Variety (Nov 1930)

VARIETY Wednesdayt November 2<>, 1930 M-a UNITS GET 2 MORE i-1 Proctbr-'s, Xt'wark, - N, (T., ; U ,ok- rected to-start playinpr' the R-K-O- fpur-act irhil .staf,'C shovvs v com- mencing; ^Vt>rk^J)oo.:lv.' They Tjvill fijtay at. tluv luniHe'for a-.fuir;>v.fcck.; ' AriotheV \vc'(4v^y^^ :to the inu'ts' rbiiU' rju',()iit;li a split between ■ Spiitli- ' lIcMiil,,; .-ind'.; ■ and ■ Bockf6i'(l> . Ill;, out (>{' 'J'olf.lo. ^ As ; aFr;>iiiKt ■ the ■addition- is ' the eliminati6n;0t;j;Vii;nVing the ; unh t.ra vel; in •. the south.'. '.;: T.ryihp out m. t'a is a new wrinkle in the li-K-O oftloes/ FiV.^t- to. pas.^ ■'uiidei'; this, 'new l)r<)f'o.(luro is, n ^^a('b■onaUl', formorly with . OaiU'pll'.s .;;\'anit:iPfv."': ,■. . ' ■ ,Stai'P()nald is .booked- . to. siiiif a s\ I'vlv, ■ -fstat'tiils' Nov,,. 29 in . AVhi rt-^ iMainHi atha, ■ the'- last" halt ..in 'iVIt- \'erhon,' N. .'Y,; If he' circks -Tt per- manent; m.; c; assiffhrnent .AViil b^^^ liis'n.-; ■ ■ : ■'■ v!,: , ' Leta Ridell has. : replaced lone Reied' in ihe Hairy 'Stanley . A'aude act. .■ , ' '■■' ■':'■:■' ■•; ■■■■■■ Oeiieral €^ ANN BRYANT 7800 NEW YORK CITY lOitVIN tt SCHENGK j: A . iVjan' to'' . install ■ .ampUfication systems iii all larpe • R-K-O yaTide •theatres is now- before iti? cxee,s. It has heeii iindci: discussion for. some; tlrne. ■•; '.-I: ' 'v- ■ '- -■;-'-'! AmplificSitioh," froni mikes ;.in the. foots,, suplv. as- at the ■N.' T, .IJip,- -is ernpibyed in ' a- fev. iisola ted spots; The iiew plan- is for a cbmijlcte battei"y: of niikes in .,th& foots;., and: t^o oi- more suspended from the ceilinfT in: front., of the' prosceniuni ftrch. ■ . The latter ' are.' said- bjv acoustic . eijpeirta-to pick .lip the -.up- poinPT toneSj : calchlnf? tlio whole rahgre- of 'eyerj'thingr frona. u' -yaude stap<(,;- ..:•' ■'■■-'•;'■■• ^..■'■■;-v The intention back 6f; the ■ anipli- fi.ea tipn is to enable - the R-K-O theatres . to play intimate talking turns, includins sketches, that can - npt be played at present, diie. .tO; their value beihR •less.ened in.:a Jna- .iority of R-K-6 ; houses , of lar^^ *;apacity.i:. " / ■"' ' Dave ' Rlnyie, harmoni' mari; at Shapiro-Bernstein bo., is hack after a-.seige. ■.■'/■'.;■ ; Frank VMoran of', lie Sylva,, : Brown & Hcridersoh's proCe^ meiit is recovering troni ' an. opera- tion on his, iose, which; has con- fined, him- "for three weeks. " Abe Grobdirhan, \%aiide agent, re- bbVeTine ,.trbm -major operation in .Te-wi.sh Memorial Hospital; Brook- lyn.'N.-.T..: . ■ .•v'-:'-.'';.,\^ ^Pave : R.ing^ ari;anffer. with Sha- 'pii-b-Bpfiistein', ; is • back aftera minor operation. Eugene ,I)ale, .iO-year-;pld spn ' of johnny and Loivjtta Dale, i^: doxvni with pneumonia in the: ierKey hospital. The Dales hav<; cancelled all staffe woi-k, '■■' AGENTS JAM FLOOR TO INTERVIEW BOOKERS CoriR-estlon anipng agents oh the' floor . of the R-K-b;booking office; is .so prreat at present bookers - are hiakitig appointments with the apents aiid also setting aside cer- tain days wheri they can be seen. : Even ; the one representative at a time rule; has .nbt aiie\ia.ted ;Gbn^^^^ tion.s appreciably. The loss of time to each agent \vhile waiting to see the booker is , trehiendous. After waiting for hours the agent often does not see. his man after all. . : Thft condltion iis also raising hob with acts that are 'Ippkihg for piblt - up. tlihe. Theli'"' agents have- very little time to -spend with each book- er; under i present; 'con.di^ and ,the selling points Of each act, -esiie-:' cially If a little new,' cannot be.'put over for a-buy.'/' ■/•_■''■-: . ■ Even the' ■ ■ larger ugentirig . firms, aUowed more . than one rep ph the floor ; at- the same tirne, are Walking ■oyer -each other's heels trying to^et an audience with- the bookers, . .■.'••;../ '.-Watting; for^.a -'Btuiz' . Delays through ' jamming the of- fices and corridors are commencing to sho'w on .fhv2 much harried bpok-^ ing staff of R-K-O. The bobk^ers never get a chance to breathe and hardly ever get a minute to look over their books. Even when they go to lunch, usually around 1:30; agents follow them to the same res- tauranit and sit hearby, hoping the booker will give them a word or a chance to get. iii a little buzz on their acts. . '- ■■-:■■' ■■■ With well over 100 agents, four bookers, and producers ot acts who rush into the offibe among the swarming agents, '' to get that last half or find out why his ten acts are: not spotted; at once, the jam is perfect, ,;>'V Indianapolis, Nov..25, . A hot-battle. between the Indiana, , Skouras-Publlx. presentatlon hpuso and the Lyric, Independent house playiiig R-K-O : yavideyille looms. Tho Lyric,; long established yaudo .spot In the city, has. recently starU'd . a'six-act: policy wit on top of each bill. ; For the past two or three . months the house, has 1 )oen' doing big business .and cutting into the Publix spot with rib little efCect, Last week . the Indiana flaunted ''yaudeyille'' on the hiarquee ■ and has gone stronger than ever )>y splurging in all their advertv-sing ntwspapers, : lobby, posters, etc., "Glorified Vaudeville." While offer, ing the regular Publix stage unit, they ;a,re .boxing " each . individual opecialty. member of the show callV ing them acts, as weU;a.s the house b:'ganlst and stage band in their ads and selling the line "6 Big Attrac- tions" in most of their "topy. AVhilo it seems, to have helped' them .some on : the bpenihg day, .the effect, if • will have on,-the ticketrbuyers who expect to see vaude and - Instead are giveii the same stage show that they have always :witness Is yet to be seen. "-;::■-■;- .■;.;.: ■:.'...■./'■-.-. '-:, ' ' The Lyric retaliated with ads reading, "There is no Substitute for R-K-O Vaudeville," "Indianapolis' Only Vaudeville ;Theati'e" and the like, it also splurged in advertis- ing and: drove the R-K-O Vaud© angle home in. a; special newspaper adv, . ,; .' ■^;.-':.,;.■■.;:;■.'■'./;;:■■;-■;.; V- It is understood the Skotiras boj's. may bring in yiaudv. acts and dis- continue the band polidy and Pub* lix units, which will make the situ- ation somewhat hotter. A. J. Kalberer, who manages.; the Lyric and who has succeeded in selling vaude as the stage enter- lainment in the city, states that he is ready .to meet any move the Skouras outfit makeis. He has al- ready contracted for as many big names; as are a,vailahle and -. an- ticipates, a real;battle.