When the incredible magazine which is now Ballyhoo was in preparation. Publisher George T. Delacorte Jr. wondered what to call it. He and Editor Norman Hume Anthony favored Hullabaloo for a title but were afraid it might infringe on the rights of Cartoonist Peter Arno whose book of last year bore that name. So they agreed on Ballyhoo. Discovering later that there was no objection to the use of Hullabaloo, Publisher Delacorte decided to have another magazine with that name before someone else could start competition to the astonishingly successful Ballyhoo (current issue: 1,750,000 copies). Following the basic idea of Ballyhoo, which makes fun of advertising, advertisers and the press at large, Hullabaloo would make fun of the cinema. First issue of Hullabaloo appeared in Manhattan last week, about a fortnight earlier than scheduled.
Publisher Delacorte had been having trouble with Publisher Bernarr Macfadden because four months ago he brought out My Story, an unsuccessful 10^ confession magazine patterned closely after Macfadden's successful 25^ True Story. Macfadden sued. When the fight was at its hot test Publisher Delacorte heard that Publisher Macfadden was plotting to rush into circulation a magazine called Hullabaloo in order to wrest from Delacorte (by publication) the copyright to the title. The suit was settled out of court last week with Publisher Delacorte withdrawing My Story. Ostensibly, hostilities were over; but to make sure, Publisher Delacorte released Hullabaloo earlier than he had planned. (Afterward Publisher Macfadden denied that the name Hullabaloo was ever under consideration. Harold Hersey, who publishes three magazines for Mac fadden, revealed that he will bring out a 15^ humorous monthly next month.)
The first issue of Hullabaloo, edited by Lester Grady who also edits Delacorte's Film Fun, did not seem to warrant the hullabaloo which it caused. As a caricature of the cinema and of cloying movie-fan magazines it scarcely transcended the unconscious absurdity of the fan magazines themselves. Plainly Publisher Delacorte did not want to be too rough with the industry which supports three of his publications—Film Fun, Screen Romances, Modern Screen—the last the second most successful (after Ballyhoo} of his string of fourteen. Some features of Hullabaloo's first issue:
¶ A page of burlesque cinema reviews Sample:
"MOPEY DICK—Another gang picture. Don Juan Barrymore and profile in the leads. Remainder of cast could be arrested for non-support."
¶ A page of silly questions and answers by "Uncle Ned, the Answer Man."
An announcement of the "Lousiest Picture of the Year" ballot.
¶ A page of "news flashes," thus: "Production on Noah's Lark . . . was halted yesterday when it was discovered that Paula Pushova, the star, couldn't say Noah."
¶ A composite of "Greta Garbo's Dream Man" showing Cinemactor Conrad NageFs hair, a set of teeth allegedly George Bancroft's, and Jimmy Durante's "schnozzle."