view raw text
. INSIDE HOLLYWOOD By Herb Stein LAS VEGAS, Nev., June 22. — Jack Benny, who has achieved top success in every other entertainment medium, at long . Inch last nrtrlpri added flip the nicrl-if night Inch last nrtrlpri added flip the nicrl-if night club to his diadem of show business triumphs. His Flamingo debut here last night carried all its expected wallop and should keep high and low rollers laughing them selves punchy despite the ice cubes at the dice tables. Gisele MacKenzie belted to rafter-shattering tering applause applause as as did did tering applause applause as as did did the superb dance combo of Chiquita and Johnson . . . Benny said he feared coming to Vegas because "You need something in a night club, in an intimate room like this. Dean Martin has it. Danny Thomas has it. pause Rosselini has it" . . . Among top drawer names for the Benny opening were Burns and Allen and son Ronnie, the Edgar Bergens, Dennis Day, Gale Storm, Johnny Carson, Ina Ray Hutton and, of course, Mary Livingstone, of whom Jack said: "I wanted Mary to be in the show with me — but she cant do a darned thing." BACK TO HOLLYWOOD: Nabbed Darryl Zanuck at 20th the other lunch, asked him point blank what he knew of Howard Hughes supposed purchase of 20th stock. Said Darryl: "To the best of my knowledge, Hughes personally doesnt own any. Its been alleged that hes acquired 20th Century-Fox stock through banking interests over the past year and a half, but no one has yet shown up to vote this stock at any of our meetings, nor do we know how much, if any, of this alleged stock purchase has been made" ... If there was any more to know on the rumored Hughes link with 20th, you can be sure Zanuck would be in on it. Hes closer to Hughes than 20th Century is to Fox . . . Zanuck, by the way, seems to have his eyes heavenward with his latest productions: "Island in the Sky," now playing big; "The Sun Also Rises," in the cutting-dubbing-recording stage; "The Roots of Heaven," prepping, and, later, "The Day Christ Died." Editorial in next weeks TV Guide belts Mike Wallace, says: "Wallaces show is sensational and controversial, but please bear in mind that it is a show. It is not responsible reporting — although it should be" . . . Probable location site for "Marjorie Morningstar" this summer is Camp Tamamint, back East. Supposed to be a plush hostelry these days . . . Tony Perkins big time taker is fan mag writer Gwen Davis. Brings her coffee and rolls every ayem so they can breakfast together . . . Flynn, Wayne and Lancaster at the ! combined height of their reckless bravery on the screen, couldnt match the bravado of Jack Schwab, -whos DRIVING to Vegas this heat wave with no air-conditioning in his car. The famed pharmacist has gotta have a secret chill pill . . . Howie Harris definition of a patriot: "A fellow who can whistle the Star Spangled Banner -while paying his income tax." Jerry Wald has reduced the multi-volume classic, "Jean Christophe," to a sin- gle-volume screenplay by Christopher Ish-erwood. Latter should know something about picture making, having written "Prater Violet," a novel of the movie industry, and the play, "I Am a Camera" . . . Hal March, due in Sunday, starts two weeks of rehearsals at Paramount next ayem for "Hear "Me Good" . . . An agent asked 20th exec David Brown if Brown could get him a couple tickets for the local edition of "My Fair Lady." "No," replied Brown. "But I think I can manage to swing a couple when the company opens in San Francisco next month." "T heck with that," snorted the 10-percenter. "Why go to San Francisco? I can see it in* New York." Hes got sumpin — its just as long and tedious a ride to the airport no matter where you fly . . . Burst Lancaster has a June 20 date on NBCs "Youth Wants to Know" outta Washington. The wheels grind slowly but Metro is starting to rev up the machinery to corral and develop new talent. Under Louis B. Mayers regime the Leo lot had the greatest talent roster in the history of the business. . . . Daily Variety reports that the quiet Yankeeland town of Camden, Maine, is in a dither with the filming there of "Peyton Place," which is enriching the area to the tune of about 00,000, although scarcely 15 minutes of the film will be shot there . . . Eddie Mannix checked out of Cedars and is resting at home . . . John G. Fuller tells of the author well along in years reporting on his advancing age: "Whenever I went on trips my wife used to say, Be careful what you do. Now she says, Be careful what you eat."
