Variety (Aug 1932)

THiesilay, Aagust 9, 1932 nasic-NiiTE cLiiBS VAKtETT 4S Inside Stuff-Music Despite the reported excitement among music men in their present Iracas with radio, over broadcastlne^ income, radio i6 taUne the present iBltuatibn stoically, considering an adjustment necessary but strictly In; • business way. Radio looks for a settlement of fhe Issues but oh a strictly royalty, basis, with., coming.. negotiations finally : ironing out all 4ifferences that may exist. This attitude is expressed by the' highest radio sources although priyately, but may be taken .to.: indicate that while the radio people ta,ke the matter seriously they are. not . considering the situation as severe as some music people would have It believed. . ' The reported 9:1,260,000 annual estimate may be taken as a basis for liirther hegotlations with the probabllltyvlook^d for that a compromise- . will come before 41ie month is, out. Ben Bernie's brother, Dave, who looks a lot like Ben, but who uses the nom-de-ether of Dave Dalton professionally, encountered Boxy and M.H. Aylesworth, the RKO-NBC e^eCs. Roxy, who knows Ben, mistook Pave for. th9 Alma Mater maestro, and in turn introduced Bernie, frere, to After exchanging pleasantries, Dave, doing straight that hd was Ben as a matter of courtesy, thanked both execs for their friendly invitations, explained that he was booked solid, etc., bij(t observed:- 'However, if you really want to do me a favor I wilsh you'd give my kid brother Dave Bernie, who uses Dal ton as a professional billing, a -break.' New central distribution system of popular music will place 90% of the business under direct publishers' control, it figures to greatly minimize the jobber—the middle-man—Whose sole function may be as the vendor of the standard issues, as the new combine will not stock up «n anything but the currently .moving • song publications. Tbmniie Malte, armless songwriter, who hung around the old Water- i^on, Berlin & Snyder offices in New York some years ago, and who co- «,uthored many pop tunes, never had that $.100,000 which was joutrial- iistically accredited him upon his death in the charity ward of the county hospital in Chicago. ' " . Theodore Celle (pronounced 'cello) maKes hihl su musickl paradox oy name as he is one of the outstanding harpists In the field, playing with the N§w York Phllliarmonlc and composing for the Boston Symphony and .other crack orchestras, .-r Well known songwriter was approached by a rival publisher to turn out some tunes under a nom-de-plume. Songwriter's own firm found out about the attempted double-cross and the burn la on. Shortage of Detroit Masic Union's Fond Causes hvestigafion Detroit, Aug. Q. investigation -of the. accounts of the Detroit. Federation of Musicians union have dls.closed shortages, and mishandling o£ accounts running Into thousands .of dollars with the officers who retired in April to be held accountable. Charges are be- ing sifted by a committee of the local with course of action to be decided on within a week. . Charges are expected to be made to the. Michigan Stat^ Board of, Accountr ants against the accountants who took care of the books in the past, Charges are said to include that a contingent fund totaling $16,000 was used for Illegal purposes and loans made to officials running into thou- sands .'of dollars, without permission of the Board of Directors. . The old general ledger, checks and check stubs are jnlssing for the past years. ■Willa.m Biailey, president for 17 years until the past April, when he resigned and.Abe Jffcobson,.secre- ta.ry, were the officials under whom the discrepancies appear. Of a total of $60,000 loaned by the relief fund about 30% was borrowed by the officials,' one of whom, the' president, was getting $10,000 a year. These loans Were made with- out interest aiid also without au- thority of the board. There Is also no way 6f. determining whether the loans .were repaid in full or part. William- Bailey resigned last Spring when the prJcsldent's salary was reduced from $10,000 a year. At the annual election at that time W. H. Sclimeman'was elected preisi- dent and ordered" a compliete audit. The committee of seven are to decide whether criminal action will be taken.' The charges against the accountants will be that they made erroneous and incomplete reports. About 75% of the members of the local are unemployed and may be In dire want, hence the loss of funds Is very seriously taken. De Beck Is Lookingr for ,: Another *3amfey Google'- Bllly de Beck's hew comic strip for King -Features Will be tied up with a pop song of the saine nanie, 'Georgie Lee and Me,' for* DeSylva; Brown & Hendferson. . As with 'Bajrney Google,' which was tinpanalieiyized, de Beck will collab oh the lyric.and draw ia comic title page. • •• Another cartoonist gone sohg- writer is Peter Arno for Shapiro- Bernstein in a eohg composed by Dick Himbfer, band booker for Rudy Vallee. . Ash to Play One Night Stands in '. Dance Halls Los Angeles, Aug. 8, Taking , the same 14-plece band which he had at the RKO Hill- street here, Paul; Ash will play the dance halls in the Iios Angeles dis- trict, f<)r brie night each. Ten piece floor, show will accoriipahy.p Dates In Pasadena, Long Beach and Balboa already- have been-ax-.^ ranged, tour starting Thursday (ll) at Pasadena. If venture is successful, former m. c. will rotate over a circuit Central Credit Bureau, Sii^Ie 6iH for AD Pubs and Uniform PAR AND METRO MUSIC FIRMS' TIFF OVER TITLE Famous Music Co., publisher to Paramount; is turned up at Rob- bins Music Corgc>., Metro's song pub. The fiohg title 'Love Me Tonight' from' Chevalier's yet-to-be-r<eleased Par picture is the cause of their difCerences. • Robbins' has .already issued a song of that hame, not inspired by the Par fllih; and Famous squawks that- it'll jeopardize its own pub- lication of th^ same label.. Robbins' .*Love Me Tonight' was authored by BIng Crosby, "Victor Young and Ned Washington,- and was originally published by Young's Indie music, firm. Lawxence Co., in which Irving- Mills: and Tommy Rockwell, -the'radib-band mianagers, are also interested. Bobbins' de- fense is that it took the number over ifrom ..an' indie .firm several months before . Chevalier's songs were, written.,by Rodgers and Hart. Brunswick has already made a Crosby recording of that song;; Larry Spier, Famous' head, has other views on the subject and has referred the matter to the Para- mount film attorneys. FRENCH W SAVAGE MUSIC BY NATIVES . Paris, Aug. 1. Savage music, recordied In Africfin and Asiatic wilds, will soon bo pub- lished in disc form. Ilecordlng was done by French explorers in Nigeria and Indo-Chlnii. It is how studied in the Colonial museum at the Trocadero, Paris, and given, in re- stricted concerts, pending public re- lease.' ■ Establishment of a ilbrary. of about 1,000 records is planned, com- prising mostly primillve music. . Harold Berg East Hollywood, Aug. 8. Harold Berg has left for Detroit and New "York. In N. Y. he'll pick up his former song writing partner, M. K. Jerome, and return to' the coast with an eye at'the studios. Pair were at Wsirners during the musical sold rush. Steinman Due Max Rabinoff is importing the Russian maestro, Steinman, to wield the baton for his $1 grand opera season starting in New York next October for 20 weeks and thence in Chicago at the World's Fair. Chaliapih recently accused Stein- man of not knowing how to conduct, but It got so much press attention it is suspected of being a press stunt abroad, where it happened. HBO LEADS OFF Club Lido, rNew'York, will reopen the end of this nibnth. Lbu Schwartz at the helm with name attractions and a couvert charge. Save' for the El Patio and El Garron,. the couvert became out- moded with the depresh, but it's Schwartz' Idea to get the hop on the other snoot spots by opening early. NBG AIRS FEISCO SYMPL San Franciscoi Aug. 8. Local symphony opened Its. sum- mer season at civic Auditorium Fri- day night (5) with heavy attendance of 6,000. NBC broadcast Sir Hamilton Harty's coniCert, first time radio has put on the mu.<5ical events from the auditorium. PAVILLON ROYALE (GUY LOMBARbO) All of Long island must have been at John and Christo's roadhouse In- sfltution Sunday hight, with the spacious outer garden so packed that the overflow hoofers shifted to the indoors smaller floor and were content to strut , their stuff as Guy Lombardo's superb dansapatlon came through the magnavox. Sun- days-have ^always been big nlghtst with the professional talent drawing the ' BroadwayiteS' and the usual weekenders from the shore spots, whereas the Pivllloh'dtlrin'g the rest of the/week^.l.?'less al fresco and: more glyen to cbnservative patron- age from the better north and south shore resorts. On those nights the customers Just want to dance, and would. In truth, resent-any floor show Inter- ruption. Sunday night saw. George Qlvot m> c.'ing, with FbWler and Tamara whamming 'em with their flnished ballroom dancing. Win Shaw was another paid attraction. , As' ever a looker. Miss Sha-itf reminds of a cross between Kay Fr;ahcls and Helen Morgan, having succeeded the latter Ih the last ''Follies.'■ From the ' patronage, William O'Neal, the 'New' Moon' and 'Desert Song' singer,'wals called oh and wals equally as seh;5atl6nal as the danc- ers In the applause barage. O'Neal chiefly inspires the thought why he hasn't • been signbd for the ether. That top tenor of his seems a sure- fire show stopper. He Jiad to beg off after 'Loyer Come Back to Me' and 'One Alone.'' Ted Clalrb, tlie film housie m. d and Joe Lewis, were other volun- teers. • Lewis, vet cafe m. c, was completely defeated by the. mike stating he can't compete with that thing staring In his face. Long established as a sure-fire m". c. in a more Intimate - Interior, .the large Pavilion capacity was too much for him. Abel. French ResortsV Economy Hurting Ail Musicians Paris, Aug. 1. Musicians are feeling badly the penny ptnchinig of the reisorts which cannot alitbrd this year to go in for the isame nut as usual, due to guests spending less. Spas nbrmally ruhning tv/o big otchestras are only., runping .a smaller one, and there, is compara-. tively more unemployment than ever.-, - • ; ■ ; - Qpestion If Radio Means Anything To Sheet Music Sales Argument that multiplicity of radio plugs means little to the ac- tual sale of a song is sustalhed by ■Wltmarks' 'Shanly in Old Shanty- Towh,' the current No. 1 seller, not being among the first 10 most per- formed songs, while the others are not selling quite as well. Radio has helped the following -to' come to prominent attention, as fbr example DeSylva's 'It was iSo Beautiful* which tops the list with 68 ren- ditlohs oh the major New York stations, but the' paradox tiiat 'Shanty,', not among the first 10, outsells them all, is food for conf sideirable thought to the music men. In sequence, 'Beautiful' last week was given 63 plugs over the two networks' stations (WABC, WJZ and WEAF),. WOR and WMCA. These are clocked only as the major plugs. 'Just Another Dream of YouV'was sung, or played 48 times; •If You Were Only. Mine,'; 39; 'Hold- Ihg My .Honey's Hisinds,' 3T; 'Palm of Tojir Hand,' 30; ^Nl&ht When Love Was Born,' '33; 'Sleep, Come and Take Me,' 36; 'isanlcli^g: on tH^ Weather.' 'Silent Love'. ^rnd 'Hold' My Hand,* 33. each... , , -.. That a radio-made hit such as 'Lullaby , of the Leaves' 'has sold only 130,000 so far and 'Silent Love,' No. 2 at that tinrii^, bn)y 80,000, Is causing, everybody plehty of con- cern. Move among 13 of the 'leading music p'ubllshers to merge their shipping, bookkeeping and credit- rating operations into a central, cooperative Unit has reached the orgahizatibh'pplnt. Holding corporation . to embrace these manifold interests has al.- ° ready been created and officers and the administrative committee elected. -Only thing now left to embark the music industry upon its deternilned' attempt to save a fast- sinking business, with the elimina- tion of the jobbei' as one of the" objectives, Js the 'signaturing of cohtracts by members of the comr • bine and the donation of fiinds to^ get the unit> goings These matters are expected to be takfen care of < at a meeting of the group sched- - uled for tomorrow (10). Corporation' hais - been labelled Music Dealers Service, Inc., witbi, Edgar F. Bltner (Feist) as pr^sl--. dent. Buddy .Morris (Witmark), vice-president Louis Bornsteln (Shapiro-Bernstein), treasurer, Sol Bernstein - (Berlin's), assistant treasurer, -a.nd Bobby Crawforifl ■ (be Sylva, Brown & HepdersOn), secretary. Initial 'admlni^tratl've.; board, assiisned to the task of over- seeing the unit's operations,. la, made up of. Walter DoUglas, Sbl Bernstein and Bobby. Crawford.. Setup bf; these administrative, com- , mittees, as now planned, will be (Contihued on page. 46) : , TERRACiE GARDENS Chicago, Aug. ' 6. One of the oldest of the Chicago cabarets, and stlU the most attrac- tive artistically. Terrace Gardens, runs along without a lot of hulla- balloo year after year doing a nice substantial business because it pro- vides good value at moderate cbst. It is not a rendezvous for the dia- mond stickpin boySi Its clientele is composed of young fellows and their best girls or older citizens taking out the family. They are neither saps nor spendthrifts. At present the orchestra is headed by Frankie Masters, who Iboks like a college sophomore, but has ump- teen years of experience as a musi- cian and an entertainer for Balaban & Katz, That schooling gives Mas- ters an assurance and poise which makes him very much at home in making announcements and other- wise rlngmasterlng the floor show. From the picture theatres Masters also brings an appreciation and knack for novelties. He keeps the orchestra up in bits, production Chi fnblisher-BasebaOers takes Qrchs. for 5 Straight Chicago, Aug;. 8. An angry rumble of frustration has gone up from the dahce bands oif "Chicago. Five orchestras,. layr ing aside their instruments and tak- ing up the baseball bat, have Diet the music publishers' stalwart lads from the Woods building. And Ave times the musicians have eaten the bitter dust of defeat. With the Publishers on the long end the following scores were made against, these opponents: ■ 6- ^7<3harley Agnew Orchestra 7- 3—Carl Shrelber Orchestra 14-6—Johnny Maltland Orchestra 10-3—Clyde McCoy Orchestra . 9-4—Carl Moore Orchestra, Publishers' team Includes: Catcher, Irving Schallman (Irving Berlin); pitcher. Earl. Hayden (Rbbblhs); Ben a,nd Jimmy Cairns (Santley); Milt Samuels, /Jack Perry (Kelt- Engei); Marty Fay , (Shapiro); Joe 'Vyinston (Feist);. Harry Relnhold ("Witmark); a[nd Jesse Stool (Dcr Sylva, Brown & Henderson). . Publishers go up iagainst the Ted Weems orchestra next week. numbers, and merriment-inducing hokum. They broadcast regularly over NBC locally. On straightaway dansapatlon the tempo is right and the floor crowded. Masters Is on the boulevard to a new career now that :he m.c. thing Is a closed chap- ter. In a professfonal sense his weakness Is in being primarily of limited reputation. But in Chicago, whe-t that reputation is concen^ trated he's okay on all points. Standing out In the floor show w«/e the Reynolds Sisters, couple of cuties with ingratiating person- alities. No cover charjge and a $2 dinner, worth the price, and with an atmosphere about the place un- diminished by the years the Terrace Gardens keeps to its own even keel. Land. Those Who Buy Records Only (m» fbr ihe Majors . .Chicago,. Aug. 8, .- What little business is being done in mechahlcalB is by lAe 76-centera. Cheap discs are 'off inore. than tW' flbssj? iJla'tters'. Trade ■expiah^iloh is .that It's a. , question ' pt.. 0017^' versus. artist - Cheap-: records give- the iitiyer. • song. 'Standard'grade delivers ah' artist. Difference in price'sie«mlhgly' mcans^little 'to those .who buy. ^bAb today.;' .tooij .peoplie .can't ey^p r'.c ford the .2$-centers and the 3.-for.-|l bargaln-ipeekers bave thinned ou^. 'Meanwhile the big companies,! Victor, -Columbia and Brunswick^ Instead ^f- feeling- any. gladntitia the bHeap 'labels 'fall :by. the way-* side, regret ,ifo see the Independefit' dls.t-cuttew gb' ibjJt 'of.' buslnsi^ About'20 labels, most of them. eel4 dom heard of except In Jobbing houses.,-have disappeared in the last year either through consolidation or lack of Incentive to continue. Frisco's Doubieheader ' ■ I .• - * ■ ^ San Francisco, Aug. 8. Two local cafe entertainers are oh the receiving end of divorce petl-^ tions: brought by their wives this week. ■ - ■ ' Josephine Joah Bahr, Strand cash- ier, is seeking sieverance of marital ties froni Jimmle' Barr, charging desertlpn, . , , : Ethelyn ■■ Poe. is charging failure to provide In papers askihg her roi - lease from Les Poe, former Coffee- Dan pianist. ^ III! 1 mHi BAKER, BEN BtXSlSS, WAI.TER UIBSCH TiironKh MILLER MUSIC offer . STRANGE-INTERLUDE A Kew SoBB