Variety (Dec 1934)

Toeeday* December 1^, 1994 V A H D C V I L L E VARIETY 49 Hollywood Sunday Viuidev^ Has Eard UsiM^^^^^ 'Hollywood, Dec: 17. -: Rattle of Sunday liieht yauae got underway this we6k-end, ■with Ben, pard and Ray Deusern enteirlng the field but extending their ehoW to A double-night affair, undfer billing of •Calling All Stars.' On their open- ing bill (IBth) they had FrankVFay the topper, with Ruth Roland. Trixle Friganza, Miude Fulton, Ben Bard, Harriett Hoctor; Clarence Muse and Milt Dougla49 and Go. Inr diided Jn their MusicVBox show. Opposition WIlshlre-Bbell,' where the Sunday Night Frolics are on ttelr 10th week, had: JamiBS Bartoii: as the topper, with Buster Shaver with Ollie and George Brasho, Bill Sully and Helen Bby Rocjk, Fay Courtney, Lloyd Hughes, Ramort and ROslta and The Kitchens In the Ilneupi Frolics also featured a new band to play the show, batoned by Manny Harmon, local dance fav. Third Sunday vaiide scheduled to open Is being framed by Arthur Klein, who, ha.s been, dickering f or the Carthay circle thieatre,. midway between Hollywood and Beverly, Hills, figured as the best location for the one-nlght vaude shows. , , Irving StroAise, ■- operating the frolics, went . to San Francisco oyer; ihe week-end t'o niake arrangements for opening Christmas Day a one- week two-i-day vaude bin at the Curran. Show so far has Charles 'Withers, WilUanv lieharest, Ruth Mix, ■ Gilda Grey and .' Ramsidell Dancers in the' llnfeup. Same; bill will play the WUshire here Sundoiy (22),, going north; Monday. ' Both Irving Stroiise's ,'Frpllcs' a,nd the new Ben Bard-Ray Deuisern Saturday and Sunday: vaude shows, for which the latter have appropri- ated the-title, 'Calling All Stars,' ran into headaches last week,; end, when Frank Fay walkied out of the Bard show at the Music Box and ■ James Barton w^s pjulled out of the •Frolics', by Radio, which doesn't want to haive its dramieitlc star tabbed as > lowly^VaudeTioofef Nan; Blackstbne, from, the ClOyer Club, replaced Barton/ while Ben Bard stepped in and took the place of Fay, 'Great SchneiderY CryJtel Gaze Sets , Milwaukee/Dec. 17. The 'Great Schnelder.V ln private life Arthur Schneider, may • be a great .co'stal gazer biS not when police are a,round. ■ . Sdhnelder appeareil oii the stage Of the Murray theatre and offered private: -consultations?- backstage. One of his patrons was Mrs. Jo- s e p h i he Pawlek, policewoman. Schneider told, her a private 'gaze' cost $6.. She. told him she had but! which Schneider took, and then sent her for the. other |3> Insteiad Mrs. Pawlek called the wagon. . Schneider, charged with, violating thO fortune telling ordinance, was fined $60, 1>EimCE GANG EA ST" Coa9t Air Feature for' Vaude After :■''■ ■■ ■• ■■-■'::.'-;lhe'Holidays: Los Angeles, Cec.; !?. , Al Pearce and Gangr, from radio, are .heading .east after the holidays to begin tour of vaude dates. Final CoiaBt ,iappearance before the trip starts is Tuesday- (18) at the Criterion here. Midnite Spodk Shoiys V ; ^ LiOs Angeles/ Dec. 17. Principal Theatres will run mid- night shows, in most of Its houses In Southern California, Including Tuma, Ariz., using Mel-Roy's Spook and Magic outfit for single night en- gagements. Opening date Is Deo 27 at Tuma, with Brawley and Ban- nilng, Califi, to follow on cohsecuT tlve nljgbts. Following New Tear's Mel-Roy show plays the Principal houses In the Lios Angeles area. Invitation to Scram. Vaudeville comedienne play- ing a Pittsburgh nltiery, ac^ customed to q.t. audiences during her Iioridon and other engagjements, didn't get the same undivided attention dur- ing the Pitt engagement. Finally, for the blpwrOff, she screeched, 'If you louses can't stop acting like monkeys and; keep iiuiet why the.h—-T- don't you get 6ut.^ . Some 76 couples took her advice pronto, the place be-. came cleared and the manager gave her. her notice jprb.nto. ide Stuff- Harry ('I think-you touch')-Burner-who's-one oi: those-trlck-New^-Je^sey ttate sheriffs, and also a local iconstabule and assistant miayor Ih: an- other town, almost got a ticket for speeding but wound up giving the would-be arresting motorcycle cop a ticket—for the AFA, otherwise |6 membership dues, '■' y.':-^' ■'• .', En route to a booking in Atlantic City, Burns wais nabbed for speed- fng. His various offlclai credentials only got surly wisecracks from rthe law until, in fishihg for his llcense^^ The cop was aLn ex-vaudevIllian with a bike act and after much palaver about the chance of vaudeville coming back, wherein Burns put It on heavy. that the. AFA was doing everything to resuscitate, vaude; it wound up with the ex-blcycllst laying It on the line for six bucks and -armembership card..-■ '■- -■ — I ng along tl ig~ Mt;jtluaa l jorderr-^as-approaehed-^)y- a peon beggar. Cdrnlval mugg no.ticed the man had a six-inch bump atop his,,head, so he took the guy in hand, and after a week plus In- delible pencil and, small collar, ha^^ : •From thg- start' blz; was good," principally because all vwere-tiliowed to feel the blood coursing through'neck of the small heid. Game the da.y When the promoter was $30,000 to the good and he developed a yen to open 'a New York office. Putting a map in chiarge! he moved Into Brpad- way with the iiest money could buyV But while away the freak became ill. New manager hiisti^d him- to ft hospital. Surgeons were gleeful at this the first case of ltj3 kind. They fixed the phoney head .In a hurry; and a month later the promoter Was back at scrlatch. '.^ V; "■' ' \:: ' "■; New York Supreme Court Justice Collins was presiding on the peti- tion of Cliff (Sharlie) Hall's plea for a reduction In h alimony from $80 a week to less* The jurist, after hearing A.ttorncy Julius Kendler's rea- sons for cutting Hall's alimony cbmmitnlerit, said, 'Oh yes, you're Jack &ge^n-tber«iri , Although , surprised at the 'stooge' argot which the learned court Used, kendler proceeded to set forth reasons why,, with Pearl off the air. Hairs case sHould^be referred to. a referee for eariy adof the inerits of his plea. Justice Collins reserved decision, with mild indica- tion tha,t lie wHl appoint a^^^^^ to review the Issues, .■ ,Mrs: Jbsephinei Hall, now getting $80 a wieek alimony, is a noh-proT: ■fes^sipnaL •■.■■'■ s ' \-.'■■''.■ ■" :'v- - . Reawakening of vaude ..suffered a stiff setback in Los Angeles Thanks- giving night when IryinB: Strouse.put on his Frolics it the WUshire-Ebell theatre, a fepeater from the previous Sunda;y night It was in this nature of an experiment and died, abornin'. Take \was off 80% from the pre- vious Sabbath sellouts, although advertising was given" a double spluf&e; . Other Iriciplent vaude Ventures are cpol'nB and promoters aire turning •yes elsewhere,' • ■''. 'y ') '■ -.-^_ . ^ ■ In an effort to gef active representation on any new vaudeville com- .talttee formed out of the reopening of the code In Washington on Wednesday (19), John Hickey (Hickcy and Anger) called a meeting of vaudeville producers to be held In the Palace Theatre bldg. Letters were eent a few days In advance to all active unit producers, outlining the Purpose of the confab to strive for capable'representatlon In code mat- "ters pertaining to vaudeville. Hickey was the only one who showed up •t thit naeetlng. Megley^Oz Prodn^^^^^ Ccm'r Moss Upholds Sherman Cancellation Of Robinson Unit Eddie Sherman, Indie booker, was hailed before License Commissioner Paul Moss last week by D. P. Rob- inson, produce.- of 'World's Pair Fol- lies,' on the charge of unwarranted cancellation of the unit. Robinson claimed Sherman contracted the show for three weeks on percentage, but cancelled before It had com- pleted the first-half in Bridgeton, N. J. ,:'.■•.■, Cancellation, however, was upheld by Commissioner Moss when It was shown that Sherman's contract called for. 36 people, but only 27 showed. on the stage In Bridgeton. A letter and telegram isent Sherman by Louis Linker, manager of the Criterion, Bridgeton. claiming that With little opposition in prospect, the eight changes and amendments , ^r/^^/>oa.^ *^r^*M^-vM,xit^mp, -BftcMoiLjiWorld's Fair Follies' was 'the great- of the Motion Plcture^Co.de are ex- ' " " peeled to go through as written at the NRA hearing, to be held tomor- row (Wednesday), in Washington- Hearing starts ait 10 a.m. at the Wlliard hotel, in the capital. The major circuits will be Indlv Idually represented. Actors' rep will be Ralph Whitehead of the Amerl can Federaltion of Actors, while Mrs. Dorothy Bryant will attend In the chorus girls' and. boys' behalf. As far as Is known, no agents or producers contemplate attending al though a couple of the listed altera tlons In the code ^are of Important concern to producers. Clause creating a special commit- tee to arbitrate vaudeville cede mat ters exclusively, which wias con- talned in the - Code Authority's or- iginal recommendations for changes^ will not be aired at the hearing. Reason for omitting it la that the C.A. already has the power to ap point mich a committee under the present code. It means a vaude yllle committee will be established, regardless of the outcome of the Washington confab. Committee will be composed of one rep each for the actors, agents and producers, two for the theatres (one. Indle, one circuit),.and.one Im- partial member, representing the public. Deputy Administrator William P. "Fafhswbrth wiU eo1iiaflret~tKe^ Ing. est show' h(9 ever played, were branded as spurious by the booker. Sherman exhibited . a telegram from Linker which stated Robinson dictated the letter s^nd telegram to his . daughter, who was forced to send them on Robinson's threat that the curtain would not go up for the next show If It wasn't done. Robinson admitted before Moss that of the entire cast of 'World's Fair Follies,' only six appeared at the expo in Chicago. At Moss' be- hest Sherman agreed to play the unit the . last, half of : last wfeek In Harrlsburg, Pa., but the remaining two weeks are out. I. Robert Broder was counsel for Sherman at the hearing. Louis H, Robinson appeared for the producer. RKO has tentatively subsidized outside producers as a means of overcoming the growing scarcity of playable flash, acts; Macklln Megley and O, L. Oz, working together on the project, will produce the acts as they are needed by RKO, furnish costumes and scenery, at the rate of - $1,000 a week per act, ; Deal also entails that the produc- ers pay- the salaries of the talent out of the one grand, \ - First Megley-Oz act will be the Bebe Berri Girls (12), with Fetch and DeauvUle.. This plays the Academy, N. Y., for four days be- ginning Dec. 21, and. If the experi- ment clicks, RKO is understood to be prepared to order the flashes at the rate of two or three a week. . All the Megley-Oz acts will b* backed by choruses, either, all-girt or mixed. In line with the plan submitted to the circuit by the pro- ducers, the fla.Bhes will be patterned so that they can fit In in any portion of a five-act vaude layout. ■ This Is RKO's first attempt at Perfonners' Jinx WARNERS MULL STACER FOR HOLLYWOOD LUXER Hollywood, Dec. 17. If Warners can decide what type stage shows _to Install, jposslbllltles are that presentations will go back into the-Hollywood. - Stage-of the house has t>een dark for the past year. .. While favoring live talent, execs feel that vaude and stage shows, as presented' locally Just liow, are not classy enough for the Hollywood spot.: Decision will be made within the next two weeks. BROSIUS LEAVES HOSP Neck Fracfiired^ Tramp. Bicycle Rider Dili for Mentha : " Los Angeles, Dec. 17. Harry Broslus, of Broslus aind Downey, tramp bicycle act, has left Methodist hospital, where he went following injuries suffered while playing the Orpheum here. He Is at home but will be laid up fo'r several months. . Broslus suffered a fracture of the neck When he collided with a guy wire on stage. Hunting :, Chicago, Dec. 17. Mildred O'Connor, wife of JOhn O'Connor of the O'Connor Family vaude act, was accidentally shot while hunting near Danville, 111. • Now at home recuperating. Katya Snaps Toe ■ Chicago, Dec. 17. katya, of. Kay, Katya ,and Kay, broke a bone in her toe at rehearsal Friday (14) at the Chicago and the act had to drop put: of the show. : Adler and Bradford replaced. : New Haven, Dec. 17. Paramount stage troupes running Into a physical Jinx here. Last week Mary Jane Frazee. (Fraizee^ Sisters, with ina Ray Hiitton band) down and out with appendix attack. Set for operation iat local hosp. yester- day. (Mon.), Cutrently Alice Kavln, ♦Words and Music* solo dancer, out with head trouble, result of injury In Hartford .last week. ; special production since the alter=" pieces the circuit inaugurated for Its four-act Intact shows It routed over the Interstate and Orpheum a few years back. When Martin Beck came back three years ago, Bobby Connolly. Joined the circuit to pro- duce special acts, but all that even- tuated from his office was >ti ama- teur show that was routed over th^ entire circuit, Megley Is also dickering with th<l) Skourases on the proposition of pro- ducing special shows every three or four weeks for the Academy. If this goes through, the house will flwltcK from a split-week Into a fuU-weel{ stand. ■ •'■■ At the Academy, Megley will b€i strictly the stager. RKO will book the talent he needs. Skourases feel that, with special productions th« house can more often deliver tha type of girl shows which go so wel) on 14th street. Robinson in Nitery . - ' ; "1 . Hollywood, Dec. 17. BUI Robinson, here for Fox's "Lit* tie Colonel,' goes Into the Continent** al Club, formerly the' Airport Gar* dens, Dec; 21 for three ^eeks. Deal set by the Morris office. Club Is under the same operation aa the-ClaveE-JClub. . ANNIVERSARY NUMBER AdverKsmg Copy May Be Sent Now to Any "Variety" Office CHICAGO NEW YORK HOLLYWOOD Woods Theatre Bjdo. 154^ Weat 46th St. 1708 No. Vine Street Rates Remain Unchanged