Variety (Mar 1936)

54 VARIETY LEGITIMATE. Wednesday, March 25, 1936 Vallee Vindicated in White Feud, Then Quits 'Scandals' Voluntarily 'Scandals,' which has had George Whit© on the job. continuously since it wobbled at the out-of-town try- outs, came near folding at the ?Jew Amsterdam, N. Yi» Saturday (21), following a squabble between the producer and Rudy Vallee. Revue continued after a salary cut was ar- ranged, Equity assenting* as re- quired by regulations adopted last season. Tilt between the manager and. actor came after the previous Tues- day's performance, company being called together on the stage. White said then that the only way the show could continue was through co-operation of the players—mean- ing a salary slice. He glanced at Vallee, with whom he had been rowing since "the millionaire croon- er first joined the show in Wash- ington, latter responding by calling the . .manager a nasty name,-it -Is claimed. White flared up and tried to muss up Vallee, but little dam- age was done, the actor's nose being skinned a bit by the manager's ring.; At the next (Wednesday) mati- nee Vallee was told he~ was out. of the show, White insisting 'Scandals' would - stop .otherwise. Matter then went to, attorneys for the combat- ants, A, -L. Herman for White and Hymie Bushel for Vallee. Various pow-wows with Equity, upon White's demand for arbitration, got action. Friday. .. Decision of the arbitrators upheld Vallee, with the -comment that an exhibition of temperament was no cause for breaching a, contract Actor immediately stated that he would leave the show, satisfied at the vindication. Around Equity there was general satisfaction that the revue was not forced off the boards; Cliff Edwards' Break Cliff Edwards stepped into! Val- .- lee's assignments-. Edwards and White were not on speaking terms since the try-out, either, and be- cause of that Vallee. had been en- gaged. That failed to pique Ed- wards, who chose to stick with very little to do) having- a run of the play contract. 'Scandals' originally had no names hut Willie and Eugene, Howard' and Vallee joined op while the show toured the east prior , to opening on Broadway. It was out eight, weeks, unusually- long for a major musical. Understood that most of the red on 'Scandals' was piled Up during the try-out dates. Among the-re- marks passing between Vallee and White, was one by the former telling the .manager that he (White) was supposed to be a gambler, so why didn't he take a further chance? That' .burned the manager, who claimed he was in the red $60,000 on the flhow already. Differences be- tween them also concern the time wnen Vallee went to the Coast or a plcturized 'Scandals.' Crooner claimed that assignment cost him plenty because being forced to turn down offers in the east.- Presence' oh thfr Coast also involved him in marital troubles, he says. Business While 'Scandals' has not drawn exceptional business, show Jias had few. losing weeks, because of a. sharing contract with the theatre calling for a 75-26 percentage in favor of the show* and house -stand- ing all the crew-expense. Stop limit was $20,000. When the pace dropped under that figure White was- in- formed he would have to guarantee the house end if remaining, Be- cause of that the manager sought to cut expenses by reducing salaries. •Most of the leads have run of the play contracts. Accepting the cut does not change the status of those contracts, but the player has the privilege of Changing to tjvo weeks' notice agreements, if so de- siring. Manager has not the same right. It is a rule set forth by Equity's Cuts Board. White had previously sought to eliminate the dance team of Shea and Raymond, who have a- run of the play contract. They were out of the show six weeks, and when the case was arbitrated,, manager lost and had to pay off about $1,800... Team.is now in f the show,although White recently "called. the chorus together and^told. them that, be- cause- the $300 ft*week pair insisted on their contractual rights, he had to cut down on choriutei* • TWO BOW OUT wo shows are definitely slated to close on Broadway this week. 'Sweet Aloes' ends at the Booth after Wednesday's matinee, when it completes a three week engagement. English piece looked fairly good out of town, but didn't get to first base in New York. '" 'SWEET ALOES' Opened March -4* Qpi ions were chiefly negative as to this English play's chances: in N« Y., though two of the first- stringers thought it was okay. Gabriel (American) deemed it •a pretty sorry lot ;of. tosh/ while Mantle (News) called it a 'good substantial* sent! tar theme.' Variety (I bee) thought it ' istinctly doubtful.' 'Star Spangled' will stop at the Golden Saturday (28).. It, too, will have played exactly three weeks, both plays going that distance' for picture rights., 'Spangled* got slim pickings after a panned premiere.- 'STAR SPANGLED' Opened March 10. First- stringers, in the majority, saw a.good comedy idea in 'Star Spangled,' but poorly construc- ted plsy. Lockridgs (Sun) was the 'only critic who gave it a ohanca for survival, calling it 'one of the- gayer of roadway's minor acquisitions.' Varibtt (K«uf) said: 'It might have been one of the laugh clicks of the season, but isn't.' Ovlatt Goes. Home William Ovlatt, after spending the winter in New York, has re- turned to Falmouth Heights, Cape Cod. Former general manager for Comstock. and Gost had retired, but contemplated returning to., show business. He was hot successful in making, a satisfactory connection. Dorothy McNulty Into Wine' Vice Vera Van Dorothy McNulty, wh<S recently returned, from Hollywood where she was under contract to Metro, is re- placing Vera Van in 'May Wine.'. Since returning east Miss McNulty has been doing radio work. In Suicide Try Medford, Mass., March 24. till suffering-from the effects of a nervous breakdown which sent him here for treatment, Paul T. McCullough, of Clark and McCul- lough, stage, film and vaudeville team, is near death In' Lawrence Memorial hospital here today after slashing his throat with a razor. McCullough was on his way from the New England sanitarium to McLean hospital when he stopped 1 off. at a barber.shop for a shave. The barber shaved McCullough and was putting away his razor, when the-actor seized it;- cutting his own throat and the barber's wrist be- fore anybody could interfere, Frank T. Ford, of Boston, had accom- panied McCullough to the barber. With his teammate, Bobby Clark, McCullough had. appeared in min- strel shows; burlesque, vaudeville, musical comedies, radio and pic- tures. Unusual specimen of a producer grabbing a great gob of billing on a self-presented show is the amount of space. arid copy Anne Nichols gives herself on window cards and dodgers used to ballyhoo 'Her Week- end,' current at the Maryland, Baltimore! Exactly one-half of the avail- able space is devoted to the fly copy, which reads: 'Anne Nichols.-author and producer of the world's famous 'Abie's Irish Rose,' how presents '- / One-tiuarter of the space Is given over to. a cut of Miss Nichols; unusual for a producer to carry likeness of self on advertising. 'Weekend- authors,.. Alford Van Rondel and Miss Nichols, get billed, but no cast members. Caesar's London Show Hollywood, Mttrch 24.. Oh completing assignment on 'Mark of Zorro' at 20th-Fox,. Irving Caesar heads for London to do the libretto and lyrics for a revue pro- duced by Felix Ferry there. AABONS UNDER KNIFE Alfred E. Aarons was operated on for; gallstones-at-Mtr-sinai-hospital,- N. Y. last week; and is reported on the way to recovery. .With Harry. Somers he is operat- ing several theatres for the Drydock Savings Bank, principally the New Amsterdam and National. Albany, Nwark Ban; Utica Studies, ston Hum on Tobacco Road* Albany, March 24. Police attended the opening of 'Tobacco Road' at tm> Capitol thea- tre last-night' Today all*further performances here were; banned by order of Chief David Smurl. •We don't want this kind of per- formance in Albany,' was Smurl's comment.. 'The show in general 1b offensive.'- Police' action was forecast • by a blast in .last Saturday's Evangelist, Catholic; weekly,, which led the crusade against burlesque''a year ago. .Road company, headed by Gharlcis Tlmblln, was scheduled for four performances. Utloa, N. T., March 24. 'Tobacco Road' barred from Syra- cuse when Syracuse University, lessee of the Civic theatre there, decided discretion was thfi better part of valor, faces clerical fire here. ' -Catholic—flce—non—the—piny, re- nounced as 'immoral and unfit to be placed before the public," was opened at all masses on Sunday. Not only were the faithful urged to assist the clergy In attempting to block the two-day engagement at the Majestic, March 30-31, but they Were forbidden to attend. Bishop Duffy sent a formal pro- test to Commissioner of Public Safety H. R. Beebe and accom- panied it with similar messages from leading Catholic organiza- tions. This is the first tlnie that the Catholic church in central New York has fought a legitimate at- traction. producer,'. Is thinking of sinking about $3,000 in a two weeks' ad- vance campaign, then open the show for . one public, or private per- formance on which the-city licens- ing board can base its ultimate opin- ion. Situation offers some unusual an- gles here. Technically there is no censor or censor board, although the licensing board can close any show and suspend any theatre's license ihdefinately if adjudged unfit. In the case of 'Children's Hour* the mayor declared himself as op- posed to 'the piece, before it was booked and'.before he had seen it. Herbert McNary, of the license board, unofficial city censor, caught 'Hour' in New York and reported his opinion to Mayor Mansfield. Shubert interests and Producer Her- man, Shumlin thus knew in advance that the piece stood too good a chance of being shuttered if it were brought In. . . Inside Stuff-Legit e White and Rudy Vallee have been arguing since the lattor the 'Scandals,' but prior to last week's flare-Up some of the in- George entered cidents were humorous. One had to do with a ticket Vallee .bought fpr a friend for the New Year's eve performance. Actor-crooner returned the ducat and aBked that it be sold—$6.60 was the top that night. Ticket was not sold but a box office man placed someone in the seat. Vallee refused to believe the pasteboard had not been disposed of, an , when he didn't get his money back, purchased something* for $6,60 and had it charged to White. . , " During the extended try-out dates White tried to, ease out Cliff Ed- wards,' but Ukulele Ike decided to hold on to his run of the play con- tract, calling for $1,000 weekly. Edwards' original assignments were, given to Vallee but that didn't bother him. When the show opened at the" New Amsterdam, N. Y.» Edwards purchased a spear, saying he was content to merely walk on stage, with it. A •Jubilee' Is slated Thursday (26) for the Winter Garden, N. Y. House front is dolled up with strings of pennants saluting the 25th year the theatre has been operated by the Shuberts. Garden was not included in the defunct Shubert Theatre Corp. owner-? ship, but during the xeceivership the rent from Warners was collected by the latter, indicating the Trebuhs (Shubert spelled backwards) com- pany leased the house, to the Corp. Shuberts have a 99 year ground lease on the site. Another' celebration this- week occured last night (Tuesday) when •Tobacco Road' played its 1,000th performance in New York. Everyone In the audience was given a cigarette''lighter;as a gift and there was an! Impromptu show on stage with James Barton m.q.'ing. Except for the comments of Philip Loeb at Equity's general meeting last week (Astor, N. Y.)y the Actors Forum has v been very much under cover,. However it bought'to place people on the committee named to nominate.. 10 .new members of the Council. « There were 18. cahdldates ior the six berths open on the committee (ad- ditional three named: by council). Six names were put up by the admin* istration, an equal number was identified as being of the Forum schism and the remainder were suggested by individuals. None of the For- umites won. Glenn Hunter is now foot-free, so far as his publicized obligations in Chicago are concerned. Friends came forward and- took care of the balance due the- Congress hotel, where the actor took quarters in De- cember for' what lie expected to be a run of 'Squaring the Circle,' In ^hichrhe^as-8tarredv-^-Also^t-ffl^ merchants against the actor by paying, the bill. Hunter had counted on take of his One-man show, March 2 in Orchestra Hall, to pull him put Sale turned out way too small to even take care of the small overhead for. the hail. In the contest over the pramatists Guild contract, it is brought but that Gilbert Miller was nearly prevented from presenting both TLibel* and 'Victoria. Regina.' Old agreement called for managers to present hot more than one play, of foreign authorship unless the writer became a member of the Guild. This is no longer so on the new contract. Author of 'Libel! flatly, refused to join the Guild and it was only after the manager told the author of-'Regina' that he (Miller) risked consider-" able loss that he- assented.- Office , staff employed by producer went back into their sheatha of clippings for a laUgh arid dug up reviews of productions of the late Henry Miller, written by Freddie McKay when he was a critic on the old N. Y. Mail back around '09. McKay is now general manager, for Miller. The Comedy,, ari , almost, forgotten Broadway legit house, has been dusted off for the .use of amateur-presentations.- Play called 'Jealous Mothers' opened there-last'week under.'the-aegis of a-group-tabbed the. Metropolitan players, hailing from Newark, N. J. Playejs are frankly cooperative amateurs. Unusual feature-about the project is that ads for the play appeared among the regular attractions. Boston, March 24. . Whether 'Tobacco Road' will ever reach Boston is anybody's guess, because of Mayor Frederick .'W, Mansfield's new non-committal pol- icy regarding legit shows, in' this town. Understood that ..Sam. Grisman, Mayor Mansfield's procedure is drastically different in the instance of 'Tobacco Road.' Although he has seen this one, he refuses to corn- mit himself in advance, even though the Shubert interests and Grlsman have allegedly assured him that the Hub version would be en- tirely shorn of queslonable dialog or business. Grisman Is reported willing to gamble here with his piece. The Shuberts figure they're behind the eight-ball, however, because a wrathy licensing board might, pad- lock their theatre. Newark, March .24. Notification that 'Tobacco Road' will be stopped by police if Manager Frank L. Smith stages' it at the Shubert starting. April 13,-has been edicted by Michael P. Duffy, director of public safety. Smith contends he will open the play .per schedule); -« Irving Cooper sailed abroad, last Saturday <21), .being On velvet this season through his interest in 'Three Men on a Horse.' Had. the script originally, but no coin for production so turned it over to Alex Yokel; who got Warners interested. 'Horse' was a first try by Yokel, who has cleaned up. Cooper started to produce; on his own with a piece called 'Dear President,' but scrapped it in rehearsal a few months ago. Group of stage hands called the Troupers will hold a benefit show at Mecca Auditorium next. Saturday (28). It Was formed, several year ago to aid Unemployed road deckhands, principal purpose being to fur- nish meals at modest cost. ^OugKf- To Be a Law* (Continued from page 43) supply him with a copy of the re- marks. He told fellow law-makers he got a^ run-around, being referred back and forth from l e station to the speaker. McFarlane unloosed his idea dur- ing a brief speech by Congressriian Usher BurdlCk of North Dakota; boosting Columbia Broadcasting System for giving time to Earl Browder, Communist Party, a week earlier. The North Dakota member declared CBS has been 'fair' and maintained the privilege of using radio- facilities should not be. 'cori- trplled by cash.' Replying to Burdlck, Congress- man McFarlane aaid he favors a law compelling stations to keep record of.speeches made,over the radio,* declaring- that under existing regu- lations no transcripts are required. iSem-Ashursi (Continued from page 1) wanted to work in his morning coat, but Yates feared it wouldn't, blend with the Senator's scho principal role in the picture. Senator finally agreed to switch to a dark blue business suit, but held out for a wing collar. Upon finishing the picture and preparing to return home, the Senator decided to keep his studio makeup on. He wanted Mrs. Ashurst to see lioW he looked as an actor. Before anybody even mentioned salary, the Senator, declared himself as desirous of contributing his play." ing-services gratis. That-was. okay with Yates, who decided there was no use .telling the Senator that. h» doesn't pay oft his- picture actot* anyway. V