story, overcoming physical handicaps to be recalled by the Navy. Third project on Schnee’s slate is the story of Charlemagne, Em¬ peror of the Holy Roman Empire, adapted from the Harold Lamb book. First two films are skedded to roll shortly after first of the year. Schnee will test at least 5 young actors for the Graziano part. While no “formula” ever has beeffi discovered by filmmakers to ensure a successful picture, Schnee believes that a colorful biog most closely hits this, due to its proven dramatic aspects. A real-life char¬ acter already is established in the public mind, he feels; it’s merely the task then of evaluating and inserting the' proper ingredients. tion forces otherwise unobtainable and merchandising plusses. Disad¬ vantages are misjudgment in put¬ ting the wrong type of show on film and the “terrific damage” that can be done when things go wrong after the shows are in the can and flop. Sees Increase in Specs Spectaculars. On a cost-per- thousand basis, regular program¬ ming is superior to the specs, but the specials have certain advan¬ tages in “special promotion” for the larger companies, in “one method of using television by the smaller companies” .and in bring¬ ing special stars and programs t.v. He anticipates that the number of specs will increase rather than decrease. The “real significance” of the specs is in expanding normal programming length to 90 min¬ utes and longer; “there is nothing sacred about the half-hour and hour timing of programming.” Color. “Color television appar¬ ently will not be an important fac¬ tor in the immediate future, as far as reaching large audiences is con¬ cerned.” His “best estimate” of present color set circulation is about 40,000, “a substantial part of which are in the hands of dealers.” “It is my personal belief that color will not be a really major factor in network programming until at least 1957.” Markets. Kintner again took up the cudgels for “free markets” as expounded in ABC’s petition to the FCC some weeks ago, declaring that this is “the principal problem area.” Under the present alloca¬ tion plan, he stated, “there can never be truly competitive televi¬ sion service in many of the top 100 markets covering the great bulk of the population, because of the inability of the UHF stations to compete with the VHF stations/* Kintner then re-expounded the ABC plan, stating that it is the advertisers’ business, “because if your program cannot be heard in many of^the top 100 markets, ex¬ cept in bad time periods, you are not getting an equal share of the potential with your competitors.” Audience research. “We in the television business have to know a great deal more about the habits and inclinations of the people who control the television set,” Kint¬ ner declared, and cited an ABC pilot study in the Detroit area “to try to pinpoint some of the char¬ acteristics of viewing control and and. viewing inclination.” The highlights show (1) the housewife’s dominance in nighttime tv viewing is “considerably greater” than the male—28% greater in over-all ac¬ tivity and 46% in “general inter¬ est”—with this being traced to the absence of the spouse from the home; (2) there is more unanimity of appeal for lower 7 rated programs than for most programs appearing in the top 10, probably because the leading programs become “more controversial, presumably develop¬ ing strong dislikes- as well as likes”; (3) the housewife asserts herself more strongly for general drama or situation comedy, about the same for mysteries and much less than the husband for sports and feature films; (4) there were about half as many family mem¬ bers not watching as were watch¬ ing during prime evening hours, indicating a “sizeable reservoir” of potential viewers at home “whi<?h better programming would attract to the set”; (5) the bid “habit” axiom of radio still plays a strong role, with ' good programs, regu¬ larly slotted, hard to beat and spe¬ cial one-shot programs getting good results “only in particularly soft time periods.” NEW YORK CITY CENTER OPERA GO. COMPLETE CAST AND ORCHESTRA—150 NOW BOOKING SPRING DATES CHARLES E. GREEN Consolidated Concerts Corp., 30 Rockefeller Plaza, N.Y.C, COlumbus 5-3580 75 Wednesday, November 2, 1955 PftRiEfr CONCERT - BALLET Plethora of Spanish Dance Slongbs B.O.; Managers in Doubt, Some in Red By ARTHUR BRONSON +• N eW York, and the U. S. have had a plethora of Spanish dance in the past two seasons. Situation has resulted in some astonishing money losses, while sharply revis¬ ing old theories and estimates, and opening a few eyes. For one thing, it’s revealed the inability of N. Y. to absorb much Hispano heel-and-toe stuff. More¬ over, the importance of Latino sup¬ port’ (Spaniards, South Americans, Puerto Ricans) had been exag¬ gerated; too many are in the lower income groups. Furthermore, it’s been shown that sock notices don’t make a hit, as they would with legit. Situation has also provided some new theories. Some tradesters feel that the current failure of Spanish dance in the U. S. is due in great extent to the amateurs in the financing or actual managerial end of the business (as with the de Cordoba, Escudero and Amaya troupes). Others point out what they call the entirely wrong tendency on the part of some Spanish troupes to present elaborate productions. They have too many people in their companies, for no reason, they say. The best Spanish com¬ panies never had large groups. Ten dancers, a pianist and a .guitarist were considered enough. No sing¬ ers, no squads of guitarists, no big orchestra were apparently needed. Last year, a new troupe, Ballets Espagnol (now known as Ballet Espanol), opened in N. Y. and got rave notices but little biz. Unfor¬ tunately, another new but lesser troupe, the de Cordoba Co., was rushed in a week ahead. The De Cordoba troupe did badly, and dis¬ appeared from the U. S. scene shortly thereafter. Espagnol stuck it out, winding up after a 20-week American tour with a loss of $125,- 000 for its U. S. manager, Mi- chaux Moody (Moody, undaunted, has brought the troupe back for another tour, now current, where il’s doing fair biz). 'Mismanagement’? Maurice Attius, N. Y. Spanish exporter, went into the biz to back Charles E. Green last season in presenting Escudero in a return to the. American scene. Escudero alscr received fine notices in.N. Y., but the American visit (with the tour on a guaranteed 10-week run that followed in .N. Y.), cost Attius $50,000, He broke, with Green, claiming "mismanagement.” This, season, Attius brought the Carmen Amaya Co. back to the U. S. stage, bringing it into N. Y. the same weekend that Sol Hurok imported a new attraction in the Antonio & Co. Both troupes got excellent' notices. Amaya played four weekend performances to slim houses, then went on a brief tour, farmed out by Attius to Jo¬ seph H. Conlin Jr. Trip was fouled up, again according to Attius due to "mismanagement,” the biz being bad and putting him heavily in the red. Amaya is touring again, this time for Attius direct, to run out her contract. Foldes Carrying Bartok Torch Through Europe -Andor Foldes is flying to Ger¬ many next Monday (7) on a tour of Europe and South Africa that will keep him away until next fall. Hungarian-American pianisjt, con¬ certing in Europe till May, has some unusual stints included. He’ll play three Bartok concertos with the Brussels Radio Orch Nov. 16, and open the Mozart Year in Salz¬ burg with the Mozarteum Orch Dec. 5. He’ll also give six all- Bartok recitals in London on the BBC Third Programme next March-April, for a "first.” Pianist then flies to South Afri¬ ca for his second tour there, open¬ ing May 15 in Johannesburg. Ballet Russe Off on Full Season Tour; Columbia To Drop Out as Booker The Ballet Russe de Monte Car¬ lo, headed by Serge Denham, which opened its second tour un¬ der aegis of Columbia Artists Mgt. in Newark, N. J., recently, will cover 161 playdates in 95 cities, winding in Atlanta March 24. Leads this season are .different. Maria Tallchief has returned to the N.Y. City Ballet, but Igor Yous- kevitch and Alicia Alonso have left Ballet Theatre to join Ballet Russe. Miss Alonso will be guest bal¬ lerina for only 12 weeks, but Yous- kevitch will dance all season, act¬ ing as premier danseur and artistic adviser. Frederic Franklin remains maitre de ballet and premier danseur, with Leon Danielian also prominent, and femme leads in¬ clude Nina Novak, Gertrude Tyven and Irina Borowska. Michel Kat- charoff has rejoined the troupe as regisseur after two years with the Cuevas Ballet. Miss Novak is re¬ signing from the troupe at end of the season, after three years, as ballerina. * This will be the last season for Ballet Russe under Columbia man¬ agement, due to steadily increasing friction between Col prez Fred¬ erick C. Schang and BR’s Denham. Grumiaux’s 2d Bowout; $7,000 Loss in Bookings Belgian violinist Arthur Grumi- aux has pulled a switch again, can¬ celling his U. S. concert bookings for the second year in a row. Last season, the fiddler canceled a six- week tour, set up by Columbia Artists Mgt., because of illness, He has just bowed out again this fall, this time citing his wife’s ill-heaUh. Artist, who is quite successful in Europe, was here for the first time about three years ago. His 12 dates this .fall, including one in N. Y., mean a loss of $7,000 in bookings. Attius presented Escudero again in a one-shot Sunday night (30) in Carnegie Hall, N. Y., for a "fare¬ well.” Escudero has a few other single dates this month nearby, then returns to Spain. Antonio & Co. played a three- week date at the Broadway, N.-Y,, and garnered a reported gross of $95,000 at $4.60 top for the run. Take, though fair, was profitable. Troupe then moved over to the Heiiinger, N. Y., for another fort¬ night, which ends Sunday (6). Hu- ^ok has been taking extra ads in f’- Y. dailies to promote the troupe, hoping to cash in on the good notices. Four weekend per¬ formances have been good; others slim. Troupe is also due to appear on the "Omnibus” tv’er Sunday *6). It then plays Montreal and Boston as start of a U. S, tour. Meantime, America’s chief do¬ mestic exponent of Spanish dance, the Jose Greco Co., has been play- <mg it safe—dating the better-pay- mg nitery circuit, rather than the¬ atres or concert halls. New Werner Egk opera, "Ir ^egend, recently world-preeiii at Salzburg Music Fest, is now ?S l ’J cpi ? se at Vienna State Opi in March, 1955. Heinrich Hollreii l and Hilde Zadek v Sln 2 the leading role. Winnipeg Ballet Set For Comeback After Fire Winnipeg, Nov. 1. Royal Winnipeg Ballet, doing a comeback after last year’s fire, re¬ opens Nov. 16 here, then tours western Canada. Paddy Stone, one of the dancers in "Joyce Grenfell Requests the Pleasure,” on Broadway now, choreographed "Caribe,” one of RWB’s new ballets. Anton Dolin will fly here to stage, his "Pas de Quatre.” New artistic director is Betty Farrell, upped from ballet mistress. New ballet master is Nerad Lhotka of Yugoslavia, whose wife, Jill Alis, joins the company as a bal¬ lerina. U.S. Maestros Win Three American conductors last week were named winners of ad¬ vance study grants from the Amer¬ ican Symphony .Orchestra League. They are Franz Bibo, conductor of the City Symphony Orchestra of New York; Donald Johanos. con¬ ductor of the Altoona and Johns¬ town Symphonies in Pennsylvania, and James Robertson, conductor of the Wichita (Kan.) Symphony. Pons’ 25th Anni The Metropolitan Opera Is giving Lily Pons a gala per¬ formance on Jan. 3 next, to celebrate her 25th anni. This will mark 25 years to the day of the soprano’s debut with the company in "Lucia.” It’s considered likely that the diva will appear in part of that opera again, as well as in other excerpts. Also early next year, the Met is reported planning to present a memorial perform¬ ance on occasion of the 25th anni of the death of Anna Pav- lowa, who died Jan. 23, 1931. Coy CaDas Will Now Sing at Met Maria Callas, temperamental N. Y.-born top star of Milan’s La Scala Opera, who reputedly once swore she’d never sing at N. Y.’s Met Opera while Rudolf Bing was manager there, has exercised her femme prerogative of changing her mind. The diva will make her N. Y. debut at the Met next season, in what will undoubtedly be the season’s opera plum. Soprano made her American debut in Chicago last season in a sensational "Norma,” to bow the newly-formed Chi Lyric Theatre. Monday night (31) she preemed Chi’s season again in "I Puritani.” wooed to Chi last year at a re¬ ported $2,000-plus fee per perform¬ ance, .Mme. Callas’ Met fee next season is a puzzlement. The Met’s salary limit is $1,000 a night, a top received by only a few Met stars, who jealously watch that privilege. ! This week’s Life magazine re¬ ports wealthily-married Mme. Cal¬ las as saying: "The Met cannot afford me? I am'sorry. The Met will have to do without me.” (Article also quotes Met tenor Kurt Baum as angrily telling the temperamen¬ tal soprano, after a Mexico City appearance, that "I’ll do all in my power to see that you are never signed up at the Metropolitan.”) Mme. Callas’ appearance with the fledgling Chi Lyric Theatre, in¬ stead of at the Met, America’s foremost opera house, has been a source of embarrassment to Met execs. Oddly enough, the 31-year- old singer did audition for the Met, back in 1946, when she was 22. Nothing came of it. Negotiations between Chi Lyric and Mme. Callas were made direct, as the diva has no American man¬ ager (as yet). Columbia Artists Mgt. and National Concert & Art¬ ists Corp. reportedly furiously out¬ bidding each other to get her, Col’s Andre Mertens (who man¬ agers her arch-rival, Renata Te¬ baldi) offering her $4,000 a concert date and NCAC going even higher. Amer. Opera Society Bows 3d Season With ‘Medea’ American Opera Society, bowing its third season with Cherubini’s "Medea” at Town Hall, N.Y., Nov. 8, is definitely set on the Gotham music scene. In its first season, group gave three operas in concert form, and wound to a small deficit. Last year’s sked was more im¬ posing, with four operas in Man¬ hattan, and 14 more performances outside (Brooklyn. Princeton, Mt. Kisco, Boston, etc.) The four Gotham showings drew an average $3,200 a performance, for a $12,- 800 take. The 14 Outside appear¬ ances garnered over $35,000, for about $50,000 on the season. Op¬ eras sold from $2,500 to $3,500 away from Manhattan. Nut was about $71,000. Deficit was made up by about $12,000 from private donors, plus $9,000 from Mrs. W. Murray Crane for music costs.. This, season, group is giving four operas, with Purcell’s "Dido & Aeneas,” Bellini’s "I Puritani” and Offenbach’s "La Perichole” follow¬ ing "Medea.” Three of them will be repeated at the Met Museum of Art, instead of in Brooklyn, as be¬ fore. Tour dates haven’t been de¬ cided yet. Allen Sven Oxenburg is artistic director and Arnold Gamson is mu¬ sic director of the group. Herbert Barrett Mgt. is handling. Group has generally received sock notices from the N.Y. reviewers, but lack of costumes (singers, mostly Met and N.Y. City Opera, are in even¬ ing clothes) and high price tag have kept group from much tour¬ ing. PhiOiatmonia Polls Off Calculated Risk in N.Y.; Last 2 Dates Sellouts ------ 4 - Oistrakh Set for 20 Dates in American Bow David Oistrakh, second Soviet artist to come here in the Cold Thaw (Emil Gilels, who arrived last month, was the first), has been set for about 20 dates by his U. S. man¬ agers, Columbia Artists Mgt. The noted fiddler will be here until Xmas time. He’ll give more recitals than dates with orch, with all dates on straight percentage, as with pianist Gilels. Violinist will arrive from Russia on Nov. 10, bringing his own accompanist. He’ll make his U. S. debut Nov. 13 with the Phil- harmonia Orch of London, under Herbert von Karajan, at Carnegie Hall, N. Y., playing the Brahms and Tchaikovsky concertos. He also has two recital dates in N. Y., on Nov. 20 and 23. Although not openly discussed, it’s known that the Russian gov¬ ernment was waiting for the re¬ ception given to Gilels before de¬ ciding to let Oistrakh come. If public reaction to Gilels, in demon¬ strations, news stories, or even re¬ views, had been unfavorable, it’s believed Oistrakh’s trip'would have been nixed. Gilels Disks for Angel, Victor; Last-Minute Nix by Col Surprises Emil Gilels, top Russ pianist who made a sensational bow to U. S. audiences this month, and the first Soviet artist to play here since Serge Prokofiev in 1921, made his first American recordings Oct. 19-20 in N. Y. for Angel Records. These comprised a Chopin sonata and some Shostakovich preludes from his N. Y. recital debut. Last Saturday (29), Gilels (a regular Angel artist) recorded the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1, with the Chicago Symphony, un¬ der Fritz Reiner, in Chi for RCA Victor. This orchestral stint re¬ portedly was a One-shot for Victor, as Gilels, who’s due to return short¬ ly to Europe, will resume recording in London for Angel. The Victor Tchaikovsky disking is shrouded in something of a mys¬ tery. Gilels made his U. S. concert debut Oct. 3,. playing the Tchai¬ kovsky with the Philadelphia Or¬ chestra under Eugene Ormandy. He played the work several times with the orch, in Philadelphia and in N. Y. Reportedly, he was all set to record the concerto with the Philadelphians for Columbia, when at the very last minute. Col nixed the stint, when Victor grabbed the opportunity. An interview with Gilels in last week’s Saturday Re¬ view, in which he criticized the Philly Orch and Ormandy, may have been a factor. Col exec veepee Goddard Lieberson said that Gilels wasn’t signed to Columbia because the company had other commitments to other artists. Stratford’s 2d Music Fest to Be Enlarged Stratford, Ont., Nov. 1. Stratford Shakespearean Festi¬ val here has set plans for its sec¬ ond annual music fest, to be held in conjunction with the drama sea¬ son, next summer. Music series will .run five weeks, instead of 1955’s four. Louis Applebaum will again be in charge, with Gordon Jocelyn retained as his assistant. Applebaum also handles music chores for the overall drama fest. Festival Concert Hall will be facelifted, with seating rear¬ ranged, air-circulating ..unit in¬ stalled, and stage enlarged. An advisory committee has feepn ap¬ pointed, including Edward John¬ son, former Met Opera manager; Geoffrey Waddington, CBC^music director; Boyd Noel, Floyd Chal¬ mers, Arnold Walter, Ezra Schabis and Mrs. John Langdon. The Rockefeller Foundation has approved a three-year grant of $49,500 to the American Symphony Orchestra League, to enable the League to engage in further ex¬ periments in advanced study for conductors of symphony orchestras. A calculated risk was taken by Columbia Artists Mgt. in booking four N. Y. concerts for the Phil- harmonia of London, an orch un¬ known to the U. S. except via re¬ cordings. Orch played three times in Carnegie Hall last week, and a fourth date is set there for Nov. 13. Top was also $6, a dollar above the N. Y. Philharmonic’s. Yet the British orch, without the prestige or tradition of an Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Vienna or Berlin Philharmonic, and with no soloist, made quite an impact. Probably Columbia lost money on the dates. First concert, last Tuesday (25), with a big press list, and a two-thirds house, drew about $6,000. Next night, an extra- scheduled date, with a house third- full, got about $5,000. But third date, Friday (28), was a near-sell¬ out, with about $10,000 grossed. The Nov. 13 date was sold out 10 days ago. Although manage¬ ment didn’t announce it, the N. Y. Times carried a Sunday (21) squib about Russ violinist David Oistrakh being soloist for that date, and concert was sold out by next npo.n. Orch got wonderful notices, bet¬ ter than any U. S. symph in re¬ cent seasons. Conductor Herbert von Karajan also was highly ku¬ dosed. Management .admits it played one N. Y. concert too many. But it got caught with an arbitrary four weeks for a U. S. tour, and couldn’t spread the N. Y. dates as much as it wanted to. Car¬ negie Hall wasn’t always available. But Columbia, which says it was a very interesting and difficult tour to book, feels it accomplished what it set out to do, (1) establish the orchestra, arid (2) establish its conductor. Latter, most important of post¬ war European conductorial figures, was also highly controversial, and hostility was l’elt last season when he conducted the Berlin symph here. This season's extra Philhar- monia N. Y. date was also caused by the fact that outside bookings were a little tough to get on the same score. Orch’s four-week visit is being handled by Bill Judd, of Col’s Jud- son, O’Neill & Judd division. Philly Inquirer Exec On Local Concert Bookings Philadelphia. Editor, Variety; My attention has been called to your item labeled "One-Man Con¬ trol,” in the Oct. 26 issue. I am shocked at the hate-mongering in¬ nuendo of this Variety piece. The facts are, the Philadelphia Inquir¬ er Charities, through the Philadel¬ phia Forum and the Philadelphia All Star Concert series, brings be¬ tween 20 and 25 events annually to Philadelphia. It would be sur¬ prising to find that this is the sum total of cultural events offered in Philadelphia, a* you well know. As a matter of fact, the Academy of Music and other appropriate places in Philadelphia are offered for booking throughout all of the con¬ cert year, and there are not many "dark nights” in. Philadelphia The Philadelphia Forum carried Gieseking the same year it did not book the Berlin Philharmonic, which would refute your anti-Ger¬ man theory. Price ($6,000). for the Berlin Philharmonic, salabil¬ ity, a culturally rounded program, and a weighing of availabilities still must count with a concert series director, as well as merit of the artists. We still think that the Stale Department is the prop¬ er agency to determine the moral acceptability for entrance into this country of an artist. Once he or she has passed these standards, we would not conceive of going into the problem afresh. We conceive and execute our series with integrity. Harry C. Coles Jr., (Director, Philadelphia Inquirer Charities Inc.) Sadler’s 90G, Philly Philadelphia, Nov. 1. Sadler's Wells Ballet, playing last week in the 3.000-scat Acad¬ emy of Music at a $6 top, racked up a terrific $90,000-plus for eight performances. It was the largest take over reg¬ istered by a ballet troupe here. 76 LITERATI Literati Macfadden Mag Shifts. Ellon Taussig, associate editor of TV Radio Mirror mag, named man¬ aging editor of Photoplay. She re¬ places Evelyn Savidge Pain, who resigned to accompany husband William Pain on a six-week Eu¬ ropean tour. Couple then goes to Singapore for a two-year stay. Pain will rep Time-Life there. Claire Safran, TV Radio Mirror assistant editor, has> been upped to associate editor succeeding Miss Taussig. Both TV Radio Mirror and Photoplay, incidentally, are Macfadden publications. Herald Trib's Fla. Pitch The N. Y. Herald Tribune hosted some 150 Miami Beach hotelmen, civic leaders and business men at a luncheon last Tuesday (25) at the Saxony Hotel there with publisher- editor Ogden R. Reid on hand to address the group. Occasion was to introduce the new Herald Trib- use format and features, spear¬ heading a drive to break the hold the New York Times has had for ears on resort advertising placed y hotels In this area. Hy Gardner, the Trib’s night¬ life columnist, arranged the affair and acted as toastmaster. Gardner is well known and liked there, be¬ ing a frequent visitor throughout the year and through his Florida outlet, the Miami Beach Sun. Frank Taylor, executive vice-pres¬ ident of the Trib, also spoke. Hank Meyer, city public relations direc¬ tor, introduced the speakers, not¬ ing that the luncheon was also ar¬ ranged as a part of the 40th anni¬ versary celebration of Miami Beach. Duane. Wilder and Harvey O’Con¬ nor are limited partners. Papers filed with the N. Y. County Clenk show that Nossiter contributed $5,000, Wilder $10,000 and O’Connor, $1;000. Latter also has agreed to invest an additional #1,500 sometime during 1956. General partner Kirstein, inciden¬ tally, is a brother of Lincoln Kir¬ stein, director of the N, Y. City Ballet. Canadian Awards I Sponsored by Bowater Corp. of North America Ltd., newsprint and other paper producers, two awards of $1,000 each will be made each year to active Canadian news¬ papermen “to help inspire and maintain a high level of Canadian journalism.” Awards will go to writers in two fields: economic and business, and cultural and social. First are scheduled for current calendar year. Chairman of the trustees is Har¬ vey Hickey, president of the Par- i liamentary Press Gallery. 'Sugarplum* “Sugarplum,” written for chil¬ dren by Johanna Johnston, of CBS Radio’s ' program writing depart¬ ment, is about a doll not much big¬ ger than your thumb who always yearned for proper clothes instead of a painted-on dress (Knopf). Mrs. Johnston inherited the writing assignment on the ex-CBS series “Let’S Pretend,” on the death of Nila Mack, program's originator. Mrs. Johnston is the writer for the network’s “Young Ideas.” Illustrations are by Mar¬ vin Bileck. I Milt Raison's TV Pact Producer Don Fedderson has signed Milton M. Raison, veteran newspaperman, screen and tv writ¬ er, to serve as story consultant on his CBS-TV film series, “The Mil¬ lionaire.” Raison was a staffer on the old New York World and the Herald Tribune, and co-produced “Shoot The Works” with Heywood Broun. Metro brought him to Holly¬ wood 20 years ago and he has since written 40 motion pictures, ap¬ proximately 100 teleplays, six pub¬ lished books, and scores of maga¬ zine stories. Raison has written several “The Millionaire” seg¬ ments and will continue to con¬ tribute to the series. Miami Paper Bombed Dynamite explosions last Friday (29) devastated the plant of the Miami area's most controversial publication, the weekly Miami Life. The tabloid, which stresses an edi¬ torial policy based on exposes, has recently been running a series on bolita gambling and also has been campaigning against racial integra¬ tion. According to Reuben Clein, pub¬ lisher of Miami Life, either one of the issues might have been the rea¬ son for the dynamiting, which wrecked the presses and linotype machines, blew the roof off the building and wreaked havoc with files and newsprint. Loss was esti¬ mated at over $25,000.. Clein will cohtinue publishing, he stated, as soon as he can arrange for another plant to take on the job. Grun’s Composers Tome “Private Lives of the Great Composers” by Bernard Grun (Li¬ brary Publishers; $3.95), is a col¬ lection of anecdotes, many humor¬ ous: Conductors and other musi¬ cal artists are included in Dr. Grun’s report. Author is w.k.. com¬ poser with many film scores to his credit. A Fort Knox ‘American Treasury* “The American Treasury (1455- 1955)” (Harper; $7.50), selected and with commentary by Clifton Fadi- man, assisted by Charles Van Doren, is one of those anthologies of “prose, poetry and song drawn from our life, laughter and litera¬ ture” which is many books in one. It's informative, it’s entertaining, it can be picked up and read at any stage, it is kingsize job of editing, assaying and publication. Book will 1 command respect for the savvy assemblage of all values. It is erudite and yet it is light. It weighs history, adventure, indus¬ try, religion, entertainment, sports, travel, politics, labor, the world around us, personalities and much more, and puts each in proper per¬ spective. It was a yoeman job, and Fadiman and his aide, Van Doren, have done themselves proud. It’s for the home library, the bedside, and the reference library—and for diverting reading at any time. Abel. British Book on Show Biz Law E. R. Hardy Ivamy, a law lec¬ turer at the University College, London, has made a close study of all the legal enactments affecting the entertainment world and in concise terms has summarized them in “Show Business and the Law," (Stevens & Sons, London; $3.50). This is a valuable reference work for managements, producers, art¬ ists and others and is completely up-to-date on the television front by incorporating the legal princi¬ ple of the new Television Act. Among the subjects fully covered in the volume are all forms of show biz contracts, licensing and censorship, copyright regulations, relationship between management, audiences and third parties, and the procedure governing film quo¬ tas and film distribution. The book is exhaustively docu¬ mented and is crammed with au¬ thoritative legal sources. Myro. Book should prove a handy com¬ panion for the after-dinner speak¬ er, as well as pleasing to the casual browser. Rodo. S.F. Call-Bulletin Head Lee Ettclson was named pub¬ lisher of The San Francisco Call- Bulletin last week in place of the retiring Leo Ihle. Ettelson, once editor of the Hearst afternoon daily, returns to Frisco, after three years as executive editor of The Chicago American. He’s worked lor Hears! newspapers since 1919. Ihle became business manager of the Iriseo daily in 1930 and was named publisher in 1953. Nation Control Shifts Management and control of The Nation, which former publisher- editor Freda Kirchwey recently turned over to George G. Kirstein and Carey McWilliams, will be vested in a limited partnership, it was disclosed last week. Known as The Nation Co., outfit has Kirstein j and McWilliams listed as general! partners while Bernard Nossiter , 1 New British Fan Mag Latest film fan mag is a British monthly with the numerical title of “66” which Town & Country Publications will bring forth Nov. 14. Designed and edited by Peter Craig-Raymond, it will run to 68 pages and will be priced at one shilling ( 140 . Mag’s unique format will have every issue devoted exclusively to the life and career of one star. Publisher stresses that “66 glamour photographs” of Marilyn Monroe Gina Lollobrigida, etc., will be printed in the monthly’s mini-size pages. Shulman’s Campus Fun ‘Max. Shulman’s Guided Tou Campus Humor” is one of the 1 anthologies ever of the ral genre. This is no casual Col] Humor brand but a caref selected and well edited galaxy undergraduate didoes which/ spite the Hanover House ($2 warning—“no dramatization in tures, television or radio allow —will winu up as a must in comedian’s or gagman’s fi ^AHIETT 'Wednesday, November 2 . 1955 Plenty of room for the “switches.” Shulman has called over 65 campus periodicals, and the humor is broken down into sundry cate¬ gories. It was a yeoman task which the editor-anthologist couldn’t have achieved without the cooperation of the editors and li¬ brarians of the colleges and univer¬ sities across the land. It's breezy reading, and can be picked up at any given spot for a quick laugh or three—guaranteed. Abel. Rigrhter's Tour General Features columnist Car- roll Righter kicks off a national tour Nov. 14 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre, Los Angeles. Astrologian will be introduced by Robert Cum¬ mings and accompanied by the Bob Mitchell Boys Choir for the Los Angeles date. Tour packaged by Righter and vet tv producer Lou Snader will take Righter to the 40 cities in which his daily column appears. [ Coast Foreign Reps Henry Gris of the United Press has been named first president of the newly-merged organizations of foreign correspondents in Holly¬ wood. Group, now tagged the Hol¬ lywood Foreign Press Assn., was formed out of the wedding of the old Hollywood Foreign Corre¬ spondents Assn, and the Foreign Press Assn. Other officers elected were: Mi¬ guel deZarraga (Mexico and Chile), veepee; Louis Serrano (Brazil),, treasurer; Kira Appel (France), secretary. New board of directors includes Ivy, Wilson (England); Olga Andre (Spaift and South America); Frederick Porges (Ger¬ many); . Berthil Unger (Scandi¬ navia), and Hilda Ulloa (Costa Rica). SEP*s Godfrey Splash Saturday Evening Post expects the Arthur Godfrey autobiography, “This Is My Story,” to break pre¬ vious newsstand sales marks set by the Bing Crosby and Bob Hope biogs. It will run eight issues be¬ ginning Nov. 5. Big advertising campaign will include 1,000 radio spots in 87 markets; 50 tv spots in 10 markets; 360,000 point of sale display pieces, 1,200-line ads in 24 papers in 12 markets; 600-line ads in 52 papers in 46 markets; 300-line ads in 29 papers in 29 markets; 200-line ads in 47 papers in 47 markets, and 100-line ads in 303 papers in 303 mavkets. Syndicate Word Game Chicago Tribune-N. Y. Daily News syndicate is now promoting the sale of some of its features in book form. Collections of “Jum¬ bles,” a word game, and Norman Garbo’s “Pull Up an Easel” strip have been published by Barnes & Co. “Caesar,” dog comic, comes out next month via Waldorf Publishing and George Clark’s “The Neigh¬ bors” panel is also due in Decem¬ ber, from Gold Medal. All in 25c paperback. Greenlight for 'Trial* 1 Irish Censorship of Publications Appeal Board has okayed circula¬ tion of Don M. Mankiewicz’s “Trial,” previously banned by Cen¬ sor Board. Others given greenlight were “England Made Me” by Graham Greene, “Atlantis” by John Cow- per Powys, “The Dark Hostess” bv Sydney Horler, “The Little, Walls” by Winston Graham, “Shadow of Palaces” by Pamela Hill, “The Spider King” by Lawrence Schoon¬ over, and “There Was an Ancient House” by Benedict Kiely. Irish Censor Busy Again Two fan mags, Photoplay and Picturegoer, have been nixed by Irish censors for three months for material rated “indecent or ob¬ scene.” They were listed with Lon¬ don Daily Sketch and D5 books in recent schedule of bannings. Books which were redlighted in¬ cluded “Faulkner’s Country” by William Faulkner, “The Actor” by Niven Busch, “Adventures in the Skin Trade” by Dylan Thomas, “Benton’s Row” by Frank Yerby, “Something of Value” by Robert Ruark and “The Folies Bergepe” by Paul Derval. Another By Funk Lexicographer Charles Earle Funk, nephew of the original (Dr. Isaac K.) Funk (& Wagnalls), has another sprightly anthology in “Heavens To Betsy! (And Other Curious Sayings)” (Harper; $3.50) which will fascinate anybody who is fascinated by the English lan¬ guage. That, means, of course, many a working newspaperman—and a large segment of Americans—who must have been struck by the last¬ ing impact of phrases, idioms, patois, and the like. Dr. Funk succeeded the late Dr. Frank H. Vizetelly in 1938 as edi¬ tor of the F&W dictionaries but, in 1947, retired to devote himself I to his own writings. “A Hog. On Ice (And Other Curious Expres¬ sions)” is of the same pattern as this book. Another predecessor Funk book has been “Thereby Hangs A Tale.” ’And thereby hangs the tale why, if you look for some of your gpet phrases, you may not find them in “Betsy,” on the presumption the two previous books already covered such prhases as, let us say, “bats in the belfry,” “23—skidoo,” “hang on to your hats,” “bell’s bells,” “jump out of your skin,” “hot as the hinges of hell,” which came to mind to this reviewer. On the other hand, the well-prepared' in¬ dex includes an elaborate key to many others. So if you want to know the en- tymology or derivation of phrases like some of the following, a hand¬ ful from a latge galaxy, it’s very easy to find out the Americana legend or the historical origin of “tell it to the marines,” “a fish out. of water,” “give short shrift to,” “to lose one’s shirt," “ivory tower,” “to shake a stick at,” “to throw the book at one,” “to get one’s Dutch up,” “to ride for a fall,” “a pain in the neck,” “to set one's cap at (or for) a person, talking through oqe's hat,” “the Ivy League,” “all wool and a yard wide,” “like a bear with a sore head,” “the real McCoy,” “to trip the light fantastic,” et cetera. Real fascinating reading. Abel. Carrington's Key Hearst Post Richard A. Carrington Jr., pub¬ lisher of the L.A. Examiner, be¬ comes chairman of The Hearst Corp. executive committee on Nov. 21. Franklin S. Payne, head of Hearst’ advertising and of the Seattle and Frisco offices, replaces him as publisher. Carrington, the Hearst L.A. pub¬ lisher for 17 years, will also get a v.p. stripe and .a directorship in the overall corporation. N. Y. Post Claims 'Beat* The New York Post says it was “first on the street” Oct. -21''with disclosure of Mayor Wagner’s “di¬ rective” opening the city’s confi¬ dential files to tv producers, and Ted Granik, his friend and ex-as- sociate, In particular. (“Directive,” since recalled by the mayor fol¬ lowing a furor, with current plan to have a city-formed committee look into “deals” with tv produ¬ cers, was issued 10 days previously (Oct. 11) but not made public at that time). Most sources- credited the World-Telegram & Sun with the beat. A Post spokesman said his paper ran the story in a “full edition” at 1:30 and that the Telly’s story came two hours later. Post staffer admits, however, that its story was “lost In the shuffle,” be¬ ing “buried” in the real estate sec¬ tion, Telly’s story started on Page 1 and ran over lengthily inside. Apparently It was all a matter of position and presentation, not the two-hour disparity between the rival stories. CHATTER Mid-Island Daily News Inc chartered to conduct a publishing business in Hicksville, L.I. Chi Tribune prepping a special supplement on children's tomes as part of its Nov. 13 Sunday issue. Enterprise Magazine Manage¬ ment Inc. chartered to conduct a printing and publishing business in New York. Metal Working Publishing Corp. chartered to conduct a printing and publishing business in White Plains, N.Y. Stuart Palmer's first Harper de¬ tective novel in two years is “Un¬ happy Hooligan,” set against a cir¬ cus background Charles Marion’s new book, “Hoofer,” based on the life story of Nick Castle, will be published in January by Simon & Schuster. John Helmers, manager of the book department of Curtis Circula¬ tion Co., has been elected to the board of directors of Bantam Books Inc. Single volume reprint of Life's 13-installment “The World We Live In” series went on the book- I shelves via Simon & Schuster last week. “James and Charlotte,” new novel by Scot writer Guy Mc- Crone, due to be published at Christmas in London, New York and Vienna simultaneously. Thomas Wakefield Blackburn, author of several Davy Crockett segments for Walt Disney, is doing a novel about early California for publication by Random House. Herbert Bayard Swope did the foreword to N. Y. Construction Co- ordinatoor Robert Moses' memoir, “Working For The People” which Harper will publish in January. Edward Holton Schmidt, associ¬ ate editor of Reader’s Digest, do¬ ing a book on. “The Magazine Writ¬ er’s Workshop,” a sort of how-to book on non-fiction vmting, for Harper publication. Judge Jacc* U P.raude, of Chi- to his recent “Speaker’s Encyclo^ pedia of Stories, Quotations 5 ana Anecdotes*” which Prentice-H?n will publish next fall. c rta11 “Wingless Victory,” biog on th* romance of Gabriele d ? AnnurSS and Eleanora Duse, sla.ted fo? H- per publication in February, ail thored by Frances Winwar, i was born and educated in Italy Robert Stein, articles editor of Redbook, promoted to managing editor, as announced by Wade rr Nichols, editor and publisher Hp has been with Redbook since June 1953, previously article editor of Argosy. 01 Hesketh Pearson, actor-biogra¬ pher of Oscar Wilde, Disraeli Shaw, Sir Walter Scott, etc., has done one on the eminent British actor-manager, “Beerbohm Tree (His Life and Laughter)”, which Harper will publish. 1 Thomas Collins, Chicago Daiiv News feature editor ahd “Golden Years” columnist, has penned a tome after his syndicated series calling it “The Golden Years—An Invitation to Retirement.” John Day Co. is publishing next spring. Victor Chapin, former legit, film and tv actor, will have his second novel, “The Lotus Seat,” published by Rinehart, Nov. 3. Locale is Ceylon, stemming from author’s knowledge of the country gained during film work in Southeast Asia. Collection of Will Rogers pieces, written for his columns as far back as 33 years ago, being published by Houghton Mifflin under the title, “Sanity Is Where You Find It.” Book has been compiled and edited by Donald Day who, together with Will Rogers Jr., edited the “Auto¬ biography of Will Rogers” some years back. Abelard-Schuman will catalog all its new works on Judaism and Jewry under the title of Ram’s Horn Books. One of aims will be to publish here the works of “vir¬ tually unknown” Israeli contem¬ porary scribes. Ram’s Horn de¬ rives from the traditional “shofar," sounded on high holidays. Eric Heath has revised his “Writing For Television,” written several years ago, and Prentice- Hall will publish the new text this month. Publisher claims it was the first tome on tv authorship to hit the market. Army Music SS Continued from page 49 — in Germany, England, Iceland and France. During the Second World War and later during the Korean cm* broglio, ASCAP did okay the Army’s use of its catalog wherever necessary. Although ASCAP does not have the right to give away performance rights in foreign countries, the Society’s execs pre¬ vailed on its foreign affiliates to play along with the Army while the fighting was in progress. It was stated in the . ASCAP grant to the Army that the free license was in effect for the duration of the war. ASCAP refuses to cancel that li¬ cense at the present time. The So¬ ciety’s execs take the position that if the Army thinks it has a cuffo license, and if that opinion is up¬ held by the Dept, of Justice, they will go along with it. In an effort to persuade the Army to make deals with the foreign societies, ASCAP- has assured the Defense Dept, it will reimburse the Army for all moneys earned overseas. Although ASCAP collects only on performances for profit, this restriction does not apply to the foreign societies. They collect for all performances and they cannot understand why ASCAP should give away something for which they are paid. In addition, it has become a point of national honor to get the U. S. Army broadcast installations to pay the domestic society for the use of music. Command Film ■in ■ Continued from page 2 — ing of $75 down to $3 and the 2,200-seater was sold out days ahead. The stage show was eliminated but a number of international stars took a bow. Among them, Gina Lollobrigida, Rossano Brazzi, Ava Gardner^ Patricia Medina, Peter Ustinov, Charles Vanel and Brigitte Ober. Among trade personalities pre¬ sented to the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were George Wcltner, Alfred Hitchco*ck, John Davis, J. Arthur Rank, David Jones arid Jympson Harmon. Wednesday, November 2, 1955 USriety CHATTER 77 jean Simmons in. for the world premiere of Samuel Goldwyn’s •■Guys and Polls.” • Nat D. Fellman, Stanley War¬ ner’s chief booker, to the Coast for a product onceover. Metro production topper Dore c (> hary returned to the Coast after homeoffice huddles. Liberace in Sunday (30) on his personal appearance tour for War¬ ders’ “Sincerely Yours.” .. Samuel Goldwyn Jr. came in from Havana Monday (31) to help promote his first feature, “Man With the Gun.” A memorial to the late Charles V Yates being unveiled ^Sunday (6) at Sharon Gardens Cemetery, Valhalla, N. Y. Frank E. Cahill Jr., Warner Bros, co-ordinator of. technical activities, was elected president of the Warner Club Inc. The annual memorial service for the late William Morris being held tonight (Wed.) at the chapel of the Jewish Theatrical Guild. Ad tycoon Milton Biow,' still recovering from the flu, taking a 13-day cruise Nov. 9 on the SS Caronia with his wife, Melisse. Metro has set six more openings for Samuel Goldwyn’s “Guys and Dolls,” making it a total of 20 bookings for November and De¬ cember. Samuel Goldwyn, here for the “Guys and Dolls” opening at the Capitol tomorrow night (Thurs.), heads for the Chicago bow at the weekend. Society of Illustrators exhibiting the work of John Halas, of the British Halas-Batchelor cartoonery. Featured are Halas* art work on “Animal Farm” and “Cinerama Holiday.” Ed Murrow says he’ll “stay on my side of the railroad tracks” and not play a film chore with Bob Hope in Paramount’s “That- Cer¬ tain Feeling,” from the legiter, “King of Hearts.” Joe Schoenfeld, editor of daily Variety, in from a European quickie, after putting the Coast paper’s 22d Amn to bed. His wife, Edfla, caught up* on the Broadway shows while Scho made a special L.A. to Europe TWA junket. Herbert J. Yates, Republic Pic¬ tures prexy, and his actress-wife Vera Ralston, sailed for Europe last week on the S.S. United States, Also sailing was Jorgen S. Jorgensen, director of Mickey Mouse Corp. for Denmark. The 13 E. 67th St. five-story town house just purchased by Bar¬ bara (Bobo) Rockefeller was orig¬ inally built by the late Martin Beck and sold in 1952 to Artists Equity Assn. Building includes a squash court, elevator and three terraces. The 46th St. Rover Boys, Harry Minoff and Max ("The Genius”) Funt, have refurbished their Leeds Ltd. clothiery, following a fire which left many an 802er, AGVA and AFTRAite wardrobe-less. New spot in the Loew’s Annex. Bldg, completely reconstructed. Joseph Maternati, new*y ap¬ pointed director of the Office Fran- cais du Cinema In the U.S., arrived from Paris Saturday (29) on the S. S. Flandre. Also arriving were Charles Delac, prex of the Inter¬ national Federation of Film Pro¬ ducers, and Hazel Franklin, star of “Holiday on Ice” revue. Warner Bros, arranged a hectic i 2-hour schedule for Liberace dur¬ ing his visit to Gotham. After rehearsing and appearing on the Ed Sullivan tv show Sunday (30), the pianist spent Monday (31) and yesterday (Tues.) doing interviews and personal appearances on more than a dozen radio shows. Contingent of Stanley Warner executives leaving for the Nov. 14 Coast premiere of “Cinerama Holi¬ day i. Warner-Hollywoo'd Theatre. On the L.A. to N.Y. trek are Samuel Rosen, Arthur Rosen, Harry Kalmine, Nat Lapkin, Les¬ ter B. Isaac, Harry Goldberg, Cliff Ciessman, and Everett Callow. Claude C. Philippe, Waldorf- Astoria veep, was host in absentia perforce, because of intestinal flu, vro e Comedie Francaise and the +, 1P Franco-American socialite ;, ui ' n ® u t following the Broadway debut of th£ famed Parisian thea- tto c i om P a ny, making their first tour in 100 years. Philippe’s nV Dalmes, is a member of the CF. Boston By Guy Livingston ^ i e £9 ce in town to bal ceieiy Yours” at the Metr f Guarino signed Ma Vendo m n e eW M ° Ulin Rouge Teddi King, Hub thrus] bleu n Sf ment attheF p iersall, Red.S W for personal appeal Nov 5 picture bouses b< George Wein of Storyv the Newport Jazz Festival back from trip to Europe where he nego¬ tiated for jazz festivals on the Con¬ tinent. Carl Newman, former boniface at the Latin Quarter, wailing for a Caribbean Sea island with a ship¬ load of rides, games and attractions for a 10-week fair. Moe Solomon, bandleader at Bradford Roof for last few years, retiring Nov. 15 to open a record shop. Harry De Angelis, ex-of the shuttered Latin Quarter, to suc¬ ceed Solomon at the Bradford Roof spot. Paris By Gene Moskowitz (28 Rue Huchette; Odeon 49-44) Pieral, midget actor and singer, off for U.S. and Canada for nitery appearances. Charles Boyer due back in April to star in the Henri Verneuil film, “Palace Hotel.” Johnnie Ray will play four shows at the Moulin Rouge nitery in two days. This is first stand for Ray in Paris. Roger Rudel taking over the role of “Judas,” in his Marcel Pagnol piece of same name, after star Raymond Pellegrin fainted on stage. Anna Sosenko in for a stay to place three of her new songs on the French market plus, giving o. o. to Gallic ditties on U. S. chances. Gilbert Becaud set for his first film role in “Le Pays D’Ou Je Viens” (The Country I Come From). He is also paeted for a return U.S. date next season. . Zsa Zsa Gabor due in for a top role in Raoul Andre .pic, "Les Repees Au Secret Service" (Chicks in the Secret Service). Starts on the Riviera in November. French foreign film income up 13% for first part of 1955 com¬ pared to 1954. Top French mar¬ kets are still Germany, Belgium and Switzerland, but U.S. returns are upped 2.8%. - Andre Roussin’s hit play, “L’A- mour Fou” (Mad Love), and the Russo Ballet Soviet Moissieiv breaking records here, with the former chalking up $90,000 in ad¬ vance sales and the latter $75,000. Raymond Rouleau, who has two legit hits on here, Arthur Miller’s “Crucible” and Clifford Odets’ “Country Girl,” preparing two new play directorial stints with Jean Genet’s “Les Negres” (The Negroes) and a revival of Edmond Rostand’s “Cyrano De Bergerac.” Columbia rushed its German pic, “Der Letzte Akte” (The Last Act), on the death of Hitler, in here after the recent news stories on the real demise of Hitler as told by a re¬ leased prisoner of war from Russia. Also opening is “Canaris,” another German pic depicting the resist¬ ance to Hitler. Ireland By Maxwell Sweeney (22 Farney pk., Dublin- 684506) Irish drama festival skedded for Athlone next April. Nelson Paine presenting puppet production of “La Traviata” at Pike, Dublin. Gilbert and Sullivan operas, “Gondoliers” and “Mikado,” sked¬ ded for provincial tour here. Two new chirpers, Patrick Ring and Kitty Cocoran, signed for com¬ ing Festival Singers” tour to U.S. Leo Leyden bowed out of Radio Eireann Players for season with Hilton Edwards-Michael MacLiam- moir Gate Co: Fossett’s Circus playing three two-night stands on sites in Dub¬ lin; it’s first circus in years to get okay to play within city limits. Azuma Kabuki Dancers in for two-week stint at Olympia, Dublin, opening last Oct. 25. Japanese group, after playing Edinburgh Festival and Covent Garden, Lon¬ don, currently is touring Holland and West Germany. Santiago By Edythe Ziffren (Tel. 31645) “Country Girl” (Par) moved into the Rex. Jose Monsalve, Colombian chirp, signed by Radio Corporation. Ensayo Theatre stock company off to Lima for series of dates. “Adventures of Father Brown” •(Col) past its fourth week at the Continental. Don Roy (Rodrigo Martinez Saez), vet Spanish orch leader, signed as artistic director of RCA Victor, Chile. Harry Morris of J. Arthur Rank Organization looking over possi¬ bilities of opening distrib office for Rank product. Alfred Lieux, producer of “Tia Paulina” airer, launched his “La Mala Conducta” (Bad Conduct), liquor dispensary, with thrice weekly radio show under same title over Radio Mineria, Manque- hue wines, Valdivieso champagne and Cinzano sponsoring. I London (Temple Bar 5041/9952) Carl Brisson bowed in at the Cafe de Paris. ! Jacques Pils opened a cabaret, stint at the Colony this week. John Davis-, hosting a Rank con- j ference dinner, which will pave the way for the 21st anni celebrations next May; American actor Harry Green, now a longtime resident here, stars in “A Business of His Own” for BBC-TV next week. The Duke of Edinburgh attend¬ ing preem of Zoltan Korda’s “Storm Over Nile” at the Odeon, Marble Arch next week. “There’s Still Hope,” a com¬ posite made up of excerpts from several Bob Hope pix, gets a BBC- TV repeat tomorrow (Thurs.). Mary Murphy due in from Holly- wood this week to costar with Richard Basehart in Amalgamated’s production of “With All My Heart.” W. P. (Bill) Lipscomb back here -for a short stay after round-world trip writing screenplay for Cine¬ rama’s “Seven Wonders of World.” The army brass entertained the picture industry toppers to a din¬ ner to express appreciation for regular supply of films to the troops. Arrival of celebrities for preem of Herbert Wilcox’s “King’s Rhap¬ sody” at the Warner Theatre was featured in a half-hour commercial tele program. Darvas & Julia, selected for the Royal Command Variety gals next Monday (7), will appear on the “Sunday Night at the Palladium” tv show Nov. 6. Jack Davis, head of Monseigneur News Theatre chain, sailed on the Queen Mary last week. Ernest Turnbull. Hoyt’s chief, boarded the liner at Cherbourg. Julie Andrews inked to star with Bing Crosby and planed to Holly¬ wood over the weekend. She played the lead in the Broadway produc¬ tion of “The Boy Friend.” Josh White,_who arrived from N.Y. over the 1 weekend,- was fea¬ tured in commercial tv’s “Music Shop” and will appear in BBC- TV’s “Personality Parade” tomor¬ row (Thurs.). Columbia bought the rights to “Story of Esther Costello” from the Woolf brothers and intends to put it into production next spring, with David Miller directing and Joan Crawford starred. Washington By Florence S. Lowe Comic Joe E. Lewis’ illness in N.Y. left Casino Royal nitery sans a'topper for past week. Former New Deal biggie Donald Dawson and his bride, film star Ilona Massey, leased a Washington home. TV actress Dana Wynter in town to beat the drums for “View From Pompey’s ’ Head” in which she makes her screen debut. Ethel Merman and husband guests of General Foods heiress Mrs. Merriweather Post at week¬ end’s National Symphony Ball. Col. Joseph Goetz, head of Armed Forces Professional Entertainment Service, recuperating from major surgery in Walter Reed Army Hospital. Mrs. Todd Duncan, frau of the Negro (“Porgy and Bess”) baritone, is first woman of her race to be admitted to membership in the Woman’s National Democratic Club. Two Senatorial daughters, Judy Morse, whose father is Oregon’s solon, and Judy Case, daughter of South Dakota’s Senator Francis Case, are breaking into show biz via George Washington U.’s drama school. Vienna By Emil W. Maass (Grosse Schiffgasse 1 a; A-45045) California soprano Dorothy Renzi sang in Brahms Saal. Oliver Colbentson, violinist, gave concert in Brahms Saal. Franz Theodor Csokor received honorary ring of the city of Vienna. First Austrian longplay records produced by Austria Vanguard Co. Philharmonics negotiating with Japan agency to guest there in April. Istanbul. By N. Zarar Munsin Ertugrul, head of the Ankara State Theatre, off for Eu¬ rope. Topping the bill at the winter room of the Kervansaray nitery is the Guler. Sisters, dance duo. Les Folies Moulin Rouge. French revue, going strongly at the Luks Theatre with extra added matinees. Legit actor-director Haldun Dor- men left for Ankara where his “Guest From Egypt’” is slated to open. “Teahouse of August Moon” is first hit of new season. Looks like it will have a long stay at the Kucuk Sahne. Suavi Tedu directed production of John Van Druten’s comedy, I “Annemi HatirliyorUm” (I Remem¬ ber Mama), at the Dram. Film actress Lale Oraloglu switched to legit producing. First effort will be Ugo Betti’s “Island of Goats,” in which she has the lead. Opening set for Nov. 15. Rome By Robert F. Hawkins (Archimede 145; Tel 800211) Sophia Loren is in prelim con¬ tract huddles with Paramount. Irene Genna, Italo star, just back from U.S., where she tested for U’s “The Goddess.” So far, she has signed no contract. Luciana Paoluzzi, Italo starlet, to Munich for repeat role in a Fair¬ banks tele item being shot in that city. She already made one in Rome. Hank Kaufman of the local Kaufman-Lerner talenteers, heads for a month in U.S. soon. Flackery handles William Morris talent in the local market. “La ftisaia” and “Ragazze D’Og- gi : ” two just-completed C’Scopers made by Excelsa for Minerva Films, already sold to Herzog Films for German market. Rossano Brazzi will make his first Universal contract item, “Unfin¬ ished Symphony,” in Hollywood next spring. Pic, which stars Jane Wyman, starts May 1. . RAI (Italian Radio net) choris¬ ters and orchestras are on strike in Milan, Rome and Turin because