Variety (Nov 1932)

VASmTY TIMES SO II A BE TSiesda^, November 22, 1932 C HA T T E Pittsburgh By . Hal Cohen Brian McDonald, back In town at Nixon cafe. Tlie lid's clampGd tight again on , burg's speakB and gambling dives. Bob Newkirk makes his own ■ fudge, but otherwise he's all right, Bill Zellor, let out recently as H5n^ right mgr., off to Milwaukee for Fox Mldwesco chain. " Jonathan Hole coming on for Bd Vall to guest-star at Pitt in 'Whla tlhig in the Dark.' Show Boat latest night club to strike out under a 'no cover charge. ° M any time* policy. Three unexpected bank closings, last week didn't do the towns' bus! ■ ness morale any good. Dick Ware, a nlte-club m. c. tqv years around here, row ut the Mont' marte cafe In Chicago. Variety- club turned out en masse at Nixon cafe for Barker Brian Mc ' Donald's opening there. Kaapar Monahans—he's dramatic . editor .df the 'Press'—are expecting : an addition to the family. Friends here tickled about Dick Xelbert's break. He goes to Radio . City as theatre organist Nov. 27. Charlie Smith, mgr. of Davis when' house tried unsuccessfully to revive two-a-day vaude, now at the Fulton. . Jerry Blanchard In towji recuper- ating from a serious Illness, which sent her to bed for month ih New , ..Orleans. Vincent Xopez booked for four ~ tve<eks at William: Penn's Chatter- , box after he closes his Chicago en- gagement. Local friends of Betty (Canities') , Veronica learned .only last week of her two-year.-old marriage to Harry \8tockwell, •Waddy' Watson . third advance man Meitrb has had here on 'Stranj^e Interlude,' other two having hurried out on •Prosperltsr' campaign. Rochester By Doa RMord Rochester Scienlc Studios bahk- Tupt. Hav Nash explolteer for Shine In Rochester. * Ray Fagan orchestra goes vaude at the Riviera. . . . John C. Graham is new manager of The Sagamore. Kenneth. Bdllies Joins 0). & C BtafE as copyreader. . . ., Civic Orchestra switches Sunday co;icerts fromi matinee to nite. Thelma Blracree and Miles En- sign to stage ballet with 100 dancers at the Easunan, Nov. 26>26. . Amelia Earhart Putnam guest of. Edward Peck Curtiss. war ace, and Mrs. Curtiss on visit to cttyi 1, Marriage of ,Irene HInkle of poward Thurston show'to Dr. Baldr' win Martin, dentist, announced. I J. Gordon Baldwin, orgahlst, sued for divorce with complaint citing girls from Loew's Rochester stage. Old Shattuck theatre, Hornell. being remodeled at cost of $80,000 for New Tear opening by Warner Bros. A, Wilbur Nelson of the 'Journal' . becomes public relations man for the» National Board of Fire Under- writers. Bin Adams of WHEC staff goes to WNAC, Boston. Howard Bloom- field succeeds as publicity and con- tinuity writer. Walter "Wagner, owner of the Clarldge HoteU and Bessie JCappelle of the Kappelle Sisters, announce marriage last February. • In town, and many more Just hang- ing on, a n^w 1,600 seater Is being contemplated on the South side, John Camerbn Swayze In his col- umn,' Broadcasting,' In the 'Jour- nal-Post,' uses a bunch of late stuff from ^Variety.' AH duly credited. Announced that Hlnda Waiisau Is deserting burlesque and following her engagement here, goes to the Big Town to Join one of BlUie Rose's shows. Tom Powers, with the 'Another lianguage' company, playing the Shubert, gave si 16-mlnute talk over WDAF, on 'Anecdotes of the. Stage or What I Know About Other Ac-; tors.' Smith Ballew and his orchestra opened at the Hotel Muehlebaoh Saturday, replacing Henry Busse.'s band., Maxihe Tappln, local singer, goes trouping with the Busse or- ganization. Management of the Midland fired heavy bombs from the roof of the theatre late Saturday evening ex- ploiting a preview of 'Prosperity.' Affair had not been announced and many thought It was in honor of the American Royal. Ha. • He's been assisting the orchestra out at Birmingham-Southern col lege. Rubin & Cherry shows are dO' sorting Montgomery as winter quarters this year and wintering at Tampa, Fla. Only a short time after his grandmother died Johnny 'tILa.clx. Brown also lost his mother, Mrs. Hattle E. Brown.^ Rtfbert Wilby seems to halve put that magic touch of his on the Ala- bama. . The house Is doing some nice business now. Dallas By Rudy Oonat . Charlie Koerher in New York. Ralph Lowman has a .hew sign. Hal Robb recouping from malaria. F. D. Nance new booker for WB- PN. ..- Palace back to Thursday open-, Ings. Film row boasts of three million- aires. Kaurice Barr shifts to. New Or- leans. Theo. Kosloff back from west coast. J. B. Underwood working for a prize. . Duke Evans moves I closer to rlalto. W. Ray Johnston in for short pause. Carl liambertz doing his share for charity. Melba first main stem deluxer to drop to 40c. F. J.. Barry dropped, in to fligger up the Col ex. Ben HIU, 'Dispatch' sports scribe, has a stage yen. fugitive' drew some real blood for Publix-Melba. Amy Keese put in week as ^uest warbler at Palace. Allan Foran, one time headllner, peddling newspapes. Jerry 'O'Reilly sez she's a cousin of Mary Miles Mlnter. ' Mrs. Karl Hoblltzelle doing some acting ior Little theatre. Bert Willougfiby still the envy of the town with his rasslln shows. £111 Augustln scouted legrit pros-, pects.for this burg, to see if thsy're worse than last year. Downtown .merchants. taklner the. Jump on Satita .with annual Xmas parade shifted up to Nov. 25. Publicity resulting from cops' raid on her strip act at Hippodrome, rated Boots Burns Job -with a Chi tab. Considerable talk of Peggy Fears doing the angel act for Bagdad, ail- ing night spot- Only, Peggy's not doing the talking. Kansas City By Will R. Hughes Emll Chaquette and band keep- ing things hot at Sn-pa-Bar Oar-, dens. Lawrence Lehman home' from a RKO meeting In Chicago, with a bad cold. Rumored that 'Strange Interlude' film will be seen as a road show at the Shubert. . American Royal broke both' *^^atlnee and evening attendance records opening day. Jack Miles and his band have moved Into the Bellerive, following ^ Glen Gray and his Casa Loma or- ■j lihestra. HI Barney JofEee was given a Jubilee F party by the hired hands at the Up- town when the house went first run Sunday. Star's artists conception of how Joan Crawford, Guy Klbbee and Walter Huston .look in the picture ^Ratn' is a rare piece of art Theatre managers' recently or- ganized, association has started to function and. some real develop- ^ jnents are expected to result. With a number of dark theatif^s Hrmmgiiaiii By Bob Brown Sunday shows okay at Fairfield. Herble Kay at Tutwller last week. Dick Nucbols Is proud of that new baby. Oscar Wasson doesn't like Sun- day shows. Only one or two fairs in the whole South this year. The five cent taxi dancehas folded for lack of nickels. Walling Keith was up f rpiii Mont gomery the other week-end. P. E. Blankenshlp .is one of the hardest working house managers In town. Henry Vance and Percy Rosen- berg are back on the air again over WBRC. It's Charlie Ryan that writes those 'After Midnights' for 'Age- Herald.' George Roberson is getting a real taste of this weather the Sunny South has. W. Clyde Proctor, former news- paper man here, died at Durham, N. C, recently. Rumors of vaude again popping up and are repeated for Just what they are Worth. W. C. Spiers of New Orleans, At- lanta, and other villages, now re- siding In this metropolis. . Pickled whales are touring the South again. The Pacific Whaling Company Is doing the venturing. . .Circus and carnle folks stream- Irig into town for the winter months. Tom Allen beat them all in. ' It's Prof. Wllllaih Nappl now. Radio CUy Scale (Continued from piage 14) ; $1. New Roxy has a capacity of 3.T00. Run By Roxy While the two Radio City theatres will be ah adjunct of RKO, they will be run entirely independently by Rbxy himself.. Erno Rapee, NBC musical director, will be the music chief for both spots, under Rb^. Treasurer departments of the two theatres will come under the direct tion of Herman Zohbel, RKO bom- pany treasurer. Publicity posts of the two houses will be subject to. supervision by Robert Bisk, head of the RKO advertising and. publicity departments. The complete personnel and ad- ministration staff of Radio City which, headed by Roxy, includes: Leah Klahr, secretary to .3oxy; S. Jay Kaufman^ assistant to Roxy; J. H. Turner, administration direc- tor; Charles Oriswold< head house manager; David Canava,n mainte- nance. Leon Leonldofit will be! director of productions. Under him will come Russell Markert, director of . the Roxeyettes; Florence Roggee and Lazar Oalpern, ballet. . ' Scenery will be in charge of Rob- ert Edmund Jones, noted stage de- signer. James Reynolds and Hattle Rogge will be in charge, of cos- tumes. Stage manager is William Stem. Robert Reud wl'l handle publicity on the Radio City Music Hall and Maratha Wilchlnskl will be in charge of publicity on the new. Roxy. Anita Grannis will assist Reud. Stem's assistants' include Joseph Ijosey and P. j; McCarthy. Eugene Braun is electrical engineer; Harry Hlller sound engineer and Max Manning sound effects. Th9 type of program which Aoxy. will present at the Muslo Hall .will Include pageants with huge produc- ton numbers, that will be patterned in revue form. The pageant* will be built each for a month's running and \^I1I range in character from grand opeira to Jazz.' This was anhounced by Roxy, at. a lupcheon to the drama and music critics of the New/Tork dallies held Monday (21). Today. CTues) Roxy i^ holding a luncheon , for the pic- ture and radio editors. The opening program will Include among othbrs Weber and Fields, Ray Bolger, Borrah Mlnevlch and De Wolf Hopper. This is addition to Vera Schwartz, noted German contralto, specially brought over from Berlin, and Harold Kriautz- berg and Martha Graham, famous dancers. There win be a ballet of 108 girls and the Roxyettes will comprise 48 Instead of the former 24 In the line. The pit band will comprise 90 mu- sicians and will be built along symphonic lines, but orga.nized. for either classical or modem music. Besides all this, Roxy Is bringing up from the south the famous col- lored Tuskegee Choir from Ala- bama, a group of 100 voices. This will bo In addition to the regular house choir that will have 110 voices. On Sundays at noon, Roxy will resume the musicians' aid concerts which he Inaugurated at the old Roxy. These weekly concerts will have 220 musicians. First concert will be on Christmas (Sunday, 26) under Leopold Stokowskl. conduc- tor of the Philadelphia Symphdny Orchestra. This initial concert of thie series and under Roxy'ft personal sui>er- vlslon, will be broadcast through NBC and its radio outlets abroad. Proceeds go to the musicians' aid fund. Roxy also described the stage and curtain appurtenances of the house. The curtain display In It- self is operated, by a system of 13 motors and can be manipulated to make various different designs and making an exhibit Itself lasting minutes. . . The lighting system to be used in the Music Hall, Roxy stated. Is big enough to supply a city the size of Minneapolis. KANSAS CITY (Continued from page 8) up. Adverse reviews in the Sunda> papers '&\so hurt. Eetimates for This Week Liberty (Dublnsky) (SW; 16r26)— 'Goldeii West' (Fox). Prices seem to be Just what a lot of the fan:: want, but only $2,200,' poor. Last week 'Night Mayor' (Col) fair $2,800. Mainttreet (RKO) (8,200;. 2&-36- 60).— Conquerors' (Badlo) and vaude. Dlx-Hardlng names mean o lot here and better.than normal bus- iness Is expected. Opened well and held strong oveip the week end. Ex- pected to draw near $17,000, oke. Last week 'Alk- Mall' (U) held steady for $16,200, fair.. Midland (Loew) (4,000; 25-36-60) —'Prosperity'. (M-G). A woman In every one of the 4,000 seats for the opening mat shows that the Dress- ier-Moran team a)«. surefire trlth the feminine fans. Weekend per-: formancbs also ' good, with! lots' of men, who were interested even in a picCtue of : the much discussed prosperity. Looks god for a strong $21,000. Last week 'Ralnr (UA) was hurt by the reviewers, \frho thumbs- downed it. The. final, count up was $18i000,falr. Nawthan (PubUx) ,(1.800; 25-86- 50)—'One Way Passage' (WB). Al- though it. has'b^en quite a number bf years since 'William Powell was a student In the local Central high school, the faculty and students still make a fuss about him and help sell his pictures, and. this one Is no exception. Will likely show a good $11,000. Last week 'Fugitive' (WB), $12,000. Seattle Goes for Twin BiUs; 'Mouthful' $10,000 Seattle. Nov; 21. Notices for clbslng of the RKO Orpheum Dec. 1. Nothing further definite regar.dlng. closing, but like- ly house win Jiot be dark long. New reopening policy may be band, vaude. and plx. Straight plx policy hsis proved wash but for this sppt. Showmen already worrying about pre-Chrlstmas drop-off. Nothing hot- this week'. Paramount has been doing consistent biz, being the only stags show in town, and thus hav-. ing a better break than ever before. Oke features ever sincb reopening month ago with big stage' ishow units has been keeping the house in the black. Double-bill policy at Fox is bring- ing up the grossbs. Fifth avehue has nice sbtup with Farrell-Gaynor In 'Tess.' "Liberty using 'Klondike' was figured to have special local appeal as this town was gateway to the great KlondHce stampede of '98, but bi£ is slow. ' Estimates for This Week Paramount (FWC) (3,106; 25-66) —'Tou- Said a Mouthful' (WB). First WB at this house. Playing Axp Joe E Brown in bigger typie than plx. Stage oke but in second spot billing 'Shanghai,' Oriental revue with MI-Na and Nee-Sa Long. Buf- fano's band and Gaylord Carter or- ganlog oke. Looks $10,000, which Is fair but not profit. Last week 'Big Broadcast' (Par) with stage show, 'Georgia Minstrels' plenty oke at $16,600. Fifth Ave. (FWC) (2,300; 26-56)— 'Tess of thr Storm Country* (Fox). Steady biz at this centrally located house. $9,000 Is only fair. Story deemed too old. Last week 'Too Busy to' Work' (Fox) held up to $8,600. Orpheum (RKO) (2,600; 25-60)— 'Old Dark House' (U). Gallery trade, but $8,200 Is quiet Last week 'Air Mail' (U) slumped badly, $2,900. Liberty (Jensen-von Herberg)- (2,000; 10-15-26). 'Klondike' (Shef.). slow $4,000. Last week 'Pride of the Legion' (Mas) made some history with the new Rln Tin Tin, great at $6,000. Music Box (Hamrick) (900; 25- 66). 'Crooked Circle' (WW). Bad goin's, $2,600. last week, 'Fugitive' (WB) good but not as big as ex- pected, $4/200. Fox (FWC) (2,100; 26-36)—'Kon- go' (MG) and 'They Call It Sin* (FN). Double bill oke setup for $2,900. 'Strange Interlude' , opens Thanksgiving. Last week 'Hot Sat- urday' (Par) and 'Wild Girl' (Fox), double bill, fair at $2,400. Coliseum (FWC) (1,800; 15-25)— 'Down to Earth' (Fox) and '70,000 Witnesses' (Par). Started slow, with Rogers doubling at Fifth Ave. in his latest one, no aid,, but picking up to $3,000, good. Twin shbw policy looks good at this spot,A Last week 'Bird of Paradise' (Rad) fair $2,700. . Skourases, Sullivan in N. W. for Pep Meetings Los Angeles, Nov. 21. After spending 10 days in South- ern California, Spyros Skouras, ac- companied by Charles Skouras and J. J. Sullivan, P-WC film buyer, left Wednesday night (16) for San Fran- cisco, Portland and Seattle, where pep managerial meetings are being staged for all districts In those di- visions. Spyros Skouras Is returning here before he goes east. PROSPERITY,' IC DENVER Denver, Nov. 21. Denver Is easily topping town with 'Prosperity,' which may bo taken to the Paramount, for a sec- ond week, as is the rule with standouts at the Denver. Marie Dresselr could pack almost any Denver theatre in almost any pic- tiwe. Orpheum and'Denham are dowii from last week, both with prison pictures. Orph is down about 30%, but Denham oft 16%.' ParftmouRt. died last week, split week doing poorly, with second- rate pictures going ih. The Rial to is down . 26% on split week and Class B pictures. . Broadway has reopened all cleaned up and. looking like It did when it bpehed in 1890. Louis Hell- born managing and opened with 'Sally' Sunday night. House aind advance Shle Indlcate^t^ $16,000 for-11 shows. ! Denver apparently is ready for the resumption ot stage shows. Stagehands and managers held pre- liminary meeting^ looking toward re- siunptlon stage shows at Denver and Orphe'iim, but nothing has devel- oped. Ilellborn Is using stage shows at the Denhai.i next week, still with a 26c top. Theatre weather Is per- fect; just cool bnbugh to drive peo- ple In nights. Denham (Hellborn) (1,700; 16-26) —*Last Mile' (Tlf.). Easing off, $3,600. Last week 'Crooked Circle' (WW) did a fine $4,200. Denver (Publix) (2,50&; 26-36-40- 60)—'Prosperity' (MG). Marjorie Nash at the organ, good $14;000, big takings. Last week'Trouble in Paradise" (Par) did $6,900 on 6 days. Orpheum (RKO-Huffman) (2,600; 25-35-40-:60)—'Fugitive' (WB). So- so, $9,500. Last week 'Too Busy-to Work' (Fox) took the Orpheum to toj figure since vaude went out, $14,000. If price scale was.at for- mer figure and isame number of people, gross would have topped any gross since Huffman took the house, which was $18,000, with Blackstone and'Bird of Paradise.' Paramount (Publix) (2.000; 26^40) 'Hot Saturday' (Par) and 'Three on a Match' (FN), split week. Only $4,000, off. L^t week 'Madison Square Garden' (Par) and 'Cobin in the Cotton' (FN), $3,800, poor. Rialto (RKO-Huffman) (900; Vi- 25-40)—'Last Man' (Col) and 'Night Club Lady' (Coy), split. Fair $2,200. JLAst week 'Six Hours to Live' (Fox)" and 'Hell's Highway' (Radio), $3,000. Bliam in Opening Day . Scramble; Rogers' 80 Blrijblngham, Nov. 21. \ Crosswotd puzzles are nothing compared to figuring out openltig days In this burg since Sunday shows were started. Some are open- ing on Sundays and isome on Sat- urdays and now comes announce- ment that starting next week Ala'* bama will discontinue Sunday open- ings in favor of Friday. Price cutting still prevails and- beglnning this week RKO Rit'z falls in line with other houses by opening the balcony to two bits at all times. Cold weather last week kept everybody at home necking the ra- diators as the mercury dropped down to 34 degrees. Better weather expected this week and coupled with Turkey Day business should be much better. Estimates for This Week .. Alabama (Wilby-Klncey) (2,800; 25-36-40)—'Too Busy to Work' (Fox). Not enough wisecracks for Rogers In this one, but will hold up excellently, $8,000. Last week 'Fugitive' (WB) not so good on a six-day run, $6,000. Ritx (RKO) (1,600; 26-40)—'Old Dark House' (U). In for a stay of four days with 'The Conquerors' (Radio) coming In time for Thanks- giving business. Latter booked for eight-day week, $4,100. Last week 'Air Mail' (U) and 'Men Are Such Fools' (Radio) fiopped a,t $3,000. Empire (BTAC) (1,100; 26-40)— 'Jewel Robbery* (WB). Bill Powell and Kay Francis a likely $3,000. Last week 'Faithless' (M-G) an unin- spired $2,700. Strand (BTAC) (800 ; 20-30)— 'Rackety Rax' (Fox). Goofy foot- ball picture to see the finish of the football season. Bi^ game here Thanksgiving will help $1,900. Last week 'Wild Girl* (Fox) would have gotten more except for the weather, $1,500. Galax (BTAC) (500; 16-26)—'Ig- loo' (U). Folks hereabouts have had enough cold weather without sit- ting through an Ice tour of the northland, $800. Last week 'Golden West' (Pox) $900. SPILL RECORDS CUT Paramount has cut its price on the non-sync records used in Pub- lix theatres on spin periods, etc. Four - minute record formerly selling at 76o each for a house like the Paramount, New York, has been <;ut to 66c.