Variety (May 1935)

RADIO STAGE PublUhad Waikir »t 114 WMt 4iUi 6t., N«w York, N. T., br Varlaty. Inc. Annual aubicrlptloh, t6. Singla copies, 1( cent*. Entered a* aecond-clan matter December 2t, ItOC, at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., under the act at March t, ll7t. PRICE 15^ COrTBIGHT. IBtS, BT VAIUBIT, INC. ALL BIGHTS BESERVED Vol. 118 No. 9 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1935 64 PAGES URGE NO TALENT EMBARGO Balto Catholic Group Boycotting Loew s Century on Varieties' Unit . Baltimore, May 14. Members of the local Scholastic Legion of Decency this week com- menced boycotting Loew's vaudfllm Century, alleeing the theatre has been presenting smutty stage shows. Diocesan weekly. Balto Catholic Review, announces in an editorial InJ current Issue that.. sheet 'Wlll henceforth accept no advertising from any Loew theatre playing vaude In either Balto or Washing- ton. The magazine Is circulated In both towns. The Revlew'dldn't approve of the stage show last week at the Cen- tury, Earl Carroll's 'Vanities' tab. Charged that the show Is 'notorious for its nudity, salacious sketches, filthy jokes and dances In almost total nakedness.' According to Vin- cent de Paul Fitzpatrlck, editor of the Bevlew, he called on Bill Sax- ton, I.oew's city manager, before the •Vanities' touched town, and was promised th. t all objectionable fea- tures would be removed when tab plained here. He charges that those promises were not llve^l up to. 'Vanities' has been running up against criticism from Catholic press elsewhere. Week btlore It played here, the Rochester, N. Y., Courier cracked down on tab when (Continued on page 58) Don't Write , Chicago, May H. Latest' chain money gag Is the five ..dollar chain telegram which started last week In Iowa. Boys are using the wires to get quick action one way or the other. JED HARRIS' SALARY IDEAS Soap, Radio, Week-End Drama with Music All Part of Italian Deal Hollywood, May 14. Arch Selwyn had made arrange- ments for Irving Thalberg to talk a deal with Jed Harris to joint Metro. Harris said he was interested in pictures at a figure and Thalberg inquired what he wanted. 'What's Sam Katz's salary?' Harris asked. Thalberg replied, 'That's not the question,' so Harris said he wanted four times as much as Katz was getting. Thalberg laughed and Harris then asked: 'How much do you get, Mr. Thalberg?' Thalberg replied that also was liDmatcrlal and he Just desired to know how much Harris wanted. So >[arri.s rcpllocl he wanted as much as Thalberg. That ended the interview and in- dications arc Harris will not join Metro. A soap named Persegella, after one of the characters In. an Italian radio program over Station WFAB, New York, Is the newest by-product of an odd theatre-radio deal. Radio program entitled 'Sandrino and Persegella' ballyhoos stage pro- duction at the Venice theatre. New York, and is th'e only form of adver- tising done by the management, which draws exclusively from the Italian colony. Theatre plays Sat- ui-day-Sunday repertory. Clemente GlgUo operates the thea- tre, the radio program and the soap company. He also writes the native Italian music dramas for the stage productions and the cQntiniiltles for the air. FIRE DEP'T CENSORING HOT BURLEY IN SYR. Syracuse, May 14. Censorship of the Katz stoclc bur- l93que at the Civic theatre, ordered i>y Mayor Mnrvln, ha.<i been switched from the police to the fire depart- ment. Hereafter Chief Inspector of Pub- ito Assemblies Charles "Wlllcea will 6ensor the productions. N. Y. NEWSBOYS SELL KINCnSH'S OWN PAPER New York was flooded over the week-end with a slew of boys sell- ing copies of 'American Progress,' newspaper published by Huey Long in New Orleans. Paper Is marked at 5c'an Issue and consists almost entirely of hurrahs for the Kingllsh or blasts at President Roosevelt, go- ing In for a healthy splurge of red ink and scare headlines. Issued only oncc-monthly tlnis far, but plan Is to go wcelily or ofierier if response builds. Father Cou.qlilin In Detroit pub- lished a similar paper on his own. The boys seem to be copying Hit- ler, who also had a now.<;pai)Dr when lie started. Add Headache Dept. Mexico City, May 14. Lack of small change, resulting from demoneti'/ation of ailver coin. Is constituting a serious problem for the amusement Industry. Jlany cinemas and tlieptres h.ave had to turn away customer.s because they couldn't change paper money. EOUITY JOINS HOLLYIOD PLEA House Immigration Commit- tee Hearings Continue Today (Wednesday)— Legits Concur with Films NEED FREE FLOW Washington, May 14. Renewed warfare against the film industry was declared by an Irate House Immigration Committee be- cause of refusal of producers to ap- pear at bearings on the alien actor bill and submit to intensive grilling about importation of foreign talent. Threatening to reject written state- ments opposing; stricter entry regu- lations. Chairman Samuel Dickstein roared and thundered criticism at the film industry, suggesting the need for sweeping Congressional investigation and monopolizing first day's discussion of his proposal to tighten contract labor * law prol- vlslons and curb admission of ac-: tors and musicians. Hearings con- tinue tomorrow (Wednesday) with (Continued on page 63) MRS. F. D. R/S NEW IDEA Would Tour Country—Brpadcast Her Observations Mrs. Franklin D. lioosevelt Is be • In;: offered to ad agencies for a summer series which would have her reporting her observations while touring the country In a lllvver, accompanied by her per- sonal secretary. Program would be broadcast fiom whatever town she happened to be 111 on the evening of the week selected for the series, with the script devoted to tlie economic and social conditions, which she finds prevailing locally. Like lier other commercial connections the salary derived from the summer series would bo contributed directly to the first lady's pet charity. That Other Guy down round Mon- Diivid Mendoza. 'arner's ea.stern music specialist, re- cently joined Oakridge. In ■\\('stc)iesler, and as a golfer he's generally on the l>eat. I'l.iying a hideaway by himself last week doza was going so badly he finally turned to Ills caddy sjiyini,', 'Listen, Is there any- body In thin club who pluys worso than me?' 'Weil,' replied the boy, 'Ihey tell mo there's a new guy up here named Mendoza. You should see him. Films to Elmiinate Star-Ratii^ Quotes on AD Adv.; Just Reviews Rockefeller Nix - Radio City Music Hall ushers have a baseball team of their own. They had a game lined up with Sing Sing last week, but W. G. Van Schmus, man- aging director, canceled It. Contest had no dignity. NO VAUDEVILLE IN HMES SQ. For the first time since the cows were chased out ot the area, there isn't a vaudeville show In all of Times Square, New York, this week. The two vode houses—Loew's State and the RKO Palace—are both play- ing units, while the Capitol and the Uoxy hold the usual house-produced shows. 'Cavalcade of Music' Is at the State, and 'Harlem Express,' Jimmle Lunceford-CBS c(Uored band show, is at the Palace. Nearest vaudeville bill to the Times Square area this semester Is at the Grand Opera House, 23d street and Eighth avenue, nearly two miles away. Also, there's the Academy on 14th street and Loew'e Orpheum on 86th street. But there's no vaude on Broadway from one end of New York city to the other. 12-WEEK REHEARSALS AND ONE PERFORMANCE After squawking for years against the use of stars or other symbols in reviewing pictures, but losing no opportunity to capitalize on the three and four-star notices when getting them, publlclty-ad directors of the major companies have agreed that only the text of reviews will be used .in the future. Effective Juno 1, under the agreement, no major win publicize or advertise the num- ber of starlets or other symbols any of their productions receive regard- less of marquee value. Thought of enforcing a ban on symbols as qulck-glance Indicators of what a picture rates among re- viewers using this system originated with the publicity directors and has received the approval of the Hays' organization, which Is quoted as be- lieving that the picture companies are encouraging the use of stars or other gadgets too much by empha- sizing the ratings gU'en In this manner. It is stressed that pro- ducer-distributors and their adver- tising-publicity heads Intend no dis- pute with any newspapers or maga- zines using symbol signposts on re- views in this decision to avoid re- production. Plan Is to quote from the text of such reviews, mentioning either the critic or his paper or both, just the same as followed (Continued on page 59) Dcspiic the fact that 'lleprise' was yanked at the Vanderbllt, N. Y., allrr a single performance, show had actually been In preparation for 12 weeks. Four character flop was in rehearsal most of that time, cast going over the script In one of the player's apartments. Because not rehearsing In a,theatre or hall, peo- ple concerned figured there was no violation of Equity's limit of four woelcs for straight plays. Play was tried out by Vera Mur- ray last summer, but the option was pci- ittod to lapse. Financial back- ing' was sought frorn Camllo Oldow, .South Amcrlran, who will enter the managei-ial fielj next season. Oldow stepped out and Frederick E. Mal- ley, from the west, stepped In. Not So 'Purity Seal' Hollywood, May 14. Joe Ilic'n Is the hero of a st;ige romeily, ')>urlty Seal," by Gone Townc. M'lU Haya runs through the yarn a.s a heavy. Towne goes to N. Y. the end of this month to ariangp a summer prr<Jurtlon. McCoy Indians on Warpath to Scalp Phony Film Extras Hollywood. May 14. Indians here for jobs as extras have gone on the warpath against what they term phony aborigines, Mexicans and other representatives of swarthy skinned races who get extra Jobs as redskins. McCoy American Indians have re- cently been staging a number of in- dignation meetings and are send- ing lists of the real Injuns hcra to studio casting ofllces In order that they might get the war paint Jobs Instead of the bootlegrfr .Jim Thorpe Is leader In the move of 'Only American Indians for American Indian parts.' OLDEST BURLEY HOUSE BOOKED FOR WRECKERS Boston, May 14. Old Howard, Boston, oldest hurley house In the country, operated by the Lothrop Interest.s, is slated to fall under a wrecking crew'thl* summer. Property owners have bid on the real estate and have decided to re-l)uild for new tenants. This will lea'-e only MInsky'H, at tlio Park, purveying hurley her*.