Variety (Jul 1932)

19, 1951 TIMES SQHARE—SPOKTS VARIETY 47 "1 IKjiry of a Stooge By Oaudit Bli^rpnt ^ Hollywpodland, Tuesday. • I don't care what happen?'to any- body. . Mr". Bowery came lipmd tonight mad as a bat and wotildif't' say a word to . Napoleon or "me. After' dinner I sat in the living room tvlth him waltlne for hinf to slern' some checks i wrote oiit, biit Instead of that he poured himself a highball. He happened to lo'pk' at jne and: saw my eyes, so he asked ine If I wanted one, tod. 'Tes sir,' I said to him. ' .He poured another'^highball arid handed it to me and W$i ^rarik 'a while with nothing but the nolsil of lis drinking^ When we flnlshed those he poured lis each another/bne and w^ sat drinking. . . Finally he looked at nie, like , he didn't' want tb see hie ia.hd, said': 'Eto you know Tlllie Is stUi . rijats abotit: ybur ■ •. ' • 'Who cares,'I said.:' ; ". 1 do,* he" said t6 irte.' 'Sh^ w,on't mEurry: Dae because yoiiu kleep. get- tfriB on her mind,' He stek'ed at. me. 'What is'there abbut you?' he askeil: 'How Should I know?' .1' i3a,ld to him," because I had .tWo. highballs. • 'Worse than tha,t,' Mr.. l^tfWe'ry Biaiid,,'slie hears that' you'riei going td the dogs anid thinks I'm-doing it to'Toirfor meanrtess.' ■ ■ ' . ' ; . 'Women are crazy,' f said.) taking •ndther swallow^ . ; ', ■ 'I. can't. convince her. i'ih' trying;^ to help you,', Mr. Bo'wery said'^'The only thinef I can do Is to go tb the dogs with .you. " ' 'Have another drink?' ' ■ ' . 'Yes, sir,' I said. So we/'hcLd, an- iDther one together. ' ' :. rW'omen/ said Mr. Bow'ery, mak- ing a face.' 'That's what I found out,' I saldi Arid then I went to sleep, " ' I woke lip at midnight In my bediroom and had andthei^ drink from my secret bottle. .It yriade me feel like writing so I'm;. ■wj"itlng., Poor Mr, Bowery Is iil;oba'bi(y downstairs drunk alon^ Holly woodland, Th'iir^sday. "W^hat a life! I keep fntiiSE/iiilr.Vdays In'ihy diary on account bf 'Kow I'm eoihg to the dogs so ffisit. /' [ 'Ijast "^hight me ind Mlpj"'fe6wery went to the RKO theatrii."^ade fib much noise booing the'^ctb that they threw us but. ThenTN^appleoii drove us to the Brown'\iberby and on the way there we had'a few mpre drinks. ' There..were quite a ffew people Inside that Mr. Bpwery. knew and he yelled hello at them and pretty Booh there - were lo.ts^ bi'.g|lrls' and men In our booth. Mr. Bowery kept Introducing me as hia stqoge bh ac count of how he fbrgbt I was his secretary, ..and pretty .sooii every- body was calling me Stooge. I told soriie riddles from my book of riddles, conundrums and recipes and a man said I was the .funniest stooge he ever saw. V . A lot. of the people feline home wiih Mr. Bowery and me 'arid we laughed and danced and.had high balls until i fell asleep.^. .'..', I didn't wake up until tonight and I wouldn't hav6 believed it was . (Continued on page B5) Parole for Kid Los Angeles,''J'uly'is: Norman Selby (Kid MdCby}, now 89 yearia old; Will b6 paifbled frorii the San Quentin prison-rbiafd' camp, 2B0 miles north of "here," Wedries day. (20) or as soon after''£s State Parole . Officer "Whyte can- ' Investi- gate several jobs in the'^easrt-'that have been ofTered the'-' one-time champ. McCoy WM sent up from Los An-, geles upon: conviction of slaying his 34-year-old sweetheart, Theresa Mbers. ■ '. ■ . Foi' many 'years Selby Was chief of the prison Are departmehti Chi B. 0. Men Backfire On Pari-Mutuel Clerks ~ Chicago^ July 18. ^ Chicaigo Treasurers' Union has stepped into the picture now that outsiders have started to unionize parl-mutuel clerks at the Arlington tra.ck here. ' Legit boys have previously not attempted to unionize the tracks al- though practically all the box bince men during the suinmer layoff are working at the ra^e courses and have been each sunlmer tot years Trieasur erS 'assert ,abouf i OO of/the 166 men eihplpyedj at ^A^llngt^n art either' members bjt the Treasurers already or syriipaithetlc. ; • i, Itilove started thfs. week, after the organizers of the pari^mutiiel clerks' union, announced .iit'- a meeting-that they intended; .to jassess all mem biers 6% of thelt i wiStekly earnings iat tiie track. Legit boys balked .at that'ilrid started Uie.eounfer aglta-' tion. MODERATE BRANDS ()F BOOZE PRICES DOWN Although sufficient' demftrid from those who can stilt afford It is keep ing the - price ':of ' .IJlie ' high-grade booze up, moderatb grades .of istuil are still tbboganhing down the price, scale. ■, . ■ ;. ' ,i' . . , ' Current quotation In New .Tprk for the best available i rye Is $75, The second grade is down to $60 There's not much difl!ererice in the quality, with age only accbunting tOT' the difference in cost. Scotch, iiot much in-demand now- adays, has sunk i to $42 foi' ; all graldes, with: one jv\at as good .as 'Mie' othei*. Big buyer's don't drink'V any; "more unless ithey brlrig It In themselves. Champagne. Is stand- ardized at $76 a ca$e,'while.abslnthe. range^: from $11 to $20 per'^bottle,' Recording tb smoothness. ' | ■ : • ; Prices on glri. are strlctly-.catch- as-catch-caiL Jt ,(|a,n 'be' l^ad^mbst anywhere now-for BOc pw, but you can't tell •wliat you're getting; for tha,t Inoney.'', .Safe "^ih' is' scaled it $1'6 a.case.' , . . ■ * ■ Browns m the Black Or Big Inheritance 'iSyracuse, Jiily 18. Julian S. Brown, whose spe^tobu-' lar theatrical and night club career ended With receiverships, and his brother, Charles S. Brown, will re- ceive the income and interest bf the portion of the $7,000,000 estate of their father, the late Alexander T. Brown, Syracuse capitalist and iri-i •ventor, which was inherited at his death in,. 1929 by his Widow, Mrs. Mary Se^raian.s Brown, under the terms of her will riiade public Sat- urday. , ■ Municipai Court Judge Burton B. Parsons, who is named executor bf the estate and trustee .of the funds- established in the will for the benefit of .the sons','gave the exact v&ltie of the e'state as Unknown, but unoffi- cial figures place the valub in excess of $2,500,000. . Under , the terms of the will, the Incoine iand liiterest of th'e estate is to be paid'In equal amounts to the ,two soris until they reach the age of 60, when th^ trustee is directed to pay them the principal rerinainlng In his care. Both sons In'berlted several mil- lions upon their father's demise. Julian invested heavily in real es^ tate, opened several restaurants) ac- quired the Empire theiitre, chaiKglng Its name to the i>ewltt, and finally erected^ a niirht club;^"^ the Cafe Dewitt, that cost itj;>prbzlmately $300,000. The theatre and the'liigbt 'club proved costly flops,. and Tecelver ships- for all Brown Interests .^and Brown.personally resulted. In addi tion BroWn has. been 'involved: in hia,trimonial actioriiiH^-he has been parried twlce^arid In 'two heart balm' stilts. .' '■ Film" contract actions are periling in the Buffalo bourts.. Broadway, Just a Roadway Now; Nudies Trouble Cops Night bathing has been forbidden by the cops on Long .lslandi no mat- ter how modest' the suit. .. Cops had too much, trouble, they claim, from nude bathers, and had to forbid all swimming. POOCHES' WK. AND OUT London, O., July 18. The West Jefferson dog racing track has been closed for lack of patronage, after a -week's meet. The races were to have continued *br 13 weeks. MARRIACES , Lawi^enc>ii. ;Fertii5 and , Bertha Alexander,' at Great Neck. .1* I., July 8. Bridegrponx is an' ad-vertls- Ing man. ■ Cleo Lucas to John Blalr Hurl- burt' Ih Rerib, Ne-ir^, July 9." -Bride is novelist, sister' of Paul Lucas. Brldegrborii, lioh pro, Frances Dade, screen actress, to. Brock "Van Avery,:of Scarborough, N. T., announced to take place in August; ' Lillian Kansler, former shows^'^^ to Jack KearnS in Rumsbh, N'.. J., July 12. Groom is the Mickey Walker pilot and ex-Jack Deinpsey manager. It's his second marriage. Helen Menken, actress, to Dr. Henry T. Smith, In New Tprk, July 12, Mayor' Walker officiating. " Idabell Kay to Eddie Miller, sing-' er,' at Lake Hopatcong,' N. j., July 12. Groom is on the Friars Club governing . board. Bride Is con- nected with the. .'Chain Store Age.' Charles wmiams, 24;-ot Knoxvllle, Tenn., cowboy perfbrmer with King Brothers Rodeo, to 'Wanda Salet- nisk, 20, at Southbrlde, Mass., Anton F.' Scibilia; theatrical pror; ducer. New York, and Laura Blgr ler, teacher, New Ybrk, have fllfed marriage Iritentiohs at Greenwich, Conn,..-. ; Marjbrie Lucille Terry, film ac- tress, to C. Steel Clark, non-pro., in Yuma, Ariz., July 12. Jack Bocksmith, orchestra leader, to fiertha Gifffn, non-pro, in the fall. • Thelma Todd, film actress, to Pas- quala de'Cicco, non-pro, iri Prescott, Ariz., July 10. Mrs. Marion Mack to Leslie C. Lawler, hpn-pro, In Hollywood, July 16. Bride is former wife of Charles E.'Mack of Moran and Mack. BIRTHS Mr. and Mrs. Frank Finger, son, Santa Monica hospital, July 12. Father is special effects cameraman at Paramount studios. Daughter born to Nick Stuart and Sue Carol at Cedars of. LeTjanon Hospital, Los Angeles, July 18. WoliU AflDid Color^ sMarrii^ib to Blonde Artist Model Caps at 25c and 15c Becomes Big Business Sale of hnen cap^ at 2Sc. and 16c. each, mostly; on street corners or roads leading out bf New York, has become a big business within a few weeks. ' in less than a month hundreds of riibri and boys have been put to work merchandising these caps. Same bystem oi; selling is to be in- troduced out of .town. It's a bo- nanza for: the cap makers, who of recent years have found their mar- ket sadly minimized. . . : ;. 'Tlie Urien caps are sold Wholesale at $1 a dQzen.' At; 15c. each the profit Is exactly 6 2-3c. per visor. NICKEL-Di-StOT POKER LOOMS FOR COAST TRIAL " Manchester, Conn., July 1&. i The secret elopement and mar- riage, of Marshall.Thompson,.negro> i>ardoned wife murderer iarid now trombone playei: in a colored or- {shestra, to Gertrude E^ 'Pohlmah of this city, blonde model at a Hart- ford art school, has the bride's pa- rents, residents of Manchester, planning to attempt.. to have the marriage annulled. ' Thompson was released from Connecticut state prison May 4, liast, after serving 17 years bf a life sen- tence for the murder of his wife. The model. In the ' marriage li- cense, ga've heir color as black. The Pohlman family is 'white. ' Los Apgeles, July 18. Pin-marble, games; losing. In pop- ularity here, are^ b^ing ta.ken out of nbn-paying spots to be shipped to Honolulu, that has yet to be Intro- ducisd to the nevf , device. : Meanwhile, prompters have a new stunt to be. introduccid; In' a few weeks as a nickel entlcer. It's a slot inachine atrangbment that Shuffles and deals five cards In six different positibhsl... Idea is for the players to bet which wUl b.® the best poker hand. High Presh Gim Wets m Bone Dry Wash. Tacoma, iiVash., Juty 18. W'lth this state always having bebki bone dry and ' sbntiment against the Volstead baiters pronounced, the wet organizations now have in the field several hundred highpowr' ered salesmen, circus bairkers <ahd bankrupt businesaimen circulating petitions in all the cities, towns and byways asking fo^ repeal of the measure through a referendutt^ at the next legislature. The circulators make regular openings and quiclk spiels to the passerby, in some Instances. block- ing traffic, but they are getting the names.of the voiters to the petitions. They are paid, a certain amount for the signature of ;each" re|;istered voter, some of them making' as much as $4 a day. Many women are also but with the petitions, but '. the wet voters are steering cleair of the fair sex- fearing their petitions inight be for prohibition. Broadway Is' Anything biit Broadr '[ way. these summer dbg days. 'Broadway Ain't Broadway . More,' .is being^ mulled over as a ' dirge for the most colorful Main" Street in the •world." : ' ' Much has been written, about, the. changing character of Brbad'way but never does It hit one as- does the stark shadow of today's Broad-; way compared to the grandeur and the glory, that Uised to be. Delancey street with Its push- *, carts obstructing the traffic ttaS'^ cbrine to' Broadway. Grand street ^ with its cut-rate, fly-by-night shops, selling everything.: from cut-rate .. books to cut-rate, feminine apparel, J is how Broadway. Its congloriieratlon of Bowery ; bums and Bronx boobs 'and Brook- •' lyn bohunks who clog the' sidewalks ; have> chased the 'reigular Broadway 'i promenadors over to the more effete ii east side. . . ; : .•. Conby. Island's r mtdWay effect lb ' spreading from 42hd street into the:, very heart of .Ti^nes Square. Thi» • elite Gaiety,' long a. choice legit'' stand, auccumbpd to the cinema billy for de liixe two-a-day ^ film .' exhibitloris, but ' from. Its .We6Wy : change grind Pplicyj It' lias, now gone Minsky: burlesqued', : .'. The Central theatre now houses an elaborated colored revue on a ' igrlnd fro,m '2Bc to 75c. • But seven legits'are left lii,clud-': Ing two revivals'. There is no legit. show on 42nd street. The Palace^ from Its ex&lted music-hall pbsltlbri, has forsaken grind 'fpur-a-day:i vaude, for second run films and six! acts. '.■■",'•' The Riyoll and Sflalto were saved, from darkness at the llih hour; the Criterion Is a . signboard for coming attractions; the Roxy .Is ' clAsed; the Hippodrome likewise.. 7?he two <blg de luxe, cinemas,' alone "are. the' Paramount ^.and; the Capitol. The Roxy's ' nightly ■ tungsten display, fair into,the night, advertising that the house wilt re- ■ open July ^9'',ls bUt a grlnajtl^tolt . to theatrical -.wblsenheimbril that, such seems futile for tl^e moment in view of the 'financial .coniplica- tions.'^ ; : Cabarets are gray ghosts pf their.. former selves. The' Hollywopd res- taurant's mciss turn-over with $li60- ^ (Continued on page S3) WHAT, NO. PICTURE? The Heat Got Ma - 'After all that raving last week about my picture at the head of this column I was Informed, thjat It was too late Friday. to make a cut. I thought In these days It "wab never ^00 late to' make a, cut. Ho^freyer, I'm hoping, for the be'stl.. arid next week my dream might coriie tniie. ■ • ■ Q'U«t*. True ; Paul. Yawltz describes "Washingr ton as the place where Hoover gave himself a 20% cut in salary at a time when ; Democrats would have appreciated a 20% cut in his term of oflflce. Themfl Sona« Rockefeller's 'Am I WasUng My Dime?' and the sucker's cry to his girl friend, "I'll Be Glad When You're Fed, You Rascal You." The Right Price Al, of the crying Goldmana, in- forms that a guest complained to him the other night when charged $1.25 for a cheese sandwich, but was consoled when Al told him the holes were hand made. The Baer Facts 'Bugs* Baer upon meeting Sid .Skolsky for the first time was sur- prLsed at his size. He remarked; 'That guy could do light housekeep- ing in a lily cup.' Irony Then there's the story of a speak- easy that was . closed because It didn't have any. dancing license. The Head Man Harry . Rosenthal ^^iplained to Barrister Abe Berti(ian that he in- tended to go in'bankruptcy. Abe told him; it, was okay, but it wpuld cost around $200:' Harrjr told 'Abe (Continued on page 53) Dog Track Trouble Hollywood, July l6. Should judge McMann, of CTulver City, decide in favor of the 13; de- fendants being officers and erriploy- ecs of the Culver City Kennel Club, for 'V'iQlatipn of the state security law. in not delivering dogs obtained on option at races. District Attorney Fifts, who is the Complainant, will appeal to the state's Attorney (Sen-* eral to close the track until latter can determine whether the track has specifically violated the law. It is figured such investigation would require one month. In the • mean- time the track is annihilating night business in the theatres around town; The hearing is due tomor- rbw (Tue.sday>v Roosevelt Favorite ii Coast Air Straw BaDot Hollywood, July 18. It's Roosevelt on the coast, if a straw 'vpte conducted "by KNX, Ipcal ether .station,. Is ^ny Indication.. Station .asked for preferencej3,/'get-' ting more than 10,000 answers which ran better than three to one, for the New York governor. . Answers came from all far west- ern states. California, doubtful state, showed better than two arid a half to one for Roosevelt; Wash- ington and Nevada, seven to one; Arizona, six to one, aiid Mbritana, two to one. President Hoover Is favored In Idaho, eight'to seven; Utah, 10 to seven; (Colorado <and 'Wyoming, ■ two to one, • - Coast Spii^ CHTcnit > Hollywood, July 18. Scenting, coin frbirt visitors for , the Olympics, bootleggers are es- tablishing the circuit Idea of Opera- tion for spoakeasies. Dealing exclusively In beer, speaks are being spotted all over. The suds are brewed In whplesale quantities to; retail at a mlntriium of: 36 cents a quart. - . . Meanwhile the gpvernment is re- ported sending 50 additional Federal men Into the territory to help dry the town during the games. . WikLTEE PASSES IHBOUGH Buffalo, July 18. Walter WlnchcU did • a Garbo while visiting Niagara Fblls with Mrs. Winchell, Monday (11). Dogged' by Inquisitive reporters the Main Stem's whlie-haired boy insisted that he had nothing to say. The Winchells arrived at the Falls Sunday arid Investigatiori failed to reveal the manner of ar- rival, departure or th^lr destination.