Variety (Sep 1935)

RADIO SCREEN STAGE Fabllehsd WmUt «t tti WMt 4(th St, Naw Tor^ N. by VMlstT, Ibo. Annual labacrlptlon, $t. Blnsls copies,. IS cent*. Zlnter«il m aecond-olaoa matter December 22, IIOS, at thm Poet OfTlce at Naw Tork. N. T„ under tb* act ol JIarcb. I, 187t. OOPTBIOHT. U3B, BI TAUBn, OTO. AU. BIOHTS BB8KBVED ypl. 120 No. 2 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1935 80 PAGES SHOWMANSHIP IN POLITICS Odds Against Amateurs Gicldiig On Broadway Placed at 200,000 to 3 Odds against amateuro landlngr profeaslbnally In New Tork are 200,000 to 3. Since the "amateur shOMr* craze on radio, and In the theatres, got hot a year ago, It is estimated 200,- 000 genuine purees have taken their 'auditions' all over the country. OC that number only three have so far been regarded by the bookers as suitable, for Broadway showing. The three who reached first base —and they're still a long way from second—are: Doris Wester, Bob Sberly and Dave Dawson. All c^me trom radio; none showed up from theatre -'contests.' Miss Wester, 17, Is singing at the Balnbow Room in Radio City after winning a prize on the' Major Bowes program. Eberly, musician, landed with tlie Dorsey Bros, or- chestra via the Fred Allen am- ateur show. Dawson, also tlirough the Allen program, grabbed some theatre dates but quit to take a canip job for the summer. The other 199,997 had their mo- ment and disappeared. Some are BtiU struggling, but none, have yet made the grade. Bookers, after viewing the field, express the hope that show business will not have to depend for future talent entirely on the past year's crop of simon-pures. Another observation of showmen Is that 'amateur' shows are as much a blight as a blessing. They doubt whether the slight talent uncovered has Justified the possible ill ef- fects that the 'amateur' thing has (Continued on page 62) Monaco Worried Paris, Sept'24. Business was terrible this summer at Monte Carlo, as it has been since roulette became legal in France. Prince of Monaco and National Council are in a huddle, to solve the depression. One member of the Council introduced a bill to grant divorces for small reasons iii quick time, so as td make Monte the Continental Reno and possibly solve problem. CRUISE ACTS' VENEZUELAN AIRINGS Selznick Lays Out $250,000 for Joyce Interest in Agency Hollywood, Sept. 24. ighest cash price ever paid for half interest in an agency was recorded when Myron Selznick ac- quired for $250,000 the partnership assets of Frank Joyce, through his widow, Mrs. Dora Joyce. Partnership, which existed for about seven years prior to the death of Joyce last March 16, enjoyed the most lucrative business of any talent organization on the Coast. Selznick also purchased Frank Joyce, Ltd. Agency, which was solely owned by Joyce. Nejv firm will carry the name of Myron Selznick, Inc. No immediate changes of personnel will be madb, it was .said. Beginning Oct. 1 Selznick will en- large his organization to include! a business management service. H. R. Williams, recently with Equitable Investment Corp,, has been placed in charge. Selznick will represent four Hnl- Ij'wood agencies In their foreign negotiations from his London of- fices. They are Orsattl and Co, Small-Landau, Jessie Wadsworth and Zeppo Marx. Pleasure cruise liners plying be- tween New York and Caribbean ports will bring South America a regular taste of American-type radio broadcasts. On a recent cruise a courtesy program given over YV3RC of Caracas, Venezuela, by Harry Hershfleld, Lillian Wagner, Henrietta Wakefield, Greek Evans, Corinna Mura and Louis Polanski, all in port for a few hours, created much favorable comment. As a result a deal has been worked out whereby cruise boats touching Venezuela hereafter will do a broadcast as a regular part of Uieir visit. Station will pay Nat Abramson, the booker of the cruise talent, in American dollars. NEW IDUS FDR 1 Sugar-Cpating Propaga:nda as Entertainment Seems Certain to Be Technique of Both Parties^Repub- licans Auditioning UPTON SINCLAIR CASE Selling politics via radla on a national scale like toothpaste, chewing gum or breakfast food Is being discussed in Republican cir- cles, and one show along those lines has already been auditioned In the CBS studios. Entitled "Liberty, at the Cross- roads,' it was staged for G.O.P. in- spection tJist Friday (20) and Is now being brushed up and mulled over. Program Is almost pure en- tertainment, or rather propaganda coated with a thick layer of (Continued on page 62) Ask U.S. Reliefers Not To Split Up Professionals Washington, Sept. 24. Proposal has been presented to the government to eliminate the clause in Its work relief project preventing more than one member of a family to be on the rolls, so far as vaudeville and circus per- formers are concerned. Pointed out that there are a large number of family acta in vaude and circus fields that are in need of work relief, but can't get govern ment support because of that rul ing. More details on relief project In the Legit Section. U. S. Minus New Tunes to Hum If Pop Song Writers Declare Strike A Rib? Sign on a New York news- paper delivery truck adver- tising color pictured of the fighters read: 'Baer-Louis — suitable tor framing.' SPONSOR'S K I D , AGE 6, OKAYS AIR SHOW Philadelphia, Sept. 24. New wrinkle in 'practical' audi- tions was started last week by Sup- plee-Wills-Jones exec In listening to WIP's 'Colonel Bill' program, MUk Conipany .which has been sponsor- ing Unclei Wip, kids' spieler, wanted program of juvenile appeal. Since 'Colonel Bill' (William Gal- lagher) does script of animal stories the S-W-J exec brought his 6-year- old daughter along, Issuing must- please her ultimatum. When she oked the act, 'Colonel Bill' was In. N. W. Ayer handles account. Nitery's Blind Band Salt Lake City, Sept. 24. In the new band at the Club Heidelberg, four of five members are blind. They're doing nitery. work In order to complete their education at the University of Utah, where they are studying law. FREE SHOW MENACE BOBS UP AGAIN . WITH DOZEN FIRMS TALKING STUNTS B.R.O. To bbrrcv a line fr-.m Arna He!J, Jr., it's been b.r.6. (bar loom on/j ) in the Broadway and Park avenue nlterles Sunday, Monday and last (Tuesday) night before and aftor the Baer-Louls fracas. The visiting sportsmen did all right by the couvert charge brig.ade. Not that nitery biz hasn't been bullish ever since two weeks prior to Labor Day, The bonlfacos around N. Y. aver that that corner's been reached, judging by the extraordi- nary market for wine, etc. Last night (Tuesday) was a bit of New Year's, eve on Broadway. Free shows commercially spon- sored;" and as competition for the theatres of show business proper, are bobbing up again and to the greatest extent thus far. This time .some 10 or 12 big industrial firms are contemplating exploitation of. their products via in-tl.e-flesh en- tertainment, including Standard Oil of New .Jersey, General Motors, Schenley Distillers and the A.tlan- tlc & Pacific grocery chain. As an issue, free shows have been up before in the show business. Last year the Standard Oil cam- paign with the Quy Lomhardo road show provoked concerted action on the part o£ the picture and theatre (Continued on page 17) Hollywood, Sept. 24. Coast song writers will initiate a 'creative fast' If things .go against them In the legislative halls or among their own oraft. Threats of a protracted surcease from cleiQng to win public support to their cause has been talked among tunesmltha and likelihood of such a campaign Is Imminent Just before Congress reconvenes after the first of the year. Idea of a passive resistance to the Duffpr bill and dlCCerencea with the American Society of Composers, Au- thors, and Publishers was hatched from a remark dropped by Nathan Burkan at the last ASCAP member« ship meeting here. '1 wonder what would be the gen- eral effect If all you boys quit writ- ing music for a while?', he^theorized. Th« Cu* taking their cue at that point of the discussion, members are said to have given silent assent to such a proposal, feeling that it would have a pleasing moral effect on their struggles to attain eauality, remu- nerative and otherwise. Whether the winter campaign (Continued on page 77) MG READYING 8 HLMUSICALS Hollywood, SepL 24. Metro is having a rush of musi- cals with eight In various stages of production and pre-production activity. AH will be released by the end of January. In addition to the eight sched- uled, studio Is looking for a suc- cessor to 'Broadway Melody.' Those on the fire are 'This Time It's Love' with Jessie Matthews and Jlobert Montgomery; 'The 'Great Zlegfeld'; 'Maytime' with (jrrace Moore and Nelson Eddy; 'Tales of Hoffman', for Marion Talley; 'San Francisco' for Jeannette MacDonald; 'Elegance' for Clifton Webb. 'Rose Marie' Is now In work. Ecclesiastic Showman Brookyn, Sept. 24. r. Russell Brougher, preacher at Bapti.st Temple, is packing 'cm in be- cause of his snappy display adver- tising in local gazettes. La-st Sunday nite's sermon was billed as 'The Fighter Who Couldn't Come Back— Preludes: 1. Will Max Baer Lick Joe Louis? 2. My Personal Experi- ence With Max Baer and His Trainer.' Ad also informed populace that Margaret McKec, whistler, was making lier last appearance lu'ioii' moving to California. Actress* 2 Plays Set In England and U. S, Philadelphia, Sept. .2-1, Maria Coxe, member of the Hedgerow Theatre troupe at Rose Valley, will have two plays pro- duced this season, On both sides ^f the. Atlantic. 'If Ye Break Faith' and 'Kit Mar- lowb' are the plays and both will be done by the Covent Garden Show- shop in London, first on Armistice Day. Ml.^s Coxe sails for England with the ending of the Hedgerow season next month. 'Faith' will also be done- by the Tlicntre League (art theatre group) of this city this fall and H<>dgerow will do 'Marlowe.'