Variety (Jun 1936)

SCREEN STAGE PuWIehed Weekljr at 161 West 46th dt, New tork, H.'- T.r by. Variety, Inc. A'nnaal subscription, t6. BlnelB copies. 15 centi sntered as iecoiidTClafl* matter December 22, 1906, f,t tho Poit OfflcB at New Tprtc N. r., under thfr act ot March I, I87t. ■ copraiofaT, we/Bg; vi^dSTiCt'tNo. jiix bioVib besebvep. ■. , m No* 12 NEW iYORKf ^^^nepj^lESDAy, JIJNE 3, 1936 56 PA€tES . Hollywood, Jupe 2*,. fej^ftUm. Fox's :-yen to lie a'grand • ttM concert. Impresario blew iie:t^tiian a kite, because Abe's 9tlO'' background ■ Waa found as; l^.A^^ his money. ;S»tftiufactu0^ ;Sh(i^Foi:in pf,if$, [ ^6mmh&;,^old him the df^l>wdUcl'n^ as a plug ^^r'i^ toyi^ And ;>^ent TvJioJft: bog. ;;A"-,^»;:«ontraat«ia,W the Hollywood y^DVi; engaged Maurice Frank to 'H||ueinble..a flock of. assorted singers '.4^d' Stage & warbling rodeo In ifvine '.^ii4etr. the .neat but ungaudy titl0 ! the Hollywood Bowl Grand Qiwjta ^iB^^yal.' Then came the dawn, but flth 4 ;bang. j^S>9 contracted for radio time on BVeri|l .local stations an^ proceeded ' Compile copy plugging the com- <i(i^. <>pera : festival which he was taaiiclng. BlowofC came ifvb^n he ^Ound that It would be i^fipttslble ' ;Ua6' the line "Wear a i|hti'^£V>rm BSEilere When Tou Hejctr' J^da.' 5dl6' stations wouldn't go for the : Afee burned and turned oour on ..tiif muslp, d^plding to stick to 'PtKEIsteres mlniis all attempts to lip- litt^, That Is musically. It MELL'S IDEA SjF FOR NATl THEATRE Lt)ls, De Fee, probably the; only feihme nltery bouncer. Is' being considered ;for a barn-i storming tour of the niterles., Currently at LiOU Richman'si. Diizzy Club In New York. i Husky hoyden would be fea>| tured as freak lush. toss4i'-> outer, using bona fide soaks when procurable and plants when everybody .stays sober. Miss Qe Fee halls from AuS" tin, Texad,; is 6-2 tall, and weighs 184 pounds. Traffic Problems and Fash' lonable East Side Sector. , Augurs Times S<iuare 1^6 Longer the Sole. Iflayhouse Gentre-—JOramias ih Newer ! SJlructures Off th^ BVay . iBeit4:I«i^.i6th Ave^ Sub way ^hd Raclib .City ■ 0.^ Boston, June 2. .,;¥fCatharlne Cornell, here last week . In-'Saint Joan,' Is talking about a -.national theatre,' representing a ttJton- of principal stars and pro- ■ Supers. Juat a vague idea at the Woment, but one that she says ap- t»Wla to her in Us outlines. ;7Shc ilgures it Inevitable, but the S.*" hiust be preceded by plenty of TOtChet burying and sacrifices for the- welfare of all. /rlieglt, she thinks, 'may oome to ; point where it will bo as spec- ialized entertainment as grand opera «l today.' She hasn't considered fully whether her 'national theatre' Would be tied up with government subsidy or guidance In any way. G.OJ*. Conv. Keeping 'Sing' Cast from Hotel Rooms ;• ' Cleveland, June 2. ■ _^penine here almost simulta- jneously are the Group Theatre's I Fh of 'Awake and Sing' and !Republican National conven- ;*«». 'Awake' starts June 7 at the *janna theatre, while the elephants Btart %vork on June 9. _Event puts the players of the ■now In a spot for accommoda- "OMs. Congested hotels are forcing Inr . college dormitories, the .YWCA and whatever private "warding houses are still available. Chicago, June 2. While drawing turnaway business at the Palace last week. Eddie Can tor personally dug into hiis pocket to place a. two-inch ad in ev^ry Chicago daily, to apologize to the people who tried to get into the house and failed. In thanking ^he Chicago fans for this turnout. Can- tor also mentioned that he v^lll answer all the letters received here when tie returns to Holly- wood, since Iprejjsure of the en- gagement prevented his replying to correspondencje locally. This Is believed to ; be the first time any actor has advertised in Chi- cago dailies ' on his own for a (Continued on page 49) Lfly Pons' WUstle-Stoii Baltimore, June 2. Lily Pons will visit the upstate town of LUypons, Md., on June 21 for her first gander at the hamlet named for her. Gov, Harry Nice will be on hand to escort her through the town, and a shivaree will be staged in her honor. LUypons is a mere whistle-stop consisting of a post office, general- store and scattering of houses, plus famous layout of lily ponds, fish- eries and aquatic gardens that arc something of a showplace. Owned by Clarence C. Thomas, who Is also postmaster of village. STOCK AS SHOWCASE Austin Fairman's stock company at New Hope, Pa., has been tied up as a show window for film and legit talent scouts by the Lou Irwin agency. Harry Delmar is credited with idea of parading potential talent before talent execs In actual stock productions. $2 TOP LEGITS By JACK PULASKI ' Broadway has and ia changing ,sp markedly, appealing principally.; to jpersfons of moderate spending powier, that . the presence of high priced legits is Incongruous. The result. In years to come, will very likely see the drama spotted here and there around the mldtown. instead of be- ing'strung along the main stem and its-bisecting streets. ■ That some legit houses will be built on - the fashionable East Side fs logical. It is.there that the class night spots are located, -bUving- de aerted Broadway definitely and that is the section .where the better apartments and ho^ls are situated The increasing ea^'t-west traffic.is (Continued on page 48) Agent Claims He Can Deliver Selassie for Film, if 'Dignified' L. B. Mayer has under advise- ment a proposition from Edwin Meyers, agent, who claims he can deliver Halle Selassie for a 'digni- fied motion picture,' the proceeds to go towards Ethiopian relief. Col. Robertson, the Negus' American (colored) aviation advisor, is Meyers' contact with Selassie. It is specifically provided that the screen subject would have to be unusual^ like 'Green Pastures,' or along those lines. USHERS ON BIKES In New England'a First Drive-In Picture Theatre Weymouth, Mass., June 2. New England's first drive-in auto- mobile theatre opened here Wednes- day (27) with about 45« cars, and figuring two to a car, maybe 1,000 customers at 36c. a head. Screen said to be largest In world, and visible from any part of eight acres parking. Place located on road to Nantasket, south shore's Coney, and not tod. far from Boston. Opening bill, 'It's Love Again,' (GB). Ushers on bicycles. No . Comprdmite . Fort Worth, -^une i. . ..So;, Intense Jfl the Fort Worth-Dallias business rivalry. •that ■ Arapn Carter,. telgnlng 'dujce of Fort "^optb,;: carries It i>» extremes.- ,'?R4i(Bh Visiting . Dallas, an unsvvbldable neces-, sity from : time..,to time, Jthe . mlUlonal^ .C publisher - poUtliit-, , cian-...'jbiN^yes of his' irionfe^iini.thff neighboring city, v35 miles dytknt, as possible. ' He takes along a box lunch. AS INDIE PROD. Hollywood,^ Junb 2. Launching of: it, U6w production company by Carl XAOmiQle iihd his son wfts initiated by the signing < of James Whale to direct , one pie fure, Deal was niade by Junior with the understanding that his father, will produce on -a unit basis. Reported that the Laemmles! 6a^h wni fbs?, t2OO,p08 " intp . the ii(?w company, with, banking'.flnahc.es secured to provide another $t,000,'- 000 as working capital. Grand Island, Neb., June 2. Reported that Carl Laemmle Is dickering for the purchase of. the largest department store here. Store is 69 years old and is acknowledged the largest In the west Understood that Carl Laemmle is planning to turn over a great por- tion of the ownership to. his brother, Louis. Now It's San Antone San Antonio, June 2. Burg's catch line to lure Texas centennial touristp Is 'San Antonio for Romance,' Dallas for education because of $26,000,000 expo;- Fort Worth for entertainment for the frontier show, say local ballyhooers, Romance gag caught on after Janice Jarratt, San Antonio gal who Is most photographed New York model, was dubbed 'Sweetheart of Texas Centennial' by Gov. Allred. AmateQTi^ as Sales Prospects Buffalo, June 2, Harry Shaprow is sponsoring over station WEBR a form of ama- teur show, thrice weekly, for his electrical appliance store. Amateurs must come to store for audition. Shaprow figures they may buy while waiting for tryout. t>allas, Jun(ir Sf, Ab^iblute" Ignorance Ot'Fjort Worth's Frontjier Centennial Is pol- icy of th6 Centennial exBO.at Dallas. *Fort. Worth can have a Frontlet Centennial, and we wlU be glad to^ fa«)Ip them when we can',, execs of Dallas show eieplaln with a patron^ Izing air. "We can't take much time right now, thoiJgh, because we open Satur^ay/^Just five days 6ft/ ■ : Wrapped up in their own ohow, best Dallas public can do' is mini- mize opposlsh efCorfa;, One pa^r ia springing cartoon showing Billy Hose as i.flea trying, to ■ get chummy with eli^ii^iiant personified by "W* A. Webbi-iexpo gen; jniert. . , ■ • • can't be . bQtb.ered with minor outside .attfictlons,' ofHcjaJto" pi Pal- las? fair explaIiL..^'0£c6ufs"5 ,Rose '. being o^claliy nice when 'he calls Oh MBit because he knows 80% of'hlS; gate can be taken from the cr,owd thai comeS; specifically to the «xpo. Ten pei> ceint of otu'^gate migtht-have come to .QPexas to see Fort Wortii's show. ■ ■ ■• ■ ' ■' •. 'Expo can'if be Interrupteft 'with lighting anything like they're £ram- lirig ov«!r in" Fti Worth,' tb^y dec&re. 'There's; reallr no fight, e:it$!<ij>t'the- oni^i the ahowhian said thirt "Wa$. Just , so a llttlef of the itubiiclty jvould r^fleiijt pn their show*/ . °It is iriiie'that pfilclals of the' t>al- las fair have itiade every effort to avoid, thft .'fight' Angle., in, promotion. Th(py, ^ havS- avoided .involveixjent (Contlniied on page 65) M. RAH-RAH BANDS FOR NAZI COOD-Wni Berlin, June 2. Operators of German transatlantic ships are turning this summer to American student aggregations for their music, Nazis figure the moye as having goodwill building, if not propaganda possibilities. , North German Lloyd liners have already arranged to have American student orchestras play on both east and westbound trips. Among the units that have been booked for the llne'i4 three fastest ships, the Europa, Bremen and Columbus, ar/s Al Preycr and his Duke University orchestra. Purple Collegians from Holy Cross College, University of Richmond Collegians, St. Bonaven- ture Royal Collegians, Cornell Rhythm Boys, Rutgers Cardinals and Evanston Northwesterns. 122,500 Title Title of Dorothy Brande's book 'Wake Up and Live,' has been bought by .20th-Fox for $22,500. highest price ever paid for any tltlo. Miss Brando's Book of essays ne- cp.ssltates a completely new story being 'fi^itten.around the titl6 tor the screen.