Variety (Dec 1934)

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i^ i C t ■ il E S Tuesday; December '18( 1934 $ fironi St^ of Reports from theatres now play-: ins Standard Oil ot New Jersey's Iprrn^r iree show Iridiciite that ad- vertlslhgr ■ pIugQ ' 'for the oil . oom- patiy's products are belnsr liberally Bprihkled through the performanciei; despite the circuits and^ Essoa agreement that trade mention is to be cpnflned io the billineir-Guy liombardo-Esso Marl^eters Revue— and In display ads.: Reports froi^ moat of the. towns also tell Of con- 8idera.ble booking confusion; , . To. date the show has "playfed Schenectady,. Syracusie, . Rochester arid BulfiB(lo, all one-day stands. It was. in. Erlei Pftii yesierday (Mon- day) and due' in Plttsburffli (18-iS), Whesllng (20X.:and: Pqrkersburg (21) later this week. \ Other towns tp get^ the • show iare Washington, Balti-. more, Trienton, New Orleans; New- ark, Norfolk,; White Plains, Little Rock, . ShirevepOrt, Chattanobiga, .Richmond; Wilmington, Raleigh, Chatlqtte, Colunibia, :!fifemi>hid, \ iiar- tiflburg, . Nashville.. .Show is cO- Jpiiitly beihii; booked and played . by Ijpew, RKO, Warner and Paramount circuits. ■ ■■ Buffalo 'Buffalo,' Dec. 17. ■ • I^ombardo-Esso " show . etpsa^i' $i2,2b(l! in two performances at the Great lAkes; Saturday (IB). Baiid a)sp partlcipaled In a half hour broadcast from' the staige over WBEN,' with plenty of fisso men- tion; At 9:45 p.m. Friday, night before the local - date, thie- Great/ Lakes management w&s nptifleS the Es^ troupe ■ wpuld^ .d6 Only two slibws here, with a result that a. ciompletc booking switch -wasf necessitatedc Ilpuserclpsed for a half hour Satur- day afteriipon, reopening for Xionir bardp's twO' evening performances. . ShOw played' Rbchesterl Friday (14);. ;prdlnarlly that 70-mile jump to . BufCalp takes about twO ihours. by btis or ca>, but thie. Esso company didn't arrive-here i]htll late. Satur- ■ day atternppn. , : ■ . Local engagement re^ultbd in a r4)epkjtng---Jam-r--^6r^the-^^rlani;er- : (legit), which : was scheduled tp: priglnally Iplay .the Essp shpw undei' the v Standaird Oil no-admlsb ar- rahgem^Qt^ :' .4. .'Contract; littd^ l>een Bigned-iaiid a't4opp{^i'ff>ajd' j^^^ the . tent.; '.HpUaeL ^^.^^ .dark, ■■■ was r^dled' for tctni^a^ement. ■tip to -Sattfriiiyi m day, of the 'Cireat. X^e^^^ate' the Erlaniger had npt received cancellation notice, ■ Syraeus* Syracuse, i)ec. 17, Guy Lombardp-Esso; Marketers revue packed Loew's Stalte for the first perfprmance and S.R:.0. was up for ttie-secondrdue-tfr^nindreds-rfti- malnlng' for the; later show in its one-day stand here t)ec. 13. How- ever; It Isr doubtful If -iLioew's would care to repeat the. 'medicine shpw' experiment. Confusion i/Vfrvailed until the cur- tain actually rolled, up fOr Lpm- hairdo's flrdt number. : Largely con- tributing to tills were the follow- ing factors: • • Despite the first published ah? npuncement- -that--the-riBvue- w be an added attraction to the regiir lar bill at no advance in prices, the hou^e dropped one of its double features ('Babes in TOylahd,' M-G) and tilted the boxofHce scale from 40c to 50c. —-ghe—o riginal plana contem p lated at Ipast three, possibly fPur per- formances, plus a bx'oadcast from the stage. Not until the. day pre- ceding the engagement did the house definitely ascertain that the reyue would be in for evening per- fOrniances only, with the :la,te ar- rival, of the troupe erasing the broadcast.' , . Ruffled attitude of local reprer sentatives of the Colonial, (affllir ated) oil company, who had been proniised blocks of tickets for the free show' scheduled lor tiie grand ballroom of the - Hotel Syratjuse and ha.h their commitments accordingly. There wfere Jib passes Issued for the LombiardO-performanCes at the the- atre, save press courtesies restribt- ed to reviewers, , Even publishers- families were turned dowij. ; . The theiatre scheduled the first •tow'' for 7 s 04 p.m. The ifurtairi actually weiit pp at 7:28,. Mean while, to:fill the: gap, the house liot' only reported; to shorts sponsored by the Metropolitan Life Insurance company and the Navy Dbpartmerit, but jin ally b orrOwc'd a Pathe newis- reer trbm liKO Keith's.: Despite the understanding that the advertislhg plugs in the revue were to be deleted; it was retalried In disiplay copy; In billing, In the stage hangings and :In: Loinbardo's. frequent reference' tb the 'Essp party.' ■■ LombardO closed the ahoW with/ a pica, that motorists In the audience make a; bee line f pr - Essp gas stations and thus reglister their appreciation^ ■ Unit was clocked at, 49 minutes here, routine showing no niaJor de-r parture 'frb^.that ihfrpduced at the New Haven, Cbriit, premiere, 'Where, no admlsh was chargedi, under the Standard' Qii:of :Nr J. auspice^ ' . Albany .:...■/■■, '"-::■ :: ,A^ Dec. 17. Although the Esso-Gfuy Lombardo reVue played; Schenectady last Ifjeaday (ll) at 66c admlsh, the price wa^ :7Bc here; pn Wednesday. The price at'PtbOtPir's, Schenectady, wiu^ a tilt of 15c, while at the Pal- ace! Albany, It v was Upped. ,86c alipye the regular, 4ftc :top .for fllmav Palace, seats close' to 3,000 and was virtually filled..';; :.■■:,.; .;';;■. Publicity w^s changed so jrapldly for tiie Albany engagement , that It was hard to keep up with it. Pal- ace's first anhpuncemeiit on. Mpn-r day (10) said the show, would-, be given all day, Tuesday the ads said continuous' with - matinee 36c and night 65c. ' Wednesday ads, date of the show, announced, one show only at 7:30 p.m. and admission 76c plus tax,' ; .Z':'^ ■ ■■■ : The 26c boost In 'Albany's price over ,<3bhenectady's scale brought reminders of the day when Proctor pliayed yaude in Tryo: and Schenec- tady fpr :60c and presented the same acts In Albany at 76c. AUSTRIAN BALLERINA inmRMIMECREATOIl Hollywood, Dec. 17. Mai^erite Wallman,: ballet dancer and creator with the State Theatre, yierina, has: been tabbed to a con- tract by Metro.' She la due to iar- rive In New .York tomorrow (18) and proceed to the' Coast Immedi- ately to "appear lii special danice seauences for Metrp" features.' Ballerina comes here by special permission of the Austrian govern- ment, .to whoni 'she is under con- tract through tbe state-owned the- atre. She can remain here for four months, and then must return to. re Hume duties atTire^ienYia theai?er coming back to Metro the end ot next year. , ■ ■„;■. ■■.'■■, ;■-'.".:'■': MG'sAigfishlD^ Hollywood, Dec. 17. EJIrat at Metro for Catherine Col- lier, English, stage character actress, jwllL -be .a. Jead / role In- 'Sha,dow of Dpubt,' starting at Mettb, Dec'; 22, Miss Collier was; put under, con- tract pn: the siy-so of David O. Selznlck, who caught .her work in London. WILL MAHONEY Bert Roas in "The World'^ *'alr," Englaiid; said: "What more can be said In eulogistic praise of Ma- honey?' He h&s reabhed the highest point possible as an entertainer, and he Is a world-'wide celebrity. Xt he: only danced the, way that he does he would be a. grbat act, and If, he. was' just' the entertaining comedian that he ia he would be a headllner. But 'When- he/ combines the two and consolidates them with that^ ip^osltiveiy miraculous dahce upon a regulation ;icylophone, be;be- CPinea.;.a phenbmenpq." : ■• .'-■■■V. 'Direction ■ WM„ MORRIS AGENCY : Mayfair Theatr* Bldg. New Yoric (City nun GUILD At its second' quarterly .xheetlng, held Monday (17) at the Astor, New Tork, the ' agreement with the Screen Actors OUild of Hollywood was okayed by Equity. Repprted the ypte 'was practically unanimous. Leaders were expectant that Sun- day legit performances wOuld come up, but there was no such resolu- tion, matter not even being men- tioned. Sunday thing was discussed editorially In Equity's monthly and was pagO' one news nationally. ^-Suggestions, from the—floor ^ re- quested Council to consider several topics which have been under dlsr cussion by a younger group of mem- ber — payment. of partial salaries during reheiarsais, unemployment Insurance and raising the minimum salary. of. Junior playersfrom' |26 to $40 yieeldy, Booker Will Recover Hollywood, Dec. 17. Port ifajor,: chief booker for FOz- West Coast, will recover from what police call suicide attempt by ppl- aon. ■ He wias atrlcken following quarrel with his wife. 4 '• The Week Before Christinas By HAROLD M. PONE : ■ * - ,• • . 'Twds the week before Christmas, and all through the house The pews were all vacant, not even a souse Could be found any\yhere who had paid his way in, Tp sleep off eftebts of some 16c gin. The film on the screen was a terrible dud, .;■ ^ i'he stage show went 'flop' with ah audible thud. But nobbdy - noticed, for no one was therOi; The grips In the wings? Oh, what did they care? The 'class' trade was absent as well as the mutts, The boys in. the front office nearly went nuts. The ushers in uniform stood two by twp And iMlIshed their nails—they had nothing to do. : ■ " ■ The manager ranted and tore at his hair, ; ^ . / The gin In the bbxbfflce played solitaire. - ' , When in came a strangei^a smile on his face-7- Arid yelled 'Merry Christmas' all over the place. ; o ; • . ihe staff got together, believe It or not, .. v .Gave him the bird, and then said, 'So what?' ,'.v CHARLIE RAY'$ FIX Suing Wife Says Ha Has no Prop- erty'i But Beaucoup Friends Hollywood, Dec; 17. : Charles Ray, once' among , the .tpp money-makers of silent: plx, has no i>rbperty now, but has a lot of girl friends, accprding to a divorce peti- tion, filed here by his wife, Clara Glrant Ray. . ( Pair were married In 1915 and be left her In 1932,. she alleges In petition charging desertion, non- support and cruelty. She says there Is ho community property, and asks the court! to let hbr know if It dis- covers any. PINKIE TOMLIN TAGGED BY MG AS COMIC FIND Hollywood, Dec. 17. ;. Pinkie Tomlln, . University of Oklahoma law student, who came here fpr a ride with a pal and ended .UR_: WArWing.. _\?ith._IImmy_. Grier!s. band, has landed a. term cpntract at Metre. Studio deems him a com- edy bet ■ .. Tomllh, between numbers, com- poaes songs which he doesn't feel are 'potential best sellers. .It took some one else to convince him that 'Object ef My Aifebtlpn' should be published. It's a current best seller. FOX DROPS BRITON Hollywood, Dec. 17. » Fox has drppped Hug:h Williams, English import brought here a year ago. Williams, currently in Col's !Once a Gehtlemah ' made the deal on hla own. June Knight s Two Sidts Court Grants Fermissiqn fo Cobnter^S^ Leo ' ^^^^ r ^ M Los Angeles, Dec. 17. June Knight will be permitted to present her . counter-cpmplalnt; for f3,00b asserted damages against the Leo Morris b h ai g ency 'W h e » th e lat- ter's case demanding (6,806 from the actress for wrongful discharge and alleged breach of contract comes to trial in Superior Court. Miss' Knight won her point when a demurrer to her answer to com- plaint was overruled by Judge Rob- ert W. Kenny. She had set up the defense that she was a minor at the time she islgned the original contract with Leo Morrison, and that she has been damaged ^3,000 because the agency failed to secure adequate rc- inuneratlon fbr her services. Morrison's complaint states that the actress' present earning capac- ity is $650 per week, and on that basis^that the agency, is entitled to d tenth of this stipend for 104 weeks, the period over which the contract would have run had not Miss Knight allegedly broken it. .: .. Morrison brings 0T|t that, although the actress now claims the right of cancellation because of her minority at the time the compact was made, she made no protest on this score ■for s e ven, and on e -half. mOiUha ; Holly wood,. Dec. 17. Screen Writers and Screen Actors- Guilds are'reported set tb close with' a refrigeration concern for a ' 13- week national radio proisxam> to net • the organization arOund $60,000. Deal is said to be closed, despite ; - previous strong producer and eJc- ■ hlbitor opposition tp the . scheme.: When .It was first brpached several: months, ago. ■ . ; _ ;■•;•> Since the plan was first launched And met with opposition, memberd of the Writers Guild have written a ' number Of playlets which will bo given one a week with. top film,, names In the cast. .. <>« By going through withr the pro- - posed broadcasts the guilds are par.^ • tlculariy: snubbing the'Motion Pic- ture 'Theatre Owners - of AmericbJJ* ; which published a statement ■ s'eV-^ era! months ago to the effect thai?* narae players going on the air-' would injure theatre business and branded It as a move to kill their own value in fllnAs. - At that time Eddie Cantor, as . president of the Actors Guild, an- swered this squawk stating that broad casti ng would ^hance the players'" flTmTvalue and' pblnted to his own case as proof. Charge Fears, Bhimey in Arrears m C^tmt Bfll Los Anjgreles, Dec. 17. Peggy Fears and A., C. Blumen* thai are named jointly in a Muni- cipal Court suit brought by tho Brooks Uniform Co. of New Tbrk,v on assignment, demanding- |.280|: declared due for a supply of the- - atricdl coatumes ordered in March (it. last year. Coistumes, : the complaint states, were delivered for the legit produc-. tibn, 'ChampaErhe SupperV:^ ;a^ amount sued for Is the balance on. ?775 Miss Fears and Blumenthal ' agreed to pay. lAUOHTON-MARCH TEAM ; Hollywood, Dec. ,17. Charles Laughtpn has been signed Tjy 20th CenturV'.for cbrstdrrlng^ with Fredrlc March in a talker ver- sion of 'Les Miserables.' '• Picture Is slated to go before the. camreas the end of January with', Richard Bpleslawski, on lOahout',. from Metro, directiog. ■ Zanuck Solgns Tibl)e^ Hojlywood, Dec. 17. Darryl Zanuck is bringing Law- rence Tlbbett back to picturea for another crack, signing him on op- tional deal for five-year stretch. First Tlbbett picture for 2dth century will be 'Sing, Governor, Sing,' which Roy Del Ruth directs from script by Nunnally Johnson. : WANT GLABTS GEORGE Ben Hecht and Charlie MacAr thur, now in Charleston, S. C, writ Ing their third picture for release by Paramount, are dickering with Gladys George Of 'Personal Appear- ances' (legit) to play the. top: part. Miss.. George: has a Metfo film- pact which wi^s suspended to per mit her Broadway stage venture. after she became of. age. Date of trial has not yet been set. Recent sudden marriage of Miss Knight to Paul Ames after an air- plane hop to Chicago was topped by filing of a divorce suit against the broker late last week. Miss Knight, now under contract to Metro, asks freedom because bride- groom would give her ho Tirlvacy, her complaint stated. $he asks 11,200 monthly alimony. , , ■ Pair were wed Nov. 30, 1934, sep- arated Dec. 7; She made bustup public Dec. 12 and filed suit Dec. 13. An angle is that opposition of Ames to her going abroad is said to- have' been the factor that de- cided Mlgig Knight against going, through with her agent's agree- ment for her to sail for London and the.. lead spot in Stanley Luplno's British picture^'' ■ / SAILINGS Jan. 9 (London to New York) Mark Ostrer, Jeffrey. Bernerd (Olympic). Dec. 29 (New York to London) ' Diana Ward (Paris). Dec, 26 <New York to Nassau) Alex Gottlieb (Aquitania). .' . i'. -^ Dec. 22 (Los Angeles to Honolulu);^ Jay "Whldden band (Lurline). f Dec 19 (New York tP London) b Dr. W. H. Voeller (Albert Ballin)yjV.t Dec. 15 (New York to London), Harry Foster, Buddy Rogers, John Gunther. Yvonne Gall (Earls). D'ec. 15 (Los Angeles to New. York) Mr. and Mrs. Paul Muni (Santa Elena). ; ;'' : ; Dec-16 (New ypi-k. to Paris) Mme. Yvonne Gall (Bremen). :; Dec. 13 (London to New York) Reginald -Foresythe (Lafayette), .. .-: