MODERN

I seat
'
Elected
I
Valentine
,
ville,
'
newspapers
I
swamped
I
I happy
;
night,
I
tertainers
I back
!
Story
:
Vote
I HOLLYWOOD—
I
Guild
;
both
I
;
quired
"Another
Lionel Houser Rites;
Writer, Producer
HOLLYWOOD—Services, followed by burial
in the El Monte cemetery, El Monte, Calif.,
were held November 15 for Lionel Houser,
writer and producer, who died of a heart
ailment. He was 41.
Houser recently completed writing and producing
"Cargo to Capetown" for Columbia.
Among many other scrivening credits were
"Christmas in Connecticut" and "A Yank at
Eton."
He is survived by his wife, a daughter, his
mother and two brothers, one of whom,
Mervyn Houser, is a Warner Bros, publicist.
Albert Maltz Loses Again
In Writers Election
HOLLYWOOD — The so-called left-wing
element within the Screen Writers Guild
went down to defeat in the oi-ganization's
armual election of officers when for the third
straight year Albert Maltz, one of the "unfriendly
10," failed in his candidacy for a
on the SWG's board of directors.
Maltz, under indictment for contempt of
Congress for refusing to answer queries as
to his political affiliations, was one of 2fc
candidates for 16 vacancies on the board.
president without opposition was
Davies. Ernest Pascal and Leonard
Spigelgass were named vice-presidents:
Edmund Hartmann, secretary: Karl Tunberg,
treasurer, and, to the dii-ectorate, George
Beaton. P. Hugh Herbert, Warren Duff. Frank
Nugent, Richard Murphy, Richard L. Breen.
Howard J. Green, Jonathan Latimer, Sloan
Nibley, Morgan Cox, DeWitt Bodeen, M.
Coates Webster, Oscar Brodney and Elizabeth
Meehan. A recount of a tie vote between
Isabel Dawn and Carl Foreman was ordered
to fill the remaining vacancy.
At the membership meeting the status of
negotiat.ons with producers for a new bargaining
agreement also was discussed.
Proclaim Vaudeville Week
For Return to Oakland
contests were conducted in the local
calling for "alltime ... all star
vaudeville entertainers." The theatre was
with entries. People were asked to
SAN FRANCISCO—Vaudeville returned to
the Orpheum Theatre in Oakland with eight
acts and a feature pictui-e, for four shows a
day at popular prices. Eddy Peabody opened
the bill and Mayor Cliff Rislill proclaimed the
week Vaudeville week in Oakland.
In conjunction with the return of vaude-
submit a letter of 100 words stating "Why I'm
to see vaudeville return." On opening
the winner of "Queen for a Day" was
flown in from Hollywood to meet the King
of the Banjo, Eddy Peabody.
Guests at the opening were vaudeville enwho
played the Orpheum as far
as 1909.
Analysts, Writers
for Affiliation
Affiliation of the Screen
Story Analysts Guild with the Screen Writers
has been unanimously approved by
organizations. The affiliation wUl be
worked out as soon as legal formalities, reby
the NLRB and the Taft-Hartley
law. have been completed.
vsk ERHAPS it is a harbinger of the return
-'*of better times to Cinemania, the lighter,
more frivolous—and often asinine— note
which has been re-entering publicity releases
during recent weeks. Prior to that, and for
several months diu-ing which the makers of
films—and their bankrolls—were spending a
preponderant amount of time at the wailing
wall, the business of space-snatching took on
a sombre, serious air, entirely out of character
with the blurbing gentry's normal modus
operandi.
Attached to a bottle of Scotch whisky,
albeit a small one—the miniatures served in
dining cars—came a "cordial invitation to attend
an especially tight little preview of J.
Arthur Rank's 'Tight Little Island." " Further,
the bid suggests that the celluloid appraisers
"bring someone you can lean on, because this
promises to be one of the most spirited previews
of the year. 'Tight Little Island' Ls a
picture of distinction and Calvert is thinking
of switching to It."
If things are as tough with J. Arthur as
the hands-across-the-seas wails would have
America beUeve, he'd better start thinking
about switching to Calvert, and stop sending
Black Label Johnnie Walker to Hollywood's
thirsty pressmen.
AI Vaughan submits intelligence that Senator
Brien McMahon, chairman of the joint
Congressional Committee on Atomic Energy,
was a guest of Samuel Goldwyn at luncheon
at the latter's studio.
Let it be hoped that the senator wasted no
time visiting the Goldwyn publicity department.
He could learn nothing about energy
—atomic or otherwise—by observing Apathetic
Al and staff in action.
"DISNEY DISCOVERS
ORIGINAL CINDERELLA SLIPPER
Vk^AS FUR—NOT GLASS"
Joe Reddy Headline.
Next thing you know, Joe will be telling us
that storks don't bring babies and there ain't
no Santa Glaus.
And in any review of titillating tidbits,
the trivia that flows from Norman Siegel's
Art Festival at UPA
HOLLYWOOD—In celebration of its sixth
anniversary. United Pi'oductions of America
in sponsoring an animation Art festival to
be held at the UPA studios in Burbank November
19-23. It is the first industrywide
exhibition of paintings by artists who "double"
at film animation.
Paramount praisery is always good for a
tumble. Witness:
( I
a example of Hollywood players'
generous contributions of efforts for civic
causes will be the appearance of a score ot
stars ... at the USC homecoming rally . . .
preceding the USC-Stanford game."
Which probably so unnerved the USC gridders
that they blew the game to Stanford in
one of the upsets of the week.
(b) "William Wyler's 'The Heiress' has
Ijeen selected 'Picture 'oi the Month' by New
York subways system."
The underground is still working on Siegel's
behalf, apparently.
There's natural sequence in two pictures
announced by Columbia: "Las Vegas" and
"Leavenworth." The master-minds of Gower
Gulch are also planning an opus titled "The
Hero," while Paramount's future production
docket lists "Ex-Hero."
Theatre attendance being what it is, they
seem titularly suited for double billing.
Mogens Skot-Hansen, Danish writer, has
checked in to establish a permanent Hollywood
headquarters as a liaison officer for
the United Nations. He emphasized that he
is prepared to furnish an abundance of material
to interested producers, directors and
writers concerning the functions and aims
of many groups within the UN setup, including
its committees on narcotics control,
medical organizations and activities on behalf
of refugees.
In the last-named department, he should
pay particular attention to the producers, directors
and writers who are refugees from
their creditors.
Carl Post, one of Ctnemania's lesser-light
catch-as-catch-can press agents, beats the
drums on behalf of Murray Lerner, executive
assistant to Headman Robert L. Lippert
of Lippert Productions.
In a recent and characteristic neck-out release.
Cadaverous Carl compares the Lippert
operation "in making and selling films" to
the technique of F. W. Woolworth.
Which analysis, should it get wide circulation—which
it won't—should be very helpful
to Lippcrt's film salesmen while discussing
rentals and/or percentages with exhibitors.
Ralph Hamilton Manager
SANTA FE — Ralph Hamilton has been
named manager of the Santa Fe Theatre here
by owner Don Beers. Hamilton has been in
theatre business for 24 years and came here
from Salida, Colo., where he was a manager
for Atlas Theatre Corp. He has worked in
Colorado. Mississippi, lUinois and California.
BOXOFFICE :: November 19, 1949
63