Variety (Sep 1935)

'^^edneedayt September 25, 1935 L E C I ¥ 1 M A T E VARIETY 69 ROAD SHOW BIZ BOOMING Hipp Transformation on at FuD Speed; Opening Oct 15 at M Top - -Transformation:- of-ther Interior- of Ippodrome, N. T., 'Jiimbo' is being stepped up, following the pouring last week of concrete for the ring, within which the show will be played. Opening date of Oct. 7 will be put back a week, but Billy Rose, is confident the premiere will delayed further than that, irst night tickets will be $8:80 top and gross for the performance should reach $30,000. Otherwise this evening scale will be from 4dc to $3.30, with the afternoon top $1.65. Recount indicalLes the gross, on a 14 performance basis, cah reach $118,000 weekly. Bectanguiar platform of concrete extends from the original footlight line well back onto the orchestra floor. It Is on the level of the stage and will constitute the ring. Seats will rise beyond and on the sides on the tome angle as the balcony, which will become part of the first floor, circus or stadium-wise. Hipp stage has been removed and the largest revolving double stage ever constructed Is bielng installed. It has a diameter of 56 feet. This mechanism will not be visible to the audience, for it is to be used only to move heavy scenic settings onto and off the end of the platform. About 15 feet above the revolving stage, on a line with the original proscenium, arch, a gallery will ac- commodate the Paul Whiteman band, so that the scenic changes will be made directly underneath, A tent will mask In the back of the elevated bandstand and the e.tc\i Itself. Cocoa matting will be used In the ring or platform Instead of tanbark to preserve the costumeis. Steel framework to support the new seating scheme is being in- stalled. Whll6 the Hippo's present Interior appears far from complete, contracts call for a penalty of $500 dally if the work Is hot finished by the end of this week. That goes for each sub-contractor. Plans for Rose duplicating •Jumbo' at the Drury Lane, London, are being talked. Move is depend- .ent on ho\y the show is received in New York. London proposal Is ten- tatively dated three nionths after the Hipp premiere. Idea of using a corps of six-foot- ers as ushers has'been dropped and girls will be engaged instead. It will take 40 usherettes to; handle the house. NIRDUNGER CLEARED IN PHIUY TAX CASE Philadelphia, Sept. Samuel F. E. Nlxon-Nlrdllnger, managing director of the Broad iStreet Theatre, indie legit house, has been cleared by U. S. Commis- sioner Wacker of charges of falling to pay the government $2,000 in amusement taxes. Refiuired sum was paid over and Comm. Wacker declared that he was sure the theatre man had no Inten- tion of defrauding the government. John McNally, a Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue, testified he had agreed to allow Nlrdllnger to pay oh an installment basis but that legal proceedings were meanwhile started. Whiting's Inheritance Philadelphia, Sept. 24. Jack Whiting \yas awarded ap- proximately $10,650 from the estate of his great-grandfathor^ Levi Knowles, in Orphans' Couvt here last -weeki Judge Lewis H. Van Dusen awarded the actor and his brother. Charles Lcrot Whiting; secretary of .the Y.M.CA. in Albany, Ga„ each a half share in a -fund of :?21.305. Their mother, Mrs. Laetltia Perot Whiting, of this city, received life Income from the fund until her death last April. Casting Problem- Toughest casting problem of the season has been raised by the uuthors of a hew comedy about wrestling which calls for an amazonian fcmme lead. Piece is 'Swing the Girls,' written by Kenyon Nicholson and ^ertraih. Robinson, who plan presenting the show them- selves. Duo would like to se- cure a six-foot actress, but none like that are known who have histrionic ability. Same playwrights teamed in aiuthoring 'Sailor Beware.' 'ROBERTA' OUT TO ROAD AGAIN Max Gordon Intends revive 'Roberta' for touring purposses, re- gardless of the picture (Radio), which, was released last season. Mu- sical drew excellent grosses on the road last fall and ivlnter, especially In the smaller stands, further book- ings being discdntinued When the film version started exhibiting. Manager figures 'Roberta' is still a valuable stage property because of its draw in St. Louis, where it was presented this summer In the open. Show played to 100,000 dur- ing the w;eek. Those connected with the St. Louis presentation said it appeared that the picture version of 'Ro- berta' helped the ,. boxbfflce rather than hurt it*. Gordon plans send- ing the. show to the middle and southwest on one hlghters. Hose Marie' Rehearsing Ahboogh QuestioD of Royalty Is Unsettled Revival of 'Rose Marie' is in re- hearsal, but the contest over the right to Its presentation will be back into court this week "with the filing of a petition for restraint. Mrs. .Cecelia Bre-uer, who supposedly bought the rights from the bankrupt estate of Arthur Hammerstelni will be co-defendant with the receiver who made the sale. Rights were transferred by them to the Shuberts, who are readying 'Marie,' which they propose touring as a repertory with 'Bitter Sweet.' Through their attorneys, O'Brien. •Drlscoll and Raftery, the four authors of 'Marie'—Otto Harbach, Oscar Hammersteln 2d, Rudolph Friml and Herbert Stothard—are seeking to enjoin the> defendants from handling the operetta without assent. Under their contiact with Arthur Hammersteln, who pro- duced the show, all rights were to revert to the authors if royalties were unpaid.. Producer lost all claim to the show in 1930,'allegedly.- P'revlously 'Marie' netted: him over; $2,000,000. Not clea,r Just what .share Mrs?.- Breuer bought, but the,authors .'ay she Is not eligible to any partici- pation In possible 'Marie' profits until tlicy are paid $50,000, That is the amount due from the pro- diic'er and placed in Hammerstein's petition at the time of bankruptcy. Should the Shuberts go ahead with the 'Marie' presentation, the authors will proceec'" under the copyright la%v. Last spring Mr.s, Breuer sued to force the recoiver to accept royalty term.s offered by the Shu)jiertfl. That action was suddenly withdrawn, putting the. burden of the legal action up"ii t|jcj authors. 30^ m Country Seen as Hungry for Live Entertainment—Fan Buildup for In Person Talent BUT MUST BE TOPS Definite Indications of betterment in legit, as marked by climbing at- tendance on Efroadwaiy, also In- cludes the road. There will be more attractions on tour this season than for years. This United Booking Of- fice, which rcufes nlost of the trav- eling shows, has not completed Its bboklhgs but estimates an increase of moro than 30% over last season. There ar«i a dozen shows out of town now, nriostly In the east. Seven are . try-outs being snrioothened for Broadway debut. However,' it Is figured , that by late fall or early winter 30 attractions will be on tour. At best last season there were 19 shows on the road.. Althouigh the increase of travel- ing attractions appears to be def- inite, the road Is far from what it used to be. Even the most opti- mistic of showmen do not antici- pate that It will even approach the proportlonp prior to the decline, since this was weH on Its way even before depression because of bp posed amusements. Legit show business dropped off about 80% of what it was a:t the peak and regaining around half of the decline Is about the limit of recovery expectations. Encouraged by the business grossed by several musicals on . the road last season, managers are preparing at least five operetta standbys for touting pur- poses only. Some of Broadway's holdovers will take to the road later, with several planning number two companies. Feature of the book- inigs so far is the number,of small stands arranged for. The sticks are show-hungry, but a.11 shows def- initely booked to date are of known merit, turkeys being out. DeWolf Hopper On. May 4, 1878, at New Haven, Conn., DeWolf Hopper, aged 20, made his professional debut as Talbot Champneys in 'OUr Boys.' On Sept. 22, 1935, at Kansas City, Mo„ DeWolf Hopperi aged 77, spoke as radio nar- rator for 9. broadcast of. a symphony concert.- At 6: 30 o'clock the follow- ing mOrntng. he died. • -Thpougtr -a- period' of--ST-jtars, of-constant'activity as an- actor;-DeWolf- Hopper expanded in artistic stature. At the end his name was known and his presence and voice \yere familiar to a greater audience than at any period'of his career. More than any other actor, of his time, he per- haps was the symbol of the transition of entertalnnient. He was a star of the theatre, he appeared In fll career was' brilliant. in March, and Lawrence Tlhbett in April. La Argentina Vfill dance Oct 30. Among the score of lecturers will be Emll Ludwig, Richard Hallibur- ton, Otis Skinner, Ludwig Lewisohn, David Seabury arid Fannie Hurst, Even Southwest Is Now Getting Shows Oklahoma City, Sept. 24. Off the track of first-class road- shows, even In the days when there was a road, Oklahoma City and the southwest will see an array of Broadway and International names this season. Twelve roadshows are set to play at the Shrine auditorium, most of theni one-night stands, and they will draw from practically the entire state. Top name solo artists will space the big shows. Southwest^ now, that it bias no vaudeville, is hungry for really good stage entertainment. Stage names in films helped make this part of the country stage conscious. South- west goes heavy for magazines—.a half dozen to a family isn't unusual —and the mags have been spreading drama and music. But the road attractions have to be tops. Folks here have been washed up, they're sucker-con- scious, and they want their money'.s worth when they put the shekels on the line. These shows, all booked at the: Shrine, should draw heavy: 'Three Men on a IIorKe," Oct. 21- 22, with one matinee; 'The Constant Wife,' Ethel Barrymore, Nov. 11; 'Student Prince,' Dec. i5; 'Roneo and Juliet,' .Katharine Cornell, date In-. derinite; 'Blonsom Ti ,' Jan, 12; 'Thumbs Up,' Clark and McCul- lough, Eddie Dowllng; 'Ro!.e Marie,' .Tan. 31; 'Dodsworth,' Walter Hus- ton, Feb. 10; 'Life Begins at 8:40,' date Indefinite; 'Camille,' Eva LeOal- ilenne, March 24; 'Old Maid,' Ju- dith Anderson, Helen Menken, April 14; 'Othello,'Phillip Merivale, Gl.idy: Cooper, May. Albert Spalding will play In Jan; Grace Moore, will pay lier flr.<jt visit Balto Opening Off Again; Now Oct. 10 Baltimore, Sept. 24. 'Thumbs Up,' which Was to have marked the local legit jget-roff this Week at Ford's, has been back In- def. And 'Venus in Silk,' which was booked into the same theatre week of Oct. 7^ bias been cancelled completely and will go direct: from its Pittsburgh break-In to New York. That shunts the season's getaway to Oct. 10, when Katharine Cornell opens her road tour of 'Romeo and Juliet' at. the mammoth Lyric at $3.30 top, playing four perform- ances in three days. Mall orders are piling up at a pulsating pace. Only other touring attractions Inked in are 'Three Men on a Horse' for week of Oct. 28, and Eva Le- Gallienne for three days with 'Rosmersholm,' an unannounced modern play and a revival of, her production of 'Camille' Nov. 7-9. Both these bookings are at Ford's, the UBO stand here. Town win have stock again, though. Raymond Moore bringing in a troupe starting Oct. 15, using the guest-star system at $1 top'. Pitts. Expects Good Season; Starts Oct. 1 Pittsburgh, Sept. 24. Although legit openmg at the Nixon comes later this, year, '.h.an it has in some time, the season's prospects look particularly bright. House pulled down the iahut- ters yesterday (23) for road-show- ing of 'Crusades' (Par), with reg- ular legit getaway scheduled for next /Tuesday (1) with 'Venus In Silk.' Show was to have opened day before that but Producer Lau- rence Schwab wanted to allow for possible delay in setting the big pro- duction. Othier dates so far set are 'Thumbs Up' Oct. 14, 'Midsummer Night's Dream' (WB). Oct. 28, 'Old Maid' NoVi 11, and 'Anything Goes' Nov. 25. Before that, however, 'Three Men on a Horse' and 'Tobacco Road' are expected In, with likelihood of a couple of ATS sub.scrlptlon pla.y8 fining the blank weeks prior to Thanksgiving. At Fort Pitt ptel, George Sharp, who ran 'Drunkard' there for 39 weeks last season...will revive an-, other ancient meller, 'Why Girls Leave Home,' this season, opening Friday night (27). Detroit Dates Detroit, Sept. 24. 'Tobacco Road' will open Detrolt'n legitimate sea.ion at the Ca^s the- atre on Oct. 13. In for one week Foufth company ..of the play will make its debut here. Two other plays also have been definitely booked for the fall. They are 'The Old Maid,' werik. of Nov. 24, and 'Anything Goes' following weelc. Probabio that othor.s will lir- lined up for tho. period bcLwcen 'Tobacco Road', and 'The Old Maid.' N. 0. Season New (irloai).';, Sept. 24. . ;ol. Tom .Campbell,, manager of lie Tulane theatre, announces that 'the playhou.sc will reopen the last week In Oct. with 14 road .shows. Ll.st will include 'Three.Men on GORDON BURNS $60,000 WORTH OF SCENERY Attempt to salvage the proscenium installed at the Center, N. Y., when the smaller Radio City theatre was converted to house 'The Great Waltz' last season was unsuccessful. It was installed at a reputed cost of $100,000, and It was hoped that-some method of retaining It could be worked out, with the idea, that the Center might again be used for legit after reverting to pictures. It was necessary to use a blow torch to re- move the steel construction, how- ever. In the same manner those settings which had steel -framework, were dismantled, being too heavy for touring. 'Waltz' will have a new production when It opens In Boston next week. Most of the original set- tings have been carted to Long Is- land and burned. It cost' around $2,000 for haulage, 60 wagon loads being carried out. Cost of the de- stroyed production approximated $60,000. Ina Claire Ducks Pic Work (or Guild Play ollywood, Sept. 24. Ina Claire is ducking all picture deals and heads east this week fof N. Y. Comedienne has commit- ment to the Theatre Guild for six months of this year in legit and Is skeded to start rehearsals Oct, 1 on a new untitled play. Miss Claire closed here after two weeks In 'Ode to Liberty' at the Beia.i.'ico and has several film deals In the flre. Derwent East for 'Libel' Hollywood, Sept. 24. Winding up his picture work, Clarence Derwent left for New York Saturday (21) to go into Gilbert Miller's 'Libel.' Due back on the coast after play washes up. a Horse,' 'Dodsworth,' lo.ssom Time,' 'Tobacco Road,' 'Thumbs Up,' 'Rose-Marie,' 'Bitter Sweet,' 'The Old Maid,' 'Children's Hour,' two .Shakespearian plays, 'The Great Waltz,' 'Personal Appearance,' and 'Awake and Sing.' Frisco Perking San Francisco, Sept. 24. This town, dark aM to Iqgit for a couple of weeks, begins to. perk up a bit, Min.sky brliigf in 'Life Begins at MInsky's,' burledf|uc, at the Co- lumbia Wednesday (25), and 'To ..Hell with-Womon,' nc\y hIiow, comes into the Gea!ry Monday (30). May Rob.son opon.s- a limited on- •^agonicnt at Cun'an Oct- 7 In 'Kind Lady.' 'Anytliing (Joes' Is .sltedded in u.s soon as Hollywood run is ;■ over. Akron Gets Two ron, Sept. 24. DnXcr, for two road show.« at the 'J;ilonial here have bt'On confirmed. 'Life Btglns at 8:40' opens the HOa.son on Oct. 25. Second' attrac- tion will h". 'The Old Maid' on Nov. 20.