Variety (Sep 1935)

Wednesday, September 25, 1935 VAUDEVILLE VARIETY 63 Duisbers TeDs Wolfson That Scala, leActs Lou Wolfson of the William Mor- ris agency, after seven weeks abroad suryeylne: the foreign vauder vllle situation, got back last week In company with Harry Foster and Val Parnell, variety booking head the Palladium thea,tre, London, and other General Theatres (Qau- mont-Brltish. subsld). Foster of Foster's Agency, London, represents the Morris ofllce as well as the Dick Henry-Curtis & Allen foreign book- ings In England. All three had huddled In London with Eddie Duis- berg, booking manager of the Scala theatre, Berlin. The Scala> amidst Gernikny's political cauldron, is doing the best business in its vareer and more than ever Is committed to booking for- eign acts. Duisberg emphasized that the Scala is willing to (i) ad- vance fares to reliable actis; (2) guarantee that the money, in marks, or other currency, can be taken out of the country; and (3) fulfill'its contracts, even though .a number of American acts have failed to do so with them. In thid latter respect, Duisberg pointed out to Wolfson and Foster, whose ofRces jointly send, over many of the acts to Berlin, that Cardlni, Bellit and Lamb, 6 Maxellos, 3 Sail- ors,. Lime 3, Lee Galls and Gloria Gilbert signed but never came over. The Sailors didn't because of the non-Aryan angle; Lime and Gllijert went to the French Casino, N. Y., Instead; Bellitt and Lamb, split up, etc. Kosher Act Clicks But, says Duisberg, the Germans are more than anxious to accept foreign acts. One of the biggest hits at the Scala were the 5 Franks, some of whom spoke with a vivid kosher brogue. Tlie Cossacks, Cherry and June Preisser, DeLong Sisters, Ching Yee Wah Troupe, Cass, Mack, Owen and Topsy (about 60% lion-Aryan), Paul Klrkland, Andre Renaud (a Frenchman), Freddie Sanborn, 4 Trojans, Re.va Reyes, Haru Onuko (American do- ing a Japanese sjpecialty), 4 Hawali- ans, are some of the acts at the Scala. from August through October. 'Others are In demand. Whatever the political platform, Duisberg seemingly doesn't worry about doing business with anti-Nazi sympathizers. It's tacitly under- stood, of course, that a Delancey Street comedian, needn't emphasize .his dialect if playing the month In Berlin, so in the ma^In the London and New York agents, as well as Duisberg, agree on talent require- ments. Duisberg had passage booked to come to New York with Foster, Wolfson and Parnell, but had to cancel and return to Berlin because .of business pressure. Duisberg pays $400 to $1,500 for suitable acts. As an International ■variety house, the Scala Is faced .with the same requirements for worthy foreign vaudeville acts.as. is the Palladiuj Londpn, among' otheris. The seml-d cial Vllkische Beo- bachter has. 'officially', printed that foreign acts, particularly American,, .are highly ■syelcbmed In Berlin and- will be accorded every consideration if meeting 'requirements.' These requirements, averred Duisberg In London, are not that they be at- tuned to the needed comedy spirit of the day, do not eschew any non- Nazi chords, contribute worthy and decorous novelty and divertisse- ment. Ohid Spot Reopens Middletown, O., Sept. 24. Sorg Opera House, recently leased by local Gordon Theatre' Co., has reopened after complete remodel- ling following a Arc several months ago with vaude and pictures at 35c. top. The Strand, one of two units in Southic chain here, shuttered for many months, also' reopened. Play- ing straight pictures for the present, but will use occasiondl unit shows. Good Hunting Cleveland, Sept. 24. Manager of a burlesk house, peeved at the snap-shot nuts who carry high-powered cam- eras that can take indoor pic- tured, Is now trying to bar them. ' Dborman haa orders to mike the pests 'check their cameras, before getting a seat. 'Am i Blue Soaked For $25; Socked a Tresenred' Mechanic Troy, N. Y., Sept. 24. Altiiough he told the court., his opponent 'state of self preservation,' lue had to pay a fine of $26 for walloping Edgar Film in a garage here. Blue bills himself as the 'all-American half wit,' but his code of Justice didn't appeal to Police 'Justice James F. Byron. Ben, who played on the yaude bill at Proctor's theatre here, said he got his dander up when he called at the garage' for his car and had to wait a half hour, and when it finally was brought to him he found one of two locks had been broken. He and Film, the garage mechanic, had an argument and, according to Blue, he told Film to 'put up your hands.' 'Where did you get the notion you had a right to assault him?,' Justice Byron asked the comic. 'I haven't any right,' lue re- plied. 'Did you strike the plainti Blue admitted he had. 'But you pleaded not guilty.' 'I told him to put up his hands and when I struck him he was in the stale Of self preservation.' 'You invited a fight, you started it; you struck the plaintiff and you claim that is self preservation. I find you guilty of the charge and fine you $25 or 25 days In Jail.' Blue paid. Goodman, CaUoway Set for Par in L. A. Los Angeles, Sept. 24. Benny Goodman band, currently at- Palpmar ballroom here, has been booked by Fanchon & Marco for week at the Paramount, starting Oct. 17. Cab Calloway, due here for pix next month, goes into Paianiovnt theatre week of Oct. 24. This v/ill be. Calloway's first Coast vaude date. Connie's Unit Connie- Immerman is sending but another of his colored fioor shows for stage appearances. Troupe will play two weeks .in colored houses before' going on scheduled major circuit time. Unit's top specialists are Glady.s Palmer, Jjcroy Smith and Ford, Marshall and Jones. Ruiz-Bonita Quit Cesar Ruiz and Grace Ldi^r (Ruiz and Bonita), man and wife off the stage, are quitting show biz. Pance team goes to South Amer- ica in mid-October, where they'll make their permanent home. Floor Acts Unitize Minor and Root, dancers,, and Jules Lande and his orchestra are frbming a vaude combo. They're as a unit, at the., potel Sf. Regis, N. Y., and plan to double inlo a Broadway house if the sked can be worked out. Seek Public Sujpport—Dem- onstration in Times Sq. vaib Sandwich Men and Girls Getting Petition Sig- natures— Mass Meeting To n i g ht—Agitation for - Congressional investiga- tion of Circuits TO SEE ROOSEVELT First public actors' demonstration in New York since the White Rats strike In 1919 took place; Monday and Tuesday along Broadway, when 12 sandwich girls and men paraded the rialto Inviting the public to at- tend the American Federation of Actors' mass meeting tonight (.Wednesday) at the St. James thea- tre, protesting the boycott of vaude- ville by the major circuits. Besides the sign-bearers, more than 100 members of the AFA circulated through New York the past 10 days gathering signatures on petitions asking the return of stage shows to theatres. Petitions are also being circulated by the AFA In nine other cities— Boston, Bridgeport, Chicago, Cleve land, Detroit, Milwaukee, Minneapo Us, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. To $66 Roosevelt In co-operation with the AFA the United Vaudeville Producers and Directors Association will send a delegation to the meeting, with Charles B. Maddock, Its president, scheduled to speak of his asspcla- tibn's plans to take the vaude situa- tion direct to President Roose- velt. Maddock and Alex Gierber are arranging for an appointment with the President, scheduled in the next 10 days, at which they will present figures and affidavits to show that the circuits and picture interests are discriminating against vaude. They will ask for a Senatorial Investiga- tion.- According to Gierber, the president has already expressed sympathy for vaudeville, deploring its present pre- dicament. Producer also states that several senators and congressmen have been contacted and reported as ready to force an issue If the pro- ducers can show proof- of discrimi- nation by the film companies and their theatre-afllliates. Maddock and Ralph Whitehead, executive secretary of the AFA, have had several conference."}, and their co-operation was pleged for the drive to bring vaude back, though (Continued on page 64) ters New Demands Furtber Vaude's Oiances in N. Marked will Morrlssey ap- proached by a young lady whom he didn't recognize and who said, 'Remember me? I was in one of your choruses a couple of years ago.' 'Did I pay you?' asked Will. 'No,' said the girl. 'Then It was me,' plied. Coloninist Playing B'way Theatre, Turns Down 'Guest' Stars Louis Sobol, Ni Y. Journal Broad- way columnist^ currently at Loew's State, N. Y., is setting a. precedent for night life commentators in vaude. He's nixed the 'guest star'' gaff, an angle on which most col- uminists' bookings were based in the past., Openihjg show at the State, Ed Sullivan (News), Jack Dempsey and Jimmy Durante took bows with Sobol, but they were solicited by the Doew ofllce and not Sobol, vvho later squawked that-he didn't want anybody to appear with him gratis. Celebs who showed 'at subseqr.ent shows also were not solicited by Sobol. Rose's Own Show Harry Rose's 'Broadway Merry- GSo-Round' unit, staged by Arthur Knorr, gets its first opening at Fay's, Providence, week starting Friday (27). Rose tops the 35-people cast. • Most discouraging note struck against mor stage .shows and vaudeville this season Is notice by the 10r&slcians' Local 802, New York, of an Increase retroac- tive to La:bor Day (2). Old^ con- tract expired on that date, but. ne- gotiations on a new scale haye-been delayed as a result of the efforts of managers to reach iah agreement with operators. Musicians want a return to the scale which was In force In 1930, with men to work 28 shows at a salary of $90 a week, any extra shows being $5 each. Pitmen are now getting $90 for 30 shows on the week, which allows for four shows daily. weekda:ys, and five on Satur- days and Sundays, without Incur- ring overtime. If 802 stands on Its demands for a maximum of 28 shows before overtime begins. It means that when a theatre goes to five shows over the week-end the salary will run to $100 a man. .j, Confabs This Week Negotiations may be started this week between union ofilclals and managers, ability of latter to sit down now depending on Avhether or not further meetings with the op- erators conflict. Question of what S02 w^ill demand In the way of mini- mum number of men to a pit has not yet been brought up. Demands on the part of Local 802 may interfere with plans of the Par- amount to go stage shows Oct. 4 and of the Capitol to return to flesh around Jan. 1. Amohg other things^ 802 has indicated that it will not- slgn contracts except for.a minimum of 35 weeks; 0. & J. TO USE TYEOS Detroit, Sept. 24. Amateurs will get a crack at prizes And a chance to appear on a stage when Olsen and Johnson open their unit, 'Everything Goes,' Friday (27) at the Fox theatre here. Winners will get $50 in cash prizes. REVIVING 'PIEATES' "Kitchen Pirates,' standard adagio act for years, is being revamped by Maurice Golden, with Lita D'Oray stepping into Peggy Taylor's spot. Miss Taylor has left the Golden management. Palace, N.Y., Minus Vaude for 'Hat' And 'Jim,' with Duals to Follow CHI MORRIS OFnCE READIES INDIE DRIVE Palace, New York, Just another vaude spot the past couple of years, goes straight pictures for the sec- ond time in its history Friday (27) with 'Top Hat* (Radio), which is figured for two week" sans stage shows. Film policy will be main- tained after 'Top Hat' with 'Dia- mond Jini' (Fox), but after that the RKO operators have not made up their minds. Policy under discussion to fol- low 'Dla.mond Jl ' is double fea- tures, though vaude hasn't been ruled out altogether. Previous straight picture policy at the Pal- ace, instituted by Harold B. Frank- lin, didn't last long. With the Palace going straight pictures, only stage show houses on Broadway, will be Loew's State and the Roxy, though the Paramount is expected to resume Oct. 4, if it finds an opening attraction. Re- sumption -of .ttage shows at the Par and the date depend on" what nameij are available. Indie's Name Splurge Baltimore, Sept. 24. Izzy Rappaport has a line-up of name attractions inked into his vaudfllm Hippodrome for succeeding weeks. Starting Friday (27), Fred-Allen's Amateurs, then Xavier Gug.it's ork; the $10,000 unit headed by Lou Holtz, Belle Baker and Blodk and Sully; Phil Spltalny's all-girl or- chestra, and Duke Plington's band. Heller Repeating Baltimore, Sept.'24. Jackie Heller, current at Loew'.s Century heie, has been booked into the Fox, Detroit, by the Loew office for week of Oct. 4. Close repeat for .finger. Oii Aug. .22 ho concluded a threo-weVik run at tho Fox, which e«t.al)II.*<h(;d un all-time record at houHC for con- spfirtfve ■appp.arftnc"' Chicago, "Sept. 24. Morris Silver has formulated plans for an Intensive expansion program for the local William Mor- ris office with the start of the new vaude season. Following the split- awo,y from active Balaban & Katz alfiUation, Silver is- making a drive for complete Independent booking and act handling. Ofllce is booking the Riverside, Milwaukee, full week, thuough Sam Bramson, several Warner houses through Charlie Hogan, besides a number of midwest n'lterles. Other houses are expected Into the agency shortly following the return of Nan Elliott to the office after a two months' Vacation. Miss Elliott be- comes an active factor in the new season's setup of the local Morris office with both talent representa- tion aind booking. Lou Llpstone, B. & K. chief, Is considering return of vaude to sev- eral nabe spots here with. MI.mh El- liott figured to handle a Portion of that time. Sullivan'at Roxy Ed Sullivan, Broadway columnifc;^ of the New York News, has been set by Fanchon & Marco for thia Roxy, New York, week of Oct. 4. Surrounding show has not been set. Sullivan played Loew's State, four blocks below the Roxy, a few weeks ago. Patti Moore's Back Patli Moore (Lewis and Moore) is- on a doctor's no-work edict for four wenlcs as a result of a sprained back. Injiir-y happened at (he Palace, Now i'ork, last wp(>k, with the re- sult that the team had to wUhdray?^ from th<^.7iht«v-jrftt!rthff-se(!tnrtl'"day.