Society Note

Guests of the Hotel Reforma in Mexico City were Errol Leslie Flynn, of Mulholland Farm, Hollywood, and Edward Joseph Flynn, of Lake Mahopac, N.Y., and The Bronx.

Artistic Abhorrence

Claiming that records made by the New York Philharmonic-Symphony under his direction were imperfect, goateed British Conductor Sir Thomas Beecham sued Columbia Recording Corp. for libel, estimating damage to his reputation at $500,000.

--Because "Frisco" is a contraction abhorrent to all San Franciscans, roly-poly Mayor Angelo Rossi sped to Hollywood to take issue with 20th Century-Fox, about to release a picture called Hello, Frisco, Hello. Upshot: the mayor got a hundred feet of prelude film in which to express his disapproval, and when the picture opens in San Francisco this week, the title will be Hello, San Francisco, Hello.

To many voices already raised against the voice-vexing Star-Spangled Banner, Columnist Westbroolc Pegler added his vexed voice. He found the music generally unsingable, the lyrics "stilted . . . pompous . . . episodic doggerel," the whole business "simply out of the question." Proposed Pegler as a substitute: "the Maine Stein Song (Rudy Vallee's onetime plug) . . . a thumping, rousing, really musical piece done within the range of the normal, or barbershop, voice."

All set for a look at the Metropolitan Opera's button-cute, doll-sized Brazilian Soprano Bido Sayao were the concertgoers of Macon, Ga. Day before the diva's scheduled appearance came a cancellation from her manager: "Reason is, she didn't like the travel accommodations. . . She said she positively would not travel in ordinary Pullman accommodations with the train full of soldiers. . . . I was powerless to persuade. . . ."

Wonderland's Week

No glamor girl was Hollywood's woman of the year; she was, in fact, lovable, ladylike Mrs. Miniver. To her and hers went six Academy Awards: 1) best picture of 1942, 2) best written screen play, 3) best black-&-white cinematography, 4) best director, William Wyler (now an Air Forces major on duty in England), 5) best actress, Greer Garson (as Mrs. M.), 6) best supporting actress, Teresa Wright. Green-eyed, feather-haired Greer Garson clutched her gold-painted plastic Oscar and silently wept. "This is the most wonderful thing. . . . I feel just like Alice in Wonderland." Other Oscars: to Cinema's man of the year, James Cagney (in Yankee Doodle Dandy); to the best supporting actor, Lieut. Van Heflin (in Johnny Eager). Said a message from Franklin D. Roosevelt: "In total war, motion pictures, like all other human endeavor, have an important part to play in the struggle for freedom and survival of democracy."

Elsewhere in Wonderland arose the question of cinemacting's importance in total war. Raising the question was Metro Goldwyn-Mayer, who appealed the i-A draft classification of Mickey Rooney--first such appeal made by the industry. Grounds: he is an essential worker in an essential industry. Rooney's mother made it plain that her son was not doing the appealing himself. "It is true that he is only five feet tall, and has been bothered with heart flutter and high blood pressure," said she, "but Mickey wouldn't try to dodge his classification." Said Mickey: "I'll do whatever Uncle Sam says."

Already reclassified by his draft board (4-F to 1-A) was veteran Boy Wonder Orson Welles, 27. Asthmatic, arthritic, flatfooted, weak-backed, he asked for an immediate Army physical examination so that he could do a little civilian planning, was pronounced fit for limited service.

Royal Omen

Up to her uptilted eyebrows in civilian defense and war relief in Manhattan was little Raden Ajoe Abdullcadir Widjojoatmodjo, Javanese princess, refugee from Jap-invaded Batavia. Air-raid warden, Red Cross worker, lecturer, maker of surgical dressings, she remembers a legend that foretells a better day: "Three hundred years ago, a king of Java prophesied that yellow people would invade Java--but not for long. Look at that--not for long. Means they will not be there long, the Japs. It is good omen--no?"

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