Variety (Sep 1933)

Taesday, Sieptember 26, 1933 V A n B E V I L L E VARIETY 4f Memphis Places Bbme palled W^st Show Town, btit Reason la Stale Vaud Gasrs . Memphis is hot such a, bad show iovih, :. Memphisl«,ni^ like shows.' Tt'ft j upt that Bhi Qw cebple doh't plve Ifcmphis a break. iThat's the thepry iff Billy ^kespler, publicity man of the 'Suzore theatr«^r. only Memphis hous<B with stage shows. ■ ' 'The' trouble,'' wiyiB ■ Kessler, in sL letter to VAiUErrt,.'is. not with the Memphis, theatregoers, but .with the performers ? thonisely.es. Year after year they visit ^Memphis with the ^me eagis, songs' and chatter, and expect- the public ^to- ieat their Btuft up,*-:" Ahd \to prove . his argument, Kessler encloses a clipping from the Memphis 'Press-Scimitar.' It's a film review by| Jack Bryan, paper's critic, ot,'Hollywood to Broadway' (Metro) v" - 'Men^phisiahs. will especially ap- preciate; one angle :of 'Broadway to Holly wood/ says Bryan; 'In this. ''«zcellent ejpic of 'the show . ■wl-prid emphasis is placed on the mortality of the. act which cirrios a pair of troupers to fame in their youth. Ais yearis go onj- so dbeg this act. .The actors never change a gag, a stunt, or' a- liiie.- i,' 'And then they wonder why au- diences, fall.,to. applaud, Memphis has;; seen a , lot . of that: .vaudeville. One of tlie chief'reasons that stage shows have 'fizzled iix this town is , .becau.se so many of these .old trpup- ejrs' have come: again arid'agiin with the Same old act . they. had. been lairing for years.' REPEAT SET FOR TANK TOWN TOUR OF AUSTIN .Bob Kerr is taking Oene Austin but on another tour of the death- trail territory and has six months' boolcing all set, virtually repeating the .26 weeks which the radio- phonograph singer and Kerr,, his inahager, pioneered through thfe south and southwest. With a 40- people revue, the Austin company dlscovtered tank; towns and did plenty of bizi so mUch so that the 'Green Pastures' (legit) company, is .repeating on the same territory. The largest cities played were of the New Orleans-Memphis-Bir- mingham calibre, but for. the main It was . in lesser towns Avhere the Aatives were hungry for variety en- tertainment.. This limel instead of a large 40- p«opIe company, Austin has added .iJandy and Coco, New . Orleans youngsters, and Is repeating with but three people, on a fouV-a-da.y policy with pictures, •. as against twice daily, stiraight vaude. They open Oct. 2 in Newport News, "Va. Beats llhess Hollywood, »Sept. 2."). Claude W. llumphrey.s*, who has been seriously ill as a result of a heart attack three months ago, is around- agalTii " " He is rapidly regaining his health Under, a, special course of treatment, 'Tvhich Is ' being directed .by .J. 3. Murdock. Diamond Stars Poised For Vaud Personals Joe Cronift, manager of ; the "Washington Senators,, and Al Schact have been teamed xip for yaude by Mun-ay .itler, to open iipon Cqmplctlon of the World's, Scries, it's Cronin's first stage trip. Schia.ct, one of the American League's clowns, has been In vaudc many times as Nick Altvook's part- ner. Hitter also has Al. Mamaux for the lattcr's customary winter Vamlc appcarancc.s, Mamrtux again plloteO the Newark Bears into first place ^JMa^yearT. ^— . .. ^.^^ GILDA GEAY'S UNIT IDEA Piltaburgh, Sept. 25. Nlck Troilo, local agent, has lihod np four weeks of night clu'o dates for Gildfi Gray, opening at the Plai:a cafe, here Oct, 5, Cleveland and Detroit to foU.ow. ►She's doing a sjinelc for the four datc.% but after that will line up MfUh a band a pro.scntation unit. Doubles Vaud Hbiites Chicago, S«pt. 26. TivoH goes into vaude Fri- day <29) with Sophie TUcker doubling In that spot for B & K from the Southtoym. Bodklni: via, the William Morris office arid the first, time a performer will, play two the- atres simultaneously in Chi- caigo in years. The Tivoll goes to stage enteiirtainment after, a of more than two years. AL JUST SEZ NO ;. Joison has changed; hjs mind about playing the • Capitol, New York,, with Ruby Keeler and Paul Whiteman'S band, after .haylrig a $25,000 guarantee arid percentage offer tossed in-his lap by Xioew's. Circuit even .gam .In , the. trio's, deniands for. a split over $70,000, after setting.$75,000 as its own out- side split figure. Jolsori just said he didn't care to accept the datcj ;the cancellation coming through the William Morris office which had set the. deal. In-. stea.d, Joison will.hang arourid New York for a Couple of weeks ..and then return to Hollywood to start on the 'Wonder Bar' talker. Miss Keeler left Thursday .(21) for Nova Scotia, to visit folios and will . make the western trip with her husband upon return to New York. She is due on the'War- ner Ipt next morith for another musical. Whiteman has succeeded in per- suading ,tho Paradise restaurant peojple to postpone his opening there froni Oct. - 6 to the 13th to permit the Capitol; enga'genient. Zjatter would have commenced Oct. 6. Now it stands at Oct. 13 anyway. RATE OF EXCHANGE UPS LIVING IN PARIS $9% l)ai>ny Simmon.s, former Keith booker who retired to live in France a few years, ago, returned to New York last week on the 'George Witshingtoh- and is no^y on his way to Hollywood. Simmons says he'll probably re- main in the U. S. Mounting cost, of living over there under sinking value of the dollar, makes residing in Paris 59% more expensive than formerly, he decla;red. Like other Americans living on the other side on incorhe from investments, Sim- moitg nrias things considerabiy phoapor hero. Godfrey Out as Booker For Circle, Lorraine In After, bookihs the indie hCusc for about four weeks, George Godfrey has b€ieri removed as vaude buyer for the ^ Circle, N. Y. Harry Lorraine it henceforth.;. LOAD OF MUSIC Lombardo and Waring In Loop Oct. 13 Represent $16,600 Chicago's Loop Will have $16,500 worth of bands In two theatres the week of Oct. 13. with Guy Lombardo at the; Chicago and Fred Waring at the; Palace. Both in for 47>500 salaries^ War- ing band Is getting transportsi,ti6n from New.,Tork . besides, bringing the.^gure Up to about $9,000. SPOTS FOR VAUDE . /.Talent bookers .And-that the s.6uth haS: sonie excellent playable tiihe which, hadn't been capitalized, but are up against the proposition, of findirig . many' southern " theatres coasting and waiting for receiver-: ships to be cleared or new dealis to be riiade. "The theatres in. towns like Chax:- lottc, Richmond, Jacksonville, Motn- phis, Birmingham. Port Worth iind the like are comparable with the big key de luxersi Th6 drawing population is there state the ^would- be Vaude bookers. The Uatristorm- ing roadshows, sent out hy the Wll- ilam Morrii^ agency. Gene Austin's successful six-months tOur, etc., are cited, as. signal exiampies of the manner of response from southern patronage to' iive entei'tainmiesnt.." Small Town Test Wlnooskl, V.t, Sept. 26. he Strarid. theatre is finding vaudeville a paying proposition. House is located In one -of : the smallest cities in the state and until a few weeks ago never tried flesh attractions. Piv.e acts are. now being used the f.rst half and drawing business. House, is located across the river from Burlington and is now draw- ing; well from that City. Acts are being booked out of Albany. Several' Burlington houses have been playing stage attractions but on rio set schedule. Policy is to book ind.et>endently any act or uriit show (Continued on page 65) Pin GOING VAUDFILH, PITTSB'G'S ONLY FLESH Pittsburgh, Sept. 25. George Shaffer, former Wheeling (W. .Va.) theatre, operator: who has taken over the Pitt here, has finally decided on a policy for that houSe, and it Opens Friday (29) with vaud- film. Shaffer for a while consld^ ered a resident stock company, bUt discarded this in favor of pictures and vaude. Opening bill ill have 'Dance, Girl, Dance' on the screen and eight acts, headed by Frarik Richsardson and Ann and .Monica Skelly. House will use nine rinen in the pit and it'll be the .only house in town with flesh, although Alvin, reopening in a few weeks under Harris manager ment, is expected to go in for like ppncy. ' ' Shaffer, In New York last, closed with First Division foi* all of lat^ ter's product and expiects to pick Up the-rest of his pictures in the open riiarket. George Otte. is house riianager. Act Inflation I^aymond Baird Is .scrapjjinpf his single for a threc-^dct with Phyllss ivnd ;Kvplyn Wykoff. Jirnitiio Mattison pi'oducirig. £1 BBENDEL IN VAUDE El Brcndol is coming east for '\"{ufa'eVincT ^-^-^ —~=^~- Curtis & Allen has the comic set for q. tentative Oct. 15 RKO opon- iiiff. Two Halves Add Up Nat Rcnard and Bert Rome have teamed up a.<i .a now ^ombln.atlon for vaudc. • Thoy survive two other standard toamf, Rcnard and West and Rome and Dunn. Crawfords as a Teani On Guest Tour South Jesse Crawford, organist, arid his wife have eight weeks llried up for O'Dohriell-Hoblitzelle iri the south after their initial four weeks as guest organists at the Keith Me- morial; Boston. They are being booked ,as traveling guest attrac- tions as an to supplement the films. Jhe Cv.iwfords for seven years were iat the Broadway Paramount, but a recent four weeks at the Em- Pjr€_,.(j^cw'sjj_Lon^^^ Brltlsh"~provirices~g^^ave^tfiem idea of doing a-similar type act in the Amorican hinterland. SAILS—WITH PIANO Peter Higgins sailed Saturday (23) on the Majestic for the Palla- dium, London. Before, sailing he re- hired his former accompanist, Fr.ank Dixon, who went along. Higgins has worked sans pla.no for about 18 months. 7 More RKO-U)0 l»w m ^ Weeks Opening; No Salary Limits; -^idow^Mite^ Boston, Sept. Jessie Gostello,. whose ball- roomi arid theatre career jflopped, fared better at Rock- ingham races. Putting'$2 on White Man in first race, she picked . up |5.50, and her $2. bTi'Allgreri In second netted her :$8.10. Time for Aimee> Next vveek (29) in Washington will be Aimee Semple' McPherson's offrto-Buffalo fCr Loew's. Her! current flop at the. Capitol,^ New York---Aimee'B first, stage booking —changed the Lbew offlice's mind about extending her. time. Following: Washington7~the- «van>r- gelist goes to the; Stanley, Philly, for Warners, and then to the Chi- cago (BjcK), Chicago; All on the sarine terriis>,.$&,.(y00 iand percentage. Dave HUtton, the Palace and opposish to the missus on Broad- way this w.eek,' is oddly enough do- ing okay. Palace will get $12,500, which is better than .iaverage; 'Lady for a Day' is the picture with HUt- ton and .responsible lor much of ♦he draw. Capitol took an opposite pic- ture stand on the .McPherson book- ing, sloughing off sin average prb- .gramer. on the screen this week. House will be lucky tb get $35,000, or about half of. what was expected, Aimee had a deal on with a w. k. press agent to handle the Capitol week, but balked when he asked for $500. He's Jewish, with a Jewish name, and explained he would have to." get an Irishman to front for him, heiice the price asked. Aimee said the price was too high and that she'd get along without a ross agent. Capitol, N; divans were filled vvith reporters frorii the dailies at Airiieee Semple MacPherson's open- ing show on Friday (22) hoping for fireworks, baCk-chat from the audi- ence or somsthing. Nothing hap- pened, so the boys just covered the show. Some of them took it hard that Aimee,repeated her gigs from. Wednesday's press luncheon, others found consolation In watching the undulating performance of the Chester Hale Girls doing their snakie-hips directly after Airiiec's act. . , . Dailies' picture critics; usually .too busy to give their attention to stage shows,-eased up for Aimee and re- mained. So Aimee had a goodly audience of newspaper folk, at any rate^ Chi Hold$ Fan Dancer To Give liegion Peek • Chicago, Sept. 25. Sally Ran wlH not operi. in the New York,: Pja-iramount. un-tii Oct;; 6. Postponement made through the.in- sislen.ce of Balabari . A Katz to hold- over the fan dancCr so thiat the American Legiprinairos might get a peek. Following a fortnight in the Ea.st, the fan dancer will hof) a plane fot the Coast where she . starts a Para- mount flicker Oct. 23 vyith a fear tured part assigned to her, accord- ing to contract. More Fan Dancers ■=^^>oi ly^Sand^^^arrotirei^an from the Chicago Fair is following two otliei' fan strip|)erM, Sally Rand and RosoJie, into vaudc. Polly , opens Oct. .6 Warners at tiio roarlo, I'hilly. Phil Berle, Agent Milton Bcrle',') bro'thcr Phil Is go- ing into the a^'cnry busincHs in N<»\V York, ' wltli Murray Ffank as his partner. ^Betwee n RR e—anid-^-LofevvrHaeven weeks of 'now-andr ' stage time will be opened .up between noW arid . 6ct.: They'll'pldy shows on .an irregular specidllzing names, ' attractions wiien. available, and" \v i thout. inten.- tion of establishing per anent stiitrfe policies. Loow is opening four-T-^yr Rochesterf^ Akron, Canton, and RKO threc-^Daytori, .Syyiacuse, Columbus. an- nouncements' t'osav ing means the Lbew-RKO iigreementi •.vhich has kept .stage shows .Out bf. t town for a year has ,. pCnded. Their agreement i ester, which had similar nbn-stage show effects, was oflicially broken last week }?y RKO's opening a yeg- ular vaude policy there. The three new RKO "now-and- .t'hen' vveeks bring that circuit's total, of such playing time, to 11 weeks. •The other, eight >veeks,, already; us- ing the policy, mostly junder Nate Bluhiberg's direction, are Min- neapolis, Davenport, Cedar Rapids* sk JPauL _Slpux...l.ity,_ Dfia.MbJueB* Omaha, Kansas City. $3,000 Top South Loew is also reported considering the 'riow-and-then' shows, for its southern towns, rnost of which have been without sta^e shows for from one to three years. A reservation on that, though, is that a limit of •$3,000 top may be set for the south, and no chance for the policy to go through unless the agents and prb- ducers can as.iure the Lcew book- ing ofllce of salable shows for that riioney. The four northern weeks-will'play the more expensive names and units, with no bars on" the. salaries or percentage arrangements. Prices under the no-budget system will depend on the individual bookings. Most of the towns announced' by PiKO and Loew and taking on oc- casional stage shows came quite as a di.sappointmcht to those In vaude- ville who anticipated their return to regular vaude or stage show poli- cies. However, some satisfaction has been expressed over the com- promise policy in the belief that success with the -now-and-then* shows might lead to establishment of regular .policies. LA REINE'S NEW STRIDE IN EOC0 COMEBACK Fred LaReirie, former Broadway, agent and vaiide poiformer, has staged a great Comeback on what Broadway {idmiringly>. calls sheer guts. LaReine had his back and both hips broken in an auto' smash near Milwaukee two years ago and is crippled for life. .After a. long period of hospital- izatipn and a chance to adjust him- self tq his physical lirriltatibh.^,. La- Reine got biick irito -the swim.'Dur- ing the past summer he operated three profitable side shoAy cbnceS- slons at Coney. Island, :ii'eVCrb Beach, and Piiiladelphi . ' Next wecit he's opening an ambitious vaude.' unJi,. in Boston entitled 'A Night at Coney Island.' LaReirie has a limou.sirie and Chdufeur and. was parked, in front of the Bond building one day last weiek renewing acquairitdnccs with: actor , and agent , pals whp hadn't-, seen him" since the - accident. He gets".Tround in.a wheel chair. Woolfolk ID Chi, Has "-^™C!ttoperr"Buttei Chicago, Boyle Woolfolk back *in town i,nd has opened an office in the Woods bulldiiig. Comes.In as Chicago rep- re.scntative for the Cooper interests of the N. y. Tlipnodromc and the W. .S. Buttcrflcld time.. fStarts with the Cooper IvorBidtt In Milwaukee and .the Biitterfleld fitta tre l» Grand Rapids.