Variety (March 1932)

46 VARIETY TIME S SQUABE Tuesday, March 1, I932 WIlHam Gravenstolh renovatlne hia yacht, l^ll Cuirtmin^s out as display ad manager of the 'Inquirer.' Nearly all lodal: film reviewers now taking a whirl at radio. Salaries . of 'Rfecord' (morning, paper) staff cut 10% last week. Charlie Kerr considering going back aa. pit band leader for S - W. Dave Idzal, Fox Theatre manager. Just celebi'ated his 36th birthday. Liawton Thomas from publicity, WIPi-WPAN to announcing WDAS. Fay's indie yaudeville: house in , Weist Philadelphia, reported dplng^ nicely, James McKebwn now known -as. 'public relations' man with Stanley- Wartier.- . Stanley-Warner staff threw a party for William Goldman,. gene^^ ral manager, last week. , Belleviie-Stratf ord; conservative hotel, has floor, show for flrst time in years, pii'obably in history. Xocal downtown hotels making ■frantic attempts to sna.re theatre: trade.. Nearly anything oiftered. ■ ..^rt Alliance flooded with requests to sponsor pictures since they gave their okay to 'The Guardsman.' Evierett Callow moved frbm Forum theatre to manage Circle; Art Sindlinlrer replacing at Forum. Mask and Wig rehearsing annual Show. Called 'Ruff Neck' and tra- vesties Elizabeth and Essex theme. WPEN, tied up with Nixon's on a Saturday, morning kids' show. Broadcast sponsored by local mer- chants. . S-W people using 'Man I Killed' title in big letters and Aim's new name, 'Broken Lullaby' In smallest possible type. El Brendel getting together with all the home folks during his en-, gageiifieht at Fox. He's got plenty of relatives here. . Warwick now entering competi- tion with ;Rltz and Bellevue. with floor show. Ben Tasman, radio: singer, first headliner. Plenty of local interest here about Jean Sargent's opening in /Face the . Music' She made her first *ilt. on the Walton roof. Charlotte Cushman Club, for- merly popular hotel-home for ac- tresseia, gave nip the ghost because of iscarcity of legit attractions. Rendezvous, iarty eating place on Camac street, adds one-act melo- drama to its nightly $1.50 meals and gets a good break In business. Pete McGovern doing a great Job on publicity for Nixon's Grand. Plenty of news breaks with film stars making stage appearances. Plenty of speaks reported ready to open in downtown district, but holding oft to see what stand the new admlhistratlon is going to take. Earle has all-local^ revue called 'Philadelphia Frolic' " Several can didates for professional careers found In cast Victor Hyde stag ing. Circle theatre, S-W house in nortSieast section, putting -In six acts to meet competition of newly reopened Frankford, playing tab and films, • End of Philly's theatre censor board hasn't had much chanbe to show results because of few legits, but burlesque houses reported open- ing up wide. Kern Dodge, director of public safety in new administration, bawled out by W. C. T. U. and other local dried and blue-law advocates , be ciiuse of allti'ged wet and too-Ilbefal utterances. • : - . Little theatre, 200 sei'ater on Mar ket, which opened as art house, had to cancel 'Streets of Sorrow, early Garbo picture, Censor board ordered too many cuts. Litigation may follow. The 'Bulletin,' notoriously tight In the matter of legit and nipvle publicity, now has a daily film page, with layouts and Hollywood lettejr 'Evening Ledger' followed suit and 'Inquirer* la reported , as consider Ing same thing. Kansas City By will R. Hugher Publlx-Dublnsky Brothers' Liber ty all rolled up. . Alan Karf ia baclc on the job after a siege with the flu.' Management of auto show reports 200,000 admissions for nine days. Annual auto iahow is drawing large crowds to American Royal pavilion. Twenty Junior Leaguers were In the. cast of 'Once in a Lifetime' at the Orpheum. 'Grand Hotel' here March 7. "This is the fourth town to see the show 'Green Pastured' follows, • Stock burlesque at the Gayety is in its seventeenth week and o. „ Maurice E, Cain put It over. • First MfJnday evening show of ..'Grand Hotel' .'ha& been sold to woman's charity.organization. The sudden death Feb. 21 of Job Peters, flrst string catcher, was ehpck to- his teammates. Heart dls ease. Advance sale for Al Jolson In dicates capacity for every perform ance and a house recoiid at thie 13.86 top. • "Street ear comipany, It is reported, win soon'turn the Yelldw Gab com- pany back tooils /original' owners. C H A TTE Joint operation, of cabs and trams did not work out. After thriee weeks at- the Hotel Muehlebach, Ted Flo-RUo and band have gone to Hollywood for George Olson' club. "Red," the beautiful parrot stolen from the lounge of .Loew's theatre, Thanksgiving eve, has been re- turned none the worse. Horseback riding becoming a fad her6; Estimated there are 10,000 riders enjoying the sport that a year, ago was at a very low' ebb. Oklalioma City By George Noble Pretty Boy still In hiding. . •Vanities' booked next month. Five and 10 takes em* all into the Rialto. Liberty goes to. 35c. and less, any old time. ^ , 1. Bill Noble, veteran scribe, in hos- pital for rest. . ; . Fred Jack up from Dallas to needle up fllih sales. Everybody in Oklahoma required tb make state tax report. Pepper Martin mysteriously miss- ing from his usual haunts. Wrestling getting big play with Nick Lutze aa the local idol, Enipress coming out of red under new zone direction of. George x. Henger.. Reserve officers held their month- ly meet, but little talkie • about Japan-China, . John Schoeppel running around in circles, another show coming tci the Auditorium, , . Nickel pictures for kids making their appearance causing film man- agers to tear their hair. ■ Bert Stern, held spends 5 spot every week on niew tricks, so he can be the big Bozo of the party. ■ Warm weather stimulating golf fans. Lincoln course getting three new greens from Pro Art Jackson.. 'Hatchet Man' display in the Mid- west lobby bringing exhibitors for miles to see how a picture should be sold. , . ' Walter Hampton surprising the nativea 'with near sell out at the mammoth Shrine auditorium for Cyrano;' : A beaten candidate in Oklahoma politics never knows whether he has a defeat to live down or a moral victory to live up to, Saul Immermah, Warner auditor, dropplngllnutto present Jim Garst, new contact man, to the town. Garst replaces Roy Winter, transferred. Pittsburgh By Hal Cohen L, B, Cool has quit that milk-and cream diet n M:..fi„ Karl Krug and Darrell Martin still loafing. . . Dick Powell putting up at the Keystone A. C. , Joe May bears a resemblance to Jimmy Hall, the juve. . 'Press' latest daily to go on the air with news broadcasts. ; Pat Haley shoots pool and plucks a ukelele with his left hand. LupiB.Velez brought hei' sister to town with her from the coast. Horace Heldt still after . Jerry Mayhall to do his arrangements. Bob Taylor leaving the city staff of the 'Post-Gazette' to join the AP Mike Cullen and the Mrs. wres- tling bugs and never miss a match Leonard Bazell out as announcer at WCAE, with Jim Hays taking his Morty Henderson taking tap les^ sons to remove some of those 178 pounds, . .; ■ Cheap sections for Yehudl Menu- hin concert a sell-out, but $3 sale not " SO' hot. , \' , i. Dorothy Dabney, local chorister at the Academy, has just been made a principal, ■ . ^■ Eddie Klein now charges a four bit cover at the Tavern fot Satdee nite only. Joe Hiller threatens to go back Into the nite club business again this summer.. Harry Harris got back from the coast sporting a Clark Gable turtle- neck sweater. William Penn hotel had to supply Ethel Barrympre with a, private ex press elevator. . Lllyan Plcard, making her stage debut In 'Hot-Cha,' is a niece of Arturo Toscanlnl. Howard Browning has resigned from the Hearst sheet here to go to China as a free-lance,. Never see Buddy Rogers without that star'sapphire ring on the little finger of his left hand, . G46rge Seibel, 'Sun-Tele's' first string; critic, picked the Barry more show over Ziggy's'Hot-Cha.' A lady who never miss6s a show at the little Ritz theatre used to be a Sister chorine of Marie Dressier. Nick Tarquln, a chef at Ghllds*, has'just had a song, 'Little Dance Hall Hound,' accepted for publica tion. New principals In .stock burlesque at the Academy include Chlckle Wells, Ruth Brpwn, Vi Buckley arid LaVerne AVilJUma. New Haven By H. M. Bone Auto show went over big.. Charlie Myera goes back- to tire biz., ■ ■ ; ■ .' So Freddie Scoville'a. married, la h6? :.: Louie Riitpp never wears : a . hat, either. Wm. Lyon Phelpa off to Mediter- ranean. , Ray Quinh and his Kalaer Wll- helm haircut ' Junior muaio clubs breaking out all'over town. John Grlnold, Paddy Carter and their go-carts. " •Elm City Clarion' breiaka out with SundAy edition. Billy Elder could pinch hit for the Arrow Collar guy. V Municipal airport proyea fiop, costing^^ city plenty. Sign of spring—^Yale baseball squad swliiglhg bats^ Ray Trotta goes to Fox, Brook- lyn, with Freddy Mack. . . Dick Stott haa no trouble with his hair getting In hla eyes. Theme song of outdoor blllppat- era—'Time On My Hands.' : Was Walt Munson kidding Sports Ejd. Dalqulst in a cartoon? Plenty of favorable coninieht on Roger Sherman vaude policy. That Louisyille bid ia out as far ELS Barney Rapip ia concerned. Passing of vaude at Fox-rPoH breaks Prank O'Connell's heart, Teddy Hayes left Tony Acquarulo something to rememb<>r him byi Intermittent. ShuberC bookings leave Sam Hbrwarth plenty time. How is Bob Collier making out with his Marion, Ohio, shooting gal- lery?;- Kearney WaltPn tried ice-skating where there wasn't any ice last week... Shortening of 'Blessed Event' run gypted Ike's crew out of half week'a work. Up at Bijou Nate<^Xtubin handles more jobs than an employment agency. E, G, Steinmetz, Jr,, produced Mary Tudor* at Yale theatre for AlumnlDay. Concert series has kept Dag Lee busier than a la,y-off trying to dodge his landlady. Whatever beicame of those ope- rators who used to picket the non- union habes? Pres. Frank Terrell call3 N. E. div. Nat'l Assn. Amusement Parks for Convention. This mugg has stood for plenty of ribbing since Winchell announced a future blessed event. Fri, patrons see. double bill—one offered by theatres and one put on by Yale boys in audience. Winifred Mitchell, ex-musical Qomedy trouper; Joins teaching staff local Paramount dance, studios. One Tony Miasseri didn't like local bill and told audience so. New ad- dress is State Hosp. for Insane, Is Harry Benson, the rod-and- gun scribbler, the Harry Benson who toots a horn In Shubert orch? In (injunction with merchants' bargain day Bijou sold four 60-cent ducats good till June 1 for one buck. Buck and Bubbles gave Mgr. Ber- nle Hynes pale cheeks when tbey blew in two rhlnutea before their turn. New version of two-fbr-ones, Laurette Taylor offers two Barrie plays for single ducat at Shubert on March 3-4-6. of the Philippines to Herbert Hoover, , accompanied , to; the White House by Loii Brown, Fox publicist. For the first time In history of the Belasco theatre no mail orders invited when Kathcrine Cornell brings 'Barretts of' Wlmpole Street' to . Washington; Boxofflce open at 7 a.m. to jglve government workers a chance, .: Hardie Meaklii; sees all time box office records smashed at Keith's as the Bicentennial' crowds move on Washington. The same situation at the Earle, with the National startl- ing Its shows on Monday niatinee to catch the crowds, . Incidentally, Ethel Barrymore did her worst week in Washington- only $11,000 at the box office. Too stiff opposition from 'Hot Cha,' Most of her spare time sp^ent with Alice Longwortb in. the Senate press gallery watching the ^orks.: By Bob Brown Temple is doing the business. New prices at Alabama are 25-. 35-50. Corneliua Vanderbilt in town with a cpld. .Tohn Cahill haa Joined WODX, Mobile. Tom Allen's new name ia 'Little Caeaar.' . . . , George Goodalp's fllm exchange la coming al6ng. ; Melbourne HiifC has been working ja year on a short story and haan't flnished it yet. . Frank Merritt and his gang wel- comed Hogah Hancock to town at the Thomas Jefferson. Pete Marzoni is. getting a better break with his picture column and' is having to work more. ' More newspapier giiys out of work with thejmetger of the Mobile 'Reg- ister,' 'News-Item' and 'Press' Into one sheet. Paid ads are now being accepted by the Chamber of Commerce or- gan. Idea is to make it self-sup- porting. No theatre ads. A preacher in Huntsvllle. Rev. Allen Moore, wrote Jimmle Jones a letter protesting bridge playing in public parks In Birmingham. Jones immediately put a stop to bridge. Washington Mre. Adelade Hibbard and Forrest Orr have signed contracts with S^ E. Cochran for the National Theatre Players, , Bill Kennedy, star political re porter of the 'Star,' elected presl dent the Nortbi Capitol Citizens' As soclation, ■ . ■ ' Carter Barron, new director of the Loew houses, all set up in a swanky apartment and ready to throw a house warming. Joe Cook, seriously, wants to play a straight role this summer with the National . Theatre Players and is willing to sign a contract, Ethel Barrymore down to the Pox Exchange as guests of Rudolph Ber- ger to see a pre-view of John and Lionel In 'Arsene Lupin,' Norman Baxter gets the Job of publicity director for Governor Ritchie of Maryland In the race for the democratic nomination. Leonard Davis, who Introduces Andy Kelley over the radio, stages a recital at the Hotel Carlton and draws on society—an invitation af- fair. First time this: season that all Washington legit houses have no dramatic attractions. National dark with, Belasco Gilbert and Sullivan 'The Gondoliers,' John Nance : Garner,. Speaker of the House, gets a new. nickname 'Chaparral Jack'—-and a neW' suit of morning clothes, high hat, 'ncl everything but spats. Vincent Yarra, making his flrst tour of America with a. Fancho & Marco unit, .extends the greetings Fort Wayne By Robert Baral. B, D. Cockrill oft sick list Game called 'Guggenheim,' is local fad. ■ . . ■ Little Sylvia'King met John D. In Florida, but no dime. Horace Moses is Boswell, Jr., on 'Journal-Gazette' now. Tpwn divided, over Maude Adams as Portia; Otis Skinner was liked, though. " Still looking, for a letter from Sobel; suppose 'Hot Cha' is taking up his time.' . . Dell Harris and his band ia. using a lot of whistles in his arrange- ments at Dixiana. Louis Panieo was the first of visiting orchestra leaders to play the popular El Patio. Paul Freeman heavyweight champ in Golden glove tourney, -which was staged at G. E. works. New eat'erie, Cafe Bergere, all done in grey, black and mauve, is getting the player folk. Benny Meroff was stumped when the audience demanded an imper sonatlon of Ben Bernie. Robert Haley here from Daveii- port handling publicity promotional work for RKO with office at iPara^ mount. Violet RelnWald amused about be- ing advertised as famous fashion authority on Paramount screen; she has taught dancing here for years. Detroit By Lee Elman Arthur Frudenfeld getting in trim by losing weight. Fox feed-family parties are the til Ik of the town. Dave Davidson took four days .oft last week to be sick. Dpc Dave Levin getting married March. 6. Bride a non-pro. Vera Brown of the 'Times' had a lot of sample treatments at the Beauty Show, Roy Kalver looking for apart- ment,^ Says he's broke anyway he might as well be married. Danny Engle back in circulation again making excuses why he didn't invite, more people to his opening, George Riley and the wife took a week's vacation and played the Fisher, The -wife got caught up on her reading. Bud Ouimet of "World Wide' got a three-alarm call two days late. It was a gag and got him up on his day oft, if any. Gene Kearney at the Fisher has his own shortwave broadcasting set and sends messages for some of the acts playing that house. Call letter W00> Tacoma By Harry T. Smith Big $76,0a0 alky still knobked over near here, : Big auto show here March io-l3 Vaud a feature, William, Gillette engagement at 'Temple cancelled. This mug's home prowled, but re- ceipts wouldn't-buy coffee. Several •whi.sperlows take nose dive. Too much oh books. Chain afternoon sheet and mayor throwing onions at each other, : Mayor arrests Jobless man who became insistent then hired him. Political hangers-on trying to horn in on relief prdgram of burg. Seattle legger Visit's here with brief case, twice weekly and guaran- tees home dellveryi Chief of police bars fiat foots from making side money oft duty. Capt, loses job at fight shows. Blue Mouse, . John Hamerick main stem palace, using 'Morning Ledger' and 'News Tribune' exclusively. C. Helntz, Los Ahgeles, ad rep for Publlx-Paramount and new Fox West Coast management, here for two days. He sold big paper agency idea of prosperity recuperation. Ralph Capone, blood and thunder man in Chicago, is called 'softie' at McNeil's Island Federal hoosegow. University Wash studentis visited big house and reported back Ca- pone's efforts at manual labor proved.. failure and the gangster 'was de- scribed as ia 'softie who couldn't. stand the gaff.' Seattle By Dave Trepp Bill McCurdy now ahead of 'Apple Cart,' Orchid corsages at new low of $1.50 each,. Czar for dye operators named to stop thuggery. Panhandlers-holler about biz. Too much competition. Beer wagons parade here but de- livery wagons still say 'drink pop.' Gov, Gen, T. Roosevelt stops here en route to Manila; Is feted and feasted, Laura La Plante guest^ starring at Moore for two weeks as flrst under new policy. Andy Gunnard still down south casting for Mpore Productions Co., trying for name stars. . Johnny Robinson, bahd leader at Venetian room, Olympic hotel, is law grad of Oregon. U., and hla varsity band getting good U play. Eddie Cooke says Shalcespeare still has a dra-w, but the well known, time-given plays draw best 'Measure- for Measure' failed to click. Self styled 'Persian Prince* gyps some in this burg,' then hies to Canada, posing as real thing, but turning out to. be ex-convlct And Seattle is not a hick town, except when it comes to rasslin. Dallas By iludy Donat Joe Share's wife ill. It doesn't rain here. It pours. Len Brown doihg without a p.a. E. C. lleeves hooking up with Col, branch. -• Rosewin arid. Midway, nabes, re- vamping. Kate Cornell probable for muny auditorium. Jack Groves convalescing from appendicitis. Wesley Barry, plots, around for a club booking. B. G. Herber back from one of those swings. Paderewski picked this burg, ior sole Texas date. One radio dealer trying new but'* let, renting 'em. . . Charlie MaxviU trying negro band In his Pink Cat. . Dorothy Winfrey, dancer, off for F & M. contract, RKO Majestlc's new sign said to have cost $22,000. Oliver Albertl celebrated his. 32na notch with a stag. Somei crank worried because zpo doesn't sport a camel. Meschants starting drive on so- cialites' rubber checks. Hal Ramsay, Palace organist, .out, after second straight season. Abbey Irish Players stirred up some b.o. reaction in muny stand. Charles Gemora, pict .'gorilla,' stopped over to show hia monkey suit, , Papes bragging over another hometowner. Myrtle Garner, in 'Hot-Cha.' To show their boss they can work, too, 'Dispatch' iriuggs turned news- ies for an extry. . . Little^ theatre's new low, $500, . for Pirandello's 'Six Characters' kinda, excited the underwriters. Negro amateurs incorporated for a musical, 'Heaven Bound,' with cast of only l,l6o warblers. Piano tuners assn, but to boost biz, if any, with new slogan, 'see your piano tuner at least twice each ■year,' . • ■■ Elizabeth Gerard, town's would- be Marion Talloy, will .show the na- tives what their dollars did lii Itft)>'- Does local bow in May,