Variety (Jun 1931)

PukiiMlietl-y/'cckly. at 154; West 4Slli St., New ToPlc; -N. T., by VitHotyr Inc.; Atinual-fiubsrriptlort; $6. 'Sinelo cop'os, IC ccDt.s. EJnlercU as se'couUrclaaa malter .December- 23;''1906,' ai .the Post Olllce,' a'f New York,. N.. . Y.,- under; tli« .act .ot March J-, 1879. yOL. 102. No. 12 NEW YORK, TUESDAY, JUNE 27T93r ii4^AGE^ ; ; Memphis, vMay -25V .; E'liitor Variety: ■ ■^ : We noted Witli. sWiiio (iogi'ec' Qt .Interest not ■UJunjxod..w;ifli surprise :tVie statement ;|n vvyarie.ty"- to. tliO .effect that a groui) of sliowirien in Nc\v 'Yorli liave i?pcidcd: that :\IOm- phis is tl>e - Worst, town, in tlie slipw. business in the United fttatcs. > Niiturally,- tliis 'ia:,raUier udyerije ■ adverUaint,'. fpi*.. Ji.fctniilviSi ■ ■ biit .a- fitate'nierit \vl.nch. wc. are not directly:- challeOginipr uiilil: ' wc .know tlie sourcii of information ui)6ii. Whicli 'your:articio is based^- :' :. ■ • It' is only .natural. tliat at tlie'put- . Bet wo. BlionUi dis^^^ .with ypur ■ coifi.clunion,: but jwhat ..>ye;:' arc' most 'iatei'ested in is. lijc nianher. in ■ wh job this ■ conclusipn -waS 'arrived at. and ■:the persons whP iGlio.borated" in ex- pression of the. ..opi'nipn.; •■ .If,■'yoii could advise ■ us. at. .your .'6pnyeiii> ence of the■ sourceof, this 'iiifprnia,-. .■ ■ . ~ (CotUi'hued ptv papc 18) '' Banks and :Bancl&; . , IJolly\vood,;JutW 1. . Jlaiilcs: ' .iire . no w . bOyJiiiis - baiul.s. ' T.lie S.am ■ C'cslpw ' or-; .pheiiira,; - was spoLtod 'ilitP ahe ' Ilotel rtposevcVt by : the banic- iiiK oflicials. . ' ' ' llptol i& undei-; bpridholdei;d' COiiVhii 11co ret'Ci verj^hi p. Bo,nk.- ■ ..in'({ .-peoplP . iis~ured: .(hit ■ .the;' Piii'iiinpu.nl staft;^ soiiijfwriier - Vnisht .resuscitate'.biz...■ Reno's Create Gold^^^ v Mine Divorce Racket; to rs -. ■.'■;.' :■'.'",;;■ .■ .:. : ;■' lto.no. Juno 1. :-'^ Srtiueihinir over $200,000 in fees .was collected.durintr the month p.t . May bjvKeno's 130 lawyers £w^^ iiiij^ divorce ■dedroes^.ipr 327. client and niincr decrees, for .ano.lhpr 100 whose cases were not heard during the month.'.' .■■ : ■ ; ■. ' Tilat OourK to he divided anionj; stale bar members sliow.-i liip boys had an eye for business when'.'per.- '.fiUa.diner i wiUing. legislature to cut tho. divorce ' residence frbiii''thrco^ .nipn ths to six . weeks. . . .- ' ;;;- - The now six'-woqk law is / de- . cla'red tO; be. a .hbwlin^ siidcess. by. ; the Ifivvyers and by'the Reno-yated divorce applicants \Wlio..jumped oars, piled onto a train nhi,l ■^yfaved.their decrees a^^^ trleiids .«.s they left for their ea.stern homes to aoquire new iiiiPbaiids; or■ wi^'e. "This divorce/racket is. the great - (Ci>ntiiuied on page .41) • / Chaplin Titled If Queen Hadn't Trumped Geo.? :.'..;- Hollywood. .;Tune 1/. '. f'ne of those confidential Iciters ieominp to the coast .from Jingland purports to give tlie inside oC, the Chaplin .f>o.eye :a.£ Eiiglaud:. '. Missive atates that it "w^.t; nli set for. Charles ; to ryo knighted^ l/y-Iving-.Gep.rs'Oj but th:U th.e Qiieen queered, it. ''.i^hfi ■doesn't feel that picture people are Worthy of: the honor, .the insider . filaies;..and. therein liL-s. tiio rVa.sbn for the comic's, snubs, . .Satrto infiii-mr-.r.'also' said it 'ws'is..^^ «et. for Adolpho' .Menjou. to get the eword sm;K k on .the .bac'k with tlic. *^ii>g wiiring. 'bnt.. asai.h the Queen ■trudipv'.'d th..' Kin«. ■. '-r-' '■ •'•'^ 1:1 New Yorker Heads *3a-'iJl prama vScbre fbr vS^^^ Successive Year -— "Pb.st" ■ First for Three Years Straight, a Record—Com- posite Chicago Girii Leads -All Film Reviewers 154 PLAYS; 306 FILMS ILc-nry -Beilit,' agent\an(r producei'. wasrassigiicd an open .spot a short lime ago and proceeded to produce ;i .four-act unit, fo r the 'i MCb. route.^ Then lUCO . decided tp. 'discontinue "'■ (Continued -on pajje II ) ^ . ■ / . - / Minneapolis, .Tuno.l. Afan.agement or tlie iVuniicip',at' au- ditorium has refiisod to permit tlie use of the building's vonlil.aiing sys- tem for the pui'posc pf .crealiivg .a realistio sa.ndstorm during the com- ing Shrino initiation ccronuMiial. June 8. Two carloads of s.-nid al- ready have bc6n. bougVit. here' from Miami. ..- . ■'..' '\] , "v "Jl U 7.2" .'Ba|n b r i d g,e", • 1 o c;l1 d rah i a t ic stock impresario and ceremonial director of the • Shriners.; is appeal- ing to. the city council to ilirect the ayditprium ni.'ihag.or, ' iieorge . L Adams,,.'tb Wit in.lravv 'iris objt>c.t.ji'otv.' . PropP.s'ai . i.s to- . send the •sand thnnigh the blowers t.li.at force the. air into the -'buihlii.Vff willy., the- thought of. creating a ureat efA-o'. oL :.v . ; ■ " Varie ty's" , «t K-:a f\h ua 1 bpx ' P ff!ce ^cb pe f or| tfie New York dram at ic critics for the 30-31 scaison is again .won' by John MasPn Brown of the "Post." . ;■■ The conclusion of the 4th annual, scoring for the .pictiire .reviewers of New York and Chicago records Doris Arden ■"■[ (a name usecJ by 'two girls) of t'he''Ghicagp ."'Times" leading all. William Boehnel - of the "eWorld -Telegram-' is-at the • top-.i '' the New York film division. . During the season ending Satur- day, M ay • 30, 154 new. plays,; excIu- sive \of: r^yivais,:'arty .or. repvshows, were produced on Broadway. Of that numberr^^O a^e set dov/n as hit?,. 29 moderate successes and 105 as flops. In pict"ure.s, 306 passed^^^ view during . the year, with ' 58 marked down as hit pictures; 137 moderate and 11.1 flivs. - "Th<). Post" by this sdore has led. Uie dramatic reviewers' for. three .-.itcp'essi VP - years, a ■ record in .'.'.Va- riety'a''iistiiiij,, ■ It is .Brown's lead fyr tbo s6c(>n(V. year, or annually 'since lK^,cdtii)ni-hced drania review-, iiig for "The Post." ■ ■;; '. ', -v. jDct.iil.;.! .stories of the re.'iiieclivc box'.scores are in this issue; ; ; , 'T''Pr yiiama/ page 53. • ; ; . ' ' I'lir :pi<-iui-es; v paye . 3,.' ■ ', . Golfers Array for Battle Over Sliced Tee Shot ' • ■;. l>6s >rpiiioH Jutn- 1. ■ Bad ' golt-. aiid s.tr<i)ig > language; is the basis of an a.S.s.iu'tt and .battel v case wUb'^R..io -HaiviiVs f.ix-ini?: that chargi?:and i. vV.'and iii-^l''; ^''^'^'-^jv?:!;: ';(MiarK.i'd:with (IrsViirbiiii;. tl>V' pe'vc'. The J.ongleys j)Ui)!l -j ' Snge '.I'l'I Screen" here. . ' :■■:■• [■ " ■■ }- ■ , . .■' v.-Ilaynes,.. .playln^'vw I'^; V\<^1^^J-^-- leys, sliced ' intu pri^ .ae pri;p-i t> and a.,fiirmc;r.. offei-xy.; '•' >.'■'■ I)ack at a. jnice ' th^' '>i.oIv''i.'.^-' co ered exorbilant, ; An. |]>iiiiiieijt' fol.- lowed .'w'-liiuh rc.'-ulj.i -l ;i.ti t'.ic,',ch'ir>;''.- TjO'ct.! Rolfei.s iiI" !M;.'kiiig ' il.V" threi'flonif) and. liopcf . tlifv' lu- irni.-.;- will result In a: t'-.sti.iitiii');^ otdiii against fartiier,.s an hex in:; s:i!i(;ed.;:;'>lii rf.. OUT TUESDAYS ; '.Startirig today,: Tues-. day, June 2nd, "Variety" hereafter will be out weekly' on Tuesday irt the New York nietropoli- tan district. V' V ^-'V' ' In sections 24 hours or more away' from New York. "Variety; !;hould be on sale weekly frbtn now on. one . day earlier than .formerly.' ,•' :,• Closing press tiine is now Monday night.' .' . An "Eyeti Br^sak ; New Haven, Juno 1. Panhandicr toUclicd a.p.asser- by for ,ti»e price of a bcil..' Man took oiit 25 cc.nts,' tellirifj the. hobo to cali heads or tail.s. The. tpiieii artist won, and.thc doiipr. remarked: ''I :don't ■ nvind • it as, long, as ■I get au'even. break.V.V ' ''' ' • '. .. .; Paris, June 1. ■ Biggest local dep.rcs.iibn'in tourist Irade here for the past several >-car>? is most pbvipus at .this Xitiic' in- the clusiii^r down ■ of another of .one' of .'oiiiij', .;oIjic..st., .aii.d__ m o s t. cele b:ra te_d ^ercct re.sfauratil'.s, X'pls.ihi .. • y. Ko(.-ont.l.v, Paillard, ei^ua'l.ly... re- nqw.iie.d, c 1 osed: its, dopi'.s. • '"■■■"[■, . ,. ■ ' ■ Foypt: f0.r ■ the .first • tinie is' iising i)U'b)icity and.' adVcr.'lisiii.g. ; C.ii'o ittnd ^TichPdiero. aro' announcing dis- counts in their price.s..of'2'5%, some-; thing wliieh lias never been done in the.~ dignilied . history of these re.s-. to uranls. Poor IrnFiTTPT^s is di-iying-. tl.iri. n.0r torious rue Blo'ndel joint to praclifc the crudest gyps.' " :Latest:^is. to siiPw tliovsai); Prdcr- ing .wine a card lislin.g. 'tlvruc. brands, and later: to produce a bill out of all proportiori, alleging the :'W)he; served was; beltPi-: thctn that ordci cd. ■ . Since rellisal to i)a.y would' mean u vo vv.and an inevitable request to .give ou'l his' identity,-; .sap- pays; and; wiilks,' sorry lie. ever vviMit .in. - Air Meet's $37 Net ' Cnnaba, June .1. . ; .\(ier..iaking inV $i9.;32C.78^'.,at .the «.U.o '■. ipl" piiiaha.'.s ' three-day air iiicot reecntly, there wixs a jiot profit of j:>7.l8/ It.was- the lirst. shi;u; of ihe- kind ■;a-riy where ^in 11 lo . mid.'lIc we.ct. • .;■; ;'. - . .•-.;-,. .. ■ - \\. . .])''^pile.the net, ji'.s an ?in,nUal af- r.'i!r ,Oi.'i.t'.s. go'ing.IP sili'-i:.: .1 'lii li.s caII ,f(ir a $'<0,000 -si 1 ow. nc'xt' >-car.. ' i'hil :I-le(i(Jei;son,'- vvho •inijiiagfd, Is '.li.i.w helping- liifj. brother ('iifl','- wjio :)>; >) M-crting ' the ' ii;itioM;<I oir; I'.'i'.es i'.ir f'lev!.')lul..; '. . . : Necking Spy Doused . •;' " '■;/ :'i:fi,'jfy/iil,''j'ui.r*;-i.-;' C' iiiiv!'.»r( .f/jiiegvs 'r('li«i';u;i 'coilis''. i ai; .Vor(^]filMll'nl^;^l^ hero. i-v ;i;'.u:,' U\ 'm:- 'i' nU'lit w;jit' li!i").'iii .nssiifiii'd iiei-',;- ; ii.^ "-II.'-' diil.v by' pflli :aj;-. '..J In w.i.. | t; I rjvii ■ into ,a I il:'*; .'ini'i ,h;i-'U-I:;.'! dr'i A'ii<'d. ■ ' - ^ > ll'i.'jf. ill':' yv.i Ifhma;!!; ;i.'- ^.i-'i i <)■• \;: .ill fi '\x\: ti.ce i-flriVts i)i ...tii":| .)'.11:(.. , !ar|iirl l/i,;;i/'';:eir.|).U./nNi: vii^ii. ii.. -f .e • • ■•I Uiv!--' s. i')r;'ri..M..,(-": .v.'i l-i-'.- .-iiKi'M' ■;v' ". - ^ , ........;.'. . : ,/, ,;, -.- , ^ ;,. , Envpire '.Stato Building has shPW- inanshfp, dazzling ' efTiclency and ; even sc.jc appeal,' riisVi. .pti Its crown i.lie 80th stPry observation tower, the; 4n'eeze .'.ybti .expeet ig. 'blowing. J^ight-sccing -.'there -. embi'.aCeij.'' -.irll forms - of; J-igli ts. Mi.ved .with- the ' gasps.^^bf admiration at Mah.lVatta'n^ glory below, with sighs- for the poor little ' (JJiryRle;r spirp,;: 'co;ne^ femailo shrieks -as the ladies fight t.6 keep their :skirts invplaco. ' " .'r h p 13 h . 111 e . KI n iil r e ■ W t a t'l'.'s li e ai d, ' i3 in. . t he clouds,: thi^ ' thrilliiig: ai'hievehienl ii'i .steel and istonp has its iiunian side', it is a .parado.v, 's. '. triumph' of a nicclianical age, yet subseryicnt to hi,an's p'l^bd -to isen'd'. picture po.st cards, it' do6sn't' wantr dignity; it ' wants .'to ■ sell napkin..' l ings, \ ■ ■ ■ .. .; " :;; .. ''. '■ • Carnival Stuff Its nianagerncnt operates like that ; Of a carnival midway. A. barker on the'igrourid: floor hustles the pros-,:; poct.H to tlie ticket booth. A dollar is the price of the ride in the cle- va ior's,-rtlmt rtcposit-. Lbcu-_fai'-ri^Ji.e.-: 1 fore two inihutes f laiise. ' Trip.,un-./ cvonlful. sav'fc . for t.ln'ce':;ohaiiges of - elevators. . ' . ':' >.. lime.rgtn.g, tJie cnstoincrs jri-^s . through a turnsiilc.pi eseivUn;,' 'tlieir tickets- to the. ti.iict .takcii, and t'lei' ; n.rst. thing they .see ;is the souvenir; counter, jammed with silver.spoon.s, ; ladies. powdor: bo\"(-s, paper (iil tcrs . and the. like, anylhing upon wliieh ,.. : (C'()tiljmied''ori j)age \ %) Female Impersonators En Masse Play as Show Mak ing '■ the you Ih. of, tlie n.:i,l ion -.: jiansy - consciiMisv'' a t'Ompaiiy ;' oC iCireenVhiv Viilage lads'is,Vp''i^'i''g' ■ the New . lOiifjiand: one - .a . tHK'hters. Tlie leading '.boys iin.uirls'. c'lotliihg are -Theodore' II.' Bird, and . f;,J.vnn,'r. Itye, failing them-sel>:<•< llie J'.ird <fe. J! v e'j'rodiicing Co. of Now . , York and playing \vith rc-diici-d prices for sc.liooi chiirren. -; - , ph;i'y ;is railed :'"rho.;\Vpaian- ;■ Ic'ss -■\V'edd.iii'g—:"a niusical . burle.sk .; irf tiii-ee .s.pa.sjfis;'.' the ''J'own .Hall, J'rii.viiicclown, Mmiday ;atid 'J'ur-.sday tills wc'k. the .Messr.'f. ];iril.aiid:;Ityo and . fh'-i i; tr.bu pe of . feinmi; . i in per-' sonators are ;playing . under iho aij.'<i)ioes .o;r';t^hfi..Ami'ri'';ii.) I.e^'ion. .. Ao'cordintj, tp the. .;l'ro,Vjncet(i\yn-. iiiilini; 'sh"Ct, ; the 'i)i)ys ■,ai;e .'-'all i1 ri'-ssi.'"!' uy: p^T!'c(-t. l...ii■ •••'." ■ I'ricc'J ■: ;ar'!' :r^iji. 'lO'r a(l;idiv. aiiil. ft''' lijgh ' s'-liool pilwlS'.' 'IMt.Vbai^g.iiii prt^ <4i-iiVeii;:ai-i-/.si'lv'^ijl .kid.^; to .sei.' tlm. . bfivs;'iin|if.'r'V)!,;i i:.* gii-lj^^'i l- M;i/'.Ta\Ml V I J.(.11 i-- only -Oc' '.:;'"■;.':■;;■.;■. ■;;^. liii'h: it J.'.vr- ronirianv • •i-i-ic ; Its • o;i ii ' j-1 ii';\-;'l.»i-«r .iint'-;r/l'; i/ri'nvi'pala,; i.iii 'il'i- 1 oiii|>:iiiy i! li t'iwn li .. . .V;.i(. \vid; . ;'•'■;' in;.! fi-.iin t'uS ; • M I. .'.l •• •(' •. ' ■': -, ' ';' .