Variety (Sep 1935)

ADIO SCREEN STAGE Pabllahed WMklf *t 1(4 Weat 4Sth fit. New Tork, N. br Variety, Ino. Aanaal ■nbaorlptlou. I*. SlncU eoplM, II Motk KaUrcd M Moond-daaa matter December 12, laos, at tb« Post Ortlce at New York, N. T„ under Ute aot »f March 1, 1S7I. COPTBIGHT. USA. BT VAKIKTX. INC. AIX BIOIIT8 BB8KBVKD Vol. 12^ No. 1 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1935 80 PAGES 390 Chorines at Work in Legit Biggest Number in Five Years L Chorus Equity's has 390 members already set in leeU for this season. Last ye\T at the same time total reached 137, of wtiich 31 were Britishers with the D'Oyly Carte co. Providing present pace holds, this Reason bids well to establish a high water mark over the preceding five years. Number of those currently spotted Is split among Broadway shows open and in rehearsal, which have taken 144, coast production of 'Any- thing Goes' which has 3U and 16 working with the PWA. There have been as many as 1,500 chorus members at work at one time. How- ever, nothing comparable to this has been seen since the days when 'The Student Prince' was Incumbent. Chorus members sot for the east will be divvied between 'Scandals,' five Shubert shows two of which are for the road, 'Vanities,' 'Great Waltz,' 'Keep Smiling,' 'Jubilee,' 'Sketch Book,' 'At Home Abroad,' •Thumbs Up,' 'Life Begins at 8:40' and 'Venus in Silk.' Commenting on the publicized shortage of girls, chorus Equity claims that such 'a condition docs not now, and never did, exist. There is sometimes a scarcity of certain types and of .those specially talented, but a general dearth never, says the (Continued on page 35) ROgRS FILMS FORWINNINGER Hollywood, Sept. 17. 20lh Cenlury-Kox In signing Charles Wlnnlnger to a term con- tr.iut. hopes that the stage and radio atar will fit Into the stories planned for Will Rogri-s without too much altrratlon. 'i:vcryb()dy's Friend" and 'Man from Home,' houRht for Ilogera be- fore hlH death, are now being re- written to fit 'Inninger. Studio is nl.io hanking on Win- Tilngcr's air aiidlfnce for box olfice. Plane Dread Upsets File Special's Reservations Hollywood, Sept. 17. Allhouph throe .airlines nre ad- vertising ficht .spocl.ils pulling out 'Mc this wook, roserviitions are 1uni)iin>,' amuiul like Mcxiran l)O.Tns ni\ accciint of cancellnti.-.ns liUf U> sludio li.KMllllty .Tsainst trip l)y sal- .iriod worker.H. 'I'hoie'.s expected to be a last- minute rush for spant^ on the planes, with the news of person.s going piililii izoil too late to do nnything ::l»)llt it. Looking Ahead Doo Rockwell was asked by a friend what he was doing. 'Oh, I'm giving an audition for I always audition for them every year.' 'How does it look for 1935 r asked the friend. 'I don't know yet but I've got a great idea for the 1936 audi- tion,' replied the Doc. QUARANTINE 11 CHORUS GIRLS BACKSTAGE Louisville, Sept. 17. Chorus at the National theatre hero, a presentation house booked from New York, Is being held at the theatre in quarantine since one of the 12 girls, Gertrude Struck, was stricken with infantile paralysis last week. A doctor is in constant at- tendance, though the girls are being permitted to work. Chorus is a house line, with the WlUl.'im Morris office sending down the flU-ln acts wrekly. Harry Anger, also of New York, is the producer. The girls have petitioned the Morris oHlco and Anger to get them out of Louisville. Mother of the stricken girl, who is In a local hos- pital, arrived here to be with her daughter. Gary Cooper ?AJs Plan to Stamp Out Endorsement Racket MIlllON-HElin A.&P. Co. s Kate Smith Unit for N. Y, And Road; a $7S,(I00 Free Show $5,000 Weekly from Radio, $12,500 on Unita, $1,000 for Shorts— $S0O at Capi- tol as Managing Director $19,000 A WEEK Major Edward Bowes to th« new No, 1 money man of show business with a current weekly Income that, if maintained, will place him In the |l,000,000-a-year class. About 98% of the total comes thruL.U his ama- teur shows on the radio, screen (shorts) and In theatres (units). Bowes' present estimated weekly income runs in the neighborhood of $19,000. It is derived from four sources, three of which pertain to amateur shows. On his commercial (Chase & San- born) air program Bowes draws $5,500 a week. At present there are five Bowes amateur units playing theatres, with more to come, and with the first five already netting him an estimated $12,500 weekly. For 26 screen short.s, In which ama- teurs are also used, Bowes gets $52,000 at the rate of $2,000 per short, or $1,000 a week on a year's (Continued on page 35) THEATRE AUDIENCES AS POLITICAL POU Hollywood, Sept. 17. In a move to stamp out what he calls the testimonial racket for com- mercial product.s, Jack Moss, busi- ness manager for Gary Cooper, has sot a standard price for indorse- ments by the star of commercial products and will turn monies over to relief organizations. If other players fall In line, .Moss l.i confi- dent the evil will be wiped out. Although the Hays office frowns on Indorsements, practice has pro- gressed unabated. Moss says, 'In many cases, coin for wlgnaturlng products never gets past the pres.s agpnt.' Rochester, N. T., Sept. 17. Figuring theatre-goers as typical cross-section of popular opinion, Gannett newspapers In 14 cities will conduct a theatre poll on, 'Do you In general approve the policies of President Roosevelt?' Te.st set j for Sept. 20 and will Include both I nabe and main stem hou.ses. Voters will not be asked to sign their names, but to Indicate whether they voted for Roo.scvclt li. 1932. Cities included In poll are Roch- ester, Utlco,. Albany, IClmlra, Sara- toga. Nowhurgh, Beacon, Ogdens- burgh. Malone, Ithaca, and Olean. In New York state, Hartford, Cnnn.: rialnflcld, N. J., and Daiis- vilte, III. Gannett campai^jned for Hoover and has l)een lukewarm towards most of FDR's policies. The pub- Usher's pet theory of manipulating gold prices to assure an 'honest' dollar, according to the Idois of I'rof. Warren, of Cornell, wuh ijlven a try, but not fully onouijh to suit Cinnnett. Solly's Offer According to friends In the east Solly Violinsky, now on the Coast, has received a vaude offer from Germany. Salary quoted at $1,260 week- ly, and funeral expenses. MULL AWARDS FOR RADIO MERIT Washington, Sept 17. Steps toward developing a plan for recognition of meritorious radio programs were taken last week with appointment of a committee to rep- resent the National Association of Broadcasters in arranging for a radio industry foundation award. Group, which will cooperate with similar delegation picked some time ago by the Radio Manufacturers' Association, comprises Lambden Kay, WSB, Atlanta, chairman; Mer- lin H. Aylesworth, NBC: Burrldge D. Butler, WLS, Chicago; Leo J. Fitzpatrick, president of N. A. B. and vice-president of WJK, Detroit; and William S. Paley, CBS. Manufacturers' representatives are Powell Crosley, WLW, Cincin- nati, chairman; Leslie F. Muter, president of R. M. A.; Commander Eugene F. MacDonald of Zenith Radio Co.; George Scoville of Strom berg - Carlson; and N. P. Bloom of Adler Manufacturing Co., Louisville. Ethiop War Clause For Italian Cheese Program on Radio First war clause written into a radio contract l.s that of Locatelll, [nc Nr>w York dl."itrlhutor for Bel I'apsr> chff>sr!, with WOR, Newark. DiHtrll), under the clause, reserves the right to cancel Immediately if rtaly ongnges In war with Ethiopia or any emergency develops whlnh will prpvoiit the importation of the cliffse into America from Italy. Checrfo Importer's program is slated to Htart Oct. 1, u.slng a week- ly half hour of Italian melodies. Variety's Fall Radio Business Forecast PAGES 44 TO 59 Kate Smith's 'Coffee Time* show goes Into Madison Square Garden, New Tork, Sept. 80, as the first sponsored commercial show with a free admlsh to appear there. Re- ported rental of the Garden Is $6,000 for the night AUantIo A Paciao Tea Co^ Miss Smith's sponsor, Is underwriting the stunt Grocery firm wiU route the show through key towns for exploitation. Estimated cost of the campaign Is $76,000. Show, containing Jack Miller's orchestra besides Miss Smith, will not be broadcast on these stands. It opened last night (Tuesday) at Masonic Hall, Detroit, as the first stand. Next date Is Boston to- morrow (Thursday) at Symphony Hall. Philadelphia and Washing- ton follow. Show will continue after Miss Smith premieres with her radio program for the same sponsor Oct 1. Paris & Peart agency handling. Last commercial free show at- tempted on a large scale by an ad- vertiser was the Guy Lombardo band unit which Standard OH of New Jers»y sent out a year ago. It was stopped by an agreement with the theatres through the Hays ofllce after show business gen- erally labelled it unfair competition. NAMETALiiT A string of 10 automobile shows in principal cities across the country will spend about $60,000 next month on talent. They're all looking for names this time, with the Industry going heavier on salaries generally than in the past. Shows are being booked through the William Morris office by the various local dealers' associations. San Francisco auto show, always the biggest goes for $12,600 this time for Ted Lewis the week of Nov. 16. Cleveland has Bums and Allen at $10,000 for eight days com- mencing Nov. 22. Buffalo will use Lanny Ross at $3,500, Baltimore has Rubinofjf at (Continued on page 36) CHALIAFIN'S 1ST LEGIT Vienna, Sept. 17. Feodor Challapin has been set for I he part of Moses in Max Rein- hard t's production of 'Road to I'rornl.sc' for New York. Play was wi-iMen by Franz Werfel and adapt- '•il Into Kngllsh by Ludwig Lewls- "hn. Ilelnhardt set the Challapin i)ii(il<lng hf-re. I'lay goes Into the Manhattan opf-ra house, New York. Scenery will be by Norman Bel Geddes.