Variety (Nov 1931)

Taesdajt November 24, 1931 VARIETY SS 1 HoOywwHi Blvi Once hrad Styk Center, Now Bows to Ole $938 Hollywood, Nov.-28. ■ ' Holiywobd boulevard, much touted Id turn as the Fifth avenue, the Riie de la Falic, and the Bond street of the West, has pulled a flop, with ac- cempaniment of - gnashlns- teeth and s^ntle .curses, ty.. the Hollywood Obasiiber. of. .Commerce and Holly- ■:vo<>d Merchants' Association,. So far as setting the styles itorthe . ;«st of .'the "world and continuing as ai smart' shopping center for the itlngrs .and queens of cellulqidia. It now Just Isn't.; Street has deterlo- -.■atedto a Sixth avenue complexion, ^T4th ^marked down to |9.98' aiid nnoh like brands of the. cheaper marts of trade now evident where ' >nee class reigned. . ^ Migration to.Wilshire Xias't six months has seen a mlgra- -iiion south to Wllshlre boulevard, ' -.Thich gradually'has copped all the jwank gown shops tmd Milady em- '. :ipriums. Now the elite, of the pictures do :iDt buy their class stuff In Holly- .-w>od, but on Wllshlre boulevard, -vhlch is In lios Angeles, and the Tibulevard merchants are shedding .'tars and' claiming lese majeste. Nothing Exclusive Today Hollywood boulevard can sauster only two class shops where once alm.ost all within the confines of the city were centered. . Both these stores have branches on Wil^ sblre,' further demonstrating to the d4e-hard . Hollywood business men's clubs just which way the straws l*an.' , Cheap luggage stores, five and 10 emporiums and cut-rate merchan- lUsing are liow the order of the day oh the avenue' which < once ' waja .^deadlng toward real class. Only consolation . is that pawn shops are still barred - from the street floor, for a city ordinance coinpels the three Ijalls to. be dis- idayed only above a flight of stairs; Damp but Protid Larry Hart, the: lyricist, saw. a picture last week and when the lights went up tears .coursed .down his cheeks. •Why, It never touched me,' he yelled. And still maintains his point. MICKY KELLY'S FATE Jury Passing on Charge of Murder Against Hint COTY PERFUME PHONY CHARGED ON YIYAUDAU Dummy Costs Vande Act Damaged Car and Cops' Ire A vaude act carrying a dummy in' Its car caused plenty of excitement m Washington Heights last week. Act was Hall and Eslie, who drove to the stage door of the Washington theatre with their dummy propped up In the back seat. Pair went in- side to find out rehearsal time next day and a street urchin peeked in. the car and saw. what he thought 'vras another racketeer murder. Kid raced for the police station. Bells rang, cops Jumped, machine gun squad leaped Into its-car, etc. The cops were sore at flrst over what they believed was a hoax, but were not half as burned up as the Taude team when they found the police had almost wrecked their auto getting to the locked' In dummy. Jean Vlvaudau, 24, -who gave his birthplace England, and his occu- pation as that of a perfume manu- facturer, 'Will be arraigned shortly In Special Sessions on the charge of offering'to sell refilled bottles of Coty perfume. Vlvaudau, detectives told report^ ers, tras the son of the famous sportsman. He was summoned to ■West Side Court ■with two others who were perm ttted to go as they promised to supply Information to Assistant Blst Attorney G^ne Mc- Aullffei.. who. Is conducting the prosecution. Two years ago Detectives Joe Fitzgerald, Tom Walsh, and John Coleman of West 47th street, roun- ded up a gang of bogus' Coty ped- dlers and sent them to Jail. Recently executives of Coty learned through Broadway drug- gists that they could buy Coty's perfume much less thian Offered by the firm ; itself. Sales - 'were, made and the stuff analyzed. The fraud •WM' discovered. Detectives Clarence ^Farley and Frank Muiray of-, the 'West 47th Street station , were assigned. .They supplied information to Coty's heads that resulted In' Vlvaudau and two others being brought to West Sid^ court. Lewis Bernstein, treasurer of Coty's of 428 West B6th street, ap- peared In West Side court and signed the complaint.' Francbini Charge Fails A charge of assault - brought against Rosalie Rodriguez, 20, a clerk living at the Piccadilly Hotel, West 4Bth street, by Ma;ry Ann Franchinl, 24, dancer of 824 West 47th street, was dismissed In Special Sessions Friday (20). MIbs Fran ohlnl charged the defendant and the latter's boy friend beat her up in the Franchinl apartment Oct. 6 In a quarrel over another man. In the West Side Court Miss Rodriquezde- olared Miss Franchinl was her sis ter. The latter denied this. Thrown from Horse Kathaleen Smythe (21) daughter of Marie Hartman, was tossed from a horse In Van Cortlandt Park last ;week and painfully injured. Miss Smythe was taken to the Fordham Hospital, where . an examination showed a broken neck. Her condi tion Is serious. Girl's niother Is of the team of of Hlbbitt and Hartman. Her father, BHy Smith, was Miss Hart "lan's first husband. Not Boseland Hostess .In court, charging Jos. Fagano, printer, with assault, Sylvia Yahe described herself as a h6stess at the Koseland dance hall, New York. llo.^elnnd says.she never has been employed as hostess by it. A Jury before Judge Morris Koenlg in General Sessions was to decide today whether' Michael Kraus, ex-llgfatwelght'fighter known as Micky Kdly Is guilty of murder in the first degree. He has been on trial for the past week charged with: killing Jack Henderson, bartender of a.speakeasy and night club at^SS West 146th street, two years ago. ; Kraus, indicted under the name of Kelly, put up. an alibi he was in- duced -by two Negro policemen to take a charge of felonious assault for the attack oh Henderson, to pro- tect one of the officers,, who Kelly insisted shot the bartender while handling an automatic gun he had taken in a laliL After Kelly was ar- rested for the assault, Henderson died In the hospital and the charge was changed to murder. He declared the ofllcers had promised. to have the charge dismissed agalnist him as far as the assault charge went, but were unable to do anything when the more serloiia erime was charged against him. Kelly declared that one of the of- ficers was called'"Manny". Edward V, Broderlck, his. counsel, had the Judge order the prosecutor. Assist- ant District Attorney John F. Joyce, to produce in court Sergeant Em- anuel Klein, Negro, who admitted he had visited the place where the shooting took place about a half dozen times bnt always on police duty. He'denled havlng.seen the defendant before In his life and also denied he woa In the place on the day of the shooting. Chicago Mobs Muscling In on Frisco Racket Boys Means Batdes No Sunday Coffee A sandwich xind coffee stand at 6<lth street and' Central Park West is open dally for the hun- gry. Usually a line there. On Sunday' the stand Is . closed, probably on the theory, hungry people aren't out Sun- days. CREATING FEMME FANS Ladies Day in Sports Jn Football Now^Not So Hot lAdles Dayi to create Interest among the femmes. Is,being gener;- ally adopted by professional sport?. Last summer it came into exten- sive use in baseball, with one day weekly set aside for free admish for women. Among club to adopt the Idea as a regular policy were the New York and Chicago major league teams. This fall Ladies Day has spread to professional football. Results from It so far have been satis- factory. The gag dates back to the old 'bloomer girls' baseball teams and their wlgged ringers. These troupes let the ladies in free to make them Intere'sted and familiarize them with the game. Same theory is In back of the major football and base- ball leagues adoption of the idea. Show business never found it practical to entice femme biz with a free gate, since most forms of the theatre hold" as much basic at- traction for women as for pien. For sports, however, . it's necessary to initiate women into the mysteries of the game. Once Interested, it is figured, they're likely to. become steady patrons, and unlikely to at- tend the games without male es corts. Teias' Fame Dallas, Nov! 23. Texas' renown for cowboys and alx-guns offset by recent .an nouncemcnt that the state's fleas class as the world's select. John C. Ruble of Fort Worth who makes a living producing flea circuses, sed so, and rated more front pages around Ivore than Man; chtirla. Ruble says they're smarter and Icjts tougher. Trainer Is grandson of Charles Ruble, who started the flea cycle In Munich, 1821. His brother ope rate.*! a flea circus on Broadway. Chinese Eateries Laimch a Remal Of Floor Shows Oriental eatery •'wnera ore going to try fiob'r ahowrii with the chow meln again. There was a time when nearly every chop Buey apot .ln New York had either * show or a band. Solly Shaw openisd one last week in Harlem with six principals and six choristers, .and oe'ven more res- taurants. Including the Palais d'Qr on BroadWay, wiu go for cabaret entertainment once more. Latter place 'Will put In a new show Nov. 28 of 16 principals' but no chorus. I Shaw also launches a new show Nov. 2B (Wednesday) In the China Gardens at Hackensaok, N. J., of seven girls -and four principals. MAKING CONEY ISLAND ON B'WAY, SAYS COURT It Is about time Broadway Is saved ..froin being a Coney Island,' said Magistrate Francis J. Erwln in West Side Court when the usual pinch of 'mechanical' men and barkers were brought Into him by pialnclothesman Frank Houghton of Capt; Hayes'staff. A girl lisher and-the mechanical man at the Central theatre were hailed to court before Erwln. The charge was that the mechanical man caused a large crowd, to collect In front of the.theatre. The usher had' the .tough assignment of turn- ing the mechanical. man around. 'Broadway is becoming a minia- ture Coney Island.' I was passing the Central theatre' said the court, "and observed the. condition ' com plained of. ' . 1 was forced to take the roadway to pass.' I am not a crank but one would hardly expect women to. be compelled to endanger their lives by being- 'forced to the street,' said Judge Erwln. . • The charge Is called the pu11er-ln- law. Conviction In cases of thlis kind obviate the serving of a iwllce summons and a summary arrest upon repetition. 100 More Witnesses Doe in Erhnger Trial John J. (Jack) Dillon, foiiner exec of the Erlanger office, admitted In N. Y. Surrogate Court yesterday (23) that he banked, about. $26,000 between September of 1929 and March, 1930. At the time he was drawing a salary of 1800 a week. Testimony came In the bearing be- fore Surrogate John P. O'Brien on Miss Charlotte Flxel's petition to be declared the common-law wife of the late theatre man. Dillon was testifying for Mrs. Erlanger. Dillon couldn't explain his source of Income, when pr^ed, saying vaguely that he hAd some other In terests. . He admitted receiving a number of gifts froni ticket brokers, but didn't know how. much or when. Dillon had charge of the distribu- tion of tickets for the Erlanger shows. : He had testified previously that he had heard the contestant called Mrs. Erlanger and hod been bo in troduced to her. Similar testimony had been given by Hit. Dilloii, the former Madeline Donnelly, who was the late A. In Erlanger'e private secretary. Both ■were dismlsaed from the Erlanger office a week after his death. Except for points scored In cross examination by Idasor Kresel, the defense has not oa yet had its in nlngs. When that wHI begin Is not indicated, but It la understood there will be at least 100 more wKnesBes, probably including those tor the de fence. Order Bookies Out Of N.VJV. Clnbhouse Bookmakers who have made an open practice, of email bets around the N. V. A. Club were ordered out, qf thie iclub last week. An anonymous letter registered a complaint against the gambling around the club. Coast Dance Teachers Ass'n IJkes Censorship Iios Angeles, Nov. 23. Censorship of dance school Adver- tising, to strike, out extravagant and exaggerated claims of -who Instruc tore are and 'wliat they can do'for the student, Is one of the Incorpora tion objects of the Dancing Teachers Business Assn. . Group hasn't 'yet figured out how It will do It. Association will also lobby when legislation affecting the dance In- dustry Is in question. Its flrst ac tion Is local, versus the tajked-of unemployment taxation. Ofllcera are Maurice L. Kusell, president; Charles Mosconi, flrst, and EUsa Ryan, second 'v. p.; Wanda Grazer, secretary, and Earle Wal- lace, treasurer. Directors are Ear. nest Belche, Norma Gould, Ernest E, Ryan and .Walter Wills. After organizing the dance school situation locally, the teachers active In It flgure on expanding to national scope.' San. Francisco, Nov. 23. Right now San Francisco Is as wild and woolly as In the Barbory Coast days of 26 years ago. It's cur- rently one. of th^'wll<l«st and wide- open towns in tKt) country, though gangsterism has. been held down to a minimum, so far as publicity Is concerned. There are perhaps more racket- eers,, gunmen^ rum . runners, dope peddlers and bootleggers herei .than in any other city of Its size. Until ' a few weeks ago Frisco's'crime was pretty much-confined . to Its O'wn brethren. ' Now the peaceful serenity of the rackets threatens to be overthrown with the advent of Chicago gangs who are muscling In and flghtlng' rival Los Angeles mobs and even the police. Fighting 'with the cops Is something new here. Racketeers of all descriptions are on friendly terms with the law. Reports have some police Incomes running as high as $6,000 .a month. It appears that peace Is a thing of the past. Underworld rumors declare a big battle Is due with plenty on the spot. It's all over aiky distribution throughout the state!. The Bugs Moran mob has hopped in from Chicago,, , cornered ! the . southern California grain alcohol market and resents the continued intru'slpn of another Chi mob who have located hei^ and are trylnjg to run sugar alky Into the south,- Deputy Sheriff* in Fight - First entanglement occurred . Ar- mistice Day, when a bunch of the Moran boys from Los Angeles hj-. Jacked. several cars of Frisco olk^'' ehroute to the south. The Frisco boys reported the theft of tfiislr. cars and San Mateo county deputy sheriffs hotfooted It out after the hijackers. Result, one deputy dead, " one deputy - seriously injured,, one racketeer flghtlng: for his life In a hospital. . There's a lot of investigation go- ing on, but racketeers claim It wbn't amount to anything. Only thing . they're afraid of It such a Federal investigation as landed Ai Capbne. Frisco's location makes It the ideal spot for'rum and dope run- ning. It's easy to. slip in a cargo of liquor or dope almost anywhere along the northern California coast line, load It into autos and shoot it throughout the west. There's a con- stant stream of cars either coming in through the Canadian border or picking up the stuff from boats and heading for San. Francisco or- Los :Angeles. This Is also the cutting center of the west Liquor Is 80 easy to get here pro- hibition's a horse laUgh. That's why the wine bricks, etc., went floppo here. Liquor Is cheap, and usually good here.' RUINED AN OBIT Mark Vance Sobs as Aif Wilton Denies Death Reports 'Alf T. Wilton is just a double- crdsser,' sobbed Mark Vance, "Va- riety's' obituary editor, when news arrived that the reported Wilton death was Just a report, It traveled, fast around Broadway Thursday (19). The former Keith and RKO agent and club booker couldn't flgure out how It started. He's In perfect health, he said, and Thursday went In swimming at his Manhattan Beach home. Happy the report wasn't true, said Wilton, as he. at>ologized for any trouble he niight have caused "Va- rlety's' obit ed. Took Farmer for $6,000 Easton, Pa., Nov. 23, Harry Goodman,', of Philadelphia, alleged theatre promoter, arrested here on charge of taking over a farmer for $16,00.0. He promised to give him $6,000 profit ii} a few months after buying a theatre in Stroudsburg and then selling It Released In $10;000 ball; Cayces Esct^ from Cops' Toitime* Charge Mrs. Gertrude Cayce, Edward. Cayce and the latter's secretary, Gladys Davis, were freed In West - Side court by Magistrate Francis ' J. Erwln on tibe charge of pretend- ing to tell fortunes. The trio were, arrested In Cayce's apartment at the Victoria hotel, on Nov. 11, by Policewomen Conwell and. Mc- Namaxa of Capt. Mary Sullivan's staff. ' Records containing patronsf names and vast literature and mis- cellaneous records were seized by the cops. Max Hammerllng, lawyer, recovered these when the court pro- ceedings were over. The courtroom waa Jammed with 'members' of Cayce's 'Association* as he called It. 'When Mrs. Cayce was exonerated she was embraced and k|ssed. Cayce had his hand a.]rr^ most pumped off by his admirers.' $70 Fee Mrs. Conwell testified she had registered at the hotel for eight days. She'was granted a hearing, she testified. Cayce was In his shirt. He reclined on the bed and 'closed' his eyes. A list of questions had been prepared by Mrs. Conwell. They wore typed by the Davis girt The Davis girl said that the fee was $70. Marked bills were given to Iicr following the reading. Cayce and witnesses told of Cayce's psychic powers. "I was told when I was a child I had psychic powers. The Cayces come from Virginia Beach, Cal.