D E C E M B E R , 19 4 8 V O L . T NO. 1?
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news DECEMBER, 19 4 8 VOl. t NO. 1? CAPITOL NEWS CAPITOL NEWS PACE 3 Studios On 'Arty' Published Monthly by CAPITOL PUBLICATIONS, INC. Sunset and Vine, Hollywood 28, Calif. Printed in U. S. A. Kick As '48 Ends; EDITED BY DAVE DEXTER, JR. Why No Musicals? HERE’S THAT MAN . AGAIN Are Hollywood’s film factories closing their doors to music? H E STIFF-ARM ED the office door, did the little man with the flower/ That’s the question being bandied these days as production charts m sportshirt, and charged over to the desk with his hands waving. reveal that fewer musicals are now in production than at any other time 9 since the depression. “ Christmas cheer and all that stuff,” he bellowed, “ and have you But things ain’t like they used to be. Columbia has only one in the dug Manone’s book? It’s departed, it’s so gone it’s back again. But The dancing girls are car-hops now and Deadline works, ‘ ‘Jo lso n Sings A g a in .” many a musician is driving a grocery W ingy left out my favprite W ingy story. W e were driving over to Mighty Metro has none. Monogram truck. Pasadena one afternoon and when we passed Forest Lawn— you know has none. Paramount has one— the Bing Crosby “ Top o’ the Morning’’ Andy Russell leaves his home In the that’s the largest cemetery in the world— he stopped the Chevvy and film— but it is actually a drama Valley, just outside Hollywood, and goes DORIS D REW recently won Frankie Savitt’s Estate walked up to the big crematorium where the caretaker was standing Lame's vocalist contest over 500 with Incidental music, a far cry from east this month. the lavish musicals of other years. and then he reared back and yelled, ‘Hey, what’s cooking?’ other contestants. From Texas, Doris But he won’t be going very far. Las Set At $4500 now is doing a single In Las Vegas, Even Independents Miss Vegas, Nev., is the destination. He will "A nd whaddya make of Artie Shaw these days? There’s a guy who emphasizing the blues. Saxophonist RKO-Radio, now under fighting Jan Savitt, the late orchestra leader, open there, at Hotel El Rancho Vegas, needs help. First he’s gonna have a band again, then he’s gonna pro : Henry Cruen, one of California’s best, Howard Hughes’ leadership, has no mu left an estate valued at $4500, it was on Dec. 8, sing two weeks as star of the proudly claims her as his little sister. sicals now or in the near future. Re disclosed last month. Savitt left no will floorshow, and be back home in time duce a Broadway show, then he’s gonna take over this Bob Keen Cali She’ll soon open at the Oasis in L.A. public has none. Big 20th-Fox is busy and his widow, Mrs. Barbara Ann Savitt, for Christmas. He and Mrs. Russell ex fornia band, then he’s writing a book. W ell, the bulls arrested him turning out six top-budget flickers, but has asked for letters of administration pect to start filming their series of “Mr. the other day out on Wilshire Boulevard for speeding and turning not a single one is a musical. United in a/ petition filed with the Superior and Mrs.” television films early in corners from the wrong lane— simultaneously, y’understand— and I Artists has none shooting, either. Court. The Savitt residence, because it January. Universal-International is only work was held in joint tenancy with the guess he has enough time, now to decide just what he’s gonna do for Film For Arnaz; ing on two films this month, and nei widow, is not part of the estate to be Dick Haymes, fretful after waiting sure. He sure ain’t going anywhere with those two raps facin’ him in ther is a musical. Warners, like 20th- settled. around Hollywood many months with a town where traffic violations are second only to wartime espionage Trip For Cugat Fox, is jumping with six pictures under out a movie to make, or an arrshow to in severity. way. But only Danny Kaye’s “Happy Jocks, Not Bands, air, trained out for a Nov. 18 opening Two leaders of “ Latin-Ameri- Times” has any music in it. at the Cleveland Palace Theater. He will “ You there, Bud, pose as a news reporter, the mighty editor, can” musical combos will be in the The independent studios offer no also play the Albee in Cincinnati start Sought For Films the cat with the crystal ball. But do you know that Red Norvo will hope, apparently. Six pictures are shoot During the war, Columbia’s Screen ing Dec. 2, and like Russell, will swing national limelight this month. ing but there’s nary a music sequence Snapshots rang the bell with short films west to be home with his wife and kids soon be at Billy Berg’s and that Billie Holiday may be there with Xavier Cugat, with nothing to do in any of them. on news commentators and announcers, for the coming holiday season. Dick’s him? And have you informed your readers— all three of ’em— that atMGM for a change, returns from More Expensive, They Say often heard but seldom seen. The lot wife, Joanne Dru, just wound up an act Mildred Bailey and Charlie Ventura are likely to follow Herman a Texas tour with his band and, fol All of which leaves a total of 38 fea will attempt it again with disc jockeys. ing stint in “She Wore a Yellow Rib next month at the new Hollywood Empire? Money, money, money. kwing the Christmas season at his Los tures now in production in the Holly Titled “Spin That Platter,’’ the sub bon” at Monument Valley. wood studios, large and small. And only That’s all it takes. Angeles home, will pack his trunks for ject was put in work last month by a flying trip to South America in Janu two or three musicals in the batch. Ralph Staub, producer-director of the “ Yeah Pops. I latched those lines about Cap’s profits for the first ary. The entire Cugey troupe will make The coolness of Filmtown’s bigwig series. He’ll shoot the best known plat producers, and studio chiefs, toward the nine months of the current annum, annumite add that $13,117,010 he trek, an undertaking expected to ter pilots here, in San Francisco, New equire about four weeks in all. song-and-dance celluloid is said to be York, Chicago, Washington, Boston and in sales just since last Jan. 1 is a sum much too rich for my tastes— , Rival baton-waver Desi Arnaz, on the the result of “discouraging” box-office New Orleans. back in ’42 when the company was young I remember how Glenn tontrary, just cancelled his coming tour returns on previous musicals this year W allichs and Johnny Mercer used to dance around the newsstand at ^-including a nice booking at the New and last. Also, it is pointed out, a mu sical is ordinarily more expensive to Keen Band Gigging Sunset & Vine when they got orders for ten copies of Cow-Cow pork Strand— and instead will start N k on Dec. 6 at Columbia Studios. make. And Hollywood’s belt is pulled Through Southern Cal. Boogie. tight these crisp fall days with its for Arnaz, who has long harbored ambi Bob Keen’s band, which Artie Shaw eign markets curtailed and its domes “Finances phooey. The only figure I’d like to get for Christmas is Kay tions to become an actor, will be tossed still may take over, in part, as a nucleus tic grosses bowing to sports, television Starr’s, but she’ll probably be back home In Memphis with ll’l Kathy. Jeez, ¡leading role in the forthcoming “ Holi- for the new Shaw orchestra, is working and sundry other attractions. Bub, do you get the same reaction I get when some jock spins ’Please Love lay In Havana” flicker. He also will be regularly in the Los Angeles area and is Me’ or 'So Tired’ when you’re all alone— and wonderin’? Let’s bop off this iraomed as an up and coming “roman Two Coming Up, However booked for some 20 nights during the subject before we become ensnared or somethin’. Kay'd just better watch ce” star by Columbia. The Arnaz or- MCM, checked by the Capitol News, month of December. Dates include a out, that’s all. I think she needs a Geiger meter. hestra, moreover, will also be seen in promised it would have “ In The Good couple of weekends at the Avodon he film, according to present plans. Old Summertime” with Judy Garland in “Did you know my brother Mannle got married last week? It was no Ballroom in downtown Los Angeles. THE TRENIERS, identical twins production soon and 20th-Fox, courtesy trouble at all. Times is bad for musicians and a guy can grab state unem who broke into the game with the of Ceorgie Jessel, revealed that “Oh late Jimmie Lunceford’s band during ployment checks for only so long. So Mannie ran an ad In Down Beat: Mills Brothers Here Ingle Eyes New York The singing Mills Brothers opened You Beautiful Doll” would roll on Dec. the war, will be held over at the Red Ingle and his Natural Seven, Musician, aged 36, non-bopper, desires to meet girl less than 30 years last month at the Casbah Club, on 6.