Variety (Jul 1936)

".1. 78 VARIETY CONCERT 'Wednesday, July 15,4936 i CONCERT FIELD TALENT SET FOR MUSIC COURSE AT NORTHWEST v y, -■ rir - • Next to centennial fever now rampant, Texas emerges as the lead- ing southern state going after con* cert fate for next fall and winter. NBC«concert bureau has closed with- four' new towns for'regular'attrac- tions, and in September about five more are expected to sign; Around ' 20 spots are scattered over Lobe Siar State getting artists" now. •■•Average'-coin'layout'is $$000. for fodf attractions. : Waco, ' Laredo, Galveston and Harlingen- are the ' newest ones. • Other -'towns include Forth Worth* Dallas, Tyler*. Paris, Texarkana, ? Wichita-rFallfl^ Corpus Christf, LongvieW/ Austin, ' Gorsi- uSina, El Paso, Marshall, Port Arthur, Sah? Angelo, Temple and Sweet- wetter*' CBS concerts bureau also figures in some* of the latter. ■ .Harlingen (9,000 population) con- tacted surrounding towns to assure a good-sized audience'. Total is now listed- at 2,000 members. Efrem ZimhaiisV Moscow Cathedral Choir, Trudi • Schoop pallet, Josef ' and Eosina -Lhevine, and'Tlorence Aus» tral-John '. •Amadioi: comprise the initial group to appear. -Florida is a runner-up; for south- ern concert business, but Texas,is so civic-spirited at the moment that it's going after, anything smacking of touring attraction.. Other'.scattered spots signatured /for NBC artists for'fhe first, time starting in Ahe fall include: 'Leaven-. • worth,. Kans.i Clean, N. Y.; Ricli- rnond, IoAj, Spartanburg, S. C, and Steuhenville, , 0. Field men are ' Staying- out longer than usual this '.summer.. ; . ROBIN HOOD DELL S FAIR $22,800 WEEK Phfladelphlay July 1^ Concert season in Robin Hood Dell continued" under- par attendance last week, pulling ui maximum of around 21,000. persons for gross 'of approximately $22,300. Philadelphia Orchestra musicians, managing sea son. on corop bsisls, probably "matte some' coin, but not much. It included extra night, although. Friday -md Saturday were rained but • Catherine Littlefield and her Phil adelphia Ballet were good for - around 9,000 attendance and $10,000 :. for M6nday 'and Tuesday -of last week, for .which' they received total ° of $1,000. Wednesday is open date in Dell - schedules, but John Charles Thomas yanked in near capacity $, 000 Thursday fbr^^ross of some' where near $7,000* receiving $1,500 •ftusdate. • - • • ' ! Sunday night's' pop concert drew " only about JMHJ0 people and grossed not more than $900 or $800 at bar- gain rates. Opening night of 'Faust* , last night (13>; was'good for around , 4,000; for gross of. about $5,000. Fairish -sijct e s s of Littlefield troupe has led to : signing of Edwin • Strawbridge ballet for 'open late- season date, Mischa Elman is-soloist . for Thursday'(16) 'night and'Natalie Bodanskaya, young: Met : . soprano, will solo. Saturday (18). night. ' i ■ Magyar Opera Set tot ; Bayreuth's Liszt Week ' ■ ' ../'.' ' Berlin, July 1. • Franz Liszt, Memprial Week ; at . Bayreu'th, starting Oct. 19, ,will fea- ture 'a guest, play, of ..the, complete . Royal. J'uh'garian Opera'from Biiqa- "p'est with its 96-piece. orchestra airid 'full' stage equipment "for the per- formance o: Liszt's Oratorio and 'St. Elizabeth.' Additional Liszt works will be Under the direction of Professor .Joseph Pembaur, Dr. von Hausegger, "Professor Karl Kittel with his chorus, and Professor Peter Raabe. Talent lined up .for history and enjoyment of music course which is' being grven at Northwestern Uni- versity this fall at a $25 top scale for entire ■ series include - "' San; Carlo Grand t Opera Company,- Moscow Cathedral' ctioir 1 , Chicago - Symphony, Nino ' Martini, Mischa Levjrtzki', Jascha Heifetz, DeBasil -Ballet Russe, St, Louis Symphony, Marian Ander- son, Gladys Swarthout, Northwestern University Choir, Manuel-and Wil- liams Harpischord ensemble*'Robert Wallenborn and Saidenberg String quartet. ■ ■ '*■ v First 10 performances will be given in the campus auditorium, and the remaining four in Thorne^ hall. Students attending get'regular credit on their cards. \ . In addition to the artists, a group of commentators afe ( also pacted for platform chore?. ..TThey include Olin Downes, Leonard Liebling, Nicoli S.okploff, Pierre Key, John Martin, Prof. Felix Borowski. ■>»..'. Philharmonic Looking For Better Location; Maybe Nad. Sq. Garden The $1 concerts now being pre- sented at Lewisohn Stadium, New York,' by the ' Philharmonic Sym- phony may be transferred to a mid- town and indoor spot in another sea- son. Madison Square Garden is a possibility for the summer fare.. Weather 'has been so against pro- grams this summer (average at- tendance-being about 3,000 nightly) that, ^boaf d |s reported looking around for a safer locale. Biggest 'solo .draw so far was George ! Gershwin's appearance Thursday and Friday nights (9-10), with approximately14,000 turning out for the two nights. Members'of 'Porgy" and Bess' choir augmented Gershwin date. 'Only other night ; to come up to expectations was the postponed, opening' program with Albert Spalding as soloist and Jose Iturbi conducting. Gershwin .audi ence was enthusiastic; especially with new swing arrangement which has crept .into 'Rhapsody in Blue".* 'This was a surprise. Stadium setting is a problem, and becoming a headache, to manage- ment. It's unattractive, shorn, of any. natural-glamour and .'because of fall and winter sports program .at Col- lege-of City of- N. Y„ no permanent shell can be erected or surroundings landscaped. Visitors who have seen Robin Hood's Dell, Philly and Holly- Wood Bowl are just disappointed. . ■ If. the Garden is' air-conditioned and deal made providing for an ex- tended run, this .would be the logical place to move, it's thought. Central location would also help. Stadium series is in its 19th season. $3,500 Fiddle Smashed Philadelphia, July 14. .At Robin Hood Dejl last night (Monday), a stagehand fell into or- chestra^' pit, . landing on Joseph Chudnowsky's 200-year-old, $3,500 Guadagnini fiddle, smashing it to splinters.. .'. . 'Neither the. Dell, nor fiddler ; C^udnowsky.. c^rry insurance. . Nor did -Hie stagehand, who wasn't in- ' Jured—only apologetic EASTWARD, H<H .. (Cpntinued. from page 76) and tigers. But by this time Rachel and Moore decide- .they love, each other and run.of£.to spend a night at a village in French.territory nearby, . Before they are missed Lionel Fawcett is '.persuaded that .Rachel loves him and the"engagement is an- nounced. Rachel and" Shillaber re turn to" fmd- a hornet's riest. The girl is willing to sacrifice -herself fbr the sake of -Moore's career, but when the story: of their escapade is revealed slie walks out on; the- whole sitiia- .tion and takes .refuge.in the French village. 1 '." ' • .'.'•'' Shillaber turns'up the next day! insisting'that'he loves her, and they decide to try it* Lady Henrietta and her.husband threaten to make an in ternational. incident of the affair, but eventually they calm down . and Rachel and Shillaber are married, . Ruth Westotf,. an adroit cpmedi ertne,- is not. at. her best as Rachel and is a little inclined towards stock manneriSms, but with the burden of the play on her shoulders, she works hard. Robert Wallsteri is- Shillaber Moore. Louis Hector as Lionel gives new meaning to the-'silly ass Englishman' . role.'. Hilda Plowright and George Graham play Lord and Lady Raulstori and Audrey Ridge- well is the jealous husband hunter, An outstanding bit is contributed by Boris Marshalby in the amiable role of the French governor. ■ Rpbert Ross' direction is somewhat lacking, in firmness. The back grounds designed by S. Syrjala are okay. With a lot of work this script may still come through for Broadway, even though at present it shows only promise. The pictui-e angle, too, will depend largely on what hsonens from now on. Macfc, THE STUDENT PRINCE (JONES BEACH) .. Jones Beach, L. I., July 12. Current production in Fortune Gallo's $1 top operetta series, 'The Student Prince,' drew a capacity -audience at the opening Saturday (11). : Watson Batratt's • design for the barge in Zach's Bay, where the shows are .presented, is. good. Plat- form and. pylons are painted ■ mid- night blue which fades into the sky when it turns dark. Only the sets themselves stand out in relief. About 200 are in the company, and this number will be retained for the summer run. , ... , . Gertrude Hoffman is staging bal- lets.- Her work in this production is a ballroom ensemble rather than classic ballet routine. Use Marveriga heads the cast Robert Shafer, new- comer, sings the role of the p) ince. Others include George Dill, Bartiott Simmons, John Wheeler, Jill Kramer, Terry' Home, Frederick Jeaeke, Mario Fiorella, Dick Langdon, Doug- las Leavitt, Ernest Goodhart, Hope Emerson,' MaxTne Castleton, Joseph Toner, JCay Fitzgerald and Gordon Feltz. Edward J. Scanlan is staging, with orchestra under the - .direction of .Giuseppe Baniboschek, Leavitt, doing the comedy> is particularly good. Best scene handled on the, floating stage is • the ; palace, 'with the entire: company on hand' in military :and formal attire, which got a nice.hand for its eye-filling scope. Comedy is brushed up^tb-date somewhat, with Leavitt using the quintuplet gag in one of his -scenes. .Laughs .seem to be carefully timed, as.. distance of audience makes it apparent that ac- tion keep the upper hand.. Besides Ruth' Urban arid Roy Crop- per for 'Rose-Marie' next "'week, Zelma Russell, Harry Morton and •Sondra Ward will be used, Size of Friml piece has caused a switch in opening, night from Saturday 'to Tuesday. Barratt staff is working out some'Indian patterns for the float, , Nice turnput and word-of-mouth has done much to build the business. No hotels oh the spot, so company is scattered around the island. Long Island State" Park Commission will continue to service the layout dur- ing the extended ruh. ■ Bral. Dresden Op. for London - - Berlin;'July 5. Saxonian State Orchestra 'and Dresden Opera- have Been engaged for a London season in November. While' the full State orchestra will give concerts at Queens Hall under general music director Professor Dr. Karl Boehm, the entire Dresden Opera is signed for-Covent Garden, with works by Mozart, Wagner and Richard Strauss. -COAST BACH SPEEAD Garmel; • Calif., July 14. ' Five concerts' of Beach " Festival are being offered, at $7.70 top. Pro gram is. on July 20-26, with Denny Watrous bureau^managing. Spot has ben growing on the Coast the past, few years, .and. is drawing many from film colony. Sascha Jacobinoff is directing the Bach spread, second of its kind here, Balaban—Zukor Going Places By Cecelia Ager Horse oh the Hoof' There's a horses .this week at the Music; Hall, .which,. just.beca,use it.points its hoofs and lifts its legs,while the orchestra strives to follow its motions with a Charleston, a rhumba and' a waltz," is received by the audience as- if it were PaVlowa. This should be very disheartening to" the girls of the ballet- corps and the Ropkettes, who dance'ever so much better, but get less enthusiastic response .because 'they' .don't happen "to be horses; ' Cilly Feindt, the horse's choreographer," wears white jodphurs and a white sequin tailcoat • ""*' • Maddened by the success of the . horse, the Music Hall curtains'go out on a tear of their own, play peekabbq with, the .audience,, lift coyly no more'than a swag oh one side of the stage to show Marie Grinialdi and Nicholas Daks' yearning for each other, swiftly drop that swag only to lift another on the other Side of the stage "that - reveals Miss Grimaldi now Swooning away with love on her silken couch, then- down; arid now the whple curtain rises diagonally to show Miss Grimaldi's dream? She dreams that half the girls of .the. ballet corps wear white wigs and yellow and green' tiille dresses tied wih gold' sashes; and' the other half pretend to be officers of the Hussars in white tights 1 'and' blue braided jackets slung over one shoulder; |and that they waltz hi an elegant bali- roorii lighted by rows of gold c'upids holding candlelabra on high arid standing with their chubby derrieres turned' to the audience. Now, wear- ing - her-white tulle sprinkled with sequins, Miss Gririialdi enters her dream with dream man, Nicholas Daks, who's wearing his red, and the two of- thein yearn while leaping, soaring, kicking and whirling., After the Glee club has- been, coniical and-'the horse-has' pointed its hoofs and Mickey. King has performed her aerial'act that goes better than others of its ilk because. Misjs-King is riot, muscle bound, the Rocktettea wind up the show as prancing Pierrettes in'short white satin flared--skirts, red stockings,- red sequined ruffs, black sequin caps -with red pompoms, and streamers, on their sleeves the better to mark their- precise flourish- Ings. The curtains have had their fling and come down now. quite settled. .Short End for Barbara. '.The-Bride Walks Out* is not 'kind to Barbara Stanwyck. It seems to get a perverse satisfaction out of hiding her good points and . exhibiting her limitations. She's- fine at being regular, at true love for a strong man, at dramatic-emotion wrought from sound basic conflict.. So 'The Bride Walks Out' makes her a poor sport who is. entranced by Gene Raymond and pouts over their consequent midget set-tos. . Miss Stanwyck is awkward, at the light touch, so the dialog abounds with 'badinage'; her. figure is not noted for its symriietry, sb'MisS Stanwyck '• goes dancing on the boat to Coney. Island—which^means vigorous dancing —wearing a tailored white suit whose scant straight skirt thus., actively, engaged points out just where the lack of symmetry, is most pronounced^ Miss Stanwyck's personal style is too frail for much carryings-on, so she is wound round with an afternoon costume that's got a skirt shirred into the waist and" looped under at the hem like harem trousers in an adap- tation of-Robert Piguet's most startling last season's models. .Herds of sables lie across her shoulders and she wears a draped'turban with ends \ jutting free at the back. A good costume, consistent from head to foot '- in its Oriental feeling, that requires a more exotic wearer, than Miss - Stanwyck to prove its worth! .•.''' Save for these two lapses, however, the costume department tries to atone to Miss Stanwyck for the trifling way the story treats her, holding to simplicity , and a broad-shouldered silhouette for balance. . Helen Broderick's lines crackle with disarming ease, while the rest of the cast sweat for the same effect and don't get it . . (Continued from'page 4) ' committee which meets once weekly, Although showmen are in the minor ity on the board, the Zukor-Balaban machine''and Par's present adminis tration are /expected to have" com- plete support .of the directorate with most .of. the dissension of the past now believed removed. - Balaban returned Tto New York early last week, 24 hours ahead of Adolph Zukor's departure for the Coast to assume presidential' duties but'as yet'hasn't'had the time to make a syrvey of the administrative setup; 'There'is rio . indication that any but minor changes may be made in the east where Balaban will be in control of the' situation, of at the studio where Zukor will' supervise plant "activities'. Neil .F. Agnew,- v.p. in charge of distribution _whq!s solidly intrenched iri Par,' left for Dallas and the; Coast the same day Balaban returned from Chicago and conferences on sales had to wait his return. He was scheduled to return to N. Y. by plane yesterday, (Tues 1 - day). Y. Frank. Free'nian, heading theatres, is at present in New York. Balaban isn't bringing "anyone in froni Chicago . as assistants or fc: other executive capacities. He flew cut there. Friday, altesnoon (10) to bring his family into New York. The Balabans are making their home at the guest house on Zukor's estate c.t New City, N. Y. which was ready for them to move in over the week- end. ,' ... . The presidency of Balaban & Katz Will. be retained by. Balaban in- definitely and probably permanently, with his brother, John, who has been closer .to actual operations than Publlo Enemy's Lady • 'Public Enemy's Wife,' it grows plainer and more sadly disillusioning with each of her refined, distinctly articulated syllables that drop like cultured pearls from the center of her mouth and riot from the side at all, is decidedly not the girl her glamorous title has lured one into ex- pecting. She's just a lady like any other lady, only—since she's played by Margaret Lindsay—more so, for Miss Lindsay's flair for lady-likeness is such that she can sock it across even when she's in'jail, framed; of course. Miss Lindsay, does not forget that a lady's a lady, any place, anywhere. Her coiffure is as carefully waved, her makeup as' precise, Her demeanor as cool and haughty'in stir as "it is afterwards in Florida, when she's frolicking decorously with her, own kind, the swells. Now she first wraps a shaded velvet negligee over her neat two-piece satin pyjamas when G-men come .to call in her modernistic Florida hotel , suite, whose rooms are much larger than even California hotel-rooms in pictures, so vast, in fact, that anybody who's been sitting on the sofa is panting more from exhaustion than apprehension by the time he reaches the door. Miss Lindsay's contempt for her title leads her into divorcing her Public Enemy husband who loves her ardently, arid participating in a fake marriage with a G-man who doesn't realize at the tiriie he, too, is mad for her, in order to trap husband No. 1, who has wickedly promised to prevent any other man's getting her. Though it's only a mock'ceremony, Miss Lindsay's sense of propriety compels a full church,wedding with a white-satin wedding dress of' the Elizabeth age inspiration for herself, with a square lace yoke and upstanding", collar, and satiri 6ver-panel3 swirling up. arid out from the armholes' to form traiijs. . Miss Lindsay's going-away suit is made^of white, crepe printed with flowers, and,has a full length tailored coat,. ........ r ' Faith—That's What It Is . - . 1 With surging' movements' thaj; start down in her toes and swoop up through her whole body; with slinks, tragic glarices : and rapt gazes; with high-toned-accent -and spirited tosses.'of her head, Mary Ellis sweeps through her role of 'Fatal Lady' an actress who has Only scorn for'the current mode for understatement, an actress who isn't afraid to act by gad! Also an actress who isn't afraid to. enter the picture'a tremulous young girl—if Grace Moore did it and-could get away' with it,-why,pot? " In -Fatal Lady' people who hanker-for- : Miss Ellis have a mysterious way of getting, bumped. 6ff, but there's nothing mysterious- about why they hanker for her. Miss Ellis,' it's plain.shaS allure; there is always a misty veil wrapped about'her'head or a, train on her skirt or sequins-.sparkling beckpningly or else a'tantalizing prim and demure white collar round her throat for contrast with her intoxicating, personality, and the way her dark hair grows in a widow's peak on her brow helps, too. But her greatest, asset as > femme fatale is her own .'conviction that that's exactly what she is; "Miss Ellis has the glow of faith, she has the will to believe. he in charge at Chicago.' , ' Jules J. Rubens continues in charge of the operation of Great States, which is vi holly owned by B. & K. Mr. Barney, as the Par bunch chooses to' call the new Par presi- dent, may make a trip to Chicago as occasion demands but otherwise hts brother John will be , in complete charge and come into New York now and then on product deals and for h. o. conferences. Zukor's Freedom on Prod. Zukor will have complete freedom in control of the studio and opera- tions there. Unlike the average ma- jor company president,'Balaban is not rushing out to the plant to exer- pise any authority. He feels that the studio is in very capable-hands with Zukor in charge arid has no unmedi-r ate. plans for going west although at some future time he no doubt .will pay Hollywood a visit. Balaban and Zukor .will naturally be in close touch with each other, Balaban in command of the home office, Zukor" on. the western front. R. E. Anderson continues as vice president on financial matters." Ho was brought in by John E. Otter- son last.July but has no contract. H. Wilcox, accountant executive, -also brought in by the outgoing Par presiderit, was reported leaving' DU * is still with the company.-.