Variety (Nov 1935)

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RADIO SCREEN STAGE PiiUllahed Weekly at 164 Weat 46tti BU, Hew Tork, N. Ti, br Varietr. Ino. Aniiaal aubccrlptloii. ft. BiagU ooi»Im,1S eenta. Entered ai aeoonil-claaa matter December tt, ItOS. at tba Poet OfUca at New Toric, N. under tba act o( Uareb t, 117k COPTBIQHT. US8. BT ▼AHIBTT. INO. AIX BiOHTS BBSEBVED VoL 120 No. 8 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1935 64 PAGES CONCERT'S LADY BARNUMS Rehearsal Pay Blamed for Quick Foldup of New Plays This Season Pay for rehearsals is the reason why so many plays have folded quickly on Broadway this season. That Is conceded by Equity, where all are not in accord with the re- hearsal pay Idea. Already half a dozen shows or more have i opened •and closed within one week and the casts of those attractions were limited to the regulation two weeks fialary. Players In the. pieces so abruptly yanked off got no benefit at all from the rehearsal pay. Under the rules if a play rehearses not more than three weeks and is withdrawn the first week of presentation, the manager is allowed to apply the coin paid during rehearsal on the second week's salary. First week of rehearsals is the probationary period and calls for no pay. Next two weeks the manager is required to pay (20 each to the players '($15 for Juniors). If the player Is getting the $40 minimum, the two weeks of re- hearsal pay equals one week's regu- lar salary so, if the show stops within one week, nothing more than straight salary is due from the manager. If the player receives a higher salary, then the money paid him or her for rehearsals is deductible on one-week engage- ments. Where the play stays longer than one week the rehearisal money is not deductible, same rule applying if the play is rehearsed more than three weeks. Several quick flops played one week and a fraction (from two to five days in the first (Continued on page 62) Actors Sleep Late I Des Moines, Nov. 5. Radio performers ha.ve un« usual hours. Orvllle Foster and Lowell Blanchard of KRNT-KSO conduct a Mug- wump Club at the Paramount theatre from li2 mi<lnight to 1 a.m. Foster then has nothing to do until 6 a.m., when he is due at the station for special farmer's program, called 'Tall Corn Time.' Tall Corn Time' gets Ranny Daly and 19 performers up for the 5 o'clock session every morning. 9 FLOPS, 2 HHS FOR FILM COIN ON 13 SHOWS BR1T.-ITAL. CONSULS SHUN AIR PEACE TALKS Philadelphia, Nov. 5. Whatever their governments may feel on subject; there's little pacifist sentiment evidenced by English and. Italian consuls in PhiUy, Jerry Stone, planning Armistice Day peace .symposium over WDAS, inylted Frederick Watson and Mario Plo Margottl, Britl.sh and Ita.llan con- suls, respectively, to speak. Margottl replied he didn't care to speak 'on that subject,' and Watson had 'previous engagement.' Stone will probably drop wliole idea. 1-PERSON THEATRE Rochester, N. Y., Nov. 6. Probably the world's, smallest theatre is in operation in Roches- ter. It seats one person. It was built by Dr. Brian O'Brlan, professor of physiological optics at the Univer- sity of Rochester, for tests of most effective lighting for theatre screens. He runs portions, of Hollywood re- leases while regulating the amount of light by a series of buttons at his finger tips. Results are tested both by eyes and an lllumlnometer, aim being to establish scientific -basis for Im- Pi'ovement of film projection. Three more jpicture-financed plays flopped on Broadway last week. Plays are 'Good Men and True' and 'Body Beautiful,' backed by Warner Bros., and 'Play, Genius, Play,' bankrolled by Mrs. Mervyn LeRoy (Doris Warner). Score to date this season is: Financed by Warners: Three flops ('Sweet Mystery of Life'), two above; one doubtful ('Eden End"). Financed by Metro: Two hits ('Jubilee,' 'Winterset'). Financed by Paramount: Two flops ('Most of the Game,' 'Paths of Glory') one doubtful ('Wisdom In Women'). Financed by Irving Thalberg: One flop ('Bright Star'), Financed by Mrs. Mervyn LeRoy:. One flop. PLACING THE BLAME Garafa Wife Has a Baby, So Piano Team Sues Him Paris, Oct. 27. Henry Garat, film star, is defendant in a. $20,000 breach of contract suit as a result of the fact that his wife, one of the Rowe Sisters, had a baby. Garat, the Sl.sters and Wiener and Doucet, duo pianists, were to. have made a road tour last fall, under management of Fon.son and Detallle.. Mrs. Garat's condition made it necessary for her to withdraw. .Rowe Sisters were replaced by a whole troupe of dancers, and pianists were replaced by a l)an(l. • Wiener and Doucet claini they had a contract for $56 a day, and are. suing Garat on grounds that he is responsible for its breaking, since, if his wife had gone on working no band would have been hired. 'K The Dowagers of the Reci- tal Managements Mingle with Quite the Nicest Gentry, Have Their Sum- mers Off, and Require Almost No Capital IT'S DUCKY By ROBERT BARAL Considered the. nicest profession for ladies, in or out of show busi- ness, is the booking of concert art- ists. It's neither harsh on the nerves nor the lily white hands. It brings substantial financial returns and, most of all. It brings the recital pilots In constant contact with only the 'better people.' .They have their summers oft, can boost their own social status, and it requires ho capital to start things going. Women bookers are active in most of the key cities over the U. S. While they don't control the busi- ness they're important. They gen- erally have a good stand-in with women's clubs, know how to in- veigle the local society editors into extra space for their attractions, and have a flair for showman- ship on the side to put over a one- (Continued on page 63) 'Beerless Beer Garden for Detroit Youth Catches On; More Planned Quells Inhibitions £)own on Long Island they're already booking dance bands in the town halls after basket- ball games. Billing for Bob Beckman and His Blues Chasers reads: 'Melodies that bring out the Astaire In you.' NAZIS BAN JAZZ MUSIC FROM RADIO Berlin, Oct, 27. 'Negro Jazz music' has been com- pletely banned from German radio programs and Is not perniitted, to 'creep into broadcast in dlsgulse,' according to an announcement by Eugen Hadamowsky, Berlin radio director. Prohibition announcement, he says. Is made on cultural grounds and Is not a manifestation of ani- mosity toward any foreign country. Possibility that subsequently the (Continued on page C2) Killer of Vaudeville In nearly every unit, and in most variety shows for that matter—with the majority of remaining variety houses mostly playing units—there now appears to be at least one lady whose specialty la taking off her clothes, either before going on the stage or while upon It. Some of the units contain whole lines of ladies who .specialize in disrobing. But, with one or more strippers, all the units are featuring the strip above every- thing else. The real, talent is merely 'in support.' From the boxo ce viewpoint the entrance of the burlesque strip and Its variations into vaudeville and picture theatres has proved Itself a business hypo here and there. More than that, it has given the unit producers and agents something to sell the bookers. Anxious for any- thing in the way of stage fare that represents novelty and may draw, the bookers, circuit and otherwise, have become decidedly receptive to a type of entertainment that would not have been remotely considered as recently as three years ago. But there are other things to consider in the show business besides today's immediate bbxofllcc returns, and which apparently have not been considered by the bookers who buy the strip shows and the theatre operators who play them. The produccr.s are to l)e excused. They would not produce nudity without a demand for nudity from the bookers and theatre operators, \ The first thing to be considered, but obviou.sly not coiisidered at all, is not what the theatre is doing today, but what the theatre is going to do tomorrow. The theatre that plays a strip show—not once, but often—- may see prosperous business and a large audience today. But what kind o£ an audience? And what about tomorrow? Detroit, Nov. 6. Cheered by the success of th» first local Ibeerless' beer garden in suburban Ferndale,. miembers of the Detroit, youth movement began work this week on the furnishing of a huge clubhouse on E. Jefferson avenue, overlooking the Detroit river. Meanwhile, other beerless gardens, where nothing more po- tent than ice cream is served, aro being planned In nearby localities. Although the Ferndale garden, opened last summer and is drawing capacity crowds, operators of local niteries and drinking spots are not disturbed. Patrons of new wrinkle, operators reason, would never be their clientle anyway. The youths, between 18 and 26 years of age, are backed by Frank Cody, superintendent of .Detroit public schools, Judge D. J. Healy, Jr., Dr. Robert Foster,. Sugene Sib- ley, Judge Henry S. Sweeney, Laura Haddock and Marie Basey, all of Detroit's upper strata. Mrs, Fred- erick M. Alger, socialite, who re- signed three months ago from tho State Liiquor Commission, is tho angel behind several of the pro- jects. The proposed clubhouse consists of the main building, an old river- side home donated to the youths; a, glassed-in swimming pool; 10-car garage, which will be converted into a sports room for table tennis and billiards, and a boathouise. A com- plete soda fountain service will be installed In the house, while two large rooms will be set aside for dancing and a number of smaller rooms for private parties and meet- ings. Keturns from llquorless aetup are expected to meet operating nut. At all the spots planned, orches- tras and probably entertain'ere will be used. HOUSE OF DAVID NOW IN THE NITERY BIZ Chicago, Nov. 5. House of David has opened a, roadhou.se, labeled Grand Vista, about 60 miles out of Chicago. Karl Burtnctt band and Shayne and Armstrong, dancers, are in tho •show. Also Bob Dewhirst, one of tho boys in the House of David band, with hl« vibra-harp; Can't Find Youth There Is a precedent to follow. And a convincing one—^^burlesque. Remember burlesque?. That was a popular form of entertainment once. There Isn't much left of burlesque today. Burlesque once enjoyed a national following among what Is known as the 'family trade.' But some- body in burlesque decided that the 'family trade' might like to hear and (Continued on page 49) Legit managers and producers aro' howling over tlio scarcity of youth available for their casts. Despite frantic search, legit agents are flnd^ ing it impos.sible to dig up suitable Juveniles and ingenues. Youngstcr.s have all fled to wood or are radio minded. Has become a .serious probleni Holding up .several productions thla •season.