Variety (Sep 1933)

VARIETY V A n D EVILLE Tue9da7t September 19y I933 Expansion of Loew Vode Awaits NRA Code agents are waiting for Lpew's to open some more theatres with combo policies and Loew's. is waitinff for tlie NRA coole. Agents feel thiat Xk>ew's would like to add. some more timie for acts ^pd. all„..concerned are expectant, but. the "circuit seem^ chary of apy new moves until latere Chorus Statistics Highlight Wash. Code Hearings; Pic House Oris Work 93-Hr. Wks. for $26; Some Got Washington, ftept. 18. Two vaudeville actors' codes are involved in the hearings here on the stage phase of the motion iplc- tiire code, and while they're similar In most respects, both are being campaigned for separately. The ABA has one and the NVA another. Henry Chesterfield is here for the NVA and Ralph Whitehead for the ABA. Whitehead is dqnfined at Emei-g-. ency hospital with a bruised hiip, suffered in a fall in a hotel, so an attorney, Abner J. Rublenl Is doing the, AbA's talking for him. Georgle Price addressed the hearing assem- blage before Administrator Roseh- blatt, in behalf of the ABA, and Chesterfield spoke for the NVA. :But of all the speakers on the $tage end, it Was Dorothy Bryant of Chorus Equity who got most of the attention. Mrs. Bryant brought the code comtnittee's attention to some deplorable conditions as they cur- rently exist for line girls and men in'the yaude and picture houses, her plea containing fireworks for the crowd at the hearing. According to the Chorus Equity statistics^ as pregented by Mrs. Bryant, 6,B00 memhers were placed in presentations, uniti arid picture house lines during the past year ending in August. They earned $615.62 on. an average iEor 22 weeks' work, of which flvel weeks were free rehearsal periods. Indi- vidual Instances irientloned coh- I'^fcerjied the lines at the old Roxy, Music, Hall, Capitol and Paramount theatre* in New York. Jrt one week" at the old Roicy, Mrs. (Continued ojx page 49) HODKINy PLIGHT Getting Up a Collection For porrrier Chi Vaude Man Chicago, Sept, IS. Cliarles Hodklns, whose name 20 iHorris with 71/2 Wks. Books-Fisher- i years ago meant a solid year's work I for any act, whose southwest cir- cuit was more famous than Gusj Addition of Zanesville, I Sun's arid who up to about five years Amsterdam, N. Y;, two O., and five-act I (iigo was the Western representative j splits, gives the Lawrence Golde [for the Pantages Circuit, is now in vaude book in the William Morris the Cook Courity poorhouse. offlce another full week and makes Hodkihs, who is about 66 years n the largest in the New York indie old, eked out a living until about a field. [ year , ago, then started to go. blind ^ith seven.and a half weeks the. 1 with cataracts on both e/es. Some Qplde time also exceeds all circuit of his. shoyr friends now trying to books excepting Loew's; R. Tubman of th& Capitol has also announced stage presentations for this season, thus giving the riati^reA; hope for mora shows.' Incidentally, Frerich films have died out despite the fact that pne- thlrd of Ottawa speaks french. British film hpoklngs are increasing because they are cheap and the plx. fii.te. .improving in quality. get up. a collection, SEE POU BUYING BACK NEW ENGLAND CHAIN Booked by Golde besides Zahes- Iville and. Amsterdain are Indian- apolis. Boston (Scoliay Sq.), To- ronto, YoungstoWn, Akron and Buffajo, Sat. Midnights Only Hariiiltori, •,Sept, 18. Taft's Paramount, straight, pic- tures, is introducing single Satur- day midnight stage shows, begin- ning with the A. B. Marcus' 'A Night at the Folies Bergere, with all sekts reserved. The town is billed like a circus. ROBINSON'S SIDE LINE Bin Robinson is to continue the late Billy Pierce's dancing school In New York. .'The Colored dancer was one of tlie late Pierce's most eminent pupils. Robinsori will likewise continue Jiis activities in addition to isuper- Visine the, school. TUCEEft SET JOE UNIT Anatole Friedland, with WiUiarii Morris office hooking, is reviving; his '60,000,000 Frenchmen' tab. Will carry about .50. peoples Leids not set, but Sophie Tucker ilkiely for top billing. FisherrPan's Jump-Breakers Hartman, ColumbUs^ and Fitt^ Pittsburgh, both full weeks and playing five- and seven acts," respec- of tbej tively, go on tbe Arthur Fisher- 18. Hartford, Sept Judge Edwin Thomas United States District Court .ordered I Pantages vaude book in New York that.the Fox New England Theatre, for spot bookings, peridinig opening Inc., of around 17 theatres, he sold at public auction starting Oct. 16 and ending within seven days. While the original price paid to S. Z. Poll, spnie years ago, was $26;000,- 000, the court; arrived at a total forced sale miiiimum for the chain at $2,065,000. in Connecticut and $826,000 in Massachusetts.' The consolidated decree bt fore- closure was. signed by, the court oh application of Attorney Carlos L. of the seven Pan weeks on the west coast. Colun.bus opens Oct. 22 arid Pittsburgh' a week later, When the Pan time opend in Oc- tober the two midwesterri hpuses will be jump-breakers for the flye- act; unit bills, following the New York >reak-in time on the Fisher book. * Two In.Ottawa; Ottawa, Sept. 18. ideaii theatre stage is in use once more with the adoption of Israels of New York City as a regular feature " along with, films, the. iacts being presented twice daily. Manager T. An Open Letter to Jack Yellen Dear Jack: Let me take this opportunity to publicly thank you for making it possible for me to continue to break box-office records. In my estimation you are the greatest living writer for show business, and that takes in every- thing from pictures, musical com- edy, vaudeville to radio. In deep appreciation SOPHIE tUGKER. Curtis for the New York, Trust Coriipany: The sale . will be held at public auction in front of the CapitoU; Heirt ford; Oct. 16 and a,t the Palace, Springfield, for Massachusetts as- sets, on Oct. 24 Attorney Thorias J. Spellacy of Hartford was namod special, master to take charge of the sales. Spellacy had been receiver with Atty.- Ben Slade of New Haven and Samuel Spring of New Rochelle, N. Y, Reports iiave been current that S Z. Poll Is contemplating re-entering the field in which he made his for- tune by, taking back the properties, Mr. Poll la. owner of 76% of the mortgage bonds and. is believed to be the person arranging to take over the .circuit which Is being con ducted by his forhter .partner, Liouis Sagal, and a nephew,- Adelmo Van- nai. A spokesman for Poll stated that.j^ ^ Kingston to London Poll interests plan to bid for the | ^« » -.„^„^„«„,v properties up to the amount due them on the deal which transferred tho properties, to the Fox interests In 1930. Andrew J. Collins of South Nor M^alk and Thomas Gil of Hartford were appointed appraisers and-Qr dered tip report to the clerk of courts not later than Oct. 2. The order stipulateis that the circuit may be sold In part or in whole. AH Night Auto Jump Wins Law's Sympiatby London, Canada, Sept. 18. .County "Magistrate .C. W, HawkT sHaw listened with sympathetic ears to a plea thslt the 'shbw busi- ness is tough this year' when^ he suspended sentence on <)rohn'Crooks; Americari actor, who Is. playing In this territory and who pleaded guilty' ■ to reckless driving. Crooks admitted he fell asleep at the wheel'of Putt Mossman'd cai* as; It turned over on No.. 2 highway while enroute. Sharp-shooter fict was making an all night motor This Is a tough endurance test you were putting on,' said the bench. Syracuse .Upai Gate Syracuse, Sept. 18. With, the restoratipn , pf vaude- vllle reported handing! in the bal- '* arice, managers And ' the stage , hands pnion - are attempting to write a .new contract. ^ Original de- mand —the. nniph a^ks an ,$80-$76 scaie-fQr-fucrfiw^of ■ seven JMA^liffiUiu right, Three, would receive the WO figure, four the $,75. Exhlbitprs' countei: ofEer, new be- , fore the pni6n> calls for a 10% re-' ductipri In the present,scale for nine months, a. 25% slash,! for the three; suriimer months of May, June and' July. A .month's, theatrical holiday : last , spring ended with the tiriipns. accepting.a 25%.cyt for tiie summer, period^ . . Present scale when' stage^ shows.. are played gives the ciarpenter.a $74 top, with three nrien receiving $69^60 arid, three more $64.60. Wben straight'talker policy is followed the niajor houses emplojr" two men back stage,at $56 each/ , While , negptiatipnis cbiifitiue RIt6 Keith's Is moving , , test the drawing power of gtaigp shows next week and one fipilpwing., /Yanitles* opens Friday, with the. Duncan show, 'Topsy and Eva,' set to suc- ceed it. Keith's win advarice Its hox office top .to 65c. for the combina- tion bills. incoln Wejeotlftes Vaud Lincoln, Sept. . Flesh is here again arid welcoriie. The Orpheuni came through with bookiriss by Aitty Cox .and made box office history. For example, the total gross for the last week of pica at the house was very near $300, The Second M&nday of the flesh pol- Icy netted $528 for the single day" arid rio pic help. The indies put a stage offering In the Rialto, but It didn't click. ,But' the opposition took over the torch and came- through Monday (18)' with a standard RKO three-act bill In the Lincoln theatre for LTC. Top&y's Laid Up Rosetta Duncan's illness has forced cancellation' of riext week's (Sept. 22) RKO Boiston booking of the Duncan Sisters' 'Topsy and Eva' tab. Show lays off that week, ■with: Rosetta going to a New York hos- pital for a minor operation. The girls are finishing out their current week at the Albee, Brooklyn. Show i resumes its Rl^O rout« Sept.. 29 at Syracuse and will play Bosto^h at an open date later-on. JOIH THE ACTORS' BETTERMEHT ASSOCIATIOM! Benny Figure OF VAUDEVILLE, PICTURE PRESENTATION THEA- TRES. CABARETS, CLUBS, BURLESQUE, CIRCUS, CARNIVALS AND OTHER OUTDOOR AMUSEMENTS *The NRA gives every man in the United States the right to^ col- lective bargaining, We performers are going to accept President Franklin D. Roosevelt's invitation to assist m the nation's recovery program^ The Actors' Betterment Association, Inc., 228 West 47th St., New York City, is affiliating with the great American Federation of Labor through membership kri the Associated Actors and Artistes of America (representing 15,000 American actors). The ABA is being granted the American Artistes Federation charter, covering for the A. F. of L..the fields rtot alr.eady.covered by Actors' Equity Association. SEND IN YOUR APPLICATION TODAY TO .THE ACTOR'S BETTERMENT ASSOCIATION Jack Benny and a unit are set for | the Broadway at $6,000 plus per- centage. Jans and Whalen • and I either Lita Gray Chaplin or Frances [.Williams .will be. in support. On I the road, latter .was with B6nny. Lyons & Lyons hooked. The! 6G is a $1,000 increase for | the act. Gerwrtd &KeciUive Off ides LOEW BUIIDING AN N EX BRyant 9-7800 NEW YQRK CITV J. H. THE INITIATION FEE IS $5. THE DUES ARE $12 YEARLY, PAYABLE SEMI-ANNUALLY ON MARCH 1 AND SEPTEMBER 1. ALL CHECKS AND MONEY ORDERS MUST BE MADE PAYABLE TO THE ACTORS' BETTERMENT ASSOCIATION, INC. BE A CHARTER MEMBER AND SAVE MONEYI Nix Raft at $5,000 George Raft, in the east on a 1 vacation and interested in person- I als, has been turned down by the I'aramount, N. T„ because of. de- manding too much money. He wanted $5,000 for a week. Par dropped its negotiations altogether. HEBBERT-HALLIDAY TEAM Robert Halliday and Evelyn Her- bert as a team, are set for some Combo theatre dates. They open in Philadelphia for "Warner Bros. Oct. 29, booked by Lyons & Lyons. Eddy Duchin's Central Park I Casino, also via L. & L., opens at the Met, Boston, Oct. 22. ABNBIIAL UANACiViB MARVIN H. SCHENCK .BOOKINa MAMAQKB Capable publicity m|in to handle psychic act. Steady vyork and salary assy red. Address all com- municationis to JAY CLARKE C/o VARIETY, 6282 Hollywood Bvld., Hollywood