Variety (May 1936)

jTedncsaay^ May J^7, 1936 VAUDEVItllE VARIETY 47 Dead or Alive? , Jo all Intents and pui'posfes, and in the average opinion, Vaudeville is .deia4« But.'. »♦ Every now and then something happens to make it appear that the undertaker migfht. have been catUed in too soon. Every now and then jbniething happens to jtiake the-ax^irage opinion seem , hasty, i^oii^in- «t?J»cei -.the ?F6Ues-Comlque.; The.physical Ingredients of'Folles Comique* are: Ferry Corwey, James -Evans, Luclw LaRlviere, Diane Denlse, Lee Bros,, Mitzi (dog act), Dolores and Cahdldo, Whitney, Millard and Austin, Park and Cliftox-<J (billed as Les Cerkois), illy Branph Co. and a line ot 14 girls. Ever* hear Weill? • And even'lf you had, would you submit such a combination to the fbopWnff ask $8,500 tor It, and then not expect to be thrown out on your ear? Not a name act In the show. With a title that may or may riot inean a thing to the public, expect that It's sbriiething in French, Yet 'Folies Comlque' Is getting $8,500 per week. And not only getting it, but prov- jiig worthy of It at the box offices of the theatres it's playing. The answer la-not what you've got, but how you sell it. RKO Agreed- to pay $8,500 fijrt-'Folies Comlque'—a show which, on ;paper, wouldn't even" get a second ' if offered by an agent—because BKO produced the show itself. And in order to justify the $8,500, RKO put everything It had behind the. selling of the show. The selling takes in both the production which the audience sees, and which enhances the -acts, ajid the publicizing, which attracts the business./ . RKO was really ianxlous to assure 'Folies Comique'' of success. The booking office, the theatre department, the local theatre managements all treatfed it as an event—and sold it. IBut supposing the same, lineup of acts were put together by an inde- -jiepdent producer and submitted by an agent in the ordinary manner; it lucky, perhaps the agent might book it ifor $1,500 or $2,000; The booker Vould book It, the theatres would play it—just another unit. And if the ..picture happened to be. good, .business Avould be good. If the picture ; happened to be bad--rjujst another week. 'Folies Comlque' Is not the. greatest variety show ever produced. Nor ,ev«i one pf the greatest. Better shows have, been pi-odiiced arid pla^yed. And better shows have received far less than $8,500—but they have also done far leSs lousiness. Because they haven't been sold. In the "case-oif 'Folies. Comique' .the only conclusion to be reached Is .that a $2,000 unit, booked In the customary careless and disinterested way, and played In the same manner, very often isn't worth $2,000. But the sanae unit \vlth Irtiterested handling can he made to be worth $8,500. Vaudeville Is either dead, or alive. Vaudeville is either worth selling, «r not' playing it at all. F<iir,;ari old g.uy who's supposed to be dead, Vaudeville certainly Is db- ^hgra.Iot of now 'n' then" Ricking* BUS LINE ATTACHES BOOPER'S TROUPE ue'; Loew Won f Book It j 'Folies Comlque,* RKO's own fiinlt prodyctlori, may disband at the .^nd of its cuiTent week at Orpheum, v'^IInneapolis. ' Circuit _ will resume .the show next fall. ••^ Production did excellent business . everywhere it played, though forced 5nto a. third week at the Palace, Jhicago. It was istaged by Macklln Megley, now Warners' eastern pic- ture talent scout, along the lines' Of the revues,at the Fi'ench Casino, . N. T,v nitery.' Production cost the theatres around $8,500 a week., RKQ has been trying to ogent the show to the other major circuits, "With Loew's the only one showing 4ny Interest. Small possibility of this deal going through now, how- ,ever, Loew's not wanting to take any chances with an expensi\'e stage show during the siimmei- lonths. Marshall for Texa^. Everett Marshall Is among the first signed for John Murray An- derson's 'Frontier Pays' sho\v, which opens July 1 as part-of the Frontier Days celebration, in Ft. Worth, Tex. Marshall's contract, set by Matty Rosen, calls for a guarantee of four Weeks and an option for four more. BOWMAN ABROAD Patricia Bowman goes to England In July to open around Augu.st 1 Jn the Palladium's 'Crazy Show.' Contract calls for eight weeks, "Variety FOR SUMMER Place a subscription for 'Variety' over the summer. From now until Labor Day + + + $1.50 Alail remfttance with name and summer address. KnoXVille; May 26. Ittle Ann Little, film voice of 'Betty Boop,' and other members of 1 the '45 Minutes From Broadway' stag© troupe, left here today after a one-riigiit stand and a two:-day detention, the latter caused by $610 attachment brought by Merz White Way Tours of- Philadelphia, which claimed show owed tha,t amiount as rsnt on passenger bus in which it is ti'avellng. Attachment order named Victor Carnarls, Edward Burns'and James Burns as owners of the show. Legal tangle was straightened out after considerable boo-boop-a-dooing. Show appeared here under aus- pices of fraternal organization. Show Boat Closes Deal for Am Unit Rieunion in H'wood Hollywood, May 26. Sidney Lanifteld, 20th-Fox di- rector, was touted by an agent to see a promising actress In the cast of a PWA show at the Playhouse, rie went to the the- atre and met his prospect, Anna Chandler. .^•In-the old- vaude days, Lsn- fleld pounded the jpiano for her. RKO^ 2 WEEKS THKSUIHER RKO's vaude playing time shrinks to but two weeks after June 5,: these comprising the Pala^ce thea- tres in Chicago and Clevelairih- Rest of thje clrcuif^s current istage show houses go stra:ight pictures for the summer starting that week. These are Keith's, Albany; Maln- street, Kansas City, and Orpheum. Minneapolis. iKelth's, Boston, dropped vaude a couple weeks ago. Circuit originally Intended to send the Palace; Cleve., into straight pic-, tures week of July 12, but then can- celled this idea In anticipation of added biz during the iRepilblican national convention as well as the 100-day Great Lakes expo in- that city. Theatre is now looking for nanies .'for the hot months, but only one set so far is Phil Baker, week of June 26. > ill Howard comprises . RKO's: entire vaudeville booking staff at presen't, "though likely Danny Freundlich will return as his as- sistant . In the event 'Folies Comlque,* RKO's own production, disbands -for the isummer.: Unit Is currently, at the Orpheurii, Minne- aipolis. Freundlich was switched a few weeks ago from booker of a couple of RKO housies to conipany man- ager of the unit. MABTIN FOR ENGLAND Tomniy Martin leaves' for Europe next month to play 16. European weeks set. by the William Morris bifflce. Starts July 6 at the Palladium, LondoA. Gerald' Carbonara finished scor- ing job on 'Girl of the Ozarks' at Paramount. G-M Touring Free Show Strictly (or Its Employees at $10M W'kly Cost ANATOLE FRIEDLAND'S RIGHT LEG AMPUTATED Ariatole Frledland had his right leg amputated in Mt, Sinai hospital, N. Y,, where he was reported yes- terday .(Tuesday) as 'fairly coni- fortable,' although ills condition, is still serious. Troubled With a bad heart in re- cent years, whicH kept the. song.* writer-producer-actor more or, less Inactive^ Frledland" ■ contracted a gangrenous condition, because of poor blodd circulationi which neces- sitated the . amputation. Barbette Cancels Chi Vaud Date, Too Tough ^ Chicago, May 26, Barbette, aerialist, had to leave the Balaban & Katz Chicago bill after three days -last week. Couldn't isfand the pace of fo\ir and . five shows daily. Had been, with clrcUs and 'Jumbo' preylOu.sly on a twice- daily policy. ^ Titan Trio, hand-balancing act at Oriental, nioved over to replace. Liquor Firm's 2d Cuffo Floor Show; Via Plane Oldetyme Distillers will use a plane oii a 30-day coast-to-coast jaunt for the second edition of Its cuffo nitery floor , show. Would stop off in principal keys only. Will use the same type'presenta- tion of six specialty girls and a pianist. Previous show used a bus on an eight-month hop, hitting, all tanks. izzy's $10,000 Loss Baltimore, May 26. Izzy Rappaport, owner-operator of the indie vatiidfllm Hippodrome, lost $10,000 worth of jewels In PhlUy last Sat. (23) evening. Sent a suit to the tailor with jewel case In pocket, but tailor later de- nied that he had come across valu- ables. La,tter were insured. RKO Refused Cantor $15,000 Straight, So He's Taking $17,000 on % in Oii Pittsburgh. May 26. Deal closed here Saturday (23) between Lou Goldberg, represeritins Major Bowes, and J. W. Menko, skipper of 'Golden Rod Show Boat,' for 40-week river tour of an ama- teur troupe aboard the Menke craft. Voyage gets under way June 18 at Monongahela City, about 20 mile.s upstreanri, and will then proceed down Ohio and Ml.ssi.ssippi River.s in a series o£ orie-and two-night stands. Golden Rod has been anchored here for last five yearf*. operating evei'y summer with old-time.mollcrs in typical Show Boat fashion. Tyros, .25 of them, will live on tho Golden Rod, paying Mcnke $10 weekly out of their salaries for room and board. / Understood that deal provides for cancellation of contract by either party should gro.ss for any one week ' slip under $2,100. Golden Rod audi- torium can handle around 1,000 and scale will be $1 .for boxes and 75 cents for general admission at eve- ning shows. MatK, when play^^d, will be half that .scale. Eddie. Cantor, playing the house' child the cost is $365, which defrays at a 50-50 spilt, may take $17,000 J expense of transportation for two .Totem Pole Ballroom (P.oslon), opened its summer .sehmlnle Friday (L'i>1. Deacon Moore doing the batoning;. I as his end of the current week's \ gross at the Palace, Chicago'. The- [ atre had around $16,000 in the till; for the first three days of the week, | which istarted Friday (22), and is{ headed for a $34,000 total take. j Last week the Ca;ntor unit got I $16,500 as its share of the $33,000 j gross at the Palace, Cleveland. In j Chicago it's setting attendance rec- ords at the house,, but gross is being curtailed by a recently lowered price scale. Prior to taking the two RKO weeks; Cantor, through the William Morris agency, asked a $15,000 weekly guarantee for the unit, also containing Parkyakarkus, Bobby, Breen, Jimmy Wallington, Stanley Twins and Betty Jane Cooper, ff not that figure, then he wanted the 50-50 split arrangement, which RKO agreed to. Following the Chicago we-ek. Can- tor goes to St. Louis for a .short stay on personal business and then heads for the Coast and conferences j on his next picture for XTnited Arti.sts. Due to this. Cantor found it necessary to turn down offers for at least two more weeks In vaude. one of them at the Fox, Detroit. ile will coiilinue breaking liis jump to the Coa.sl by i-al.sing funds for Youth Alyali. on behalf of Oor- man-Je.wi.sh children. In Cleveland last week Cantor realized enough to lransi)lant ' children to I'alesline. Ills personal (Hiota 'if- 500 (.hilflren; so far ihf funds realized will lake care «if H')r). bur not inej.jiling the '"hi. .Si. Louis and other fciop-offs. Ttr years while the youths are taught a trade in Palestine, after which it is expected they will become self- supporting. Baltimore, May 2 General Motors, is cui^rehtly tour- ing around "the country- ?i sho\y con- sisting of eight vaude acts and' twa films, one of three-reels and other of one-reel, which automotive man- ufacturing company is showing to employees in every town in which there is a Gt-M plant, or a Fislaer Body branch. Show was put together in De- troit; recently. Sirice it is being shown to employees only, thei-e Is no. need for newspaper ballyhb6/»or ads, billboards' or window cardsT When troupe touches a town, flne.st house available is rented and ducats are given to employees that they may bring ones friend each and have an evening of entertainment on the boss. Layout is costing G-M.. around $10,000 weekly. Vaude talent booked by Corinne Muer, one-time Shubert prima dOnna who during recent years hag been operating an agency in Detroit. Miss Muer'travels Avith show, handling the acts she has booked. Stopping off - here last week and renting the- town's opera hall. Lyric, for around $600 for the eve- ning, two performances v/ere put on; The acts on display were: Lester Cole and his Texas Rariger's; Novell Ip Brothei-s; Carter and Holmes; El Cota;. Fritz Family of girl acrobats; Don Arden Trio, hoofers; Sally. Joy and "Vobo, a dog. act; and Frank ISilleh's ip-plece ban^.^ .The one-reel fllm is 'The Steeple- cha.se,* which humorously gets., across to onlookers the practica- bility of G-M. motor cars, and the three-reeler Is 'Master Hands,' showing smart work In the fac- tories. Both are to Imbue the work- ers with itch, to go out there and flght to finish for good ol' G-M. The vaude show is pi>esented same as a bill in any theatre. R. R. Ju'mp* Acts clalni they are getting rei;u- lar theatre salaries. They never have more thaji two shows In an evening, and sometimes, only oner depends on what size factory Is In town they are playing. .Strangle fact of .show is that 6-Mv world's largest maker of automotlves, Is Jumping show by rail onlyi and buying sleeper berths at that. After show pJiayed.here,, wenjt on .to. Bloomfleld, N. J., and. was, carded to fpUoW inlu>.Tari'ytown, .'t, ' . ■ . W. G. Pdwersf from GfrM's hfe'ad- guarters i^v .Di^ttbit; Is^ bossing; the layout and m.c'Ing the Vbowff. ■f^sO carried are a ' sta[ge manager ''and projectionist, ^ The $10,000'cost weekly , to G^M summed up from nightly jumps, salaries, hall rentals and ihcldentals. If this tour is deeiped a. click, it will be a -yearly stunt. There are .said to be about 40 (J-M plants in that many towns around the coun- try. In these times that's a csireer for a vaude act. The THEATRE of the STARS